Back Atcha

Oh, hello there. I was just settling in for the morning with a hot cup of coffee. How are you?

My Life, Circa Now
while (false == applicationDone) {
prepareForWork();
transport(toWork);
work(application);
transport(toHome);
sleep(time(05:30) – time(now));
}

Yep, that looks about right.

Up With Audible. Down With iTunes And Audible’s DRM!
I am more than halfway through my second audiobook from Audible and loving it. (You may remember that I’m “reading” Micheal Ruhlman’s “The Making of a Chef”.)

However one thing I am not enjoying is having to enter my Audible password to authorize my account every time I start iTunes. Even though I usually keep iTunes running 24/7 there have been recent occasions which have forced me to restart iTunes. This gripe would be minor if not for the fact that if my account is not authorized it will not copy my audiobooks to my iPod, and if they are not on my iPod I cannot listen to them. Frustration, all in the name of “Digital Rights Management” which is another way of saying “not letting me own the rights to the media that I’ve purchased.”

When Amazon bought Audible there were talks of removing the DRM for audiobooks. That has not happened. Perhaps I should make today’s Website of the Day Amazon, Call An Audible which is a website petitioning Amazon to drop the DRM from audiobooks.

Say it with me people. “DRM is Evil!” It’s just another way for greedy movie/music/publishing executives to get their filthy hands into your wallets.

ITP Flickr Pic
“Open That Bottle” night number two. Actually, this is the second bottle I opened last night. The first bottle was opened just before ITP-Reader Betsy called and invited me over to her place for Hell’s Kitchen. I, not wanting to break the law by transporting an “open bottle” to her house, decided to bring a closed bottle.

This was a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon (if I remember correctly). I’m still seeking advice for replacement bottles as my collection has now dipped to fourteen bottles.

A Double Dose Of Reality
Last night I watched two RealiTV shows, The Chopping Block and Hell’s Kitchen.

Two episodes in and I’m really starting to enjoy The Chopping Block. The show’s host, Macro Pierre White, is like a restaurant-version of Johnny Depp and is proving to be and insightful commenter in comparison to the balls-to-the-wall yell-at-everyone style of Gordon Ramsay.

In last night’s Hell’s Kitchen episode we got a lot more of the same. However, during this episode Ramsay busted a gasket and fired J in mid-service! It’s getting to the point where I start to identify who has a shot at winning, and the odds-on-favorite has to be Giovanni. As I scan the list of remaining cooks I don’t see any of them competing at Giovanni’s level. I guess if I were to pick a Final Four (this is March Madness time after all), I’d pick Giovanni, Ben, Paula, Andrea — with Robert as an Honorable Mention.

Oh Yeah, I’ll Be At The EARL Tonight
Tonight is the AC Newman show at The EARL. If you are familiar with The New Pornographers then you are familiar with Newman’s work as Carl (AC) Newman is the lead singer/songwriter for The New Pornographers; Newman also records solo records under his name.

I’m thrilled to be going out tonight. The weather should be agreeable — no rain or freezing temperatures. I should be well rested and ready for a good night of music.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fair
Current Music – listening to yesterday’s “Coverville” podcast — this one is the Neutral Milk Hotel Cover Story episode. Fucking. Awesome!
Website Of The Day – If you like interesting photography then check out the Projects section of Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre Photography
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nada

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 2.5 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 17 (17)
Vegetarian Days – 8, Carnivorous Days – 11
Marta Rides – 0

March Goals
– Complete all necessary work on my kitchen
– Lose no fewer than one pound
– Run no fewer than 30 miles
– Completely read Softbox Lighting Techniques for Professional Photographers, and Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas

2009 Goals
– Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
– Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
РEarn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalape̱o Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]