web analytics

Stephen Pickering

Blog

  • Cotton Eye Joe Cover

     

    Cover of a Cover. Cover of Josh Rouse covering “Cotton Eye Joe.” Damn, I keep forgetting to turn the iPhone sideways for video. Will remember next time. Vocals not very clear because P.A. is way in the background and the iPhone mic is picking up mostly the guitar. Oh well just a test. Not bad.

    Damn, I also just realized I left out a whole verse!!! The one that goes, “I’ve been laughing in the sunshine. I’ve been lying in the rain. You know that living is easy, and I ain’t feelin’ no pain.”

    Oh well, do over. And next time I’ll have the camera sideways, and maybe try to play picking with my fingers, Brazilian style, like Josh plays it.

     

  • The Best Wine to Have with Turkey

    georgesbeaujolais2009

    “This would be an outstanding Turkey wine” – John C. Dvorak

    Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2009, according to John Dvorak, a noted wine expert. He also notes that 2009 is known to be the best year for Beaujolais since the 1940’s. So, if you are considering a wine for Thanksgiving, you might check it out.

    The snippet of video below is taken from This Week in Tech (TWiT) Episode #222 from Sunday, November 22, 2009, where he, Leo Laporte, and Becky Worley talk about the virtues of this wine and this year for wine.

  • You Go, Blanche Lincoln!

    3 Democrats Could Block Health Bill in Senate – NyTimes.com

    United States Senator Blanche Lincoln
    355 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C.  20515
    Office:  202-224-4843; Fax:  202-228-1371.

    Hi,

    I want to go on record as supporting Sen. Lincoln in being AGAINST the Health Care Bill. I believe real Health Care reform could be accomplished by simply removing the regulations that are in place that protects false monopolies in the industry. Blue Cross’s 70%+ market share in Arkansas, for instance, is not something they “earned.” They have that and their high prices simply because of regulations, perhaps at the state level, that crowds out honest competition. A real health care reform act would simply bring down the walls to honest competition and thereby lower prices for all. Another government bureaucracy, especially this one, would simply create another endless money pit that would perhaps bankrupt the Country (some analysts believe Medicare itself is capable of that) but for sure give no value back to the people, as taxes would rise and the money would flow to people who have not earned it, the various “hangers on” and other dishonest people close to the system, who, as is the case with all government programs, are simply there to scoop up the money without providing value.

    Thank you for your time,

    Stephen Pickering
    Little Rock, Arkansas.

  • Fall Red Leaves

    Fall

    I used Auto Stitch on the iPhone. Hate how blurry it turned out. The individual photos aren’t. I think its because I began in the center. I should have started from one side or the other, I think for it to turn out better. Any thoughts on how to use Autostitch better?

  • What is Proper Dog Walking Etiquette?

    So, I’m walking my dogs this afternoon around the neighborhood, listening to music on my iPhone, and they pull me up into someone’s yard. This house has a circular driveway, and I was pulled a few steps up into it.

    Then I hear a voice coming over my music, “Can I help you?” At first I listened closely wondering if the voice was coming from my song, then I looked up and saw a women in the doorway continuing to say “Can I help you?”

    So I take out my headphones. “What?,” I ask.

    “Can I help you?” she continued to ask. Then I realized by her tone she was in a huff.

    “No,” I said, taken a little aback, “I’m just walking my dogs.”

    She continued to look at my crossly, staring me down as if looks could kill.

    “C’mon,” I told my dogs, pulling them away towards the street.

    “Hmmmph,” she grunted.

    I walked away feeling a little angry. I was wishing at that moment I’d pulled a Larry David on her, but part of me was worried I’d get a typical Larry David result and out of her door would come her 6′ 8″ husband!

    Still it got under my skin as I was walking home. I was thinking, “Where are the dogs supposed to go to the restroom, in the street? What, am I hurting your driveway? Are the dogs feet disturbing your lawn?”

    I had a plastic bag to pick up any waste. So what is proper dog walking etiquette? Are you not supposed to ever let them walk into anyone’s lawn?

    Thanks for your response and help!

  • How to Sync Any Phone to Itunes

    Update 1/18/10 - There's also another option. It's called DoubleTwist. It was recommended by Leo Laporte on one of his podcasts and he's the most trusted man on the internet. I think he was using it to sync his new Nexus One phone up with his iTunes Library.


    Cross-platform Salling Media Sync updated, syncs Palm Pre and other devices with iTunes and photo applications

    Stockholm, Sweden—July 16, 2009—Salling Software AB on Wednesday updated its application for syncing media from iTunes to mobile devices.The new version supports Palm's popular Pre smartphone, and includes the ability to also sync photos, letting users to bring their favorite photo albums with them.

    "I admit the timing of this release is no coincidence," said Salling Software president Jonas Salling. "We're betting there are a lot of Palm Pre owners who feel burned by the new iTunes, 8.2.1 update. But they can keep syncing with iTunes using Salling Media Sync! It's totally free for basic use, with no track limit, no playlist limit, and no expiration—ever. And it syncs photos, too."

    In addition, the new version of Salling Media Sync brings compatibility with Blackberry Bold and Storm, as well as support for several new devices from other manufacturers.

    Salling Media Sync couldn't be easier to use. Once the phone is connected to a USB port, the users simply select the playlists, podcasts and photo albums they want on the device. Salling Media Sync not only uploads the music tracks and podcast episodes, but also replicates each actual playlist on the device and—on devices that support it—transfers play count metadata for each item to the device, reinforcing the sense of having a piece of iTunes in your pocket. Pricing & Availability

    Salling Media Sync 1.1 is available now through Salling Software's web site (http://www.salling.com) at no cost for basic use.

    At a price of $22/ €15 per user license, the application intelligently updates your phone, resulting in faster syncs. Windows and Mac licenses are sold separately, and the bundle can be bought at a 25% discount. Salling Media Sync for Windows is compatible with Windows XP SP2 (with Windows Media Player 11) or better, iTunes 7.6.x - 8.2.1 (for music and podcasts), and Adobe Photoshop Album SE 3.2 or Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.x - 7.x (for photos). Salling Media Sync for Mac is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4.11 or better, iTunes 7.6.x - 8.2.1 (for music and podcasts), and iPhoto '08 - '09 or Aperture 2.x (for photos). Please see http://www.salling.com/MediaSync/ for details. Salling Software is a pioneer in mobile phone software for Macs and PCs and inventor of the award-winning Salling Clicker, turning a mobile phone into a two-way computer remote control. Salling Software is committed to bringing innovative, fun, and easy-to-use software applications to users worldwide. NOTE TO EDITORS: Press images are available at: http://pr.salling.com/images.html

    Press Contact:

    Jonas Salling

    Salling Software AB

    + 46 8 5250 5150

    [email protected]

    Salling Software and Salling Media Sync are trademarks of Salling Software AB. Other company and product names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.