Hey, folks. Did the PghBlogggers Blogfest 13 at Finnegan's Wake in Pittsburgh's Northside this past Friday evening. A wet, slushy, sleety, blowy evening in Pittsburgh did nothing to dampen the spirits of the various bloggers and podcasters who showed up. A few of the cast:
Susan Courtad, of the One-Woman Show blog;
Dawn Papuga of Lyrique Tragedy Reviews;
Jim & Amy Shireman - Jim does Sportocracy podcast on Talkshoe;
Elwin Green of the Post-Gazette;
Karamagi Rujumba of the Post-Gazette;
Dayvoe of Two Political Junkies;
Bob from Masters of Gilligan;
Father Spoon;
Norm Heulsman of the new Strom Huelsman podcast;
Sickpuppy and Father Spoon of the Should I Drink That brewcast;
Cynthia and Brother Anthony Closkey of Big Big Design;
Mike Woycheck of Have a Good Sandwich blog;
...and many others.
Why weren't you there? Oh, yeah, the snow. :-)
check out Pghbloggers.org for future events...and start blogging!
..alex.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Blogging - You Either Are or You're Not
After a bit of blogging and podcasting hiatus, I read these two uber-perceptive statements by, or through, Jeremiah Owyang:
1st, Jeremiah links to Seth Godin's blog post in which Seth says that blogging is fun, and done, because it's something he "gets" to do, rather than has to do. This is a hugely important statement and realization.
2nd, in Jeremiah's blog post about CEO blogging, he states that the only exit strategy from blogging is simply to stop. To stop means perhaps, like the podfade, that the lack of interest, time or impetus, or some blend of the three, has impeded the act of communicating through blogging. In any case, this is disheartening to any readers you've picked up...and presents a loss to the world of another stream of an author's consciousness transcribed.
I twittered this morning for the first time in days...well, for the first time in over a week. Why the stop? Who cares? The point is to pick up again and continue.
Frodo didn't carry the ring because he had to. He carried the ring because he could. And, he cared.
..Alex.
1st, Jeremiah links to Seth Godin's blog post in which Seth says that blogging is fun, and done, because it's something he "gets" to do, rather than has to do. This is a hugely important statement and realization.
2nd, in Jeremiah's blog post about CEO blogging, he states that the only exit strategy from blogging is simply to stop. To stop means perhaps, like the podfade, that the lack of interest, time or impetus, or some blend of the three, has impeded the act of communicating through blogging. In any case, this is disheartening to any readers you've picked up...and presents a loss to the world of another stream of an author's consciousness transcribed.
I twittered this morning for the first time in days...well, for the first time in over a week. Why the stop? Who cares? The point is to pick up again and continue.
Frodo didn't carry the ring because he had to. He carried the ring because he could. And, he cared.
..Alex.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Testing Seesmic and Ustream.tv this morning
I'm testing streaming video via Seesmic and Ustream.tv this morning, with bionicle and lego building episodes with my son. I've read/viewed/heard that Seesmic is to video as Twitter is to blogging...but hadn't yet put that to the test. This morning I see that it forces production to about 5 or 6 minutes max. I made no alterations to original settings, so I don't know if that's expandable...but with my current content, that's not a big deal. Ustream.tv I believe has a different limitation...but also is more about streaming longer shows & content than just short bursts, as is Seesmic's specialty.
Below is an embedded video from Ustream.tv. Go to Seesmic and search on "alexlandefeld" for the 5 short vids posted there this morning.
..alex.
Alternatively, link here for this morning's recording, and here for the Ustream show
Below is an embedded video from Ustream.tv. Go to Seesmic and search on "alexlandefeld" for the 5 short vids posted there this morning.
..alex.
Alternatively, link here for this morning's recording, and here for the Ustream show
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Minute Tech 066 - pre-production iMovie video
I record the Minute Tech podcast via iMovie. This is the first time I've exported the recording to an uploadable format - not quite as pretty as the post-production audio file...but it's the real mccoy...er...macrae. And, yes, I read from the transcript. :-) I find that I throw in too many ums and ah's otherwise, which really pumps up edit time. A goal is to get beyond transcript talking!
..alex.
..alex.
Minute Tech 066: How Do You Organize Information? Databases.
- HBO's got milk and India's going orbital;
- How do you organize information? Databases.
- Seesmic is setting itself apart by micro-vlogging.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- How do you organize information? Databases.
- Seesmic is setting itself apart by micro-vlogging.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
Friday, January 25, 2008
1st week at Elliance, Inc.
Okay, folks, this has been my first week as a Customer Support Specialist at Elliance.com, a web development, strategy, SEM/SEO & SaaS company in Pittsburgh. While the week has been very awesome in terms of learning new things, doing new things, meeting a great team of people...I also have not been putting out Minute Tech episodes!
But that's fine - we all adapt to new environments, new stimuli, etc.
One big event I attended this week: the preliminary meeting about Podcamp Pittsburgh 3. More on that and other things shortly.
..alex.
But that's fine - we all adapt to new environments, new stimuli, etc.
One big event I attended this week: the preliminary meeting about Podcamp Pittsburgh 3. More on that and other things shortly.
..alex.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Minute Tech 065: How Do You Organize Information? Computers.
- Batteries Get A Charge Out of Silicon Nano-wires;
- How do you organize information? Computers.
- and, Stephen Hawking's Popular Book Moves Forward in Time.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- How do you organize information? Computers.
- and, Stephen Hawking's Popular Book Moves Forward in Time.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Logos #7 - Farewell to Wheeling
After working for six years with wonderful teams of client-focused people, how do you say goodbye with any effectiveness? With just an e-mail to include your e-mail addres...or do you include them whole-heartedly into your ongoing community? I prefer the latter. Please see some of my favorite past images and understand that they define me and help to formulate me for future experiences and interactions.
..alex.
..alex.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Minute Tech 064: How Do You Organize Information? The Book
- Google Crunches Petabytes daily;
- How Do You Organize Information? The Book.
- Dawn Papuga & the Stage Representation of Scar.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- How Do You Organize Information? The Book.
- Dawn Papuga & the Stage Representation of Scar.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
Monday, January 14, 2008
Minute Tech 063: How Do You Organize Information? The Brain.
- An Einstein Ring is Not a Berliner;
- First in a Series: How Do You Organize Information? The Brain.
- Recent Posts by Three Prolific Bloggers.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- First in a Series: How Do You Organize Information? The Brain.
- Recent Posts by Three Prolific Bloggers.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
Friday, January 11, 2008
Minute Tech 062: What is Tatting?
- Trading CES for MacWorld;
- Minute Tech Guest Carol Burrows on What is Tatting?
- Career Anchors - Discovery Your Real Values.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- Minute Tech Guest Carol Burrows on What is Tatting?
- Career Anchors - Discovery Your Real Values.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Thoughts on Improvement
How to move up, how to move forward, how to organize, how to prepare?
These are all questions streaming through at an unbelievable clip.
Three primary things to work on here: my life, my podcast & blog, my learning. By discussing this process with myself, perhaps you'll glean something for yourself. :-)
I seek to organize the information that I've created, the information I see on a daily basis, the information I need to move forward and the information I'll be picking up on tomorrow. I'm thinking of various ways to do this: via a spreadsheet, via a database, via a wiki, or simply on this blog. The solution needs to be in part open, so that you can see the process I'm working on, and in part closed so that private info can remain private.
A key part of this need & movement to organize is discussing my premise for the Minute Tech podcast. I believe that all things impact our lives: temperature, humidity, negative or positive attitude, the carbs, fats and minerals we take in for sustenance or perceived pleasure, the presence of our solar system in the galaxy, the ability to reach out and learn every day, everything. Because of this, I believe that all that we interact with, all that aids us in interacting with our environment much like the construction and design of the hardware and software that the rover Opportunity uses to explore the Martian environment, can be considered technology.
There are those who agree on this issue and others who disagree that technology can have such a broad definition. How do you define technology?
Organizing (or the attempt, at any rate) is in itself the use of technology to get from point A to point B - from a point of less organization to a point of greater organization.
I will be starting with a new employer later this month. The role which I presently perceive that I'll be fulfilling will require much learning in a relatively short amount of time. How I manage this learning of both techniques and realms of information organization may well consume me (a portion of me) and take me in totally new directions of learning and development.
Or, I could sit on a couch and wait for oblivion to take hold. Uh, right.
How do you manage the incredible diversity of information thrown at you on a daily basis? Do you manage by, well, managing by natural ability? Or have you devised a method for handling the informational fire-hose?
Tomorrow morning I must push out the final needle-craft interview with Carol Burrows. After that, I will seek new topics for my weekly sets of Minute Tech discussions.
ttyl,
..alex.
These are all questions streaming through at an unbelievable clip.
Three primary things to work on here: my life, my podcast & blog, my learning. By discussing this process with myself, perhaps you'll glean something for yourself. :-)
I seek to organize the information that I've created, the information I see on a daily basis, the information I need to move forward and the information I'll be picking up on tomorrow. I'm thinking of various ways to do this: via a spreadsheet, via a database, via a wiki, or simply on this blog. The solution needs to be in part open, so that you can see the process I'm working on, and in part closed so that private info can remain private.
A key part of this need & movement to organize is discussing my premise for the Minute Tech podcast. I believe that all things impact our lives: temperature, humidity, negative or positive attitude, the carbs, fats and minerals we take in for sustenance or perceived pleasure, the presence of our solar system in the galaxy, the ability to reach out and learn every day, everything. Because of this, I believe that all that we interact with, all that aids us in interacting with our environment much like the construction and design of the hardware and software that the rover Opportunity uses to explore the Martian environment, can be considered technology.
There are those who agree on this issue and others who disagree that technology can have such a broad definition. How do you define technology?
Organizing (or the attempt, at any rate) is in itself the use of technology to get from point A to point B - from a point of less organization to a point of greater organization.
I will be starting with a new employer later this month. The role which I presently perceive that I'll be fulfilling will require much learning in a relatively short amount of time. How I manage this learning of both techniques and realms of information organization may well consume me (a portion of me) and take me in totally new directions of learning and development.
Or, I could sit on a couch and wait for oblivion to take hold. Uh, right.
How do you manage the incredible diversity of information thrown at you on a daily basis? Do you manage by, well, managing by natural ability? Or have you devised a method for handling the informational fire-hose?
Tomorrow morning I must push out the final needle-craft interview with Carol Burrows. After that, I will seek new topics for my weekly sets of Minute Tech discussions.
ttyl,
..alex.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Moving Forward!
Episodes 47 through 50 of the Minute Tech podcast dealt with mourning, due to the fact that my mother, the mother of 7 and the grandmother of 18, had died on December 8th. This past weekend my family laid her to rest beside her husband, Charles W. Landefeld, in a cemetary in Cleveland, Ohio. This burial activity allowed me to put into action some of the things I talked to you about in those 4 podcasts.
In some of the family's eulogies, I learned more about my mother than I learned from her. Often this is the case, that you learn more from others about someone close to you than you do from the person him or herself.
Most importantly I learned that my mother had brought up her kids in a spirit in which she'd been brought up: to continually learn, to seek to do the right thing for everyone, to be open to the world of ideas, thoughts and beliefs that our fellow humans hold close to their hearts and wear on their sleeves and to be assured that those who traditionally had been led to believe that they had a set role in life...were always in a position to set their own course.
Are you in a position in which you feel the path has been laid out for you? Do you not feel that you can guide your own ship through the waters of time? Please consider waking up to the idea that there are only certain parameters that are set in stone: the universe appears to be continually expanding, we each are governed by the force of gravity while on a planetary body, and we each must convert matter to energy and waste to survive within our environment.
No other parameters hold you down.
Now, what can you do? What should you do? What will you do?
..Alex.
In some of the family's eulogies, I learned more about my mother than I learned from her. Often this is the case, that you learn more from others about someone close to you than you do from the person him or herself.
Most importantly I learned that my mother had brought up her kids in a spirit in which she'd been brought up: to continually learn, to seek to do the right thing for everyone, to be open to the world of ideas, thoughts and beliefs that our fellow humans hold close to their hearts and wear on their sleeves and to be assured that those who traditionally had been led to believe that they had a set role in life...were always in a position to set their own course.
Are you in a position in which you feel the path has been laid out for you? Do you not feel that you can guide your own ship through the waters of time? Please consider waking up to the idea that there are only certain parameters that are set in stone: the universe appears to be continually expanding, we each are governed by the force of gravity while on a planetary body, and we each must convert matter to energy and waste to survive within our environment.
No other parameters hold you down.
Now, what can you do? What should you do? What will you do?
..Alex.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Tech Marches On!
Is Apple priming for a leap from sub-orbital to orbital?
Is Oil building to $150/bbl?
Will anyone build a sporty two-seat convertible that's economical and fun to drive?
Will the OLPC supplant the PC industry?
Are all cellphones destined to have visual voicemail?
Will iTunes and AppleTV wrest control of the one-eyed babysitter from the networks?
Will I enjoy working in a small web 2.0 company?
Are we going to see sensible presidential politics this year?
Will religion rise in popularity as uncertainty and volatility rise?
Who is the next Microsoft, Google, Apple, Nokia, Toyota, Sony or Facebook? Will you recognize it when you see it?
Where are the job opportunities?
Where are the housing opportunities?
Where are the fine and perfomance art opportunities?
Should you begin thinking about longevity, or continue hedonistically?
Should you learn continuously?
Should you write your will?
All these questions, and more, are the thoughts at the outset of a new year. Think about them. Write to me at Minutetech@gmail.com about your answers - I'll include them in an upcoming show.
Note: MinuteTech will be off the digital airwaves for a few days due to family events. I may squeeze one off, but don't expect one until Mon., Jan 7th.
:-)
Happy New Year...and start questioning the future!
..Alex.
Is Oil building to $150/bbl?
Will anyone build a sporty two-seat convertible that's economical and fun to drive?
Will the OLPC supplant the PC industry?
Are all cellphones destined to have visual voicemail?
Will iTunes and AppleTV wrest control of the one-eyed babysitter from the networks?
Will I enjoy working in a small web 2.0 company?
Are we going to see sensible presidential politics this year?
Will religion rise in popularity as uncertainty and volatility rise?
Who is the next Microsoft, Google, Apple, Nokia, Toyota, Sony or Facebook? Will you recognize it when you see it?
Where are the job opportunities?
Where are the housing opportunities?
Where are the fine and perfomance art opportunities?
Should you begin thinking about longevity, or continue hedonistically?
Should you learn continuously?
Should you write your will?
All these questions, and more, are the thoughts at the outset of a new year. Think about them. Write to me at Minutetech@gmail.com about your answers - I'll include them in an upcoming show.
Note: MinuteTech will be off the digital airwaves for a few days due to family events. I may squeeze one off, but don't expect one until Mon., Jan 7th.
:-)
Happy New Year...and start questioning the future!
..Alex.
Minute Tech 061: What is Knitting?
- Axiotron Releases the Modbook Tablet Mac;
- Minute Tech guest Carol Burrows on "What is Knitting?"
- and, My Single New Year's Resolution.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- Minute Tech guest Carol Burrows on "What is Knitting?"
- and, My Single New Year's Resolution.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Minute Tech 060: Greetings and Salutations to 2008
- iJustine, iPod, iRentals and iStocks;
- 2008: The Year of Health, Wealth, Religion and Work;
- Learning to Tune the iWeb RSS Settings.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- 2008: The Year of Health, Wealth, Religion and Work;
- Learning to Tune the iWeb RSS Settings.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
Monday, December 31, 2007
Minute Tech 059: What is Embroidery?
- The 40-year Mortgage and Will Smith's Quote Malfunction
- Minute Tech guest Carol Burrows on "What is Embroidery?"
- Embroidery Books for Suggested Further Reading.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- Minute Tech guest Carol Burrows on "What is Embroidery?"
- Embroidery Books for Suggested Further Reading.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Minute Tech 058: What is Crochet?
- OnStar Down, Egypt's Intellectual Property, and Mars Flows;
- Minute Tech guest Carol Burrows on "What is Crochet?"
- Books about Ancient and Modern People.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- Minute Tech guest Carol Burrows on "What is Crochet?"
- Books about Ancient and Modern People.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..alex.
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Rosetta Stone
I look at podcasts as a translation from one view of the world to another. The following paragraph from the as-yet-to-be-recorded episode 58 of Minute Tech podcast is classic "Alex" - focusing on something extremely far from present-day reality in search of a reflection of present-day reality.
"The first is something of an antique, having first been published in 1915 with reprints in 1933 and 1943: "Countryman's Edition of Morey's Ancient Peoples", by William C. Morey and Irving N. Countryman. This interesting exploration of humanities past is full of inaccuracies in light of all the new scientific discoveries of the past 50 years....but also full of very good information and insights - it is a pleasure to read through and see some of the old pictures. The book covers pre-historic peoples up through the fall of the Roman empire. My favorite references are to translation aides, such as the Rosetta Stone, which gave a path to translating Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the Behistun Rock, which gave a first peek into translations of ancient Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions."
58 Show Transcript
We humans are constantly looking for ways to "translate" from culture to culture. Why do some political systems allow for the assassination of opposition leaders while others merely throw mud at one another? Why do some cultures expect a quick cup of espresso in a tall white paper cup while others allow for a 20 minute ceremony to serve tea? Why are some cultures so open to women and minorities moving to the top of culture, while others can't stand such heresy?
Let's keep looking for answers, keep looking for translations, keep looking for areas of similarity.
..alex.
"The first is something of an antique, having first been published in 1915 with reprints in 1933 and 1943: "Countryman's Edition of Morey's Ancient Peoples", by William C. Morey and Irving N. Countryman. This interesting exploration of humanities past is full of inaccuracies in light of all the new scientific discoveries of the past 50 years....but also full of very good information and insights - it is a pleasure to read through and see some of the old pictures. The book covers pre-historic peoples up through the fall of the Roman empire. My favorite references are to translation aides, such as the Rosetta Stone, which gave a path to translating Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the Behistun Rock, which gave a first peek into translations of ancient Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions."
58 Show Transcript
We humans are constantly looking for ways to "translate" from culture to culture. Why do some political systems allow for the assassination of opposition leaders while others merely throw mud at one another? Why do some cultures expect a quick cup of espresso in a tall white paper cup while others allow for a 20 minute ceremony to serve tea? Why are some cultures so open to women and minorities moving to the top of culture, while others can't stand such heresy?
Let's keep looking for answers, keep looking for translations, keep looking for areas of similarity.
..alex.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Minute Tech 057: What is Needle-craft?
- The Moon & Mars Dance, While the Ursids Shower;
- Minute Tech guest Carol Burrows on "What is Needle-craft?"
- Facebook, Tabloids and Baboons - "Baboon Metaphysics".
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
- Minute Tech guest Carol Burrows on "What is Needle-craft?"
- Facebook, Tabloids and Baboons - "Baboon Metaphysics".
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Interstitial music by Apple & Bre Pettis
Show Transcript
..Alex.
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