This might just be the greatest movie parody/mashup video I’ve ever seen.
They had me at the Scion…
So so so so wrong… and awesome.
I had forgotten just how spectacularly awful/awesome this video is.
All I wanted to do was use one of my mp3s* as a ringtone.
I could do that on any of my old phones (that were capable of playing mp3s, if not I just converted it to an older audio spec). But then ringtones became BIG BU$INE$$. Now, if I want to use a clip from one of my songs as a ringtone on my iPhone, in Apple’s own words:
Buy a song for 99¢, then turn it into a custom ringtone you can buy for 99¢.
Oh lucky me! A song I already own, I can buy from you again, then buy the RINGTONE version from you!
Silliness. And easily ignored.
But for some strange reason, the internet was funny today: every page I clicked on didn’t immediately offer complete, accurate, and up-to-date information on a minor techincal solution. Weird.
Me - I summon Google! How do I change an mp3 into an iPhone/iTunes ringtone?
Google - Easy, just change the file extension to .m4r.
Me - Didn’t work. iTunes ignoring me.
Google - Well, first you convert the mp3 to an AAC file (extension .m4a), then change the extension to .m4r.
Me - Right-clicked on the file in iTunes, only option was to convert to mp3 (which it already was).
Google - You’re an idiot**. Preferences –> Import Settings –> AAC Encoder, then right-click on the file, convert to AAC, change extension to .m4r.
Me - Jeez, you don’t have to be mean about it (who the heck knowingly leaves the default import to AAC anyway?). OK, I have the mp3, I have the AAC, I changed the extension of the AAC file to .m4a. Hooray! I has a ringtone! Syncy-syncy. Umm… why no syncy? Ringtone not copying over to iPhone why??
Google - Exactly how long do you expect people to wait for you to pick up the dang phone?! 40-second max for ringtones.
Me - You couldn’t have just said all that at the beginning?
Google - But then all those other pages wouldn’t have gotten any hits! Share the love. Now quit your whining and go back to looking for the answers to those xkcd puzzles (yeah, good luck with those).
So, to recap (Windows Vista [please don't make fun of me], iTunes 8.0.2.20, iPhone 2.2.1):
*For the record, my ringtone is now the opening Prelude from Final Fantasy III.
**I always hear this phrase in House’s voice now.
OK, I can understand Hummers getting picked on. They’re big, showy, and have a reputation for a certain kind of driver that would make a very tempting target for any law enforcement.
But why the Scion hate?
The Scion tC is an inexpensive, sporty little coupe targetted at young drivers, modders, and gear-heads. It’s definitely racer-friendly, but I didn’t think that they were quite that wildly skewed. But the XB?
My Box?
Toaster-on-wheels?
Yeah, I admit, it looks different. But does it really scream out “BUST ME!! DANGEROUS DRIVER!!”? Does anyone think they’re going to see Vin Diesel flying past the screen in one of these any time soon (F&F 7: Screw Aerodynamics!)?
I love my XB, but when I look at them I don’t think “street racer”. I think most people driving XBs are a bigger risk of something like this.
Maybe that’s it… Often stereotypes are there for a reason, and just as Hummers tend to attract a certain type of aggressive personality, the job of police officer also attracts a certain type of person. That type that was, perhaps, somewhat physically-oriented in their youth, a “jock”? Maybe authoritarian roles also bring out those that enjoyed holding power over others, aka: a “bully”? And if, as I proudly claim, the XB represents the “nerd” car… Maybe the temptation is just too much for some to resist renewing old rivalries?
"What do you mean the ticket fine is 'my lunch money'?"
(As a caveat, and to make sure that every cop in the city doesn’t decide to get that ticket ratio to number 1, I will say that no, I don’t think that EVERY police officer is a frustrated bully working out his power-trip fantasies on the public. My best friend, who has saved my life almost as many times as he’s put it at risk, is exactly the kind of person you would want protecting society, your home, and your family. I’ve known many wonderful and honourable men and women in the service. Of course, I’ve also been attacked and beaten by two different cops, so it’s hard to say. Gee maybe stereotypes aren’t right 100% of the time…)
I just had to re-post this incredible shot of Vancouver in it’s current state of pea-soupiness:
Courtesy of the one and only Accordian Guy
I can not express how much I am looking forward to this movie…
In which I speak highly of the future potential of the markets and the opportunities therein:
So what does it all mean to you and me? If you had money invested in the markets at the beginning of the year, you likely had less at the end. The global economic meltdown is now considered the worst since the Great Depression, and had such broad impact that there was literally no “safe haven”, no country or industry not affected. The silver lining around this dark cloud is that all of these assets are now trading at much lower prices than they were a year ago; for anyone putting money into the markets, this may end up being the greatest buying opportunity of our lives.
Check out the rest of it here.
And as always, I’d appreciate any feedback you have for me! This attempt at serious/professional communication is somewhat intimidating…
From Laughing Squid by way of Boing Boing (I wish our street addresses could be as cool as our web ones), a German commercial for Saturn (an electronics store, not the car company).
Top Artists (according to Last.fm):
My Top Tracks (according to Last.fm):
Movies I saw that were released in 2008 (not necessarily the best, just some of the more memorable; in no order):
(If I tried to remember ALL the movies I watched last year, it would take me until the end of ‘09! The most watched movie of the year was a tie between WALL-E and Shoot ‘Em Up, 3 times each.)
Some of the best stuff I read in 2008:
Teh awesomist tubes on teh internets:
Favourite Online Video of 2008: Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
Favourite Video Game of 2008:
Tie: Guitar Hero III and Portal
