PSA Texting while Driving, Gwent, U.K., August 2009, Peter Watkins-Hughes, Newport School, Wales

If you haven't seen this, and you drive with your cell phone...prepare for a wakeup call. (Warning: blood and crashes, etc).

Ricky You Broke my iTunes (but I fixed it!)

Ah, had some weird freezing issues with iTunes 8.2.1 today. It would freeze every time I refreshed my podcasts list to get new episodes. I had to go through each podcast feed one by one and click "Update Podcast", so it would list new episodes, but not download them. One of the last ones was my feed for Ricky Gervais Podcast. Seems he's put up a corrupt new video promo for his Carnegie Hall show...as soon as I try to download this video, BLAM. Thanks Jellycast!

Fortunately, I was able to just delete the episode from my feed without downloading, and everything is back to normal. Good grief. Hope this helps anyone else...and since the guy has millions of fans...and there's millions of iTunes users...well, you do the math!

Decouple Waves plug-ins from Final Cut

Mark Blevis brings us this life-saver of a tip for you pro audio folks out there...finally a way to prevent Final Cut/Audacity, etc from taking forever to load if you have Waves plugins installed.

Decouple Waves plug-ins from Final Cut

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Blackberry and NHL: Frienemies til the Bitter End

NHL 10 will be released on September 15th. Here's the most ironic screenshot in video game history (borrowed from Gamespot.com, whom got it from EA.com):

As you can see, BlackBerry devices will feature prominently in the new NHL video game. Players will use these screens to make trades on Trade Deadline Day, review offers, talk with other teams, etc. If I'm Gary Bettman, I just got another giant headache.

In case you've been frozen under centre ice for the last few years, Jim Balsillie, CEO of RIM, makers of the BlackBerry, has been trying to buy an NHL team. At every turn, god only knows why, tiny NHL Commish Gary Bettman and his band of merry men have been doing everything in their power (and perhaps beyond their power) to prevent these sales.

Why? Dunno. I guess they hate ridiculous sums of money? ...No, that's not right...money is the only thing that these guys value. The NHL certainly has shown they DO NOT value their Canadian fanbase, even though it is epic in numbers. Earlier today in fact, in a sign the NHL is running out of legal legs to stand on, they've now effectively resorted to name-calling, in hopes of preventing Jim's bid for the failed Phoenix Coyotes from prevailing in the September 10th auction.

Oh well. Gary knows Jim has the most money, and therefore the best offer. Jim will get the team. Gary will get the boot. Canadians will get their sport back. Oh, it'll be messy, and it may take years, but this is the beginning of the end for the NHL and their monarchal approach to business.

One more note: Soon to be published book suggests even Canadians (especially younger ones) are growing tired of hockey. Well, I think we're all tired of Gary Bettman's NHL, that's for fucking sure. This is the way to run a pro sports league?

At any rate, it's a damn good soap opera to while away the summer days...

Damn, I love that screenshot...can't wait for this game!

Holy Toilet Water

New Rule: No More iPods in the bathroom!

As is my usual routine, I was enjoying some Ricky Gervais audiobooks whilst scrubbing away at my teeth before bed this evening. I turned 'round to reach my towel, and due to the lack of slack on the length-challenged headphone cord attached to the Red 2nd Gen iPod Nano (in its leather case) folded over the waistband of my shorts, the Nano was unceremoniously disconnected and plummeted swiftly and wetly directly into the toilet!

I seem to remember Ricky's laughter stopping short as the ear bud connection was ended...and then a loud gasp which I would later recall to be my own.

As luck would have it, the roommate had cleaned this very toilet earlier in the day, and as luck would also have it, I hadn't 'conducted any business' in it's freshly Ajaxed tepid pool of judgement just yet.

Quickly (after a moment of consideration for my own safety) I reached down to the bottom of the bowl and rescued my audio precious from a potentially watery grave.

Now, say what you will about toilet water, but after softly sopping up the excess with bog roll, the iPod appears to have resurfaced, no worse for wear. It's tiny & bright display merely suggested that I do not use Firewire to charge it, as it is not a supported interface. Click to dismiss, and low and behold, Ricky, Steve & Karl were right where I left them! Sorry no photo, but it wasn't my immediate concern to share this with the blogosphere...do kids still say blogosphere?

Rejoice! For this iPod has not been sent to its great beyond, not on this day, and not in this toilet!

I've left the device and its case to sit overnight on some Kleenex, in hopes any watery remnants will find their way back out from whence they came. The leather case seems to be leaving blue marks on the Kleenex...not sure what that's about, but not a big concern, for Nano herself is safe, and will hopefully continue to deliver me many years of Gervais-based audio comedy.

One can't help but sense that a greater lesson has been taught to me through this series of events. Though I may need time to reflect and absorb all the liquidy details of just what has transpired.

...on the bright side...even if there is some damage beyond repair...it could've been my iPod Touch!