My new Favorite Video. Too cool for words!

They need to make a longer version. I don't get to watch long enough.

New Year's, a funeral dirge

2009, good riddance. Go, be gone with you. Away!

Augmented Reality

Somebody, anyody, tell me why I need augmented reality. I have my hands full with the default plain vanilla kind.

Iranian Protesters & Their Cell Phones Show Us Their Revolution

God bless the protesters in the streets of Iran. Talk about "fight the power". Despite the Iranian government's best efforts at net censorship news from citizens in the streets continues to make its way out. Cell phones and especially photos taken with cell phones are everywhere.

Gizmodo has a good piece on this phenomena.

Gotta love it.

phones with keyboards = better language

As more and more cell phones have keyboards, texting and email has evolved from "CU L8R" et al. to real English with punctuation no less. Thank you, thank you.

RC plane w/video camera + fireworks!

OK. Let me get this straight. We've got a video camera on an RC plane with jokers on the ground shooting fireworks at it.


I have only two questions: was the pilot try to avoid the fireworks or fly into them and was beer involved?

Christmas

Any day when people around the world stop, share, and love those around them is a day to be celebrated. A true holiday.

Found While Holiday Shopping

Xmas '09

I'm only partly through gift opening but so far the pocket breathalyzer has a slim lead followed closely by clever tea making setup + mug sporting caffeine molecule etching. If I could only put the breathalyzer online like a webcam...

I hope Santa was as good to you. Now on to the rest of the prezzies...

Christmas Spirit, the t-shirt

Measuring Spoons 1, Jerry 0

Jokes on me: I just read the markings on the measuring spoons I've been using for YEARS. It's a TEAspoon, not a TABLEspoon. Explains some of my cooking results...

HP computers are racist?

Give yourself a holiday present. For free!

When I sat on The Big Guy's lap this year I asked for a SSL/TLS certificate. here's how to get one for free.

Dovetails nicely with my New Year's resolution: OpenVPN

Chrome & Broken Web Sites

Webmasters, fix your shit. If your site doesn't work with Chrome I'm surfing elsewhere. I'm tired of reaching for IE cuz your shit don't work.

My first tattoo

My present to myself. Michael accompanied me.

Dedicated to Mr. Wolf, my elementary school French teacher. When I made a boneheaded comment he took me aside, pulled up his sleeve, showed me his tattoo from the concentration camp, and told me he could never hate someone for who or what they are. This man survived the Nazis, facing some of the worst humans can do to each other, and he transmuted that hatred into love and compassion towards an ignorant kid years later. God bless him.

Take a listen: Thanksgiving Lime Jello Marshmellow With Gravy

I made this a couple of years ago. It's now a family tradition.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Peg Ogle Design 2010 Calendar (free download!)

Peg Ogle Design just released a free 2010 calendar.

We're so excited about it we even did a press release.

Barcode Fun

Barcode and fun, in the same sentence no less. Don't believe me, read this.

BarcodeBeasties reminds me of the old Skannerz game.

Download A Free 2010 Calendar

The Azalea Software 2010 Calendar features photos of industrial textures and can be downloaded and printed for free: www.azalea.com/calendar/

Fur handcuff (sic)

Something I found in the *toy* department of a store in downtown Seattle today. Fur handcuff featuring an anime character.

But hey, they're only three bucks and like the package says "Age limit 6 years old and above." and "For parties or accessaries (sic) for fun".

A tour of Oakland CA

I shot several videos of Elbert "Big Man" Howard discussing historic locations in the history of Oakland CA focusing on the Black Panthers.

Best of YouTube Video (sic)

Charter for Compassion, Nov 12th

I love signs like this

Aurora Ave north of the cemetery

Big Man, Lisa & I at Panther reunion

43rd Black Panther Party reunion
Laney College, Oakland CA, 24oct09

Bobby Seale's Birthday Cakes

Bobby Seale's birthday celebration. Laney College, Oakland CA, 24oct09

Online database of U.S. political prisoners

I finally put together a database of U.S. political prisoners using Google Spreadsheets.

Only a first cut. It needs proofing, but it's a start.

Tattoo in Time Lapse

Jimi Hendirx Funeral, Seattle 1970

Grateful Dead & James Brown???

Proof the Grateful Dead listened to (and were inspired by James Brown):
  Dancin' in the Streets (live), Terrapin Station, Grateful Dead
  12:45 into it

I smell a mashup yet to be done...

Ken Kesey's bus Further

Further, the bus from Electric Kool-aid Acid Test. Full of Merry Prankster ghosts and memories on display at Hempfest Seattle 2009. More photos are online on JetCityOrange.

Help fight malaria with malariacontrol.net

Install the malariacontrol.net screensaver and your computer's spare cycles will help researchers learn more about malaria transmission vectors. After you install the screensaver please join the JetCityOrange team. OK?

Ghoulardi & Shaker Heights

Ahhh, Ghoulardi... Memories of my youth growing up in Cleveland.

Obama Doesn't Deserve the Nobel Prize

Hey. I used to respect the Nobel Prize. Heck, His Holiness the Dalai Lama snagged on.

But Barack Obama? Nice guy and all but he ain't done shit yet. There are no accomplishments to recount. No trophies on his mantle. And I voted for the guy. He's too conservative for me, but I voted for him.

But his on my shit list. The latest insult was snubbing the Dalai Lama this week for fear of pissing off the Chinese before his visit next month. Pissing off the Chinese? When was that a concern of ours?

Let's get this straight: our new Nobel Prize winner favors bald faced, unbriddled capitalism over human rights and genocide. I'm sure the Uighers and Burmese as well as the Tibetans appreciate this cold-hearted decision.

Close Guantanamo? No. Get out of Iraq? No. Bitch slap Wall and reform Street and Detroit? No. Gay rights? Healthcare reform? Change I can believe in? Nope.

What's he done? What can I tick off my list? How is my life better and what about my kids' future? My only satisfaction is that we're not living under the McCain/Palin regime.

Liberals, they always break your heart. We need our own party...

Google's Icon is a Barcode Today!!!

Ya gotta love Google. Today they gave me another reason why: the Google icon is a Code 128 barcode today!

Don't cha jus love it.I know I do. Bar codes have bin berry, berry good to me.

BPP Black History Month events

For information about the Black Panther Reunion and Black History Month events, go to BigManBPP.com/BlackHistoryMonth/for details.

See you there!

JetCityOrange flyby

Seattle Critical Mass on the West Seattle Bridge

Swiss Train Video

Sea-Monkey YouTube Video

Bike Photos

I love my bike. (Yes, I'm down to only 1.)

I've just put a gallery of bike photos online.

Civil Rights Photographs

I've been scanning vintage photos of the Civil Rights Movement. I own tons of stuff and if you're not in my living room, you don't get a chance to see them.

Not any more. I'm scanning select images: the Black Panthers, Stokely Carmichael, H. Rap Brown, etc. I have items like FBI wanted posters as well as photographs.

Now that I've started, I'm finding it hard to stop.

Black Panther Party photos

I've started to digitize my collection of civil rights photographs beginning with vintage photos of the Black Panther Party. They're available online at JetCityOrange.com/Black-Panther-Party/.

There's plenty more yet to come...

Pogoplug Web Server Video

A quick video tour of our Pogoplug web server:

Website Hosted on PogoPlug

AzaleaRSS.com is one of the first websites hosted on a Pogoplug. AzaleaRSS is a free RSS editor written in Microsoft Excel and creates feeds, podcasts, and webcasts.

The Pogoplug is a very small Linux appliance from CloudEngines originally designed as a way to mount USB drives online. The nerds at AzaleaRSS see Pogoplugs as cheap Linux computers and something kewl to play with. Using an 8GB USB flash drive for storage, a web server was born. Total cost: less than 100 dollars.

The AzaleaRSS server runs Nginx and PHP, and was configured by Cory King in Seattle.

Support the Iranian Protesters

Our sisters and brothers in Iran need our help. Their government is not their friend or ally. The first thing we can do is change our Twitter location and time zone to Tehran so the authorities have a harder time tracking them. Do it now!

Consider setting up a proxy server and/or a TOR server too.

All power to the people!,

Cell phone wallpaper & computer wallpaper photos

I've just uploaded a gallery of photos of metal designed to be used for wallpaper on your phone or computer, or to feed Google Photos Screensaver. Your choice.

Photos of metallic textures from Sodo, Seattle.

New free wallpaper & desktop background images.

Everyone loves fresh cell phone wallpaper images and backgrounds for your computer desktop. Now everyone else will be jealous of the wallpaper and backgrounds you have after you install the free photos from Azalea Software.

No, you won't find these anywhere else. Yes, they're cool, hip, and almost too much so.

IOS

Meditation MP3's Get Some Respect. Finally...

Nothing like getting a little link love from someone: http://www.bestfreetraining.net/?p=1165

I especially like the list of links to save folks from digging around themselves.

I'm flattered.

Mickey Mouse Toaster

Mickey toaster!

Danger Mouse's 'Dark Night of the Soul' download & burn

Danger Mouse can't release his new CD "Dark Night of the Soul" due to ongoing legal disputes with EMI. Again.

So he's selling a blank disk complete with the artwork encouraging folks to download and burn their own copy. All one needs is a link to the music online.

Enjoy!

AzaleaRSS v1.1 Press Release

AzaleaRSS: a free RSS editor in Excel press release

The release is online, the press release has just gone out. I guess it's time to get busy on the next release...

Sidekick LX 2009

It's been years since I carried a Sidekick around. Had 3 of 'em though. I've had a Dash, an iPhone, and now a G1. Doesn't stop me from being a bit jealous of the new Sidekick LX 2009.

Just a little...

AzaleaRSS v1.1 is out! Free RSS editor!

Big shout out to our man Ravi for helping us get AzaleaRSS v1.1 out the door.

This version of our new RSS editor is still free and lets you create and edit RSS 2.0 feeds including podcasts and webcasts. AND it's written in Excel. Not bad for free.

Mom and the book that got me started

This is the book my mom gave me for Christmas that got me started on the path to Buddhism. We laugh now because she swears she doesn't know what made her choose it.

It's a book/DVD set and I lost the DVD before I had a chance to read it. I re-read the book while I was visiting her in Cleveland and laughed to myself because on the surface, there's nothing special about the book. Timing.

LED Sheep Art

BubbleWrap, the movie

Not to mention JetCityOrange.com/BubbleWrap

Suppport LEAD Uganda at Dream Assignment

You can help support LEAD Uganda and noted photographer Stephen Shames' efforts to document the lives of Ugandan AIDS orphans. Stephen is a close personal friend of mine who has devoted his whole being into working with these children. Steve tells it best in his own words:

"My Dream Assignment is to tell the story of six Ugandan children - AIDS orphans, former child soldiers, refugee camp kids, child laborers - whose lives are transformed by LEAD Uganda, an indigenous program that locates forgotten children with innate talents and molds them into leaders by sending them to the top schools so they gain the 21st century skills needed to lead Africa into the future.

Six new children will be selected by LEAD Uganda for this photo documentation. They will be AIDS orphans from rural villages, former child soldiers or sex-slaves, a youth who works in a rock quarry, a child living in a refugee camp, and a youth from slum area in Kampala. Half will be girls. I will document their lives before they join the program and chronicle their journey to the best boarding schools in Uganda as they become leaders.

Please join me in supporting this effort.

Thanks!

Pirkle Jones

Noted photographer Pirkle Jones died last week. The NYTimes has a slide show of but a tiny slice of his work.

South African govt is a pussy!

Let me get this straight: South Africa won't invite His Holiness the Dalai Lama to a peace conference because they don't want to piss off China. Why? Because China is a big trade partner of theirs.

Chickenshits. Talk about turning your back on basic human rights and dignity. Aren't you the ones we all protested for all those years? Didn't the world support Mandela when he was imprisoned? And now you don't have the balls to stand up to Beijing cause they're putting money in your pockets???

Pussies!

My fortune cookie gadget just hit 300 fortunes

As you may or may not know, there's a free fortune cookie on JetCityOrange. Has been for some time now.

I add new fortunes to the database as they come to me. I usually scribble them on scraps of paper or in my notebook and update the script when I remember to.

Well, as of yesterday 20mar09 the list hit 300 fortunes. A personal milestone if I may say so myself.

Carry on.

No, it's a "capitalist" crisis

Every time you hear someone talking about the "banking crisis" correct them. It's a "capitalist crisis". The banking system isn't broken, capitalism is. Always has been. The chickens have come home to roost.

The banks and bankers have enough money. They're not doing the right things with it. And now it's OUR money. Taxpayer money.

In fact, these bankers, Wall Street pond scum, and industrialists have so much taxpayer money we should take the next step and NATIONALIZE them.

Don't be afraid. Socialism is just a four letter word.

Olympia WA Artesian Spring, 4th Ave & Jefferson St 98501

GimmeLocalStuff.com launches in beta.

GimmeLocalStuff is a brand spankin' new website that links companies, groups, people, events, and places. It features free web pages with user-generated content, tied together with a Google Map and more.

Check it out!

Google Maps says "Elliot Bay" Where's that?

Don't get me wrong, I love Google including Google Maps.

But why oh do they call it "Elliot Bay"? I thought there were 2 t's. "Elliott Bay" That's what Wikipedia says too.

Funny.

Hendrix Vodka is pulled from shelves

Nope. You can't use Jimi's name without permission. Yep. Hendrix Electric Vodka has been stopped by the courts.

I for one have an unopened bottle of my own. Wonder what it'll be worth on eBay???

But Now You Know It

We all know I'm a nerd. We also know I have a thing for Top 10 Lists.

In that same vein, may I introduce you to But Now You Know It.... What a hoot!

Times are tough. How tough?

Brown bagging one day a week in order to eek out enough to play the lottery.

Finally, a captcha that makes sense

When your oldest turns 20...

Nothing makes a Dad feel old like having his firstborn son turn 20.

Two other sons, a divorce, and a score of years later and it still seems so recent. Kinda.

That PETA ad you never got to see...

'Veggie Love': PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad

China Oppresses Tibet. Again. Still.

After all they've done to Tibet, Beijing demanded a permit to reincarnate in an attempt to control the next Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama, Karmapa, or whoever else they deem a threat.

Now they've declared a new holiday. March 28 is now "Serfs Emancipation Day". You know, it's a time to to celebrate their emancipation from the hell of cruel oppression, quote unquote.

You remember the People's Republic of China, don't you? They're the ones behind the famous Peaceful Liberation of Tibet in 1951. Yeah, right.

China. You're transparent. We all see what you're up to. You're not fooling anyone. You're a disgrace to the revolution. Shame on you. Shame.

Beyond Plain Soy Sauce

A soy sauce-based marinade using garlic & hot peppers. And in a YouTube video too!

The new Lego camera

A Lego camera! "How cool is that?" asks the guy who hacks digital cameras in his spare time.

Lava Lamp webcam on KOMO 4 TV News

Next thing I know the Lava Lamp webcam story in the Seattle P-I was picked up by KOMO 4 TV on the news last night (06jan09). This is wild!

Now I hear there's a morning radio show in Milwaukee that wants to talk to me.

Watching the Growth of Walmart Across America video

Here's a wild animated video about the spread of Walmart across America. It's wonderful to watch it bloom and spread. Think "virus".

I wanted to do something like with flipbooking presidential results by county. Never got around to it after election 2008. Too busy trying to save my company.

Lava Lamp on YouTube

A simply shameless piece of self promotion. Utterly without redeeming social value.

Lava Lamp Web Cam Named One of 2008's Most Interesting WebCams

SEATTLE - JetCityOrange's Lava Lamp webcam (www.JetCityOrange.com/Lava-Lamp/) was named one of 2008's most interesting webcams by EarthCam. Founded in 1996, EarthCam is the recognized leader in providing webcam content, technology, and software. A panel of VIP judges including actor Pauly Shore, NY Nicks assistant coach Phil Weber, singer songwriter Tommy James, and Beauty and the Geek winner Amanda Corey. www.earthcam.com/top25/2008/

The webcam is focused on a pair of Lava Lites and is the only such webcam on the internet. JetCityOrange hosts this unique webcam to fill this obvious void. Available through your browser, the Lava Lamp web cam is a look back into the glory days of old. Now the magic of Lava Lamps is a mouse click away 24/7/365.

"The webcam updates every 10 seconds with a fresh JPG of one or both Lava Lamps. In addition to a stream of new photos, the page also features a time-lapse video of a Lava Lamp. I call it 'Lava Lamp on Espresso'. It's like the lava light had waaaay too much coffee." says Jerry Whiting, JetCityOrange's publisher. The video is available on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgWYoDaMYcI

JetCityOrange (a website like no other) was founded in 1999 and is in Seattle WA. Jerry Whiting, Dad of 3 count 'em 3 teen-age boys & self-confessed barcode nerd, hails from Cleveland and spends way too much time in his workshop a.k.a. The Mad Lab. Webcams, hacking digital cameras, and collecting fine art photography are obsessions of his. Enjoy!

Lava Lamp Webcam Named 2008 Winner

EarthCam named my Lava Lamp webcam one of the 25 Most Interesting Webcams 2008. JetCityOrange's lava lite webcam is the only one of its kind on the internet. Now EarthCam recognizes it too.

After realizing there was no Lava Lite webcam on the internet, I set one up. Just cause. Not that many people visit it but it's comforting to know that whenever you need one, it's there.

Hey, some people keep fish. I tend to a pair of retro lamps. In front of a web cam.

Thanks EarthCam. I'm flattered.

My webcam in the snow

my webcam in the snow, originally uploaded by JetCityOrange.

As you may or may not know I have a web cam pointed at the Space Needle. Seattle had a major snowstorm over Christmas. While the camera fogged up, the laptop in my DIY homebrew enclosure did just fine.

Here's a photo of my web cam in the snow.

Digital camera tree ornament

Well, it's Christmas. So I feel somewhat obligated to do a holiday-themed post. (Not that I'm posting all that much these days.)

I found a set of three camera tree ornaments. The digital camera ornament came with this tag. I found the exact language a hoot!

Gas hog

Dewd. Yeah, you're driving an Excursion and yeah there's a union sticker on your car. You're still an idiot!

Aging in place message for Pres. Obama

My good friend Louis Tenenbaum makes a good plea to President-elect Obama about how to implement aging in place as part of the rebuilding of America that's about to take place. Makes sense to me.

Golden Gate Bridge video

Just me hangin' my camera out the window as I go across the Golden Gate Bridge from Mill Valley into San Francisco.

Photos from my roadtrip to N. California

Obama and McCain - Dance Off! video

Gawd is this funny!

Target Digital Camera Gift Card

I bought a Target digital camera gift card today.



I broght it home, played with it and then did a video on YouTube.


Target Digital Camera Gift Card first impressions

Modding & Hacking Digital Cameras

Make your digital camera an IR camera, build your own tripods, tweak your photos, and more. Read all about digital camera hacks and mods. Enjoy!

Yes We Can Cola & Michael Moore on Obama

Take a minute to read Michael Moore's piece Pinch Me ...a message from Michael Moore.

change.gov

Stop what you're doing and go to change.gov. No one is going to do it for us. President Obama is the catalyst to help us do it for ourselves. Yes we will!

An Open Letter to Barack Obama

Read Alice Walker's open letter to President Obama.

I loved where it was going and then at the end she draws parallels to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It doesn't get much better.

Seattle Space Needle Webcam

I'm oh so glad I got my Space Needle webcam back up and running. Sits on the balcony off the living room. In fact, I described the setup in a YouTube video.

With this latest webcam behind me, look for a 2nd followed by a weather station and lighthouse. Yes, my very own lighthouse! I have permission in writing from the Coast Guard.

Dear Red States:

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80% of the country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines, 90% of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38% of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61% of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.

Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.

Peace out,
Blue States

Cajun Obama Video

This comes by way of Kimberly:

DIY Homebrew Webcam How-to

Ever want to put a live webcam of the Space Needle on the internet using stuff you have lying around the house? I did and then I did.

"Barcodes for Obama" video

Barcodes for Obama

skyBox

Announcing skyBox, located at +47° 35' 24.44" -122° 23' 8.51"

Barcodes for Obama

Barcodes for Obama, now appearing at barcodes.azalea.com.

Get yours today!

Altoids Tin Prayer Wheel

Imagine my surprise when my YouTube video was featured on a wikiHow page about Altoids tins.

The one in the video I made for Miranda, of Seattle Dharma Punx fame.