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You know what I want – I want a streaming Internet radio station that allows me to rate each song they are playing. I love the stations that are available through the web site: www.181.fm, but I really wish I could rate each song they play. Some songs are played too much, some I can’t stand, and some are fantastic. Give me the opportunity to interact with the content so that, through listener feedback, they can build a better radio station(s). Who is up for the challenge? Cheers, Drew Frequently I am asked to provide information about the kind of people online. This is a great site for providing this kind of information: http://www.pewinternet.org/Static-Pages/Trend-Data/Whos-Online.aspx For example, I just read that 70% of people age 50-64 use the Internet. Additionally, 1/3 of seniors are using the Internet (senior defined as those over age 65). So if your a data geek like myself, enjoy. Cheers, Drew So I didn’t want to say anything until I had a chance to really evaluate this, but I have to say – The Echo 20 inch double-sided hedge trimmer is fantastic. The product is available at both Home Depot and TSC stores. This is a professional gas-powered hedge trimmer and may not be for everyone, but since I’m maintaining multiple yards, this trimmer is perfect. I tried out another trimmer, which was so horrible I won’t even mention it (Jobmate). Here is the link to the Home Depot item – click here I have pushed this trimmer fairly hard to see what it can do and I have to admit, it makes cutting through hedges like slicing through butter. I read a review before I bought it that spoke about how the person feels like they can now sculpt their garden. While I’m not sure if I have the skill, or time, I can see how this tool could make a person feel that way. It’s not on the low end of price, but looking at other professional trimmers, it’s not exceptionally pricey. Other options Hope this rant helps you. Cheers, Drew Social media is an interesting world, one that thrives on making connections. Sometimes it just makes sense to reduce the number of steps it takes to collect and publish information.
Step 1 Collect the RSS feeds from Twitter. This will be in the form of the following type of link: http://search.twitter.com/search.atom?q=twitter profile name For example I used the following two accounts:
Step 2 Once you combine your RSS feeds, you’ll be given a new address. Copy this new address and get ready for step 3 Step 3 In Facebook you’ll need to access the Applications area. Depending on if you are trying to add the feed to your profile or your fan page, this will be accessed through different links.
That’s it. Now you’re up and running with multiple Twitter feeds into your Facebook account. Google and Twitter are merging both together and into my life. So I’ve been following the whole Google/Twitter merger with some excitement. In doing so it has me thinking about the evolution of searching the web. Let’s face it, search really started with Yahoo. Yes, there were lots of other options, but Yahoo was the pioneer. Then Yahoo made some mistakes, developed an interface that was far to cumbersome and Google jumped in and took over.  A google twitter search for monkeys Google has always been great at retrieving information that is indexed, and therefore old. It was horrible at grabbing the latest up-to-date information from the web. Now this is changing as Google and Twitter team up. Admittedly Google still does not grab the latest feeds from discussion groups, Facebook, etc, (it’s now within hours, but not within minutes) but the fact that it taps into Twitter means that they are taking a step in the right direction. I found a great site that highlights some features Google has added. I highly recommend checking it out: http://butyoureagirl.com/2009/12/22/view-live-twitter-feeds-in-google-search-results/ I look forward to the day when I search for information about a breaking news story and Google takes me instantly to the live streaming video update directly (content pulled from the words that the person is saying on screen). Cheers, Drew So I have a new favourite show – Corner Gas. It’s funny, well written, beautifully paced and the acting is superb. Sure, it’s not a new show and I had seen a few random episodes, but now that I’ve started to watch it from the beginning, the show proves it’s not just another pointless situational-humour filled with a laugh track.
The show is warm and family friendly. That’s not to say that it’s not an adult comedy, but rather than a 20-minute swear-fest, this show actually has something that has not been seen in years… writers. Perhaps that is why the Americans have been so eager to gobble up the show and make it a hit beyond its Canadian borders. Bottom line, if you’re looking for some quality entertainment that will have you laughing then go and watch Corner Gas. Oh, and I really would recommend starting at the beginning. Cheers, Drew Here’s one for the fact that there are times when Canadian Tire stands behind their products. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that Canadian Tire is not unflawed in my book when it comes to their customer service, but this story is a positive one.
10 months later the poor thing was running terribly. It would hardly start, and when it did start it would not produce enough power to run for more than a matter of 15 sputtered seconds. So a new chain, new fuel filter, full cleaning and some love and care later I decided to take it back to Canadian Tire. I suppose I could have taken it back sooner, but I wanted to make sure it was not something I was doing wrong. The fact that I received a lemon was confirmed by several more saw-knowledgeable friends. Here is where the story takes a turn for the better. I walked in to the store with the saw in case, receipt in hand, and politely began describing my sorted tale to the nice person in Customer Service. Within 60 seconds she quickly said “would you like an exchange or cash back”? Blown away at the fact that this was not going to be a long discussion, I asked for an exchange. Minutes later I walked out the door with a brand new chainsaw. I couldn’t believe it, Canadian Tire stood behind a product. She did ask me what was wrong with their chainsaw, not in an accusing tone, but more so in a manner of recording the problem for future inspection. I have not had a chance to take the new saw out yet, but when I do, I’ll be sure to give an update. I just wanted to share my good-news story and thank Canadian Tire for doing the right thing. Cheers, Drew So if you thought I was kidding about the new Pearl Jam album, here I sit writing a blog about an interesting event in life and the song Breath is playing in the background (yes, I’m singing along). Anyways, on topic… I am helping my fiance buy a car. This will hopefully be our family vehicle, we’re not at the family stage yet, but I’m thinking long-term. In contrast, she’s thinking short term. Her dream is to buy a Mini and while I support that dream, the more we read about Jetta’s the more we liked. All of the research has lead us to test drive a few of the cars. I’ve been in older model Jetta’s (2002 and back), but we went out to test drive the 2006. WOW, I’m impressed. Here are some of the highlights as we see it: - the diesel has fantastic fuel economy and is very environmentally friendly (the 2009’s are even better, but we want a vehicle just off lease to save on $$$) There are lots of reasons why I think we are going to love this car. Of course, we don’t know yet… but I thought that this would be a good chance to start the conversation about Jetta’s. I’ll keep you posted about our adventure in Jetta land – both the good and the bad. I’m also interested in hearing your stories about the car, lessons learned, etc. Cheers, Drew If you are debating about picking up the Pearl Jam album – Backspacer – debate no more. It is quickly becoming one of my favourite albums that they have ever produced.  Pearl Jam After reading a series of reviews I found that the majority of them are extremely positive. Sure, there are a few nay-sayers out there that put down the record, but keep in mind, it’s their job to put the down certain albums so that a touch of controversy will help sell their paper or blog or whatever. Fix-ated So there you have it… my first rant. Sure, it’s not earth shaking, but it’s a start. Oh, before I forget, if you actually buy the album like I did, then you’re entitled to some free Pearl Jam concert downloads. This is perhaps one of the best bonuses I’ve ever had for buying an album. Cool stuff! Cheers, Drew Links: So this is a bit about this new site. It’s from the About page. A Bit About Me A Bit About This Site I also want to hear back from you. I am a fan of doing my homework when I find solutions, but the cool thing about the world is that every second, of every day, someone is creating a better solution. So if you have something to say, then tell me. I will pose questions on here from time-to-time and they will probably take years to answer (I love posting questions on social sites such as Facebook. Go ahead try it. The responses are amazing). What You Won’t Find on This Site Tell Me Your Rants Tell Me Your Good News Cheers, Drew |
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So here is the challenge, I wanted to take several Twitter sources and have them automatically update my Facebook fan page. After doing some research I have found an effective way to make this work.
The show characters develop very quickly in season 1 and there are a number of running gags that cross from season 1 to 2. I’m impressed how a quick one-liner in one episode can explode into a running plot theme in other episodes (Woolerton – ptew).
Last year around this time I purchased my first chainsaw – a Poulan Pro 42cc 18-inch. It worked reasonably well when I first started using it, I did notice that it was a bit sluggish but thought that could be more user than machine.