Posted in geek, pictures on January 6th, 2009 by larcher – 7 Comments
The TV in the kitchen is wired up to the MythTV box (which sits in a closet in another room). If the TV is left on after a recorded show ends, the MythTV menus are not so pretty to look at. The standard “Pictures folder” screensaver is nice, but I got tired of manually copying and managing pictures on the Myth box. Why not use Flickr as the automated source of the pictures?
I poked around for “flickr screensaver linux” on Google and was a bit disappointed. Most of the results a) discuss Mac- or Windows-only solutions, b) link to programs that no longer exist, or c) are more complicated than what I need.
Well, it is Linux … time to roll my own. Maybe this solution is so obvious that no one bothered to document it, but this is what I came up with. Maybe it will save time for someone else. Besides, I need a new post to break in the new theme on this blog. 
The basic formula: RSS feed from Flickr + podcast downloader + cron + “Pictures folder” screensaver.
Read on for the details …
read more »
Posted in randomjunk on February 21st, 2008 by larcher – 2 Comments
Just finished reading a book for a class, and it made me realize my parents’ house had a “usability bug” when they bought it. The front entrance is a set of double doors. On the inside, there were two doorknobs. Only the right of the two doors opened, so only righthand doorknob would let you out if you turned it. And this knob only worked if you turned it clockwise. Didn’t confuse us expert users who lived there, but it took some explaining to guests (“try the other one. No, turn it the other way.”). Anyway, just had to capture this example somewhere. ‘Bout time I took down the Christmas decorations on this blog, too.
So I’m in my second semester studying information. Classes this semester are
About those “links” links: for fun (and reference) I’ve been tagging class-related links on del.icio.us with the course number. Which brings me to my other point: if you get bored watching this space and its non-updated-ness, try the super-duper feedburner feed which includes those delicious links and my flickr photos, as well as the main nonsense here. But wait there’s more! I threw together a Yahoo! Pipes feed that comes with all that, plus the amazing Twitter feed!
That is all. See you in May?
update 2/22/2008: a)The title of this post was inspired by this OK/Cancel comic from 2004. b) This post is now the 3rd google hit for the term “usamajility.”
Posted in music on December 21st, 2007 by larcher – 1 Comment
Today’s Christmas music isn’t a home recording … it’s just ridiculous. I got this tape sometime in high school, at a white elephant gift exchange. Just checked Amazon to see if it’s available anymore — seems it’s out of print, but two sellers are both offering the album on CD for about $60. Is this thing some sort of cow collector’s item?
The “album” in question is It’s a Cow Christmas. Two sample tracks follow:
- First sample is the first two tracks. Posting this one mostly for the spoof of Handel, even if it is a bit short. Also, I’m planning on posting a minidisc recording of the real Hallelujah chorus next. Hallemoojah Chorus & Angus We Have Heard on High.
- As for the other track I’m posting …. well, if you had a specific type of illness (a fever, perhaps) and this illness had only one cure, and if you had this illness around the holidays, your physician would likely prescribe this song, as it does indeed contain “more cowbell” than most songs. By my estimate, the following mp3 is approximately 99% cowbell. Carol of the Cowbells.
