What's New

December 31, 2011

Steam Sucks - even more than the last time I ranted about it!:
<rant>I hate the 'Steam' application, released by 'Valve' corporation. It's a nightmarish application, designed to frustrate software piracy and cheating in online gaming. Unfortunately, it's the only way I could get the latest copy of 'Civilization' for the Mac. The 'Steam' platform includes digital distribution of games and game updates. It also includes an online store front for the purchase of games, game supplements and various add-ons. It facilitates peer-to-peer voice and chat as well as multiplayer gaming, and it manages game DRM (Digital Rights Management). This piece of crapware insists on opening up many ports to and from my computer. I have no idea who it's communicating with, no idea how good it's security is, no idea whether it's installing spyware, keyloggers, sniffers and other nefarious software on my computer. I'm certain that it's 'spying' on my computer to make sure I'm not running any 'game hacks', but I really don't know how deep this 'spyware' has got it's claws embedded in my personal data. I have a healthy fear that it's security is lax, ripe for hacking and just waiting to be compromised by some criminal looking for user data and credit card information.

In addition to all my security fears, the thing sucks from a technical point of view as well. The network connection between my computer and 'Central Command' is extremely slow, and the game lags greatly at times. Sometimes I can't play the game that I paid for, because the 'Game is not currently available. Try again later.' What!? This is a horrible experience for the individual. I wish I could by the standalone physical distribution of 'Civilization', but version 'V' is only available through Steam.

Another problem I've been experiencing (which may be game related and not attributable to Steam) is rendering issues. This game runs so slow at times that the video rendering bogs down to a pixilated morass of chunky, flashing, red and white checker-board patterns after no less than thirty minutes of play (on a huge map/world setting). I've changed all the video setting to their minimum settings, so I don't think the problem resides with my video card (nVidia GeForce GT 120). Onboard video memory is 512MB of GDDR3 VRAM) and I don't think my dual 8-core 64 bit Mac Pro (w/2.26GHz processors and 12GB of RAM) is the problem either. I'm thinking the game has a memory leak (it starts out fine); that the huge map size is poorly executed, failing to allocate enough memory for the map rendering, resulting in the checker-board pattern when the game can no longer render the map. Well, at least I can play in the 'tactical' mode. So much for the nice, richly rendered graphics. It's back to 'Avalon-Hill' style hexes for this game.

So, the last time I ranted about Steam, I was only criticizing it for the issues listed above, now I've got another reason to rant about it. After installing Lion on my Mac, I found that Steam still had all the same issues as before. No updates to correct the issues I was experiencing, and no relief in sight. Just when I didn't think things could get any worse... I rebuilt my boot drive. The partition that I was running Lion on had some serious issues, and I switched to a different partition. I started using my clone as my primary boot drive. Well, that clone was formatted differently than my original Lion partition. The original partition was formatted as "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)". The new boot partition is formatted as "Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled). Well, guess what? Just like my copy of Dreamweaver CS5, this piece of Windows originated bloatware is built with no regard to case sensitivity. Not that any modern operating system should be...

Steam, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and likely several other applications which claim to be 'Made for Mac' or 'Mac Versions' won't run on any hard drive formatted with case-sensitivity enabled. Just in case you're wondering where/why there is such a thing as case sensitivity on a hard drive; consider this - ABC vs ABC, ABc, Abc, aBc, AbC, aBC, abC. Unix operating systems have been using case sensitivity since day one. The number of possible code variations with case sensitivity is far greater than the number of coding possibilities without case sensitivity. This gives case sensitive languages and storage devices the potential to store or state more variables in the same amount of code space. Why do Windows developers and engineers insist on perpetuating the antiquated and inefficient legacy of case-insensitve coding? Why! Just another reason why 'Steam' sucks. Add it to the list.

As I said earlier, and it bears repeating. In my opinion, and the opinion of thousands of other gamers - 'Steam' is a steaming pile of crap. A bane to gamers everywhere. I urge any game maker to dump it, to find a better solution, or give up on this DRM crap all together. It's my first experience with Steam, and I'm convinced. I will never buy another game that relies on the Steam platform. I'll play something else instead. Leisure time should not be spent fighting with the software.</rant>

The good news? The latest version of Civilization V (distributed by Aspyr through the Mac App Store) does not utilize Steam for encryption and will not work with Steam Civilization V down-loadable-content. After a bit of research - It's become clear that the version in Apple's 'App Store' (not to be confused with the 'Apps' you purchase through the iTunes store) does not include or use Steam at all. That's awesome news. I might have to buy a copy of 'Civilization V: Campaign Edition'. Too bad I wasted my money on that 'Steaming' version. It seems that someone (Apple of course) agrees on the indisputable crappiness of 'Steam' - It's so un-Apple like, that Apple has even banned it from the App Store. Will Apple's 'App Store' eventually 'kill' Steam? I can only hope so - What Mac/Apple users want is games and apps that 'work'. I'm tired of games that are made for Windows, then re-labeled as 'Mac Versions'. I'm tired of bloated crap that doesn't work well with the Apple architecture. Tired of apps that hog your memory, insist on immense CPU and video card requirements, that leak like a sieve, are insecure, buggy, and constantly crash - Apple's 'App Store' brings the promise of standards, strict enforcement and a far more controlled developer regimen. These things mean improved user experience. Something 'Steam' doesn't seem to get.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_(software)>
<http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=385027>
<http://wp.uberdose.com/2004/08/13/steam-sucks/>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_sensitivity>
<http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/civilization-v-campaign-edition/id439924718?mt=12>
<http://cybernetnews.com/will-the-mac-app-store-kill-steam/>

Network connectivity and Wake From Sleep issues:
<rant>Just when I thought I'd squashed my last set of computer problems; yeah, like that would ever happen!? One particular problem that had been bothering my computer went away. The symptoms disappeared for more than a month, but now they're back; but slightly changed. An intermittent problem had been plaguing me since I installed Lion on my Mac. After some serious computer issues, I had to rebuild the boot volume of my Mac. After I did that, these intermittent problems disappeared...

Back in October of 2010 (at a Special Event), Apple announced the latest revision of it's OS X operating system. The 8th OS X version (OS 10.7), code named - Lion, was released on the 20th of July 2011. It took a while, but I finally installed the new OS on my Mac (On the desktop Mac (A Mac Pro Early 2009)) and the laptop (A MacBook Pro 15" Early 2008). Lion brought us many new features, and improved U/I (user interface) in Mission Control, and simplified the HMI (Human Machine Interface) by integrating numerous 'Multi-Touch Gestures' and expanding the usability of that amazing product, the 'Magic Trackpad'. After introducing all those new features and improvements, they managed to introduce one bug that's plaguing me to this day.

An intermittent problem has been pestering me since the introduction of Lion onto my desktop Mac (It's not affecting the laptop). The problem is a bit difficult to explain... Occasionally, when my computer goes to sleep, the monitor wouldn't wake up. The computer would wake up. You could hear some computer activity, the monitor got slightly brighter, my peripherals woke up (iPhone, iPad2, iPod) the power button (on my Dell 30" monitor) changed from amber (standby) to blue (active), but the monitor never fully illuminated, and you couldn't see the computer's desktop. Occasionally/after some period of time, you'd see a spinning beach-ball indicator, as if something was hung, trying to launch or run. Nothing I did would make the monitor wake up, and eventually the monitor went back into standby. The light went back to amber color. I tried pressing the shift key, swiping the magic trackpad, moving the ball on my trackball, clicking the trackpad, clicking one of the buttons on the trackball, unplugging USB cables, pressing various keys (and key combos) on the keyboard. I even tried pressing the computer's power key. Nothing helped.

All those problems disappeared after I rebuilt my boot disk (because of other issues). After I conducted some major disk repairs and reformatted the boot disk, I started using my clone as my boot disk. The clone had a slightly different disk format, and running Lion from this partition has eliminated the 'intermittent' deep-sleep issue I was encountering. All was well, until just recently. Now I'm experiencing a similar, possibly related problem. It's another 'prolonged sleep' issue. It's intermittent, and I can't quite figure out what's causing the issue. I have my suspicions, but I haven't ruled out all the possibilities yet. The new problem - After an extended period of sleep, my Mac will wake up, but there are numerous issues regarding the 'wake up'. First of all, it takes longer to wake than it should, and one can hear the disk issues as the Mac is waking up. Things aren't mounting and connecting the way they should. Pressing the shift key alone doesn't wake the computer, and the monitor eventually goes back to sleep after ten seconds or so. If I press a letter key on the keyboard, then I can see the desktop.

What I see doesn't make me happy. Apparently, sometime during the sleep cycle, my computer becomes disconnected from my home network. My Nuvi, iPod, iPhone, iDisk, NAS shares, and other devices all become disconnected from my network. Some of the devices reconnect when the Mac finally wakes up, while others must be manually reconnected or remounted through the finder or by using terminal commands. It's really quite irritating. The easiest way to recover from this problem is a reboot. It seems as if something is slowly killing my network while the computer is sleeping.

Quitting iTunes, iPhoto, Mail and Safari before I leave the computer for an extended period hasn't helped. While iTunes and iPhoto directly access my NAS (that's where I store my media (music, movies, photos)), quitting the applications prior to sleep hasn't prevented the network disassociations. I'm starting to think that these issues are being caused by an old (3.5 years old) Western Digital hard drive. It's connected to my NAS, but it frequently throws up warnings about it being 'disconnected' from the network. Maybe it's the culprit? What about you - Have you had any 'Wake From Sleep' issues under Lion?</rant>
<http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/features.html>
<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3205922?start=0&tstart=0>
<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3200352?start=0&tstart=0>

My amazing wife - the Fantastic chef!
<rave>Kim and I have been married for several years now (26 years!), and her cooking just keeps getting better every year. Kim and I lived in Southern Italy for seven years (from '85 - '92), and while we were there we quickly realized how sheltered are culinary lives had been (growing up in Northeastern Wisconsin). During our first three years in Italy, the exchange rate was so favorable (for us) that it was actually cheaper to eat out for every meal, than it was to buy food and cook it. We spent three years experience all the varied and wondrous flavors of Southern Italian cooking. The taste of Mediterranean food grew on us like a barnacle embracing a well aged fishing boat. The food was awesome, and Kim decided to capture that flavor in a few select recipes. She's perfected one of those recipes over the years, one that gets better every time she makes it.

Penne all'Arrabbiata: Loosely translated, it means 'Angry Pasta'. Kim makes this dish from memory, and she improves it just a little over the years. It's made with penne pasta (she uses De Cecco or Barilla brand, crushed roma tomatoes, diced prosciutto (small pieces, cooked to make it slightly crunchy) and plenty of spices (garlic, cayenne, red chilies, crushed red pepper, coarse ground black pepper, and other Italian seasonings). Topped with freshly shredded Parmesan and parsley, she usually makes some garlic bread to serve with it, and let's break out a bottle of San Pellegrino while we're at it. This dish instantly transports us to the quaint and flavorful Trattorias of Brindisi's side streets. There's some in my refrigerator right now, but I doubt it'll be there much longer. Kim, you are an amazing cook.</rave>
<http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/PENNE-WITH-ANGRY-SAUCE-PENNE-ALLARRABIATA-1248250>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrabbiata_sauce>
<http://www.dececcousa.com/>

Apple TV problems (round three):
<rant>On the 17th of November, 2011, Apple released an Apple TV (2nd generation) Software Update 4.4.3; and I've had nothing but problems since. In October of 2010, I bought one of the new (2nd Generation) Apple TVs. After some initial problems integrating it into my network (One old Apple TV, one new Apple TV, one malfunctioning Network Attached Server, and one abused light switch!), that new AppleTV was running like a champ in our living room. ...until Software update 4.4.3.

This new software update (Apple TV Software Update 4.4.3) came shortly after a series of iOS 5.0 updates. This particular update brought Netflix support to viewers in Mexico and addressed an audio output issue. While this software update was released on the 17th of November, I didn't notice it until the 1st of Dec, 2011. Kim and I were on vacation, and we didn't get back until the 28th of Nov. Since the AppleTV checks once a week, I didn't notice the update until the 1st of Dec. After installing the update I began experiencing some major issues (when it comes to streaming). There are several titles in my Watch Instantly queue that I simply couldn't watch. The list of affected title may seem relatively small - unless you're the trying to watch your favorite episode of: Star Trek The Next Generation, Star Trek Enterprise, South Park, others? These titles were in my 'recently watched' queue before the update, but there were other titles as well (two movies and a few television shows), and those titles are unaffected. I can watch the titles with no problems on my Roku, my iPad 2, my iPhone, my BluRay player, even my computer.

After some initial troubleshooting efforts, I called Netflix and spoke with a technician/customer service rep. We went through a series of troubleshooting steps in an effort to fix the problems. Unfortunately, we couldn't get it fixed. Any time I tried to playback some specific titles, I was thwarted with the following error: "Netflix is currently unavailable. Try again later. Go to http://www.netflix.com/support for more information." The Netflix technician provided all the/my details to their AppleTV troubleshooting team, and I sincerely hope they find the cause and a solution for this odd problem. In the mean time... I thought I found a workaround... I did some searches on the internet, and I found reports of similar problems. In some cases the problem was resolved by changing the DNS servers used by the affected AppleTV. So, I fired up the AppleTV. Navigated to the 'General –> Network settings –> Configure' options on my Apple TV. I then selected 'Manual' and proceeded to change the DNS settings from 10.0.1.1 (the default used in my DHCP automatic configuration). After moving past the IP and Subnet settings (click "Done" for each) I changed the DNS to google's DNS IP address: 8.8.8.8.

Unfortunately, as of 18 Dec, this 'solution' seemed to be causing just as many problems as the original issue. After less than three days, the AppleTV was once again failing to connect for Netflix streaming. I could stream Netflix on my other devices, and the AppleTV had no problems accessing YouTube and other internet streamed content... I checked the 'Nets again - This time I found articles which indicated that the Google DNS servers aren't a good choice for the AppleTV. Apparently, they don't cache local domain routing paths in quite the same way as your local ISP. Packet routing also takes a bit longer than normal, this all amounts to delays in streaming and could result in the AppleTV not being able to initiate a Netflix stream. That's what happened to me. Once again, I found myself unable to stream Netflix content. I switched the DNS settings back to automatic, allowing the AppleTV to use the same DNS as my router.

That fixed everything for a couple of days. Everything was working properly on the 29th. I was able to initiate Netflix streaming without any problems. Switching DNS servers back to my COMCAST DNS (primary: 75.75.75.75, secondary: 75.75.76.76) worked until approximately the 30th of Dec, that's when I started experiencing the same issues. Maybe the problem isn't my network configuration or DNS settings. Maybe it truly is the AppleTV?

If you're experiencing similar problems. Specific titles 'blocked', slow or incomplete playback, other streaming issues; you may want to consider a change of DNS settings. Using google or some other third party DNS solution may result in slower download speeds; as Akamai and other primary backbone servers can't accurately determine your geographic location in order to resolve 'shortest route' calculations. On the other hand. If content playback is being blocked, filtered, or significantly delayed by your current DNS solution, or corrupted DNS caching, you may want to switch to a third party DNS solution. In other words... Your mileage may vary. In my case, I was able to resume streaming of affected titles, but now it's back to unavailable titles and stuttering or halting playback streams. Hopefully, Netflix will work with Apple to figure out the cause for these streaming problems.</rant>
<http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/problem_with_netflix_on_apple_tv_2_maybe_its_dns/>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4448>
<http://www.apple.com/appletv/>

Menus with no prices!
<rant>I originally wrote about this 'issue' back in Feb of 2010. Since then it seems that these 'establishments' haven't gotten the word... Here we are more than a year later, and I find my blood boiling. How long must we (civilized people) put up with this BS? I used to be a shift worker, now I work shift work for proficiency, and on occasion to fill in for vacationing employees. Sometimes the crew (shift workers I work with) goes on a food run. Twelve hours is a long time to go without any food, but thankfully, some of the people I work with are gracious enough to pick up food for those of us who can't leave the building. Lately (yes - this trend continues into 2011), I've noticed something that's getting my blood boiling. Menus without prices! We've got a bunch of take-out menus, and sometimes we have to look up a restaurant's menu online. Lately I've noticed a disturbing trend, many restaurants have menus without prices.

What is the matter with these restaurants? Are they so lazy that they simply can't be bothered to put the prices on their menu? What makes them think that the public doesn't care what they charge for their 'Greek Salad'? Do they think we're made out of money? What if you've only got a limited amount of money (unlike those customers with an 'unlimited' amount of money)? How can any consumer make an appropriate dining decision without knowing how much their meal is going to cost?

Do they honestly think we haven't got any choice? Do they think we'll have no choice, that we'll have to pay any price they charge? It's absurd. If it were up to me (and it never is, because I can't go on the food run), I would never, ever eat at a place that dared to publish or offer a menu without prices. It's ridiculous. I can understand that prices might vary from one chain to another, but I don't give a damn. You better figure out a way to publish your prices, or I'm not going to eat at your establishment.

I'm not talking about alcoholic drink menus (leaving the price off those is offensive as well), seasonal items, or specials. I'm talking about the standard fare. The everyday menu of several fast-food restaurants. Not some exclusive country club or high class dinning establishment, we're talking about places like: Buffalo Wild Wings, Qdoba, Atlanta Bread Company and KFC (to name a few). Not listing the prices is simply disrespectful. Most people have a choice when they're ordering from an online or take-out menu. They're usually at home. They haven't left the house yet, they can change their mind. You know what? Change your mind, don't order from places that don't list their prices!</rant>

Encryption and digital signatures on my Mac:
Spammers often assault my digital identity by forging messages to look like they came from me. As a result, I try to use pgp signed messages (whenever possible) with my email correspondence. Thankfully, there's an open source, free and reliable way to make that happen. There's a group of software developers who devote their time and effort in development of a product called 'GPGTools' it's a series of applications which enable digital signatures and encryption inside the Mac OS X environment. One of the primary components is GPGMail.

GPGMail (recently updated for Lion compatibility) is an open source plugin for Apple Mail. It brings the functionality to sign, verify, encrypt and decrypt mails using the OpenPGP standard. I use MacGPG2 (version 2.0.17-9) and the GPGMail plugin (version 2.0a21 (last downloaded/installed update was 2.0a4 - They've been busy) with Apple's Mail.app Version 5.1 (1251/1251.1) for encryption, decryption, and message authentication. If you would like to correspond in secret, please take note of my Public Keys.

Why do I use signatures or encryption? Well, I don't use the encryption very often, but I have been known to send myself encrypted email containing passwords or private information (banking and medical information). I use pgp signatures quite often, as a way of ensuring message authenticity. I'm tired of spammers pretending to be me; even my web hosting company has 'accused' me of being a spammer. By using these signatures (which uses the message content (upon signing) and a private key to create a signature which can be verified by using my public key) I can assure recipients that the message(s) they received were actually sent be me, and it hasn't been tampered with in transit. In addition to my self published keys, my public keys are also available on various keyservers.

One of the best parts of this software? The developers! They're fantastic. Whenever I have a problem or question, they're eager and willing to help with a patch, troubleshooting or detailed instructions. The project/developers aren't working for a profit, they do it because they believe in the open availability of secure email.
<http://www.gpgtools.org/>
<http://www.gpgtools.org/projects.html>
<http://www.gpgtools.org/macgpg2.html>
<http://www.gpgtools.org/gpgmail/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/encryption.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/feedback.html>

The sad story of spammers making my life hell doesn't end there. Oh, no, not all - Now that I've moved my webpages, mailing lists and email to a new server, I find that scourge of nasty spammers is indeed universal. Not only did my previous host suffer from spam issues, my new host appears to be infected with a 'DarkMailer' direct mailer script. The SpamHaus, COMCAST blocking services both indicate that a block of IPs run by the new hosting service may be compromised by this same 'DarkMailer' scripting/trojan, but my new hosting provider won't confirm or comment on this issue. All they admit to is 'a problem account' on the 'shared server'. They admit that the 'problem account' was the reason that the email server became blocked. Something is causing their mail servers to continually get listed on various black/block lists, and all they do is change the server IP and/or request de-listing by the various black/block listing services... This doesn't do much to help me, as I'm forced to endure continual delisting delays while COMCAST, Hotmail/MSN, Yahoo, AOL and others bounce my email. Six, seven? times now I've been affected by this spam listing problem. As a matter of fact - It's happening right now. Any time I send email to COMCAST email addresses (with any domain other than robsworld.org), I get a bounce message indicating that the email server I'm using is on a black/blocklist, and COMCAST won't deliver it. My new hosting service is either ignoring the root cause of the problems; or, due to legal issues/concerns, they're not admitting that they have a problem. Either way it sucks - Once again spammers are making my life hell!</rant>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Mailer>
<https://www.robsworld.org/index2.html#fightingspam>
<https://www.robsworld.org/whybother.html>

Testing Photo Gallery software:
With the impending demise of MobileMe's Gallery, I need to identify a 'replacement'. Personally, I don't think I'll be able to find anything as awesome as that service. While Apple migrates to the cloud with the new iCloud services, they've decided to ditch two wildly popular and powerful MobileMe features - The iDisk (replaced with cloud based syncing (not cloud based storage)) and Gallery (an extremely powerful and elegant online photo gallery). Since the migration of "Rob's World!" to a new hosting service, I find three different photo galleries at my disposal: 4Images Gallery, Coppermine Gallery, and Gallery. These services all come as part of my hosting service. That's cool. I might be able to find a suitable replacement without paying a big chunk of money (I would expect to pay big money for something capable of duplicating Apple's Gallery application/service) for some mediocre software.

After reading the available documentation, and checking out some previews/screenshots, I decided to give two of these galleries a shot. I installed and configured a 4Image gallery and 'Gallery' gallery. A family friend has provided some feedback, but I think I need some more recommendations / opinions. If you'd like to take a look at these two contenders, please point your browser this way: The 4Image gallery - The 'Gallery' gallery. I'd appreciate any testing and or feedback you might provide.
<https://www.robsworld.org/dec2011photos/index.php>
<https://www.robsworld.org/dec2011gallery/>
<http://www.4homepages.de/>
<http://coppermine-gallery.net/>

Digital Downloads in December:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? Well, I used to find/discover a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org) and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts. Used to... Now? Now (As of Oct of 2010) I subscribe to an online music streaming service called MOG, and I've recently (as of Sep 2011) started using eMusic 'Radio' stations for music discovery. Combined together, these two services provide full-play access to more than 23 million tracks! (11m on MOG, 12m on eMusic (as of Sep 2011) Two fantastic ways to discover music, and no need for illegal downloads or pirated tracks. I occasionally use a few of the other methods (music blogs and podcasts), but MOG and eMusic now serve as my primary Music Discovery sources.

Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it, or maybe you'll buy some concert tickets. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a web search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download or listen to all sorts of music for free. I download most of my music from a couple of commercial sources (eMusic and iTunes), but I occasionally download tracks (legally) from various websites, newsgroups and blogs in order to satisfy my craving for music.

Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded - and in most cases - paid for!

Amazon's MP3 Downloads:
Occasionally, I purchase and download MP3s from Amazon.com. When it comes to variety, Amazon and Apple battle in first place. While Apple gets more of the spotlight, Amazon often has a bigger selection. The best part about Amazon downloads? They're almost always cheaper than Apple's downloads. The only drawback? They insist on inserting those unique 'tracking' tags in the MP3's meta-data. Easily removed, but infuriating all the same. With your purchase, you also get access to cloud stored versions of the songs. On the go? No room for hard drive/flash based storage? Stream the tracks directly from Amazon's cloud player.
* The Whole Love - Wilco: (12 songs) From a favorite band, Wilco's latest album is quite good. I originally downloaded a single back in Sep. That track was so good that I added 'The Whole Love' to my eMusic download queue. Amazon sold this album to me for $2.99 - That's appx $0.25 per track for a new release! Awesome savings.
* Killer Lords - Lords of the New Church: (19 songs) A favorite from the 80s. MOG has me exploring my musical roots, and I'm finding some gems among the dreks. The 'Lords of the New Church' are Goth rock a very dark post-punk band. The roots of death rock. This is rock on the edge of darkness. Moody, born out of punk, lots of punk/rock aggression and personalities. Killer Lords is a compilation featuring some of the band's best material.
* Modern English - Modern English: (12 songs) Released in 2009, this is a poor quality (production value) compilation of greatest hits material. It's an unofficial attempt to placate the throng of loyal fans clamoring for new material from this 80s new wave band. Live versions with poorly executed instrumentals, this 'compilation' is missing some of the best Modern English material. The one good thing about this album? It features some seldom heard material - Not exactly a 'best of' compilation.
* 12 Desperate Straight Lines - Telekinesis: (12 songs) Revisiting a new favorite. I first downloaded Telekinesis in June of 2009, here's my second helping. Featuring soaring pop ballads, love songs, great guitar work and catchy lyrics. The follow-up is a bit more somber than the debut, and very well produced.

These are some of the items I added to my music collection during this month - Thanks to Eileen (my older sister). I scored an Amazon gift card for Christmas, and these tracks clocked in at a total cost of $16.67 for 55 tracks. Not bad! That's approximately $0.33 per track. Pretty damn cheap. Cheaper than most of my eMusic downloads. I might have to reconsider the cost / benefits assumption of eMusic... Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>

Bravo for Belkin:
</rave>For Christmas, I got an Amazon gift card from my sister Eileen. What did I buy? Well, I needed a USB hub for my Mac Pro, so I bought one of the most reliable, versatile and well built electronic products I've ever owned... A Belkin high-speed 7-port USB hub (part# F5U237v1). I first bought one of these hubs back in 2004? and I haven't regretted that purchase once.

A 7-port hub with two top mounted ports makes this device highly versatile and accessible. The ports support speeds up to 480MBps and they're powered. The slim, stackable design makes it a great space-saver and I don't know what I would do without it. My MacPro is a monster, with lots of attached peripherals, devices and gadgets, I can't be crawling behind my desk every time I have to connect or disconnect some USB device. This 7-Port hub puts all those cables within reach and the power lights let me know that the ports are working. Simple, durable, functional. A perfect companion for the Mac Pro in my office. Thanks Belkin / Thanks Eileen.</rave>
<http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=158910>

Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas:
Kim and I would like to take the opportunity to wish all our visitors a Happy Holiday Season, a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, a Joyous Festivus - Whatever flavor of holiday spirit trips your trigger. We sincerely hope that you and your family had a fantastic time during the last few days. We wish you prosperity and health throughout the year to come. Thanks for being our friends and family. We wish we could have made a trip out to see all our friends and family for the holidays, but we couldn't arrange it this year. Maybe we'll see you in 2011.

This year, Kim got most of the cool gadgets - Her big bad gift? She scored a new laptop. The old MacBook was starting to draw her ire. The old MacBook Pro had an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz processor and 2GBs of RAM (The Early 2008 model). We purchased it refurbished as a Christmas gift in December of 2008. While we hadn't owned it for four years, it was starting to feel sluggish compared to the Mac Pro (with 20GBs of RAM), the iPad 2 and my new iPhone 4S. The more she complained about the pokky laptop, the more I realized what her Christmas gift would be. The new MacBook Pro is a shining marvel of technology. The entire body of the laptop is 'carved' out of one solid piece of aluminum. With a Intel Core i7 64-bit quad core processor, the 2.2GHz processor speed may be slower, but the quad core processing and 8GBs of RAM sure make for a zippier laptop. Transferring all the files over to the new MacBook Pro was relatively easy using Apple's 'Migration Assistant' (Not the same as a 'Coyote' or 'Snakehead'). As usual, we paid for the AppleCare extended warranty. With a purchase in excess of $2,000.00 it's an insurance policy you can't afford to go without.

While Kim is loving her new laptop, I scored a few games (Munchkin Bites and expansion (Pants Macabre) plus PS2 'The Thing') a bunch of clothes, a shiny new tie tac, and some gift cards. Most of our hard earned cash went towards vacations and Kim's new laptop. We really are lucky to have these great jobs, and we even managed to give to charity throughout the year. This year we gave a little under $1,000 to the Vietnam Veterans of America. As usual, I dedicated more than 100 hours of work to a non-profit community oriented group (yeah, the Neighborhood Watch - Hey, that's a good cause). We hope your year will be happy, healthy and wealthy as we move into 2011.
<https://www.robsworld.org/holidaygreetings_2011.pdf>
<https://www.robsworld.org/othergames.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/kimslaptop.jpg>

December 24, 2011

"Rob's World!" has moved:
The last time Rob's World! moved was April of 2002. Back in 2002, I got sick and tired of the crap that Yahoo (after acquiring Geocities.com) was trying to pull. Despite the fact that I was paying for hosting, they insisted on putting their advertisement on my website! They also started charging me to use their previously 'Free' email service. Anyway the customer service was horrid, they were putting advertisement in my email, and adding beacons and links to my web pages... I moved my web pages to a friend's hosting service.

I moved all my domain hosting services to Dale's business (Internet Marketing Services). Dale is a friend of mine from back in the mid 90s. We met back in Maryland, and we've been friends ever since. Dale is shutting down his hosting business at the end of December, and I needed to find a new hosting service. During November (29th of Nov, 2011) I signed up for services with a new hosting provider. Host Rocket is one of the many (there are thousands of hosting providers out there). My search took approximately three months and several exchanges via email and twitter before I found what I was looking for. The new hosting service offers many new, powerful features that I've never used before. It's a lot of stuff, and much of it is beyond my ability to manage, but I'll do my best to leverage these new features. Hopefully I can improve the website by using all the new features offered by this hosting provider.

Now then - Moving "Rob's World!" was a bit of a chore, and not without it's difficulties. The move was accelerated when my former hosting service suffered some failures, and - get this; a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. That disaster provided the impetus to force my move. On the 9th of Dec, 2011, I began the migration. It took me some time to move three websites, twelve mailing lists and all my email services. Unfortunately, due to the fact that my former web host had to shut down his servers, I lost a lot of data, and had to recreate the mailing lists from scratch. That wasn't the only problem I encountered. It seems that my new hosting provider (HostRocket.com) has a bit of a spam problem of it's own. Although it won't admit it, it's mail servers are routinely black listed and it's causing me no end of grief.

<rant>Since completing my webhosting migration (completed on the 18th of Dec, 2011), I've had several email messages bounced back by COMCAST, Yahoo, MSN/Hotmail and AOL. All the bounce messages indicate that my new email servers are listed on black/block lists for sending spam. According to some of the reporting (by the DNSBL operators), the email servers (Two different IPs affected so far) are suspected of a DarkMailer / Direct Mail scripting infection. Someone has compromised a users account, used it to upload some email generating scripts, and they're using HostRocket's email servers to send spam. I've reported the problem on numerous occasions (four separate occasions), and the technicians indicate that they have submitted the email servers for 'delisting'. They will not acknowledge any incidents of spam or a possible DarkMailer/Direct Mail scripting incident. Nor do they indicate any action taken to resolve the issues causing the black/block listing. I can only hope that they have identified the compromised accounts, located and removed the offending scripts/trojan, and secured the servers from further compromise...

As I write this, I've completed the move of all my web sites, mailing lists and email services, but I can't send email using the email servers of my new hosting service. If I send email, it simply gets blocked by various DNS blocking/black listing. All email sent by my mailing lists is similarly marked as spam. Once again Spammers are making my life hell! Thankfully, I can still send mail using my COMCAST account - They're pretty good at getting my email delivered; even if they are the source of much spam. I hope the new hosting service can get this problem under control. I'd love to send email again!</rant>
<http://www.hostrocket.com/>
<https://www.robsworld.org/>

Updates to the Tollgate Crossing website:
I participate in some community focused events, but haven't found the time to serve on any boards, so I do what I can to help the people who live in my neighborhood. Volunteering with our local neighborhood watch, and supporting our community by maintaining the Tollgate Crossing website and mailing lists. The Tollgate Crossing website is focused on the Tollgate Crossing community, with a few links to the Neighborhood Watch website. Over the last month I've been a bit busy. As a result I wasn't able to keep up with the Tollgate changes. This week I made a few updates to the community website:

Welcome: The website's opener. A page containing an introduction to our community website. Here you'll find all the latest news and announcements. I rearranged the banners a bit - It's something I do to indicate a change in the content.
- I updated the banners for our next Home Owner's Association (10 Jan, 2012) and Metro District (24 Jan, 2012) meetings.
- The website has been migrated to a new hosting provider. If you notice any issues or problems, please let me know.
Events: A detailed listing of upcoming and recurring events in and around Tollgate Crossing. Here is more detailed information regarding some of the events you may have read about on the 'Welcome' page. It's also a place to look for long term/recurring events.
- I updated the information regarding our next Home Owner's Association (10 Jan, 2012) and Metro District (24 Jan, 2012) meetings.
- I added a paragraph/some information regarding the recent website/mailing list migration. Tollgate Crossing is now hosted by a new company.
Info: A page of links, phone numbers, email addresses and other information pertinent to the residents/community of Tollgate Crossing.
- I updated links to, and posted updated Meeting Minutes from Metro District meetings. Added meeting minutes from the following date: 2011-10-25. I seem to be missing the meeting minutes from the meeting in September. I'll post that as soon as I get it. If you'd like to read meeting minutes from 2010 or earlier, please contact me.

If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' (in Aurora, Colorado), you might want to check out the website. It's loaded with information about our community and you can even sign up for some of the email mailing lists that serve our community.
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>

Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website:
I participate in some community focused events, but haven't found the time to serve on any boards, so I do what I can to help the people who live in my neighborhood. Volunteering with our local neighborhood watch, maintaining the Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website and mailing lists. The South East Aurora Neighborhood Watch serves the residents of South East Aurora by providing information and close ties with the local Police Department in order to help keep the residents safe and neighborhoods crime free. Over the last month I've been a bit busy. As a result I wasn't able to keep up with the Tollgate changes. This week I made a few updates to the Neighborhood Watch website.

Current: A web page dedicated to the most recent news, announcements and information.
- I removed an announcement regarding a chili cook-off and our last Neighborhood Watch meeting (Dec 8th).
Events: A listing of upcoming and recurring events in you Southeast Aurora Neighborhood. Events sponsored by or relevant to our Neighborhood Watch.
- I updated the Neighborhood Watch meetings paragraph. Our next meeting isn't until Feb 2nd of 2012.

If you are a resident of Southeast Aurora, you might want to check out our Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website (Serving the following communities: Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore, Tallyn’s Reach, Saddle Rock - North, Serenity Ridge, Black Stone and Heritage Eagle Bend). If you're concerned about the safety and security of your community, you might want to join our group, or subscribe to one of our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.southeastaurora-neighborhoodwatch.org/Welcome.html>

Winter has arrived!
It sure seems as if winter started early this year. As a matter of fact, we had snow as early as the 2nd of November, and we kept seeing more of it as the month went by. By the beginning of December, we had snow that didn't simply melt away. The temperatures have been quite low, below freezing for much of the month. On the 21st of December, winter officially began and it announced it's presence in a dramatic way - With a big, bad ass snowstorm - A 'Noreaster. A particularly strong low pressure front settled in over Colorado, drawing moisture from the south, the low swirled counter clockwise, bringing the precipitation in from the Northeast. As the temperatures dropped the snow started piling up. The snow started on the evening of the 20th, and by Wednesday morning we had a pretty good amount of snow on the ground. Kim and I got up at our usual time, we got ready for work and checked the 'Snow Line'. Despite the treacherous roads and 8+ inches of snow, the government thought it was safe enough for us to come to work - They allowed for a three hour delay, but we really didn't want to stay at work until 5:30pm, so we headed in to work.

The roads were pretty bad. There weren't many cars on the road, and the plows had cleared some of the roads. We left early, and managed to make it to work on time (by 0500). I was the only one at work, and I immediately set to work, getting as much work done as I could... We weren't at work very long when they made the announcement. "As of 0630, the facility is closed. All non mission essential personnel are dismissed." Great - It's exactly what Kim and I thought would happen. They tell us we're authorized a delay in arriving - but the facility is open. We risk an accident and injury, driving in these poor conditions. Then when we get to work, they close the facility. Now we have to drive on the roads again. This time around the roads are actually much worse. Thankfully we drove the XC90. The roads were snow covered, with a slushy core, and icy underneath, but the Volvo didn't have any problem getting through the worst of it. With a paid day off, Kim headed straight for the La-Z-Boy. With remote in hand she held down the fort while I did some coding on the computer.

Eventually the snow stopped falling - Not until 1400! We managed to accumulate approximately 12 inches in the Southeast corner of Aurora, and we were lucky. Areas to the East of the Front Range got the lower totals. Areas to the West of Denver accumulated totals up to 30 inches! With the storm just about over, I broke out the snowblower and fought with that fresh powder for about two hours. I filled up the snowblower's gas tank, and gave that starter cord a good yank. Surprisingly, it started on the first pull of the cord, and I didn't even need the electric start. With my iPhone playing the 'No Agenda Show', the time seemed to fly by as I cleared the driveway and sidewalks. I even cleared the neighbors sidewalks. Welcome to Winter - It looks like we're in for another season of Crazy Colorado weather. I love it!
<http://blogs.denverpost.com/weather/2011/12/21/colorado-snowstorm-live-blog/21/>

Apple TV problems (round two) - Solved?
On the 17th of November, 2011, Apple released an Apple TV (2nd generation) Software Update 4.4.3. In October of 2010, I bought one of the new (2nd Generation) Apple TVs. After some initial problems integrating it into my network (One old Apple TV, one new Apple TV, one malfunctioning Network Attached Server, and one abused light switch!), that new AppleTV has been running like a champ in our living room.

This new software update (Apple TV Software Update 4.4.3) comes shortly after a series of iOS 5.0 updates. This particular update brings Netflix support to viewers in Mexico and addresses an audio output issue. While this software update was released on the 17th of November, I didn't notice it until the 1st of Dec, 2011. Kim and I were on vacation, and we didn't get back until the 28th of Nov. Since the AppleTV checks once a week, I didn't notice the update until the 1st of Dec. After installing the update I'm experiencing some minor issues. There are a few titles in my Watch Instantly queue that I can't seem to watch. Two titles in particular seem to be affected. Star Trek The Next Generation and South Park. Both of these titles were in my 'recently watched' queue before the update, but there were other titles as well (two movies and a few television shows), and those titles are unaffected. I can watch the titles with no problems on my Roku, my iPad 2, my iPhone and my computer (Haven't checked my BluRay player).

After some initial troubleshooting efforts, I called Netflix and spoke with a technician/customer service rep. We went through a series of troubleshooting steps in an effort to fix the problems. Unfortunately, we couldn't get it fixed. Any time I tried to playback some specific titles, I was thwarted with the following error: "Netflix is currently unavailable. Try again later. Go to http://www.netflix.com/support for more information." The Netflix technician provided all the/my details to their AppleTV troubleshooting team, and I sincerely hope they find the cause and a solution for this odd problem. In the mean time... I've discovered a workaround / solution to the problem. Or so I thought... I did some searches on the internet, and I found reports of similar problems. In most cases the problem was resolved by changing the DNS servers used by the affected AppleTV. So, I fired up the AppleTV. Navigated to the 'General –> Network settings –> Configure' options on my Apple TV. I then selected 'Manual' and proceeded to change the DNS settings from 10.0.1.1 (the default used in my DHCP automatic configuration). After moving past the IP and Subnet settings (click "Done" for each) I changed the DNS to google's DNS IP address: 8.8.8.8.

Unfortunately, as of 18 Dec, this 'solution' seems to be causing just as many problems as the original issue. After less than three days, the AppleTV was once again failing to connect for Netflix streaming. I could stream Netflix on my other devices, and the AppleTV had no problems accessing YouTube and other internet streamed content... I checked the 'Nets again - This time I found articles which indicated that the Google DNS servers aren't a good choice for the AppleTV. Apparently, they don't cache local domain routing paths in quite the same way as your local ISP. Packet routing also takes a bit longer than normal, this all amounts to delays in streaming and could result in the AppleTV not being able to initiate a Netflix stream. That's what happened to me. Once again, I found myself unable to stream Netflix content. I switched the DNS settings back to automatic, allowing the AppleTV to use the same DNS as my router. Everything is working properly again. I am now able to initiate Netflix streaming without any problems. What the!? My Timecapsule is set up to use the Google DNS servers. That doesn't make sense, does it? I have no idea what was broken, what I fixed, why it broke a second time, or how I fixed it by putting everything back the way it was to begin with. Maybe the problem wasn't my configuration or the AppleTV. Maybe it was the Google DNS servers to begin with?

If you're experiencing similar problems. Specific titles 'blocked', slow or incomplete playback, other streaming issues; you may want to consider a change of DNS settings. Using google or some other third party DNS solution may result in slower download speeds; as Akamai and other primary backbone servers can't accurately determine your geographic location in order to resolve 'shortest route' calculations. On the other hand. If content playback is being blocked, filtered, or significantly delayed by your current DNS solution, or corrupted DNS caching, you may want to switch to a third party DNS solution. In other words... Your mileage may vary. In my case, I was able to resume streaming of affected titles. Hopefully, Netflix will work with Apple to figure out the cause for these streaming problems.
<http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/problem_with_netflix_on_apple_tv_2_maybe_its_dns/>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4448>
<http://www.apple.com/appletv/>

Bring on the Handyman:
It'll take a while, but eventually I'll become a handy man. Owning a new home brings all kinds of new responsibilities to the first time home owner, and I'm no exception. This week (third week of Dec, 2011) I bested a hefty overhead problem.

I was on my way home from getting my hair done (You know, another one of my crazy color jobs). The stylist had messed up my hair color and I had stopped at the store on the way from that four hour fiasco. I really wasn't in the mood for any problems... Such is my luck. I started backing into the drive way; I was pressing the button to open the garage door; and pressing it, and pressing it. Damn! The door wasn't opening. I knew it couldn't be the remote - It was one of those visor integrated home link units. I called Kim on the cell, told her I was home, but needed some help. She went out to the garage, checked it out, then opened the front door so I could get in the house.

Kim welcomed me home, took the groceries and said: "The garage door opener is messed up". Great, just what I needed. I spent five hours running around, getting my hair destroyed (It's only hair, it'll grow out. I can get it done again). Now I had to deal with this 'problem'. I went out to the garage and took a look. So now I know why there were bolts appearing on the floor in the garage... The bracket that connects the door arm to the garage door had come loose from the garage door. Not only had it come loose, it had actually broken. Metal fatigue had cracked the actual metal. Over time the metal had broken in two and the screws holding part of the bracket to the door had worked loose. The entire arm had pulled loose from the door. The hex headed lag screws were sitting on a shelf in my garage. I had found the screws, but dismissed them as just another set of screws that served no purpose - other than to annoy me...

I examined the arm, realized that I could probably adjust the length of the door arm and reattach the bracket further down the door. Not an ideal solution, but it might hold for a while. The arm really shouldn't be close to vertical, as that increases stress on the motor, arm, and bracket. I went indoors and announced to Kim - "I can fix this!" - I'm not exactly the mechanical type. The mechanical aptitude portion of my ASVAB test was the only portion where I scored below 99. Fortunately, there wasn't any plumbing or electricity involved in this repair. It looked like something I could fix. It took me a while, I kept going back and forth from house, to garage, out the front door to the Volvo. After I finally got all the tools in the right place, the job took less time than I imagined. If I had got all my tools together first, the job would have been finished in half the time. Unfortunately, I found myself getting the wrong tools, I put the ladder in the wrong spot. The power cord for the drill was too short. The socket for the ratchet was too small. The cord was so heavy, it pulled itself loose from the inverted outlet near the garage door opener motor. Plenty of little mistakes to keep me stressing. Definitely not my idea of fun. After an hour or so I was starting to feel better about my chore. By the time one and a half hours had passed, the arm and bracket were reattached and the unit was Working! No fires, no shocks, no cuts, no bruises, not even so much as a harsh word had been uttered by yours truly. I conquered another mechanical dilemma. Hooray for Rob the handyman! Hopefully my jury-rigging will last long enough to get a real repairman over to actually fix the arm and bracket connection.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garage_door_opener>
<https://www.robsworld.org/garagedoor.pdf>

Problems with Office for Mac 2011:
<rant>I'm not exactly a fan of Microsoft products. I've used them at work for many years. I've used them - grudgingly - at home on Mac. Thankfully, the versions made for the Mac are better than the versions made for the Windows OS. Once again, I'm reminded why I prefer the Mac OS and applications made by Apple. Over the last two weeks, I updated my Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 applications. According to the a Microsoft website the updater* included code designed to improve stability: "Stability is improved: This update fixes an issue that causes Excel to crash or close unexpectedly sometimes when a macro is enabled." In my case, the update caused the application to crash! Soon after updating my Office applications I found Excel and Powerpoint crashing every time I tried to open them! (*14.1.4 updater was installed on 14th of Dec, 2011)

The following error messages were noted: "Excel saved changes to the file before the application quit unexpectedly." When I tried to re-open the application, it crashed again, and again and again! I then attempt to open a different document. No good. It still continued to crash. The following error was also noted: "Microsoft Excel has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." No matter what I did, the application continued to crash. I did some research online - i.e. I Googled the error messages and found numerous reports of issues with Excel under Lion (OS 10.7.2). Apparently, it's incapable of dealing with the 'auto save' and recovery features built into the Lion OS. Following Microsoft's recommended fix actions resulted in no joy. I deleted numerous different preference files, repaired permissions, removed some cache files, made sure all my software (OS and Office) were up to date (they were), rebooted my machine, and even reinstalled Office for Mac 2011. None of this helped - Excel, PowerPoint and even Word, continued to crash. Word would occasionally launch, but Excel and PowerPoint continuously crashed. This is why people don't apply Microsoft Updates - They often break the software!

Finally, I attempted to launch the copy of Excel (Office for Mac 2011) from my Snow Leopard partition. I maintain a Snow Leopard partition just in case I need to run applications that rely on PPC (Power PC) code (such as AppleWorks). Thankfully, the copy of Office for Mac on that partition was cooperative. It launched without any problems. After I had launched the older version of Excel (from the Snow Leopard partition), I edited a document, saved it and closed the application. Then I tried to launch the copy of Excel on my Lion partition. Success! Whatever it was that had corrupted my version of Office, launching the old version (on my Snow Leopard partition) cleared up the preference files or caches. The copy on my Lion partition now launches without any problems. Of course this solution was nowhere to be found online. Eventually, the Office for Mac team will catch up with Apple's new OS. Eventually they'll work out the bugs and manage to get the software working properly. Eventually...</rant>
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2454823>
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2026104>
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2644347>

Death to spammers!
</rant>You just can't escape from this scourge of the internet era. I recently (during the month of Dec, 2011) moved all my domains (robsworld.org, vaessen.name, vaessen.net, vaessen.ws, tollgatecrossing.org, and one other) to a new hosting service. One of the reasons I moved? Spammers! Apparently, Spammers broke into the mail server of my former web host. They compromised his server and started sending spam. In addition to the server compromise, they also installed some nefarious scripting - to facilitate their spamming. In addition to this spam activity, the servers were also brought low by a DDoS attack! All of this information comes to me by way of the server administrator; as such it's veracity/accuracy cannot be verified, but it certainly makes for a good 'Bogey Man' story. The big bad spammers compromised the servers and crashed it with a DDoS attack! Once again spammers are making my life hell. ...That's not all... Now that I've moved my webpages, mailing lists and email to a new server, I find that scourge of nasty spammers is indeed universal. Not only did my previous host suffer from spam issues, my new host appears to be infected with a 'DarkMailer' direct mailer script. The SpamHaus blocking service indicates that the new email server may be compromised by this 'DarkMailer' scripting/trojan, but my new hosting provider won't confirm or comment on this issue. Something is causing them to continually get listed on various black/block lists, and all they do is change the server IP and/or request de-listing by the various black/block listing services... This doesn't do much to help me, as I currently can't use my hosting provider to send any email! All email sent through their servers is blocked and marked as spam by ISPs that use black/block listing services (including COMCAST, MSN/Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, and others). Three times now I've been affected by this spam listing problem. My new hosting service is either ignoring the root cause of the problems; or, due to legal issues/concerns, they're not admitting that they have a problem. Either way it sucks - Once again spammers are making my life hell!</rant>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Mailer>
<https://www.robsworld.org/index2.html#fightingspam>
<https://www.robsworld.org/whybother.html>

Death to spammers!
<rave>You just can't escape from this scourge of the internet era - Or can you?. It's a good thing that I own my own domains. I can create and delete email addresses at my whim. I do so in order to control who has my email address, what those email addresses are used for, and to track spam that shows up on specifically assigned addresses. Recently (during the month of Dec, 2011), I moved all my domains (robsworld.org, vaessen.name, vaessen.net, vaessen.ws, tollgatecrossing.org, and one other) to a new hosting service (the reasons are varied, but this is not the time to tell that story). The new hosting service offers numerous ways to cut down on the amount of spam I've been receiving: Account and user level filtering, SpamAssassin block/black list filtering, domain keys, SPF filtering (not turned on), BoxTrapper (not turned on) and other methods. In the few days that I've been with the new service (since approximately the 12th of Dec), I've reduced my spam by more than 50%. In the few days since I completed the transfer of all my domains (18th of Dec, 2011), I've received TWO spam messages! That's right two spam messages in four days. In the past (during 2011) I would typically receive approximately 35 spam messages per day. This is extremely good news. Reducing the amount of spam is awesome, but the excellent spam control measures at my disposal is even better!</rave>
<https://www.robsworld.org/index2.html#fightingspam>
<https://www.robsworld.org/whybother.html>

Suburban Wildlife:
Deer hunting season (big game) for Colorado (East of I-25) started yesterday, and guess what I saw over my fence last night? (on the 15th of Dec, 2011 - Right around sunset). One big buck and six doe in the suburbs of Aurora, Colorado. Since Kim and I bought our home in early 2005, we've seen deer, pronghorn and coyote traipsing through our back yard. Given the start of hunting season, this particular spotting doesn't surprise me too much, but we usually don't see deer in our back yard. Aurora may be a big city, but we live on the fringes of all that hubbub. I snapped a quick pick, but it didn't turn out quite the way I had hoped. That buck has led his harem to safe haven near the city. Inside the city boundary, just on the edge of town. Hopefully someone won't get stupid and start shooting it up inside city limits. What sort of wildlife due you see in your back yard?
<https://www.robsworld.org/coloradowildlife.jpg>
<https://www.robsworld.org/ourhouse.html>

Netflix takes away my rights!
<rant>Proof that Netflix isn't perfect. I have to admit that most might think that I love Netflix, and I'm the first to admit that they're near the top of my list. Recently (on the 16th of Dec, 2011), I happened to check the Netflix 'Terms Of Use' (TOU). That's when I was surprised to discover that they had changed their TOU in a drastic way - They stripped away my legal rights!. That's right, on the 5th of Sep, 2011, Netflix quietly (they didn't announce it to the world through any press announcements) decided to deprive all Americans, all their customers of the right to sue them. The exact wording which strips away your legal rights?

"These Terms of Use provide that all disputes between you and Netflix will be resolved by BINDING ARBITRATION. YOU AGREE TO GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO GO TO COURT to assert or defend your rights under this contract (except for matters that may be taken to small claims court). Your rights will be determined by a NEUTRAL ARBITRATOR and NOT a judge or jury and your claims cannot be brought as a class action. Please review the Arbitration Agreement below for the details regarding your agreement to arbitrate any disputes with Netflix."

Note: The all CAPS emphasis is not mine. That's the way it appears in the TOU. Apparently, Netflix want's you to PAY ATTENTION to the fact that 'YOU GIVE UP YOUR RIGHTs' when you agree to use their service. In my opinion, this move is a Disgusting piece of B.S.! It's an affront to our society, a tragic turn of the screw to Americans and all Netflix customers. Unfortunately, this change to their TOU is typical corporate B.S. When they are disappointed with the laws of our nation, they create their own laws. Big piles of money (thanks to you and me) can buy you justice in this country - Unless your only a voter. These big corporations think they can take away your rights by putting it in a contract - And the most disgusting part about that idea? They're right! If you continue to use their service, you're bound to their new 'TOU'. Well, since they're a corporation, they'll undoubtedly win. Individuals in America are losing their rights every day. Corporations are 'people' with far more money than you or me. They don't need to vote when the dollar is more mighty than the vote. You can vote for Republicans, Democrats or Independents; in the end, your vote doesn't pay for the bribes, speaking fees and consulting stipends that our elected politicians 'appreciate'.

I read some blogs/speculation online that this move may have something to do with some class action lawsuits that Netflix is currently engaged in. I don't doubt it. What's more likely? This move by Netflix is a natural move for any corporation. Why bother with the law when you can hire your own private court and judge? Does anyone actually think they'll ever get justice from a judge and jury paid by the defendant? Come on, the only ones who believe that are the ones who paid for the arbitration. If I were Netflix, I'd expect the same. If the Arbitration firm doesn't give you what you want (a win in your favor) you could always hire a different firm - Isn't capitalism awesome!? Hey - If you don't like it, you're free to quit Netflix and find someone else who will offer you unlimited streaming and DVDs by mail... Do you know any other company that offers anything close to that?

Why are corporations doing this? Because they can! Thanks to our 'Supreme Court'. A recent decision (in April of 2011) gave businesses the right to deny legal to any customer through the use of a contract. It's a huge abrogation of the Justice Department's responsibility. An immense injustice to Americans, and a shocking display of disregard for the Constitution. Corporations are now free to deliberately cheat large numbers of consumers at will. With no recourse other than a 'Neutral Arbitrator', American consumers can be guaranteed of one thing in the future. They will lose money, lives, their jobs, their health; all at the expense of corporate greed and a courts system that cares more about 'Corporate Persons' than Human beings. Welcome to the 21st century. The next time some big corporation screws you out of some money, remember this "You don't have the right to sue them, no matter what they did!" If you haven't seen an 'Arbitration Clause' lately, it's probably because you haven't ready anyone's Terms Of Service. <rant>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Consumer_Financial_Protection_Bureau>
<http://www.deafeyeseeit.com/2011/09/13/netflixs-revised-tou-agreement-wtf/>
<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/business/28bizcourt.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/netflixarbitration.png>
<http://www.netflix.com>

Another free track from iTunes:
Here's more of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? Well, I used to find/discover a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org) and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts. Used to... Now? Now (As of Oct of 2010) I subscribe to an online music streaming service called MOG, and I've recently (as of Sep 2011) started using eMusic 'Radio' stations for music discovery. Combined together, these two services provide full-play access to more than 23 million tracks! (11m on MOG, 12m on eMusic (as of Sep 2011) Two fantastic ways to discover music, and no need for illegal downloads or pirated tracks. I occasionally use a few of the other methods (music blogs and podcasts), but MOG and eMusic now serve as my primary Music Discovery sources.

Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded this month:

iTunes New Music Tuesday download:
Sometimes I purchase music from iTunes, and sometimes I take advantage of their free downloads (check it out on Tuesdays). iTunes is the King of the Hill when it comes to the bigger names, so sometimes I find that I have to pay the higher prices. Here's a free download from the iTunes store.
* Codependence - Sixx:A.M.: (single) From the album 'This is Gonna Hurt' - Here's a hard hitting, pulse pounding track with vocals I can understand. A hard rockin', kickin' single from the iTunes New Music Tuesday offerings. Sixx:A.M. is a Hard Rock band from L.A. Composed of Nikki Sixx (Mötley Crüe bass guitarist), DJ Ashba, and James Michael. You can definitely hear the experience in this well produced track. I don't download/purchase very many tracks in this genre, but I have to admit that this one was excellent.

This is one of the items I added to my music collection during this month. Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>

New Netflix app on the iPad:
Recently (13 Dec, 2011), Netflix announced the redesign (completely redesigned) of the Watch Instantly experience on the iPad. The app now displays far more content, the layout is more visually oriented, the covers are a bit larger, and the screen swiping experience is very Apple-esque. If you've updated your iPad to iOS 5, you can update your Netflix app (for free) and start using the new app today.

The interface updates aren't the only announcements. Netflix also announced the availability of Watch Instantly streaming (through the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Apple TV) in Latin America. What's Latin America? Well, when Netflix talks about 'Latin America' they're talking about 43 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. That's not highly informative, but that's all I could find... If you know more, I'd appreciate the info.
<http://blog.netflix.com/2011/12/netflix-unveils-new-ipad-app.html>
<http://www.netflix.com>

December 10, 2011

Rob's World! Meltdown - DDoS Disaster - Migration begins:
<rant>Last month, I told you about the impending move of "Rob's World!" - Well, recently my (former) hosting service suffered some failures, and - get this; a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. When I got back from my thanksgiving vacation, I discovered my (former) hosting service had all its services off-line. All the web sites (not just mine) were inaccessible and all our email services were no longer working. After some discussions (via email) the hostmaster (who was on vacation at the time) was able to restart the server and get some web services up and running. I then noticed that the email services (and mailing lists) were still off-line. I notified the hostmaster, and after a couple of days he was able to restart the mail server (services).

Unfortunately, these outages have been wrecking havoc on me, his customers, my customers (volunteers with our Neighborhood Watch and members of my community), and all his commercial customers. The outage was extensive and prolonged (two or more days). When the servers finally came back on line, I found that his mail server had been marked as a spammer and it was subsequently added to many black lists/block lists. Just recently (10 Dec, 2011), I found out (from that former hostmaster) that his servers actually went down as a result of a DDoS attack, and it's possible that the server may have been compromised by hackers / spammers. Arrgggghhhh! So now it's time to move - No more putting it off. As I indicated last month, "Rob's World!" is/was in the process of moving to a new hosting service. This latest disaster has provided the impetus to force my move. No more putting it off... As I write this, I'm preparing for the great exodus. Unfortunately, my departure from my previous hosting service was not the gradual migration I was hoping for. It's a rushed and spurious Jump! I will more than likely realize (in the midst of his complete rebuild of the server) that much of my data was in fact lost. I can only hope that the party responsible for the DDoS didn't obtain my / our data and email addresses. Additional updates will follow - Stay tuned for notes from the field. The much anticipated, much trepidated and feared migration has begun!</rant>

Apple's report on my Seagate BlackArmor 110 NAS:
Back in July of 2010, I purchased a new hard drive. I purchased this new drive as a replacement for a hard drive attached to my router. I had a Western Digital (500GB) hard drive attached to my Time Capsule. The drive was attached via USB, and it had some problems staying connected to the network. USB isn't the best choice for a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device. I was using the WD drive as a NAS, but it wasn't performing very well in that role. I decided to upgrade to a drive with Ethernet connectivity.

I chose a Seagate BlackArmor 110 NAS to fill the role - as a NAS device. As previously mentioned, it connects via Ethernet (with max connection speed of 1GB), and the drive has a speed of 7200rpm; making it quite snappy as a server/storage device. Way faster than USB, but nowhere near that 'theoretical' speed of 1GB. It also has two USB 2.0 ports, so you can connect other devices (hook up a printer for shared printing, or another hard drive for server backup). In addition to it's storage capabilities. The drive came with some software and server capabilities. Unfortunately, it didn't have any AFP support, and the drive came preformatted in FAT32 windows disk format. I would have preferred the Mac's HFS+ or even ZFS.

I was using it to serve up files on my local network, and it worked fine for a while. The SMB connection worked fine at first. It even allowed remote access (using a web based interface). Using the web based management software, I was even able to set up daily back-ups using the WD drive; which I connected to the NAS via USB. I moved all my iTunes files over to this server, and I added many videos, photos, and text files. Adding this drive bumped up my storage capacity to a total of 4.28TB! This particular drive received quite a few positive reviews, and I was happy with it until...

<rant>Less than six months later, the drive had stopped serving up shares. it had become a crippled drive. I couldn't mount any of the shares to my desktop using bonjour, SMB or CIFS. When I mounted shares using NFS, I could see the data, but I couldn't move, delete or affect the data. While I was initially very happy with the device, I was quite disappointed with the customer support. I did everything I could think of to get the device working again, a friend with a Windows machine even helped me with a factory reset, restoring the drive to it's initial configuration state. When I turned to Seagate for support, they were less than helpful. While they initially answered my email requests for support (a few exchanges of email towards the end of Nov, beginning of Dec, 2010), they eventually claimed "At this time neither e-mail or chat support is offered for Black Armor 440/420/220/110 NAS units for issues like this." I don't get it, they initially engaged in some half-hearted attempts to troubleshoot this drive via email, but eventually referred me to telephone support - Which of course 'Costs Money'. $14.99 per incident. It's a small price, but that's not the point. Due to my schedule (at the time), I couldn't manage telephone support.

I struggled with the drive for weeks. Eventually, I came to suspect that the problem was due to Apple software changes/updates, something which changed the SMB protocol. I thought there had been some changes to my OS which adversely affected my ability to properly connect to SMB shares. I wasn't the only one having issues with SMB connectivity (see the links below). Thankfully there were a few people helping me troubleshoot the issue. I even posted my problem on Apple's discussion boards, filed a BUG report (with Apple), and sought help from the 'Samba' developers community. One individual was particularly helpful. William Brown of Adelaide University in Australia was the one who held my hand to guide me through the mysterious maze of NAS. After numerous email exchanges, hours of troubleshooting, and countless attempts to get my drive back in ship shape, we finally came upon some success.

I was able to mount the shares (to my desktop) using NFS (using manual unix command line commands). I was even able to drag and drop files across the network. So, while the thing was working, the solution was sub-optimal - It wouldn't automount, and every time I rebooted or logged out, I had to manually remount the share and turn spotlight indexing back on. Eventually, I purchased a new hard drive (a Buffalo Technology LinkStation Pro Duo 4 TB (2 x 2 TB) RAID Network Attached Storage LS-WV4.0TL/R1 (Black)) to act as my NAS. This week (9 Dec, 2011), Apple finally got back to me with the results of their troubleshooting. What did Apple have to say about the bug report that I filed? "Engineering has determined that this issue originates with the samba software you are using. The samba software on that box is broken, and you need to update it. We are closing this bug since our engineers are aware of the issue and will continue to track it." O.k. That's kind of slim on details, and it really doesn't help. I've done everything I could to update the software on that unit. It simply refused any update I tried to feed it. I tried, a friend tried. We tried updating it using the Mac OS, restored it to the factory default condition and tried to update the software using Windows. It still wouldn't update. It was/is a brick. I can't do much of anything with it. Maybe I can completely wipe the drive and reformat it for simple storage? If I wipe it's OS I should be able to use it as a external hard drive, and that Western Digital drive is still not working properly...

The bottom line lesson? In my opinion; Mac users should never purchase or use Seagate drives. The software doesn't work properly on Macs (despite their claims to the contrary), and they certainly don't stand behind the products they sell. The customer support was abysmal.</rant>
<http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11861795>
<http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12766940>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_File_System_(protocol)>
<https://www.robsworld.org/blackarmorupdate.png>
<https://www.robsworld.org/mycomputer.html>

Apple TV problems - Solved?
On the 17th of November, 2011, Apple released an Apple TV (2nd generation) Software Update 4.4.3. In October of 2010, I bought one of the new (2nd Generation) Apple TVs. After some initial problems integrating it into my network (One old Apple TV, one new Apple TV, one malfunctioning Network Attached Server, and one abused light switch!), that new AppleTV has been running like a champ in our living room.

After some initial troubleshooting efforts, I called Netflix and spoke with a technician/customer service rep. We went through a series of troubleshooting steps in an effort to fix the problems. Unfortunately, we couldn't get it fixed. Any time I tried to playback some specific titles, I was thwarted with the following error: "Netflix is currently unavailable. Try again later. Go to http://www.netflix.com/support for more information." The Netflix technician provided all the/my details to their AppleTV troubleshooting team, and I sincerely hope they find the cause and a solution for this odd problem. In the mean time... I've discovered a workaround / solution to the problem. I did some searches on the internet, and I found reports of similar problems. In most cases the problem was resolved by changing the DNS servers used by the affected AppleTV. So, I fired up the AppleTV. Navigated to the 'General –> Network settings –> Configure' options on my Apple TV. I then selected 'Manual' and proceeded to change the DNS settings from 10.0.1.1 (the default used in my DHCP automatic configuration). After moving past the IP and Subnet settings (click "Done" for each) I changed the DNS to google's DNS IP address: 8.8.8.8

If you're experiencing similar problems. Specific titles 'blocked', slow or incomplete playback, other streaming issues; you may want to consider a change of DNS settings. Using google or some other third party DNS solution may result in slower download speeds; as Akamai and other primary backbone servers can't accurately determine your geographic location in order to resolve 'shortest route' calculations. On the other hand. If content playback is being blocked, filtered, or significantly delayed by your current DNS solution, or corrupted DNS caching, you may want to switch to a third party DNS solution. In other words... Your mileage may vary. In my case, I was able to resume streaming of affected titles. It takes longer to get the streaming started (in some cases), but at least I can 'Watch Instantly' again.

Hopefully, Netflix will work with Apple to figure out the cause for this problem, and correct the issue soon.
<http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/problem_with_netflix_on_apple_tv_2_maybe_its_dns/>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4448>
<http://www.apple.com/appletv/>

Netflix on the Xbox 360:
Recently (7 Dec, 2011), Netflix announced the redesign (completely redesigned) of the Watch Instantly experience on the Xbox 360 platform. Netflix has been available on the Xbox since Nov of 2008, but the experience hasn't been the best. Some have described the interface/experience as 'painful'. This redesign brings a serious Xbox focused interface to the platform. New features include improved browsing interface. Access to audio and subtitle settings, ratings, and related titles. The most exciting changes include voice and gesture control using the Xbox Kinect. Now you can control playback, browse and exercise total voice control using the Xbox 360's Kinect. Outstanding! Other features include adaptive streaming to constantly optimize the picture quality during playback. Support for 720p HD format and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.

The interface updates aren't the only announcements. Netflix also announced the availability of Watch Instantly streaming (through the Xbox 360) in Brazil (Kinect voice control is not available in Portuguese?), Mexico, Chile and Columbia (you must be an Xbox Gold LIVE subscriber). The voice and motion control sounds awesome. Too bad it's only available with a Kinect enabled Xbox 360. I can only imagine that Apple will be bringing a Siri-like capability to their AppleTV in the near future. Isn't technology awesome?!
<http://blog.netflix.com/2011/12/netflix-unveils-new-xbox-experience.html>
<http://www.netflix.com>

eMusic website updates:
Recently (6 Dec, 2011), I noticed some of the changes eMusic has been making to their website. eMusic is a digital music download service. With extremely low prices, great bit-rate reproductions, outstanding selection, a new music player and consumer friendly rights management policies, it provides excellent service and access to digital music. The changes they've rolled out represent an entirely new architecture and interface. The changes are designed to deliver many new features, better discovery tools and more mobile and community based features for the future.

<rave>Like any re-design or redeployment, there have been glitches, some delays and unexpected problems. When I noticed problems and glitches, I provided eMusic with my feedback on the changes. I used Twitter to immediately notify them of problems, discrepancies and interface flaws that were making my experience less than satisfactory. My Tweets were met with positive and prompt replies. eMusic representatives apologized for any problems I encountered, thanked me for my feedback, and assured me that the missing features I'd mentioned were going to be incorporated into the eMusic website. Not only did they respond promptly, apologize and assure me, they even rewarded me. In response to my initial feedback, they provided me with an extra months worth of download credits ($22.99 worth of music). Excellent! In response, I decided to complete a survey on their new updates. I provided additional detailed feedback designed to improve the overall site look, feel, and functionality. Later still, eMusic made a community wide apology, and gave everyone (subscribers who've logged in between an extra $5.00 to download more music.

Despite any inconvenience or problems I (or other eMusic subscribers) may have experienced, this is the kind of reply - Prompt, positive, reassuring, and considerate - that consumers expect and demand from online vendors. Lately, eMusic has been doing a much better job at this aspect of their business. As a matter of fact, the pain of these changes, the inconvenience, the problems, they all seem minor when I compare them to the positive response from their management. Even if I don't like every aspect of these changes, I certainly appreciate the positive manner in which they've responded to our concerns, complaints and feedback. Keep up the good work eMusic. I remain a loyal fan (since 2006!), and look forward to the revisions you're rolling out.</rave>
<http://labs.emusic.com/2011/11/22/an-update-on-our-new-site-experience/>
<http://labs.emusic.com/2011/11/03/preview-emusics-new-look/>
<http://labs.emusic.com/2011/12/09/thanks-for-your-patience/>
<http://www.emusic.com>

Software favorites:
Another batch of beta updates for my favorite Graphics editor. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here's ten more updates for a product that's always getting better. All the updates are free for those who own a license (for the most recent version). If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) completed work on at least ten additional updates over the past week. I recently saw/downloaded the following updates: 7.5.1 (b359, b365). GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price (~$40.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/content/162/new-functions-and-versions.html>

With this software update, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>

December's download deluge:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? Well, I used to find/discover a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org) and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts. Used to... Now? Now (As of Oct of 2010) I subscribe to an online music streaming service called MOG, and I've recently (as of Sep 2011) started using eMusic 'Radio' stations for music discovery. Combined together, these two services provide full-play access to more than 23 million tracks! (11m on MOG, 12m on eMusic (as of Sep 2011) Two fantastic ways to discover music, and no need for illegal downloads or pirated tracks. I occasionally use a few of the other methods (music blogs and podcasts), but MOG and eMusic now serve as my primary Music Discovery sources.

Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded - and in most cases - paid for!

eMusic monthly downloads:
Every month I download ~50 tracks from eMusic.com. This month (December of 2011) I managed to download a huge number of tracks. You can read more about this music deluge in my recent (9 Dec, 2011) 'eMusic' posting. This month I downloaded 122 tracks at the amazingly low cost of $22.81. I'm paying a $19.99 monthly fee, so that makes the tracks even cheaper (~$0.19 / track). Unlike some music outlets, eMusic doesn't have any DRM and they don't insert unique track id's into the ID3 tags. Their terms of service are consumer friendly; eMusic allows you to burn as many CDs as you like and copy downloads to an unlimited number of your computers and portable MP3 players. At less than $.50 a track (I'm currently paying $19.99 for $22.99 worth of downloads per month). eMusic offers a really good value for your download dollar. iTunes and Amazon still charge more. eMusic offers more music for your money, and the variable bit rate recordings make for exceptionally high quality recordings.
* Only By The Night - Kings of Leon: (11 songs) This band is one of those MOG discoveries I wrote about earlier. After listening (using the MOG streaming service) to a series of their albums, I realized that I really liked their sound. Great guitar work, quick pacing, great lyrics and vocals.
* Come On Eileen / Dubious - Dexy's Midnight Runners & the Emerald Express: (single) This two song single is the only material available (on emusic) from this 'one hit wonder' band of the 80s. I love/everyone loved that catchy song, "Come On Eileen". Having a sister named Eileen made it even better. I missed that song, so here's another 80s flash back for those who loved the music born during that era.
* Room On Fire - The Strokes: (11 songs) The follow-up to their initial release (Is This It?). I have to admit that the Strokes are starting to grow on me. I'm impressed with this release. So impressed in fact, that I may have to go back and re-evaluate my take on the original album. More of 'The Strokes' may be in my future. MOG here I come. Having the ability to listen to an album without buying (I do 'pay' to listen - MOG monthly music subscription is appx $5.00/mo) helps me make good decisions about what music I want to buy.
* Fear Of Music - The Talking Heads: (11 songs) A touchstone album in the foundation of my initial music discovery phase. High School in the 80s, the Talking Heads, New Wave, Punk, Rock n' Roll. I finally started 'listening' to music just as I was leaving high school. Here's one of those albums that helped form my opinions, tastes and appreciation for the new musical forms bursting onto the scene. I was no longer content with the Aerosmith, Loverboy, Twisted Sister pablum being fed to me by the radio stations. I found something better, new, different, something that spoke to me, something that sounded rebellious, reflective, and reasoned; all at the same time. The Brian Eno influences are heavy, lovely and exciting.
* Music For The Masses - DePeche Mode: (15 songs) Another flash back to the 80s. This album, and many others that I downloaded today are part of a $4.99 promotion through eMusic. Awesome value. $5.00 for full albums. Imagine that on iTunes! - Not! DePeche Mode was another one of those 'Euro' New Wave bands that invaded America in the Post Punk revolution. Heavy on the instrumentals, and quirky electro pop with a dark mood, DePeche mode rode the edge of new genres without knowing it.
* Absolute (long version) / Word Beez (long version) / Hypnotize (long version) - Scritti Politti: (3 songs) These three songs represent a fraction of the album 'Cupid & Psyche 85'. It's a 13 track album from eMusic (The original LP had 9 tracks), and I already had the first five tracks. I was slowly working my way to number 13. I own this album (the actual vinyl) but my efforts to capture these tracks (via digitization) didn't work out. I originally recorded the LP on cassette (back in the 80s). Then when I attempted to digitize the cassette, something went wrong, and I only ended up with the first five tracks. These three tracks represent the last three tracks on that album. I now have the whole album. So, will the digital copy persist longer than the casette? Most probably. Will it outlast the vinyl? Only time will tell.
* Your Arsenal - Morrissey: (10 songs) When Morrissey moved away from the Smiths, he began a career that took his music in a new direction. Able to match his talent with a larger selection of artists, he was now able to create music that would incorporate an ever changing, ever growing, ever improving combination of the best talent. His distinctive and mournful voice is still the signature on this album, but the song writing and guitar work also shine. His best since the Smiths.
* INXS - INXS: (10 songs) The band's debut album. Amazing! I had no idea how good this album was. You can hear a lot of Post Punk influences; jangle pop, synth, new wave, rock, and the legendary voice of Michael Hutchence. This album is a road map to the success that followed. I will definitely listen to this album over and over.
* American IV - Johnny Cash: (15 songs) I have no idea when I first heard Johnny Cash, but I knew from the first time I heard him, that his was a sound that crossed all genres. The messages, the pictures evoked, the emotion imbued lyrics - All unmistakable, inspirational, unforgettable. Here's another landmark album in his career.
* The Smiths - The Smiths: (11 songs) The debut album by an English post-punk alternative rock band. Released in 1984, here's another album which founded my core tastes when it comes to music. Outstanding pairing of Morrissey (vocals) and Marr (Lead guitar) was the spark that burned up the charts as the Smiths. The 80s owes this duo a great debt. Without synthesizers, the Smiths proved that traditional instrumentals can make outstanding post-punk music.
* Power, Corruption and Lies [collector's edition] - New Order: (16 songs) This album clearly marks the bands transition from post-punk to synth-pop. I can remember clubs with girls wearing combat boots, ready to thrash any brash young man who might dare to tease their emotions. This dance rock gem still shines today. This Collector's Edition does contain 'Blue Monday'.
* Grouplove - Grouplove: (6 songs) It's something new. Discovered by listening to new releases on MOG. I find the quirky vocals interesting. Paired with the dense and thoughtful lyrics, it makes for a perfect pairing. The backing vocals are another bonus. The staccato instrumentals lend urgency to the spirited vocals and the clapping is a bonus I appreciate. I'm lovin' this Grouplove.

iTunes New Music Tuesday download:
Sometimes I purchase music from iTunes, and sometimes I take advantage of their free downloads (check it out on Tuesdays). iTunes is the King of the Hill when it comes to the bigger names, so sometimes I find that I have to pay the higher prices. Here's a few of those free downloads from the iTunes store.
* Oh Louise - Korey Dane: (single) A free download from iTunes (New Music Tuesday download); from the album Loomer. A great country ballad with outstanding instrumentals and vocals. A singer / song-writer with excellent soul and harmony. A new talent worth watching.

These are some of the items I added to my music collection during this month. Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>

December 4, 2011

The demise of BetterHTMLExport:
Once upon a time, I used an iPhoto plugin to create photo galleries. This plugin was called BetterHTMLExport. It worked with iPhoto 7 - 9 (going all the way back to iPhoto when it was free, then part of iLife '08, '09 and '11). Recently, it stopped working. The last functional version was 2.3.4 (build 31). The plugin was used to create web pages from iPhoto galleries. You could control the web page output much more efficiently than the you can with iPhoto's built in web page output controls (which pretty much suck!), you have additional output options, and you could download, save, and use templates to create highly professional looking web pages. Or, you could build your own templates! This plugin was definitely worth the cash. BetterHTMLExport let me spend my time more wisely, and allowed me to create some attractive photo galleries.

Unfortunately, the BetterHTMLExport plugin no longer works in the current release of iPhoto. As of iPhoto 9.2.1 (released in October of 2011), the plugin has stopped working. You can no longer select the BetterHTMLExport option when you attempt to use iPhoto's file export options. I even tried to re-install the plugin. That didn't work. You still can't access the BetterHTMLExport tab during file export operations. Supposedly, iTunes 9.2.1 was updated to address several bug fixes, and it also included a new feature that automatically disables incompatible third-party plug-ins. As far as I could tell, it was working, until the 9.2.1 update. If I'm not mistaken (after an examination of plugins that didn't get removed), Apple's policy in this regard is 'code signing'. All plugins must contain 'signed' code in order to prevent unscrupulous things from happening to people who use Apple applications.

First Apple decides to kill the MobileMe Gallery feature, then they disable the BetterHTMLExport plugin. They either hate their users with a passion or they've got something planned. I can only hope they're planning to release a new photo gallery capability. I removed BetterHTMLExport from my software favorites page.
<http://geeksrus.com/software/betterhtmlexport/>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1462>

Apple TV update = Netflix problems:
On the 17th of November, 2011, Apple released an Apple TV (2nd generation) Software Update 4.4.3. In October of 2010, I bought one of the new (2nd Generation) Apple TVs. After some initial problems integrating it into my network (One old Apple TV, one new Apple TV, one malfunctioning Network Attached Server, and one abused light switch!), that new AppleTV has been running like a champ in our living room.

The new Apple TV is working great. I don't like the way the menus are organized (removing my content from the top tier of each menu), but that may change. The Netflix menu will take a bit of adjustment. I don't like the way it jumps to the top of my queue when I exit the description of any show, but that may change. All these little things are a bit annoying, but I do like the new device. The streaming performance was a primary concern, but so far (after a year of use) I haven't been disappointed. The streaming over my TimeCapsule/Airport Extreme router/network, is working great. The new AppleTV has a beefed up processor and large flash drive for caching. Both are doing their jobs splendidly. If you didn't know better you'd think all that content was stored onboard. I like it so much I'm thinking of replacing that one downstairs with a second 2nd Gen AppleTV

I called a Netflix technician on the 2nd and we went over a few troubleshooting steps. Rebooted the AppleTV (after logging out) by unplugging it and waiting a minute before plugging it back in. After logging in, the same symptoms persist. I can't watch Star Trek The Next Generation or South Park. The following error is encountered whenever I try to watch those particular titles (on this Apple TV): "Netflix is currently unavailable. Try again later. Go to http://www.netflix.com/support for more information." After a few more troubleshooting measures, the technician conceded that he couldn't fix the problem. He indicated that there were numerous AppleTV customers experiencing issues after the recent AppleTV update. He recorded all my information and forwarded it to a special team working AppleTV issues. Fortunately for me, I'm still able to watch these shows by using a device other than my AppleTV. As a matter of fact, I used this as an opportunity to try out some more 'AirPlay' functionality. With the delivery of recent iOS updates, Apple has made it possible to mirror anything displayed on an iPhone 4S (or 4) or iPad2 onto displays connected to an AppleTV (2nd generation). Pretty awesome. I configured my iPad2 using AirPlay to display all content on my TV, then I used the Netflix app on my iPad2 to play the content in question. Star Trek was soon streaming to my TV. The playback was poor quality, but it worked well. No dropouts or pixelation, and the audio stayed synced with the video. Pretty slick. Stream Watch Instantly over my Wi-Fi network (on a 802.11n connection) to my iPad 2, then route it to my AppleTV (on the same network). Finally the video goes over an HDMI connection to my television. Now that's some serious technology.

Hopefully, Netflix will work with Apple to figure out the cause for this problem, and correct the issue soon. I prefer to use my Apple TV over the Roku. The new iOS and AppleTV updates make this combo a perfect pair.
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4448>
<http://www.apple.com/appletv/>

Aches & Pains again - Report from a Human Barometer:
Recently, I've had some trouble sleeping, and my joints have been killing me. The winter season, is usually one of the wettest seasons in Colorado, with large swings in barometric pressure, and that means pain for me. As the barometric pressure rises, then falls, my joints act up. On this particular occasion, I found my back and joints aching from the 29th of Nov, through the 3rd of Dec. A prolonged period of low pressure. A series of lows crossed Colorado. Bringing wind, snow and overcast conditions for the last four days, I really had a hard time sleeping this week. My joints were aching and I had a pretty bad back ache over the last two days. On the 30th of November, we got appx 6 inches of snow. We had a brief respite on the 1st of December, and then we got more snow; approximately 8 more inches on the 2nd of Dec.

My joints have a tendency to ache whenever there's a low pressure front moving through the area, so that's something I've been coping with for many years. Thankfully the pain is manageable. I take a few over the counter pain meds, and do my best to stay occupied. Lately, I've noticed a correlation with back pain as well. Now that I think about it, back pain is often present when my joints are aching, and that's something I've definitely linked to barometric pain. More back pain came from shoveling all that snow. It took me approximately 2 hours to completely clear the driveway and sidewalks, because we drove over it for three days and the temperature never rose much above freezing to thaw the frozen tundra of my driveway. As a matter of fact, it was unusually cold for these parts.
<https://www.robsworld.org/barometer.html>

Software favorites:
More updates to some of my favorite software applications. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here's two updates for the product that's always getting better. All the updates are free for those who own a license (for the most recent version). If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed. In addition to the GC update, I also downloaded an update to Keynote; Apple's presentation application (It's part of the iWork productivity suite).

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) completed work on several updates over the past week. I recently saw/downloaded the following update: 7.5.1 (b355). GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price (~$40.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/content/162/new-functions-and-versions.html>

iWork '09:
Apple's productivity suite is three applications and one online service. I'm running various versions of the component software: iWork 9.1 on my desktop and laptop delivered Pages 4.1 (923), Keynote 5.1 (1018) and Numbers 2.1 (436) respectively. This week (1 Dec, 2011), Apple updated Keynote (the presentation component) to version 5.1.1 (1034). On my iPad and iPhone, I'm running new versions delivered under the iOS 5 update: Pages 1.5, Numbers 1.5. (I don't have the portable (iPad/iPhone) version of Keynote).

iWork is Apple's productivity suite. Previous versions of iWork (2005-2006) contained two applications, a bit anemic for a productivity suite. It was missing a crucial component. No spreadsheet application? In 2007, things changed. They added a spreadsheet application. Numbers is the newest addition to the productivity suite. With the addition of this new component. iWork became a feasible replacement for the venerable (and still useful) AppleWorks - which hasn't (and never will - according to Apple) seen an update since 2004. iWork is also a home contender, competing against Microsoft Office. Most home users don't need the power provided by Microsoft's productivity suite. iWork applications are Office compatible (No it's not 100% compatible, but it can open, edit and save documents as Office documents), and the pricing is far more affordable than the behemoth on the block. So, the addition of numbers, the fantastic price ($79.00 for three full feature productivity apps), the great reviews (that I've read), the compatibility (Office and AppleWorks) and the outstanding support that Apple provides, have enticed me to switch from AppleWorks to iWork. All of the iWork components contain web based output options, which is crucial for anyone creating web pages, or managing a web site.

iWork consists of three productivity applications and an online component:

Pages - Pages is a word processing application with page layout features. Besides basic word processing functionality, Pages includes 140 templates designed by Apple that allow users to create various types of documents, including newsletters, invitations, stationery, and résumés, along with a number of education-themed templates (such as reports and outlines) for students and teachers.

Along with Keynote and Numbers, Pages integrates with Apple's iLife suite. Using the Media Browser, users can drag and drop movies, photos and music directly into documents within the Pages application. A Full Screen view hides the menubar and toolbars, and an outline mode allows users to quickly create outlines which can easily be rearranged by dragging and dropping, as well as collapsed and expanded. Pages includes support for entering complex equations with MathType 6 and for reference citing using EndNote X2.

The Pages application can open and edit Microsoft Word documents (including DOC and Office Open XML files), rich text format documents, and plain text documents. Pages can also export documents in the DOC, PDF, and ePub formats (from WikiPedia).

Keynote - Keynote is an application used to create and play presentations. Its features are comparable to those of Microsoft PowerPoint, though Keynote contains several unique features which differ from similar applications. Keynote, like Pages and Numbers, integrates with the iLife application suite. Users can drag and drop media from iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto and Aperture directly into Keynote presentations using the Media Browser. Keynote contains a number of templates, transitions, and effects. Magic Move allows users to apply simple transitions to automatically animate images and text that are repeated on consecutive slides.

The Keynote Remote application lets users view slides and presenter notes and control Keynote presentations with an iPhone or iPod touch over a Wi-Fi network.

Keynote supports a number of file formats. By default, presentations are saved as .key files. Keynote can open and edit Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt) files. In addition, presentations can be exported as Microsoft PowerPoint files, QuickTime movies (which are also playable on iPod and iPhone), HTML files, and PDF files. Presentations can also be sent directly to iDVD, iTunes, GarageBand, iWeb, and to YouTube. The Keynote 09 file format is not backward compatible; .key files saved with Keynote '09 can not be opened with earlier versions of Keynote (from WikiPedia).

Numbers - Numbers is a spreadsheet application that was added to the iWork suite in 2007 with the release of iWork '08. Numbers, like Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet applications, lets users organize data into tables, perform calculations with formulas, and create charts and graphs using data entered into the spreadsheet. Numbers, however, differs from other spreadsheet applications in that it allows users to create multiple tables in a single document on a flexible canvas. Many prebuilt templates, including ones designed for personal finance, education, and business use, are included.

Numbers 2, the latest release which is included with iWork '09, integrates with other iWork applications. Charts that are pasted into Keynote and Pages are automatically updated across documents when they are changed in Numbers. Additionally, Numbers 2 lets users categorize data in tables by column, which can then be collapsed and summarized (from WikiPedia).

iWork.com - A new offering (first offered in Jan '09) in the iWork suite of applications. Here is a free service (it's still in beta, and there are no indications as to pricing/the future of this service) that Apple has integrated into each of the suites applications. It's a web based file sharing, collaboration and display service. You can upload documents to the iWork.com server, and others can view, annotate, or download documents (as defined per document). The iWork 9.0.5. update added public sharing and private upload options. All the iWork applications include iWork.com connectivity, collaboration, and sharing capabilities.

The recent iOS update (iOS 5.0) brings the following updates to devices running iOS 5.0 (in my case that's my iPad, Kim's iPhone 3GS, and my iPhone 4S): Automatically store documents in iCloud (actually iCloud acts as a push and sync process; not a storage service) and keep them up to date across all your iOS devices. Download your documents (in iWork '09 (Numbers and Pages for me), Microsoft (Word and Excel for me), CSV or PDF formats) to a Mac or PC at icloud.com/iwork. Drag and drop iWork '09 (Numbers and Pages for me), Microsoft (Word and Excel for me), plain text or CSV documents to icloud.com in order to automatically create iWork documents and sync them (through the iCloud service) to all you iOS devices. In Numbers you can use sliders, steppers and pop-ups to easily enter data and explore results, use Merge Cells command to format your tables. Improved import and export for spreadsheets with hidden rows and columns. In Pages, you can use your voice to create and edit documents using Siri dictation on an iPhone 4S. In Pages you can create footnotes and endnotes as well as make use of improved word counts. All the apps also received some security updates for maliciously crafted Word and Excel documents.

Shortly after the iOS 5.0 updates, Apple released a Keynote update (to version 5.1.1) in order to address issues with large Keynote presentations under OS X Lion. It also includes improvements in stability and accessibility for Keynote.
<http://www.apple.com/iwork/keynote/>
<http://www.apple.com/iwork/pages/>
<http://www.apple.com/iwork/numbers/>
<http://www.apple.com/iwork/iwork-dot-com/>
<http://www.apple.com/iwork/>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5026>

Many of these updates are releases designed to improve compatibility with Apple's latest Mac OS - Lion (Mac OS 10.7) and the latest release of iOS (5.0.1); Apple's mobile operating system. With these software updates, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>