Dusty Chalk

Verizon in talks: link link

I never get tired of that one with the double-tackle by the dog. He's obviously just too happy doing it. And: flying squirrels are (still) the best!

Gorgeous!

Is that what I think it is?

PCB boards for Pete Millett's UniAmp. That would be karmic.

Why would a guitar without batteries not want its picture taken?

I did good, and was nothing at it.

Dark Knight soundtrack

I keep forgetting to post this, sorry: Whedon's Angel Box set on Amazon.com's Gold Box today only for US$57 That's a little more than US$11 per season (not per disk, per season).

Correct. Yes. No.

My question stands -- does he have digital out or 5.1 analog channels? Otherwise you're going to have to add "computer connectivity" to your list of requirements. I don't know why people feel obliged to get computer speakers for their computers. Most of them suck. froogle

Need to know what he has first -- what does he have in the way of soundcard? If it only has digital out, then he's going to need a receiver/speaker package. If it has multichannel analog outs, well...then he's still going to need a receiver/speaker package. Just get the best you can get for $500. Something like two pairs of the Insignia NS-B2111 and a cheap receiver and a cheap sub (this last will be the hardest part), set it in phantom center channel mode. Or I think CostCo sells something like the Philips MCD709 with surround channels, but that was a couple years ago, I'm not sure they sell them any more. Really those receiver/speaker packages are your best bet, the hardest part will be making sure you have connectivity, because none of them come with USB. EDIT: Yeah, like the Promedia system that Grawk linked to.

Kenji Kawai, Ghost in the Shell/Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

The conversation is already played out, but I thought I'd still mention -- this is by no means a limitation of the USB 1.1 spec at all. USB 1.1 can easily handle 24/96, and I have a USB 1.1 DAC to prove it (M-Audio Sonica -- precursor to the Transit).

It's a waste of perfectly good snake oil.

Oooh, new IQ!

Popped out a RMI prototype in Java (getting back into the swing of Java development -- haven't done it for a few years -- I only just heard about RMI for the first time on Tuesday, now look at me).

They're shipping this week. He did get back in touch with me. I actually considered getting a second pair right away (for recording cat sounds...yes, really, my housemate's cat has the greatest voice, it "projects") -- and even posed the question to him -- but he said the ones I'm getting will be fine for that application, so kudos to him for resisting the temptation of an easy sale, and taking the high, honest road instead.

Actually, I think he ended up getting different microphones, but that information is in a different thread. EDIT: I'll stop answering his questions for him, he can answer himself without having to look things up. It was some calibrated something-or-other, that he has fitted into a piece of styrofoam as a baffle.

Ah. Yeah, it had some seriously disturbing imagery. That's too bad. Don't see Coraline. Nowhere near the same order of magnitude (I believe it's rated G, if not PG), but there are some pretty memorably disturbing images in that one, too. ("Disney horrific" is what I'd call it.)

No, he's not sticking them in his ears.

Depeche Mode, Sounds Of The Universe -- meh. No song distractingly bad, but no song attention-gettingly good, neither. (Dave and Martin are in a room together, alone. They have just received a recording from their stable of musicians which is intended to be the backing tracks to what will eventually become "Wrong". One of them starts playback.) Dave (smirks, singing loudly against the quiet): Wrong! (the groovier music starts) Dave (speaking under his voice): Oh, this is alright. (singing): I was in the wrong place...at the wrong time...with the wrong girl... Martin (smirks) Martin (stops smiling): No, no, wait, stop it, start it over, I got it. (One of them does so. Martin scribbles furiously, hands paper to Dave.) Dave (singing): I was born under a wrong sign ...in the wrong house... (Martin continues writing while Dave is singing, only slightly ahead of him.) Dave (singing): ...with the wrong ascendancy... (Andy walks in, listens for a bit, serious. Dave and Martin continue with this "one-joke" lyric bit.) Andy: Hey, that's pretty good.

What was wrong with Pan's Labyrinth? I thought it was brilliant! My favorite movie of that year! Oh, well. :\ And interestingly enough, I just saw the trailer for Moon as well -- looks creepy, that's a must-see. And soon, too -- June.