The Lex Files

Lex Live

This won’t work much, but it will work at the time I’m posting it:

Miserable Failure

My blogging-related New Year’s resolution has officially failed; I didn’t post yesterday.

I am more than happy to forgive myself, however; I’m working like crazy here in LA and was at the office for a full 16+ hours yesterday. Blogging wasn’t in the cards.

I desperately hoped that Apple would release something overwhelmingly cool yesterday that I would be excited to purchase. Instead, they released the MacBook Air, which became increasingly uncool the more I thought about it. Well, perhaps increasingly “unnecessary” is better; I just don’t have the need for an underpowered, Firewire-less laptop, even if it is super thin.

Dear Continental Airlines

When you cancel my flight 18 hours in advance, feel free to tell me, instead of having me stumble upon this fact by accident.

Also, when you automagically put me on another flight (without explicitly telling me), and it’s later than my original flight, put me on the NEXT available plane, not one that’s even further out.

Love, Lex

Free is Good

As nearly every RSS-loving Mac user now knows, NetNewsWire is now entirely free. I’ve been a happily registered user of the software for years; now everyone can experience the joy of RSS the way it’s supposed to be — free. (If you’re smart enough to use a Mac, that is.)

Various bloggers have discussed what the freeness of NNW means for the rest of the Mac software market. The basic claims are:

1. Other RSS readers on the Mac are now out of business
2. Other software on the Mac will now be worth less, since high-quality software is being given away for free
3. Neener neener neener.

I’m going to have to disagree with points one and two. Other RSS readers for the Mac will have to work harder if their creators hope to charge; I think Google Reader and Bloglines made that true for NetNewsWire a long time ago. Surely there must have been more NetNewsWire Lite users than “Pro” users up until yesterday when the announcement was made.

Good PCs are practically free these days. You can buy a functional Windows box for a couple hundred bucks. Apple isn’t out of business, though. There are still plenty of people who prefer to pay a premium for a more pleasant product. I’m one of them.

If someone releases a better RSS reader that would revolutionize the experience in a way that the now-free NNW can’t or won’t, I’ll happily pay for it. I don’t think NNW has crushed the competition.

It’s made it work harder. And the winner? Everyone.

How did I live without you, Internet?

Since graduating college, every real job I’ve held would not have existed before the Internet.

Every job I’ve had I found via the Internet. I found three of my jobs via Craig’s List. Lauren found her job via Craig’s, as well. It’s also where we found our first LA apartment, where we found Charlie, how Lauren got on Queer Eye, and how we sold our two cars in LA.

The Internet tells me the addresses of the places I’m going, plus how to get there. And their phone numbers. Rather than write down the hotel number of the place I stay in LA, I Google it. Every single time.

I find out when to book my flight for the best fare online. Then I book it online. I don’t write down the dates of travel; they’re sent directly to my inbox.

Dear Internet, Thank you! Love, Lex

PS: I really, really, REALLY do not need Viagra. Or V1@GRA. But thank you for your concern.

I am very happy with my new camera.

I’ve taken many photos since I opened the camera yesterday:

Everything but the first three photos of Anya in our first October 2007 album, and all of our second October 2007 album was taken with the new camera.

It’s a Nikon D70, which isn’t Nikon’s top of the line, and it’s not their newest either. But it’s the best little digital SLR that fits my bank account and skill level, and I’m excited to learn it and improve as a photographer while scoring ever-better shots of my family!

(Of course, when someone like Anya is your subject matter, you could use a Polaroid and still get beautiful photos!)

The Internet’s Out

I’ve been meaning to share this one for a few days.

You know when the Internet goes out? And how that sucks? I wrote a song that tries to encapsulate how I feel whenever The Internet’s Out.

Empty Cardboard Box, redux

I recently purchased a new microphone. Comparing my new mic (a Blue Snowball) to my old one (a Logitech USB desktop model) is like comparing Madden to Tecmo Bowl. The older one has some kitsch appeal, but it’s really not even in the same league as the new one.

It’s the new mic, I think, that makes this updated version of Empty Box so much more enjoyable than its predecessor. Re-done vocals with the Snowball, plus a decidedly focused attempt on making the last word of the song (”can”) more understandable.

Dear Fans on My MacBook

Please shut up.

If you’re going to leave my computer at 160° Fahrenheit all day, then quiet down, because you’re not helping anyway. I am tired of your constant whine.

Grr.

Leth & Sex Delayed

The Leth & Sex News isn’t coming out quite as promptly as I’d like. My own audio on the podcast this time kind of, shall we say, sucks. So, once I figure out how to fix it, the latest Leth & Sex will be foisted upon you.