Matt Fowler's Old Blog Posts

hello typepad

Thank you for keeping all of my old posts alive. I look forward to using this blog for further ventures very soon.

Hmm

Well it looks like I'll be using Vox one more time after all.
 Since Pownce is closing on December 15th, I am having all of my notes from that site moved this service, so they will stay on here forever and always be available for your viewing pleasure.

Yay!

(remember: my blog was moved to here)

Happy Thanksgiving Pownce Users! Hope ...

Happy Thanksgiving Pownce Users! Hope everyone had a great one filled with joy, thanks, and plenty of food!

A remix I made of ...

A remix I made of the "Sit On You" by Tim %26 Eric.

sit_on_you_remix.mp3

I heard rumor of a ...

I heard rumor of a Sims Movie? Please confirm!

Anybody ever wondered why monitors ...

Anybody ever wondered why monitors that shut off on their own hasn't been invented yet?

Gotta enjoy that Google Chrome. ...

Gotta enjoy that Google Chrome. Read my review of Chrome on my blog, aka the link posted. Also: adding a few pages to my site; including FriendFeed and Google Reader.
Also- I'm doing this post on Google Chrome... Nice.

www.mattfowler.biz/life/blog

Ha, I haven't posted on ...

Ha, I haven't posted on this in awhile.
Had quite a few friend requests - that made me feel popular!
The link is my site. The blog is no longer hosted 3rd party. Now comes directly from the same server.

www.mattfowler.biz

Permanent Location

Read My Life!

Nothing towards Vox, but I am ending my service here. 

This site will remain because it has all my old posts from Musings of a Technology Loving Teenager (blogger days) that for some reason I could not get to transfer over to my site.

Vox is going somewhere. (if they haven't already)  I will still recommend it for people who want a blog service that is powerful, reliable, and fully customizable. 

I'm using Wordpress, and I've incorporated my blog (and the rest of my site) on the one domain (MFDB.)

Visit now!

Greeting cards & innovation

Ok, the title doesn't really go with each other, because this is actually a rant about Greeting Cards & my new web design dubbed innovation.

Since I haven't really wrote anything in awhile, I figured it was time for a rant. Now at least when people visit my blog and see the name (for those of you who for some reason don't know: It's called The Rant of One), they will see a rant on here and say "Hey! What a Rant!".

Anywho, on to Greeting Cards:
  Basically, I'm one of those people have really random and odd thoughts, and one of them the other day was "Are online Greeting Cards becoming extinct?"  Now, when I say extinct, I don't literally mean they are dieing off. I mean the trend of sending greeting cards over the internet seems to have just faded away. For me at least. I remember whenever a holiday would come around I'd hit up all the big online greeting card companies and send to all my family and friends. Now it seems like I just don't get the urge to do that anymore. And it also doesn't help that most of the big providers of FREE greeting cards now charge a membership fee. (IE BlueMountain, eGreetings, etc) Plus, the way email has evolved into a hacker/spammers/phishers playground, it's no longer fun to open up emails with external links. Let alone is it easy, because you actually have to psychoanalyze the URL and the code before you can even open up the email,
 Now, some of you who are reading this (if I even have any readers anymore) are probably saying to yourself "Hey, That Guy is right!" or some might be saying "Well, I still send them all the time", and I'm sure people still use them religiously, other wise they would be gone all together. And I'm sure the big providers that I mentioned before have subscribes that pay that hefty fee and send umpteen amounts of greeting cards everyday. That's there business, I just felt like ranting about it.

Now, onto innovation:
 I thought about releasing the first "design" of innovation, but I keep tweaking it every so often so I'm scared to put something up and it become a big thing, and then me take it off. I'm going to open up a simple innovation related design sometime in the near future with a comment box and see what people have to say about it.
    Honestly, the design process is going very well. I'm using newer javascript features that I never did before, it's more of a portfolio than ever. Instead of just being a "Hey! What Random Script or Feature can I throw on the homepage?"
A portfolio was the original intent of my site when I first bought the domain. It just kind of shifted to a personal site like any other site out on the net. Well, after I realized that if I wanted that I should just get a free site (Like Geocities), I kept tweaking and changing the design until eXperience came out. Now I'm taking eXperience and giving it a good kick in the ass.

Ok, that is about all for this blog post. I  didn't realize how much I've actually type  until just now. So yeah, done.

-M

take the time to check ...

take the time to check out my blog, its worth your while I promise

mdf.vox.com/

Going to install service pack ...

Going to install service pack three.

I'm testing out the Pownce ...

I'm testing out the Pownce app, and so far its working just fine. Great addition to pownce!

Ack, Only 23 Meters.

Well, I'm in one of those website moods again. You know? Those ones where you want to take your whole website and completely redo it for no apparent reason? Yeah, I know it sounds crazy but I really want a new feel of for my site. Honestly, I'm sick of the black/dark look of the page. I'm wanting a more bright, innovative design that actually brings people coming back just because the design is so clean and well thought out. Too bad I lack the motivation (and maybe) skill for that project.

Either way, I need to give the design a new name. It's called eXperience right now and to be honest that's old news. The new project is going to be dubbed: Innovation. It's a working progress, and the title is subject to change. But, for now its catchy... For me at least!

Also, I kind of like the idea of collaborating my blog into my site, instead of running off a third-party engine. No offense to Vox of course. I just really think it would be a good idea to have a nice little WordPress running right on mattfowler.biz.

Once more, it's only an idea, and I have to build up the will power not to be lazy and actually pull through with the project.  It's really sad, I can sit on this blog and rant for hours, but once I open Dreamweaver I'll die a little inside and probably get side tracked with T.V's mind warping rays.  Do you see what I mean? That whole line was nothing but a random rant. 

Oh, and don't forget that I'm an extremely lazy individual. Contrary to what you may believe, I am. The only reason I can focus long enough to write all of this is because I am very cozy at my computer. As I should be. I'm going to put a photo on here, I've never done it with Vox and I'm going to see how it turns out. I've seen other people who use the Vox service do it and it looks very nice. 

Rick Astley in the House

Well, to comment on the image on the right...

He's not...

Oh, and please, for the love of everything sacred, don't question why I had this picture on my computer. I honestly don't even know why. Oh well, kind of cool I suppose. 

Post? Why post?

Post of the Century

Not Really

Well, considering it has been ages (for me at least) since I posted anything on here...I figured I'd write a little something.

There is a lot that has happened since the last time I put something (October!!)
I'm going to skip to Christmas since it's the most recent and about the only thing I can fully rant about. Even though I can remember it, I guarantee I'll leave out something.

Anywho, my Christmas was small, and sort of depressing. The only thing that really brought joy to it was my wonderful girlfriend Alexis. She got me so much stuff too, over 40 things I believe. I got mostly money for Christmas, which hey- you can't go wrong with that! To the depressing part -> I didn't get to spend it with my family in Nebraska like I usually do. Honestly, we had never spent a Christmas with them until last year and I believe it was very spoiling. But, I was not going to miss Christmas with my baby (Alexis). Plus, I missed Christmas with my dad last year and I wasn't going to do that again.

I don't own Rock Band, yet, but I have got to play it. And, it's easily the funnest game I've played all year. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Guitar Hero 3, and the fact that they brought online play (which..I'm addicted to) was just amazing. Gives me more of a reason not to leave my house.  But, I have played it. And  -- it rocks! The singing is so responsive and amazing that I love it. I actually like being the singer. The only drag is when I get a song that I don't like or never even heard and I have to just kind of mumble. OH well!

 I've also become aware that I love Queens of the Stone Age. End of story.

BAI!

MFDB Updates List

Basically, I've set up a little newsletter with phplist to let people (who actually want to know) when my site and blog is updated.

If you are interested in subscribing -  http://www.mattfowler.biz/list/?p=subscribe&id=2 then there you go.

 

Matt Fowler dot Business Confusion

Well, I woke up this morning to my website being "suspended". In shock and confusion, I sent a support email to my host pondering it. Of course, having a strong conscious and high anxiety issues - I started thinking about what might have made my host Suspend my account. After giving it about 30 minutes of thought, I realized that there was seriously nothing bad that could break their terms of agreement. Well, about an hour later they got in touch with me letting me know it was nothing else but a Billing software error.  I didn't really ask for details, they apologized and turned my site back on.  What a relief.   I'm not sure what I would have done if they would have permanently disabled my site.

Also, I'm really enjoying having Vox as my default blog. I had Blogger as my default blog for the longest time. I started the "blogger" blog in 2004, and finally switched companies (Vox) in 2007. But there were other blog services that I used between the years, including WordPress, b2Evolution, and TypePad.  Vox is similar to typepad, but kind of a free alternative. It's from the same company, Six Apart. 

it's hot and boring. Need ...

it's hot and boring. Need something to do.

MDFblog

Another random update: I decided to go ahead and renew mdfblog.com 

But "The Rant of One" is staying here, on vox. I'm not about to switch back over after I just switched. I guess I just missed owning the domain mdfblog.com.  What my plans are for this domain now----well I have no idea. But I'll think of something. I own too many domains as it is...

I am considering moving it to Google Apps, just like I have MDFMedia.org under. We'll just have to see I guess.

Also: I changed the real title, T3H R@NT 0F 1 is not searchable, imagine that. SO it's went back to it's original "The Rant of One" title.

 Enjo.

QotD: Greatest Video Game Console

What's the greatest video game console on the market? Do you own it or is it on your wish list?

It's kind of hard to really say what the "Greatest" video game console is because people are obviously going to have different opinions than I. The only next-gen console I own is a Wii, not because I'm cheap, but because I love Nintendo. I've been a proud promoter of Nintendo for ages. The Wii is actually started to have higher rated than "T" games so it's not all that bad. The graphics don't exactly match up to the 360 and the PS3, and I know that and accept it, but it also has the best idea out there. A Remote. Something everyone is familiar and comfortable with. The motion sensing is awesome, it never lags or jumps.

Now, I have played a 360 and a PS3 and I have my own opinion about each. The PS3 is nice, but the price tag is what turns me the other way. 600 Bucks is just unthinkable for a video game console. Now I love the graphics, and it's probably the best for graphics overall. I haven't messed with the online play (yet) but I've heard it's pretty good. I like the user interface for it. Just like the PSP, very simple yet powerful.

The 360 is overall the best bang for your buck, obviously. If you are feeling lucky you can purchase the Elite edition, but the original with a 20GB harddrive works just fine. The 120 GB is only for people who download movies (or games if they have it modded) to their 360. The Xbox Live is amazing this time around. I never liked the original Xbox, I don't know why- but it just irritated me. Big clunky controllers and a fat system. The 360 is slim, nice looking, and just fun in general.

Sure, the Wii is simple - but I like simplicity with video game consoles. You shouldn't have to remember steps in order to do things, isn't that what the game itself is for? Not to mention, Nintendo is constantly updating the Wii, and I'm sure a "Marketplace Wannabe" is just around the corner. Just Nintendo styled. I am hoping at least, considering Super Smash Bros. Brawl, My Sims, and the Mario Kart for Wii talks of Online action. The built in Wireless is flawless, and very simple to set up. It's a very nice point and click (literally pointing and clicking) interface and just makes me smile. The only downside is when Nintendo first talked about the "Revolution" there was colors involved. I was looking forward in buying a Black Wii to match my Gamecube. Maybe I'll just purchase a skin, or just rig it with spray paint.

So, my favorite console would go to the Wii, then the 360, and the PS3 for next gen models.
I have the Wii, wouldn't mind getting a 360, and don't want a PS3. (But would gladly accept if someone gave me one)

(Oh, and check out mdfmedia.org - it's been updated)

Ahh, I love ranting!

everyone on here should check ...

everyone on here should check my blog and leave me some comments. (so I can actually have comments for a change)

mdf.vox.com

Switching Over

I was surprised at how well Vox took my posts from blogger and moved them. It was really simple. In their “organize” section they had an option to import and all you did was type in the web address of the blog. I did not have to give it directions, log in, or anything. It just asked if I was sure (since apparently there is no turning back  - unless you want to take the time to delete all those posts), and my posts were on this.

I like Vox a lot more than I thought I would. Probably because when I had this blog set up before I still had MDFblog running and I really never got to tweak Vox. Well, I’ve done a lot of messing around with it and I really like it. It’s as simple as it is complex. If that makes any sense at all.

The annoying part has been changing all my links from MDFblog.com to MDF.vox.com.  This task has been strenous and stressful. Not to forget VERY time consuming. I am almost done, with a few pages to go, and then I will be 100% moved over to Vox as far as the blog department goes. Besides, Vox just sounds cooler than Blogger.

Though, Blogger, you will be missed. I started my blog with you guys in 2004 and now the rant has ended on your behalf. Of course, blogger still exists, but it wouldn’t be the same to create a whole new set up with blogger. It was time for a change anyways. I have messed with WordPress, Moveable Type, Blogger, and TypePad for blogs, and now Vox is the way to go. It’s made by Six-a-Part, which is who handles LiveJournal, MoveableType and Typepad. So I guess in a way I just went down the family tree of blogs.

Also, Leo Laporte uses vox so it must be pretty rad. (That’s right, I used the word rad in a sentence, and meant it!)

That’s all for now!

Mdfblog.com is no more

If you go to MDFblog you'll see a post (unless that domain has already expired) that will tell you that my vox blog is now my official blog. Don't forget it! It will take me awhile to change all the links that have  MDFblog on them but from now on go to http://mdf.vox.com/ for my blog.

Thanks - That is all

Mdfblog expires soon

I might be loosing mdfblog.com.... I haven’t got the extra funds at the moment to re-register mdfblog.com – It expires on the 31st. I’m hoping I can figure out a way to keep it. The blog may go down for a bit.

Need to find a good ...

Need to find a good blog service to move www.MdfBlog.com over too... Anybody got any ideas?

Just got internet back after ...

Just got internet back after 4 lonely days. didn't realize how addicted I was until I'm on it now. I really hate my ISP....they deprived me.

I am a little bit ...

I am a little bit pissy. had a guy tell me today I was too young to listen to Metallica because I didn't know them when they had hair. Which isn't true, I was young yes- but old enough to rock out to them.

I seriously need some more ...

I seriously need some more friends so I can be just as nosey as everybody else.

POWNCE'D!

I have a pownce account -
http://pownce.com/m477h3w/

Want one.. Let me know http://contact.mattfowler.biz/

I’ll send you an invite.

Yo!

Wow..

I won’t ask why the last post is so tiny... And the picture didn’t work.
  URLS work though, that’s nice to know. Just gotta attach a good ole http://   and its good to go. (now watch everything I’m typing here will be hyperlinked...that’s my luck)

It’s not horribly tiny, just not good for old eyes.

-Matt

Unfettered.us - finished (the design that is)

I have finally completely re-vamping Unfettered.us

I actually scrapped two design ideas I had before finally coming up with the one that is on there now.

Give it a look over and drop a comment on the Contact section.

http://www.unfettered.us
<-- I found this image on Microsoft Office’s Clipart gallery. Good job microsoft. Good job. ( Click here )

Links may not work, so you might have to copy and paste them the old fashion way. Remember – I email my blog posts now. It’s much easier, and faster. It might work, but it not I’m too lazy to go edit and it put them in there...maybe I will later... Depends on what kind of mood I’m in.

Anyways.
Peace!
- Matt

Nebraska & Unfettered

I’m leaving tomorrow morning for Nebraska, be back sometime around the 30th.

Also, http://www.Unfettered.us is getting a whole new look. By me ;) (obviously)

-Matt

PS- gotta love those short posts.

Testing Emailing Posts

For the longest time I've always logged onto blogger's website and
typed up a post in their annoying WYSIWYG editor. I mean it's not
horrible, but its buggy on Firefox, and I just prefer some using
anything native to my computer where I don't have to open up anything
special. I know I sound lazy..then again maybe I am?

But i'm just sending this out to see if it even works. I forgot
blogger had a feature where you could set up a private email to mail
stuff to your account. Sure makes things a lot easier for me. (Would
have helped to have remembered this feature a long time ago)

Now I just open up Apple Mail and start typing away. (Like I'm doing
now)

I don't know how well it will render pictures though. Not like it
really matters, I very rarely add pictures to my posts.

Well, more importantly, Ozzfest (Free) tickets go up for grabs (free)
tomorrow. Did I mention they were FREE?

Haven't gotten your ticket yet? SHAME! http://livenation.com

That's all I have to say.. oh and I got rid of the moblog [or phlog
as it was called]. Imagine me discontinuing something I've started.

-Matt

Celebrating 3 years of Rants!

My blog (once Musings of a Technology Loving Teenager) now, The Rant of One, started out June of 2004, and is still ranting and kicking ass in 2007. It's very odd to look back at the archives and see some of the randomness I have posted.. Not to mention you might find some pages where I haven't updated the templates (or the server wouldn't let me - one of the two) and find some of the OLD designs for this blog.

Also, I know it's weird for me to just have posted something on this blog not even 30 minutes ago and be posting something again, but I just wanted to bring to attention of the people who actually read my posts that it's been going on for a very long time. 3 Years (to me) is a long time to keep an actual nice looking blog going.

Especially just a personal blog, not one that reviews or does anything special, but just a place for somebody like me to vent.

No, I'm not doing anything special, I just feel really good about myself... Mainly because I was actually able to keep my attention-span at ease long enough to keep a blog going.

I hope many more years are to come. I'd like to look back on this blog when I'm old and say "Yeah, I ranted."

Fowler Takes on Vista

Well, I finally put Vista Ultimate on one of my computers, and I have to say (for the most part) I do like it.

It's just like everyone said, XP with a New Skin. But there are some interesting features that make you go "Hey! That's cool!"

I'm working on a full review of Vista, that I don't know when I plan on releasing, but so far this is what I have come up with in a nutshell:

The Good->

• Vista seems to run really nice and secure, and the Windows Defender actually works
  
• Lots of new programs -> Windows DVD Maker, Windows Meeting Place, BitLocker, etc!
• New Skin, Aero, very nice!
• Windows Sidebar actually is very useful
• Pretty to the eye - Lots of Candy for your pleasure!
• Networking functionality is absolutely awesome

The Bad->

• Windows Internet Explorer runs dominant, you cannot change Firefox to default (or at least I haven't figured out how yet)
• No different commands...XP Version 2? (This can also kinda-sorta be a good thing)
  
• Too many Mac OS X copied features...
• OneCare...sucks....end of story
• Sound Cards....What? (I'll explain later)
• Vista...dumb name
  

Although I could go on and on with The Good and The Bad of Windows Vista, I decided to keep them even..

Check it out - a moblog

I've went a little bit more forward and created a moblog.

TextAmerica used to be the more popular choice, but its no longer free (Lame)....Since I'm hard on funds, I needed a free alternative. There's only about a million.

I wanted something free, simple, and easy to remember. I chose Phlog.net

View mine here: http://phlog.net/user/mfdb

I'm leaving the link on the blog for now, the idea may just die - like a lot of the stuff that I start

Hit the Lights

Time for another post, oh joy!

Yeah, blogging used to be fun for me - but anymore I dread when I visit my blog (usually its on accident or I'm so bored I start looking at random websites and some how end up at my blog) because I realize that I haven't posted anything in a little while and the world show know something.

I understand that I don't really have that many blog viewers (i'm lucky to strike 10) but the point is that people will still look at this (and probably think - "WOW...no life!")

Yeah, I run everything from a Mac now... that's real exciting isn't it. Tiger rules, end of story. I cannot wait for Leopard. And the iPhone..expensive but man do I want one.

I finally broke down and got myself a Wii. It rules, enough said. You need to get one if you haven't. It's cheap compared to the Fatty PS3 and the new Xbox 360 ELITE.

But... if I had to pick between the 360E and the PS3 I would choose the 360E.
(E stands for elite...for those of you going "HE MADE A TYPO HAHA!") No I didn't, nice try.

Yeah...it's 4 in the morning and I'm wired from Amp energy drinks, I don't even know if I'm going to sleep (When I crash from the energy drinks is probably when - i'm giving them a couple more hours and I'll be out like a light)

You know, I never got that expression..out like a light. I understand light bulbs burn out, but humans don't burn out? We just sleep... It makes as much sense as

OK...I have embarrassed myself enough. Bye!

(oh yeah, don't you just love blog titles that have nothing to do with the post...unless you count the light bulb rant...nevermind...)

Vox

Check out the vox page for no reason... http://mdf.vox.com/

MountainFives info + rants

Check out the new mountain fives HQ, http://mountainfives.mattfowler.biz (Who is this generous fellow letting M5's be hosted on his site? Nobody knows...)

Hello Vox readers, sorry that I haven't posted anything on here since August 6th..2006....I really haven't had anything interesting to write on either one of my blogs. (The other one is The Rant of One)  I think the last post on there is some general useless information about Mdfmedia.org - not trying to say that site is useless.

Metallica finally hit the shiny red recording button on March 14th, but now they are already planning another tour during the summer. I believe it is called "Sick of the Studio '07".   Come on Metallica, finish the album already... you're killing us....slowly  and painfully.

I seriously believe Family Guy is trying to get canceled. Seriously, have you seen the episode with the Prom Night Dumpster babies?  It's sad! That part wasn't even funny, and that's saying a lot coming from me -- a guy who has sadly seen every episode of Family Guy and died laughing at least 3 times on every episode. (That's quite a bit of milk through my nose...)

This blog is called Vox's The Rant of One, so why not rant about Vox.......... vox is cool....that's really the only rant I can think about these guys. I'm still a Blogger freak, so far Blogger hasn't given me any real reason to want to drastically switch to anything more powerful.  I  mean hell Blogger revamped there stuff and now you can re-arrange content and all that good stuff ( THANKS for doing that blogger after I already customized my own template and cannot use that function without installing one of your templates and losing all my edited stuff)

That's it, I'm tired of typing (me...tired of typing...ha!)