Flash videos converted for Zaurus aka YouTube video rips
Youtube google vid and gobs of other sites
On your desktop machine
1-first get the Firefox plugin VideoDownloader
http://javimoya.com/blog/youtube_en.php
2-Visit YouTube and find a video to rip
3-the plugin will dump out a file which you need change the name to add a .flv extension
4-then get ffmpeg which is in the extended ubuntu sources
5-run it like this in console:
ffmpeg -i video.flv -ab 56 -ar 22050 -b 500 -s 320x240 test.mpg
man ffmpeg will let you know about all the options
6-now just FTP the new mpg file over to your Z and media player can play it
Quacknews is up on my Zaurus site, I need to add it to the feed, it lets you grab a batch of rss feeds. I grab a news update at the bus station befoer I ride. Quacknews needs Jeode or other JVM installed.
I found a CF to Sd card adapter on Ebay so I can read from the main SD card to the second in my CF slot, sadly the day before it arrived I lost my SD/USB card.... Once I find it it should be great for multimedia and save the main SD slot for apps.
Bike upgrades, I replaced my bike tires with Schwable folding Marathon racers, the replacement of my chain and a new twist shifter makes shifting gears easy again. A double action mini pump rounded out the shipment.
Over the last break I finished Half life, Opposing Forces, and Blue Shift. These games which I purchased around 2000 were the largest game purchase ever for me, I never played them out until now. For closure I also downloaded the initial Half-Life demo HL Uplink which I had to play out without cheat codes, which are disabled, and was actualy quite fun, I find saving everywhere just another cheat and breaks up the story line.
Firefly/Serenity
I got the series Firefly and movie Serenity which finishes the story started by the short lives series. Good sci-fi cut short by the idiots at Fox, it should have been on the Sci-Fi channel like BSG likely it would have survived and thrived. I suppose these short runs prevent a series from jumping the shark. http://jumptheshark.com/
I really enjoyed this short run but the sex content ratcheted up as it was clear the series was in trouble at the network. It is easy to see that a TV series is in trouble when riskquay side plots and revealing clothing take over the show. It is sad that these elements tend to ruin an otherwise enjoyable show. I suppose it supports my idea that modern media is trash and even the "good stuff" has many drawbacks. I suppose when BSG and Smallville drop off I will feel no need for replacement much like my decision to junk the doomed Simsons franchise which should have been put to sleep years ago rather than left to suffer. I have no tv and I already dont bother with movies, what good will a high capacity hard disk be for once I give up on TV series?
Like I have written before a train is much more civivlzed than a bus, car, or taxi. Three tiny kids and two parents is much easier when you can wheel a stroller right onto the train.
