All iWant For Christmas!

Tivoli Audio’s iSongBook ($329) may well wind up becoming the premium iPod speaker buyer’s pick of choice.

iSong Book

I swear, that's all I want!

Please!

That's Right,

HMK

Let's Go To The Zoo!

Bembo's Zoo, an animation for the children's book by Roberto deVicq de Cumptich. (Thanks to The Design Observer for the link.)

Six More Days...

Pssst. Have you been to The Secret Fun Spot?

That's Right,

HMK

Wilma!

Thanks Amelia. Amelia the person, not the storm...

HMK

Awesome Is This Think You'll Believe I

Backward messages in music (commonly known as Backward Masking) have been a controversy ever since the late 60s, when messages were found backwards on some Beatles' albums that hinted Paul McCartney had died. The controversy raged extensively in the late 70s and early 80s when religious fundamentalists claimed that Satan possessed the minds of singers, causing them to insert messages backwards into albums. As we now know, many of these backward messages were in fact examples of Reverse Speech in music. Speech reversals occur naturally in all forms of speech, sung or spoken. This site lists some examples of Reverse Speech in music.

Site The To Go!

Lights Out, Everybody!

Just in time for Halloween! The freindly folks over at Old Time Radio are sharing some wild and weird radio featuring programs like Witch's Tale, Lights Out, Innersanctum, Quiet Please, The Haunted Hour and others that directly inspired Horror Comics and shows like Twilight Zone and Thriller.

Although the first radio stations began broadcasting in 1920, it wasn't till the golden age of radio that horror shows were broadcast. Radio was a perfect arena for horror due to the endless possibilities for sound effects. Often, a spooky voice would tell a story while sound effects conjured up the images of thunder and lightening and other atmospheric surroundings.

With the advent of television, radio slowly evaporated, although "Lights Out" made the transition to television in 1949, featuring Frank Gallop as host and Jack La Rue as narrator. The old time radio horror show, "Witch's Tale" is reported to have served as inspiration for EC Comics, which virtually, visually presented old time radio style story telling.

In 1992 Mystery Playhouse honored the golden age of horror radio with a set of trading cards, "Tune in for Terror", featuring art that depicted scenes from famous horror radio broadcasts. OTR continues to be enjoyed by people around the world thanks to the magic of the Internet.

So, get yourself into the Halloween mode and downlaod, tune in and check out The Monster Club while you're digging the awesome collection of Monster Mag Covers!

Lights Out, Everybody!

That's Right,

HMK

Dine & Dash!

You can tell Halloween is just around the corner. We spotted this guy running down Broadway the other night after skipping his tab at Liberty Bar. Weird night.

Check out some more Trippy Weird Things happening on the third planet from the sun...

Only 15 Days To Halloween!

If you think this poster is cheesey, stay tuned - I've got some nice audio treats coming just in time for Halloween...

"Halloween was the time when the invisible world of the spirits was closer than at any other point in the year. Since spirits supposedly could help one predict the future, various methods of divining the future were used on Halloween and the results were accepted in all seriousness.They concerned such questions as the identity of future spouses, the chances for wealth or good fortune, and the identity of those who would die during the coming months."
-- "An American Book of Days"

For many months, now, your friend and mine, The Laughing Skeleton, has scoured the shelves of several libraries, poring over antiquated volumes of forgotten lore to bring you as many of the old divination techniques as can be found. They are all easy to do and require no exotic equipment or special knowledge. They do, however, demand a certain amount of curiosity and respect, they just might work!


Mirrors Can Be A Window To A Shadowy Realm That Mortals Hardly Ever See.
You can use a mirror to see the face of your Soul Mate. First, you must light a single candle. Just before midnight all others must leave the room and you must darken the room except for your candle. Facing the mirror and holding the candle in front of you with both hands, you must close your eyes and count to twelve. When you get to twelve you can open your eyes. In the mirror, just over your shoulder, you may see the reflection of the face of your Soul Mate. The image may disappear quickly, but, whatever you do, don't turn around until its gone.

Another way to see more in your mirror is to take it outside on Halloween night. Set it up so that it is filled with moonlight. A face will appear in the glass that will have a role in your future. The catch, is that it cannot be known whether that person will do you harm or benefit you.

Last, but not least, walk backwards down a flight of stairs into a darkened room. Use a hand mirror so you can see behind you. When you reach your 13th step, you will see your true love's face in the mirror. Watch your step!

A Ball Of String May Be The Thing To Catch Your Own True Love.
Just before midnight, open a window that faces the Moon and throw a ball of string or blue yarn out the window. Be sure to hold on to one end of the string and begin to roll it back up through the window. Recite a poem or rhyme backwards while you roll up the string. If the string catches on a branch or twig, listen closely as you tug it and ask "Who holds?" The wind will whisper the name of your Soul Mate.

Apples & Nuts May Tell Of Love's Future Bounty.
One way to use an apple to determine the name of your True Love, is to peel the apple in one continuous peel, being careful not to leave any skin on the apple or break the peel. Then, you must eat the apple and keep the seeds and stem in your left hand. When you've managed that, sit in a chair and throw the peel over your left shoulder with your right hand. The peel will form the shape of a letter on the floor. That is the first initial of the one you will marry.

A way to use chestnuts to determine which suitor will remain true to you is to carve your initials on one. Also mark several others with the initials of your possible mates. Years ago, these would have been placed in a circle, the nut marked with your initials in the center, on a hot hearth stone. You may place them in a Halloween bonfire, or even on a tray in the oven. Any nut that explodes violently may not be a good mate for you. After the chestnuts have cooked, the one whose nut remains nearest yours is the person that the fates have chosen for you.

To Summon Your Soul Mate, Invite Them To A "Dumb Supper".
Silent or Mute is the meaning of "dumb" intended here. To summon the spirit of your Soul Mate, or any other agreed upon spirit, a Dumb Supper will often produce favorable results. You alone, or with two other helpers, must prepare a meal and set the table without uttering a single word. When setting the table, you must set a place for the "guest" that you are inviting. The meal must be eaten in silence and food must be served to the "guest's" plate. Sometime before the meal is over, the visitor will make his or her presence known. You may catch a glimpse, but, more than likely, you will hear their voice.

The Colcannon
A Colcannon is a cake or mashed vegetable pie with certain objects baked into it; a ring, a coin, a toy, and a thimble. The entire cake must be divided up amongst everyone present. The person whose slice contains the ring will marry soon, the one who gets the coin will receive riches, the one who receives the toy will have children, and the one whose slice contains the thimble will never marry. Of course, the cake's fortune-telling power is strongest when served on Halloween, just before midnight.

See Your True Love's Face In A Dream.
To dream of your true love, you must eat a salt cake (a soft pretzel or salt bagel will do) before going to bed. You must not drink any water with the salt cake, nor can you speak to anyone until the next morning. Be sure to get into bed backwards. While you sleep, you will dream that a person brings you a drink of water. That person is your true love. The kind of cup that carries the water may tell you how wealthy you will be; gold is most favorable, glass is good, plastic or paper is not a good sign. If you dream that you get a drink for yourself, you will never marry.

You May Get To Peek At The Future On Halloween.
In Wales it was believed that if you peeked through the keyhole of the door to the local church as the clock was striking midnight on Halloween, you would surely see visions of those who will die in the next year. Their spirits being almost loosed from their earthly bonds.

A Circle Of Stones May Tell Your Fate.
Before the wood for the Halloween bonfire has been set in place, you must each pick a palm-sized stone and mark it with your name. The stones should be placed in a tight circle and the bonfire built on top of them. The next morning, when the ashes have cooled, they should be gently swept away to reveal the circle of stones. Anyone whose stone has moved significantly out of the circle will not be there to place another stone next year.

A Candle's Light Will Mimic Your Life.
A shovel-full of earth from a churchyard must be formed into a circular mound. A candle should be placed into the mound by each person present. After the Sun has set, the candles should all be lit by a single match. As each candle burns down, so will the life of the person who placed it. The candle that goes out first belongs to the person who will die first. The candle that stays lit the longest, belongs to the person who has the most life yet to live.

Big gracias to The Laughing Skeleton

Stay tuned for lots of creepy cool Halloween Sounds...

That's Right!

HMK

Mmmm. Bit-O-Honey...

Bit O' Honey. Bar none, is at the top of my list of The Best Candy on the planet. Next is Big Hunk, Red Hots, Peanut M&M's (straight out of the freezer) and dude, you really can't watch anything on the Big Screen at The Tiki Bijou without Milk Duds, Raisinettes or Goobers.

Bit-O-Honey first appeared in 1924 and was made by the Schutter-Johnson Company of Chicago. Bit-O-Honey was a new kind of candy bar consisting of six pieces of candy wrapped in wax paper and then packaged in a wrapper. Almond bits embedded in a honey-flavored taffy made for a long-chewing candy. Today, Bit-O-Honey is made by the Nestle Company.

That's Right Bit O'Honey!

Bit O'Honey Nutritional lowdown

HMK

Cool Fresh Geek Stuff

Good Libations: iPod Speaker
Originally uploaded by H. Michael karshis.

Picasso said that genius is the art of concealing your sources. We’ve all got our own set of personal antidotes and secret sources that enable us to simply get the job done. Although these links are not exactly secret, they do, in both direct and abstract ways, influence the way I approach both work and play. Think of these as short cuts to what’s hip and happening as we speak. But be careful. Most of these sites have links and archives directing and linking to even more galleries and recommended sites that will lead you further down rabbit holes and seemingly endless avenues that will not only waste your precious awake time but will eventually invade your sleep as well. With that said, here are a few of my favorite sites I’ve put under the heading of Trends at my HMK Link Vault. Enjoy and please, don't for get to eat.

So, what’s up with the kids? A good place to start is Ypulse. And when I’m looking for cool gear and technology stuff I can always get a quick fix at Cool Hunting, PSFK, Gizmo Cool, and Uber Gizmo.

And being the Mac guy that I is, a week doesn’t go by without checking out The Cult of Mac. Leander Kahney, the author of last years best selling Cult of Mac book has a new book coming out November 2005 called The Cult of iPod featuring a couple of my iPod speakers (see above). Check out The Cult Of Mac and see what the Mac freaks are geeking on this week.

And as usual, there’s always the ever expanding HMK Link Vault.

Can’t wait to hear what Steve Job’s is going to announce today. I hope it’s more than an 80GB iPod...

That’ Right,

HMK

20 More Days...

John Dufilho

The John Dufilho (Deathray Davies, I Love Math, Bedwetter, Radsoles, 13) self-titled solo debut hits stores Oct. 18th. Check the Glurp Records MP3 page for a preview.

Listening party Monday the 17th from 10-2 at The Cavern Club. CP, from the Polyphonic Spree is gonna DJ. Don't miss it!

I'm selling bootleg mp3 copies for $50.00 but you're probably better off getting yourself a real copy for 10.50 at johndufilho.com

Go Doof!

HMK

The NHL Is Looking Up

They're back... And they have a new logo. I always thought the orange and black combo in the original logo looked kind of agressive and mean, just like hockey itself. Oh well, what do I know?

Reminds me of when I worked in the Pro Shop of the Boston Gahden back in 1989. You could easily knock off a Boston Bruin fan the moment you met one - the faint smell of beer, the missing teeth. Spotting male fans was even easier.

Well, Sweet Caroline's playing at Fenway and the Sox are down 0-2 in the series and it's 4-3 - Chicago. Gotta go drink a beer and root for the Team.

That's Right,

HMK

As If...

As if I needed another short cut for getting things done at the studio. Thanks to the folks over at The Ad Concepter I can take all the 3 hour lunches I want and sometimes even sneak in a movie...

And then there's this.

So, Dell. What is up? I thought y'all had dropped the Stoner Dude and were going to be exclusively tageting the upscale market. The pitch for your new Ditty is pretty sweet (makes sencimelia to me anyway) even more, it's proof that you can take the Dude out of Dell but you can't take the Dell out of Dude... Dude, that makes no sense. Anyway, dig the Dell Ditty

If you're like me and you like a fresh screen saver every now and then, you'll really dig this selection of swanky Pin Ups. If you're in need of a weather graphic you'll thank me for this one: Rain? (this one takes a second or two to load but, like the rain, it's worth the wait.)

Speaking of drinking, say hello to The Bar Man!

Ok, have a great week,

HMK

It's Mad - Mad I Say!

That's Right. Every single cover of Mad Magazine can be found at Doug Gilford's way cool site.

Mad Do Worry, Just Go!

Fauna Marinae

Dansih Veterinary and Agricultural Library has a nice illustration exibit entitled Fauna Marinae. Among them are some of the oldest and finest illustrated works on the magnificent fauna of the sea.

Dive In!

Link Vault +

Crazy week. Live emergency plane landings (Awesome perfect landing by the way, Go JetBlue!), earthquakes, a midweek Mass Exodus thanks to the one-two punch of Katrina & Rita on the Gulf Coast. Sometimes all we can really do is either prepare for the worst, pray, and hope for the best. Or, write your social security number on your arm and...

Anyway.

Why not try a piece of Daily Candy Warning: Candy Can Be Addictive! I'm not sure how accurate World O Meters is but it's worth a look. I'm thinking of a number... And finally, if you like to laugh when you're wasting valuable time looking at a computer screen, this is Ze Place for you, slacker.

Now, who needs a Karinarita!



HMK Link Vault

Pocket TV Tuner

Dig the The TerraTec. A self-contained tuner with software for watching TV on your laptop. Even sweeter, you can also record live video through the tuner and pick up digital signals.

A pocket TV Tuner? Sure, why not? About $200.
Tune In

That's Right.
HMK

One Naughty Bird

Ever wonder what makes a cat want to shred a pigeon? Well, after meeting this bird you'll understand completely...Meet The Bird

Do It For Mom!

Go Rocket!
Originally uploaded by H. Michael karshis.

Astros rally around Rocket with emotional win over Fish
 
HOUSTON -- Roger Clemens dug his spikes into the dirt and stared momentarily at the ground before throwing his first pitch. He knew his mother wanted him on the mound.

"I get my determination from her," Clemens said. "She told me to go to work."

The Houston Astros ace made his scheduled start Wednesday night and allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings in a 10-2 win over the Florida Marlins, pitching in honor of his mother after she died early that morning.

Bess Clemens died in Georgetown, Texas, because of complications from emphysema. She was 75.

"I feel very blessed that she's at peace now. The last 10 years were hard on her, the last 2-3 days were grueling," said Clemens, who spent his mother's final night with her. "But she was very tough to the end. She didn't want to give up."

Just after the final out, a tribute to Clemens' mother was shown on the giant video screen, and Astros players stood in the infield and watched, while Clemens saw it on a monitor in the clubhouse. The video included Clemens talking about his mother at previous news conferences, his mother talking about him and video of them together on a baseball field.

"It was great to see her look so pretty like I remember," he said with tears in his eyes.

The Rocket often shared his affection for his mother, saying her health was an important factor as he weighed retirement the past two offseasons. His stepfather died when he was young, and his mother was an inspiration.

"His mother was a very special person in his life. I can see the two of them together, Roger was still a little boy around her," New York Yankees manager Joe Torre said in St. Petersburg, Fla. "She's been fighting this thing for a long period of time. Hopefully she's at peace and Roger is also."

Clemens has talked about how much he hoped his mother would be able to attend his Hall of Fame induction.

"I wanted her to hang on so I could thank her properly at the Hall of Fame," he said.

Bess Clemens came to Yankee Stadium for her son's first attempt at his 300th win on May 26, 2003, against Boston. Suffering from emphysema and coming off a recent bout with pneumonia, she wore a breathing tube around her face. But she wasn't able to attend when Clemens won No. 300 21⁄2 weeks later against St. Louis.

His mother did throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a Yankees game in August 2003.

"It was great. They should have let her stay on the mound. She had better stuff than I had," Clemens said.

In her final hours, she was talking baseball. Clemens said his mother asked if the Astros had made the playoffs yet, inquired about Andy Pettitte and more than once mentioned Shoeless Joe Jackson.

"I asked her if she was in the fields, and she said I think I am," Clemens said. "She just loves the game of baseball."

Clemens (12-7) lowered his major league-best ERA to 1.77 while winning for the first time in seven starts. It was his 340th victory, the most among active pitchers, and he had four strikeouts to increase his career total to 4,492.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner allowed five hits. He threw 55 of 83 pitches for strikes, and his only walks were those in the first inning.

Clemens had a tough first inning, with two four-pitch walks -- including leadoff hitter Luis Castillo before Jeff Conine singled. Florida then took the lead on Carlos Delgado's grounder, but didn't score another run as Houston stopped a three-game losing streak and pulled within a half-game of the Marlins in the NL wild-card race.

"As soon as I climbed on the mound, I was lost a little bit," Clemens said. "I knew I had to gather it up pretty quick and get through that."

A.J. Burnett (12-11) lost his fifth straight start for the Marlins (78-68), giving up three runs and six hits over six innings with five strikeouts and five walks.

After Houston (77-68) loaded the based on a walk and two singles, Burnett walked consecutive batters -- Clemens was the second -- to give the Astros a 2-1 lead. Craig Biggio followed with an RBI single.

Clemens had retired 17 of 19 batters, allowing only a pair of singles, before Damion Easley and Juan Pierre had consecutive one-out singles in the seventh with the Astros up 3-1.

After Pierre had reached base, catcher Brad Ausmus went out to the mound for a lengthy conversation with Clemens. Manger Phil Garner then came out, and after speaking briefly with Clemens, changed pitchers.

Clemens got a standing ovation as he walked from the mound, and when he got to the dugout shared high-fives and handshakes with his teammates who swarmed around him. Reliever Chad Qualls got the first batter he raced to ground into an inning-ending double play.

"It was just Rocket being Rocket. He was just adding to his legendary status," Biggio said.

Marlins manager Jack McKeon said he already had plenty of admiration for Clemens.

"You have to know he was in a lot of grief," McKeon said. "But he's a pro. He's always the same old Roger. He's a first-ballot Hall of Famer."

You Can Help Victims of Hurricane Katrina!

Hurricane Katrina has blazed a trail of devastation throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Across the Gulf Coast, Katrina engulfed thousands of homes and decimated the landscape in what could become the most destructive storm in U.S. history. Victims are stranded and in need of immediate medical care, food and water, and tens of thousands of people will need temporary housing for months.

Help people affected by this storm by making a donation today.

I Want To Help!

Here we go again!

Apple plans special event next week:

Apple appears to be set to introduce an all-new iPod next week as the company will hold a special event at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. Apple has used similar events in the past to make such major announcements.

In an invitation sent to select media, including iLounge (where I read about it), Apple hints that it will unveil a significant new product at the event. The invitation reads in part: “1000 songs in your pocket changed everything. Here we go again.” The slogan “1000 songs in your pocket” was first used by Apple when the original 5GB iPod was introduced in 2001.

The invitation-only event will take place on September 7 at 10:00 a.m.

That's Right,
HMK

Check This Out: It's Not Just A Novelty!

Libraries offering audiobook downloads

GUILDERLAND, New York (AP) -- A new way to borrow audiobooks from the library involves no CDs, no car trips, no fines and no risk of being shushed.

Rather, public libraries from New York City to Alameda, California, are letting patrons download Tom Clancy techno-thrillers, Arabic tutorials and other titles to which they can listen on their computers or portable music players -- all without leaving home.

Librarians say such offerings help libraries stay relevant in the digital age.

Barbara Nichols Randall, director of the Guilderland Public Library in suburban Albany, said the library considered the needs of younger readers and those too busy to visit.

"This is a way for us to have library access 24/7," she said.

There's still one big hitch, though: The leading library services offer Windows-friendly audiobook files that can't be played on Apple Computer Inc.'s massively popular iPod player.

Vendors such as OverDrive Inc. and OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc.'s NetLibrary have licensing deals with publishers and provide digital books using Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Media Audio format, which includes copyright protections designed to help audiobooks stand apart from the often lawless world of song swapping.

A patron with a valid library card visits a library Web site to borrow a title for, say, three weeks. When the audiobook is due, the patron must renew it or find it automatically "returned" in a virtual sense: The file still sits on the patron's computer, but encryption makes it unplayable beyond the borrowing period.

"The patron doesn't have to do anything after the lending period," said Steve Potash, chief executive of OverDrive. "The file expires. It checks itself back into the collection. There's no parts to lose. It's never damaged. It can never be late."

Potash said about 1,000 libraries have signed up for OverDrive's audiobook service since its debut late last year. NetLibrary, teaming up with Recorded Books, launched a similar service in January and counts 200 library customers.

Libraries offering audiobook downloads range from large institutions in New York and Los Angeles to smaller ones for Cleveland, Ohio, Maricopa County, Arizona, North Little Rock, Arkansas and Omaha, Nebraska. The Hawaii State Public Library System signed up earlier this month.

Guilderland pays NetLibrary about $6,000 a year for more than 850 titles. Randall considers that a good deal, noting that a single audiobook can cost the library up to $80 when bought on CD.

Under the NetLibrary program, Guilderland gets a set number of downloads for all titles each year, and a single title can be borrowed by multiple patrons simultaneously as long as the cap hasn't been reached. Downloads over the cap cost extra. Patrons must provide their own audio players, although they may listen on their home computers if they do not have one.

Other libraries make different arrangements. OverDrive, for example, generally takes a more traditional approach. When a copy is checked out, no other patron may download it until the borrowing period ends.

It's still unclear what impact such services will have on audiobook download sales from companies such as Audible Inc., although one analyst suggested it could inspire more sales as patrons buy for keeps a title they had borrowed.

"It's certainly smart for the publishers to do this," said Phil Leigh, a senior analyst with Inside Digital Media.

Digital downloads are a part of a natural progression for libraries, which have evolved from lending books to cassettes and videotapes to CDs and DVDs. OverDrive recently launched a video download service for libraries.

Librarians say they had little interest in audiobook downloads just a few years ago, but they have since noticed what everyone else has: the ubiquity of people sporting earbuds on streets, buses and malls.

Nearly 28 million portable audio players were sold last year, according to In-Stat, a technology research company. With more than 21 million sold, the iPod remains the signature portable player. But it uses the Advanced Audio Coding format with FairPlay, its own digital rights management system and one incompatible with Windows' technology.

Just as the lack of a standard digital audio format has fragmented the music download market, it affects audiobooks.

Users of iPods can still listen to books purchased through sources such as audible.com or Apple's own iTunes Music Store, but the library services, for now, are geared toward computers and devices that support Windows Media Audio files. OverDrive files can be burned to CDs and converted to iPod friendly formats, but NetLibrary's cannot.

Marge Gammon of NetLibrary said that despite iPod's cache, the company wanted a product that could be played on a range of devices. OverDrive's Potash notes there's a growing market of portable audio players, some priced lower then $50 (Regular iPod models start at $299, though the Minis start at $199 and Shuffles at $99).

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said the company has no plans to change its copy-protection formats and would not comment on the incompatibility issue.

Librarians say they have heard complaints from iPod users, but there's little they can do beyond waiting for the industry to sort out its differences.

One California library shunned the download services completely, largely because of iPod's popularity. Instead, Newport Beach Public Library bought 15 iPod Shuffles and loaded them up with audiobooks from iTunes to loan out.

Patrons are liable for any loss or damage, though librarian Genesis Hansen said there's been no problems so far.

Copy, right? 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Original Source

That's Right,

HMK

Some Of My Favorite Mac OSX Tips

MAC OS X HINTS
From Mac World's Rob Griffiths

Relocate Applications from the Dock

If you like to download and try out lots of shareware and freeware, you probably put the apps in a special downloads folder (or just leave them on the desktop) until you decide whether they’re keepers that belong in your Applications folder. And when you’ve found a program worth hanging on to, you probably quit the program, switch to the Finder, and start moving windows around to file the program away. Here’s a little time-saver for next time: Assuming that you’ve put the app in the Dock for easy access, you can simply Command-click on its icon in the Dock and drag it to your Applications folder (or any folder you choose). Release the mouse button, and you’ve moved the file. (You can also move an open application, whose icon automatically appears in the Dock, but it’s always safer to quit the app first; otherwise, it might not open when you next launch it.)


Send Windows-Friendly Attachments in Mail

By rearranging these blocks in the Finder's preference file, you can control the default order of columns in list-view windows.
Are you a lone-wolf Mac user in an office full of Windows PCs? If so, you may get tired of always having to tell Mail to send Windows-friendly attachments (it’s a check box at the bottom of the Attachments dialog box). Forget to select it, and you’ll confound your Windows recipients, who will see multiple attachments to your message (Mail causes this by sending the file’s data fork and its resource fork).

There’s an easy workaround, and it’s hiding in plain sight—just select Edit: Attachments: Always Send Windows Friendly Attachments when you don’t have a new message window open (the option will be grayed out if you do). From now on, all attachments will default to Windows-friendly mode. After you choose this option, if you attach files to e-mail messages going to Mac users, the missing resource fork may render the attachment unusable for those recipients. In those cases, deselect the Send Windows Friendly Attachments option that appears when you click on the Attach icon.


Change the Column Order for List View

If you rely on list-view windows on a daily basis, you may have discovered a limitation of the Finder. While it’s quite possible to choose which columns you want new list-view windows to display (just use View: Show View Options or type Command-J), you can’t control the order in which those columns appear. That is, if you prefer to see Size to the left of Date Modified, for example, you can drag the columns into that order for the window you’re viewing—but the change isn’t global, so you’ll have to do it again every time you open a list-view window. Here’s how to work around this limitation.

The first thing you need to do is set global list-view options. So open a folder in list view, select View: Show View Options, make sure it’s set to All Windows, and then pick a few columns to show—just make sure you change something. This ensures that the file you’re about to edit has all column headers in it.

Next, navigate to your user folder/Library/Preferences folder, make a backup of the com.apple .finder.plist file, store the backup somewhere safe, and drag the original file onto the TextEdit application icon. Now press Command-F to bring up the Find box, type StandardViewOptions , and press enter. TextEdit will highlight that string in a line that reads StandardViewOptions. This is the section of the file that controls the default look for list, icon, and column views. If you scroll down just a bit, the first section you’ll see should be for list view, and it starts with a line that reads N1sv.

Below that, you’ll see eight separate sections. Each one of these sections represents a list-view column; the value below the ColumnPropertyID key identifies the column. The eight possibilities are dnam (Name), phys (Size), kind (Kind), modd (Date Modified), ascd (Date Created), labl (Label), shvr (Version), and cmmt (Comments).

To rearrange the default column order, you need to cut the entire sections from to , and then paste them in the order in which you’d like them displayed. For example, to see the Label column after the Name column (Name must be the first column), scroll down to the section that has the labl key and cut the entire section, including the opening and closing tags.

Now scroll back up to the top of the StandardViewOptions section, and paste the labl section directly below the closing () tag for the dnam section. Arrange the other sections as you like; note that sections with a ColumnVisible key of 0 are those you’ve chosen not to see, so there’s no reason to reorder them.

When you’re done editing, save the file and quit TextEdit. To see your changes, you’ll need to restart the Finder. You could log out and log in, or use Activity Monitor (Applications/Utilities) to quit the Finder, and then click on its Dock icon to relaunch it. When you do, you should find that all list-view windows open in your preferred column order.

[Contributing Editor Rob Griffiths is the author of Mac OS X Power Hound, Panther Edition (O’Reilly, 2004) and runs the Mac OS X Hints Web site.]

71" DLP TV by Samsung!

So, your 61" is too small? Well, why not try a 71" Tv by Samsung? This SVP-71L8UH is a HDMI DLP TV with a 1920x1080 resolution and a 10000:1 contrast ratio. Not bad at 6000 EUR.

That's Right!