bookofjoe

Mad props to TypePad

It's easy to take potshots and complain when things go badly but too often there's a failure to give credit when things go well.

This is my shout-out to TypePad, which for months now hasn't had one smidgen of downtime.

But wait, there's more!

I just noticed today that while I was sleeping (gee, joe, how could they tell? But I digress...) TypePad incorporated a spellchecker into its application, so seamlessly that though I only noticed it today, it's probably been doing what it's intended to do for some time now.

If you look closely at the graphic up top you'll see faint dots under flagged words (in the actual application they're red, but they became black in the process of putting up the picture).

That's why there are so few misspellings in bookofjoe these days.

Those that do make it through are, more often than not, misplaced apostrophes and the like or missing words, caught (to my great delight and received here with much gratitude) by my several nonpareil very closest readers.

Wait a minute... what's that music I'm hearing?

But I digress yet again.

I remember back in the day when TypePad was just getting started (I'm a charter member, here from the get-go thanks to the excellent judgment of my webmaster extraordinaire Phillip Winn, whose behind-the-scenes work has enabled me to stay up and running even in the face of my TechnoDolt™ propensities, failures and negative capabilities — used here not in the Keatsian but, rather, the literal sense), they asked what features we users would like to see.

I listed a spellchecker as #1, followed by the ability to make the body of the application workspace (pictured above) larger or smaller by default.

That function was originally present, then disappeared such that you had to resize the block each time it appeared on your screen.

Very annoying.

But then the original function reappeared sometime last year, to my delight.

It's so rare to get what you asked for that it simply must be remarked upon.

And so I have.

Soap-on-the-Go

One less liquid or gel to pack and futz around with at airport security.

From the website:

Soap-on-the-Go

Never be caught without soap while traveling or away from home.

Paper-thin "leaves" dissolve instantly into bubbly suds with a little water.

Package includes 100 sheets in 2 compact carrying cases.

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I wonder how many readers have ever had their mother wash their mouth out with a real bar of soap for saying a bad word?

Been there but wouldn't do that.

$12.99.

New Amtrak security measures: 'Avoid hand lotion and golf'

In today's Washington Post Travel section, "Coming and Going" (CoGo) columnist Cindy Loose offers advice on how to minimize the likelihood of your being pulled out of line when about to board an Amtrak train.

Long story short: Glycerides used in many hand lotions can prompt false positives for explosives residue; the nitrates used in fertilizer, when detected on your golf clubs or shoes, will also register on detection machinery.

Here's the piece.

Coming And Going: Amtrak Security Changes

News that Amtrak will be randomly selecting passengers and swabbing their bags for explosives inspired CoGo to remind travelers to beware of false positives that could lead to your bags being searched. One common ingredient that can prompt false positives: the glycerides used in many hand lotions. Tip: Don't slick up before packing , even if you suffer from dry hands.

The nitrates used in fertilizer also can be picked up by explosive-trace-detection machines, so wipe down your golf clubs or, if you have a nitrate-happy lawn service, the shoes you pack.

Generally, though, Amtrak promises that new security measures will not delay trains or require passengers to arrive at stations far in advance, as is required for airline flights. Random passengers chosen to have their bags scrutinized will be delayed for no more than a couple of minutes, according to Amtrak's chief executive, Alex Kummant. (CoGo assumes that promise does not extend to anyone actually carrying explosives.)

The most visible change: bomb-sniffing dogs and counterterrorism agents wearing tactical uniforms and carrying automatic weapons patrolling stations and trains. Plainclothes officers, too, are part of the new "mobile security teams." They will begin working on the busy Northeast corridor, between Washington and Boston, and later across the country. For security reasons, Amtrak will not reveal when the new procedures will begin.

Kummant said the action is simply the right thing to do and is not a response to any new or specific threat.

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"For security reasons, Amtrak will not reveal when the new procedures will begin" — file under "Why are we not surprised?"

Sound-Activated LED Spotlight

Could be handy when you have your hands full.

From the website:

Sound-Activated LED Spotlights

They light up the darkness to show you the way, even if there's no outlet nearby

Mount these battery-operated lights along a stairwell, in a closet, outside your side door... wherever you need some light but don't need the hassle of electrical work.

Loud or sharp sound will turn the four bright LED lights on; they'll turn off automatically 10 seconds after the last sound heard.

Pivoting bracket directs the light where you need it.

Requires 3 AAA batteries (not included).

Weather-resistant for outdoor use.

2" high "x 3.25" diameter.

Manual on/off option.

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Two for $9.99.

zml.com — The website Hollywood doesn't want you to know about

They've done a pretty good job of keeping it under the dome of silence until now.

I only learned of it last evening when I read an excellent article in the latest issue of The Economist about Hollywood and its hapless attempts at harnessing the Internet for movie delivery.

Long story short: zml.com does what Hollywood should have done but didn't: Offer an easy-to-use website featuring thousands of movies — including the latest — that download superfast with high quality to personal computers, iPods or other handheld devices, or can be burned to DVD.

Prices range from $2-$3 and there's no DRM (digital rights management) so you're free to do whatever you like with the movies.

Oh, I almost forget: It's a pirate site so the studio lawyerbots are doing their level best to shut it down.

Witness the message below

when I tried to go directly to zml.com.

Try it yourself if you don't believe me.

Thermometer/Hidden Keyholder — 'Hide [it] in plain sight'

From the website:

Thermometer Key Hider

Are you hiding a spare house key under your door mat or under a flower pot on the front porch?

This is the first place thieves will look to gain access to your home.

With the thermometer key hider you will never be locked out again.

Only you and your family members will know the secret place where your key is hidden.

This is a fully functional thermometer that slides up to reveal the hidden compartment where the key can be hidden.

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$5.95 (key not included).

Real life 'Halo' — $495 per month

From FashionFunky.com:

Real life 'Halo?' Just $495 per month

Rents vary from $1500/month for a 160-foot-tall missile silo with 150 ton silo doors in the ceiling to $495/month for a floor in the equipment terminal building.

The current owner (Bari Hotchkiss) has no qualms about doing so , especially since he himself just uses it as a summer retreat for his family.

To turn you on even more, read this fun fact: The base has about 47,000 square feet of underground tunnels, including some rooms that rise to more than 155 feet.

These massive rooms once housed nuclear-tipped Titan intercontinental ballistic missiles. Game On! Fire in the freaking hole! Playing "Halo" here is going to be just unbelievable. Game play will never be the same again.

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[via Yash Desai]

'New!' — Color Changing Egg Timer

I guess if you've just returned from a trip to the outer planets it might be new, but I must say that I had one of these at least 15 years ago.

Works fine.

But why the "New!" (in red italics, no less, in the paper catalog I'm looking at)?

Seems to me that when you use that term it should apply to the great world rather than your own behind-the-times website or store.

But what do I know, anyway?

I'm just a brain-dead anesthesiologist who's inadvertently breathed too much unscavenged waste gas over the years.

From the website:

Color Changing Egg Timer

Soft, medium or hard-boiled, this innovative egg timer calculates the correct cooking time, every time.

Place it in water with eggs.

As the eggs cook, color changes from red to purple on the easy-to-read scale.

Dishwasher safe.

Reusable.

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$4.95 (eggs included. Haha, just checking to see if you were still awake).