CSI – “Computer Sounds Integration”
Have you ever noticed all the bleeps and blips that computers make in the movies? Seems like any time text is presented on a screen that it must be accompanied by teletype-style beeping. Computers in the movies are always zooming into things (rarely losing any definition in the process) and when they do there’s always that “zoom-in” sound. So whether it’s CSI, Bones, Law and Order, 24, or any movie with the token computer-hacker-guy, don’t let your computer feel left out.
It’s a rainy day. I thought it would be fun to create a sound theme that made my machine sound like something from the set of CSI. With some inspiration from Nullsoft Beep and http://www.dewa.com/sound (admittedly, some of the sounds are modified versions of sounds available on dewa.com) I cranked up my audio editor and began synthesizing some sounds. (SoundForge how-to here: http://screencast.com/t/MmU0ZTQxOTYt — but the Jing sound quality ain’t perfect…)
The result was a sound theme for Windows XP/Vista (and maybe 7) that provides Hollywood-style sound effects for your computer. Here’s a sample.
Installation
- Download the CSI.zip file
- Extract the CSI folder as a subfolder in your C:\Windows\Media folder.
- Double click the “CSI Sound Scheme.reg” registry file and import the CSI registry settings
- Open Control Panel and go to the Sound applet
- Choose CSI as your sound scheme
- Enjoy
If your Windows folder is not C:\Windows, open the reg file in a text editor and do a global replace of “C:\\Windows” with the appropriate path to your Windows folder. Be sure to include the double backslashes.
Song in a Dream (for Jackson)
In a dream, I wrote a sad song for a happy dog. Maybe the happiest dog. He seemed to really like it (in the dream)… even though it was pretty sad I think he thought it was some kind of game. Atta boy… He may not be the brightest dog, but if he’s got a pea-brain he’s got big ol’ playful heart. G’night, Jackie.
i am an orphan, but that’s not the worst thing
growing up isn’t so bad
gone through a couple of families
scolded when i get in the trash
i’m not a fan of realities
though i am an orphan, that’s not the worst thing
Deep Banana Blackout – 12/31/08
Download using bittorrent via etree:
http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=521445
Deep Banana Blackout
December 31, 2008
Stage One, Fairfield Theatre Company
Fairfield, CT
Source: Oktava MC012 > TASCAM HDP2
Transfer: TASCAM HDP2 > Compact Flash > USB > SoundForge > FLAC Frontend
Recorded and transferred by Matthew Heydman
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals – 9/25/08
http://www.archive.org/details/ra2008-09-25.mc012.flac.16Â
How to Drive in Connecticut – Tips and Tricks
No matter who you are, you can benefit from this post if you ever drive in CT. For it is here that I will reveal the secrets of successful driving in what some folks might refer to as “the state with the worst #^%$ drivers in the nation” and quite possibly, the world.
Allow me to qualify this a little further- when I say CT, I am not really referring to the whole state of CT… I am placing much if the focus on the southwestern region, from Fairfield to the NY border. But these principles I will outline may apply to drivers outside this region as well.
“Katie Mae, go ask your father…”
http://www.archive.org/download/mc1987-04-11-sennme80.flac16/mc1987-04-11-sennme80d2t10_64kb.mp3Â
Well, I’m not sure who wrote this tune (maybe TM will stop in with some info) but I couldn’t find any info about it on the net (other than Max Creek performances). Always been one of my favorites and I got a request for the chords the other day. So I broke out an old version (epic, thanks Mark!) and I posted the lyrics and chords in the Max Creek Lyrics & Music Archive.
Usual disclaimer applies: The chords & lyrics are 100% guaranteed not to be 100% correct, but close enough for the campfire.
Query Shortcuts in SQL Server 2005
I’ve created some shortcuts in SQL Server 2005 Management Studio – they come in handy time and time again. Management Studio allows us to define “Query Shortcuts”, which are stored procedures that fire when we press a certain keystroke- passing any selected text as a parameter to the procedure. (I think this was the case with Query Analyzer, but I never discovered the feature there).
To define a Query Shortcut, go to the Tools menu in Management Studio, and choose Tools, Options, Environment, Keyboard. Just type in the name of the procedure beside where you see the keystrokes listed.
So here are a few generic procs that I use all the time. You can tweak them to accomodate your business rules.
- util_SearchCode
Searches the definitions of tables, columns, views, defaults, stored procedures, user-defined functions, triggers, etc. etc. and lists any matches to the selected text. - util_SearchEntities
For the db I use at work, one keystroke searches for various customers, clinics, patients, physicians, etc. Either by ID number or by string. - util_BitValues
When I select a number I can quickly see which bit values are turned on… Handy for bitmask columns. - util_Top100Rows
If I highlight a table name, this proc displays the TOP 100 rows of that table. Great for when I need to ascertain the nature of some data or quickly remind myself of a column name.
Download Source Code
By the way, the util_SearchCode proc is designed for use with SQL Server 2005 and will need some modification to work with earlier versions of SQL Server.
How to Use these Procs
1) Download, unzip, and run the scripts via the link above.
2) Type the names of the procs beside the desired keystroke (see screenshot above).
3) In a Query Editor window, select some text and call one of the procs by pressing Ctrl + the number you assigned in #2.
Note that if you want to pass more than one word to a proc in this fashion, you should surround it in single quotes like a string literal.
Music from that Commercial
Someone please tell me of a definitive site where one can go and find out what that song is from that commercial (i.e. television commercial).
I don’t watch too much tv. Sometimes the thing is on and though I tune most of it out, once in a while a piece of music slithers through into the hey-that’s-a-catchy-tune part of my brain. Or the holy-shit-that-is-a-killer-groove part of my brain. Or one of the other compartments in the grey matter designed for such things.
To the point that my musical appetite is whetted.
Read the rest of this post »
Frozen Pizza – Serving Size Conspiracy?
About an hour ago I felt like the cells in my body were imploding. Collapsing in on themselves. I think I was seriously dehydrated, but couldn’t imagine why- after all, I had that frozen pizza for lunch (like I do pretty often) and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I drank some water and I guess I feel a little better now, but what the hell happened? Maybe there was something in that pizza- it was the first time I’d tried that brand…. maybe MSG or something.
I looked at the side of the packaging and the ingredients appeared normal – you know, the usual “contains less than 2% of….”, “soybean and/or corn oil”, and a few items that are probably preservatives or something (BHA, BHT, sodium nitrite).
Then something sort of unrelated caught my eye: “Serving size 1/5 pizza”. That’s right, one fifth. Now it starts getting interesting.
Max Creek Lyrics & Music Archive – Holiday Additions
I added three entries to the Max Creek Lyrics & Music Archive including Borrowing Time, LFS, and Waiting for You. I figured these are kinda sing-along type tunes, appropriate for holiday gatherings. Enjoy!
Please shoot me an email if you know who wrote Borrowing Time or LFS…
