You know - although I’m sticking to my july 4th launch date- this vlog thing is getting more and more interesting to me.

It’s a real community that the vloggers have, despite their swelling numbers. Sure there are the crazy pointless vlogs (and they can be alot of fun) but there are also the more … relevant vlogs out there.

For example, one vlogger had the camera on as he went to his son’s room one night to see what was wrong. The lil’ guy was really upset because he missed his mom (who has left the family).

In response, Amanda Congdon of rocketboom.com (a well known videoblogger) made a video for Jordon (the kid).

And he responded (with the help of his Dad) to her.

Jordon is now planning on having his own vlog!

ah … vloggers of the world unite!

Jordon upset

Amanda Responds

Jordon says thanks.

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Well I’m pretty faithful in my vlog surfing lately, and am getting more and more excited about the DavidMeade.com vlogs (scheduled to go live July 4th)!

There are lots of great vlogs out there. Check out http://joshleo.blogspot.com/ for a good example of what vlogging is all about.

Doug and I continue work on various projects on our respective websites. The vlog system is nearly complete, actually. RSS2.0 w/ Enclosure feeds are in development. And he and I are having fun just playing around with video.

There are several reasons for our July 4th launch date. Part of it is we wanted to make the vlog system we are now making (yes could have just started tossing up links to video files and be done with it, but half the fun of our websites is, for us, building the systems that run it). Another part is we wanted time to get hardware and software. We also wanted to build up a little hype

So surf around the vlogshpere and get excited about the idea. They are coming your way here on DavidMeade.com on July 4th! I plan on posting a new trailer in the 2nd week of May.

Oh and … vote on the dang poll

(I took the poll down, the winning opinion was that the logo should not cross the line … so I’ve changed it. Thank you for your feedback!)

So I’ve gone running in the new shoes. In fact I’ve gone running 3 times in them (and will go again tonight before I turn in).

I still hate running, but the amazing thing is … the shoes actually made a big big difference. 3 runs down and not a single shin-splint or other “this is just wrong” type of shooting pain. Don’t get me wrong … I hurt … but I hurt in the way a fat ass like me is supposed to hurt after they try and run.

Before, I couldn’t have finished even one run with out pretty bad pains in all the wrong places But now I actually think I might be able to keep running long enough to get used to it!

Amazing the difference that such things can make.

Well … it’s late, and I have to run … I’ll see you all in the morning. I hope to blog later about some stuff I’ve been working one … I’m not sure how much time I’m going to have in the AM to blog however.

I’m pretty sore today. I started working out again.

For those of you who are just joining us here at DavidMeade.com, or those of you who have rather short memory … I’m currently working on several self-improvement projects.

One of those projects is to get back in shape. As a part of that, I’ve been eating better stuff and working out. Doug, has suggested that we start running. And, while I hate running, it fits well with this project so I agreed to give it another go.

So, following the recommendation of several of you, I went to Fleet Feet the other day to get a new pair of running shoes. The experience was … interesting.

Fleet Feet is this runner’s store where when you need shoes, they take all the measurements and then watch you run in a pair to see how they work for you.

So I get to Fleet Feet and take a number.

When I’m finally being helped the guy says “Ok, so, whudd-a-ya’ need?”

“Um … a new pair of shoes.” I say (thinking that was or should have been a rather obvious question).

He takes the measurement and gives me a pair of shoes that will fit and says “ok, come with me”. He takes me outside and says “ok run!”

Well, I hate running, especially in public (I, for whatever reason, prefer to not collapse clutching my chest in front of people). But it was only about half a block … I PROBABLY wouldn’t die … so I ran.

I ran away about half a block and turned to run back. I get nearly back to him when I see that he’s … chuckling. Now … I’m outside wearing a brand new pair of running shoes I haven’t paid for and the only thought that crosses my mind as he’s laughing is “Fucker, I will knock you out and take the damned shoes”.

As I come to a stop next to him he says (before I had a chance to knock him out) “ok … Dave … you are what we call an over-pronator … and a pretty bad one at that.” I was suddenly more intrigued (and concerned) than angry and I let him continue. He explained that there is a certain motion that happens when we land on our feet when running and when the foot rolls from heel to center that’s pronation. When the motion continues too far past center that over-pronation.

So we’re walking back into the store and he further explains that this over-pronation isn’t really a matter of poor form but just “how you’re put together” (which I guess made it all the more funny?). Anyway, he tells me that there are several classes of running shoes and I need the kind that is designed to adjust for over-pronation … and I needed as much adjustment as possible in all likelihood.

So he brought out several shoes and I ran in each of them - some corrected more than others, some were more comfortable. He pointed out the features that do the actual correction and how you can spot them in running shoes, and how to gage the level of correction provided.

In the end I walked away with a new pair of shoes and I actually think it was (despite getting laughed at) a valuable trip. I mean, it’s unlikely that I will ever enjoy running … but this over-pronation stands a pretty good chance of being a pretty big reason of why I have hated it so much in the past. It could be major player in shin-splints etc.

So … I’ve got good running shoes now, I guess. Here’s hoping the new (and finally appropriate) type of shoe can make running something I can tolerate.

DavidMeade.com has a new logo! Crowds of people waited in hushed anticipation yesterday when David Meade himself was to unveil the long awaited new DavidMeade.com logo.

“The world has been waiting,” said one onlooker “for the logo! The new site layout is great and all … but we need the logo!” The crowd was mercifully appeased only moments after David Meade appeared in the pressroom at DavidMeade.com world headquarters. DavidMeade.com fans and the press were thrilled to a 4 foot chrome sculpture of the logo with it’s elegant curves and foreboding edges.

“Known affectionately here in the DavidMeade.com studios as ‘The DM swoosh’,” quipped Meade, “this logo brings a long needed polish and sense of identity to DavidMeade.com.”

The DM swoosh was designed by a consortium of the worlds greatest artists (on loan from The Meade Institute for Deep Thinking), and then hand crafted by master metal workers. The swoosh is a striking and welcoming symbol of DavidMeade.com as its image now graces a sleeker, smaller, and more efficient redesign of the web site’s page headers - which were quietly released yesterday.

The design of the swoosh is meant to incorporate the initials D and M and the artists were instructed to design a “clean, powerful, and striking image” that would “immediately identify a web page or other media as being affiliated with DavidMeade.com.”

“I couldn’t be more happy with the result of all our work here.” said Meade.

When asked if the logo was at all related to the much anticipated release of the DavidMeade.com Video Blogs, Meade would only say that “The DM swoosh may grace the design of DavidMeade.com and all media which it as an organization produces.” and then smiling added “…we’ve already got the logo worked in to the next trailer.”

When pressed on the issue of copy rights David explained “All works produced in the United States are automatically copyrighted. Most of the end works produced here at the DavidMeade.com studios are further licensed under a creative commons license allowing for their distribution and limited reuse. The logo, however, retains all rights and may not be used outside of a DavidMeade.com production without consent.”

Attendees were also given a small pamphlet more fully relating the design elements of the swoosh, information about the artists, and a graphic showing the swoosh serving as the D and M in David Meade.

While David would not discuss merchandising ventures, one of his aids later conceded that “Clearly, with such an attractive and distinctive representation of DavidMeade.com now available, some marketing options open up.”

“It’s a great time to be a DavidMeade.com fan!” said DavidMeade.com Community Relations Director. “The web presence just keeps getting more and more exciting and we’re all ramping up very quickly for the upcoming release of the DavidMeade.com Video Blogs!”

Good morning all. It’s actually bed time here, but I know most of you will be reading this bright and early Monday morning. (I know my day just can’t start until I take in the blogs/vlogs on my list.)

Anyway … I started to clean up the apartment this weekend. I got about 30% of it done. I have come to realize I have a serious motivation problem I’d try and work on that, but frankly I’m pretty much maxed out on self-improvement-projects right now … I think motivation will have to be phase two. But the living room is … livable. The Kitchen is … now desperately waiting for me to do the dishes. My bedroom is still a wreck, however.

Hey I got my taxes done in time … that’s something. So my apartment is a wreck, I’m not going to have to go to Federal Prison, that’s what’s important.

For those of you emailing me (and there are oh so many of you) I wanted to let you know what I have done in my latest effort to combat spam.

My email now operates like the well oiled celebrity frenzy of an over hyped LA dance club. I’m using SpamArrest now. It’s a service I have to pay for, but the fees are reasonable and it really works! Whenever anyone tries to email me, the SpamArrest system checks to see if they are on my approved list of senders.

I’ve added most of you already I’m sure, but if for some reason you are not on the list and you try to email me … SpamArrest sends you an email saying that only people on the list can see The David. However, because I love all my fans, you can add yourself to the list!

When/If you get the SpamArrest email stating that you are not on the list, please notice that there is a link in that email. Click it. It takes you to a webpage where you enter the word displayed in a graphic. This proves you are a human and not some spam bot. (This is basically like handing the bouncer a nice crisp Franklin.)

Once you do this, you are on the list. Your email to me will be released, and you will never have to do that again. Once you are on the list, you’re on the list.

I’m sorry if this causes anyone any grief, but it should only ever do it to you once. Once you are on the list, you’re on the list. As some of you may recall I had previously been ‘blacklisting’ every domain on the internet and manually controlling a ‘whitelist’. This worked ok, but the system had flaws.

SpamArrest is effectively the same idea, except that it puts the burdon of validation on the sender rather than the reciever (something spammers just cannot do). This is a great example of the way things will work in the future I think. I signed up for two years of service with them. Hopefully IPv6, new spam laws, ISP coalitions, and what-not can cut down the amount of spam being sent … but until then (and likely even after that point) … I’ll be using a system like SpamArrest.

The good news is: Once you’re on the list, your on the list.

(Check it out: SpamArrest)

So, I’m now quite busy at work. (More so than normal) It’s a kinda crazy/stressful thing that I’m doing, but that’s also what makes it at all enjoyable

Because of this, I didn’t really have time to check out my normal daily surfing pages today, but I did take a minute around lunch time to do a google on something Doug found a while ago and has recently become an interest of mine again.

The New York Film Academy hosts courses in film making. Everything from how to write a script to how to direct, how to film, all about lighting, and even acting courses for those that pine for the spotlight. They’ve got year long courses for full time students, but also shorter courses for the rest of us. They have a 48 hour crash course, a 4 week holiday course, and the one that brought me to the site a one-week course.

But now, I’ve discovered they have a 1 week CRUISE course. Participants sign up for the film making side or the acting side and everyone gets on a boat to go film their first film on location in Greece and surrounding islands! HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE!?!

Quote:

In an intensive hands-on week students will learn to make films or act in them aboard the “SS New York Film Academy” and shoot their first films on picturesque Greek Islands like Santorini, Syros, and Milos Departing from Athens students will sail across the Aegean to the Mediterranean Sea. They will take in the sun, swim in the emerald waters, and learn how to direct their own movies or act in them. Each day will feature a new Island experience and a new aspect of film making or acting.

It’s expensive, but how much FUN would that be!? I would absolutely love to do that. The only problem is that I would have to go twice, once for the film maker side and one for the actor side

A week long vacation to cruise the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea would be great in any case … but for a chance to learn how (and actually do) write, produce, and direct a short film there … not to mention be surrounded by all those actresses (who are no doubt HOT) … I’m not sure you could beat that!

(Check it out)

So there I was minding my own business yesterday when all hell breaks loose.

It was about 10am, and Audra had just commented on a blog when the site - for no apparent reason - broke. Dumb founded I wondered for a moment what Audra had done.

I couldn’t figure out what had happened so I opened a trouble ticket with my hosting company. They informed my that my nameservers were incorrect. Well … ok … but a) whatever name servers I was using were working - davidmeade.com was resolving, and b) nameservers couldn’t suddenly changes the way a website makes calls to it’s database.

I was mentally coming up with a way to explain this to them while I logged in to my domain registrar to update my nameservers (might as well have them pointing to the correct place even if it’s an unrelated issue). That’s when I found the other issue of the morning.

I wont go into the details, but my registrar account was all F’d up. I have 6 domain names or something like that and I couldn’t access any of them.

I called the company (a different company from my web hosting) and ruined a few peoples day. I was pretty angry with the poor woman who answered the phone (but in my defense I’d had a similar argument with them before and they pretty much told me to shove off). I was eventually transfered to some guy who they said I had to talk to and I demanded a case number explaining that I’d done all of this transfer bull shit a few months ago and could guarantee them I was just going to have to call the same woman back.

The 2nd guy picks up the phone (eventually) …

“Hello this is Wade, can I help you?”

sigh “Hi Wade, my name is David Meade,” sigh “I have something like,” groan “6? domains with you and …”

“Yes sir I have a summary of the issue here, you don’t have to go through it all again”.

I was suddenly in love with this Wade fellow. “Oh thank God!” I said before I could help it. I was about to describe the solution I wanted them to create for me (knowing from my argument with them months ago they wouldn’t do it) when he told me that he was going to fix it for me. I think I just sat on the phone silent for a few seconds until he explained how he was going to fix it. It was exactly what I wanted them to do! I was suddenly deeply in love with this Wade fellow.

The fix hasn’t gone into effect yet … but it should soon.

Meanwhile … I still had no idea why my website was broken. I updated my support ticket with the hosting company explaining that I had updated my nameservers, but it just wasn’t possible for a nameserver problem to cause the problem I was seeing.

They assigned a tech to it and said it should be fixed within 72 hours.

About this point in time work started getting more needy, and I had to stop all this web stuff.

Hours later I was doing completely other things when all of the sudden out of the blue it hit me. I knew why the site was broken - or at least what was breaking. I logged in and within a few minutes had it fixed.

So, the site is up, the registrar issue is nearly fixed, and my taxes have been accepted. Now I can get back to the many other things that were on my list of things to do and/or fix.

Sorry for the brief outage yesterday, but DavidMeade.com is back.

Right when I had a good blog mojo goin’ the site goes down!

I’ve fixed one issue and am working on the others (which are among other things keeping the whats new list from working).

If you find bugs, please feel free to comment on this announcement to let me know of things I need to look at.