Why I've Been So Quiet

July 12, 2006 by Eric Richardson

Two and a half weeks to go until the big day. Lots still to be done. At least the wedding website is updated now.

Why I Love Flash

June 05, 2006 by Eric Richardson

Just take a minute to read this helpful error message from the Flash app:

Warning The linkage identifier 'Comp Icon' was already assigned to the symbol 'Local Map Graphics/Comp Icon', and cannot be assigned to the symbol 'Local Map Graphics/Comp Icon', since linkage identifiers must be unique.

I'm pretty baffled on how to convince Flash that Local Map Graphics/Comp Icon and Local Map Graphics/Comp Icon are the same thing. You would think it would already know they were, seeing as there's only one of it (them) in the Library.

Unrelated, but comments are also broken. I got halfway in a spam-fighting attempt and decided I preferred to leave them broken and off than spammy and on.

Opposite Day for Monitors

May 26, 2006 by Eric Richardson

I just went into OS X's keyboard shortcuts to disable the Alt-Esc Front Row combination (that I'm always hitting by mistake) and noticed an impressive looking Ctrl-Opt-Cmd-8 set to "Reverse Black and White". Obviously I had to play.

In a very straight-forward fashion, it's a shortcut that turns your screen into a negative. The odd part: I like it. I wouldn't object to using those colors for blogdowntown at all. And the UI elements actually work pretty well too.

Perhaps it's not the most useful of functions (for the abled, at least... it is an Accessibility function), but it's an oddly fun way to view the web. It makes you feel like you're in a really high-tech movie, to paraphrase the guy I work next to.

Welcome Back Virtual Desktops

May 25, 2006 by Eric Richardson

Since I got my Intel iMac at work back in January I've gone Apple and used Expose instead of my familiar virtual desktops. I had even come close to convincing myself it was a reasonable change.

Then today I saw the Smackbook Pro hack and ended up at the site for VirtueDesktops. A couple hours later I realize just how much I missed the cleanliness of virtual desks. Sure, some OS X features like Expose are fun, but they work that much better with virtual desks than they do without.

Now if only there were a key sequence to toggle off visibility of the icons on my desktop.

Still Here

May 25, 2006 by Eric Richardson

I'm not sure how May turned out to be the most neglected month this blog's ever seen. I guess I was just busy, and when it comes right down to it blogdowntown gets the attention.

Just to pretend I post more, I'm going to make two posts right in a row.

Eric Richardson lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where he works on payments infrastructure for Cash App.

Past lives involved streaming audio for Southern California Public Radio, running a hyperlocal news site for Downtown Los Angeles, working on custom mapping code, and writing Perl at the Jet Propulsion Labratory.

Previously on this date...

2009
Fizziness Quotient
Subconsciously, I think we've all gotten used to a certain range for how much a standard soda fizzes when dispensed from a fountain. You leave a certain...
2004
everybody's talking about firefox
There's a good article on Mozilla in today's LA Times. It's been amazing to see the positive press that has accompanied the release of Firefox...
zap zap flash
When I was a lot younger someone brought me a broken fax machine once to see if I could fix it. Needless to say, I couldn't... What did I know about...
2002
mmmm... more papery goodness
Now it's 3:30. I've got four full pages, and have written about the first two points on my outline (of four). I'm still not sure what'...
mmmm... papery goodness
So it's 12:45 and I've got two pages. I've managed to find my source in the course reader, so I've got that obligation taken care of....
1999
Toy Story 2
I went and saw Toy Story 2 last night. I was amazed. I mean, put aside the fact that the animation was the best ever and that the whole thing was computer...