Month: April 2004

Funny name, serious software?

Hot Banana Launches Hot Banana v5.0, Web Content Management. Hot Banana Software Inc., a leading North American Web Content Management System (CMS) company, today announced the launch of Hot Banana 5, a significant version improvement with many new and innovative features…. [cmswire]

I know nothing of this software. It could be the greatest WCM solution on the face of the Earth. But, holy cow, what kind of name is ‘Hot Banana’? I just can’t see Gartner saying, “Hot Banana has slipped into the Magic Quadrant,” or someone standing in front of a CIO talking about how Hot Banana is going to become mission critical.

Signed up for Netflix

I’ve signed up for Netflix. I know I’m late to the party but I’m pretty sure it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Netflix gives me the movies I’m interested in, on my own timetable. It’s like having the power to program your own pay-channel.

Cable always used to frustrate me because they’d run the same movies all month. And while some premium channels do a decent job of programming, there’s still a huge chunk that does nothing for me. That’s the reason you have to get five HBO’s and three Showtimes. Or go digital and it really gets nutty. I guess the theory is if you give me enough channels, at some point, there’s bound to be something worth watching.

Blockbuster is no help when you want something that’s been out for a while or wasn’t itself a blockbuster. There are smaller, independent rental stores that carry documentaries and indie films, but unless you live nearby, are you going to go to the trouble?

Now, I just maintain a list of movies Christy and I want to see on the Netflix site and the movies magically show up at my house. Before, I tried keeping a list of stuff we wanted to see but the list is never around when you need it, either to add to it or have it with you when you’re making a selection.

I like the simplicity of the process and the Netflix site, but I had to make three suggestions, right off the bat:

– The site needs community features. I’d like to suggest titles to my friends and family. The site could have a “suggestion queue” that would allow a user to accept or deny suggestions.made by others.

– Let me share my list. I’d like to be able to share my Netflix queue with friends and family and I’d like to see others.

– Let me get at (and even manage?) my queue programmatically. It would be cool if I could get my queue or even my recent movies as XML that I could then stick on my blog. How about a web services API like Amazon and Google have done?

Of course, none of these ideas really drive revenue for Netflix so I’m not holding my breath. I got the old “Thanks for your suggestions” form letter from customer service. At least they responded. No matter. I am still a huge fan.

Cocoon texts

I opened up Java & XML recently because it had some references to Cocoon. The Cocoon examples are pre 2.0, so instead I worked through some of the XML-RPC chapters which were good. I’d recommend working through the whole book to anyone who’s just getting started using Java and XML together.

Before I made it to my intended destination (the SOAP and web services chapters), I decided to pick up Cocoon: Building XML Applications. I had previously seen this one but passed up. So far, it is pretty good–I’m glad I came back around. They seem to do a better job explaining the architecture than some of the articles I’ve read recently. I like the examples I’ve worked through so far. The authors spend a little too much time on the evolution of the net and web applications–I wish they would have devoted that space to some of the more advanced features. It definitely gets me excited about using Cocoon on some real projects. This is a good book for anyone starting out with XML applications with Cocoon.

I’m noticing there are a few other Cocoon texts out there but I haven’t taken a look at them yet. They are:

Recent music acquisitions

ThirdShiftGrottoSlack, Jay Farrar. This is an EP from Solt Volt frontman and Uncle Tupelo founder, Jay Farrar. The five tracks didn’t make it on Sebastopol. I love it. My only complaint: it’s too short.

The Slaughter Rule soundtrack, Various Artists. I never saw the flick, but I shall add it to my Netflix queue directly. Any filmmaker that asks Jay Farrar to write the score for a soundtrack must have created something worth watching. Jay wrote the whole thing but only sings on one track. The rest are from alt country acts like Freakwater, Ryan Adams, Jimmie Dale Gilmore & The Flatlanders, and Vic Chesnutt. One Uncle Tupelo track, Blue Eyes, is also on the soundtrack. It’s a very mellow album.

Terroir Blues, Jay Farrar. The Farrar love fest continues. This is Jay’s latest release. If you liked Sebastopol you’ll like this one. I’ve heard complaints from others about the numerous “space junk” tracks but I think they’re cool.

24 Hours a Day, The Bottle Rockets. From the opening measures, I knew I was going to like this album. I also knew I’d have to add their whole catalog to my wish list. I also instantly began to compare them to the V-Roys. I’d say the Bottle Rockets are more rock and less bluegrass than the V-Roys. Cool guitar riffs and great lyrics make this one an instant favorite.

It’s Just the Night, The Del McCoury Band. I know next to nothing about bluegrass but I’m never disappointed by a Del McCoury album and this one is no different. A solid choice.

By the Way, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Hard to believe but I think I like it better than Californication. It’s very diverse–from the popular hits like Dosed and The Zephyr Song, to the quirky but very cool Cabron, I don’t get tired of this one.

No Depression: What it Sounds LIke, Vol 1, Various Artists. This is a compilation by alt country journal No Depression. My favorite tracks are by Alejandro Escovedo (Five Hearts Breaking), Buddy Miller (Does My Ring Burn Your Finger), Kevin Gordon with Lucinda Williams (Down to the Well), and Hayseed with Emmylou Harris (Farther Along). As a sidenote, I bought this one with my record company price gouging class action lawsuit settlement check. It seemed like the appropriate album to spend that money on.