Even though my experience with this company was quite painful, long, and drug out, I’m going to attempt to keep this review short.
Bottom line: Although the design and ordering process is very easy, streamlined, and simple, placing an order with this company, based on my personal experience, runs a very high risk of cumbersome delays, phone tag, and a major investment in your personal time.
This is a script I made to take advantage of the ffmpeg package in linux to quickly convert an mp3 to avi using a static image. I personally use this technique for uploading my songs to YouTube. I originally found the conversion command here.
All you need is a linux distro with ffmpeg installed, a jpeg or png image, and an mp3. Note: It is highly likely other image formats, audio formats, and output video formats will work, but I have only used jpeg/png+mp3+avi and so cannot attest to results otherwise.
Usage: bash mp32avi.sh <image_file> <mp3_file> <output_file.avi>
Code (mp32avi.sh):
#!/bin/bash
FFMPEG=`which ffmpeg`
if [ "$FFMPEG" = "" ] ; then
echo "Please install ffmpeg.";
exit 0;
fi
if [ $# != 3 ] ; then
echo "Usage: $0 <image_file> <mp3_file> <output_file.avi>";
exit 0;
fi
if [ ! -f $1 ] ; then
echo "Source image '$1' not found.";
exit 0;
fi
if [ ! -f $2 ] ; then
echo "Source mp3 '$2' not found.";
exit 0;
fi
if [ -f $3 ] ; then
echo "Output file '$3' exists. Overwrite? (y/n)";
read CONFIRM
if [ "$CONFIRM" == "y" ] ; then
echo "Overwriting '$3'"
else
if [ "$CONFIRM" == "Y" ] ; then
echo "Overwriting '$3'"
else
echo "Operation canceled.";
exit 0;
fi
fi
fi
TIME=`$FFMPEG -i $2 |& grep 'Duration' | awk '{ print $2; }' | sed -e 's/,//g'`
$FFMPEG -loop_input -i $1 -i $2 -acodec copy -y -t $TIME $3
http://cchm.us/
Based on the same engine as http://abv8.me/ and http://ihrt.it/ (developed by my web company, geeXmedia).
I plan soon to launch URL shorteners on http://tharp.me/ and http://tharp.us/
http://home.howstuffworks.com/sewing-machine1.htm
Beautiful diagrams explaining it all.
Actually, I hadn’t really heard of the bobbin-less “chain stitch.” I can see why it was invented first.
However, I could never understand how the top thread with a bobbin worked — now I see the upper thread wraps all the way around the bobbin assembly, looping the top around.
Obviously, there is a lot of thread twisting going on, and I still don’t really see how the top thread goes around the bobbin when it is mounted in on a pin, but at least I get the concept!
This is the transcript of an email I received from Steve Smith — just passing the word.
Hey, Everyone!
I hope you are having a great Summer! I just wanted to let you know about an opportunity to be in an independent film: The House at the End of the Lane. If you like the Sixth Sense, suspense films by Alfred Hitchcock or stories by Stephen King, I think you would really enjoy this film. There are numerous and varied parts available.
Cinematographer Glenn Paoli will be working with me on this film. Glenn will also be composing the musical score. Glenn has extensive experience in all facets of production.
Casting/Audition times are: Saturday, July 11th, 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.; Sunday, July 12th, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.; and, Thursday, July 16th, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. All of these auditions will take place at the Hardy County Public Library in Moorefield. If available, please bring an 8 x 10 photo and an acting resume. A dramatic monologue would be nice, but is not essential.
I realize that this is a new experience for most of us in this area. With the growing amount of talent and technical skill which our area can offer, I believe that this can be a great opportunity for all. If there is someone you know who might be interested in auditioning, have them contact me. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Thanks, I hope to see you all soon!
Steve Smith (304) 851-6535
So days 2 and 3 of ebaydevcon09 seemed very uneventful compared to previous DevCons (Chicago and Boston). eBay played it very low key, and mainly just used it to press the selling manager applications platform to those who aren’t already knee-deep in it (such as me).
A lot of the talks focused on SMApps and how to monetize your applications there, so that was helpful, but, frankly, I got more out of networking with other developers and eBayers than the talks and presentations themselves.
We cut day 2 of the conference short (The first day wasn’t actually part of the conference) and did a little tour of San Fran by car — saw quite a bit for just a few short hours. We drove over the Golden Gate, then drove all the shore-roads all around the bay.
There were some pretty cool communities and views — definitely worth the drive.
I have uploaded pictures here: http://ihrt.it/3
and here: http://ihrt.it/2
Sorry it is so short, but it’s taken me forever just to write this anyway. Maybe the pictures will be more descriptive. 
Last year sometime, I bought a Husqvarna YTH20K46 46″ riding mower from Lowe’s. It was about $1850.
I would not make the purchase again. That being said, the tractor itself is not too shabby — it’s the mower deck that needs rethinking.
Since I bought the mower, I’ve replaced the bladed 3 times, and I have less than 50 hours on the machine. Sure, maybe I don’t baby the thing, but for $1850, it should be able to handle a few sticks and the occasional rock (believe me — I can’t avoid them all no matter how hard I try).
I’ve also had to replace the belt.
The arm that holds up the front of the deck is CRAP — pure and simple. It has a hole for a useless cotter pin, and, of course, that is where it broke for me (after hitting a stump of course).
If you insist on buying this mower, be prepared to add some reinforcement welds on the rear deck brackets, as they might as well have tack welded them.
The tires do not hold air very well — expect to fill them every 6-8 hours of use.
Also, do NOT even attempt to use this mower without buying the mulching assembly as you will get enormous gobs of grass all over your yard.
The Kohler 20HP motor does a great job — the tractor itself is fantastic, although it always wants to spin the wrong tire when you need traction.
All that being said, with my own modifications (self-made, stronger front arm, reinforced welding) and the mulching kit, it’s actually turned into a half decent mower, at least for now.
Back in the day, I used to play Quake 2 — a lot. Quite specifically, I played a lot of Quake 2 Rocket Arena — so much that I often managed to place in the global top 100. Anyway, I had to have an alias, nick, handle — whatever you want to call it, so I invented “crimulus.”
I’ve wanted a dashboard/portfolio site for quite some time, so now I finally have it. When I bought the coffeecuphalfmoons.com site, I purchased crimulus.com, which now serves that very purpose.
I’ve got the very basic content I want up there for now — very crude, but a good start. So, I hereby formally introduce http://www.crimulus.com.
Hopefully, over time, I’ll be able to let it evolve into a little summary about me — hopefully easily maintained. Enjoy, if you’re into me that much ! 
My name is Jeremy Tharp, just a plain old web developer, musician, philosopher, Mr. Fix-it type, and this is my blog. It might seem obvious enough that I have philosophical tendencies, but this is my outlet for that. Turns out I’ll probably even blog about non-philosophical things. Go figure.
Anyway, this first post is just an introduction, and I’ll keep the philosophizing to a minimum. I will, however, explain the origin of the site.
This is coffeecuphalfmoons.com, and it comes from my looking at the bottom of my coffee cup every day and seeing a half moon shape of dried coffee that I’m betting can be read like tea leaves. 
My hope is to post an image of that each time I make a new blog. I’m already off to a bad start, I know, but I’ll get there.
And after some time, maybe I’ll have a cool image slide show that demonstrates trends in reality eclipsing the pseudo-randomness that we consider reality.
Anyway, stay tuned!
PS: Feel free to add your own CCHMs in your comments. It’d be great to see them!
Day 1 of eBay DevCon 2009 plus a little tour of Northern California!
Corresponding pictures for this blog are available here: http://abv8.me/2Q.
My business partner Chris and I have made our 3rd voyage to eBay DevCon, this year in wonderful San Jose in northern California (where the girls are warm so I could hear my sweet baby say … ).
We flew in last night, Jet Blue flight 317 direct from Washington Dulles to Oakland International. Oddly enough, Chris’ neighbor Tooland happened to be the pilot, and he hooked us up with a free Heineken — yeah baby. Anyway, it was a very long 6 hour flight (it was only 6 hours 23 minutes in the air when I flew to Paris from Philly), and we had some rocky air with a little detour as there were t-storms and tornadoes in Kansas.
We touched down at around 9pm local time (12am EST) and headed over to Budget Rental where we picked up our awesome Kia compact POS.
Actually, it’s not too bad — good turning radius and small — hard for all the crazy California drivers to smash into. We got to the hotel at 10:30 or so and proceeded to pass out.
So here we are in beautiful San Jose. Well, cities are just cities, and, being the tree fanatic that I am, we had to visit the redwoods. We got up early this morning — 6:30 or so, and decided to make our way to the Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Now, for whatever reason, we put “shortest distance” into the GPS instead of “fastest time,” and we ended up on California route 35 — heading across the mountains on one of the steepest, windiest, but most scenic roads, I could have ever imagined. I got some awesome pics of northern California vegetation, and, finally, about 2 hours later, we got to the park.
Now let me tell you, the coastal redwoods surprised me. For all that they are huge, in the grand scheme of things, they really don’t seem all that large. Really, a 300ft tall tree is only as tall as a football is long. Gargantuan for a tree, yes, but in the grand scheme of things, they just feel like another tree — just ones that dwarf any big tree we have back east. That being said, they are so tall and straight, they are kind of modest. If a broad, bushy oak grew 300ft tall with a 200ft wide crown, I doubt I could relate to the perspective of such a tree being so modest.
From the park, we made our way to Santa Cruz so we could at least see the Pacific ocean. We spent a little time at Seabright beach http://abv8.me/2R, and ate at a nice little place on the wharf named Aldo’s. Apparently Guy Fieri ate there once. The burger was delicious, and we had a little European Starling join us for a bite. We named him Fred, and we were the best of buds.
From there, we headed back up route 17 to the eBay campus here in San Jose to listen to Madhu Gupta and company present the basic ins and outs of the new eBay selling manager pro applications platform.
General high points:
Now, we have already developed our first application for this platform. It is eZ labelZ for eBay, and it is a variation on our site ezbarcodez.com — geared to provide great integration with the already present eBay APIs so that sellers can print functional labels for their items.
Since we have been involved in the project since the alpha, most information was nothing new, but it was good to get a concrete overview.
Afterwards was “Happy Hour” with free beer and hors-d’oeuvres, and some networking. We had some great chats with some eBay personnel, especially the documentation team, and well, what can I say? Free beer.
So now we’re back at the hotel and I have hundreds of pics to parse through. Hopefully they will appear on Facebook tonight and I will link them here.
Posted in Commentary, Computers, Personal, Programming