A few times on Twitter, I've mentioned how "easy" it is to move stuff between servers using the rsync shell command. It's actually an extremely powerful program for synchronizing two directories - even if they're not on the same volume, or even on the same computer. To do this, you'll need to login to one of the servers via SSH. Once there, invoke the geeky incantation:

rsync -rtlzv --ignore-errors -e ssh . username@hostname:/path/to/directory

What that basically says is, "run rsync, and tell it to recursively copy all directories, preserving file creation and modification times, maintaining proper symlinks (for aliases and stuff like that), compress the files as they're being copied in order to save bandwidth, and provide verbose updates as you're doing it. Use SSH as the protocol, to securely transfer stuff from the current directory to the server 'hostname' using the username 'username'. On that destination server, stuff the files and directories into '/path/to/directory'"

Best $50 I've spent in a long, long time. My music library is not pretty much DRM-free. What was that about the evil Apple lockin again?

Update: doh. looks like the process has a glitch or two. I'm sure that'll get worked out really quickly though. This is what I get when I click the "Buy" button shown above:

Update 2: GAH! I tried to post a question on the Apple Support site to see wtf, but can't seem to find the button to do that. No email link. No support available. My only option is to wait a day or so and try again. Fail.

[qt:https://darcynorman.net/video/2008_366.m4v https://darcynorman.net/video/2008_366.mov.jpg 640 360]

click the image above, or, if you don't want the embedded QuickTime version, there's the slideshow on Flickr.

The 2008 366photos photo a day project wrapped up last night. I don't have anything deep or profound to say about it, other than I'm really glad Alan talked me into doing a second year (after doing 2007/365 the year before). I didn't think I'd be able to do it, but it's been fun. It's been hard - I knew it would be, but there were a few times where I almost dropped the project. It's been surprisingly rewarding. And it's been inspiring, watching the other people who have taken on the project for the year.

I mean, of course, if money is no object, get the most pimp-daddiest MacBook Pro with gills of RAM and stuff. But... Will the new solid aluminum case MacBooks do the trick? (and, yeah, if money truly was no object, I KNOW I'd rather get a fully maxed out Mac Pro with dual 30" displays and terabytes of storage...)

I need to replace my antique home system, and need something that can run Aperture well (not necessarily pro speed, but well enough that I don't want to throw the fracking thing across the room while waiting for it to catch up...). I'd initially planned on getting a 20" iMac, but think it'll be better to maintain mobility.

I didn't really have a distance target for bike riding this year. I did 3160km in 2007, and thought I might be able to hit 3500km without much trouble. But this summer, I realized that at the pace I was keeping, there was a chance to hit 4500km or even 5000km by the end of 2008. I kept riding, and almost fanned on it due to weather and vacation. But I got back on the bike for a ride along the Bow River this morning, rolling the odometer over 5000km. It was a really great day for a ride. There was a lot of snow and ice, but the path along the river is well groomed so the ride was pretty easy. It was only about -12ËšC out, and I was dressed for much colder, so it was definitely fun. I wound up riding from Edworthy Park, along the path beside Memorial Drive, and past downtown to the Zoo before turning around. Not many other bikes out, but I wasn't the only one...

Photography literally means "the process of drawing with light" - it's not "taking pictures of people or things," it's all about playing with light. If the light isn't there, there's no photograph. If the light is boring, the photograph is boring. But, if the light is right, even the most boring subject is transformed into something magical.

Much of the time, when I jump to grab my camera, it's because the light has caught my eye. Warm light coming through a window. Light refracting through glass. Reflecting off of a surface. Sometimes it's just a property of the light that catches my attention - warmth, softness, darkness, harshness.

I have found myself drawn to channels that are best described as "alternate" - outside the traditional scope of the Institution. I publish, but on my own blog. I provide support and services, but for software and tools that are not blessed by the University. I share everything I do under a simple Creative Commons license, without worrying about control or ownership. I exist, from some perspectives, outside of the Institution.

I missed this when it was released because I was offline someplace warm.

The holiday season is now officially here. The Norman family tree went up today - Evan helped put the ornaments up (many of which are as old as I am). Snow's been collecting in preparation for a white christmas...

Of course, you have to be familiar with the rules because they exist for a reason. But you also need to know when to just ignore them, or flat out contradict them.

This shot breaks almost every rule in the book. Composition. Lighting. Exposure. Focus. White balance. But, the emotion and life that pour out of it make it worth laughing at the rules. It's one of my favorite photos of all time.

I'd dabbled with doing a series of photography casts, but stopped doing it when I realized there are SO many people out there far better suited to doing this. The real reason I stopped doing my screencasts is that I was focusing more on Aperture, and there is the excellent Inside Aperture blog and podcast that handles that much better than I ever could.

The latest example is the really great new Tack Sharp podcast from professional photographer James Duncan Davidson and amateur photographer Dan Benjamin.

The Norman family got back into town yesterday, and I've spent the time since then crunching through the bounty of photos taken on the trip. I'll probably post something about the various things we did, but in the meantime, here's the Flickr slideshow of the 290 surviving photos.