MyVogonPoetry

UPDATE: I found an even better way to download music from Seeqpod - use sadsteve.com - it has the ability to download built into the site. I use it all the time and never use Seeqpod any more. Give it a try.

So, there’s this site called SeeqPod that allows you to play just about any song you can think of but doesn’t allow you (easily) to download them. So, I fired up Firefox and used the LiveHTTPHeaders addon to see what was going on. Sure enough, the URL to the file is there, but it’s somewhat of a pain to get to and download the file. So, I saw another URL go by with /api/ in it. I poked around and figured out a pretty easy way to use it to download songs. Here’s how:

First, you’ll want to have the linkification plugin installed in Firefox. One of the things it does is make URLs in XML clickable. We need that functionality. Once you have it installed, do this:

Bookmark this link in Firefox (don’t click it, just bookmark it - there is nothing interesting there yet). Now edit the bookmark and change the CHANGETHIS to %s and put in something for the keyword. I used sp for seeqpod.

Now, suppose I want Weird Al’s White and Nerdy song…. I just type
sp white nerdy
in Firefox and I get an XML document with links to the song. With the linkification plugin, I can just double click on the URL and it will download the song for me.

This trick will work in IE, you just have to do some of this by hand (the initial search, copy paste the MP3 URL, etc). It’s just much easier with Firefox.

If this news gets out, I expect Seeqpod to change the way they do things pretty quick so enjoy it while you can - not sure why I’m even sharing this. if someone were really motivated, you could write a plugin that gives you a webpage full of links or download the first hit automatically or something - again though, they will probably close this loop soon now. If you liked this article, check out the original article I did that discussed most of these techniques:
How to find and download hidden music from websites.

Tags: mp3, mp3s, freemusic, seeqpod, download, downloads

Rakim, probably my favorite rapper ever, is now doing commercials for video games!

Tags: geek, video games, xbox, rakim, rap

So, with our new arrangement of furniture and the incoming big-screen plasma/LCD, I decided I need another Xbox running XBMC - one will stay upstairs hardwired to the network, the other will be connected to the LCD/plasma and be hooked into the network wirelessly. My first one I used a modchip, but the art of softmodding has come a long way so I thought I’d try it. Since I already had a working Xbox, I went looking for a “broken” Xbox whose DVD drive didn’t work. I could just swap my working one in, do the softmod, and then just use it as a networked media center.

I posted on Craigslist looking for a “broken” but bootable XBox and found one for $25 which included all cables, 2 wired controllers, and one wireless controller. What a deal - though I did have to drive 18 miles both ways to pick it up. The softmod requires an original version of 007, MechAssault, or Splinter Cell so I asked a coworker (whom I know owns an Xbox) if he happened to have one of those games and he has two of them! I borrowed those and off I went.

I downloaded “Softmod Installer Deluxe” which contained the softmod installer and the hacked savegames. You’ll also need the Action Replay software for Xbox so that you can get the savegames on your Xbox. Along with that, you need a USB adapter that goes in your Xbox controller port. Luckily, my modchip came with one so I didn’t have to hack a controller and make one.

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Since I started my new job, I now have a 35-40 minute commute to work so I started listening to audiobooks again. I found a free audiobook called Singularity by Bill DeSmedt at podiobooks.com. From the site:

What if the cataclysmic Tunguska explosion of 1908 was caused, not by a meteor or a comet, but by a microscopic black hole?

What if that fantastic object - smaller than an atom, older than the stars, heavier than a mountain - is still down there, orbiting deep inside the earth, slowly consuming the planet?

What if only a rookie government agent and an uncannily-insightful consultant stand between a renegade Russian billionaire and his plans to use the black hole to change history - or end it?

What if it’s all true?

I thoroughly enjoyed Singularity - in fact, there were times I didn’t want to leave the car because I was so involved in the story. The author does a great job narrating and really keeps you involved. It does gets a bit technical at times with things like quantum theory, the time-space continuum, etc. but it was action-packed and quite entertaining.

If you’re looking for an action-thriller with a scientific bent to it, you can’t go wrong with Singularity.

• Singularity at podiobooks.com

Tags: audiobook, audiobooks, podiobook, podiobooks, book, books, review, reviews

As if you needed further proof that I’m a geek…..
My new car’s stereo allows you to customize the welcome message it displays. I thought about “Sir Pipalot” and “BrianScion”, but those weren’t good enough. Here is what I decided on for now:

Tags: geek, stereo, car, cars, Office Space, funny

I first heard of Imogen Heap when I snagged “Hide and Seek” for free (legally) off of some website. Awesome song. I recently got the whole album and it is amazing. I love the whole album. You can listen to some snippets of the songs at the last.fm page and at Amazon’s album page. Great stuff.

Also see the Imogen Heap website and you can hear the full album.

I just posted a writeup on how to get some really good (and free) MP3s off of the scion.com site over at the scionlife forums. Check it out.

Tags: geek, rap, hiphop, hip-hop, Scion, freemusic, music

Last weekend I went to the local storage unit place to help my sister clean out her storage unit. She goes to the dumpster to get rid of some trash and she comes back saying there is something that looks like a guitar case in there. I go and fish it out and it’s a Fender case with a pretty nice Yamaha guitar in it! I took it to a friend at work and he is restringing it now (so no pics til it comes back) but he said it’s in great shape! WOW! he said I could get maybe $150 for it give or take. I’ll post pics when I get it back.

Then, we found three framed concert posters from 1981. All three measure 19″x12″ and each is in excellent shape - it looks like they have been framed most of their life. Above is a pic of all three together and here are the pics of each individually (click to enlarge each):

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I just saw this exact music video on the local public access channel. It’s a woman named Sue Fabisch singing “Wal-Mart Woman” off of her album “Music 4 Mommies: Volume 1 - Songs to make you laugh!” and it indeed did make me laugh. It’s funny yet scary. In the song and video, she sings the praises of Wal-mart.

• Full Wal-mart Woman video on YouTube
• clip of Wal-Mart Woman by Sue Fabrisch (MP3)
  (via CoralCache so we don’t crash the server)
• Music4Mommies.com

Tags: geek, funny, hilarious, musci, video, music video, wal-mart, walmart, parody, mp3

My five-year-old daughter loves Zula Patrol on PBS and yesterday she asked me if I could get the theme song for her so she could listen to it on her JuiceBox. A quick look at the Zula Patrol website and they offer 13 songs from the show (including the theme song) for free download in MP3 format! How nice of them! I wish more kids shows did that. I grabbed them quickly with DownThemAll with Firefox and we were soon singing along to the Zula Patrol Theme Song! (Now I can’t get that dang song out of my head).

This was much easier than snagging MP3s from NickJr.com.

• Zula Patrol MP3s

Tags: geek, mp3, mp3s, kids, audio, music, kids mp3s, kids songs, kids music, songs, firefox, children, free, freebie, freebies