50% less chair, 100% less lower back pain

Being a desk-jockey, I was frequently getting the lower back pain common to a lot of people who tap away on the keyboards. It turns out that the very thing my friendly chair had to offer me for support -the back- was causing the problem. My back was getting lazy, and looking to my chair to pick up the slack in holding my head in the air. I pulled the back off and tried it just as an office mushroom. (It never had arm-rests, but I would’ve removed those as well). For the first few days I hated it, and was completely distracted every time I tried to lean back. (And had a few startling incidents of leaning back too far before remembering I was missing something!). Then, surprisingly, I forgot about it. My lower back doesn’t hurt anymore. I think it’s been a couple years since I took the back off. Now, to be fair, my challenge is that hot pain between my shoulders. I think I’ve developed a bad habit of slumping over my desk when I get lazy. Nonetheless, I think I’m healthier now that I’ve reduced my chair down to a twirling, rolling stump.

Verify that a burned disk is identical to your source

Disk Utility will check directories but unfortunately not data

The below Terminal command will compare two sets of data for an exact data structure. Use it to compare a backup to an original.
(note: don’t use apostrophe/foot mark in file names. Terminal omits them)

In Terminal, example:
diff -r /Volumes/MacPro500/2009.03.12AppBackup  /Volumes/MacPro500/testBackup/2009.03.12AppBackup

(copied off the web)

Get latitude and longitude from Google

Go to:

Go to http://maps.google.com/maps

Navigate to your desired location.

In the URL bar (not the Googlemap search bar), paste:

javascript:void(prompt('',gApplication.getMap().getCenter()));
(note: that’s two foot marks above after [ prompt( ] , not a double quote)

You should get a javascript alert popup that gives you the lat and lon.

After Effects: What codec is that mov file using?

Don’t forget that if Quicktime is asking for a codec, you can look in the Info (command-i) about the movie to find out which codec it wants. (e.g. Meridian, DV100, etc.)

Codecs go in ComputerName/Library/Quicktime

Mac OSX: Burn ISO to disk

The problem here is that most Mac disc utilities, including the built-in Disk Utility, take a different approach when it comes to image burning. Instead of telling the program you want to burn an image, then choosing the file, you’re supposed to do the reverse: You choose the file, then tell the program you want to burn it. So, to burn an ISO image to disc, here’s what to do:

1. Insert a blank disc.
2. Start Disk Utility.
3. From the File menu, choose Open Disk Image and select the ISO to be burned.
4. In the list of volumes, you will now see an item representing the ISO file. Select it.
5. Click the Burn button and follow the instructions.

(copied off the web)

After Effects: I need units of 0-100%, but it’s 0-255 (or whatever)

About once a year I forget how to change units in effects boxes. (Maybe it’s not in an intuitive place?!) That’s just long enough for me to forget again how to adjust it:

To change units in the effects boxes (e.g. Brightness and Contrast), go to Info and click the little upper rt triangle.

After Effects: Use expression to use depth-of-field, but keep subject in focus.

On the focus dist of the camera, make an expression and use the pic whip to choose:
length(//this position, the position of the object)
This is a measurement of the distance from the camera to the object, in the Focus distance parameter