Skin Gmail!

If you're a Gmail user but you just can't stand the online "stock" interface, then you'll love this.

And if you've created an excellent Gmail skin, let me know about it!

Common Sense

Ok, I've just gotta vent about this whole Ashlee Simpson lip syncing fiasco. And yes, it was a total fiasco, although I really felt bad for the poor girl. Even though she had a record contract thrown at her because of her older sister. Even though the live alternative would have been pretty bad (I saw the MTV Music Awards performance and wouldn't wish it upon anyone). Yes, even though she blamed her band. It's just a level of humiliation that makes my heart hurt.

But - and I say this with 110% conviction and the desire to educate the public on a topic of which I am an expert - you absolutely must realize that pop stars lip sync. It's such a common practice, it might as well be required for the gig. I can't believe that this latest blunder surprised anyone. More importantly, I don't understand why people can't just automatically tell the difference. Isn't it blatantly obvious when a live act isn't kosher?

Take the Destiny's Child opening performance at the Radio City Music Awards tonight. Total, complete lip sync. No question. If any of the group members deny this fact in the face of recent heightened live act scrutiny, they LIE!

Here are a few telltale giveaways that a live performance isn't authentic (in addition to the lips not actually being in sync with the music):

1. The rendition sounds a lot like the radio edit. No, wait, actually it sounds exactly like the radio edit. That's because it is. And you can tell, because you've heard the song so many times that you're now distinctly aware of where the vocal peaks and valleys are. It's impossible to recreate an identical copy on stage. It simply can't be done. Somewhere, everyone will sound just slightly different. That is, unless they're lip syncing.
2. You seem to be picking up multiple layers of the same voice. For example, a faint audio illusion of three Britneys singing, but just one Britney on stage. This is so the real Britney doesn't have to try as hard. The backup "voice" will even out the rough spots and allow her to rip off clothing and gyrate without the pesky fear that her voice will crack. Don't deny it, Britney fans!
3. The performance is accompanied by lots of complicated choreography. I don't even want to hear some lame explanation about how the most hard-working singers are in such good shape that they can pull off strong vocals and aerobic activity simultaneously. If you don't hear Janet Jackson panting and gasping through her lyrics, then it's no surprise that she isn't singing. Accept it and enjoy Rhythm Nation.

Hmm... so what category does the SNL faux pas fit in? None of them specifically. But let's remember that we're in a pop music era where any decent producer can churn out shiny, smooth, fabricated singles with  a little audio software. Most pop stars just aren't that good. They're usually quite cute in their videos, and often related to someone cute and/or famous, but rarely true vocal talents. Ashlee's debut album was a hit, and her record label wants to cash in, so now she has to perform as much as possible to keep record sales up. What's a girl to do when she can't carry the weight on her own?

Thanks, I feel better now. And for the record, I can't sing worth a damn, so this isn't some jealous, it-should-be-me-up-there thing. I just want musical artists to own up, and stop insulting our intelligence.

PS- Just watched Ashlee's performance on the Radio City Music Awards. The good news is that it was definitely live. The bad news is that it was definitely live.

Photographers are just plain good people.

Here's the latest from my very favorite moment capturer, Dave Rubin. You might recognize a few of us.

Oh, and did I mention? Dave's band Low Water has finally released their full album, "Hard Words in a Speakeasy". Not only do they rock some major house, but they helped fulfill my lifelong dream of appearing in a music video.

Long live Nikon!

Windows Tweak: Remove Desktop Icon Titles

Have you ever tried to completely remove the titles under your desktop icons? With certain Windows icons like “My Computer” and “Internet Explorer”, a simple rename using a single spacebar keystroke will do the trick, but not with most of your other programs. They need an actual name, and will revert back to their originals if you try to remove them completely.

Today’s tweak is a great trick that replaces text you can read with text your computer does not display. Windows will not let you name an icon with a single spacebar entry, but it will let you use the ASCII code for a space, which is 0160.

Here’s how you do it:

1. To rename your icon, right-click and choose Rename.

2. Erase all text.

3. Make sure the NumLock key in on. Hold down the Alt key while typing 0160 on your number pad.

4. After typing in 0160, let go of the Alt key. You’ll see a blank space inserted with your cursor.

5. Press Enter to save the new name.

This method gets more complicated when you want to remove the text of multiple icons. Since Windows still needs each icon to have a unique name, the above instructions should only work for one icon. A solution is to enter the ASCII code following directions 1-5, then repeating steps 1-5 again within the same icon (which will move the cursor two spaces). As long as each icon has a different “name”, you’ll get the same results.

I recommend this tweak for anyone who likes a simple, clean desktop free of any unnecessary clutter. Of course, not having too many icons is a plus or you run the risk of forgetting what they all mean.

Site of the Night: Veepers

Looking for the crazy site I talked about on tonight's TSS? The one where you can animate your plain old photos and make your subjects say funny things?

Click here for Veepers!

Only caveat: Firefox is still unsupported, but you can still use Netscape if you're trying to avoid IE.

I'd love to see your best efforts. Make sure to email me the gems when you're done!