However, during yesterday’s conversation, I came to a realization: we are nearing or at the point where the FM transmission step can be eliminated. Because of the growing presence of mobile Internet connected multimedia hardware (such as the iPhone), the hassles of classic radio transmission can be bypassed, opening up the potential for everyone to ‘broadcast’ their own audio content to an audience that no longer needs to be tethered to a computer. Currently, services such as Last.fm or Pandora provide native applications to stream audio directly to the iPhone (even over the Edge network, though it requires more buffering). While I haven’t done much research, I believe there are also native iPhone apps that allow you to stream music from Live365.com, which brings live broadcasting to a wide number of users for a price substantially lower than what one would pay to set up a traditional broadcast station. However, for those who have more time to configure their service, there are ways to stream live music using QuickTime. Apparently the Tuner application in the app store will provide connectivity to a generic shoutcast stream (but it isn’t free for the end user).

Just another way that our connected world is providing new opportunities for more and more people. Oh, and of helpful note- the iPhone cannot make or recieve calls while using edge data, so I would only do this on wifi or the 3g network (which does support simultaneous data and voice).

I have random thoughts. I am not disturbed.

In today’s installment, I feel that it is only right to bring everyone up to speed on the “adventures of Matthew.” So much has happened since I last wrote you that I hardly know where to begin. So pull up a chair, grab a warm cup of tea, and let us start at, well, the end of the beginning.

The End of the Beginning

The end of the beginning was marked by a substantially monumental event, one that some thought they would never witness. College graduation, where young men and women transition from professional student-hood to professional old-ism (or more school, cough, Tyler). In my case, I said my tearful goodbye to the carefree days of college and then proceeded to spend the following month engaging in unprecidented levels of uselessness. The days were short, the nights long and party-filled… and life was delightful. Unfortunately, as someone wise once said, all good things must come to an end. Once again, the axiom proved right; I ran out of money.

Before I lead you assume that I was totally useless during my month of relaxation, I was actually quasi-productive. I secured a job with the local Air Force Base, moved a new house, and spent a week in Hilton Head with the family. Because Goverment paperwork takes so long to process, I didn’t actually start orientation until June 23rd, despite accepting the position the first week of May! That should have been a sign. After two weeks of “orientation,” otherwise known as “death by PowerPoint,” I finally got to my desk and started figuring out what grown up life might look like to normal people.

The Beginning of the Next

After a few days to settle into my new area, I started getting a little workload. I got my first paycheck, which ment I could actually afford important things, like food and HD camcorders. And I’m slowly adjusting to the working life. It’s a hard adjustment that has not come without its issues; for example, I still prefer to stay awake until 1am… in fact, I can’t seem to go to sleep any earlier. Unfortunately waking up at 6am doesn’t really work out too well – I’ve found myself napping in the afternoons. Napping! Good grief!

I have also been engaged in various “home improvement” projects. Of course, not my home – that sort of responsibility is unbecoming to someone of my particular level of responsibility, at least for a couple more years. We’ve installed a zip-line, an outdoor movie screen, a home theater system, and are in the process of building a bar and planning a deck. My theories in the field of home improvement may be a little off kilter, but whatever.

In addition to activities around the home front, I’ve been venturing out into the wide world around me. Parties in Atlanta, upcoming trips to LSU, concerts… I’m even hoping to start working on a private pilots license in the next few months, assuming I don’t spend all my money on something else. Fun times, indeed.

In Closing

I know this has been but a brief glimpse at the assortment of strange and wonderful activities with which I concern myself. Unfortunately I don’t have the time nor the recollection to write in detail about every entertaining incident. However, I will attempt to keep this as site up to date with my mischief as possible (and of course the random bits of useful tech advice).

If you want to better stay abreast of current events, be sure to look up my Vimeo page or my Flickr / Facebook photo streams (hopefully I can integrate all of those into this site at a future date). One friend even suggested weekly webisodes centering around “the life of Smitty.” We’ll see about that… I find myself more intrigued than I probably should be.

Of course you can let me know what you think, hit the comment button and write away!

Love ya!

Martha Blalock Hawkins Jolley

MACON – After a 2 year battle with Parkinson’s disease, Martha Blalock Hawkins Jolley, 76. of Macon, passed away at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Sally and Terry Theus. Visitation services will be held Monday, February 18, at 2:30 p.m. (EST) in the chapel of Hart’s Mortuary in Macon, GA with a Memorial Service immediately following at 4:00 p.m. (EST). A graveside service will be held Tuesday, February 19, 1:30 p.m. (CST) at Hillcrest Cemetery in Boaz, AL.

Mrs. Jolley was a member of the Baptist faith, she taught Sunday School and hosted a weekly Radio Bible Hour for Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins during the 1960′s and 70′s. She was a member of Women’s Aglow and hosted a Bible study at the Villas in Macon for several years. Born to Omer L. Blalock and Sally Mae Johnson, she was predeceased by her husband, Robert Hawkins, 5 sisters and one brother.

She is survived by her husband, Rev. Donald Jolley, son Jim (Tammy) Hawkins of Macon, GA, daughters and sons-in-law, Sandra (Judd) Smith of Macon, GA, Sally (Terry) Theus of Macon, GA, 9 grandsons and 2 granddaughters, sisters, Betty Otinger of Boaz, AL, Johnie Lynch of Huntsville, AL, Chessie Mason of Guntersville, AL, numerous nieces and nephews.

Hart’s Mortuary and Crematory in charge of arrangements.

The pictures and video that will be displayed at the visitation are the same ones that I worked with on the “family photo project.”

Speaking of work, I’ve been developing some Windows scripts to help with system administration. They may be simple but I think that they are super-cool! I’ve been learning to work with WMI through JScript (not because I love WSH or JScript or anything, but it’s built into all the machines I manage and JScript looks more like the languages I’m familiar with than VBScript… read this for some other reasons) and it allows me to do some really cool things. The coolest part is that these functions can be executed against either a local machine or a remote machine… which means I could write some scripts that scan the network and create reports of certain configuration settings on all the machines that are found. I’ll be writing more on this later, and probably create a site section dedicated to these code snippets I’ve been creating (they are reusable and can be inserted into many scripts).

Ps, Thank You Kenneth

On a side note, thanks Kenneth for all your comments! If you don’t know, I love receiving comments on my posts (and I reply to them) because it reminds me that people actually read this stuff! It’s fun to have a little dialog on the website from time to time… so if you’re feeling game, don’t hesitate to drop a line – even if it’s just to say hi!

I hate thee, Finals
The preparation I hate
Torment me no more-
I just want to graduate.

Yea I know it’s 5-7-5-7 but whatever. I wrote it.

And yes, so far I’m actually on track for spring graduation! Kind of scary, since I love college. It would be so much better without the work and huge bill… so yea, I guess I should actually get done and move on to the next phase of life.

Now back to writing my Christianity paper…

I’m currently enrolled in an upper level Christianity class at Mercer (the great institution of higher learning) and for the mid-term I was required to pen about 2500 words on the topic of “Sin and Redemption.” I had no idea where to take this, so not only was I a bit late writing it (last minute, actually), I had trouble deciding how to attack the question. I ended up with something along the lines of “how should redemption affect the life of the believer.”

Anywho, if you’re interested in reading eight double spaced pages on a possibly abstract theological discussion, you can download the paper here. (pdf)

Send us the URL to your blog. A comment to this post is all that we ask. I will read your blog. If I know you, that is much better (I like to read about all sorts of people but I really love reading stuff by people I know). If I like it (or if I actually know you), I’ll add you to the list of links on the sidebar. Instant Google (and Technorati, etc) karma for you (yea I know, it’s not much but every little bit helps).

Of course if your link is already over there, I know you, love you, and read you already.

In return, if you like reading about our adventures, consider a lil’ link love (wink wink). The internet gods will love you and I will too.

‘Preciate it!

Now of course if no one replies I’ll feel real special. You know, like the kids on the short bus.