Lorem Ipscream (thanks to Russell for the link) is seemingly just another Lorem Ipsum generator, albeit with a hot design. I personally use the generator at Lipsum.com (or if I’m pressed for time I can just visit http://www.lipsum.com/feed/html to get a 5 paragraph bite of LipSum text) so it didn’t seem to me that Lorem Ipscream would pique my interests.

Then I saw that it has a poetry generator:

Sailing Three Tuesdays
Like omg, I can’t believe that my parents didn’t let me go to the Fallout Boy concert! Channel the spirit of millions of pre-teens to make your perfect sob ballad.

Yes. Perfect. Brilliant.

My generated poem?

Cause we like to see us as a dream, I am guided by the gaze of uncaring faces.
You don’t even care what you think.
Tax away my troubles make me be the same.
Cause we like to take anything.
Sway side to side and watch my blood run cold you’re not cool britannia.
Oh, look what you say.

Oh. My. God.

I actually burst out laughing when I read this. For those of you who don’t read the MySpaces of angsty teens (I’m a teen too, please don’t come for me Chris Hansen) this is very much representative of the bad poetry that is so prevalent on MySpace.

My ex-girlfriend used to write this bad poetry. Seeing a generator that was able to produce poetry at the same caliber was just all the better. Seriously.

I just posted a few new items to my shared RSS feed. Check it out in the sidebar or by visiting the page on Google.

Don’t worry, I am not trying to compete with Scoble.

In consideration of your use of the Website, you represent that you are more than 18 years of age, and are fully able and competent to enter into the terms, conditions, obligations, affirmations, representations, and warranties set forth in these Terms of Use. This Website is not intended for minors under 18. If you are under 18 years of age, please do not use this Website. You acknowledge that the Website may contain material that is inappropriate for minors, and agree that you will not authorize a minor to use the Website.

That quote is taken from section three of the BlogTV terms of use.

I know you are probably thinking, “Yeah? So?”

Well here’s the thing:

I’m 16. Yeah, 16. I tend not to advertise that much, but I am. I’m still in high school. And on the side, I run a successful web design business, do work with Oratos Media, and I’m collaborating with a friend on a fantastic new startup. So if you take out the whole “high school” part, it seems I’m not doing to badly. If I do say so myself.

That’s primarily why it is so frustrating that a site like BlogTV says I have to wait a few more years to use their service. I am sure they’re thinking “we need to protect against potential adult content” and you know what? Fine. I appreciate the gesture. Think of the kids, that’s all well and good. I know my fellow teens and younger kids; that’s probably a smart way to think in terms of the inappropriate content.

However what about the stuff that is appropriate? Why should I be locked out of participation with that? Why can’t I share my comments in those shows? I see no reason why a site like this can’t implement an age detection system such as YouTube. If you’re between 13 and 18, you can see all non-flagged streams. If you are above 18, you can see all streams, including specially flagged streams. A much more inclusive and yet safe system.

Yes, this is a lot of fuss over what might seem like a small issue. However for someone like myself who interacts with adults on a regular basis, it is frustrating to be locked out of services that are seeing more and more use. BlogTV is a perfect example - Second Life is an even better example (although that is a rant for another day).

I could have lied about my age, sure. A little age detector, in all truth, is hardly a deterrent. But I want to build a legitimate, accurate identity for myself online. Lying about my age is not conducive to that goal. Unfortunately, it’s also locking me out of what looks like a really neat service.

As much as I hate to admit it sometimes, I am a Harry Potter fan. It’s an amazing cultural phenomenon and undoubtedly it is changing the publishing industry in a lot of really unexpected ways.

The second trailer for the fifth movie recently landed: and whoa. I am now putting this on my top list of movies to see. This looks insane.

Check it out at Apple.com

I’ve been incredibly frustrated over the past week. I’m trying to develop a new events service. Not a typical “post your kid’s birthday” events service, this is geared toward filmmakers and musicians and artists looking to promote their gigs and shows online.

Unfortunately it’s making me feel like crap because as I’m slowly designing the layout and developing features I’m realizing that I’m encountering the cardinal sin of Web 2.0 - I’m developing features, not products.

This is not a good feeling. Having what you think is a killer idea and then realizing “oh gee, someone else basically got their first.” I speak, of course, of Upcoming and Eventful, the original databases for events. I write down features (for example: pictures for artists/venues. I don’t want to host, why not tie it into flickr or zooomr? oh wait, upcoming does that.) and I realize that, gee, they’ve gotten their first.

I know that the mission behind my concept is different: promote arts and culture, whereas Upcoming/Eventful are just their to help you organize your social calendar. But the mission doesn’t matter when you have nearly identical featuresets. And sure, I come up with the occasional neat feature (oh gee whiz, let’s allow people to review events!) and then twenty minutes later realize “wait, no one would actually do/use that.”

So now I’m at a point where I need to develop a web app. Livelocity failed. This appears to be on the brink of failure (unless I get out of this slump and/or get a big idea fast). I have interest on the dev side, a neat design and a cool name…. now I just need the product.

And for whatever reason, I just can’t get the idea juice flowing.

And it gets me incredibly frustrated.

It has been revealed.

I was in a music festival, playing with a select wind ensemble this past weekend (it’s the reason I missed an interview with IMified which we apparently may re-record anyway!).

It was a pretty cool weekend, usually is, and I received some recordings today from the event. They are now mirrored and in a nice MP3 player on this server.

Check them out here, and give me feedback!