Web Standards, Accessibility & More

Here are five excellent ways to download YouTube videos to your computer. The services work with other streaming video web sites, too, and offer multiple formats to download  such as FLV, AVI, MOV, MPG, MP4, WMV, etc.

1. Zamzar - free online file conversion. Also provides conversion of images, music, and documents! Offers 3 levels of upgraded service for a fee.
2. SaveVid – provides daily and all-time top 10 lists.
3. KeepVid – download streaming videos. Simple and easy web site service. Also offers a bookmarklet.
4. KickYouTube – Download videos from youtube.
5. Flash Video Resources Downloader – a great Firefox add-on.

PS: Here’s a video to MP3 (audio only) service: VidToMP3

two lizards (from Zamzar)

If you like the rock band KISS, or not, their story is very interesting, and inspiring. And you gotta admit, then put on a concert like no one else!

When I was a kid, we were really into KISS. Funny things I remember are:

• Imitating the song “Hotter Than Hell” in my band of 3 9-year-olds (including putting on makeup and lighting fireworks “on stage”).
• My mom taking away my KISS albums because she heard us swearing with the song lyrics.
• Staring at the crazy album covers and drawing some of them.
• Not know what “Love Gun”  meant.

When KISS Ruled The World Part 1  of 5

Here are the rest of the episodes:

• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5

I’m starting to form an AC/DC cover band and am actively seeking members! Location is the South Bay (California) area. If you or someone you know is interested, please comment on this blog post. I will be Malcolm (rhythm guitar). If no other practice space is available, we can use my garage. Will be doing mostly tunes from the Bon Scott era, but also some tracks off Back In Black. No pay, but looking to play gigs later on. Songs targeting as of now include:

• Dirty Deeds
• Problem Child
• Sin City
• Highway to Hell
• Touch Too Much
• Gone Shootin’
• TNT
• Back in Black
• Hells Bells

Highway To Hell album cover

Here are some awesome 1980s music videos on YouTube, hand-picked by yours truly.

• Don’t You Want Me? by Human League
• Stand and Deliver by Adam & The Ants
• White Wedding by Billy Idol
• Rio by Duran Duran
• China Girl by David Bowie
• Wishing by A Flock of Seagulls (below)

A song “Internet Wasteland” from Eddy Boston about web programming and coding. He and a friend dreamed it up over Fish ‘n’ Chips. Some of it is pretty funny, especially the lines about AOL and Adwords. You can read the lyrics in addition to listening to the song.

Eddy Boston is a musician out of Massachusetts. I like the quote from his bio:

If it weren’t for my stupidity, I’d be some kind of genius.

Here are some good songs that are in another language (other than English):

• “Der Kommissar” (Falco, Greatest Hits) German
• “Jardim” (Henri Salvadore, Room With A View) French
• “Girl From Ipanema” (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Finest Hour) Portuguese
• “El Clavo Y La Cruz” (The Plugz, Repo Man Sountrack) Spanish
• “Tour De France” (Kraftwerk, Tour de France Soundtracks) German

I really like the following bands, and at least one point, listened to each one a lot. But here are some songs they did that were very disappointing!

• The Cure “Friday I’m in Love”
• David Bowie “Bluejean”
• Nine Inch Nails “The Hand That Feeds”
• Smashing Pumpkins “1979″
• Duran Duran “Wild Boys”
• Tori Amos “Me and a Gun”
• Madonna “Cherish”