Bullet
This is still the best car chase I've seen in a movie. It is just plane good. I cannot believe it is on google video.
2006-07-30
Sunset
Taken with the "real" camera because I had it out. The angle is a bit
wider and the focus is a bit more clear. The light pole is a good
measure. I'm going to take these pictures until I get tired of it. Or,
they build a space port in the way or something.
 |
Heath and Nikki's party
We went to Heath and Nikki's party yesterday. It was a combination house warming and anniversary. They make a very cute couple.
The pictures are up. I had to remove several of them. This is becoming a disturbing trend. It seems like I have to remove more pictures than I keep. I like publishing the photos. I may have to stop if I cannot figure out what the hell is going on with who wants which pictures on the web. That or put a password on the galleries.
OK, enough complaining.
We had a slow morning. Nat got up and started her day. I fell out of bed an hour later or something like that. I mowed the front lawn after breaking the weed eater. I took a nap because I felt like I was going to pass out. I'm so out of shape. I cannot take twenty minutes of work in the heat without collapsing.. Nat took a very inappropriate picture of me while I slept. We showed up at the party. I took pictures. We schmoozed with friends and new folks. We ate some great food. We both tried to drink a bunch of water. We are trying to drink more water out of health concerns. I type this as I'm drinking the last of a Dr Pepper.
We went to an after hours party at some one's house in Galveston. It was fun, but they were not much on pictures. I also had the camera set wrong and ended up taking a bunch of very blurry pictures. The people were pretty cool though.
Nat woke up sick this morning. She hadn't had a single drink. She had single sip of a drink just to taste it. We figure it was from the cigarette smoke that was at both parties. The second party was more confined smoke. What are you going to do.
We got home at 4:00 or so. The racers were still in the parking lot across the street. Ten minutes after we got here, some police sirens sounded in the distance. I wonder if they are starting to patrol around the racer lot. It would be too good to be true.
Nat and my anniversary is coming up soon. I wonder what cool romantic thing we could do. If you have any ideas that are not too expensive let me know. We are still working on the budget.
We went to Heath and Nikki's party yesterday. It was a combination house warming and anniversary. They make a very cute couple.
The pictures are up. I had to remove several of them. This is becoming a disturbing trend. It seems like I have to remove more pictures than I keep. I like publishing the photos. I may have to stop if I cannot figure out what the hell is going on with who wants which pictures on the web. That or put a password on the galleries.
OK, enough complaining.
We had a slow morning. Nat got up and started her day. I fell out of bed an hour later or something like that. I mowed the front lawn after breaking the weed eater. I took a nap because I felt like I was going to pass out. I'm so out of shape. I cannot take twenty minutes of work in the heat without collapsing.. Nat took a very inappropriate picture of me while I slept. We showed up at the party. I took pictures. We schmoozed with friends and new folks. We ate some great food. We both tried to drink a bunch of water. We are trying to drink more water out of health concerns. I type this as I'm drinking the last of a Dr Pepper.
We went to an after hours party at some one's house in Galveston. It was fun, but they were not much on pictures. I also had the camera set wrong and ended up taking a bunch of very blurry pictures. The people were pretty cool though.
Nat woke up sick this morning. She hadn't had a single drink. She had single sip of a drink just to taste it. We figure it was from the cigarette smoke that was at both parties. The second party was more confined smoke. What are you going to do.
We got home at 4:00 or so. The racers were still in the parking lot across the street. Ten minutes after we got here, some police sirens sounded in the distance. I wonder if they are starting to patrol around the racer lot. It would be too good to be true.
Nat and my anniversary is coming up soon. I wonder what cool romantic thing we could do. If you have any ideas that are not too expensive let me know. We are still working on the budget.
Friend in China
Cynthia took a trip to China on business. Here are her pictures. They require a login to some service. I'm so glad I have my own It sounds like she had a cool time. She has a blog, but won't post anything about the trip <eh-em> because she has abandon the idea of sharing her adventures with the world. Well, I'm outing one of them here.
It looks like she and her bow had a good time. I hope business went well too.
Cynthia took a trip to China on business. Here are her pictures. They require a login to some service. I'm so glad I have my own It sounds like she had a cool time. She has a blog, but won't post anything about the trip <eh-em> because she has abandon the idea of sharing her adventures with the world. Well, I'm outing one of them here.
It looks like she and her bow had a good time. I hope business went well too.
2006-07-29
Oops
I wasn't even mad or anything. I was just trying to get more string to
come out and snap.
My error is obvious. I put the stress point right at one of the holes that are cut in the shaft. I think they do the holes for flexibility. I did not realize I put the handle right smack at the middle of one of the low load points. There goes $40 bucks down the drain. The weed eater still works, it just is in two pieces.
I thought about putting in some kind of brace like a broken leg. I think I should worry more about getting the gas weed eater working. It needs a fuel line. Hey Dad! are you reading this? I wonder what I can use the motor for?
 |
My error is obvious. I put the stress point right at one of the holes that are cut in the shaft. I think they do the holes for flexibility. I did not realize I put the handle right smack at the middle of one of the low load points. There goes $40 bucks down the drain. The weed eater still works, it just is in two pieces.
I thought about putting in some kind of brace like a broken leg. I think I should worry more about getting the gas weed eater working. It needs a fuel line. Hey Dad! are you reading this? I wonder what I can use the motor for?
Business
I remember being ultra paranoid about this stuff. bitched and bitched
about the willy-nilly distribution of jobs around the world. When all
the jobs are gone, who the hell is going to buy the products? Well,
this proves that business is just going to keep squeezing these out
source companies until they push back. Once they push back, business
will just outsource somewhere else. It is a temporary fix for the
problem. People will never learn that you cannot get something for
nothing.
| Outsourced
Call Centers Losing Feasibility? Daniel Pronych writes "BusinessWeek is running an article about how outsourcing call centers in India are no longer an 'inexpensive option' for American companies. These shops are now striving for better outsourced work from the U.S. and Europe multinational companies; many are fed up with U.S. clients trying to continually lower prices. New Delhi-based EXL Services, for example, terminated a contract with Dell Inc. because EXL was losing money in the deal." |
So Late
I read about this stuff in Japan in the mid nineties. It is about
goddamn time it came to the most technologically advanced country on
the planet.
You can use it at vending machines. You can use it at gas stations. It works at toll booths. blah blah. The rub is, it still costs money. You are not getting anything for free here. As for guying a new phone or attachment for my phone. No thanks. I have enough ways to spend my money.
| Forgot
your wallet? You'll need a better excuse than that for passing on the
check. By next year, you'll be able to pay simply by swiping your cell
phone a few inches from a cash register, with a new wireless standard
called Near Field Communication. |
You can use it at vending machines. You can use it at gas stations. It works at toll booths. blah blah. The rub is, it still costs money. You are not getting anything for free here. As for guying a new phone or attachment for my phone. No thanks. I have enough ways to spend my money.
Friday-ides
I so did not feel like being at work This afternoon. it was Friday after lunch and all I wanted to think about was the weekend. I worked on some scripts. I did my job. I was so ready to get out of there. It didn't help that the only thing I had for lunch was a pop-tart. it sucks being broke. I'm saving my lunch money for a date with Nat. I've been looking forward to it all week. I don't even know what movie we will see. I don't care really. I just want to spend some time with her.
Half way through the afternoon a song came on called "Cu'z I got high". It is all about a guy who can't get shit done because he is high. I don't feel quite so bad about my Friday-ides after listening to that song. It could be worse.
I so did not feel like being at work This afternoon. it was Friday after lunch and all I wanted to think about was the weekend. I worked on some scripts. I did my job. I was so ready to get out of there. It didn't help that the only thing I had for lunch was a pop-tart. it sucks being broke. I'm saving my lunch money for a date with Nat. I've been looking forward to it all week. I don't even know what movie we will see. I don't care really. I just want to spend some time with her.
Half way through the afternoon a song came on called "Cu'z I got high". It is all about a guy who can't get shit done because he is high. I don't feel quite so bad about my Friday-ides after listening to that song. It could be worse.
2006-07-27
Day
Same stuff different day.
I need to weed eat.
I need to clean the lawn mower.
There just isn't that much going on. My parents are giving Elle their old computer. She will finally be able to play her games.
The sun is shining.
Elle is playing quietly in the living room while watching TV. She had a crisis five minutes ago that involved a lost dolly.
Same stuff different day.
I need to weed eat.
I need to clean the lawn mower.
There just isn't that much going on. My parents are giving Elle their old computer. She will finally be able to play her games.
The sun is shining.
Elle is playing quietly in the living room while watching TV. She had a crisis five minutes ago that involved a lost dolly.
2006-07-26
Commute
The trip in this morning was wet. Nat and I watched the news last night and they said like eight times that this morning was going to be a mess. I called into the office and someone said the water was not too high yet. Westheimer was covered in a few areas, but not too deep. our poor Corolla is not the high rise type of vehicle. I'm pleasantly surprised that we only got splashed once or twice by passing assholes.
I can tell that someone has done some work on this city's drainage system since I was a kid. Everything was under water when you got three inches in one day back then. Now, only low spots pool. Most of the water runs off quickly. It takes a real deluge to sink Houston these days. It still happens more often than it should. I've probably doomed us now. I hope not. i still remember the story of a women drowning in an elevator going to an underground parking garage during the Allison storm a few years ago.
The trip in this morning was wet. Nat and I watched the news last night and they said like eight times that this morning was going to be a mess. I called into the office and someone said the water was not too high yet. Westheimer was covered in a few areas, but not too deep. our poor Corolla is not the high rise type of vehicle. I'm pleasantly surprised that we only got splashed once or twice by passing assholes.
I can tell that someone has done some work on this city's drainage system since I was a kid. Everything was under water when you got three inches in one day back then. Now, only low spots pool. Most of the water runs off quickly. It takes a real deluge to sink Houston these days. It still happens more often than it should. I've probably doomed us now. I hope not. i still remember the story of a women drowning in an elevator going to an underground parking garage during the Allison storm a few years ago.
2006-07-25
Python tries to find itself. My psycho Python path variable. I have to
jump through all these hoops just to find the stinking modules on
different servers.
setenv PYTHONPATH .:$HOME/bin
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib/python2.4
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib/python2.3
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/local/lib/python2.4
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/local/lib/python2.3
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/local/lib/python2.4/lib-dynload/
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/local/lib/python2.3/lib-dynload/
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib/python2.4/lib-dynload
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib/python2.3/lib-dynload
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib64/python2.4
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib64/python2.3
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib64/python2.4/lib-dynload
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib64/python2.3/lib-dynload
setenv PYTHONPATH .:$HOME/bin
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib/python2.4
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib/python2.3
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/local/lib/python2.4
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/local/lib/python2.3
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/local/lib/python2.4/lib-dynload/
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/local/lib/python2.3/lib-dynload/
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib/python2.4/lib-dynload
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib/python2.3/lib-dynload
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib64/python2.4
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib64/python2.3
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib64/python2.4/lib-dynload
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:/usr/lib64/python2.3/lib-dynload
Jen Rathbun
Sounds like fun.
| Hi
there! I'll be playing with Guy Schwartz and the New Jack Hippies this Friday night (July 28), starting at 8:30pm at Dan Electro's. The evening is called Billy Block's Western Beat, will be videotaped, and you'll get to hear a variety of beats from pop to jazz to rock. The Madisons, Danny Everitt, and Z Rocks will be performing too, so the evening promises to be fun-filled. Dan Electro's is at 1031 E. 24th St in the Heights. Go to www.www.danelectrosguitarbar.com for directions and more info. Yay! Jen www.JenRathbun.com |
2006-07-24
What's in a name?
My first name is Kelly. My father named me this after a buddy of his in the army. I hated the name growing up because it was a girl's name. I went by my middle name which is Michael. Actually, it is Micheal as spelled on my birth certificate. My grandfather misspelled my father's name accidentally as Micheal and my father deliberately misspelled it on my papers.
By the time I got out of high school I realized there are a billion Mikes in the U. S. so I decided that when I got to college I would introduce myself as Kelly. The first guy I ran in to on my floor of the dorm was a flaming homosexual named (wait for it) Kelly. I said "hi, I'm Mike."
My father used the name Hawkeye as a CB handle when I was a very small child in the seventies. Some kid in middle school called me Hawkeye as a cruel joke. The name stuck. Ask Marble about my shooting skills. Maybe the name is apt.
I was called Yellow for a while because I wore yellow tinted sunglasses. Once I found a good eye doctor, that was not a problem any more.
Kelly means warier.
Michael means godlike.
My last name means army scout.
Hawkeye is a name given to good shots.
Yellow was for the shooter's yellow sunglasses I wore at one time.
hmmmm.
I missed my calling.
My first name is Kelly. My father named me this after a buddy of his in the army. I hated the name growing up because it was a girl's name. I went by my middle name which is Michael. Actually, it is Micheal as spelled on my birth certificate. My grandfather misspelled my father's name accidentally as Micheal and my father deliberately misspelled it on my papers.
By the time I got out of high school I realized there are a billion Mikes in the U. S. so I decided that when I got to college I would introduce myself as Kelly. The first guy I ran in to on my floor of the dorm was a flaming homosexual named (wait for it) Kelly. I said "hi, I'm Mike."
My father used the name Hawkeye as a CB handle when I was a very small child in the seventies. Some kid in middle school called me Hawkeye as a cruel joke. The name stuck. Ask Marble about my shooting skills. Maybe the name is apt.
I was called Yellow for a while because I wore yellow tinted sunglasses. Once I found a good eye doctor, that was not a problem any more.
Kelly means warier.
Michael means godlike.
My last name means army scout.
Hawkeye is a name given to good shots.
Yellow was for the shooter's yellow sunglasses I wore at one time.
hmmmm.
I missed my calling.
Sunset
It rained this afternoon. The sun had just disappeared. Again I take a
sunset with no sun in it. Thirty minutes later I could have taken
more pictures.
 |
||
 |
Python
I wrote my first real Python script today. It was just a class containing two methods that kick off xterms with a top and a tail running in each. It took me a while to figure out how to get the parameters to work. I was feeding the strings wrong. At work we are using Python 2.3. To really use process control I need Python 2.4. Oh, well. I'll make due.
My opinion of Python is going up. Every other scripting language in the world allows you to kick off another program in one line. Not Python. There are nineteen different ways to spawn, exec, fork, thread, or subprocess your way to a new process. Every single one of them requires a bunch of work and forethought. Python is powerful, but complex, like a race horse. I have a lot to figure out yet.
Wish me luck.
I wrote my first real Python script today. It was just a class containing two methods that kick off xterms with a top and a tail running in each. It took me a while to figure out how to get the parameters to work. I was feeding the strings wrong. At work we are using Python 2.3. To really use process control I need Python 2.4. Oh, well. I'll make due.
My opinion of Python is going up. Every other scripting language in the world allows you to kick off another program in one line. Not Python. There are nineteen different ways to spawn, exec, fork, thread, or subprocess your way to a new process. Every single one of them requires a bunch of work and forethought. Python is powerful, but complex, like a race horse. I have a lot to figure out yet.
Wish me luck.
Sunset
It is a rare thing to zoom in on a sunset and get a cool picture. This
was one where I wished I could just keep zooming out. The whole sky
felt like it belonged in the picture. There wasn't even any sun
showing. Sometimes those are the best.
 |
 |
2006-07-23
Morning
I stayed up all night. I feel great. Early this morning, as soon as the sun came up, I mowed the front and back yard. It was 8:00 when I nuked the ants in the back yard for the third time. The hills are bumps now. I'm going to get those fuckers. I'm not going to give up. They will all die. No negotiations. No UN. No hostages. I'm species cleansing my back yard and I'm proud of it. I'm declaring a jihad-zine hiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi!!!!! Godless ants. DIE DIE DIE!!!!!!
<rant>
Right now I'm reading about all the stuff going on in the middle east. the shit is being sprayed onto the fan with a fire hose. I laugh wen I read what some people keep saying. People want to blame Bush for the trouble going, then blame him for getting in the middle of Iraq, then blame him for 9/11, then blame him for not doing enough. God!, Shut up. I'm so glad you exorcise your right to bitch about the guy who is fighting tooth and nail to keep you a wash in those rights. It gets me down. I'm going to hang a flag or something. Nat has some military symbols that go in the front yard. We have Military clocks too.
But, what do I know? I'm just a tax paying American. I'm the middle class. The greatest military and best way of life on this planet all rides on my back. I don't mind.
<end rant>
I stayed up all night. I feel great. Early this morning, as soon as the sun came up, I mowed the front and back yard. It was 8:00 when I nuked the ants in the back yard for the third time. The hills are bumps now. I'm going to get those fuckers. I'm not going to give up. They will all die. No negotiations. No UN. No hostages. I'm species cleansing my back yard and I'm proud of it. I'm declaring a jihad-zine hiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi!!!!! Godless ants. DIE DIE DIE!!!!!!
<rant>
Right now I'm reading about all the stuff going on in the middle east. the shit is being sprayed onto the fan with a fire hose. I laugh wen I read what some people keep saying. People want to blame Bush for the trouble going, then blame him for getting in the middle of Iraq, then blame him for 9/11, then blame him for not doing enough. God!, Shut up. I'm so glad you exorcise your right to bitch about the guy who is fighting tooth and nail to keep you a wash in those rights. It gets me down. I'm going to hang a flag or something. Nat has some military symbols that go in the front yard. We have Military clocks too.
But, what do I know? I'm just a tax paying American. I'm the middle class. The greatest military and best way of life on this planet all rides on my back. I don't mind.
<end rant>
House Cooling Party
We are trying it again. This time I plan on attending and not canceling
at the last moment. Hopefully, I can avoid sinus infections.
| House
Cooling Party on September 16 at 18:00 (6:00 pm) until 23:00 or later!
Bring food, alcoholic drink, and chair...we will supply the house.
Please come! |
Worth Watching
CNN has put together a little documentary about Hezbollah. I cannot link to the videos. The links are temporary. I suggest doing a search on Google for - history Hezbollah CNN - and look for the links.
Good luck.
CNN has put together a little documentary about Hezbollah. I cannot link to the videos. The links are temporary. I suggest doing a search on Google for - history Hezbollah CNN - and look for the links.
Good luck.
Pirates of the Caribbean (2)
(My personal review)
Nat and I went to see Pirates 2 this evening. I'm not sending you to the official site because they are prejudice against Linux users. I have to say, it felt like an episode of a boring TV show. The Kraken was cool., but contrived. They killed a lot more people in this one. It didn't have that family feel to it. The ending was cliff hanged like no movie I've ever seen before. It was painful.
The chicken fingers were pretty good. I should have had a glass of wine or something. I wonder if they have already shot three.
Nat liked it. That's good. We don't get as many date nights as she deserves.
(My personal review)
Nat and I went to see Pirates 2 this evening. I'm not sending you to the official site because they are prejudice against Linux users. I have to say, it felt like an episode of a boring TV show. The Kraken was cool., but contrived. They killed a lot more people in this one. It didn't have that family feel to it. The ending was cliff hanged like no movie I've ever seen before. It was painful.
The chicken fingers were pretty good. I should have had a glass of wine or something. I wonder if they have already shot three.
Nat liked it. That's good. We don't get as many date nights as she deserves.
I apologize for not blogging in a while. At least not with any gusto.
Things are happening.
* I'm trying to learn python. It is not as easy as it sounds.
* I'm enjoying one person's displeasure with Wickapedia.
* Watching the fourth season of Family Guy on the computer.
* Nat is planning a house cooling party for sometime this Fall.
* Nat sat down and did the math for the Faire. It is amazing how much it costs just to partisipate.
* I'm trying to learn python. It is not as easy as it sounds.
* I'm enjoying one person's displeasure with Wickapedia.
* Watching the fourth season of Family Guy on the computer.
* Nat is planning a house cooling party for sometime this Fall.
* Nat sat down and did the math for the Faire. It is amazing how much it costs just to partisipate.
2006-07-20
Lunch Conversation
So, we spoke of the Middle East conflict today at lunch. Mostly questions raised. Few solutions other than we need to hurry up and use all the oil in the world. We speculated on the cause of Arafat's death. We bitched about the people with American passports who complained about the slow exodus from Lebanon. Bunch of babies. What the hell were they doing in Lebanon without a plan for escape?
What do I know? I'm safe as houses in my house with my family. I'm protected by the military of this great nation. I'm protected by the will of God. Yadda yadda. No one likes to call it luck. I do not believe in luck. I do not believe in chance. Everything happens for a reason, or many combined and complex reasons. Maybe that is chance. You still do not need to hang out in frigging Lebanon if you don't just plane need to. This time I did participate in the conversation. I have solid opinions on the Middle East. I'm not sure I even care who wins any more. If the Israelis get stomped by a combined effort of every one else in the region, the neighbors will just slip back into a cesspool of hating each other because they don't crack the egg on the same end, or whatever. Israel sitting smack in the middle of the Middle East is the only thing holding the status quo.
So, we spoke of the Middle East conflict today at lunch. Mostly questions raised. Few solutions other than we need to hurry up and use all the oil in the world. We speculated on the cause of Arafat's death. We bitched about the people with American passports who complained about the slow exodus from Lebanon. Bunch of babies. What the hell were they doing in Lebanon without a plan for escape?
What do I know? I'm safe as houses in my house with my family. I'm protected by the military of this great nation. I'm protected by the will of God. Yadda yadda. No one likes to call it luck. I do not believe in luck. I do not believe in chance. Everything happens for a reason, or many combined and complex reasons. Maybe that is chance. You still do not need to hang out in frigging Lebanon if you don't just plane need to. This time I did participate in the conversation. I have solid opinions on the Middle East. I'm not sure I even care who wins any more. If the Israelis get stomped by a combined effort of every one else in the region, the neighbors will just slip back into a cesspool of hating each other because they don't crack the egg on the same end, or whatever. Israel sitting smack in the middle of the Middle East is the only thing holding the status quo.
2006-07-19
Lunch Conversations
The topics at lunch today were haircuts and collage educations. I didn't fit in to either one. I shave my head because I fear watching myself go bald. I didn't make it thought collage because I had not yet learned to compensate for my disability, nor had I learned how to cope with social situations. All the people in the collage conversation were engineers or other four year degree holders. I attended school for over four years all together. I have no idea how many hours I ended up with, but none of them added up to anything. There is a apparently a law now in Texas if you total more than 200 hours (or something like that) you start paying out of state tuition.
I do not miss high school. I do not miss middle school or any school before collage. I mis collage. I never fit in better any where else. Well, perhaps I fit in OK at work. I fit in with specific groups of friends. I don't even fit in online most of the time. Too many kids running around. (insert old coot voice here.) I'm happy where I am. I want for little that is not just a new toy. Things are pretty good. I should remember that more often.
By the way, I did not participate in the conversations. I just sat back and hung on every word. It was nice sitting back and observing the 20% of our society with a degree interact amongst themselves.
The topics at lunch today were haircuts and collage educations. I didn't fit in to either one. I shave my head because I fear watching myself go bald. I didn't make it thought collage because I had not yet learned to compensate for my disability, nor had I learned how to cope with social situations. All the people in the collage conversation were engineers or other four year degree holders. I attended school for over four years all together. I have no idea how many hours I ended up with, but none of them added up to anything. There is a apparently a law now in Texas if you total more than 200 hours (or something like that) you start paying out of state tuition.
I do not miss high school. I do not miss middle school or any school before collage. I mis collage. I never fit in better any where else. Well, perhaps I fit in OK at work. I fit in with specific groups of friends. I don't even fit in online most of the time. Too many kids running around. (insert old coot voice here.) I'm happy where I am. I want for little that is not just a new toy. Things are pretty good. I should remember that more often.
By the way, I did not participate in the conversations. I just sat back and hung on every word. It was nice sitting back and observing the 20% of our society with a degree interact amongst themselves.
2006-07-18
Sick
Man, I'm feeling better. You don't realize how bad you feel during an illness until you feel better. I'm still coughing and have lost my voice, but I feel much better. I've lost my balance, but that always happens when I take cold medicine. I went to the doctor and got some antibiotics. I think they have already kicked in.
It felt good to be back at work. I felt useful again. I don't like missing days.
Man, I'm feeling better. You don't realize how bad you feel during an illness until you feel better. I'm still coughing and have lost my voice, but I feel much better. I've lost my balance, but that always happens when I take cold medicine. I went to the doctor and got some antibiotics. I think they have already kicked in.
It felt good to be back at work. I felt useful again. I don't like missing days.
2006-07-17
Sick
I hate being sick. I hate watching Nat and Elle be sick. I wish I could heal them. I can take being sick myself. Nat and I took Elle with us to the doctor today. I got a prescription and some sample stuff. Basically, I got the go ahead to keep using OTC cough syrup and decongestants. Nat got some prescriptions too. Even with our insurance it was $150 to walk out of Wal-Mart.
I'm going to work tomorrow come hell or high water. I'm not staying home. I'm going to take a bucket of pills with me and just suffer through.
The doctor tried to tell me this is probably a sinus infection brought on by seasonal allergies. Why is my whole family sick? Every one has the same infection or at least the same symptoms. Whatever. I got some antibiotics. I hope they do the work.
Off to help Elle get something out of her nose.
I hate being sick. I hate watching Nat and Elle be sick. I wish I could heal them. I can take being sick myself. Nat and I took Elle with us to the doctor today. I got a prescription and some sample stuff. Basically, I got the go ahead to keep using OTC cough syrup and decongestants. Nat got some prescriptions too. Even with our insurance it was $150 to walk out of Wal-Mart.
I'm going to work tomorrow come hell or high water. I'm not staying home. I'm going to take a bucket of pills with me and just suffer through.
The doctor tried to tell me this is probably a sinus infection brought on by seasonal allergies. Why is my whole family sick? Every one has the same infection or at least the same symptoms. Whatever. I got some antibiotics. I hope they do the work.
Off to help Elle get something out of her nose.
2006-07-16
Day
The home warming party kind of sort of happened and didn't happen last night.
Nat did a wonderful job of planning everything. The only thing that didn't happen properly is that we all got sick. Nat, Elle and I all came down with a nasty sinus cough thing. I told a bunch of people, particularly people at my work, that the party was off. Nat informs me she is still going to do something because several people were coming in from out of town just for this. I started out Saturday morning in a fair mood, but feeling like garbage. It fell apart quickly. Nat and I went to the store to get a few things. I nearly passed out just walking around. I sat down. By the time we got back to the house, I had called my parents and asked my mother to "come get me." I just couldn't fathom staying and listening to a party while I tried to sleep. Nat was understanding, and quite disappointed.
I called Nat five times I think. The folks who showed had a good time. Sylvia and Chuck brought barbecue. Nat got some cooked chickens to make party food out of. We used the free-cycle punch bowl for cool-aid. Brian showed up from work. I got three phone calls from people from my work confirming the cancellation.
I have no idea how to make it up to folks. We are just going to have to have another party when every one is up to snuff. I'm sure I'll get endless lib about missing my own house warming party. No one took any pictures.
The home warming party kind of sort of happened and didn't happen last night.
Nat did a wonderful job of planning everything. The only thing that didn't happen properly is that we all got sick. Nat, Elle and I all came down with a nasty sinus cough thing. I told a bunch of people, particularly people at my work, that the party was off. Nat informs me she is still going to do something because several people were coming in from out of town just for this. I started out Saturday morning in a fair mood, but feeling like garbage. It fell apart quickly. Nat and I went to the store to get a few things. I nearly passed out just walking around. I sat down. By the time we got back to the house, I had called my parents and asked my mother to "come get me." I just couldn't fathom staying and listening to a party while I tried to sleep. Nat was understanding, and quite disappointed.
I called Nat five times I think. The folks who showed had a good time. Sylvia and Chuck brought barbecue. Nat got some cooked chickens to make party food out of. We used the free-cycle punch bowl for cool-aid. Brian showed up from work. I got three phone calls from people from my work confirming the cancellation.
I have no idea how to make it up to folks. We are just going to have to have another party when every one is up to snuff. I'm sure I'll get endless lib about missing my own house warming party. No one took any pictures.
2006-07-14
Sick
I'm sick. I feel like crap. My eyes are gooped over. I'm supposed to mow the yard. My thought hurts. I have to put a bunch of stuff in the attic. Breathing hurts. I have to weed eat. I nearly passed out walking home today. The party has been canceled for tomorrow. Some people are still showing up because they already had travel plans. I plan on being passed out tomorrow from 7:00 to whenever.
Nat made me chicken soup. What a gal.
I'm going to go collapse.
I'm sick. I feel like crap. My eyes are gooped over. I'm supposed to mow the yard. My thought hurts. I have to put a bunch of stuff in the attic. Breathing hurts. I have to weed eat. I nearly passed out walking home today. The party has been canceled for tomorrow. Some people are still showing up because they already had travel plans. I plan on being passed out tomorrow from 7:00 to whenever.
Nat made me chicken soup. What a gal.
I'm going to go collapse.
2006-07-13
CNN
CNN had those bullets (apt name) up on their front page. They missed a
few. They missed the fact that this has been going on for years. They
forgot tho mention the piles of dead on both sides. They forgot the
threats of pushing Israel into the sea. They forgot to think what they
would say if their family home had a missile or artillery hit and some
of their families died. Why doesn't Israel listen to the UN and "calmer
voices"? Because the calmer voices are not stepping up to win the
fight. They sit on their hands and use the fragile freedoms fought for
by past soldiers to bitch and condemn those in the fight.
| Rockets
hit Haifa, Hezbollah denies firing them • Two rockets hit Israeli port city of Haifa, IDF said • Reuters: Hezbollah denies firing rockets at Haifa • Israeli ambassador: Haifa attack "major escalation" • Israel bombs Beirut airport; blocks ports • Hezbollah launches scores of rockets into Israel • Israel, Lebanon officials say violence amounts to "acts of war" |
Quick Comments
I got Natalie, and she's got me. One more reason to be happy about that.
ABC is barking up the wrong tree. As always, they just don't get it.
Make your shows better. Make the ads something people want to watch.
No, we want to take the ability for people to fast forward past the
crap away because we can't make things people want to watch. We are
incapable of actually entertaining folks.
I do not have a DVR. I'm so glad I don't watch TV anymore.
I don't normally quote quotes, but this one was worth it. Go to the
site and look at the poignant and powerful political cartoon.
The shit is hitting the fan in the Middle East. Israel has been
attacked from within (Gaza Strip) and without (Lebanon) by the group
I'm calling the CTS (collective terrorist army). Israel is striking
back hard. They have called in the reserves and have put their air
force on high alert.
I"m getting to the point where I think a knock down drag out fight is
needed between these four. It is not a fair fight because Israel is
against six or eight factions. If it is going to happen it had better
happen before Iran gets nuclear weaponry on line. I believe Israel,
with the backing of the U. S. could destroy the primary strength of the
entire reason. This would not solve the problem. There will still be a
billion people on the Earth who hate the Jews.
I'm not one who thinks every one in the world is supposed to like me or my way of life. They had better leave me the fuck alone and not try to kill me or push my people into the sea. People complain all the time the Western culture "invades" or "pushes out" their culture. Well, when you won't let people express a grievance or show their face in public as in burkas, you are asking for folks to tell you to take a hike.
| People
who live alone are twice as likely to suffer serious heart disease as
those who live with a partner, according to research published on
Thursday. |
| ABC's
President of Advertising Sales, said this week that he would love to
have the opportunity to shut down the "fast forward" button on users'
DVRs. Though he did not claim that commercial-skipping TiVo owners were
thieves, Shaw is clearly unhappy with how easy it is to skip his
network's ads. Shutting down the fast forward feature on DVR isn't an easy proposition, though; ABC would require support from DVR makers, who could build their devices to recognize the presence of a broadcast flag. The flag would tell the DVR whether fast forwarding should be allowed during any particular show. But what DVR maker would want to do this? Shaw told MediaDailyNews that he "would love it if the MSOs [cable companies], during the deployment of the new DVRs they're putting out there, would disable the fast-forward [button]." It doesn't require a great leap of imagination to suspect that ABC is in such talks with cable companies right now. |
I do not have a DVR. I'm so glad I don't watch TV anymore.
| However
depressing, I --like most in the pro-victory camp-- take comfort in the
quiet wisdom of political sages like Victor Davis Hanson: For all the pro da of al Jazeera, the wounded pride of the Arab Street, or the vitriol of the Western Left, years from now the truth will remain that our soldiers did not come to plunder or colonize, but were willing to die for others’ freedom when few others would. Neither Michael Moore nor Noam Chomsky can change that, because it is not opinion, but truth — something that the Greeks rightly defined as “not forgetting” or “something that cannot be forgotten ” (alêtheia). So here's to "not forgetting," and continuing the mission. July 12, 2006 04:09 PM The Long War |
| The
leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah has said two captured Israeli
soldiers will only be returned through talks and a prisoner exchange. Hassan Nasrallah said if Israel wanted to escalate the crisis his forces were ready for confrontation. Israel launched an assault in southern Lebanon using planes, tanks and gunboats following the capture. ... UN Secretary General Kofi Annan both condemned Israel's Lebanon offensive and called for the soldiers' release. ... Hezbollah and the Lebanese Government have brought this assault upon themselves Daniel Schay, Edenvale, South Africa |
| There
are indications of close cooperation between Hamas, which triggered the
current crisis by kidnapping an Israeli soldier a week ago, and
Hezbollah, which executed the most recent outrage. Perhaps a
"full-blown confrontation" with both Hezbollah and Hamas is the only
course now open to Israel. This is the pass to which years of "peace"
talks and "peace" agreements have brought the Israeli people. |
||
| War
may have broken out in the Middle East, as Israel's patience has
perhaps been stretched to the breaking point. Hamas and Hezbollah are
begging for war, and they may get their wish. If it happens, no one
will be betting on them. |
I'm not one who thinks every one in the world is supposed to like me or my way of life. They had better leave me the fuck alone and not try to kill me or push my people into the sea. People complain all the time the Western culture "invades" or "pushes out" their culture. Well, when you won't let people express a grievance or show their face in public as in burkas, you are asking for folks to tell you to take a hike.
2006-07-11
CNN Video
I finally got CNN video working on my Fedora box. It happened just in time to stumble across this story about the worst sentence prize. I like it. Too bad I could not have entered. The examples are very funny. Take a look.
I finally got CNN video working on my Fedora box. It happened just in time to stumble across this story about the worst sentence prize. I like it. Too bad I could not have entered. The examples are very funny. Take a look.
Linux Notebook
I asked a buddy of mine to look at the notebooks from www.System76.com. He thought they were pretty nice machines. I'm thinking a 100 gigabyte drive and 2 gigs of RAM. I like the small laptop with the 12" screen. It will fit in my backpack and I can whip it out easier than the mongo 17" monster. I cannot afford the larger model anyway. Most of what I will do on a notebook is surf the net, chat, email, burn DVDs (data) and watch videos. I'll do wireless stuff too of course. Mainly, I want something that I can rely on. Hence the Linux. There are so many networks to hook into, and all of them have virus problems for MS machines. I will connect with near impunity.
Watch You Hands
There is a video on Google video that is quite disturbing. It is very hard to watch. When I first clicked on it, I did not rad the caption closely. I was negatively surprised by the outcome. It is called "Watch your hands". If you search, you will find it. Add the word "helicopter" if you have any trouble. I recommend not watching it. I have a spoiler below that describes it. I'll try to be less disturbing. We begin this tragedy after the helicopter has landed. Someone's mother, that is just how she acts, gets off the helicopter and runs while ducking toward the camera. She is quickly out of frame all the time saying how wonderful the trip was, how someone else off camera should try it. Then a man exits the same side of the helicopter. He looks to be about thirty or younger. He does not immediately run out of range of the helicopter. He stops and puts one hand on the helicopter just above the door. Then he turns toward the camera. I cannot tell what he is doing, but he is all the time smiling. I'm not sure if he is showing off for the camera or if he is just stretching his arms subconsciously after a long ride in a cramped seat. He reaches upwards. There is a chomp noise and you hear the man grunt in agony. You can just for a frame tell that his hand flew at the camera and quite possibly hit the person holding it. There is blood on the lens. The camera is on the grass. Women are screaming. The helicopter is still powering up for takeoff after dropping the tourists where ever this took place. The video ends. It all takes half a minute or so.
I asked a buddy of mine to look at the notebooks from www.System76.com. He thought they were pretty nice machines. I'm thinking a 100 gigabyte drive and 2 gigs of RAM. I like the small laptop with the 12" screen. It will fit in my backpack and I can whip it out easier than the mongo 17" monster. I cannot afford the larger model anyway. Most of what I will do on a notebook is surf the net, chat, email, burn DVDs (data) and watch videos. I'll do wireless stuff too of course. Mainly, I want something that I can rely on. Hence the Linux. There are so many networks to hook into, and all of them have virus problems for MS machines. I will connect with near impunity.
Watch You Hands
There is a video on Google video that is quite disturbing. It is very hard to watch. When I first clicked on it, I did not rad the caption closely. I was negatively surprised by the outcome. It is called "Watch your hands". If you search, you will find it. Add the word "helicopter" if you have any trouble. I recommend not watching it. I have a spoiler below that describes it. I'll try to be less disturbing. We begin this tragedy after the helicopter has landed. Someone's mother, that is just how she acts, gets off the helicopter and runs while ducking toward the camera. She is quickly out of frame all the time saying how wonderful the trip was, how someone else off camera should try it. Then a man exits the same side of the helicopter. He looks to be about thirty or younger. He does not immediately run out of range of the helicopter. He stops and puts one hand on the helicopter just above the door. Then he turns toward the camera. I cannot tell what he is doing, but he is all the time smiling. I'm not sure if he is showing off for the camera or if he is just stretching his arms subconsciously after a long ride in a cramped seat. He reaches upwards. There is a chomp noise and you hear the man grunt in agony. You can just for a frame tell that his hand flew at the camera and quite possibly hit the person holding it. There is blood on the lens. The camera is on the grass. Women are screaming. The helicopter is still powering up for takeoff after dropping the tourists where ever this took place. The video ends. It all takes half a minute or so.
2006-07-10
Weekend
We went to a one year old's birthday party yesterday afternoon. It was gobbs of fun. Pictures coming soon. I have to say, it was the most fun I've ever had at a one year old's birthday party. Kudos to Justin and Christine, the proud parents.
Premise
Nat and I did not get our normal date night. I missed it. We kept Elle this weekend because she was gone all last week. I have to say, it was fun having her around. Nat and I want to keep her for more of the weekends. Now that she is in school most days and the grand parents want to take her on many of the weekend, Elle is getting tossed around a bit. I just like having her around. She is a bright, funny, happy child. She can throw a fit with the best of them. Those come and go. We can deal.
Friday evening
I don't remember what we did Friday. We ran around and got some errands done.
Saturday
I baptized the yard in bug killer. I also got some weed killer. That comes some time this week.I'll keep you up to date.s Other than that, not much. Nat went to a concert with some friends Saturday evening. I watched Elle.
Sunday Day
Nat got up and did some cleaning. Not bad for having stayed out at a concert. I start charging batteries and getting my stuff together. Nat gets Elle up and running after some debate about what bathing suit to put Elle in for the day. We hit the road and find ourselves in one of the hardest rain storms I've seen in a long time. It was creepy because Nat and I were both glaring at the dark gray side of the sky smack over the direction we were headed. The rain was so thick that folks on the road put on their hazard lights just to be seen. I'm thinking the whole time that the party will be rained out. After about thirty minutes we hit the other side of the mess and it was blue sky. Not only was it clear, but there was a line where the rain stopped. The pavement was dry from there on except for the water dripping off soaking wet cars.
The party was at a ranch far north of Huston. I was a bit wary about going so far, but I'm glad we did.
We drove right past the place. Fortunately, Hank the guy who sings for Justin's band was driving in as we came back.
They have a pool, playgrounds, places to barbecue. They have a train that drives around the lake, but it was down due to track problems. I wanted to go out on the lake in one of the paddle boats, but no one was able to get one launched. Those would have been cool pictures. As it is, I missed a great Red Tailed Hawk bating in the stream. By the time people spotted it, I was pooped and just wanted to sit in the shade. That was fun too because you could watch and talk to people.
Sunday Evening
I heard a story on NPR this morning about robots learning to speak. They went into detail about how computers can have canned responses and even sense the level of someone's mood by listening to the tones of their voice. They cannot understand how someone feels or grasp real sensations like a person can. Much more goes by in a conversation besides words and phrases.
They mentioned empathy. Empathy is the ability to sympathize with someone else's emotional state. It turns out, children do not learn this ability until about age two to three. This is why children can be so cruel. A two year old genuinely doesn't care how you feel when they throw a fit about candy or a toy. They are just out for what they can get. They have to learn. In order to learn, they have to feel the emotions they put on others. They have to have the same things done to them, within limits, that inflict the feelings that they can and will inflict on others. There is no other way to learn it.
Elle threw a fit yesterday when we left the party. It is one of those situations where you just want to explain things to her, but all she does is scream at the top of her lungs. The only way I know how to deal with this is simply get on with my day and wait until she realizes her fit is doing her no good. If we had stuck around and tried to convince her, she would have thought her fit just might work. We left and within a few minutes she had stopped. Her fit failed. it was not five minutes and she was out. The day was full and she was tired and cranky.
I only hope she learned a little bit of a lesson. I hope that was the right thing to do. I fell asleep on the ride home. Poor Nat tells me she nearly stopped to take a nap too. We made it home safe and sound. I walked in, collapsed on the couch and woke up after nine to crawl into bed.
This Morning
I got up early this morning to take the bus. Nat and Elle were both feeling under the weather and stayed home. Thank goodness someone mowed the path along side the street on 1093. I imagine someone who had to swerve to miss me last week called the county and complained. That is how pedestrian rights work these days.
We went to a one year old's birthday party yesterday afternoon. It was gobbs of fun. Pictures coming soon. I have to say, it was the most fun I've ever had at a one year old's birthday party. Kudos to Justin and Christine, the proud parents.
Premise
Nat and I did not get our normal date night. I missed it. We kept Elle this weekend because she was gone all last week. I have to say, it was fun having her around. Nat and I want to keep her for more of the weekends. Now that she is in school most days and the grand parents want to take her on many of the weekend, Elle is getting tossed around a bit. I just like having her around. She is a bright, funny, happy child. She can throw a fit with the best of them. Those come and go. We can deal.
Friday evening
I don't remember what we did Friday. We ran around and got some errands done.
Saturday
I baptized the yard in bug killer. I also got some weed killer. That comes some time this week.I'll keep you up to date.s Other than that, not much. Nat went to a concert with some friends Saturday evening. I watched Elle.
Sunday Day
Nat got up and did some cleaning. Not bad for having stayed out at a concert. I start charging batteries and getting my stuff together. Nat gets Elle up and running after some debate about what bathing suit to put Elle in for the day. We hit the road and find ourselves in one of the hardest rain storms I've seen in a long time. It was creepy because Nat and I were both glaring at the dark gray side of the sky smack over the direction we were headed. The rain was so thick that folks on the road put on their hazard lights just to be seen. I'm thinking the whole time that the party will be rained out. After about thirty minutes we hit the other side of the mess and it was blue sky. Not only was it clear, but there was a line where the rain stopped. The pavement was dry from there on except for the water dripping off soaking wet cars.
The party was at a ranch far north of Huston. I was a bit wary about going so far, but I'm glad we did.
We drove right past the place. Fortunately, Hank the guy who sings for Justin's band was driving in as we came back.
They have a pool, playgrounds, places to barbecue. They have a train that drives around the lake, but it was down due to track problems. I wanted to go out on the lake in one of the paddle boats, but no one was able to get one launched. Those would have been cool pictures. As it is, I missed a great Red Tailed Hawk bating in the stream. By the time people spotted it, I was pooped and just wanted to sit in the shade. That was fun too because you could watch and talk to people.
Sunday Evening
I heard a story on NPR this morning about robots learning to speak. They went into detail about how computers can have canned responses and even sense the level of someone's mood by listening to the tones of their voice. They cannot understand how someone feels or grasp real sensations like a person can. Much more goes by in a conversation besides words and phrases.
They mentioned empathy. Empathy is the ability to sympathize with someone else's emotional state. It turns out, children do not learn this ability until about age two to three. This is why children can be so cruel. A two year old genuinely doesn't care how you feel when they throw a fit about candy or a toy. They are just out for what they can get. They have to learn. In order to learn, they have to feel the emotions they put on others. They have to have the same things done to them, within limits, that inflict the feelings that they can and will inflict on others. There is no other way to learn it.
Elle threw a fit yesterday when we left the party. It is one of those situations where you just want to explain things to her, but all she does is scream at the top of her lungs. The only way I know how to deal with this is simply get on with my day and wait until she realizes her fit is doing her no good. If we had stuck around and tried to convince her, she would have thought her fit just might work. We left and within a few minutes she had stopped. Her fit failed. it was not five minutes and she was out. The day was full and she was tired and cranky.
I only hope she learned a little bit of a lesson. I hope that was the right thing to do. I fell asleep on the ride home. Poor Nat tells me she nearly stopped to take a nap too. We made it home safe and sound. I walked in, collapsed on the couch and woke up after nine to crawl into bed.
This Morning
I got up early this morning to take the bus. Nat and Elle were both feeling under the weather and stayed home. Thank goodness someone mowed the path along side the street on 1093. I imagine someone who had to swerve to miss me last week called the county and complained. That is how pedestrian rights work these days.
2006-07-09
Sunday
We are headed to a one year old's birthday party later today. Elle should have fun. I plan on taking some pictures just for the heck of it. There will be a bunch of coworkers there. It should be a hoot.
I fixed the door to the master bath. It was not locking. Both the master bedroom door and the master bath door were rigged up by someone so they would not lock. The bedroom door was more obvious. Someone had flipped the bold around so if you locked the door it it would just open with a push. The bathroom door was more complicated. The lock would not turn properly. The door would not lock. I took it apart and messed with it for about five minutes. Nat suggested using one of the key locks, but she decided leaving a key nearby was not the best plan. While the mechanism was in pieces, I simply forced the lock lever around in a circle and it made a nasty clunk noise. Ba-da-bing it started working. I put it back together and felt all proud of myself for a bit.
We are off in a minute. The place is all pools and outdoor stuff. I'm in jeans and boots of course.
We are headed to a one year old's birthday party later today. Elle should have fun. I plan on taking some pictures just for the heck of it. There will be a bunch of coworkers there. It should be a hoot.
I fixed the door to the master bath. It was not locking. Both the master bedroom door and the master bath door were rigged up by someone so they would not lock. The bedroom door was more obvious. Someone had flipped the bold around so if you locked the door it it would just open with a push. The bathroom door was more complicated. The lock would not turn properly. The door would not lock. I took it apart and messed with it for about five minutes. Nat suggested using one of the key locks, but she decided leaving a key nearby was not the best plan. While the mechanism was in pieces, I simply forced the lock lever around in a circle and it made a nasty clunk noise. Ba-da-bing it started working. I put it back together and felt all proud of myself for a bit.
We are off in a minute. The place is all pools and outdoor stuff. I'm in jeans and boots of course.
2006-07-08
Notebook
Why do I want a notebook? I don't really have a use for one. One big trouble with notebook computers these days is they want too much money for them. It never fails. I remember when you could pay $1000 for a cheap computer and $2000 for a cheap notebook. Now, the prices have dropped a bit.
Here is one example of a crappy deal. They want $300 for this POS. I would not give them the time of day for that machine.
They do have some fare deals on that site, but they do not sell Linux notebooks. I read a story several years ago about a guy who visited South Korea on business. He found Linux notebooks for sale on the street. They were right beside pirated Windows boxes. I doubt much has changed. I can buy barebones desktops at a couple of different places. I've heard of people getting barebone notebooks. I've never done it myself. Notebooks are far more touchy on hardware compatibility. You are far more likely to get driver conflicts on a laptop.
A Google search reveals one place that looks promising. System 76 even uses Ubuntu.
I want one. I want one. I WANT ONE! GIMMY!
I'm so broke my wallet should be in a cast. I have a mortgage and a family to worry about.
Why do I want a notebook? I don't really have a use for one. One big trouble with notebook computers these days is they want too much money for them. It never fails. I remember when you could pay $1000 for a cheap computer and $2000 for a cheap notebook. Now, the prices have dropped a bit.
Here is one example of a crappy deal. They want $300 for this POS. I would not give them the time of day for that machine.
They do have some fare deals on that site, but they do not sell Linux notebooks. I read a story several years ago about a guy who visited South Korea on business. He found Linux notebooks for sale on the street. They were right beside pirated Windows boxes. I doubt much has changed. I can buy barebones desktops at a couple of different places. I've heard of people getting barebone notebooks. I've never done it myself. Notebooks are far more touchy on hardware compatibility. You are far more likely to get driver conflicts on a laptop.
A Google search reveals one place that looks promising. System 76 even uses Ubuntu.
I want one. I want one. I WANT ONE! GIMMY!
I'm so broke my wallet should be in a cast. I have a mortgage and a family to worry about.
Idiot
This stupid child just topped my list of people who need to be smacked.
This stupid child just topped my list of people who need to be smacked.
| A
15-year-old Singaporean girl was almost refused the right to board a
plane at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on Monday due to her
phone's rather bizarre ring tone. Security guards in the airport got a start when they heard a voice shouting, "I am a terrorist." The "voice" was soon found to be coming from the young Singaporean woman's mobile phone. The girl was immediately required to delete the strange ring tone. She was allowed to board after getting a severe telling off from the airport security officials. |
2006-07-07
Lunch Talk
I heard some folks talking at lunch about the current military situation. They were talking about how North Korea was acting bold in the face of the rest of the world. They didn't seem to think the U. S. had the ability to take North Korea if it came down to it. They thought the U. S. was over stretched. I'm not sure what to think. I've listened to both sides of the argument. I'm unconvinced either way.
If North Korea insists on firing their rockets over other nations territories, then they had better be ready to get smacked in the process. The North Koreans are starving. Their logistics have been guided by a despot hell-bent on destroying his part of the world. I'm not even sure what their leader's motivations are any more. It just seems like he wants to pick a fight and go out in a blinding flash of insanity.
I'm far more worried about Iran. They have a trained military. They have not been under the same kind of sanctions Iraq was for over a decade. They are motivated. They are armed. They have countries in the region (Russia and China for two) backing most of their moves to keep oil flowing. Iran has the UN rapped around it's little finger it seems.
Here I sit in my easy chair pondering the actions of politicians and entire peoples. I live a good life. I live in the best country in the world.
I heard some folks talking at lunch about the current military situation. They were talking about how North Korea was acting bold in the face of the rest of the world. They didn't seem to think the U. S. had the ability to take North Korea if it came down to it. They thought the U. S. was over stretched. I'm not sure what to think. I've listened to both sides of the argument. I'm unconvinced either way.
If North Korea insists on firing their rockets over other nations territories, then they had better be ready to get smacked in the process. The North Koreans are starving. Their logistics have been guided by a despot hell-bent on destroying his part of the world. I'm not even sure what their leader's motivations are any more. It just seems like he wants to pick a fight and go out in a blinding flash of insanity.
I'm far more worried about Iran. They have a trained military. They have not been under the same kind of sanctions Iraq was for over a decade. They are motivated. They are armed. They have countries in the region (Russia and China for two) backing most of their moves to keep oil flowing. Iran has the UN rapped around it's little finger it seems.
Here I sit in my easy chair pondering the actions of politicians and entire peoples. I live a good life. I live in the best country in the world.
Ubuntu Deja Voe
I'm really thinking of going back to Ubuntu. I have had nothing but fits trying to get things to work in Fedora. I've heard of Mac users converting to Ubuntu and liking it. I have to tell you, it is a stable system. Yum sucks. I know they say the dependency checking is better than in apt-get, but all I get are problems. I've had to bail my computer out of holes where yum update stopped working because of one stupid file that was there, but the system thought was missing. Don't tell me about better dependency support when the dependency checks bring the system to it's knees.
At first I cared because I use Red-Hat products at work. I've noticed that I do not use the same intensity of hacking at home. I use the command line almost exclusively at work. I use the GUI far more at home. That is just the way it has worked out.
Ubuntu allowed much better video editing. I was able to convert video formats much easier under Ubuntu. I just liked the set up better anyway. Ubuntu was designed with the users actually in the thought process. Fedora and Red-Hat are set up for developers who hate GUI s in the first place.
One thing that worries me about Ubuntu is the lack of an American partner. I know it has been put together on the Debain platform. I know the main person behind Ubuntu is some nut-job from South Africa who's motivations I do not know. I read somewhere that he hasn't come out and said why he has spent so much money on the Ubuntu project. That means, he may change his mind. I'm starting to think "so what." If he drops Ubuntu, I'll switch to some other distribution. I mean, come on. That is why we have competition, right?
I'm really thinking of going back to Ubuntu. I have had nothing but fits trying to get things to work in Fedora. I've heard of Mac users converting to Ubuntu and liking it. I have to tell you, it is a stable system. Yum sucks. I know they say the dependency checking is better than in apt-get, but all I get are problems. I've had to bail my computer out of holes where yum update stopped working because of one stupid file that was there, but the system thought was missing. Don't tell me about better dependency support when the dependency checks bring the system to it's knees.
At first I cared because I use Red-Hat products at work. I've noticed that I do not use the same intensity of hacking at home. I use the command line almost exclusively at work. I use the GUI far more at home. That is just the way it has worked out.
Ubuntu allowed much better video editing. I was able to convert video formats much easier under Ubuntu. I just liked the set up better anyway. Ubuntu was designed with the users actually in the thought process. Fedora and Red-Hat are set up for developers who hate GUI s in the first place.
One thing that worries me about Ubuntu is the lack of an American partner. I know it has been put together on the Debain platform. I know the main person behind Ubuntu is some nut-job from South Africa who's motivations I do not know. I read somewhere that he hasn't come out and said why he has spent so much money on the Ubuntu project. That means, he may change his mind. I'm starting to think "so what." If he drops Ubuntu, I'll switch to some other distribution. I mean, come on. That is why we have competition, right?
2006-07-06
Booooooooom!
Elle learned a couple of new words while in Kansas. "Firecracker" being the most disturbing. I suppose it could be worse. I remember a friend's child who used to say "Booooooom!" in a scream and ram his head into something. I never witnessed it. I never witnessed the other word they taught him to say either. I like my friends.
Elle informed us she got to play with firecrackers. Great. We spend all week keeping the neighbors from burning our house down and Elle comes back with a new adventure under her belt.
I was nuts over all things on fire or explosive when I was a kid. I grew out of it for the most part. Now, I am the old fart who tells the kids to stay off his grass, even though it looks like shit right now. I like being that guy though. I'm going to get a law blower just to leave it running for no reason at full blast for hours every Saturday morning at 6:00. That will make the neighbors love me.
Chocolate Fall
Staybecca brought in a chocolate fall thing to work today. It was quite
a welcome extraction. She also brought in some fruit and marshmallows.
I had one little tub of the stuff and had to leave before I made myself
sick. Ask my mom about me getting sick from eating too many
marshmallows.
I had enough self control to eat the wonderful kolaches Nat got me for lunch before I dove in the fountain of slow bloated death. I wish I could have brought some for the family.
Someone Else
So, I run tests on big fast computers over night. This morning I noticed a parity error on one of the machines. I was reporting it to the proper person when the spell checker noticed I had misspelled parity. The spell checker wanted to change it to parody. I love the error message that popped in my head.
"Server 9 has a parody error. It is making fun of me. Tell it to stop!!!"
I hadn't had my coffee yet, so it was funnier this morning.
Elle learned a couple of new words while in Kansas. "Firecracker" being the most disturbing. I suppose it could be worse. I remember a friend's child who used to say "Booooooom!" in a scream and ram his head into something. I never witnessed it. I never witnessed the other word they taught him to say either. I like my friends.
Elle informed us she got to play with firecrackers. Great. We spend all week keeping the neighbors from burning our house down and Elle comes back with a new adventure under her belt.
I was nuts over all things on fire or explosive when I was a kid. I grew out of it for the most part. Now, I am the old fart who tells the kids to stay off his grass, even though it looks like shit right now. I like being that guy though. I'm going to get a law blower just to leave it running for no reason at full blast for hours every Saturday morning at 6:00. That will make the neighbors love me.
Chocolate Fall
 |
I had enough self control to eat the wonderful kolaches Nat got me for lunch before I dove in the fountain of slow bloated death. I wish I could have brought some for the family.
Someone Else
So, I run tests on big fast computers over night. This morning I noticed a parity error on one of the machines. I was reporting it to the proper person when the spell checker noticed I had misspelled parity. The spell checker wanted to change it to parody. I love the error message that popped in my head.
"Server 9 has a parody error. It is making fun of me. Tell it to stop!!!"
I hadn't had my coffee yet, so it was funnier this morning.
2006-07-05
farbeldysnarps
This is a word I say when I don't want to cuss. I bet Elle will pick it up any day now. I have no idea when I started using it. I have no idea if I picked it up somewhere or if I made it up one day. It just is, and I like it that way.
Elle's back!!!
We are a family again.
=]-|-<
(=]-|-<
(=]-|<
This is a word I say when I don't want to cuss. I bet Elle will pick it up any day now. I have no idea when I started using it. I have no idea if I picked it up somewhere or if I made it up one day. It just is, and I like it that way.
Elle's back!!!
We are a family again.
=]-|-<
(=]-|-<
(=]-|<
2006-07-04
POP
This is some armature video of some fireworks. Our neighborhood was buzz with popping regardless of the rain. It looks foggy outside, due entirely to the smoke from fireworks.
This is some armature video of some fireworks. Our neighborhood was buzz with popping regardless of the rain. It looks foggy outside, due entirely to the smoke from fireworks.
Flyleaf
Heavy band. The lead singer reminds me of Martika after she has had the shit beat out of her for a while. Thats a good thing. I always thought Martika needed the shit beat out of her. Just to improve her sound a bit I mean.
Heavy band. The lead singer reminds me of Martika after she has had the shit beat out of her for a while. Thats a good thing. I always thought Martika needed the shit beat out of her. Just to improve her sound a bit I mean.
Joke
Why is it that if I look at my watch and then some one asks me what
time it is, I have to look back at my watch before I can tell them the
time? (George Carlin)
| 1. Why does your gynecologist leave the room when you
undress? 2. If a person owns a piece of land, do they own it all the way down to the center of the earth? 3. Why can't woman put their mascara on with their mouth closed? 4. Why is it called alcoholics anonymous when the first thing you do is stand up and say "hi, my name's Bob. I'm an alcoholic"? 5. If you mated a Bulldog with a Shitsu would you get a Bullshit? 6. Why are they called stairs inside but steps outside? 7. Why is there a light in the fridge but not in the freezer? 8. Why does mineral water that has trickled through mountains for centuries have a use by date? 9. Why do toasters always have a setting on them which burns your toast to a horrible crisp no one would eat? 10. Who was the first person to look at a cow and say "I think i'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink what comes out"? 11. What do people in China call their good plates? 12. If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat? 13. Why does Goofy stand on two legs when Pluto remains on four? They're both dogs. 14. What do you call male ballerinas? 15. Can blind people see their dreams and do they dream? 16. If Wile E coyote has enough money to by all that Acme crap why doesn't he buy his dinner? 17. Why is a person who handles money called a broker? 18. If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests? 19. If corn oil is made from corn and vegetable oil is made from vegetables. What is baby oil made from? 20. If a man is walking in a forest and no women is there to hear him is he still wrong? 21. Why is it that when someone tells you that there's billions of stars in the universe, you believe them. But if they tell you there's wet paint somewhere you have to touch it? 22. Why do you call it an asteroid when its outside the hemisphere, yet call it hemorrhoid when its in your ass? 23. Did you ever notice that if you blow in a dogs face it goes mad, yet when you take him on a car ride he sticks his head straight out the window? |
Lawn
I can't cut a break. It keeps raining. The back yard looks like a jungle. The mower instructions had a big warning not to cut wet grass. The ground is mushy so I'll leave ruts if I mow. I have to admit, I had time Sunday morning. The yard was probably dry enough. I was soooooo lazy. I'm sure I missed opportunities.
What else have I missed because of lapses in judgment, or days where I thought too much. I do not put a question mark after that sentence because it is asked so often that no one expects an answer any more. What terrible things have I dodged by sleeping in on the day of the pileup on the freeway. Again no question mark.
I'm glad it's raining. I hope it keeps raining. Last night, our noisy neighbors were shooting off fireworks in their driveway. A couple of the shots came close to our house. Nat asked them to stop shooting near people's houses. She Didn't just ask. She explained that these houses are our lives. We put everything into them. Luckily, one of the other gang-bangers showed up complaining that he got beat up. This gave our pop-o-maniacs the opportunity to drive off in a huff to go get into trouble elsewhere. Nat and I heard sirens a few minutes later and both kind of hoped no one learned too hard a lesson.
The yard is still not going to get mowed today. Nothing much is going to get done. I need to pay bills. Nat and I have a party this evening, but it may be canceled for the rain. That's OK. The house seems so empty without Elle here. It is hard to get motivated.
Oh, well. Time to get off my duff.
I can't cut a break. It keeps raining. The back yard looks like a jungle. The mower instructions had a big warning not to cut wet grass. The ground is mushy so I'll leave ruts if I mow. I have to admit, I had time Sunday morning. The yard was probably dry enough. I was soooooo lazy. I'm sure I missed opportunities.
What else have I missed because of lapses in judgment, or days where I thought too much. I do not put a question mark after that sentence because it is asked so often that no one expects an answer any more. What terrible things have I dodged by sleeping in on the day of the pileup on the freeway. Again no question mark.
I'm glad it's raining. I hope it keeps raining. Last night, our noisy neighbors were shooting off fireworks in their driveway. A couple of the shots came close to our house. Nat asked them to stop shooting near people's houses. She Didn't just ask. She explained that these houses are our lives. We put everything into them. Luckily, one of the other gang-bangers showed up complaining that he got beat up. This gave our pop-o-maniacs the opportunity to drive off in a huff to go get into trouble elsewhere. Nat and I heard sirens a few minutes later and both kind of hoped no one learned too hard a lesson.
The yard is still not going to get mowed today. Nothing much is going to get done. I need to pay bills. Nat and I have a party this evening, but it may be canceled for the rain. That's OK. The house seems so empty without Elle here. It is hard to get motivated.
Oh, well. Time to get off my duff.
Oh! Dear God.
It takes nerves of steel to drive rally. I say the guy with the balls is in the passenger seat.
It takes nerves of steel to drive rally. I say the guy with the balls is in the passenger seat.
UN Taxation
One World Government. Who will rule the world? Absolute power corrupts
absolutely. All must be in check. Leaders must fear those they govern.
I would rather the UN be subservient to the nations subject to it's
rules.
| France
is now charging travelers a new tax on their airline tickets, amounting
to a surcharge of between $1.25 and $50. The French government claims
the new tax is earmarked to help the world's poor. The airline
surcharge, which is based on the traveler's ticket price, came into
effect this weekend. The hope is that eventually all wealthy nations
will participate in this international tax plan. The new tax, pushed through the French parliament by President Jacques Chirac and backed by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, is being hailed and criticized by many throughout the globe. It's being hyped by the Globalists as the "Solidarity Tax." ... It would also help the UN avoid being the target of investigations by member countries when they discover suspicious or corrupt behavior such as the Iraq oil-for-food scandal. |
2006-07-03
Elle
Elle is in Kansas visiting her relatives. I miss her. We got up this morning and Elle wasn't there. I kept looking down the hall toward her room. Elle gives me five when we say good bye as Nat drops me off at work. I really missed that this morning.
Thinking of you Elle.
Elle is in Kansas visiting her relatives. I miss her. We got up this morning and Elle wasn't there. I kept looking down the hall toward her room. Elle gives me five when we say good bye as Nat drops me off at work. I really missed that this morning.
Thinking of you Elle.
2006-07-02
Walk
I went for a walk around the neighborhood. I used the excuse of walking to Home Depot as a cover. I could not find the bug killer in the garage. It was ten dollars worth of poison that should last five years. It's gone now. Nat will take one look around the place and find it I'm sure. That or someone walked off with it. A lot of people have been in that garage. It has been set someplace, I'm sure.
Anyway, I walked through the neighborhood instead of walking down 1093. The weeds push me out in the street. I walked down the trail that goes long side the creek. It wasn't a bad walk. There are no sidewalks of course. At least someone mows occasionally. It ends up straight at one of the bus stops behind the mall. The way I took through the streets was quite a distance out of my way. by the time I got to the back of the mall, I knew it was to much to haul a jug of whatever back to the house.
It felt good to get out of the house and jut wonder the surrounding area. There is a sidewalk not far from our place that skips about four meters. It is the line between the newer houses, on our side, and the older houses around the corner. There are trees smack in the middle of the path for the sidewalk. I wonder if they were there for years. The contrast is interesting. The older sidewalks are sunken and broken. The grass has grown over in bits. The trees drop shadows. The new sidewalk is bright, but bare. There are no trees bigger than my thumb on this side yet.
I meant to mow the yard this morning. The ground is mushy from all the rain. The back yard is about to look like the lot next door. On my walk, I noticed a bunch of houses with poorly mowed yards. There were several that looked nice. It looks like every other neighborhood in the world I suppose.
I'm watching an old cowboy movie called "The Proud Ones" right now. I'll have to get it after work, or on the Fourth. I have the Fourth of July off, but not Monday. A bunch of folks took tomorrow off. I'll find plenty to get done, don't worry. A coworker recommended chair races. Another mentioned office Olympics like on the show "Office". I'm not sure about that. I can't wait to find out what kind of day tomorrow becomes.
Now, it's raining outside. It's a good thing I got the wonder out of me.
I went for a walk around the neighborhood. I used the excuse of walking to Home Depot as a cover. I could not find the bug killer in the garage. It was ten dollars worth of poison that should last five years. It's gone now. Nat will take one look around the place and find it I'm sure. That or someone walked off with it. A lot of people have been in that garage. It has been set someplace, I'm sure.
Anyway, I walked through the neighborhood instead of walking down 1093. The weeds push me out in the street. I walked down the trail that goes long side the creek. It wasn't a bad walk. There are no sidewalks of course. At least someone mows occasionally. It ends up straight at one of the bus stops behind the mall. The way I took through the streets was quite a distance out of my way. by the time I got to the back of the mall, I knew it was to much to haul a jug of whatever back to the house.
It felt good to get out of the house and jut wonder the surrounding area. There is a sidewalk not far from our place that skips about four meters. It is the line between the newer houses, on our side, and the older houses around the corner. There are trees smack in the middle of the path for the sidewalk. I wonder if they were there for years. The contrast is interesting. The older sidewalks are sunken and broken. The grass has grown over in bits. The trees drop shadows. The new sidewalk is bright, but bare. There are no trees bigger than my thumb on this side yet.
I meant to mow the yard this morning. The ground is mushy from all the rain. The back yard is about to look like the lot next door. On my walk, I noticed a bunch of houses with poorly mowed yards. There were several that looked nice. It looks like every other neighborhood in the world I suppose.
I'm watching an old cowboy movie called "The Proud Ones" right now. I'll have to get it after work, or on the Fourth. I have the Fourth of July off, but not Monday. A bunch of folks took tomorrow off. I'll find plenty to get done, don't worry. A coworker recommended chair races. Another mentioned office Olympics like on the show "Office". I'm not sure about that. I can't wait to find out what kind of day tomorrow becomes.
Now, it's raining outside. It's a good thing I got the wonder out of me.
2006-07-01
So, Nat gets a phone call from Bill. Bill took Elle until Wednesday for
a family thing up in Kansas. Ironically, my family is in Kansas this
week too. Anyway. Nat sees Bill's name on the phone and answers "Did
y'all make it safe." and Elle answers "We at Dady's" Nat cried. Our
little one is getting big very fast. She is so cute too.
The Al Quaeda Times
A bunch of blogs are mad at the New York Times for publishing several
addresses of prominent people like the Vice President. Apparently, the
paper didn't break the law. There is no law against jumping in the deep
end if you do not know how to swim. It is just common sense. The NYT
feels like it is floundering
these days.
| Once
again, we learn that the motto of the America-hating Left is “standards
are good, double standards are twice as good.” |
UN Attacks Israel ... Again.
I've already made my decision to dislike the United Nations. I'm
approaching hatred. If the UN is being run by the enemies of the U. S.
then the UN becomes the enemy of the U. S. That is all.
How long is it before our enemies use the our "friends" to attack the U. S.? Well, there has already been whispers of a rescue action on Guantanamo. Of course, they are talking about legal action. The line looks good in print. I suppose I can play the tell a partial truth to get a hit or two game as well.
This is the sort of deceit that I know is used against the U. S. and her friends.
| Once
again, we see that the UN has become corrupted by the anti-semitism and
the dictatorships of its membership. This goes down the same corrupt
path as the panel it replaced, avoiding consideration of real
human-rights abusers such as Iran, Cuba, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia. Instead
they attack Western democracies by attempting to paint them as evil
oppressors when nothing could be further from the truth. |
How long is it before our enemies use the our "friends" to attack the U. S.? Well, there has already been whispers of a rescue action on Guantanamo. Of course, they are talking about legal action. The line looks good in print. I suppose I can play the tell a partial truth to get a hit or two game as well.
This is the sort of deceit that I know is used against the U. S. and her friends.
Tell Me Your Story
There is a lot to be said about watching TV. I found out today that some of my coworkers have given up TV. That sounds good to me. I'm not sure I have the strength for such a heroic act. Even if I cheated and only watched stuff on my computer (you know what I mean) it would be difficult. The only show I watch on a common basis is The Simpson's. Nat has a few shows she watches. I try to sit with her for some of them. I'm glad she is not in to the "reality" shows. If I could figure out a way to hook my computer to the TV and play movies, I think we would spend more time together as a family.
Elle snags the TV most of the time watching the same movies over and over until Nat and I want to climb the walls. Kids can do that. I think it is an inborn need to memorize and learn. Kids may not learn faster than adults, they might just pay better attention to certain things.
When I was a kid, I watched TV non stop. I spoke with a coworker today and she says she hardly ever watched TV as a kid. She said that is why she is so day-dreamy. No, I'm very day-dreamy. I think that would have been there anyway.
My opinion of TV drops by the day. Most shows suck. I use my friends as filters. That is how I found Lost. I waited until the end of the second season before I watched single show. It was worth the wait. Someone came in a bragged about how great the story was and I was intrigued.
I think this is how I'm going to do TV from now on. A) let my friends complain about how bad all then new shows are. I can then know that I skipped them for good reason. B) Listen for the names of shows that keep coming up in conversation. It is not a big deal to not have seen most of them. The stories have been told so many times I can guess most of the plots. That is why I like Lost. I cannot predict many of the things that happen. C) Listen for the gems that people rave about.
Somewhere in the middle, I'll find good experiences and some bad ones. People seem to like stupid shows like Friends. I catch Friends every couple of nights just because it is on. That is the kind of show I want to avoid. They are like a narcotic.They are mindless trappings for the attention. They are something to keep us from having to talk to each other. I hate that.
I find SciFi entertaining. I like things I cannot predict. I like things that teach me something. Even if it didn't mean to learn. That is where CSI type shows come in. They at least let a few facts slip by every now and again. I catch myself watching CSI XYZ when I'm nod doing other things. Mostly I read blogs when I can.
I like blogs because they are usually something that is going through someone's head right now. You get a sense of the moment most of the time. Reporters train for years to remove themselves from the story. Blogs are the other way round. It is when the bloggers have themselves in the story that the blogs are the best. Blogs from Iraq, blogs about people in the military, blogs about people who love training animals. The people talking about the thing that is happening are in the story themselves.
I get a funny feeling that all the media companies have it wrong. It is not the device that brings you the shows, or the shows themselves that will bring us into the next entertaining means of communication. I believe it will be normal people who tell their story. Then we realize there is no such thing as normal. Every story is unique and there for interesting.
What is your story?
There is a lot to be said about watching TV. I found out today that some of my coworkers have given up TV. That sounds good to me. I'm not sure I have the strength for such a heroic act. Even if I cheated and only watched stuff on my computer (you know what I mean) it would be difficult. The only show I watch on a common basis is The Simpson's. Nat has a few shows she watches. I try to sit with her for some of them. I'm glad she is not in to the "reality" shows. If I could figure out a way to hook my computer to the TV and play movies, I think we would spend more time together as a family.
Elle snags the TV most of the time watching the same movies over and over until Nat and I want to climb the walls. Kids can do that. I think it is an inborn need to memorize and learn. Kids may not learn faster than adults, they might just pay better attention to certain things.
When I was a kid, I watched TV non stop. I spoke with a coworker today and she says she hardly ever watched TV as a kid. She said that is why she is so day-dreamy. No, I'm very day-dreamy. I think that would have been there anyway.
My opinion of TV drops by the day. Most shows suck. I use my friends as filters. That is how I found Lost. I waited until the end of the second season before I watched single show. It was worth the wait. Someone came in a bragged about how great the story was and I was intrigued.
I think this is how I'm going to do TV from now on. A) let my friends complain about how bad all then new shows are. I can then know that I skipped them for good reason. B) Listen for the names of shows that keep coming up in conversation. It is not a big deal to not have seen most of them. The stories have been told so many times I can guess most of the plots. That is why I like Lost. I cannot predict many of the things that happen. C) Listen for the gems that people rave about.
Somewhere in the middle, I'll find good experiences and some bad ones. People seem to like stupid shows like Friends. I catch Friends every couple of nights just because it is on. That is the kind of show I want to avoid. They are like a narcotic.They are mindless trappings for the attention. They are something to keep us from having to talk to each other. I hate that.
I find SciFi entertaining. I like things I cannot predict. I like things that teach me something. Even if it didn't mean to learn. That is where CSI type shows come in. They at least let a few facts slip by every now and again. I catch myself watching CSI XYZ when I'm nod doing other things. Mostly I read blogs when I can.
I like blogs because they are usually something that is going through someone's head right now. You get a sense of the moment most of the time. Reporters train for years to remove themselves from the story. Blogs are the other way round. It is when the bloggers have themselves in the story that the blogs are the best. Blogs from Iraq, blogs about people in the military, blogs about people who love training animals. The people talking about the thing that is happening are in the story themselves.
I get a funny feeling that all the media companies have it wrong. It is not the device that brings you the shows, or the shows themselves that will bring us into the next entertaining means of communication. I believe it will be normal people who tell their story. Then we realize there is no such thing as normal. Every story is unique and there for interesting.
What is your story?
RM
Why, WHY dose it take ten minutes to remove a folder in Linux? Actually, it is different lengths of time for different servers. There is nothing going on on either of these servers. One takes ten minutes to remove a folder. The other does it in a few seconds. They are not all that far apart on the performance curve. I just don't understand why it takes that long. There are not that many files. The hierarchy is not that complex. It is one of those mysteries.
sudo rm -rf /*
And the universe collapsed on itself.
Why, WHY dose it take ten minutes to remove a folder in Linux? Actually, it is different lengths of time for different servers. There is nothing going on on either of these servers. One takes ten minutes to remove a folder. The other does it in a few seconds. They are not all that far apart on the performance curve. I just don't understand why it takes that long. There are not that many files. The hierarchy is not that complex. It is one of those mysteries.
sudo rm -rf /*
And the universe collapsed on itself.
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