| ONE
FINE FALL DAY AT THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME A very self-important college freshman at a recent football game, took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen sitting next to him why it was impossible for the older generation to understand his own. "You grew up in a different, actually almost primitive, world," the student said loud enough for the whole crowd to hear. "We young people today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon, our spaceships have visited Mars. We even have nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars, computers with light-speed processing ...and uh.." Taking advantage of a pause for breath in the student's litany, the "wizened" one said, "You're right, Son. We didn't have those things when we were young, so we invented them you arrogant young pup!! Now what are you doing for the next generation?" From a friend's mail
|
2006-02-25
Generations
This sort of thing will always be true.
Death penalty in Texas.
I heard somewhere that Texas did not call it "capital murder". I was
wrong.
| In
Texas, the district courts have original jurisdiction for all criminal
felony cases. If an individual is convicted of a capital felony, he or
she may be subject to punishment by death, if the State sought such
punishment. A capital felony is one in which an individual
"intentionally or knowingly causes the death of an individual," under
special circumstances. In particular, the: # murder of a public safety officer, firefighter, or correctional employee; # murder during the commission of specified felonies (kidnapping, burglary, robbery, aggravated rape, arson); # murder for remuneration; multiple murders; # murder during prison escape; murder of a correctional officer; # murder by a state prison inmate who is serving a life sentence for any of five offenses; [or] # murder of an individual under six years of age1. In Texas, a person must be of at least 17 years of age at the time of the crime to have the death penalty imposed upon him or her2. |
2006-02-24
Day
I felt pretty good today. I got over a pretty good hump on my first project. It took much longer than It would have if I were already proficient in the TCL language. I suppose that's normal.
Nat and I are headed to the rodeo cook-off tomorrow. It should be fun. As I type this, we are at my parent's place. Nat and my mom went to the drug store for something. My dad is playing with Elle. I'm, of course, in on the computer tapping away on my blog. There is a seventy percent chance of rain tomorrow. I'm planning on getting wet. I hope nothing bad happens to our car. I've heard bad things about the parking and ride.
I got to go over to DnD night last night. I only stayed for a bit, but it was enough to make me want to do it more. I'm not sure when we plan on playing again. Hopefully soon.
I want to get Nat on EveOnline. I think she would either think it was over complex and ignore it, or she would love it.
My parents have cable. Battlestar Galactica is on. Drat. I'm going to get hooked. ... Uh, oh. This is one of those "thinking" episodes.
I felt pretty good today. I got over a pretty good hump on my first project. It took much longer than It would have if I were already proficient in the TCL language. I suppose that's normal.
Nat and I are headed to the rodeo cook-off tomorrow. It should be fun. As I type this, we are at my parent's place. Nat and my mom went to the drug store for something. My dad is playing with Elle. I'm, of course, in on the computer tapping away on my blog. There is a seventy percent chance of rain tomorrow. I'm planning on getting wet. I hope nothing bad happens to our car. I've heard bad things about the parking and ride.
I got to go over to DnD night last night. I only stayed for a bit, but it was enough to make me want to do it more. I'm not sure when we plan on playing again. Hopefully soon.
I want to get Nat on EveOnline. I think she would either think it was over complex and ignore it, or she would love it.
My parents have cable. Battlestar Galactica is on. Drat. I'm going to get hooked. ... Uh, oh. This is one of those "thinking" episodes.
2006-02-23
Day
Another busy day. I learned that you can not get TCL to make a soft link unless you have the latest version. That is geeky. I must have learned something else. I cannot think. I'm so tired. Nat is worn out too. She went shopping with a friend all day. The friend lives in BFE so Nat and Elle had to pick her up and drive all over hell and gone. I ended up over at Adam's place for DnD night. I didn't play. Nat swung by to pick me up.
My God! that's boring. Why am I so tired after such a boring day?
Another busy day. I learned that you can not get TCL to make a soft link unless you have the latest version. That is geeky. I must have learned something else. I cannot think. I'm so tired. Nat is worn out too. She went shopping with a friend all day. The friend lives in BFE so Nat and Elle had to pick her up and drive all over hell and gone. I ended up over at Adam's place for DnD night. I didn't play. Nat swung by to pick me up.
My God! that's boring. Why am I so tired after such a boring day?
2006-02-22
Joke
A buddy of mine sent me this in an email. Too funny. I am so very sick
of hearing about the accident. I've never been hunting. I know that it
is a dangerous hobby. At least as dangerous as say, playing full
contact football.
| New
Texas Parks and Wildlife Rules Due to the shooting of an Attorney by Vice President Cheney, there needs to be some clarification of the rules and regulations. Here are the new regulations: 1. Any person with a valid State hunting license may harvest attorneys. 2. The taking of attorneys with traps or deadfalls is permitted. The use of currency as bait is prohibited. 3. The killing of attorneys with a vehicle is prohibited. If accidentally struck, remove road kill to roadside, then proceed to nearest car wash. 4. It is unlawful to chase, herd, or harvest attorneys from a helicopter or other aircraft. 5. It shall be unlawful to shout, "whiplash," "ambulance!" or, "Free Perrier!" for the purposes of trapping attorneys. 6. It shall be unlawful to use cocaine, young boys, $100 bills, prostitutes, or vehicle accidents to attract attorneys. 7. It shall be unlawful to hunt attorneys within 200 yards of whorehouses, health spas, ambulances, or hospitals. 8. If an attorney is elected to government office, there will be a $500 bounty on the pelt. 9. Stuffed or mounted attorneys must have a state health department inspection for rabies, vermin and contagious diseases. 10. It shall be illegal for a hunter to disguise himself as a reporter, drug dealer, pimp, female law clerk, sheep, accident victim, bookie, or tax accountant for the purposes of hunting attorneys. Attorney Bag Limits: Yellow-Bellied Sidewinder = 5 Hairless Civil Libertarian = 7 Skinny-Assed Ambulance Chaser = 12 Horse or Cattle Rustler Defender = 20 Silver-Tongued Murderer Defender = 50 Jack-Legged Divorce Litigator = No limit Honest Attorney = Extinct GOOD HUNTING! |
Song
I have the theme song to Sesame Street going through my head. I can't remember the last time I heard that song. Someone please make it stop.
2006-02-21
Religion of Peace
Please, can someone give these
folks their own country to run. ... Pretty please.
| Details
released by the Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) on Tuesday revealed that
graphics appearing on the Hamas website call for the destruction of
Israel in a nuclear holocaust. On the website, a red Star of David is encased in a black rectangle which is then obliterated in a nuclear explosion. |
2006-02-20
Time
No time to blog. Life, life all over the place. Good though. Good directions. Fast. Fast and bumpy. Fun. Many times fun.
=]
More blogging soon, promise.
No time to blog. Life, life all over the place. Good though. Good directions. Fast. Fast and bumpy. Fun. Many times fun.
=]
More blogging soon, promise.
2006-02-19
Flash
I finally got Flash working with sound on my Ubuntu box. Bastards can't hold me down for log. People keep sending me links of cool videos on video.google.com. It drove me nuts not having no sound. I finally found some pretty simple instructs that said to install the binary from Macromedia instead of through the automatic installers that so many distros are using these days like yum and synaptic.
I'm glad I got if fixed too because they have some cool videos on Google.
Some of the videos below have strong language. If you look too closely, there may be some nudity too. Watch at your own risk.
4x4 and other vehicle stuff
Most impressive 4x4 rock climbing effort ever.
Frozen mud 4x4.
French excuse for 4x4.
Building a 4x4 (long, but some cool burnouts.)
Tonka-toy mud-boggers.
Real toy 4x4.
Nasty roll-over.
Trials bike making it look easy.
Rally crash.
More Rally crash.
Air
Aquatic plane crash. (I don't think any one got hurt.)
RC chopper Just as dangerous as the real thing.
Chopper crash military. Funny story here. I actually carried this video with me on my thumb drive for a while just to show people. I have no idea if any one got hurt.
Video game chopper action.
Gumball
Gumball 3000 movie.
Back of truck.
"My foot is all the way down."
One person's idea of a best of.
One participant's home video.
Other
potato gun.
I finally got Flash working with sound on my Ubuntu box. Bastards can't hold me down for log. People keep sending me links of cool videos on video.google.com. It drove me nuts not having no sound. I finally found some pretty simple instructs that said to install the binary from Macromedia instead of through the automatic installers that so many distros are using these days like yum and synaptic.
I'm glad I got if fixed too because they have some cool videos on Google.
Some of the videos below have strong language. If you look too closely, there may be some nudity too. Watch at your own risk.
4x4 and other vehicle stuff
Most impressive 4x4 rock climbing effort ever.
Frozen mud 4x4.
French excuse for 4x4.
Building a 4x4 (long, but some cool burnouts.)
Tonka-toy mud-boggers.
Real toy 4x4.
Nasty roll-over.
Trials bike making it look easy.
Rally crash.
More Rally crash.
Air
Aquatic plane crash. (I don't think any one got hurt.)
RC chopper Just as dangerous as the real thing.
Chopper crash military. Funny story here. I actually carried this video with me on my thumb drive for a while just to show people. I have no idea if any one got hurt.
Video game chopper action.
Gumball
Gumball 3000 movie.
Back of truck.
"My foot is all the way down."
One person's idea of a best of.
One participant's home video.
Other
potato gun.
2006-02-18
Fusion
I hate it when the big boy on the block has the best product. GM gets a pass only because they have so much competition these days. It pisses me off when Microsoft comes out with something new and innovative that really works. I feel the same way about Gillette. I've been using their three bladed razors for years. Before that I used some two bladed version. Well now, I've moved right past four blades to the new five bladed Fusion.
I was running low on razors for the three bladed product. Nat let me use her woman version of a similar design. I have to admit, the handle was much easier to hold and maneuver around my head. I've tried some disposable razors lately, but they always seem to cut me and leave more razor burn behind. Well the Fusion has one of those nice grips and the little extra blade that faces backwards at the top really works to get under my nose hand bits around my ear that always confound me when I shave.
There is nothing line a smooth shaved head. Something about a fresh shave makes me feel clean. The old three bladed razor never really cut me except when it was my fault. That is, until the last cartridge. I probably put a hundred threw the ringer without a mishap. Thursday, I cut a mole and it bled all day. It is ironic that I already had the new razor sitting next to it on the sink.
Darn it! The biggest most expensive company in the name of shaving has come out with a superior product again. I hate that. Will someone please out perform these dopes and let me know about it.
Thanks Nat for finding new razor. I needed it.
I hate it when the big boy on the block has the best product. GM gets a pass only because they have so much competition these days. It pisses me off when Microsoft comes out with something new and innovative that really works. I feel the same way about Gillette. I've been using their three bladed razors for years. Before that I used some two bladed version. Well now, I've moved right past four blades to the new five bladed Fusion.
I was running low on razors for the three bladed product. Nat let me use her woman version of a similar design. I have to admit, the handle was much easier to hold and maneuver around my head. I've tried some disposable razors lately, but they always seem to cut me and leave more razor burn behind. Well the Fusion has one of those nice grips and the little extra blade that faces backwards at the top really works to get under my nose hand bits around my ear that always confound me when I shave.
There is nothing line a smooth shaved head. Something about a fresh shave makes me feel clean. The old three bladed razor never really cut me except when it was my fault. That is, until the last cartridge. I probably put a hundred threw the ringer without a mishap. Thursday, I cut a mole and it bled all day. It is ironic that I already had the new razor sitting next to it on the sink.
Darn it! The biggest most expensive company in the name of shaving has come out with a superior product again. I hate that. Will someone please out perform these dopes and let me know about it.
Thanks Nat for finding new razor. I needed it.
Day
I woke up today with a stiff back. Actually, I tossed and turned all night with it. It happens every time I change my seating in front of the computer. With the new job comes some new posture. We use dual screens and of course, I have to stretch a bit to get to the right hand screen because I sit so close to the monitors. I'm surprised it took this long for the back ache to show up. I need to raise my monitors up a bit at work. I may have to find some old C++ books like I use at home. If I had the money I would get another set of small metal shelves like I used to use at the house. Those are $50 or so. It might be a while. There is a gentleman who makes risers at work who might be bribed into making one for me. I'm sure I'll let y'all know how it goes.
Nat and I are off to a movie in a bit. It is a who-done-it about a kidnapped child. I'm looking forward to the BLT and a glass of beer.
Nat and I had a nice talk earlier. We covered some of those topics only people who have been in a relationship for sometime cover. It was good to get things out. That kind of thing should happen more often.
I woke up today with a stiff back. Actually, I tossed and turned all night with it. It happens every time I change my seating in front of the computer. With the new job comes some new posture. We use dual screens and of course, I have to stretch a bit to get to the right hand screen because I sit so close to the monitors. I'm surprised it took this long for the back ache to show up. I need to raise my monitors up a bit at work. I may have to find some old C++ books like I use at home. If I had the money I would get another set of small metal shelves like I used to use at the house. Those are $50 or so. It might be a while. There is a gentleman who makes risers at work who might be bribed into making one for me. I'm sure I'll let y'all know how it goes.
Nat and I are off to a movie in a bit. It is a who-done-it about a kidnapped child. I'm looking forward to the BLT and a glass of beer.
Nat and I had a nice talk earlier. We covered some of those topics only people who have been in a relationship for sometime cover. It was good to get things out. That kind of thing should happen more often.
2006-02-16
Give 'em Hell France
Is France waking up and dropping a set? Could it be true? I think they
just cant avoid the blazingly obvious truth that the leadership in Iran
is hell bent on destroying an entire race/religion/country no matter
what the cost.
| Iran's
nuclear activity is a cover for a clandestine weapons program, French
Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has said in France's most direct
attack on Tehran in the escalating international dispute. Iran's chief nuclear negotiator immediately dismissed the charge, insisting that Iran did not "want to have the bomb." CNN
|
2006-02-15
Which SciFi Crew am I?
I have no idea how accurate this is. I do not picture myself as a
member of this crew. I thought Star Trek or something. Well, I'm not
that great with so many rules. I remember an episode where a boring guy
had a boring job doing boring work, and he loved it. He hated it when
he had to take on an adventure. He wanted his dark corner and his well
known toil.
I like windows. I like trees. If I could work in a tree house, I probably would. Well, except for all the smelly thieving Jawas.
|
I like windows. I like trees. If I could work in a tree house, I probably would. Well, except for all the smelly thieving Jawas.
2006-02-14
Rampage
Rampage: The Hillside
Strangler Murders
Lots of sweeping shots of blinking signs. The director must have bought one of those booms that let you free-rotate the camera. The same shot is repeated fifty times through the movie. They make up for a really crappy story about some dead chicks by having lots and I mean LOTS of great sex scenes and some well done nude shots. It was difficult to catch an interesting shot that didn't have six pares of boobs.
I find myself in a quandary. I'll have to watch a couple more times to really come up with a rating.
 |
Lots of sweeping shots of blinking signs. The director must have bought one of those booms that let you free-rotate the camera. The same shot is repeated fifty times through the movie. They make up for a really crappy story about some dead chicks by having lots and I mean LOTS of great sex scenes and some well done nude shots. It was difficult to catch an interesting shot that didn't have six pares of boobs.
I find myself in a quandary. I'll have to watch a couple more times to really come up with a rating.
Day
It is Valentine's day. Nat, Elle and I went to Outback for dinner. It was fun. I almost ran over to Target to get something at lunch, but the budget just wouldn't allow. I'll have to make it up to her.
It was a pretty good day at work today. I got my machine fixed. X could not connect to my desktop via the servers. We have some Java apps that require this. I made changes to an existing script and make file. Things worked. I couldn't believe it. I feel all accomplished. Tomorrow I put it through some better tests. Then, it is off to the repository. I can't wait.
Joke
An oldy, but a goody.
It is Valentine's day. Nat, Elle and I went to Outback for dinner. It was fun. I almost ran over to Target to get something at lunch, but the budget just wouldn't allow. I'll have to make it up to her.
It was a pretty good day at work today. I got my machine fixed. X could not connect to my desktop via the servers. We have some Java apps that require this. I made changes to an existing script and make file. Things worked. I couldn't believe it. I feel all accomplished. Tomorrow I put it through some better tests. Then, it is off to the repository. I can't wait.
Joke
| An
old cowboy went to a bar and ordered a drink. As he sat sipping his
whiskey, a young lady sat down next to him. She turned to the cowboy
and asked, " Are you a real cowboy?" He replied, " Well, I've spent my whole life on the ranch, herding horses, mending fences, and branding cattle, so I guess I am." She said, " I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women; when I shower, watch TV, eat, whatever, everything seems to make me think of women." The two sat sipping in silence. A little while later, a man sat down on the other side of the old cowboy and asked, " Are you a real cowboy?" The old cowboy replied, " I always thought I was, but I just found out I'm a lesbian." |
2006-02-12
Some Movies
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
This is the best shot in the whole movie. I have
to say, I was entertained.
Amityville Horror.
In a word. "eh" Not even that scary. Not much of a twist. It just
didn't grab me.
Munich. Spielberg
may not know his subject very well, but he knows how
to frame a shot.
The Ware Rabbit.
Worth a watch. A good show. It does not pretend to be anything it is
not. They lost a bunch of the props in a fire after opening day.
 |
 |
 |
 |
DynDNS
I use a service for my IP tracking. Di I need to explain what a dynamic IP is? I use DynDNS.org. It is free for the amateur user and seems to work pretty well. The thing is, you need to run a service on one of your servers that stays on all the time to keep telling DynDNS.org what your IP is if it has changed. I had a crappy one for windows for a while, then I found a nice one thanks to the guys at T-Pro. I found a little command line program called INADYN. The main thing I like about it is it compiled on the first try. It looks like it will work off the showroom floor. Yay me. This allows me to replace my one Windows server with a Linux box. I will use Fedora Core 4 because it is basically what we use at work. I may have to dump Ubuntu for it on my main machine.
I use a service for my IP tracking. Di I need to explain what a dynamic IP is? I use DynDNS.org. It is free for the amateur user and seems to work pretty well. The thing is, you need to run a service on one of your servers that stays on all the time to keep telling DynDNS.org what your IP is if it has changed. I had a crappy one for windows for a while, then I found a nice one thanks to the guys at T-Pro. I found a little command line program called INADYN. The main thing I like about it is it compiled on the first try. It looks like it will work off the showroom floor. Yay me. This allows me to replace my one Windows server with a Linux box. I will use Fedora Core 4 because it is basically what we use at work. I may have to dump Ubuntu for it on my main machine.
Random is as Random does
* I founds some good information on RPM. Now all I have to do is read it.
* I still cannot get Java to work on my home machine properly. I've reinstalled it and messed with it. Nothing. It is highly frustrating.
* I haven't read many blogs in the last week. It turns out I have not missed much. It seems like the only thing that has changed is the weather. Oh, and one friend lost her dad. That sucks. Mostly they are ranting about the Iran nuclear problem or the cartoon controversy and how envoys are being recalled.
* Elle is on her way back from my parent's place. Nat is still under the weather. I'm looking forward to the company.
* The sun is shining and the air is bitter cold. It is kind of nice, if you have the cloths for it.
* There is nothing on TV. Not that I want to watch it anyway. I'm still glad I do not have cable or satellite.
* I have the entire first season of the new Doctor Who and it will not fit on one DVD. It wants to go one file over. That kind of pisses me off.
* The cat puked on the carpet. ... again. Something is wrong with that cat. I've given up on trying to get him to shit inside the box. I just put a pad out front so I can throw it outside. (yuck)
* I woke up today at 8:00. It seems like that is a good time to get up. I normally get up at around 6:30 now to get to work. Before, when I got up at 4:40 every day I would sleep in on the weekends until noon. I have the funniest feeling that is going to change.
* I just dropped the tab to my coke in the can. Nat wants to save those things for some reason. This just might be my last post.
* I founds some good information on RPM. Now all I have to do is read it.
* I still cannot get Java to work on my home machine properly. I've reinstalled it and messed with it. Nothing. It is highly frustrating.
* I haven't read many blogs in the last week. It turns out I have not missed much. It seems like the only thing that has changed is the weather. Oh, and one friend lost her dad. That sucks. Mostly they are ranting about the Iran nuclear problem or the cartoon controversy and how envoys are being recalled.
* Elle is on her way back from my parent's place. Nat is still under the weather. I'm looking forward to the company.
* The sun is shining and the air is bitter cold. It is kind of nice, if you have the cloths for it.
* There is nothing on TV. Not that I want to watch it anyway. I'm still glad I do not have cable or satellite.
* I have the entire first season of the new Doctor Who and it will not fit on one DVD. It wants to go one file over. That kind of pisses me off.
* The cat puked on the carpet. ... again. Something is wrong with that cat. I've given up on trying to get him to shit inside the box. I just put a pad out front so I can throw it outside. (yuck)
* I woke up today at 8:00. It seems like that is a good time to get up. I normally get up at around 6:30 now to get to work. Before, when I got up at 4:40 every day I would sleep in on the weekends until noon. I have the funniest feeling that is going to change.
* I just dropped the tab to my coke in the can. Nat wants to save those things for some reason. This just might be my last post.
2006-02-11
Good Job
Worth a quick visit just for the graphics.
| I've
learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.. . . . I've learned to not sweat the petty things, and not pet the sweaty things. |
Week 1
No post yesterday. I was too busy. I had to work until 6:00 like normal. We took Elle over to my parent's place in Missouri City. We ended up staying there for a while. Nat was proud that she was in fact able to turn the car around in the top part of my parent's driveway. She has wanted to do that for a while.
Nat is not feeling well. She has had a cold ever since her brother came over before last weekend to check his email. He was laughing all over her keyboard and mouse. Now she has been down for a week. She still has the cough, but I can tell she is feeling a little better because she yells at me more now. Before she was just sleeping all the time. (I'm going to get it for that one.)
There are a couple of things I need to get done for work. I need to figure out how to get Java to work on my work machine. I need to get a better mouse pointer on my home machine. I need to learn all about RPM. All I want to do is relax and surf the net for a while. It makes me sick. I'm ashamed of myself. I'm also recovering from a job at actually challenges me. It is going to take a wile to get used to that. It feels like a sore muscle that needs to be exercised. It is awesome.
Yes, I'm sitting here writing in my blog.
No post yesterday. I was too busy. I had to work until 6:00 like normal. We took Elle over to my parent's place in Missouri City. We ended up staying there for a while. Nat was proud that she was in fact able to turn the car around in the top part of my parent's driveway. She has wanted to do that for a while.
Nat is not feeling well. She has had a cold ever since her brother came over before last weekend to check his email. He was laughing all over her keyboard and mouse. Now she has been down for a week. She still has the cough, but I can tell she is feeling a little better because she yells at me more now. Before she was just sleeping all the time. (I'm going to get it for that one.)
There are a couple of things I need to get done for work. I need to figure out how to get Java to work on my work machine. I need to get a better mouse pointer on my home machine. I need to learn all about RPM. All I want to do is relax and surf the net for a while. It makes me sick. I'm ashamed of myself. I'm also recovering from a job at actually challenges me. It is going to take a wile to get used to that. It feels like a sore muscle that needs to be exercised. It is awesome.
Yes, I'm sitting here writing in my blog.
2006-02-09
Day 4
Much better. I'm on the hump I think. Tomorrow is Friday. I cannot wait. I'm looking forward to my first weekend in a long time. I really want the time off to rest. It's been a long time since I needed the rest. My old job was not challenging enough for me. I was not in a place where I learned enough. I'm glad on so many levels that I'm making the leap. I hope I can keep up with these brilliant people.
Much better. I'm on the hump I think. Tomorrow is Friday. I cannot wait. I'm looking forward to my first weekend in a long time. I really want the time off to rest. It's been a long time since I needed the rest. My old job was not challenging enough for me. I was not in a place where I learned enough. I'm glad on so many levels that I'm making the leap. I hope I can keep up with these brilliant people.
2006-02-08
Day 3
Day 3 was an improvement. I learned without feeling completely useless and a drag on every one around me. I actually got something to compile and run from code in Linux. I made a modification to the code with a great deal of help from others I then got it back in the repository. This might work out after all.
So, what am I doing at the new job you ask. I could tell you, but then I would have to track you all down and make you sign a non-disclosure agreement. I write programs that test data. It is terrificly boring unless you are an uber geek like me.
Today is my 37th birthday. I got calls from old friends. Nat, my mom and Josh rememberd my birthday. A couple others had to be prodded. I called some of the folks from the old job just to keep in touch. I really need to get that email together with my contact info and an update on how things are going. I may post some of the responses. Maybe not.
I like the new digs. I like the window office even though we keep the blinds closed. I like the people. They are all smart and driven. They are mostly geeks too. That helps I think.
Nat, Elle and I went to Chilli's to celebrate my birthday. Elle ended up with a corn on the cob. They put one stick in the cob and expect people to be able to eat it. I wish I had a video of Elle wrestling with that thing for ten minutes before I took pity on her and stuck the stick out of my cob in the other end of her corn. She gobbled it up like a typewriter after that.
Well, it is off to fill out insurance and 401K paperwork.
Day 3 was an improvement. I learned without feeling completely useless and a drag on every one around me. I actually got something to compile and run from code in Linux. I made a modification to the code with a great deal of help from others I then got it back in the repository. This might work out after all.
So, what am I doing at the new job you ask. I could tell you, but then I would have to track you all down and make you sign a non-disclosure agreement. I write programs that test data. It is terrificly boring unless you are an uber geek like me.
Today is my 37th birthday. I got calls from old friends. Nat, my mom and Josh rememberd my birthday. A couple others had to be prodded. I called some of the folks from the old job just to keep in touch. I really need to get that email together with my contact info and an update on how things are going. I may post some of the responses. Maybe not.
I like the new digs. I like the window office even though we keep the blinds closed. I like the people. They are all smart and driven. They are mostly geeks too. That helps I think.
Nat, Elle and I went to Chilli's to celebrate my birthday. Elle ended up with a corn on the cob. They put one stick in the cob and expect people to be able to eat it. I wish I had a video of Elle wrestling with that thing for ten minutes before I took pity on her and stuck the stick out of my cob in the other end of her corn. She gobbled it up like a typewriter after that.
Well, it is off to fill out insurance and 401K paperwork.
2006-02-07
Day 2
Oh my God. Today was a nightmare. I couldn't get the test program to "make". It turned out to be a real problem, but how the hell was I supposed to know that? I never did get the software to work. I kept finding problems and not recognizing them as problems. Half the time I was hitting my learning curve and the other half of the time something really was broken. Try to learn in that environment.
I took the buss home. It takes 50 minutes to make the ten minute drive home. That is about right. The bus goes right by the office, so no long walk.
Pizza showed up. got to go.
Oh my God. Today was a nightmare. I couldn't get the test program to "make". It turned out to be a real problem, but how the hell was I supposed to know that? I never did get the software to work. I kept finding problems and not recognizing them as problems. Half the time I was hitting my learning curve and the other half of the time something really was broken. Try to learn in that environment.
I took the buss home. It takes 50 minutes to make the ten minute drive home. That is about right. The bus goes right by the office, so no long walk.
Pizza showed up. got to go.
2006-02-06
First Day
Just in case you hadn't heard, I changed jobs. This was my first day at the new employer. I ran through some introductions and some quick training. I got my computer about an hour before I walked out of the place. Before that, I red some instruction manuals. It took a a while to get the duel monitors to work properly. Now, all I need is a login and password on the network. It all comes together tomorrow.
I'm off to do some homework.
Just in case you hadn't heard, I changed jobs. This was my first day at the new employer. I ran through some introductions and some quick training. I got my computer about an hour before I walked out of the place. Before that, I red some instruction manuals. It took a a while to get the duel monitors to work properly. Now, all I need is a login and password on the network. It all comes together tomorrow.
I'm off to do some homework.
2006-02-05
Gumball 3000
Movies Clunky and a bit choppy, but worth it.
Official Site God-offal Flash requirements.
Most guys who watch this want to jump right in. I have to say, it looks like a great deal of fun. I remember stories about these kinds of races usually relating to the movies that came out in the eighties. I have no idea how much of this is true, but I know they want to go through China in 2006. That should be interesting.
I'm not a competitive sole. I prefer DnD, cooperative computer games and the like. Perhaps the Gumball thing is not my bag. Oh, well, isn't there a football game on today?
Movies Clunky and a bit choppy, but worth it.
Official Site God-offal Flash requirements.
Most guys who watch this want to jump right in. I have to say, it looks like a great deal of fun. I remember stories about these kinds of races usually relating to the movies that came out in the eighties. I have no idea how much of this is true, but I know they want to go through China in 2006. That should be interesting.
I'm not a competitive sole. I prefer DnD, cooperative computer games and the like. Perhaps the Gumball thing is not my bag. Oh, well, isn't there a football game on today?
Technorati
How do you find anything on Technorati? I put in all kinds of searches that should have brought back specific things and none of it worked. I tried the same searches on Google and they came back more like I expected.
The truth is that it really seems that blogs have high rankings. I'm not sure where to go with this information. I'm getting hits from Technorati. I've gotten a couple of comments from people who came to my site from Technorati. Oh, well. Live, learn, you know the story. The story that goes nowhere. This is one of those.
How do you find anything on Technorati? I put in all kinds of searches that should have brought back specific things and none of it worked. I tried the same searches on Google and they came back more like I expected.
The truth is that it really seems that blogs have high rankings. I'm not sure where to go with this information. I'm getting hits from Technorati. I've gotten a couple of comments from people who came to my site from Technorati. Oh, well. Live, learn, you know the story. The story that goes nowhere. This is one of those.
Evening
I'm doing laundry. I'm hungry. It's late. Nat is asleep. Nat will go to a Super Bowl party tomorrow. I don't feel comfortable going so I'll stay home with Elle.
Today we went to Nat's mom's to pick up a painting. It's funny how that took the whole day.
I should be studying for the new job, but I cannot concentrate. I've been a a horrible mood all day. I really hope it is the stress of changing jobs. I'm in a knot.
Say a prayer for me, or wish me luck if you like.
I'm doing laundry. I'm hungry. It's late. Nat is asleep. Nat will go to a Super Bowl party tomorrow. I don't feel comfortable going so I'll stay home with Elle.
Today we went to Nat's mom's to pick up a painting. It's funny how that took the whole day.
I should be studying for the new job, but I cannot concentrate. I've been a a horrible mood all day. I really hope it is the stress of changing jobs. I'm in a knot.
Say a prayer for me, or wish me luck if you like.
2006-02-04
Bambi II
Bambi II
What can I say. This has got to be the cutest movie I've seen in a while. It pulls off cute too. The story basically covers the time between Bambi's mother's death and the time he is a full grown buck. Did I mention it was cute?
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What can I say. This has got to be the cutest movie I've seen in a while. It pulls off cute too. The story basically covers the time between Bambi's mother's death and the time he is a full grown buck. Did I mention it was cute?
2006-02-03
DnD in movie form
Hollywood cannot make a good DnD movie. The best adaptation of the medium was the DnD cartoon from the eighties. Now, they have come put with Dungeons and Dragons Wrath of the Dragon God. This movie is no different.
The above snap shot pictures the group minus the cleric that
appropriately died prematurely and could not heal any one the rest of
the game, I mean movie. He was pulling a "look, I can fight too" that
clerics are quite famous for and was gobbled up by the dragon.
The guy on the left is some kind of paladin and the leader of the group. Next over is a Amazon like barbarian. Next is the rogue. The far right is the mage. The stone in the foreground is the remains of the over zealous cleric.
It appears to be a black dragon, but in Hollywood, all dragons breath
fire. At least this one could talk, and scheme.
The fights were not all that great.
The movie was pretty bad. It seemed like the director didn't know how to frame a shot. The story felt more like a half hour show stretched into ninety minutes. The dungeon was very well lit and dry. The weather was always perfect. They did have a battle in a hallway while the rogue picked a lock to effect their escape. I don't like the fact that my favorite character was the litch.
My overall opinion,"eh". There have been several of these lately.
Hollywood cannot make a good DnD movie. The best adaptation of the medium was the DnD cartoon from the eighties. Now, they have come put with Dungeons and Dragons Wrath of the Dragon God. This movie is no different.
 |
The guy on the left is some kind of paladin and the leader of the group. Next over is a Amazon like barbarian. Next is the rogue. The far right is the mage. The stone in the foreground is the remains of the over zealous cleric.
 |
 |
The movie was pretty bad. It seemed like the director didn't know how to frame a shot. The story felt more like a half hour show stretched into ninety minutes. The dungeon was very well lit and dry. The weather was always perfect. They did have a battle in a hallway while the rogue picked a lock to effect their escape. I don't like the fact that my favorite character was the litch.
My overall opinion,"eh". There have been several of these lately.
The Hustle
They don't make them like
this any more. Great story. Great direction. Great acting. And,
scenes like the one above. Where people stand and which way they face
is called blocking. This has got to be the best blocked scene I've
noticed in a long time. They get full use of the wide screen. Every guy
on the screen (they are all men) has a story. Even the ones that never
had a line.
A classic.
 |
A classic.
Morning
It was a strange last day of work. I've been at that company for nine years. I walked in this morning and did my time sheet. Then, I restaged my computer (formated the hard drive and took it back to the day it came in) and gave it to the next person who needs it. Then I left. I walked out at a smidgen after 8:00. It was cool and clear outside. The birds were chirping. The air smelled clean. The people on the bus seemed tired and dreary. I hate how the folks on the bus seem so defeated. I feel good. I have something I have not had in a while when it comes to career and work. I have hope. I was alone for a long time. Then I met Nat and Elle. I worked at the old company for nine years. They were great to me. The company had some bad ideas, but the people made up for it. I really think I stayed this long for the people.
I've threatened to stay in touch with folks at my old job. "old Job" That sounds funny. It feels like an old job. I am so ready to move on. I hope to stay in touch with most folks over there. I'll send out an email probably tomorrow or something. Meanwhile, we are off to get the oil changed in the car and deliver a birthday card to my mom. It is Nat's mom's turn next Friday. That's kind of funny really.
For the moment, I'm officially unemployed. It's a happy unemployed though.
It was a strange last day of work. I've been at that company for nine years. I walked in this morning and did my time sheet. Then, I restaged my computer (formated the hard drive and took it back to the day it came in) and gave it to the next person who needs it. Then I left. I walked out at a smidgen after 8:00. It was cool and clear outside. The birds were chirping. The air smelled clean. The people on the bus seemed tired and dreary. I hate how the folks on the bus seem so defeated. I feel good. I have something I have not had in a while when it comes to career and work. I have hope. I was alone for a long time. Then I met Nat and Elle. I worked at the old company for nine years. They were great to me. The company had some bad ideas, but the people made up for it. I really think I stayed this long for the people.
I've threatened to stay in touch with folks at my old job. "old Job" That sounds funny. It feels like an old job. I am so ready to move on. I hope to stay in touch with most folks over there. I'll send out an email probably tomorrow or something. Meanwhile, we are off to get the oil changed in the car and deliver a birthday card to my mom. It is Nat's mom's turn next Friday. That's kind of funny really.
For the moment, I'm officially unemployed. It's a happy unemployed though.
2006-02-02
Update
below
Cartoons and WW III
Have you heard about cartoon-gate? What happened is a Danish news paper published some satirical and yes, offensive, cartoons of Mohamed, the Profit of Islam. Now, it is really bad news to say anything about Mohamed that isn't along the "hell of a profit" line. Muslims get quite cross, freedom of speech be damned. It sounds like we have hit an impasse that the jihadis and western culture will not let pass.
Points
There has been a great deal to-do about a paper that published the drawings in Denmark. Then, a French paper showed support by publishing them as well. I have not heard about any U. S. papers following suit. I have found far too many blogs publishing the cartoons.
I hate to say it, but I'm going to laugh if WW III starts over cartoons in a Danish paper. Then I will, of course, weep over the loss of peace and all the killing and such. But, before that, I will give my best throw-head-back-roaring-belly-laugh!
Links
Update
Michelle Malkin has a good post.
Cartoons and WW III
Have you heard about cartoon-gate? What happened is a Danish news paper published some satirical and yes, offensive, cartoons of Mohamed, the Profit of Islam. Now, it is really bad news to say anything about Mohamed that isn't along the "hell of a profit" line. Muslims get quite cross, freedom of speech be damned. It sounds like we have hit an impasse that the jihadis and western culture will not let pass.
Points
Please correct me if I'm wrong on any
of the following points.
* Freedom of speech is a fundamental principle of western civilization. Without it we all live in East Moscow circa 1959.
* Killing any who speaks out against, or even saying anything bad about Mohamed is a fundamental principle of Islam. Without it, they are Mormons.
* There have already been death threats and bomb threats over this matter. (see links below)
Commentary* Freedom of speech is a fundamental principle of western civilization. Without it we all live in East Moscow circa 1959.
* Killing any who speaks out against, or even saying anything bad about Mohamed is a fundamental principle of Islam. Without it, they are Mormons.
* There have already been death threats and bomb threats over this matter. (see links below)
There has been a great deal to-do about a paper that published the drawings in Denmark. Then, a French paper showed support by publishing them as well. I have not heard about any U. S. papers following suit. I have found far too many blogs publishing the cartoons.
I hate to say it, but I'm going to laugh if WW III starts over cartoons in a Danish paper. Then I will, of course, weep over the loss of peace and all the killing and such. But, before that, I will give my best throw-head-back-roaring-belly-laugh!
Links
| Great commentary | : |
Red Hot Cupa Politics |
| Good links | : |
Exit Zero |
| The cartoons | : |
Wikipedia |
Update
Michelle Malkin has a good post.
2006-02-01
Day
Next
We had a conversation at lunch today about replacing computers. I mouthed off that the next big thing will be an iPod that you plug straight into a DVR. You can then take your TV shows with you. This is the next obvious step in my book. I've heard of attempts at this over seas. I'm convinced it is only the rights to the shows and people in power wanting too much money that queer the deal.
Cinelerra
A commenter left a great link to a Beginner's guide to Cinelerra. That is the video editing software that I finally got to install the other day. How cool is that? I have not really accomplished anything yet. I'm glad to be able to capture the video in the first place. I bet I can get those wedding videos to work. Now, I just need to find them.
DnD
It looks like DnD may start back up soon. Ethan, with a bit of help from his lovely wife, had a baby. I've been chomping at the bit. I've missed hanging out with my friends.
Job
Today was a busy day. I trained some people to do what I did. I found out that an old application that I wrote for Microsoft Access 97 just works for Access 2002. I thought for sure some conversion would be required. I feel a bit proud of myself. I wrote that code in 2001 or so. I tried to at least use the correct database calls. It was ADO. I didn't expect it to work without any modifications.
Next
We had a conversation at lunch today about replacing computers. I mouthed off that the next big thing will be an iPod that you plug straight into a DVR. You can then take your TV shows with you. This is the next obvious step in my book. I've heard of attempts at this over seas. I'm convinced it is only the rights to the shows and people in power wanting too much money that queer the deal.
Cinelerra
A commenter left a great link to a Beginner's guide to Cinelerra. That is the video editing software that I finally got to install the other day. How cool is that? I have not really accomplished anything yet. I'm glad to be able to capture the video in the first place. I bet I can get those wedding videos to work. Now, I just need to find them.
DnD
It looks like DnD may start back up soon. Ethan, with a bit of help from his lovely wife, had a baby. I've been chomping at the bit. I've missed hanging out with my friends.
Job
Today was a busy day. I trained some people to do what I did. I found out that an old application that I wrote for Microsoft Access 97 just works for Access 2002. I thought for sure some conversion would be required. I feel a bit proud of myself. I wrote that code in 2001 or so. I tried to at least use the correct database calls. It was ADO. I didn't expect it to work without any modifications.
2006-01-31
Virus Cause to Obesity
Think for a moment that it is proven that a virus contributes to
obesity. Extend that this virus is not killed by the heat of a normal
dish washing level. Can you imagine telling the U. S. public that
eating at a nice restaurant that has reusable silverware is more likely
to make them fat than eating at a fast food place that uses disposable
dishes?
This whole thing goes to prove something I've been saying for years. Don't trust scientists. I say don't put any more weight in a scientist's opinion than you would the clergy. Listen to your grandmother. Listen to the village elder. Listen to your inner voice.
I acknowledge that it seems like we, as a western society, have benefited greatly from science. I say it is all just a bunch of stuff that happened. Is it a benefit? is it a curse? We have medicine. Well, we have over population. We have great communication. We have conflict. We have longer lives. Is that a good thing? We have law enforcement and other government benefits. We have Taxes. it is all give and take.
Oh, and dark matter is still a load of crap. I said before the scientists just didn't have the numbers right. I was right.
| The
article points out that the “virus causes obesity” connection is highly
speculative. The H. pylori and ulcer connection is an excellent example. Initially the research was dismissed because of “the everyone knows” syndrome, ie, everyone know stress causes ulcers. Eleven years ago an internist friend of mine gave me a copy of a medical journal article examining possible connections between heart disease and bacteria. He told me he personally suspected bacteria play a role in “plaque” build-up in arteries. The idea was controversial and flew in the face of “current medical thinking.” Suspicion isn’t science, but when suspicion turns to “hunch” and hunch leads to research, and honest research indicates what “everyone knows” might be wrong– well, you get the point. Diseases and conditions once believed to be either behaviorally-based (ulcers) or caused by “old age, bad luck, and bad diet” (artery plaque) may have other causes or be accelerated by micro-organisms. |
This whole thing goes to prove something I've been saying for years. Don't trust scientists. I say don't put any more weight in a scientist's opinion than you would the clergy. Listen to your grandmother. Listen to the village elder. Listen to your inner voice.
I acknowledge that it seems like we, as a western society, have benefited greatly from science. I say it is all just a bunch of stuff that happened. Is it a benefit? is it a curse? We have medicine. Well, we have over population. We have great communication. We have conflict. We have longer lives. Is that a good thing? We have law enforcement and other government benefits. We have Taxes. it is all give and take.
Oh, and dark matter is still a load of crap. I said before the scientists just didn't have the numbers right. I was right.
Jen's Newsletter
I've been worried about Jen. I checked her web site's calender a couple
of weeks ago and nearly gave her a call to give her some words of
encouragement. It turns out I was 100% off. She was just gearing up for
a busy year. Go Jen.
| ...
I'm looking forward to playing at a couple of great venues in the next
two weeks. This Friday, Feb. 3, I'll be at Main Street Crossing
(111 Main street, Tomball) from 8:30p-12a. It's their Texas Hold
'Em Poker Night, but you don't have to play. Just come, have a
coffee or a beer, relax and listen. On Feb. 10, I'll be up on stage with three excellent musicians, Lena Shammas, Dan Ennis, and Michael Pope, at JP Hops House. We start at 9:30p. JP Hops House is on Highway 6, one block north of Westheimer. |
Animated GIF in Linux
I'm breaking all kids of new ground these days. I used the following
programs.
* GIMP to convert from png to gif
 |
* GIMP to convert from png to gif
* Comes on the system for Ubuntu
* sudo apt-get install gimp
* GIFSICLE
to resize and animate the collection of image* sudo apt-get install gimp
*There is no automatic install for
gifsicle under Ubuntu. I tried to download the Debian DEB file, but no
dice. The site was busy. So, I used ALIEN
again to install the RPM.
* Command Line used:
gifsicle --optimize --colors 64 --delay 20 --resize 100x --loopcount *.gif > out.gif
* Command Line used:
gifsicle --optimize --colors 64 --delay 20 --resize 100x --loopcount *.gif > out.gif
2006-01-30
Day
I had a busy day at work. It felt good. I made a list of my rolls and responsibilities. That felt good too. I know I left some things out and the list was long.
I'm in the middle of a bunch of knowledge transfer. It is so very interesting. I love it. Not that I'm leaving or that any one else feels stupid or anything. I love it because it shows me that my time at the current company was at least spent learning things. I did some good and now I'm moving on. That is the way it works I suppose.
I came home and crashed on the living room floor. Elle was in sleeping with Nat. I ended up cooking some chicken for Elle. I just asked "How is your chicken Elle?"
She said "Hot." I couldn't help but laugh out loud. That is too cute.
I had a busy day at work. It felt good. I made a list of my rolls and responsibilities. That felt good too. I know I left some things out and the list was long.
I'm in the middle of a bunch of knowledge transfer. It is so very interesting. I love it. Not that I'm leaving or that any one else feels stupid or anything. I love it because it shows me that my time at the current company was at least spent learning things. I did some good and now I'm moving on. That is the way it works I suppose.
I came home and crashed on the living room floor. Elle was in sleeping with Nat. I ended up cooking some chicken for Elle. I just asked "How is your chicken Elle?"
She said "Hot." I couldn't help but laugh out loud. That is too cute.
Lame
This one just asks you for your name and spits something out. I prefer
them faking it with some questions that make you feel like you are
giving some real info. I almost didn't post this one.es
|
2006-01-29
Video on Linux
I nearly lost it trying to get video editing to work on Linux this afternoon. It worked fine from Windows, but that doesn't do me any good on Ubuntu.
First of all, the Fire-Wire card used to connect the camera to the computer just plane worked. I plugged in the card and then plugged in the camera. That all went without trouble. Thank goodness..
The first program that I tried to use is called Kino. They claim it works like a champ and allows for both capture and editing without fuss. Technically, that is true. It is built in to the apt-get package manager for Debian. Great. I install it and give it a try. Well, it locks up when I click on "capture". It will also not open anything but DV files. Once you export you cannot go back and edit. I'm getting ahead of myself. Well, I poke around and try a program called dvgrab. It is a command line utility that just plane "grabs" the data from the DV camera. Well, it doesn't work either. However, it gives an error. It tells me something about an access violation. You have got to be kidding me. Guess what, you have to run the programs under root user in order to access the camera. That is insane. This killed half a day. All to find out that I have to "sudo kino" to get it to work. This is like saying you have to be a cop to unlock your own front door.
So, I'm able to capture some video from the camera and save it in the DV file format. That's great. Those files are big and basically useless except for editing so, now, I save it out of Kino into an MPEG format only to find that once you do this, they will not go back into the editor. Kino only does DV format. No wonder this guy recommends a different editor.
So, I pop over to the Cinelerra site to take a look. It looks fantastic on the site. It reminds me of Adobe Premier as stated in the link above. Cool features and everything. Well, it only comes in an RPM (Red-hat Package Manager) file. This means that only Linux distributions that support RPM files can install it straight from the download. <despair> <curses> <mumbled ravings> Then I start poking around on Google to find that there are indeed ways to install RPM files on a Debian distribution. The package that allows this is called alien. I'm using Ubuntu that is built off the Debian distribution.
Wow, I have a functioning video editor. It only took all frigging day. Well, we did go to lunch with some friends. I had to help get Elle to bed this afternoon. She is not feeling well.
I worry that I may not be up to the task at this new job. If I can get a video editor and a DV capture program to work in Linux I can do most anything.
Now, to get Windows Media files to play in Linux you have to add some specific files to your Xine program. The only way to get the libraries to become part of the program is to recompile the Xine program with the libraries in place. I have never gotten anything to work in Linux when I tried to compile it. Maybe I'll have to give that a shot later this week.
Then, I went here. Now it works. Never mind. =]
I nearly lost it trying to get video editing to work on Linux this afternoon. It worked fine from Windows, but that doesn't do me any good on Ubuntu.
First of all, the Fire-Wire card used to connect the camera to the computer just plane worked. I plugged in the card and then plugged in the camera. That all went without trouble. Thank goodness..
The first program that I tried to use is called Kino. They claim it works like a champ and allows for both capture and editing without fuss. Technically, that is true. It is built in to the apt-get package manager for Debian. Great. I install it and give it a try. Well, it locks up when I click on "capture". It will also not open anything but DV files. Once you export you cannot go back and edit. I'm getting ahead of myself. Well, I poke around and try a program called dvgrab. It is a command line utility that just plane "grabs" the data from the DV camera. Well, it doesn't work either. However, it gives an error. It tells me something about an access violation. You have got to be kidding me. Guess what, you have to run the programs under root user in order to access the camera. That is insane. This killed half a day. All to find out that I have to "sudo kino" to get it to work. This is like saying you have to be a cop to unlock your own front door.
So, I'm able to capture some video from the camera and save it in the DV file format. That's great. Those files are big and basically useless except for editing so, now, I save it out of Kino into an MPEG format only to find that once you do this, they will not go back into the editor. Kino only does DV format. No wonder this guy recommends a different editor.
So, I pop over to the Cinelerra site to take a look. It looks fantastic on the site. It reminds me of Adobe Premier as stated in the link above. Cool features and everything. Well, it only comes in an RPM (Red-hat Package Manager) file. This means that only Linux distributions that support RPM files can install it straight from the download. <despair> <curses> <mumbled ravings> Then I start poking around on Google to find that there are indeed ways to install RPM files on a Debian distribution. The package that allows this is called alien. I'm using Ubuntu that is built off the Debian distribution.
Wow, I have a functioning video editor. It only took all frigging day. Well, we did go to lunch with some friends. I had to help get Elle to bed this afternoon. She is not feeling well.
I worry that I may not be up to the task at this new job. If I can get a video editor and a DV capture program to work in Linux I can do most anything.
Now, to get Windows Media files to play in Linux you have to add some specific files to your Xine program. The only way to get the libraries to become part of the program is to recompile the Xine program with the libraries in place. I have never gotten anything to work in Linux when I tried to compile it. Maybe I'll have to give that a shot later this week.
Then, I went here. Now it works. Never mind. =]
Slappy evening
Nat and I went to a battle of the bands at a dive called Forget About It Too. We went to see Justin's band Slappy's Groove Shack. They did not win, but they should have.
I have some pictures. It will probably be a bit before I get them up. I took a video with the digital camera. I'm under Linux now, so it will take a while for me to get the videos fixed for the web. I just figured it out for Windows. It will be good experience. If worse comes to worse, I'll just post whatever comes off the camera and hope for the best.
Nat and I went to a battle of the bands at a dive called Forget About It Too. We went to see Justin's band Slappy's Groove Shack. They did not win, but they should have.
I have some pictures. It will probably be a bit before I get them up. I took a video with the digital camera. I'm under Linux now, so it will take a while for me to get the videos fixed for the web. I just figured it out for Windows. It will be good experience. If worse comes to worse, I'll just post whatever comes off the camera and hope for the best.
2006-01-28
Bad Abortion Jokes
Are there any good ones?
That is one of the more tame ones. Seriously, these are not for any one
who has a "belief" in the matter.
Are there any good ones?
| Why
did the fetus cross the road? Because they moved the dumpster. |
Rambling (or is it raving?)
The space shuttle travels at about 18000 miles per hour in orbit.
A speeding bullet travels at 1000 m/s.
That means the shuttle travels about 8 times faster than a speeding bullet in orbit.
A rail gun is not even close at 13000 miles per hour.
The space shuttle travels at about 18000 miles per hour in orbit.
A speeding bullet travels at 1000 m/s.
That means the shuttle travels about 8 times faster than a speeding bullet in orbit.
A rail gun is not even close at 13000 miles per hour.
Frighteningly Accurate
So, they tell you to pick one pattern and get the most accurate one of
these tests yet. This one is scary. It was one question. It hit the
nail on the head, hard.
I think that will be enough for a while. Well, until the next one.
|
I think that will be enough for a while. Well, until the next one.
Fits
OK, OK, I'm addicted to these stupid tests. So, shoot me, I mean put me
to sleep.
|
2006-01-27
I did the math
I really hate it when I figure out that I'm as stupid as I always think I am. Remember the big job change I've blogged about? Well I just sat down and did the math. I'm going to bring home less money than I was in the old job. It will end up just being a lateral move.
It is a good move. It is doing something I like better than where I am now. It s with a far more motivated group of folks. It is a place where I can glimpse advancement. I'll save the money that I spend on my crappy insurance. I will contribute to the 401-K. I will have better deductions this year. All in all, it is a wash except I think I'm going to bring home a bit less per month. Considering every single one of my expenses went up since last year, I'm screwed.
Oh, well. I would still make the same decision.
I really hate it when I figure out that I'm as stupid as I always think I am. Remember the big job change I've blogged about? Well I just sat down and did the math. I'm going to bring home less money than I was in the old job. It will end up just being a lateral move.
It is a good move. It is doing something I like better than where I am now. It s with a far more motivated group of folks. It is a place where I can glimpse advancement. I'll save the money that I spend on my crappy insurance. I will contribute to the 401-K. I will have better deductions this year. All in all, it is a wash except I think I'm going to bring home a bit less per month. Considering every single one of my expenses went up since last year, I'm screwed.
Oh, well. I would still make the same decision.
The "thing"
It is good when you have the whole joke pop into your head while
reading the first line. You start giggling, only to laugh out loud by
the end anyway.
You can't defend against Aunt Lil's birthday. This joke illustrates the trouble with listening in on communications. If the dangerous people already know what to do when they get here, you are pretty much screwed. If they use innocuous sounding communication to give some details then you have a very hard time unless you know who to look for and that they are up to something. No one is going to say "hey, I'm the bad guy. Over here! I'm planning a bad thing and here is who I need to contact to achieve my end." To catch the bad guy, you have to put things together. You have to figure out who to watch. Think about the content of the last ten emails you sent. Now multiply that by about 200,000,000 people on the internet. (I'm pulling that number out of my ass.) Now, there are all kinds of illegal things going on out there, but the VAST majority of those emails are just plane boring bullshit that only matters to the person who sent it and maybe the person who receives it. This does not count the SPAM juggernaut.
Please give our officials a break. They try very hard to sift through the mess and make some sense. They really are after the bad guys. I'm not a bad guy. My cat, however, worries me.
| An
old Arab lived close to *New York* City for more than 40 years. One day
he decided that he would love to plant potatoes and herbs in his
garden, but he knew he was alone and too old and weak. His son was in
college in Paris, so the old man sent him an e-mail explaining the
problem: "Beloved son, I am very sad, because I can't plant potatoes in my garden. I am sure, if only you were here, that you would help me and dig up the garden for me. I love you, your father." The following day, the old man received a response e-mail from his son: "Beloved father, please don't touch the garden. That is where I have hidden 'the *THING*.' I love you, too, Ahmed." At 4pm the FBI and the Rangers visited the house of the old man and took the whole garden apart, searching every inch. But they couldn't find anything. Disappointed, they left the house. The next day, the old man received another e-mail from his son: "Beloved father, I hope the garden is dug up by now and you can plant your potatoes, that is all I could do for you from here; Your loving son Ahmed. Shamelessly stolen from The
Big Pharaoh
|
You can't defend against Aunt Lil's birthday. This joke illustrates the trouble with listening in on communications. If the dangerous people already know what to do when they get here, you are pretty much screwed. If they use innocuous sounding communication to give some details then you have a very hard time unless you know who to look for and that they are up to something. No one is going to say "hey, I'm the bad guy. Over here! I'm planning a bad thing and here is who I need to contact to achieve my end." To catch the bad guy, you have to put things together. You have to figure out who to watch. Think about the content of the last ten emails you sent. Now multiply that by about 200,000,000 people on the internet. (I'm pulling that number out of my ass.) Now, there are all kinds of illegal things going on out there, but the VAST majority of those emails are just plane boring bullshit that only matters to the person who sent it and maybe the person who receives it. This does not count the SPAM juggernaut.
Please give our officials a break. They try very hard to sift through the mess and make some sense. They really are after the bad guys. I'm not a bad guy. My cat, however, worries me.
2006-01-26
Day
I should start up a blog on typepad, LiveJournal MySpace, or something of the like just to complain about Blogger when it croaks. Those folks at Blogger should be glad I'm a lazy, lazy man. ... OK, I went to MySpace and at least complained in writing on my blog over there. It probably gets more traffic than the one on blogger anyway. I just did the same over at LiveJournal. Hey, it is something to do while I fume.
- I got up early this morning and went to work.
- I had one of my big KT (knowledge transfer) meetings this morning. It has taken a couple of days, but the company is getting it together to learn what I know before I leave for greener pastures.
- I ended up coming home. Nat was not feeling well.
- I got nothing done here. Well I changed a couple of diapers.
- Elle REFUSES to potty train. Nothing abnormal about that. Just takes time.
- Now, I cannot even post to Blogger (17:20-18:22). humph. This has
got to have something to do with Google's recent stance on China.
I should start up a blog on typepad, LiveJournal MySpace, or something of the like just to complain about Blogger when it croaks. Those folks at Blogger should be glad I'm a lazy, lazy man. ... OK, I went to MySpace and at least complained in writing on my blog over there. It probably gets more traffic than the one on blogger anyway. I just did the same over at LiveJournal. Hey, it is something to do while I fume.
2006-01-25
Creepy
At my current day job, I use the stairs quite a bit. I've griped about the elevators before. Anyway, today I ran from the third to the fourth floor only to get chills when the florescent light on the fourth floor was blinking and making that buzzing noise, just like in the first-person shooters. Suddenly, I felt naked without an MP-5 and a belt of grenades. I subconsciously swung around a step to look up the next flight of stairs (roof access) just to be sure. I swung the door open and quite deliberately looked before continuing. I really didn't mean to do any of it.
In some of these games, you have mines you put on the wall or floor. The one I'm thinking of was armed by a timer and sent a beam out at a 90 degree angle. If you crossed the beam, ka-boom. There is a hallway down stairs that has a black, clunky thermostat right in the middle of a long white hallway that reminds me every time of one of these mines. It makes me want to duck (crouch) as I pass.
At my current day job, I use the stairs quite a bit. I've griped about the elevators before. Anyway, today I ran from the third to the fourth floor only to get chills when the florescent light on the fourth floor was blinking and making that buzzing noise, just like in the first-person shooters. Suddenly, I felt naked without an MP-5 and a belt of grenades. I subconsciously swung around a step to look up the next flight of stairs (roof access) just to be sure. I swung the door open and quite deliberately looked before continuing. I really didn't mean to do any of it.
In some of these games, you have mines you put on the wall or floor. The one I'm thinking of was armed by a timer and sent a beam out at a 90 degree angle. If you crossed the beam, ka-boom. There is a hallway down stairs that has a black, clunky thermostat right in the middle of a long white hallway that reminds me every time of one of these mines. It makes me want to duck (crouch) as I pass.
Sweet!
Heck, I even like the color.
I'm a Lamborghini Murcielago! Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz. |
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2006-01-24
Fedora Core 3 Test
Well, so far so good. I found the accessibility settings and got it to at least read something to me out loud. It is not quite right, but I can probably figure out the details. I cannot get the update manager to respond half the time because the entire system needs to be updated from the install DVD. That just takes a while. I can wait. I cannot get the SMB shares to read. That is probably some kind of configuration. No VNC. I just have to find it or install it.
This OS looks pretty clean. I wish it had a better package manager. I miss Ubuntu's Synaptic Package system already. I understand Fedora Core 4 has a cool GUI for RPM. That doesn't help me right now.
Oy! The package up2date thing has a tiny little sliver under complete. This is going to go all night. I'm not sure I want to let it go that long.
Oh, well. Off I go. Nat is cooking something wonderful. Elle is ... helping. Life is good.
Well, so far so good. I found the accessibility settings and got it to at least read something to me out loud. It is not quite right, but I can probably figure out the details. I cannot get the update manager to respond half the time because the entire system needs to be updated from the install DVD. That just takes a while. I can wait. I cannot get the SMB shares to read. That is probably some kind of configuration. No VNC. I just have to find it or install it.
This OS looks pretty clean. I wish it had a better package manager. I miss Ubuntu's Synaptic Package system already. I understand Fedora Core 4 has a cool GUI for RPM. That doesn't help me right now.
Oy! The package up2date thing has a tiny little sliver under complete. This is going to go all night. I'm not sure I want to let it go that long.
Oh, well. Off I go. Nat is cooking something wonderful. Elle is ... helping. Life is good.
New OS
In order to be more compatible with the new employer, I'm going to give Fedora Core 3 a try. Fortunately, I have an extra hard drive laying around. I intend to find out the following.
* If it supports some sort of package handler.
* What sort of Accessibility stuff is there.
* How to get around.
* Where to look up answers to my inevitable questions.
Wish me luck.
In order to be more compatible with the new employer, I'm going to give Fedora Core 3 a try. Fortunately, I have an extra hard drive laying around. I intend to find out the following.
* If it supports some sort of package handler.
* What sort of Accessibility stuff is there.
* How to get around.
* Where to look up answers to my inevitable questions.
Wish me luck.
2006-01-23
Email Joke
| Students
were assigned to read 2 books, "Titanic" & "My Life" by Bill
Clinton. One smart ass student turned in the following book report,
with the proposition that they were nearly identical stories! His cool
professor gave him an A+ for this report: Titanic: $29.99 Clinton: $29.99 Titanic: Over 3 hours to read Clinton: Over 3 hours to read Titanic: The story of Jack and Rose, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe. Clinton: The story of Bill and Monica, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe. Titanic: Jack is a starving artist. Clinton: Bill is a bullshit artist. Titanic: In one scene, Jack enjoys a good cigar. Clinton: Ditto for Bill. Titanic: During ordeal, Rose's dress gets ruined. Clinton: Ditto for Monica. Titanic: Jack teaches Rose to spit. Clinton: Let's not go there. Titanic: Rose gets to keep her jewelry. Clinton: Monica's forced to return her gifts. Titanic: Rose remembers Jack for the rest of her life. Clinton: Clinton doesn't remember Jack. Titanic: Rose goes down on a vessel full of seamen. Clinton: Monica...ooh, let's not go there, either. Titanic: Jack surrenders to an icy death. Clinton: Bill goes home to Hilary...basically the same thing |
The Time is Nigh
I smell chocolate chip cookies. They are wafting from another apartment. I may just have to go on a rampage to find them. I'll start by kicking in doors with a shotgun and a hockey mask screaming "Cookies!!!! WHERE ARE THE COOKIES!!!?"
I smell chocolate chip cookies. They are wafting from another apartment. I may just have to go on a rampage to find them. I'll start by kicking in doors with a shotgun and a hockey mask screaming "Cookies!!!! WHERE ARE THE COOKIES!!!?"
Cats and Dogs
Too funny.
| EXCERPTS FROM A DOG'S DAILY DIARY: 8:00 a.m. Oh, boy! Dog food! My favorite! 9:30 a.m. Wow! A car ride! This is a blast! 9:40 a.m. A walk in the park! Ate some crap...Delicious! 10:30 a.m. Getting rubbed and petted! I'm in love! 12:00 p.m. Lunch! Yummy!1:00 p.m. Playing in the yard! I just love it! 3:00 p.m. Staring adoringly at my masters...they're the best! I'll wag my tail in joy. 4:00 p.m. Hooray! The kids are home! I'm bouncing off the walls! 5:00 p.m. Milkbones! Great! 7:00 p.m. Get to play ball! This is too good to be true! 8:00 p.m. Wow! Watching TV with my master! Heavenly! 11:00 p.m. Sleeping at the bottom of my master's bed! Life is soooooooo great! EXCERPTS FROM A CAT'S DAILY Blog: Day 683 of My Captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I arefed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomited on the floor. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a ''good little hunter'' I am. The audacity!! There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to my power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage. Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow-- but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released--and he seems more than willing to return! He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant-- I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. The captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe-- for now. Stolen from Red
Hot Cuppa Politics
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2006-01-22
Jarhead
The guys being punished after having a bit too much fun in front of the
press. "... followed by further masturbation."
This shot kind of freaks me out. Those are the exact same tents we stay
in during TRF. They have the poles, lanterns, ceiling vent, door, side,
I bet I could smell the canvas. Yikes. I whispered to Nat in the
theater that it was kind of freaking me out. The more I watch the
scene, the more similarities I get. We use air mattresses.. That is a
huge difference.
 |
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Yeesh
OK, OK, Maybe I'm going too far with this one.
 completely fucked! what fucked version of hello kittie are you? brought to you by Quizilla |
Day
I'm watching SG1 on my
computer. Elle is, being three all over the place. Nat is asleep
because she isn't feeling well. It is raining outside. Not that it
makes much difference really. I'm still in knots over the new job.
Trust me, I've heard all the stories about my new boss. He is not what
worries me. I hope I'm up to the task. I hope my old job has not
tainted me to the point that I can't do an honest day's work any more.
I suppose that fear is a good thing.
I'm trying to think of something else to say. There is really nothing going on. I wanted to call some friend's of ours to go out for lunch, but Nat wanted to go back to sleep. So, I'm writing a blog and watching borrowed shows.
 |
I'm trying to think of something else to say. There is really nothing going on. I wanted to call some friend's of ours to go out for lunch, but Nat wanted to go back to sleep. So, I'm writing a blog and watching borrowed shows.
2006-01-21
Legend of Zoro
Please don't sue me, I'm just a fan.
This is clearly the most memorable screen in the movie The legend of Zoro.
 |
This is clearly the most memorable screen in the movie The legend of Zoro.
2006-01-20
New Job
I'm changing employment. That is all I really want to say on the matter. Wish me luck, or say a prayer if it feels right. I've been looking forward to this for about three or five years.
I'm changing employment. That is all I really want to say on the matter. Wish me luck, or say a prayer if it feels right. I've been looking forward to this for about three or five years.
Off to the Movies
Nat and I are off to the movies this evening. We want to see Underworld Evolution. Here is a bit of honesty for you. Nat has a crush on the female lead Kate Beckinsale. Too bad the official site doesn't work on my machine. I'm having trouble getting Flash to work on my Linux box. Anyway, it promises to be a romp. Every review I've heard says it sucks, so it should be a fun movie to watch.
Wish us luck.
Nat and I are off to the movies this evening. We want to see Underworld Evolution. Here is a bit of honesty for you. Nat has a crush on the female lead Kate Beckinsale. Too bad the official site doesn't work on my machine. I'm having trouble getting Flash to work on my Linux box. Anyway, it promises to be a romp. Every review I've heard says it sucks, so it should be a fun movie to watch.
Wish us luck.
2006-01-19
Which Serenity Character am I?
I am a sucker for these tests. I have to say, I did not see this
coming. I barely remember the pilot in the series. He was good at his
job, but made mistakes. He was bad at relationships, but loves his wife
dearly. Sounds pretty accurate.
I'm surprised Jayne Cobb is so high in the list. I'm am not surprised that Simon Tam came so low in the list. Nat came out as River. Honestly, I picture her more as Zoe. That kind of fits.
Which are you?
Wash (Ship Pilot)
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I'm surprised Jayne Cobb is so high in the list. I'm am not surprised that Simon Tam came so low in the list. Nat came out as River. Honestly, I picture her more as Zoe. That kind of fits.
Which are you?
2006-01-18
Right now, I'm watching Doom the movie. This thing was panned frightfully by the critics. I'm watching it now and it really is exactly what it promised to be, a romp through dark and foreboding halls. The primary difference between the movie and game is the movie has plot. Oh, and it is a team effort in the movie. I get the feeling that "Hey, I had to do it all by myself." There are a couple of little twists. Not too much. Sarge has the right idea. "Kill them all." His men are not so convinced.
Well, I'll leave the rest to your imagination.
Superhero Test
I've always fancied myself as Batman. This test is pretty accurate
actually.
Batman
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