This is delicious Puzzle Quest 2, you must play it.
[direct link]
Puzzle Quest is back, and not in the shitty way all those other Puzzle Quest games were. Puzzle Quest 2 is all the things you loved about the first game, with some Awesomesauce on top.
The demo is free to download on XBox live Arcade. Give it a shot.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Had some serious coding problems last night
Had some fun last night.
Part of why it made sense for me to start a company for which I would have to write scrapers and scrubbers is because I really love the challenge.
Well, last night it got just hard enough for me to have fun. (that's what she said!)
I put on the headphones, cranked up the music, and stared at the code until I figured out a way to change the architecture to work within the updated requirements without rewriting the program flow (or the whole thing!).
It was a fun, creative, challenging process, and along the way I got to see how much money our program was going to save our customer by minimizing the delta between his prices and those of his competitors.
At the first small business class we went to, when asked the question "Why go into business?" I was surprised that my immediate answer was "To provide a service." I actually want to help my customers, and I know my partner does too. That's how I know we're going to go far.
Excelsior!
Part of why it made sense for me to start a company for which I would have to write scrapers and scrubbers is because I really love the challenge.
Well, last night it got just hard enough for me to have fun. (that's what she said!)
I put on the headphones, cranked up the music, and stared at the code until I figured out a way to change the architecture to work within the updated requirements without rewriting the program flow (or the whole thing!).
It was a fun, creative, challenging process, and along the way I got to see how much money our program was going to save our customer by minimizing the delta between his prices and those of his competitors.
At the first small business class we went to, when asked the question "Why go into business?" I was surprised that my immediate answer was "To provide a service." I actually want to help my customers, and I know my partner does too. That's how I know we're going to go far.
Excelsior!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Pining for a fictional Wyoming
I've been reading Molon Labe this weekend, and every time I put the book down, I note the lingering motivation to move to the fictional Wyoming. I read, and literally think, "Wow, this sounds great. We should totally move there!"
Guess Mr. Party knows how to write to his audience.
Guess Mr. Party knows how to write to his audience.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Hope springs in Oakland.
Reuters: Ca. BART cop found guilty of manslaughter
Everyone was foreseeing violence after this verdict. When the verdict was read, there were many reports of companies sending their employees home early to avoid the potential riot.
But I have hope.
Watching the counter-protest of the Lovelle Mixon protest gave me pause, and hope that Oakland was starting to figure out that they'll never get ahead if they burn their city, riot at the drop of a hat, and refuse to cooperate with the policing force.
I have hope that Oakland will keep itself together after this.
Everyone was foreseeing violence after this verdict. When the verdict was read, there were many reports of companies sending their employees home early to avoid the potential riot.
But I have hope.
Watching the counter-protest of the Lovelle Mixon protest gave me pause, and hope that Oakland was starting to figure out that they'll never get ahead if they burn their city, riot at the drop of a hat, and refuse to cooperate with the policing force.
I have hope that Oakland will keep itself together after this.
Overheard at work
Me: The thing that really sucks about the whole situation is that we have people who can do all the things that would have prevented this failure. We just didn't have someone to tell them to do it.
Coworker: There is no shortage of can at this company. Only a shortage of will.
Damn shame. All this talent and we apparently don't know how to use it.
Coworker: There is no shortage of can at this company. Only a shortage of will.
Damn shame. All this talent and we apparently don't know how to use it.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
God help me.
I tried soy "milk" in my cereal this morning, and it was disappointingly tolerable.
I see more marshmallow mateys in my future.
*sigh*
I see more marshmallow mateys in my future.
*sigh*
Friday, July 02, 2010
I want to write an astronomy textbook.
So at the end I can write; "tl;dr It's turtles all the way down."
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sony doing something right?
Marco seems to be experiencing a distinct lack of suck with his Sony eReader.
Sure, he needs special Sony software to convert whatever format he has the book in into the Sony format, but from what I have read, it is very accepting of original formats, which is as uncharacteristically Sony as making a product that is fully functional. When I read that it acted like a regular flash drive when you plugged it in, my skeptic-o-meter pegged.
So what's the catch here Sony?
Is it set to lock you out until you plug it into a computer and let it do a Sony "update" every month? Will a future update remove some useful functionality? Or will you dust off the old standby, software update makes computer unusable necessitating uninstallation of the software, and reinstallation of the original version from the CD, followed my months of clicking "don't update" until the software updates itself anyway, causing you to repeat the process?
What am I thinking? This is Sony we're talking about!
Tell us about the secret transmitter reporting what books are loaded so you can sic your lawyers if you find one you don't think the user bought? Where in the proprietary eReader file format is the reader storing the amount of time the reader spends per page, what books they finish quickly, and what books they reread so that data can be uploaded the next time it's connected? Where is the flesh eating beetle compartment set to open if the user doesn't buy the extended warranty?
C'mon Sony. No one can take a great new idea, create great hardware, install great firmware, and fuck it all up with cumbersome, feature limiting, locked down software like you can! No way this is the exception that proves the rule. I'll just wait a year or two for the nasty to come out...
Sure, he needs special Sony software to convert whatever format he has the book in into the Sony format, but from what I have read, it is very accepting of original formats, which is as uncharacteristically Sony as making a product that is fully functional. When I read that it acted like a regular flash drive when you plugged it in, my skeptic-o-meter pegged.
So what's the catch here Sony?
Is it set to lock you out until you plug it into a computer and let it do a Sony "update" every month? Will a future update remove some useful functionality? Or will you dust off the old standby, software update makes computer unusable necessitating uninstallation of the software, and reinstallation of the original version from the CD, followed my months of clicking "don't update" until the software updates itself anyway, causing you to repeat the process?
What am I thinking? This is Sony we're talking about!
Tell us about the secret transmitter reporting what books are loaded so you can sic your lawyers if you find one you don't think the user bought? Where in the proprietary eReader file format is the reader storing the amount of time the reader spends per page, what books they finish quickly, and what books they reread so that data can be uploaded the next time it's connected? Where is the flesh eating beetle compartment set to open if the user doesn't buy the extended warranty?
C'mon Sony. No one can take a great new idea, create great hardware, install great firmware, and fuck it all up with cumbersome, feature limiting, locked down software like you can! No way this is the exception that proves the rule. I'll just wait a year or two for the nasty to come out...
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Rushed school project nets pure Magic
MGMT "Kids" Fan Video by Jon Salmon (30 million youtube hits)
[direct link]
The story behind the video.
[direct link]
The story behind the video.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
A truly epic fail by Apple
People are standing in line for hours for the privilege of paying $500 for a phone that doesn't work when you hold it in your hand.
Let that sink in for a minute...
APPLE has built a CELL PHONE that doesn't work if you HOLD IT IN YOUR HAND!
This is unbelievable.
I mean, seriously, unbelievable. Can you imagine if you issued a press release before the iPhone 4's drop date that Apple's new flagship product was a cell phone that stops working when you hold it in your hand? You'd be laughed off the planet!
How does a flaw like this slip by product testing? Was there even any product testing? I mean, being able to hold your phone in your hand is a pretty fucking basic requirement for a phone! Did everyone wear latex gloves while testing it or something?
I know this phrase is tremendously overused, but this is a truly epic fail.
UPDATE: Apparently apple has been saying that its customers are obviously not holding their phone correctly. Except, they're just holding it as advertised. Whoops. This just makes the whole issue even more confounding. How'd they even film the commercials? Or were they all props with simulated screens?
Let that sink in for a minute...
APPLE has built a CELL PHONE that doesn't work if you HOLD IT IN YOUR HAND!
This is unbelievable.
I mean, seriously, unbelievable. Can you imagine if you issued a press release before the iPhone 4's drop date that Apple's new flagship product was a cell phone that stops working when you hold it in your hand? You'd be laughed off the planet!
How does a flaw like this slip by product testing? Was there even any product testing? I mean, being able to hold your phone in your hand is a pretty fucking basic requirement for a phone! Did everyone wear latex gloves while testing it or something?
I know this phrase is tremendously overused, but this is a truly epic fail.
UPDATE: Apparently apple has been saying that its customers are obviously not holding their phone correctly. Except, they're just holding it as advertised. Whoops. This just makes the whole issue even more confounding. How'd they even film the commercials? Or were they all props with simulated screens?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
California foodstamp cards used at casino ATMs
This should be grounds for immediate welfare denial.
Wait, what am I saying, this should be charged as theft.
This is disgusting.
Wait, what am I saying, this should be charged as theft.
This is disgusting.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Start Wearing Purple - Gogol Bordello
[direct link]
DISCLAIMER: ET is not responsible for the mental repetition of this song negatively impacting your ability to use use brain your function at with.
This is Apple Perfection™???
Hey, so, you know how Apple is supposed to just work and all that? Say good bye to viruses and crashes, and now available with both great taste AND less filling?
Yeah. No.
I'm going to start keeping track of the amount of crashes I have on the iPad. I figured the first few just had to be flukes, because you don't hear people complain about Apple OSs crashing, because Apples Just Work™. But there I was, working or playing, and boom. Crashes.
The third party app crashes I can give a partial pass to, because Apple didn't write them, but one would expect them to test them for stability. Because a crashing third party app to a common Apple user (hurrr) is probably indistinguishable from an OS crash. I've been amazed by the amount of crashing I've experienced with third party apps, and have started saving my work as I go (which is not always easy depending on the app, because there is no save function, because APPLE PRODUCTS DON'T CRASH WHY WOULD YOU IMPLY SUCH A THING?! HERETIC! BURN HIM! BURN HIM!) So I've gotten into the habit of opening up a new application, doing something, quitting, and coming back to see if it saved. Then saving or quitting or whatever I need to do to protect my updates from a crash every few minutes or few changes I make.
Isn't this what Apple users were trying to get away from? Constantly saving just in case you get a blue screen of death and lose all your work? Now I'm just doing the same damn thing, and without all the extra functionality of a complete OS!
Where was I? Oh yeah, I can half-forgive the third party app crashes, but the Apple apps like iTunes, Safari, and the app store crashing? WTFM8?! This is THEIR application running on THEIR software running on THEIR OS running on THEIR hardware, and I'm still getting crashes? And must the app store reset the breadcrumbs of where I was whenever I install an app? It's hard enough to get a complete listing of a specific type of app in the store without clicking to install one item, being kicked out of the app store just so I can stare at a progress bar, only to return and find I'm back in the top-level category listings! Then to sit there trying to remember what category you were in, or what search you did to get to the listing you found the related app on to get to the one where the similar app listing included the other app you wanted to download. Heaven forbid you want to install two items from the bottom of the listings for a category, and have to click "Show more" wait five seconds, scroll down, click "Show more" again, and repeat 10 times only to install the first app, get kicked out to stare at a progress bar like a simpleton staring at a toaster, then go back to the app store, and do the same thing again for the second app. But hey, I guess it was built around simple, so why not build for simpletons?
I also enjoy watching iTunes or the iPod function shit itself when it has to do more than one thing at a time. Like if you are trying to download, browse, watch, or listen when a TOS update comes up, or you have to reenter your password. This morning there was a good 30 seconds of hesitant half-function before the app store choked to death on its own vomit and collapsed as the home screen popped up just in time to prevent me from seeing the app store deathrattle and release its bowels. At this point, I (of course) immediately clicked on the app store again and chuckled while the OS spent 20 or 30 seconds cleaning up the shit and vomit before reanimating the corpse and lurching it up on the screen.
All that said, blah-bitty-bloo, still not worth your money just yet, still a fun toy, etc.
Yeah. No.
I'm going to start keeping track of the amount of crashes I have on the iPad. I figured the first few just had to be flukes, because you don't hear people complain about Apple OSs crashing, because Apples Just Work™. But there I was, working or playing, and boom. Crashes.
The third party app crashes I can give a partial pass to, because Apple didn't write them, but one would expect them to test them for stability. Because a crashing third party app to a common Apple user (hurrr) is probably indistinguishable from an OS crash. I've been amazed by the amount of crashing I've experienced with third party apps, and have started saving my work as I go (which is not always easy depending on the app, because there is no save function, because APPLE PRODUCTS DON'T CRASH WHY WOULD YOU IMPLY SUCH A THING?! HERETIC! BURN HIM! BURN HIM!) So I've gotten into the habit of opening up a new application, doing something, quitting, and coming back to see if it saved. Then saving or quitting or whatever I need to do to protect my updates from a crash every few minutes or few changes I make.
Isn't this what Apple users were trying to get away from? Constantly saving just in case you get a blue screen of death and lose all your work? Now I'm just doing the same damn thing, and without all the extra functionality of a complete OS!
Where was I? Oh yeah, I can half-forgive the third party app crashes, but the Apple apps like iTunes, Safari, and the app store crashing? WTFM8?! This is THEIR application running on THEIR software running on THEIR OS running on THEIR hardware, and I'm still getting crashes? And must the app store reset the breadcrumbs of where I was whenever I install an app? It's hard enough to get a complete listing of a specific type of app in the store without clicking to install one item, being kicked out of the app store just so I can stare at a progress bar, only to return and find I'm back in the top-level category listings! Then to sit there trying to remember what category you were in, or what search you did to get to the listing you found the related app on to get to the one where the similar app listing included the other app you wanted to download. Heaven forbid you want to install two items from the bottom of the listings for a category, and have to click "Show more" wait five seconds, scroll down, click "Show more" again, and repeat 10 times only to install the first app, get kicked out to stare at a progress bar like a simpleton staring at a toaster, then go back to the app store, and do the same thing again for the second app. But hey, I guess it was built around simple, so why not build for simpletons?
I also enjoy watching iTunes or the iPod function shit itself when it has to do more than one thing at a time. Like if you are trying to download, browse, watch, or listen when a TOS update comes up, or you have to reenter your password. This morning there was a good 30 seconds of hesitant half-function before the app store choked to death on its own vomit and collapsed as the home screen popped up just in time to prevent me from seeing the app store deathrattle and release its bowels. At this point, I (of course) immediately clicked on the app store again and chuckled while the OS spent 20 or 30 seconds cleaning up the shit and vomit before reanimating the corpse and lurching it up on the screen.
All that said, blah-bitty-bloo, still not worth your money just yet, still a fun toy, etc.
Basic OS functionality? There's an app for that.
I was playing around with the sketchbook app, and made a bunny.
[pause for chorus of applause]
Technically I made two bunnies after the first one disappeared when the iPad crashed, but-- Ok. She wanted me to send her the file, so instead of setting up one of my e-mail accounts on the iPad, I just logged into gmail from Safari. I composed an e-mail and clicked to add the attachment... Except I couldn't browse the file system... Weird. Well I guess they want me to use their e-mail tool instead of doing it my way. Figures. Instead, I browsed to imageshack to do the upload so I could just send her the link... Except I couldn't browse the filesystem... Huh. Could it be that safari truly doesn't have an internet browser based file system browser? I think a moment, and remember Flickr. Flickr! Flickr is all Web Two-point-oh-y so it has to have functionality on the super hip Apple OS. I browse to Flickr, and I can't do any uploads. This was after I browsed the Flickr pool of other people's sketches they did on their iPads. How were those people uploading? Oh! There's got to be an app for it. Then I realized why there had to be an app for it.
The reason there are so many apps for doing tiny, menial tasks such as uploading files, using social networking sites, and almost any site with ajax involved, was because the OS couldn't do any of those things.
But why would they make an OS that had that basic functionality built in, when they could remove it, and sell an app for $0.99 that adds the functionality they clearly went out of their way to disable?
Amazing. I am both disgusted and impressed.
[pause for chorus of applause]
Technically I made two bunnies after the first one disappeared when the iPad crashed, but-- Ok. She wanted me to send her the file, so instead of setting up one of my e-mail accounts on the iPad, I just logged into gmail from Safari. I composed an e-mail and clicked to add the attachment... Except I couldn't browse the file system... Weird. Well I guess they want me to use their e-mail tool instead of doing it my way. Figures. Instead, I browsed to imageshack to do the upload so I could just send her the link... Except I couldn't browse the filesystem... Huh. Could it be that safari truly doesn't have an internet browser based file system browser? I think a moment, and remember Flickr. Flickr! Flickr is all Web Two-point-oh-y so it has to have functionality on the super hip Apple OS. I browse to Flickr, and I can't do any uploads. This was after I browsed the Flickr pool of other people's sketches they did on their iPads. How were those people uploading? Oh! There's got to be an app for it. Then I realized why there had to be an app for it.
The reason there are so many apps for doing tiny, menial tasks such as uploading files, using social networking sites, and almost any site with ajax involved, was because the OS couldn't do any of those things.
But why would they make an OS that had that basic functionality built in, when they could remove it, and sell an app for $0.99 that adds the functionality they clearly went out of their way to disable?
Amazing. I am both disgusted and impressed.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Doing the jobs Americans won't do.
The Minuteman Project: Doing jobs Americans won't do. American politicians, that is. Motivational poster demotivator
Think Obama hates it when states take their border security seriously?
Just wait until the citizens start forming up armed posses to protect their neighborhoods from cartel violence and threats.
If this goes unanswered by the Feds, they're practically handing the AZ police force over to the cartels on a silver platter. Once the AZ police realize that they are on their own, how long do you think they're going to hang around to get shot at by superior firepower and numbers?
Once those posses start forming up (if they haven't already), the justice and security they provide will be... imprecise. Lets be honest, a bunch of guys with guns aren't exactly a legal system, which is why we formed a legal system in the first place. We send money and support to remote areas so the law can be enforced evenly all over the country, and civilization can take hold. But we need to maintain the power of law to maintain our civilization. Without enforcement from the highest office in the country, can you blame the beleagured citizens for taking the law into their own hands?
If Obama hates it when states take their border security into their own hands, he'll be livid to hear mere citizens are picking up guns and doing the job the feds won't do themselves.
If this goes unanswered by the Feds, they're practically handing the AZ police force over to the cartels on a silver platter. Once the AZ police realize that they are on their own, how long do you think they're going to hang around to get shot at by superior firepower and numbers?
Once those posses start forming up (if they haven't already), the justice and security they provide will be... imprecise. Lets be honest, a bunch of guys with guns aren't exactly a legal system, which is why we formed a legal system in the first place. We send money and support to remote areas so the law can be enforced evenly all over the country, and civilization can take hold. But we need to maintain the power of law to maintain our civilization. Without enforcement from the highest office in the country, can you blame the beleagured citizens for taking the law into their own hands?
If Obama hates it when states take their border security into their own hands, he'll be livid to hear mere citizens are picking up guns and doing the job the feds won't do themselves.
Monday, June 21, 2010
"Hello, David? This is your doctor. Hang up the phone, and call 911 right now."
David at RNS had a collection of minor maladies compound into a serious situation.
He's ok now that they figured out what was going on, but that must have been pretty scary.
MORE SPLEENS MEANS MORE POWER
He's ok now that they figured out what was going on, but that must have been pretty scary.
MORE SPLEENS MEANS MORE POWER
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Seattle cop punches poor defenseless girl while attempting to exact hate crime on underprivileged minority
Not really, but I'm sure that's how it will be framed.
If the cop has his hands on you, you've already lost. Don't fight.
In related news, WTF is up with Seattle PD's takedown training, or lack thereof? Where are their Tasers? Where is their backup? Does this cop even know how to do that arm lock he was attempting for several minutes?
I understand he was playing it soft, and I understand that it was probably because so many people were around him, but that crowd could have just as easily turned ugly. (Also, no one offers to help the officer? I guess I don't know the etiquette in that situation.)
This two minute flail-fest is exactly why cops are rough in takedowns. Once he had her against the hood of the car, the head should have hit the hood to control the rest of the body. Instead, her upper body is free to move and twist. I dunno. This whole video just made me feel real uneasy about the officer's safety.
If the cop has his hands on you, you've already lost. Don't fight.
In related news, WTF is up with Seattle PD's takedown training, or lack thereof? Where are their Tasers? Where is their backup? Does this cop even know how to do that arm lock he was attempting for several minutes?
I understand he was playing it soft, and I understand that it was probably because so many people were around him, but that crowd could have just as easily turned ugly. (Also, no one offers to help the officer? I guess I don't know the etiquette in that situation.)
This two minute flail-fest is exactly why cops are rough in takedowns. Once he had her against the hood of the car, the head should have hit the hood to control the rest of the body. Instead, her upper body is free to move and twist. I dunno. This whole video just made me feel real uneasy about the officer's safety.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Quote of the Silent Hill 2
It's a fascinating voyage of pain and dispair that leaves you emotionally drained and satisfied, like fucking a burning dolphin.
~Yahtzee
iPadulations
Because the business my partner and I started targets companies that don't know about the type of service we are offering, and haven't been actively (or correctly) marketed to, we ran into difficulty explaining the specifics of what we can do for them. Our elevator speech needed to be adjusted depending on the business of the person we were talking to, and even then, it wasn't always clear to the potential customer exactly what we were talking about.
We thought about the problem for a bit, and decided that this might be the only legitimate use for the iPad. We can get a 3G model, VPN into our network, and show them some interactive sample data without having to ask for internet access or commandeer their workstation.
For that reason and one other, my business partner and I bought two iPads. Both 32 gigs, one wifi+3G, one wifi only. We have yet to try out the 3G service, but for how shitty AT&T's voice network is, their data network has been fast and solid for both of us.
My derisive complaints remain; no card reader, no standard media storage, no flash player, proprietary everything, limited (and often buggy) applications, and a simplified, locked-down, lowest common denominator OS. I laughed at the early adopters because I knew that Apple was going to wait 6-12 months, and release a new iPad with one of those features added. Then 6-12 months later? One more feature. I never would have bought one personally, considering the above issues and the excessive cost.
But now that I have one...
The Good
The interface is flawless, as is par for Apple. You could give it to a chimp, and an hour later, he'd be setting up an RSS reader for his favorite blogs, and playing Words with Friends with another chimp in Florida. The ad says "You already know how to use it." and they aren't lying.
The display is brilliant. The color reproduction and contrast are fucking beautiful. The brightness effectively blends every fingerprint smudge away. No color weirding when viewing at any angle. Perfection.
The battery life is very good. Use it for hours, and watch it drop to 99%. It's not measured in days like a lower-tech e-reader, and it might be worse for movies on Netflix or something, but for casual use for a variety of purposes, I think they've found a great balance. No complaints here.
The reading of websites and blogs is quite optimized. The text rendering is sharp and clean, and the horizontal lock feature is very useful. I think they wanted to be very sure to get this right.
The Bad
I hate to sound like nutnfancy, but it's just barely too heavy. This is a tiny problem, but it's noticeable when you hold it in certain positions for more than a minute. It also affects unsupported one handed holding. Again, not a big issue.
Playing videos is hobbled due to Apple's "No video format exists except Quicktime" mentality. I have yet to find a working WMV player, and the one system that is supposed to play MPEGs and other formats requires they be streamed through a separate local server. Youtube plays, and is technically integrated with the browser, but there seems to be some intangible clunkiness there. I guess they've got to keep you buying movies from iTunes.
No multitasking. I know this was done intentionally to keep things simple, but I think we're ready to listen to Pandora while we browse the internet. Our heads won't explode, Steve. We've been multitasking since Windows 3.1, so this refusal is starting to wear thin. I suspect we'll have to wait two more iPad revisions before they provide the software to add this functionality, and it almost certainly will not work on previously released hardware.
The keyboard is debatably bad, but I've heard reports of people with enough practice using it easily. It's too easy to drop the blade of your hand or an errant finger onto the keyboard, and inadvertently add a few letters to your word. So try it out for yourself to see if you can work with it. But the fact that the F and J keys are rendered with the touch tab on them should tell you everything you need to know :]
File transferring is cumbersome without using iTunes (tough if you run linux). Fortunately DropBox is free and effective at getting files from your computer to your iPad, but that doesn't change the fact that Apple wants you to use iTunes instead of your tool of choice to transfer files... Or maybe they just want to be able to add the card reader in the next version. Either way, it's a dick move.
Conclusion
So it's too physically heavy, too software complicated, and too expensive to be a good e-reader; and it's too software incompatible, too unfamiliar in form, and too simple to be a netbook laptop. But I guess that's what Apple was going for. It's not either of those things, it's just an iPad. Nothing more or less. But the question is, was there a market for an in-between device? Apple has created new markets before, but fucking over loyal early adopters can overshadow popularity and cult following.
I don't think I'd buy one with my own money. I might wait for the inevitable 3rd or 4th generation, when it has more of the features we would expect to get standard from any other company, and is at a price we would merely scoff at from any other company.
All that said, good on Apple for recognizing how to squeeze money out of its followers, and exploiting it for the largest profits it can get from the market. Also, Apple's management of their market demand is nothing short of brilliant. From a technical standpoint, I think their offerings are sub-par, but from a business standpoint? Their ability to create markets where there were none, and drain every available cent out of them is stupefying.
So far, I've been enjoying Dominion in the time my wife isn't glued to the awesome that is Words With Friends. Dropbox is an easy way to do file transferring, and is free. Private Media Folders isalso free $3.99 and worth it, and provides a password protected area in which to store your files.
We thought about the problem for a bit, and decided that this might be the only legitimate use for the iPad. We can get a 3G model, VPN into our network, and show them some interactive sample data without having to ask for internet access or commandeer their workstation.
For that reason and one other, my business partner and I bought two iPads. Both 32 gigs, one wifi+3G, one wifi only. We have yet to try out the 3G service, but for how shitty AT&T's voice network is, their data network has been fast and solid for both of us.
My derisive complaints remain; no card reader, no standard media storage, no flash player, proprietary everything, limited (and often buggy) applications, and a simplified, locked-down, lowest common denominator OS. I laughed at the early adopters because I knew that Apple was going to wait 6-12 months, and release a new iPad with one of those features added. Then 6-12 months later? One more feature. I never would have bought one personally, considering the above issues and the excessive cost.
But now that I have one...
The Good
The interface is flawless, as is par for Apple. You could give it to a chimp, and an hour later, he'd be setting up an RSS reader for his favorite blogs, and playing Words with Friends with another chimp in Florida. The ad says "You already know how to use it." and they aren't lying.
The display is brilliant. The color reproduction and contrast are fucking beautiful. The brightness effectively blends every fingerprint smudge away. No color weirding when viewing at any angle. Perfection.
The battery life is very good. Use it for hours, and watch it drop to 99%. It's not measured in days like a lower-tech e-reader, and it might be worse for movies on Netflix or something, but for casual use for a variety of purposes, I think they've found a great balance. No complaints here.
The reading of websites and blogs is quite optimized. The text rendering is sharp and clean, and the horizontal lock feature is very useful. I think they wanted to be very sure to get this right.
The Bad
I hate to sound like nutnfancy, but it's just barely too heavy. This is a tiny problem, but it's noticeable when you hold it in certain positions for more than a minute. It also affects unsupported one handed holding. Again, not a big issue.
Playing videos is hobbled due to Apple's "No video format exists except Quicktime" mentality. I have yet to find a working WMV player, and the one system that is supposed to play MPEGs and other formats requires they be streamed through a separate local server. Youtube plays, and is technically integrated with the browser, but there seems to be some intangible clunkiness there. I guess they've got to keep you buying movies from iTunes.
No multitasking. I know this was done intentionally to keep things simple, but I think we're ready to listen to Pandora while we browse the internet. Our heads won't explode, Steve. We've been multitasking since Windows 3.1, so this refusal is starting to wear thin. I suspect we'll have to wait two more iPad revisions before they provide the software to add this functionality, and it almost certainly will not work on previously released hardware.
The keyboard is debatably bad, but I've heard reports of people with enough practice using it easily. It's too easy to drop the blade of your hand or an errant finger onto the keyboard, and inadvertently add a few letters to your word. So try it out for yourself to see if you can work with it. But the fact that the F and J keys are rendered with the touch tab on them should tell you everything you need to know :]
File transferring is cumbersome without using iTunes (tough if you run linux). Fortunately DropBox is free and effective at getting files from your computer to your iPad, but that doesn't change the fact that Apple wants you to use iTunes instead of your tool of choice to transfer files... Or maybe they just want to be able to add the card reader in the next version. Either way, it's a dick move.
Conclusion
So it's too physically heavy, too software complicated, and too expensive to be a good e-reader; and it's too software incompatible, too unfamiliar in form, and too simple to be a netbook laptop. But I guess that's what Apple was going for. It's not either of those things, it's just an iPad. Nothing more or less. But the question is, was there a market for an in-between device? Apple has created new markets before, but fucking over loyal early adopters can overshadow popularity and cult following.
I don't think I'd buy one with my own money. I might wait for the inevitable 3rd or 4th generation, when it has more of the features we would expect to get standard from any other company, and is at a price we would merely scoff at from any other company.
All that said, good on Apple for recognizing how to squeeze money out of its followers, and exploiting it for the largest profits it can get from the market. Also, Apple's management of their market demand is nothing short of brilliant. From a technical standpoint, I think their offerings are sub-par, but from a business standpoint? Their ability to create markets where there were none, and drain every available cent out of them is stupefying.
So far, I've been enjoying Dominion in the time my wife isn't glued to the awesome that is Words With Friends. Dropbox is an easy way to do file transferring, and is free. Private Media Folders is
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
You're talkin' 'bout my generation???
Wanna get down on those kids these days? Read this first.
Everything he said lines up with my upbringing.
Being told in elementary school to test for the gifted classes because it would look great on my college resume. Spending weekends and summer doing community service, because "Everyone's going to have great grades, you've got to be well rounded to stand out on your college application!" Looking through the club catalog endlessly, trying to find something that interested me in the slightest because that "shows that I have a passion for my education, and will add to my college application." We considered hyphenating my last name to make it more obviously reflect my latino heritage because white males have a much harder time getting into college than minorities. I can't count the amount of times I was told that the student loans for college wouldn't matter, because I'd be making 200k a year in my profession, whatever it was going to be. Every "B" was a death sentence, because every student who could took every AP course they could, and worked between 3 and 8 hours on homework every night so they could get the coveted 5.0 GPA, and "guaranteed" acceptance to the college of your choice. The years of preparation and months of endless studying sessions cramming for the SATs, because if you messed up on them, you could kiss college good bye. I knew those kids because I was smart too, and seeing what they did to maintain their impossible grades made me feel sorry for them. Especially when one of them got an A- through no fault of their own. The anguish these kids felt over their college aspirations crumbling to dust didn't make much sense to me at the time.
Now it just makes me feel mad at their parents.
Parents who told their children that perfection was not only achievable, but required. They parroted the dogma of the education experts as if it were their own, and fought for the ideal as if it were the only thing one could be expected to do.
We didn't need the perfection you never attained.
What we needed was the rebellious spirit your generation held in such high regard.
We needed that spirit so we could use it against you, and stop you from turning us into little academic machines.
We needed to be allowed to grow up to be well adjusted adults, with some basic idea of who we are.
Now those of us that have achieved academic perfection by eschewing personal growth have stepped out into the world, turned back to our parents who gave us what they presented as The Secret Formula for a Happy Life, and ask, "Now what?"
To which you reply, "I dunno, but times are tough, and you gotta pay rent if you're going to stay here. The Subway down the street is hiring."
Then you complain that my generation is full of socially maladjusted adolescents and slackers???
Fuck you.
Fuck.
You.
They say every generation is like their grandparents' because kids rebel against their parents. I hope that my generation figures out that it is owed one childhood of mirth and discovery, and makes sure the next generation has one.
I began to wonder how the Boomers managed to break the cycle of rebellion, but the answer is all over that first paragraph. Fear. If you didn't go to college you were going to be a failure. The Boomers' fear of failure made their kids failures.
I guess that leads us to an interesting conclusion about the Boomers; they felt like failures themselves. They must nothave felt feel that what they did with their youth was valuable. I'd tell you to keep your self-loathing to yourself, but it's obviously too late for that.
I don't like that it now sounds like I'm blaming all this on the Boomers, but like the guy says, the only alternative is to blame children for doing what they were told.
Everything he said lines up with my upbringing.
Being told in elementary school to test for the gifted classes because it would look great on my college resume. Spending weekends and summer doing community service, because "Everyone's going to have great grades, you've got to be well rounded to stand out on your college application!" Looking through the club catalog endlessly, trying to find something that interested me in the slightest because that "shows that I have a passion for my education, and will add to my college application." We considered hyphenating my last name to make it more obviously reflect my latino heritage because white males have a much harder time getting into college than minorities. I can't count the amount of times I was told that the student loans for college wouldn't matter, because I'd be making 200k a year in my profession, whatever it was going to be. Every "B" was a death sentence, because every student who could took every AP course they could, and worked between 3 and 8 hours on homework every night so they could get the coveted 5.0 GPA, and "guaranteed" acceptance to the college of your choice. The years of preparation and months of endless studying sessions cramming for the SATs, because if you messed up on them, you could kiss college good bye. I knew those kids because I was smart too, and seeing what they did to maintain their impossible grades made me feel sorry for them. Especially when one of them got an A- through no fault of their own. The anguish these kids felt over their college aspirations crumbling to dust didn't make much sense to me at the time.
Now it just makes me feel mad at their parents.
Parents who told their children that perfection was not only achievable, but required. They parroted the dogma of the education experts as if it were their own, and fought for the ideal as if it were the only thing one could be expected to do.
We didn't need the perfection you never attained.
What we needed was the rebellious spirit your generation held in such high regard.
We needed that spirit so we could use it against you, and stop you from turning us into little academic machines.
We needed to be allowed to grow up to be well adjusted adults, with some basic idea of who we are.
Now those of us that have achieved academic perfection by eschewing personal growth have stepped out into the world, turned back to our parents who gave us what they presented as The Secret Formula for a Happy Life, and ask, "Now what?"
To which you reply, "I dunno, but times are tough, and you gotta pay rent if you're going to stay here. The Subway down the street is hiring."
Then you complain that my generation is full of socially maladjusted adolescents and slackers???
Fuck you.
Fuck.
You.
They say every generation is like their grandparents' because kids rebel against their parents. I hope that my generation figures out that it is owed one childhood of mirth and discovery, and makes sure the next generation has one.
I began to wonder how the Boomers managed to break the cycle of rebellion, but the answer is all over that first paragraph. Fear. If you didn't go to college you were going to be a failure. The Boomers' fear of failure made their kids failures.
I guess that leads us to an interesting conclusion about the Boomers; they felt like failures themselves. They must not
I don't like that it now sounds like I'm blaming all this on the Boomers, but like the guy says, the only alternative is to blame children for doing what they were told.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Adventure Time is Awesome
Hi-larious.
Here's my favorite moment so far, at 1:10 at the headbutt.
DVR it and catch an episode or two to see if you like it too.
Here's my favorite moment so far, at 1:10 at the headbutt.
DVR it and catch an episode or two to see if you like it too.
Coming soon to a doorstep near you!
Weerd wants you to sleep tight.
This is even more disturbing to me now because after we moved, a cop came to our door looking for someone who must have been the previous occupant.
Glad the previous occupant didn't do something that would cause the police to pick up automatic weapons, put on heavy bulletproof vests and black masks, throw flashbangs through our window, break down our door, and shoot us unarmed, stunned, deaf, and blinded in bed for having guns within arms reach while failing to comply with instructions we couldn't hear.
You know, something heinous like have an ounce of pot?
But I don't even have to worry about that when most of these raids can't be bothered check the goddamn address of the house before they go all SS on the occupants.
I wonder if they'd shoot Ava, our house rabbit. Actually, I'm sure they would, why wouldn't they if they're shooting dogs that are IN CAGES?
A moment of silence for those innocents lost in the monumental failure we call the War on Drugs.
This is even more disturbing to me now because after we moved, a cop came to our door looking for someone who must have been the previous occupant.
Glad the previous occupant didn't do something that would cause the police to pick up automatic weapons, put on heavy bulletproof vests and black masks, throw flashbangs through our window, break down our door, and shoot us unarmed, stunned, deaf, and blinded in bed for having guns within arms reach while failing to comply with instructions we couldn't hear.
You know, something heinous like have an ounce of pot?
But I don't even have to worry about that when most of these raids can't be bothered check the goddamn address of the house before they go all SS on the occupants.
I wonder if they'd shoot Ava, our house rabbit. Actually, I'm sure they would, why wouldn't they if they're shooting dogs that are IN CAGES?
A moment of silence for those innocents lost in the monumental failure we call the War on Drugs.
Red Dawn remake going to not suck?!
The Red Dawn Remake: The Return of the Red Scare?
Due out November 24th.
UPDATE: Hey look! More evidence that it won't suck! An LA Times intellectual is scoffing at it!
Did anyone feel that? It felt like the winds changing.
I know what you’re thinking – because it’s what I’ve been thinking since I first heard details about all this several days ago. This is all some sort of gag, right? Hollywood doesn’t do this sort of thing. This isn’t the 1980’s anymore. Wake up! This is the era of Avatar, of Fahrenheit 9/11, of Sean Penn hanging with the mullahs in Iran. The communist Chinese aren’t our enemy – they’re our friends! They make our TVs and T-shirts and disposable ink cartridges. Our real enemies are American corporations, environmental polluters, and all those blonde chicks on Fox News. Get your head in the game, Apuzzo. You’re daydreaming again!
Apparently not. Difficult as this is to believe, MGM is indeed now in post-production on what appears to be an extravagantly hardcore remake of John Milius’ 1984 film, Red Dawn.
[snip]
...these posters reveal is that the Red Dawn remake may actually go where the original film did not go (largely due to the fact that the original was made during the Reagan Administration), which is in equating certain tendencies in contemporary American liberalism with Chinese-style communism (!). That would be an extraordinary thing for a Hollywood studio to do nowadays.
[snip]
I have a million questions, all of which boil down to: how did this movie get greenlit? How did this one slip by?
Due out November 24th.
UPDATE: Hey look! More evidence that it won't suck! An LA Times intellectual is scoffing at it!
Did anyone feel that? It felt like the winds changing.
If you like your health care coverage, you'll be able to keep it*
* unless we think your health care plan sucks.
HOPE you wanted to CHANGE your health care coverage.
From RNS
HOPE you wanted to CHANGE your health care coverage.
From RNS
Something our mother gave us
I had a late-night bitch session with my sister at the local 24 hour diner over many many cups of tea. She just needed to vent about the people in her life, and their confounding personalities. People who do things without even knowing it, people who hurt other people to make themselves feel powerful, people who use people that feel obligated to put up with it.
We just kept coming back to "Why don't these people see what they're doing?" and "Why don't these people just say 'fuck off' and not let it happen to them?"
It is kind of strange to realize that a couple of 20 somethings are more self-aware and mature than middle-aged fathers and family members.
I guess that's one thing our mother gave us; the lesson that your natural reaction is not always the right one.
When we realized that we were subconsciously giving her a pass just because we felt like we were supposed to, we learned to rethink our feelings, and react according to the breadth of our consideration and logic. We saw right through her manipulative words, tone, demeanor, emotion, tears, peas, and right at the truth: she wanted to make us feel bad because she felt bad. She ran us through her 18 year course on manipulative people, and we've learned every trick in the book. Now, I measure the time I spend with my defenses down instead of the time I spend with them up, and my sister considers herself cold and impassive. But it's really just refusing to let anyone else control you by forcing your reaction.
Manipulative people say and do things intentionally to make you think or act a certain way. Even if it's an insignificant result, they do it because it makes them feel powerful. "I made him scared." "I made her feel bad." "I made him do what I wanted him to do." "I have control over how this person feels, and they don't even realize it!"
So don't react.
Because when manipulative people fail to manipulate you, they either try harder, or get frustrated. Either way, they become easy to identify, put into your list of people not to trust, and mentally prepare for in the future.
An unintentional comment made by a non-manipulative person will just be dropped (because they didn't mean for it to cause a reaction), or followed up quickly by an apology (because they didn't think before they spoke).
We also marveled at the thoughtless people who simply acted or reacted automatically, without considering what they were saying, who it would impact, or WHY their immediate reaction was what it was.
Self unaware people who damage their relationships because they don't think logically about their reaction. "Why am I angry about this?" "Is this really the person I should be mad at?" "Why am I about to say this, and how will it affect my loved ones?"
Unfortunately, my sister and I have little tolerance for broken people; people who act or react because they have some subconscious hang-up. It's not technically their fault, because most people don't know they're broken, and at the time, I'm sure the action feels natural and correct. But to lack the consideration to review your action in hindsight? That's not something we put up with for long.
So we surround ourselves with people we can trust, or at least understand. Not reacting, or reacting mechanically has made it easier to process the speech, tone, body language, and general feel of the speaker, and be a better judge of their character and personality. Once we find those people we can trust, we can lower the drawbridge and relax with them without worry. Or short of trust, we can enjoy their company in one capacity, but not others.
We're glad our mother gave us the ability to identify our demons and exorcise them, but it hasn't done a thing for our misanthropy :) Part of being a good judge of motives and character means not being able to ignore the machinations (intentional or not) of the people you are required to deal with. This makes some people intolerable. Even (and usually especially) the ones who manipulate others to be well liked.
Come as you are, and speak your mind freely as often as you can. Life is too short to spend with controlling people, and your happiness is too important to strain it dealing with the thoughtless ones.
We just kept coming back to "Why don't these people see what they're doing?" and "Why don't these people just say 'fuck off' and not let it happen to them?"
It is kind of strange to realize that a couple of 20 somethings are more self-aware and mature than middle-aged fathers and family members.
I guess that's one thing our mother gave us; the lesson that your natural reaction is not always the right one.
When we realized that we were subconsciously giving her a pass just because we felt like we were supposed to, we learned to rethink our feelings, and react according to the breadth of our consideration and logic. We saw right through her manipulative words, tone, demeanor, emotion, tears, peas, and right at the truth: she wanted to make us feel bad because she felt bad. She ran us through her 18 year course on manipulative people, and we've learned every trick in the book. Now, I measure the time I spend with my defenses down instead of the time I spend with them up, and my sister considers herself cold and impassive. But it's really just refusing to let anyone else control you by forcing your reaction.
Manipulative people say and do things intentionally to make you think or act a certain way. Even if it's an insignificant result, they do it because it makes them feel powerful. "I made him scared." "I made her feel bad." "I made him do what I wanted him to do." "I have control over how this person feels, and they don't even realize it!"
So don't react.
Because when manipulative people fail to manipulate you, they either try harder, or get frustrated. Either way, they become easy to identify, put into your list of people not to trust, and mentally prepare for in the future.
An unintentional comment made by a non-manipulative person will just be dropped (because they didn't mean for it to cause a reaction), or followed up quickly by an apology (because they didn't think before they spoke).
We also marveled at the thoughtless people who simply acted or reacted automatically, without considering what they were saying, who it would impact, or WHY their immediate reaction was what it was.
Self unaware people who damage their relationships because they don't think logically about their reaction. "Why am I angry about this?" "Is this really the person I should be mad at?" "Why am I about to say this, and how will it affect my loved ones?"
Unfortunately, my sister and I have little tolerance for broken people; people who act or react because they have some subconscious hang-up. It's not technically their fault, because most people don't know they're broken, and at the time, I'm sure the action feels natural and correct. But to lack the consideration to review your action in hindsight? That's not something we put up with for long.
So we surround ourselves with people we can trust, or at least understand. Not reacting, or reacting mechanically has made it easier to process the speech, tone, body language, and general feel of the speaker, and be a better judge of their character and personality. Once we find those people we can trust, we can lower the drawbridge and relax with them without worry. Or short of trust, we can enjoy their company in one capacity, but not others.
We're glad our mother gave us the ability to identify our demons and exorcise them, but it hasn't done a thing for our misanthropy :) Part of being a good judge of motives and character means not being able to ignore the machinations (intentional or not) of the people you are required to deal with. This makes some people intolerable. Even (and usually especially) the ones who manipulate others to be well liked.
Come as you are, and speak your mind freely as often as you can. Life is too short to spend with controlling people, and your happiness is too important to strain it dealing with the thoughtless ones.
Bulldog tidbits
The Ishapore Enfield Bulldog is being finicky, which is to be expected, but part that's part of the fun of these old rifles. I floated the barrel on my 91/59 to increase accuracy, and used some plastic straws to make the trigger pull a little better. I love machines, and I love figuring out creative ways to fix or tweak them.
I spent a few hours trying to figure out what the problem with the extraction was, but only managed to determine what it was not. I checked the adjustment of the rear left mag lip, which was not functioning as the ejector, nor (interestingly enough) was the ejector screw. There is an edge cut into the left side of the receiver that was ejecting. The screw only seemed to make ejection a sixteenth of an inch earlier. Contrary to most guns, working the bolt quickly caused problems, while working it slowly caused no issues. The extractor claw seems to just let go half way through the draw back, and leave the shell loose above the mag, but only when worked quickly.
This is extra strange because the extractor claw is damn strong. I almost feel like it's pushing so hard it's shooting the case off the bolt face once it's out of the chamber. I brought the extractor claw position closer to the center of the bolt face by raising the opposite side of the extractor arm by the tiny amount I could while keeping the opening in line with the screw (which was broken, but somewhat functional).
I got it feeding more reliably from both sides after I was done, but couldn't eliminate the shell dropping problem. I'm going to order a new extractor, spring, and screw just so I can replace them or have spares while troubleshooting. Of course it could just be a problem extracting an unfired round (which I believe I read somewhere), so I'll probably shoot it before I make any changes (other than repairing that extractor screw).
The sear meet up is short, but extremely positive, making for a short heavy pull with lots of overtravel. I'll refrain from tweaking it until I shoot it, because the Enfield No.4's trigger is technically bad, but I shoot it just fine. (though that trigger is much lighter...)
Can't wait to shoot it, and play around with it.
I just stare at it.
I spent a few hours trying to figure out what the problem with the extraction was, but only managed to determine what it was not. I checked the adjustment of the rear left mag lip, which was not functioning as the ejector, nor (interestingly enough) was the ejector screw. There is an edge cut into the left side of the receiver that was ejecting. The screw only seemed to make ejection a sixteenth of an inch earlier. Contrary to most guns, working the bolt quickly caused problems, while working it slowly caused no issues. The extractor claw seems to just let go half way through the draw back, and leave the shell loose above the mag, but only when worked quickly.
This is extra strange because the extractor claw is damn strong. I almost feel like it's pushing so hard it's shooting the case off the bolt face once it's out of the chamber. I brought the extractor claw position closer to the center of the bolt face by raising the opposite side of the extractor arm by the tiny amount I could while keeping the opening in line with the screw (which was broken, but somewhat functional).
I got it feeding more reliably from both sides after I was done, but couldn't eliminate the shell dropping problem. I'm going to order a new extractor, spring, and screw just so I can replace them or have spares while troubleshooting. Of course it could just be a problem extracting an unfired round (which I believe I read somewhere), so I'll probably shoot it before I make any changes (other than repairing that extractor screw).
The sear meet up is short, but extremely positive, making for a short heavy pull with lots of overtravel. I'll refrain from tweaking it until I shoot it, because the Enfield No.4's trigger is technically bad, but I shoot it just fine. (though that trigger is much lighter...)
Can't wait to shoot it, and play around with it.
I just stare at it.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
BULLY!
UPDATE: Fixed "click for large size" images
After a discussion about someone's Perfect Gun, I started to think about what my Perfect Gun would be.
I love full power cartridges, iron sights, and wood stocks. This meant I liked WW2 rifles. I had some issue with bolt action rifles only because I shoot rifles lefty (cross dominant), but actually found some functions fit lefties better. The Enfield safety is perfect for lefties, the Mosin straight-handled bolt (and any other mauser straight-handled bolt) actually gave more opening leverage left-handed, and the Enfield's bolt handle hanging rear of the receiver was very accessible to lefties.
I started picking bits and pieces of rifles that I would combine into my perfect rifle, and actually came rather close to a rifle currently in existence. The Ishapore SMLE Bulldog.
PRO: It has the weight and balance of an Enfield. It's shortened to make it easier to point and maneuver. It's chambered in 7.62 NATO / .308 Win, which meant no rimlock, and that there would be plenty of surplus available, and that the popular cartridge would remain in production for some time! It would easily take a trigger job to turn it into a snappy two stage. And the mags hold 12 rounds without getting in the way of prone firing.
CON: It has the Enfield stock, which meant a jaw-weld instead of a cheek-weld (difficult to fix without disturbing the lines of the rifle). It has open sights (mojo makes aperture sights for them, but I'd rather see how much a gunsmith will charge to figure out how to install a No.4 ladder sight, or one of these for the sight radius).
All in all, it was a great fit for what I was looking for.
Lucky for me, I found one.
Double lucky for me, it was one of the 3rd party importer rebuilds instead of a bubba'd one.
Triple lucky it was a $150.
Sorry for the cell phone pics, (I'm actually surprised how well they came out) I'll put better ones up when we unpack the camera.
Clicky for full size!
Looooove that profile!
I was not expecting the wood to be this good. It's all matched, and very nice.
They removed the front sling mount point (no real reason for it now!), but left the bayonet lug intact! This shorty needs one of those patented Enfield No.1 sword bayonets! There is a split in the wood on the forward top handguard. It has been repaired with some glue by the previous owner, but I think I might be able to do a bit better.
It came with the sling, which is kind of thin for the proper shooting sling that it is, but I'll have more to say about it once I've tried it out.
The finish is definitely not the usual Brit finish (shitty, cracking oven paint), instead it's much more hearty. It shows some wear on the corners, but just enough for character.
After a discussion about someone's Perfect Gun, I started to think about what my Perfect Gun would be.
I love full power cartridges, iron sights, and wood stocks. This meant I liked WW2 rifles. I had some issue with bolt action rifles only because I shoot rifles lefty (cross dominant), but actually found some functions fit lefties better. The Enfield safety is perfect for lefties, the Mosin straight-handled bolt (and any other mauser straight-handled bolt) actually gave more opening leverage left-handed, and the Enfield's bolt handle hanging rear of the receiver was very accessible to lefties.
I started picking bits and pieces of rifles that I would combine into my perfect rifle, and actually came rather close to a rifle currently in existence. The Ishapore SMLE Bulldog.
PRO: It has the weight and balance of an Enfield. It's shortened to make it easier to point and maneuver. It's chambered in 7.62 NATO / .308 Win, which meant no rimlock, and that there would be plenty of surplus available, and that the popular cartridge would remain in production for some time! It would easily take a trigger job to turn it into a snappy two stage. And the mags hold 12 rounds without getting in the way of prone firing.
CON: It has the Enfield stock, which meant a jaw-weld instead of a cheek-weld (difficult to fix without disturbing the lines of the rifle). It has open sights (mojo makes aperture sights for them, but I'd rather see how much a gunsmith will charge to figure out how to install a No.4 ladder sight, or one of these for the sight radius).
All in all, it was a great fit for what I was looking for.
Lucky for me, I found one.
Double lucky for me, it was one of the 3rd party importer rebuilds instead of a bubba'd one.
Triple lucky it was a $150.
Sorry for the cell phone pics, (I'm actually surprised how well they came out) I'll put better ones up when we unpack the camera.
Clicky for full size!
Looooove that profile!
I was not expecting the wood to be this good. It's all matched, and very nice.
They removed the front sling mount point (no real reason for it now!), but left the bayonet lug intact! This shorty needs one of those patented Enfield No.1 sword bayonets! There is a split in the wood on the forward top handguard. It has been repaired with some glue by the previous owner, but I think I might be able to do a bit better.
It came with the sling, which is kind of thin for the proper shooting sling that it is, but I'll have more to say about it once I've tried it out.
The finish is definitely not the usual Brit finish (shitty, cracking oven paint), instead it's much more hearty. It shows some wear on the corners, but just enough for character.
We all want to be that guy.
Sal has a pic wherein he found something more than what most people see.
I've been that guy once or twice. :)
I've been that guy once or twice. :)
How to Hack a Computer in an Action Movie
I hate this shit even more because it's what I do for a living.
With the exception of The Matrix: Reloaded
Related.
With the exception of The Matrix: Reloaded
Related.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Unbought oil barriers are the new unused Katrina school buses
Maine factory owner begs feds: Why aren't you buying the oil barriers I'm churning out?
Normally the government is good at spending money. Obviously they're only good at wasting it.
I forget who took ownership of this problem recently. Said something like, "the buck stops here?"
Normally the government is good at spending money. Obviously they're only good at wasting it.
I forget who took ownership of this problem recently. Said something like, "the buck stops here?"
Friday, June 04, 2010
Helen Thomas proves she's just as ugly on the inside
[direct link]
Who's in charge of this wretch, and why haven't they saved her from herself by convincing her to bow out gracefully? (or as gracefully as she can at this point)
The worst part? When this retarded elephant in the room that everyone has been doing their best to ignore and tip-toe around dies, the same people who put up with her for years will have to stand in front of cameras and talk about what a great person she was.
Call a spade a spade.
Helen Thomas is a festering boil on our political system who only retains her position because someone would actually have to look at her to ask her to leave.
From HotAir
Thursday, June 03, 2010
I may disagree with your douchebaggery, but I'll defend to the death your right to be a douchebag.
Sometimes being a douchebag is a duty.
I must say that I probably would have done the same thing.
Now they want to form a HOA after the fact? Good luck getting him to sign up, douchebags. After that, good luck trying to get him to obey your strongly worded letters.
I think I'd paint it something obnoxious for a few weeks and paint it to something more pleasing to my own eyes. Unless they kept insisting. Then I might do something I don't like just because they don't like it even more. Petty? Nah. I don't think of it as being petty when I'm teaching a lesson.
You remember when you were a kid, and there was that one kid who always got picked on because he always had a big reaction to it? Yeahhh... Guess some of these neighbors either didn't know that kid, or WERE that kid...
From Uncle
Sometimes you gotta be smart to be so stupid
We got a great deal on a new apartment, and our move-out date was over Memorial Day weekend. Genius! Instead of one day of crazy moving, we'll be able to spread it out to three easier days of moving! And since we saved money on the new place, lets not rent a u-haul, and just use my brother-in-law's truck! I'm so goddamn smart.
WRONG!
Instead of one day of suck, it was stretched out to THREE days of suck! And since we had three days, we were more inclined to take three days! Smaller truck, more trips, etc.
We finished moving in on Monday, and today's the first day since that I've felt human. I just started getting back into a regular sleep/awake/dead/alive pattern.
I don't care how much we saved. Next time I'm hiring fucking movers.
WRONG!
Instead of one day of suck, it was stretched out to THREE days of suck! And since we had three days, we were more inclined to take three days! Smaller truck, more trips, etc.
We finished moving in on Monday, and today's the first day since that I've felt human. I just started getting back into a regular sleep/awake/dead/alive pattern.
I don't care how much we saved. Next time I'm hiring fucking movers.
MOAR
Finished Monster Hunter Vendetta last night, two days after I downloaded it.
The only reason it took that long was because I had just moved for three days, and needed sleep to continue forming correct sentences.
Can't wait for more!
The only reason it took that long was because I had just moved for three days, and needed sleep to continue forming correct sentences.
Can't wait for more!
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
E-ARC OF MONSTER HUNTER VENDETTA AVAILABLE NOW!!!!1111ONEONEOMGOMWTF:RH_&(B$-*BOOM*
SQUEEEEEEEEEE
ohyeahitsavailablein:
Ebookwise/Rocket Format
Mobi/Palm/Kindle Format
EPUB/Nook/Stanza Format
Microsoft Reader Format
Sony Digital Reader Format
RTF Format
(and with a little effort, PDF)
Shame on the residents of Irvine California!
Support your local cops.
I was at Subway ordering when a cop came in. I rarely get these opportunities, so I waited for him to finish his order, and then asked if I could pay for his lunch. He said it was alright, but I insisted, and he gave in. He said he appreciated it and that this was the first time anyone had bought him lunch!
C'mon people! Your local cops are out there every day, dealing with all kinds of bullshit so you don't have to. They don't know what's going to happen when they pull over a car for a broken tail light. It's a hard job with long hours that isn't paid nearly enough for the job they have to do.
Show them some love.
I was at Subway ordering when a cop came in. I rarely get these opportunities, so I waited for him to finish his order, and then asked if I could pay for his lunch. He said it was alright, but I insisted, and he gave in. He said he appreciated it and that this was the first time anyone had bought him lunch!
C'mon people! Your local cops are out there every day, dealing with all kinds of bullshit so you don't have to. They don't know what's going to happen when they pull over a car for a broken tail light. It's a hard job with long hours that isn't paid nearly enough for the job they have to do.
Show them some love.
The Onion: White House calls James Cameron, underwater director to stop the oil leak.
Oh fuck. This is real.
This would be hilarious if it wasn't so infuriating.
"Mr. President, the Gulf oil leak is getting worse! We need to get on top of this!"
"Let me be clear... It's time for us to get serious on this oil leak. *pound fist on table* GET ME JAMES CAMERON!"
C'mon. Seriously. This is a joke, right?
This would be hilarious if it wasn't so infuriating.
"Mr. President, the Gulf oil leak is getting worse! We need to get on top of this!"
"Let me be clear... It's time for us to get serious on this oil leak. *pound fist on table* GET ME JAMES CAMERON!"
C'mon. Seriously. This is a joke, right?
The 99ers can make my Subway sandwich or move.
In yet another story about how California is going to collapse under the weight of its own stupidity, and reduce to "emerging nation" status, I noticed this;
First of all, WTF 99 WEEKS OF FREE MONEY?!
Second of all, anyone who can't find work is not looking hard enough, or is not looking in the right place.
The goddamn Subway that I go to for lunch has had a "Help Wanted" sign posted for EIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT MILKING MONTHS! My wife lost her retail job last year, and found another one in about ONE MONTH.
I was writing up a little HOWTO on what to do to get from nothing to something, and then I realized it was a goddamn HOWTO for life. Live somewhere, take shitty job, live rough for a while, scrape and scrounge, save up, get a vehicle. Use vehicle to expand job opportunities, or skip vehicle and greyhound it to metropolitan area with lots of public transportation. Get better job. If no better job available, get better scholastic education or trade education, then get better job. Increase standard of living, continue looking for better job.
Repeat until life happens.
These people fail at life.
PS: When one unemployed person exhausts their 99 weeks of unemployment, the state of california ASSumes they must have found a job, and reduces the unemployment* number by one.
* Unemployment number does not reflect discouraged workers, workers who are not eligible for unemployment benefits, workers who are underemployed, workers who do not actively seek employment, or workers who did not seek unemployment.
The latest bill also does nothing for the more than 111,000 Californians who have exhausted their 99 weeks of benefits. Change.com has launched a grass roots campaign for the so-called "99ers" to get additional benefits for those who have now fallen off the unemployment rolls after exhausting their 99 weeks.
First of all, WTF 99 WEEKS OF FREE MONEY?!
Second of all, anyone who can't find work is not looking hard enough, or is not looking in the right place.
The goddamn Subway that I go to for lunch has had a "Help Wanted" sign posted for EIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT MILKING MONTHS! My wife lost her retail job last year, and found another one in about ONE MONTH.
I was writing up a little HOWTO on what to do to get from nothing to something, and then I realized it was a goddamn HOWTO for life. Live somewhere, take shitty job, live rough for a while, scrape and scrounge, save up, get a vehicle. Use vehicle to expand job opportunities, or skip vehicle and greyhound it to metropolitan area with lots of public transportation. Get better job. If no better job available, get better scholastic education or trade education, then get better job. Increase standard of living, continue looking for better job.
Repeat until life happens.
These people fail at life.
PS: When one unemployed person exhausts their 99 weeks of unemployment, the state of california ASSumes they must have found a job, and reduces the unemployment* number by one.
* Unemployment number does not reflect discouraged workers, workers who are not eligible for unemployment benefits, workers who are underemployed, workers who do not actively seek employment, or workers who did not seek unemployment.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Haw-Haw!
There's a jackknifed fuel truck burning on the primary thoroughfare to get from Orange County to Vegas, the desert, several lakes, and every other form of memorial day fun. The current ETA for road clearing and safety confirmation is 5 hours, and is probably pretty optimistic. The backup has already spread to many nearby freeways, and it's unlikely anyone's gong anywhere.
And I can't wipe this evil grin from my face.
Every day I drive to a major business city at 1pm to go to work, and I have a good idea of what to expect of the traffic on the way in. Because of that, it's extremely obvious to me when people are leaving work early, or just don't come in. As a bonus, I can also not the call volume from our customers, which usually serves as a good indication to the amount of people actually doing work on any given day.
I register my annoyance when a holiday approaches and people leave in the middle of the day on a Friday, or don't show up on a Monday. Or worse, when a random weekday is collective unconsciously picked as a ditch-day. Yeah, it's none of my business who works when, but I just can't help but wonder... Who the fuck are these guys, and where do they work that they can go in late, leave early, or just not show up at all so damn often???
Maybe I'm a little sore that I don't get all these days off, but I think it's mostly the lack of work ethic or pride in your job. I suppose these people could just hate their jobs, but still...
Either way I can't help but smile at their plan to skip out on work early severely spoiled. Guess that makes me a bad person :P
And I can't wipe this evil grin from my face.
Every day I drive to a major business city at 1pm to go to work, and I have a good idea of what to expect of the traffic on the way in. Because of that, it's extremely obvious to me when people are leaving work early, or just don't come in. As a bonus, I can also not the call volume from our customers, which usually serves as a good indication to the amount of people actually doing work on any given day.
I register my annoyance when a holiday approaches and people leave in the middle of the day on a Friday, or don't show up on a Monday. Or worse, when a random weekday is collective unconsciously picked as a ditch-day. Yeah, it's none of my business who works when, but I just can't help but wonder... Who the fuck are these guys, and where do they work that they can go in late, leave early, or just not show up at all so damn often???
Maybe I'm a little sore that I don't get all these days off, but I think it's mostly the lack of work ethic or pride in your job. I suppose these people could just hate their jobs, but still...
Either way I can't help but smile at their plan to skip out on work early severely spoiled. Guess that makes me a bad person :P
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Hope n' Change Cartoons
Check 'em out!
I knew about this for a while, but never took the time to go through the archives or read the posts. I recently remedied that mistake, and found much more than I had expected. They're going on the webcomics section on the right, replacing Punch an' Pie which has been ambling around aimlessly, randomly bumping into things, for months.
This is one of my favorites.
I knew about this for a while, but never took the time to go through the archives or read the posts. I recently remedied that mistake, and found much more than I had expected. They're going on the webcomics section on the right, replacing Punch an' Pie which has been ambling around aimlessly, randomly bumping into things, for months.
This is one of my favorites.
War never changes
LA Times: North Korea says it will scrap naval accord with South
North Korea has been positioning itself, quite overtly, for war for a while now. This is just another stepping stone, but it's a big one.
War from Mr. Ronery has been a foregone conclusion. It was only a matter of when.
Now that America is at its weakest in many ways, they've got an opportunity that they haven't had in decades. It only makes sense that they take it.
I hope President Obama surprises us all by squashing lil' Kim like the bug he is. But I won't be holding my breath.
North Korea has been positioning itself, quite overtly, for war for a while now. This is just another stepping stone, but it's a big one.
War from Mr. Ronery has been a foregone conclusion. It was only a matter of when.
Now that America is at its weakest in many ways, they've got an opportunity that they haven't had in decades. It only makes sense that they take it.
I hope President Obama surprises us all by squashing lil' Kim like the bug he is. But I won't be holding my breath.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
I can't stop laughing at this
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I've never understood the "I'm just one person" attitude.
People seem to be stuck in the notion that they are "just one person" and can't have an effect on this big country.
I can't really understand the attitude, but I didn't really have a strong argument.
At least, I didn't until a bit ago...
This person you'd scoff at if he walked by you, this kid you'd expect to find serving your coffee, this "one person" brought down a federally funded multi-state organization. An organization that was one of the president's favorites.
How can you look at that incomprehensible douchebag who changed the course of politics in this nation with a camera, a suit, and a fake fur coat, and say that one person can't do anything is lying to themselves.
I can't really understand the attitude, but I didn't really have a strong argument.
At least, I didn't until a bit ago...
This person you'd scoff at if he walked by you, this kid you'd expect to find serving your coffee, this "one person" brought down a federally funded multi-state organization. An organization that was one of the president's favorites.
How can you look at that incomprehensible douchebag who changed the course of politics in this nation with a camera, a suit, and a fake fur coat, and say that one person can't do anything is lying to themselves.
What's it going to take to get us to secure our borders?
ABC: Martyrs at the Border
I hate to ask the question because I know, and I think you know, exactly what is going to have to happen to get our government to secure the borders.
When it does happen, every politician who pushed for anything less than total border security should resign, find the nearest bridge, and jump the fuck off.
Willful inaction resulting in the death of hundreds, or even thousands of Americans should be considered treason.
Until then, you disgusting equivocators.
I hate to ask the question because I know, and I think you know, exactly what is going to have to happen to get our government to secure the borders.
When it does happen, every politician who pushed for anything less than total border security should resign, find the nearest bridge, and jump the fuck off.
Willful inaction resulting in the death of hundreds, or even thousands of Americans should be considered treason.
Until then, you disgusting equivocators.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The problem with tasers
I've heard repeatedly that the problem with tasers is that they only incapacitate while they are in the process of shocking. This makes them perfect tools for cops working with backup. One shocks, the other restrains. But in a situation where you are alone? As soon as the initial shock finishes, there is nothing preventing your attacker from ripping out a barb, and charging you.
Found a good video showing a dog being incapacitated by a taser. As soon as the initial shock is finished, the dog is instantly back at 100%.
[direct link]
Might be useful to hit your attacker with the taser, drop it, and start running. I can see how it could fit in a planned escalation of force, but why dick around when your life is on the line.
Found a good video showing a dog being incapacitated by a taser. As soon as the initial shock is finished, the dog is instantly back at 100%.
[direct link]
Might be useful to hit your attacker with the taser, drop it, and start running. I can see how it could fit in a planned escalation of force, but why dick around when your life is on the line.
Happy everybody draw Muhammad day!
Yeah, I COULD have just drawn a picture of a stick figure labeled Muhammad, to emphasize the stupidity of any possible follow up anger... But where's the fun in that?
Long live free speech!
Quote of the jury nullification
If you can't get 12 random people to agree that something should be against the law, why would you think it should still be a law?
~Me!
Phone for the man who has them all
One of our customers deals in cell phones. He has his pick of almost any cell phone made in the past decade.
He runs an Android phone.
I may have to start considering droid more seriously.
Also of note is that fact that my coworker has been making me jealous of his n900 with annoying regularity. Because it's not a phone; it's a goddamn computer that you are supposed to hack.
He runs an Android phone.
I may have to start considering droid more seriously.
Also of note is that fact that my coworker has been making me jealous of his n900 with annoying regularity. Because it's not a phone; it's a goddamn computer that you are supposed to hack.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Quote of that which they defend
I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.
~J.R.R. Tolkien
The reason for guns.
Do us all a favor
When you're sick, and you work in a small department, that works in a small room, that is understaffed already due to the recession...
Stay home.
I was sick all weekend and two days into the week because of you. Jerk.
You're not helping anyone.
Stay home.
I was sick all weekend and two days into the week because of you. Jerk.
You're not helping anyone.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Judge moves to release evil violent dangerous right wing militia members due to lack of evidence, feds appeal, hold them until decision.
NY Times: Hutaree Militia Members Must Stay in Jail for Now
Wait, what? The uberscary militia that was ready to destroy the country with its daring plan to shoot some local cops so they could kill even more local cops, so they could lure their intended target, the feds, to their bunker/compound/clubhouse booby-trapped with homemade bombs? A federal judge wanted to let them go???
DetNews: Judge questions weight of evidence in Hutaree case
Gee... The way this was reported made it sound like a slam dunk. Final proof that the Scary Violent Dangerous Right Wing™ was an imminent threat to the security of this nation and should be treated as domestic terrorists. But the feds can't scrape together enough evidence to hold them before trial?
This case had JDFR all over it when I first heard it. Starting with the idiocy of their supposed plan to strike a blow at the feds by killings lots and lots of local cops. If you want to attack the feds, you hop in your plane and fly it into a federal building, you don't congeal some complicated plan to lead you to your master stroke of being surrounded by tank-driving feds.
This, of course, assumes these plotters were intelligent enough to think out their plan. It could be that they were all just stupid, and had a stupid plan. But the thing about stupid people and their plans, is that deep down, they're aware that they're stupid, and that their plan won't work, so they usually don't wind up carrying it out unless they get in a situation where they have nothing to lose. Obviously, this was not the case, since they're fighting the charges. Obviously they hadn't even started their plan, since the prosecution can't even convince the judge they've done anything.
The other thing that bugs me is the homemade bomb making. Since there are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous men; it makes sense that a group who has expressed intent to kill people with homemade bombs has the planning, knowledge, and skill to carry out the attack. They're a danger whether they haven't been caught yet, or if they're currently released waiting for trial. You can rule that these people have their guns taken away, but you can't rule that their knowledge and skill be taken away.
The only thing that makes a knowledgeable homemade bomb maker safe is handcuffing them to their recliner at home. So what makes these accused bomb makers safe? Maybe all their kit was confiscated? But you can easily obtain the necessary elements to make explosives. Maybe the person who had all the skill in this arena was an informant, and is no longer available to them as a resource? But that would kind of defeat the purpose of calling the group dangerous when the only person who was really dangerous was working with the feds already. Or maybe... Just maybe... They only talked about making bombs, and had no real knowledge on the subject.
I don't know, but this case just don't feel right.
This judge's revealing decision has cast suspicion over the entire case. If the appeals court finds they must be held until trial, we may still murmur. But if they grant bond? Maybe the feds should just cut their losses and trust the MSM not to report it.
An appeals court has ruled nine members of a Michigan militia must stay locked up while the government challenges an order that would release them until trial. The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in Cincinnati, said Monday that it was continuing a temporary stay of a Detroit federal judge’s decision to free members of the militia pending trial.
Wait, what? The uberscary militia that was ready to destroy the country with its daring plan to shoot some local cops so they could kill even more local cops, so they could lure their intended target, the feds, to their bunker/compound/clubhouse booby-trapped with homemade bombs? A federal judge wanted to let them go???
DetNews: Judge questions weight of evidence in Hutaree case
A federal judge expressed reservations today about the weight of the evidence against nine militia members accused of plotting to wage against the U.S. government.
[snip]
But she said that charge requires evidence of "imminent lawless action ... against the United States."
[snip]
Prosecutors say the defendants are a danger to the public and a flight risk. The court's pretrial services department has recommended detention based on risk to the public.
Defense lawyers say their clients have committed no crimes but only exercised their constitutional rights of free speech, free association and the right to bear arms.
Gee... The way this was reported made it sound like a slam dunk. Final proof that the Scary Violent Dangerous Right Wing™ was an imminent threat to the security of this nation and should be treated as domestic terrorists. But the feds can't scrape together enough evidence to hold them before trial?
This case had JDFR all over it when I first heard it. Starting with the idiocy of their supposed plan to strike a blow at the feds by killings lots and lots of local cops. If you want to attack the feds, you hop in your plane and fly it into a federal building, you don't congeal some complicated plan to lead you to your master stroke of being surrounded by tank-driving feds.
This, of course, assumes these plotters were intelligent enough to think out their plan. It could be that they were all just stupid, and had a stupid plan. But the thing about stupid people and their plans, is that deep down, they're aware that they're stupid, and that their plan won't work, so they usually don't wind up carrying it out unless they get in a situation where they have nothing to lose. Obviously, this was not the case, since they're fighting the charges. Obviously they hadn't even started their plan, since the prosecution can't even convince the judge they've done anything.
The other thing that bugs me is the homemade bomb making. Since there are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous men; it makes sense that a group who has expressed intent to kill people with homemade bombs has the planning, knowledge, and skill to carry out the attack. They're a danger whether they haven't been caught yet, or if they're currently released waiting for trial. You can rule that these people have their guns taken away, but you can't rule that their knowledge and skill be taken away.
The only thing that makes a knowledgeable homemade bomb maker safe is handcuffing them to their recliner at home. So what makes these accused bomb makers safe? Maybe all their kit was confiscated? But you can easily obtain the necessary elements to make explosives. Maybe the person who had all the skill in this arena was an informant, and is no longer available to them as a resource? But that would kind of defeat the purpose of calling the group dangerous when the only person who was really dangerous was working with the feds already. Or maybe... Just maybe... They only talked about making bombs, and had no real knowledge on the subject.
I don't know, but this case just don't feel right.
This judge's revealing decision has cast suspicion over the entire case. If the appeals court finds they must be held until trial, we may still murmur. But if they grant bond? Maybe the feds should just cut their losses and trust the MSM not to report it.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
40 years of failure, and no end in sight!
AP IMPACT: US drug war has met none of its goals
There can be no war against inanimate objects. There can only be war against people.
There can be no war against inanimate objects. There can only be war against people.
Seriously, windows?
Was tweaking some code for windows execution last night, and it froze on me twice. Once in the middle of testing (I'm constantly saving my work, of course), and when I was finished, it froze on the shutdown screen. Which brings the total of Windows 7 freezes to six.
I'm sorry to bitch, it's just that this stuff blows my mind!
I've got a brand spanking new laptop fresh from Dell with the latest and greatest flavor of Windows on it, all factory defaults, no funny business, no tweaks, no hacks, no items, fox only, final destination, and the fucking thing STILL crashes fresh out of the box.
What's even more fucked up is that people put up with it because it's what they've been conditioned to expect from computers.
Number of Linux crashes: 0
Blows my mind...
I'm sorry to bitch, it's just that this stuff blows my mind!
I've got a brand spanking new laptop fresh from Dell with the latest and greatest flavor of Windows on it, all factory defaults, no funny business, no tweaks, no hacks, no items, fox only, final destination, and the fucking thing STILL crashes fresh out of the box.
What's even more fucked up is that people put up with it because it's what they've been conditioned to expect from computers.
Number of Linux crashes: 0
Blows my mind...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Slow month for the company awards
Every month we have an award for the employee who goes "above and beyond the call of duty." Some months the nominees are obvious, others... not so much.
Last month was one of those "not so much" ones. It was a three-way tie. One engineer for a tough problem, another engineer for staying late at a customer, and me for getting a haircut.
I'll probably put the money toward future haircuts.
Last month was one of those "not so much" ones. It was a three-way tie. One engineer for a tough problem, another engineer for staying late at a customer, and me for getting a haircut.
I'll probably put the money toward future haircuts.
Skynet Symphonic - Pogo
[direct link]
Holy balls, this is fucking awesome. Great progression. Sweet tempo changes.
Why the fuck didn't youtube email me that Pogo posted more vids? I'm subscribed...
I can't believe no one has done this yet.
Nominee Elena Kagan...
British actor David Mitchell...
Separated at birth?
Update: I just checked, and there are some other folks who have noticed. Some even picked the same pictures :)
British actor David Mitchell...
Separated at birth?
Update: I just checked, and there are some other folks who have noticed. Some even picked the same pictures :)
Monday, May 10, 2010
Dual boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS on a Dell Inspiron 11z
STEP 1: Testing out Ubuntu without making changes to your computer.
(this first step actually applies to any computer, not just the Inspiron 11z)
First thing you need is an empty USB drive with about 2 gigs of space on it. They're cheap. Buy two in case you put one through the wash.
Download the Linux Live USB Creator, it's free, it works great.
Download the latest version of Ubuntu, making sure you click "Alternate Download Options" and select the 64-bit version before you start the download.
Install and run the Linux Live USB program, and make sure it can find the USB drive in the first step. If your drive isn't popping up in the drop down, click the arrow circle to the right to refresh and try again. Found it? Good. Remember that it will get erased, so back it up and empty it first.
Once the Ubuntu ISO is downloaded, click the ISO button on the USB Creator, and select the Ubuntu download file (it should end in ".iso") Drag the slider to 300-500MB of persistence depending on how much space you have on the drive. The persistence will make it easier to make adjustments to the live environment if you want to play with it before you pull the trigger on the install.
Uncheck all the options in the USB Creator Step 4, we don't need them for this.
Click the lightning bolt and grab a sandwich!
When it's done just reboot with the USB drive still plugged in, and boot to USB. On the Inspiron llz, you press F12 when it starts turning back on, and you'll get a boot menu. Select the second option; USB drive.
Ubuntu will load and log you in automatically. From here, you can get a feel for Ubuntu, test the suspend, etc. Know that my 11z had intermittent issues with the Live session around the wireless card and even the wired connection. If you have these issues too, don't worry. The full install works fine.
At any point you can click on the power button in the top right corner of the screen, select reboot, and boot right back into Windows without it ever knowing you cheated on it. The Live USB doesn't even touch the harddrive, it only uses your RAM.
STEP 2: Making it stick.
Ok, it's time to get our dual boot on. First thing we need to do is make some room for Ubuntu to live on. Since windows is picky, we're going to have to use its repartitioning tool. Follow these instructions to reduce the size of the primary partition (your c: drive in most cases). Ubuntu only needs like 10GB (10000MB) of space, but you can (and probably should) go over that. I ordered my 11z with 300GB of space, so I just gave it 100GB (100000MB). When you've selected the size, click Shrink and let Windows shrink the partition. When you're done, just leave the space unpartitioned, and reboot back into windows.
Do not load Ubuntu after you're done shrinking the partition, you NEED to reboot back into windows to let windows get comfortable with the new partitioning. Once you are logged in, you can reboot back into Ubuntu, and select the install function.
The setup is pretty obvious until you make it to the partitioning, simply select the "largest available free space" button, and Ubuntu will set itself up on the free space you made when you shrunk the partition in windows. The rest of the install is also obvious, and shouldn't take too long. When it's done just reboot. :)
Your box will restart, and the new bootloader will open up with the first selection, Ubuntu, as the OS it's going to load by default unless you select Windows 7 before the timeout. Select Ubuntu, or let it load on its own.
Once Ubuntu is loaded, your wireless card will not work, this is because Ubuntu needs to check the internet for the proprietary drivers it needs to run the Broadcom wireless card. So just plug it into the internet using a wired connection and wait. Ubuntu will find the drivers, and a pop up will let you know there are some proprietary drivers available for your hardware. Just accept both those drivers, and reboot. You'll be good to go.
As for battery life, I got the 6-cell battery, and Ubuntu at rest with wireless on, and screen at a normal brightness setting should run for 6.5 hours. With the screen dimmed, 7 hours. With the screen dimmed and wireless off, 8 hours. Not bad at all.
(this first step actually applies to any computer, not just the Inspiron 11z)
First thing you need is an empty USB drive with about 2 gigs of space on it. They're cheap. Buy two in case you put one through the wash.
Download the Linux Live USB Creator, it's free, it works great.
Download the latest version of Ubuntu, making sure you click "Alternate Download Options" and select the 64-bit version before you start the download.
Install and run the Linux Live USB program, and make sure it can find the USB drive in the first step. If your drive isn't popping up in the drop down, click the arrow circle to the right to refresh and try again. Found it? Good. Remember that it will get erased, so back it up and empty it first.
Once the Ubuntu ISO is downloaded, click the ISO button on the USB Creator, and select the Ubuntu download file (it should end in ".iso") Drag the slider to 300-500MB of persistence depending on how much space you have on the drive. The persistence will make it easier to make adjustments to the live environment if you want to play with it before you pull the trigger on the install.
Uncheck all the options in the USB Creator Step 4, we don't need them for this.
Click the lightning bolt and grab a sandwich!
When it's done just reboot with the USB drive still plugged in, and boot to USB. On the Inspiron llz, you press F12 when it starts turning back on, and you'll get a boot menu. Select the second option; USB drive.
Ubuntu will load and log you in automatically. From here, you can get a feel for Ubuntu, test the suspend, etc. Know that my 11z had intermittent issues with the Live session around the wireless card and even the wired connection. If you have these issues too, don't worry. The full install works fine.
At any point you can click on the power button in the top right corner of the screen, select reboot, and boot right back into Windows without it ever knowing you cheated on it. The Live USB doesn't even touch the harddrive, it only uses your RAM.
STEP 2: Making it stick.
Ok, it's time to get our dual boot on. First thing we need to do is make some room for Ubuntu to live on. Since windows is picky, we're going to have to use its repartitioning tool. Follow these instructions to reduce the size of the primary partition (your c: drive in most cases). Ubuntu only needs like 10GB (10000MB) of space, but you can (and probably should) go over that. I ordered my 11z with 300GB of space, so I just gave it 100GB (100000MB). When you've selected the size, click Shrink and let Windows shrink the partition. When you're done, just leave the space unpartitioned, and reboot back into windows.
Do not load Ubuntu after you're done shrinking the partition, you NEED to reboot back into windows to let windows get comfortable with the new partitioning. Once you are logged in, you can reboot back into Ubuntu, and select the install function.
The setup is pretty obvious until you make it to the partitioning, simply select the "largest available free space" button, and Ubuntu will set itself up on the free space you made when you shrunk the partition in windows. The rest of the install is also obvious, and shouldn't take too long. When it's done just reboot. :)
Your box will restart, and the new bootloader will open up with the first selection, Ubuntu, as the OS it's going to load by default unless you select Windows 7 before the timeout. Select Ubuntu, or let it load on its own.
Once Ubuntu is loaded, your wireless card will not work, this is because Ubuntu needs to check the internet for the proprietary drivers it needs to run the Broadcom wireless card. So just plug it into the internet using a wired connection and wait. Ubuntu will find the drivers, and a pop up will let you know there are some proprietary drivers available for your hardware. Just accept both those drivers, and reboot. You'll be good to go.
As for battery life, I got the 6-cell battery, and Ubuntu at rest with wireless on, and screen at a normal brightness setting should run for 6.5 hours. With the screen dimmed, 7 hours. With the screen dimmed and wireless off, 8 hours. Not bad at all.
Quote of the origin story of ET
Congratulations. You just lived through an origin story.
Young man discovers powers he didn't know he had. Will he use them for good or ill? Complicated by the fact that he has to be really drunk to activate the powers. He's the only one who can fix Wells Fargo's mainframe, but at what risk?
~David White Wolf
I lol'd.
8 Ball - Underworld
[direct link]
Something to help you ease into the week.
Makes me feeeeeeeel!
[today...]
Feeeeeeeel!
Feeeeeeeel!
[today...]
Feeeeeeeel!
Happyyyyyyy!
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Blogging from the new lappy on Ubuntu 10, Quixotic Quetzal
hahaha
because they have stupid names.
so here's waht happenede
I loaded up an ubuntu live usb, and booted into it.
then it booted right up, but the wireless wasn't working, so I spent a bit of time fiddling with it, but couldn't get it started
then we went to my business partner's house, and brought it along.
then some stuff happened.
then I got really really REALLY drunk
then I woke up now with my second real hanover eber (not even that bad), noticed the lappy was in sleep mode, opened it up, and teh intarwebz work.
so I'm pretty sure I got drunk and fixed the linux install in some manner which I cannot recall.
drunk me is smart... or just dumb enough
so this thing is all usb'd up. I gotta get my dual boot on.
because they have stupid names.
so here's waht happenede
I loaded up an ubuntu live usb, and booted into it.
then it booted right up, but the wireless wasn't working, so I spent a bit of time fiddling with it, but couldn't get it started
then we went to my business partner's house, and brought it along.
then some stuff happened.
then I got really really REALLY drunk
then I woke up now with my second real hanover eber (not even that bad), noticed the lappy was in sleep mode, opened it up, and teh intarwebz work.
so I'm pretty sure I got drunk and fixed the linux install in some manner which I cannot recall.
drunk me is smart... or just dumb enough
so this thing is all usb'd up. I gotta get my dual boot on.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Picky blogger prematurely bitches about awesome new bit of kit
Got a new Ultra Hyper Portable™ lappy from Dell for the business (demos are hard without a portable laptop with good battery life), and I think I hate it.
I'm not sure if it's because the screen's too small, the entire laptop is too small, or if it's just Windows 7, but it's not clicking with me.
*sigh*
Honestly, I've only had it for *ET takes off his shoes to count* one day... So I'm not sure what I'm going nuts about. I'm going to give it a test run on an Ubuntu livecd usb key, and if it feels better, repartition and install for a dual boot.
The damn thing is maxed out on the Dell specs, with awesome widescreen resolution on one of those fancy HD glassy screens, and the battery life should carry it for 6 hours of continuous use, but it's just not clicking with me.
Even as I type this on my zombie lappy, I can't help but feel the change is... luxurious... Thinking about it now, I've had this thing for fucking ever, so some difficulty changing is to be expected. I'm not even sure why I'm posting this because I'm quite certain that in two weeks I'll have to print this post out, add some salt, and eat my words.
Bah. I should just shut up and enjoy the top-of-the-line kit. *grumble*
I think I'm going to buy a new personal desktop replacement laptop. Saw some good deals while shopping for that thing.
I'm not sure if it's because the screen's too small, the entire laptop is too small, or if it's just Windows 7, but it's not clicking with me.
*sigh*
Honestly, I've only had it for *ET takes off his shoes to count* one day... So I'm not sure what I'm going nuts about. I'm going to give it a test run on an Ubuntu live
The damn thing is maxed out on the Dell specs, with awesome widescreen resolution on one of those fancy HD glassy screens, and the battery life should carry it for 6 hours of continuous use, but it's just not clicking with me.
Even as I type this on my zombie lappy, I can't help but feel the change is... luxurious... Thinking about it now, I've had this thing for fucking ever, so some difficulty changing is to be expected. I'm not even sure why I'm posting this because I'm quite certain that in two weeks I'll have to print this post out, add some salt, and eat my words.
Bah. I should just shut up and enjoy the top-of-the-line kit. *grumble*
I think I'm going to buy a new personal desktop replacement laptop. Saw some good deals while shopping for that thing.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Classic awesome in the palm of your hand
I was browsing the blackberry app store, digging through the productivity and utility apps, when I realized that I should look at the goddamn games, because I always forget you can do something other than work and tweet amusing photos.
Two pages in I jump out of my chair when I see this!
The classic Sid Meier's Pirates! game! The screen shots look very true to the original I played with my friend on his 486 in 6th grade! Freakin' sweet. Can't wait to play it.
Two pages in I jump out of my chair when I see this!
The classic Sid Meier's Pirates! game! The screen shots look very true to the original I played with my friend on his 486 in 6th grade! Freakin' sweet. Can't wait to play it.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Gulf oil rig blowing up in Obama's face
So it turns out Obama is the biggest recipient of BP money over the past 20 years.
But why would BP give Obama money?
To get an environmental waiver for a Gulf oil rig.
Which oil rig?
Yep. That exploding one.
Can you feel the hopechange?
I was wondering why Obama had the kid gloves on when it came to scolding BP. He's not one to miss out on opportunities to stick it to those dastardly businesses. Always greedily employing people, and paying out dividends to shareholders, and funding your 401Ks. PURE EVIL!
But why would BP give Obama money?
To get an environmental waiver for a Gulf oil rig.
Which oil rig?
Yep. That exploding one.
Can you feel the hopechange?
I was wondering why Obama had the kid gloves on when it came to scolding BP. He's not one to miss out on opportunities to stick it to those dastardly businesses. Always greedily employing people, and paying out dividends to shareholders, and funding your 401Ks. PURE EVIL!
Feds start delivering felons to your doorstep!
The government wouldn't pay dangerous felons to knock on our doors would they?
Brother, you don't know the government!
Brother, you don't know the government!
Want to know how to build a time machine?
Stephen Hawking will tell you in simple, easily understandable terms.
Daily Mail: STEPHEN HAWKING: How to build a time machine
BONUS: He'll also shatter your preconceptions of time!
Daily Mail: STEPHEN HAWKING: How to build a time machine
BONUS: He'll also shatter your preconceptions of time!
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
wtf judge
Is it just me or did Jack Bauer just whip out a Taurus Judge for absolutely no reason?
Wonder how much Taurus paid for that...
Wonder how much Taurus paid for that...
Revisiting Visiting Spyderco
After my wife lost her beloved Lava, and the local shop didn't have one (discontinued), I had to wander Spyderco's lineup to find the previously unknown name so we could order it.
I'm not a fan of Spyderco. There are a few I like; the native 2 and 3, the ladybug, the cricket, but I just don't like the look and feel of Spyderco's look and feel. The FRN grips feels cheap, the stainless steel grips are heavy and slick, the grip designs are thin and small, the eye-hole is an eye-sore, and the clips were either too strong or two weak and flared out too much at the end, and the blade shape is exactly the fucking same thing, except squished or stretched in some direction. Sure, they've come out of their mold recently, with a series of "interesting" models, and some of it has stuck (native series), but for the most part, you're just left wondering wtf was going on over there. I mean, did it really take until the Native III for one of their designers to open a dictionary and look up the word "ergonomics?"
While I was going through their line, I read this in the description for the Delica;
Afford, was the key word for me. They were making quality knives that were affordable. It was only because they happened to settle on a primary design that I didn't care for, that I didn't consider them. Truthfully, other manufacturers have or had a "wtf line," Benchmade included, but I chose to ignore them because the main line was diverse and strong. Spyderco's main line may not be diverse, but there is no argument that it is strong. I was just ignoring it because I didn't like the design, and thought they felt cheap. But I was just realizing that "cheap" was actually a selling point.
I know that I'm a knife snob, and I know that when you try to tell people to EDC a quality knife, it's harder to get them to pick up a $150 Benchmade 940 than a $50 Spyderco Endura or Delica, but I have been doing a disservice to those who follow my advise by refusing to try them simply because I didn't like them. My EDC knife post is the most consistently hit post on this blog, and it deserves to be as complete as possible.
So, I've ordered a Spyderco Endura 4, and will be carrying it for a few months to get a feel for the utility of the knife. Who knows, maybe the lack of ergonomics will begin to grow on me.
I'm not a fan of Spyderco. There are a few I like; the native 2 and 3, the ladybug, the cricket, but I just don't like the look and feel of Spyderco's look and feel. The FRN grips feels cheap, the stainless steel grips are heavy and slick, the grip designs are thin and small, the eye-hole is an eye-sore, and the clips were either too strong or two weak and flared out too much at the end, and the blade shape is exactly the fucking same thing, except squished or stretched in some direction. Sure, they've come out of their mold recently, with a series of "interesting" models, and some of it has stuck (native series), but for the most part, you're just left wondering wtf was going on over there. I mean, did it really take until the Native III for one of their designers to open a dictionary and look up the word "ergonomics?"
While I was going through their line, I read this in the description for the Delica;
In 1990 Spyderco shook things up by introducing two knives, the Delica and Endura. First of their kind on the market, both folders opened up the knife market to lightweight performance, one-hand open pocketknives that just about everyone could afford.
Afford, was the key word for me. They were making quality knives that were affordable. It was only because they happened to settle on a primary design that I didn't care for, that I didn't consider them. Truthfully, other manufacturers have or had a "wtf line," Benchmade included, but I chose to ignore them because the main line was diverse and strong. Spyderco's main line may not be diverse, but there is no argument that it is strong. I was just ignoring it because I didn't like the design, and thought they felt cheap. But I was just realizing that "cheap" was actually a selling point.
I know that I'm a knife snob, and I know that when you try to tell people to EDC a quality knife, it's harder to get them to pick up a $150 Benchmade 940 than a $50 Spyderco Endura or Delica, but I have been doing a disservice to those who follow my advise by refusing to try them simply because I didn't like them. My EDC knife post is the most consistently hit post on this blog, and it deserves to be as complete as possible.
So, I've ordered a Spyderco Endura 4, and will be carrying it for a few months to get a feel for the utility of the knife. Who knows, maybe the lack of ergonomics will begin to grow on me.
Monday, May 03, 2010
My ears are cold
I paid for my second haircut in about a decade. (the first was when I got married, the rest were grabbing the clippers and buzzing my head)
Figured that if I want people to buy what I'm selling, it might help not to have hair down to my shoulders. Really, it was more about time spent dealing with my hippie hair. If I feel lazy heading in to work, I'll just toss a hat on, but if I'm going to a morning meeting, I don't want to have to spend a bunch of time "doing" my hair, and I don't want to show up wearing a cap either.
I suppose there is something to be said for looking the part.
As much as I'd like to wear shorts, sandals, and my favorite shooting range t-shirt under my jesus hair, I can see how it could be off-putting to some potential customers.
What if it was on-putting to a few customers? This is California, hippies run companies too. *shrug* I'll just stick with biz-caj. (that's business-casual talk for "business-casual")
Figured that if I want people to buy what I'm selling, it might help not to have hair down to my shoulders. Really, it was more about time spent dealing with my hippie hair. If I feel lazy heading in to work, I'll just toss a hat on, but if I'm going to a morning meeting, I don't want to have to spend a bunch of time "doing" my hair, and I don't want to show up wearing a cap either.
I suppose there is something to be said for looking the part.
As much as I'd like to wear shorts, sandals, and my favorite shooting range t-shirt under my jesus hair, I can see how it could be off-putting to some potential customers.
What if it was on-putting to a few customers? This is California, hippies run companies too. *shrug* I'll just stick with biz-caj. (that's business-casual talk for "business-casual")
Six reasons why the capital gains tax should be abolished
These videos are great. They're short, they're easy to understand, and it's hard to argue with them.
From HotAir
When the guy shooting at you misses, it doesn't mean you're bulletproof.
Another non-terrorist terrorist attack technically thwarted under Obama.
If this bomb had gone off, it would be viewed as a terrorist attack on the US under Obama. But since the bomb failed to kill anyone, no one cares.
It's not like the feds were "biding their time" until the bomb was just about to go off, then used satellite laz0rz to disarm it at the last minute. They didn't know about it. As with Abdulmutallab, the only thing that stopped this attack was the fumbling of the terrorists themselves.
These "failed" attacks should be regarded as seriously as one would successful attacks.
But when no one dies, it's easy to downplay the threat.
But when lots of people do die? Well, then they downplay the motivations.
This administration has troubling record of post-event political damage control instead of pre-event prevention. One of these times the American people, and Obama, are not going to be so lucky.
What will we do then?
Congressional investigatory circle-jerks?
As Matt and Trey so pointedly reminded us; we're still afraid to pretend Muhammad is inside a bear mascot suit. How the hell can we expect the decision-makers of our society to do what needs to be done to stop threats from radical islam?
If this bomb had gone off, it would be viewed as a terrorist attack on the US under Obama. But since the bomb failed to kill anyone, no one cares.
It's not like the feds were "biding their time" until the bomb was just about to go off, then used satellite laz0rz to disarm it at the last minute. They didn't know about it. As with Abdulmutallab, the only thing that stopped this attack was the fumbling of the terrorists themselves.
These "failed" attacks should be regarded as seriously as one would successful attacks.
But when no one dies, it's easy to downplay the threat.
But when lots of people do die? Well, then they downplay the motivations.
This administration has troubling record of post-event political damage control instead of pre-event prevention. One of these times the American people, and Obama, are not going to be so lucky.
What will we do then?
Congressional investigatory circle-jerks?
As Matt and Trey so pointedly reminded us; we're still afraid to pretend Muhammad is inside a bear mascot suit. How the hell can we expect the decision-makers of our society to do what needs to be done to stop threats from radical islam?
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