Things have been pretty busy lately, but just wanted to drop in and say Happy Holidays to everyone. In the hustle-bustle of todays world it's easy for time to fly by before you realize it. Try and take some time out, spend some time with family or friends.
With everything that's happened over the past few years, I hope and pray that we, the human species, manage to find a way to live with each other in peace. It may seem difficult to imagine sometimes, but I'm still optimistic about the human condition. It may not happen in my lifetime, but I feel that it will someday.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Sunday, August 29, 2004
The Internet turns 35
CNN is reporting on the 35th birthday of the Internet. Happy Birthday!
I can't imagine what life today would be like without it, especially in my line of work. I suppose without it I'd still be moving crates of magtapes and punchcards around.
Boy has it changed, though. My first involvement with it was with a defense contractor I worked for back in 1990. We were moving e-mail around via UUCP between a couple of sites. Then in '92 when I started with another contractor I actually got my very first Unix shell account. The Web was unheard of, at least to me. This was when FTP, Gopher and Archie were in their heyday. Of course, there has always been Usenet - to this day it is a staple of my Internet existence.
Before that, I spent most of my time as a Fidonet Sysop - my node number at the time was 1:128/168. (Geeze, that dates me a bit, doesn't it?) Moving up to the Internet for me at the time was like moving to the "big leagues". At that time Internet access was customarily reserved for universities certain research-related businesses and the federal government. It was only beginning to open up to public access. This was even before AOL was "on the Internet" (hard to believe, huh?)
Today, it's so different. Internet for everyone. "Unix" for the masses via Linux and BSD. E-mail everywhere (even on cellphones!)
I can't even imagine what things will be like in another 35 years.
I can't imagine what life today would be like without it, especially in my line of work. I suppose without it I'd still be moving crates of magtapes and punchcards around.
Boy has it changed, though. My first involvement with it was with a defense contractor I worked for back in 1990. We were moving e-mail around via UUCP between a couple of sites. Then in '92 when I started with another contractor I actually got my very first Unix shell account. The Web was unheard of, at least to me. This was when FTP, Gopher and Archie were in their heyday. Of course, there has always been Usenet - to this day it is a staple of my Internet existence.
Before that, I spent most of my time as a Fidonet Sysop - my node number at the time was 1:128/168. (Geeze, that dates me a bit, doesn't it?) Moving up to the Internet for me at the time was like moving to the "big leagues". At that time Internet access was customarily reserved for universities certain research-related businesses and the federal government. It was only beginning to open up to public access. This was even before AOL was "on the Internet" (hard to believe, huh?)
Today, it's so different. Internet for everyone. "Unix" for the masses via Linux and BSD. E-mail everywhere (even on cellphones!)
I can't even imagine what things will be like in another 35 years.
Monday, August 09, 2004
Greek Olympic officials may bar fans from games for eating, drinking or wearing unapproved products
In a story from the Halifax Hearald (via fark.com), Olympic officials in Greece announced that fans may be barred admission if they bring in "unapproved" brands of food or drink into the games. Fans who just happen to wear the wrong brand of clothing, including hats, shirts, pants or shoes with corporate logos, may also be barred from entry.
Citing the need to prevent what they call "ambush marketing" without paying sponsorship fees, Greek officials in conjunction with the IOC came up with this doozy of a plan.
I don't know about you, but I'd be just a *little* pissed if I traveled all the way to Athens just to be told to leave because I was wearing a pair of Reeboks instead of Adidas.
Get a life, guys - the Olympics isn't about the almighty dollar/euro/drachma/whatever. It's supposed to be about competition, sportsmanship and goodwill -- or at least it used to be.
Citing the need to prevent what they call "ambush marketing" without paying sponsorship fees, Greek officials in conjunction with the IOC came up with this doozy of a plan.
I don't know about you, but I'd be just a *little* pissed if I traveled all the way to Athens just to be told to leave because I was wearing a pair of Reeboks instead of Adidas.
Get a life, guys - the Olympics isn't about the almighty dollar/euro/drachma/whatever
Friday, July 02, 2004
Dept. of Homeland Security: "Stop Using Internet Explorer"
Yahoo News (via Slashdot) is reporting that "The Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team touched off a storm this week when it recommended for security reasons using browsers other than Microsoft's Internet Explorer."
Wow. Anyone who has ever spent time supporting Microsoft products knows whow buggy IE can be. That's why so many people have problems with browser hijackers, adware, spyware, etc. You know it's bad, though, when the Federal Government says as much.
I've been using Mozilla on my home Linux PC for sometime and have been happy with it. I had been using IE at work though since we are a heavily Microsoft shop.
Well, I went out and installed a copy of Mozilla's Firefox browser onto my laptop to give it a spin.
Sw33tn3ss!
There are a few things I can't run on it, most notably some admin tools that most people wouldn't use anyway. But so far, so good. I'm going to play with it some to see what (if anything) I end up missing.
Wow. Anyone who has ever spent time supporting Microsoft products knows whow buggy IE can be. That's why so many people have problems with browser hijackers, adware, spyware, etc. You know it's bad, though, when the Federal Government says as much.
I've been using Mozilla on my home Linux PC for sometime and have been happy with it. I had been using IE at work though since we are a heavily Microsoft shop.
Well, I went out and installed a copy of Mozilla's Firefox browser onto my laptop to give it a spin.
Sw33tn3ss!
There are a few things I can't run on it, most notably some admin tools that most people wouldn't use anyway. But so far, so good. I'm going to play with it some to see what (if anything) I end up missing.
Sunday, June 06, 2004
"...a game that makes 'Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing' look like eight player Halo." (Flash required)
At least that's how one person on MetaFilter describes Tontie, an extremely addictive Flash game at ebaumsworld.
This little game requires a keyboard with a numeric keypad and l33t ten-key skills. The only thing that kept me from playing this all day is that I screwed up my right wrist trying to start the lawn mower. Ten-keying's a bitch when your wrist hurts... ;-) Next time I buy a mower with an electric starter.
This little game requires a keyboard with a numeric keypad and l33t ten-key skills. The only thing that kept me from playing this all day is that I screwed up my right wrist trying to start the lawn mower. Ten-keying's a bitch when your wrist hurts... ;-) Next time I buy a mower with an electric starter.
Friday, May 21, 2004
Fresnel Lenses - solar-powered destruction for fun and profit!
Slashdot has a story on someone who has taken a Fresnel Lens and used it to have way too much fun.
Remember growing up seeing all those cool things in the Edmund Scientific ads? Well, these people have taken one of those items, a lens similar to the type used in lighthouses, to try to burn or melt anything and everything. I mean, what boy in their misspent youth hasn't had fun blowing up model cars with firecrackers or frying bugs with a magnifying glass? These guys have burned and melted coins, pop cans, chalk and more!
The story is a fun read and reminds me of the many 'physics experiments' I performed as a kid. It's funny that most boys at some point or another feel the need to learn about the world around them by blowing stuff up... ;-)
Remember growing up seeing all those cool things in the Edmund Scientific ads? Well, these people have taken one of those items, a lens similar to the type used in lighthouses, to try to burn or melt anything and everything. I mean, what boy in their misspent youth hasn't had fun blowing up model cars with firecrackers or frying bugs with a magnifying glass? These guys have burned and melted coins, pop cans, chalk and more!
The story is a fun read and reminds me of the many 'physics experiments' I performed as a kid. It's funny that most boys at some point or another feel the need to learn about the world around them by blowing stuff up... ;-)
IBM to SCO - 'put up or shut up'
Techworld.com is reporting that IBM has filed new documents in the SCO vs. Linux case asking the judge to throw out a major component of their lawsuit.
For those who have been following, SCO has been threatening legal action against anyone remotely related to the Linux operating system, including *end users*, claiming they own the rights to Linux. They are also demanding up to $900 per copy for the right to use the product. Linux is developed by a large group of volunteers and can be easy found and downloaded online, *for free* in many cases.
Late last year SCO took the two deepest pockets involved with Linux to court - IBM and Red Hat. Today, IBM has asked to court to drop a major part of SCO's case, claiming that they have nowhere near the evidence needed to support their claims in court.
Now, I don't know about y'all, but if there's one company I wouldn't want to piss off, it's IBM. They normally play fair until someone tries to get cute and sue. IBM has been known to *air drop* lawyers with miles-deep patent portfolios on poor saps who have the temerity to take on Big Blue.
Looks like SCO is about to get 0wn3d. I sure as hell wouldn't want to have any of their stock over the next few weeks. A once strong company who originally traded near $100/share, SCO closed today at $4.75.
Couldn't hapen to a nicer company IMHO. Turn out the lights, Darl, the party's over.
More discussion over at Slashdot, but you may want to set your threshold at 2 or higher to avoid the trolls.
For those who have been following, SCO has been threatening legal action against anyone remotely related to the Linux operating system, including *end users*, claiming they own the rights to Linux. They are also demanding up to $900 per copy for the right to use the product. Linux is developed by a large group of volunteers and can be easy found and downloaded online, *for free* in many cases.
Late last year SCO took the two deepest pockets involved with Linux to court - IBM and Red Hat. Today, IBM has asked to court to drop a major part of SCO's case, claiming that they have nowhere near the evidence needed to support their claims in court.
Now, I don't know about y'all, but if there's one company I wouldn't want to piss off, it's IBM. They normally play fair until someone tries to get cute and sue. IBM has been known to *air drop* lawyers with miles-deep patent portfolios on poor saps who have the temerity to take on Big Blue.
Looks like SCO is about to get 0wn3d. I sure as hell wouldn't want to have any of their stock over the next few weeks. A once strong company who originally traded near $100/share, SCO closed today at $4.75.
Couldn't hapen to a nicer company IMHO. Turn out the lights, Darl, the party's over.
More discussion over at Slashdot, but you may want to set your threshold at 2 or higher to avoid the trolls.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Build your own Ghostbusters Proton Pack
If you're an aspiring Ghostbuster (or just have way too much time on your hands) now you can build your own proton pack! This site shows how one man built the ultimate Ghostbuster accessory for use in a Halloween costume.
Wow! Talk about detail. Looks like the 'real' thing. Amazing what you can do with a little plastic and aluminum.
Must be nice to have that much free time... ;-) Found this site via Memepool.
Wow! Talk about detail. Looks like the 'real' thing. Amazing what you can do with a little plastic and aluminum.
Must be nice to have that much free time... ;-) Found this site via Memepool.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Scamming the eBay scammer
The story starts out like you'd expect - man selling a Powerbook on eBay. Scammer tries to make a side deal outside the auction using a bogus escrow service. Stuff like this happens daily on eBay. Here's where it gets interesting, though.
Victim figures out that the scammer is trying to rip him off. Sets up an elaborate sceme with the help of forum members at Something Awful. Sticks it to the scammer by sending him not a Powerbook but a "P-p-p-powerbook"... and a hefty fee in duty taxes. ;-)
Sometime revenge can be sweet...
Victim figures out that the scammer is trying to rip him off. Sets up an elaborate sceme with the help of forum members at Something Awful. Sticks it to the scammer by sending him not a Powerbook but a "P-p-p-powerbook"... and a hefty fee in duty taxes. ;-)
Sometime revenge can be sweet...
A *real* American hero...
With all the depressing news coming out of Iraq, it's encouraging to see that there are still heros in this world. In an article on bob lonsberry dot com (via Fark) we hear about a Marine 1st Lieutenant whose platoon fell under ambush by Iraqi forces. Through his quick thinking and courage he saved the lives of many of those in his fello Marines.
Of course, this is the type of story the networks don't want to cover -- all we hear about anymore are the bad apples. They would have us think that all our soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen an Iraq are cut from the same cloth. We need to recognize and focus more on brave souls such as this Marine. Trust me, there are many more American heros where this one came from.
Of course, this is the type of story the networks don't want to cover -- all we hear about anymore are the bad apples. They would have us think that all our soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen an Iraq are cut from the same cloth. We need to recognize and focus more on brave souls such as this Marine. Trust me, there are many more American heros where this one came from.
Hello... is this thing on?
Hmmm... it seems that everything disappeared somehow. Oh well -- it was a bit out of date anyway. I'll give it a fresh start and see how it turns out.
UPDATE 10:13 MT - Ok, its back. Seems that if you don't post to blogger for a while, it won't show the outdated posts that have dropped into the archive. Everything's back now.
UPDATE 10:13 MT - Ok, its back. Seems that if you don't post to blogger for a while, it won't show the outdated posts that have dropped into the archive. Everything's back now.
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Trek fans produce episode for charity
Ouch - time's got a bit ahead of me. I hadn't realized so much time had passed since my last entry.
I stumbled across an awesome site this week - a group of Star Trek fans have got together and began to produce episodes based on the original series. While this in and of itself is not unusual, this project is unique in two ways:
1. They have *re-casted* the original characters (Kirk, Spock, etc.), picking up at what would have been the beginning of the fourth season, and
2. They are doing this as a charity benefit for the Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund for the children of the astronauts lost in the Columbia disaster almost a year ago.
Their site can be found at startreknewvoyages.com.
When I first saw this, I said to myself "I don't know..." I mean, re-casting the roles that Shatner, Nimoy et. al. made so famous seems almost like heresy. But after watching this episode I can only say one thing...
Wow!
The acting is pretty good, the sets are bang-on to the original series, and the effects will just blow you out of the water! Once you adjust to seeing different people playing familiar roles it's an enjoyable experience. If you are a Trek fan, especially of the original series, you owe yourself a look at this one. Don't forget to make a donation while you're there!
*
I stumbled across an awesome site this week - a group of Star Trek fans have got together and began to produce episodes based on the original series. While this in and of itself is not unusual, this project is unique in two ways:
1. They have *re-casted* the original characters (Kirk, Spock, etc.), picking up at what would have been the beginning of the fourth season, and
2. They are doing this as a charity benefit for the Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund for the children of the astronauts lost in the Columbia disaster almost a year ago.
Their site can be found at startreknewvoyages.com.
When I first saw this, I said to myself "I don't know..." I mean, re-casting the roles that Shatner, Nimoy et. al. made so famous seems almost like heresy. But after watching this episode I can only say one thing...
Wow!
The acting is pretty good, the sets are bang-on to the original series, and the effects will just blow you out of the water! Once you adjust to seeing different people playing familiar roles it's an enjoyable experience. If you are a Trek fan, especially of the original series, you owe yourself a look at this one. Don't forget to make a donation while you're there!
*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)