No Job Yet

Found this new time waster, surprisingly enough, through my boss.

Your Linguistic Profile:

70% General American English

20% Dixie

10% Yankee

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

What's Up Random Thoughts

I have been trying to think of a special post for my first one on a blog I was invited to post on, but it is not going so well. So, I decided to just tell you a little about my writing style so that you are not shocked and awed into a catatonic state.

That said, here is a little of what you may read, censored in case Anika is with Daddy at the computer.

@!#$ Bush
Rumsfeld is a &*^%
Cheney is an @$$!&#@
I hate @#!$%&% Fred Phelps
Ann Coulter is a $#%@^

There is probably more, but I will let everyone adjust before I write more.

Update
I forgot to show that I can work in a bipartisan manner. Democrats are %$##@!$.

Not Bush's Fault

In the local paper (which, by the way, is still fucked up) there is a section every day entitled Rant & Rave. I would like to quote one rave and burn them here:

I was reading in [Tuesday's] Rant & Rave where it is a shame and why not help and I would like to know why people are blaming the government when it is not the government's fault. It is the governor of New Orleans, the mayor of New Orleans, the senators and representatives from New Orleans. It is not Bush and the government's fault. They can't get things in there overnight. I know. I just came from out there. I left home Sunday night before the hurricane hit. ...It's not Bush's fault, and it's not the government's fault. It's their own fault. I know. I have family there. I know.

I shall say first that someone this ridiculously stupid probably doesn't know what Bush's position is, since he/she thinks someone has the distinction of being the Governor of the State of New Orleans. Also, this person was fortunate enough to have somewhere to go. A lot of the people who died did so because they had no family, no place, and no way to get outside New Orleans. The person who ranted here obviously practices conservative thought. "I got out and you didn't, so that makes you stoopid. I know."

Then I will say that it is Bush's fault. He's the boss. The President of the United States. The one who brought "liberalization" to an entire country with a great quickness, and ousted its leader. He can put over half the Army on the other side of the earth in a matter of weeks and wreck an entire country, but he can't manage to get help down to New Orleans over the weekend.

It's Bush's fault that nine days later people are still starving to death and women are being raped because the safety of each person left homeless by Katrina is in the hands of the government.

If I were the president (and this is entirely hypothetical), everything except the care for human beings would be out the window. We found enough money for this fucking war, so we should wait until later to figure out how we're going to pay for the cleanup. "Just get it done," I would say.

"Hello, sir! Do you not have anywhere for your family to stay? Go stay at the White House. I'm never there anyway; I'll be at the ranch. And we'll build you a nice new home right where Trent's house was. We have this new thing called imminent domain. He'll understand."

Bring our soldiers home and give those people a home, you comfortable fuck.

No More Newton

I am giving up on trying to read Michael White's account of Isaac Newton's life. On to what is hoped to be a better book for my attention span: Know It All by A.J. Jacobs.

For the Sake of Simplification

tech_pickle is gone now. The articles I wrote there can now be found in the archives here at Random Thoughts.

tech_pickle

I'm considering getting rid of my other blog, tech_pickle. I'm not really interested enough. My website will still be www.techpickle.org, but the blog is not really getting anywhere. I don't have any readers, and all my sources are on the same sites accessible to those potential readers. Why duplicate? If I did decide to keep it and post daily, how would I gain readership? Hell, I post more tech articles here than I do at tech_pickle, so WTF am I doing with a separate blog?

I've been trying to simplify my life for some time now. Beth and I have thrown many things away in the past year for the sake of organization and simplification. We're both getting new laptops to cut down on computer clutter (and there is a lot of it at our house), so I think keeping up with one blog is enough. Effective today, I'm re-posting here what is currently on tech_pickle and deleting the blog. If I have any technology news or opinions, I'll post them here, since technology is a big part of my life, and this blog should reflect my Random Thoughts about it.

One topic that came up yesterday in the blogosphere is the legality of refilling ink jet printer cartridges. SlashDot links to a blog at Corante discussing the issue. Read all about it - I'm not here to join in any fight. Just know that from my experience, Lexmark makes an inferior product anyway, and I'm not sure how many people actually use Lexmark printers. If you ask me, HP is the way to go, and recycled/refilled cartridges are crap anyway. If I printed more, I would have a laser printer. Since I don't print that much, I buy one black cartridge about every 8 months, and I buy the HP brand. This is due to the fact that I am somewhat stubborn, and I have seen poor quality printing from cheap replacement printer ink. You decide.

Google Desktop

There's a new toy out from Google. It's got a sidebar now, and it's really smooth. Take a look at it here. If that's not convincing enough, see it on my desktop.

Most of Google's products are integrated into this sidebar. I can see my Gmail account, photos from Picasa, and talk on Google Talk all in this sidebar. There are also no advertisements. This is another great product from Google, and all companies should follow Google's lead for quality software. If only I could blog from it...

With all the advertisement software and spyware that sneaks in to your computer these days, the Google Deskbar is a breath of fresh air. When installing this one, there is a warning that some of your personal information (such as your surfing history, not your name or credit card numbers) may be sent to Google and you can opt out of that part of it.

I realize that some people may not use the desktop program, and some similar programs are cool for a couple of days until one realizes that he or she doesn't use it and it's a waste of space on the desktop, but I will try to leave this one up for at least a week and see if it's worth my time.

I Lied.

I don't think I'll tell all the details, because the interview was not that interesting. I totally hosed the presentation, but the rest of it went well in my opinion.

I'm really tired. Goodnight.

Excited and Scared at the Same Time

For those of you who don't know, I have a job interview tomorrow. This is potentially exciting because getting the job would increase my salary by about 75%. I am scared shitless, though, because it is a panel interview which includes me giving a short presentation.

I'll spare no detail tomorrow.

1968 Mustang For Sale

I have decided to get rid of my Mustang. It is a great, solid car, but still needs work. It is very dependable and has many new parts, including:

• New Edelbrock 600 CFM carburetor (Edelbrock #1406)


• Edelbrock performer intake manifold


• Custom all-aluminum dual-exhaust w/chrome tips


• New windshield


• New carpet


• All new wiring in front


• All-new ignition system (MSD Digital 6 plus)

It needs some work on the front suspension and steering, and a lot of body work. Otherwise, it's a great car and will provide years of great service.

I am in the process of taking pictures and building a small website for the sale of this fine automobile. Check here later to see the car.

What is a Liberal?

I was commenting at Me4President2008 about religion and somehow ventured on the topic of labels. I mentioned that I wasn't a Christian because of the association with other "Christians" and how I don't like what they're associated with, and discovered in this thought about labels that I might not be a liberal. So I wanted to find the truth.

I went to Answers.com and typed in "liberal." I wanted to find a description of the term and found one.

There were phrases from WordNet like "tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition" and "showing or characterized by broad-mindedness."

I can agree with this.

From Houghton-Mifflin's Thesarus was "Not narrow or conservative in thought, expression, or conduct."

Also from WordNet is "a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties."

That's me, too. The "broad-mindedness" part is really true. It explains why my ultra-conservative friend had such a hard time with C++ programming. He could only see it one way. I think if he opened his mind a bit he would do fine.

I think liberals are great engineers due to the open-mindedness. People who are able and open to (and not ashamed of) taking a different approach to something are the ones who will take the world to the next era.

From this description, I gather that liberals are open to change and not stuck in the past or to certain traditions or objects. That's me, too.

So I guess I'm a liberal. I accept the label.

That doesn't mean that I'm on one side of the fence gathering mud to throw to the other side; I'm saying that I believe certain things. I'm not partisan, I'm listening. I'm not taking sides, I'm listening. I'm not here to fight, I'm here to hear. To make a difference. To not push anything on anyone. To help people. Not to hate. I'm listening. I may not agree, but still I listen.

The Untrained Mind, Part I

This is only an introduction of a possible series of my varying opinions about liberal-bashing numb-tongued, dirty idiots and why they're stupid unlike me. I'm just trying to get started tonight before I forget. I'll be talking about the utterly clueless also.

I spend a good bit of time talking with people around town. I go in at least three houses a day and speak with people while I correct technology issues or install VoIP service. Quite a few people every day ask me where I'm from because I don't have much of a Southern drawl. When I tell them I'm from Colorado, they usually ask what I did out there. When in awe about my being a soldier, they tend to inquire about my time in Iraq. They're always happy to discover that I never went, and that I'm not over there now.

Point is, I haven't found a fucking soul who is happy about that war (the day I do find someone of that opinion, it will be posted here with some lengthy comments.) Not one person has said "...and you should have stayed in so you'd be helping those guys out and becoming a hero." Not one. All have said they're glad I'm not over there and cough up something related to "bad situation over there."

I'm in the middle of South Georgia. It's not exactly chock full of liberals. There's an agricultural school here for Christ's sake. Good ol' boys and old money here. Lots of Bush support. But so far, nobody is for the war. Or no one's verbally for it anyway.

I haven't even heard support for Bush, like "It's a mess over there, but Bush has a plan... ." I think people are scared to talk politics with their Internet provider. Oh, well, I can only write about my experience. And from my experience, no one likes this war.

Printers and More!

I've been playing with this Linux machine today and figured out how to print with to the printer that's attached to my Windows Server. Very convenient. Now I don't have to have a separate printer for the Linux box.

Linux supports many brands of printers, so if that's stopping you from switching, there is no excuse now.

I'm not instructing people to switch to Linux, I'm only trying to tell people that there is an alternative to Windows that's much less expensive than Apple.

I can also access shared folders on the Windows machine, so any files I need that are on the Windows PC I can access with the Linux PC, without floppy disks or burning CDs. Also very convenient.

Did I mention this stuff is free?

My home router is a converted Compaq Presario 5155 with the AMD 350K6-2 and 128MB RAM. It runs Fedora Core 4 and at press time it was up for 25 days. I'll try to remember to let you know when I have to bring it down. This thing is very dependable. Updates very rarely require a restart.

Think about it.

Google Print Halted for Now

I just read this and began wondering what the problem is. Is Newton still profiting from the Principia and living it up in Long Beach? I don't get it. Kowledge is knowledge. Information should be free. If I can go to the library and read it for free, then I should be able to go to Google and get it, too. I just wouldn't have to leave the house.

And I realize that the library is not totally free. It is funded with tax dollars, grants, and donations. But Google is giving quite a bit for its service, too. How would you like to scan entire university libraries? A team of software engineers has worked on the software to get this project going for years now. I think it is a grand idea.

Anybody remember how hard it was to check out a book at Harvard University Library when you're at a private school in Colorado? Or search technical articles at CalTech when you're in the middle of the woods in Georgia and can't find the answer? I know I'd like to.

Another benefit to Google's digitization of printed materials is that it won't be limited to print editions and be succeptible to weathering. The way Google stores data, they'll never lose it. Did you know they're approaching 10,000 Linux servers company-wide?

Screw the publishers. Let Google do something that needs to be done.

Now That I Have a Workstation

I can't afford a new computer, but I made this one work with the help of the Internet and my laptop (my only CD burner at the time). I feel better now that I have a regular computer to use, and I don't have to keep the laptop on the desk all the time.

I sit here now and want to write.

Did I mention that this cool new Linux thing has a chat client that works with all the popular services, including MSN, Yahoo, and AIM? And that Gmail works just like it does with Microsoft Internet Explorer?

Open Source Software (from tech_pickle)

And my opinion about it.

I love Open Source. In fact, I'm typing this post on an OS that I downloaded last week, and I will never be arrested for it. I got to reuse old hardware that my mother would have otherwise thrown out, and make it new again, just by installing this operating system.

While I was installing, I was reading all the benefits of open source software. Let me tell you about it:

Security: Open source software is not owned by anyone. It is developed by everyone. Windows is attacked because it costs so much and makes so few people very stinking rich (it is also buggy.) Therefore, Linux and other open source software packages are not a succeptible to attacks and vulnerabilities as the corporate-owned packages are.

Compatibility: Linux is developed by a team of volunteers (even you can join the effort if you have something to offer) and updates are released almost daily to allow Linux to use the latest hardware and take advantage of new features. This method is a bit better than a corporation releasing updates and changing compatibility whenever it feels like it.

Support: There are tons of forums and groups on the web to help you with any question you may have about using any open source software. Just Google it. You can even pay for support from some of these organizations.

Cost: The most attractive part of open source software (especially Linux) is that it's free. Sure, you can pay around $50-$80 for a distribution of Mandrake or Suse Linux and get free support, but you can just as easily download the images and seamlessly install it on your old machine. Most distributions have support and power management to accomodate portable computers, to include wireless networking.

Many organizations are looking toward open source software solutions for their corporate networks and workstations. The company I work for employs several Linux machines, and they are very efficient. One machine at $6,000 does the work of a $55,000 Cisco router. Tell me that's not cost effective.

A few countries in Africa are switching, as well. Seems appropriate that they save some money, Africa being in the state that it is.

Drag that old computer out and dust it off. You just might be surprised.

Mandrakelinux (from tech_pickle)

Today (tonight, actually) marks my first experience with Mandrake Linux. I recently acquired an old Pentium II machine with 512MB RAM and a 3D Rage video card and installed Mandrake Linux 10.2 tonight.

I am thoroughly enjoying it. The interface is catchy and new, and it feels like I bought a new computer today. The installation was very smooth, and there were only three discs required. It took about an hour from start to finish, and I was all ready to go. There is OpenOffice.org, a beautiful productivity suite, and a secure web browser. Evolution is a time management, e-mail, and organization tool, included with the distribution.

Mandrake Linux, like Red Hat and Fedora, includes a personal firewall also. If all you do is surf the web and check e-mail, this is the system for you. It is secure and efficient, and very easy to use. There is a long list of compatible printers, and the system works with any type of Internet connection.

I highly recommend Linux to any average Internet user. For the gamer, however, there is no choice. Windows XP is the operating system for gamers. But, if you are like so many of my customers who check their e-mail once a day and then turn the computer off, I encourage you to look toward open source operating systems.

The best part of Linux is that it's free. That's what open source means.

Hmmm... That may be my next topic.

Look into it. E-mail me if you want to know more.

Mandrake Linux

I just installed Mandrake Linux 10.2 on my mom's old machine (Pentium II @ 400MHz, 512MB RAM, generic video, IBM chipset of some sort) and I love it. I have decided to use a Linux workstation for every task that it will do.

I can't do all of my work, though, because a lot of it must use a PPTP connection to work, and I haven't found that yet on this distro. Besides, we use MS Office at work, and OpenOffice.org doesn't exactly match.

I inherited this machine last week when my mom got a new computer from Dell. I decided that it's time I start practicing what I preach. I tell a lot of my customers that they really only need a simple distribution of Linux to get their e-mail and surf the web. Linux isn't vulnerable to a lot of what's dangerous out there, especially with all the new spyware and adware being released into the wild.

The interface feels just between Windows and Mac OS X. It's really nice, and it's pretty fast. The games are pretty challenging, too, and interesting. Plus, there are more games to choose from (if you can find them).

I also like to program. I'm currently working on a program that effectively tests a cable modem, and I can do that easily with PERL on any popular Linux distribution.

Oh, yeah, and it's free. All you have to do is get an older computer (probably no more than four years old) in working condition, download the images, burn them to disk, and install Linux. It is very easy, and installation today took me about an hour on this old clunker. E-mail me if you want to know where to get the images.

Firing My Publisher

It was pointed out today that there are at least two misspellings in the text of recent posts here at Random Thoughts, and I am going to fire my publisher for allowing this. A professional blog should not be painted with such disregard for the language.

Who am I kidding? I have corrected the mistakes. If you missed them, I have done nothing wrong. So there.

Another Fad Gone Bad

So they're probably broke forever.

Nothing replaces a balanced diet and exercise. More columns say that a balanced diet and exercise will help you lose weight than any other column spouting the Adkins diet or South Beach or whatever lame claim it might say. Just read Men's Health, Shape Magazine, or any other credible publication, and you will see that the low-carb thing was only another craze. It was just a very large craze.

Correct diet and exercise is a practice, just like any fad diet, that no ordinary American can stick to. If one were to only eat what the body is designed to process, and exercise daily, they'd look better than I do. I only wish I had the motivation to run every day, or just the time.

That's another problem with Americans. We don't provide ourselves the time to enhance our physical states. We go to work and worry about that so much that it's already 5:00, and then we go home to our families who need us and blame our "not working out" on everything else. What we need to do is go to bed at a decent hour (this is hypocritical, but it's my blog) and get up in time to work out. Need help? Form a pact with your neighbor. He's probably fat, too.

My studies show that one will be more productive and focused during the day after a grueling workout and a shower every morning. "Get the blood flowing" is pretty accurate. It got me through school, and a good bike ride made the next day very easy. I felt so much better; the "I feel old" went out of me. I encourage you to do the same.

Don't stay fat.