Thursday, March 31, 2005
For those that are intrested
I am working on a new blogsite. I will be cross-posting between the sites for a while to see if I like the new stuff better then the old stuff.
Geeeorge!
The cat is pissed. It seems that he was checking out my blog, and found several pictures of the idiot dog, but none of his most highness.
Soooo.
Soooo.
I rock
New domain name for this blog - greg.nokes.name! Cool - hu? If I ever decide to roll my own blogsite (which I am close to right now) that URL will stay the 'offical' one.
Good Flash Movie
Check This out...
It's simple lessons like this that we need to learn. Often when I am wrapped up in my life and my problems, I am like Leo - not wanting to help, not thinking before acting. By training myself to be mindful, I can learn to float above the feelings that are generated in daily life. I still experience them, I still feel them, but they no longer dictate my actions. I am not ruled by my gut, but rather by my reason. I react not out of momentary passion, but out of thoughtfulness.
-Tsyko
It's simple lessons like this that we need to learn. Often when I am wrapped up in my life and my problems, I am like Leo - not wanting to help, not thinking before acting. By training myself to be mindful, I can learn to float above the feelings that are generated in daily life. I still experience them, I still feel them, but they no longer dictate my actions. I am not ruled by my gut, but rather by my reason. I react not out of momentary passion, but out of thoughtfulness.
-Tsyko
Spamroll?
Is that like a hamroll?
No - silly - it's a blog dedicated to news about Spam, Spyware and other nastys that infect those poor sods that run Microsoft Products.
(grin)
No - silly - it's a blog dedicated to news about Spam, Spyware and other nastys that infect those poor sods that run Microsoft Products.
(grin)
Go Go Gadget-Tax!
In an very good peice on Taxes, George F. Will says
This is something that I have been railing about for years now. I think this is a great idea! The more money you put into consumer's hands, the more they are going to spend. Or, more importantly, save. A stronger savings will allow more Venture Capital to fund more of what the US is so good at - ideas.
Hat Tip Dave
The power to tax involves, as Chief Justice John Marshall said, the power to destroy. So does the power of tax reform, which is one reason why Rep. John Linder, a Georgia Republican, has a 133-page bill to replace 55,000 pages of tax rules.
His bill would abolish the IRS and the many billions of tax forms it sends out and receives. He would erase the federal income tax system -- personal and corporate income taxes, the regressive payroll tax and self-employment tax, capital gains, gift and estate taxes, the alternative minimum tax and the earned income tax credit -- and replace all that with a 23 percent national sales tax on personal consumption...
..Today the percentage of taxpayers who rely on professional tax preparers is at an all-time high. The 67 percent of tax filers who do not itemize may think they avoid compliance costs, which include nagging uncertainty about whether one has properly complied with a tax code about the meaning of which experts differ. But everyone pays the cost of the tax system's vast drag on the economy.
Linder says Americans spend 7 billion hours a year filling out IRS forms and at least that much calculating the tax implications of business decisions. Economic growth suffers because corporate boards waste huge amounts of time on such calculations rather than making economically rational allocations of resources...
...Corporations do not pay payroll and income taxes and compliance costs, they collect them from consumers through prices. So the 23 percent consumption tax would allow taxpayers to stop paying the huge embedded cost of corporate taxation.
Linder says the director of the Congressional Budget Office told him it costs individuals and businesses about $500 billion to remit $2 trillion to Washington. And studies show that it costs the average small business $724 to collect and remit $100...
...Furthermore, by ending payroll and corporate taxes, America would become the only nation selling goods with no tax component -- such as Europe's value added tax -- in their prices. With no taxes on capital and labor, multinationals would, Linder thinks, stampede to locate here, which would be an incentive for other nations to emulate America. "This," Linder says, "would unleash freedom around the globe."
Critics argue that ending the income tax, with its deductibility of charitable contributions, would depress giving. Piffle, Linder says. In 1980, when the top personal income tax rate was 70 percent, a huge incentive for giving, individual charitable contributions were $40.7 billion. In 1986 the top rate was reduced to 28 percent and by 1988 charitable giving was $86.7 billion. The lesson, says Linder, is that we give more money when we have more money.
This is something that I have been railing about for years now. I think this is a great idea! The more money you put into consumer's hands, the more they are going to spend. Or, more importantly, save. A stronger savings will allow more Venture Capital to fund more of what the US is so good at - ideas.
Hat Tip Dave
Florida's New Living Will
I, _________________________ (fill in the blank), being of sound mind and body, unequivocally declare that in the event of a catastrophic injury, I do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means. I hereby instruct my loved ones and relatives to remove all life-support systems, once it has been determined that my brain is longer functioning in a cognizant realm. However, that judgment should be made only after thorough consultation with medical experts; i.e., individuals who actually have been trained, educated and certified as doctors.
Under no circumstances -- and I can't state this too strongly -- should my fate be put in the hands of peckerwood politicians who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it. Furthermore, it is my firm hope that, when the time comes, any discussion about terminating my medical treatment should remain private and confidential.
Living in Florida, however, I am acutely aware that the legislative and executive branches of state government are fond of meddling in family matters, and have little concern for the privacy and dignity of individuals.
Therefore, I wish to make my views on this subject as clear and unambiguous as possible. Recognizing that some politicians seem cerebrally challenged themselves (and with no medical excuse), I'll try to keep this simple and to the point:
1. While remaining sensitive to the feelings of loved ones who might cling to hope for my recovery, let me state that if a reasonable amount of time passes -- say, ____ (fill in the blank) months -- and I fail to sit sit up and ask for a cold beer, it should be presumed that I won't ever get better. When such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my spouse, children and attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes and call it a day.
2. Under no circumstances shall the members of the Legislature enact a special law to keep me on life-support machinery. It is my wish that these boneheads mind their own damn business, and pay attention instead to the health, education and future of the millions of Floridians who aren't in a permanent coma.
3. Under no circumstances shall the governor of Florida butt into this case and order my doctors to put a feeding tube down my throat or through a hole into my abdomen to keep me alive. I don't care how many fundamentalist votes he's trying to scrounge for his run for the presidency in 2008, it is my wish that he plays politics with someone else's life and leaves me to die in peace.
4. I couldn't care less if a hundred religious zealots send e-mails to legislators in which they pretend to care about me. I don't know these people, and I certainly haven't authorized them to preach and crusade on my behalf. They should mind their own business, too.
5. It is my heartfelt wish to expire quietly and without a public spectacle. This is obviously impossible once elected officials become involved. So, while recognizing the wrenching emotions that attend the prolonged death of a loved one, I hereby instruct my relatives to settle all disagreements about my care in private or in the courts, as provided by law. If any of my family goes against my wishes and turns my case into a political cause, I hereby promise to come back from the grave and make his or her existence a living Hell.
Hat Tip Sharp as a Marble
Under no circumstances -- and I can't state this too strongly -- should my fate be put in the hands of peckerwood politicians who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it. Furthermore, it is my firm hope that, when the time comes, any discussion about terminating my medical treatment should remain private and confidential.
Living in Florida, however, I am acutely aware that the legislative and executive branches of state government are fond of meddling in family matters, and have little concern for the privacy and dignity of individuals.
Therefore, I wish to make my views on this subject as clear and unambiguous as possible. Recognizing that some politicians seem cerebrally challenged themselves (and with no medical excuse), I'll try to keep this simple and to the point:
1. While remaining sensitive to the feelings of loved ones who might cling to hope for my recovery, let me state that if a reasonable amount of time passes -- say, ____ (fill in the blank) months -- and I fail to sit sit up and ask for a cold beer, it should be presumed that I won't ever get better. When such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my spouse, children and attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes and call it a day.
2. Under no circumstances shall the members of the Legislature enact a special law to keep me on life-support machinery. It is my wish that these boneheads mind their own damn business, and pay attention instead to the health, education and future of the millions of Floridians who aren't in a permanent coma.
3. Under no circumstances shall the governor of Florida butt into this case and order my doctors to put a feeding tube down my throat or through a hole into my abdomen to keep me alive. I don't care how many fundamentalist votes he's trying to scrounge for his run for the presidency in 2008, it is my wish that he plays politics with someone else's life and leaves me to die in peace.
4. I couldn't care less if a hundred religious zealots send e-mails to legislators in which they pretend to care about me. I don't know these people, and I certainly haven't authorized them to preach and crusade on my behalf. They should mind their own business, too.
5. It is my heartfelt wish to expire quietly and without a public spectacle. This is obviously impossible once elected officials become involved. So, while recognizing the wrenching emotions that attend the prolonged death of a loved one, I hereby instruct my relatives to settle all disagreements about my care in private or in the courts, as provided by law. If any of my family goes against my wishes and turns my case into a political cause, I hereby promise to come back from the grave and make his or her existence a living Hell.
Hat Tip Sharp as a Marble
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
I am proud of this one!
Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who!
What Monty Python Character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Kudos to Spokane's Quiz Queen!
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Older Screenshots
Here are a few older screenshots... (small to conserve space)
And, here is my home computer today..
-Tsyko
And, here is my home computer today..
-Tsyko
Friday, March 25, 2005
PyMusique vs Apple
Let fans decide on digital rights
I agree with what the article says. Apple's 'FairPlay', and indeed any DRM scheme is destined for failure. Why should I buy a tune from Apple, when I cannot play it on my iRiver? When I cannot use my Linux box to play it on my Home Stereo?
That's what I do. I do not share my Ogg files with folks that do not own the CD, and I only play them in my truck, or on my home system, or when I DJ Raves.
Just kidding about that last one.
Or am I?
-Tsyko
The argument over the use of digital rights management (DRM) to control the distribution and use of music and other content took an interesting turn this week...
...What Jon and his fellow programmers have done is work out exactly what information the iTunes client sends to the store, and what responses it gets back when someone buys a song and downloads it.
Jon earned the nickname "DVD Jon" for his exploits
Then they have written their own program that does all of the same things with one key exception: their code does not add the FairPlay digital rights management wrapper to the downloaded music file.
Instead of having to accept the limitations that Apple has placed on what you can do with the music you have purchased, you can use your own judgment as to what is fair and legal...
...It is great having people like Jon around because he combines astonishing technical ability with devotion to the spirit of copyright law and the importance of "fair use" rights.
That is, the freedom to do things like make copies for personal use, or keep backups, or just play music on any computer or portable player you happen to own.
For him, the purpose of PyMusique is not to encourage people to break copyright law but to point out how technology is being used to take away freedoms that we should be fighting to preserve.
I agree with what the article says. Apple's 'FairPlay', and indeed any DRM scheme is destined for failure. Why should I buy a tune from Apple, when I cannot play it on my iRiver? When I cannot use my Linux box to play it on my Home Stereo?
here is a simple solution for those who, like me, disagree with Apple's approach to selling music online and that is not to buy any.
I do not buy locked-down music, so I will not buy songs from iTunes or anywhere else that limits what I can do with them.
Instead, I use sites like betterPropaganda, which have indie artists and unlocked files.
But most of the time I simply buy CDs and rip them to my hard drive.
I get the artwork, I get a high quality copy of the music that I can re-copy at any time if I should lose my digital version, and I get a music file I can play on any device I choose, now or in the future.
That's what I do. I do not share my Ogg files with folks that do not own the CD, and I only play them in my truck, or on my home system, or when I DJ Raves.
Just kidding about that last one.
Or am I?
-Tsyko
The World's Most Devious Alarm Clock
The World's Most Devious Alarm Clock
Anyone that knows me, knows that I simply have to get one. That's too cool! Imagine the possibilities - you could set traps for it (If I pile the clothes like this, when it jumps off the nightstand it will get stuck or Well, you see the alarm clock jumps down and hits this lever which trips this fan which blows this wirlygig which turns this crank which drops this ball into this track which rolls down and moves this seesaw which pushes this rod up which dumps this bucket of water into this other bucket which swings across the room which pushes this lever which turns on the coffee machine.)
-Tsyko
from the snooze-bar-with-a-mallet dept.
wired_parrot writes 'If you have trouble waking up, try this: MIT media lab has created an alarm clock that, when you press the snooze bar, runs off into a corner, a different hiding place every day. Try hitting the snooze bar again now!'
Anyone that knows me, knows that I simply have to get one. That's too cool! Imagine the possibilities - you could set traps for it (If I pile the clothes like this, when it jumps off the nightstand it will get stuck or Well, you see the alarm clock jumps down and hits this lever which trips this fan which blows this wirlygig which turns this crank which drops this ball into this track which rolls down and moves this seesaw which pushes this rod up which dumps this bucket of water into this other bucket which swings across the room which pushes this lever which turns on the coffee machine.)
-Tsyko
Thursday, March 24, 2005
More on the non-story
So, I found this. Warning - it has bad words and stuff.
Many of the media stories sound just as silly and juvenile. When are people going to realize that we live in a free country? The 'Moral Majority' has no right dictating to us what to do and believe.
-Tsyko
Many of the media stories sound just as silly and juvenile. When are people going to realize that we live in a free country? The 'Moral Majority' has no right dictating to us what to do and believe.
-Tsyko
New screenshot
Ya know, I just love showing these things off. I am sure that none of you actually care about this but..
-Tsyko
-Tsyko
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
I am not going to post about...
I am not going to post about certain news items from Florida. And I will not point to to this site that has a very good unbiased look at the action. Really.
Nothing to see here blogizen. Move along.
Nothing to see here blogizen. Move along.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Gimme my Ogg!
A friend and I were talking, when I brought up the topic of using Ogg files instead of MP3's. As his iRiver supports Ogg, I chided him on his use of MP3's.
He asked what was wrong with MP3's. I explained that the format was encumbered by patents and costs. He responded 'So?'
So? I was at a loss for words.
So, I decided to find out why.
I will start with the social issues, and then wander towards the technical issues.
(From Daniel James)
It's all about the bucks. The content providers make a ton of money right now off of audio CD sales. They are not going to if the artists can interact directly with the consumers.
(From ABC Australia)
(From Daniel James)
(From Jack Moffitt)
(From Vorbis)
I am ripping at an Ogg quality of 8, and I am getting about 6 megs per song. Sammy Hagar's Heavy Metal is 6.07 megs in size. I am going to set it back down to 6. I ripped that song at 8 and at 6, and I could not hear a difference.
Dare to compare the difference between the formats.
-Tsyko
He asked what was wrong with MP3's. I explained that the format was encumbered by patents and costs. He responded 'So?'
So? I was at a loss for words.
So, I decided to find out why.
I will start with the social issues, and then wander towards the technical issues.
Digital technology and network distribution has removed the middleman between the artist and the music listener, but the content industry wants to put the middleman back in place. They can do this with the help of a proprietary music format and software that they can control, with artificial restrictions to limit its potential.
(From Daniel James)
It's all about the bucks. The content providers make a ton of money right now off of audio CD sales. They are not going to if the artists can interact directly with the consumers.
All of the money advanced by the record company to the act has to be paid back by the act from it’s small percentage of the CD returns. This percentage can be as low as 5%. Consequently, record companies are always in profit a long time before acts are, if they ever are.
(From ABC Australia)
With the advent of digital music, the content industry thinks that it can massively increase profits by eliminating the costs associated with conventional music distribution on physical media.
(From Daniel James)
Another advantage over MP3 is that Vorbis sounds better, and its smaller. There's two sides of that scale - either it's smaller or it sounds better. Vorbis can get a little smaller and still sound better than MP3, or it can get a lot smaller and still sound pretty good.
(From Jack Moffitt)
I'm a music fan. Why should I be interested?
Because Vorbis provides a high-quality format for you to listen to your music.
For a given file size, Vorbis sounds better than MP3. This means: You can keep your music collection at about the same quality level, but it'll take up less space or you can have your music collection take up about the same amount of space, but have it sound better. Vorbis already enjoys widespread player support and work is underway to play Vorbis files on portable hardware.
(From Vorbis)
I am ripping at an Ogg quality of 8, and I am getting about 6 megs per song. Sammy Hagar's Heavy Metal is 6.07 megs in size. I am going to set it back down to 6. I ripped that song at 8 and at 6, and I could not hear a difference.
Dare to compare the difference between the formats.
-Tsyko
Andre MIA
WVLT VOLUNTEER TV :
Science fiction author Andre Norton, who wrote the popular 'Witch World' series of books, died today at her home in Murfreesboro. She was 93.
Her death was announced by friend Jean Rabe, who said Norton died of congestive heart failure."
From Justus for All..
Passing of a legend...
Zombie-Fest
| Official Survivor Congratulations! You scored 69%! |
Whether through ferocity or quickness, you made it out. You made the right choice most of the time, but you probably screwed up somewhere. Nobody's perfect, at least you're alive. |
My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|
| Link: The Zombie Scenario Survivor Test written by ci8db4uok on Ok Cupid |
Gee thanks for another waste of time Dave
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Linux is insecure, unscalable
According to the Agility Alliance,
and
and
(all from this article ad ZDNet)
So, these guys are saying that Linux is not scaleable, and insecure, and we should use Sun's Solaris instead.
I found it funny that the Members of this "Agility Alliance" include Sun and Microsoft, both companies that would profit greatly from the demise of Linux.
I also found it funny to find the following article just two above on OSNews:
Also - guys, Sun does not own Unix. There are several flavors of Unix still out there - AIX, HP/UX, BSD and (shudders) SCO to name a few..
Get your facts "straightified" before you start to pop off with stuff like this.
So - who we gonna trust? Sun and Microsoft or Forbes?
-Tsyko
From a corporate perspective, we are not confident where Linux is right now today. A large enterprise needs to be sure because it relates to securifying [sic] the environment. We see some of the same things occurring that did to Unix -- it could splinter into many different types of languages. We are quite cautious about Linux and its deployment
and
We are concerned about security on an open standard environment like that. We are also concerned about some of the scalability issues that we are seeing on our clients on a global basis. Also, we are somewhat cautious about what happened with Unix – it splintered into eight applications -- until McNealy (Scott McNealy, chief executive of Sun) finally announced he won the battle and had the one surviving Unix out there. We think Linux has the possibility of going the same route
and
If you test Red Hat against Solaris 10 against whatever else… we would say that Solaris 10 beats it hands down on functionality and everything else
(all from this article ad ZDNet)
So, these guys are saying that Linux is not scaleable, and insecure, and we should use Sun's Solaris instead.
I found it funny that the Members of this "Agility Alliance" include Sun and Microsoft, both companies that would profit greatly from the demise of Linux.
I also found it funny to find the following article just two above on OSNews:
The homegrown Linux operating system has come a long way from its origins as a college kid's pet project and computer hobbyist favorite. Refined in recent years by professional computer programmers at IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Novell and Red Hat, Linux now has become so technically powerful that it lays claim to a prestigious title--it runs more of the world's top supercomputers than any other OS.
Also - guys, Sun does not own Unix. There are several flavors of Unix still out there - AIX, HP/UX, BSD and (shudders) SCO to name a few..
Get your facts "straightified" before you start to pop off with stuff like this.
So - who we gonna trust? Sun and Microsoft or Forbes?
-Tsyko
Monday, March 14, 2005
Sunday, March 13, 2005
F/OSS vs Commercial development theories
Eugenia posted an article a few days ago, and then another was posted and the lists started up and another etc...
The short and long of the entire thing is that Eugenia feels that F/OSS developers are not as open to feature requests as Commerical developers. I tend to agree with her. F/OSS developers tend to 'scratch their itches' and not mine or yours. They are not paid for their efforts after all.
If you want a customer centeric experince, look into customer driven software. One where the developers have a vested intrest in developing for their clients. KDE and Gnome are good examples. Many of KDE's developers are employed by SuSE and Novell. Many Gnome devlopers are employed by Novell and Canonical.
But, wait, those are F/OSS software, right? Right!
Most major F/OSS projects are sponsored by large, paying companies. If you support those companies, you support those projects. You gain a more powerful voice with the project to see your goals met.
So, the moral of the story is as follows. If you love using F/OSS software, and are happy with it, great. Support the companies that support the software, or donate.
If some very important feature is missing, add it yourself, or support one of the companies, and tell them what you want.
As an aside, The Open CD is a good thing. Go, download it and check it out. Some really cool F/OSS software for windows there. Go - get it!
-Tsyko
The short and long of the entire thing is that Eugenia feels that F/OSS developers are not as open to feature requests as Commerical developers. I tend to agree with her. F/OSS developers tend to 'scratch their itches' and not mine or yours. They are not paid for their efforts after all.
If you want a customer centeric experince, look into customer driven software. One where the developers have a vested intrest in developing for their clients. KDE and Gnome are good examples. Many of KDE's developers are employed by SuSE and Novell. Many Gnome devlopers are employed by Novell and Canonical.
But, wait, those are F/OSS software, right? Right!
Most major F/OSS projects are sponsored by large, paying companies. If you support those companies, you support those projects. You gain a more powerful voice with the project to see your goals met.
So, the moral of the story is as follows. If you love using F/OSS software, and are happy with it, great. Support the companies that support the software, or donate.
If some very important feature is missing, add it yourself, or support one of the companies, and tell them what you want.
As an aside, The Open CD is a good thing. Go, download it and check it out. Some really cool F/OSS software for windows there. Go - get it!
-Tsyko
Year of Physics
2005 is the World Year of Physics. It seems that in 1905, Albert Einstein submitted three very important papers. So, the UN and others have decided that the 100 year anniversary is a pretty cool year to raise public awareness of Physics. There are a bunch of events happening around the world, and even in our local area. The Hanford Observatory is having several Events over the year. Some of them sound really cool - I might be at a few...
PTM: II - Physics for the Third Millenium
Physics for the Third Millennium
Oooooohhh. Can I go?
In February 1998, Marshall Space Flight Center’s Science Directorate hosted a Workshop/Training Conference which invited leading physicists to meet with Marshall researchers about the cutting-edge issues in the world of physics at the dawn of the new millennium. Seven lectures covered a variety of topics at the edge of knowledge.
The Science Directorate is organizing a follow-on conference to again bring together leading physicists to participate in a series of lectures on open issues in physics in 2005. The intended audience is wider and the number of participants greater than at the 1998 meeting but the range of topics will be as exciting. We hope to bring together leaders in the fields who can discuss such topics as What is Gravity, Dark Matter and Energy, Neutrino Physics, Issues in Quantum Physics, String Theories and New Dimensions, Physics of High Energies and Temperatures, A Century of Relativity, Where Physics and Biology Meet, and others yet to be defined.
A major feature of this meeting is the addition of a significant education component to the meeting goals and venue. We are bringing the lecturers together with students and teachers with the hope of putting a human face to the world of physics.
Oooooohhh. Can I go?
Coding
Just been working on my other site. Spent the day tweaking a theme for it. I must say, I like it. It's not as sexy as the old theme, but it's pretty good for my coding skills.
-Tsyko
-Tsyko
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Geek I am!
| You are 40% geek | You are a geek liaison, which means you go both ways. You can hang out with normal people or you can hang out with geeks which means you often have geeks as friends and/or have a job where you have to mediate between geeks and normal people. This is an important role and one of which you should be proud. In fact, you can make a good deal of money as a translator.
|
Things that go bump in the night...
So, reading more and thinking more. That is always a dangerous combination. Here is what I am thinking about right now.
Given that the universe is at least as holistic as modern physics thinks it is, perhaps even more, what can we gain by exploring smaller and smaller parts of it to more and more resolution?
I guess that the quandary is as follows. Every part of the universe, from the smallest particle can effect every other part of the universe. We are, in fact, all in this together. By segmenting our knowledge into smaller and smaller disciplines, are we in fact doing our greater good a disservice?
To understand a system, be it a computer system, an engine, or a biosphere - one needs a high level understanding of how all of the pieces and parts interact.
For example - you would never take you car to a person who only knew how spark plugs worked (but knew every last little detail about spark plugs) to get it fixed would you? You would want some one who had a general understanding of the entire thing worked.
Same goes with modern science. We have people who are so tightly focused on their specialties that they cannot see the whole picture. We have people who only think about string theory and how it works, but know little about the structure of distant stars. I would think that generalists who have a good understanding of many fields of study (but not in depth) might be needed. If for nothing more then to keep abreast of all of the developments in all of the fields and try and see where one field might benefit from others.
After all, we have seen that what is true at the microscopic can also be true at the macroscopic.
-Tsyko
Given that the universe is at least as holistic as modern physics thinks it is, perhaps even more, what can we gain by exploring smaller and smaller parts of it to more and more resolution?
I guess that the quandary is as follows. Every part of the universe, from the smallest particle can effect every other part of the universe. We are, in fact, all in this together. By segmenting our knowledge into smaller and smaller disciplines, are we in fact doing our greater good a disservice?
To understand a system, be it a computer system, an engine, or a biosphere - one needs a high level understanding of how all of the pieces and parts interact.
For example - you would never take you car to a person who only knew how spark plugs worked (but knew every last little detail about spark plugs) to get it fixed would you? You would want some one who had a general understanding of the entire thing worked.
Same goes with modern science. We have people who are so tightly focused on their specialties that they cannot see the whole picture. We have people who only think about string theory and how it works, but know little about the structure of distant stars. I would think that generalists who have a good understanding of many fields of study (but not in depth) might be needed. If for nothing more then to keep abreast of all of the developments in all of the fields and try and see where one field might benefit from others.
After all, we have seen that what is true at the microscopic can also be true at the macroscopic.
-Tsyko
Friday, March 11, 2005
Screenshot!
Here is a screenshot from the default install of Ubuntu Linux. They have done a really good job with a sexy look and feel, clean graphics, and a quick system. The only changes that I made from the default was to make the task bars translucent. You can click on the image for a 1:1 scale image - but it's really big.
-Tsyko
Edit: So I guess that size does matter. At the request of several of you, I have made the screenshot on the Blog bigger
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
New Iraq Exit Strategy Announced
(Read the full article - With Pictures!)
I commend Mr. Bush's decision to announce his exit strategy from Iraq. We have needed such a strategy for quite some time, and I think that the troops in the field and the people at home will laud accolades on Mr. Bush for this announcement.
We have needed an efficient and quick exit strategy for quite some time, and this fits the bill. Also, I think that Iran will lend us much assistance, as they must be relived that their long time foe, Saddam is gone.
Bush announces Iraq Exit Strategy: We'll go through Iran
WASHINGTON, DC — Almost a year after the cessation of major combat and a month after the nation's first free democratic elections, President Bush unveiled the coalition forces' strategy for exiting Iraq.
"I'm pleased to announce that the Department of Defense and I have formulated a plan for a speedy withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq," Bush announced Monday morning. "We'll just go through Iran."
Bush said the U.S. Army, which deposed Iran's longtime enemy Saddam Hussein, should be welcomed with open arms by the Islamic-fundamentalist state.
"And Iran's so nearby," Bush said. "It's only a hop, skip, and a jump to the east.
I commend Mr. Bush's decision to announce his exit strategy from Iraq. We have needed such a strategy for quite some time, and I think that the troops in the field and the people at home will laud accolades on Mr. Bush for this announcement.
We have needed an efficient and quick exit strategy for quite some time, and this fits the bill. Also, I think that Iran will lend us much assistance, as they must be relived that their long time foe, Saddam is gone.
LAMP made Easy
Just stumbled across this little chunk of software. Looks really easy.
Now, truth be known, getting Apache, MySQL and PHP running on a modern Linux distro is dead simple. However, on a Windows box - well that's another story. Xammp makes that easy. So, as part of the first step towards breaking your dependance on the Windows Drug - go, get it, and play...
-Tsyko
Now, truth be known, getting Apache, MySQL and PHP running on a modern Linux distro is dead simple. However, on a Windows box - well that's another story. Xammp makes that easy. So, as part of the first step towards breaking your dependance on the Windows Drug - go, get it, and play...
-Tsyko
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Monday, March 07, 2005
I guess...
are from others.
We stand on the shoulders of giants,
ones that have gone ahead for us,
mapped out the way.
And when we pass their dejected wrecks
on the side of the path,
we look,
shake our heads
and keep going.
There but for the grace of God, go I.
-Tsyko
Hatty-ness
I am a Fedora.The hat of the adventurous, I am spontaneous and active, perhaps sometimes a little foolishly. Regardless, I always come out alright. What Sort of Hat Are You?
Yet again - Craziness
My kung-foo is strong...
I am Kung Fu Master.I like to be in control of myself. I dislike crowds, especially crowds containing people trying to kill me. Even though I always win, I prefer to avoid fights if possible. What Video Game Character Are You?
Thanks Again - Craziness...
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Taster's Choice
I taste like Beef.
I taste like beef. I'm probably made of beef. You are what you eat, they say, and if the title didn't mean something else, I would be a beefeater. I think red meat is good for you. Puts hair on your chest. What Flavour Are You?
Hat tip Craziness
Friday, March 04, 2005
Green Tea out the Nose
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Unhappy Birthday!
From Unhappy Birthday
You know, I had often wondered why many major chains (such as Applebees) do not use the 'traditional' words. I had heard rumors before that the song was copyrighted, but I had never tracked down the reality of story. Enter Mako, your freindly neighboorhood anarchist.
So, the moral of this story is this - If you sing Happy Birthday to your freind or family member in a public place, you can be sued for copyright infringement? Check out Unhappy Birthday for the full scoop, and methods of turning in your freinds, foes and random people for this shocking crime!
"Did you know Happy Birthday is copyrighted and the copyright is currently owned and actively enforced by Time Warner?
Did you know that if you sing any copyrighted song:
...at a place open to the public
...or among a substantial number of people who are not family or friends
You are involved in a public performance of that work?
Did you know an unauthorized public performance is a form of copyright infringement?"
You know, I had often wondered why many major chains (such as Applebees) do not use the 'traditional' words. I had heard rumors before that the song was copyrighted, but I had never tracked down the reality of story. Enter Mako, your freindly neighboorhood anarchist.
So, the moral of this story is this - If you sing Happy Birthday to your freind or family member in a public place, you can be sued for copyright infringement? Check out Unhappy Birthday for the full scoop, and methods of turning in your freinds, foes and random people for this shocking crime!
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