Tuesday, March 27, 2007
X Marks the Blog
Welcome back to the continuing saga of Ben's desktop computer. When last we left our protagonist, a normal morning routine had been shattered by the absence of a BIOS and its accompanying beep. During spring break I went and visited my local computer doctor, a.k.a. the Invisible Dad, who quickly diagnosed the problem as a bad motherboard. This meant that I could potentially salvage all the data on my hard drives by reconnecting them with a new one. So, one Saturday morning visit to Ye Olde Computere Faire and a lot of hard work (mostly on Dad's part) and I'm back here at Old Ivy blogging from my desktop again.
Now the reason that so much work had to be put into the computer was that we bought a used computer running Windows XP and Dad needed to figure out the best way to manage all of the partitions on the various drives. In addition, given our mutual antipathy for our Big Brother in Redmond, WA, we decided to install an alternate operating system on one such partition. And unlike in the past, I decided to set the non-Windows operating system as my default.
Which is how I am here, writing this blog, not in Windows...as was previously the case, but in Xandros. Xandros is similar to Windows in many ways, at least in terms of appearance, but it runs faster then XP, is more stable than XP, and has none of the pesky hidden digital rights management issues that XP is wont to foist on the unsuspecting user. Furthermore, due to my preexisting love of open source software, most of my programs already run in Xandros. And if I want to find new stuff, there's a very easy to use interface that will download and install new software packages. Oh, and did I mention it has two separate desktops for your convenience? (If one gets too cluttered with windows, you can switch to the other one!)
Now it's not all perfect. Sometimes the official versions for download aren't up to date and you have to muck around with compiling the source files. But for basic day to day office type stuff, it works quite nicely. I have a full office suite, internet access, full multimedia capability (with the exception of Windows proprietary codecs...but I've been told that can be solved), and even good old Minesweeper. And if I absolutely have to, I can switch to Windows. It's the best of both worlds!
I'm in agreement with my friend at The Sleeper Cell. It looks like Linux is finally starting to give Windows a run for its money. I wonder how long it will be before everyone else notices.
(1) comments
Welcome back to the continuing saga of Ben's desktop computer. When last we left our protagonist, a normal morning routine had been shattered by the absence of a BIOS and its accompanying beep. During spring break I went and visited my local computer doctor, a.k.a. the Invisible Dad, who quickly diagnosed the problem as a bad motherboard. This meant that I could potentially salvage all the data on my hard drives by reconnecting them with a new one. So, one Saturday morning visit to Ye Olde Computere Faire and a lot of hard work (mostly on Dad's part) and I'm back here at Old Ivy blogging from my desktop again.
Now the reason that so much work had to be put into the computer was that we bought a used computer running Windows XP and Dad needed to figure out the best way to manage all of the partitions on the various drives. In addition, given our mutual antipathy for our Big Brother in Redmond, WA, we decided to install an alternate operating system on one such partition. And unlike in the past, I decided to set the non-Windows operating system as my default.
Which is how I am here, writing this blog, not in Windows...as was previously the case, but in Xandros. Xandros is similar to Windows in many ways, at least in terms of appearance, but it runs faster then XP, is more stable than XP, and has none of the pesky hidden digital rights management issues that XP is wont to foist on the unsuspecting user. Furthermore, due to my preexisting love of open source software, most of my programs already run in Xandros. And if I want to find new stuff, there's a very easy to use interface that will download and install new software packages. Oh, and did I mention it has two separate desktops for your convenience? (If one gets too cluttered with windows, you can switch to the other one!)
Now it's not all perfect. Sometimes the official versions for download aren't up to date and you have to muck around with compiling the source files. But for basic day to day office type stuff, it works quite nicely. I have a full office suite, internet access, full multimedia capability (with the exception of Windows proprietary codecs...but I've been told that can be solved), and even good old Minesweeper. And if I absolutely have to, I can switch to Windows. It's the best of both worlds!
I'm in agreement with my friend at The Sleeper Cell. It looks like Linux is finally starting to give Windows a run for its money. I wonder how long it will be before everyone else notices.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Iraq Warcraft
Four years ago today, the United States armed forces invaded Iraq. Since then, over 3,000 Americans have died, the nation is a chaotic jumble of factionalism and violence, and an exit strategy is nowhere to be found. All in all, things are looking bleak.
And yet, despite all the horrors of war that I, like all of you out there, see and hear about in the news everyday, I still found this article funny.
Maybe it's because I'm nostalgic for the good old days when the only armed combat I cared about involved paladins and oil supplies could be secured with minimal casualties as long as one could fend off giant sea turtles.
If only we could bring our troops home and settle this whole thing through a spirited 8 player melee in the Garden of War on Battle.net...but that doesn't seem too likely. Nevertheless, I know that I'm not alone when I write that I sincerely hope that the carnage in the Middle East ends soon so that everyone fighting over there can return home safely to their friends and loved ones.
We'll see how things stand in a year.
(Thanks to the Caseator for pointing out the article in question.)
(0) comments
Four years ago today, the United States armed forces invaded Iraq. Since then, over 3,000 Americans have died, the nation is a chaotic jumble of factionalism and violence, and an exit strategy is nowhere to be found. All in all, things are looking bleak.
And yet, despite all the horrors of war that I, like all of you out there, see and hear about in the news everyday, I still found this article funny.
Maybe it's because I'm nostalgic for the good old days when the only armed combat I cared about involved paladins and oil supplies could be secured with minimal casualties as long as one could fend off giant sea turtles.
If only we could bring our troops home and settle this whole thing through a spirited 8 player melee in the Garden of War on Battle.net...but that doesn't seem too likely. Nevertheless, I know that I'm not alone when I write that I sincerely hope that the carnage in the Middle East ends soon so that everyone fighting over there can return home safely to their friends and loved ones.
We'll see how things stand in a year.
(Thanks to the Caseator for pointing out the article in question.)
Friday, March 16, 2007
Off the List
Today, I begin my spring break. Yes, even graduate students get a week off from classes, though our professors are kind enough to assign enough reading to make sure we don't get off of our game. For example, I spent about 10 hours in the library yesterday reading about postwar metropolitan organization...and I still have a 200 page book left to finish and a reading response to compose. Not to mention the two dozen books I need to read for my historiography paper at the end of the semester. And all of this is for one class! I haven't even begun to think about the others...
But before I get overwhelmed with work, a moment of respite, and not just for me. As some of you may recall, in September 2005, I added the New York Times to the Invisible Ben's Enemies list following their website's implementation of the TimesSelect system. At the time, it seemed like a scheme to prevent people like me, who weren't willing or able to pay for a Times subscription, from accessing the best features of the newspaper online-like the most interesting columnists, the archives, and feature articles. I admit that I haven't fully withdrawn from reading the Times. After all, a paper written by undergraduates can only get one so far. Still, the Times remained the subject of my Nixonish ire for a year and a half.
Until two days ago, when I was informed by my girlfriend that the newspaper had changed its policy and people with e-mail addresses ending in .edu can now access the site's full features for free. And lo and behold, she was right!
So I suppose it's time to remove the Times from my Enemies List. Don't worry, there are still plenty of other media conglomerates on there against which to plot revenge. (I'm looking at you NBC promotional advertisement staff...Windows Vista is not made for TV promos!)
(0) comments
Today, I begin my spring break. Yes, even graduate students get a week off from classes, though our professors are kind enough to assign enough reading to make sure we don't get off of our game. For example, I spent about 10 hours in the library yesterday reading about postwar metropolitan organization...and I still have a 200 page book left to finish and a reading response to compose. Not to mention the two dozen books I need to read for my historiography paper at the end of the semester. And all of this is for one class! I haven't even begun to think about the others...
But before I get overwhelmed with work, a moment of respite, and not just for me. As some of you may recall, in September 2005, I added the New York Times to the Invisible Ben's Enemies list following their website's implementation of the TimesSelect system. At the time, it seemed like a scheme to prevent people like me, who weren't willing or able to pay for a Times subscription, from accessing the best features of the newspaper online-like the most interesting columnists, the archives, and feature articles. I admit that I haven't fully withdrawn from reading the Times. After all, a paper written by undergraduates can only get one so far. Still, the Times remained the subject of my Nixonish ire for a year and a half.
Until two days ago, when I was informed by my girlfriend that the newspaper had changed its policy and people with e-mail addresses ending in .edu can now access the site's full features for free. And lo and behold, she was right!
So I suppose it's time to remove the Times from my Enemies List. Don't worry, there are still plenty of other media conglomerates on there against which to plot revenge. (I'm looking at you NBC promotional advertisement staff...Windows Vista is not made for TV promos!)
Friday, March 02, 2007
Short Stories
After turning in my final research paper from fall semester (clocking in at 49 pages) , I felt it worthwhile to post something brief about...well, something brief, courtesy of the fine folks at Wired.
I've long been fascinated with the idea of microfiction, i.e. writing complete and compelling stories of 50 words or less. It forces one to distill the essence of the narrative to its barest essence. As someone with a demonstrated tendency towards prolixity, I feel like well constructed microfiction provides an example towards which to aspire in my writing.
Apparently I'm not alone. According to this article from last November which came to my attention recently, Hemingway once composed an entire story in six words. ("For sale: baby shoes, never worn.") Inspired by their example, the folks at Wired asked some modern scifi, horror, and fantasy writers to submit their own six word stories.
Among my favorites:
I've been working on a few of my own...
Suddenly, mortality wasn't worth dying for...
Snap! Pop! (BOOM!) Only Crackle survived.
Found love under microscope. Small world.
Burning heat...love or leftover chili?
Anorexic marathon story premise running thin.
End the redundancy. Redundancy? The end.
They finally did it. Now what?
Jumbled, my are Help totally thoughts!
All in all, lots of fun. Your mission, should you choose to accept it? Submit your best short story in the comments section below. The only rule is it has to be 6 words or less.
Be creative. Be brilliant. Be brief.
(4) comments
After turning in my final research paper from fall semester (clocking in at 49 pages) , I felt it worthwhile to post something brief about...well, something brief, courtesy of the fine folks at Wired.
I've long been fascinated with the idea of microfiction, i.e. writing complete and compelling stories of 50 words or less. It forces one to distill the essence of the narrative to its barest essence. As someone with a demonstrated tendency towards prolixity, I feel like well constructed microfiction provides an example towards which to aspire in my writing.
Apparently I'm not alone. According to this article from last November which came to my attention recently, Hemingway once composed an entire story in six words. ("For sale: baby shoes, never worn.") Inspired by their example, the folks at Wired asked some modern scifi, horror, and fantasy writers to submit their own six word stories.
Among my favorites:
WORLD'S END. Sic transit gloria Monday.
- Gregory Benford
Automobile warranty expires. So does engine.
- Stan Lee
Machine. Unexpectedly, I’d invented a time
- Alan Moore
The baby’s blood type? Human, mostly.
- Orson Scott Card
I've been working on a few of my own...
Suddenly, mortality wasn't worth dying for...
Snap! Pop! (BOOM!) Only Crackle survived.
Found love under microscope. Small world.
Burning heat...love or leftover chili?
Anorexic marathon story premise running thin.
End the redundancy. Redundancy? The end.
They finally did it. Now what?
Jumbled, my are Help totally thoughts!
All in all, lots of fun. Your mission, should you choose to accept it? Submit your best short story in the comments section below. The only rule is it has to be 6 words or less.
Be creative. Be brilliant. Be brief.
