Thanks to the fine people taking pictures and collecting them from Tea Party events, Teabonics on Flickr.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
This is not an indictment of the intelligence of Tea Party people...
But the arrogance is just unbelievably funny! This reminds me of CL postings where people specifically call out their intelligence, only to have spelling errors throughout their post. (Im to intelligant fore ewe.)
Thanks to the fine people taking pictures and collecting them from Tea Party events, Teabonics on Flickr.
Thanks to the fine people taking pictures and collecting them from Tea Party events, Teabonics on Flickr.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Why a gigabit internet matters.
Remember 25 years ago, when computer software was simple and small enough to fit on floppy drives? At first they fit on 5 1/4" floppies, then onto the more compact and denser 3 1/2" floppies. Back then, we were talking about 1.44MB and 720KB floppies, and the more complex software required 5 floppies to store the programs onto. We programmed hundreds of lines of code (in some cases, thousands) - most of us did - in comparison to the millions of lines of code now required for most mainstream software.
Well, as surely as computers have gotten more sophisticated with transistors measured in nanometers instead of millimeters, and storage capacity has gone from those 720KB floppies to 32GB flash drives and 2TB hard drives, so has the need for greater bandwidth to communicate and transmit data between points. As surely as storage capacity will grow and computers gain in power, so too will our needs for faster delivery of software, information and services via the internet.
But why gigagit?
Well, one has to consider what can be possible with gigabit service. With 20+ megabit service, we can easily stream HD video content, but that HD content is merely 1920 x 1080 pixels. If you think about it, if you want a 84" screen for a full immersion environment (think Star Trek Next Generation holodeck), you will need a lot more than 1920 pixels to fool the brain into believing the imagery on screen. If you want the full surround video and sound experience, you will need to stream a lot more data than what we currently do. And this isn't just for entertainment purposes, either. Imagine being able to sit in on a live internet broadcast of a digital classroom, where you can see digital feeds of your classmates via real-time projected avatars that look as if you're actually sitting in a classroom. Or imagine creating digital buildings in real-time and quarter size models, that you can instantly expand to a full size model and experience a real-time walk through or fly by.
Why gigabit? Because the future beckons, that's why.
Well, as surely as computers have gotten more sophisticated with transistors measured in nanometers instead of millimeters, and storage capacity has gone from those 720KB floppies to 32GB flash drives and 2TB hard drives, so has the need for greater bandwidth to communicate and transmit data between points. As surely as storage capacity will grow and computers gain in power, so too will our needs for faster delivery of software, information and services via the internet.
But why gigagit?
Well, one has to consider what can be possible with gigabit service. With 20+ megabit service, we can easily stream HD video content, but that HD content is merely 1920 x 1080 pixels. If you think about it, if you want a 84" screen for a full immersion environment (think Star Trek Next Generation holodeck), you will need a lot more than 1920 pixels to fool the brain into believing the imagery on screen. If you want the full surround video and sound experience, you will need to stream a lot more data than what we currently do. And this isn't just for entertainment purposes, either. Imagine being able to sit in on a live internet broadcast of a digital classroom, where you can see digital feeds of your classmates via real-time projected avatars that look as if you're actually sitting in a classroom. Or imagine creating digital buildings in real-time and quarter size models, that you can instantly expand to a full size model and experience a real-time walk through or fly by.
Why gigabit? Because the future beckons, that's why.
The 9th circuit has gone stupid.
The 9th circuit has ruled against a woman who, 7 months pregnant and sitting in her car, was tasered three times by police officers trying to force her to sign a speeding ticket. Crazy world we live in, huh? I can't imagine King Solomon telling a pregnant woman, that it was perfectly fine to 'stun' her, because she refused to sign on the dotted line.
What next for the 9th, legalization of tasering of barking dogs in public, for failure to comply with orders to shut up?
What next for the 9th, legalization of tasering of barking dogs in public, for failure to comply with orders to shut up?
Don't tase me bro!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Egyptian door to the afterlife found.
People rushing to ancient Egyptian door to the afterlife to find out what it's like on the other side; hitting their heads; incurring internal cranial bleeding; going into coma; discovering the other side.
What do RNC officials do with donor money?
This just in: Republicans hard at work at the RNC enjoy strippers, limos, private jets and nice hotel suites, to the tune of $30,000 in February alone. Git your money on, baby.
via NY Times
via NY Times
Saturday, March 27, 2010
There are a lot of not-so-bright people in the world.
The NY Times has a story on an umeployed man, Tom Grimes, who first went to his representative (a Democrat) looking for health care coverage after being laid off, but then ended up joining the Tea Party and advocating for smaller government and lower taxes.
Now, I understand that being laid off creates anxiety which feeds into dissatisfaction with everything, but it seems to me that many of the Tea Party folks are terribly confused.
The weaker a government is, the fewer rules to protect people like Tom Grimes from being killed at work, or being abused by health care insurers, or from chemicals leaching into drinking water. In fact, weaker governments create instability, as there is no backstop to runaway economic swings. I doubt Tom Grimes really want to see 100% inflation followed by 100% deflation during economic swings and 50% up and down stock market swings, but without a strong central government, such swings are possible as natural market forces - based not upon rational markets but upon irrational human behavior - push markets every which way the wind blows.
It is in fact, people like Tom Grimes, that should be forced to play Sims games, to understand that simplistic thinking does not satisfy the needs of a modern society. But unfortunately, there are a lot of not-so-bright people in the world, who have simplistic views that are passed off as solid opinions. Not all opinions are created equal, even if in the most basic of biological terms, we are all created equally.
Now, I understand that being laid off creates anxiety which feeds into dissatisfaction with everything, but it seems to me that many of the Tea Party folks are terribly confused.
The weaker a government is, the fewer rules to protect people like Tom Grimes from being killed at work, or being abused by health care insurers, or from chemicals leaching into drinking water. In fact, weaker governments create instability, as there is no backstop to runaway economic swings. I doubt Tom Grimes really want to see 100% inflation followed by 100% deflation during economic swings and 50% up and down stock market swings, but without a strong central government, such swings are possible as natural market forces - based not upon rational markets but upon irrational human behavior - push markets every which way the wind blows.
It is in fact, people like Tom Grimes, that should be forced to play Sims games, to understand that simplistic thinking does not satisfy the needs of a modern society. But unfortunately, there are a lot of not-so-bright people in the world, who have simplistic views that are passed off as solid opinions. Not all opinions are created equal, even if in the most basic of biological terms, we are all created equally.
Two-faced Republicans?
It seems to me, that Republicans are only concerned about regaining power for power's sake. Case in point: Health Care.
17 years ago, Republicans made a counter-proposal for individual mandated insurance, to the Clintons' employer mandated insurance. 4 years ago, Mitt Romney, supported by (now Senator) Scott Brown, proposed and signed into law, individually mandated insurance.
The difference between those proposals and the one Democrats passed and President Obama signed? The Democrats paid their way through higher taxes for certain high-income / high cost insurance taxes, while Republicans promised to cut spending (but never followed through).
If this seems like deja vu, it is: When Republicans passed the Medicare Part D expansion under George Bush, they did not propose cuts that would have paid for their increased spending. They knew ahead of time, that the expansion would cost an additional $400 billion over 10 years (CBO projections), yet did nothing to cut the size of government spending elsewhere. How do we know this? Because starting in 2002, the US government began to spend more than it was taking in, reversing course of a budget surplus that occurred in the second half of Bill Clinton's 8 years as President.
And we come right back to Senator Orrin Hatch's comments last December: "It was standard practice not to pay for things."
And to think that those libertarians from the Tea Party are embracing Republicans, who have made a living not paying for their spending habits!
17 years ago, Republicans made a counter-proposal for individual mandated insurance, to the Clintons' employer mandated insurance. 4 years ago, Mitt Romney, supported by (now Senator) Scott Brown, proposed and signed into law, individually mandated insurance.
The difference between those proposals and the one Democrats passed and President Obama signed? The Democrats paid their way through higher taxes for certain high-income / high cost insurance taxes, while Republicans promised to cut spending (but never followed through).
If this seems like deja vu, it is: When Republicans passed the Medicare Part D expansion under George Bush, they did not propose cuts that would have paid for their increased spending. They knew ahead of time, that the expansion would cost an additional $400 billion over 10 years (CBO projections), yet did nothing to cut the size of government spending elsewhere. How do we know this? Because starting in 2002, the US government began to spend more than it was taking in, reversing course of a budget surplus that occurred in the second half of Bill Clinton's 8 years as President.
And we come right back to Senator Orrin Hatch's comments last December: "It was standard practice not to pay for things."
And to think that those libertarians from the Tea Party are embracing Republicans, who have made a living not paying for their spending habits!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Autocad LT 2011
It's officially here! Of course, you might want to get it from Buy.com, since it's $130 cheaper than to get it directly from Autodesk. Wait a few more weeks and other retailers will have it for even less.
Of course, this also means that AutoCad 2011 is also available, but at $3995, I don't think it's worth it, especially when most of us do our 3D work in SketchUp now.
Then there's AutoCad Architecture 2011, which is compelling with all the preconfigured dynamic blocks specifically for drafting in 2D (and with optional BIM), but that $4995 price is steep.
I'd like to figure out a workflow to avoid using AutoCad products (given the high annual cost), but it's such a universal standard in the architectural and engineering community, that it's impossible to avoid.
Of course, this also means that AutoCad 2011 is also available, but at $3995, I don't think it's worth it, especially when most of us do our 3D work in SketchUp now.
Then there's AutoCad Architecture 2011, which is compelling with all the preconfigured dynamic blocks specifically for drafting in 2D (and with optional BIM), but that $4995 price is steep.
I'd like to figure out a workflow to avoid using AutoCad products (given the high annual cost), but it's such a universal standard in the architectural and engineering community, that it's impossible to avoid.
How bad is the economy?
California remains deep in the recession at 12.5% unemployment for February 2010, up from 10.2% in February 2009. According to LA Times' analysis:
This suffering obviously extends beyond California. Problem is, the extent of the number of people unemployed is so large, that companies can pick and choose very specific skill combinations, and easily find dozens of people to fill their needs. It's a good time to start your own company, if you ask me. It wasn't as if you were going to qualify for a small business loan from the bank in the first place (as a fresh startup), so you might as well stop twiddling those fingers, right?
While small, the professional sector -- which includes lawyers, accountants, architects and economists -- has been hard-hit by the recession, more so than in the previous economic downturn. An implosion of commercial and residential real estate and efforts by companies to control costs has meant less work for the professions.
This suffering obviously extends beyond California. Problem is, the extent of the number of people unemployed is so large, that companies can pick and choose very specific skill combinations, and easily find dozens of people to fill their needs. It's a good time to start your own company, if you ask me. It wasn't as if you were going to qualify for a small business loan from the bank in the first place (as a fresh startup), so you might as well stop twiddling those fingers, right?
Adobe CS5.
Coming April 12th.
No info on pricing - obviously - just yet, but if they follow to form, they'll offer discounts for upgrades for a period of time following the release.
No info on pricing - obviously - just yet, but if they follow to form, they'll offer discounts for upgrades for a period of time following the release.
Misc. things.
- There's a woot off today. If you blink, you might miss a deal; they go by, one at a time, at about once every 15 minutes.
- The Thea Render has gone public beta, and you can buy it. While in beta, it's priced below expected pricing. Used for really great renderings with Sketch Up or other types of models. Material editor is a lot closer to that in 3D Studio Max. You have to pay separately for plugins (exporters) and the main software, which costs total of about $250 to use with Sketch Up.
- CanSecWest is on its last day, which means that it looks like Google's Chrome is once again the only browser (sorry, they don't include Opera in the challenge) to survive PWN2OWN. This year they have a mobile component to the competition, and sad to say, iPhone fell first - it drew first in a random drawing to be tested so it was destined to fall first - and well, safari fell second, because it drew second. I should say, that the reason why Chrome remains undefeated, is because no one has signed up to challenge it. I'm not sure if it's because everyone knows Safari, Firefox and IE are vulnerable, or because of perceived market share of those browsers (Chrome has higher market share than Safari). Also notable, Android was in the challenge, but no one has bothered to challenge it.
- I hate twitter, but others love it. Therefore, it is important to note that corporations have embraced it and you must pay attention to their tweets if you want to be on the inside of information. Case in point: Dell Outlet has a tweet stream for coupons.
- Might have mentioned this before, but the Weather Underground has the best radar / temperature GUI.
- They announced that the cherry blossoms were blooming in Washington DC; I just thought it was amusing, given that most of the cherry blossoms in Portland have already fallen, including the waterfront. Double-blossom cherries however, are hitting their prime.
That is all.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The President addresses the House.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
What can you find in the Tea Party?
Through the news, Representative John Lewis (D-GA) was called a "nigger" in chorus by a crowd of Tea Party protesters, and Barney Frank was called a "homo" and a "faggot". You can read about it here and here.
Yes, this is the Tea Party that the Republicans are so quick to embrace. Embrace racists and people that hate, if you will; you only motivate others to distance themselves away from you.
Yes, this is the Tea Party that the Republicans are so quick to embrace. Embrace racists and people that hate, if you will; you only motivate others to distance themselves away from you.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Another reason to pass on Internet Explorer.
I tested Opera 10.10, Chrome 4.1.249, Firefox 3.6 and IE8.0.6001, and only one failed miserably (passed 349 out of 578 tests) at this CSS3 selectors compatibility test...IE8, of course. Actually, the others passed all 578 tests.
Of course, I didn't need to run the CSS3 test to know how badly IE8 was to begin with; it also scored the worst with the ACID3 test that checks for compliance with a series of web standards. Note, that Firefox scores a 94 out of 100 on the ACID3 test, while Opera and Chrome score a perfect 100. With IE, it won't even make it through the entire test.
Of course, I didn't need to run the CSS3 test to know how badly IE8 was to begin with; it also scored the worst with the ACID3 test that checks for compliance with a series of web standards. Note, that Firefox scores a 94 out of 100 on the ACID3 test, while Opera and Chrome score a perfect 100. With IE, it won't even make it through the entire test.
What's the difference between Norovirus and food poisoning?
The two share numerous symptoms, but as it turns out, the difference between Norovirus and food poisoning is getting the chills, body aches and a couple of days. If it goes away in one or two days and you had the chills and body aches, it's likely Norovirus. Other than that, and if your symptoms get severe, it's probably food poisoning.
And that's what happened between 2:30 am Wednesday and 2:30 am Friday, for me...Norovirus, that is.
Now, I'm just wondering...where did I get it from??? Powells Books, Grand Central Bakery, Safeway or St. Honore?
And that's what happened between 2:30 am Wednesday and 2:30 am Friday, for me...Norovirus, that is.
Now, I'm just wondering...where did I get it from??? Powells Books, Grand Central Bakery, Safeway or St. Honore?
Sunday, March 14, 2010
It was a good Spring day.
Saw this GMC Sprint on a double-decker vehicle trailer, and I thought what the heck...capture something from the 70's.
But of course, the point of lugging the camera around today, was to have some fun capturing some cherry blossoms on the waterfront. Apparently a lot of other people felt the same way, as it was crowded with people and their cameras. I think most people were taking wide angle shots, while I was doing my micro shots with an old manual focus 55mm micro lens.
But of course, the point of lugging the camera around today, was to have some fun capturing some cherry blossoms on the waterfront. Apparently a lot of other people felt the same way, as it was crowded with people and their cameras. I think most people were taking wide angle shots, while I was doing my micro shots with an old manual focus 55mm micro lens.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Misc. thoughts.
1. Was browsing some online job ads, and was reminded that firms move like sloths when they get large. I cannot imagine anyone using Form Z in today's world; talk about a decade-old process.
2. It's hard to get a business started, especially if you don't really like paper work and especially if you hate spending money on intangibles.
3. Conjured a totally awesome tag line to use for my marketing materials: "Good design is an intentional, deliberative and discretionary process that delivers a quality product."
4. It's nearly tax deadline time, and I got my tax software over a month ago (super low price on Amazon), but I haven't yet started. I've been dragging my feet on installing Windows7 on my workstation as well. It was supposed to be, that I was going to install Win7, then my tax software. Sigh. Every time I start my prep to migrate, I am reminded of all the software licenses I need to use and software I need to reinstall with those licenses.
5. Woke up early three days in a row, although today was more like, I woke up at 2:30 am, and just couldn't bring myself to go back to sleep for just another 2~3 hours. I like it being up early and getting stuff done, including 3 cups of coffee.
2. It's hard to get a business started, especially if you don't really like paper work and especially if you hate spending money on intangibles.
3. Conjured a totally awesome tag line to use for my marketing materials: "Good design is an intentional, deliberative and discretionary process that delivers a quality product."
4. It's nearly tax deadline time, and I got my tax software over a month ago (super low price on Amazon), but I haven't yet started. I've been dragging my feet on installing Windows7 on my workstation as well. It was supposed to be, that I was going to install Win7, then my tax software. Sigh. Every time I start my prep to migrate, I am reminded of all the software licenses I need to use and software I need to reinstall with those licenses.
5. Woke up early three days in a row, although today was more like, I woke up at 2:30 am, and just couldn't bring myself to go back to sleep for just another 2~3 hours. I like it being up early and getting stuff done, including 3 cups of coffee.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Update: light fixture design.
Made slight change to just one piece, which made a huge difference, at least in my eyes. Think I'll sit on this one and see how I feel about it with fresh eyes, but I definitely like this particular direction. To get this one made via Ponoko, I'm guessing it'll cost close to $100~$200, though, which makes these light fixture designs much more deliberative and carefully scrutinized.
Current design - light shade fixture.
A design idea came to me the other night while walking, and this is the first iteration of it. Not too bad, but then halfway through rendering the third image, a design change came to me, making this current iteration relatively moot. I'm rendering that new version right now.
Woke up early this morning (4:30 am) and I feel a lot more productive as a result.
Finally, my two prototype tea candle holder designs were made and were shipped today from Ponoko. It sat for over a week without any progress, and things got going the past 2 days. This whole design and production process is very slow; it'll take a lot longer than I thought, in order to get a complete product shop all put together and ready.
Woke up early this morning (4:30 am) and I feel a lot more productive as a result.
Finally, my two prototype tea candle holder designs were made and were shipped today from Ponoko. It sat for over a week without any progress, and things got going the past 2 days. This whole design and production process is very slow; it'll take a lot longer than I thought, in order to get a complete product shop all put together and ready.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Autocad 2011 vs Autocad lt 2011...fresh off Japanese site.
I could have popped this online as a pdf, but I turned it into a jpg instead. Nothing earth-shattering in the list, but word appears, that it'll be coming out March 15th or so, or about a full month behind the Japanese release. Why is that???
Oh, and I couldn't understand one romanji word, so I left it as it was translated literally with "(?)" next to it.
Oh, and I couldn't understand one romanji word, so I left it as it was translated literally with "(?)" next to it.
Hidden gem in Hollywood, CA
Years ago when I lived in Los Angeles, I - being the consummate explorer - discovered how to reach the Hollywood Reservoir up in the Hollywood Hills. More importantly, with my dog and girlfriend at the time, discovered a really great park that is generally tucked away that few people know about. Besides having lush green turf year-round, it also sports the best view of the Hollywood sign, in my humble opinion. I just thought I'd share it with any people that might be visiting Los Angeles. It's an oasis in the chaos that is LA.
View Larger Map
View Larger Map
Sunday, March 7, 2010
You don't want to keep this in your pocket.
For sale at Amazon.com, uranium ore! I wonder how many of these can be ordered, before raising eyebrows at the NRC and the FBI? Of course, they're relatively harmless. Radon in your basement is probably worse for you than this...assuming you didn't build your basement out of uranium ore ground up in the concrete mix.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Cool online tool.
This site allows you to create flames online with an assortment of controls to make some spectacular background (or foreground) images.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Could oil prices be headed down?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
What's up with Jim Bunning?
According to KGW news, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) reported that when he tried to plead with Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) to relent on his blockage of the bill to temporarily extend unemployment benefits, Senator Bunning replied, "tough shit."
Well, Senator Bunning is retiring, so he has no political stake in helping his state's unemployed since he doesn't need to appeal to voters, but the starkness of his opinion of the unemployed is quite breathtaking. Forget decorum - that went out the window a long time ago - when Bunning said, "tough shit" to the unemployed, he was showing his true colors.
Frankly, I think he's a disgusting little man, to be able to vote to go to war in Iraq, vote for the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and the expansion of Medicare, and end up adding to the federal debt by $2.7 trillion, while objecting to the $10 billion unemployment extensions. Only a selfish, little man with lifetime healthcare and pension, could be so callous to try to prevent the extension of unemployment benefits to Americans.
Well, Senator Bunning is retiring, so he has no political stake in helping his state's unemployed since he doesn't need to appeal to voters, but the starkness of his opinion of the unemployed is quite breathtaking. Forget decorum - that went out the window a long time ago - when Bunning said, "tough shit" to the unemployed, he was showing his true colors.
Frankly, I think he's a disgusting little man, to be able to vote to go to war in Iraq, vote for the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and the expansion of Medicare, and end up adding to the federal debt by $2.7 trillion, while objecting to the $10 billion unemployment extensions. Only a selfish, little man with lifetime healthcare and pension, could be so callous to try to prevent the extension of unemployment benefits to Americans.
Emergency boxes.
It occurred to me, despite the lack of likely natural and manmade disasters to ever affect Portland, that I should put together a priority list of essential items to pack into boxes, and prioritize the boxes themselves. So far, I've gotten through box 1:
My data is my life; I am planning on setting up a network attached storage that would serve as a copy of everything on one of my computers, thereby allowing me to grab it and run if I have to. I'm not sure clothes need to be in box 1, or if it can slide to box 2. Anyway, I figure it's like packing on a trip: If you didn't take time to plan it out even if just a mental exercise, it'll take you longer when you actually start packing and you're bound to forget some important things.
- Cell phone + charger
- Laptop/netbook
- network attached storage / external drive
- wallet
- all keys
- stashed cash
- birth certificate
- allergy pills
My data is my life; I am planning on setting up a network attached storage that would serve as a copy of everything on one of my computers, thereby allowing me to grab it and run if I have to. I'm not sure clothes need to be in box 1, or if it can slide to box 2. Anyway, I figure it's like packing on a trip: If you didn't take time to plan it out even if just a mental exercise, it'll take you longer when you actually start packing and you're bound to forget some important things.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Make your own Nike shoe.
I played around with their design tools to come up with a customized design. I like the Nike Free series shoes; they're almost as if you don't have shoes on. I like to feel my feet flexing, as I have no arch to speak of, and Nike Free shoes are absolutely awesome. But they're $110 each, so I'll just have to wait a little longer until my current ones show signs of overworn soles.
Shopping online.
One of the most frustrating things about shopping online, is that unlike brick and mortar shopping, you can't easily distinguish the point of origin of the product you're looking at. Try it...most sites won't tell you where the product was manufactured. For all sorts of reasons, I think this has to stop, not the least of which, it prevents us from being able to send a political message to different countries.
Thus, I have written a short letter (comment sent online) to my US Senators, that I hope others would follow suit:
I think we need to send a strong political message to China - see 60 Minutes video below - on their rampant economic and national intelligence spying in the US.
Watch CBS News Videos Online
Thus, I have written a short letter (comment sent online) to my US Senators, that I hope others would follow suit:
"Senator insert name of your senator , when we buy products at a brick and mortar store, point of origin labels allow us to discern and selectively choose American products, or to exclude certain countries whether out of political or economic protest. However, as e-commerce grows, it concerns me that businesses have taken to subversively concealing or otherwise obfuscating nationally mandated point of origin labeling, thus preventing us as consumers, from distinguishing our purchases as a conscious choice.
I humbly ask that you support insert name of your state and American manufacturers as well as consumers, by sponsoring a bill to require all e-commerce sites that sell goods to Americans, to conspicuously identify those goods being sold, with their point of origin.
Thank you for your consideration.
I think we need to send a strong political message to China - see 60 Minutes video below - on their rampant economic and national intelligence spying in the US.
Watch CBS News Videos Online
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