Work

As some of you know, I turned down both the 1-month and 6-month extensions to my Intel contract.

I just got word.  I start working for Compiere.org (through EOTI) upon returning from Paris.

 

Merciful Release	Excellent Mal! I am so glad to hear it!!! *dances* Posted by Merciful Release on Sat Mar 25 00:08:00 PST 2006
Sarah	It seems that congratulations are in order!  Posted by Sarah on Sun Mar 26 23:25:00 PST 2006
Silver	Whee!! Posted by Silver on Mon Mar 27 00:08:00 PST 2006
WILL POWER!	Wurd to da mudder. Posted by WILL POWER! on Tue Mar 28 04:44:00 PST 2006

News from the Net

This will interest any of you writing bootsectors... They are looking at replacing the 512-byte bootsector with a 4096-byte bootsector as a new standard

I know a few of you are using Vonage. You might be interested to know that they will put 911-callers on-hold

Looks like they are trying to create a web-only, non-IE-compatible replacement for M$ Office. I tried AjaxWrite and found that it ALMOST worked perfectly on my resume (there was an extra "1" at the beginning). Not so bad.

Sarah	Whoaaa. kinda suprised about the Vontage thing.  Posted by Sarah on Fri Mar 24 06:58:00 PST 2006

News from the Net

Ok, who wants to be on Jeopardy?

For those of you who weren't able to last time I mentioned it, it might be time to try the Google Page Creator again. Personally, I have a couple issues with it. One, it doesn't give you as much layout control as I would like. Second, colors don't always seem to be what I told them to be. For example, this flight table is cornsilk - but it doesn't look like it UNLESS you copy/paste it somewhere.

GoDaddy switched from Linux to Microsoft servers. What idiots

Alienware is now owned by Dell

Looks like the UK is following in the steps of the US and trying to become a Dictatorship

Target is being sued for not making its website accessible to the blind

Grid computing now available for $1/cpuHour

And last but not least, a side-by-side comparison between games current and past.

Sylkwyrm	I think they should make a new Battle Toads. Posted by Sylkwyrm on Thu Mar 23 01:29:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Or Pong-1D! Posted by Malachi on Thu Mar 23 01:47:00 PST 2006
Sylkwyrm	Or Pong 4D! You could play it through time! Posted by Sylkwyrm on Thu Mar 23 01:59:00 PST 2006
Sarah	Hmmmmn, Microsoft is taking over the world and the UK is probably under their control....just like the republicans are.  Look at it this way Mal, it took the UK longer than it took us to give into the dark side...... Posted by Sarah on Thu Mar 23 02:25:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Just because our country is run by thieves and liars (I can still say that for a few weeks, right?) doesn't mean that I gave in -- we just have to figure out what to do about it. Posted by Malachi on Thu Mar 23 02:27:00 PST 2006
Malachi	It appears that the afformentioned grid has already been attacked. Posted by Malachi on Thu Mar 23 03:55:00 PST 2006

News from the Net

It looks like Microsoft has finally decided to split IE from Windows Explorer. Took them long enough

This is interesting... a professor has decided that her students were not allowed to use laptops to take notes anymore, that they have to use pen & paper instead -- so that they will make more eye contact.... Now, I don't know about you, but I think I look at the paper more often than the keyboard... Maybe this professor just never learned to type.

Some of you may know that Obscenity is legally a community-concept. IE: What is illegally obscene there can be legally protected here... The Supreme Court has evidentally decided not to clarify. I would like to take the question a step further... If a community (say, Beaverton) can make its own standards; why can't online communities (say BMEZine) have their own standards as well? Let's take that a step further. 15 miles north of here, the age of consent is 16 instead of 18. Why should a 16-year old there not be allowed to view content online if they are the age of legal consent there? Instead of requiring that a user is "18+", should it be requiring that they have reached the legal age of consent? What if a community (online or not) does not believe in the concept of Age of Consent/Drinking/Military/Gambling/etc?

WTF? Music copyrights more important than life? I repeat - WTF? Even CATO is against it

American Idol for Security Geeks?

Game design - Iron Chef style :)

Toys: 32GB Flash Drive

Looks like the IRS wants to allow places like H&R Block to sell your return to marketers. If this happens, this is a very good way to ensure that they loose a LOT of business, as I for one would make sure to spread the word of what they would be doing. Maybe if we sue them every time someone contacts us with some scam....

Just found Google Finance

When our server was hacked on XMas Eve, I reported it to the local Internet Crimes Divison of the FBI. At the time, it seemed odd that they didn't even ask me what my IP address was, and I got the distinct impression they didn't know what they were doing. Maybe this is why.

Toys?: How about something that works better than a TinFoil hat?

A government scientists blows the whistle.

I wonder if these completely transparent ICs, when combined with OLED, could make a lot of our SciFi hardware

Tax credits for open-source R&D? That sounds really really nice. Now, if I only had time to read up on it for EOTI

For those of you who know EOTI's goals... read this

Toys: For those of you have ever played The Game of Real Life with me, you will see why I would like to own this

Malachi	Looks like I will get my own copy of the game after all :) Posted by Malachi on Wed Mar 22 05:31:00 PST 2006
Jason	Well Mal it looks like maybe your wish came true, hopefully you can get one of your programs self published. Good luck and best wishes. Posted by Jason on Wed Mar 22 05:45:00 PST 2006

Paris 3/28 - 4/4

Some of you already know this, but... we are Going to Paris!

Silver	You must visit the Musee d'orsey, the paris opera house, the Trocedero (set aside some time after or before the Eiffel tower to have lunch on the plaza, beautiful) Jim Morrison is in the Pere LeChese Cemetary, but his body isn't in that grave, it's in an unmarked one on the other side. Go up to Montmartre, see the Cathedral and the Salivador Dali museum, then head down the hill to the red light district just to see the Moulin Rouge. Wake up early and buy a baguette from a bread shop and eat it quickly, they turn into a rock by noon. Remember that coffee can be ordered by asking for a "cafe americain, it's half espresso and half water, tastes kind of like coffee. Take lots of pictures. Ride the Metro everywhere, walk a lot. The French are nicer to you if you try to speak french, if you just use English they ignore you. There is so much to Paris that is beautiful, if you are going to the Louvre, make sure to arrive long before it opens, because you can spend all day there and you still won't see everything. Visit the Tuilieries Gardens, they are magnificent. The Rodin Museum is a quick stop, but nice to see. so much, so very much, it's hard to recommend it all Posted by Silver on Wed Mar 22 02:36:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Thanks for the recommendations! Yeah, we decided our best bet was to stay somewhere between the Louvre and Marais so that we would be more likely to walk to stuff.  There were cheaper places with jacuzzi's still available, but we decided that location was more important. And, although I realize it may seem like I am not likely to walk much... It was my idea to be where we could walk.  And yesterday, while waiting for Dino's passport to be corrected, I walked probably 25 blocks up and down steep hills in Seattle. We are planning on getting a week-long metro pass so that we never have to worry about whether we have change to hop on the metro.  We are also planning on getting one of the all-monument passes that will allow us to go to whatever monuments we want, whenever we want, as often as we want.  While we expect to see the Eiffel Tower, we also expect to go to the Louvre more than once. We are both very excited (and a little nervous, still waiting for the hotel confirmation ..)...  We really don't know what to expect, but... I think the year of French and 3 years of French Conversation will help at least encourage people to be nice to us ;)  I look forward to trying to avoid English, though I expect they will get frustrated at my lack of fluency and switch to English. Think next time we may go to the Mediterranean or Amsterdam or possibly a Cruise ;)   Posted by Malachi on Wed Mar 22 02:59:00 PST 2006
Silver	the key is that you try french, even if you botch it, most europeans are fluent in English, but will only speak it if you have attempted their language. it's all about respect, I have the same opinion here, if you don't even try english then I ain't helping. Posted by Silver on Wed Mar 22 03:12:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Personally, I would prefer to not speak any English while I am there... of course, that might get us to Switzerland instead of to the Eiffel Tower, but, heh - worth a shot, right? ;) Posted by Malachi on Wed Mar 22 03:14:00 PST 2006
WILL POWER!	Don't forget to eat some frog. Posted by WILL POWER! on Wed Mar 22 13:38:00 PST 2006
Sylkwyrm	Well thats doublé entendre! Posted by Sylkwyrm on Thu Mar 23 03:23:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Already done that. Posted by Malachi on Wed Mar 22 15:03:00 PST 2006

Seattle and the crackwhore who developed her

Ok, so we had to get up at 2:30am this morning so that we could be at the Seattle passport office for our 8:30 appointment (because Los Angeles was the next closest).  Then we had to wait until 2pm to pick up her passport and come home.

While we were there, we left the car and walked (just to Pike Place and the Aquarium)... but coming into and leaving town we noticed that someone was definitely on drugs when the setup the streets.

I mean, newbies to Portland usually think the streets here are kinda fucked up. Usually that is because of the bus routes.

But there, whoever heard of half the roads changing directions throughout the day, lanes becoming right-turn-only or do-not-enter, but only during certain times of days.  We didn't stick around to see how many people were breaking the law because they started through an intersection at 2:59pm only to have the laws turn topsy-turvey on them at 3:00pm.

Whoever designed the road layout of Seattle is a complete crack whore.

 

Sylkwyrm	Fuck Seattle! I'm going to go get drunk now. Posted by Sylkwyrm on Tue Mar 21 10:17:00 PST 2006
Merciful Release	MWA HA HA HA!!! They did it to fuck with us all!!!! I can relate, I know that city like the back of my hand and I STILL end up the wrong way on a oneway at random in downtown.   Posted by Merciful Release on Wed Mar 22 13:04:00 PST 2006
Malachi	In addition, why did it only take like 1 minute to find an I5-North sign but about 23 minutes to find an I5-South sign? That's friggin stupid. Oh, then, we say the I5-South sign with an arrow pointing left. 15 feet later, the I5-South exit was on the right. Posted by Malachi on Wed Mar 22 22:51:00 PST 2006
Sarah	Don't even go to the greyhound bus station there.....I still have nightmares.  THE HORROR, THE HORROR............... Posted by Sarah on Thu Mar 23 00:03:00 PST 2006

Passports

Two years ago when we got married, they told us to put her maiden name on her passport because it would take a few days to get in the system. They said we could just come back in and get the back stamped once everything went through.

So now, we find out that the US Govt has "beefed up security" by requiring that we take an entire day off work and drive to Seattle if we want it anytime in the next couple weeks. Oh, and it will cost an extra $150. Why? Because they have to issue a brand new passport now.... Great new ruling (sarcasm intended).

SparrowHawk	That sucks, and not in a good way. ~L Posted by SparrowHawk on Mon Mar 20 03:50:00 PST 2006
Kittybat	when I got married, they just put a amendment with my new name on the "amendment" page- when I got divorced, they added a new amendment nullifying the first ammendment- this is all post 9-11. I don't question it if you have time constraints though- I had to mail my passport to the east coast, I don't think they don't "do" amendments at the regional offices. Posted by Kittybat on Mon Mar 20 05:41:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Frequently Asked Questions on the No Amendment Policy 1.Why did the Department of State decide to stop amending existing passports? Replacing a passport instead of amending it will enhance the overall security of the document.  Additionally, with the upcoming Electronic Passport (EP), the printed data must match the data contained on the chip embedded in the Electronic Passport. Posted by Malachi on Mon Mar 20 06:41:00 PST 2006
Kittybat	also- I was able to pay a rush fee, and get it back within 2 weeks- ya'll arn't planning on leaving us that soon are you? Posted by Kittybat on Mon Mar 20 05:48:00 PST 2006
Malachi	next Tuesday Posted by Malachi on Mon Mar 20 06:41:00 PST 2006
WILL POWER!	Did you tell them that they told you to do it this way? Those lousy government fuckers. Whoever you talk to that tries to make you pay more money, tell them you want to talk to their supervisor. Keep doing that until you get to someone that says you don't have to pay or sue the dirty bastards. If all else fails, pay the 150 bucks and wipe the KY off your ass, i guess. Posted by WILL POWER! on Mon Mar 20 11:19:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Yeah, the Bush regime changed it last Fall I guess. Supposedly, it is to increase security by ensuring that the NEW embedded chip contains the right information. Realistically, they're assholes that want to make a buck. Posted by Malachi on Mon Mar 20 12:42:00 PST 2006

Turned down Intel Job

Well, I did it. Intel offered me a 6-month extension and I turned it down today. Here's hoping I find something I enjoy.

SparrowHawk	I just wanted to wish you good luck on finding a job you enjoy. I hope you find your dream job. Take care. ~Laura Posted by SparrowHawk on Mon Mar 20 03:49:00 PST 2006
WILL POWER!	What does the future hold for young Malachi, I wonder? Posted by WILL POWER! on Mon Mar 20 11:16:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Me too Posted by Malachi on Mon Mar 20 12:43:00 PST 2006

News from the Net

How about DNA-origami that high schoolers can do?

Hmmm. This is odd.... Evidentally the US Government is posting Iraqi documents in hopes that people on the Internet would translate them. Now, you may call me a conspiracy theorists, but what is the likelihood that the US government would: 1) not know how to translate Iraqi documents; 2) give the public Iraqi documents without knowing what they say? I say this is all bullshit propaganda. The US probably wrote them and is using them as a way to convince us of _insert_what_documents_say_here.

Now, with the Patent Office accepting things like emoticons and popups as patentable, do we really want them in charge of patenting thoughts?

Visa warns that places like BestBuy, OfficeMax and Staples may be responsible for those unauthorized charges on your card. Specifically, they are saying that the software by Fujitsu that those companies use may be at fault.

LARPing a Prison Break

I'm sure this will make you feel warm and fuzzy - NOT!

Looks like you may be able to make your own XBox360 games after all

It appears that Judge sided with Google instead of with the DoJ. Good job judge. Of course, another idiot of a Judge has ordered Google (specifically GMail) to give them all email including deleted emails

of someone they are suiing.

The Canadian version of the RIAA has published a report basically saying that they are all wrong about P2P

Sylkwyrm	DNA Origomi? Didn't they used to call them Shrinky Dinks? Posted by Sylkwyrm on Mon Mar 20 01:29:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Yep, but these you make with Virus DNA :) Posted by Malachi on Mon Mar 20 01:38:00 PST 2006
WILL POWER!	You need to figure out that x-box thing so we can pirate some shit. Posted by WILL POWER! on Mon Mar 20 11:15:00 PST 2006

Stupid TWA Rules

Ok, I can check in Throwing Stars and Stun guns, but....

*All lighters are prohibited as carry-on items.  Lighters without fuel are permitted in checked baggage.  Lighters with fuel are prohibited in checked baggage, unless they adhere to the DOT exemption, which allows up to two fueled lighters if properly enclosed in a DOT approved case.   If you are uncertain as to whether your lighter is prohibited, please refrain from bringing it to the airport.

 

** Up to 4 books of safety (non-strike anywhere) matches are permitted as carry-on items, but all matches are prohibited in checked baggage

Ref: http://www.tsa.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/Permitted_Prohibited_Facts.doc

WILL POWER!	WTF? Posted by WILL POWER! on Sun Mar 19 05:34:00 PST 2006

Comcast DVR

Well, getting pissed off at them isn't helping. But, I noticed that others are having similar problems.

Sylkwyrm	Fuck Comcast! Posted by Sylkwyrm on Fri Mar 17 01:56:00 PST 2006
Reg	ComCastrator is owned by AT&T.  They know they corner the market so they only need to put out half assed service. This maximizes their profits on, what is already heavily over priced, services. Sorry, I don't like AT&T, Reg Posted by Reg on Fri Mar 17 02:49:00 PST 2006
Sarah	You know...I don't have Comcast, but my parents and brother do and they have a ton of problems with it.  Plus, they just don't care. Posted by Sarah on Mon Mar 20 05:38:00 PST 2006

Net News

The history of TRON

Propaganda gaming

Cancer cells committing suicide by eating peppers?

Contrary to the WTO, the US is trying to ban internet gambling - Guess I would get busted for winning that $1 at PokerChamps

Sylkwyrm	Gamers in China are apparently really weird. Posted by Sylkwyrm on Fri Mar 17 01:34:00 PST 2006
WILL POWER!	My life would end if I couldn't play poker online. Oh, yeah, and fuck cancer. Posted by WILL POWER! on Fri Mar 17 02:37:00 PST 2006