Karen Lincoln Michel, president-elect of Unity: Journalists of Color Inc., said O'Donnell's remarks "really didn't sound like an apology to me."Yeah, that's not an apology. "I'm sorry for those people who felt hurt or were teased on the playground" and how she's probably going to do it again. I guess I don't care if she apologizes or not. I'm still going to call her a hypocritical, racist, fat bitch.
...
"You know it was never (my) intent to mock," O'Donnell said on Thursday's show, "and I'm sorry for those people who felt hurt or were teased on the playground."
"But I'm also gonna give you a fair warning that there's a good chance I'll do something like that again, probably in the next week -- not on purpose. Only 'cause it's how my brain works."
2006-12-15
Fat Bitch
Not only is Rosie O'Donnell a hypocrite—bashing firearms rights on TV when her kid's bodyguard was packing a piece—she's a racist, too. From the CNN article:
2006-12-10
Rich Dad, Dipshit Author
I just found an article on the Web debunking Robert Kiyosaki's book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I must say, it was quite eye-opening.
When I read the book, I found it pretty inspirational. It gelled with the questions I had about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so I started thinking about doing my business and such. The thing that I didn't like about the book was that it seemed to imply that everyone could be rich, which is physically impossible due to the laws of economics, like supply and demand. If even janitors have a million bucks, then the million bucks ain't worth much. If everyone is trying to shift real estate for a profit, then we get a real estate bubble like the one that just burst. The point about capitalism is that it rewards people who work hard and innovate, but indeed, it depends on wealth differential to maintain that motivating factor.
John Reed's thrashing of Bob Kiyosaki basically describes Kiyosaki as a charlatan and multi-level marketer (MLM). From the facts from multiple sources (such as Wikipedia) that would appear to be the case. If one claims to be an expert, then they better damn well give evidence to that fact, especially if they're selling advice. The problem with self-help books is that they tell people what they want to themselves believe, and thus prey on people's insecurity. I rather liked the blurb entitled The Fallacy of Success by a G.K. Chesterton that basically calls success books ego masturbation by the authors. If one is going to be successful, then one should go do it. Of course we'd like a how-to manual, but if it really worked, then people would catch on and the definition of success would change. So what is success? Getting what you want. That can only happen when someone else doesn't get what they want. We're all competing for resources, after all.
Indeed, Kiyosaki seems quite like an MLM con: taking advantage of the pyramid scheme of "everybody can get rich", which is impossible. Everyone joins, everyone pays forward, and the ones at the top get rich and the ones at the bottom go nowhere. On the other hand, when one thinks about it, that's essentially what modern capitalism ends up being—a pyramid scheme. How depressing. In that regard, perhaps Kiyosaki is somewhat truthful. If one finds the formula and milks it before others catch on, then move to the next thing, then some benefit is possible.
For the rest of us who would rather not play into the scheme, there's always dreaming of doing what one is passionate about. Get educated about business and do it rather than read bullshit self-help books. While it's important to think about changing oneself, it's important that oneself is the one doing the changing, not some scheming con artist. Motivation is the hardest thing to come by, which is why success remains a rare condition. Well, you never know till ya try, but as a wise green Jedi master once said, "Do. Or do not. There is no 'try'." Or something like that.
Hopefully this hasn't degenerated into a completely Nihilistic conclusion....
When I read the book, I found it pretty inspirational. It gelled with the questions I had about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so I started thinking about doing my business and such. The thing that I didn't like about the book was that it seemed to imply that everyone could be rich, which is physically impossible due to the laws of economics, like supply and demand. If even janitors have a million bucks, then the million bucks ain't worth much. If everyone is trying to shift real estate for a profit, then we get a real estate bubble like the one that just burst. The point about capitalism is that it rewards people who work hard and innovate, but indeed, it depends on wealth differential to maintain that motivating factor.
John Reed's thrashing of Bob Kiyosaki basically describes Kiyosaki as a charlatan and multi-level marketer (MLM). From the facts from multiple sources (such as Wikipedia) that would appear to be the case. If one claims to be an expert, then they better damn well give evidence to that fact, especially if they're selling advice. The problem with self-help books is that they tell people what they want to themselves believe, and thus prey on people's insecurity. I rather liked the blurb entitled The Fallacy of Success by a G.K. Chesterton that basically calls success books ego masturbation by the authors. If one is going to be successful, then one should go do it. Of course we'd like a how-to manual, but if it really worked, then people would catch on and the definition of success would change. So what is success? Getting what you want. That can only happen when someone else doesn't get what they want. We're all competing for resources, after all.
Indeed, Kiyosaki seems quite like an MLM con: taking advantage of the pyramid scheme of "everybody can get rich", which is impossible. Everyone joins, everyone pays forward, and the ones at the top get rich and the ones at the bottom go nowhere. On the other hand, when one thinks about it, that's essentially what modern capitalism ends up being—a pyramid scheme. How depressing. In that regard, perhaps Kiyosaki is somewhat truthful. If one finds the formula and milks it before others catch on, then move to the next thing, then some benefit is possible.
For the rest of us who would rather not play into the scheme, there's always dreaming of doing what one is passionate about. Get educated about business and do it rather than read bullshit self-help books. While it's important to think about changing oneself, it's important that oneself is the one doing the changing, not some scheming con artist. Motivation is the hardest thing to come by, which is why success remains a rare condition. Well, you never know till ya try, but as a wise green Jedi master once said, "Do. Or do not. There is no 'try'." Or something like that.
Hopefully this hasn't degenerated into a completely Nihilistic conclusion....
Rochester Gelande
(In Japanese, a ski slope is called a "gerende", apparently from German "gelande". The German word has an umlaut over the 'a' it seems.)
One of these days I'll have to check out Welch Village's ski slopes. I figured it was just a dinky little hill, but it's got 1000-some feet of height to it, which is good enough. There's also the Elm Creek Park Reserve, which has a Burton-affiliated snowboard education program. Perhaps if I have time to hit the slopes often, I'll have to buy my own board....
One of these days I'll have to check out Welch Village's ski slopes. I figured it was just a dinky little hill, but it's got 1000-some feet of height to it, which is good enough. There's also the Elm Creek Park Reserve, which has a Burton-affiliated snowboard education program. Perhaps if I have time to hit the slopes often, I'll have to buy my own board....
2006-11-23
2006-11-19
Noritake
Yesterday the wife and I went shopping for some Noritake bone china, and ended up buying a set for six in "Blue Sorentino". The style is pretty funky, a non-existent (alien?) flower pattern that looks like it might be found on the back of playing cards. It's weird but looks like one wouldn't get sick of it.
Anyway, apparently Noritake makes a bunch of other stuff like VFDs (vacuum fluorescent displays).
A search turned up one site selling the Noritake yearly Totoro plate from Japan.
Anyway, apparently Noritake makes a bunch of other stuff like VFDs (vacuum fluorescent displays).
A search turned up one site selling the Noritake yearly Totoro plate from Japan.
Make Blog
I'm subscribed to the AIM MakeBot, which sends me the latest entries from O'Reilly's Make magazine's site, specifically the Make Blog. There's a bunch of quirky stuff on there, some of which is dubious, but some of which is pretty cool.
Like an article about how to soup up a DVD burner's laser diode and make a 200 mW laser. (via)
Then there's an site selling antique sock machines. No kidding. (via) Sounds cool, except they cost $2000 a pop.
Like an article about how to soup up a DVD burner's laser diode and make a 200 mW laser. (via)
Then there's an site selling antique sock machines. No kidding. (via) Sounds cool, except they cost $2000 a pop.
2006-11-18
2006-11-03
モテるかモテないか
会社のMさんが「モテぢから実力テスト」のリンクを送ってくれた。そんで、妻と俺が受験してみた。結果がまったく違って、なぜか俺がアイツの半分位。ちくしょー！まぁ、前から俺がモテないって分かっていたが、こんなにはっきり知らせられてムカつくなあ。
奥様の結果
俺様の結果
奥様の結果
俺様の結果
2006-11-02
2006-10-29
Adrienne Carey Hurley
Katy sent me a link to this blog saying it has some good J-lit info. Seems way to the left, which is not my style at all, but I'll link to it here so I don't forget about it. The taser video was interesting....
2006-10-24
Interesting News Links
Most around the world still believe in America (?)
Why the Republicans need to lose the midterms
Insourcing? - The only reason companies do this is to avoid tariffs!
The sun had sisters?
Dilbert cartoonist recovers speech
Why the Republicans need to lose the midterms
Insourcing? - The only reason companies do this is to avoid tariffs!
The sun had sisters?
Dilbert cartoonist recovers speech
2006-10-22
HDD Speaker
If one's into low-fi, apparently someone cooked up a way to mod an HDD voice coil into a speaker. Demented, but it comes with a video....
2006-10-20
News
Invention firms
Google earnings
CNN Money 25 rules to grow rich by
Internet addicts as ill as alcoholics? - Well, it's not a chemical addiction, anyway.
Wisdom of non-crowds - Yeah, crowds are dumb. Are non-crowds any better?
Samsung's hybrid HDD
Single pixel digicam - Interesting, but of questionable practicality.
Google earnings
CNN Money 25 rules to grow rich by
Internet addicts as ill as alcoholics? - Well, it's not a chemical addiction, anyway.
Wisdom of non-crowds - Yeah, crowds are dumb. Are non-crowds any better?
Samsung's hybrid HDD
Single pixel digicam - Interesting, but of questionable practicality.
2006-10-17
CNN News
Bigger families on the rise
Teaching students to fight back - Sweet!!
Scalia says Constitution silent on abortion, etc.
Sara Evans divorce - She always seemed like a good girl, but this seems too weird to just be the ex at fault!
Teaching students to fight back - Sweet!!
Scalia says Constitution silent on abortion, etc.
Sara Evans divorce - She always seemed like a good girl, but this seems too weird to just be the ex at fault!
2006-10-15
Various Linx
These linx (bastardized plural as with "pix") are quite dated. Too busy to blog these days.
From 9/1.
How to prevent lost luggage
From 9/8.
Requirements for HD video on PCs
A distributed system where HDD servo systems are used to predict tsunamis
Xerox's reusable paper: "transient documents"
More than 2.5 billion cell phone lines in use in the world
Fastest Microsoft patch ever: 3 days ... for their DRM
From 9/14.
Next-gen DNS info on Wikipedia: Extensible Name Service ; XDI
From 9/21.
Sourced from a combination of CNN, Slashdot, and other....
Attempting to reach space on the cheap
Impressive cabling
Book that apparently has some stuff on Galois
Ansari arrives at space station
USB-rechargeable batteries
The "Methusela Foundation" has an M-Prize with regard to aging.
Strangely amusing 1st person fiction by Bruce Sterling on teenage angst in a Net world
From 9/26.
CNN special on Japan's new prime minister: article
From 10/5.
Sleeplessness and health: CNN
On Sarbanes-Oxley: Wikipedia ; sarbanes-oxley.com ; bio.org
Investment Company Act of 1940? Wikipedia
From 9/1.
How to prevent lost luggage
From 9/8.
Requirements for HD video on PCs
A distributed system where HDD servo systems are used to predict tsunamis
Xerox's reusable paper: "transient documents"
More than 2.5 billion cell phone lines in use in the world
Fastest Microsoft patch ever: 3 days ... for their DRM
From 9/14.
Next-gen DNS info on Wikipedia: Extensible Name Service ; XDI
From 9/21.
Sourced from a combination of CNN, Slashdot, and other....
Attempting to reach space on the cheap
Impressive cabling
Book that apparently has some stuff on Galois
Ansari arrives at space station
USB-rechargeable batteries
The "Methusela Foundation" has an M-Prize with regard to aging.
Strangely amusing 1st person fiction by Bruce Sterling on teenage angst in a Net world
From 9/26.
CNN special on Japan's new prime minister: article
From 10/5.
Sleeplessness and health: CNN
On Sarbanes-Oxley: Wikipedia ; sarbanes-oxley.com ; bio.org
Investment Company Act of 1940? Wikipedia
Havaria Information Service Alert Map
I received an interesting link from my uncle pointing to this alert map for the U.S. It shows seismic activity, biohazards, power outages, epidemics, storm reports, air accidents, etc. One has to wonder how they aggregate this information.
2006-10-04
2006-10-03
2006-09-18
Pizza Research
Make Blog had a link to this guy's page on cloning a famous NY pizzeria's pies. The page is crazy—the guy did all this research on dough, preparation, baking, and all that. It rocks!! I'd like to get Sachie to try the recipe. Maybe after we move back to the U.S. I like pizza enough and am unstable enough to spend money on special pizza-only hardware as necessary. Za!!!!
2006-09-16
Riddle & Brazil
Interesting site with information about converting business entities to LPs in Texas. I was looking for information on asset protection using a LP with a C-corporation as the general partner, which I found. There was also an interesting essay on why Congress sucks. Then there's a bit on landlord-tenant legal issues: Looks like a landlord can't claim damages from the deposit in a lot of cases, so this needs to be researched. 'Twas intriguing.
2006-09-14
"Power Supply Design Blog"
Pretty cool. Hasn't been updated in a while, but it looks like it has some useful information. Just what I was looking for.
These days it's hard to find a power supply that wasn't made in China, meaning most power supplies are shit. Chinese companies are notorious for using substandard components for their electronics, so it irritates me that I can't find a American or Japanese PS. I'd easily pay double or triple the price—if I could only find one. So I might have to design and build my own.
These days it's hard to find a power supply that wasn't made in China, meaning most power supplies are shit. Chinese companies are notorious for using substandard components for their electronics, so it irritates me that I can't find a American or Japanese PS. I'd easily pay double or triple the price—if I could only find one. So I might have to design and build my own.
Xbox 360 Laptop
2006-09-09
Coroutines in C
While browsing for something, I can't recall what, I found a page on coroutines in C by a guy named Simon Tatham. The implementation uses funky macros and gotos to get things working. Ouch, that could really be offensive to some people.
Then there's the infamous "Duff's Device", which was mentioned in Bjarne Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language book. The reason it came up in relation to coroutines is that it does indeed use the switch structure as a screwy means of goto.
Well, everyone should just give up and use state machines.
Then there's the infamous "Duff's Device", which was mentioned in Bjarne Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language book. The reason it came up in relation to coroutines is that it does indeed use the switch structure as a screwy means of goto.
Well, everyone should just give up and use state machines.
2006-09-03
Airsoft Law
U.S. Code and Code of Federal Regulations: Online versions of the U.S.C./C.F.R. USC Title 15, Chapter 76, Section 5001 contains the text of the law regarding "imitation firearms". CFR Title 15, Part 1150 details the requirements for markings on such imitation firearms (search for 15CFR1150). The law is very specific about the color: it must be "blaze orange", as per GSA Federal Standard 595a, February, 1987, color number 12199. How about that for bureaucracy!!
MFIAP: Importers of firearms and airsoft guns. They have a highly informative FAQ on airsoft. Interestingly enough, according to this, almost all shops selling airsoft that I've seen so far are doing so illegally. It's not just about the blaze orange tip (which actually has to be of a specific color, according to U.S. Code), but also trademarks ("H&K", "Glock", etc.) and other IP related to the design of the mechanisms. Sounds like a trickier business than I thought. This is going to need a lot more research in order to do. MFI has franchising, but for ridiculous prices. I'd rather research it and do it on my own. They also list a site on the main page, Shimo Kobo, that sells pottery and such.
However, the MFI website does not seem to be entirely accurate regarding the nature of trademark violation. They state:
Incidentally, the CBP import page appears to be extremely useful. (Perhaps I've linked to it here before, but...well...I forget.)
U.S. Toy Safety Standards: Might be useful someday.
MFIAP: Importers of firearms and airsoft guns. They have a highly informative FAQ on airsoft. Interestingly enough, according to this, almost all shops selling airsoft that I've seen so far are doing so illegally. It's not just about the blaze orange tip (which actually has to be of a specific color, according to U.S. Code), but also trademarks ("H&K", "Glock", etc.) and other IP related to the design of the mechanisms. Sounds like a trickier business than I thought. This is going to need a lot more research in order to do. MFI has franchising, but for ridiculous prices. I'd rather research it and do it on my own. They also list a site on the main page, Shimo Kobo, that sells pottery and such.
However, the MFI website does not seem to be entirely accurate regarding the nature of trademark violation. They state:
Possession of a counterfeit product could (according to the letter of the law) provide prosecution of felony possession for every mark on the product.Whereas a site from the Customs and Border Protection says:
Articles bearing marks that are counterfeit or inappropriately using a federally registered trademark are subject to seizure and forfeiture.The importation of articles intended for sale or public distribution bearing counterfeit marks may subject an individual to a civil fine if the registered trademark has also been recorded with CBP. Articles bearing marks that are confusingly similar to a CBP recorded registered trademark , and restricted gray market articles (goods bearing genuine marks not intended for U.S. importation for which CBP granted gray market protection) are subject to detention and seizure.Granted, this is for items physically carried back to the U.S. from overseas, but it certainly qualifies as possession, and mentions nothing of felony prosecution. If one intends to sell, the matter is different, since that is trafficking. The importer is expected to do their homework (which I'm doing). I'm not sure if this is just a scare tactic or what. Obviously personal possession of copyright or trademark violations is not a crime malum in se, and the fact that the CBP allows some counterfeits to pass is supporting evidence that MFI's information is not correct. I'm still searching the laws, however. Regarding trafficking, there are these references: USC Title 18, Part I, Chapter 113, Section 2320 and a DOJ site (also 1 and 2) on intellectual property crimes. I'd like to know about the role of intent in these matters, i.e. is it "Ignorance of the law is not an excuse"—despite that no one lawyer knows all the Federal laws, much less State laws!
However, travelers arriving in the United States may be permitted an exemption and allowed to import one article of each type, which must accompany the person, bearing a counterfeit, confusingly similar or restricted gray market trademark, provided that the article is for personal use and is not for sale.
Incidentally, the CBP import page appears to be extremely useful. (Perhaps I've linked to it here before, but...well...I forget.)
U.S. Toy Safety Standards: Might be useful someday.
How To Do Stuff
Amusing, like stuff out of the Anarchist's Cookbook.... How to:
Make a hollow book
Make thermite
Throw a playing card
Make a hollow book
Make thermite
Throw a playing card
2006-09-02
Airsoft Games
Was recently browsing for information on airsoft games and turned up the following.
Airsoft on Wikipedia: Encyclopedic general information. Also see the article on legal issues.
AirsoftGunHelp: General info on airsoft and related gaming issues.
Airsoft Games Club: Airsoft forum...for players in the Philippines (?!).
One article talks about why airsoft is better than paintball. He's got an interesting take on things. Paintball has become a 'sanitized' sport, after all. When one has to call a gun a 'marker', then it's time to find a better crew to play with or upgrade to airsoft!
A dated CNN article regarding legislation against toy guns. Therein is this salient point:
Airsoft on Wikipedia: Encyclopedic general information. Also see the article on legal issues.
AirsoftGunHelp: General info on airsoft and related gaming issues.
Airsoft Games Club: Airsoft forum...for players in the Philippines (?!).
One article talks about why airsoft is better than paintball. He's got an interesting take on things. Paintball has become a 'sanitized' sport, after all. When one has to call a gun a 'marker', then it's time to find a better crew to play with or upgrade to airsoft!
A dated CNN article regarding legislation against toy guns. Therein is this salient point:
"We don't think that the government has any business regulating toys, especially guns," said Angel Shamaya, executive director of the guns rights organization Keep and Bear Arms. "Banning toy guns is just another feel-good anti-gun maneuver, and we oppose it."The extreme-liberal lawmakers are the ones attempting to using legislation as a means of socio-cultural mind control. Such insidious self-righteous pseudo-intellectuals hate guns because they know that "right-wing crazies" want to subject them to the laws of Darwin for the evil stuff they do. I'm a 'gunner', so you know where I stand. Incidentally, that article has an error: it says "Desert Eagle .45-caliber handgun", but there is no .45 version, only .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .50 AE. Further, the caliber should be written ".45" or "45-caliber"—as written in the article it's redundant. At any rate, this was the information I was looking for:
But for supporters of the ban, that's partly the point. Beyond preventing crimes committed using gun replicas, the councilmen simply want to keep guns of any sort out of the hands of youngsters. Said Vann, "If they use toy guns there's a greater chance they'll graduate to the real thing when they grow up."
In October 1992, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued regulations governing the "Marking of Toy Look-Alike and Imitation Firearms." Under the new specifications, toy guns were required to bear a solid, "blaze-orange" plug at the tip of their barrel, or be colored entirely white, bright red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink or purple.
Akiba Links
Some links I accumulated whilst in Akiba last Sunday. Ironically, I scrawled them down on an old-fashioned piece of paper. With a pencil (although a mechanical one).
武器屋: I saw an ad in the station for this place. Didn't go there, because I had to hit Eichigoya. Guns over blades. Anyway, that's apparently the bricks 'n' mortar shop for ヴァイスブラウレジデンツ, the online shop.
Targa: At Asobit City I found this tank model that I wanted. They wouldn't sell individual boxes, and later I found out why: there are seven boxes to build one model, and there are two color variations in the carton of 14. Well...it's a little spendy for a plastic tank.
BrightonNET: Checking out iPod accessories, BrightonNET's stuff seems to be some of the best, such as this aluminum jacket for the Shuffle and Japanese-style cloth (wa-gara) cases.
Abee: At some computer store in Akiba I was checking out cases. Most of them sucked, but Abee's were somewhat interesting. Not as cool as Soldam's, but given Soldam's recent financial issues, I have to be checking out alternatives. There's an English version of the site as well.
武器屋: I saw an ad in the station for this place. Didn't go there, because I had to hit Eichigoya. Guns over blades. Anyway, that's apparently the bricks 'n' mortar shop for ヴァイスブラウレジデンツ, the online shop.
Targa: At Asobit City I found this tank model that I wanted. They wouldn't sell individual boxes, and later I found out why: there are seven boxes to build one model, and there are two color variations in the carton of 14. Well...it's a little spendy for a plastic tank.
BrightonNET: Checking out iPod accessories, BrightonNET's stuff seems to be some of the best, such as this aluminum jacket for the Shuffle and Japanese-style cloth (wa-gara) cases.
Abee: At some computer store in Akiba I was checking out cases. Most of them sucked, but Abee's were somewhat interesting. Not as cool as Soldam's, but given Soldam's recent financial issues, I have to be checking out alternatives. There's an English version of the site as well.
2006-08-31
News Linkflow
This Wired News blog kicked me on this track.
TubeSock: Convert YouTube files to iPod or PSP format. Sweet! Well, $15 ain't too bad, considering the normal cost of software. But YouTube quality is usually pretty shitty. On the other hand, using this I can download Kevin's ski crash....
Bram Cohen's blog: He's an interesting character, you have to admit. I'm just jealous because he started a Net phenomenon. Here he is on ergo keyboards. Eclectic subject matter, indeed.
String theory is bullshit. I thought so.
iTunes 6 has been cracked. Sweet!! The download link is here.
Hmm, there's a link to the Crazy Frog entry on Wikipedia. Sachie's bro bought some of that on iTMS....
Ugh, nerdcore.
And last but not least, the Villain Chair. Ok, that was from an IM session.
TubeSock: Convert YouTube files to iPod or PSP format. Sweet! Well, $15 ain't too bad, considering the normal cost of software. But YouTube quality is usually pretty shitty. On the other hand, using this I can download Kevin's ski crash....
Bram Cohen's blog: He's an interesting character, you have to admit. I'm just jealous because he started a Net phenomenon. Here he is on ergo keyboards. Eclectic subject matter, indeed.
String theory is bullshit. I thought so.
iTunes 6 has been cracked. Sweet!! The download link is here.
Hmm, there's a link to the Crazy Frog entry on Wikipedia. Sachie's bro bought some of that on iTMS....
Ugh, nerdcore.
And last but not least, the Villain Chair. Ok, that was from an IM session.
2006-08-29
FairUse4WM
An article on Engadget discusses FairUse4WM, a program to strip DRM from PlaysForSure Windows Media files. While I feel that license-holders are imposing draconian terms for their media, this opinion sums up the morality of the issue quite well:
I know what's wrong with the system: content providers overcharge for subpar quality content. And the peoples' response is "I'm not paying $15 for garbage."The same thing can be said of software, and that's long been my viewpoint. The difference in the case of software is that businesses will still buy overpriced crap software, and individuals tend to prefer to use at home what they use at work. Personally, I think the price of software is outrageous, particularly since there's essentially no warranty and licensing typically restricts use to one computer. Of course, one doesn't have to buy it, but in that case the software will still sell, propped up by B2B sales.
The thing is, it is the content providers' RIGHT to determine the price they think is fair for their product. If the people don't agree, they don't have the right to just take it without paying. If the content providers give a little and say, ok, we'll sell it to you for $12 but with these restrictions, it is NOT OK for the people to say "ok" and then strip off the restrictions. Either pay the $15 for unrestricted content or realize that if it isn't worth it to you, don't just take it. Say "No, that's crap. Change your pricing scheme because I won't pay $15 for crap." If there were no piracy and no one was paying $15, don't you think the content providers would lower the price to move SOME of their product? Yes. Because that is the law of supply and demand. But if people keep going around the established means, the content providers can say "Hey, our price is at $15, but all these pirates are getting it for free! Our model is legit and these rapscallions are just criminals! Please help Mr. Congressman!"
I've said it before and I'll say it again: You have no right to be entertained. If you're not willing to pay the set price, then don't buy it.
Star Trek Inspirational Posters
These are friggin' hilarious. Had to be some benefit in squandering all those hours watching the show.
My fave? "I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am."
My fave? "I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am."
2006-08-27
Ties and Pocket Squares
I often find that I have to remind myself how to tie a Windsor knot because I don't wear ties very often. Here're a couple sites with good directions: SharpMan.com and at Neckties.com.
Incidentally, my dad showed me how to tie a four-in-hand knot when I first had to wear a tie, but I found the length of the tie is typically too long and the knot too small that way. Recently I've used the Windsor knot because it's fuller, but the proportions are hard to get right and I typically have to re-tie it at least once after my first attempt at a given sitting.
I also found some rules for suiting up. It's always good to know such things.
The one thing I never learned was how to tie a "pocket square". Neckties.com had the most comprehensive collection of diagrams, but eSuit.com also had a few pictures. Seems like in Japan, no one wears pocket squares, however.
Incidentally, my dad showed me how to tie a four-in-hand knot when I first had to wear a tie, but I found the length of the tie is typically too long and the knot too small that way. Recently I've used the Windsor knot because it's fuller, but the proportions are hard to get right and I typically have to re-tie it at least once after my first attempt at a given sitting.
I also found some rules for suiting up. It's always good to know such things.
The one thing I never learned was how to tie a "pocket square". Neckties.com had the most comprehensive collection of diagrams, but eSuit.com also had a few pictures. Seems like in Japan, no one wears pocket squares, however.
2006-08-20
Freescale RS08
An ad for Freescale's new RS08 microcontroller popped up on some site, and it looked interesting so I clicked on it. Looks like a good tool for tinkering, like the PIC, except this is an 8-pin package. There's a $50 demo board too. Maybe I'll buy one when I get back to the U.S.
Were these stocks to own in 2006?
Yahoo Finance had an article on the "stocks to own in 2006". Did they do well so far? Need to check. I know Microsoft sucked it hard.
Aetna (AET), American Express (AXP), General Electric (GE), Granite Construction (GVA), Ingersoll Rand (IR), Medtronic (MDT), Microsoft (MSFT), UPS.
Aetna (AET), American Express (AXP), General Electric (GE), Granite Construction (GVA), Ingersoll Rand (IR), Medtronic (MDT), Microsoft (MSFT), UPS.
Off-Road Commode
My uncle sent me this link to a product called the "Off-Road Commode". The video is hilarious! Check it out. Some products were made to be ridiculed.
2006-08-17
3- and 4-Way Illustrations
With the help of those posable figures for sketching, someone made a page of sexual positions for 3 and 4 person couplings. It's actually not that useful (even presuming one was in such a lucky situation) but the commentary is amusing.
Every guy wants "two chicks at the same time", but practically speaking, the woman sandwich is more plausible. As unfortunate as that is.
Every guy wants "two chicks at the same time", but practically speaking, the woman sandwich is more plausible. As unfortunate as that is.
2006-08-15
K Visa FAQ
This site is pretty useful in providing additional information on the visa forms. Still, there's some conflicting information, e.g. they don't say that an I-864 must be filed with the I-130, whereas the U.S. Embassy of Japan site says it must be. They also mention I-134 instead of I-864, but a page on the State Department's website says that for a K-3 visa, the I-864 is the one to use.
Anyway, the overview of the whole process was helpful in figuring out how much more work is ahead of us. And they do say that the G-325A form (four pages) should be filed. That's good to know.
Anyway, the overview of the whole process was helpful in figuring out how much more work is ahead of us. And they do say that the G-325A form (four pages) should be filed. That's good to know.
IEEE Entrepreneur's Village
In an email newsletter from the IEEE recently, there was a link to an article about an IEEE online forum called the Entrepreneur's Village. Looks interesting, so I should find time to go through it.
2006-08-12
Wiki.ThePPN
I found this site while searching for something related to Utada Hikaru. According to the index page, it's "an attempt to create a complete reference to Asian pop culture". Interesting enough. Might be worth browsing. The Utada article was pretty good, anyway.
The Curse of Storage
This article by Momus was actually interesting. Normally I don't really dig his stuff because it's mostly obvious to anyone of modest intelligence who's lived in Japan, but this piece was good because it was something I'd been thinking about myself a lot lately. Spaces and organization, specifically, how my living spaces are different in the U.S. and in Japan. Part of it was instigated by reading David Allen, but it's all tied together.
Ultimately, the most useful thing in the article is this quote:
Oops, like Momus, I digressed all over the place in this entry.
Ultimately, the most useful thing in the article is this quote:
"There are some men of letters who do not model themselves on the present, but study the past in order to criticize the present age," declared the Chinese emperor Qin Huang-di in the third century B.C.Those men may've been massacred, but I intend to have enough weaponry to fend off anything the modern emperors can throw at me. Weapons are as important to real scholars as are their books—pure intellectuals are useless in practice.
Oops, like Momus, I digressed all over the place in this entry.
Hitachi GST Channels & Infineon
My manager sent the department this link. Interesting seeing a press release with our group in center focus. A search on IFX's site turns up a couple more news links, slightly dated.
2006-07-25
Tool Lullabies
Joel sent me a link to an album of Tool songs redone as lullabies. This is wrong on so many levels.
Do you really want your baby listening to Tool? Hell, yes! Instead of distorted guitars and thunderous drums, we've used mellotron, glockenspiel and chimes to highlight Tool's dreamy melodies. These incredibly lush lullaby versions of Tool's best-known songs will captivate and engage your baby while they drift off to slumberland. Forget Baby Einstein. What about Baby Maynard? This is brain food for a whole different breed of whiz kid.I bet Joel buys this.
Limor / Lady Ada
Wired News had an article on HOPE, where there was a presentation by "Lady Ada", aka Limor, on a cell phone jammer. I was thoroughly intrigued, because I've been wanting to design one myself. The trick is getting the frequencies and tuning right. Then you just have to build a radio that broadcasts noise instead of signal. Cool.
Anyway, Limor's website has some nifty ideas. Even if her front page menu doesn't seem to like either IE or Firefox very well (though FF works better). The "Atmex" setup also looks pretty sweet.
Anyway, Limor's website has some nifty ideas. Even if her front page menu doesn't seem to like either IE or Firefox very well (though FF works better). The "Atmex" setup also looks pretty sweet.
2006-07-23
U.S. Poverty Guidelines for 2005
The Department of Health and Human Services publishes a table of wages that indicate the poverty cutoff based on household size. According to this, with some extrapolation, I can have quite a few people in my house before we'd be considered in poverty. Cool.
Internationalized Domain Names
Also checking for info on IDNs, this info on VeriSign's website came up. Back when I was in college I figured it'd be possible to escape Unicode characters for URLs, for example, the way some URLs have %20 to represent a space. There are some sneaky aspects of using Unicode in URLs, though, such as the varieties of spaces, minor kanji variants, and the like. There's a remapping of Unicode characters for use in IDNs. Apparently this IDN format has been submitted as IETF RFCs.
In the end, the domain name system will disappear. Until someone comes up with something better, though, we have to put up with an archaic system.
In the end, the domain name system will disappear. Until someone comes up with something better, though, we have to put up with an archaic system.
ICANN and Becoming a DNS Registrar
For one reason or another I was searching for information on how to become a DNS registrar. A quick Google search led me to a FAQ on ICANN's site. There's a page that explains the process required. The application "form" is also available online, and appears to require extensive information.
Fees for accrediation are onerous: US$2500, non-refundable, just for the application. The yearly fee is a fixed US$4000 plus an variable quarterly amount. Additionally, $70k in working capital plus insurance is required. ICANN maintains a list of accredited registrars.
Obviously they don't want just any random schmuck doing this. It's a pretty juicy setup, though, since essentially it's a cartel. Not like that's a bad thing in the case of maintaining the fragile DNS, but it means that price fixing for domains is much more likely.
The reason I was checking up on this was because I recently had some name registration trouble with BulkRegister and it got me pissed off. I should switch to a better registrar. So I was idly wondering what it would take to roll my own...now I know. Unfortunately, one has to be a heavy hitter to play the name game.
Fees for accrediation are onerous: US$2500, non-refundable, just for the application. The yearly fee is a fixed US$4000 plus an variable quarterly amount. Additionally, $70k in working capital plus insurance is required. ICANN maintains a list of accredited registrars.
Obviously they don't want just any random schmuck doing this. It's a pretty juicy setup, though, since essentially it's a cartel. Not like that's a bad thing in the case of maintaining the fragile DNS, but it means that price fixing for domains is much more likely.
The reason I was checking up on this was because I recently had some name registration trouble with BulkRegister and it got me pissed off. I should switch to a better registrar. So I was idly wondering what it would take to roll my own...now I know. Unfortunately, one has to be a heavy hitter to play the name game.
takoyaki.org
Found this site while looking for Honda Cub info in the U.S. Pretty amusing domain name.
2006-07-21
Tomy
While looking for assembly instructions for the R/C cars Joel bought for his son, I checked out Tomy's mother site and found their subsidiary's site that sells Americanized 'gashapon' in the U.S.: Tomy Yujin Corporation. As expected, they only sell to vending operators or distributors. I suppose all one has to do is incorporate....
2006-07-18
sci.lang.japan FAQ wiki
Once upon a time, when people used Usenet, I regularly perused sci.lang.japan to try to improve my knowledge of Japanese. I'm not sure if it helped: now I can talk about Japanese better than I can speak in Japanese!
2006-07-14
Defence Facilities Administration Agency
K.N. received something from a cable broadcaster that claimed that had a return address in a building managed by this agency. Weird.
2006-07-10
BSD vs Linux
I've been thinking about running FreeBSD on my upcoming new 'puter rather than Linux, but I've been looking for comparisons between the two before I make up my mind. This page is a pro-BSD stance.
Of course I'd prefer a microkernel rather than a monolithic kernel, but my options are limited.
Of course I'd prefer a microkernel rather than a monolithic kernel, but my options are limited.
2006-07-04
Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard
Ok, this is cool, but I don't need Bluetooth. Where's the wired version?
$190 on ThinkGeek
Info on Gadget Review
$190 on ThinkGeek
Info on Gadget Review
Reflections on Digital Photographs
A great article regarding the glut of digital photographs relative to film, and what to do about it. An opinion piece from the May 2006 issue of Spectrum. Wish I'd found the online version before I scanned this out of my copy to send to people.
2006-06-24
Javelin Press & Boston T. Party
Javelin Press publishes a collection of interesting books by a man who goes by the pseudonym of Boston T. Party. According to Wikipedia, Boston T. Party has been identified. (Actually, according to the cover of the book Hologram of Liberty, this is the case.) Another take on the way things are.
2006-06-20
2006-06-09
Merchant Accounts
Discover Network - They're a full merchant processor for Visa, Mastercard, and AmEx, including Discover.
American Express - AmEx will deal with merchants directly rather than requiring the use of an acquirer/MSP.
Visa
Mastercard
American Express - AmEx will deal with merchants directly rather than requiring the use of an acquirer/MSP.
Visa
Mastercard
We love junkfood!
Ikeda-san sent me these links like a year ago, which I discovered while I was cleaning out my inbox. The cleaning was prompted by reading a David Allen book....
Nathan's
KUA ' AINA
Check these out when you miss American food!!
Nathan's
KUA ' AINA
2006-05-21
All About U.S. Import/Export
The Customs and Border Patrol people have a lot of info online. Under the Imports section, they list the duty required for items entering the U.S. (Harmonized Tariff Schedule).
And regarding paying duty on gifts:
This can bite you in the butt if you send a $200 item but mark it up to $700 on the customs form for insurance purposes (particularly for something that has primarily sentimental value). The recipient will have to pay duty. This happened to me, and it sucked...I knew the item wasn't valued at $700, but I had to pay something like $50 in duty, high in part because it was a textile item.
And regarding paying duty on gifts:
It comes as a rude surprise to many people that recipients of gifts mailed from abroad will have to pay any duty owed on the item before they can receive it. Duty cannot be pre-paid by the sender (duty can't be paid until the duty rate is assessed by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. This can't happen until the item actually arrives in the U.S.), it can only be paid by the recipient. We are aware that this can place the sender in an awkward position, but there is nothing CBP can do. We suggest you include a note with the package offering to reimburse the recipient for any CBP duty they are charged. For more information, please see our brochure, "International Mail Imports" under the Publications section on our web site at www.cbp.gov.
This can bite you in the butt if you send a $200 item but mark it up to $700 on the customs form for insurance purposes (particularly for something that has primarily sentimental value). The recipient will have to pay duty. This happened to me, and it sucked...I knew the item wasn't valued at $700, but I had to pay something like $50 in duty, high in part because it was a textile item.
2006-05-19
Silk Screening
I thought I'd posted this, but evidently I didn't!
A.B. Dada's blog has a couple recent posts regarding t-shirt printing: T-shirt silk screening revisited and a follow-up post. The former links to a site with photo instructions on how to silk screen. Cool.
A.B. Dada's blog has a couple recent posts regarding t-shirt printing: T-shirt silk screening revisited and a follow-up post. The former links to a site with photo instructions on how to silk screen. Cool.
2006-05-18
Japanese Language Parsing
Interesting-looking piece of software, MeCab. I had been wondering how to parse Japanese text into keywords, like search engines would have to do. Turns out it's not as easy as splitting text on spaces as in English. There are bindings for Perl, also.
MeCab apparently uses Markov models to parse text. Supposedly it doesn't need a dictionary or corpus, using "conditional random fields" to build probability data. Cool!
According to the MeCab page, other parsers include ChaSen, JUMAN, and KAKASI. In my searches, the latter was cited quite a bit.
MeCab apparently uses Markov models to parse text. Supposedly it doesn't need a dictionary or corpus, using "conditional random fields" to build probability data. Cool!
According to the MeCab page, other parsers include ChaSen, JUMAN, and KAKASI. In my searches, the latter was cited quite a bit.
2006-05-17
Interesting Amazon Lists, etc.
Listmania: T-shirts - Various t-shirt books.
Listmania: for Fun and Profit - Random hobby books, many of which are interesting.
Guide: Ditch Your Designer - References to doing one's own design.
Guide: Know how a print can be original - References to traditional print-making (not t-shirts).
Listmania: for Fun and Profit - Random hobby books, many of which are interesting.
Guide: Ditch Your Designer - References to doing one's own design.
Guide: Know how a print can be original - References to traditional print-making (not t-shirts).
2006-05-14
Airsoft Arms
Edo sent me this link to Airsoft Arms, an airsoft gun and miscellaneous military item shop near Columbus. Looks like the orange tips are mandatory; the manufacturers must make them specially for export.
2006-04-30
Small business info & Merchant accounts
Found some useful info on merchant accounts at About.com. There's other useful-looking stuff on there too.
Another site has more detailed information. Looks like charging for others is a no-no. Unfortunate.
Another site has more detailed information. Looks like charging for others is a no-no. Unfortunate.
Why I quit the company
2006-04-29
Fortune: New ways to get ahead
It's easier to move up by moving sideways? That might be true for women, hee hee. Ok, that was infantile. Believe me, I've been worse.
But the fact remains that if one's current field isn't something they can enjoy, moving to a field that one can get into and therefore excel is the smart thing to do. Perhaps I need to get back into software.
But the fact remains that if one's current field isn't something they can enjoy, moving to a field that one can get into and therefore excel is the smart thing to do. Perhaps I need to get back into software.
2006-04-28
White Rabbit Express
Noel tipped me to this service. Competitive analysis can be depressing at times.
"White Rabbit" reminds me of this candy that I used to like as a kid. Most people probably think The Matrix movie instead.
"White Rabbit" reminds me of this candy that I used to like as a kid. Most people probably think The Matrix movie instead.
2006-04-13
Random Anime and Fansub Related
The Fansub FAQ - From way back in '99.
Animania - Some guy's paper on anime. He interviewed Will Ray.
I guess I was looking for references to soyokaze.biosci.ohio-state.edu, that's what brought up the spate of hits.
Animania - Some guy's paper on anime. He interviewed Will Ray.
I guess I was looking for references to soyokaze.biosci.ohio-state.edu, that's what brought up the spate of hits.
UMD Movies Going Bye-Bye
(Reuters) Apparently UMD as a movie format is dying. Good riddance! Sony's business decisions lately are really stupid. Why did they think consumers would pay more for a format that has inferior quality, can't be copied, and can only be played on the PSP?
This is like they are killing their music player sales by mandating that SonicStage be used. Music check-in, no re-burning—the software sucks! I probably would've gotten a Sony player rather than an iPod if they only would ditch the software. iTunes or SonicStage is no-contest from the users' perspective.
Also, it's too bad that they didn't use Hi-MD for the PSP. However, since MDs have no copy protection and are slightly larger in size, I suppose that wasn't possible. Still, the gaping hole in the UMD cassette is another blemish on the format's resume.
Sony's technology is amazing, but the people making the business decisions are idiots. If they didn't act like they think they can dictate to consumers, then they might actually take over some market share.
This is like they are killing their music player sales by mandating that SonicStage be used. Music check-in, no re-burning—the software sucks! I probably would've gotten a Sony player rather than an iPod if they only would ditch the software. iTunes or SonicStage is no-contest from the users' perspective.
Also, it's too bad that they didn't use Hi-MD for the PSP. However, since MDs have no copy protection and are slightly larger in size, I suppose that wasn't possible. Still, the gaping hole in the UMD cassette is another blemish on the format's resume.
Sony's technology is amazing, but the people making the business decisions are idiots. If they didn't act like they think they can dictate to consumers, then they might actually take over some market share.
Microsoft Product Lifecycle
Turns out that MS is eliminating support for Win 98/ME at the end of June this year. No big loss, but I had to check up on Win 2k. It's ok until 2010, it seems. See their Product Lifecycle page for details.
2006-04-08
Net Machine Shop
I finally found the Net machine shop featured in Wired that I couldn't find the URL to: http://www.emachineshop.com/. Cool. Now I can proceed with my plans for world domination. They also have a sister company, Pad2Pad, that does circuit board etching. Build it!!
2006-04-06
2006-04-05
Fujitsu's 200GB 2.5"er
Turns out Fujitsu's 200GB Mobile drive is a 3-disk longitudinal product. It's interesting that they could get three platters to fit into the standard height. Fujitsu's product page contains limited specs.
2006-04-02
Japanese Post Office
This is extremely useful info for me! The Japanese Post Office has a nice online reference site for EMS now. Further, they have details on shipping food items to the U.S. There's a link to the U.S. FDA page on Prior Notice of incoming food items, as well as an online manual.
Watson's Weapons & Raufoss
For biiiiig guns, check out Watson's Weapons. Mostly .50BMG stuff. You can get armor-piercing incendiaries! Now only if one could get Raufoss Multi-Purpose rounds, some Norwegian AP ammo that apparently the Navy uses. The stuff uses RDX high-explosive, and detonates within the target after penetration. Ouch. I hear it's $30/rd. Now that'd be worth buying a 50-cal for!
Snopes, the Plague, and Ben Stein
This came up recently after talking to Katy about her dissertation on infectious (typically fatal) diseases. We'd discussed the merits of quarantining HIV/AIDS when it was in its infancy, and she convinced me that it wouldn't have been a good idea after all. The comparison was to the Black Plague, and the differences were that the Plague was visually recognizable and was fatal in a short timespan. HIV/AIDS is not outwardly visible and takes sometimes many years to kill, so quarantine is not feasible: There's no easy way to recognize the victims, and people don't want to go into quarantine so they wouldn't come out and say it. Anyway, I read up on the Black Plague on Wikipedia, and found out some stuff I didn't know, like there were three "varieties". The salient point was that the "Ring Around the Rosies" children's rhyme doesn't refer to the Plague, or so says Snopes, one of those myth debunker sites.
Another fun entry they had was a quote from Ben Stein regarding the state of America today where stupid celebreties are all-important and freedom of religion has gone out the window. There's one other one on the nature of stardom and role models that's worth reading. Ben Stein is cool.
Another fun entry they had was a quote from Ben Stein regarding the state of America today where stupid celebreties are all-important and freedom of religion has gone out the window. There's one other one on the nature of stardom and role models that's worth reading. Ben Stein is cool.
2006-03-25
The Municator
Makebot sent me a link to an article on the Make Blog covering The Municator. Another article.
Apparently the Chinese have made an Intel-compatible CPU for the express purpose of making cheap domestic computers so they don't have to rely on foreign stuff. From their website:
I suppose that's really smart of them, because they're doing what the U.S. as a whole is too stupid to do—remain self-sufficient. We're so heavily dependent on Chinese shit that it's not even funny. Many stores only have junk that's made in China: it's hard to not buy Chinese even if you don't want to. And that's disgusting. Capitalism is shooting itself in the foot big time.
Apparently the Chinese have made an Intel-compatible CPU for the express purpose of making cheap domestic computers so they don't have to rely on foreign stuff. From their website:
Our ultimate goal is to let the Chinese computer-users use our own-made CPUs in which we do not have to rely on the imported CPUs. Our products are made for ourselves but not for exportation only. At the moment, we have developed the necessary techniques and technologies for developing our own brand-named computers. If we can produce our own products by ourselves, more Chinese computer-users can enjoy the benefits, and this is what we have aimed to achieve.
I suppose that's really smart of them, because they're doing what the U.S. as a whole is too stupid to do—remain self-sufficient. We're so heavily dependent on Chinese shit that it's not even funny. Many stores only have junk that's made in China: it's hard to not buy Chinese even if you don't want to. And that's disgusting. Capitalism is shooting itself in the foot big time.
2006-03-20
Tax Junk
This isn't a link, but I want to note it, just in case.
A US tax law allows taxpayers to choose whether they want to deduct the state and local sales taxes they have paid during the year in lieu of deducting state and local income taxes. This is beneficial for individuals who itemize their deductions and live in one of seven "no income tax" states (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington) or live in states where the sales tax rate is in excess of the income tax rate. Taxpayers can choose to determine the deductible amount by relying on actual receipts or by using tables developed by the IRS. In addition, individuals who had large purchases, such as automobiles and boats, can add sales tax paid on those items on top of the amount indicated in the tables developed by the IRS.
2006-03-19
"Be smarter at work, slack off"?
MRG sent me a link to an article on CNN Money about how people need slack time to be creative and give companies an edge. Seems like everyone I know is stressed out at work these days because they have too much to do. Too much work, too few competent people to do the work.
Of course, one has to be careful about saying it's ok to slack, because there are some true non-workers out there. The last thing we need is for them to work even less.
Of course, one has to be careful about saying it's ok to slack, because there are some true non-workers out there. The last thing we need is for them to work even less.
Mr. Dada: Gold & Business
I don't recall how I found this blog, but I must've been searching Blogger randomly or somesuch. Anyway, there's this gold investment blog called Dada Says, apparently by a businessman named A.B. Dada. It seems to be legit, though one should always take advice with a grain of salt. Free advice given freely is often wrong. We spend so much time building networks of people we can trust because ascertaining whether information is good or not is often how half our time leading up to decision-making is spent.
Anyway, this Mr. Dada links to an online book called What Has Government Done to Our Money? (PDF). Indeed. I haven't read it yet, but it does look interesting.
This article on the Clinton and inflation was quite interesting.
Then there's another blog by the same fellow called Be Your Own Boss. Sounds like a kindred spirit.
Anyway, this Mr. Dada links to an online book called What Has Government Done to Our Money? (PDF). Indeed. I haven't read it yet, but it does look interesting.
This article on the Clinton and inflation was quite interesting.
Then there's another blog by the same fellow called Be Your Own Boss. Sounds like a kindred spirit.
2006-03-18
Link Page Back Up
Apparently some blogs hosted on Blogspot were down for a few days, one of which was this one. As such, I wasn't able to take down a bunch of interesting links. Well, when one uses a free service, one doesn't have the right to complain. Much. I suppose it's my fault for not being more with it—perhaps a normal person would be able to keep these things about himself without getting buried. These are confounding times we live in.
2006-03-08
Tacnuke North Korea
Apparently North Korea has been test-firing more missiles. They really need to get smacked down. Hard.
2006-03-04
2006-03-02
Hard Disk Info
USByte has an interesting explanation of HDD technology. It's extremely simplistic, but is therefore good information for someone who knows nothing about how a HDD works.
Um, the following is work-related, but is kinda interesting. Regarding the so-called "Wallace spacing loss":
Clearance Measurements - References the patent by Klaassen, et al, #5130866.
Head reliability of AMR sensors based on thermal stress tests - A bit more detail regarding the spacing measurement.
Um, the following is work-related, but is kinda interesting. Regarding the so-called "Wallace spacing loss":
Clearance Measurements - References the patent by Klaassen, et al, #5130866.
Head reliability of AMR sensors based on thermal stress tests - A bit more detail regarding the spacing measurement.
2006-03-01
2006-02-28
Hostesses
My senpai sent me a note a while back asking about the Lucy Blackman trial. I had forgotten about it, it happened so long ago (2000). She was a British girl who came to Japan to make money as a hostess and ended up getting killed by some psychopath who had drugged and raped a bunch of hostesses. I haven't been able to find info on what happened with the trial of the psycho. Japan's legal system is very messed up. If I were that girl's dad and this was the U.S., I'd shoot the psycho in the head. Twice. With a history like that, trust me, the piece of shit isn't worth allowing to walk around.
Transcript of 60 Minutes bit on white-girl-stalking psychos....
If you still don't mind, here's a page about being a hostess.
Transcript of 60 Minutes bit on white-girl-stalking psychos....
If you still don't mind, here's a page about being a hostess.
2006-02-26
Walther G22
My dad was telling me about the new Walther G22 rifle. It looks pretty sweet for a .22, even if it only has 10 rounds. I may have to include it in my list for the gun buying spree I go on when I move back to the U.S. Muahaha. Perhaps I'd better get that FFL after all.
Manko Power
Katy asked me to get her some stickers from this Japanese adult net store that say "manko power". How demented. Especially because it's in romaji. Perhaps they would've gotten in trouble if they'd written it in kana?
2006-02-17
2006-02-12
Katy's Gossip Links
Ok, so I was talking to Katy online about random stuff, and suddenly she sends me this incredibly twisted link to a Flash game about Lee Tamahori. The game is really twisted, but I had to go look up wtf Lee Tamahori was. I ended up on this site called The Superficial, which is some wacky celeb gossip site. Katy knew it, and then started sending me links to all these other gossip blogs: IDon'tLikeYouInThatWay.com, The Awful Truth (Blind Vice), and Dlisted. I didn't know she read this stuff. I thought she was a serious PhD student. And now my brain is reeling from nasty pictures of celebs I used to think were hot, like Teri Hatcher (think Tango & Cash, ok?). Good Lord, what has this society come to? But...but...here's Jessica Alba topless sunbathing? Yowza.
2006-02-03
Check out Limbo
Apparently Dennis Ritchie worked on a successor to the C programming language, called Limbo. This sounds quite interesting...must learn more.
2006-02-02
CNN News, 2006.02.02
Some news articles from CNN:
Women sue Wal-Mart over contraception - I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, but these feminist bitches need to get smacked down. Who the hell are they to tell a company they must stock a certain product? That's not capitalism, that's socialism! On the other hand, I'd be happy if morons like this didn't produce offspring, so maybe Wal-Mart should stock the morning-after meds. Incidentally, it's inaccurate to call it "contraception" if the medication is utilized post-fertilization.
How Pepsi outgunned Coke - An excellent article on why the cola wars wasn't everything. Also an eye-opener: if you buy stock in companies you like, sometimes it's not as profitable as buying companies you don't like. (I vastly prefer Coke to Pepsi, but made less than 10% on Coke stock.)
The "Oh, s#&%!" moment - A few good tips for handling the low points of office work. Check out "Managing the boss" and "Adventures in e-mail".
Young and in love with saving - Think about the future. Active investment is becoming a must in Corporate America. Don't trust your future to your employers: when it's time for you to "retire", they won't care about you anymore.
Women sue Wal-Mart over contraception - I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, but these feminist bitches need to get smacked down. Who the hell are they to tell a company they must stock a certain product? That's not capitalism, that's socialism! On the other hand, I'd be happy if morons like this didn't produce offspring, so maybe Wal-Mart should stock the morning-after meds. Incidentally, it's inaccurate to call it "contraception" if the medication is utilized post-fertilization.
How Pepsi outgunned Coke - An excellent article on why the cola wars wasn't everything. Also an eye-opener: if you buy stock in companies you like, sometimes it's not as profitable as buying companies you don't like. (I vastly prefer Coke to Pepsi, but made less than 10% on Coke stock.)
The "Oh, s#&%!" moment - A few good tips for handling the low points of office work. Check out "Managing the boss" and "Adventures in e-mail".
Young and in love with saving - Think about the future. Active investment is becoming a must in Corporate America. Don't trust your future to your employers: when it's time for you to "retire", they won't care about you anymore.
2006-01-23
2006-01-22
OS X Wallpaper
While I was looking for an OS X Tiger image, I found Google's image gallery to be very useful. Unfortunately, quite a few pictures were non-existent by the time I hit the link. There's one with Hobbes from Calvin & Hobbes, but it seems to have disappeared. I'm trying to get it from the Internet Archive, but it's slow going.
There's a Japanese guy on .Mac who has a bunch of interesting pin ups involving Apple products (and like me uses Yahoo! BB). Some of it's really funny and imaginative, but the anime-style girls could be a bit cuter. If someone would translate these into Betty Page-type cheesecake, on the other hand....
I also found this interesting unrelated CG art print that is kinda cool.
There's a Japanese guy on .Mac who has a bunch of interesting pin ups involving Apple products (and like me uses Yahoo! BB). Some of it's really funny and imaginative, but the anime-style girls could be a bit cuter. If someone would translate these into Betty Page-type cheesecake, on the other hand....
I also found this interesting unrelated CG art print that is kinda cool.
2006-01-21
U.S. T-Shirts
Here's an interesting site that makes t-shirts in the U.S.: American Apparel (note the .net; there's a different company whose domain is .com). They sell wholesale. Hmm, just need to find a quality screen printer, or learn how to do it myself....
2006-01-20
Animate! Ohio State
Just so I don't forget the new URL.... http://www.animateosu.org/ is it, after the old server, soyokaze.biosci.ohio-state.edu, was retired from service.
It's amazing how much the old OSU anime club folks were involved in propagating interest in anime over the past 10-15 years. Too bad I wasn't more involved with the non-mundane stuff. I think I maybe timed an episode of something once, copied a few tapes, and hung thousands of flyers. I suppose fandom is not an industry of glory.
But that was many moons ago. Now I don't have time to watch video of any kind anymore, and even if I had the time, I'd spend it doing something else. Like going into business.
Oh yeah, the infamous fansubbing organization, Lost in Translation (whose punned moniker predates the movie of the same name, is also located on the new A!OS server and is apparently back in action. Their version of subs for Mononoke Hime is actually better than the one on the official DVD!
It's amazing how much the old OSU anime club folks were involved in propagating interest in anime over the past 10-15 years. Too bad I wasn't more involved with the non-mundane stuff. I think I maybe timed an episode of something once, copied a few tapes, and hung thousands of flyers. I suppose fandom is not an industry of glory.
But that was many moons ago. Now I don't have time to watch video of any kind anymore, and even if I had the time, I'd spend it doing something else. Like going into business.
Oh yeah, the infamous fansubbing organization, Lost in Translation (whose punned moniker predates the movie of the same name, is also located on the new A!OS server and is apparently back in action. Their version of subs for Mononoke Hime is actually better than the one on the official DVD!
Gold Is Up
Gold is up to over $550 an ounce. Nuts. Just when I was thinking about buying some more, the price spiked on me to $450, and it's been going up since. It's all this damned economic uncertainty that had me looking to buy more too. Silver is up considerably too. Looks like the stock market is too shaky for some investors. Almost all of my stocks are up, however....
Sobering commentary about the U.S. economy in an article on Kitco. On the other hand, there's bogus price target article there, too, so this must be taken with a grain of salt. (Takedown: First of all, the x-axis is inconsistent: there are multiple entries per year as well as omitted years. Second, there is no statistical support in that graph for a long upswing. From the bottom of the last cycle in 2001, gold prices were increasing at $25/yr. Lately it's been more, so the extrapolation is by no means linear. Even if it were linear, there's no guarantee how long the upswing would continue. The thing that bugs me about gold investment is that there's a lot of unreliable commentary made about it. That's not to say it doesn't happen on Wall Street, of course, but they tend to be more rigorous with their graphs.)
There's also an article on MarketWatch regarding the gold prices. One thing I never understood was why investors, both individual and institutional, insist on buying issues of things that were already well into their ascent upward. That just means they missed the boat, and may be buying at prices too high. Gold is different from typical paper securities, I suppose, in that it has the attractiveness of usefulness even in the face of economic collapse.
Well, with the volatility of the gold price lately, I'm sure there's money to be made in timing the short cycles.
Sobering commentary about the U.S. economy in an article on Kitco. On the other hand, there's bogus price target article there, too, so this must be taken with a grain of salt. (Takedown: First of all, the x-axis is inconsistent: there are multiple entries per year as well as omitted years. Second, there is no statistical support in that graph for a long upswing. From the bottom of the last cycle in 2001, gold prices were increasing at $25/yr. Lately it's been more, so the extrapolation is by no means linear. Even if it were linear, there's no guarantee how long the upswing would continue. The thing that bugs me about gold investment is that there's a lot of unreliable commentary made about it. That's not to say it doesn't happen on Wall Street, of course, but they tend to be more rigorous with their graphs.)
There's also an article on MarketWatch regarding the gold prices. One thing I never understood was why investors, both individual and institutional, insist on buying issues of things that were already well into their ascent upward. That just means they missed the boat, and may be buying at prices too high. Gold is different from typical paper securities, I suppose, in that it has the attractiveness of usefulness even in the face of economic collapse.
Well, with the volatility of the gold price lately, I'm sure there's money to be made in timing the short cycles.
2006-01-07
Dashboard Widgets
Make:Blog also has an entry about constructing an RSS widget. Funky how those things are internally. I didn't realize they were basically Dynamic HTML. No wonder Dashboard is so damn slow!! Anyway, there are useful links to Apple widget info: Dashboard Tutorial and Dashboard Reference.
MakeBot
Make magazine is cool. There was a post on the Weblog chief's blog, which also linked to coverage about CES, about MakeBot. MakeBot sends the latest links from Make via AIM at configurable intervals. Neat.
2006-01-01
東京トイレマップ
Many moons ago, I saw the funniest graffiti on a website documenting the locations, conditions, and artwork of public toilets around Tokyo. By complete coincidence, I ran across the site again, called Tokyo Toilet Map, again a couple days ago. The beautiful piece of graffiti is here (not suitable for work).
日本語版はメイン。英語版より地図が細かいし、日本語でのコメントのほうが面白い。
日本語版はメイン。英語版より地図が細かいし、日本語でのコメントのほうが面白い。
OS X for x86 Howto
To avoid being hitched to the TCM ball-and-chain, there's the warez'ed pre-release OS X for x86. I found this guide on how to install the hacked OS on Intel-based machines. There's a release of the howto for the 10.4.3 binaries as well. One just has to manage the 4GB download.... A Russian site has various patches and installations. There's also the OSx86 Project site that has news, forums, a wiki, and other such stuff for consumption.
Okaya Electronics and Ricoh's mini-ITX
I was looking for electronics parts stores in Japan, and ended up checking out Okaya Electronics's site. That wasn't what I was looking for, but they're apparently selling a mini-ITX alternative to Via's boards. The board is made by Ricoh, which I didn't know produced such items. Anyway, the board has GbE, SATA, and a LVDS port. Funky. Now I just need to find a place that sells cheap LVDS-compatible LCD screens....
GPG for OS X
So I started using PGP's commercial product, but then got to thinking, since this is closed source, I don't know if they've built in hooks for the government to decrypt one's messages. Actually, it'd be naive to think that the government didn't require that of PGP Corp. Therefore, I'm looking into open source options for my encryption, whereby I can compile the stuff myself. The point is to not let a government less and less interested with maintaining the rights of its citizens have access to my communications, for whatever reason.
The open source option is GNU Privacy Guard, abbreviated GPG. Another one of those great open source pun acronyms. There is a version of GPG for OS X, but it's command-line only. From there, one needs a front-end for the OS X mail application, Mail.app. There's a Mail.app plug-in called GPGMail that fills this gap.
There are expedient download links for these two applications, GPG for OS X and GPGMail, but unless one builds the apps oneself, that defeats the purpose of using this open source software.
The open source option is GNU Privacy Guard, abbreviated GPG. Another one of those great open source pun acronyms. There is a version of GPG for OS X, but it's command-line only. From there, one needs a front-end for the OS X mail application, Mail.app. There's a Mail.app plug-in called GPGMail that fills this gap.
There are expedient download links for these two applications, GPG for OS X and GPGMail, but unless one builds the apps oneself, that defeats the purpose of using this open source software.
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