Uncategorized – Page 54

Well, thats kind of scary

Sentient Developments: Odds of Mars getting plastered by an asteroid lifted to 1 in 25

Asteroid 2007 WD5 was only discovered 2 months ago. Had it been heading towards Earth, we would have been utterly helpless to respond.

On January 30th, there is a 3.9% chance that a 160-foot-diameter asteroid will smash into Mars, possibly creating a crater about a kilometer wide. While this is incredibly cool for scientists, and on some level for the rest of us, it’s also a little terrifying. If something like that were headed for, say, Washington, DC, things would be a little more interesting to the average American.

I don’t know how big an area we’d have to evacuate if one was heading for us.

The uncertainty region during the Mars encounter now extends over 400,000 km along a very narrow ellipsoid that is only 600 km wide.

Since 400,000 km is much more than the diameter of Mars, that region must extend well into space. So I don’t really know how big a spot on Mars is actually in danger of being hit, or how far away one would have to be to avoid it (Assuming one could survive on Mars otherwise).

In any event, I hope we have something taking video of Mars when it happens. That would be pretty sweet.

Is this legal?

alli –weight loss program for healthy weight loss

Take a look at the link above. I keep seeing this commercial while the wife watches various Law and Order marathons while she pretends she’s doing work.

The first thing I thought when I saw the logo was “Google”. I imagine that was intentional, and I imagine their lawyers have determined that they haven’t crossed any lines, but it seems like they must have come pretty close.

Not only that, but their red-blue-yellow-green letters mirror eBay’s, too.

Now, eBay doesn’t have much of a sense of humor, so I imagine if they determine they don’t have a case, they’ll let it go, just mutter to each other at the corporate office.

Google, however, ought to send a nice little note to GlaxoSmithKline, makers of Alli, and tell them in no uncertain terms that they’re a bunch of dicks. They probably won’t, but it would be cool.

Where do you draw the line between a similar logo and an attempt to piggyback on the good name of another company? Alli is really, really close to that line if they haven’t actually crossed it. They aren’t competing with eBay or Google, but that’s not really the issue.

Happy New Year!

So, it’s 2008. The wife and I are enjoying the day off. Well, I am, at least – she has work to do. I think I’m going to bake some bread (Still trying to get a loaf of whole wheat to turn out as nicely as the white loaf did). And I’ll probably play around on the computer. Maybe even do something constructive. I don’t have any big resolutions. I’m trying to be more organized and motivated, get more done, and that sort of thing.

The tv is on, and there was just a commercial for a toilet cleaner that kills 99.9% of germs deep down into your toilet. The commercial ends with a mom walking out after cleaning the toilet, patting her young son on the head as he goes to use it.

I have a better idea when it comes to protecting your kids from germs in the toilet – tell them not to stick their hands in it. I mean, come on. Cleaning is great, but toilets are dirty. You know what we put in there, right?

Anyway, I resolve to be less annoyed by stupid things like that. I’ll probably still write about them sometimes, though.

Kill Microsoft with Ubuntu, not BitTorrent

Techdirt: How Pursuing Software Piracy Hurts Proprietary Software Firms

After all, as Microsoft and others have long admitted, you’re much better off if someone is using an unauthorized version of your software, than if they’re using the competition (especially if that competition is free). If they’re using an unauthorized version of your software, then at least there’s a chance that they’ll either buy it at a later date or convince others to buy it. However, by putting such a big effort into cracking down on software piracy, all the industry has done is highlight why people are better off going with free alternatives.

This is a big reason why I’m using Ubuntu as my only operating system. I dislike Microsoft, and have no interest in Vista. But I’m not going to pirate it. I dislike stealing, as well. I won’t say that I’ve never pirated software or music or movies. But when there is a free, open-source equivalent that fits my needs and I can live with the drawbacks (Ubuntu is obviously rougher than Windows. But nothing deal-breaking for me. YMMV.), I’m going to go with that, even though I know I could get a cracked copy of Vista or Photoshop or whatever expensive software I wanted.

Of course, I kind of shot myself in the foot with my last computer – I paid for the computer with Vista because I couldn’t get it without, and then overwrote it with Ubuntu. But I remain hopeful that my next computer won’t have the “Microsoft Tax” on it. I’d love to see Dell or someone start shipping all their computers with full hardware warranties and then some stripped down version of Linux. When you boot up, it tells you, “This operating system is not supported by us. It’s up to you to put whatever OS you want on there. We promise the hardware will work, and we’ll replace it if it doesn’t. Otherwise, you’re on your own.” Or something to that effect.

Anyway, it’s great to see that the use of open source is expanding. Maybe soon we’ll also be able to convince people that jumping to Apple because you hate Microsoft is like running from the hyena and getting eaten by the tiger. Sure, the tiger is prettier and impresses your friends, but you’re still dead.

Someone complains about Vector Security

Complaint Hub » Blog Archive » Vector Security – still cool This is a comment left on the above post (I get about 30% of my Google search traffic from people looking for Vector Security and finding that post).

Vicky Says: December 29th, 2007 at 12:40 pm eDon’t be fooled. Vector Security in North Carolina is renewing our contract WITHOUT NOTICE OF ANY KIND FOR A THREE YEAR PERIOD. In order to cancel, we are required to buy out the contract for the entire remaining period plus pay a penalty of 80% of that amount. This, after we experienced a false alarm, and could not get the system checked for six weeks. Buyer beware. An additional note: my mother’s Vector carbon monoxide detector malfunctioned. It alarms every five minutes, a shrill, piercing alarm, 24 hours a day. She called the Saturday before Christmas, and was told nothing could be done until the Wednesday after Christmas. The Saturday after Christmas NO ONE HAD CALLED HER TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, DESPITE REPEATED CALLS FOR SERVICE. It is still alarming every five minutes.

As I’ve mentioned, I can’t speak to how Vector responds to problems because we haven’t had any. Nor do I think that one incident is enough to condemn a company. And certainly this time of year is tough for everyone. However, ignoring “repeated calls for service” is not a good way to endear yourself to your customers. I hope Vector fixes this problem quickly so I can continue to recommend them to people.

Please, stop the quarterback worship

Tony Romo. Brett Favre. Tom Brady. Matt Ryan. Anyone starting for USC. It never ends. I just listened to ESPN’s announcers for the Michigan State – Boston College – Champs Sports Bowl heap praises on Matt Ryan, BC’s quarterback, for completing a touchdown pass where the wide receiver clearly pushed off, blatant offensive pass interference that wasn’t called. The announcers acknowledged that this was an illegal play, but STILL talked about how great Matt Ryan is.

Now, here we are, BC is running out the clock. And by running out the clock, I mean not running at all. And Matt Ryan drops back, gets sacked, fumbles, and it’s the offensive lineman’s fault. “Matt Ryan was expecting the block!” So because BC is up 11 in the fourth, but still throwing because their running game is totally nonexistent, and Michigan State is all over the pass, it’s the offensive line’s fault.

The Michigan State QB just made one of the best throws I’ve seen all year. Touchdown, Michigan State, and they are almost covering the spread. If you weren’t watching that, you missed an absolutely fantastic touchdown pass. And now they got the conversion and it’s 24-21.

Matt Ryan can go jump in a lake. He wishes he could make that play. Sure, he’ll go in the first round of the draft, and Michigan State’s Brian Hoyer will definitely not. But that was a sweet play.

However, Hoyer also has three picks. That’s not going to cut it.

Anyway, I don’t want to heap too much praise on Hoyer – that would be a little hypocritical. But this has been a fun fourth quarter. If you aren’t watching, you should be.

As an aside, if you punt on 4th and 1 while losing in the fourth quarter, you deserve to lose. Do you hear me, Michigan State? You DESERVE to lose.

Edited to add: Ryan just fumbled. Clown. Way to be a winner on 3rd and 1 with 2:45 to go.

Edited again to add: Hoyer throws a pick on the first play. Nice job. Both of these quarterbacks seem to want to lose.

Merry Christmas, jerk! Love, U of Michigan

Dear me:

Thank you for your application for the HEAD FOOTBALL COACH position in the department of Athletics, requisition number 13431. This position was posted 11/26/2007 through 12/19/2007. The department has completed their activity on this position, and it has been filled.

You are encouraged to continue your career search by using the University’s automated employment system at http://www.umjobs.org. If you have questions about this email or your application(s) for positions, please call the HR/Payroll Service Center at [].

Sincerely,

The University of Michigan

Please do not reply to this automated email. Direct responses and inquiries to the HR/Payroll Service Center at []

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Jerks. They email me Christmas Eve to tell me that they hired someone else. They crushed my hopes and dreams. I thought maybe that guy from WVU would fall through at the last moment. But it wasn’t meant to be.

Totally unacceptable workplace environment

I had a bit of a scary moment this morning – I walked into the office, and suddenly the unmistakable smell of cat urine hit me like a ton of bricks. At first I thought maybe it was me. I mean, I do have an occasionally salty cat who quite possibly might decide to urinate on some of my clothes. Although she’s never done it. She usually likes to express her displeasure by just barely missing the litter box.

But no, it’s not me. It’s the office. My office smells like cat urine.

How this happens is beyond me. I don’t work in a place that should ever contain a cat. I don’t think a cat could pass the security clearance.

This was cool until I read that

Striking writers in talks to launch Web start-ups – Los Angeles Times

“It’s in development and rapidly incubating,” said Aaron Mendelsohn, a guild board member and co-creator of the “Air Bud” movies.

Shoot, you had me until “Air Bud”.

Seriously, I think this is very cool. If the writers can’t get what they want from Hollywood, they should remind Hollywood that their monopoly on the distribution of video entertainment is taking a big hit from the internet.

It will be very interesting when some of these writers start making real money. It will not only strengthen their position by making them more independent, but also by demonstrating the power of the internet as a revenue stream. If the writers can go to the studio and say, “Look at all the money our work made online. Now do you see why we want you to pay us when we do it for you?”.

In the meantime, I eagerly await “Air Bud Online!”

Not sure what this is supposed to accomplish

FCC OK’s cross-ownership of papers, TV – Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to let one owner control a newspaper and a television station in Denver and other large markets, a change long sought by The Denver Post’s principal owner, William Dean Singleton.

So, now, if you are not one of the top four television stations in the market, you can own a local newspaper. Let us count the things wrong with this.

First, what if I’m number five, I buy a newspaper, and then I pass number four? Do I have to sell the newspaper? Do I get grandfathered in? I can’t imagine a scenario that isn’t either ridiculous, or defeats the purpose of the rule.

Second:

The cross-ownership ban was adopted in 1975 with “the twin goals of diversity of viewpoints and economic competition,” the FCC said at the time.

In the age of blogs and the internet and instant access to all sorts of viewpoints, the issue of “diversity of viewpoints” is a little misleading. An increasingly smaller number of people get their news only from newspapers and television. I know the older generation still does to a large extent, but most people my age don’t read newspapers because they’re outdated by the time they get to your door. And then you have to recycle them, and it’s just a huge hassle.

Third:

“You take the high cost of news gathering and spread it across multiple platforms and you get multiple revenue streams,” Singleton [publisher of The Denver Post and head of MediaNews Group] said in a 2006 interview.

THIS is what competition is about. Innovating, saving money, providing a better product at a cheaper rate. When you stick these stupid restrictions on who can own what, you make it relatively more expensive to provide news. Who does this help? Certainly not a new company with a great idea about how to get news to people.

When the barriers to enter a market are low, diversity is nearly guaranteed. If I see the market and say, ‘Hey, that one company is the only one providing the service, and they aren’t reaching half the customers”, then I have a great opportunity in that market.

It’s things like this where I tend to clash with the Democratic party. I want the government to stop sticking its fingers in where it isn’t needed, based on what the world was like in 1975.

Anyway, this new law is a step in the right direction, but it’s not far enough, and I doubt it will change anything.