"If you understood everything I said, you'd be me" - Miles Davis
"There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge." - Bertrand Russell
"Take away the right to say fuck and you take away the right to say fuck the government." - Lenny Bruce
"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" - Homer Simpson

Utility Fog Banner

Successfully reinstalled drawstring in favorite shorts - bailing wire fixes what duct tape can't.
Successfully reinstalled drawstring in favorite shorts - bailing wire fixes what duct tape can't.

Twitter Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:49:17
Tweet 19349270533

2 hours online and Flash hasn't broken on Firefox - I think one of the recent Ubuntu updates might actually have fixed it - weee
2 hours online and Flash hasn't broken on Firefox - I think one of the recent Ubuntu updates might actually have fixed it - weee

Twitter Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:16:42
Tweet 19346908554

Hate Hate Hate Network Storage Boxen - When they lose network access they turn into data-trapping cinder blocks.
Hate Hate Hate Network Storage Boxen - When they lose network access they turn into data-trapping cinder blocks.

Twitter Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:30:36
Tweet 18738121818

Added a Mail Client and a Transport Rule to the Exchange Server, now my phone will get a message if the Novell Server crashes #geek
Added a Mail Client and a Transport Rule to the Exchange Server, now my phone will get a message if the Novell Server crashes #geek

Twitter Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:59:17
Tweet 18119903691

Deep in the Geek: I successfully diagnosed and fixed a Novell server misconfiguration.
Deep in the Geek: I successfully diagnosed and fixed a Novell server misconfiguration.

Twitter Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:59:34
Tweet 17334321737

The weekend is coming - somebody kidnap me and make me do drugs and booze - ROADTRIP....shotgun
The weekend is coming - somebody kidnap me and make me do drugs and booze - ROADTRIP....shotgun

Twitter Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:05:36
Tweet 16480664687

Too much working with computers: Looked at a stand of blackberry bushes and wondered how to change the settings for flower color.
Too much working with computers: Looked at a stand of blackberry bushes and wondered how to change the settings for flower color.

Twitter Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:18:18
Tweet 16477463580

Today we're going to transplant/migrate the Novell server hard-drives. This could get nasty.
Today we're going to transplant/migrate the Novell server hard-drives. This could get nasty.

Twitter Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:35:15
Tweet 16310567874

Learned that work has a satellite dish on the roof. For a second there I felt like a Bond villain
Learned that work has a satellite dish on the roof. For a second there I felt like a Bond villain

Twitter Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:24:21
Tweet 16030503983

More successful at new "computer guy" duties > Cracked Debian and Vista passwords of the last "computer guy". No pr0n, just "Akira"
More successful at new "computer guy" duties > Cracked Debian and Vista passwords of the last "computer guy". No pr0n, just "Akira"

Twitter Fri, 21 May 2010 15:30:54
Tweet 14435033595

It seems so obvious now, but I had to learn the hard way that million-file directories
makes Windows cry It seems so obvious now, but I had to learn the hard way that million-file directories makes Windows cry

Twitter Wed, 19 May 2010 18:33:17
Tweet 14333822758

First day of new "computer guy" duties did not go well - 2 weeks work is now sitting on
an unreadable hard drive. First day of new "computer guy" duties did not go well - 2 weeks work is now sitting on an unreadable hard drive.

Twitter Wed, 19 May 2010 08:04:04
Tweet 14265910014

Upgraded Kubuntu Karmic to Lucid. Houston, we have bugs.
Upgraded Kubuntu Karmic to Lucid. Houston, we have bugs.

Twitter Sun, 09 May 2010 01:13:22
Tweet 13683968562

Bookstore receiving clerks are my secret super heroes
Bookstore receiving clerks are my secret super heroes - Adventures in Receiving -

Twitter Tue, 04 May 2010 08:40:15
Tweet 13373032749

Oh, NOW you can get a video game merit badge. Pong didn't even exist when I had to wear that g$#!&m itchy uniform. 1 word: RETROACTIVE
Oh, NOW you can get a video game merit badge. Pong didn't even exist when I had to wear that g$#!&m itchy uniform. 1 word: RETROACTIVE

Twitter Thu, 29 Apr 2010 23:50:23
Tweet 13117164529

Getting paid to wrangle work's Wordpress newsletter. Hip deep in HTML, CSS, PHP, forms, templates, plugins, LAMP - geek heaven
Getting paid to wrangle work's Wordpress newsletter. Hip deep in HTML, CSS, PHP, forms, templates, plugins, LAMP - geek heaven

Twitter Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:41:58
Tweet 12586247864

Fully functional LAMP system on home computer running Wordpress: Marvel at my geek hotness if you understand any of this.
Fully functional LAMP system on home computer running Wordpress: Marvel at my geek hotness if you understand any of this.

Twitter Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:43:44
Tweet 12110233283

Disappointed that the Liquidation Channel is selling stuff, not turning stuff into a liquid. Eagerly awaiting Explosion Channel
Disappointed that the Liquidation Channel is selling stuff, not turning stuff into a liquid. Eagerly awaiting Explosion Channel

Twitter Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:18:29
Tweet 12201756666

Drives me nuts: Cancelling an email gives me choice between "Don't Save" and "Cancel" - Which are actually "Cancel" and "Cancel the Cancel"
Drives me nuts: Cancelling an email gives me choice between "Don't Save" and "Cancel" - Which are actually "Cancel" and "Cancel the Cancel"

Twitter Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:08:44
Tweet 11953790544

I hope someone plays that "see a VW, punch companion" game with me. Then I can enjoy a round of "Kick the living crap out of a dumbass"
I hope someone plays that "see a VW, punch companion" game with me. Then I can enjoy a round of "Kick the living crap out of a dumbass"

Twitter Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:11:35
Tweet 11740702383

Twitter Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:46:12
My inner child wants an army of robot spiders. With lasers. Green lasers. And they have to go "chitter chitter chitter", but not too loud

Tweet 10363808062

Twitter Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:36:42
I'm perfectly content with Google not being able to target me from space

Tweet 10259974341

Twitter Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:19:31
RT @justinvincent #php - On windows if you put .htaccess in C: root it will affect ALL local Apache web-servers!!! -Oh god I understand this

Tweet 10202950649

Twitter Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:02:59
Go right ahead, Mr Land Rover - ordinary traffic laws don't apply to you, because you're a SPECIAL PERSON. #rocketenematime

Tweet 10010044203

Wherein I Succumb to a Internet iPod List Meme

You can learn a lot about someone by the music they listen to. Hit shuffle on your iPod or mp3 player and write down the first 25 songs. No cheating or skipping songs that are shameful. That is the fun!

  1. Beatles - Back in the USSR
  2. Led Zeppelin - Sick Again
  3. Neil Young - Lookout Joe
  4. Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ectasy
  5. Muggs - White Boy Blues
  6. DuKe Ellington - Pyramid (Cootie Williams and his Rug Cutters)
  7. RotoR - Transporter
  8. Traffic - Shootout At The Fantasy Factory
  9. Mixtape - audite_-_choen_dabbish_2.mp3
  10. Kocani Orkestar - Ederlezi Avela
  11. Creation Rebel - Give Me Power (Feat. Jah Woosh)
  12. Robert Johnson - Malted Milk
  13. Of Montreal - She's A Rejecter
  14. Audio Active - coolness in my foolishness
  15. Miles Davis - Capricorn
  16. Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
  17. Nicky Thomas - Love Of The Common People
  18. Tom Waits - Goin' Out West
  19. Pinch - Lazurus
  20. AC/DC - Give The Dog A Bone
  21. Frank Sinatra - My Kind Of Town
  22. Richard Thompson - Two Left Feet
  23. Oumou Sangare - Wayana
  24. Astor Piazzolla - Milonga del Angel
  25. Eagles of Death Metal - Speaking In Tongues
Via my girl's got miraculous technique :killingbambi:lottieeeee:indieboy:tijanaxx:staaaaciiiieeee:samyoung: insidealeosbrain

Another Rocking Saturday Night
Apartment neighbor recently got a guitar. He would have been better off with a hamster. All he's done is fail to play scales with a squeeky-clean tone that sounds like Joe Pass on Valium. Dude- you have an ELECTRIC GUITAR, at least try to rock out, that's what it's for.

Adventures In Computer Repair

If you're thinking of replacing a noisy or broken motherboard chipset fan (specifically, the one on a MSI K8N ATX {ms-7185} I have some tips that may prove useful:

  1. Do not depend on the dickwads at Fry's for product information, even if you bring in the manual for the motherboard so you know the exact model and have photographic reference.
  2. The K8N chipset does not follow the northbridge scheme. The holes on the motherboard for the holding pins are ~59mm apart, further than the northbridge standard.
  3. Measure the distance between the pins holding the bad fan to the motherboard and make sure the fan you buy matches.
  4. The pins are not designed to be removed. Whoever thought this system up deserves a brisk thrashing. You will either have to remove the motherboard (i.e. almost completely disassemble your computer) and remove the ends of the pins from the backside of the motherboard, or do like I did and saw, slice, and finally snip the pins short enough so that they can be pushed through the holes and fall out. Good luck, and be careful.
  5. In a pinch, you might be able to keep the fan secure against the chip by using a properly trimmed bamboo cooling skewer as a prop.
  6. While you're at it, clean out the dust yaks that have grown inside your computer and don't forget the inside of the CPU fan.

On the bright side, the repair was successful, my computer is quieter, and I discovered 4 USB ports I didn't know I had. You can never have enough USB ports.



Not What I Was Expecting

"Despeckle" filter gave unexpected results:



Google Reader
"The feed being requested cannot be found." - That's funny, I was reading it just 2 seconds ago. Google Reader seems to have a bunch of small problems, like logging you out at random intervals and the inability to delete folders. I find myself constantly logging in and out after it freezes. Bloglines never had these problems, but their free email accounts no longer receive mail and the word on the interwebs is that they aren't long for this world. I wonder if Google will be willing to spend the money to make Reader a finished product, since they own the world and have no competition.

Bloat
I'll be so glad when my Symantec/Norton subscription runs out. It's annoying enough that Windows isn't ready to rock even though the desktop has loaded, I also have to wait 10-20 minutes for LiveUpdate's processes to stop hogging 70% of the CPU. What the hell are they doing?