It's a blog.
PayPal’s really been getting on my nerves. About a month ago, they froze my account, citing protecting my security. They said someone had attempted to access my account, they said. I performed the first two verification steps, but now I’m waiting on mail at home with a “security code” I have to enter to confirm [...]
I frequent WebHostingTalk.com, a really good forum for people in the web hosting industry. There are lots of really knowledgeable people on there, but there are also sorts of people without so much technical knowledge…. There was one guy a while back who announced that he was starting a video sharing site (a la Youtube) [...]
I just finished a show on “NatGeo” about the private security firms working in Iraq. It was a really interesting watch. They’re not there to engage in combat, but they’re there for “security,” such as escorting construction materials for a new police station (something insurgents are eager to stop), and transporting VIPs around. IEDs are [...]
My debit card expires this month, so I just got a new one in the mail. It has a number you have to call to activate it. So I dialed, and it rang twice. (I’m used to auto-answer systems picking up on the first ring, but whatever.) I expected something like, “Thanks for calling Visa! [...]
I like to run a really good Windows machine. Firefox is my default browser (although IE’s come leaps and bounds since it’s “I’ll merrily install any program a webpage asks me to!” days), I keep a system free of viruses and spyware, I have a “background” disk defrag tool, I routinely run CCleaner, etc. to [...]
Afghanistan has a flourishing opium trade. They apparently produce most of the world’s opium. Ironically, it’s kind of our fault–the Taliban had pretty much eradicated all poppy cultivation, but with them gone, it’s come back. A recent news story suggests that the Afghani leaders in charge of fighting opium quit after their pay was slashed [...]
I think I mentioned that I signed up for a $7 VPS account, more as a trial than anything. It was a relatively new company, but I figured I had, at most, $7 to lose. They sent out a fairly terse e-mail that they were transferring companies to some organization in New Zealand. Understandably, I [...]
In: Business|Computers|Ideas|Insanity|OCD|Performance|Rants & Raves
25 Feb 2008I want to start a “meta ISP.” When you sign up with your ISP, you’re paying for transit. They carry your data from one network to the other. But now let’s say that I’m a mediocre residential ISP. I buy connectivity from a couple different upstream providers, and use BGP to make sure your data [...]
I lost the lottery last night. Actually, I never even entered. The drawing was for $270 million (30-year annuity), or $164.3 million cash. The stakes were high, but I still didn’t dare risk life and limb to go buy lottery tickets. Further, I’d have to clear my car off and I was feeling pretty lazy. [...]
In: Business|Computers|Ideas|OCD|Performance|Programming|School
23 Feb 2008Yesterday was, for all intents and purposes, a snow day. They closed the school down at 1. Of course, I had no classes anyway, just some work that could be done anywhere. But this was a snow day. You don’t do work. At least, not the work you’re supposed to. Kyle, always being curious about [...]