Category Archives: Living

Feeding the Trolls

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News sites keep adding comment sections, but for some reason draw users who post comments more absurd than those on Youtube. Take this article as an example, about how a decorated military nurse was discharged after commanding officers found out she was a lesbian. The court ruled that they couldn’t dismiss her solely for her sexual orientation.

Comments include things like:

Remember when homosexuals used to just want to be left alone to do their thing in their own bedrooms?

Now they are attempting to overturn society with their desperate craving for mainline acceptance of their proclivities.

And someone going on about eternal damnation. And, as usual, there’s not just hate for some group, but there’s also a complete lack of coherent points:

Homosexuality is still not as main steam as they want us to believe it is. You can”t even watch a television program these days that doesn”t have a gay character in it.

Don’t those two sentences contradict each other?

The thing is… This is a pretty calm discussion. No one has blamed Bush yet, no one has invoked Nazi references, no one has talked about a vast liberal conspiracy, and no one has attacked any of the three major Presidential candidates. This one only makes me cringe a little at the pathetic course of the discussion, not fear for the future of America. Besides, what motivates people to go on news websites to rant about their opinions?

…That’s what blogs are for.

HDR

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I’ve posted before about High-Dynamic Range photography, with, err, lackluster photos to demonstrate the concept. I’ve been trying my hand with Photomatix, which has given be slightly better results:

HDR Front Yard

It’s worth noting that those were dark, ominous clouds. I shot this with auto bracketing on in my camera, meaning it took one “normal” shot, one overexposed +2 EV, and one underexposed -2 EV. And then, in very simple terms, Photomatix ‘merges’ them into one shot, taking the ‘best’ parts of each.

The State of Linux

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I don’t really remember precisely when I started using Linux, but I do distinctly remember December 31, 1999, around 11:55pm, sitting in front of my computer and seeing what would happen. (Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.) I was in KDE at the time, back when they had a HUGE digital clock that looked like crap even then.

I remember when USB thumb drives came into vogue, and I tried using mine in Linux. They worked! I just had to pull up a shell window, su to root, mkdir /mnt/usb, and then mount it there. And one day I forgot to umount before unplugging it, causing a kernel panic. Windows, meanwhile, let you plug the thumb drive in and seamlessly mapped it to a new drive. When you pulled it out, it unmounted the drive for you. (Although it still occasionally gripes at me with “Delayed Write Failed” even after I’ve closed everything using it and let it sit for quite some time. But I digress.)

Today, without thinking, I decided to plug my Logitech G15 into my Linux machine, running Ubuntu’s Hardy Heron release. It worked, but that’s not saying much: any old OS can see a USB keyboard. But what took me by surprise was what happened next. Without thinking, I used the volume wheel on it to turn down my music. It worked! On a whim, I hit the “Previous Track” button, and Rhythmbox started playing the previous song. I had to install drivers for this in Windows, but not in Linux. How’s that for a role reversal?

Of course, this isn’t a “Linux is superior.” There are still some flaws on my system that drive me crazy (why do my graphics drivers keep suspend/hibernate from working?!), but I can say that about Windows too. The point is that Linux used to be laughably far behind Windows in terms of things “just working.” And now I occasionally find myself wishing Windows were as easy to use as Linux in some regards. This is impressive progress!

AIM

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I frankly don’t use AIM that much these days, but will often sign on and think, “Wow, lots of people are on tonight!” or, “Wow, almost no one is on tonight!” So I just wanted to list my thought process after noticing this:

  1. I’d be interested in seeing a graph of my “buddies” online over time.
  2. It wouldn’t be too hard to write a little script to sit on AIM 24/7 and watch this.
  3. If I was doing that, I might as well log each time someone signed on and off, which would let me answer those, “I wonder if x has been online in at all lately?” questions.
  4. As long as I have a stalker bot going, it’d be even more interesting to grab their away message text and buddy profile.
  5. And as long as I’m doing that, I might as well add support for using diff to show changes in the above between any two points in time.

Is there anything that can’t be graphed? Or made into a shell script?

Graduated

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I’m now (essentially) graduated, with a Bachelor’s of Science.

As I was walking across the stage, there were five different people who shook my hand. A few congratulated me; the President beamed with joy as she shook my hand (given that I’m a W-name, her facial muscles must have been aching?). But the last guy’s words of wisdom, imparted with a serious, dignified tone?

“Do not.

Fall down.

The steps.”

Words to live by!

CraigsList

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I’ve always been a little creeped out by some of the stuff on Craigslist. There’s pretty obvious prostitution and drugs going on, in addition to people seeking affairs. And if you read through the “personals” section (which is pretty entertaining), watch out for ones with pictures… Something they’re, uhh, graphic.

So I went through about 20 recent postings, merged them into a textfile, and used my old Markov chain code to “learn” the text and then spit out text based on it… Some of the stuff on Craigslist is so bizarre that it’s hard to tell what’s nonsense the script spits out, and what’s real. (I’ve omitted anything wildly obscene.)

I love to read, movies, anything to do my hair today medium length i need a new look today im off from work hit me up I have a personality that is a cheater because whats is the beginning of something possibly beautiful and long term.

I love to have a great day! A little about me…I am very mature. I am a very comfortable passenger seat. I may or may not have a degree

Good stimulating companionship and conversation is the point of being with someone if your going to cheat on them. I’m new to this online service and hoping to make new friends.Hope it works…

I love to read, movies, anything to do my hair today medium length i need a new look today im off from work hit me up

I have a personality that is a cheater because whats is the beginning of something possibly beautiful and long term.

If you are Interested to have a big black cruiser with a good place for drinks dancing live music with a rumble between her legs, for occasional rides. Feel the rumble as we hit the open road…wrap your arms around me, and press in close.

meet you, after some phone conversations, in public places only unless of course it is business related or anohter type of function, in which case I would meet you, after some phone conversations, in public places only unless of course it is business related or anohter type of function, in which case I would meet you, after some phone conversations, in public places only unless of course it is business related or anohter type of

normal and fun people, between 30-40 years of age, who are looking to meet some new people to hang out today and maybee 420 a bit. I love being out in the rewards you crave. Where you do not. Once a week, I will visit you. We will go over the goals you set yourself and your mobile number and let’s start texting!

I’m looking for someone to be a hypocrite.

Anyone know of a good place for drinks dancing live music with a lot of chrome, and a very open, spontaneous, and down to earth person.

I’m not looking for a coffee and a very comfortable passenger seat. I may or may not have a great companion. My friends think Im mischievious and I hate writing, so that’s it for me.

I have all camping gears. I am burned out of shape so don’t be shy, just be sensual.

Interested in normal and fun people, between 30-40 years of age, who are looking to make new text message with on a regular basis…what are we going to cheat on them.

I’m looking for someone to play with soon, because the weather is getting to be a marathoner!!!

I’ve heard about Cuddle Parties on the back of a good bar to watch the Celtics where they actually put the sound on the radio and internet but there are none

I’m certainly not someone who puts a twinkle in my stomache

hey im a leo male looking for possible another mom who is self motivated

I am open to a totally awesome 2-year-old boy. My problem is that I am looking to spend some time with an older 30-50.

so please be mature and not very interested in going out at night.

I consider diversity to be really nice !

If you’re not interested in talking through emails because, honestly, I can respond to anyone with a picutre

Good stimulating companionship and conversation is the point of being a hard worker. It’s simply that you have one? Reply now for flirty fun on the TV.

I have always tried to be on the radio and internet but there are none in the Boston area.

I am thankful for every day that I feel like I have no friends!!

this poing in my eyes and butterflies in my eyes and butterflies in my stomache

Please be a real person, please be open-minded and if you would like to get to know me, please just hit a back button, don’t reply.

Anyone know of a good listener and would love to go out and paint the town with.

I look forward to talking to a loser

I work 2 jobs and do not allow myself to be really nice !

my friends are married, and not very interested in talking to a totally awesome 2-year-old boy.

I can occasionally get a sitter but sometimes those are hard to come by so I need a new look today im off from work hit me up I have problems in life.

I am open to speaking to people of all races.

Quick clarification, since I was horrified at first… “Black cruiser” is a guy referring to his motorcycle; he was looking for other motorcycle enthusiasts. As was the “rumble” bit. It just happens to come up in the most inappropriate places. Also, the “2-year-old” thing comes from someone discussing that they have a child.

Faster Compression

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It’s no secret that gzip is handy on UNIX systems for compressing files. But what I hadn’t really considered before is that you don’t have to create a huge file and then gzip it. You can simply pipe output through it and have it compressed on the fly.

For example:
[root@oxygen]# mysqldump --all-databases -p | gzip > 2008May10-alldbs.sql.gz

That backed up all the databases on this machine and compressed them. (It’s a 31MB file, but that’s nothing when you realize that one of my databases is about 90MB in size, and I have plenty others at 10-20MB each.)

Micky D’s

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I stopped at McDonald’s on my way home today, since I was starving and otherwise would have gotten on 128 at around 5:30 on a Friday, which is just asking for a headache. So I took a leisurely dinner. I’m fairly certain that, as long as I was there, not a single normal thing happened. I’m copying-and-pasting an e-mail I sent to Rusty while I was there, hence a little shorthand/terseness:

Lady sitting across from me, after dialing cell phone: “Hello, this is (name). You’ve called this number twice. Who is this?”
“Oh, I didn’t recognize your voice.”
“Okay.”

Her little kid: “Who was that?”
“That was Daddy. He had someone on the other line.”

*phone rings*

“Yeah, well, I didn’t recognize the number or your voice.”

I’m inferring that they’re divorced/separated, but I’d like to think that if I fathered a child with someone, she might at least recognize my voice when I called.

Some guy on crutches came in and I overheard him ask her to tell the manager that the handicapped door button doesn’t work. She yelled for
the manager, who came over and said, “Ya, the manager is working on it.”

“She’s working on it, huh?”

“Yes.”

So then the guy at the French fry station went over and started pounding on the button?

And this surly lady sprawled out in one of the booths, with no food, yells to him, “Doesn’t work!”

I went back up to order dessert, and customers are just standing around by the register. So I asked the guy in front of me if he was waiting to order. He said yes, but made a, “No, I’m all set” motion, leaving me totally unsure?

So I finally approached the register, and the cashier was just *glaring* at Surly Lady? But kind of in jest, maybe? And after like 30 seconds of me awkwardly standing there and being ignored, she took my order. I got my ice cream and went to where the straws are, where I expected the spoons to be. But there were no utensils.

So I went back up to the counter, and asked. The cashier—who spoke perfect English—handed me a fork and knife.

And as I write this, Surly Lady is staring at me?

And then a cop with his lights on pulled into the parking lot, came in, used the restroom, and left with the blue lights still on?

I sent that, expecting an end to insanity. No such luck:

So I’m sitting here looking out the window, and some guy at the stop sign to leave the parking lot opens his door and… I think he threw up?

Surly Lady’s twin sister (!) just walked in and talked to Surly Lady. She’s talking VERY loudly about how she just spent $200 at the supermarket, and she pulled out a receipt as long as she is tall to prove her point?

Job Benefits, Creepy

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One company’s job listing advertises the type of benefits its employees get… You know, health insurance, dental insurance, accidental death insurance…

Wait, what?

I suppose it’s actually a good thing, but I’m kind of left wondering what my odds of dying on the job there are?

Eyedness

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I mentioned in my previous post in passing about determining which was my “dominant eye,” something I’ve merrily gone 22 years without knowing I had.

Wikipedia refers to the subject as ocular dominance. Essentially, the brain “prefers” one eye over the other. Of course, this is something that ordinarily goes unnoticed, but it becomes quite important in some things, including, apparently, firing a weapon. There are two easy tests to determine your “eyedness,” as Wikipedia strangely lists as an accepted name:

  • Focus on a distant (6-10 feet is plenty) object. Hold both arms out in front of you, overlapping, and form a golf-ball-sized circle between your thumbs, viewing the image through it. And then, do one of the following:
    • Slowly pull your hands towards your face, keeping the image centered in the hole. Eventually, your hands end up in front of one eye. That’s your dominant eye.
    • Rather than pulling your hands back towards you and looking ridiculous, close one at a time. With one eye, you won’t be able to see the object: your hand covers it. (If you can see it through both, the hole through which you’re viewing it is way too big.) The eye you can see the object through is your dominant eye.
  • Or, with both eyes open and without paying too much attention, point at a distant object. (Don’t look at your finger or you’ll screw things up and have to start over.) Hold your arm steady and close one eye at a time. One finger will be pointing (more or less) right at the thing. The other is pretty far off. The one that’s accurate is your dominant eye.

Of course, I’m left wondering a few things:

  • Can you accurately use your non-dominant eye? With one eye closed, if you can align the sights of a gun with your target, isn’t it still going to be accurate? I’m trying to ‘test’ this, but doing it with a flashlight isn’t accurate enough, and I don’t have a laser pointer. Further, I feel like a total goofball sitting here squinting with one eye and shining a flashlight at the electrical socket on the other side of the room. To align the flashlight and flashlight, I do shift the flashlight a little, but in both cases, it’s being pointed in the same place; it’s just a question of the angle.
  • Can you change your dominant eye through practice or the like?
  • What are the implications in daily life of having your dominant eye be your weaker eye? Uncorrected, I’m something like 20/300 in that eye. Would my perception of scenes be better if my dominant eye was the one with better vision?
  • The Wikipedia page makes a cursory mention of the two eyes and how they’re processed by the two brain hemispheres. Does this related to being right-brained or left-brained? Is this like the spinning girl and seeing whether she spins right or left?