All because some po-dunk data center in downtown LA forgot to service their UPS units.

Blah.

--S

Date:	2006-02-18 01:39
Subject:	The future of the human race.
Security:	Public
Mood:	cynical

Once upon a time, I believed that the human race would eventually have to go to the stars to survive, simply to have enough room to hold all the people.

That has changed.

I now believe that the human race eventually must go to the stars because none of us can seem to get along sufficiently in large groups, and we're all going to eventually kill each other off.

--S

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1923218,00.asp

Our patent law is pretty messed up. It lets companies build their businesses around a given technology for several years, at which point another company can come along and go "Oops! You're infringing our patents! Pay up!". How messed up is that? I think we need to rename Intellectual Property to Intellectual Extortion.

I'm not generally against patents (although software patents are iffy in my book), but I do think that there needs to be a requirement that companies attempt to enforce their patents. If you let a company use it for years without saying anything, then it should be taken legally as an implicit royalty-free license. The only exception would be if you didn't know that the company's product existed (which can definitely NOT be the case in this example).

And for another example, we have the whole Blackberry deal.

--S

Date:	2006-01-24 03:48
Subject:	Learn something new every day...
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Cockmaster

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/basketball/nba/12/09/shorts.grievance.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

They must be bored.

--S

Date:	2005-12-07 13:24
Subject:	Looking for good help...
Security:	Public
Mood:	cheerful

If you know any really good Linux admins in the Los Angeles/Santa Monica area, please send them my way. I'm looking for a couple.

If I know you, you're a good Linux admin, and you're interested in moving here, let me know that too.

I'm still not saying publically where I work, but suffice to say that it's one of the top 5 web sites in the US, and it's a great place to work. Seriously, I need people. I'm not joking.

Seems I don't really know anyone in the tech industry in LA anymore...

--S

Date:	2005-11-28 17:41
Subject:	Hmph.
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused

Sometimes, life makes you wonder.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/11/28/macdonald.wendy.ap/index.html

--S

Date:	2005-11-25 11:55
Subject:	HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Security:	Public
Mood:	content

I've been bad and haven't posted in a while or two. I promise, I'll post soon.

But first, I have to help my parents start decorating for Christmas, and then go play some golf.

--S

Date:	2005-11-02 01:26
Subject:	::sigh::
Security:	Public
Mood:	annoyed

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/11/01/alqaeda.escape.ap/index.html

I'm not sure what's scarier: the fact that three fricking AL QUEDA operatives were in US custody and ESCAPED...

...or the fact that it's so convenient relative to this dude's abuse trial.

I worry about the state of our government sometimes. Well, okay, a LOT since Bush Junior took office.

--S

OMG OMG OMG! There's mist falling from the sky over Pacific Coast Highway! It's the end of the world! If we drive faster than 5MPH we're all going to die!

--S

Date:	2005-10-23 13:00
Subject:	Another day, another new Canon
Security:	Public
Mood:	calm
Music:	The Calling - Could It Be Any Harder

For anyone who's thinking about buying the new Canon EOS 5D, you should check out this review. It's got a tremendous amount of useful information (including one particular image that, for the first time that I've seen, visually explains the difference between APS and full-frame sensors.

My personal inclination, based on what I read in that review, is to skip the 5D and wait for the next generation (for reasons entirely aside from the fact that I just updated to the 20D to begin with).

Quite possibly the biggest surprise to me about the 5D is that it does not have a built-in flash (neither, it turns out, do any of the models in the 1D(s) line, near as I can tell -- something I didn't know until now). Until I get ready to do really and truly serious photography, that built-in flash will remain pretty useful to me, and would be sorely missed. I'm not a pro, and I don't want to have to lug my 420EX everywhere just in case I need to use a flash.

That said, the full-frame sensor would be really REALLY nice. But I really don't want to pick up yet another camera body -- not until the end of 2006 probably, unless Canon releases something miraculous. Gotta get some use out of the 20D, and may as well do it while they improve the cameras that much more...

--S

Date:	2005-10-21 18:12
Subject:	small world...
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused

If anyone remembers OmniDynmc from the Undernet days of old, it turns out that I've been working with him for the last month without realizing it. He's our network geek.

Go figure. :-)

--S

Date:	2005-10-14 22:50
Subject:	Amusement for the day
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused
Music:	Chantal Kreviazuk - Souls

If I weren't single, I'd probably be silly enough to wear something like this...

*goes back to browsing*

-S

Date:	2005-10-13 22:29
Subject:	Sometimes you just gotta wonder...
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused
Music:	Montgomery Gentry - My Town

"Whatever people say about America, it is still one of the most wonderful countries in the world, despite the politics, religion and everything else that goes on." --Peter Mayhew

--S

Date:	2005-10-07 23:01
Subject:	Sometimes I feel lucky...
Security:	Public
Mood:	calm
Music:	Dido - Here With Me

The view from my office...

Date:	2005-10-06 01:38
Subject:	Hrm.
Security:	Public
Mood:	tired

I don't like this whole concept of "the week is for work." It's lame. I want more free time.

I am enjoying my new job though, which is good.

And I have a new LJ icon, courtesy of the city of Santa Monica! Yay!

Off to sleep, so I can get up in 6 hours and drive to downtown LA for my "orientation." I hate those things...

--S

Dude at CDW just told me that you can't get dual DVI ports on a PCI graphics card because "the PCI bus doesn't have enough bandwidth." Yeah. Whatever, moron.

--S

Date:	2005-10-02 22:29
Subject:	What a world.
Security:	Public
Mood:	sleepy

Just finished moving. Whirlwind trip to the bay, all the usual annoyances with the people I give my money away to, etc. Got it all done though, so now I can at least live entirely in one place.

I will be going up for haloween though if I can swing it.

On an aside, Liz and I went to see Serenity on Friday evening. GREAT freakin' movie. I'd heard about the show but I hadn't seen it, and I loved it. I now own (and have watched) the DVD's. I'm very disappointed that there's only a half season of it -- if it had stayed around it may well have become my favorite SF show. :-(

Oh well, I wouldn't mind re-watching an ep before I head to sleep. I'm friggin' exhausted.

--S (*yaaaawwwwnnnn*)

Date:	2005-09-28 21:45
Subject:	The LA lights *are* as bright as in the movies...
Security:	Public
Mood:	cynical
Music:	The Sounds of ABC News, Volume 1

The view from my home...

Date:	2005-09-27 19:52
Subject:	Busy!
Security:	Public
Mood:	busy
Music:	Nothing - I'm busy!

I just got home from work. That place is a madhouse.

I think it's going to keep me... BUSY!

Oh well. I have a few "days off" now. Note the quotes -- I have to go move the rest of the way out of my apartment during those "days off". Ugh.

Too frazzled to post anything more intelligent than this...

--S