One Giant Leap...

Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5) is installed

2007-10-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

Some of my favorite things thus far:

- The Finder finally has a hot-key sequence to rearrange files by name in a folder. Ctrl + Command + 1 does the trick. Hallelujah! That's one of my most-used Finder features.

- Screen Sharing will be an incredibly useful tool for supporting other Mac users I know. How many times have I had to try to walk someone blindly through setting up something over the phone. Screenshots over iChat just aren't the same as having control to make fixes. Windows has had Remote Assistance for how many years now? It's about time, Apple!

- UNIX '03 certification. Nobody but me cares about this. But, it really is a great thing to have, especially for Apple's computers to become more acceptable to enterprise customers. I can use my UNIX software with a guaranteed simple re-compile on my Mac now.

- Xcode 3.0, Interface Builder 3.0, Xray, etc. They look like an incredible set of new development tools. I can't wait to dive in.

- Stacks are incredible. What a great feature. I've always kept my downloads in a separate folder, but it's great that that's now the system default. Stacks are a great way to see your most recent downloads.

- Quick Look and Finder application-aware document thumbnails -- finally a way to visually sort through and find what you're looking for quickly in the Finder windows.

- Console lines are separated by alternating white and blue lines. Makes reading the console logs so much easier.

- Terminal tabbed windows. I can finally have multiple Terminal sessions open in just one window. Saves lots of desktop space.

- Spaces will be great for separating out windows by task. I've used virtual desktops for years in UNIX.

Can't wait to dig into the rest. This is definitely my favorite upgrade since Panther.

Bug in IE7 colors?

2007-10-18T11:11:00.000-05:00

I loaded up Vista today on my PC, and just for grins, I browsed to one of my websites using Internet Explorer 7. My website uses the color "grey" for some of the text, which IE 7 renders as lime-green ("gray" works just fine). One of those "what-were-they-thinking" moments? As far as I know, "grey" has always been a supported color, regardles of whether you spell it "gray" or "grey".

NEXTSTEP in your pocket

2007-08-07T11:05:00.001-05:00

Another fellow soul that came to OS X by way of NeXT. Apparently, I'm not as much in the minority as I thought!

Canon PowerShot S3 IS Exif Re-Tagger

2007-02-28T09:03:00.000-06:00

For anyone with a Canon PowerShot S3 IS: you may have noticed that Canon does not populate the "ISO Speed" and "Focal Length (35mm)" Exif fields in the images taken with this camera (and many of the other late-model Canon point-and-shoot digital cameras). Since I use these Exif fields to differentiate images and track shooting information, I decided to write a script to backfill these Exif from the Canon MakerNote information, if it is available.

More information on my Software page.

An Inconvenient Truth...

2007-02-26T16:35:00.000-06:00

Talk about hypocrisy! From the DrudgeReport.com:

POWER: GORE MANSION USES 20X AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD; CONSUMPTION INCREASE AFTER 'TRUTH'
Mon Feb 26 2007 17:16:14 ET

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research, an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization committed to achieving a freer, more prosperous Tennessee through free market policy solutions, issued a press release late Monday:

Last night, Al Gore’s global-warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, collected an Oscar for best documentary feature, but the Tennessee Center for Policy Research has found that Gore deserves a gold statue for hypocrisy.

Gore’s mansion, [20-room, eight-bathroom] located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).

In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.

The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.

Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.

Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore’s energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.

Gore’s extravagant energy use does not stop at his electric bill. Natural gas bills for Gore’s mansion and guest house averaged $1,080 per month last year.

“As the spokesman of choice for the global warming movement, Al Gore has to be willing to walk to walk, not just talk the talk, when it comes to home energy use,” said Tennessee Center for Policy Research President Drew Johnson.

In total, Gore paid nearly $30,000 in combined electricity and natural gas bills for his Nashville estate in 2006.

For Further Information, Contact:
Nicole Williams, (615) 383-6431
editor@tennesseepolicy.org

World Trade Center

2006-08-16T12:47:00.000-05:00

After seeing World Trade Center last weekend, I was again reminded (thankfully) of the reasons we are at war. The World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001, was not the first attack on US soil that resulted in this war; it has been a long time coming. Captain Ouimette's speech below, given in 2003, explains this well:

America WAKE UP!

That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September, 2001, and maybe it was; but, I think it should have been "Get Out of Bed!" In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979, and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then.

It was a cool fall day in November, 1979, in a country going through a religious and political upheaval, when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This seizure was an outright attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this sovereign US embassy set the stage for the events to follow for the next 23 years.

America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Viet Nam experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union, when then-President Carter had to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but it stood as a symbol of America's inability to deal with terrorism. America's military had been decimated and downsized/right-sized since the end of the Viet Nam war. A poorly-trained, poorly-equipped and poorly-organized military was called on to execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start.

Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East. America could do little to protect her citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued.

In April of 1983, a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut. When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more. Then, just six short months later, a large truck heavily laden-down with over 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut. 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more. Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait, and America continues her slumber. The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gates of the US Embassy in Beirut, and America slept.

Soon, the terrorism spreads to Europe. In April 1985, a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid. Then, in August, a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main. 22 are killed, and the Snooze Alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US soil is continually attacked. Fifty-nine days later, a cruise ship -- the Achille Lauro -- is hijacked, and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed. The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4; and, the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killing 259. America wants to treat these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact, we are still trying to bring these people to trial. These are acts of war...the Wake Up alarm is louder and louder.

The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America. In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City. Six people are killed, and over 1000 are injured. Still, this is a crime and not an act of war? The Snooze alarm is depressed again.

Then, in November 1995, a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killing seven service men and women. A few months later, in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500.

The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond decisively. They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks were planned with precision, and they kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep.

The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen, for refueling on 12 October 2000, when a small craft pulled alongside the ship and exploded, killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep.

And of course you know the events of 11 September, 2001. Most Americans think this was the first attack against US soil or in America. How wrong they are. America has been under a constant attack since 1979, and we chose to hit the snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep.

In the news lately, we have seen lots of finger-pointing from every high official in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But, if you've read the papers and paid a little attention, I think you can see exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since 1979. The President is right-on, when he says we are engaged in a war. I think we have been in a war for the past 23 years, and it will continue until we as a people decide enough is enough.

America has to "Get out of Bed" and act decisively now. America has changed forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to hit the Snooze Button again and roll over and go back to sleep. We have to make the terrorists know that, in the words of Admiral Yamamoto after the attack on Pearl Harbor, "...all they have done is to awaken a sleeping giant."

Thank you very much.

Dan Ouimette
Captain, US Navy
Speech before the Pensacola, FL Civitan Club (19 Feb 2003)

Next month, I will have the opportunity to visit Ground Zero on the 5th anniversary of that horrific day. I hope we, as a nation, learn from 9/11; I hope we learn that evil cannot be swept under the rug and ignored forever.

A new member of the "Cult of Mac"

2006-08-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

"Now I'm a believer": I thought this was a good read. It seems to be reflective of a lot of comments I hear these days from programmers and normal computer users alike. People are finally seeing the Mac for what it is -- very usable, clean and quick. The author sums it up pretty well here (emphasis mine):

I was for many years of the opinion that Windows was good enough, and that the advantages of a much greater choice of software and the ready availability of technical support - not to mention the lower cost - made it the more sensible choice.

But I eventually tired of the endless reboots, the constant threat of viral infection, and the incredibly clunky nature of Windows. I live on my computer, for work and play, and it's important to have the best. Once the Mac went with the Intel processor, my mind was made up.
...
The Mac makes it all easy, with maximum integration and with a supremely elegant operating system. And I've had to reboot twice in two weeks, down from twice a day under Windows.

Postmodernism and the basis for truth

2006-08-03T17:10:00.000-05:00

Wow! G.K. Chesterton provided amazing insight into our current society's postmodernist way of thinking.

"But the new rebel is a skeptic, and will not entirely trust anything. He has no loyalty; therefore he can never be really a revolutionist. And the fact that he doubts everything really gets in his way when he wants to denounce anything. For all denunciation implies a moral doctrine of some kind; and the modern revolutionist doubts not only the institution he denounces, but the doctrine by which he denounces it. Thus he writes one book complaining that imperial oppression insults the purity of women, and then he writes another book in which he insults it himself. He curses the Sultan because Christian girls lose their virginity, and then curses Mrs. Grundy because they keep it. As a politician, he will cry out that war is a waste of life, and then, as a philosopher, that all life is waste of time. A Russian pessimist will denounce a policeman for killing a peasant, and then prove by the highest philosophical principles that the peasant ought to have killed himself. A man denounces marriage as a lie, and then denounces aristocratic profligates for treating it as a lie. He calls a flag a bauble, and then blames the oppressors of Poland or Ireland because they take away that bauble. The man of this school goes first to a political meeting, where he complains that savages are treated as if they were beasts; then he takes his hat and umbrella and goes on to a scientific meeting, where he proves that they practically are beasts. In short, the modern revolutionist, being an infinite skeptic, is always engaged in undermining his own mines. In his book on politics he attacks men for trampling on morality; in his book on ethics he attacks morality for trampling on men. Therefore the modern man in revolt has become practically useless for all purposes of revolt. By rebelling against everything he has lost his right to rebel against anything." (G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909)

Some great commentary on this passage is written here. And, to hear more about The Basis for Truth, listen to Ravi Zacharias:

The Basis for Truth - Utah State (Part 1 of 5) [13:30 min]

The Basis for Truth - Utah State (Part 2 of 5) [13:30 min]

The Basis for Truth - Utah State (Part 3 of 5) [13:30 min]

The Basis for Truth - Utah State (Part 4 of 5) [13:30 min]

The Basis for Truth - Utah State (Part 5 of 5) [13:30 min]

Common ancestry

2006-04-20T09:55:00.000-05:00

Finally, I found someone else with the same computing background, who found themselves transitioning to the Mac when OS X was unveiled, the same as I did. Those NeXT machines and the NEXTSTEP/OpenStep OS were incredible!

BF2

2006-04-19T13:05:00.000-05:00

Oh, my brother's gonna love this... ;-p

Well, no game has ever captured my interest like this one: Battlefield 2. It's very team-oriented, and it takes working together to win the battles. I'm also a part of Battlefield 2 Combat, which is an organized weekly tournament within Battlefield 2. We've just started Tour 3, and it looks like it will be a great time, once again. Take a look at me ("[3IF]TemporalBandit") and some of my fellow players across the US on Frapper. You can also check my stats at BF2 Player.

My crazy brother-in-law...

2006-04-11T10:11:00.000-05:00

We've got to get him into the Betty Ford Center soon...

Now, Windows inside Mac OS X

2006-04-06T13:39:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a busy couple of days, regarding running Windows on a Mac. Today, a company named Parallels began providing software that makes use of Intel's Virtualization Technology on the Yonah (Core Duo) processors. This allows you to run Windows (or Linux, Solaris, OS/2, etc.) in a window inside Mac OS X. Gee, what will tomorrow bring?

Welcome to Windows on the Mac

2006-04-05T10:53:00.000-05:00

Well, Apple today announced support for booting Windows on the new Intel-based Macs. This opens up a whole new world of useability with the Mac, including playing PC games on the Mac (Apple may have effectively just shut the doors of all the Mac-based gaming companies!). The new software/firmware combination is called Boot Camp.

Solitude and Silence

2006-03-23T09:05:00.000-06:00

I read a quote from A.W. Tozer today that aptly describes my life, even though it was written some 40+ years ago. It's hard to find solitude and silence in today's hustle and bustle of life with television, cell phones and, especially, the Internet.

Modern civilization is so complex as to make the
devotional life all but impossible. It wears us out by
multiplying distractions and beats us down destroying our
solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our
strength, before going out to face the world again. "The
thoughtful soul to solitude retires," said the poet* of other
and quieter times; but where is the solitude to which we can
retire today? "Commune with your own heart upon your bed and
be still,"** is a wise and healing counsel; but how can it be
followed in this day of the newspaper, the telephone, the
radio and television? These modern playthings, like pet tiger
cubs, have grown so large and dangerous that they threaten to
devour us all. What was intended to be a blessing has become a
positive curse. No spot is now safe from the world's
intrusion. The need for solitude and quietness was never
greater than it is today. What the world will do about it is
their problem. Apparently the masses want it the way it is,
and the majority of Christians are so completely conformed to
this present age that they, too, want things the way they are.
They may be annoyed a bit by the clamor and by the
goldfish-bowl existence they live, but apparently they are not
annoyed enough to do anything about it.
... A. W. Tozer (1897-1963), Of God and Men [1960]

* from Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, stanza IV
** Psalm 4:4b (KJV)

ICANN let us down

2006-03-03T08:16:00.000-06:00

Am I the only one that thinks this is a bad idea? Expect your .com domains to increase in price up to 28% over the next 4-6 years....

Java segmentation fault after OS X 10.4.5 update

2006-02-27T09:40:00.000-06:00

Anyone else having this problem? I use the Java VM to run programs for work every day. A few days ago, I installed the OS X 10.4.5 update, and now Java crashes each time I try to start it:

Computer:~/ username$ java -version
Segmentation fault

This looks suspiciously like the problem seen here in 10.3.9 after the update was applied.

I've tried rebuilding the Java cache using:

java -Xdump

per the instructions from the 10.3.9 link above, but I still get a segmentation fault when running this. Strange thing is that this only occurs on Java 1.4.2 (which is the release I have to use).

I can run 1.5.0 and 1.3.1 just fine, from their respective directories:

Computer:/System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.3/Commands username$ ./java -version
java version "1.3.1_16"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.3.1_16-root_1.3.1_050718-17:36)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.3.1_09-82, mixed mode)

Computer:/System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5/Commands username$ ./java -version
java version "1.5.0_05"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0_05-83)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.5.0_05-48, mixed mode, sharing)

Java 1.4.2 just crashes:

Computer:/System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.4/Commands username$ ./java -version
Segmentation fault

Upcoming Apple Announcements

2006-02-25T17:40:00.000-06:00

Well, everyone waits with bated breath for the new Apple announcements on Tuesday, Feb 28th. Sounds like it will be a great product announcement day, with rumors saying there will be a new Intel-based Mac mini. I might just jump on that! Well, depending on whether it's dual-core or not...

The rumor roundup

Expectations of a new Mac mini (and iPod "Hi-Fi")

OS X Terminal/X11 xterm Focus

2006-01-30T16:15:00.000-06:00

For those who have jumped to Mac OS X from a Unix-type environment (Solaris, Linux, AIX, etc.), OS X has an X11 window manager as part of the core OS. This allows you both access to the command-line of the powerful OS X operating system and remote-display of applications from other Unix-type machines.

One thing is missing (by default) that I've missed, until now: focus-follows-mouse. For those that don't know, this changes the window focus under X11 (or the Terminal application) when you move your mouse over the window. No need to click on the window to cause the focus to change to that window. This is especially handy when copying-and-pasting between windows.

So, here goes. To change the X11 xterm and Terminal default behavior to focus-follows-mouse, go to an xterm or the Terminal app and type:

defaults write com.apple.x11 wm_ffm true
defaults write com.apple.Terminal FocusFollowsMouse -string YES

To change them back to the default, simply type:

defaults write com.apple.x11 wm_ffm false
defaults write com.apple.Terminal FocusFollowsMouse -string NO

Or, you can delete the preferences completely (if you're paranoid) by typing:

defaults delete com.apple.x11 wm_ffm
defaults delete com.apple.Terminal FocusFollowsMouse

Hope that helps someone out there!

The Left and the Right

2006-01-30T11:25:00.000-06:00

One day, a florist goes to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he asks about his bill, and the barber replies, "I'm sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I'm doing community service this week." The florist is pleased and leaves the shop. The next morning, when the barber goes to open up, there is a thank-you card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he goes to pay his bill, the barber again replies, "I'm sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I'm doing community service this week." The cop is happy and leaves the shop. The next morning, when the barber goes to open up, there is a thank-you card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Later, a Republican comes in for a haircut, and when he goes to pay his bill the barber again replies, "I'm sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I'm doing community service this week." The Republican is very happy and leaves the shop. The next morning, when the barber goes to open up, there are a thank-you card and a dozen different books such as "How to Improve Your Business" and "Becoming More Successful".

Then, a Democrat comes in for a haircut, and when he goes to pay his bill the barber again replies, "I'm sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I'm doing community service this week." The Democrat is very happy and leaves the shop. The next morning, when the barber goes to open up, there are a dozen Democrats lined up outside waiting for a free haircut.

And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the left and the right!

Peace in Israel?

2006-01-30T11:11:00.000-06:00

I find it hard to believe that peace in Israel will progress at all now, with Hamas as the new parliamentary majority in the new Palestinian state. Their defined goal is basically to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. So much for the "land for peace" initiatives. And, now they speak of creating a Palestinian "army" with their military (a.k.a., terrorism) branch. Oh, and don't forget that Hamas has stated that they will not cease bombings of Israeli civilians.

It still amazes me all the people who gripe and complain about the War on Terror. Yes, there are casualties of war, as is the case for any war in history -- that is a shame, but it is life. However, when you do nothing and capitulate to evil, evil will reign.

Not that this is any surprise. There will never be peace in Israel, until the end times. The Bible speaks to this in the book of Revelation and in the Books of the Prophets.

A great commentary on this. I'm amazed no one saw this coming....

Diving In...

2006-01-13T14:53:00.000-06:00

Recently, I was able to purchase a new Digital SLR: the Nikon D50. This D50 replaces my current film body, the Nikon N80, which has been a terrific camera. The new D50 is an amazing camera. It functions nearly identically to my N80, but it has the added feature of being able to review my last shot taken. This is simply amazing when using an SLR camera! And, all my Nikkor lenses fit and work on the D50 -- a testament to the Nikon F-Mount. Lenses from the 1950s can still be used on nearly any Nikon SLR or D-SLR.

This isn't my first foray into digital cameras. I started with a series of digital point-and-shoot cameras. First was an Olympus Camedia Brio D-150 Zoom, which broke after falling about 12" on to a carpeted floor -- not the best quality camera, obviously.... The second one was a Casio QV-R40, which was a great, fast camera for outdoor shots. Indoors, it needed an auto-focus (AF) illuminator, which it lacked. But, overall, it took great pictures. My latest digital camera is a Nikon Coolpix 5400 -- a terrific camera with a wide-angle lens (28-105mm equivalent in the film world). The Coolpix 5400 is a great camera for snapshots (and I still use it), but I wanted something more -- something I could manually focus and use all my knowledge of SLRs with. Something that would be the successor to my Nikon N80, which I use when I want to get great shots of family gatherings or vivid travel photos. My N80 has been around the world with me, and I have taken some great shots with it. It has never given me any problems, and I can count on the Nikon Matrix metering exposure to be dead-on.

The Nikon D50 looks to be great SLR camera. I can't wait to get some springtime pictures.... And, maybe some macro shots while we're shut up indoors this winter.

Looks like I made the switch and dove into digital just in time...

Nikon to Stop Making Most Film Camera - Planning to Focus on Digital Photography

Apple Acquisition Syndrome

2006-01-10T12:56:00.000-06:00

Dang, I guess my PowerBook G4 is now officially obsolete...

Read about Apple's new Intel Core Duo-based MacBook Pro and Intel Core Duo-based iMac.

Must...fight...urge...to Buy-It-Now.... ;-)

Edit: Watch the new Mac-Intel ad.

Content and Conviction...

2006-01-04T12:20:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite speakers/pastors/expositors is Ravi Zacharias. He is amazingly intelligent and insightful, with a firm foundation in God's Word. He has a radio/tape ministry that comes on each week called "Let My People Think".

I caught up on some of these radio podcasts over the Christmas holidays, and heard one that was simple incredible. It is entitled "Creedal Affirmation in Search of Commitment" (Part 1 & Part 2).

Amazing to think that, in the major American church denominations, very few still believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. We have Moses and the Prophets; we do not need a miracle to believe.

Take a listen, and post your thoughts....

Star Trek is upon us

2005-11-25T22:57:00.000-06:00

Well, according to The Register, the Star Trek vision of holographic computer storage has apparently come to be. And, it will be available next year! Maxell, and another company called OptWare, are both set to unveil new holographic storage products in the coming year. This should be interesting, as they boast 300GB to 1.6TB of storage space and a shelf life of 50+ years.

And, in other news, the "Holodeck" appears to have arrived as well. Maybe Gene Roddenberry wasn't so far off in his vision of the future....

Now, how's that transporter thingie coming along?

Centering tables in XHTML

2005-11-23T14:54:00.000-06:00

Something that was driving me nuts, trying to create dynamic PHP/XHTML pages recently: you cannot easily center tables. I found a hint here that gives a (non-elegant but functional) solution.

The end of Hotmail

2005-11-18T10:24:00.000-06:00

Looks like Hotmail will be coming to an end in the near future, to be replaced with Windows Live™ Mail.

Applying Newton in a new way

2005-11-17T15:43:00.000-06:00

Well, in what may be the shape of things to come, a company called Agela has created the new PhysX chip for your PC that will enable game developers to offload physics processing within their games onto its specialized processor. Popular Mechanics has an article about it in their "Best of What's New in 2005" article.

BFG Technologies and ASUS are reportedly have daughterboards that utilize their new chip. We now have sound cards, video cards, game cards and now physics cards to use in games -- what could be next?

Free Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Express

2005-11-10T15:29:00.000-06:00

For those that have ever wanted to dabble in writing code for Windows, here's a great opportunity to get, arguably, the best development environment for Windows.

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Express for free

This includes development environments for Visual C++, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual J#, etc. So, most all of the bases are covered. It also includes an Express version of a SQL server.

Be sure to download the packages before November 7th, 2006, when they revert back to being paid-for software.

Need your gadget fix?

2005-11-10T14:45:00.000-06:00

A friend showed me a great blog today (thanks, Trey!). For all those techno-savvy people out there, this is great! Some of the wildest and weirdest new gadgets available:

http://www.techeblog.com/

Now, I've GOT to figure out how to play Doom on my iPod.... ;->

Week numbers bug in Entourage 2004

2005-11-09T18:32:00.000-06:00

There's a bug in Entourage 2004 for Mac; enough said! If you rely on week numbers, as I do for work, the week numbers are off for 2005; Entourage is always 1 week behind, if your week starts on a Sunday as it does in the US. For example, this should be Week 45 of 2005; however, Entourage shows it as Week 44.

There is a workaround for this bug for 2005: change your 'First day of week' to 'Monday', rather than the default of Sunday. This can be found in Entourage's Preferences, under General Preferences: Calendar. See below:

This, however, is only a temporary fix. When January 1st, 2006, rolls around, you'll have to figure out which day to start your week on again for correct week numbers (I'm betting on Sunday this time 'round).

The 'root' of the matter

2005-11-08T15:35:00.000-06:00

I ran across this very interesting article today. While this really doesn't currently affect Mac OS X, it theoretically could, eventually. However, in order for this to work, someone has to gain access to the root password of your machine -- another reason to make sure you have a good password! If you don't have the root password turned on (or don't know what I'm talking about), you probably don't need to worry about this -- OS X, by default, disables the root password on your system.

Mac Security: Identifying Changes to the File System by Peter Hickman -- Black-hat hackers often use a bundle of tools called a rootkit to secure access to your machine and cover their tracks. When working on your computer, they need to store files and be sure that you will not stumble across them and get suspicious. Peter Hickman explains how this works.

Inside Jack

2005-11-08T12:15:00.000-06:00

Sun Microsystems gets creative in their marketing. The never-ending battle between the "marketing droids" (sorry, sweetie) and the engineers!

These make me chuckle:

Inside Jack #1 (The Sun-Microsoft Thing)
Inside Jack #2 (Solaris 10)
Inside Jack #3 (AMD)
Inside Jack #4 (Dual Core Sun Fire v40z)

...so much, in fact, that I got the T-shirt..."No, I will not fix your computer."

The UN taking over the Internet?

2005-11-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

OK, here's your scary thought-for-the-day: The UN taking over control of the Internet. Gee, you mean the one worldwide organization that can't run anything correctly is now trying to vie for control of the free Internet? I can't imagine how this could turn out good.

The nerd is complete

2005-11-08T09:48:00.000-06:00

Well, I guess I'm getting older these days: I finally went to an optometrist, since it had been probably on the order of 10+ years since I'd seen one last. My eyes were getting sore, dry and blurred from staring at this computer screen all day long.

My worst fears (well, not really) came true: I need glasses. Goodbye 20/20 vision.

So, I guess I'm getting older these days....

You know you're from Texas if...

2005-11-07T16:57:00.000-06:00

Couldn't help putting this up, for those that haven't seen it...

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM TEXAS IF:

~You can properly pronounce Corsicana, Palestine, Decatur, Wichita Falls, San Antonio, Mexia, Waco, and Amarillo.

~A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.

~You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

~You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.

~You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.

~You measure distance in minutes.

~Little Smokies are something you serve only for special occasions.

~You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.

~You know cowpies are not made of beef.

~Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.

~You have known someone who has had one belt buckle bigger than your fist.

~You aren't surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, and bait all in the same store.

~A Mercedes Benz is not a status symbol. A Chevy 3500 4x4 is.

~You know everything goes better with Ranch.

~You actually get these jokes and are "fixin' " to send them to your friends.

~You go to the river/lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.

~Finally, you are 100% Texan if you have ever heard this conversation:

"You wanna coke?"
"Yeah."
"What kind?"
"Dr. Pepper."

Finally, a reason to go to the movies again

2005-11-07T16:35:00.000-06:00

Disney has finally come up with a reason for us movie-goers, spoiled by home theatres and bored with high-prices and mediocre movies at theatres, to return to the cinemas.

With the release of Disney's "Chicken Little", moviegoers will get to experience the next generation of movie-going. The movie will play, not from film, but instead via computers and digital projectors. The movie will be "shipped" to the theatre, not in cans, but via computer networks. And, it will be in a new flavor of 3-D!

A fascinating read...

What the world needs now...

2005-11-05T11:13:00.000-06:00

I tried booting my PowerBook G4 today, and I was greeted with a nice blinking globe icon. I had never seen this before, but it turned out to be similar to the blinking folder with a question mark I'd seen on earlier Macs. The cause: the computer was confused as to where its operating system and/or NetBoot server was located. Kinda made sense, as I'd just told it to boot from an external drive with my most-recent backup on it. Well, apparently, it didn't like that backup (good to know, in case of emergency!).

So, I followed the instructions at Apple's support site, and ran the Disk Utility to repair my startup disk. It didn't really find anything wrong with it, which is good. I restarted the Mac, and saw the blinking globe once more...then, the blinking folder with a question mark...then, the grey Apple OS X boot screen. Whew! Glad to know things like this are easily fixed.

Now, it's time for another backup (that works, this time)!

Give me a break

2005-10-21T15:01:00.000-05:00

Frivolous lawsuits are way out of control in this country. Here's a good example in yesterday's news:

nano owners sue Apple

So, let me get this straight -- if I buy an Apple iPod nano, and I scratch the screen, then I'm entitled to a full refund of what I paid for the nano, plus punitive and statutory damages, plus my lawyer's fees, and a share of the profits for all iPod nano's sold?

Gee, that sounds like about the best investment strategy ever created! Pay $199 and get millions in return!

What is this country coming to? Doesn't anyone have common sense anymore? :-(

Seriously, though, if there's a defect in manufacturing of the iPod nano, Apple should fix it. And, for the sake of the internet, they should probably work a deal with disgruntled owners to trade their scratched nanos in. But, come-on people -- is this really causing you major trauma?

My Christmas wishlist

2005-10-19T17:08:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know the meaning of Christmas (and it ain't all about gettin' gifts). But, honestly...it's a short list this year...only one thing...well, four things...on it! (Well, I guess a dual-core machine needs dual 30-inch Cinema Displays, too. I mean, you have to accessorize, right?)

Everybody sing:

"All I want for Christmas is a new G5, a new G5, yes, a new G5!"

I can't imagine having this kind of power in a desktop workstation:

Two dual-core 2.5GHz PowerPC G5 chips
1MB cache per core (4MB total cache!)
1.25GHz frontside bus per processor
Up to 16GB DDR2 (PC2-4200) SDRAM
Optional nVidia GeForce 7800 GT with 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM
Up to 1 Terabyte of Serial ATA hard disk space
16x SuperDrive with double-layer support
PCI Express
Optical digital audio in/out
Dual 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet ports
Optional Airport Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)

...all in a super-slick Aluminum case, and it even includes the new Mighty Mouse. What more could a programmer possibly want? This is the Binford 5000 of all computers! :-)

Now, can they just fit that into a PowerBook?

This means war!

2005-10-19T15:57:00.000-05:00

So, I discussed my rationale earlier about trying to run off the squirrels that were destroying my bird feeders. Now, I've run out of patience. They've pushed me to the limit, and I'm about to go postal on them! The pistol ain't cutting it, and they're beginning to mock my poor shooting abilities. It's time to go find the shotgun....

Heaven on earth...

2005-10-18T12:05:00.000-05:00

OK, so a certain someone put the thought of my favorite place on earth in my mind this week. Now, I can't seem to get it off my mind; so, I might as well blog about it, right?

Hawai`i, and Maui and Kaua`i specifically, have got to be the closest thing to heaven on earth. Well, the climate, the beautiful flowers and trees, and the peoples' hearts, at least. Politics, hedonism, and history aside, it simply is heaven on earth for me. I can't think of a better place to travel on this round globe of ours. There is so much to see, in such a small area of land in the middle of the Pacific. Maui has mountains, the tallest of which is over 10,000 feet; it even gets snow in the winter. Kaua`i has Mount Wai`ale`ale, the wettest place on earth, that averages over 485 inches (over 39 feet!) of rain each year. Not to mention, each island has unbeatable beaches, SCUBA diving and snorkeling.

The best thing about the Hawai`ian Islands is that I can enjoy all my hobbies in one place: SCUBA diving the reefs and craters with my lovely wife, taking pictures, and beach-combing/people-watching. The Hawai`ian Islands provide some of the most amazing places and flowers to capture on film (or CompactFlash, or whatever). It's inspirational, and I have captured most of my favorite pictures of all time here with my camera.

My hope is to return here soon. It's been almost 5 years since I've seen Hawai`ian soil, and well, that's just too long away from paradise....

Them Crazy Varmints!

2005-10-17T22:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally got fed up with the squirrels chewing up my birdfeeders, and I decided to fight back. Can't catch the little boogers (they're too darned fast), so I decided a BB gun was the answer, to deter them from my feeders. Trust me, I have no desire to kill squirrels, but I DO want to tan their backsides as a reminder and to keep them away from my feeders.

Anyways, I found the coolest air pistol I've ever used (at Wal-Mart of all places!). Meet the Crosman PPK/S. It's a knock-off of the famous Walther PPK used by the British Secret Service and 007 himself; and, it has a real slide-bolt action, just like the original. Each time you shoot, the bolt slides backwards to re-cock the gun. It holds a 15-shot removable magazine, to keep them squirrel-poppers coming!

So far, I'm not that good of a shot, apparently. But, the squirrels are afraid of me.... :-)

The case of the iMac G3 and the missing Firewire

2005-10-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

Well, a few months ago, I convinced my wife to get a Mac. For her, it was a space issue on her desk (she liked the iMac's all-in-one design); for me, I needed to get her over to the "dark side" for my own peace of mind (and less problems than her PC).

A local vendor (which had never sold Macs before) actually had some older iMac G3 CRTs in stock for around US$100. Couldn't beat that, so we took the plunge. It would be a nice addition to my awesome PowerBook G4 that (I dare say) I could not live without.

Thus begins this story.... Two days ago, I wanted to upgrade the hard drive in this iMac. So, I started trying to backup the current hard drive, only to find out that the Firewire ports were no longer working. After a few minutes on Google and Apple's support site, I found what I was looking for. Apparently, this can happen if the power goes out suddenly and knocks the iMac's PMU (Power Management Unit) for a loop. I thought to myself: the power had gone out several times a couple weeks ago. But, luckily, there was an easy fix:

Restart the iMac, while holding down Option-Apple-O-F to enter Open Firmware.
Release the keys when instructed to do so.
At the prompt, type:

reset-NVRAM [hit return key]

set-defaults [hit return key]

reset-all [hit return key]

Note: these are all case-sensitive.
This will restart the iMac, and you may have to reset your clock.
If the above steps don't work, try shutting down the iMac and then pull the power plug for about 15 minutes. Plug it back in, and power the iMac up.
Everything should be working now!

As an aside, this "Indigo" iMac is an amazingly-designed machine. The Harman/Kardon-designed sound system is designed to use the entire case to enhance the sound, and everything inside is placed perfectly (and easy to service). Another note: the iMac G3 has a video port on the back-bottom, under a perforated cover. Never knew that was there, but I'd assume you can do video mirroring (and possibly spanning) using this port. Nice to know it's there, in case the CRT fails at any point.

Learn something new everyday....

Microsoft strikes again

2005-10-14T23:46:00.000-05:00

Well, it was time to break out the ole' PC yesterday. Hadn't updated Windows (well, even booted up Windows) in a couple of months, so it was time for an update, or two, or 27??? Sheesh....

But Microsoft had different plans for me. They apparently think that my LEGAL because I have to re-install it every 6 months. Now, I can't get updates for Windows XP, because it won't "validate" me as using a "Genuine" copy of Windows.

Hackers strike back... So I found this little jewel of a tip on the internet and thought I'd pass it on here. It's an easy way to bypass the validation on Windows Update and get your much-needed Windows XP updates.

Bypass Windows validation tool

Thanks for the tip! It saved me hours of frustration!