May 31, 2005
The webcam is back!
After 7 months down, the Webcam is back in action! You can find it in the left-hand menu bar (it's the only image in there). I don't think I'll be having multiple cams going (at one point there were 4 or 5), but now that I have a full-time desktop machine (instead of a laptop that moved around), I can use the cam again regularly. You'll get exciting views of my office at home, the view out my windows, or possibly the clutter of my desk. Enjoy!
memorial day wrapup
Holy moly, what a great weekend. Three-day weekends tend to be great in general, but this one was packed full of fun. Went to Eric's on Friday for some BBQing, then played Strato and D&D on Saturday, capped with a dinner at the Tustin Brewing Company. Sunday was more layed back, we slept in late, hung out with some friends, and generally relaxed. Monday we had more friends over for a BBQ, then finished the day with a poker tournament (won by yours truely). Good times!
May 27, 2005
My online history
1995 was a big year for me. 10 years ago I was finishing up my junior year of high school, I was about a week away from having my first girlfriend, and I finally decided to sit down and see if I could attach the 2400 baud modem I had to the only computer in the house, an Apple IIgs. The rest, as they say, is history.
I'm not exactly sure on the date, but it was after school on a weekday afternoon in early June when I finally got the whole thing to work. I'd been using my brother-in-law's IIgs for a couple years, mostly for school. It had a few games, too, and I was using it to learn computers in general. I'd used other Apples at school, and some IBM clones at friend's houses, but none of those had internet access. The internet, in fact, was something I knew very little about. I'd heard of Bulletin Board Systems, though, and had a general idea of how they worked.
(More geekiness continues. Click below for more!)
I had been given a modem with the computer (or from my older brother), but when I'd tried to get them to work together earlier in the year, something didn't work right. I was curious about what kind of stuff was available, especially IIgs software, which was hard to find in stores. I sat down with the hardware again, hooked it up, and played with a terminal program to see if the modem was working at all. I don't know how I learned the commands, but I got it to generate tones, so I knew it was working in some regard. Finally I found a list of BBSes in the local paper (that I now work for...hehe) and dialed one up.
It worked!
I was using Proterm or some similar terminal program, and that one had no ANSI support, so everything was white-on-black (or green). I don't remember which board I first used, but it wasn't Emerald Isle (my regular haunt for quite a while) or Digital Decay or any of the other boards I called with some regularity. The interface of the board was easy, and I signed up for an account. Either that board or the others I signed up for that week required "call back verification" to make sure you weren't going to do something bad, so you'd hang out and the BBS would call you back. I remember having to yell to everyone else in the house not to pick up the phone, and to let the computer get it.
These boards had a variety of offerings. Most were one or two-line deals, with message posting areas and file downloads. Some had small chat systems to allow you to chat with other users in real time, and most also had some games. Some were Apple IIgs themed, and others catered to people looking for hacking information, or adult material, or games. some even offered Bitnet or fidonet accounts, or "internet email". Not knowing many people online, I didn't worry about this for a while.
The newspaper came out with a weekly list of BBS numbers and descriptions in their Monday business section, and the list was large enough to give me many choices. One I found was called "Emerald Isle", and was a chat/games board, primarily. This was the first "community" I found online; lots of people my age, most much more knowledgeable than I was about computers, but everyone local and into the same things I was. It also had 18 lines when I first signed up, and eventually got upwards of 30. Still, it was hard to get a connection during peek times, showing just how popular it was.
EI was also the first board where I made friends in real life. They'd have occasional "meets", where the members would get together offline, usually at a mini golf course or Denny's or park. We'd get together and be geeks; this was my first exposure to the geek/semi-goth lifestyle, and had a black-clothes influence on me. It was interesting for me to put a face to the people I was chatting with, and see who else was spending time like this online. Emerald Isle was also the first board I ever paid a subscription fee to.
EI was the only board where I kept in touch with people - I saw Joe (Delta) in 2001, emailed with Pete (Slipstream) a few years back, and kept up with several others too. I even met Joz there, way back in 1996 or so, though neither of us knew it until last year, when we were comparing internet histories. I'm sure there are other locals who I ran into online at EI long before I knew them in real life or somewhere else online.
While the board was going strong, more and more people were leaving chat and playing a game called "Major MUD". With chat dying, fewer people were interested in meets, so some regular chatters were leaving to go to other boards, or more increasingly, joining internet services like Compuserve and AOL to get on the "real" internet. About the same time I was leaving for college, and while I could make the occasional long distance call, I didn't have much motivation between friends leaving the board and all of a sudden having real internet access of my own full-time. It wasn't too long afterward that everyone was going online to the internet, and the board finally folded, as did almost every other one.
In some ways, I miss BBSs - they had a local quality to them that made for an immediate common ground to all the callers. While I love talking to friends in Missouri and North Carolina and Australia, it was always cool to be able to meet someone nearby. And they'll always have a soft spot in my heart for being my learning ground to all things online.
Friday!
I'm quite looking forward to the upcoming three-day weekend. Mostly because it's a three-day weekend, but also because I've got Strato and D&D tomorrow, then dinner out with friends on Saturday night, then a day summer activities on Sunday, then absolutely no plans on Monday. That's how a weekend should go.
The major excitement happens next weekend, however, with the marriage of Chris Clark to his lovely bride, Vanessa Duquette. I'm taking Friday off (meaning a three-day work week sandwiched between two three day weekends) and we've got rehursals, and rehursal dinners and tuxes to pick up and the wedding and all that great stuff. Should be fantastic!
May 26, 2005
quick testing
That was a much quicker testing process than I was expecting, and as you can see, we're all moved over to the new design. There are still some tweeks to be done (let me know if you notice any problems). I also still have the rather large job of moving over all the static pages and archives. A couple new features that go on in the background:
- Cleaner CSS implementation around the site, including a central CSS file for easy layout and color changes.
- Each "box" of text in the left hand menu bar is a simple call to a flat file, meaning I'll be able to change one file (a mini blog template, actually) and have the content changes reflected site-wide. So if I want to add a link to my "Other sites" section, it's easier, cleaner, and universal now, all from one place.
I think the design is sharp, though it is, as Gary pointed out, a little "standardy". That's just fine with me, I'd been thinking for a long time that the old design was hobbled together. Let me know what you think!
New site preview
Preview of the new template for Insignifica can be found here. I'm still reworking it, making tweeks, etc.
May 25, 2005
Star Trek run time
Now that Star Trek's over, it's interesting to see exactly how much Star Trek there is (canon only, add 660 minutes/11 hours if you include The Animated Series):
Movies:
The Motion Picture: 132 minutes
The Wrath of Khan: 113 minutes
The Search for Spock: 105 minutes
The Voyage Home: 119 minutes
The Final Frontier: 107 minutes
The Undiscovered Country: 113 minutes
Generations: 118 minutes
First Contact: 106 minutes
Insurrection: 103 minutes
Nemesis: 116 minutes
Episodes:
The Original Series: 79 (3713 minutes @ 47 minutes/episode)
The Next Generation: 178 (8010 minutes @ 45 minutes/episode)
Deep Space Nine: 176 (7920 minutes @ 45 minutes/episode)
Voyager: 172 (7740 minutes @ 45 minutes/episode)
Enterprise: 98 (4116 minutes @ 42 minutes/episode)
Movies Total: 1132 minutes (18 hours, 52 minutes)
Episodes Total: 31499 minutes (524 hours, 59 minutes)
Grand Total: 32631 minutes (543 hours, 51 minutes)
That's 22 days, 15 hours and 51 minutes of Star Trek. Not bad...
May 24, 2005
time flies!
I remember a while ago, perhaps the late 90s, when 2005 seemed SO far away. It was a half-way point for the first decade of the 20th century. When Phantom Menace came out in 1999 and I first heard the third movie wouldn't be out till 2005, I thought that was an amazingly long time to wait. Now here we are, almost to June 2005, more than half way through the 00s. I'm glad I have the ability to pause live TV, still want a personal flying machine.
May 23, 2005
Another Monday
Wow, that was a quiet week on Insignifica, wasn't it? Between being in training all week at work and having lots to do to prep for last weekend's bachelor party, I didn't get much time to post. All in all, I know considerably more about Excel and Access, and the bachelor party was fantastic. Good times!
More updates coming soon...
May 17, 2005
quiet week
Usually I'm not so quiet on Mondays, but I'm in training all week so I don't really have the 5 minutes here and there to post a happy hello. So here it is:
Happy hello!
Tomorrow is the first Orange County Atheists Meeting since the Meetup group I was organizing decided that it wasn't worth paying meetup.com. Click on the link for more info.
Some friends posted with some good critizisms of the new layout. Not sure what I'll do with it yet, but it's nice to have feedback.
So, what's up with you?
May 13, 2005
Layout changes, friday
Happy Friday, readers! You may have noticed some changes:
I've removed the right hand menu bar, and moved some of the content (Daily Links) to the left menu bar. I got rid of my "daily phone photos" (Since I hadn't taken any new ones in a long time). I also added an RSS feed for Daily Links.
I'm not totally happy with the layout (it's kinda stale), but it'll do for now. I need to go in and change other pages (like archives and static pages) so they look the same. Luckily that's not TOO big of a deal. If you notice a page with the old layout, let me know.
In other news, looks like a 3-4 day San Diego-Las Vegas trip is in the works for July. It's just coming together and looks like a lot of people from a lot of my wider groups of friends will be able to attend some or all of the trip. Nice thing about Vegas is that you can have 20 people go, and anyone can hang out with anyone else some, all, or none of the time, and still have fun. You can meet to do some gambling, or drinking, or dining. More news as dates become set.
May 11, 2005
insignifica.com
After owning it for more than two years, I finally got around to pointing insignifica.com to this page (insignifica.org). I don't remember why I picked "org" over "com" when I first decided on the name insignifica (.com might not have been available at the time), but it's nice to have both, and to have both point here.
May 09, 2005
LEGO challenge!
LEGO challenge!
Goal
Create a vehicle or device entirely out of LEGO bricks that can fly or levitate under its own power.
Motivation
This is more of an intellectual curiosity than anything else. I've tried before with no luck, and will be trying again soon. I thought it would be fun to involve other LEGO builders so we could compare notes. Also, I thought it'd be great to have multiple people document their process (in writing, photos, or both) and have them all linked here.
Prizes
Undetermined. Maybe a LEGO set, and the pride of knowing you've built a flying machine. Donations of prizes welcome!
Rules
Only LEGO bricks and select accessories may be used. No other items may be used in the creation, including fabric, string, cardboard, metal, rubber bands, tape, or glue.
LEGO bricks, motors, gears, tracks, etc. may all be used. Specialized LEGO pieces will be accepted on a case-by-case basis, although most will likely be accepted.
The vehicle/device may be any size.
Unless you have a method of levitation unknown to science, the vehicle/device should be powered using LEGO power methods. These include motors, gears, engines and battery packs. No non-LEGO power methods (other than natural forces of physics) will be accepted. Unacceptable power methods include rocket engines, jet engines, and fireworks. Fire may be used safely, assuming you can find a fuel made from LEGO bricks.
The vehicle/device must fly under its own power; gliding and falling do not count. Throwing or LEGO-specific methods may be used to launch a vehicle/device, but it must also fly on its own.
The engine/battery pack does not need to fly along with the vehicle/device, however, the vehicle/device must still fly or levitate, not just be "whipped" around by the engine.
The vehicle/device may not be secured to a tether other than the power source.
Deadline
None, but I'll be working on my vehicle for a few weeks. I'd like to see what others can do, too. Good luck!
weekend wrapup, Frys
Another great weekend! Strato as usual in the morning on Saturday, then some party setup (finishing early), followed by the "Mexican-themed get-together", basically our late Cinco de Mayo party. I was very worried about turnout, since only a couple people had RSVPed. But there were 10-12 people there at different times, including some new friends and others we hadn't seen in a while. Except for Marek, none of the regular crowd could make it, but it was still a good time.
Sunday we woke up late, then did a mother's day lunch in Yorba Linda. Several of my siblings had missed my birthday, so I got a couple more presents (in gift certificate form). This allowed me to go on a shopping spree at Frys, where I got:
I came in just $7 under my gift certificate total, which I got in cash. Happy birthday to me!
While I like the selection of Fry's Electronics, I'm amazed how they manage to get anything done with the steps employees have to take to do the simplest things, and that they still have Gift Certificates instead of Gift Cards (like every other major retailer).
As I've mentioned before, Frys gift certificates come hand written, on paper, with a code on them. Both times I've used them in the past year, the cashier has had issues because the certificate wasn't issued at the store I was using them at. When I've purchased them, it adds an additional 3-5 minutes to my checkout time. And every time, purchase or redemption, a manager's had to be called over for something. If Barnes & Noble ran like this, they'd lose thousands in sales.
Other annoying things Frys puts its customers through:
So do I still shop there? Yep. They occasionally have good prices, they almost always have plenty of check-out staff, and their selection tends to be very good. But it's run with state-of-the-art 1995 technology, which is especially weird for a technology store.
May 06, 2005
weekend upcoming, mothers day weekend
Happy Friday, gentle readers. Some crazy weather (rain and thunder/lightning) overnight, but it's looking like it's going to be a nice weekend and a nicer week. I should hope so, it is May after all. I'm quite looking forward to several months without much, if any, rain.
Lots to do this weekend - Strato in the morning, then an afternoon getting ready for a little post Cinco de Mayo party in the evening. Turnout's looking a little low, but hopefully some of the college crowd will be able to make it. If not, the small gathering will enjoy beer, tequila and delicious foods ourselves. Sunday is mother's day, so we'll be doing brunch. Always a good time.
I've been itching to play some more poker in casinos, but I only ever go early on Saturday mornings (to the Pechanga tournaments), and most of my saturdays in the last few months have been busy. I'd also love to find a regular (weekly or biweekly) home game, or start one myself. Anyone else interested?
May 05, 2005
national day of prayer
Reposted from last year, but here are some thoughts on the National Day of Prayer, taken from Matthew, Chapter 6, verses 5-6:
"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father in secret shall reward thee openly."
See also my 2001 piece called "The Presumption of Prayer" - highlights my issues with prayer to an all-knowing god.
May 04, 2005
new site launches
While neither site is totally finished, I thought I'd officially announce two new sites I've been working on:
Orange County Atheists - Website for my new atheists organization. This group has come out of the ashes of the meetup.com group for atheists in Orange County. Much more is to come at the site, including discussion forums, news, etc.
Poker Blog - For a while I've wanted a poker-specific blog to discuss and highlight my game play, statergy, tournaments, etc. It also serves as a way for me to make money through my partnership with Partypoker.com.
There are actually a few more sites I'm working on that are in the pipe, but these two are my main focus right now. Both will grow and change (especially ocatheists.com), but they're both in a form now that I'd like everyone to see them.
Idaho Atheists reserve state steps
Idaho Guy at Daily Kos has a great story about the Idaho Atheists reserving the state capital steps tomorrow (the National Day of Prayer) when the Governor usually gives his "proclamation" from the same spot. The state has since taken back its word and says it has the right to the steps because theirs is a "standing event". Interesting case.
Look tomorrow for my opinions on the National Day of Prayer. Hint: You're probably right in how I feel =)
May 03, 2005
boy scouts and slashdot
Boy, you say one little thing on Slashdot about the Boy Scouts, and everyone gets all freaked out. First time I've ever gone from "+4 Informative" to "+0 Flamebait" in a ten minute span.
I like the attention, though.
a good day
I love my job. Probably more than any other I've ever had. I look forward to going almost every day, and enjoy both the work and the people I work with.
Some days, though, like today, I'd just like to be doing my own thing. It's beatiful out, I had a great relaxing weekend with friends, and it got me thinking how important it is to do the things you love. Here's what sounds like a good idea today:
That's probably not my ideal day, but it'd be a great day. What would you rather be doing?
May 02, 2005
disturbing story
I find the following story very disturbing:
Teen girl charged with posting nude photos on InternetPITTSBURGH (AP) — A 15-year-old girl has been arrested for taking nude photographs of her self and posting them on the Internet, police said.
The girl, whose identity was withheld, was accused of sending out photographs of herself in various states of undress and performing a variety of sexual acts. She sent them to people she met in chat rooms on the Internet, police said.Police seized her computer and found dozens of photographs stored on the hard drive. Authorities did not say how police learned about the girl.
She has been charged with sexual abuse of children, possession of child pornography and dissemination of child pornography.
From my years online, I know this isn't an isolated incident - tens of thousands of teens probably send pictures of themselves to chat partners, or use cameras to chat. Why is this girl being prosecuted specifically, and how can any of the charges, especially "sexual abuse of children" be justified? While she's not 18, she's not a child - hell, 16 (or younger) is the age of consent in many states and most other countries. A very troubling story.
New Yahoo news
Google's new features always get a lot of talk, but I haven't seen any discussion of the new Yahoo news page. It's layed out in an RSS feed style, and has the same basic sections as before. It's very dynamic, though, and in each section (Top Stories, Most Popular, etc) you can click tabs (for different news sources or your own sources) that repopulate the box with new headlines. You can also hover over headlines to get a small picture and the lead of the story.
The page is also sourced well, telling where each story is from and how old it is. Clicking on topics brings you to Google News-style pages that go more in depth. There are also several RSS features, and a sidebar of other options. For not being something I've heard much about, I'm very impressed.
