tech lore by igor: The Hunt for Life...on Earth

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The Hunt for Life...on Earth

The Russians are on the verge of exploring a lake that has been sequestered beneath Antarctic ice for over 15 million years. It will be interesting to learn what ancient life forms, if any, exist in that isolated environment.

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linux articles

linux distro reviews:

   My Review of GalliumOS
   Running from Netrunner 14.04
   The Joy of Upgrading Linux OS
   My Review of SolydX 201401
   Xubuntu is Best for Beginners
   Xubuntu > Kubuntu
   Kubuntu 13.10 is for Keeps
   Open Suse 12.3
   Kubuntu 13.04
   Clonezilla (1) and Clonezilla (2)

how to upgrade ktorrent in ubuntu-based distros

networking linux to windows shares

linux slideshow & music:
   use xscreensaver & glslideshow (1)
   fix xscreensaver & glslideshow (2)
   configure xscreensaver & glslideshow (3)
   a good configuration file for xscreensaver & glslideshow (4)

some of my favorite things

news: the guardian & the register (uk). washington post (usa).

favorite authors: mary renault, j.r.r. tolkien, patrick o'brian, gore vidal, jane austen, stephen king, robert heinlein, & piers anthony

news show: the daily show with jon stewart

comedy: broad city, peep show, big gay sketch show

drama: downton abbey, mad men, breaking bad

drag: rupaul

favorite rupaul drag performer: jinkx monsoon

dance: so you think you can dance, canada?

supernatural: true blood, being human - uk version seasons 1-4 only!

pet peeve: american versions of uk shows. why?

documentaries: anything with attenborough, time team, top chef, nova, history channel

planet: earth. take good care of it.

animal: a cat endowed with social intelligence is a jewel of a companion. but dogs are better for the outdoors.

blog: piers anthony's newsletters

comic: the oatmeal

browser: I'm open-minded about browsers. even midori and rekonq have their uses.

firefox add-ons: highly recommended are flash block, auto fill forms, no script, google translate, adblock plus

currently installed OSes: Linux Mint Cinnamon, Windows 7, and Windows 10.

which is better, windows or linux: linux, because the free software is easier to use, safer and more secure, has fewer problems and is readily customized to the user's preferences. Persuading long-time Windows users to try something different is easier said than done, however.

favorite desktop: a toss-up between xfce & kde. each has its own charms. what turned me on to kde was the elegance of k3b & dolphin. xfce on the other hand is lean and mean, yet nice enough to get things done. kde is elegance.

favorite linux utility distros: gparted & clonezilla, useful for both windows & linux users alike. gparted is a partition utility, while clonezilla clones drives. both are indispensable.

answering machine program: call clerk, which lamentably lacks a linux version. only because of call clerk (& to a lesser extent acdsee) do i keep a windows system alive.

linux image management and editing: For managing only, I have found nothing better than Digikam. However, Krita is easier to use and more powerful as an image editor.

windows antivirus: no-nonsense, fast and free windows security essentials

windows media player: mpc-hc is my choice on windows for videos only.

linux mint media player: vlc player is versatile, but smplayer is faster

linux video driver installation documentation: the best guide to installing ati's closed-source driver is found here. It is better to avoid AMD altogether, because the closed-source driver is prone to problems in Linux. I buy nothing but Intel.

games: dungeon crawl stone soup and wesnoth (windows, mac & linux editions available), age of mythology / titans expansion, lexulous

linux text editor: jedit

windows text editor: notepad++ is the best choice for programmers and ordinary mortals alike

windows and linux ftp client: filezilla

favorite site for IP checkin': ip chicken ...boc, boc, booooack!

fave technical web site: i learned a lot at w3 schools. thankee fo muh edumacation

other sites: immigration equality, human rights campaign, pflag, glaad, moveon.org, norml.org | norml audio stash

party: democrats

food: haas avocado

candy: lindt 90% cocoa chocolate bars for medicinal purposes. any lower percentage is just too sweet

drugs: the single life is not for me, so how about marriage, you wanna?

food substitute: xylichew gum for medicinal purposes

beverage: herbal, black or green tea brewed in a teapot from tea leaves either loose or in teabags. no expensive, new-fangled gadgetry in tea, please.

igor can be emailed at zeebazu at gmail.com

The Liberal Philosophy as I Understand It:

Toward the environment, conservation for future, wiser generations of human beings.

For individuals, more freedom from intrusion and interference. Citizens of a republic really should be free rather than just hearing lip service about freedom.

For businesses, more government oversight and regulation to keep them from taking advantage of their employees, customers, taxpayers, and even their own shareholders. Business criminals would sell us all down the river if it made them a nickel.

Toward other peoples of the world, peace, mature behavior, cultural exchange, and trade. Some may need strong medicine to eliminate their infection by morally bankrupt military dictatorships.

With respect to science and education, a receptive ear and vast resources. In the past we were ignorant. In the present we are a little less ignorant. For there to be a future, we must become wise. Knowledge is the only way forward. Per scientiam ad justitiam.

This I believe:

Know ye that there is no End & no Beginning, and that Life and Death are not serious alternatives. There is Light, Aye, even in the Darkness, & it renews all things. We derive from & merge into the Light throughout Eternity.
∞

A Means to an End