I'm aware that other blogs make liberal use of clip art, but I avoid that here, because it is ubiquitous and smacks of plagiarism, unless one uses one's own images, and I'm neither artist nor photographer. A better way to distinguish my blog might be to concentrate upon the text and the design. I may be right, I may be wrong, but that's my preference. I think there is still a place for the written word and that it has charms of its own.
As a webmaster of a different site than this one, I have detected many people using images found on my site, even using our server's copy of the images--in fact, that is why I am able to detect their use. It doesn't bother me, as it would an artist, because most of the images used on that web site are unoriginal and represent little investment in time on my part. However, I have many observations about this indiscriminate use of clip art.
Many times, other people's frequent dropping of images seems tacky. The owners don't realize that. It makes me wonder whether I should go about deleting images from my web site, because maybe the images make my web site tacky, too, and I'm just too close to my baby to perceive its ugliness. I seldom receive any constructive criticism or feedback about anything, so I don't really know for sure what looks good or bad. I only have my own preferences, which may be out of tune with the zeitgeist. Oh well. Such is the fate of many a small web site.
Also, I don't really appreciate people leeching bandwidth from my web site by coding a direct link, called a hotlink, to images on my site's server. My site receives no visitors that way, but is compelled to transmit data for the sake of another site. For fun, I like to replace images with banner ads for my web site. Some of these banner ads can be a bit risque, but too bad for the losers. That's the chance one takes by hotlinking. I have had many a belly-laugh from visiting other people's sites and seeing my banner ads. Months and even years go by without the owners detecting anything amiss. Thanks for donating space on your site to my viral advertising campaign, losers.
One of my acquaintances is an artist, and he gets far more irritated than me by image theft, because he perceives it as a threat to his livelihood. In fact, he's become something of an anti-pirate. I think his fears are overblown. For my part, I'd not want anything from his portfolio, even if he were to give his work away for free. It is often thus with people that worry over piracy. They have an exaggerated sense of their product's worth. At any rate, if he is so worried, it is a simple matter to protect artwork on the Internet. Offer a small version, rather than a large. Seems pretty obvious. Instead, he's fooling around with watermarks and javascripts, both of which can be circumvented. But he has not paid me for my technical advice, and giving it to him for free would be another form of piracy, wouldn't it. On the other hand, if he wants to pay my consultation fee of $49.99, then I might clue him in. He's called me up before asking me to fix his computer in exchange for artwork. Don't want it. Prefer the little strips of green paper instead.
Unlike my artist acquaintance, I don't worry overmuch about piracy, because I've never had any inkling that any of my stuff would be considered valuable by anyone else. No one has ever hired me on as a writer or given any sort of monetary encouragement to pursue my creative labors, so I feel perfectly safe in posting all of my creative work on the Internet, just as I feel safe in leaving the doors unlocked on my $1500 car. If someone wants to steal my thoughts, well, good luck with 'em, but you may be in for a bit more than you bargained for! Everything I do is protected using Igor's patented "Liberal Ideology" technology. I sprinkle my left-wing opinions into everything I offer online, so that if people copy my stuff, they are helping spread my memes in viral fashion. I'd much prefer they link back to me and give me credit for my work and am annoyed when they don't, but if my ideas spread, then that's really what matters, isn't it, especially after I'm dead and gone. It's a half-assed form of immortality. Perhaps in the future there will be more people sharing similar thoughts and feelings as me, and that's all to the good, I think.
Friday, June 10, 2011
On and Off in Chess
In chess, I'm on some days, off others. Besides general knowledge of the game, playing well requires lightning-fast processing of tactical calculations, because the better players are all very fast themselves at finding good moves. The standard of play in the modern chess world is much higher than it was a hundred years ago. (Although I wasn't alive then, I have studied games that date back over a hundred years.) Also, most games have tight limitations on time, and there is never enough time for a slow poke. On some days, I'm just too slow, and all my knowledge and experience bears little fruit. Knowledge alone just won't cut it in chess--never has and never will.
On my good days, when my brain's really humming, I am fast enough to score upset victories against higher-ranked players, the same ones, in fact, who trounce me on my off days, but my days of glory make the inevitable slow days that much harder to bear, making me wonder if I'm losing my edge. Even in my prime, I was never able to maintain a superb acuity. That's why I never bothered chasing after the dream of so many other serious chessplayers, becoming a FIDE-recognized master. A title would give me bragging rights, and I wouldn't mind it, but I really don't think it is at all realistic, given my modest ability. Like my brother, I consider myself a chess dabbler only. One has to be born with the right DNA to become a chessmaster.
Fortunately, in online chess there is an option to play unrated games. When I sense that I am having an off day, I quit playing rated and play unrated instead. I've at least learned to manage my inconsistency in order to preserve my rating. In time, I will be able to climb back up into the 1900's, where I prefer to remain. In my heart, I know that I have not lost my edge at all--it only seems that way today. Tomorrow may be a different story. Then the other guys had better watch out!
On my good days, when my brain's really humming, I am fast enough to score upset victories against higher-ranked players, the same ones, in fact, who trounce me on my off days, but my days of glory make the inevitable slow days that much harder to bear, making me wonder if I'm losing my edge. Even in my prime, I was never able to maintain a superb acuity. That's why I never bothered chasing after the dream of so many other serious chessplayers, becoming a FIDE-recognized master. A title would give me bragging rights, and I wouldn't mind it, but I really don't think it is at all realistic, given my modest ability. Like my brother, I consider myself a chess dabbler only. One has to be born with the right DNA to become a chessmaster.
Fortunately, in online chess there is an option to play unrated games. When I sense that I am having an off day, I quit playing rated and play unrated instead. I've at least learned to manage my inconsistency in order to preserve my rating. In time, I will be able to climb back up into the 1900's, where I prefer to remain. In my heart, I know that I have not lost my edge at all--it only seems that way today. Tomorrow may be a different story. Then the other guys had better watch out!
Nightmare
I had a nightmare last night that a group of people that I didn't know and myself were rounded up by security forces, bound, placed in bare metal chairs side-by-side in a room, and tortured. Everything about the dream seemed vague. I didn't know who the others were, and didn't know who the security forces were. They must have been Iranian or belonged to some other tyranny. I don't remember what sort of torture was used. Possibly fists or whips. At any rate, my internal watchdog said, "I don't like this dream. This is unpleasant and must end now." So the dream ended and I woke up--early, as it turned out. That suited me because I've grown tired of being nocturnal and want to start waking up earlier.
I think the nightmare was a result of reading so many media stories about torture being used against protesters in Egypt, Syria, Iran, Libya, and other cesspools around the world. Before going to bed, I read an article about the torture and murder of a 15 year-old boy by Syrian security forces. Definitely not the sort of thing one should read prior to going to bed, but I suppose such articles are more interesting than the latest thing the Republicans have said.
There is something strange and scary about torture, about taking delight in another person's misery. Viewing the devices that were used in the Middle Ages, more elaborate than necessary, it is clear that human beings have a special fascination with it. One wonders how such a trait came into being and what possible purpose it serves. All civilizations have practiced torture, and only recently in human history have affluent societies abolished torture and registered their opposition to its practice, although the Bush administration did some backsliding on that issue. One can never expect Republicans to understand morality. The thinnest pretext is used to approve torture, because human beings have a powerful desire to commit such acts against their enemies.
I think the nightmare was a result of reading so many media stories about torture being used against protesters in Egypt, Syria, Iran, Libya, and other cesspools around the world. Before going to bed, I read an article about the torture and murder of a 15 year-old boy by Syrian security forces. Definitely not the sort of thing one should read prior to going to bed, but I suppose such articles are more interesting than the latest thing the Republicans have said.
There is something strange and scary about torture, about taking delight in another person's misery. Viewing the devices that were used in the Middle Ages, more elaborate than necessary, it is clear that human beings have a special fascination with it. One wonders how such a trait came into being and what possible purpose it serves. All civilizations have practiced torture, and only recently in human history have affluent societies abolished torture and registered their opposition to its practice, although the Bush administration did some backsliding on that issue. One can never expect Republicans to understand morality. The thinnest pretext is used to approve torture, because human beings have a powerful desire to commit such acts against their enemies.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
The Grim Economic Outlook
Our Republican-controlled state legislature keeps dropping massive turds on the working class. They're tightening the screws to torture folks that aren't rich. The business community has become mighty picky about who the hire, and why should they not be, because tons of jobs have gone overseas forever. Educational institutions extract $$$tuition$$$ out of the pockets of unemployed people to create highly educated unemployed people, which seems like a scam to me, because nobody pursues higher education merely to learn. I suppose Socrates & Co. offer the consolation of Philosophy to those who can't afford a house.
It's not nearly enough to be smart, educated, honest, hard-working and law-abiding these days. Maybe our civilization is gradually coming to an end. Maybe this blog is destined to be a letter in a bottle from a long-gone voice. Maybe so. The thought doesn't faze me. I think I've already come out better in the game of life than some. If the job market proves too tight for me, then I can think of plenty of other folks that are in for serious hardship. The boat's gonna rock, and it's gonna roll. This old turtle may sink, but I think there's plenty sinking with me, and those that stay aboard aren't safe forever, either, because the captains are quite mad.
It's not nearly enough to be smart, educated, honest, hard-working and law-abiding these days. Maybe our civilization is gradually coming to an end. Maybe this blog is destined to be a letter in a bottle from a long-gone voice. Maybe so. The thought doesn't faze me. I think I've already come out better in the game of life than some. If the job market proves too tight for me, then I can think of plenty of other folks that are in for serious hardship. The boat's gonna rock, and it's gonna roll. This old turtle may sink, but I think there's plenty sinking with me, and those that stay aboard aren't safe forever, either, because the captains are quite mad.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Chess Openings
I studied chess openings when I was a young man, but still feel ignorant about them. The trouble is that there are so many. I thought I knew them all until I browsed an online resource tonight and discovered three dozen different variations of the Sicilian. Argh! Yet the reality is that most players confine themselves to the most popular lines. I hardly ever encounter anything unusual, and that's just too bad. When someone does play something out of the ordinary, I respect that and appreciate being given the opportunity to learn.
The truth is I am a generalist. I know the first four moves of most openings, but little more than that. Despite my mediocre knowledge of chess openings, I find myself more than capable of holding my own against most players. My online rating has been hovering around 1900 of late, which I think is good enough for me. I think that if it had been in the cards for me to become a master, that would have happened already. And besides, there's no financial incentive, and getting very good simply means fewer people can enjoy a game with you.
My pet peeve with online chess has to be sore losers. Other than that, I love online chess. But every once in a while, one encounters a player who is drunk and spoiling for an argument with a stranger. My policy is to ban 'em and forget 'em. Life's too short to devote any time to buttheads.
The truth is I am a generalist. I know the first four moves of most openings, but little more than that. Despite my mediocre knowledge of chess openings, I find myself more than capable of holding my own against most players. My online rating has been hovering around 1900 of late, which I think is good enough for me. I think that if it had been in the cards for me to become a master, that would have happened already. And besides, there's no financial incentive, and getting very good simply means fewer people can enjoy a game with you.
My pet peeve with online chess has to be sore losers. Other than that, I love online chess. But every once in a while, one encounters a player who is drunk and spoiling for an argument with a stranger. My policy is to ban 'em and forget 'em. Life's too short to devote any time to buttheads.
Dropped a Piece, But Won Anyway
Playing the Gran Prix against a strong player, I goofed in the middle game and lost a piece, but found a tactical gimmick that saved the day.
[White me]
[Black Anonymous]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B21"]
[Time "17:35:48"]
[TimeControl "600"]
1. e4 c5 2. f4 e6 3. Nf3 Be7 4. Bc4 Bh4+ 5. Nxh4 Qxh4+ 6. g3 Qd8 7. d4 d5 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. dxc5 a6 10. exd5 exd5 11. Ba4 Qa5+ 12. Nc3 Qxc5 13. Qe2+ Ne7 14. Be3 d4 15. Ne4 Qa5+ 16. Bd2 Qxa4 17. Nd6+ Kf8 18. b3 Qa3 19. Nc4 Qc5 20. O-O-O Bf5 21. g4 Be6 22. Ne5 Qa3+ 23. Kb1 Nb4 24. Bxb4 Qxb4 25. f5 Bd5 26. Rhf1 Re8 27. f6 gxf6 28. Nd7+ Kg7 29. Nxf6 Rc8 30. Qe5 Bf3 31. Nh5+ Kf8 32. Qxh8+ 1-0
At move 30, my opponent asked to take back his previous move (Rc8). Sometimes I do allow weaker players takebacks, especially if I'm ahead in material and in a good mood, but when playing opponents that have a similar or higher rating than me, my answer is no in blitz games like this one. I define a blitz game as less than 15 minutes per side per game. Furthermore, in this case, I felt like my opponent had a lot of gall to ask for a takeback when our ratings were similar, and he had a killer position otherwise and was a piece ahead in material. No way, Jose! This was a rated game, after all, and I work hard to keep my rating high. I lose many games as it is due to my own carelessness, but I almost never ask for takebacks. I take my defeats in stride and try to learn from them. Sometimes I lose ten games in a row, but you know what, that's just the way it goes! News flash: chess is a game of mistakes! If no one made a mistake, the result would be a draw.
I was mean. I neither declined nor approved the takeback. He let his time almost run out waiting for me to approve it. With less than a minute left on his clock, he moved his bishop, an ineffectual move. Then he ran out of time. He had a lost position anyway.
[White me]
[Black Anonymous]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B21"]
[Time "17:35:48"]
[TimeControl "600"]
1. e4 c5 2. f4 e6 3. Nf3 Be7 4. Bc4 Bh4+ 5. Nxh4 Qxh4+ 6. g3 Qd8 7. d4 d5 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. dxc5 a6 10. exd5 exd5 11. Ba4 Qa5+ 12. Nc3 Qxc5 13. Qe2+ Ne7 14. Be3 d4 15. Ne4 Qa5+ 16. Bd2 Qxa4 17. Nd6+ Kf8 18. b3 Qa3 19. Nc4 Qc5 20. O-O-O Bf5 21. g4 Be6 22. Ne5 Qa3+ 23. Kb1 Nb4 24. Bxb4 Qxb4 25. f5 Bd5 26. Rhf1 Re8 27. f6 gxf6 28. Nd7+ Kg7 29. Nxf6 Rc8 30. Qe5 Bf3 31. Nh5+ Kf8 32. Qxh8+ 1-0
At move 30, my opponent asked to take back his previous move (Rc8). Sometimes I do allow weaker players takebacks, especially if I'm ahead in material and in a good mood, but when playing opponents that have a similar or higher rating than me, my answer is no in blitz games like this one. I define a blitz game as less than 15 minutes per side per game. Furthermore, in this case, I felt like my opponent had a lot of gall to ask for a takeback when our ratings were similar, and he had a killer position otherwise and was a piece ahead in material. No way, Jose! This was a rated game, after all, and I work hard to keep my rating high. I lose many games as it is due to my own carelessness, but I almost never ask for takebacks. I take my defeats in stride and try to learn from them. Sometimes I lose ten games in a row, but you know what, that's just the way it goes! News flash: chess is a game of mistakes! If no one made a mistake, the result would be a draw.
I was mean. I neither declined nor approved the takeback. He let his time almost run out waiting for me to approve it. With less than a minute left on his clock, he moved his bishop, an ineffectual move. Then he ran out of time. He had a lost position anyway.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Say Goodbye to Bookmarks with Chrome
Chrome has decided that Bookmarks are Web 1.0 and the user no longer needs them in our brave new world.
When I clicked "Import Bookmarks," Chrome made the hard drive whir and promptly produced zero bookmarks. No error message, no bookmarks--nothing. The bookmarks option is hidden in Chrome--if it really works at all. I believe Google thinks the web begins and ends with Google, and that the user does not need to visit any other site but Google.
It took me all of five minutes to conclude Chrome was not for me. Uninstalled Chrome and went back to Firefox. Maybe I'll evaluate Chrome again ten years from now. Hopefully, by then Chrome will have learned that bookmarks are a worthwhile option to place somewhere on the screen.
When I clicked "Import Bookmarks," Chrome made the hard drive whir and promptly produced zero bookmarks. No error message, no bookmarks--nothing. The bookmarks option is hidden in Chrome--if it really works at all. I believe Google thinks the web begins and ends with Google, and that the user does not need to visit any other site but Google.
It took me all of five minutes to conclude Chrome was not for me. Uninstalled Chrome and went back to Firefox. Maybe I'll evaluate Chrome again ten years from now. Hopefully, by then Chrome will have learned that bookmarks are a worthwhile option to place somewhere on the screen.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Another Quick Win with the Center Game
I've had good luck with the Center Game in blitz. Here's a recent victory against a player ranked 1915:
[White me]
[Black Anonymous]
[Result "1-0"]
[TimeControl "600"]
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 c5 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 d6 6. Bc4 h6 7. O-O Bg4 8. Qd5 Qd7 9. e5 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 dxe5 11. Rd1 Bd6 12. Nb5 Qc6 13. Nxd6+ Kd8 14. Qxf7 Nd7 15. Bb5 Qc7 16. Qe8# 1-0
I believe it is a mistake for Black to try to hang on to the pawn. 3. .. c5 does nothing for Black's position. I am more than happy to offer up another pawn for Black's consumption in order to gain a substantial lead in development.
This was my quickest victory yet with the Center Game. I'm not sure why so many players have trouble meeting 2. d4.
[White me]
[Black Anonymous]
[Result "1-0"]
[TimeControl "600"]
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 c5 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 d6 6. Bc4 h6 7. O-O Bg4 8. Qd5 Qd7 9. e5 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 dxe5 11. Rd1 Bd6 12. Nb5 Qc6 13. Nxd6+ Kd8 14. Qxf7 Nd7 15. Bb5 Qc7 16. Qe8# 1-0
I believe it is a mistake for Black to try to hang on to the pawn. 3. .. c5 does nothing for Black's position. I am more than happy to offer up another pawn for Black's consumption in order to gain a substantial lead in development.
This was my quickest victory yet with the Center Game. I'm not sure why so many players have trouble meeting 2. d4.
Another Swing (and Miss) at Linux Mint
Spent another day installing Linux Mint and trying to configure it for my computer. The biggest problem was that Linux Mint was silent. Clicking on obvious things like "Sound," "Settings," or any of the many choices listed under "Hardware" offered no solution, only wasting time. Researching online, I couldn't find an easy way to enable sound on my motherboard. There are many sound-related add-ons available without any indication as to which one will install support for basic audio. A user could spend hours evaluating add-ons that are actually intended for other purposes. After browsing messages in one of many forums, I decided to install Alsamixer, but that didn't help. Alsamixer aborted without any message whenever I clicked on Preferences! It was recommended that users modify one of the config files for Alsa, and so I did, but that didn't help, either. Alsamixer was a no-go.
My sound hardware is not anything unusual, either. It's motherboard-embedded Realtek HD 5.1, which is cheap and pretty common among PC's. Realtek has been embedded in almost every motherboard I've bought since 1999. Clicking on the speaker icon on the taskbar revealed that sound was being routed to "Dummy Stereo," and yes, I know what that means. There was no option to reroute it to the real stereo.
A common problem mentioned by the Linux Mint web site is that one's installation DVD may be defective, due to the unreliability of lengthy downloads from their distribution sites. However, I verified the MD5 checksum using their recommended Windows checksum verification program. It seems to me that the installation process should verify its own integrity, prior to installing, and report an appropriate error message if anything is amiss.
Linux Mint couldn't print or access the scanner, either, and I was growing concerned about the amount of time it was taking to find the answers to my difficulties. Researching the silence problem alone took hours and resulted in no solution. Although I used a silent computer for a decade in the office, I can't imagine being without sound at home. The print issue I never got around to troubleshooting, because silence itself is a deal-breaker.
The chief problem with Linux, as I see it, is that hardware manufacturers, such as the one that made my motherboard, do not offer any drivers for Linux. The only drivers available are for versions of Windows. That's not fair to Linux users and complicates matters for Linux developers. My distro is maintained by just one guy. I imagine he works day and night already. Supporting all the millions of different hardware configurations is out of the question. Donations amount to less than $5000/month, which can only support one developer and no more. Contrast that with Microsoft, which has legions of developers, besides all the third-party developers that write drivers for Windows without Microsoft having to do anything other than grant or deny the official seal of approval. The game is rigged in favor of Microsoft due to market forces.
Other than the hardware issue, Linux Mint is great. It's well-designed and attractive. I was annoyed by a reviewer that griped about trivialities such as the desktop wallpaper or the splash screen. Those things can be changed, but they look fine to me. I thought the default look and feel of the desktop was superior to Windows. I liked the speed of the installation and the fact that the network configured itself. I was able to access the Internet from the get-go, which isn't true of Windows XP.
I noticed that Firefox was slow as molasses on chess cube, where chess play depends upon Flash. Something simple like dragging a piece is ten times slower in Linux Mint than in Windows. This sluggishness surprised me, because I was under the impression that Linux Mint 11 offered built-in support for Flash. Also, Firefox had a different look and feel in Linux Mint, and not a better one. I missed my navigation icons, such as Back, Forward, New Tab, and Home.
Linux Mint did not boot all the time, either, but only booted some of the time. That may have been due to a faulty hard drive for all I know. The boot time was no better than Windows XP SP3 and may have been slower even. I don't know why Linux users make the claim that Linux boots faster when it doesn't. During the boot, the screen stayed black and the hard drive light was off sometimes, which made me wonder whether it had crashed. It would be nice if Linux Mint gave some indication it was alive during the boot.
Clicking on "Help" in many windows resulted in an error message stating that help was not available. It is possible to research problems in the forums, but that is tedious because forums tend to be chatty and a bit random. Some people know what they are talking about, but some don't, and some of the information is outdated or applicable only to certain hardware configurations but not others. The tutorials and documentation tend to focus upon trivialities that would be significant to an experienced user. There are no tutorials and no documentation on the basics, such as setting up sound in Linux Mint. The new user is left on his own to fend for himself. Reading the manual didn't help either. Apparently the assumption is that the new user already knows what to do and that everything already works the first time.
If Linux offered an obvious path to configuring sound, printer, and scanner, then I'd be all for it, but it seems to offer me a crippled computer lacking much of the functionality I've taken for granted over the years with Windows XP. I don't think that situation is going to improve anytime soon. On Windows XP, I know what to do: visit the motherboard manufacturer's web site, download the drivers, and execute the installation packages. That is not an option with Linux and probably never will be.
I remember when New Egg used to offer a flavor of Linux called Xandros, but now only Windows 7 is available. After my experience spending hours trying to get any sound from my computer, I can understand why. Probably nine out of ten customers returned their Linux distro for a refund and asked for Windows in its place. Look and feel is important, of course, but the bottom line for an OS is hardware, hardware, hardware. If the hardware works, great. If not, then what good is the operating system? It's crippleware at best. Users want their stuff to work. End of story.
My sound hardware is not anything unusual, either. It's motherboard-embedded Realtek HD 5.1, which is cheap and pretty common among PC's. Realtek has been embedded in almost every motherboard I've bought since 1999. Clicking on the speaker icon on the taskbar revealed that sound was being routed to "Dummy Stereo," and yes, I know what that means. There was no option to reroute it to the real stereo.
A common problem mentioned by the Linux Mint web site is that one's installation DVD may be defective, due to the unreliability of lengthy downloads from their distribution sites. However, I verified the MD5 checksum using their recommended Windows checksum verification program. It seems to me that the installation process should verify its own integrity, prior to installing, and report an appropriate error message if anything is amiss.
Linux Mint couldn't print or access the scanner, either, and I was growing concerned about the amount of time it was taking to find the answers to my difficulties. Researching the silence problem alone took hours and resulted in no solution. Although I used a silent computer for a decade in the office, I can't imagine being without sound at home. The print issue I never got around to troubleshooting, because silence itself is a deal-breaker.
The chief problem with Linux, as I see it, is that hardware manufacturers, such as the one that made my motherboard, do not offer any drivers for Linux. The only drivers available are for versions of Windows. That's not fair to Linux users and complicates matters for Linux developers. My distro is maintained by just one guy. I imagine he works day and night already. Supporting all the millions of different hardware configurations is out of the question. Donations amount to less than $5000/month, which can only support one developer and no more. Contrast that with Microsoft, which has legions of developers, besides all the third-party developers that write drivers for Windows without Microsoft having to do anything other than grant or deny the official seal of approval. The game is rigged in favor of Microsoft due to market forces.
Other than the hardware issue, Linux Mint is great. It's well-designed and attractive. I was annoyed by a reviewer that griped about trivialities such as the desktop wallpaper or the splash screen. Those things can be changed, but they look fine to me. I thought the default look and feel of the desktop was superior to Windows. I liked the speed of the installation and the fact that the network configured itself. I was able to access the Internet from the get-go, which isn't true of Windows XP.
I noticed that Firefox was slow as molasses on chess cube, where chess play depends upon Flash. Something simple like dragging a piece is ten times slower in Linux Mint than in Windows. This sluggishness surprised me, because I was under the impression that Linux Mint 11 offered built-in support for Flash. Also, Firefox had a different look and feel in Linux Mint, and not a better one. I missed my navigation icons, such as Back, Forward, New Tab, and Home.
Linux Mint did not boot all the time, either, but only booted some of the time. That may have been due to a faulty hard drive for all I know. The boot time was no better than Windows XP SP3 and may have been slower even. I don't know why Linux users make the claim that Linux boots faster when it doesn't. During the boot, the screen stayed black and the hard drive light was off sometimes, which made me wonder whether it had crashed. It would be nice if Linux Mint gave some indication it was alive during the boot.
Clicking on "Help" in many windows resulted in an error message stating that help was not available. It is possible to research problems in the forums, but that is tedious because forums tend to be chatty and a bit random. Some people know what they are talking about, but some don't, and some of the information is outdated or applicable only to certain hardware configurations but not others. The tutorials and documentation tend to focus upon trivialities that would be significant to an experienced user. There are no tutorials and no documentation on the basics, such as setting up sound in Linux Mint. The new user is left on his own to fend for himself. Reading the manual didn't help either. Apparently the assumption is that the new user already knows what to do and that everything already works the first time.
If Linux offered an obvious path to configuring sound, printer, and scanner, then I'd be all for it, but it seems to offer me a crippled computer lacking much of the functionality I've taken for granted over the years with Windows XP. I don't think that situation is going to improve anytime soon. On Windows XP, I know what to do: visit the motherboard manufacturer's web site, download the drivers, and execute the installation packages. That is not an option with Linux and probably never will be.
I remember when New Egg used to offer a flavor of Linux called Xandros, but now only Windows 7 is available. After my experience spending hours trying to get any sound from my computer, I can understand why. Probably nine out of ten customers returned their Linux distro for a refund and asked for Windows in its place. Look and feel is important, of course, but the bottom line for an OS is hardware, hardware, hardware. If the hardware works, great. If not, then what good is the operating system? It's crippleware at best. Users want their stuff to work. End of story.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Windows XP Ain't So Hot, Either
I wrote a negative review about Linux Mint recently, but am regretting it. That's the problem with blogging--opinions are apt to change. No sooner do I write something down then I begin to reconsider. I've continued reading about the advantages of Linux Mint and am beginning to doubt my own analysis.
Windows XP comes down with a bad case of the flu about once a year, if not more often, and I don't know why. When Windows works, life is great, but when it doesn't, it is just as cumbersome to deal with as a Linux installation process. And it can be scary, too, because one never knows whether a virus may be responsible for bizarre unexplained system errors. Trying to cipher any of the error messages Windows spits out requires research on the Internet.
Besides that, every Windows installation tends to slow down with age. I have to admit that for all the difficulties in learning a new OS, Windows presents a slew of difficulties for those that remain loyal. The latest Windows offers absolutely nothing to me, but would introduce a world of pain. It would require more RAM, a new printer, and a new scanner, because Microsoft in its infinite wisdom decided that old hardware needs replacing, even if it is perfectly functional. Old hardware needs to be replaced in order to extract money from the end user and put it where it belongs, in the bank accounts of Microsoft's corporate allies such as Intel, et al.
To be honest, I'm ready for a change, even if I do have to learn a whole new bag of tricks. Maybe that's the price I have to pay to get a stable operating system that doesn't make me jump through hoops every year like Windows.
Windows XP comes down with a bad case of the flu about once a year, if not more often, and I don't know why. When Windows works, life is great, but when it doesn't, it is just as cumbersome to deal with as a Linux installation process. And it can be scary, too, because one never knows whether a virus may be responsible for bizarre unexplained system errors. Trying to cipher any of the error messages Windows spits out requires research on the Internet.
Besides that, every Windows installation tends to slow down with age. I have to admit that for all the difficulties in learning a new OS, Windows presents a slew of difficulties for those that remain loyal. The latest Windows offers absolutely nothing to me, but would introduce a world of pain. It would require more RAM, a new printer, and a new scanner, because Microsoft in its infinite wisdom decided that old hardware needs replacing, even if it is perfectly functional. Old hardware needs to be replaced in order to extract money from the end user and put it where it belongs, in the bank accounts of Microsoft's corporate allies such as Intel, et al.
To be honest, I'm ready for a change, even if I do have to learn a whole new bag of tricks. Maybe that's the price I have to pay to get a stable operating system that doesn't make me jump through hoops every year like Windows.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
The Abyss, a Personal Candy Jar for Abyssal Knights
Lugonu, the Abyssal Knight's god, grants the power to enter and leave the Abyss with sufficient piety. The profession of Abyssal Knight therefore represents an interesting choice for Spriggans, because with their unsurpassed speed, they can acquire many treasures in the Abyss while outrunning most Abyssal baddies.
In the first pillage of the Abyss, a Spriggan may acquire a couple of scrolls or potions, or if he's lucky, jewelry, a wand, a weapon, or suitable armour. My best first pillage yet resulted in two rings, three scrolls, two potions and a slice of pizza--not a bad way to start the first level of the Dungeon. Races other than Spriggans will make acquisitions too, but their slow speed will hasten getting cornered by monsters and having to call upon Lugonu to leave the Abyss.
As a Spriggan grows in strength and abilities, these occasional forays into the Abyss will become more lucrative. If the player is cornered in the Dungeon, entering the Abyss allows a chance for rest and recovery in addition to the possibility of acquiring additional magical items that might allow the player to overcome his adversaries in the Dungeon.
In the first pillage of the Abyss, a Spriggan may acquire a couple of scrolls or potions, or if he's lucky, jewelry, a wand, a weapon, or suitable armour. My best first pillage yet resulted in two rings, three scrolls, two potions and a slice of pizza--not a bad way to start the first level of the Dungeon. Races other than Spriggans will make acquisitions too, but their slow speed will hasten getting cornered by monsters and having to call upon Lugonu to leave the Abyss.
As a Spriggan grows in strength and abilities, these occasional forays into the Abyss will become more lucrative. If the player is cornered in the Dungeon, entering the Abyss allows a chance for rest and recovery in addition to the possibility of acquiring additional magical items that might allow the player to overcome his adversaries in the Dungeon.
I Love Google, Except for One Thing
Google loves history. As in, ancient history. That's fine for most subjects. But when searching for technological terms, a result from over two years ago is of little value. There are exceptions, yes. But for the most part, when searching for technological terms, which I do every day, I want my results to be confined to the last 30 days. It astounds me that Google does not make such an option available in the user's settings, but they don't, probably to keep their corporate clients happy, because web site owners are touchy about their rankings and raise hell whenever Google makes the slightest change that may impact their search rank. Old results that were great in 2003 continue to show up in 2011, when their worth has diminished to zero. In fact, old results can be dangerous, if used.
I was pleased to discover an easy way to add this functionality to my home page this morning! It seems only my partner and I will benefit, because no-one else in the world seems interested in using my home page. The rest of the world seems content to let Facebook, Yahoo or Google set their home page. But that's okay. I don't get paid for it anyway.
I was pleased to discover an easy way to add this functionality to my home page this morning! It seems only my partner and I will benefit, because no-one else in the world seems interested in using my home page. The rest of the world seems content to let Facebook, Yahoo or Google set their home page. But that's okay. I don't get paid for it anyway.
Friday, June 3, 2011
One Bug, One Fix
What gets me high is when I can fix a bug with a single patch, without having to make multiple attempts. One bug - steady aim - kapow! Fixed! And that's all there is to it!
Body Odor
Seafood or fragrant gourmet cheeses bring to mind body odor, but not in a bad way. Oddly, their aroma is interpreted as pleasant and non-threatening, their flavor rich and delightful. The scent of a large mammal, though similar, is interpreted in a different way. Disgust is the dominant reaction.
I have noticed that people are indifferent to their own body odor or they may not even be aware of its intensity. I sometimes smell people who have not been vigilant about their personal hygiene. The odor can be overpowering, and if they only knew of its intensity, they would feel ashamed. All one remembers about them is their smell, a most unfortunate legacy.
But how can one broach such a subject? One cannot, in polite company. One simply endures, and then makes a mental note to limit one's future association with the stinking individual, or to at least situate oneself near an open window. That is a sad outcome that may result in certain people being lonely. I am reminded of my hyperactive friend who showered twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. That seemed excessive, but I understand the motive. For my part, I have made it a rule never to socialize without taking a shower. Rather than be smelled and not know it, I'd rather err on the side of fastidiousness.
I have noticed that people are indifferent to their own body odor or they may not even be aware of its intensity. I sometimes smell people who have not been vigilant about their personal hygiene. The odor can be overpowering, and if they only knew of its intensity, they would feel ashamed. All one remembers about them is their smell, a most unfortunate legacy.
But how can one broach such a subject? One cannot, in polite company. One simply endures, and then makes a mental note to limit one's future association with the stinking individual, or to at least situate oneself near an open window. That is a sad outcome that may result in certain people being lonely. I am reminded of my hyperactive friend who showered twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. That seemed excessive, but I understand the motive. For my part, I have made it a rule never to socialize without taking a shower. Rather than be smelled and not know it, I'd rather err on the side of fastidiousness.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Smith-Morra Gambit
Played a good game of chess today with victory in 18 moves. My worthy opponent played reasonable moves with clear justifications. He didn't blunder in any obvious manner, such as dropping a piece outright. But I think he was too aggressive. He postponed developing his King's bishop and never castled. The opening is a race for development. It is not the time to piddle around with the Queen in a speculative attack. What seemed to be an oversight on my part was planned. I still don't know if mine was a solid plan--this was speed chess, after all. But it worked.
[White me]
[Black anonymous 1980]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B21"]
[TimeControl "300+3"] (5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move, one of my favorite settings along with 120 + 12)
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Nxd4 d6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. O-O e6 8. f4 Qb6 9. Be3 Ng4 10. Qxg4 e5 11. Nf5 Bxf5 12. Qxf5 Qxe3+ 13. Kh1 exf4 14. Nd5 Qc5 15. Nc7+ Kd8 16. Qxf7 Kc8 17. Ne6 Ne5 18. Qe8# 1-0
[White me]
[Black anonymous 1980]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B21"]
[TimeControl "300+3"] (5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move, one of my favorite settings along with 120 + 12)
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Nxd4 d6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. O-O e6 8. f4 Qb6 9. Be3 Ng4 10. Qxg4 e5 11. Nf5 Bxf5 12. Qxf5 Qxe3+ 13. Kh1 exf4 14. Nd5 Qc5 15. Nc7+ Kd8 16. Qxf7 Kc8 17. Ne6 Ne5 18. Qe8# 1-0
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Inevitable
I think most people operate under the assumption they're immortal, that is, they put the inevitable out of their thoughts. What's scary is thinking about the inevitable--not after, but during the passing. I suppose much of the physical process is automatic and uninteresting, except for the pain of course, but the awareness of the finality of everything, of never having another chance to right wrongs or accomplish good work must be the worst part.
Dismissing the fairy tale of Heaven gives Death fangs. One understands that the end is the end. Nothing awaits. One ceases to be. Material possessions are parceled out to survivors. Much gets thrown into the garbage. Choice bits wind up in antique stores. One is soon forgotten, just like everybody else.
Fate seems random. Some people, even no-good villains like Zimbabwe's tyrant, Mugabe, live to be eighty-odd, while others get cheated out of the average allotment of seventy-odd or eighty-odd years.
I'm not determined to drink life to the dregs, but would prefer a slightly early exit, with the emphasis on 'slightly'. I'd prefer to bow out around eighty or so, before mental deterioration overwhelms my ability to make a final decision. I fear the later stages of senility worse than any physical ailment.
Dismissing the fairy tale of Heaven gives Death fangs. One understands that the end is the end. Nothing awaits. One ceases to be. Material possessions are parceled out to survivors. Much gets thrown into the garbage. Choice bits wind up in antique stores. One is soon forgotten, just like everybody else.
Fate seems random. Some people, even no-good villains like Zimbabwe's tyrant, Mugabe, live to be eighty-odd, while others get cheated out of the average allotment of seventy-odd or eighty-odd years.
I'm not determined to drink life to the dregs, but would prefer a slightly early exit, with the emphasis on 'slightly'. I'd prefer to bow out around eighty or so, before mental deterioration overwhelms my ability to make a final decision. I fear the later stages of senility worse than any physical ailment.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
I Cheated in Trade Wars
I've been a big-time cheater all my life, at least in the wonderful world of games. I've never cheated on my taxes or on my partner, and the closest I've come to cheating my employer has been taking the odd pen home. Well, I'm not so sure my employers would actually have been opposed to taking a disposable pen home on occasion. They weren't skinflints, although the quality of the coffee in the office kitchen left a lot to be desired. I don't know why working people settle for rotgut when it comes to coffee. Good beans don't cost that much more than bad. I can get a pound of Sumatran for something like $7. Does that break the bank? I don't think so.
But I digress. I want to describe a specific episode of my cheating. It was brought to mind when I was winning an online chess game. I defeated my opponent in fourteen moves--checkmate, boom-yow! He never saw it coming. The words that came to my mind were, "Good night, sweet prince!" Those were the exact words used when finishing me off in Trade Wars about twenty years ago.
I don't know how many people remember Trade Wars. It was a text-based role-playing game of the BBS era set in a space-faring intergalactic civilization where one played as a merchant and was allotted a number of turns. The player visited planets buying ore or other goods and selling at a profit. Other traders would attack if encountered, because the goods of the vanquished were forfeited to the victor. One player in particular was a rampaging terror, wasting other traders, including me. He had a vast empire and was too powerful to eliminate, even if one were to find his hideaway.
My hacker nature got the better of me when I stumbled upon a system error that dropped me directly into DOS. I knew enough commands to load the Trade Wars Editor and give myself an enormous number of credits. Armed thus, I raised a vast army of ships so as to dominate the game. I tracked down the main player who had been lording it over every one else, killed him and took all his credits and other possessions. He would have to start over! I chuckled about that and called it quits for the day.
The next day when I logged on, I noticed that I was no longer able to load the Trade Wars Editor. When I logged into the game, I discovered I had been killed by the player I had killed the day before. He sent me a message that said, "GOOD NIGHT SWEET PRINCE!!!!!" It turns out that the System Operator had at least suspected my intrusion and had awarded my enemy even more credits than I had given myself. So, he was now invulnerable. Curse those tattle-tale system logs! I had to quit that Trade Wars Universe.
The moral of the story? There is no moral. I just like that line, "Good night, sweet prince!" It comes from Shakespeare and was spoken during a murder. Perhaps Macbeth?
But I digress. I want to describe a specific episode of my cheating. It was brought to mind when I was winning an online chess game. I defeated my opponent in fourteen moves--checkmate, boom-yow! He never saw it coming. The words that came to my mind were, "Good night, sweet prince!" Those were the exact words used when finishing me off in Trade Wars about twenty years ago.
I don't know how many people remember Trade Wars. It was a text-based role-playing game of the BBS era set in a space-faring intergalactic civilization where one played as a merchant and was allotted a number of turns. The player visited planets buying ore or other goods and selling at a profit. Other traders would attack if encountered, because the goods of the vanquished were forfeited to the victor. One player in particular was a rampaging terror, wasting other traders, including me. He had a vast empire and was too powerful to eliminate, even if one were to find his hideaway.
My hacker nature got the better of me when I stumbled upon a system error that dropped me directly into DOS. I knew enough commands to load the Trade Wars Editor and give myself an enormous number of credits. Armed thus, I raised a vast army of ships so as to dominate the game. I tracked down the main player who had been lording it over every one else, killed him and took all his credits and other possessions. He would have to start over! I chuckled about that and called it quits for the day.
The next day when I logged on, I noticed that I was no longer able to load the Trade Wars Editor. When I logged into the game, I discovered I had been killed by the player I had killed the day before. He sent me a message that said, "GOOD NIGHT SWEET PRINCE!!!!!" It turns out that the System Operator had at least suspected my intrusion and had awarded my enemy even more credits than I had given myself. So, he was now invulnerable. Curse those tattle-tale system logs! I had to quit that Trade Wars Universe.
The moral of the story? There is no moral. I just like that line, "Good night, sweet prince!" It comes from Shakespeare and was spoken during a murder. Perhaps Macbeth?
Reparations for the Drug War
One day, the U.S. is going to have to pay massive reparations for the unconstitutional and unethical drug war that has claimed the life of one former U.S. marine and countless others over the past eighty years. Our government is deep over its head in debt already from fighting pointless and counter-productive wars. The money will have to come from somewhere, so the D.E.A. may have to have its budget eliminated. It would be fascinating to see whether the D.E.A. could exist as a charity. Would anybody donate? Probably the immoral individuals that are profiting from property forfeitures would.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Moscow Gay Pride
Brave gay activists protest in Moscow, getting attacked and arrested by police. They say neo-Nazis staged a counter-protest, but there are reports the neo-Nazis were aided and abetted by police or were themselves undercover police officers.
Some of the things that were said by the anti-gays reminded me of television evangelists Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell in the early 1990s. For example, "if we let things like this (gay pride) happen in Moscow, God will burn down Moscow." How strange that people can be so ignorant as to believe such a thing in the year 2011! But then I remind myself that something like forty percent of Russians admire Stalin, who killed millions of Russians. The Russians seem as stupid as bricks. Whenever I feel disappointed in the actions of U.S. leaders and politicians, all I have to do to cheer myself up is browse what is happening in Russia, Iran, China, or North Korea, where the stupidity is quadrupled.
Some of the things that were said by the anti-gays reminded me of television evangelists Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell in the early 1990s. For example, "if we let things like this (gay pride) happen in Moscow, God will burn down Moscow." How strange that people can be so ignorant as to believe such a thing in the year 2011! But then I remind myself that something like forty percent of Russians admire Stalin, who killed millions of Russians. The Russians seem as stupid as bricks. Whenever I feel disappointed in the actions of U.S. leaders and politicians, all I have to do to cheer myself up is browse what is happening in Russia, Iran, China, or North Korea, where the stupidity is quadrupled.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Walk in Silk Slippers
Some bloggers churn out pages of verbiage per day. I've done so. If a more sedate pace as followed, then blogging offers an opportunity to review and refine one's writing and thinking. Reviewing a thought or idea several days after its creation offers entirely new perspectives. Sometimes, what seemed logical instead seems exaggerated for dramatic effect. Such ideas must be rejected as being not quite the thing, imprecise. Precision is important. Casting too wide a net is a common mistake.
I also think it is well to walk in silk slippers like the ninja, not clunking boots. Express an idea without overstating the case. Avoid excessive explanation. Draw an outline only, allowing the intelligent reader to fill in the blanks. By engaging the reader's mind in the activity of reading, making it work harder, the writer provokes interest. Additional areas of the brain are being stimulated. A baseline of pleasure is initiated. The writer must maintain that interest by giving various rewards, such as new or interesting ideas. He must avoid punishing the reader by inserting obvious exaggerations that insult the reader's intelligence, leading him into forming an instant rebuttal. Once a reader starts arguing with a writer, the game is over. The text will be dismissed. Obvious truths must be avoided, as well, in order not to bore the reader. An outline only is necessary. More is verbosity. A reader might not take exception, but won't take interest either. Make the reader work.
I also think it is well to walk in silk slippers like the ninja, not clunking boots. Express an idea without overstating the case. Avoid excessive explanation. Draw an outline only, allowing the intelligent reader to fill in the blanks. By engaging the reader's mind in the activity of reading, making it work harder, the writer provokes interest. Additional areas of the brain are being stimulated. A baseline of pleasure is initiated. The writer must maintain that interest by giving various rewards, such as new or interesting ideas. He must avoid punishing the reader by inserting obvious exaggerations that insult the reader's intelligence, leading him into forming an instant rebuttal. Once a reader starts arguing with a writer, the game is over. The text will be dismissed. Obvious truths must be avoided, as well, in order not to bore the reader. An outline only is necessary. More is verbosity. A reader might not take exception, but won't take interest either. Make the reader work.
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