11 - 2003 | ***Dave Does the Blog

Engulf & Devour, Part II

Having failed to buy Google, Micro$oft is setting its eyes on the blogging world with “Wallop.” Eek. Cheng demonstrated a research project called Wallop that includes Web logging capabilities, document…

Having failed to buy Google, Micro$oft is setting its eyes on the blogging world with “Wallop.” Eek.

Cheng demonstrated a research project called Wallop that includes Web logging capabilities, document and image sharing, and other interactive features. Cheng said parts of Wallop will find its way into the Longhorn operating system. The software will automatically associate people, groups and data in Longhorn.

Actually, M$ is on to something there. Connections of data are fine, but connections of people are increasingly key to building Net-wide data structures and systems. If M$ is able to tie folks together in some snazzy (and proprietary) fashion, it will have another lock on the online world.

(via BoingBoing)

Words (and grammar) mean things

Try your luck with Richard Roth’s Hundred Most Common Errors in (American) English usage. I got a 71/100, which should tell you something. (You do have to keep your own…

Try your luck with Richard Roth’s Hundred Most Common Errors in (American) English usage.

I got a 71/100, which should tell you something. (You do have to keep your own score.)

I learned a few things I hadn’t known before (8, 20, 32, 38, 39, 85). But the biggest problem with something like this is that language is an evolving beast — some of the “errors” stem from “proper” vs. “colloquial” English (3, 34, 36, 42, 56, 67, 83, 98 for example), and that’s always dangerous. When does something become “proper”? When enough people use it that it becomes accepted by the “experts” — which means that the “error” is repeated enough to be a “truth.”

Of course, some rules, even many rules, are necessary. Some of the distinctions and errors inhibit communication, introduce confusion, and the like. But even as much as I’m a lover of grammar, it’s something you can easily carry too far.

Still, interesting stuff.

(via GoaF)

Tip o’ the glass

Going for the classic choice, none can go wrong with a classy Long Islander! Congratulations! You’re a Long Island Iced Tea! What Drink Are You? Actually, I find Teas…

Going for the classic choice, none can go wrong with a classy Long Islander!
Congratulations! You’re a Long Island Iced Tea!
What Drink Are You?

Actually, I find Teas too sweet for my taste these days. Though I still have a jug of the liquor mix down in the cabinet, for special occasions.

(via GoaF)

The End Times are upon me

“If you were born between 1918 and 1963 …” I am way too young to have something called “The Silver Plan” being hawked to me on the TV. Way too…

“If you were born between 1918 and 1963 …”

I am way too young to have something called “The Silver Plan” being hawked to me on the TV. Way too young.

Yeesh.

Jmulbed txet

A while back, a meme was floating around the next regarding a “Cambridge study” that said, in essense, that reading comprehension is not affected so long as the first and…

A while back, a meme was floating around the next regarding a “Cambridge study” that said, in essense, that reading comprehension is not affected so long as the first and last letters remain correct.

A Cambridge speech and language researcher both disavows the post, and, to some degree, the assertions it makes. Those who find that sort of stuff interesting will find this the sort of stuff they’re interested in, to paraphrase Lincoln.

(via xBlog)

Fly me to the moon …

Is the US considering once again a moon program? Hmmm. Well, I can just imagine the furor it would set off if it did happen. Can we afford such a…

Is the US considering once again a moon program?

Hmmm.

Well, I can just imagine the furor it would set off if it did happen.

Can we afford such a thing? Can we afford not to, either for what it might to do for the human spirit, or in the face of a new Chinese space program?

Would such an attempt be a mere search for popularity and distraction by the Bush Administration? (I can name a dozen people who would say yes.) Would that make it necessarily a bad thing?

At any rate, I agree with Reynolds on the following:

What’s most important is that whatever we do be sustainable, not just another flags-and-footprints mission to say we’ve done it. Long-term, that means getting private enterprise involved, and making sure that people can make money. Taxpayers get tired of spending money. Businesspeople never get tired of making it.

Shades of D.D. Harriman.

Of course, then we can get into debates about “corporate greed ruining space” …

Clock

Cool. (via GoaF)…

Cool.

(via GoaF)

SlimBrowsing

I’ve slipped quite nicely into using SlimBrowser for my browsing needs. Built on top the IE engine, for that lovely compatability thang, it boasts a number of cool features: Tabbed…

I’ve slipped quite nicely into using SlimBrowser for my browsing needs. Built on top the IE engine, for that lovely compatability thang, it boasts a number of cool features:

Tabbed browsing. My God, tabbed browsing. That just so rocks, particuarly for a multi-multi-window guy like me.
Groups. All my online comic reads are now in a single Comics group, meaning I can pull them up with a single click. And because the browser is tabbed (see above), it doesn’t completely overwhelm my Taskbar.
The search bar can be configured to work just like Nutshell. Though it doesn’t come with definitions for Amazon or IMDB searches, it can be programmed for them. Keen.
I was able (by reinstalling) to set up my IESpell spellchecker again. It can take most IE plug-ins, though none are guaranteed.
It uses my Favorites, as-is. This is important to me, vs. some of the alternatives like Opera.
Since it’s a single program, when you start pointing to a different download folder (Save Picture As or Save Target As), it is reflected across all open windows. This is, on balance, an advantage (as I use it).
It does use fewer system resources.
SlimBrowser remembers the last windows open, making it easy to recover them. That’s good, since I keep inadvertently closing the whole browser, instead of just a tab.

The only hitches:

I don’t like the popup blocker as well as PopupCop. It’s at least as effective, but less easy to override (no one-off overrides by keystroke).
I can’t use the MT Bookmarklet. Well, that’s not quite true. I can’t use the Link bar method, but I can, it appears, use the IE context menu method (I just discovered).
Extending from the previous item, windows that are opened by various Java techniques either don’t work (such as that Link bar bookmarklet) or open up in maximized windows, which is sometimes odd. You can actually return the windows to normal size within SlimBrowser, but it’s a little awkward; regardless, this is a minor quibble.
Alternately, if a child window is opened up via Java (e.g., the prompt for an URL to turn into a link in MT), you can’t tab to another window. So if I’m creating a link in an MT post to another page I have open, I have to go over to that page and copy the URL first before I open up the URL box in the post.
Some programs that have IE hardcoded into them still call up IE instead of SlimBrowser. Nothing to be done for that, short of disabling IE, which seems a bit drastic.

I’m, overall, pretty darned pleased. Best and most intelligent advice Scott‘s ever given me, I daresay.

Golden opportunity? Or wildly frustrating money pit?

We received some “junk mail” today for “high-speed Internet access” from Suburban Broadband. Hmmmmm. – Faster than comparably priced DSL. – Less expensive than a cable modem. – Equal uploadnand…

We received some “junk mail” today for “high-speed Internet access” from Suburban Broadband.

Hmmmmm.

– Faster than comparably priced DSL.
– Less expensive than a cable modem.
– Equal uploadnand download speeds.
– VPN support – static IP address.
– No phone line or cable TV required.
– No satellite dish or rooftop antenna.
– Installed in 10 days or less.

“And it’s delivered by pigs with wings!”

No, but seriously, it appears that the company deploys non-line-of-sight (NLOS) wireless broadband. It’s a Castle Rock start-up; they began in Castle Pines (the chi-chi community to the south of us that almost got all burnt up) and are now expanding to the Denver metro area. They use Waverider’s NLOS solution, which is a 900MHz broadband that can be antennaed inside (in theory).

The packages are reasonably priced, it seems — especially compared to the local lack of broadband. $38/mo for 384k up/down, plus $6/mo for the modem, including access to extra computers and a static IP. With the limited time offer, we get two months free and free install ($100 value, sh’yeah right), in exchange for an 18 month commitment. Compare that to $44/mo for Comcast cable broadband, 1.5M down/256k up — plus equipment fees.

The reviews (which are limited) are pretty positive.

I’m torn. I hate that much of a commitment up front. On the other hand, I hate our 42k dial-up. It may be cool to get in on the relative ground floor, but it may also mean that service may dip in the future. No external antenna is cool, but 900MHz is also the range of most of our wireless phones and our wireless speakers, but 900MHz seems to be the best for NLOS from what I read.

Hmmm.

That whole “I hate our 42k dial-up” weighs pretty heavily in here.

Anyone have any words of wisdom here?

Halloween Pix 2003

It’s … not … all … cute ……

It’s … not … all … cute …

Weekend Update

Stupid mundane details nobody wants to read, but which I feel compelled to chronicle ……

Stupid mundane details nobody wants to read, but which I feel compelled to chronicle …

Continue reading “Weekend Update”

Engulf & Devour

Google has rejected a take-over bid by Micro$oft. Heh. I’d like to cite this as evidence that there is, in fact, a God, but more likely what it means is…

Google has rejected a take-over bid by Micro$oft.

Heh.

I’d like to cite this as evidence that there is, in fact, a God, but more likely what it means is that M$ will instead develop a proprietary Internet search system that will be hardcoded into future versions of Windows and render all other search engines unstable.

Still, Go Google.

(via Doyce)

Recent books

I have about six books in-process at the moment, plus my weekly comics et al., so my book throughput isn’t always what I wish it were. One reason I read…

I have about six books in-process at the moment, plus my weekly comics et al., so my book throughput isn’t always what I wish it were. One reason I read while walking at lunch …

Book rankings in each section from 1 (bleah!) to 3 (yeah!).

Knight Life, by Peter David

Summary: [2] This is a revised and rereleased version of one of David’s earlier works, wherein Arthur finds himself resurrected and running for mayor of New York, with a child Merlin as his campaign advisor.
Entertainment: [3] Light, airy, and amusing, both on (re)takes on the Arthurian legend, as many of the folks from that saga make appearances in one way or another, and on politics (New York politics in particular). David manages a modicum of suspense, particularly as to the outcome of the renascent Arthur/Gwen romance. But most of the book is easy reading, with plenty of duck-out-of-water chuckles and bad puns. Vintage (literally) David stuff. And a sequel should be released in the near future.
Profundity: [2] The course of true love never did run smooth. Obsessions can get you in trouble. Trust your feelings, Arthur. Out of the box thinking can come up with some very interesting — and superfially appealing — solutions to intractable social and legal problems. People like a guy on a white horse — and maybe that’s sometimes a good thing.
Re-readability: [3] This could easily become a “comfort book.”

The Lord of Castle Black, by Steven Brust

Summary: [2] This is the second volume of Brust’s The Viscount of Adrilankha Dumas pastiche. The Empire gets its legs underneath it, Morollan (the titular character) becomes involved in matters, and lots of folks run around doing a lot of sword fighting and exchanging witticisms.
Entertainment: [2] The conceit remains entertaining, and is crafted with a now-polished fashion. But it’s almost become too easy, and I almost have the sense that Brust is rushing things along just a tad, to be done with it perhaps. The cast has now gotten so large that it’s easy to lose track of who’s who, who’s whose friend, who’s whose parent, who’s of what House, etc. that may contribute to the sense of a lack of focus. Every character, it seems, needs a parenthetical reference every so often, in a book that is built around parenthetical references, and the result becomes sketchier and sketcher. The lack of remembrance of who’s who isn’t a terrible barrier, though; you just kind of go along and enjoy it anyway.
At the same time, Brust is finally more substantially dealing with characters we know, or recognize from the Vlad books. Enough of them, from Loraan to Sethra the Younger to the Sorceress in Green, pop up that it begins to feel artificial.
All that quibbling aside, it’s still a greatly entertaining book, and I eagerly look forward to the next installment. Though, to be honest, I’d rather have another Vlad book.
Profundity: [1] Despite Paarfi’s best efforts, there aren’t many.
Re-readability: [2] No time soon, though. Unless I need a leg up on understanding the next book.

Speaking of which, Sethra Lavode is due out in April 2004 …