mobil gargoyle

Plusmo Mobile Widgets for Nokia, Motorola, WAP, Blackberry, iPhone, Samsung, Windows Mobile, Sony Ericsson, LG and other phones Jake's Weblog Mobile Widget Login | Register Tell a friend | Feedback | 0 widgets Manage Phone Manage Preview Account Settings Install Plusmo Download Get Started Add Widgets RSS Feeds OPML Publish Tools Help Selected 0 widgetsAdd Now Jake's Weblog Mobile Widget Description: Jake's Weblog Subscribers: 2 Jake's Weblog More Photos Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:13:00 GMT Here's some more photos. That's really all I've got to say :)!-Jake Here's some more photos.That's really all I've got to say :)!-Jake Read more... Still ignoring my blog Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:52:00 GMT Hello world! You can call me at 716-989-4815. That's my skypein number, that points to my cell phone in Korea. Umm.... I had a great trip to Namwon with Min Kyoung..... here are some photos:http://picasaweb.google.co.kr/minkyoungworld/NamwonKorea/Basically, I'm having a really great time. I am still held back by a ludicrous number of doctor's appointments, but I think I am actually making progress-- how cool is that?!?!-Jake Hello world!You can call me at 716-989-4815.That's my skypein number, that points to my cell phone in Korea.Umm.... I had a great trip to Namwon with Min Kyoung..... here are some photos:http://picasaweb.google.co.kr/minkyoungworld/NamwonKorea/Basically, I'm having a really great time.I am still held back by a ludicrous number of doctor's appointments, but I think I am actually making progress-- h... Read more... Tech Post Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:48:00 GMT Well well well, I'm running Vista 64 now, because of the Korean activeX addiction. Oh, well-- Linux is really cool, and windows with 6 gigs of RAM is okay, too. Only trouble right now is that mp3 playback in WMP and Songbird has died for no apparent reason. Well, there was a trigger-- I installed the creative x64 driver.... if anyone's got a fix to this, please let me know....Anyway windows Vista is a total pig, but if you feed the pig well (6 gigs of RAM) it's pretty decent. I haven't had any stability trouble. Ubuntu is better, but not if you live in Korea. I probably won't go back to linux, though just because of the difficulty of reinstalling... that's going to have to wait till 1 computer in the future. I've decided that I'll upgrade every year. Well well well,I'm running Vista 64 now, because of the Korean activeX addiction.Oh, well-- Linux is really cool, and windows with 6 gigs of RAM is okay, too.Only trouble right now is that mp3 playback in WMP and Songbird has died for no apparent reason.Well, there was a trigger-- I installed the creative x64 driver.... if anyone's got a fix to this, please let me know....Anyway windows Vista is a... Read more... Things are pretty good! Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:46:00 GMT I just thought that I would put up a mostly personal post. Things are going pretty well for me over here in Korea. I've got stuff all set up at my house, and I'm moving along. I'm seeing this absolutley amazing girl, and work is going pretty well now. I realize that I've been neglecting this weblog, but that is because of well... I'd rather not explain actually. But there's a reason and of course it's weird.So anyways, that's my update.... things are decent. I've still got some troubles, but things are pretty decent. Tech post coming up next.I think that I should also mention that I was accepted to the University Of New England in australia for a master's in applied linguistics. I will begin classes on Feb. 14-- good wishes and prayers and stuff are totally accepted-- it's going to be a really tough program. Well, maybe not that tough-- I don't know, but I am a little worried about working alongiside of it. Sure should be interesting, though, and it puts me on a 3 year track to work in a Korean university. I am going to work for Jackie's for another contract, I hope, because it's just a great school and I'm totally happy there. It's a good school and I have a good community around me. I sure do miss all of you US-people, though-- I can't wait to come back home for a while, hit up Chicago, Denver, Portland..... basically repeat my summer trip, that was SO MUCH FUN! My girlfriend is coming to the US with me, she's going to study at Fredonia, and I'm buying a house in Dunkirk..... Bascially, I'm making things work. I'm hoping to work on a PHD while working in a Korean university. Wow, long post. To sum up: Things are pretty decent. I just thought that I would put up a mostly personal post.Things are going pretty well for me over here in Korea.I've got stuff all set up at my house, and I'm moving along.I'm seeing this absolutley amazing girl, and work is going pretty well now.I realize that I've been neglecting this weblog, but that is because of well... I'd rather not explain actually.But there's a reason and of course it's ... Read more... Pathetic Sat, 25 Aug 2007 01:35:00 GMT Sirs and ladies at TreeHugger: "We'll need to accept pay-as-you go!?!"Inventing good solutions to difficult problems is what this here Internet is based on, and something that nerds are good at doing. So, instead of rolling over and accepting 3% sewage in your drinking water instead of 0%, why don't you step up and call for something to be done? Start selling bulk bandwith. Lay fiber. Or, as tends to happen every few years or so, reinvent the whole darn thing.But to be defeated this easily illustrates clearly the lack of understanding most people have of this issue, and the lack of appreciation for how rare it is in human history to have a forum for ideas as free as the Internet, served with a side dish of AYCE access. The day we let them put us on "Pay as you go" plans is the day that gov'ts start putting a $5,000 /kb tax on information they don't like, or banning it outright. "Pay as you go" is the day that you allow the government and the media companies to once again control what you watch and how you watch it. What you read and how you read it, et cetera, ad nauseam. Basically, I'm saying you suck at thinking. We all do this from time to time, I've done and wrote some really stupid things in my day, but with this here Internet, it's easier for other people to remind me that those things were stupid and to help me to see the error in my ways. Sirs and ladies at TreeHugger: "We'll need to accept pay-as-you go!?!"Inventing good solutions to difficult problems is what this here Internet is based on, and something that nerds are good at doing.So, instead of rolling over and accepting 3% sewage in your drinking water instead of 0%, why don't you step up and call for something to be done?Start selling bulk bandwith.Lay fiber.Or, as tends to ... Read more... Internal Investigation Clears Joliet Cop Wed, 22 Aug 2007 05:09:00 GMT I want to end this charade once and for all. Apparently "Mr. Nag" was not a US Iraq war veteran. A "Internal Investigation" cleared the police officer of all wrongdoing. Here's the thing: internal investigations clear police officers nationwide of abuses when they actually did occur. I remain suspicious based on the Joliet Police's reaction. I'd like to publish a comment that I received today:Cop cleared. Sikh lying. Another "Duke Rape case" or Tawanna Brawly incident where minorities try to garner sympathy and money. They are the true racists.Oh, come on! Let's chill out here. The "Duke Rape case" also involved a white prosecutor who went way beyond what was intelligent in prosecuting the case, and minority groups surely aren't the "true racists." Ugh. The comments that I've recieved and subsequently sequestered on my weblog are so hateful as to be unfit for publication on any body with a connection to me without being able to admonish their posters, as I am doing here. My summary: Mr. Nag seems to have lied about his military service, and may have lied about the event itself. Since I am not aware of any disinterested eyewitnesses, I've got to conclude that something shady probably happened, and that an "internal investigation" is about as level-headed, open-minded and fair as oh, I don't know.... maybe a censorship board in China when it censors its censors?Please. I don't want to twist this and say that the folks sending me these comments are "the true racists"-- I'll let the folks who read the comments decide, just not in a forum where I can't clearly say that I disagree with them like the comment section of my weblog. I want to end this charade once and for all.Apparently "Mr. Nag" was not a US Iraq war veteran.A "Internal Investigation" cleared the police officer of all wrongdoing.Here's the thing:internal investigations clear police officers nationwide of abuses when they actually did occur.I remain suspicious based on the Joliet Police's reaction.I'd like to publish a comment that I received today:Cop cleare... Read more... When will AI reach human capabilities Sun, 19 Aug 2007 00:21:00 GMT Bruce Klein Sat, Aug 18, 2007 at 5:51 PM To: faddat@gmail.com Jacob, quick question... when do you thinkAI will surpass human-level intelligence?[ ] 2010-20[ ] 2020-30[ ] 2030-50[ ] 2050-70[ ] 2070-2100[ ] Beyond 2100[ ] Prefer not to make predictions[ ] Other: __Survey sent to a few friends to gain a betterperspective on time-frame... results posted:www.novamente.net/bruce_blogThanks!Bruce Jacob Gadikian Sun, Aug 19, 2007 at 9:21 AM To: Bruce Klein Good question sir!Other:The Easy part:With respect to math, science, large datasets, relationships betweenthings and large datasets, I'd say that "AI" (I think you know whyI've got the quotes) is getting near to surpassing humans. Of course,it's just a matter of seeding and training the existing models welland you'll have something that outwits mere humans quite quickly. Ifnot already, then by 2015. I would expect that by 2015 computers willbe performing many associative functions that are only slowlybeginning to show up on the horizon.The tough part: understanding human requests perfectly,interpretation. (I don't think this requires emotion, creativity,passion) "Hard AI," which I would allow to call itself "I" likepresently only humans can do in the English language. At this stage,AI will have evolved to the point where it can do some amazing feats,and is being used in many common environments with or without theknowledge of the humans using it.The toughest part:art, creativity, emotion, passion:2100 if ever. I'm really torn on the issue of if emulating humansreally really well counts for these things. Maybe? I guess you needself-awareness, but does that imply emotion? Human-level, I supposedoes. if us humans haven't stopped innovating in order to kill oneanother, or focused all of our attentions on new and innovative waysto kill one another (see: most governments' and many corporations'current direction) we might get there by 2100 and it'll make the worlda more interesting place, that's for sure.However, is creativity a trait of the organic? Maybe? Then again,are "evolved" computer applications themselves organic? Gosh, thisone goes so deep. I'll tell you what: I'm going to take what I'vewritten, send it to you and post it on my blog. I'll also instructpeople who read my blog to answer your question, if that's okay withyou. It is a very difficult question that I have a very hard timegiving a *GOOD* answer, and it's certainly worth pondering, given thehuge implications of the third kind of AI, which in my mind wouldrequire rights of its own, which would need to be protected andsomehow *gasp* balanced against "human rights".So, I guess I fall soundly in the "other" category. Thanks for thegood brain-fodder.-Jake[Quoted text hidden]--Jacob GadikianMSN Messenger: faddat@gmail.comAIM: faddatSKYPE: faddat716-912-8357Homepage: faddat.blogspot.com Bruce KleinSat, Aug 18, 2007 at 5:51 PMTo: faddat@gmail.comJacob, quick question... when do you thinkAI will surpass human-level intelligence?[ ] 2010-20[ ] 2020-30[ ] 2030-50[ ] 2050-70[ ] 2070-2100[ ] Beyond 2100[ ] Prefer not to make predictions[ ] Other: __Survey sent to a few friends to gain a betterperspective on time-frame... results posted:www.novamente.net/bruce_blogThanks!BruceJacob Gad... Read more... Housekeeping an a rant about E-money Sat, 21 Jul 2007 07:05:00 GMT Kari and Ed will remember my T-money card well, as it was going to be given to a certain colorful individual named "T-money". However, the card never made it to its new owner, and so I took it back to Korea with me, since I'd put about 20,000 ($20) won on the card before I left Korea. I went on the subway yesterday to use it and discovered that it magically no longer worked. Where did my $20 go?!?!! The card is dead, so my money is gone. This is yet another reason why I think digital cash is just a bad idea. I want my $20 back! Okay, now I'm done with that little rant. Onto some blog housekeeping. Later today, I should post my first videos to this weblog. Nothing fancy, just a couple of videos that I've taken while zigging around. I'm also going to start a google picasa thingey. I can't use the album thing properly with LInux, but hopefully Google will work that out soon.Now, onto the Mr. Nag story. I want to say, once and for all, that I was not an eyewitness to the incident involving Mr. Nag. I do think that it is most likely that the Joliet police acted improperly, but I have no evidence of that. I have recieved numerous e-mails criticizing me for taking Mr. Nag's side in the argument so quickly. I will now explain why: when I called the Joliet Police, the same Chief that appeared later in the day on Television explaining the incident told me that he wasn't even sure that there had been an incident, and basically treated me like a damn fool for calling him up and asking questions. Had he provided an explaination or given some sort of reasonable excuse to me, I would not have the level of suspicion that I still retain with respect to the Police's story in this case. Because the cop I called acted like a dirty cop, I assumed that he (and the office that arrested Mr. Nag) were both dirty cops. Had he treated me like a citizen with legitimate concerns, I would not have assumed that the police were in the wrong. The way that he acted toward me colored my judgment in this case, and I must say that my judgment remains (and wil remain) colored. Kari and Ed will remember my T-money card well, as it was going to be given to a certain colorful individual named "T-money".However, the card never made it to its new owner, and so I took it back to Korea with me, since I'd put about 20,000 ($20) won on the card before I left Korea.I went on the subway yesterday to use it and discovered that it magically no longer worked.Where did my $20 go?!?!!T... Read more... Government and Truth Tue, 24 Apr 2007 02:13:00 GMT God I hope I can travel to China after I write this article. I want to see the new, developed, advanced, amazing, successful, burgeoning, beautiful China. However, I'm now writing an article that questions the motives of China's government, as well as my own. Governments should tell the truth. That way, the people who run the Government (in theory, the people as a whole, with no exclusions other than age) can make the best and most informed decisions.This decision to subtly insert propaganda all around the Chinese Internet reeks of recent Bush Administration moves on sex (Abstinence-Only Education), Iraq (Remember the party line on WMD's? ), and even Educational Policy. The "party line" is rarely truth, and usually a distortion if it. An advanced socialist country like China does not need to lie to its people. It does not need to subtly shape their opinions. I strongly feel that an advanced socialist society should have progressed to a point where it can tell the truth to its people at all times. Now, the reason for my comparison with the Bush Admin. in the USA is that there is a distortion of truth promoted by government here as well. We need not trumpet our "freedom." In the United Sates, the government uses the same tactics to shape our public opinion about its polices as the Chinese do. Carefully implanting the right information into the media. I would fully support any government that had truth as a grounded tenet. Sadly, I do not see that government anywhere in the world. Censorship and lying need to die in order for the human race to advance. The free exchange of ideas leads to great things, and stifling such exchanges only postpones the inevitable: the structural changes that new ideas produce in society. To be frank, I believe that we do need to adopt a government/society that is laid out in terms of new economics. The Zero-sum game is hurting humanity, and the blind search for profit will soon prove fruitless as consumption necessairly increases to increase the size of the overall economy. This is not to say that I do not believe in a free market-- I do. I believe in a free, totally egalitarian market where certain buyers and sellers are not favored. I believe in a market where distortions of truth are not used to cover up the ethical quandaries that come with doing business. The best description of this more ideal system is found here: http://marshallbrain.com/manna1.htmPersonally, I would be more impressed if one of the world superpowers were to go about creating a government / economic system that works like the one in this short story. I think that it describes a more ideal system. And that's just the thing: If we all strive for the ideal, at the very least, we'll end up with something better than we have. It's when we make compromises of ethics for a quick fix that we begin to fail. We can do better. God I hope I can travel to China after I write this article.I want to see the new, developed, advanced, amazing, successful, burgeoning, beautiful China.However, I'm now writing an article that questions the motives of China's government, as well as my own.Governments should tell the truth.That way, the people who run the Government (in theory, the people as a whole, with no exclusions other than ... Read more... Action on the "Joliet cop beats the snot out of US Veteran for no reason" Story Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:01:00 GMT The original story is right here: http://www.saldef.org/content.aspx?a=1682Excellent ABC7Chicago story on the beating with an informative video segment: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5204526The contact info page for the city of Joilet is here: http://www.cityofjoliet.info/contact.htmThat is the most descriptive story on the event that I could find. Here's the gist of it: Iraq I Veteran Mr. Kuldip Singh Nag mercilessly beaten by a Joilet police officer in front of his own home because he had a van in his driveway with expired tags. After pepper-spraying Mr. Nag, the police officer is quoted as saying, "You f****** Arab! You f***** immigrant, go back to you f****** country before I kill you!" 1. I just called the Joliet Police ((815) 724-3201) and spoke to a person who identified himself only as "a commander in the joliet police force". Before speaking to him I spoke to the Police Secretary who could not make any comment whatsoever on the allegations. She did, however, kindly transfer me to the police commander. The commander said that he could neither confirm nor deny the allegations. When I asked how he thought Mr. Nag was beaten so severely he had to spend five days in hospital, he repeated that he could neither confirm nor deny the allegations. When I asked what he thought should happen to the police officer in question, he again said that he could not confirm any allegations against the officer or the Joilet police department. After this, the Police Commander said that he was not going to debate this with me over the phone, and began to end the call. Not wanting to expose myself to the ill-will of the Joliet Police Department, I ended the call and thanked the Commander for his time.2. Now, onto my views on this.This makes me want to puke. Not only did the Joliet Police make a really, really big screw-up, they will not take any responsibility for it in any way. This wouldn't be like Don Imus not apologizing-- this is many times worse. While using the racist language, the police officer was pepper spraying and beating Mr. Nag. The City of Joilet needs to fess up and pay up. One of their cops, empowered by the City of Joilet Beat the snot out of an innocent man and have nothing to say about it. Please, call the Joilet police at 815-724-3201. Ensure that this event is investigated, that the man responsible is fired, and that the attitude of the Joilet Police toward Americans of all colors, ideologies, and perspectives on life changes to an attitude that the American people as a whole can accept.When people outside the USA read about Mr. Nag, I am sure that they are seeing the image of America that we don't want them to believe in. Not that America is a beautiful melting pot, but that America has become a place where you can have the snot beaten out of you in front of your own home because your skin is the wrong color. As an American, I'm sickened by what happened to Mr. Nag. The Joliet Police don't seem to be sickened in the least bit by all of this, and that truly does make me wonder what business they have in policing Americans.3: International Press Coverage:This story has been picked up by the International Press. The Joilet cop that did this is now responsible for Americans "Losing face" around the world. Not like we need any help with that with our current president in power. Anyway, here are some links to stories describing Americans as xenophobic (read: racist scum) in the post-9/11 environment that wouldn't exist without a little help from a Joilet police officer, his pepper spray, and his baton:Times of India4: Domestic Press Coverage:ABC7ChicagoThe American MuslimChicago Tribune5: Other Bloggers' Coverage:GeneExpression6: Mr. Nag's AttorneysThe Chawla Group will be representing Mr. Nag in his suit against the police who beat the snot out of him while yelling racist epithets. Good luck to Mr. Nag and his attorneys in this matter. Incidents like this are an embarrassment to our nation and the people behind them should be made to pay dearly. The original story is right here: http://www.saldef.org/content.aspx?a=1682Excellent ABC7Chicago story on the beating with an informative video segment: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5204526The contact info page for the city of Joilet is here:http://www.cityofjoliet.info/contact.htmThat is the most descriptive story on the event that I could find.Here's the gist of it:Iraq ... Read more... Windows Vista SUCKS! Tue, 20 Mar 2007 01:52:00 GMT A client of mine called me a while ago because his computer was beginning to get slow and cranky. It was quite old-- a P3 800MHz with 256 MB of RAM. It ran Windows 2000, and I could clearly see that it was on its last legs. He'd recently upgraded to AVG Internet Security, which in and of itself is a problem. Those combined security apps just kill machines-- Norton, Mcafee, AVG, whatever-- from my experience, they all do. He felt that his computer was going too slow and called me in to give my ideas. I suggested it might be time to upgrade, and given the age of his machine, he agreed. He likes to do these things quickly, so we called up Dell and bought a $700 computer on the spot. A gig of RAM, an AMD dual-core processor, this thing was ready to go. First off, Vista crashed three times while I was simply moving his data. Once was a blue screen of death (!) during Windows Update, the second time was the sidebar application, and the third was the sidebar app again. MS, if you're going to spend 5+ years making an OS with a sidebar, you'd better make darn well sure that it works!Second, Vista's Internet connection system seemed very cumbersome for his DSL line. I just didn't like it. I got it going though, and brought the computer up in the time honored tradition of getting the latest updates to the Operating System and Office Suite from the Internet. I moved his data and applications over, with the exception of Quickbooks 2004, which could not seem to tolerate its new Vista environment. Shame on both Microsoft and the publishers of Quickbooks for letting this one slip. No one should have to re-buy $500 in software because they upgraded their operating system. Never. Not in this day and age!Finally, I get a call from my customer at around 10:00 and he's sure not sounding too pleased. Vista has lost the connections settings for his DSL line. *POOF!* They're gone! I helped him to set it up again over the phone. During that conversation, he mentioned that his old computer actually felt faster to him. Now, a word about my future dealings and perspectives on Vista. NEVER AGAIN. BillG, you and I are through. Windows XP owns Windows Vista, and that's sad. I will no longer recommend Microsoft products under any circumstances. I will cite this case in the future when I am counseling customers against the status quo. Windows Vista is a HONKING PIECE OF SHIT! Lastly, I'd like to say how sad that makes me. Now, I'm a Linux user, and I do think it's the better operating system, with better development techniques. But today I saw Microsoft, a great American enterprise, going down in flames. I sincerely believe that Vista will be their last major desktop OS. I feel that too many people will feel soured by Vista's instability and lack of performance for Microsoft to get another go at things. I am sad to see that another American business is going down. I'd love to say that Microsoft, the greatest code house in the world, is from my country. However, it's now clear that Microsoft no longer has a stake to any claim on that throne. A client of mine called me a while ago because his computer was beginning to get slow and cranky.It was quite old-- a P3 800MHz with 256 MB of RAM.It ran Windows 2000, and I could clearly see that it was on its last legs.He'd recently upgraded to AVG Internet Security, which in and of itself is a problem.Those combined security apps just kill machines-- Norton, Mcafee, AVG, whatever-- from my expe... Read more... I need SecondLIfe Help! Sat, 24 Feb 2007 15:11:00 GMT Well, I also need RealLife help.... but-- here's the thing. I've been playing with SecondLife in my spare time for about two weeks now. I don't think that I'm all that interested in it, but something keeps me coming back: the fact remains that two million people other than me have found something very interesting about this product. I remain thoroughly unimpressed. From the fact that LindenDollars are exchanged unevenly with the real thing, to the fact that I just haven't found any interesting activities, to the fact that I have only met one interesting person on SecondLife and he was dressed like a gigantic squirrel. So, here's the challenge. I'm offering a bounty of $25 to anyone who can show me what makes SecondLife so interesting. I am sick of showing up in the main square in SecondLife and just wondering what on earth all these furries find so interesting. And I sincerely hope that it is not just that SL is a place for furries to get together. Otherwise the folks out at Linden have actually created the greatest abomination mankind has ever known. So, for all the readers of my weblog that I'm unaware of (though I am more and more aware that there are more and more of you), if you or someone you know can show me what on earth is cool about SecondLife, I can send you $25 by PayPal. Well, I also need RealLife help.... but-- here's the thing.I've been playing with SecondLife in my spare time for about two weeks now.I don't think that I'm all that interested in it, but something keeps me coming back:the fact remains that two million people other than me have found something very interesting about this product.I remain thoroughly unimpressed.From the fact that LindenDollars are ... Read more... Two things on my reading list Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:29:00 GMT http://marshallbrain.com/manna1.htm - a short story about the future..... robot-styleEDIT:I just read this story and it is truly amazing. It is at once dystopic and utopic, both utterly terrifying and inspiring. This story also lays out a novel economic framework that could power a cashless future. Truly, a work of art that I will reccomend to all right along with Orwell's classic Animal Farm. http://www.abelard.org/e-f-russell.htm - a short story about the future.... 1950's anarchist style...-Jake http://marshallbrain.com/manna1.htm - a short story about the future..... robot-styleEDIT:I just read this story and it is truly amazing.It is at once dystopic and utopic, both utterly terrifying and inspiring.This story also lays out a novel economic framework that could power a cashless future.Truly, a work of art that I will reccomend to all right along with Orwell's classic Animal Farm. http:/... Read more... State of the Jake report Mon, 12 Feb 2007 18:30:00 GMT Major blog format change! I have decided that every month, I will do one article about me. This is for the readers of my weblog that don't know me, or haven't spoken to me in a while. I know that they are out there, and so I have decided to give them the information that they likely want. So, starting in May 2006, here it is:In May 2006 I started working for the W Institute in Apgujeong, Kangnam, Seoul, Korea. It turned out that the W Institute was one of the Korean schools that every foriegner fears. They did not consider their foriegn employees to be employees at all, but instead, considered them to be slaves. After a great deal of worry and sketchiness involving my legal status in Korea and my Pay, I decided it was time to jump ship. At the end of August (August 25, if my memory serves me correctly), I finished having any affiliation with these scumbags. I should also mention that I got the job at the W Institute through Jung Seo of JUN Recruiting. If you are contacted by these SCUMBAGS, I suggest you run, not walk away. I began to work at Jackie's Clinic, a school that I had heard rave reviews about from their teachers. Sadly, the second day that I worked at Jackie's (a beautiful Seoul Saturday) I found out that my sister had been killed in a tragic car accident. Despite my short tenure at their academy, the staff and owner of Jackie's clinic helped me to get on my way home.I took a few months off. From doing anything. These were, in retrospect, the toughest times of my life. If I had them to live again, I would live them differently, but I don't.On December 23rd, 2006, I was in a car accident at the intersection of Tyler and Cornell on the way back from the grocery store. The other driver had driven through a stop sign (I did not have one) and so I hit the side of her car with the front of mine. My car was nearly destroyed (I am still driving it out of necessity) and her insurance company, New York Central Mutual, decided that the car I paid $2400 for in May was now worth $500. I am putting together a suit against them for the full, actual value of my car. Since they totaled it, the title of that car is also ruined.Sadly, my car was not all that was damaged in the accident. I have been in a great deal of pain since the accident from my back. I got an MRI on Friday, February 9th to determine the cause of the pain and hopefully to determine a treatment. I have spent weeks going to work and returning home to lay flat, and nothing else. I did nothing this weekend, I hope for better things this time around.Basically, the state of me isn't so good. There are, however, some bright points in the sea of crap I am floating in. I am looking at buying a house on Whitney place in Buffalo. I am thinking about returning to Korea to teach again, and I have been working an excellent job at Azerty through the hardworking staff at the temp agency I found it at, Durham staffing. If you are looking for work in the Buffalo area, I suggest that you give them a call.I also had an excellent trip to Chicago recently to visit with a friend from Loyola to discuss a CRM implementation. This is coming along, and if my back gives me a moment's respite, it'll be coming along much faster. Major blog format change! I have decided that every month, I will do one article about me. This is for the readers of my weblog that don't know me, or haven't spoken to me in a while. I know that they are out there, and so I have decided to give them the information that they likely want. So, starting in May 2006, here it is:In May 2006 I started working for the W Institute in Apgujeong, Kangnam, ... Read more... FreeNation Mon, 29 Jan 2007 18:15:00 GMT Now here's an idea I can wholeheartedly support. These folks want to buy an island and then declare it a nation whose paramount ideal is Freedom. I'm going to check out what the mood is on their IRC server (irc.freenationfoundation.org) and if I can, lend a hand and become involved. The time has certainly come for the people of the world to declare that their governance needn't be determined the way it has been in the past, and to make a stand--for freedom. One thing that I thought of immediately was that FreeNation should be a collection of geographic areas adhering to the rules and stated goals of FreeNation. It would be my sincere hope that FreeNation could become the world's first true digital democracy, where empowered citizens make real choices about their government, instead of a representative democracy. I can't wait to hop on IRC and learn more about what these folks are all aobut. This is a link to the Wikipedia article about FreeNation. It provides a good primer to the project while their web site is still going up. Now here's an idea I can wholeheartedly support.These folks want to buy an island and then declare it a nation whose paramount ideal is Freedom.I'm going to check out what the mood is on their IRC server (irc.freenationfoundation.org) and if I can, lend a hand and become involved.The time has certainly come for the people of the world to declare that their governance needn't be determined the way ... Read more... MS monoculture is delaying the future of business Sun, 28 Jan 2007 20:56:00 GMT The open source world has done it: they have defined interoperable calendar, e-mail, and document standards. In theory, applications should be able to seamlessly access that data. Today I'm working on an apple, and I can tell you that without a doubt, the MS exchange client, entourage, is holding back the project-- and it's not for a lack of functionality. The trick here is standards! Entourage is an excellent Exchange client, and an excellent PIM application. As I am sure many of my readers are aware, the Apple playing field does not include as many software choices as the PC. I'm attempting to provide a client with a workable CRM solution for a Mac, using any combination of software or web applications necessary. I have played with the truly excellent vTiger, and would like to carry that forward. Because of standards compliance, vTiger can easily synchronize contacts with Mozilla's Thunderbird e-mail client. Thunderbird just isn't the PIM environment that Entourage is, however. The more advanced business functions simply aren't there, and it's a shame. My client's e-mail account is on an exchange server, as well, which also forces using either GNOME evolution or Entourage. From what I have heard, Evolution's support for Exchange is more of a hack than a functional reality, which makes me hesitate to implement it in a production environment. So, here I am again, stuck with Microsoft. And here's what I find the kicker to be this time: By not following well-documented standards, Microsoft has locked itself out of this deal. It will never be a perfect solution for my client because he will not be able to get ALL of his data out if circumstances required it. In an export from Entourage/Outlook, there are certain things that a user simply cannot extract, and in this case, those happen to be the crown jewels. And it's too bad, because Entourage is great. The open source world has done it:they have defined interoperable calendar, e-mail, and document standards.In theory, applications should be able to seamlessly access that data.Today I'm working on an apple, and I can tell you that without a doubt, the MS exchange client, entourage, is holding back the project-- and it's not for a lack of functionality. The trick here is standards!Entourage is an ... Read more... Gettin Technical with Cash Thu, 28 Dec 2006 16:41:00 GMT The sky (dollar) is falling, the sky (dollar) is falling!While the sky may not be falling, the dollar certainly is. This is no small shift, and no one should be able to convince you, an American citizen or a person heavily invested in dollar assets of that. If you're American, then you most likely get paid in dollars. Every time the US dollar falls, your wages drop an appreciable percentage in terms of what your pay will purchase for you. Not only will it take you more money to buy the things that you want, but it will get you less money when you want to purchase goods abroad. Your fuel will cost more, because more competitive currencies will carry more weight. In fact, all globally traded commodities will cost you more because more valuable currencies like the Euro are able to purchase goods traded in dollars (like oil) more easily.Even if oil markets, like Iran's oil bourse, begin to trade oil in Euros, you will suffer. This is because you will have to buy oil denominated in Euros, meaning that your oil dollar will be converted to a much more expensive currency before you get your product. Currently Europeans buy dollars to buy oil, but in the near future, oil will be bought directly in Euros, and the strength of the Euro (its fast rise vs. the dollar can even make simply holding onto Euro notes an investment) will entice the oil selling nations to hold onto those Euros as the dollar is held onto as a stable, "reserve currency" today. China and the UAE both have plans to convert some of their significant holdings in dollars to Euros. This is because the dollar has, of late, been falling precipitously.Now, why on earth is the dollar falling? When the Euro debuted in 1999 in Western Europe, it traded at around 1 Euro for 80 US cents. Today, there has been a remarkable juxtaposition. the Euro is now trading for $1.30+. What has happened? Clearly, there is no single, simple solution, but there are many factors that led to this extreme swing.Probably the largest factor in the fall of the dollar is President Bush's budget deficit coupled with falling interest rates on U.S. debt. While the president was becoming involved in wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as setting up a department of homeland security, he racked up a good deal of debt for the US. During this time, the federal reserve reduced payments on that debt to as low as 1.5%, decreasing the long-term value of the U.S. dollar. The US government essentially asked its creditors to lend it more while paying them less, and it certainly did not help the state of the dollar. Now, the United States is faced with a very large debt burden and a falling U.S. dollar and Ben Bernake wants to increase the number of dollars in circulation. Yes, folks, we may very well learn firsthand what hyperinflation means. The increase in the minimum wage, and our wages in general will likely mean less and less over the next decade, and the United States will find its import power limited because of the falling dollar. That's too bad, too-- because we've outsourced nearly all manufacturing of "stuff" to other countries, and will be forced to pay for those goods in devalued dollars, increasing the number of dollars that consumers need to pay for that "stuff."I guess what I'm trying to say here is: Republicans and democrats alike need to pay much more attention to the health of the United States economy instead of re-inventing the statistics by which it is measured to show a rosy outlook-- things aren't well, and they threaten to become worse. The sky (dollar) is falling, the sky (dollar) is falling!While the sky may not be falling, the dollar certainly is. This is no small shift, and no one should be able to convince you, an American citizen or a person heavily invested in dollar assets of that. If you're American, then you most likely get paid in dollars. Every time the US dollar falls, your wages drop an appreciable percentage in ter... Read more... Linux and "Intel open source" G965 GMA X3000 Sat, 09 Dec 2006 22:55:00 GMT Linux Distributions that work with the G965 X3000 out of the boxSo we've had a saga of late. We bought a computer that was designed to own all, from the motherboard, straight up. Having heard about the Intel Open Source Linux Graphics Drivers, we specifically picked up this motherboard, the Intel BLKDG965SSCK because we figured we would be able to just stick Ubuntu on there and have it work. How naive we were! So far, the only distro that has worked is Fedora, we frankly, we find it to be a bit ho-hum (Ed: Pure unadulterated shit! Edit: 2/22/07 Ed used Fedora for a while with a good deal of success, but in the end still finds it to be ho-hum) . So this page will serve as a list of distributions that support the GMA 965 X3000 out of the box. As they come into existence, we'll post them here. And, just so that there are no questions, we are going to test all top ten distros on distrowatch, and make sure that there are no mistakes. Please e-mail us faddat(at)gmail.com to let us know about any distributions that you've had luck with.update: 2/22/07: Both Ubuntu and Sabayon have added full G965 support! Yay! Linux distributions that support G965 out of the box:Fedora LinuxSabayon LinuxUbuntu LinuxLinux distributions that don't support G965 out of the box: MepisOpenSuse 10.2 Linux Distributions that work with the G965 X3000 out of the boxSo we've had a saga of late. We bought a computer that was designed to own all, from the motherboard, straight up. Having heard about the Intel Open Source Linux Graphics Drivers, we specifically picked up this motherboard, the Intel BLKDG965SSCK because we figured we would be able to just stick Ubuntu on there and have it work. How n... Read more... A Link of pure Truth Thu, 31 Aug 2006 07:59:00 GMT http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20060830/bs_bw/db20060830235701This article talks about how incomes for recent college grads are down over 3.3% for 2005, following "similar declines" for 2003 and 2004. Well....... DUH! Things are really falling apart in the USA, and this is just one more sign of that. I didn't choose a particularly high-paying Major, but I never considered that I would be in the economic straits that I have been in for the last eight months and am just now seeing an end to. Then, it goes on to sugar-coat things:"There are signs that the market for the latest crop of graduates coming out of college has improved a bit. But for the group just before them, it's a real rough ride."I don't believe it for a second.... I think this is just an optomistic ending to sugar-coat a very sad story about a nation in decline. I reccomend that all of my peers, their parents, and their friends read Anya Kamenetz "Generation Debt". It provides a more detailed analysis of the situation, and some possible solutions. http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20060830/bs_bw/db20060830235701This article talks about how incomes for recent college grads are down over 3.3% for 2005, following "similar declines" for 2003 and 2004.Well....... DUH!Things are really falling apart in the USA, and this is just one more sign of that.I didn't choose a particularly high-paying Major, but I never considered that I would be in the economic ... Read more... Projects for Sept 1 to Dec 31 2006 Wed, 30 Aug 2006 09:02:00 GMT In order of priority.......Linux CertificationI'll need to get some books to do this.... Hopefully I'm not to late to order stuff from Amazon to get to Sean. Hmmmmmmm wonder what Amazon has on the LPI....Multimedia Collaborative Editing SuiteI've had this idea for a long time and it makes my mind reel with possibilities. I'd like to put together a collaborative editing suite based on openly available codecs and protocols, (Gnutella? Vorbis codecs?) Master's DegreeI want a Master's Degree, but I really don't know what it should be in. Informatics? Applied Linguistics? Master's in Business Administration? There are many more questions than answers at this point.Though I try to keep this blog as impersonal as possible, I can't resist posting about the last three months of my life. I moved to Korea in May to teach at the W Institute after my job with a MassMutual Agency began a slow tailspin because of administrative difficulties stemming from MassMutual. W Insititute/EWHA/ELC Korea, Inc were stealing money from each of my paychecks. They were taking money from my pay for the government Pension in Korea, but they were not giving that money to the government Pension office. My loss has been three months and several thousand dollars. So, if you're considering working in Korea, I would strongly caution anyone considering a contract with any of these companies-- they are BAD NEWS. I've got a new job at a new school now and I'm very happy about it. I can't wait to start teaching. The school seems better run overall, from administration to curriculum. It should be a much better situation for me to pursue the goals outlined above. The big loss from W is that I will not be coming back to Buffalo until Sept/Oct 2007. I'm going to try to pick up a CELTA certification in Thailand next year. It should let me teach nearly anywhere on the globe, and right now I am trying to decide between Mexico and India. Who knows, maybe I will go to Mexico and then to India. In order of priority.......Linux CertificationI'll need to get some books to do this.... Hopefully I'm not to late to order stuff from Amazon to get to Sean. Hmmmmmmm wonder what Amazon has on the LPI....Multimedia Collaborative Editing SuiteI've had this idea for a long time and it makes my mind reel with possibilities. I'd like to put together a collaborative editing suite based on openly availa... Read more... House of leaves Sat, 26 Aug 2006 02:26:00 GMT Dude, the house is the Internet! I think this because the house is "bigger on the inside than it is on the outside" which is a great metaphor for the internet as a whole. Well, it's better than "a series of tubes"..... Dude, thehouse is the Internet!I think this because the house is "bigger on the inside than it is on the outside" which is a great metaphor for the internet as a whole.Well, it's better than "a series of tubes"..... Read more... Stephenson's Gargoyle: A solution to Foucalt's challenge? Sat, 29 Jul 2006 07:47:00 GMT Without a doubt the most disturbing book I've ever read is Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucalt. The reason I say disturbing, and not inspiring is that Foucalt did not lay out a solution to the problem posed by the panopticon and its related social and physhical structures. Instead, it is left to the reader to determine whether the panopticon itself is a problem, and then what should be done about it. Pondering life, the universe and everything today, I made a sudden realization that spurred this post. What if the panopticon could be destroyed by removing one of the key tenents of panopticism: the watched (those on the "outside") never know when or if they are being watched, simply that they can be watched at any second. So, by making a two-way panopticon of surveillence, can the panopticon be brought down? This is a difficult question that would literally need real-life tests. How can this be accomplished? Author Neal Stephenson had charachters in his book Snow Crash who were called Gargoyles. They were human beings who had made the decision to be continuously wired into the net. They derived their personal value from the amount and value of information that they could access. This information was available to anyone, for a fee. While the capitalist nature of the Stephensonian gargoyle would create a concentration of wealth and information that is seen in society today, I must wonder what the implications would be for personal security if it were possible for everyday people to have even simple, simply certified and authenticated constant-recording devices. Indeed, this is the obliteration of personal privacy, with one key difference from the panopticular systems: it is a conscious and chosen obliteration of personal privacy, done with specific goals in mind. The control of surveilence would pass from governments to the masses. While governments and other governing bodies (corporations, powerful individuals, et cetera) would still be able to watch anything as they are today, they, like individuals today, would never know when one of these Gargoyles was afoot. Indeed, if such a system were designed, it would need to be designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. My belt, for example, could probably fit the 2GB of flash needed for a basic audio recording of my day. With other technologies, video recording could be possible. Another problem with these systems is that they could possibly lose their effectiveness when not used continuosly. As the 18 1/2 minute gap in the Nixon tapes shows, these gaps destroy credibility. This poses obivous problems for people wanting privacyразделы пассажирский лифт зубной камень эрозия шейка матка управление архангельск конвейер карбид кальций анкетирование трубогиб дорном пежо мурано штанга насосный радиодоступ кислотостойкий краска светоотражающий краска вышитый герб авиа отправка гелусил лак snr шампанский заказ ожирение луковичный цвет путевой стена предохранитель пкн крот dr mobil gargoyle