The car saga continues - I had to get a new alternator today. A huge public "thanks bro" to The Noble One. Why? you may ask. Well the lucky finished-HSC-and-not-at-schoolies-yet guy has been helping me out with running be around picking up and dropping of old grey. PLUS another huge public "thanks bro" must go to the Thommo, new housemate, who must wonder what he has let himself in for, as he has let me drive his car to and from work during old greys time out. Two guys who asked the question about what Jesus would do and then put the answer into practice in their life.

Update ....
Heat - reduced by southerly change - yay
own blogger - the dream lives on
web comic - coming along as good as other updates
poems - on hold, pending more mind melting heat
gulf war - on hold, pending something to legitimise killing people
globalistaion - continuing unchecked
God's purposes - coming along just as He intended

santa - once he used a Win Box now, he has switched to Mac.

right here it is still hot
But in other places it is cold.

still hot

I hate summer :( Tomorrow will be 41 degrees - which is just foolish, who came up with such a temperature, i mean it is good for somethings, but not living and working in. In fact other than a temperature on the way something more useful like a cooking temperature in an oven, it is completely useless.

It's so hot I will write a poem ....
Hot by b
Hot it is, too hot I say,
It was very hot today.
Hot it is, too hot for me,
So hot that I just can not be.

Hot it is, too hot to breathe
The heat just makes we want to leave
Hot it is, too hot to think
My body crys out for a drink.

Hot it is, too hot too hot
I want to sleep but just can not
Hot it is, too hot you see
Not hot for you? Too hot for b.

Hot it is, it melts my brain
It's been a while since we had rain
Hot it is, I guess that's all
If you've a pool - please call.

A few posts ago I mentioned the Digital Millenium Copyright Act - this story from The Register shows how the DMCA can be used to stop a useful service which is not illegal but in fact is helpful. This is a misuse of the power of the DMCA and shows how easy it will be for companies to do so.

What does this mean? Look at the section called Other Features - Amd Support???? So OS X 10.2 works on an AMD chip???!!!! or is there another Amd other than the chip maker?

Even if you can't live forever here on earth [who'd want to anyway] this online life archive might be the thing you are looking for - so that your life and history at least can live forever. Arr yes, all those precious moments - where did I leave my keys? what will I have for dinner? sitting in a chair just staring at the wall. Moments to cherish forever.

Just been dancing the nutbush on MSN - very very silly - but I think I invented something new LOL.
The basic steps are:
/|
|\
'|
|'
^|
|^
X
||

and dance, dance even if no one else is there to see it
to help you get in the mood, try this midi file - no James I am not auto playing it when people load the page!!!!
Thanks to the noble one for his contribution of '| ha ha ha ha ha

Tradesmen!!! Well Old Grey will be returned to my care [stop laughing, yes to my CARE], tomorrow.

Don't know why I am saying this, but I am thinking through the data dictionary for my own blogg comments database. Got the fields worked out, and over the weekend I will be working on those cute icons people do to indicate what the topic of the post is all about. Oh and the web comic is coming along really well - just like the update to Spot The Doc - really well.

The Evil That Is the DMCA - you will know I am very anti mp3 theft and anti record companies.

This story talks about the Digital Millennium Copyright Act an broad ranging piece of legislation passed in the states which could easilt limit our freedom to play legally purchased CD's in the players we want to as well as making edittting software like iMovie illegal [the act includes provisions "which ban devices or services that are designed primarily to circumvent copy prevention technologies, that have only limited commercially significant purpose other than circumvention, or that are marketed for circumvention" - it is the word primarily which of course will be used to punish the innocent].

Whilst I agree with companies getting the money that is due to them I also think that us poor slob consumers should have the freedom to play music where and when they want AND be able to create and edit their own works if they choose.

Overclockers Australia - Cantenna Constuction and Mischief, with Vindaloo and Froodogs! What more can I say. Click through and have a laugh.

I was looking back through my blogg - no, I haven't updated Spot The Doc, the links db pages still haven't changed, the inside out changed from the one previously mentioned, and I haven't extended the blogg comments to include inside out nor made my own blogg.

But what I am thinking is that in the next few days I might just start my own webcomic, i have always wanted to, no seriously, just like all those other projects mentioned above I am starting a web comic.

Who said that!!! What does it matter if i can't draw.

Good night.

Spoke to the Engine Putter Inner Man today and he confirmed that the final price will be $1000 exactly and that I should be able to retrieve Old Grey tomorrow. It is nice how the finalisation of my previous loans and commencement of a new house mate has meant that I can pay for this and the next round of expenses and not have to go without food this fortnight [not that I was in any danger of this].

So once again it has all worked out for good - and taught me a valuable lesson. Trust, easy to say, harder to live.

From the mouths of babes [well Praetors actually] robert@22:44:21 on MSN "yeah yeah, in a perfect world we'd all have apples running expensive hardware"

Facts from the world that we have made for ourselves: Another 32000 people died of poor water, sanitation or hygene today. The US spent over $1 billion on their military today [$276.7 billion FY99 est.].

A friends MSN Name is "if I return to nothing?" - good thing to remember - although of course we don't return to nothing - we die and face judgment - but the things of this world don't follow through into the next. Except for our faith in Jesus. So why is it that when my engine dies and I have to replace it with a $1000 worth of reco second hand engine that I feel a bit stressed?

Another day of my life is almost over .... minutes I will never have again .... spent worrying about whether the kids will get their reports on time .... they will, I always come through.

Oh yeah, and the NSW government wants to pass a law to allow police to search types of things and people without a warrant if a credible terrorist threat is annouced. Plus they are looking for powers to hold people longer without charge. I don't think this is a good thing - although out of 3000 phone calls by people who watch channel ten news tonight 90% of those phone calls was to the "YES it is a good thing" number. Is it just me or do people have no idea. The presumption of innocence is a very important concept protecting us from the necessary, but possibly corrupting, power of the police, judicary and government. Ensuring that just rumours don't see people locked up without charge [let alone trail] and not that I quite see this as legislated racism, as I heard someone on radio claim today, I just don't see many coppers stopping every white anglo saxon male driving a jeep cherokee. During the course of persuing a "credible terrorist threat". Call me cynical - go on - click on that comment button and call me cynical.

Now I know that a website discussing the Windows operating system, and the problems found within, is not in the same league as 32000 people dying everyday from poor water, sanitation or hygene - but I thought you still might be interested, or horrified, or not surprised. Some of these things I knew about others I didn't. Anyway have a read and learn a bit about the Windows system you are probably using and cursing. Maybe even COMMENT!!! or not, it's fine by me, really.

CORE - 10 most active news submitters :: go me!!

12 million people die from poor water, sanitation or salinity every year - or 32876 people every day.

It has been a crap week. But it is over now. Tonight I am off WarDriving through the city. I know from the first wardrive to the second the number of networks had increased, although a lot still were without WEP. So I am interested to see how many more may have spring up since last time. I am just using the built-in antenna in the iBook. So although I can pick up the network I usually am not strong enough to connect to them fully - thus reducing the problem of dealing with the issue of illegal activity.

I had a look at invertors [lets you get power to the computer via the cigarette lighter thingy in a car] and a decent sine wave invertor will set you back at least $300 - which is way too much - for now - it will be my next wireless purchase [unless Praetor wants his wireless PCMCIA card back] with a tail and antenna the next - but that will certainly not be until next year.

My new timetable for work sees me with 8 periods a week off - which I am looking forward to as it should make it a bit easier to do all the computer stuff which I do over and above my normal teaching. So that is a bit of good news - of course the best news is that we have just finished half the term and so there are now only 5 weeks to go and this year is over - which is another piece of good news, and next week is the last week of our school working on the 2002 timetable - from the week after that [Week 7] our school starts our 2003 timetable - which is the last bit of good news in a good news trifecta - my lift is here so I am off to WarDrive.

A wireless view of New York City. Not that these points are all connected so free roaming is not possible - but imagine if they were ...

Yowsers! This document is amazing - I have not read all of it - but it shows how Microsoft research has found out that the anti-open-source behaviours of MS have failed.

The page begins with the Open Source Initiative commenting on what impact the memo has on them and the action they should take next in response to the memo.

At the bottom of the page is the actual MS memo.

Now this rant from The Register is a good example of a few things - firstly the paranoia of the anti copy protection crew and secondly the attitude of record companies to copying, oh and thirdly how heavy handed/arrogant record companies are.

As I have said elsewhere getting music for free without the copyright holders permission is theft, so if you are downloading music that you are not paying for and that the band/distributor/creator/copyright holder has not said you can use then you are a dirty drity thief - but the record companies are also a big fat bunch of very very very stupid people.

Whilst the "fact" [not sure where I can confirm it] that more blank cd's are sold than recorded cd's certainly is cause for alarm [although not every single CDR is used for music, in fact maybe most aren't but I have read other reports saying that there has been a decrease in unit sales - esp. amongst certain age groups] the response of the record companies to make protection that doesn't work on all players and then a] not label it clearly and b] not really care very much is stupid stupid stupid.

Now the reason these CD's don't work has something to do with the same reason some cd burners don't like certain cd-r's or cdrw's = there IS a standard for the CD players, but not the CD's or the Burners [I think, I know one of those steps is not standardised] thus leading to the situation where I could not use EMTEC cd's in my iMac and, no doubt, certain copy protected CD's being unusable in certain players.

The final line of The Register article says "[the record companies] really are looking forward to the day when you have no rights." - now that is absolutely emptyheaded self serving nonsense. What about the rights of the record companies, what about the rights of the band, what about the rights of the cd store owner? - cos lets be honest people who steal music are living everyday with the attitude that those people have no rights, right now, not one day but now.

Of course the record company response is heavy handed and heartless and all it does is alienate consumers - I don't like the big record companies, they are vile creatures who care more about their shareholders than the artists who work for them - but I care about the bands and I will not be a dirty thief and deprive a band I enjoy of what scraps the record company gives them. And certainly not in the name of hurting the record company or as some statement against copy control.

No matter how much of a stupid scumsucking bunch of losers record companies are they have a right to protect their copyright - but I think there are smarter, less customer alienating ways of doing it. All they seem to be doing is driving people online to steal more music.

See, they are big fat stupids ;)

A new Inside Out is now online. I have realised, that if anyone MIGHT [please note that is a BIG MIGHT] actually offer some sort of interaction it is in that section and so I plan to whip up the ability to comment on the inside out posts soonish.

It's Too Hot ;p

My loan from about 5 years ago [plus extensions] has been paid off - maybe, just maybe a new era of financial responsibility is upon me - maybe not!!! Or maybe you can help :)

infoSync : Wireless game console from Nokia - hmm interesting concept. I guess it will help keep the sale of mobiles, which I have read elsewhere is reaching saturation in most markets. I think I also read that Nokia had release 30 mobile models in the last 12 months. Amazing, and what a waste of resources I wonder if any get recycled or if they are all just dumped on stashed in draws.

The Register - offering more [scary] implications of the recent MS ruling.

Microsoft Philippines has an interesting job going - check the final responsiblity - good to see that MS has learnt from the recent ruling in the states - that it can do what it likes and in the end no one can stop them. Mind you was advertised on the 12/10/2002 so maybe they just haven't updated it to reflect there new loving stance to competitors.

Maybe, like me, you have sat down and actually thought about how to get that cool wireless technology to work in real work place - and you might have thought that by the time you put in all the base stations you need to give decent coverage and provide sufficient bandwidth that a wired room and an investment in some grunty switches is cheaper when you don;t really need the mobilty. If that is the case this article from Wired News: Wi-Fi That Follows You Around might be something that interests you.

Well, you've heard of WarDriving and WarChalking now there are WarPaper for your desktop. [although I must say I didn't like many of the designs]

It is very very hot today. Very Hot. About 36 degrees. A southerly change is due tonight - and it can't come too soon. We have the air conditioning going, but it is struggling to keep up. Thommo has been honing his Madden NFL skills, Steve finally beat Thommo in a game and I have been writing reports and doing some clothes washing.

I have also been having some more dreams of setting up a Wireless Access Point - on a cooler day I need to get up on the roof and see what the line of site is off the antenna we have for the television. Of course I will also need to save my pennies, because none of it is cheap. But there is no harm in dreaming :)

And finally, when The Register says that the MS settlement is rotten with loopholes I for one am happy to believe them - isn't it nice when people who know more than you support your opinion?

Microsoft - you will go were we want you to go.

The Register notes that new security is on the way for Airpot [WiFi] networking it will be "far easier to implement and more inherently secure than WEP and will encourage wider deployment for WPA than its insecure predecessor ever achieved"

PS Everyone has more money than God - He doesn't need any.

What is going on here? I am the first to admit MS is evil - but stupid as well? It amazes me to read about supposedly intelligent people suggesting such stupid things. Did someone overlook the fact that you would have to buy the OS to run the software???

BloggComments version 1.1 is now up and running - I tweaked the layout, added icons, and now I get email notification when people comment - so get to it and comment damm it!!

It is nice to get to the point where I am comfortable with php that I had an idea "surely it will email me when people add a comment" and so I went to the online PHP manual and looked up mail - typed it in and YES!!! worked first time. Very cool.

I am excited about the whole PHP - it offers lots of possibilities - in fact I am considering moving off blogger for my blogg - cos I can't think of an easy way to get the current comment count on this page [atm I can't think of anyway at all in fact], other than may having a table for the bloggs and a table for the comments so I can display this page by drawing info from both.

United Press International: Judge upholds most of Microsoft pact - yep the latest round [lasting about 2 years now] in the MSvDOJ thingy has come to an end. MS has basically gotten away with it all - despite being found as having been very very naughty in carrying out monopolistic practices they are not being broken up, nor having any fines imposed and only have to face scrutiny and restrictions on what retaliation they can take against people who don't do what they want. [although they can still threaten retaliation - and then I guess if they do retaliate then it is up to a lengthy court process to determine if it is retaliation and then by that time MS will havem reaped the benefits of the retaliation anyway - which is pretty much what has happened this time round too]

What it means is that as long as MS gets in with it's anti-competitive activities before a competitor then no one can stop them - and since their plan is to own the desktop and the whole of the world it pretty much means they can keep on going about carrying out their plan without too much hinderance. They just have to be more proactive than reactive.

This article from The Register is a great summary of their anit-FUD stance with regards to internet terrorism, and how real world terrorism is a much more serious issue.

I think their idea [from other articles] is that the government is using the FUD to get more control over the internet and implement stringent copyright controls under the appearance of protecting against cyber-terrorism.

I don't know what is the scariest about that fact that Australia has been blacklisted for hospital hygeine by the Wolrd Health Organisation - is that it is dangerous to be in a hospital, that this reports I am sure suggests that a Govt backed health system produces worse results than totally privately run system, or the double speak of politicans who try to dismiss this study and mutter platitudes rather than look into the causes and seek solutions.

From the Australian Communications Authority FAQ info about Wireless Local Area Networks - I haven't read it yet though - so nothing much to say - maybe you might want to comment.