Reisunorg

Well it looks like I have to look into linux on my new Stepnote. I tried installing XP on it, and it hung too, this time on pci.sys. I tried installing windows 2000 first and then xp, but no go. I may purchase another (newer) XP version that comes with SP2, but not willing to pay for it without knowing it will work.

 In the meantime I will try linux on this thing, specifically ubuntu. Ubuntu has the problem i mentioned before, about the PIO/MMIO mode for the Realtex ethernet chip. I found this site that gives a distribution of ubuntu that doesnt have this problem (it fixes the sdhc driver problem as well). It is nominally for another laptop, but I believe this will work.

http://www.fitzenreiter.de/averatec/index-e.htm

More on this once I get this installed.

It looks like Vista cursors are different from previous Windows versions. The default Beam (text select) cursor is either completely black (no “invert color” pixels) or the drivers for the Stepnote (Intel integrated graphics) are buggy.

What this means is that the text select cursor is invisible in dark background applications (putty, crimson editor, etc), which I use often for programming or ssh’ing.

 The solution is to replace the default I beam cursor with something that has either light colors or inverted color pixels. I chose the RealWorld Cursor Editor, which comes with its own cursor set. I was going to use the editor to edit the basic set, but its I Beam cursor works, so I am sticking with it.

The Dell Latitude X1 laptop that I have been using for the past two and a half years has slowly deteriorated, in that the LCD screen is starting to wash out, and no matter of twisting is correcting the problem. This laptop was bought by my employer, and since the workplace is switching over entirely to a corporate network system (details left out to protect those guilty of this fraud, waste, and abuse), I am left with either using the corporate laptop, which is locked down too tight, or buying my own.

 Bestbuy had the Everex Stepnote SA2053T on sale for $679. Here are the specs:

• Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core mobile processor T2080 with 533MHz frontside bus, 1MB L2 cache and 1.73GHz processor speed
• 1GB PC4200 DDR2 SDRAM
• Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support
• 12.1″ WXGA TFT-LCD widescreen display with DiamondBrite technology and 1280 x 800 resolution
• 100GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
• Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with up to 224MB shared video memory
• 4-in-1 media reader supports Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO
• IEEE 1394 (FireWire) interface and 3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
• Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g); 10/100 Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector; V.92 high-speed modem
• Weighs only 3.9 lbs. and measures just 1.4″ thin for lightweight portability; lithium-ion battery and AC adapter
• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition operating system preinstalled

All in all, except for the Vi$ta install, not a bad system. Note breathtakingly fast, but for $679 it’s a pretty good deal. After spending a few hours with it, some observations

• The lack of expandability (>1Gig RAM) isn’t too bad so far.
• I thought I could install Linux on this, but apparently the network chip on this thing is incompatible with the boot up mode that current Linux distros use (MMIO vs. PIO). I could download an older distro, compile a new kernel with the proper mode, then upgrade, but this sounds like a lot more work than it is worth. I have to wonder with everyone saying how great Linux is, how such troubles exist when even the almost universally hated (by geeks) Windows Vista has managed to boot up without hanging because of an interface mode.
• I have configured the Vista interface to mimic an XP one, and I am pretty happy for now. Granted, I havent installed any major applications yet, but for now I’ll keep the Vista installed.
• 3.9 lbs sounds light, but the Dell X-1 was lighter. I went to Staples to buy a computer case with roller, to save my back, which coincidentally started to hurt last night.
• Having a DVD player builtin (which the X-1 doesnt have) is really nice.
• The screen is too shiny, I can usually see my ugly mug when I stare at the screen head on, mostly when viewing DVD’s.

All in all I am pretty happy with my purchase, it has been a while since I bought my own laptop. Not really a game machine (other than the ones I buy at Matrixgames.com) but sufficient for Office, text editing, web surfing, and some light programming.

I will be going to Japan in September, and will take this with me.

Although I consider myself a “techie” (or geek) and teach a web development course, I must admit I have not had the time or interest to keep up to date with the youtube.com phenomenon, until now.

What makes youtube actually useful to me now is the fact that I can download the videos that it serves, for offline viewing. www.keepvid.com is a great resource

I’ve also been out of touch with Japanese TV dramas, after having been pretty heavily into them before. I have only recently seen 電車男, the apparently hugely popular TV drama (movie, book, manga, etc.) in not only Japan but Asia. Obvious attractions include: relating to a “geek gets the girl” story, however improbable (we all want that dream to come true); and the gorgeous 伊東美咲

I’ve added a (hopefully not too annoying) stock “badge” on the right, to keep track of some stocks I am interested in. I don’t necessarily own any of these stocks, so don’t take this as a stock endorsement!

 http://finance.yahoo.com/badges/wizard/select

Defenders of A.G. Gonzales keep mentioning that he is a “fine,” “decent,” “upstanding” man. I think that misses the point, either intentionally or not. I believe religious and non-religious people will agree that all human beings are fallible, and that God is the only infallible being. Given that, it makes no difference how good or honest a person is, anyone is capable of making mistakes or succombing to temptation, that is what makes human beings human.

I am more than willing to believe Alberto Gonzales the person is a decent honest person. That does not mean he gets a free pass or some carte blanche mandate to do whatever he wants without scrutiny. If mistakes were made, it is important to find out what they were, and who made them, not hide behind the “but he is a decent person” excuse.

 This country was founded with “In God We Trust,” not our elected politicians or their political appointees.

It is the classic bait-and-switch, to show more inventory on your web site than you actually have in stock, I assume hoping that when the order is placed and the item becomes “backordered” or “unavailable” the customer will then buy something else that is in stock. Still, a pretty crummy business practice.

I want to highlight some stores that I have personal experience with that do this:

• www.1800mobiles.com  (March 2007) I wanted to get a 1100mAh battery for my Cingular 3125 (HTC StarTrek) phone. Google has this first when you do a search, and indeed the website has it “in stock”. Once I placed the order the next day I get the following email:

Dear XXX,The item(s) listed below is/are currently back-ordered with a 1-2 weeks estimated time of replenishment. We will ship your item(s) as soon as available.

   QTY:  2
   ITEM: STAR161
   DESC: Cingular 3125 1100mAh Lith-Ion Battery
   OPT:  
    

Thanks,

1800mobiles operations

       Then about a week later I get an email that summarily cancels the order, saying that the product has been discontinued or some such (I unfortunately deleted the email out of disgust). Of course, this product is still listed (as of April 2007) on the web site as available and “ready to ship.”

Beware of 1800mobiles.com!

I guess one of the signs of aging for everyone is the accumulation of personal “life lessons.” Often the need to impart one’s hard-learned lessons to progeny, or to any unfortunate passer-by, is irresistible. As I don’t have a family to corner, I thought I would impart my wisdom to the blogosphere, where I am sure it will be not only ignored, but unseen.

I would classify my life so far in stages:

• teens: Formative years, trying new things, making mistakes, generally not experienced enough to know how great life is.
• twenties: Time for hubris, know-it-all stage. Highly educated, possibilities and potential for the future seem endless. Experienced just enough to feel this is the best time of life, but in no hurry to self-reflect or reality-check.
• thirties: I’m half-way through the thirties, and I’m already tired, overworked, and close to despair. Not for any particular reason or cause, just an accumulation of myriads of affronts, experiences, disappointments. Life is neither a dizzying high, nor a soul crushing low, but something worse-a daily grind that loses it purpose. Start to ask questions of “Why am I here?” “Do I make a difference?” “Should I even try?” Become cynical to the realities of the world, from petty self-centeredness (my own as well as others’). Have done the courtship-marriage-divorce thing, and am in no great need to go through it again. Go out with more women than in the other two periods combined, and have even “gotten lucky” but no emotional bonds. All in all a nihilistic experience.

Very depressing I know, but in the despair there are kernels of hope. I still have dreams and aspirations, although I am more reserved and realistic to whether I actually will accomplish them. Happiness seems to be tired very closely to how much sleep I am getting.

Have gone through the conspicuous-consumption-to-make-me-feel-better phase, now I don’t really need or want anything, just some peace and quiet, and a sense of hope for a better future, mine and for the world.

So what are the lessons learned?

1. It is all about longevity: I am sure the brilliant and the lucky will disagree, but for me it is all about longevity. “Slow and steady” and all that. It doesnt matter how great or brilliant you, your idea, or your work are, if you don’t have the commitment, temperament, and ability to “go the distance” and carry it out to the end it is meaningless. This also means you must pace yourself. Don’t burn out too quickly, as I seem to have done already.
2. Know yourself: Everybody wants to be happy. The trouble is that it is very hard to objectively know yourself enough to even begin to make plans to be happy. What kind of person are you? Someone who likes challenges for the sake of being challenged? Someone who is a contrarian, and can be goaded into doing anything, so long as someone says “don’t” or “can’t”? Or are you content to doing exactly what makes you happy, without regard to status, salary, and sex-appeal? I must confess I still havent figured this one out. I am currently in a job that is high status and good salary, but it isn’t my true love. It isn’t even close.
3. Be flexible: Life is all about twists and turns, and being able and prepared to follow along without giving up too much of who you are. There are plenty of grown-up people who can’t adapt, are too inflexible to change their thinking or their actions as the situation changes. There are also those who are like willows in the wind, who bend and curve with the prevailing conditions, and in effect don’t stand for or believe in anything. I am probably more the latter these days.

These are more points to ponder, and not a prescription or proscription. More random thoughts than a coherent musing.

As I contemplate a career change, from military related to health related, I wonder how best can we improve the health care system of the US. By now, I think everyone would argee that we have serious problems. It’s just that no one wants to make the difficult choices to “fix” it, or can’t seem to agree what a “fix” would constitute.

One common complaint I hear about universal healthcare is lack of choice (which I can’t answer to). The other seems to be the sentiment of “why should my taxes pay for the healthcare of someone [poor,lazy,etc]?” I think this is incredibly short-sighted. How can our companies, large and small, compete internationally with other companies that don’t have to worry about pensions or healthcare? Rather than think so parochially about whether a fellow American might deserve your tax dollars in health care, you should worry about some other country’s citizens stealing your job or livelihood because they are cheaper to employ.