bytehead's blog

It's my anniversary!

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:00:00 +0000

My lovely wife and I are celebrating our seventh year together.

I must say that the past 7 years has matured me more than the 20 years prior to marriage.

We are going to be celebrating in South Africa (I'm using the publish in the future option of Blogger, I'm just not sure it works with FTP publishing!) because I'm not sure I'm going to have much Internet connectivity while I'm there.

Absolute nonsense

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:54:00 +0000

I was listening to the Neal Boortz and he was going on about how the gas price was the Democrats fault, and that we should be drilling off the coast of Florida and in ANWR.

The facts.

If we started drilling in ANWR and off the coast of Florida, it would take ten years before a drop of gasoline from it would hit a gas tank.

Even McCain's own senior adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin:

acknowledged in a conference call to reporters that new offshore drilling would have no immediate effect on supplies or prices.

But he added: "There is an important element in signaling to world oil markets that we are serious."

(via)

If Mel Martinez would vote for drilling off Florida, you can bet that Florida would have a new freshman senator when he runs for reelection.

The oil industry is already sitting on tens of thousands of leases that are not being actively pursued.

The sum total of what is possible to get out of drilling Florida and ANWR doesn't even come close to making America independent of the Middle East for oil.

Neal Boortz has a problem with the Democrats now in power that are blocking the drilling. My thought is, President Bush has had 6 years of the Republicans in power and he's an oil man. Why now?

As a Floridian, I have an issue with drilling off the coast of Florida due to the combination of tourism and hurricanes. If a hurricane takes out the drilling platforms and pipelines and fouls the beaches, is the federal government and/or the oil companies going to pay for fixing them? It could take years to get the beaches back in shape, driving tourism out of Florida, and therefore bankrupting Florida.

And ANWR? Its full name is ~~Alaskan~~ Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Does it really make sense to be putting in the infrastructure to enable drilling there?

There is not guarantee that the oil pumped from ANWR and Florida would stay in the US, and instead be shipped to the Asian continent, which is currently going on.

It is a crock.

» Hell’s Most Wanted Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:32:00 +0000

HELL'S MOST WANTED
Drunkards	Gamblers
Liars	Porn-Lovers
Thieves	Whoremongers
Sports Fans	Child Molesters
Blasphemers	Evolutionists
Money-Lovers	Pot Smokers
Pagans	Lesbians
Homosexuals	Fornicators
Prostitutes	Masturbators
Witches	Hypocrites
Atheists	Psychics
REPENT, RETURN TO JESUS

Sad. Sports fans? Based on what?

As I comment in the original article Hypocrites??? Aren't those the ones that are holding the sign up?

Update: Pharyngula also comments on it.

What Freudian Stage Are You In?

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:44:00 +0000

You Are in the Genital Stage of Development

According to Dr. Freud, you've reached the genital stage of development.

Whatever issues you may have had in your childhood have been resolved.

You don't have any hang ups, and you are able to function as a stable adult.

You are the model of being well-adjusted, and you are able to balance your life beautifully.

What Freudian Stage Are You In?

Happy Birthday Hattrick and the Daughter!

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Sun, 11 May 2008 00:06:00 +0000

Hope you enjoy your new tattoos!

Poll: More disapprove of Bush than any other president

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:45:00 +0000

Poll: More disapprove of Bush than any other president:

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday indicates that 71 percent of the American public disapprove of how Bush is handling his job as president.

"No president has ever had a higher disapproval rating in any CNN or Gallup Poll; in fact, this is the first time that any president's disapproval rating has cracked the 70 percent mark," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director.

"Bush's approval rating, which stands at 28 percent in our new poll, remains better than the all-time lows set by Harry Truman and Richard Nixon [22 percent and 24 percent, respectively], but even those two presidents never got a disapproval rating in the 70s," Holland said. "The previous all-time record in CNN or Gallup polling was set by Truman, 67 percent disapproval in January 1952."

…

President Nixon's disapproval rating in August 1974 stood at 66 percent

The poll also indicates that support for the war in Iraq has never been lower. Thirty percent of those questioned favored the war, while 68 percent opposed it.

…

The numbers on the Iraq war come on the five-year anniversary of Bush's "Mission Accomplished" moment on board the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, when he proclaimed that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended."

…

I'm shocked! I'm just shocked I tell you! </sarcasm>

(via Whatever)

38 years ago..

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Sun, 04 May 2008 19:46:00 +0000

Yep. I lived in Ohio during the time, at the end of my 6^th grade. Didn't mean much to me at the time.

Happy Birthday Sparx and Garfield!

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Sun, 04 May 2008 03:12:00 +0000

They are now 22 years old!

A random elitist question

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:28:00 +0000

danieldrezner.com :: Daniel W. Drezner :: A random elitist question

Given the media firestorm over Obama's "bitter" statement, and given the overwhelming commetariat consensus that this episode would hurt Obama in the polls, and given the polling results clearly indicating this not to be the case in either Pennsylvania or across the country, what can be inferred?
A) Gun-toting, small-town Jesus-worshippers are so bitter that they don't watch cable news outlets;

B) Gun-toting, small-town Jesus-worshippers are so bitter that they aren't likely to show up as "likely voters" in a poll;

C) Gun-toting, small-town Jesus-worshippers are so bitter that their phone service has been cut off;

D) Gun-toting, small-town Jesus-worshippers are so bitter that they dislike Hillary Clinton even more than Barack Obama;

E) The commentariat is elitist and out of touch with what engages gun-toting, small-town Jesus-worshippers.

My response:

This gun-toting, suburban, non-worshipping, white, upper-middle class voter is so bitter that he's saying "Amen, Obama!"

Then again, this disenfranchised Florida voter (doesn't matter, I voted for neither Obama nor HRC, but Democrat) is pretty much an oddity, even among his friends. But from my experience with the gun-toting, small town Jesus-worshippers (I'd say we're all equal, but I know some of them are packing pretty big heat), my choice would have to be E. But I can't speak directly for them, they might take offense and use me for target practice.

Blogthings - The City Walk Personality Test

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:09:00 +0000

What Your City Walk Means

You are optimistic and hopeful. Sometimes you do get disappointed by expecting too much.

You are quite introverted and maybe even a little shy. You prefer to interact one on one with people.

Money is not important to you at all. In fact, you tend to reject material concerns.

You enjoy the world around you, and you thrive on new environments. You can be easily surrounded by natural or man made beauty.

The City Walk Personality Test

The color of my mind.

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Your Mind is Purple

Of all the mind types, yours is the most idealistic.

You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense.

Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries.

You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself.

What Color Is Your Mind?

» God Bless America - My Confined Space

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:44:00 +0000

» God Bless America - My Confined Space
10. We don't like collateral domage, but it helps to stay the @#$% out of our way.
9. Total destruction in 30 minutes or the next one is free.
8. Often mistaken for the wrath of god.
7. We kill foreigners so you don't have to.
6. if everything is exploding around you, that's probably us.
5. Dictator got you down? Ask about our new "regime change" policy!
4. Just point at what you want dead.
3. Trying to win hears and minds, but willing to splatter them if necessary.
2. Whe it absolutely positively has to be destroyed overnight.
1. We're from the government, and we're here to kill you.

Where I've been in the USA

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:44:00 +0000

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

My new nickname

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000

This morning during my shower I had an epiphany.

My new nickname is the Incredible Hulk.

To quote Dr. David Bruce Banner, "You won't like me when I'm angry!"

Fitting. Very fitting.

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Your Thinking is Abstract and Random

You are flexible, adaptable, and creative.

There's many ways that you can learn - and you're up for any of them.

You relate well to other people, and you do well working in groups.

You can help people communicate together and work with each other's strengths.

You don't work well with people who are competitive or adversarial.

You prefer to work toward a common goal... not toward conflicting goals.

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

Come on and do YOUR part!

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:28:00 +0000

Rosie and I are doing our best to keep the economy going.

I just purchased three (two were a set) 8 x 8 x 2 Pyrex bowls/baking pans/whatever. I got one in pink to match her large pink (13x9) pan. And I got two lime green ones just like my mom's that I managed to bust. They were Ebay purchases.

We bought a persian rug to go in our hall for 99 cents. Shipping was $124, so we'll see how that goes. Another Ebay purchase.

Then I bought a wireless USB printer server. That will allow everybody to print to it, even away from home once I'm done configuring it. Another Ebay purchase.

One of the kids is interested in a local car that's listed on Ebay. Of course.

And we haven't even received our check yet. Soon, due to the fortunate nature
of my SSN.

The problem with Linux

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:31:00 +0000

I found an interesting distro for Linux. PenDriveLinux based on Mandriva Linux that I thought I would download and install. Got the thing to install on a new flash drive. Got the laptop to boot this stick. Everything is fine except for one thing. It has drivers for my wired connection, but not my wireless connection. I tried to set it up, and was told I needed to download some drivers from a particular site. Cool, I reboot into Windows to download the drivers. Turns out, there's no built drivers. I'm expected to download, compile and install these drivers.

No I'm a pretty damn technical guy, but a Linux newbie, at least for setting it up and getting it configured. But come on. I don't have another Linux distro laying around where I can download the source and compile it and then somehow get it moved to this distro. I really don't want to have to try and get the laptop connected to the Internet on a wire, only to find that there's yet one more piece of the puzzle that I need to get the wireless up and running. I mean, Linux has no problems with the wired connection, are wireless connections that damn hard to fold into a distro?

It's just like Wubi andLinux, since I live wireless on this laptop. No wireless access is a real bummer. I had high hopes for andLinux too, but I couldn't even get it started, let alone figure out a way to get the wireless installed. I guess I could send an email off the the JAX LUG, but if I can't figure out something this simple, Linux has definitely got a ways to go before it can truly take on Windows.

Blog under construction

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:46:00 +0000

I'm restructuring this blog's template for Blogger, so that I can make changes in the left hand column and NOT have to republish the entire freaking blog when I do so. I've just fixed a couple of things that I hadn't noticed when I originally put this into place, and to make it easier on my host, I'm not going to do an update for awhile.

The only problem I have to republish to coreect is that fact that my archives aren't working on the left hand side. I'm going to update the template NOW to fix it on the main page, but everything else except for the new stuff won't work. Use Google until then. But it shouldn't be too long before I republish the whole 15MB or so. I'll also make sure the template is as it should be.

Some things aren't blogger templates now, but it's not stuff I'm liable to be changing, like my name, nickname and location. Oh well. Maybe the next time I revamp.

I've also updated almost all links to my old infinet.com/voyager.net website. It's still there, but I can't change any of it now (I probably should have put up redirects, oh well) and I figure it will disappear soon.

Brett Glass get's shrill

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:21:00 +0000

I've decided to blog this instead of actually replying, because I don't think it would see the light of day.
[IP] Re: Music industry proposes a piracy surcharge on ISPs

On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 7:26 PM, David Farber wrote:
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Brett Glass [brett@lariat.net]
> Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 6:38 PM
> To: David P. Reed
> Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Music industry proposes a piracy surcharge on ISPs
>
> At 08:49 AM 3/17/2008, David P. Reed wrote:
>
> >>>Tom Paine, Tom Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and other American
> >>>revolutionaries would roll over in their graves.
> >>
> >>They might well do so. They drafted a Constitution that
> >>prohibited the taking of property without compensation.
> >The length and artfulness of your argument, Brett, that network
> >neutrality would amount to taking of property stretches the legal
> >understanding of property beyond all reasonable bounds.
>
> My network is property. Period.

And my network is MY property. You also don't own the TCP/IP and UDP/IP packets that originate outside of your network, like your customers.

> A taking of my network and its
> resources without compensation is unconstitutional.

And it's resources? Sorry. You won't find any constitutional laws on that one. So you own property that has a lake or a pond on it. I own property that also has some part of the lake or pond on it. I can take all the water I want from that part of the lake that I own until it's completely dry. And you would be completely without resort. That certainly is constitutional law. IANAL, but I'd like to hear from one that actually knows a little bit about this.

And it's precisely because it is MY network that your reasoning fails. You cannot claim to own a customers router/NIC/USB port, which is exactly where your network stops and my network starts.

> And I'm not the
> only one who has made that argument. Comcast and other providers
> are already preparing to sue if the FCC attempts to appropriate our
> bandwidth for P2P -- which, ironically, is overwhelmingly used for
> criminal activity.
>
> --Brett Glass

Your complaint is about users that "abuse" the system. You are complaining that you and every other provider offers an all you can eat buffet, and people make a pig of themselves and stuff as much as possible. Now you certainly have the right to change that from an all you eat to pay for what you eat, but don't be too surprised when people leave in droves. Comcast certainly can not complain, not when they have been known to run "unlimited" Internet. You could be like Comcast and Time Warner and proceed to kick off that top 2% of users that use the incoming or outgoing bandwidth, which ever is more precious (outgoing evidently now, it used to be the big Usenet users that got kicked off from the incoming). Or charge them more. It's YOUR marketing, YOU set the pricing. If you are in a box you can't get out of, is that because of the customers, or is that the fault of your competitors and other providers?

Ironically, P2P may be copyright infringement, which is a civil issue here in the US, NOT criminal. You calling it that doesn't make it so.

Rescue Me: A Fed Bailout Crosses a Line - New York Times

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 19:21:00 +0000

Rescue Me: A Fed Bailout Crosses a Line - New York Times

You know, I have to wonder when the general public is going to get bailouts like this.

I know that some people are claiming that yes, the loans are

My understanding is that the loan is a 'no recourse' loan that the Fed has advanced to JPM. What that means is that if JPM can use the money to fund the loans and trade out of the position, they have to pay the money back. If they can't then they don't have to.

As my comment in that thread states in the heading, I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it.

Air Force's stealth fighters making final flights - CNN.com

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:32:00 +0000

Air Force's stealth fighters making final flights - CNN.com

I can't believe that they're mothballing this airplane already.

Meanwhile Boeing loses an Air Force contract, which means that the Boeing 767 is due to be out of production once the last 14 are built. I really thought that 767's were newer than that. But I guess the 777's and the 787's are replacing them.

Twitter Meetup!

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:15:00 +0000

OK, all you twitterers that read my blog.

Adam Jackson is planning on a Twitter meet up first weekend of April.

Leave comments, damnit!

Clips: Five YouTube videos show American soldiers at their worst

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:19:00 +0000

Absolutely disgusting. And while Valley Wag is pretty much known as a gossip blog, this does not shine well on our troops overseas.

Clips: Five YouTube videos show American soldiers at their worst

I've done it!

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:28:00 +0000

I went through my plan I hatched at the end of last year.

bryanlprice.com is now my domain. I have hosting (hit the relevant link to see), and now all I have to do is rework the links on this blog to the new site. I have some smilies that I need to move over. And some pictures. Google is helping though, so I'm liable to have to go through all my monthly archives and see which ones need to be changed. At least I don't have to go by each entry. That would be bad. The actual pictures (of cats) I'll just upload to flickr and use that service. All the screen captures are NOT going back up.

I'm not going to worry about any other sites. With the latest Teoti now at version six, I don't have to worry about them, otherwise that would be intensive. I'm going to use it for my professional stuff. I'll throw my resume and certs up on it. And maybe someday, I'll have some of my writing as well.

XKCD strikes again

noreply@blogger.com (bytehead) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:24:00 +0000

That unfortunately would probably trip me up as well. And yes, I'm an ex-marching band member.