LINUX: Anything windoze does, it should do better?

Thursday, August 23, 2007

http://www.emperorlinux.com/mfgr/dell/tiger/?tab=overview

The Tiger (Dell Latitude D630) 5# Linux

*** begin quote ***

# Full Linux support: up to 15″ SXGA+ w/ X @ 1400×1050
# Full Linux support: 1667 – 2200 MHz Core 2 Duo
# Full Linux support: 512 – 2 G RAM, expands to 4 G
# Full Linux support: 60 – 120 GB Hard Drive
# Full Linux support: DVD+/-RW Drive, or DVDROM Drive, or CDRW/DVD Drive
# Specification: 5.2 pounds
# Full Linux support: up to 10/100/1000 Mbps ethernet
# Full Linux support: 802.11a/b/g (54Mbps) WiFi
# Specification: Linux Pre-Configured (dual boot available)
# Specification: EmperorLinux user’s manual
# Specification: Three year warranty & One year tech support

*** end quote ***

Getting ready to take the plunge. Only two real obstacles to plopping down Frau’s credit card.

(1) Critical: Can I use my existing VWBBie card and subscription?

(2) Moderate; Can it fax?

(3) Trivial: Can it support usb thumb and disk drives?

(4) Trivial: Printer support?

(5) Trivial: Anything windoze does, it should do better?

Did I miss anything?

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Posted by reinkefj

LIBERTY: Denying genocides is like defying gravity; it can kill you.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/08/22/no_room_to_deny_genocide/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+–+Jeff+Jacoby+columns

No room to deny genocide
By Jeff Jacoby, Globe Columnist | August 22, 2007

***Begin Quote***

Genocide denial must be intolerable to everyone, but above all to those for whom “never again” is such a sacred principle. And at a time when jihadist violence from Darfur to Ground Zero has spilled so much innocent blood, dissimulation about the jihad of 1915 can only aid our enemies.

The Armenian genocide is an incontestable fact of history. Shame on anyone who refuses to say so.

***End Quote***

It takes gooferment to kill large numbers of people. Failing to recognize that fact is what enables it to happen.

I guess I was “fortunate” as a child to meet and talk with people who either survived or whose parents survived three of the major genocides — the Shoah, the Armenian killings, and the Irish Black ‘n’ Tans persecution. We were taught in school about the American Indian, the Russian Gualgs, Mao’s Starvation, and the Cambodian Killing Fields.

As such, I know no matter what gooferments would like to pretend it happened.

If paradigms are the way we see things and meme are our ideas, then the cooperation paradigm as implemented in the meme of gooferment is very dangerous. Like playing with fire, gooferment can burn us.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: Free education in an unlikely place

Thursday, August 23, 2007

My meme for job search is like this:

** Doctrine — why are we turkeys — thinking about thinking — how do I value things — how will I measure success or failure.

** Methodology — the process of job search — what do I have to do — what should I want to do. — effectiveness & efficiency.

** Strategy — the big picture — what am I peddling? (UVE USP) what can I sell at what price? what is my roi? Where are my customers? What are my expectations?

** Tactics — machine gun mass mailing, shotgun all in a some subset, rifle shots at key targets, pistol shots up close and personal.

** Technology — internet, computers, manual methods, mail, fax, web, phones

Under “doctrine”, I see EDUCATION as so much cheaper than EXPERIENCE. So one of my values is to seek education whenever I can get it. Free education is even better. I like to say, “You don’t have to pay tuition for every lesson. You can learn from mistakes. And, you don’t even have to make every mistake yourself!”

So here is a strategy to get some free education. Join the Telegraph’s free “Business Club”. They have some videos and stuff that is educational.

http://www.telegraphbusinessclub.co.uk/default.asp?p_id=masterclass#

*** begin quote ***

Ten minutes is all it takes! Now you can learn from the experts – the easy way.

Business Club has worked with Experts Online to film interviews with business specialists talking about topics we judge to be of key importance to ambitious entrepreneurs and the top management staff of small and medium sized enterprises.

But we know you are busy running your business. So we have edited all the content to ensure that each MasterClass covers the key points you need to know – but does not last more than ten minutes.

*** end quote ***

Ignore that it’s from the UK. (Americans are too US centric anyway.) Ignore that it’s usually by some one peddling something. BUT do distill the lesson from it.

For example, here’s one there:

*** begin quote ***

How SMEs can compete
in the technology race

Alexandra Bottomley
Head of Marketing Operations, BT
Frank Shaw
Foresight Director, Centre for Future Studies

Seventy six percent of SMEs are sleepwalking into major business problems because they fail to invest in technology, according to research by the Centre for Future Studies. This Masterclass examines the report’s contents and explores how BT can help businesses compete more effectively.

*** end quote ***

And here’s what I took away.

* Many small players are at technology disadvantage that magnifies over time.
* People select the cheapest solution aot the best value.
* tendency to overinvest in current technology.
* Key: What do you want to achieve? How can technology help reach that goal?
* People want service and support they can trust to answer a phone call.
* “I make it my job to communicate with my Customers at least once per month”.
* The telephone is part of a technology plan.
* “A small business can use technology is incredible effective ways a relatively low cost.”
* Future-proof
* “Do you know what it is that your children will be able to do in 15 years time, that technology can’t”
* “What skills do we need to be teaching our children today to prepare for the future?”
* “What skills <that you are selling today> will be gone?
* How does one gain competitive advantage in a global world.

I think these things are great. YMMV!

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INTERESTING: Wally Wallington should be an American icon

Thursday, August 23, 2007

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/014842.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCvx5gSnfW4

August 22, 2007
The Amazing Wally Wallington
Posted by Lew Rockwell at August 22, 2007 09:15 AM

***Begin Quote***

A Michigan construction worker shows how Stonehenge might have been built. (Thanks to Porter Davis.)

***End Quote***

Ever since I visited it, as an injineer, I was impressed with how smart the prehistoric people were. We think we’re so smart. You move a big rock into a position like at Stonehenge. We are taught that these massive structures were built by gobs of people. But maybe there are simpler explanations. Wally demonstrates that a PhD is not required to solve problems. In some respects, it’s probably a detriment. Gooferment education has dumbed us down and the whole intellectual environment has atrophied our brains. We need more Wallys and Wally-like thinking by real people; not “leaders”, “educators”, and “experts”. We need common sense.

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Posted by reinkefj

GUNS: The Return of the Pocket Pistol

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

http://www.dillonprecision.com/docs/Sept_07_Return_of_pocket_pistol.pdf

This fellow makes a good argument for the 380 “girlie gun” as represented by the Argentine Bersa. I’ve never seen one, but it looks smooth.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH SOFTWARE: Yahoo! Music Jukebox

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Can you beleive this response?

***Begin Quote***

From: Yahoo! Music Jukebox [mailto:migration-support@cc.yahoo-inc.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 7:53 PM
To: Reinke’s Catch All Email
Subject: Re: Musicmatch Migration issue (KMM102549845V28118L0KM)

Hello ,

Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Music Jukebox.

To correct this issue, please uninstall then reinstall Yahoo! Music
Jukebox.

First, uninstall the Yahoo! Music Jukebox:

1. Make sure to exit the Yahoo! Music Jukebox. If you don’t, the uninstall will fail.

2. At the bottom left of your Windows screen, click the “Start” button.

3. Depending on your Windows version, select “Settings” and then ‘Control Panel’, or just look for ‘Control Panel’ in the menu shown when you click ‘Start.’

4. Open ‘Control Panel.’

5. Double-click or select “Add/Remove Programs.”

6. In the list of applications, select “Yahoo! Music Jukebox” and click the “Remove” button.

7. Click the “Next” button, then “Finished.”

If you see an error that the uninstall process failed, you will need to install the Yahoo! Music Jukebox following the instructions below and then uninstall the application by performing the above steps again.

Once the Yahoo! Music Jukebox is successfully uninstalled, you will need to reinstall. Note that uninstalling and reinstalling the Yahoo!
Music Jukebox is free, and does not affect your Yahoo! Music Unlimited account. You will simply need to sign in using your Yahoo! ID at the completion of the install process; you will be prompted to add in the music files already on your computer, and your subscription music (if any) will be automatically populated.

1. Close all running applications except for Internet Explorer.

2. Please then visit your respective URL:

U.S. Version:

http://us.dl1.yimg.com/download.yahoo.com/dl/music/ymj/us/ymjsetup.exe

Canadian Version:

http://us.dl1.yimg.com/download.yahoo.com/dl/music/ymj/ca/ymjsetup.exe

2. “Save” the program (please do not “Run” it) and download it to the desktop.

3. From the desktop, run the installer file that you downloaded and follow the onscreen instructions.

4. Please Note: Download time can take anywhere from 1 to 25 minutes and
18 MB of free space is required to install the Yahoo! Music Jukebox.

5. After installing, click the icon on your desktop to start the Yahoo!
Music Jukebox. Sign in using your Yahoo! ID.

For more information about troubleshooting with the Yahoo! Music Jukebox, go to:

http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/music/jukebox/troubleshoot/index.html

Thank you again for writing Yahoo! Music.

Regards,

 

Yahoo! Customer Care
57994239

New and Improved Yahoo! Mail – better than ever!

 

Original Message Follows:
————————-

Mail-Id: 1187621904-6907
“Name:” : reinkefj
“Yahoo! ID:” : reinkefj
“Email Address:” :
“Current Operating System:” : Windows XP “Subject:” : Musicmatch Migration issue “WMP Version:” : Not set by user “If yes, check here:” : Not set by user “Additional Information” : Don't know what WMP version, Script error; workaround doesn't work. Argh!
While Viewing: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/music/jukebox/troubleshoot/troubleshoot03.html

Form Name: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/music/general.html

Yahoo ID: reinkefj : Yahoo id from cookie “https://amt.yahoo.com/amt/dosearch?.token=5y.Tu0qEPLfejWEUKFW_NSx14saef
_rBHh3JD_Or”

Other ID:

Browser: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.6)
Gecko/20070725 Firefox/2.0.0.6

REMOTE_ADDR: 68.87.100.77

REMOTE_HOST: 68.87.100.77

Date Originated: Monday August 20, 2007 – 07:58:24

——-

***End Quote***

Yuck!

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Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: the real estate market exploded

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/08/20/bcnswiss20.xml

Top Swiss banker attacks US lending standards as ‘unbelievable’
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard and Yvette Essen
Last Updated: 12:15am BST 21/08/2007

***Begin Quote***

Switzerland’s top banker has warned of massive losses from the unfolding credit crisis, describing the collapse in US lending standards as “unbelievable”.

Jean-Pierre Roth, president of the Swiss National Bank, said market turmoil was far from over as tremors from the sub-prime debacle continued to rock the world.

“We’re certainly not at the end of the story. There are question marks surrounding the development of the American economy,” he said. “Something unbelievable happened. People who had neither income nor capital got credit with very attractive conditions. Now reality is striking back,” he said.

***End Quote***

No money down, low interest rate, no documentation.

Was it any wonder that the real estate market exploded. One way to avoid inflation, (i.e., the counterfeiting of money), is to buy real estate.

And I am sure the local komisars were not unhappy with the run up. In New Jersey, property taxes are based on “value”.

What a joke!

And, are we hurting America’s productivity by having people locked in a location by home they are tied to. That, as opposed to a rental apartment, where if they found a job in a different geography, moving was not out of the question.

Can anyone not in a city ever walk to work? Or, perhaps telecommuting is going to make a big comeback?

Having said that, perhaps now is the time to find bargains?

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LIBERTY: how good it will be if we just get the right people in office

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

FROM A FACEBOOK exchange:

Daniel Buk wrote 56 minutes ago
re: Joe Biden for President ’08

***Begin Quote***

Actually, he admitted he made a mistake. He quoted Neil Kinnock before in his speeches and always attributed. However, he made a mistake once in which he forgot to attribute quotes to the British politician.

As for calling him a ‘statist socialist’, he is not. None of the candidates are socialists. However, if you point specifically to what you think is “socialist” in Biden’s record, then I could properly address those issues. Nevertheless, I assure you that Biden is not a “statist socialist.”

***End Quote***

He still has no executive experience. And, he is a Big Government Democrat. (A duplication in terms.) I think all the candidates with the exception of Ron Paul are socialists. Not one of the others seeks to reduce the size of the government. With out being nasty, these candidates are just more of the same stuff. (I leave it to the imagination what kind of stuff I think they are full of.)

IMHO All you really need to ask is one question. How does the candidate stand on gun control? It’s the litmus test of freedom and liberty. If they are for gun control, then they want to be able to control the people. If they are against it, then they trust the people.

As I see it, there are either of two memes: (1) people are basically good; or (2) people are basically bad. If they are good, then we only need a small government to protect our freedoms from force or fraud. If they are bad, then we want a small weak government because when bad people get in control of it we will be oppressed.

Either way, we need a much much smaller government. I’ve been working for a number of years and the government has continually taxed me heavily for services that I neither want, nor asked for. When the taxes are confiscatory, rebellion is the only answer.

Over the years, the government has become adept at hiding how much we are paying. I’ve seen estimates between 40% and 100%+. (The hundred per centers attempt to calculate the inflation tax paid by anyone holding dollars or things denominated in dollars. Hence your savings are being silently confiscated!) Even if we take a low number like 50%, when I say some one takes from me by threat of force (Taxes are NOT voluntary!) half of my production, am I not half a slave?

When Biden recants his Big Government voting record, then we can have another conversation. Until then, I’m immune to their siren songs of how good it will be if we just get the right people in office.

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Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: one way to make money in the market

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

http://www.lewrockwell.com/duffy/duffy11.html

Financial Markets on Crack
by Kevin Duffy

***Begin Quote***

How does today’s credit bubble compare to its 1998 and 2000 predecessors? Derivative exposure has more than tripled since 1998. And the balance sheets of the top 5 investment banks have nearly tripled since 2000. Structured finance was in its infancy 9 years ago and the collateralized debt obligation (CDO) market was just being invented. LTCM was a liquidity crisis; the current credit meltdown is a solvency crisis.

Cheap and plentiful credit is what caused the current mess. More of the same can only make it worse. It is only a matter of time before this shot of credit heroin wears off. Sometimes the best medicine is none at all.

***End Quote***

Yup, you don’t grab a falling knife. But it is tempting. Buying quality stuff at a discount is one way to make money in the market.

But, if the market is going over the cliff in an unprecedented fashion, does it matter if you are on the bus going over or just waltzing along.

Bottom line: You’re on your tush saying “what happened”.

Aigh! (Combo sigh and argh)

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH SERVICE: PLAXO30BETA sucks but is it useful?

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

http://pulse.plaxo.com

Plaxo is entering the social networking space. Your Plaxo Pulse Network only allows “family”, “friends”, and “business network”. How lame is that? I have many different labels that I would like to use. For example, Jaspers, MCers, Prespters, MP64ers, Linkedin-ites, EUNers, LNJ, LPU … … ad nauseum. Why restrict me to your three choices? Argh!

Jury still out but not looking good!

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