- Home-brew beer with one of my favorite blogs, BoingBoing.
- Upload pictures into your own ASCII Art!
- See how the ISS stacks up to real spacecraft/
- A desktop tour of Fedora.
- A great write up of Songbird and other iTunes replacements over at TuxGeek.me.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
The Internet Strikes Back!
A Star Wars marathon is on tv tonight, hence the outward nerdiness of the title line. But here's what I've got:
Friday, November 28, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Wine in Ubuntu is the best!
Wine allowed me to install a certain proprietary piece of windows only software (starts with an eff and ends in an assssh) to get some crucial web development work done yesterday when I was home sick. It didn't work with the most current version, which means that I'll have to go back and redo some stuff with the 8-core screamer at the Mito office, but I made some major progress with the software none the less.
If you're not a linux user, that means that there's no reason for you to know about Wine, but essentially it provides a layer of functionality to your linux setup--the ability to run windows programs seemlessly. Mac users know that this has been possible since the OS 9 days, but it requires a layer of processor hogging OS emulation, and hasn't really been a viable option until the recent releases of vmware Fusion and Parallels 4 (3 was ok too). On the mac tip, I use vmware Fusion and love it!
The main problem with emulating the entire OS is that it really is a burden on your processor and your ram comsumption, in addition to requiring booting or unfreezing before you can start using it. Also, it requires a copy of Windows to install on top of the copy of vmware or Paralells you purchased. Wine acts as an Windows API layer over X in Linux, bypassing the need to purchase an OS that you don't really want.
In the past, Wine has been somewhat a piece of vaporware, due to the uber-nerd L337 skillz to get it up and running. I had bad luck ever getting it to run back in the glory days of RedHat 6, 7 and 8, but now with the ease of apt-get in Ubuntu, Wine is preconfigured and precompiled via automatic updates. It's still a little shakey, but I've successfully been able to run quite a few programs that I thought would be doomed to a Windows partition.
Oh, and on the computer front, the 500gb harddrive I ordered on sunday should be here by the weekend (fingers crossed). At only $60 it was a steal! I'm looking forward towards giving Vista the ole' college try with 100gb partition. I'll post my travails in the Windows world once I start tinkering. Read more
If you're not a linux user, that means that there's no reason for you to know about Wine, but essentially it provides a layer of functionality to your linux setup--the ability to run windows programs seemlessly. Mac users know that this has been possible since the OS 9 days, but it requires a layer of processor hogging OS emulation, and hasn't really been a viable option until the recent releases of vmware Fusion and Parallels 4 (3 was ok too). On the mac tip, I use vmware Fusion and love it!
The main problem with emulating the entire OS is that it really is a burden on your processor and your ram comsumption, in addition to requiring booting or unfreezing before you can start using it. Also, it requires a copy of Windows to install on top of the copy of vmware or Paralells you purchased. Wine acts as an Windows API layer over X in Linux, bypassing the need to purchase an OS that you don't really want.
In the past, Wine has been somewhat a piece of vaporware, due to the uber-nerd L337 skillz to get it up and running. I had bad luck ever getting it to run back in the glory days of RedHat 6, 7 and 8, but now with the ease of apt-get in Ubuntu, Wine is preconfigured and precompiled via automatic updates. It's still a little shakey, but I've successfully been able to run quite a few programs that I thought would be doomed to a Windows partition.
Oh, and on the computer front, the 500gb harddrive I ordered on sunday should be here by the weekend (fingers crossed). At only $60 it was a steal! I'm looking forward towards giving Vista the ole' college try with 100gb partition. I'll post my travails in the Windows world once I start tinkering. Read more
Man Man Seek Kitten
Sunday, November 23, 2008
INTERNET
- Don't ever run these commands, ever.
- Watchmen trailer broken down for what's definitely made it in.
- These are fun if yr bored.
- And, an eagle swimming, a cat on a roomba, and chicken police.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
To Trash Or Not To Trash: What to do with 5 years of Music
or, 1200 words about hard drives, videos and way too much music
So I've reached a bit of a crossroads: my storage demands are being stretched to their limits, and every one of my HDs is beginning to fill up. I'm a bit strapped for cash at the moment, so simply upgrading to a bigger and badder HD isn't an option thats really on the table, and the temptation to just delete all that music that I don't listen to anymore is becoming more and more of a palatable option. And anyway, its not like any of this stuff is *that* important. I mean its just media, right?
In a time when we are becoming increasingly defined by our tastes and consumption of mass media (just look at anyone's facebook or myspace profiles--most offer a laundry list of music and movies that are they're favorites), what does it mean if you simply don't care enough to keep all of those old files anymore? Maybe its just because I'm behind the times in terms of drive storage: 120gb internal on both my laptop and desktop, then 200gb and 80gb externals, it seems like a little over 500 gb is paltry compared to the multi-terabyte rigs that are en vouge. I'm no stranger to multi-gigabyte project workflows (I work with digital video) and the necessity for massive amounts of storage, but it just seems like 500gb is still a lot of data for me as a personal user.
So here's how my data usage breaks down: about 30 gb on each computer is music, some of which overlaps between the two systems; OS and software take up about 40-50gb on my laptop and about 20-30 on my desktop; most of the rest of the space is taken up by video, mostly mp4 or avi, leaving about 15gb free on my laptop (this changes alot though because I use it for work and need at least that much free space) and less than 10gb on my desktop. The externals hold video and music exclusively, and are as full as the internal drives on both of my computers.
Essentially, I would only have to pay about $100 for a decent 500gb hard drive, but I just have this nagging feeling that I'm wasting money to do that primarily because I really don't listen to all of my music anymore, nor by any means do I watch all of my videos.
It turns out that most of my videos on my HD are now streaming on my Netflix Player, too. I think the real reason for not deleting my movies is because they are all high quality dvd rips that I made myself, over years of buying and borrowing. I have a dvd player and hundreds of dvds, but I prefer to upscale them through my computer via the ripped files. Still, I don't think that I could ever have enough space to do what I wanted to properly without running into a database problem and crashing the drive.
So ultimately, the movies stay with a few exceptions here and there for things I know I just don't need to have lying around.
Now my music is another beast entirely. I was 13 years old when Napster came out and it was one of the single defining moments in my growth as a music listener. Suddenly, every song, album, and band were at my disposal to download at about 5kbps, at least until my family got cable internet. By the time I was a senior in high school, I had discovered newsgroups as well, and now my music collection was in two main parts: the single song folder of MP3s culled from Napster, Bearshare, iMesh, Gnutella, Limewire, Kazza and every other fad piece of software (most of which came packed with spyware & malware) that defined the early years of P2P filesharing; and a meticulously well kept folder heiarchy of bands and albums made by hand before iTunes made it easy for you. That was when things were easy, when I only had one computer and one ipod (which I still have, btw), and generally listened to music in 2 main locations: my car and my computer. It also must be noted that I had lots and lots of CDs, mostly burned, which have since been abandoned at my parents house, where they will probably stay forever.
Then I moved away to college and my music collection started the chrysalis its still currently in. I was forced to pick and choose from about 80gb of music because that's exactly how big the HD on my first powerbook was. I ended up with only the newest and most beloved of my music collection, leaving behind the archives of my music that so defined me as a teen.
As I went through college, my music tasted changed more rapidly then they ever had before, and I eventually made the switch and started to collect vinyl--both new any used. Now my vinyl collection is well into the hundreds and its the primary way that I listen to music besides my ipod. Ipods are another part of the story, too: all in all, I think I've had about 5 different iPods over the past decade, most of which either crashed or were stolen. But averaging about 20gb, they were perpetually full and used constantly. I also DJ'ed parties using my computer for about a year, so having everything that I wanted to play stored on my computer was essential.
The problem was that eventually I ran out of space. I started deleting frantically so my computer to slink along on a day to day basis until I justified needing an external drive for editing at school. I went big, and thats the 200gb HD I use at the heart of my media center. But what happened was that I couldn't save anything and it eventually led to the fragmenting of my music over multiple computers and hard drives. I eventually went back to my parents house and collected the internal HD with all the music on it, so some of that was thrown into the mix too.
So as it stands, I feel like I have multiple copies of my music in a couple different places but I don't have the time or energy to sort through it all and try and compile it into a single location. At some point in the near future, I'm doomed to add a 500gb (or larger) HD to my collection of storage devices, thus confusing things even more. On the bright side, the some file system improvements in linux now allow me to merge folders, copying only new files and not asking me the dreaded question, "keep or replace," for entire directories. Read more
So I've reached a bit of a crossroads: my storage demands are being stretched to their limits, and every one of my HDs is beginning to fill up. I'm a bit strapped for cash at the moment, so simply upgrading to a bigger and badder HD isn't an option thats really on the table, and the temptation to just delete all that music that I don't listen to anymore is becoming more and more of a palatable option. And anyway, its not like any of this stuff is *that* important. I mean its just media, right?
In a time when we are becoming increasingly defined by our tastes and consumption of mass media (just look at anyone's facebook or myspace profiles--most offer a laundry list of music and movies that are they're favorites), what does it mean if you simply don't care enough to keep all of those old files anymore? Maybe its just because I'm behind the times in terms of drive storage: 120gb internal on both my laptop and desktop, then 200gb and 80gb externals, it seems like a little over 500 gb is paltry compared to the multi-terabyte rigs that are en vouge. I'm no stranger to multi-gigabyte project workflows (I work with digital video) and the necessity for massive amounts of storage, but it just seems like 500gb is still a lot of data for me as a personal user.
So here's how my data usage breaks down: about 30 gb on each computer is music, some of which overlaps between the two systems; OS and software take up about 40-50gb on my laptop and about 20-30 on my desktop; most of the rest of the space is taken up by video, mostly mp4 or avi, leaving about 15gb free on my laptop (this changes alot though because I use it for work and need at least that much free space) and less than 10gb on my desktop. The externals hold video and music exclusively, and are as full as the internal drives on both of my computers.
Essentially, I would only have to pay about $100 for a decent 500gb hard drive, but I just have this nagging feeling that I'm wasting money to do that primarily because I really don't listen to all of my music anymore, nor by any means do I watch all of my videos.
It turns out that most of my videos on my HD are now streaming on my Netflix Player, too. I think the real reason for not deleting my movies is because they are all high quality dvd rips that I made myself, over years of buying and borrowing. I have a dvd player and hundreds of dvds, but I prefer to upscale them through my computer via the ripped files. Still, I don't think that I could ever have enough space to do what I wanted to properly without running into a database problem and crashing the drive.
So ultimately, the movies stay with a few exceptions here and there for things I know I just don't need to have lying around.
Now my music is another beast entirely. I was 13 years old when Napster came out and it was one of the single defining moments in my growth as a music listener. Suddenly, every song, album, and band were at my disposal to download at about 5kbps, at least until my family got cable internet. By the time I was a senior in high school, I had discovered newsgroups as well, and now my music collection was in two main parts: the single song folder of MP3s culled from Napster, Bearshare, iMesh, Gnutella, Limewire, Kazza and every other fad piece of software (most of which came packed with spyware & malware) that defined the early years of P2P filesharing; and a meticulously well kept folder heiarchy of bands and albums made by hand before iTunes made it easy for you. That was when things were easy, when I only had one computer and one ipod (which I still have, btw), and generally listened to music in 2 main locations: my car and my computer. It also must be noted that I had lots and lots of CDs, mostly burned, which have since been abandoned at my parents house, where they will probably stay forever.
Then I moved away to college and my music collection started the chrysalis its still currently in. I was forced to pick and choose from about 80gb of music because that's exactly how big the HD on my first powerbook was. I ended up with only the newest and most beloved of my music collection, leaving behind the archives of my music that so defined me as a teen.
As I went through college, my music tasted changed more rapidly then they ever had before, and I eventually made the switch and started to collect vinyl--both new any used. Now my vinyl collection is well into the hundreds and its the primary way that I listen to music besides my ipod. Ipods are another part of the story, too: all in all, I think I've had about 5 different iPods over the past decade, most of which either crashed or were stolen. But averaging about 20gb, they were perpetually full and used constantly. I also DJ'ed parties using my computer for about a year, so having everything that I wanted to play stored on my computer was essential.
The problem was that eventually I ran out of space. I started deleting frantically so my computer to slink along on a day to day basis until I justified needing an external drive for editing at school. I went big, and thats the 200gb HD I use at the heart of my media center. But what happened was that I couldn't save anything and it eventually led to the fragmenting of my music over multiple computers and hard drives. I eventually went back to my parents house and collected the internal HD with all the music on it, so some of that was thrown into the mix too.
So as it stands, I feel like I have multiple copies of my music in a couple different places but I don't have the time or energy to sort through it all and try and compile it into a single location. At some point in the near future, I'm doomed to add a 500gb (or larger) HD to my collection of storage devices, thus confusing things even more. On the bright side, the some file system improvements in linux now allow me to merge folders, copying only new files and not asking me the dreaded question, "keep or replace," for entire directories. Read more
The Tain
A few years ago, The Decemberists, one of my personal favorites, relesed an EP called The Tain.
It was a sinlge 18 miunte track divided into 5 cantos based on the Irish epic Táin Bó Cúailnge. As for the song, it's amazing and just about as epic as a song can get, and now after years of painstaking hand animation, it has a video.
The task was taken by Montana filmmaker Andy Smetanka, who specializes in construction paper stop motion animation. When I first saw this video, I was convinced that it had to have been done with After Effects, Motion, Toon Boom or one of the myriad other pieces of niche software that specialize in creating cool & off-kilter animation. Yeah, there were a few "hairs" on the film, and some of the exposures looked a bit uneven, but 18+ minutes of hand animation without a digital workflow? Please...
Not so apparently. Mr. Smetanka works entirely with Super-8, the medium that I was introduced to my first semester in film school, but long since lost interest in once that cameras and film got bigger and better in the semesters to follow. Now whats really amazing about this is the animation timing. This guy has to be equal parts meticulous and mathematical--in order to accomplish a single minute of this would take months of trial and error, even for someone trained in modern animation techniques--animation like this simply isn't done like this anymore. The level of frame complexity, synchronization with the soundtrack, speed of cutting and the sheer amount of all of it blow my mind.
Just a note on how all of this was physically constructed: construction paper cut-outs, complete with pinned together joints are laid down over a light box which is covered in a mixture of layers of opaque tissue paper & solid construction paper to form fixed backgrounds. Then, one frame at a time the characters are animated to perform desired action. Since this way shot on Super-8, it was potentially a little bit easier because most Super-8 cameras shoot at 18 frames per second--six frames less than the motion picture standard of 24fps. I'm not 100% sure about whether or not Mr. Smentanka uses a camera that shoot on 18fps or 24fps, but either way, directing animation on film that you have to develop is if anything, painstaiking. So here's the embedded video, and a link for the hi-res version. Enjoy!
Hi-Res available here Read more
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Boinc Manager: Tough to Explain to Friends, Fun to Use
So for the past few months I've been putting my computer's extra cycle time to good use by partaking in several @HOME projects using the BOINC Manager. If you don't know what an @HOME project is, I'll take a moment to explain.
The best and oldest example is the SETI@HOME project, started in 1995, which uses radio telescopes to search for extraterrestrial life--yeah, like in Contact. Up until 1995 the SETI project relied on supercomputers to sift through the massive amount of data, most of which was random noise, which created a painstaking process that was slow to yield results. That's when David Gedye decided that it could be better done by linking multiple computers via the internet to function together as a virtual supercomputer, thus eliminating the need for sole reliance on massively expensive time on a real supercomputer. This concept came to form the basis of cloud computing well before anyone even mentioned the words "Web 2.0".
Fast forward to present day. Its now practical and fairly simple to participate in. In addition to SETI@HOME there are many other offshoots, such as Rosetta@HOME, researching protein folding for cancer research, and Eienstein@HOME, which is searching for pulsars.
The reasoning behind doing something like this? I leave my linux-box home server running 24/7, but only use it a few hours a day. The program that manages my @HOME projects, BOINC, only uses processor time when the system is idle, which includes LAN activity, and is set to use only 2gb of disk space at the most. Essentially, it downloads files (big math problems) then uses processor cycles to complete them, uploading the results and deleting the original files.
So, if you have a machine that is on for most of the day that is mostly idle, why not set this up and contribute to some scientific research? It can be a great use for older systems too! If you have a box that's been collecting dust in the basement or garage, just throw a network card into it, install a lightweight Linux distro, like Puppy Linux or Xubunutu, then setup BOINC, pick yr projects and start contributing!
Here's a screengrab of my BOINC Client:
Read more
The best and oldest example is the SETI@HOME project, started in 1995, which uses radio telescopes to search for extraterrestrial life--yeah, like in Contact. Up until 1995 the SETI project relied on supercomputers to sift through the massive amount of data, most of which was random noise, which created a painstaking process that was slow to yield results. That's when David Gedye decided that it could be better done by linking multiple computers via the internet to function together as a virtual supercomputer, thus eliminating the need for sole reliance on massively expensive time on a real supercomputer. This concept came to form the basis of cloud computing well before anyone even mentioned the words "Web 2.0".
Fast forward to present day. Its now practical and fairly simple to participate in. In addition to SETI@HOME there are many other offshoots, such as Rosetta@HOME, researching protein folding for cancer research, and Eienstein@HOME, which is searching for pulsars.
The reasoning behind doing something like this? I leave my linux-box home server running 24/7, but only use it a few hours a day. The program that manages my @HOME projects, BOINC, only uses processor time when the system is idle, which includes LAN activity, and is set to use only 2gb of disk space at the most. Essentially, it downloads files (big math problems) then uses processor cycles to complete them, uploading the results and deleting the original files.
So, if you have a machine that is on for most of the day that is mostly idle, why not set this up and contribute to some scientific research? It can be a great use for older systems too! If you have a box that's been collecting dust in the basement or garage, just throw a network card into it, install a lightweight Linux distro, like Puppy Linux or Xubunutu, then setup BOINC, pick yr projects and start contributing!
Here's a screengrab of my BOINC Client:
Read more
Friday, November 14, 2008
Man's Manual For Living
List of Problems Solved by MacGyver
I'm a big MacGyver fan. I remember watching it with my older brother and thinking he was the coolest person ever. I mean he lived on a houseboat, how cool is that!? He also drove a sweet Jeep and and was a zeitgeist of late 80s / early 90s man's man fashion.
Some of my favorites include:
"In order to fix a piston connecting rod for a water pump, MacGyver makes an arc welder out of a generator, some jumper cables, and two half dollars. By running the DC current from the generator through the coins, he creates heat and electrical discharge, with which he can weld the con-rod."
"MacGyver destroys a building with a propane tank, a grindstone, and some ball bearings. He lets the gas from the tank loose and switches on the grindstone. From outside, he shoots the ball bearings into the building at the grindstone. Although he doesn't hit the grindstone, the bad guy he is after shoots a crossbow into the building, and does hit the grind stone. A spark ignites the gas, and the building is destroyed."
"MacGyver creates a diversion and a surprise attack using an inner tube, pressurized air, chloride, a catalyst, two glass jars and a gas mask. The inner tube was put in a truck and filled with air until the glass broke creating a loud noise. Meanwhile MacGyver filled the two gas bombs filling one glass jar with chloride and the other with a catalyst. Then he threw them at his attackers resulting in a reaction producing toxic chlorine gas when the two liquids mixed."
The whole thing make for great reading. Really, just scroll through it at random and stop anywhere, you'll find out how to make and do just about anything. Read more
Thursday, November 13, 2008
the internets giveth...
- Beeeeeessss!!!
- Digg Down = LAME. Where's all that capital going?
- New Red Cam - Even though I knew it was coming, it's still pretty awesome and cool. Fingers crossed.
- TuxGeek - a newish linux / tech blog I found today, added it to my Google Reader Feed!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A Valid Reason to Hate Internet Explorer
So there are lots of things that have bugged me for a long time about Internet Explorer. Once Microsoft's flagship product, it really did herald in the internet sans AOL keywords for my generation and is the default browser for the worlds most ubiquitous OS. But over time, Internet Explorer refused to change along with the internet as it presented new standards and an increased demand for functionality.
While the end-users wanted attractive, easy to use layouts, colors fonts and GUIs, the coders and web designers demanded a structure that was easy to code and parse while scalable. This inherent clashing led to the splintering of web standards, rendering engines and eventual cross browser compatibility. Presently, there are two major divisions and several smaller ones between how browsers render web pages: safari, firefox, opera et al handle the majority of tags and css fairly similarly, but with a few minor differences; Internet Explorer chooses to do whatever the fck it wants with your html and css.
Even though the browser has recently adapted to be more compliant in general, the fact remains that its really wasting my time right now having to research work arounds for things that look perfectly normal in firefox and safari. The only time that I have to use ie is at work, but thats because I prefer the functionality & look of my company's webmail because it was written for Internet Explorer.
Bad standards acceptance makes me a sad panda. Read more
While the end-users wanted attractive, easy to use layouts, colors fonts and GUIs, the coders and web designers demanded a structure that was easy to code and parse while scalable. This inherent clashing led to the splintering of web standards, rendering engines and eventual cross browser compatibility. Presently, there are two major divisions and several smaller ones between how browsers render web pages: safari, firefox, opera et al handle the majority of tags and css fairly similarly, but with a few minor differences; Internet Explorer chooses to do whatever the fck it wants with your html and css.
Even though the browser has recently adapted to be more compliant in general, the fact remains that its really wasting my time right now having to research work arounds for things that look perfectly normal in firefox and safari. The only time that I have to use ie is at work, but thats because I prefer the functionality & look of my company's webmail because it was written for Internet Explorer.
Bad standards acceptance makes me a sad panda. Read more
Sunday, November 9, 2008
I think my commitment to nerd-dom might be complete
Because I've been "thanked" in a post on ubuntuforumns.org, a site for Ubuntu users to solve all the little quirks that drive linux users nuts. And pretty much all I've been doing with my free time is web development.
The website I'm building for a local new media venture goes live in about a week, and there's lots to get done before then. Unfortunately I can't link to anything until we do go live, but its shaping up to be clean & classy. Pretty much the only thing I have left to do is build and implement a flash player for our hd content. Embedding Vimeos works ok, but I need a packaged deal-y before I can sign off on my work.
Also, a new version of my personal site went up last night, and pretty happy with how that's looking--it's really turning into a showcase for all teh cool new tricks I've learned recently. So check it out samuelbreed.com Read more
The website I'm building for a local new media venture goes live in about a week, and there's lots to get done before then. Unfortunately I can't link to anything until we do go live, but its shaping up to be clean & classy. Pretty much the only thing I have left to do is build and implement a flash player for our hd content. Embedding Vimeos works ok, but I need a packaged deal-y before I can sign off on my work.
Also, a new version of my personal site went up last night, and pretty happy with how that's looking--it's really turning into a showcase for all teh cool new tricks I've learned recently. So check it out samuelbreed.com Read more
Monday, November 3, 2008
Can I possibly write about anything other than the election?
Along with being the most important day of for the future of our country (ed. note: failing at mission statement), it also marks the release of the third Futurama movie, Bender's Game!
I feel like the decision to produce direct to dvd 90 minute features was overall a good decision for Futurama. Although it was done out desperation after being dumped for inferior programming, the movies have turned out to be refreshing explorations of the hysterical, often non-sensical universe of the year 3000.
Bender's Game was announced with the release of the last movie, The Beast With A Billion Backs, and delves deeper in the machinations of the series. Also, it includes the first break from the sci-fi setting and into the fantasy realm of Dungeons and Dragons. Major nerd points for that, to possibly one of the biggest nerds in the country, David X. Cohen.
Unfortunately, Bender's Game is possibly the most stale of the movies thus far. Now, that's not to say that it's not funny per se; it has a lot of great lines from a wide variety of character's, but my dislike of most Mom-centered episodes easily carries over to the movie. Without revealing the plot its hard to discuss the main points of my criticism. To sum it up though, Mom isn't a very interesting character, and the arc of the main plot revealed itself a little too early.
The advantage of the first Futurama movie, Bender's Big Score, is that it was full of u-turns and plot points that make the ending a complete surprise and repeat viewings a must. The Beast With A Billion Backs was interesting enough, but felt a little light in comparison to some of the strongest episodes. This is starting to come off as an argument against the movies, but bear with me, I'm getting to my point. The Futurama movies work because they take the best elements of the series and combine them with the show's flare for long form absurdity. It's a joy to watch the writers take multiple premises, in-jokes and bizarre settings and stretch them out for 90 minutes at a time.
What's left will be a great box set to own, and a wonderful possible end to the too-short run of the series. In a different world, The Simpsons could have gotten this treatment too, but they're doomed to run forever at this point. Read more
And thus ends an election cycle.
I've heard throughout the day that its been nearly two years since the start of the current election cycle and it culminates with the final casting of the ballots. The campaigns of the two candidates are coming to a close: McCain is attempting a final push back deep in his own territory while Obama is continuing his 50 state plan with the confidence of a man who knows its almost over. Barack Obama has stood up to more investigation and criticism than any other candidate before him, starting way back in 2006, even before this year's hard fought primary season. It's hard to think that it was only a few months ago that Hilary Clinton was not only putting up a fight to be remembered, but took it to the wire with an army of rabid supporters.
Then came Palin, the GOP bounce and McCain's piloting of his ticket like a jet fighter who was recklessly shot down. More than once. It's trivial to go back and nit pick over McCain's constant gaffs and blunders because what matters is this: Obama has done everything right, nearly every step of the way. He resisted the urge to fight dirty against Clinton and Palin, and has renounced those who did. He's been scrutinized more for casual affiliations than any other candidate before him, and the figurative rounds fired at him have only ever turned out to be blanks.
Barack Obama has proven on every stage that America has to offer that he is the choice to lead us out of 20th century and into a future, however uncertain it may seem.
I proudly supported Barack Obama when I cast my ballot and I can only hope that intelligence can prevail in the country, for at least once in my life. Read more
Then came Palin, the GOP bounce and McCain's piloting of his ticket like a jet fighter who was recklessly shot down. More than once. It's trivial to go back and nit pick over McCain's constant gaffs and blunders because what matters is this: Obama has done everything right, nearly every step of the way. He resisted the urge to fight dirty against Clinton and Palin, and has renounced those who did. He's been scrutinized more for casual affiliations than any other candidate before him, and the figurative rounds fired at him have only ever turned out to be blanks.
Barack Obama has proven on every stage that America has to offer that he is the choice to lead us out of 20th century and into a future, however uncertain it may seem.
I proudly supported Barack Obama when I cast my ballot and I can only hope that intelligence can prevail in the country, for at least once in my life. Read more
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Ahh, Lord Jim
Started reading Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad last night and I was
surprised by how readable it is. I remember from high school that
Conrad was difficult and boring, but I suppose that was just me under
appreciating it.
surprised by how readable it is. I remember from high school that
Conrad was difficult and boring, but I suppose that was just me under
appreciating it.
Other than that, I've been coding the new Mito Media site all weekend,
and I'm really starting to get some CSS chops! I'm gla that I'm
finally parlaying my love of internetting to a marketable skill.
Taking a well earned computer break to watch some teev with amy!
_____
Sent from my iPhone
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