Ideas and other things in my 24 year old mind

Windows Most Secure OS Out...

2007-03-23T12:52:00.001-07:00

No really, not kidding. One thing that many people don't remember, is that due to the number *nix distros that it is secure, to a point. And anyone that really stays up to date with OSX, not just keynotes and Apple's advertisements knows that through native OSX apps and backdoors in the system it is in some ways more open than Windows.

Now of course there is criteria for 'Most Secure"... But something that people need to remember, that it is baffling to security companies why OSX is not hit like Windows when it comes to security threats... As in it is by all means doable for someone to gain root privilage on a OSX machine if they know what their doing, but it just doesn't happen.

My theory - Hackers in many ways are egotistical pricks... Yes, there are circumstances where hacking might be considered a way to get a message across, but if it's Windows, it's at the cost of other people on a large scale... It's a selfish act. If you know how to exploit, then use the time to do some real good. Send the exploit to the company, not to the people's computers.

Anyhow, below you will read Symantec's latest thoughts on security in the OS world. It's surprising. But remember, it's all subjective criteria. If people have no reason to exploit OSX, no matter how open it is, then it is the most secure, because people won't exploit it.

I just had a thought... OSX is the new Switzerland.

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Ridiculous: Activists would rather kill bear instead of being raised by humans

2007-03-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

So here's the facts. The baby polar bear was abandoned by it's parents (pricks). Meaning nature would have it die rather than live. But some humans, monstrous humans are raising and feeding it now since nature shat it out.

But apparently "Feeding by hand is not species-appropriate but a gross violation of animal protection laws,"...

Slobs prove to be more productive than you clean peopl would think

2007-03-23T11:59:00.001-07:00

Everyone that knows me, or more importantly my desk knows I am a messy person. I eave things around me as to get them with an easy stretch at the most. My desk itself is a heap waiting for me to grab at the wrong paper only to be buried in my own bills, sketches, print outs, etc.

Well, I got news for ya, think twice before ya judge.

Have a Messy Desk? Congrats, You're More Productive

A message for starting designers...

2007-03-16T12:17:00.001-07:00

Stop using digg, stop looking at css galleries all day...

Step away from tutorials/examples/etc for 1 month. No design books, no magazines, no flickr, no outside inspiration...

You have to take the lead in your talent. Anyone can look at css galleries, or design repository, and it's a good source for inspirationWHEN you are running dry.

If you want to do trend whore stuff, alright. Do the 45 degree lines,do the gloss, use drop shadows all over, combined they could be great,or a complete disaster.

I'm self taught in my skill set, it's the only reason my creativity is different in the perspective of clients and designers alike. It's why my interest lies in genuine branding, because when you make a brand, the only inspiration you should get from competition is what not to do,otherwise your brand isn't that special.

So I give any new designer a challenge or anyone that binges on cssbeauty and digg... Stop it. Next time you start comping a site, get anotepad and pencil, don't pull up your browser and scavenge theinternet to see how to do that glossy crap shine outline style... Make your own in your head, on a notepad, moleskin, then worry aboutexecuting it.

The world itself, both nature and man's creations are an inspiration enough to where the web, in comparison, and the whole web 2.0 cliche isa fraction of life to look at for ideas.

If design and/or branding is more than just you being bored on the comp,or your way to feel intelligent, but actually have a passion, Ichallenge you, to test yourself to see if you are good enough if google didn't exist, or css beauty, or css zen garden, or the countless blogs giving tutorials for things you never even imagined in the first place.

If you can not take up this challenge, or even consider arguing it as a whole, it means you are not cut out for this and you are replaceable, or you have yet to open your eyes to being inline with whatever is dugg, or caughtup in how cool/hip/talented the rest of the 'design' world thinks you are.

So, the challenge is there, and it will only help you in the end.

Good luck for those who take this post to heart.

I write this because I thought about the 'Where will you be in tenyears' and some people said 'well i'll be 24, 26, 28, etc... Well I am 24 now, and it all started as a hobby, but did I call myself a designer even when I had clients, not until I was actually creating things thatI could be proud of. i did minimal before it got big on the web, I did2.0 functionality before it got big on the web, I did guerillamarketting before social networking sites, etc. That's what makes meproud of my work.

I didn't just kill time on a computer, looking up tutorials, or what was being most commented on, etc.

We live in an age now where people think they're smarter for posting a comment on a blog, or 'digging' something, or being a part of a beta invite, or downloading photoshop and making something better than a crap photo with a filter...

But it doesn't. Binging on sites for creativity and reading other people's thoughts only to do the exact same things, and sometimes incombination for horrible results... That's not your job. That's not being a designer, or Creative Director, it's not innovative and it'snot professional, it's skimming by and feeling good because you are in a group that seemingly has forward momentum...

So examine, given age and real experience, are you just along for the ride or are you willing to move forward and question how 'design' is becoming a social trend, not a profession?

(For those in which it applies)

4 New Temp Sites

2007-03-15T06:28:00.001-07:00

So it's been a month or so before I have done anything that I can show, NDAs keeping me down...

Doogles, rest in peace

2007-03-13T06:26:00.001-07:00

It's never easy and there is never anything that could be said. The comfort comes in those wanting to be that person, the one that says something that actually does help. The words themselves account for very little, but the intention and the tears say it all.

Pat, and the rest of your family, my sorrows are with you. I've been in a similar situation... It's not easy and it won't be for awhile. But live for his honor and you can live again.

We're all going to miss him and what he was to become...

Ultra Sonic Edukators - Beat Kitchen

2007-03-12T12:58:00.001-07:00

Full set can be seen on flickr :)

technorati tags:ultra sonic edukators, music, photography

"11 trends that will define logo designs in 2007"

2007-03-12T12:50:00.001-07:00

Logo Design Trends 2007 - It's a good article, some what sad, but good...

technorati tags:design, logo, 2007, lifelogger, bespeak, slawesome, blinklist

Where did Apple get the names for OSX...

2007-03-12T12:33:00.001-07:00

Where OS X 'Big Cat' code names REALLY come from - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Personally, a bit fishy, but who knows...

technorati tags:apple, leapord, panther, shaye

Bush has rather direct ties to funding groups directly related to Al Queda

2007-02-27T15:35:00.001-08:00

The New Yorker article

When is he goin to be impeached?

technorati tags:bush, president, impeachment, terrorism, funding, iran, al queda, iraq

College students think they're so special - Mental Health - MSNBC.com

2007-02-27T15:33:00.001-08:00

College students think they're so special - Mental Health - MSNBC.com

This is why sometimes, I just don't get along with college students...

I'm right because I have a blog...

2007-02-26T13:41:00.001-08:00

Can bloggers across the sphere quit riding that notion already?

So great, you have a blog... That's nice. Oh, and you read digg? That's nice to besides it's a buzz and people Digg things without even reading it.

Oh, so you design too? Ah, so you know business and how everybody should approach business despite you not ever doin any hands on, get your face dirty application and sacrifice in that industry? Ah, that's nice too. I mean going off of nothing but casual theory is def a good backbone to over confidently spewing the same hum drum chest beating un-researched words as 1k+ other bloggers...

Sorry, but I'm quite annoyed with how momentum is picking up so easily with this web 2.0, blog, digg movement. With mac ads being loved when their basis is baby music and a cocky hipster over simplifying through arrogant body language never sellin their product. Just because you can talk, doesn't mean ya should. But of course the argument is 'don't tell me to shut up' or a multitude of other arguments.

My point is that don't assume because you have a voice now with a blog that it calculates to your words being important and more critically that you are right. Yeah yeah, the words are important because their yours, etc. I know. But realize that if you are standing in a circle with everyone saying the same thing, the words aren't important if there is a good amount of clucking as well.

And yes, this is a horribly written post, lol

Who saved Apple from the brink of bankruptcy?

2007-02-16T01:34:00.001-08:00

Microsoft's 150 million dollars in non voting shares and agreed to not sell them for 3 years in 1997...

Get over yourselves (for those that apply). There is an eco system as Steve puts it properly. But he does say Apple needs to succeed, and doesn't have to do it by Microsoft failing... I wish the commercials touched on that, but they don't. I really had no intention of making my last couple of posts about Apple, and why I am so disappointed by their commercials and even more disappointed in the lack of logic their hard core fan base is.

And to bring up a rather unknown to most quote from Steve Jobs himself... Pay attention around 30 seconds... And you will know why the Mac ads work so well...

To be clear, very clear. I have no problem with Apple... I just seem to know a but more than most, and given my career, I'd be horrible at my job if I didn't.

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50 Beautiful CSS-Based Web-Designs in 2006

2007-02-15T01:01:00.001-08:00

CSS has come a long way in terms of execution by the average designer in the last few years. If ya don't believe me then checkout Smash Magazine's article.

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Is Apple lying?

2007-02-15T00:11:00.001-08:00

Now ever since the Mac ads came out, I've been annoyed by them. Simply because I can make swiss cheese out of any one of them based on facts. Do I think they're entertaining, yeah. Do I think they're full of bs and push the wrong message for Apple, definitely.

Mainly because they don't sell Macs... They really don't, they just take biased pot shots against PCs... And more recently Vista. Albeit rarely talking about things like the real cost of buying truth-be-told glorified service packs for the original OSX, or taking in account the rest of the world, not just bloggers or others who do a good amount of writing or graphical work... I'm starting to ramble and not making any sense.

Bottom line, the ads are full of bs. They're trying to make people feel cooler for buying Macs, meaning it's getting away from things like performance, build quality, etc. It's pushing emotion over function. Which is fine, except the fact that certain die hard Mac people were confused as to why, given I could afford it, I bought my Vaio AR190G over a Mac Book Pro... Because the Mac didn't have what I needed... Strange concept to them. Yeah, I would have impressed the people at the local cafe with a 17-inch overheating laptop that risked losing it's paint that didn't have enough real state... But it would have glowed that amazing Apple logo, and I would then show that I was hip, maybe even got people talking about how wonderful OSX since it is an amazing operating system besides a few hurdles.

Well I'm not that hip. I'm too practical for the Mac ads to do anything for me. I'm more worried about buying a laptop with something like Blu-Ray, a T.V. tuner, a very good video card, and a 1920x1200 resolution. Sorry, but to me, that stuff is way cooler than widgets even if it doesn't make hipster chicks want to jump in my pants. Plugging my laptop into my fiance's digital cable and having it good to go with recording options outputting via HDMI onto an HD T.V. with a single cable and use my full MCE remote to make it all work... Now that's cool.

But the things I described as cool are geeky and tech hungry which is what really drives technology. Apple only recently started using Intels after the "PC" market propelled competition between Intel and AMD which was driven through IT and gaming... The two genre Apple has barely hit or has a track record of. Which is ironic to me that they then have a commercial about Pcs only being for work when gaming pushed the hardware to be what it is inside the current Apples.

But why is it annoying, because think about a 1900x1200 resolution... I can see the commercial now. They shrink the pc guy, an owl swoops down on him or something of the like showing that at 1900x1200 things are too small, and the cold hard fact that 1900x1200 resolution being better than 1600x1080 for many many users is shoved out the window because it was made a joke, therefore Apple doesn't have to worry about it in it's product line. And that is why I mostly hate the new Apple commercials... I love most of their products; albeit the leaky Mac Pro desktops and exploding/fading Mac Book Pros, but it's not pushing technology... It's just making a joke out of any true progress done by Windows and other hardware. But that's another frustrating thing, the latest Apple line up is solid on the hardware front... yet by the commercials you'd never know it. They're building the best products they ever have, yet instead of selling them, they target Vista and much of the time through lies. Yes, lies... Keep reading.

Truthfully there is no specific point to this post and I only wrote it because I came across this article on tg daily which by all means will explain part of my frustration. I guess there is a point to this post now that I thought about it... You aren't cool because you bought a Mac. And you aren't cool because you got Vista. Because if you think either of those two can be true, then you don't know what you are talking about and put way too much of yourself into buying a piece of hardware. It's a computer, if it works for you, it works for you. If you switched to OSX and love it, don't assume you got this little secret or that everybody would be so much better off with it.

Everybody has their own story, and nobody is cool because of it. I want to be able to think Apple is a solid company... But lately, they're only bsing their way on other people's coat tails and sadly it is working. And I say that as a person that loves OSX for what it is, loves what Apple has done with their latest laptops and desktop and is well versed in branding and marketing.

Engaged

2007-02-14T21:36:00.001-08:00

Yeap, I am

an engaged man now. Wish I had a bunch of words to describe the

feeling, but for once in my 24 years, I got nothing in the vocab dept.

Yes, that is the ring... It's f*cking gorgeous, as is the wonderful woman wearing it.

Vista Ultimate – The first 48 hours

2007-02-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

I have been a fan of Vista ever since Microsoft launched the Beta program and became very open about the development of their next operating system. Through the program hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world were able to test the operating system as well as give their input. It was something no company has done before on such a scale.

Before you go too far into this article it might be a good idea to read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista and get familiar with some of what Vista has. Because there are some things I don’t touch on, like BitLocker, etc.
This is just an article to give a initial response from installing Vista through an upgrade and how it went within the first couple of days of using it.

Now a lot of people took it as Microsoft using people as guinea pigs, letting Microsoft off the hook for R&D and leaving it up to the people to suffer. Well, that wasn’t the case. As Web 2.0 has proven, letting the public get in on things prior to commercial launch is a good idea. Through an interactive process of development better ideas rise to the top and usability always comes out better than if it was kept behind closed doors until launch.

What confused me was how every designer these days seems to love open source and the things that come from the open source movement like MooTools, Scriptaculous, time tracking tools, etc. Yet when it comes to help in a possible sacrificial way, few take the plunge. It’s confusing because those who don’t help in something like a beta test complain and take shots at the company when the product isn’t what they wanted. Well, if you didn’t take the chance to better the operating system when you were given a chance, who are you to complain? I don’t get mad at who wins the presidential election if I didn’t even vote.

Without getting into how Microsoft can’t seem to do anything right in an Apple fan’s eyes, I will take a brief moment to talk about Apple’s marketing against Vista. The first, and most obvious fact about Apple’s approach to Vista is how targeted it is. Apple doesn’t put anything in their crosshairs unless it knows it is a threat. Meaning Apple fans should take a look at Vista, since Apple themselves have done so since the beginning. A few things Apple said have been bogus, to be fair. They claimed that Microsoft hasn’t done anything but Longhorn/Vista in five years… Anyone that has been keeping an eye on Microsoft knows that is a bit of a skewed statement. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox live, Windows mobile, Windows Server, Windows XP 64 (both Amd and Intel chips), Media Center, MSN Live, Office 2007, and a few other things. What is important about knowing Microsoft’s progress in the last five years is that all those products I just mentioned, work together. If doing that long but still incomplete list of products in the last 5 years amounts to “nothing” to Steve Jobs, then there is a word for Apple’s marketing… Propoganda. Before you go off, thinking I don’t like Apple for categorizing them as a propaganda marketing company, I do understand why they need to market the way they do, and how they can say Microsoft hasn’t been doing “anything” but Vista for 5 years. But knowing what Microsoft has done, and knowing

I know, I’ve been dodging the heart of the article but I did want to preface how I came to look at Vista. Not just as a five year polished terd, but something pretty new compared to what Microsoft has done in the past with their operating systems. But more importantly, someone who uses all the features of the operating system or at least someone who uses more than what I have seen in reviews.

To be clear with how I use Vista, I am a Creative Director of two companies. I serve as the standard roe, but also as a bit of an IT guy. Being very in touch with technology I offer a helping hand to clients and business partners with suggestions on what to invest in for hardware and software. But most importantly from an unbiased perspective as much as humanly possible. For most of my family, I’d suggest a Mac Book Pro, for younger friends going through art school I do the same. For the tech savvy I suggest a DIY using NVidia and AMD setup. “To each his own” is the point, and each person has a story and a set of requirements for hardware and software and guidance should keep that in mind.

So let’s begin…

It begins… The install.
Since I have installed Vista from a clean partition before and ran into no problems, I’m focusing on an upgrade install on my Sony Vaio AR190G which is a Vista Capable computer. This also meant I had to install through Windows Xp instead of booting to the Vista DVD. As I started the install it loaded updated install files and did a compatibility test. I mostly passed except having to uninstall the Toshiba Bluetooth stack and a few programs that Vista didn’t think was going to work after wards, the upgrade went smoothly. Luckily Sony has been very solid about driver and program upgrades for Vista and offered all proper updates needed on their support site. The upgrade took a long 3 hours… Yes, 3 hours. The only reason I can think is how it needed to move files around and my user folder was a bit large at 5.5gb.

One thing that stuck out was how graphical the install was. XP was a big leap from Windows 2000 and previous versions of Windows, but you could tell they spent a lot of time on the install portion of Vista and it did pay off.

Drivers installed and up and running
Once all my drivers and updates from the Sony site were installed I had everything I needed. I ran through a series of tests to make sure audio, video, dvd, and blu-ray were working properly. They all did and the video and audio testing was a pleasure. My roommate just invested in a rather lage lcd screen so I gave HDMI a test run. My laptop played Blu-Ray on the LCD with few hiccups (blu-ray still has a bit to go on the software side) and the audio was transferred over the HDMI.

The interface has been running smoothly, everything is quick to react and running Aero proves to be a nice experience. It’s a unique experience after using previous versions of windows for so long and have an OS that has nice things like drops shadows and Gaussian blurs to separate windows. The reason I bring up the new Aero interface here is because it’s smoothness relies on the video card and the drivers. If the drivers aren’t what they should be, then you won’t get the most out of Vista. That goes for any piece of hardware too.

One thing to note about drivers is that they have made it easier in the Device Manager to modify software drivers. Sometimes they make all the difference. So things like Starforce can be deleted or updated without looking for other software updates. The reason this is nice is because the software drivers are a part of the Windows Update process.

Using the new Explorer interface
Once you get used to it, it’s rather intuitive. The introduction of shortcut links makes getting to where you want rather easy. The defaults go to the Public folder (previously Shared Documents), favorites, and the various folders in the current user’s documents (pictures, videos, etc). You can drag and drop any folder(s) for quick access into this area… Makes going to your most common folders rather quick.
One of the very nice things about this shortcuts column is that the folder view is also in this column. Just click on Folders and the tree menu of your computers directory structure comes up. Click it again and you get your favorites back.

One thing that is definitely new in Vista is the breadcrumb navigation and dropdown menu in the location bar. As you go more in depth in your folders the breadcrumb acts like it should. Making the use of a back/up button minimized In everyday use since you can click and get up 3 directories without an issue. What helps even more for navigational purposes is the drop down built into the breadcrumb. When you click the arrow next to a directory, a drop down of its sub directories show for easy navigation. Sounds simple, and is, but helps immensely when moving around in Vista. Truth be told the breadcrumb is something that OSX could use immensely. I love OSX for multiple reasons but the lack of something like a breadcrumb makes some of the views in the Finder window a bit of a pain.

Tags and other file information
On the bottom of the Explorer window is a new area for setting the tags and attributes of a file. The benefit is pretty large. I have over 20 gigs of my own photography on my laptop. Selecting a photo and setting tags on it helps a lot. It makes for quick searches and easier finds when I’m looking to print out a series of photos to print or to use in design work. The nice thing about this new area for file attributes means that the search bar does much more since it indexes information you set.

Built in applications
One very nice addition in Vista that I played with was the Dvd Maker. I had downloaded a high quality Divx video once I got up and running (wireless drivers installed with Windows) and wanted to see if the new dvd program could use it. So I opened up Windows Dvd Maker and added the divx video file and played with a few of the options. Needless to say I was a bit impressed. It had multiple layouts for menus and came with a good amount of customization. Background images, videos, audio, etc. The nice thing was is that you could add video or photos, so taking those photos of my niece’s birthday party and making a dvd with a sound track of Deathcab for Cutie was painless and efficient. The encoding was in good quality and worked in a couple different dvd players and computers without a hitch.

Windows Movie Maker is also rather easy to use. It might seem somewhat difficult to use, but I have been using it every once and awhile since Windows Xp and never had any problems with it, nor have I had any family members or friends that where less tech savvy have issues with it. I found nothing new except a few small options here and there from what I could tell.

Windows Photo Gallery is an upgraded version of Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. It’s a mix between Windows Media Player and the old Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. It adds the ability to easily tag, rate, and navigate through your photos. It’s definitely a useful upgrade

Windows Defender is solid as well. Albeit being something available in Windows Xp it’s nice for it to be included. One of the important additions in Defender is a straightforward interface for startup items. This means no more msconfig in the command prompt to manage your start up items that aren’t in the Startup folder. This will let you modify startup items quickly and painlessly since the interface in Defender tells you useful information about the startup items and you aren’t shooting blind.

The games that come with Vista Ultimate are well done. The graphics won’t blow you away, but they are what they need to be if not more when it comes to that stuff. I will say I apparently suck at chess, but who knew. The game genres provide something to kill time for you, or keep the children from painting the dog. It’s nice to go beyond solitaire and mindsweep.

Overall, the upgrades to the programs built into Windows and even new ones prove to be useful and well done.

Previous Versions…
All folders have a Previous Versions folder. Now before any uneducated people talk about how Apple did that with the Time Machine you need to realize that Microsoft did it in Windows Server 2003. Restore points had some of the same functionality but Microsoft did that in Windows Server 2003, they just didn’t add a galactic interface to it since reverting to old files could be a very bad thing in some cases. Either way, Microsoft has been working on it prior to Apple. I bring this up not because it’s about who did it first, but the fact that it’s a good idea and both Apple and Microsoft did it.

It’s a good feature regardless of Microsoft doing it and Apple taking a hint. It’s in Vista and it works well.

Media Center
Well, there are few things I can say about MC. To be truthful but risk sounding biased I have to say that Media Center in Vista is just phenomenal. It’s completely smooth and just works. If there is anything I think that can be directly compared to from Microsoft and Apple, it is Media Center and Front Row. When you purchase music from inside Media Center, or through Windows Media Player it shows up in Media Center.

In Windows XP, my built in tuner worked right away. In Vista, I am unsure since I have yet to hook it up to a digital cable source or something of the sort. However in Media Center I did a few times and I was able to record digital through the tuner card and have no problems. It is just a matter of time for full drivers at this point. In fact I could be able to use it now but I haven’t had the chance to hook up to a digital cable source.

The interface in Vista Media Center has been slightly updated in a very good way. Menus are clearer and background effects have been added. Media Center has always been an impressive piece of programming and Microsoft spent a good amount of time on the new one.

Security
Confirmations are all over Vista. Due to the new security layer setup, average users can do install programs, modify system settings, and do anything an administrator can do, if they provide an administrator’s password. Sounds kind of scary? Under certain circumstances yes, but it’s a method OSX users have been used to for awhile, and is what I consider to be a practical approach.

Some of the technologies built into Vista are far superior from methods used in XP for security. There is a good write up on Wikipedia as far as the specifics on security in Vista. Needless to say at the very least Microsoft seems to have made a solid move toward better security.

Sidebar
It’s not something new. Not because OSX did it or Yahoo widgets, but years ago programs like Samurize were built for Windows, and to my knowledge even Linux had it before anybody else. And like all widgets/gadgets/fandangles they have their uses. Personally I use notes, calendar, weather, and the rss feed to stay on top of my basecamp accounts. They do have an indent on the processor, but Vista’s made to be scalable. You don’t have to run Aero on all computers, and the same goes for the Sidebar. It’s a bonus if you got the juice but by no means is it required.

Gaming… I had to test C-Strike: Source
There was a slight hiccup in gaming. Nothing noticeable or anything I wouldn’t blame on new drivers for my Nvidia Go 7600 GT. Frame rates were slightly under XP, but then again the drivers have provided limited functionality in comparison to the Xp drivers for the card. Time will tell if Vista actually does hinder things like gaming because realistically a lot of that comes down to drivers. Given Microsoft’s dedication to gaming in the past I see no reason that Vista will realistically be slower than Xp.
I did play C-Strike through the HDMI cable on the HD Lcd in my apartment (thank you Matt for breaking down and buying it). It played smoothly and keeps me hesitant to buy a next gen console.

Now for the bad
I hate to say it, but there aren’t any I can think of. There is a small hiccup sometimes when the screen goes black when there is a confirmation window and sometimes it captures my mouse into the dark area and throws me off a bit. I am thinking that is actually the Sony drivers for my video card since when I had modified Nvidia drivers direct from Nvidia.com I had no hiccups.

The confirmations are a bit tedious to deal with. But there is something to be said for the fact that I am installing all the drivers, installing program updates, re arranging some files due to some having a better place due to the new file structure in Vista. So I’m pretty much doing everything that can screw up a computer at once. I don’t see myself doing all these things that will call for all the confirmations once the dust settles from setup very often. But needless to say it’s nice to know that the security layers are there. Personally I haven’t had a security issue in a long time with Windows. In fact the last one I can remember is when I was running Windows 2000.

The new control panel and other setting windows take a bit of getting used to. At first it was tedious to right click and have to go through two windows to do something like manipulate the display settings. But at the same time I realized it’s now easier to change my background, the aero theme, my picture, etc. So although adding one more click for display settings they have made some things one click closer which is what I prefer now that I’ve been using it.

DRM
I myself have had no issue with it. But I know those who have bought music through iTunes have had some issues. Meaning despite Microsoft releasing a series of betas for people to update their coding, Apple waited till after the final release for Microsoft to take the fodder, when realistically they could have updated their programming like Sony, Toshiba, Dell, HP, and everyone else in the freagin industry did.

DRM is a good and bad thing personally. It wouldn't have to exist if people bought music all the time. Sadly, those who are inconvenienced by DRM, don't blame those who created the need for DRM. Don't get frustrated, at all, that because your friends, and even you don't buy music legitly that those who put the time and money into it's production are trying to keep their product secure.

Honestly, anyone that says a thing about DRM better have a receipt for EVERY BIT OF MEDIA THEY HAVE ON THEIR COMPUTER.

Either way, no real issues with DRM.

The Conclusion… For now.
If you just stop in to Best Buy, you won’t notice a big difference. Apple fans have been saying that a lot to me. Well, if you fall in that category then you fail to realize who Microsoft is and how big Windows is. They have to make it so it feels familiar. And they did. But Microsoft added a lot of new features without disrupting the balance of old product and new. I wish I didn’t have to compare Vista to OSX… They’re different things. One is a niche operating system AND niche hardware… So they can do huge updates that break even most used applications or don’t support old hardware.

But Microsoft’s responsibilities reach farther than most realize. To compare OSX and Windows on most things is like comparing Lotus with GM… Both companies have limitations. Vista could have been better than it is but from the get go, the public reacted violently. People called for change thinking something of the sort wouldn’t effect hardware requirements. Why? I don’t have a clue. But given the changes Microsoft wanted to do, the system requirements would have been higher and old file systems would have been invalid.

Microsoft has pushed the limits of what they could have done with the operating system without alienating old hardware. Despite the recommended requirements, you can still install vista on an older machine and run it smoothly. Will it be all that the operating system is made to be, no, and it shouldn’t expect it to.
It will have it hiccups, and possible security flaws but Microsoft did do their best to not let that happen. That was the whole point of the beta testing program. So if you aren’t a fan so be it, but from a person that loves and hates OSX just as much as Windows XP, I personally love Vista so far.

Just enough changes to make using the operating system easy but not too much change to make it unfamiliar. I don’t suggest anyone upgrading until you know the drivers are ready to go and program updates are also ready to go.

And to let everyone know, when Vista proves to run smoothly on the Macbook Pros once Apple releases solid drivers, I plan on getting one and dual booting.

God's almighty hand...

2007-01-13T13:55:00.001-08:00

Josh got a new STI. Ever since he got the Justy and it proved it's worth I have been a valid fan of Suburu. And with the STI it is no exception. The car is just astonishing.

technorati tags:sti, suburu, justy

The Apple iPhone - Reinventing nothing...

2007-01-13T13:50:00.001-08:00

Alright, so I know the title is harsh... But in this case reality is just that. I could write some long article on it but it's just not worth the time.

Everything done on the phone, has been done. All of it. The maps, phone features, games, music, video, auto-tilt, bad battery life... It's all out there.

No stylus and no expansion slot... They didn't reinvent anything, they didn't innovate anything, they just did it and everyone is hyping it.

Yes, I do think it's solid so far. But no user reviews have come out, and Apple's doing the old run of the mill hype. They didn't reinvent the phone, by any means. Can mac fans be a little more practical about something Apple releases?

BTW love OSX.

technorati tags:iPhone, apple, zealot, fanboy, over, hype

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

Good Times

2006-12-08T14:06:00.001-08:00

Well, I said it; good times...

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What would ya do if...

2006-12-03T22:53:00.001-08:00

You had a project. You had someone come in around 10 - 15 hours a week or so to work on the project. You then decide the guy isn't going to hit the deadline. But he has been working on it over the last couple of months on and off before you decide he's not going to hit the deadline. He shows promise to hit the deadline given recent progress, but you still need to make the decision as a project manager.

Do you pay him for the time he put in or apologize for coming in and that he's shite out of luck?

I've worked downtown and doing my kind for work long enough to know, ya pay for the time put in. If there was a decision to be made and it was made too late, it is of little consequence to the person who put in the time. It's not good for either party, but it's a bad situation that you don't pawn off on the one doing the work.

Sometimes, I swear, I hate my job. But silver lining, Kayla's Blessing should look good.

Don't ask either, just needed to vent. Those who know the story, know it's not a good one, for anybody.

One of the msot amazing things I have EVER seen.

2006-12-03T05:09:00.001-08:00

STAIR-SCAPE

"The Wind Shaped Pavilion is a design proposal for a large fabric
structure that can be used as a public or private pavilion. As a
lightweight fabric structure, the wind slowly and randomly rotates each
of the six segments around a central open support frame. This
continually alters the shape of the pavilion, while at the same time
generating electrical power for its nighttime illumination."

Found at HypeDiss

Social Networking: Digg and Blogger Beta Users Are Still Early Adopters - The Logical Philosopher

2006-12-03T05:04:00.001-08:00

It's a pretty solid article, good reading. My only concern is how hyped people get about digg.com and such things, it's run by people that half the time just have too much time.

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I just couldn't resist...

2006-12-03T04:59:00.001-08:00

10 films the US Government would rather you not see. | The Skeleton Project

Well?

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Story of my life....

2006-11-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

The PS3... Orgasmic.

2006-11-24T19:11:00.000-08:00

The PS3 has been said that it is going to be the end of Sony, the fall of the giant.

Well sorry, but it won't be. Anyone who says otherwise under estimates the Asian market. When whole countries let their kids off school when games launch. When Final Fantasy 10 came out, school was let out. Across the country... ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

There is no real point to this point but I have to say I am thoroughly impressed by the PS3. Why? Because the cell processor, is amazing, I'd want one in any self built box. And considering Linux Fedora has already been installed on the ps3, if you are looking for a cheap but substantial home media center, the ps3 is the best way to go. This isn't to discredit XBox 360, but the PS3 is worth the wait.

I had to post this to get the lust out of my system. Just had to...

My 280z Race car is up for sale!!!

2006-11-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

Well, the time has come to sell the 1977 Datsun. Not the best feeling but it's part of the hit taken by starting Simple Coffee.

:(

Reserve is $4,500 on it, and well worth it considering the fuel cell.

Voting machines in Texas change "Democrat" votes to "Republican"

2006-10-31T10:46:00.000-08:00

"Friday night, KFDM reported about people who had cast straight Democratic ticket ballots, but the touch-screen machines indicated they had voted a straight Republican ticket."

Come on guys, electronic voting machines are something to protest to for crying out loud, DON'T VOTE ELECTRONIC ON NOVEMBER 8TH.

Introducing SideFlicks

2006-10-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

An important but long post...

2006-09-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

You need to read an email I sent to my mother at one point in figuring the best use of generic words to describe something even simpler than those generic words in English.

I do not post to perpetuate motion that picks up so much momentum (faith through the mass of things we accept as absolute truth/fact in our subconscience) to create disinformation.

I post to show relationships to things we, as citizens, can use to empower us, if we look past our scope and negate judgement (which is really just finding your mental relationship to another).

So the following, is the email I wrote to my mother. It also discloses my age.

Mom, I don’t know how. But I have just unraveled the world ahead, before, and presented in front of me. I have no anger, I have no passion, I do not believe in good and evil but do not discredit or debunk anything. Science or faith. Good or bad. Pain and euphoria. It is between everything in the spectrum and through that all is connected at one point.The best I can say it is as follows.

Understand the need for bigger and better and you can connect everything with a single line. Equate us all to goldfish in a bowl, and it becomes a matter of how big the bowl is, period.The romans called it string and made tales about it. Christianity calls it being made in his image. Science calls it theory of relativity. Equal and opposites reactions everywhere. And it comes back to one thing.

Always, one thing. No matter where it goes, it comes back t one thing, everything.But this is beyond you saying ‘well no shit’, its about being able to talk to a scientist in clarity, meaning mutual understanding, despite detailed knowledge on either side.I found a balance that brings 23 years of life and chaos to a halt. I know why I have ever done anything and everything. Why to heal my wounds I had to believe growing up my family was doing it’s best individually. I can explain original sin and the limits of science. I understand your patience with each child. I understand what Dad is, what Glen is, what you are. Jenny, Chris, George Bush, Bob Lazaar; everybody. I understand your love of science, I understand Chris’s love for pot, why 3 thousand “had” to die and why I couldn’t “accept” it . I understand everything I said is completely subjective, but the root of it is not. I understand medicine, ADD, menopause, cancer; everything.

To those who know me, do you understand why it's quite possible to happen upon this, yet I agree with you all if we sit down and talk as we havein the past? It's hard to give it weight, but if a Christian tells me 'let me read you somethin from the Bible' and I already have read it so iI grasp everything; otherwise how could I still be a Christian? And a scientist tells me read more, but we agree on empirical science, and a philosopher tells me to read more philosophy but we agree on any concept given generic enough words between us, well, then you realize why I have a hard time talking to someone, yet have shown the capacity to work with anyone, as long as we have a similar scope.

That is why the triangle, is the shape that comes out when you put three circles together in the center.

This is why Steve feels like a monster when doubting me but is assured of our concept of Simple Coffee. It's why Josh can show me a sketch and it's done in my head. It's why I am healed from previous wounds and understand a seashell just makes have a heart, a place of balance.It's why you believe in true love, love in first sight.

If you don't believe in love at first sight then you don't realize that the reason you don't is because you are saying 'well you need to get to know them'. Well, if you keep looking forward without being able to understand your world can change any moment and be alright with that security, then you don't realize that if u look behind you, that person is right there essentially. You can only go half way through the woods before starting to come out right? This might not make sense, but if given time, it does.

But it's incredibly simple, I cannot try to find generic words for 2 people at the same time, unless they're both christians, both scientists, both Jews, etc . Because if I stop every fish in the bowl, well, you've seen chinese fish...

This is why, I say it accounts for everything and anything, but discredits nothing.

Guys and gals, I don't need to read more philosophy, more science, more of the Bible, Old Testament, etc. I can be fascinated by how others interpret it, but ultimately it comes down to knowing if I can't be happy being a farmer, and be happy in waiting for science to give me hydrogen energy, well then I have no place. Therefore I go from one, a number a relationship can come from, to zero, something nobody can relate to except those things inside me. I become the ultimate idea of an atom or a cell, yet completely alone devoid of complexity found in spirituality or science.

It is ultimate free will with a true perception of the word hell. A void between you and God ( but do not avoid God). Well if you can't understand Him until you talk to Him, then you can only get closer by the more people you know, things He created in whatever way He did whoever He is.

And now understand why the atom is so powerful and dangerous, and the ever lasting strength of a seashell. Our orbit around the sun, etc.

Anyone else seeing the immense power of true free will? If you do, then you know the extreme dangers as you understand the whole spectrum (a single line with infinite detail).

Josh, you love driving because you account for it without math, it's why we got Steve hooked on it, it's why Darren is amazed by it now, and it's why Brad understands us and the point of logic in which Brad undertands me. You know its a matter of finding the spiral found in the a seashell the ultimate line, and most efficient, is bringing speed into control through precision. It's why me and you hate drag (both that which slows down a plane and the slang term for racing to one point), but give credit for the guys doing nascar for going 200mph, it's just we know we can. But rally, we can't account for, nobody can, it becomes the ultimate in knowing your machine, the end of product of you blood and sweat. We love rally because it's the only damn thing that is uncharted, but can explain drift or drag without any hesitiation.

Because if you did understand rally, you would lose the amazement in it. You would loose the amazement in Aurora, of me, of you mom, etc.

Me saying this accounts for why we are such close friends, why we understand distance in miles/km, etc is nothing. Because we understand that if we are that close, we can't exist. It's why your sketch, makes both of us see the center, and know if we go your way, or my way, we cant get there with the most efficiency in relation to the gfoal we both see.

It's why I live in harmony with a person believes everything is subjective and finds balance through spirituality and a guy that knows 1-0 is the ultimate.

It accounts for everything, discredits nothing, and in that you find you love everything and anything in existence through all time without interaction or complete understanding in detail.

So everyone, stop telling me to read more this or that if we agree on the core concept.

Now if you don't understand me at this point. Then don't ask me to explain on aim. Because it's the same thing isn't it? It's not me saying to shut up or speak up, its letting me take care of what's in front of me because you are effected by it. Because if you think of how shut up and speak up are the same, then you realize the weight of the word down. You understand why we equate down to Hell. Because without knowing what Hell is we still know the center of the Earth is hotter than anything you can touch, right now.

Center point logic. Give it a bit.

2006-09-21T23:50:00.000-07:00

UFO - The Greatest Story Ever Denied, Disclosure Project

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?

You have got to kidding me. Guys and gals, ya might want to think very long and hard about this video. If you want to download the full two hour video then download it at http://disclosure.netro.ca/npcc.wmv.

OFFICIAL DISCLOSURE MOVEMENT WEBSITE

If this is factual, then HOLY ****! Wait, did more research... Yes, it is. Least so far.

So I looked on you tube and followed the trail of linked videos from this...

Ionized propulsion systems have been tested by Nasa; click HERE to see what it looks like from the ground and click HERE to see the video from NASA. Here is an extended version of the shot from NASA. To wonder what that orb was in the video it was possibly Zero-Point Energy which you can see an explanation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w1O2rl8dn8&mode=related&search=
but it's held with alot of criticism. So there is ZPEnergy.com and takes a bit of sifting but you can find alto on there, can't speak for quality.

If you are wondering who was the first to hear of zero point energy it was the Nazis from what I've read and seen in documents from video clips. They also had been building prototypes as well which you can see the rough but original blueprints at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaEUcR_0Lho at exactly 30 seconds in, a very crude sketch that is then broadened upon. Why is this important? Because the current administration has ties to Nazi Germany. And the current administration's father wanted to put lazers in space...

I will be try to write a full timeline to explain why I think this is a huge matter. But in the mean time, please look at the videos. It creates a bunch of dots that have a possible line to them all.

What's up and what's down at this point? I'm not sold on anything, just putting up dots as I see em at this point. If you can find things to be total bs and if you find something that brings that to light then PLEASE post a comment. I want these things discussed if possible. From scientist to pop culture; I would like it to be fluid and open. It'll take some time if that momentum is picked up, but please, please start talking about this.

And yes, I know Phat, Bob Lazaar. And you dang well better comment on this with some solid links :)

"When nothing is sure, everything is possible." - Margaret Drabble

So, many of you are asking about credibility and looky looky I got hookey. But sadly the original stories have since been pulled from the official sites.
CNN TRANSCRIPT of BUSH TALKING ABOUT UFO DISCLOSURE

Video demonstration of Diebold voting machine hack

2006-09-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

"Princeton security researchers Ariel J. Feldman, J. Alex Halderman showed that they could easily install software on the machine that would allow an attacker to steal votes from one candidate and give them to another -- they showed that this would be undetectable, and easily done."

Found on Digg.com and kinda scary...

read more | digg story

Fiat unveils Tri-powered Car

2006-09-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

"The Multipla Multi-eco concept, meanwhile, runs on methane, gasoline or E85 bioethanol. Like the Panda Panda, the methane is stored in separate tanks, while the main tank takes either gas or bioethanol, leaving the ECU to switch modes automatically according to the fuel used."

Why is methane import to burn?
Cows produce more methane than a car does CO2 in a year... Yes, we harness the power of cow anus and we will be in better shape. Methane is 10x more destructive to the ozone layer than CO2

And you said you hated Wisconsin.

read more - digg story

Apple screwed up on the batteries, now this?

2006-09-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

HP and Apple's toxic laptops exposed | Greenpeace International

Mac zealots can blow me. Yes, anyone can be progressive with marketting and product... But at what cost? Other companies concentrate on using funds to help the greater good, which ends in slower progress, which ends in closet buttholes getting each other on a high horse.

To be specific, ZEALOTS not mac fans, I'm a mac fan myself. But people who get over the top and aren't practical.

Send An Email To Yourself in 2036! (Send it now, recieve later!)

2006-09-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

"http://futureme.org/ automatically sends you an email of what you said on whatever date you specify. For example I could send my self an email reminding me to get married in 2036!"

... dope

read more - digg story

Roast Coffee At Home with a Popcorn Popper

2006-09-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

"I've been roasting my own coffee at home for the past year. This is a writeup on the process I went through to get started. The fact is, Starbucks over-roasts their beans, you can get a much better cup of coffee from a popcorn popper for half the price. You get all the satisfaction of brewing your own beer, without the tedious bottle cleaning."

read more - digg story

Bush is making his rounds on the internetz

2006-09-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

That's just funny.

technorati tags:Bloody sunday, George Bush

From Ojai, Cali w/ LOVE

2006-09-20T03:45:00.000-07:00

I sware I'm moving to California SOME DAY...

Despite this;

technorati tags:ojai, california, organic, market, tomato, artichoke, grapes, pepper, latino, pride, sun, ash

A List Apart: Articles: Text-Resize Detection

2006-09-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

A List Apart: Articles: Text-Resize Detection

An answer to prayers. When I completed Three R Plastics recently an issue arouse (and still exists) of people resizing the text and it pretty much breaking my work. And the more I read; the more I saw it was no easy solution. A couple hours more and the site will be an amazing accomplishment in using css and savy Web 2.0 bs.

But, there is no budget or time for a couple more hours. So sadly it is what it is. But for all future projects in the category, it will do you some good to read up on this.

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:)

2006-09-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Waiting to board a flight to Denver then to LAX

2006-09-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

I'm being flown out to LAX to take care of a project that has taken a bit too long due to Simple Coffee launching. I'll be in Ojai, California till the 26th, so if you are in the area then email me and we'll do some hang'n.

I'll post as the days go on...

Start up company giving away free espresso/coffee machine cleaner

2006-09-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

"Simple Coffee seems to have a consistent dedication to the world of coffee; this is just another effort to do so. Internally they looked for a cleaning solution for their personal coffee and espresso machines but had little luck. Having trouble finding it on mainstream sites, they're offering free cleaner to coffee and espresso drinkers."

read more | digg story

Some help for Flash and Css

2006-09-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

I will be speaking at my old high school for the second time come tomorrow (Sept 14th, 2006) and realized I haven't made the links to the resources I made the sutdents apparent.

So...
Whydoyouwork Tutorials
The Ropes

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California here I come

2006-09-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be heading to California from the 16th - 26th to wrap up some *cura stuff. If ya know me, and are in the area of Ojai, CA then shoot me an email. I'll be bored out of my mind for the ten days since I'll be staying at the studio.

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A few shots from Las Vegas

2006-09-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get a small vacation in the midst of things thanks to my current (and hopefully last) girlfriend. She had business to attend to in Vegas to so I hopped along for the ride. Overall it was a blast. Vegas is something ya can't describe nor can you really do any justice. All the movies that take place there, you can almost taste the odd realism found in most of them while roaming the strip. It's good stuff, I suggest anybody to go.

More to come...

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How powerful is css?

2006-09-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Css has proven it's weight in the recent years of web development by providing a means of good and proper delivery of information independant of visuals. This makes for amazing SEO abilities and portable web sites. Meaning a website is structured so on a desktop or notebook the site is in full fource and when viewed on a pda is strictly about information and smallest load times. If you aren't sure how important it is look at the following links.

This is a site I launched today... yes, I know, there is one or two things I need to finaly tweak...
CSS - http://www.threerplastics.com/index.html
No CSS - http://www.threerplastics.com/index_noCss.html

Powerful?

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Making you site good-to-go for mobile devices

2006-09-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

Opera might not be a popular browser for desktops or notebooks but you gotta give em credit for their mobile browser. In many ways, it is the best out at the moment. Solid support for standards and css make it the browser to follow. Keep in mind Mozilla is working on a mobile edition of Firefox and anyone who knows about it is excited; as they should be considering the justified popularity of Firefox from it's beta releases.

The popularity of mobility though creates a new stress for web developers which any good web developer has already experienced or is researching. So in doing a little searching around A List Apart I found http://alistapart.com/articles/pocket/. A solid explanation of what it takes to create a well designed mobile web site.

Hope ya found it useful.

Working at the Starbucks at the corner...

2006-09-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

In a 5 mile radius of my Chicago apt, there is 55 Starbucks locations...

That's just kinda gross. Why do people drink so much coffee? Why don't people drink less coffee while having better coffee at the same time. The biology behind a good cup of coffee is immense. More chemical reactions go on in coffee than wine.

So why don't people drink it like it is something special, cause it is. It's an aquired taste, but still.

I might be starting a coffee company, but people should drink less coffee. It's beomcing under appreciated. Yes, there is a rise in appreciative coffee drinkers, but I don't think it's enough to outweigh the overdose of caffeine people are taking.

Blogged with Flock

2006-08-10T02:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been using Flock as my main browser, and it's got dang nifty blog and flickr features. So I figured it has been a bit overdue for whydoyouwork.com to get a blog. I could have gone Word Press, but through using WP on Simple-Coffee.com's blog, I am a bit underwhelmed by it's odd use of divs and spans and the css being convoluted (spelling?) imo.

Anyhow, so as everyone knows, the Apple WWDC has come and gone. And everyone is all antsy in the pantsy for the Xeon based towers. Which they should be, for the price, I might just get one, lol. I'd want to overclock and watercool once the new AMD quad cores come out and do alot of damage, but that's just me. Anyhow, in light of the WWDC, I was thrown back by what I saw as childish and short sighted pokes at Microsoft. I'll only say it once, Microsoft is not comparable to Apple. Apple is comparable only to Sun Systems, and notice how Apple won't make that comparison.... Maybe because Sun Systems does a much better job at being a niche company based on user experience and performance over being hip? Anyhow, I could rant, but I'd rather just have anyone interested go HERE. if you are a "mac zealot" prepare yourself, the facts don't weigh on your side.

Anyhow, work is underway on Transit, Stereotype and *c**a. Closing up the new Three R Plastics right now actually. It's a quick use of css and using LiteBox for the image viewing. Could have made a nice Flash piece to do the same, but hey, this works too. The script weight to do it is far more than what Flash would be, but hey, everyone loves the buzz of "Web 2.0", so I gave it a shot.