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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
feedle's LiveJournal:
| Sunday, December 27th, 2009 | |
| 8:54 pm | |
| Thursday, December 17th, 2009 | |
| 1:44 pm | |
| Monday, December 14th, 2009 | |
| 10:46 am | |
| Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 | |
| 12:16 pm | A few people have asked about this. You can always access my calendar at http://fedl.info/cal . Those of you who use Google Calendar are more than welcome to subscribe, or do whatever you need to do. |
| Sunday, December 6th, 2009 | |
| 3:32 pm | I give up. I've been trying on and off for months to get uShare to compile on my Debian machine. I give up. If anybody has had any success getting uShare to work on Debian, I'd appreciate some input. I've tried to follow the instructions from http://stabbyjones.wordpress.com/2008/1 profiles.c: In function âdlna_item_get_propertiesâ: profiles.c:596: error: âAVCodecContextâ has no member named âbits_per_raw_sampleâ make[1]: *** [profiles.lo] Error 1 Any thoughts? Difficulty: This is on an -amd64 machine. |
| Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 | |
| 10:17 am | Why does Apple insist on making shite? Let me get this started by saying that I generally have a fondness for Apple's computers. Over the years, Apple has made some pretty decent hardware. Mac OS X has had a huge head-start on Windows, as far as making a stable competent operating system that Just Works(tm) (although, it is worth noting that Windows 7 is pretty darn close to Apple's design excellence in most respects). However, one thing I can't get over is Apple's insistence to straddle us with absolute dog-shit HID devices. Apple keyboards have never been the greatest. IBM totally nailed that one very early in the game with the legendary Model M (which, BTW, is still being made by Unicomp), and that's a hard act to follow. The Apple //e had a pretty good keyboard, even if I found the keycaps to be a tad small for my hands. The previous iteration of Apple's Bluetooth keyboard (before the current batch of chiclet shitboards) was probably the last usable Apple keyboard we'll ever see. Apple's mice also leave a lot to be desired. This is the company that came up with the "hockey puck" mouse, widely considered to be one of the least ergodynamic mice ever made (although, some of the novelty mice shaped like cars or Mario or even mice of the mammalian kind are probably worse). It also had reliability problems, go figure. Macally and Kensington made buckets of money off early iMac users who got stuck with these, believe me. I don't get it. Apple's a company that by in large has some of the best interface engineers on the planet working for them. It shows in the innovations they put into Mac OS and in their other hardware that they actually think about usability in their designs. I may not like the "one button" interface on the iPhone/iPod Touch, but I understand it and I can definitely see why it has been a contributor to the devices' popularity. Which brings us to the present day. Apple's default input devices sold with all new Macs is the "totally shitty that you can't be serious" chiclet keyboards and the Magic Mouse. This has to be the two most astoundingly shitty (and I'm using that word a lot for a reason) human interface devices ever to be the "pack-in" devices for a modern computer. I'm really trying to think of a modern "major-label" computer that I've seen with worse default keyboard and mouse configurations, and I'm having a real struggle here. Even eMachines shipped serviceable (if bland and basic) keyboards and mice with their machines: I used the keyboard that came with my Athlon-based eMachine for years before the spacebar broke after one of many accidental launchings off of my desk. I don't even understand why, especially in the keyboard case. Corporate IT departments have to be looking at those keyboards and just shaking their head in stupefied astonishment. They don't even look nice: they look like a keyboard that belongs to a cheap toy knockoff rather than a powerful 21st-century microcomputer. And the "Mighty Mouse." Oh, god, what a step backwards that is proving to be. I bought one with an Apple gift certificate I had lying around from some vendor promotion. It seemed like a cool idea. But, here's all the ways it fails. First off, it's too small. It suffers from the same problem as the hockey-puck mouse: there's no damn way to pick it up, and no way to hold it securely. At least the previous mouse, the Mighty Mouse, had a definite rounded edge that could be held (even if the side-touch buttons sometimes meant you triggered Dashboard inadvertently when clumsily grabbing for the mouse). And the touch surface on top makes it worse, because now there's no way to grip it with an opposing finger anywhere on the top of the mouse from the middle to the upper edge, lest you trigger a mouse click or scrolling action. Microsoft has some amazing user interface people as well, even if their operating system often has idiosyncrasies in UI. They apparently all work in the hardware department, because by in large Microsoft's keyboard and mouse products all have very good ergonomics. You might not like the split-keyboard design, but it's based on some sound ergodynamic principles. I regularly use a Microsoft Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and I absolutely LOVE it: not since the glorious Model M have I found a keyboard that I actually enjoy using. And the mouse fits my hand well, and has enough features to keep me happy. And while I'm ranting about Apple pet peeves, what's with them announcing some amazing new technology, and then creating something that doesn't support it? The Mighty Mouse had those squeezy side buttons for Dashboard, which took a little getting used to (see above) but was cool once I learned not to pick the mouse up by those fiddly-bits. The Magic Mouse has no "third button" at all to trigger those really cool new multi-desktop features we heard so much about in Leopard. Apple's done this hundreds of times. Keyboards and mice are the only two parts of a computer that really need to be functional first, pretty second. It seems like Apple has done the opposite, which is odd given that everything else seems to go the other way... |
| Monday, November 30th, 2009 | |
| 10:13 am | Handedness We all carry damage from our childhood, Freud would have us believe. I was reading a study while idle on Saturday about placing children of a certain age (typically preschool-3rd grade) in "no win scenarios", and how it can create a lot of harm for them. The author's theory suggests that children in this age group, especially at early school-age, have the comprehension skills to recognize a no-win scenario, but lack any coping mechanism to deal with it. When I was in Kindergarten, it was recognized that I already had many of the skills necessary to be in the 1st Grade: I had some very basic ability to read, I had already mastered some basic hand-eye skills, and was already even able to do some very basic math. In short order, I found myself in a 1st Grade classroom. This particular 1st Grade teacher apparently had a problem with left-handed kids. For some reason, when I wrote I started with my left hand. She kept putting the pen in my right hand, and I kept wanting to use my left. It created one of these "no-win scenarios." So, here's the odd thing. I actually COULD write with my right hand, I just didn't want to because it caused me physical pain. The reasons for this pain are long and involved (and have largely been corrected today), but it actually hurt to write with my right hand. I don't remember if I ever tried to explain this, but I don't think anybody can expect a 6-year-old kid to necessarily be able to explain themselves completely, especially when they are thrust into a situation they, themselves, don't completely understand. I won't touch (pun intended) the implications for my development as a child, my ability to learn as an adult, and even my ADD may largely be the result of this lifelong inner conflict. Saturday I picked up a pencil and wrote with my right hand. It felt natural, if difficult because I lack the muscle memory and hand-eye coordination in my right hand. But it didn't feel wrong. My penmanship was poor, but I suspect if I work on my coordination my right-handed writing will very rapidly be as legible as my left (like that means anything). However, I feel an odd inner peace now. I now have some understanding of a big part of my personality that's always been something muddy. And I can start to work through the feelings of hurt, of pain, and frustration. Even if I never pick up a pen with my right hand again, I at least understand. |
| Sunday, November 29th, 2009 | |
| 8:10 am | |
| Thursday, November 26th, 2009 | |
| 8:31 pm | Went to the coast today. Enjoyed a trip to the aquarium in Newport, and a wonderful early dinner with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} chibidl...Sleep tonight... |
| 6:57 am | Fired TriMet operator... Okay, so TriMet fired that operator who closed the door on a toddler and his father. http://bit.ly/6p6uD6 There's a lot of discussion, both in the comments and the article, blaming the intercom for not working. All these comments seem to be missing a greater point about TriMet transit operators that needs to change. TriMet operators routinely, in my experience, close train doors for departure while people are still attempting to get on and/or off the train. And we're not just talking about one straggler running to catch the train: many times at my busy Lombard TC MAX stop people are still trying to navigate past each other to get on and off the train and you hear the "The Doors Are Closing" announcement.. and there's still a small group of people standing on the platform. This incident shows something I've observed for years about TriMet rail operators: they don't look before closing the doors and push the "door close" button with all their might regardless of whether or not there are still passengers trying to disembark or board. The intercom issue is a red herring. TriMet operators need to be trained to actually WATCH the doors when they close the train doors, and if their visibility is that poor that they can't see what's going on, TriMet must install cameras so the operators can see what's happening.  |
| Friday, November 20th, 2009 | |
| 10:27 pm | |
| Thursday, November 19th, 2009 | |
| 11:36 am | This is a telecom announcement. And, it's a bit of a pet peeve of mine. When we're talking on the phone, and I say "I have to go," I have to go. Now. Especially during working hours (8-ish to 6-ish). It's okay to exchange pleasantries, but please do not extend the conversation any longer than necessary. I just had to literally hang up on a friend because I indicated that I had to go, and they did the "just one more thing" line.. and I had to hang up two minutes ago. DO NOT DO THIS, please. If it was just a "hey, call me, I wanna tell you about ___", that's fine. Extending the conversation by 10 seconds isn't the complaint. However, in this case, the conversation already proceeded about 30 seconds after I indicated that I needed to go, and I really "needed to go" before I even picked up the phone. Perhaps this is my bad, but this is not acceptable. I work from home. I also increasingly have other people who are depending upon me for various activities; some professional, some personal. I shouldn't have to explain to you why I need to go: the fact that I have said "hey, I need to go" should be enough to terminate the conversation without any additional commentary. Lastly, it is increasingly painful for me to sit and yak on the phone for extended periods of time. I'm working on my ergonomics to improve this, however between fibro and my bad hearing, the phone tires me pretty quickly. Because I spend about 80% of my working day on the phone, I need to conserve my energy (and pain tolerance) for work. Sometimes when I say "I gotta go" it's because I'm in pain and/or have a physical limitation that is making further conversation difficult or painful. Thank you for keeping this in mind. |
| Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 | |
| 11:24 pm | Thoughts on community.. Many times, I kinda feel like an odd duck. Since moving to Portland, I've always been challenged by the fact that I've never quite meshed well with the various communities I would normally be involved in. Worse, many of these communities up here are pretty small and tightly knit, and are often suspicious of outsiders. That's kinda life in a medium-size city, I've noticed. Many of you have observed the frequent trips to Seattle. Part of the reason why I keep going to Seattle is I find it VERY easy to get involved in some of the communities up there. Every time I've gone up there, I've managed to poke my head into a door and get invited in to sit for a while. It's exactly the same sort of experience I had in Los Angeles and Phoenix (and a couple of other big cities I've been to). Portland doesn't have that. And it is really starting to be apparent to me. I've hinted around about this to a lot of you, and I've posted some things to one of my filters regarding a recent trip to Seattle. In short, I stumbled across and old friend and we found out that not only was he looking for me we had more than a few common interests and one very special common friend. The end result is: there's yet another community I've been invited into. Hell, in this community's case, outright embraced with open, inviting arms. I used to think I was capable of making friends and finding community wherever I went. Portland is requiring me to change that viewpoint. I love Portland. However, "community" is important to me. I've made many friends in Portland, and I absolutely LOVE the city and everything about it. I have failed at finding a home here (in more ways than one), however. So, I may be packing my bags again and moving to Seattle: a city I'm not as fond of, but one who's citizens have directly encouraged me to sit by their fires and share their bread. So I don't honestly know what to do. I value all my friendships here. I just wish I felt more at home.. more like part of an extended family, rather than another lonely soul waiting for the MAX in the rain. |
| Monday, November 9th, 2009 | |
| 9:28 am | Out of context, this is one hell of a paragraph from a vampire romance novel.. ".. taking the blood off the altar, she lustily wiped it on her lips with an extended finger. She then turned to the High Priest, and with all the carnal lust she was capable of, kissed him. The taste of his lips and her blood created sensations in her she hadn't felt in a very long time .." |
| Sunday, November 8th, 2009 | |
| 9:13 am | |
| Thursday, October 29th, 2009 | |
| 8:44 am | WES is a waste. So, let me get this straight. TriMet built a fairly important spoke to our rail infrastructure here in Portland, designed to get commuters from many of the inner southwestern suburbs of Tualatin, Tigard, and Wilsonville, and never considered that they might need backup trains for the line. Okay, that might be a simple oversight. So now TriMet is buying two old Budd DMUs for $150,000 to provide that kind of backup service for when they need to take a DMU offline. That much I can understand, even if the thought of "what, you honestly thought buses were a valid backup plan?" is screaming in the back of my head. What I don't understand is this. TriMet spent $5.5 million just to BAIL OUT Colorado Railcar, not counting the millions they already sent them as part of the original deal to purchase four DMUs (well, three and an unpowered carriage). Now TriMet is telling us that they are going to buy two powered DMUs, granted they are used, from the Alaska Railroad for $75,000 each. You mean to tell me that we could have possibly NOT given Colorado Railcar $5.5 million and STILL had WES (granted, with only two vehicles that both are over 50 years old)? I'm sorry. That just makes the veins in my head throb with anger. $5.5 million could have been spent keeping Fareless Square.. fareless. Or, how many buses would that buy? Or, maybe it could have been used as a down payment on the vastly needed light rail line to Vancouver. And not spent on the Wilsonville Evacuation System. UPDATE: They actually look quite nice, given their age. Here's some pictures. If the interior pictures of #711 are any indication, they look nicer than some MAX cars do. |
| Saturday, October 17th, 2009 | |
| 12:21 pm | Leslie, we will dearly miss you. |
| Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 | |
| 7:14 pm | But first, here's a rotten old BBC programme! From the BBC program Saturday Live, comes this poem by Matt Harvey. It sums up my feelings perhaps more precisely than I could ever hope to say myself. here’s a toast to Alan Turing born in harsher, darker times who thought outside the container and loved outside the lines and so the code-breaker was broken and we’re sorry yes now the s-word has been spoken the official conscience woken – very carefully scripted but at least it’s not encrypted – and the story does suggest a part 2 to the Turing Test: 1. can machines behave like humans? 2. can we? |
| Saturday, September 12th, 2009 | |
| 8:18 am | |
| Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 | |
| 10:53 am | |
