Yes, the heavy, heavy mace of uninstalling and reinstalling various drivers has resulted in the previously unthinkable, unattainable goal - I can record TV onto my hard drive. Last night, I recorded about two minutes worth of (shudder) America's Funniest Home Videos. I swear I wasn't watching it on purpose. And now I've memorialized two minutes of it into the electronic Etch-A-Sketch that is my computer hard drive.
The weekend was fun. We've been living in apartments about a block from a particular pricey restaurant. I've wanted to go in there and have dinner ever since we moved in, but welive in downtown Lake O., and this is one of those restaurants attached to one of those too cool outdoor malls. But Saturday, we went and had lunch. Rotisserie chicken. Asparagus. Garlic Mashed Potatoes. And unlike the other pricey restaurant that Reeta and I have been to (we're the last of the big spenders - we've been to two restaurants that we thought were pricey but were probably well out of the 4 star range), this was actually satisfying. Good grief, I had something like 1/2 a chicken. Didn't eat it all, obviously, and that's okay with me.
But we've also discovered the "Two Brothers Texas Grill" on State St. in Lake Oswego. Brisket. 4 types of sauce. Unfortunately, Reeta and I didn't specify the kind of sauce we wanted, and they brought us the brisket drowned in "Memphis" barbeque sauce.
Now, maybe it's just me, but if the sign on the door says "Texas Barbeque", that sauce shouldn't be the Southern, Non-Texas-Style-Sauce. So, we'll go back, but we'll definitely tell them in advance that Reeta is a real Texan, and that we want a) to choose our sauce, and b) put it on the side, please.
We also went and saw Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, which I thought was very cleverly done. And while death and destruction seemed to plague the Baudelaire children wherever they went, it was at the end a movie about hope, and going on despite obstacles, no matter what they might be. It almost makes me want to read the books, but honestly, I don't have the time. After all, I'm in law school.
And reading the Count of Monte Cristo. Edmond escaped from the Chateau d'If last night, gained the trust of a band of smugglers, and recovered the treasure. Then, he found the first of the conspirators, Caderousse, had opened an inn. He'll be dealt with tonight, I think.
Sunday
A Mind Endless Tweaking
It's done. It was a little bit more than I wanted to spend, but it's done.
It's an Athlon 2000 Barton in an Asus nForce motherboard, with 512 Megs of RAM, 160 Gig HD, ATI 9800 AIW Pro video card, wireless internet, running Windows XP.
It took a little longer than I thought it would. I was up all Friday night, and didn't get to bed until Saturday morning at 6:00 AM. Wow. I still haven't gotten it to record TV, but I can watch, pause, rewind, etc. And it's got a DVD burner in it. But that doesn't do me much good until I can record TV.
Half-Life 2 and the Sims 2 are up and running. Reeta and I are trying to get a schedule going so we can each have turns. Fun stuff.
It's an Athlon 2000 Barton in an Asus nForce motherboard, with 512 Megs of RAM, 160 Gig HD, ATI 9800 AIW Pro video card, wireless internet, running Windows XP.
It took a little longer than I thought it would. I was up all Friday night, and didn't get to bed until Saturday morning at 6:00 AM. Wow. I still haven't gotten it to record TV, but I can watch, pause, rewind, etc. And it's got a DVD burner in it. But that doesn't do me much good until I can record TV.
Half-Life 2 and the Sims 2 are up and running. Reeta and I are trying to get a schedule going so we can each have turns. Fun stuff.
Friday
Downtime
Posting around here has been slow of late, I know. All my grades came back. What can I say? At least I'm consistent. All the same grade. Except for Ethics. At least I passed all of my classes, though I really didn't do as well in Cyberlaw as I thought I had. I guess that'll teach me to think a test is a lot of fun. I probably treated it that way. Ah well, at least I enjoyed it. And I got a B in ethics, so at least I'm a little ahead of the average ethically.
Started my internship at the local Corporation-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named. I won't blog about anything there specifically, but I will say that today I helped proofread and re-draft a Letter of Intent going to a big Japanese Firm. That was a lot of fun. And I've got to be there fairly early tomorrow, so I've got to cut this kind of short. I'm not sure how the rest of the semester will shape up, but so far, it's been okay - now if only I could get my computer working with the new AIW card. Bleah. Stupid imcompatibility issues... Tomorrow, the ultimate upgrade! A new Mobo. I've never installed a motherboard before. I've done pretty much everything else - even the power supply. I've installed OS's. I've swapped out hard drives. I've replaced RAM, sound cards, video cards, network cards, etc., etc., etc... Tomorrow, I get a new motherboard for the first time, and I'm a little intimidated by it. I'm going to scavenge as much as I can out of the old system - processor, hard drives, DVD roms. But there's no telling how much of it will work until I've got the motherboard in hand. Here's hoping all goes well!
Started my internship at the local Corporation-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named. I won't blog about anything there specifically, but I will say that today I helped proofread and re-draft a Letter of Intent going to a big Japanese Firm. That was a lot of fun. And I've got to be there fairly early tomorrow, so I've got to cut this kind of short. I'm not sure how the rest of the semester will shape up, but so far, it's been okay - now if only I could get my computer working with the new AIW card. Bleah. Stupid imcompatibility issues... Tomorrow, the ultimate upgrade! A new Mobo. I've never installed a motherboard before. I've done pretty much everything else - even the power supply. I've installed OS's. I've swapped out hard drives. I've replaced RAM, sound cards, video cards, network cards, etc., etc., etc... Tomorrow, I get a new motherboard for the first time, and I'm a little intimidated by it. I'm going to scavenge as much as I can out of the old system - processor, hard drives, DVD roms. But there's no telling how much of it will work until I've got the motherboard in hand. Here's hoping all goes well!
Monday
Comparative Excellence
Taking a look at some of the grades my compatriots have posted in their classes, and looking at my own less-than-stellar performance, I have to admit that I'm a little frustrated.
I feel like an idiot because I see my friends getting A's and B's, and I'm consistently getting C's. I have the sneaking suspicion that everyone else is really getting it, and for whatever reason, I'm just not.
But I also think to myself that I'm probably an unusual law student. I don't refer to hornbooks or study guides. I don't use emanuel's or other "helps". I've been working around fifteen hours a week, every week of law school from day one. I have a wife and daughter that are important to me, and that I need to be there for. I understand that, but it still twists the gut a little to see how well other people are doing, and how not-so-well I'm doing.
I feel like an idiot because I see my friends getting A's and B's, and I'm consistently getting C's. I have the sneaking suspicion that everyone else is really getting it, and for whatever reason, I'm just not.
But I also think to myself that I'm probably an unusual law student. I don't refer to hornbooks or study guides. I don't use emanuel's or other "helps". I've been working around fifteen hours a week, every week of law school from day one. I have a wife and daughter that are important to me, and that I need to be there for. I understand that, but it still twists the gut a little to see how well other people are doing, and how not-so-well I'm doing.
Impending Differences
This is the week.
This week, I should be able to get my hands on a new video card - the ATI 9600 AIW. AIW stands for All in Wonder. The local Frye's has a pretty good deal going on. There are a numberof reasons I'm going with that card, including the ability to pause, record, and "play with" broadcast tv. (I'll also be getting some more RAM, a larger hard drive, and a DVD burner). I prefer this solution to TiVO because (a) - I can burn my programs to DVD. I can take something like FMA, which shows very late at night on Cartoon Network, burn it to disc, and watch it the next day, or a week later, on the larger TV in the living room. I like to exercise while I watch my anime, and it makes better sense to do that earlier in the day rather than incredibly late at night when I may be keeping my downstairs neighbor awake. (b) - I can save programs in a variety of formats. I should be able to go to Divx video, or to MPEG. That allows me to control file sizes. And my DVD player plays DiVX files. Also good. (c) - No subscription fee. Once I buy the card and the bundled software, that should be it. No monthly charges to get schedules, no paying extra so my card will work correctly. (d) - Hacks. TiVO can change their system at any time, determining what can and can't be recorded. With a card in my computer, chances are greater that if something happens that starts to abrogate my fair use rights in relation to programming (like what's happening with HBO and their attempt to close up the analog hole), that someone somewhere will create and release on the web a workaround for that particular problem. Can't do that with TiVO. (e) Moving files around. With the AIW, I can save things to my hard drive, and make them accessible to other computers on my home network - like my laptop. I'll be able to take my laptop into Claire's room, and we can enjoy the latest Foster's together before she goes to sleep.
And of course, Ed Felten points out some interesting things happening in TiVO's corporate heirarchy, and addresses the mindset implications of what's going on. Ed's always good reading.
This week, I should be able to get my hands on a new video card - the ATI 9600 AIW. AIW stands for All in Wonder. The local Frye's has a pretty good deal going on. There are a numberof reasons I'm going with that card, including the ability to pause, record, and "play with" broadcast tv. (I'll also be getting some more RAM, a larger hard drive, and a DVD burner). I prefer this solution to TiVO because (a) - I can burn my programs to DVD. I can take something like FMA, which shows very late at night on Cartoon Network, burn it to disc, and watch it the next day, or a week later, on the larger TV in the living room. I like to exercise while I watch my anime, and it makes better sense to do that earlier in the day rather than incredibly late at night when I may be keeping my downstairs neighbor awake. (b) - I can save programs in a variety of formats. I should be able to go to Divx video, or to MPEG. That allows me to control file sizes. And my DVD player plays DiVX files. Also good. (c) - No subscription fee. Once I buy the card and the bundled software, that should be it. No monthly charges to get schedules, no paying extra so my card will work correctly. (d) - Hacks. TiVO can change their system at any time, determining what can and can't be recorded. With a card in my computer, chances are greater that if something happens that starts to abrogate my fair use rights in relation to programming (like what's happening with HBO and their attempt to close up the analog hole), that someone somewhere will create and release on the web a workaround for that particular problem. Can't do that with TiVO. (e) Moving files around. With the AIW, I can save things to my hard drive, and make them accessible to other computers on my home network - like my laptop. I'll be able to take my laptop into Claire's room, and we can enjoy the latest Foster's together before she goes to sleep.
And of course, Ed Felten points out some interesting things happening in TiVO's corporate heirarchy, and addresses the mindset implications of what's going on. Ed's always good reading.
Saturday
Explosively Surreal
So, I just watched "Napoleon Dynamite". And my mom had told me it was filmed in Preston, ID, which is just south of where I grew up. It was frickin' sweet seeing Idaho staples like a Ricks College shirt. And the Deseret Industries (where he bought the suit). And it looks just like where I grew up. So much so it's scary. Moon boots. Farm fields. I could probably identify the crops that were growing in the movie from personal experience. Heck, I've been on those sand dunes. Grandma went flying, and the first thing that went through my mind is "Oh, she's okay - sand's pretty soft" - then I thought about how packed that stuff is. Every outside shot was home sweet home. Green irrigated grass - brown hills with shrub. Lots of steak. Shooting the cow. Paper ninja stars. Girls with side-ponytails. Even the indoor shots were totally Idaho. I swear I never LIVED in a house that looked like that (my mother knows secret ninja decorating secrets from the government), but I certainly have BEEN in houses that looked like those. I've even taken my three-wheeled ATV off some sweet jumps, and caught like, three feet of air.
And that strange obsession with Tots...
And that strange obsession with Tots...
Friday
New in the "Just Calm the H#$$ Down" Dept...
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - SpongeBob Accused of Promoting Homosexuality
Come on! Personally, I'm worried that someone would ascribe sexuality to Spongebob at all. After all, he reproduces by budding. (Something the show has actually seen). Spongebob is asexual. Too bad intolerant, hypersensitive, would-be monitors aren't.
Come on! Personally, I'm worried that someone would ascribe sexuality to Spongebob at all. After all, he reproduces by budding. (Something the show has actually seen). Spongebob is asexual. Too bad intolerant, hypersensitive, would-be monitors aren't.
Thursday
p2p hunters
Apparently, California has just had a bill introduced that would make it a crime to create p2p software that can be used for distributing copyrighted works without taking "reasonable care in preventing use of that software to commit an unlawful act with respect to a commercial recording or audiovisual work". As I read this, it means that if a software author fails to take reasonable care in preventing copyright infringement, that person is guilty of a crime in CA, and the bill goes on to say that the penalty for breaking this law is a fine of up to $2,500 or up to a year in county jail.
Reasonable care extends to the amount of care that a reasonable person in that same place would take. What possibilities exist here? Software at this point has no means of identifying copyrighted works. There is no central database of all possible formats of Metallica's "Enter Sandman", for example. There is no copyrighted work watermark (thinking of the old SDMI project here). So, if the software can't do it, what has to happen? I think we're left with two ways of interpreting this bill.
First, the bill could be an attempt to legislate the author into a particular architecture - the Napster model, where you have one central server, and you can see what people are trading by looking at the list of files being traded on that central server. That way, someone can monitor and stop the sharing of copyrighted works. (I think this is the more likely outcome of the proposed legislation).
Second, the bill could just be an attempt to get the author to include warnings.
Third, the bill could be an attempt to halt the development of p2p software altogether. This may be more correct than anything. It's disturbing to see the lengths that some people are going to in order to prevent leaks in a system that resembles a pasta strainer. Bootlegs and copies will happen. It may be unfortunate, but it's reality.
BTW: Ed Felten points out that the definition of peer to peer software in the introduced bill clearly includes the web, probably the internet as well, so any program that allows you to connect to the Internet would be criminal. (Including browsers?)
Ed Felten is highly recommended reading for anyone on the 'Net.
Reasonable care extends to the amount of care that a reasonable person in that same place would take. What possibilities exist here? Software at this point has no means of identifying copyrighted works. There is no central database of all possible formats of Metallica's "Enter Sandman", for example. There is no copyrighted work watermark (thinking of the old SDMI project here). So, if the software can't do it, what has to happen? I think we're left with two ways of interpreting this bill.
First, the bill could be an attempt to legislate the author into a particular architecture - the Napster model, where you have one central server, and you can see what people are trading by looking at the list of files being traded on that central server. That way, someone can monitor and stop the sharing of copyrighted works. (I think this is the more likely outcome of the proposed legislation).
Second, the bill could just be an attempt to get the author to include warnings.
Third, the bill could be an attempt to halt the development of p2p software altogether. This may be more correct than anything. It's disturbing to see the lengths that some people are going to in order to prevent leaks in a system that resembles a pasta strainer. Bootlegs and copies will happen. It may be unfortunate, but it's reality.
BTW: Ed Felten points out that the definition of peer to peer software in the introduced bill clearly includes the web, probably the internet as well, so any program that allows you to connect to the Internet would be criminal. (Including browsers?)
Ed Felten is highly recommended reading for anyone on the 'Net.
Tuesday
Breathe, man, Breathe!
Second day of classes. Managed to contact the company I'll be interning for. Don't expect to see anything about them mentioned here. I'd like to build a good relationship there. Admin, Antitrust, Wills/Trusts, Patent Law & Policy, and the Corporate Internship Seminar, or CIS. Haven't bought books yet, waiting until I actually have some money in my account to do that. Meanwhile, life goes on. Expect more regular updates/commentary/etc. as I ease into the schedule.
Strange dynamic in classes. People tend not to sit by me. I bathe. Maybe it's the "W - The President" sticker on the laptop. And the "Peace through Superior Firepower" shirt. Am I the victim of silent ostracization? Am I just a lone wolf, on the prowl through the cold harsh realm that is law school?
And I just found out that one of my favorite professors broke her ankle. When? How? What?
Strange dynamic in classes. People tend not to sit by me. I bathe. Maybe it's the "W - The President" sticker on the laptop. And the "Peace through Superior Firepower" shirt. Am I the victim of silent ostracization? Am I just a lone wolf, on the prowl through the cold harsh realm that is law school?
And I just found out that one of my favorite professors broke her ankle. When? How? What?
Sunday
My Amazing Journey
So, last night, Reeta turned to me, and told me that we needed milk. It was my job(according to her) to procure said milk. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, except for the tiny fact that we'd been having freezing rain all day. (Church was cancelled today, which is why I'm here at home blogging instead of leading the Primary kids in song).
So, I put on my trusty Airwalk sneakers, a scarf, my Combi snowmobiling gloves and my big winter coat (I grew up in Idaho - I'm prepared for snow). And off I went to 7-eleven. That was a harrowing journey of four city blocks. Uphill. On slick black ice. Early on, I thought I was doomed to failure, finding myself in a slight depression less than a block from the apartment. Darn handicapped sidewalk dips. Managing to find enough traction in the road to get out of that, I continued - cutting through some frozen grass, and up some slick steps. Went up those like I was an old man. One limb at a time. Hand. Hand. Foot. Foot. Hand. Etc.
Got into the parking lot of the police station a block from here, and they had put down lots of ice melt, so I was fine there, but it was still two blocks to 7-Eleven, and still uphill. At one point, I was down on one knee - having slowly, slowly lost footing until I sank down to regain a little traction.
When I finally got to the 7-Eleven, it seemed that I would be daunted, as the sidewalk was jusst to slick to go up the foot or two of rise between myself and the door. Once again, I took to the road, and managed to get to the door.
$2.69 for a gallon of 2%. No way was I risking my life for anything less. And no way could I carry anything else back. The milk was double bagged, and I started home. If you thought going up hill was difficult and scary after a good freezing rain, brother, try downhill with a gallon of milk to pull you off balance. A couple of times, I found myself skateboarding down the ice. Without a skateboard, naturally. But despite all that, I found myself getting home after that forty minute trek. Cereal for everyone! Hooray!
So, I put on my trusty Airwalk sneakers, a scarf, my Combi snowmobiling gloves and my big winter coat (I grew up in Idaho - I'm prepared for snow). And off I went to 7-eleven. That was a harrowing journey of four city blocks. Uphill. On slick black ice. Early on, I thought I was doomed to failure, finding myself in a slight depression less than a block from the apartment. Darn handicapped sidewalk dips. Managing to find enough traction in the road to get out of that, I continued - cutting through some frozen grass, and up some slick steps. Went up those like I was an old man. One limb at a time. Hand. Hand. Foot. Foot. Hand. Etc.
Got into the parking lot of the police station a block from here, and they had put down lots of ice melt, so I was fine there, but it was still two blocks to 7-Eleven, and still uphill. At one point, I was down on one knee - having slowly, slowly lost footing until I sank down to regain a little traction.
When I finally got to the 7-Eleven, it seemed that I would be daunted, as the sidewalk was jusst to slick to go up the foot or two of rise between myself and the door. Once again, I took to the road, and managed to get to the door.
$2.69 for a gallon of 2%. No way was I risking my life for anything less. And no way could I carry anything else back. The milk was double bagged, and I started home. If you thought going up hill was difficult and scary after a good freezing rain, brother, try downhill with a gallon of milk to pull you off balance. A couple of times, I found myself skateboarding down the ice. Without a skateboard, naturally. But despite all that, I found myself getting home after that forty minute trek. Cereal for everyone! Hooray!
Friday
Winding down? You wish!
It's the Friday before classes start. This is the final weekend of my INCREDIBLE GAMING BINGE!!! And it's been a fun couple of weeks. I've finished the Aielund trilogy, destroying the indestructible Ironlord only to find out it was a hero of legend. Then I killed him accidentally. Oops.
I've almost finished Hordes of the Underdark, making it all the way through the Underdark, and through a particular circle of Hell before coming up against the indestructible Lord of Hell, Mephistopheles. The fact that he is, in fact, indestructible (as opposed to the aforementioned "indestructible without the One Artifact that you Need to Destroy the Grim Menace" Ironlord) has put a bit of a damper on my completion of that particular adventure. It's the last fight, how do I win?
I've been fighting my way from power node to power node on various planets, flak cannon in hand, and discovered that I really, really enjoy looking at my enemies from inside the turret of a Goliath tank. Also that a microphone does wonders for my enjoyment of online FPS play.
And I've been defending my Homeworld against the ravages of the marauding Vaygr, battling my way to and fro across the galaxy, surviving against incredible odds, in a kind of Rocky-esque last-man-standing slugfest in space. I have found the Oracle. I have awakened the Gatekeeper of Sajuuk, only to find that my enemy not only has awakened his own Dreadnought, but has also located the Gate of Unknown Significance!
In short, I am having a freakin' blast! It all ends Monday morning, though. Sometime between now and Monday Morning, 10:00 AM, I have to complete my quest to unite the three cores and awaken He Whose Hand Shapes What Is. After that, I'll just be a weekend warrior, taking the occasional odd hour or two on Saturdays to slip my quiet, cautious way through City 17. I'll be the one with the glasses.
I've almost finished Hordes of the Underdark, making it all the way through the Underdark, and through a particular circle of Hell before coming up against the indestructible Lord of Hell, Mephistopheles. The fact that he is, in fact, indestructible (as opposed to the aforementioned "indestructible without the One Artifact that you Need to Destroy the Grim Menace" Ironlord) has put a bit of a damper on my completion of that particular adventure. It's the last fight, how do I win?
I've been fighting my way from power node to power node on various planets, flak cannon in hand, and discovered that I really, really enjoy looking at my enemies from inside the turret of a Goliath tank. Also that a microphone does wonders for my enjoyment of online FPS play.
And I've been defending my Homeworld against the ravages of the marauding Vaygr, battling my way to and fro across the galaxy, surviving against incredible odds, in a kind of Rocky-esque last-man-standing slugfest in space. I have found the Oracle. I have awakened the Gatekeeper of Sajuuk, only to find that my enemy not only has awakened his own Dreadnought, but has also located the Gate of Unknown Significance!
In short, I am having a freakin' blast! It all ends Monday morning, though. Sometime between now and Monday Morning, 10:00 AM, I have to complete my quest to unite the three cores and awaken He Whose Hand Shapes What Is. After that, I'll just be a weekend warrior, taking the occasional odd hour or two on Saturdays to slip my quiet, cautious way through City 17. I'll be the one with the glasses.
Thursday
Photographic Proof
Here's a picture of a poster at the local Babbages, displaying the ESRB rating system. The ESRB was the pioneer of putting language on the box that told you why something was rated the way it was (which we're now seeing on movie ratings). There's no law requiring that it be up.
I talked to the local EBX staff, who did NOT have the stuff up, nor did they have any literature or information on it (a huge disappointment to me - I always preferred EBX to Babbages in the past). They indicated that they would have that information up in all EB Games stores sometime in February.
So, maybe there's something to people saying that the ESRB ratings aren't understood. Maybe not. Anyway, Here is a link to the ratings and what they mean. Sure, we're after Christmas, but it's good information to have.
Wednesday
Why I should have been an engineering student at BYU.
My brother is currently an engineering student at the Y. He says one of his material science teachers ran an experiment where he compressed water to 40% of its normal volume. It got up to about 1 million psi.
And it exploded.
The other material science teacher owns a MiG fighter.
I am so jealous. But he keeps going off about the new mini Mac, so I'm scared that the engineering program is subverting my little brother.
And it exploded.
The other material science teacher owns a MiG fighter.
I am so jealous. But he keeps going off about the new mini Mac, so I'm scared that the engineering program is subverting my little brother.
Tuesday
Today's Claireism
So Reeta told me that the other day that she and Claire were watching TV. Reeta hates commercials, and immediately changes channels as soon as her commercial sense sees one coming. Claire turned to her the other night and said "Mom, I was watching that!" Reeta said "It's a commercial, I don't like commercials."
Claire's response: "You're gonna have to learn to deal with it, Mom."
Maybe all that training is paying off.
Claire's response: "You're gonna have to learn to deal with it, Mom."
Maybe all that training is paying off.
Monday
On Moral Responsibilities
This week's Homespun Symposium question comes from CJ at The Unmentionables.
What, in your opinion, are the moral responsibilities of the individual citizen in the United States (or your own country) today and how do you believe people should act upon (or react to) those perceived responsibilities?
To put it bluntly, the moral responsibilities of individual citizens are universal, regardless of their location. We should lead moral, honest, responsible lives. We should contribute and participate in our families, in our communities, and in our countries, as far as we possibly can. We should do our best to do our duty to God and our Country, to help other people at all times, to keep ourselves physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight - in the words of the Boy Scout Oath. The final part of the LDS Articles of Faith sums it up like this:
"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul - We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."
I think that translates out well no matter what country you belong to.
Other Homespun Responses:
Weapons of Mass Distraction
Being Thomas Luongo
The Unmentionables
Ogre's Politics and Views
Little Red Blog
The Redhunter
Major Dad 1984
Three Men and a Blog
What, in your opinion, are the moral responsibilities of the individual citizen in the United States (or your own country) today and how do you believe people should act upon (or react to) those perceived responsibilities?
To put it bluntly, the moral responsibilities of individual citizens are universal, regardless of their location. We should lead moral, honest, responsible lives. We should contribute and participate in our families, in our communities, and in our countries, as far as we possibly can. We should do our best to do our duty to God and our Country, to help other people at all times, to keep ourselves physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight - in the words of the Boy Scout Oath. The final part of the LDS Articles of Faith sums it up like this:
"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul - We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."
I think that translates out well no matter what country you belong to.
Other Homespun Responses:
Weapons of Mass Distraction
Being Thomas Luongo
The Unmentionables
Ogre's Politics and Views
Little Red Blog
The Redhunter
Major Dad 1984
Three Men and a Blog
Tech Firms Aim to Change Copyright Act
Tech Firms Aim to Change Copyright Act (washingtonpost.com - registration required)
This is something we talked about in Cyberlaw class. There's no way that we should hold ISP's liable for the bits and packets that flow over their networks any more than we should hold the U.S. government responsible for illegal drugs that flow over the highways. No one is suing the government for creating the interstate system. No one is arguing that the government is liable for creating something that facilitates the trafficking in illegal goods. Why on Earth is someone arguing that ISP's should be held liable for individual filesharers passing around a copy of... I dunno... Gigli. (THAT would explain those horrible box office numbers, right? Why, oh why can't Ben Affleck pick a halfway decent project?!? Matt Damon can do it. What's Ben's problem?)
It's my understanding that internet transmissions are broken down into packets, and then the packets flow out over the network and are reassembled at their destination for viewing on the computer. Let's break this down. I want to send my buddy a copy of Moby Dick, which I downloaded from Gutenberg. I take it, and break it out into individual words. The Gutenberg text of Moby Dick is 419 pages, 215,643 words. I take 215,643 of my good friends and neighbors, and give each of them a word, and my buddy's address, and they all traipse over and deliver their words. My friend then re-assembles the words into Moby Dick. All perfectly legal, because Moby Dick is in the public domain. No problems.
Let's say that I want to do the same thing with David Drake's "The Tank Lords" © 1997. I break it down into words - 118,101 of them - and send my friends and neighbors out again. Now then, the individual words aren't copyrightable. You can't copyright "the" or "tank" or "lords". The individuals distributing the individual words are not breaking the law. I am by sending a copy of a copyrighted work to my friend. But the individual distributors are not.
Let's take it one step further. Let's say that instead of breaking it into words and giving everyone a word on a piece of paper, I put them all in envelopes, and the individuals have no idea what's written on there? That's analogous to what happens when an ISP passes on a packet of information. They don't know what's in the packet, and to be honest, even if they could look at the one packet, it means nothing without the rest of them. ISP's should not be held liable for the copyright infringement of their end users. Nail the end users. Figuratively speaking, put their stuffed heads on a wall. But don't go after the ISP's. They are not responsible for it any more than those friends of mine and David Drake's book or any more than the U.S. government is with the interstate system and drug trafficking. Selah.
This is something we talked about in Cyberlaw class. There's no way that we should hold ISP's liable for the bits and packets that flow over their networks any more than we should hold the U.S. government responsible for illegal drugs that flow over the highways. No one is suing the government for creating the interstate system. No one is arguing that the government is liable for creating something that facilitates the trafficking in illegal goods. Why on Earth is someone arguing that ISP's should be held liable for individual filesharers passing around a copy of... I dunno... Gigli. (THAT would explain those horrible box office numbers, right? Why, oh why can't Ben Affleck pick a halfway decent project?!? Matt Damon can do it. What's Ben's problem?)
It's my understanding that internet transmissions are broken down into packets, and then the packets flow out over the network and are reassembled at their destination for viewing on the computer. Let's break this down. I want to send my buddy a copy of Moby Dick, which I downloaded from Gutenberg. I take it, and break it out into individual words. The Gutenberg text of Moby Dick is 419 pages, 215,643 words. I take 215,643 of my good friends and neighbors, and give each of them a word, and my buddy's address, and they all traipse over and deliver their words. My friend then re-assembles the words into Moby Dick. All perfectly legal, because Moby Dick is in the public domain. No problems.
Let's say that I want to do the same thing with David Drake's "The Tank Lords" © 1997. I break it down into words - 118,101 of them - and send my friends and neighbors out again. Now then, the individual words aren't copyrightable. You can't copyright "the" or "tank" or "lords". The individuals distributing the individual words are not breaking the law. I am by sending a copy of a copyrighted work to my friend. But the individual distributors are not.
Let's take it one step further. Let's say that instead of breaking it into words and giving everyone a word on a piece of paper, I put them all in envelopes, and the individuals have no idea what's written on there? That's analogous to what happens when an ISP passes on a packet of information. They don't know what's in the packet, and to be honest, even if they could look at the one packet, it means nothing without the rest of them. ISP's should not be held liable for the copyright infringement of their end users. Nail the end users. Figuratively speaking, put their stuffed heads on a wall. But don't go after the ISP's. They are not responsible for it any more than those friends of mine and David Drake's book or any more than the U.S. government is with the interstate system and drug trafficking. Selah.
Happy Anniversary to Us!
It sucks that this comes when we're both feeling under the weather, but today is our anniversary! Eight wonderful years. It hardly seems like any time at all, really. But I'm so happy, and grateful to have Reeta. Here's to another great eight years in the future (which I hoping will get better and better.)
Upgrades
I keep talking about doing this, but I think next week will finally see me upgrading the computer. Thanks again to the incredible Stuart for the processor, I'm finally taking the plunge. Here's what I've decided on. I have an aging Compaq computer. It's running Windows ME. Three PCI slots, and one AGP 2x/4x slot. Three slots for RAM.
I'll take the RAM first - three 256 Meg DIMMs. The manufacturer says that's the max, so we'll go with that.
Then, a video card - I've decided on the ATI 9800 All In Wonder, with the remote control. Video Capture a Go-Go, Baby! Plus Crankin' Video Performance.
I'll leave the current sound card there (unless I decide to pick up a cheap 5.1 card), and leave the wireless network setup. I'll take out the current Ethernet card, and replace it with a USB 2.0 card. I'll install a new 120 G hard drive as a D drive. I'll format the C:\ drive, and upgrade to Windows XP Media Center edition. I'm also installing a DVD burner (for to burn Foster's, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, etc.) I may need a new power supply. That might just be a good idea anyway.
As for software, I'll pick up a copy of Nero. There are drivers and programs for video capture with the card. The only other serious outlay for programs I think I'll make is maybe a game for the GBA:SP (I'm thinking Metroid Zero Mission, Zelda: Minish Cap, or Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls), maybe Tales of Symphonia for the 'Cube (which I can get DIRT CHEAP at Gamefly), and (maybe) heaven help me, the Steam version of Half-Life 2. Not that I'll have a lot of time to play it (maybe an hour or two on weekends), because this new semester is going to be B-U-S-Y!
UPDATE: Nope, stupid student loan disbursement won't allow this to happen until Mid-March, or so. I'll see what I can do about the video card (the most essential part of the upgrade), but it'll all probably have to wait.
I'll take the RAM first - three 256 Meg DIMMs. The manufacturer says that's the max, so we'll go with that.
Then, a video card - I've decided on the ATI 9800 All In Wonder, with the remote control. Video Capture a Go-Go, Baby! Plus Crankin' Video Performance.
I'll leave the current sound card there (unless I decide to pick up a cheap 5.1 card), and leave the wireless network setup. I'll take out the current Ethernet card, and replace it with a USB 2.0 card. I'll install a new 120 G hard drive as a D drive. I'll format the C:\ drive, and upgrade to Windows XP Media Center edition. I'm also installing a DVD burner (for to burn Foster's, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, etc.) I may need a new power supply. That might just be a good idea anyway.
As for software, I'll pick up a copy of Nero. There are drivers and programs for video capture with the card. The only other serious outlay for programs I think I'll make is maybe a game for the GBA:SP (I'm thinking Metroid Zero Mission, Zelda: Minish Cap, or Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls), maybe Tales of Symphonia for the 'Cube (which I can get DIRT CHEAP at Gamefly), and (maybe) heaven help me, the Steam version of Half-Life 2. Not that I'll have a lot of time to play it (maybe an hour or two on weekends), because this new semester is going to be B-U-S-Y!
UPDATE: Nope, stupid student loan disbursement won't allow this to happen until Mid-March, or so. I'll see what I can do about the video card (the most essential part of the upgrade), but it'll all probably have to wait.
Getting back in the swing of it/Nintendo's new A/V player
Been sick all weekend. Bleah! But I don't want to neglect this site, and I've got to start moving and functioning - emerging from my self-imposed gaming binge. Finished Golden Sun: Lost Age last night, and the one thing that went through my head (until the story finished - as the credits unfolded) was that there had to be a third Golden Sun in the works.
But maybe not. Instead, looks like Nintendo is looking at competing with the PSP for portable video.
Eurogamer.net - Nintendo unveils A/V playback adapter for GBA/DS
I don't know if the PSP will play movies off the Memory Stick Duo, but if not, I think Nintendo's format will be the superior one - I'd rather compress stuff down to a flash card than have to buy UMD's for movies - I'd get more flexibility for cheaper that way.
But maybe not. Instead, looks like Nintendo is looking at competing with the PSP for portable video.
Eurogamer.net - Nintendo unveils A/V playback adapter for GBA/DS
I don't know if the PSP will play movies off the Memory Stick Duo, but if not, I think Nintendo's format will be the superior one - I'd rather compress stuff down to a flash card than have to buy UMD's for movies - I'd get more flexibility for cheaper that way.
Friday
Admirers Anonymous
Spoke with the Admirer's Mom today. I was a little nervous about that, because we get the feeling that she (probably unwittingly) encourages this little crush. But I got an assurance that she'll talk to him about it. She already had an idea that something wierd had happened, so we'll see what happens. Also, she's picking him up from school fairly regularly now, so he won't be riding the bus so much.
But she said something interesting - she said that she thought it was much better that the kids came to us to resolve the situation rather than trying to resolve it on their own. That's something I disagree with in principle, at least. I think it's much better to give the kids the tools they need to resolve things. I understand that a six year old isn't going to know off the top of her head how to resolve this kind of situation, but as a parent it's my job to teach her - to give her tools - to practice with her, that kind of thing. I want her to come to me with problems, yes. But I don't want her to come to me expecting me to solve the problem for her. I don't know - maybe I'm misinterpreting what she said.
But she said something interesting - she said that she thought it was much better that the kids came to us to resolve the situation rather than trying to resolve it on their own. That's something I disagree with in principle, at least. I think it's much better to give the kids the tools they need to resolve things. I understand that a six year old isn't going to know off the top of her head how to resolve this kind of situation, but as a parent it's my job to teach her - to give her tools - to practice with her, that kind of thing. I want her to come to me with problems, yes. But I don't want her to come to me expecting me to solve the problem for her. I don't know - maybe I'm misinterpreting what she said.
Thursday
Advice sought
Claire has a little friend who has a big crush on her. And it's been cute. Until the day on the bus when he sat down next to her, and physically restrained her from switching seats. He sat down in the aisle seat, and when she tried to move to sit down next to one of her other frieds, he put his arms and legs up and wouldn't let her go. She got off the bus in tears. So, I've been trying to teach her how to tell him to back the heck off. And it hadn't happened again.
Until Monday. Luckily, one of Claire's friends saw what was going on, and told him that if he wanted to marry Claire, he had to let her do what she wanted to do. He let her move.
It bothers me that this kind of thing is happening. His mom thinks it's cute, and we get the feeling that she's encouraging it a little bit. But we've been creeped out about it, and now it's to the point where I'm more than creeped out. I'm wondering how to teach Claire to tell this kid to get a life and back off. She knows he really likes her, and he's asked me if he can marry her when they grow up (something I responded to with "We'll see" - his mom was standing right there). At this point, I feel like pulling out a shotgun on the kid. Any suggestions?
Until Monday. Luckily, one of Claire's friends saw what was going on, and told him that if he wanted to marry Claire, he had to let her do what she wanted to do. He let her move.
It bothers me that this kind of thing is happening. His mom thinks it's cute, and we get the feeling that she's encouraging it a little bit. But we've been creeped out about it, and now it's to the point where I'm more than creeped out. I'm wondering how to teach Claire to tell this kid to get a life and back off. She knows he really likes her, and he's asked me if he can marry her when they grow up (something I responded to with "We'll see" - his mom was standing right there). At this point, I feel like pulling out a shotgun on the kid. Any suggestions?
Great Offer
So, apparently, there's a media company out there that is offering bloggers free tickets to the upcoming Dennis Quaid/Topher Grace comedy "In Good Company". If you agree to blog a review of the movie, then you get two free tickets to an advance screening. And if you post an offer and a link to the trailer on your blog, you get entered in a drawing for your own private screening of the movie for you and anyone else you want to invite. And if you can get Instapundit to link to your post on the offer/trailer/etc., you get a leather briefcase.
So...
HERE is the link to the trailer. Now, it's up to Me, God, and Glenn Reynolds. Come on, Instapundit!
So...
HERE is the link to the trailer. Now, it's up to Me, God, and Glenn Reynolds. Come on, Instapundit!
What I'm doing
Sorry, posting has been extremely light over the holidays. School doesn't pick up again until the 17th. Until then, I'm helping Reeta here at the apartments, being a good dad (this involves lots of playing with Claire), and gaming. Lots of gaming. In particular, this has involved Neverwinter Nights 3rd expansion, Hordes of the Underdark, which I'm enjoying, but not as much as I enjoyed the Aielund Trilogy end (?) - Return of the Ironlord. That module had such great characters, I thought it was brilliant. Well done. I've also discovered online Unreal Tournament 2004, and the accompanying voice chat features (UT2004 has been greatly enhanced by the new processor I got a couple months ago - thanks again, Stewart!). I haven't enjoyed shooters online in the past because my aim sucks, and I hate having to type to co-ordinate team actions. Now with the UT2004, I just hit one button, and my mic is live, and my team members can hear me say things like "Who-ever's driving the tank, please stop shooting me. I'm on your team."
I'm also reading an unabridged translation of the Count of Monte Cristo. And I've got class things to co-ordinate. And a little exercise. One of the residents moving out has a recliner they don't need any more, so I will inherit that on Saturday. What can I say? Life right now is pretty frickin' sweet. Only 11 more days until my last semester kicks off again. Yee-haw!
I'm also reading an unabridged translation of the Count of Monte Cristo. And I've got class things to co-ordinate. And a little exercise. One of the residents moving out has a recliner they don't need any more, so I will inherit that on Saturday. What can I say? Life right now is pretty frickin' sweet. Only 11 more days until my last semester kicks off again. Yee-haw!
Monday
The Epic Trek
This week's Homespun Symposium Question comes from Considerettes (good reading, btw).
What was your favorite family vacation (when you were a kid), and why? If you have children, have you taken your kids on that same vacation? If so, what did they think of it?
My own favorite vacation was when I was pretty young - My mom, dad, myself, two sisters, two brothers (one of whom was a baby), one aunt, two uncles, and my Grandmother piled into our family Suburban, and went south from Rexburg ID, south through Utah, then into Arizona. Then we turned east, passing through New Mexico, Texas, and finally out to Shreveport, LA, where we visited some of the relatives on my Mom's side. Long, long, long trip. But it was a lot of fun. It was on this trip that I found myself talking to another little kid in the swimming pool about religion. (I was nine). I had so much fun talking to this kid, that I started talking to another kid at another swimming pool. It was at that point that my uncles cut my proselytizing career short when they told me it was illegal to talk about religion in public places.
It was on this trip that the air conditioning started acting really, really wierd - spitting water out at us all through Texas. My Grandma had me doing situps every night all the way east. (She was really disappointed when I stopped). I remember eating some of the best peaches I've ever had when we bought them at a little roadside fruit stand somewhere in Texas. We got to Sheveport, and my Dad, who had been telling us through this entire trip that we were going to make it all the way to Orlando and Disney World decided there that we should all just go back, because "It's all just rides" according to my relatives. That was a particularly bitter pill, let me tell you. I've never talked to those relatives since. To try to make it up to us, Dad took us to Six Flags over Texas on the way back, but it really wasn't the same (Besides, Six Flags really is "all just rides"). I was a chicken little kid at ten, and wouldn't go on any of the really scary rides. I was afraid I'd fall out of the roller coaster (something that I swear almost happened to me when I was even younger at Lagoon - the amusement park north of Salt Lake City - I distinctly remember riding that with my Aunt Carla, almost coming out of the car, and her grabbing me and pushing me down in the seat). It was on the way back, which took us up through Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and into the Dakotas (where we saw more relatives), that we saw E.T. in the theater. Then west through Montana and Wyoming and finally home. We replaced the Suburban after that trip.
We haven't tried anything quite so ambitious yet in our family - we've flown to Texas a few times to see my wife's family, and we've driven that from Salt Lake to Austin once or twice with my wife's parents, but nothing yet for just me, Reeta, and Claire. Maybe someday we'll make a go at a cross-country road trip. (Then again, maybe not). But if I do, let me say this - if I've all the way from Idaho to Louisiana, I'm pushing all the way to Orlando, baby!
Hmmm, Mapquest says that's another ... 900 miles. Okay, well, maybe not.
Other responses:
Being Thomas Luongo
Daddypundit
Ogre's Politics and Views
What was your favorite family vacation (when you were a kid), and why? If you have children, have you taken your kids on that same vacation? If so, what did they think of it?
My own favorite vacation was when I was pretty young - My mom, dad, myself, two sisters, two brothers (one of whom was a baby), one aunt, two uncles, and my Grandmother piled into our family Suburban, and went south from Rexburg ID, south through Utah, then into Arizona. Then we turned east, passing through New Mexico, Texas, and finally out to Shreveport, LA, where we visited some of the relatives on my Mom's side. Long, long, long trip. But it was a lot of fun. It was on this trip that I found myself talking to another little kid in the swimming pool about religion. (I was nine). I had so much fun talking to this kid, that I started talking to another kid at another swimming pool. It was at that point that my uncles cut my proselytizing career short when they told me it was illegal to talk about religion in public places.
It was on this trip that the air conditioning started acting really, really wierd - spitting water out at us all through Texas. My Grandma had me doing situps every night all the way east. (She was really disappointed when I stopped). I remember eating some of the best peaches I've ever had when we bought them at a little roadside fruit stand somewhere in Texas. We got to Sheveport, and my Dad, who had been telling us through this entire trip that we were going to make it all the way to Orlando and Disney World decided there that we should all just go back, because "It's all just rides" according to my relatives. That was a particularly bitter pill, let me tell you. I've never talked to those relatives since. To try to make it up to us, Dad took us to Six Flags over Texas on the way back, but it really wasn't the same (Besides, Six Flags really is "all just rides"). I was a chicken little kid at ten, and wouldn't go on any of the really scary rides. I was afraid I'd fall out of the roller coaster (something that I swear almost happened to me when I was even younger at Lagoon - the amusement park north of Salt Lake City - I distinctly remember riding that with my Aunt Carla, almost coming out of the car, and her grabbing me and pushing me down in the seat). It was on the way back, which took us up through Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and into the Dakotas (where we saw more relatives), that we saw E.T. in the theater. Then west through Montana and Wyoming and finally home. We replaced the Suburban after that trip.
We haven't tried anything quite so ambitious yet in our family - we've flown to Texas a few times to see my wife's family, and we've driven that from Salt Lake to Austin once or twice with my wife's parents, but nothing yet for just me, Reeta, and Claire. Maybe someday we'll make a go at a cross-country road trip. (Then again, maybe not). But if I do, let me say this - if I've all the way from Idaho to Louisiana, I'm pushing all the way to Orlando, baby!
Hmmm, Mapquest says that's another ... 900 miles. Okay, well, maybe not.
Other responses:
Being Thomas Luongo
Daddypundit
Ogre's Politics and Views
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