October 30, 2008
First nighschool lesson tonight - halloween tomorrow.
My car is still down, so I have to hitch a ride with wifey. Could be ticklish because we've just had a row - such is married life. I'll have to find a mobile mechanic - and not just for the wife ;)
Stocked up on ultra-sour lollies for halloween - treat? Sure - help yourself kiddies... lets see how many you can fit in your mouth in one go - heh heh heh.
Having fun designing for Oolite - I've got multi-part models down, now for shaders. The random-hits oxp is giving me trouble though: for some reason I don't get attributed for kills...
Probaby the last post of the month - stats?
1200 unique visitors generating more than 15000 hits - up from last month.
The acer-ubuntu page still tops the hit list, with the blog second. The new Oolite page is getting some attention now I'm posting to the boards. I'll have to add an ubuntu install section for Oolite 1.7.2 since that's a tad complicated.
October 21, 2008
Hah! It seems there have been too many people enrolling for the linux course, so the free seminar has been cancelled this term. Orewa College are not big on free community use of their resources.
But the course is on! Starting on the 30th. There are six already, get your own reservation in. BTW: You can always just show up - once there are enough bookings, you can be enrolled on the day.
(Now I have to update all the course material.)
Big event today - moved the cover from the pool! I'll have to have a cleanup party, there has been a years worth of neglect down there. The pool is dark green, cure that soon, and there is a forest growing between the cobbles. And, lots of pruning.
I have compiled OoLite 1.7 from SVN, and it runs sweet in Ubuntu. Probably a bad time to be compiling from source since Intrepid is just around the corner. I'll have to repeat the whole process in a month - that and the Vultures (nethack) package. If I figure out how to make a deb, I'll host them on my site. (You too can have all the fun I've been having.)
There has been some weird fallout from SFD last month. One of the good folk who tried my CDs accidentally installed Ubuntu to his HDD. [i]Accidentally[/i]???
In order to install the thing, you have to click the "install" icon on the live desktop, then go through a set of dialogs to set things up, then there is a big message warning you that the changes are about to be made permanent! Then you confirm.
It is just not possible to do this without knowing about it.
The user didn't like the menu (dual boot) to choose OS. Insisted that he just wanted to be rid of the menu. So I told him how... he's still got Ubuntu there. Now - the default install typically accupies 2/3rds of your HDD (because you want GNU/Linux as your main OS - of course you do...). Presumably this user has not noticed the drastically reduced memory. Well - any performance loss vanishes against all that malware.
October 16, 2008
A couple of blokes from P&C Construction Ltd came by the other day, and I've just now thought to blog about it.
They were apologising for the general inconvenience of the construction they are doing a coupse of houses up, especially the part where a concrete truck blocked access to our driveway. They also gave us a shedule of future delivery days with approximate times, with a promise to keep these deliveries close to the middle of the day. And they included a bottle of wine.
Well that's nice.
Good politics too... consider, most people here will have been putting up with these things as a matter of course, but now they are putting up with things because they are nice blokes. This will have cost them about a dozen bottles of cheap wine.
I notice some of my neighbours have been popping over to see how they are getting on. It's more community now. This can only be good for the company, and the new owners will probably move in to a decent welcome too.
October 14, 2008
Linux Course at Orewa College date has snuck up on me again. Mind you, not a peep from the College about if it is on or not! I can only assume not enough people have registered this time either.
The online registration seems to be confusing some people, so you really need to use the phone registration. Make sure you point out you want to attend the free seminar as well. (Technically there is still time as the course is advertised as starting on the 30th of October.
The Orewa ACE booklet you get at the library and CAB is totally wrong... again! They have the course starting on the 31st! So that cannot help matters.
If anyone still wants the course this term - I can try get one restarted for mid-term to the end. Use the feedback button to send expressions of interest. However - watch this space - it may still be on.
On the Acer/Linux front - the Aspire One is in New Zealand. Plug: Order yours from NiceGear.
The linux version comes with linpus lite, 8Gig SSD (add a flash card for another 4Gig?) and 512MiB RAM. It's bigger and gruntier than that Asus thing: give your old Eee to the kids.
There is a comprehensive Ubuntu page for this machine, so I don't need to build one, as well as an Ubuntu flavour being whomped up especially. Now I gotta come up with NZ$750... maybe I can talk Acer into putting out another Ubuntu laptop? In time for Xmas?
October 11, 2008
The copyright amendments act drama has heated up - vague powers have reinserted a nasty little clause which had been removed in select committee.
The offending bit is section 92A, which, when it is brought into force, will require ISPs to reasonably implement
a policy to disconnect in appropriate circumstances
the internet services of users who have repeatedly downloaded or uploaded infringing music, movies, games and other copyright material.
More about this here and detail here.
The cited intention is to protect NZ artists. This is rubbish - this clause will do nothing for NZ artsts. Further, it's terms are so broad that "ISP" includes schools and libraries - even me, with my unencrypted wifi. Is your network secure?
This section had originally been toned down, and a clause making copyrights holders liable for false accusations was included. All this has been revoked, that's kay eye ell ell ee dee - revoked. And, you guesed it, all parties were opposed (except for FACT NZ of course - but they don't represent NZers: read the fine print).
Particularly odeous is the common law violation. You know: "innocent until proven guilty"? I think it's written down someplace.
So what to do what to do? Well - it's an election year: this is the time to write the MP (and the opposition).
But we can do better - contact your ISP: tell them you are concerned about this act, and you'd like them to proest too. And - while they are at it, how about they help their other customers protest too. They can include a "click here to register your protest" to send a form letter to a designated minister and their expectant wannabe?
Meantime, here's a facebook protest. Hey, it worked in Canada...
Now, that's got to have an effect.
October 9, 2008
Long time no post - been preoccupied.
Our family property on Waiheke Island refuses to sell or rent... monies are getting tight - especially after what the last tenants left behind - cleanup/repairs cost is at $5000 and rising! Just nutty things - like: there is no reason to unscrew the lightswitches and mess with the wiring...
However - all much more presentable now. Just an old canopy to replace, and probably the stove too... it goes, it's an old Candy Trio with a rat-eaten dishdrawer. Yes - yuck... hence: replace. Though it cooks fine (the other two parts of the "trio"), and hygenically, ye olde cheapy Shacklock should create a better impression.
So... anyone want to rent a 3-(large)brm Lockwood (romantic/secluded - by forest and bird reserve - spa-bath, offstreet parking x3), you are looking at NZ$275.00 a week. Lower for the right tenant. At this point - short term can be negotiated.
Holiday accomodation on Waiheke starts at NZ$250 a night - for a 1brm apartment. So - $150-$200 a night for a whole house... worth a thought.
It seems folks as though I may actually have to go to work for a living... Yes I know, terrible ain't it. Well - I figure I've had a good run at doing pretty much as I please for just way too long. A lifetime of mucking about is about to come bite me in the ass! I can go manage a fast-food restaurant - there's a Wendies close by.
Maybe maybe maybe - I'll get another acting job.
On other matters... Oolite still occupies my spare time. Most of the OXP issues have been solved - all standard player ships have been replaced. Some new varieties created (like a Python class Blockade Runner - like the standard Python, lower cargo cap to 60TC to make way for bigger higher-tech engines and a top speed around 0.36LS.)
I've added a new Viper, acting as a Galcop Cruiser, but also a military version and occasionally one "liberated" by the anarchists.
I could rabbit on for hours - but I know most of you have not experienced this game. So' I'll put it all in the Oolite page later. (Thinks: must sign up to the OOlite forums...)
On the GNU/Lnux front - countdown continues to Intrepid - ooh ahh - and it is looking pretty good so far. I'm looking forward to full-functionality with free software for that acer. Still cannot seem to contact Acer - funny that.
Ubuntu seems to be all I can keep track of right now. If anyone wants to repeat the ubuntu notes for OpenSUSE 11, please tell me, I can tell you what I need.
It is now well into the small hours - here's to insomnia... and each time I do manage to sleep, I end up dreaming of Corwin. It doesn't help that there are other stresses too - which I have been forbidden to talk about! Yes, that's right, certain persons dear to me just do not understand that telling the entire planet all their personal details is how I cope!
So now to bed... perchance to pass out till noon.
Octember 2, 2008
Another month gone by.
I've added an OXP to the OOlite page... the Blade Escourt/Courier.
I've been having a break from ship design, but now I think I can finally get stuck in and reimagine all the standard ships. Well...something to do.
I'm still getting feedback on the Acer pages... these are still getting sporadic updates, and there is an Intrepid Ibex page to update soon. Basically - intrepid fixes everything :)
Still no word from Acer NZ over their next gnu/linux offering. Hopefully they can be prodded into offering something for the Xmas period.
The Album of the month (see sidebar - right) is "Noir" by "Shiva in Exile". Users without Flash can use the ogg-m3u stream below the player. This group likes to mix Gothic Rock with traditional Indian musical styles. The result is pretty unique, and strangely compelling.
(Note to USA folk - "Indians" = "from India". Those people who wear feathers and get shot a lot in Westerns are called "Americans".)
But right now - obligatory new-month stats:
Last month shows steady at 1200 unique visitors generating 150000 hits. The weekend generates the most hits, and half of you added me to favorites. (And I've received one request to supply an rss feed - thinking about it.)
Half the traffic is coming from people hiding their origins - an intreguing trend. Hey, I don't mind if you don't want to tell me where you're calling from. The rest are about 50:50 NZ:USA still. Though I'm showing an increase in traffic from Russia and Ukraine. Perhaps there's something going on in those countries that hasn't hit the news here yet?
People are definately sticking around longer each month. Some people seem to be leaving their browsers on these pages, judging by the increase in "greater than 1 hour" results. Is there really enough here to engross visitors for so long?
The acer-804 page is getting most of the hits, with this blog coming second. Cool.
The OpenSUSE page is still getting hits - which means I'd better update it: current release is 11... that page is for 10.3! Still, the advice should work.
Gnu/Linux and Windows still level peg - though firefox is taking 2/3 of the browser share. I'm not seeing Googles new browser... yet.
Notable referrers were Jun's Scribbles which is a technical blog, and NZOSS. Linking back to you guys is my "thank you".
I see a big pile of "error 404"s - if this has affected you, I do apologise. Will sort it out asap.
Summer is here at last - get out of there and enjoy the Sun!
