These are very dangerous. If gramma bops you on the beannie with her old fashioned heavy oak rolling pin (not one of the new cheap plastic ones) for dipping your fingers in the cookie jar, you might get hurt.
Oh, and we need to ban the cookies because the sugar may give us diabeties.
And while we are at it, we need to ban the cookie jar because it is made out of glass and if my kid sister gets mad at me and bops me on the beannie with the cookie jar, the glass will break and hurts the two of us.
And finally, we might as well write legislation to ban the three of us, granny, my sister, and me because we just might be dangerous to each other.
If the movie companies do an 'encrypt and throw away the key`, that would be great.
To be frank with you all, I am quite discouraged with the quality of the product that Hollywood is putting out now. No, not discouraged; appalled is more like it!
To put it bluntly, this stuff is not even worth the raw material in the darn DVD itself.
Lets take those permanently locked DVD's and burn them in a boiler to make steam to run a turbine to generate electricity for that community theater where some really decent stuff is performed!
Once upon a time, when I used to ride a bicycle 25 miles each way (total of 46 miles per day) to and from work at a certain aerospace company in Seattled whose name begins with a B, I got soaked in pouring rain.
And I forgot to bring my change of clothes.
So, I did what I thought was the next best. I put my underwear and socks in the Amana RadarRange in the breakroom and turned it on.
And, promptly forgot about it as I went about giving myself a sponge bath using paper towels.
No sparks; no plasma; oh no . . .
But the stink.
Yes, that stink spread throughout the whole building.
Fortunately, it was 5:30 AM when I did it and no one was around and this was in the days before pervasive surveyilance TV.
No one saw me, but when people arrived later that morening, they were greeting by the smell of cooked underwear and socks.
Look at this in another way! Take this opportunity to make your own gifts.
I have not done Christmas 'shopping' for close to 10 years now.
Every year, I make my own gifts for my family.
Popular opinion says that it's far better and more deeply personal to hand make your holiday gifts. By making my own gifts, I also give a part of my own self with each family member.
I have three hobbies that bless me with thie freedome. Sewing, electronics, and glass. I have made a variety of gifts for the family, ranging from unique rainwear; unique clothing crafted from upholstery and drapery fabrics; glass art; and this year, very unique burning mane inspired clear plastic rain bonnets lines with el-wire, or what some of you know of, as glow-wire and cold-neon.
Surely, all of you must have some creative energy and spirit. Let it flow free. Give it a try!
Luv
Re:I Ride A Bicycle 20 Miles Each Way To/From Work
on
Get Buff While Geeking Out
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· Score: 2, Interesting
This is where a good mountain bike comes in to play. I know of people who commute in the snow with a mountain bike with big knobbly tires.
Also, there are those who have taken some small nails and created spiked tires for snow and ice riding. 1/4 or 1/8th in long nails or tacks, poked from inside to outside the tire (and backed with a Mr. Tuffy's to protect the tube from the heads) could do the job.
And by the way, my ride is 20 miles each way. That's 40 miles total for the day.
I do this ride two to three days per week. The other days I will take the bus (which has bicycle accomodations) part of the way. I do, however, try to do the 800 foot hill daily for both the morning commute in and the afternoon commute out; this being the most important for excercize. If I have time, there is an additional 250 foot scenic hill climb to the summit, which is at a total of 1050 feet elevation.
My commute is 20 miles each way to and from work. That includes goeing up and down an 800 foot hill (Council Crest, in Portland, Oregon).
I am losing my weight fast.
I am saving about $400 per month in car related costs now that I got rid of the car.
People tell me it can't be done, but it' no problem for me so far.
And I don't need some new fangled cycle/workstation or treadmill/workstation. And I don't need to spend $$$ for waiting to use unwashed health club equipment.
This reminds me of a mind game that I played in public once; in fact, it was on a bike trail in Seattle with many bicyclists and joggers. I was seated on a park bench, well within earshot of many of them.
I once took out my cell phone, flipped it open, and proceeded to dial a number. However, I never touched the send key. The phone was still switched off.
I waited an appropriate time and then said loudly:
"Hi! Is this Dr. Paul, the psychiatrist's office?"
I wait, and then say, "This is Mrs. Clear Plastic. I have a session now."
I would wait, say 'Thank you' to the receptionist, wait some more, and then proceed to act out my side of a therapy session, talking about my fetish in clear plastic, and adding in a whole lot of 'baggage'.
The looks of the passers-by were worth every moment of fun.
Now, perhaps it sounds like I should do this same game at the airport while you are all waiting in line . . .
Lets please assume absolutely no privacy in any retail facility. Not even in the dressing rooms.
I make most of my own clothes; I have not shopped new clothes for 10 years, however the few times that i have used a dressing room, I put on a pair of new, clean underwear prior to leaving home to go shopping. This way, I have no cause to care if I am watched in the dressing rooms.
Also please don't assume you can see the cameras. I was given a demo of a high quality video camera that was smaller than amout 1/2 inch square and about 1/4 inch thick.
Retail facilities are not synominous with privacy.
For that matter, we might as well ban farting. Fart gas does explode in the right circumstances.
That being the case we're going to have to ask everyone in the security line what they ate recently. Anyone who ate anything that generates gassy stomachs (Taco Bell, Berger King, beans, whatever) may have to step aside for a few hours so that security makes sure they have completely farted out.
Look at it this way, we as bio processing organisms create dangerous substances.
Hmm, I guess that means either making everone wear a totally sealed suit (including bubble helmet) or enclosing each seat in a sealed acrylic box that can withstand an explosion.
I can just picture it next. The GreenHaven WIFI Equipped Cemetery and Mausoleum will be equipped with WIFE and will offer laptop equipped coffins and urns for that busy executive or hacker! You won't miss the net just because you passed away.
I was in this wonderful, peacefull land. I arose from bed one morning. I look outside, the New Hampshire woods greet me with gentle birds chirping. The computer in the den, which is hooked up to my phone, fax, printer, and other electronic goodies; and which is hooked up to a battery that is charged by a solar panel and wind turbine, along with an excercycle, chirps. There is a message from my boss at work. He wants me to meet with the Vienamise project manager at 12 noon. It's nine AM. Good.
I do have to do some errond prior to that. I go outside, open the garage and wheel out the bicycle and trailer. I get on it and pedal three miles into town and park it at the general store. I go inside, buy some fresh fruit and vesgstibles that were grown in local farms and solar heated greenhouses. I put them in my trailer.
I then pedal over to the local tailor. When I arrived at his shop, he turned around from his pedal operated sewing machine. The wedding dress for my fiance is ready. He is now working on my suit. I pay for the wedding dress and then put it in the trailer on my bike. I pedal the four miles back home.
Feeling fully awake and refreshed after the nice bicycle ride, I shower in the solar heated shower, use the composing toilet, and then head to my office. It is 11:45. I head to the telecomute corner of the room where there is a tv camera, electronic whiteboard, and a projection TV system. I turn the equipment on at 11:55 to conserve energy. I access the company's web portal and activate the teleconference with my friend in Vietnam. He is sitting in a similar room.
We engage in small talk; where I found out that his wife had finally finshed making the small sailboat and the two of them enjoyed a quiet sail the previous day. It was a nice, quiet, peacefull time.
We then set out to work. The software problem the two of us worked on was on display on both of our electronic white boards. Our tv cameras automatically tracked us as we moved around. The tv cameras are efficient on bandwith, however they are also smart. They know where each of our eyes are, therefore, they maintain a sharp focus on our eyes, making it easier to have eye-to-eye contact. Other parts of the images (room features, etc) are not as detailed.
We finish the conference in one hour. He faxed me a work order. I sign it, and fax it back. I then electronically send him a pre-payment.
With the meeting finished, I immediately turn off the bright lights and the TV equipment to save energy.
My work that afternoon consisted of writing and compiling software. For that, I only needed my computer. The printer, fax machine, wireless modems, and other accessories are all shut off, along with all of the lights and other appliances except for the high efficiency refrigerator that is half buried into the wall of the basement where it is cooler.
My fiance, in the meantime is a local pedicab driver. Her pedicab can carry two people and luggage. She spends the day in town doing erronds for, and ferrying people who are either sick, or too frail to ride their own bicycles or walk. She does this two days a week. The rest of the time, she is a gardening tutor. She helps families grow their own food fours seasons of the year in this northern climate by using greenhouses, solar lighting (driven by solar and wind poer), and other techniques.
My fiance and I relax after she gets back home. She mentions that her mother wants to come over and see her later in the summer. Her mother is planning a multi day train and bicycle trip to make the visit. She will be with a group of bicyclists who have met using a matchmaking web site that matches people who wish to ride from and to similar places in the country or state. This way, they can ride as a group and support each other.
Yes, this is a dream. But it may be forced to be a reality.
Cars, motorboats, planes; we got along fine without them.
Business trips; thanks to telecommuting could be a t
And everyone must board nude under a clear plastic raincoat
Great conference! Wrong venue! OCC - bad karma
on
OSCON - the Wrap-Up
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· Score: 2, Interesting
First of all, may I please express my thanks for a great conference!
Because of work requirements and having returned from the OLS (Ottawa Linux Symposium); my attendence at Oscon was limited.
The few BOF's that I did attend were very much worthwile. I attended the open source in medical BOF as well as the embedded open source BOF. I did bring home some good information from both as well (hopefuly) leave behind some good information on my own.
This, by the way, is my fourth Oscon; I started with the first one in Portland in 2003. As I live in Portland, I have no problem attending this since I don't have to fork out for travel (yecch!) or hotel.
Which comes to my sentiments on the venue. Oscon, this year, like last year, was held at the Oregon Convention Center. Prior to that, it was held at the Marriot on the waterfront.
I really wasn't going to mention this, but I need to be blunt here. I think that the Oregon Convention Center (OCC) has perhaps the worst soul for any place that I have been to! This is the place! Oscon, the convention, is fine! I only feel sorry they have to use that place.
The Oscon's of 03 and 04 were at the Marriot, which was a much nicer venue. True, they outgrew it, but it still had a much more intimate, nuturing atmophere for this event. I felt very comfortable during those Oscon's than the last two. There were very nice places to 'hang out and chat with others between sessions and in the evening.
What immediately punched me in the stomach about both Oscon 05 and this one was the forboding atmosphere of the place.
This was especially true when I arrived for an evening BOF on Monday night. I arrived at about 7 PM. When I walked into the building, I felt like I just left civilization. There were no people around! The feeling was very eerie. I felt like that I really did not belong there! I had a badge and was properly registered; that was not the problem. I just had a very cold, forboding feeling. I really wanted to turn around and run, not walk right back outside.
I walked for what seemed like hundreds of feet without seeing another soul. That's right; not another person! Finally, I came across a security guard who looked like he wanted to run, not walk, out of that building like me. He did not challenge me, but he did point me to where the BOF's were taking place. Hundreds of more feet without seeing another soul later, I finally came across a few people. I did find the BOF. It was a group of 20 odd people right smack in the middle of nowhere in a huge cavernous hallway whose' air conditioning kept it at about 40 degrees.
The next day, when the exhibits were open; and there were people; it still felt very alian and lonelly. I have longed for the atmosphere back at the Marriot. I just could not get the will to 'hang around' and socialize with the folks I saw there. I lasted about 1 and 1/2 hours at the exhibits before I had to get the **** out of there and outdoors.
I came back another evening for a BOF. This one was in one of the rooms; it was better than my first one. But, when it was over (at about 9 PM), I just had to get out of there. I know that if this were somewhere else, I would have stayed around and talked with the others.
One thing that I have noticed is how quickly the place emptied out after the last regular sessions let out. This was far different from the experience that I had at OLS, which was in Ottawa. Both were technical conferences with BOF's in the evening. At OLF, people hung around for the BOF's and socialized afterward.
I have been at other functions at OCC and I get the same feelings for each one. It's OCC; not the event. I have also talked with others and have found some agreement with my feelings.
OCC is very oversized. It's built for stuff that Portland would never catch. If it were about 1/4 it's size, I think it would have been a lot better. Oscon, great conference it is, is almost invisible in that vast space.
To those of you who put on Oscon; I can't, and won't b
Having read many Slashdot stories about bugging, monitoring, spying, arresting, drm'ing, forcing flags (broadcast and pledge of allegience), and other topics; I sat down and had a chat.
You see, I had a chat with a wonderful friend. He's my childhood psychiatrist whom I still keep in touch with. After a few hours of both joy and tears, we came to some interesting and scary ideas that he and I wish to express here.
We, in the U.S. (and perhaps in some other parts of the world) are in a state of severe institutional Schizophrenia. We are also in a state of denial. And most importantly, we are **ALL** walking on egg shells.
He and I went over several ideas (far too many to tell all here). In the end, he told me that he's glad that he's retired from the professions and that he will be passing to the other side of the veil fairly soon. Here are some glimpses of his ideas.
We are very isolated. We spend more and more time on our jobs. We drive to and from work alone. We arrive home and pop on the TV first thing, often with barely a nod to our spouses and children. We often rush through meals without visiting each other.
We lose more and more of human contact. We contact more and more with machines. The TV. The Net. The bank machine. The headphones we wear even when we are out in public. The cell phones. He said something about the cell phones that just about punched me in the stomach. I't not human contact on the phone. It's a substitute of being there in person. He's listened to cell phone conversations and he immediately knew there is a big difference in the interaction between people on those than in person. It's one thing to be with your loved ones in person than to jabber on the phone while you are driving.
As we get more lonely and isolated, we lose confidence in ourselves. We also lose conscience of what we want of community. The community is just not there.
And this is just what many politicians want.
We are mallable.
And, most important, we are scared. And I mean scared. Scared to wet our pants.
We fear everything that ticks at even the slightest different tick then our own. We have no one to share our fear with. We've lost our closest friends. He told me that many people do not even have one close friend or confident to discuss their most inner feelings with.
Politicians love fear.
Politicians hate love, especialy mutual, community building love.
What also loves fear is domestic violence. In fact, all violence loves fear.
This brings me to the police. My psychiatrist has some friends in one or two local police departments in the Boston suburbs. Some interesting things have come up about the police.
The most common, and by far the worst calls the police get are those for domestic violence.
They, especially, among police work, are where the police see the absolute worst of us (society). They see this in and out.
Couple this with the rest that the police deal with. Drug busts where that innocent bystander may be an enforcer for the dealer or distributer with a shotgun or worse. Someone high on pcp or angel dust holding a child hostage.
Granted, both he and I agree that there are a few bad apples out there taking advantage and indiscrimately arresting or harrasing. However the lives of most police officers are built upon a necessary paranoa from dealing with the day to day work they are faced with.
I would like to conclude with something that he said about Bush. He apparently has done some research and found out that Bush Jr (the current President) has not received much intimate and compassionate love and afffection by Barbara Bush (his mother) during the first one or two years of his life (as an infant).
The first year or two of your life are very critical. How you are cared for and nurtured during those years can have significent impact thoughout your entire life.
Bush apparently was neglected, or at least not given much compassion, by Barbara.
Here in my pocket, I've got just the non-profit who should be able to pull this off. The Boston Museum of Science has been there for a long time and they seem to have some good qualifications.
The Science Museum (which it is called by many) has been around for a while. It has been very non-controversal (at least since my childhood in the 60's growing up in Winchester and going to the museum almost every week for the shows). It is also, IMHO, very non-political.
I am not aware of any scandals or controversy that involved the Science Museum.
They are also very technially savvy; they's been teaching science for all these years, including some of my own education in electronics.
Perhaps the most important attribute is that they have deep, solid roots in the area. They have quietly outlasted other institutions (and politicians) in the area. The Science Museum is one of those institutions that would be still standing even after the rest of Boston caves in and collapses.
The mayor should realise that if he turned the keys of this project over to the Museum of Science, they would have a lot to lose if they did a f**k up on this.
I got rid of my car in 1998 and have gotten by well without. I use a bike or rollerblades or public transit. The transit system here uses a paper pass system; no swiping in a reader. The pass does not show a name and can be bought with cash.
The few times I need a car I rent one. Sure, the credit card company knows that I rented a car. The car rental company probably has GPS for all I know, but I am most likely going to a state park for camping for with I have made a reservation on a government computer besides.
Every other trip that I make is most likely anonymous.
The few solicitations I get from marketers don't give a hint they are from tracing my movements.
When I am traveling by bike; the most likely purchases I make during my trip (for food) are done by cash.
I don't think these marketers/stalkers/papperaze are aware of 95 percent of my life.
Slashdot Mirror
These are very dangerous. If gramma bops you on the beannie with her old fashioned heavy oak rolling pin (not one of the new cheap plastic ones) for dipping your fingers in the cookie jar, you might get hurt.
Oh, and we need to ban the cookies because the sugar may give us diabeties.
And while we are at it, we need to ban the cookie jar because it is made out of glass and if my kid sister gets mad at me and bops me on the beannie with the cookie jar, the glass will break and hurts the two of us.
And finally, we might as well write legislation to ban the three of us, granny, my sister, and me because we just might be dangerous to each other.
Cheers
Good.
If the movie companies do an 'encrypt and throw away the key`, that would be great.
To be frank with you all, I am quite discouraged with the quality of the product that Hollywood is putting out now. No, not discouraged; appalled is more like it!
To put it bluntly, this stuff is not even worth the raw material in the darn DVD itself.
Lets take those permanently locked DVD's and burn them in a boiler to make steam to run a turbine to generate electricity for that community theater where some really decent stuff is performed!
Luv
This was a winner during the Christmas Season in Portland and at Breitenbush!
http://www.allyn.com/
Bill has presided over a company that is one of the 10 best for gays to work for and who has domestic partner benefits.
If Mr. Gates does get to occupy 1600 Pennesylvania; perhaps gays can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel in the U.s.
Once upon a time, when I used to ride a bicycle 25 miles each way (total of 46 miles per day) to and from work at a certain aerospace company in Seattled whose name begins with a B, I got soaked in pouring rain.
And I forgot to bring my change of clothes.
So, I did what I thought was the next best. I put my underwear and socks in the Amana RadarRange in the breakroom and turned it on.
And, promptly forgot about it as I went about giving myself a sponge bath using paper towels.
No sparks; no plasma; oh no . . .
But the stink.
Yes, that stink spread throughout the whole building.
Fortunately, it was 5:30 AM when I did it and no one was around and this was in the days before pervasive surveyilance TV.
No one saw me, but when people arrived later that morening, they were greeting by the smell of cooked underwear and socks.
Opps!!
Look at this in another way! Take this opportunity to make your own gifts.
I have not done Christmas 'shopping' for close to 10 years now.
Every year, I make my own gifts for my family.
Popular opinion says that it's far better and more deeply personal to hand make your holiday gifts. By making my own gifts, I also give a part of my own self with each family member.
I have three hobbies that bless me with thie freedome. Sewing, electronics, and glass. I have made a variety of gifts for the family, ranging from unique rainwear; unique clothing crafted from upholstery and drapery fabrics; glass art; and this year, very unique burning mane inspired clear plastic rain bonnets lines with el-wire, or what some of you know of, as glow-wire and cold-neon.
Surely, all of you must have some creative energy and spirit. Let it flow free. Give it a try!
Luv
This is where a good mountain bike comes in to play. I know of people who commute in the snow with a mountain bike with big knobbly tires.
Also, there are those who have taken some small nails and created spiked tires for snow and ice riding. 1/4 or 1/8th in long nails or tacks, poked from inside to outside the tire (and backed with a Mr. Tuffy's to protect the tube from the heads) could do the job.
And by the way, my ride is 20 miles each way. That's 40 miles total for the day.
I do this ride two to three days per week. The other days I will take the bus (which has bicycle accomodations) part of the way. I do, however, try to do the 800 foot hill daily for both the morning commute in and the afternoon commute out; this being the most important for excercize. If I have time, there is an additional 250 foot scenic hill climb to the summit, which is at a total of 1050 feet elevation.
Truly,
I am solving this problem the cheap way.
I ditched my car and now get around on a bicycle.
My commute is 20 miles each way to and from work. That includes goeing up and down an 800 foot hill (Council Crest, in Portland, Oregon).
I am losing my weight fast.
I am saving about $400 per month in car related costs now that I got rid of the car.
People tell me it can't be done, but it' no problem for me so far.
And I don't need some new fangled cycle/workstation or treadmill/workstation. And I don't need to spend $$$ for waiting to use unwashed health club equipment.
Peace
Yes! I relate to it because I was one of those rollerskaters!
There has been nothing worth copying! The stuff they put out is so pathetic that I would not want to waste bandwith copying.
I have not been to a first run flick for over 1 year. I have been seeing only 70's and 80's classics such as Blade Runner and Xanadu and James Bond.
Hollywood's product has really be very dissapointing to say the least. Perhaps Congress shall pass laws that dictate minimum quality to this stuff.
Luv
Actualy, you don't want CRM.
"Here, take it. My dentist will be much happier if you eat it."
"Here, take it. I'm the one who will be losing weight."
"Here, take it. Diabetes is no fun."
This reminds me of a mind game that I played in public once; in fact, it was on a bike trail in Seattle with many bicyclists and joggers. I was seated on a park bench, well within earshot of many of them.
I once took out my cell phone, flipped it open, and proceeded to dial a number. However, I never touched the send key. The phone was still switched off.
I waited an appropriate time and then said loudly:
"Hi! Is this Dr. Paul, the psychiatrist's office?"
I wait, and then say, "This is Mrs. Clear Plastic. I have a session now."
I would wait, say 'Thank you' to the receptionist, wait some more, and then proceed to act out my side of a therapy session, talking about my fetish in clear plastic, and adding in a whole lot of 'baggage'.
The looks of the passers-by were worth every moment of fun.
Now, perhaps it sounds like I should do this same game at the airport while you are all waiting in line . . .
You know, she may just be in one of those monthly moments. You know, how we wimmin are. . . .
Just wait a few days . . . .
Lets please assume absolutely no privacy in any retail facility. Not even in the dressing rooms.
I make most of my own clothes; I have not shopped new clothes for 10 years, however the few times that i have used a dressing room, I put on a pair of new, clean underwear prior to leaving home to go shopping. This way, I have no cause to care if I am watched in the dressing rooms.
Also please don't assume you can see the cameras. I was given a demo of a high quality video camera that was smaller than amout 1/2 inch square and about 1/4 inch thick.
Retail facilities are not synominous with privacy.
This is ancient history. I have been doing this type of stuff for years.
www.well.com/~allyn/newpictures.html
For that matter, we might as well ban farting. Fart gas does explode in the right circumstances.
That being the case we're going to have to ask everyone in the security line what they ate recently. Anyone who ate anything that generates gassy stomachs (Taco Bell, Berger King, beans, whatever) may have to step aside for a few hours so that security makes sure they have completely farted out.
Look at it this way, we as bio processing organisms create dangerous substances.
Hmm, I guess that means either making everone wear a totally sealed suit (including bubble helmet) or enclosing each seat in a sealed acrylic box that can withstand an explosion.
Good!
This is an opportunity to ban Taco Bell for creating terrorizing chemicals and odors.
My dream may have finally come true.
I can just picture it next. The GreenHaven WIFI Equipped Cemetery and Mausoleum will be equipped with WIFE and will offer laptop equipped coffins and urns for that busy executive or hacker! You won't miss the net just because you passed away.
'Ya know, I had a very interesting dream . . .
I was in this wonderful, peacefull land. I arose from bed one morning. I look outside, the New Hampshire woods greet me with gentle birds chirping. The computer in the den, which is hooked up to my phone, fax, printer, and other electronic goodies; and which is hooked up to a battery that is charged by a solar panel and wind turbine, along with an excercycle, chirps. There is a message from my boss at work. He wants me to meet with the Vienamise project manager at 12 noon. It's nine AM. Good.
I do have to do some errond prior to that. I go outside, open the garage and wheel out the bicycle and trailer. I get on it and pedal three miles into town and park it at the general store. I go inside, buy some fresh fruit and vesgstibles that were grown in local farms and solar heated greenhouses. I put them in my trailer.
I then pedal over to the local tailor. When I arrived at his shop, he turned around from his pedal operated sewing machine. The wedding dress for my fiance is ready. He is now working on my suit. I pay for the wedding dress and then put it in the trailer on my bike. I pedal the four miles back home.
Feeling fully awake and refreshed after the nice bicycle ride, I shower in the solar heated shower, use the composing toilet, and then head to my office. It is 11:45. I head to the telecomute corner of the room where there is a tv camera, electronic whiteboard, and a projection TV system. I turn the equipment on at 11:55 to conserve energy. I access the company's web portal and activate the teleconference with my friend in Vietnam. He is sitting in a similar room.
We engage in small talk; where I found out that his wife had finally finshed making the small sailboat and the two of them enjoyed a quiet sail the previous day. It was a nice, quiet, peacefull time.
We then set out to work. The software problem the two of us worked on was on display on both of our electronic white boards. Our tv cameras automatically tracked us as we moved around. The tv cameras are efficient on bandwith, however they are also smart. They know where each of our eyes are, therefore, they maintain a sharp focus on our eyes, making it easier to have eye-to-eye contact. Other parts of the images (room features, etc) are not as detailed.
We finish the conference in one hour. He faxed me a work order. I sign it, and fax it back. I then electronically send him a pre-payment.
With the meeting finished, I immediately turn off the bright lights and the TV equipment to save energy.
My work that afternoon consisted of writing and compiling software. For that, I only needed my computer. The printer, fax machine, wireless modems, and other accessories are all shut off, along with all of the lights and other appliances except for the high efficiency refrigerator that is half buried into the wall of the basement where it is cooler.
My fiance, in the meantime is a local pedicab driver. Her pedicab can carry two people and luggage. She spends the day in town doing erronds for, and ferrying people who are either sick, or too frail to ride their own bicycles or walk. She does this two days a week. The rest of the time, she is a gardening tutor. She helps families grow their own food fours seasons of the year in this northern climate by using greenhouses, solar lighting (driven by solar and wind poer), and other techniques.
My fiance and I relax after she gets back home. She mentions that her mother wants to come over and see her later in the summer. Her mother is planning a multi day train and bicycle trip to make the visit. She will be with a group of bicyclists who have met using a matchmaking web site that matches people who wish to ride from and to similar places in the country or state. This way, they can ride as a group and support each other.
Yes, this is a dream. But it may be forced to be a reality.
Cars, motorboats, planes; we got along fine without them.
Business trips; thanks to telecommuting could be a t
And everyone must board nude under a clear plastic raincoat
First of all, may I please express my thanks for a great conference!
Because of work requirements and having returned from the OLS (Ottawa Linux Symposium); my attendence at Oscon was limited.
The few BOF's that I did attend were very much worthwile. I attended the open source in medical BOF as well as the embedded open source BOF. I did bring home some good information from both as well (hopefuly) leave behind some good information on my own.
This, by the way, is my fourth Oscon; I started with the first one in Portland in 2003. As I live in Portland, I have no problem attending this since I don't have to fork out for travel (yecch!) or hotel.
Which comes to my sentiments on the venue. Oscon, this year, like last year, was held at the Oregon Convention Center. Prior to that, it was held at the Marriot on the waterfront.
I really wasn't going to mention this, but I need to be blunt here. I think that the Oregon Convention Center (OCC) has perhaps the worst soul for any place that I have been to! This is the place! Oscon, the convention, is fine! I only feel sorry they have to use that place.
The Oscon's of 03 and 04 were at the Marriot, which was a much nicer venue. True, they outgrew it, but it still had a much more intimate, nuturing atmophere for this event. I felt very comfortable during those Oscon's than the last two. There were very nice places to 'hang out and chat with others between sessions and in the evening.
What immediately punched me in the stomach about both Oscon 05 and this one was the forboding atmosphere of the place.
This was especially true when I arrived for an evening BOF on Monday night. I arrived at about 7 PM. When I walked into the building, I felt like I just left civilization. There were no people around! The feeling was very eerie. I felt like that I really did not belong there! I had a badge and was properly registered; that was not the problem. I just had a very cold, forboding feeling. I really wanted to turn around and run, not walk right back outside.
I walked for what seemed like hundreds of feet without seeing another soul. That's right; not another person! Finally, I came across a security guard who looked like he wanted to run, not walk, out of that building like me. He did not challenge me, but he did point me to where the BOF's were taking place. Hundreds of more feet without seeing another soul later, I finally came across a few people. I did find the BOF. It was a group of 20 odd people right smack in the middle of nowhere in a huge cavernous hallway whose' air conditioning kept it at about 40 degrees.
The next day, when the exhibits were open; and there were people; it still felt very alian and lonelly. I have longed for the atmosphere back at the Marriot. I just could not get the will to 'hang around' and socialize with the folks I saw there. I lasted about 1 and 1/2 hours at the exhibits before I had to get the **** out of there and outdoors.
I came back another evening for a BOF. This one was in one of the rooms; it was better than my first one. But, when it was over (at about 9 PM), I just had to get out of there. I know that if this were somewhere else, I would have stayed around and talked with the others.
One thing that I have noticed is how quickly the place emptied out after the last regular sessions let out. This was far different from the experience that I had at OLS, which was in Ottawa. Both were technical conferences with BOF's in the evening. At OLF, people hung around for the BOF's and socialized afterward.
I have been at other functions at OCC and I get the same feelings for each one. It's OCC; not the event. I have also talked with others and have found some agreement with my feelings.
OCC is very oversized. It's built for stuff that Portland would never catch. If it were about 1/4 it's size, I think it would have been a lot better. Oscon, great conference it is, is almost invisible in that vast space.
To those of you who put on Oscon; I can't, and won't b
Hello:
Having read many Slashdot stories about bugging, monitoring, spying, arresting, drm'ing, forcing flags (broadcast and pledge of allegience), and other topics; I sat down and had a chat.
You see, I had a chat with a wonderful friend. He's my childhood psychiatrist whom I still keep in touch with. After a few hours of both joy and tears, we came to some interesting and scary ideas that he and I wish to express here.
We, in the U.S. (and perhaps in some other parts of the world) are in a state of severe institutional Schizophrenia. We are also in a state of denial. And most importantly, we are **ALL** walking on egg shells.
He and I went over several ideas (far too many to tell all here). In the end, he told me that he's glad that he's retired from the professions and that he will be passing to the other side of the veil fairly soon. Here are some glimpses of his ideas.
We are very isolated. We spend more and more time on our jobs. We drive to and from work alone. We arrive home and pop on the TV first thing, often with barely a nod to our spouses and children. We often rush through meals without visiting each other.
We lose more and more of human contact. We contact more and more with machines. The TV. The Net. The bank machine. The headphones we wear even when we are out in public. The cell phones. He said something about the cell phones that just about punched me in the stomach. I't not human contact on the phone. It's a substitute of being there in person. He's listened to cell phone conversations and he immediately knew there is a big difference in the interaction between people on those than in person. It's one thing to be with your loved ones in person than to jabber on the phone while you are driving.
As we get more lonely and isolated, we lose confidence in ourselves. We also lose conscience of what we want of community. The community is just not there.
And this is just what many politicians want.
We are mallable.
And, most important, we are scared. And I mean scared. Scared to wet our pants.
We fear everything that ticks at even the slightest different tick then our own. We have no one to share our fear with. We've lost our closest friends. He told me that many people do not even have one close friend or confident to discuss their most inner feelings with.
Politicians love fear.
Politicians hate love, especialy mutual, community building love.
What also loves fear is domestic violence. In fact, all violence loves fear.
This brings me to the police. My psychiatrist has some friends in one or two local police departments in the Boston suburbs. Some interesting things have come up about the police.
The most common, and by far the worst calls the police get are those for domestic violence.
They, especially, among police work, are where the police see the absolute worst of us (society). They see this in and out.
Couple this with the rest that the police deal with. Drug busts where that innocent bystander may be an enforcer for the dealer or distributer with a shotgun or worse. Someone high on pcp or angel dust holding a child hostage.
Granted, both he and I agree that there are a few bad apples out there taking advantage and indiscrimately arresting or harrasing. However the lives of most police officers are built upon a necessary paranoa from dealing with the day to day work they are faced with.
I would like to conclude with something that he said about Bush. He apparently has done some research and found out that Bush Jr (the current President) has not received much intimate and compassionate love and afffection by Barbara Bush (his mother) during the first one or two years of his life (as an infant).
The first year or two of your life are very critical. How you are cared for and nurtured during those years can have significent impact thoughout your entire life.
Bush apparently was neglected, or at least not given much compassion, by Barbara.
Now you h
Here in my pocket, I've got just the non-profit who should be able to pull this off. The Boston Museum of Science has been there for a long time and they seem to have some good qualifications.
The Science Museum (which it is called by many) has been around for a while. It has been very non-controversal (at least since my childhood in the 60's growing up in Winchester and going to the museum almost every week for the shows). It is also, IMHO, very non-political.
I am not aware of any scandals or controversy that involved the Science Museum.
They are also very technially savvy; they's been teaching science for all these years, including some of my own education in electronics.
Perhaps the most important attribute is that they have deep, solid roots in the area. They have quietly outlasted other institutions (and politicians) in the area. The Science Museum is one of those institutions that would be still standing even after the rest of Boston caves in and collapses.
The mayor should realise that if he turned the keys of this project over to the Museum of Science, they would have a lot to lose if they did a f**k up on this.
Luv
Cleara
How about enjoying goatse cx or watching pron
I got rid of my car in 1998 and have gotten by well without. I use a bike or rollerblades or public transit. The transit system here uses a paper pass system; no swiping in a reader. The pass does not show a name and can be bought with cash.
The few times I need a car I rent one. Sure, the credit card company knows that I rented a car. The car rental company probably has GPS for all I know, but I am most likely going to a state park for camping for with I have made a reservation on a government computer besides.
Every other trip that I make is most likely anonymous.
The few solicitations I get from marketers don't give a hint they are from tracing my movements.
When I am traveling by bike; the most likely purchases I make during my trip (for food) are done by cash.
I don't think these marketers/stalkers/papperaze are aware of 95 percent of my life.
Luv
Cleara