Maskil_Sidewiki

2011-12-05T19:31:00.001+02:00

My wife asked me if I had a spare USB memory stick for her to use. I did, and when I was preparing it for her, discovered that there’s no decent free portable anti-virus application for USB flash drives.

My wife is not very computer-savvy, so what I was looking for was an app that would autorun and scan any files being transferred to/from the memory stick. The idea being to protect the memory stick and/or the host computer, particularly where the drive is used on an unprotected machine.

There are portable AV apps available out there, but they rely on manual scanning, and are mainly intended for cleaning infected machines from the flash drive, rather than protecting the flash drive from an infected machine or vice versa.

AV software vendors, how about bundling a portable “inoculation” app along these lines with your workstation products? http://amplify.com/u/a1jdyn

2011-12-01T16:01:00.001+02:00

Toilet lids and seats that won’t stay up on their own. Who actually designs and manufactures these things!? http://amplify.com/u/a1j7ky

2011-12-01T15:02:00.001+02:00

People who ask questions in seminars, not to learn, but to showboat or grandstand. Whoopee for you that you already have a successful ~!@#ing business, but I’m actually here to learn from the lecturer! http://amplify.com/u/a1j7iw

2011-11-16T12:01:00.001+02:00

I happened to visit Eastgate mall a few Sundays ago and passed through the banking court, where all the major banks in SA are represented. Although it was Sunday morning, all of the bank branches were open and buzzing, with the exception of … Standard Bank. What’s the thinking there in the ivory tower? We’re too big to have to compete? http://amplify.com/u/a1i980

2011-11-13T20:01:00.001+02:00

Just when the phenomenon of the space tourist and near-space tourist has become a reality, the richest nation on the planet has decided that space exploration is simply too expensive! http://amplify.com/u/a1hv2n

2011-11-13T16:01:00.001+02:00

Why is that, when you have a deadline to meet, everyone else’s stuff is suddenly screamingly urgent too! http://amplify.com/u/a1hu9a

2011-10-10T14:01:00.003+02:00

Went onto the SABC TV Licence Website to update the school’s details and make payment for 2011/12. The Website promptly proceeded to collapse like a badly-built house of cards! It’s difficult to over-estimate how much sh*t is actually out there! http://amplify.com/u/a1edmb

2011-10-10T14:01:00.001+02:00

Working with domains in the .co.za namespace is becoming a real pain! I’m starting to think I should avoid registering .co.za domains at all costs in future. The technology behind DotCoZa appears to be absolutely antediluvian! http://amplify.com/u/a1edma

2011-10-04T16:01:00.001+02:00

Just wondering… why doesn’t Outlook spell-check the Subject field of an e-mail message (through O/L 2003 anyway)? It’s been bugging me for years… http://amplify.com/u/a1e33o

2011-09-28T16:31:00.001+02:00

Mishkan T'filah is a worthy successor to previous prayer books (siddurim) used by the Progressive Jewish community. I just think that those who compiled it lost a superb opportunity to abbreviate the services (or at least the material making up each service). Instead, the opposite appears to have happened, with material which was absent from previous siddurim now having made a comeback.

Anyone who thinks deeply about the role of Judaism (or any form of religion, for that matter) in modern life would realise that the length of our services is a real issue. Services are, quite simply, too long and High Holy Day services are excessively so.

While I’m starting to understand the logic of the internal structure of services, to the outsider the material must appear quite repetitious.

Let’s hope we won’t have to wait until the next siddur is published before this issue is confronted!

The New Reform Prayerbook - Mishkan T'filah - URJ

http://urj.org/worship/mishkan/ http://amplify.com/u/a1dyad

2011-09-23T16:01:00.001+02:00

While the conspiracy theories around the NASA moon landings are unconvincing, I’ve often wondered why “we” never went back. The last manned moon landing was 1972, while the last unmanned mission was 1976, i.e. almost 40 years ago! As a youngster poring over accounts of the moon landings in newspapers and magazines (hey, we never had TV in SA in those days!), I would have expected the next step to be a manned space station on the moon, not an almost total end to any lunar exploration! http://amplify.com/u/a1dc66

2011-09-18T19:31:00.001+02:00

#ConstantContact, just in case you haven’t noticed, you’ve completely broken #NutshellMail with your latest round of "upgrades". Just thought you’d want to know… Or not… http://amplify.com/u/a1d2tq

2011-09-14T23:01:00.001+02:00

We are constantly reminded that a single one of current digital devices has more computing power than was available to:

- Break the Enigma Code

- Land Apollo 11 on the moon

- Etc.

That may well be, but they weren’t trying to run Windows as well as doing their jobs! http://amplify.com/u/a1cuvk

2011-09-07T23:01:00.001+02:00

I can understand the usual discrimination against (or suspicion of) darker people with strange customs and habits, who speak grating languages in ludicrous accents. The one type of discrimination that I simply can’t get my mind around is discrimination against women, girls, females, the fairer sex.

Come on guys, get real! We’re talking about 50% of the human race here. Our mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, girlfriends and mistresses. Those we share our beds with, who raise our children. Caregivers and life partners.

Why on earth would you discriminate against those closest to you?! http://amplify.com/u/a1cklw

2011-09-07T14:31:00.001+02:00

I think we all hate feeling ripped off, even if it’s only a couple of bucks. Ran into Hyde Park Corner, bought two pairs of school denims for my daughter, then straight back out again. According to the parking ticket, the time in was 16.07 and the time out 16.31, whereas the time out was actually only 16.17 (MTN network time)! I was charged R7, even although I was in the centre for under 15 minutes (supposedly free).

p.s. The only reason I ever go there is because my daughter’s school outfitters are there. http://amplify.com/u/a1cjg8

2011-09-05T22:31:00.001+02:00

Backing up using the built-in Windows XP Backup with default settings. Why, oh why would we need our Temporary Internet Files backed up!? http://amplify.com/u/a1cgtq

2011-08-25T12:33:00.001+02:00

On my travels around Joburg, I’ve noticed a sudden “outbreak” of traffic lights facing the wrong direction. This is causing considerable confusion in some cases, and could lead to collisions. The last time this happened, suspicion fell on unscrupulous tow-truck operators, and at least one person was even arrested/confessed to working for interests in this industry.

Is the same thing happening again, or is there some other explanation for this? http://amplify.com/u/a1bspu

2011-08-25T12:31:00.001+02:00

2011-08-11T18:01:00.001+02:00

I’ve always liked shutters, even the decorative, permanently pinned back variety we mostly find here in South Africa. In the new SA, however, with the increasing concern around land invasion, squatting and violent home invasions, shutters are filling a new role; the role of security. http://amplify.com/u/a1amiw

2011-08-11T16:31:00.001+02:00

After watching footage of the riots in England, it’s obvious that Hoodies (hooded jackets) should be treated in the same way as the burka in France; as a security risk, subjecting the wearer to random stop and searches. http://amplify.com/u/a1ama7

2011-07-13T00:01:00.001+02:00

I thought I’d seen it all with Windows! Rebuilt a Windows XP machine for a client, working offsite and using my trusty old PS/2 keyboard and mouse. Back on site, booted with the client’s USB keyboard and mouse. Windows detected them, claimed to load drivers, but neither device ever responded. Rebooted, tried again, same result. Eventually forced to rebuild the machine onsite, using the USB kit. http://amplify.com/u/a17p9g

2011-07-12T23:31:00.001+02:00

This is crazy. With 1 or 2 exceptions, all the Windows rescue & recovery CD’s I can find out there run some form of Linux. So, we aren’t we all running Linux instead of Windows!? (Reminds me of the bumper stickers often found on Toyota and other 4x4’s: “Land Rover Recover Vehicle”. Is Linux the Windows Recovery Vehicle? http://amplify.com/u/a17p75

United Parcel Service notification #5564

2011-06-17T14:41:00.001+02:00

May 2011

United Parcel Service
tracking number #94115

Good morning
Parcel notification

The parcel was sent your home adress.
And it will arrive within 3 buisness days.

More information and the parcel tracking number are attached in document below.

Thank you

United Parcel Service of America (c)
153 James Street, Suite100, Long Beach CA, 90000

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a15faj

2011-06-06T22:31:00.001+02:00

As someone who should really have been “well-travelled”, I enjoy much of the content on DSTV’s Travel Channel. Unfortunately, far too much of it, falls into the category of “visit faraway places, see interesting creatures, kill and eat them”. Yes, exotic cuisine is (or was) part of the mystique of travel, but let’s face it, some local diets are just too disgusting for words. And yes, my viewpoint is Euro-centric and – to my mind – a Euro-centric viewpoint is the only one worth having. http://amplify.com/u/a14of0

2011-06-02T22:01:00.001+02:00

I don’t think any manufacturer of laptops, netbooks and notebooks would dare to release a machine without an onboard Ethernet connection and built-in 802.11x wireless networking. I’m hoping that the next item to become part of any respectable machine’s standard configuration will be a built-in 3G modem, requiring that you only insert your contract or pre-paid SIM card. Here’s to no more 3G USB dongles! http://amplify.com/u/a14e5r