Nick's Life

Free Software Foundation

2008-07-18T17:48:00.002-04:00

Shittles. This is why nobody takes the FSF seriously: http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/5-reasons-to-avoid-iphone-3g

▪ iPhone completely blocks free software. Developers must pay a tax to Apple, who becomes the sole authority over what can and can't be on everyone's phones.

No tax needs to be paid (apps can be free, which means Apple pays the bandwidth and gets nothing); the App Store shows Apple's commitment to only allowing quality products, instead of crappy OSS.

▪ iPhone endorses and supports Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) technology.

The iPhone isn't a group, person, company et cetera. STFU fool.

▪ iPhone exposes your whereabouts and provides ways for others to track you without your knowledge.

All phones have GPS, which can be turned off. However, geeks like you should be well aware of the fact that triangulation can virtually always be used to track you. The iPhone adds nothing new but for a few applications that allow YOU, the USER, the freedom to use this information. Only tin-hat nutters would be concerned about providing Google Maps with your current location--how else could one use a mapping service?

▪ iPhone won't play patent- and DRM-free formats like Ogg Vorbis and Theora.

Because they're crap. Huge files, piss-poor quality, miniscule user base, (consisting of about 100 nerds) and non-existent documentation allowed Apple to completely ignore these crap codecs. Oh, and MP3 is free…

▪ iPhone is not the only option. There are better alternatives on the horizon that respect your freedom, don't spy on you, play free media formats, and let you use free software -- like the FreeRunner.

Which is so crappy that, despite the fact that I read nearly 4000 news articles per month, I have never heard of this piece of shit. Also, note the bit above where I said that any phone could be located by triangulation. Also, GPS exists on that phone. How do you think phone companies figure out if you're long distance or not?

2008-05-14T22:00:00.001-04:00

I freaking LOVE Windows!

Facebook Killing

2008-03-31T11:56:00.001-04:00

A woman was beaten up and shot dead by her father for talking online with a man she met on the website Facebook.
The case was reported on a Saudi Arabian news site as an example of the "strife" the social networking site is causing in the Islamic nation.

It said the man shot his daugther after discovering she had been chatting online to a young man she had met on Facebook.
...
Internet engineers said that young Saudis were using Facebook to flirt and make "web-cam calls".

From Dailymail.co.uk

My spare time

2008-03-29T18:47:00.001-04:00

Trends:
From your 278 subscriptions, over the last 30 days you read 7,910 items, starred 4 items, shared 786 items, and emailed 57 items.

Fitna

2008-03-28T22:33:00.002-04:00

First they came…

2008-03-28T21:45:00.001-04:00

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
Martin Niemöller

Earth Hour

2008-03-28T16:57:00.003-04:00

In response to this coming promise of darkness, Western Standard reader Richard Guenther sent this submission about Earth Hour:

Earth Hour

Not long ago Prime Minister Harper was in Estevan, Saskatchewan touring the Boundary Dam Power Plant. This is the facility that will be the recipient of Federal funding to refurbish a 100 MW unit to sequester carbon dioxide. The cost of doing this will be 1.4 billion dollars. The finished unit will be reduced in useable output to 60 MW. Presumably the other 40 MW will be used to extract the carbon dioxide.

This raises some troubling questions. We still need all 100 MW, not just the 60 MW that will be left. If this formula holds in the construction of new power plants and all the information I have says it will, this means for every 100 units of electricity we need in the future, we will need to build 166 units of production. This means an increase of capital costs of 66%. It will also mean that our fuel consumption (and by extrapolation, our operating and maintenance costs) will increase by 66% too.

These huge increases in electricity costs will have a very negative impact on our standard of living. These elevated costs will mean less wealth for your retirement, your healthcare, your children’s education, your vacation. It means you will have to drive a smaller, less safe car in the future or no car at all. It means less research for newer and better drugs in the future. It will reduce the ability of those at the bottom end of our society to afford even the basics. Less money will be available for charitable organizations including environmental causes. Less money will be available for highways. Less money for airports. Even less for big screen TVs.

At the same time the environmentalists want us to shut off our lights for one hour tomorrow night (March 29th) to demonstrate our dedication to saving the planet. All to placate the fears of people who have nightmares over cow flatulence and hot air. Remember, CO2 is not much more than plant food.

I think their idea of shutting off the lights is very indicative of their thinking. This irrational thinking with its huge costs will put us into a dark age, both literally and figuratively.

I refuse to be a part of it. Rather than subscribing to the “we must all live in caves” theory, I prefer to celebrate our modernity. I want to live in the 21st century, not the 9th. So tomorrow night at 8pm I will turn on all my lights, computers and TVs to show my solidarity with the future of mankind, not to the prophets of doom and naysayers amongst us.

via Western Standard: The Shotgun Blog

I'm gonna go out and turn on every light I have access to!

And has anyone thought through what may happen when everyone turns their lights back on at 2100? Can you say blackout?

Fitna

2008-03-28T09:45:00.003-04:00

Watch it all; it's worth it. If you don't like it, feel free to speak out against it.

via Flaggman's Canada or Western Standard: Shotgun Blog

AppleCare

2008-03-19T12:10:00.002-04:00

My (second) MagSafe Power Adapter started acting up a month ago. It wouldn't consistently display the correct colour (green when not charging; orange when charging) and would sometimes need to be jiggled to make it work.

So I called AppleCare. Within a minute, I was talking to a real person who shipped me a replacement. I got it today--less than 24 hours later.

Hopefully, they don't charge my credit card, but so far it's another great Apple experience

RAF Personnel Advised Not to Leave Base In Uniform

2008-03-07T10:56:00.004-05:00

This is just shocking. Mark Steyn is right--Britain is, at its core, incapable of going anywhere but downhill from here.

Gordon Brown has condemned reports that RAF personnel at a Cambridgeshire base were advised not to wear uniform in public for fear of verbal abuse.
He said armed forces members should be "encouraged to wear their uniform in public and have the respect and gratitude of the British people".
The decision not to wear uniform was taken by the station commander at RAF Wittering near Peterborough.

Source: Dhimmi Watch via Google Reader

Freedom of Speech Threatened in The Netherlands

2008-03-03T14:45:00.003-05:00

The Dutch government was today examining the legality of banning a film attacking Islam amid fears that it would fan sentiment against the Netherlands in Muslim countries.
The Telegraaf newspaper reported that the coalition government was divided on the film, with the Christian Democrats leaning towards a ban but Labour favouring freedom of expression and calling on Muslim countries to prevent violence against the Netherlands.

From The Guardian via Dhimmi Watch.

More from Dhimmi Watch:

This suppression, by the Western world, of free speech, will have grave and long-lasting consequences. For if this movie is suppressed, one assumes that all other such movies will be suppressed. And the demands, by Muslims inside and outside of Europe for still more to be censored, including the written word, will only increase, with that well-known triumphalism that feeds each new demand, as Muslims demand more and more concessions to ensure that they will never feel offended, neither within their own lands, nor within the historic heart of the free and advanced West. For if they are offended, the consequences will be greater than what the West wishes to pay. It need not be soldiers in Afghanistan. It could be, say, a threat to blow up one of the Oxford colleges, or the Louvre, or the Alte Pinakothek, or the Uffizi or the Vatican. Oh, it could be any number of things. Do what we want, submit to our Diktat....or else!

The stand has to be taken now. Not later. Later will be too late.

Is it just me

2008-03-02T17:43:00.005-05:00

…or does Hawkwings.net have pretty much the worst Google optimization ever?

Google Search:
"Hawk wings mac mail"

"Hawk Wings mail icons"

"custom mac mail icons"

…and the clincher:
"site:hawkwings.net"

It's not a robots.txt file either: http://www.hawkwings.net/robots.txt

Hawkwings has a PageRank of 6. Not that bad…so why is it so hard to find anything on the site?

For the record, here's the Mail.app icons: http://www.hawkwings.net/2005/10/19/139-different-apple-mail-icons/

Mecca.com and False Advertising.

2008-02-28T09:27:00.004-05:00

After the last post, I had a glance at my blog to see that everything was more or less as it should be.

I noticed a Google Ad for "Islamic Schools" and followed it to www.mecca.com.

This site says:

Based in Amman, Jordan, Mecca.com offers a point of solidarity for online Muslims worldwide. Our goal is to promote and reinforce an inspiring, positive image of the strong values that Muslims bring to their respective communities everywhere. Come to Mecca…

Interestingly, a whois reports that it is, in fact, hosted by NetworkSolutions, an American company, and the domain is registered to a man in California:

Registrant:
Ibrahim Alhusseini
5000 Bechelli Lane Suite 101
Redding, CA 96002
US

Domain Name: MECCA.COM

The site appears to belong to a company called MECA Communications, Inc.

Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
Admin, DNS dns@MECA.COM
MECA Communications, Inc.
3450 Broad Street
Suite 103
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
US
805-544-7800 fax: 999-999-9999

What's that about needing to be honest when dealing with fellow believers? It seems that they've forgotten about that bit of the Qur'an.

Beta Coffee?

2008-02-28T08:55:00.002-05:00

w00t.

I got invited to the Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Company Beta Test. Assuming they ship to Canada, in about a week or so, I'll get a sample of their new Jamaican Me Crazy flavoured coffee. We'll see how drinkable it is, I suppose. I'm not really big on flavoured coffees.

On Kernel Panics and Blue Screens

2008-02-27T08:35:00.005-05:00

So…

I've just had my first kernel panic ever.

It was probably a combination of not having a battery in, running about 10 applications at once--most of which are betas--and running OSXRKHunter (not tested for Intel)…but whatever the case, it's the first ever kernel panic in a year and a half of very intense (>8 hrs/day, usually having Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, and Bridge open in the background with Safari running in the foreground with an average of 5 tabs, one of which is the memory-hogging Google Reader) computer usage, whereas in Windows I've had at least 5 Blue Screens of Death. Interestingly, the versions of OS X I have been using (10.4 and 10.5) have been public only for about 2 years, while the versions of Windows (XP Professional, Server 2k3 Enterprise) have been public for at least 5 years, and Server 2003 is supposed to be the more stable, reliable version of Windows. Furthermore, my usage of Windows is pretty much nil compared to OSX.

Oddly, since the kernel panic, my left fan hasn't dropped below 6000 (maximum) RPM. Can't think why this might be. PRAM reset didn't do anything. I'm going to call Applecare about that and about my dying-ish (read: I want a new one cuz the new ones are pretty) power cord.

Turban != DOT Approved Helmet

2008-02-15T06:40:00.003-05:00

Observant Sikh challenges Ontario motorcycle regulations by doing laps at 110 km/h to prove turban held tight.

Another prime example of the Canadian Thought Control Tribunal's interference with a perfectly logical, intelligent law that will cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

I don't care either way if some twat doesn't wear a helmet when they're motorcycling; it's their own decision, but using the Human Right's Commission to change the law so they don't have to wear a helmet?

Just stupid.

If This "Makes" You Riot…

2008-02-13T20:08:00.002-05:00

…you've got a bigger problem than being offended
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/019937.php

Free Speech

2008-02-13T07:59:00.006-05:00

Another would-be terrorist is arrested, and another life is saved.

However, this is not just any terrorist. This is a terrorist who was trying to kill one of the Danish cartoonists who drew the caricature of Mohammed.

The way that the defense characterizes this man, and the decision that the court makes, will define how many countries respond to Islamic vigilantes. "Islamic law generally opposes any depiction of the prophet, even favorable, for fear it could lead to idolatry." (USAToday). If this man is given any sort of clemency for his actions, I fear for the future of the Western World.

Thankfully, at least the Danish people, if not their judicial system, seem to be in revolt to this. First thing the newspapers did was republish the cartoons here.

Mark Steyn's most recent piece in the National Review on the recent developments is intriguing:

Great Danes [Mark Steyn]
Following the arrests of three Muslims for plotting to kill Kurt Westergaard, the cartoonist who drew Mohammed wearing a bomb turban, the Danish media have today republished the offending illustration.

Good for them. The minute it became clear that violence and intimidation were the response the western press should have said: Okay, you want to kill one of us, you'll have to kill us all. The Danes have now taken an important stand against Islamic encroachments on freedom of expression.

In Canada, by contrast, the state hauled the only publisher of the cartoons, my old boss Ezra Levant, into one of its thought-crime courts at the behest of a raving incoherent imam. And all the jelly-spined squish of a Minister of Justice has done is issue lamely evasive talking points. Nonetheless, the imam has now folded, and is calling (insofar as I can follow him) for the matter to be settled according to Gene Autry's Cowboy Code or some Islamic understanding thereof. Ezra is going on the offensive.

The lesson is, if you face down these bullies, you can win and stop the lights going out on liberty. But you won't get much help from your government.

I apologize for any inaccuracies in the above quote.

French Suburban Riots IV: Peaceful protest

2007-11-27T15:34:00.000-05:00

“Police officers were targeted with hunting weapons; a certain number of them were wounded by lead shot,” said Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie. “This is totally unacceptable,” she said, adding there were six serious injuries, “people who notably were struck in the face and close to the eyes.”

French Suburban Riots III: Intifada

2007-11-27T10:50:00.000-05:00

"More than 80 police officers were injured in pitched battles with youths - some armed with hunting rifles - as housing estates around Paris erupted into violence for a second night running."

Microsoft Sets Up Shop in Siberia

2007-11-27T08:25:00.001-05:00

I hope Microsoft can keep their new datacentre in Siberia cool. I'd assume that for most of the year they won't need an air conditioning system.

This move was made in order to get physically closer to China, without having to deal with Chinese government, I would assume.

Also see: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheSecretDiaryOfSteveJobs/~3/190968616/microsoft-building-data-center-in.html

French Suburban Riots II: The Guilt Culture

2007-11-27T08:20:00.000-05:00

Precisely what's wrong with the current media coverage.

For those who don't know, Scrappleface is right-wing satire.

Iraqi Weddings

2007-11-27T08:18:00.000-05:00

A wedding procession that isn't actually a wedding procession, but is rather a group of terrorists attempting to blow something up.

And they wonder why the checkpoint guards are so uptight as to shoot at a diplomat who didn't respond to repeated requests to stop and identify themselves

French Suburban Riots I: Incorrect Response.

2007-11-27T06:28:00.000-05:00

… two teens travelling on a stolen motorbike collide with a clearly marked police car with lights and sirens active.

A proper response, according to the French, is to riot.

Dirty Politicians

2007-11-24T19:10:00.000-05:00

I was reading through my many RSS feeds this morning and came across this item:
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=9d815c5f-a962-4fb9-977d-2b7f52669ac2&k=0

CanWest News Service
Published: Friday, November 23, 2007
OTTAWA • Wajid Khan, an Ontario Conservative MP, has been charged with overspending during the 2004 election.
Mr. Khan, a former Liberal who crossed the floor to the Conservatives this year, was charged with exceeding his campaign expense limit by $30,000 under the Elections Canada Act, according to Dan Brien, spokesman for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.

"Although I have not yet been served with court documents, given the circumstances, I am withdrawing from the Conservative caucus to sit as an independent MP," said the statement. "I have also offered the prime minister my resignation as his special advisor for Middle Eastern and South Asian Affairs."

It's interesting how difficult it was for Joanna Chapman to pursue Larry DiIanni's blatant illegal fundraising activities.

After reviewing their campaign documents and finding donations in excess of the legal maximum, former Councillor Joanna Chapman, owner of Chapman Books in Dundas, asked City Council last year to appoint an auditor to review their campaign finances.

City Council closed ranks; all but Dave Braden voted to deny Chapman's request instead of holding themselves accountable to the law and the public.

If the person in question is useful and has power, it's impossible to investigate them. If the person has offended someone with power (as is the case with Wajid Khan, who crossed the floor), the mudslinging begins imminently