Linux - Immutable Files

Here is a cool tip on how you can make files on your system immutable. By immutable, I mean even root can't delete the files if he choose to.

Architeuthis

How cool is this news from National Geographic?

In Antarctica's Ross Sea, a fishing boat has caught what is likely the world's biggest known colossal squid (yes, that's the species' name), New Zealand officials announced today.

Heavier than even giant squid, colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) have eyes as wide as dinner plates and sharp hooks on some of their suckers. The new specimen weighs in at an estimated 990 pounds (450 kilograms).

I'm not a zoologist by any means but it's facinating to see the creatures with which we share the world. I always hate to hear that the creature was caught in nets and/or died, however these huge sea creatures are simply wonderous.

Another story from National Geographic about the Giant Squid is available here. This one was apparently alive while it was being filmed. A gallery of photos is available.

Wikipedia has a good article on Architeuthis the giant squid.

Besides all this, one of my favorite bands of all time, Tourniquet, has a song titled Architeuthis in which they reference the giant sea creature. So I must go listen to that song again, as if Tourniquet isn't already playing in the background (which they are).

"Some people are born great, others are thrown into greatness."

I might add a couple of additional statements to say that, some people could be great, however they haven't been given opportunity while others have fortitude for greatness, they simply lack desire to attain.

Cell Scam

Have you ever wondered why just to check voice mail on your cellphone takes so long? It's not just because the cell phone companies enjoy putting in all of the boring verbiage. "You have N new messages", "to get messages press...", "voice call received at...", "to listen to this message press...", "to delete this message press..."

No, it's because for every second they can slow the call down, they are making money. This really aggravates me, because it should taking only a few seconds longer than the length of the message, to get the message. Instead it takes a minimum of two minutes.

Not that I don't have plenty of minutes in my cell plan, but i don't have time to waste just getting the message. We all have better things to do, and the phone companies should streamline these services instead of milking them for every cent they can.

Never!

As a web developer, never, never, never resize a persons browser!

Let me yell this in hopes of getting it through your thick heads.
NEVER RESIZE A PERSONS BROWSER!

I don't care what your manager/boss/ceo says, it's rude and makes myself and others furious!

Obama the President

If recent trends and the power of the internet can be taken as any indication, Barack Obama, may very well me our next president.

I don't claim to know much or anything of politics, and as a matter of fact, I typically disagree with alot of what goes on in our political system. One thing is certain though, up to this point, there are only two names that I can think of when considering the next presidential election and only one of those has gotten my attention. That one is Obama.

Why my attention and why do I think he may have everyone else's attention too?

Well, just look at recent trends. People, voters, are less interested in the perfectly primed and politically correct candidate. They want someone that they feel they know, that they can relate too, and that seems like one of them.

The new generation of tech and web-savvy voters, including myself, are thinking outside the box. We aren't interested in the same rigid, proper, to-good-for-you, suited, wrinkle-faced, constipated, old politicians. Just think of Arnold and Jesse, democrate or republican, they are different, outside-the-box, and down to earth relatable.

Obama is much the same. Although opposer's would try to hinder his campaign with pictures of him shirtless on a beach, it only promotes him as human, and still alive.

While news commentators may ridicule him for eating fried fish on camera, at a big democratic fishfry, it won't hurt him. I hope that video spreads all over the place. It shows he is real and one of us, willing to join in with the things we do and have interest in. Come on, you would have eaten it too.

Then, one more quick point. He is obviously someone well informed concerning the tech world, or he has good, intellectual people around him. This report from Slashdot, also really impressed me. We need someone who understands technological significance and who can understand and is willing to stand up for important issues such as net neutrality.

"I am a strong believer in the importance of copyright, especially in a digital age. But there is no reason that this particular class of content needs the protection. We have incentive enough to debate. The networks have incentive enough to broadcast those debates. Rather than restricting the product of those debates, we should instead make sure that our democracy and citizens have the chance to benefit from them in all the ways that technology makes possible."

And that is why, even though I don't know anything about Obama's position on traditional political issues, he has my vote. We're looking for someone real, relatable, and outside the box. And that is why Obama keeps getting my attention and likely the attention of many others.

Net Neutrality

A good (and entertaining) non-technical description and reminder about net neutrality.

New Career Path

Last week I was offered a position as "E-business Implementation and Marketing Specialist". This position is a great opportunity to try something new and exciting, and I am looking forward to launching into this new role in mid-April.

Ohio Linux Fest

Ohio Linux Fest, has a PledgeBank entry! Show your support for Linux by going to PledgeBank and pledging to register and attend. The pledge has an ambitious goal (at least for PledgeBank) of 1000 pledges. Let's push OLF to the top of the PledgeBank and Digg list!

Recorded and Canned

Recorded studio music can never live up to a live show. It is to controlled, to perfected, and planned out track by track. Live shows are organic, subject to the unexpected, and imperfect. Like fresh fruit, when you put it in the can it looses some of its essence, and becomes something different from its true form.

Music doesn't always have to be perfectly orchestrated and coordinated just because it is on a CD. The life is what sells. Don't focus on the perfect pre-recorded guitar loop for this track, and the drum loop for the next track, and the exact vocals with perfectly consistent inflection. That is boring, stale, and stagnant.

Play your music, record the album. Show that their can be life in the recording.