Well, things are finished with one phase of my life, and now I wait for the next. So much has been in the air as to what avenue to take in the last month, but I think we will know more as October closes. Otherwise, I'm going to relax, take some time to reflect, and just be.
As far as the current events I'm concerned with our elected process, as well as the discourse we've been currently engaged with. Much of the diatribes are directed at the Democrats, where the Democrats seem to be in a placid sense of what? There isn't very much in the way of getting anything done with our discussions, and this is reflective not just with our elected bodies, but with all of the how we really engage in conflict.
I'm not the first person to notice how ill our state of affairs have been. But we need to make a very concerted effort in changing how we talk to one another here. The fact we live in a 24 hour news cycle. That the process of the newspeak is tailored to fit distraction, I'm inclined to believe people have tuned out the all the b.s.
Its grass roots now, that we all are in the implicit sink or fail aspect of the future. It won't take some President speaking about job creation to calm the uncertainty of our country. No matter, I'm of the hope that we will get through this, and figure out the avenue in which we can fix what ails us. My experience is shown me otherwise, but I'm of the belief that we can all figure out the best course of action. So much is negative, and that has poisoned what needs to be done.
I'm also announcing today that I'll be moving onward with my online aspect. Rather than get into the brass tacks of the explanation, I thank those who've read, and posted in my blog here. I'm moving onto another arena of posting, and this will be my final entry. Thanks for reading.
B.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Lamentations
So this is the end of the month. Already a vacation in, finished two concurrent courses Math, and Intro to programming, and moved onto the next phase of college learning Prob and Statistics. To mince words on how I feel about this course is mute point, I just believe in a stronger ethic in correspondence. Alas I'm the outlander when it comes to real this discourse.
As May nears the end of its 2011 run, I'm taking a little time to myself this year to just be. I've tired of the mundane, the idiotic, and emotionally draining people this side of the west. I'm not really interested in the vacuum of complacency, which ill affords me the opportunity to sit and idle. So, I've pushed onward, looked in the mirror and am accepting who I am. Either it is or it isn't. There is no more underlying messages to be had. I've bore very little fruit in this endeavor. Its time to focus on the real, and believe that way. There are always going to be walls placed in my way, I've had to struggle with each movement I've made. If this gives too much out there then so be it.
I've lost a lot of great people, and gained a few by pulling me in a direction I've not been comfortable. I've endured a ever lasting embarrassment. I've toiled over the misbegotten, and forgotten nothing. I walk with each step, slow, methodical, and sometimes unsure. If there is poetry in my existence then I'm living how I can be. There are no retries from now on. I can't start over again. I cannot tare down and re-examine. I must move along to where I need to go. With Peggy's passing last year, many things have become more focused in my hindsight. I've had some weird times, but I've had some good ones. 2011 is shaping up to be a year the lessons I've learned prior, and to adapt accordingly. I'm to take each skill and use it, find a place I can mingle and live the best I can. The cynical attitude, the break it before it hurts me doesn't work now. Its a struggle, but I'm learning. The paradigm ahead of me is already laying waste to that came before, I must figure a way to survive.
The talk of serfs and upper class is ringing very true. The fact I'm reading about the battle lines drawn, the cleansing of the poor classes, while instigating diversion is unsettling. A new kind of distortion is arriving, its how you, and everyone else will either survive, or wither. 1995 is a long time ago, but what was seen then is coming to pass now, and I hope that it won't end the way I foreseen.
Thanks for reading.
B.
As May nears the end of its 2011 run, I'm taking a little time to myself this year to just be. I've tired of the mundane, the idiotic, and emotionally draining people this side of the west. I'm not really interested in the vacuum of complacency, which ill affords me the opportunity to sit and idle. So, I've pushed onward, looked in the mirror and am accepting who I am. Either it is or it isn't. There is no more underlying messages to be had. I've bore very little fruit in this endeavor. Its time to focus on the real, and believe that way. There are always going to be walls placed in my way, I've had to struggle with each movement I've made. If this gives too much out there then so be it.
I've lost a lot of great people, and gained a few by pulling me in a direction I've not been comfortable. I've endured a ever lasting embarrassment. I've toiled over the misbegotten, and forgotten nothing. I walk with each step, slow, methodical, and sometimes unsure. If there is poetry in my existence then I'm living how I can be. There are no retries from now on. I can't start over again. I cannot tare down and re-examine. I must move along to where I need to go. With Peggy's passing last year, many things have become more focused in my hindsight. I've had some weird times, but I've had some good ones. 2011 is shaping up to be a year the lessons I've learned prior, and to adapt accordingly. I'm to take each skill and use it, find a place I can mingle and live the best I can. The cynical attitude, the break it before it hurts me doesn't work now. Its a struggle, but I'm learning. The paradigm ahead of me is already laying waste to that came before, I must figure a way to survive.
The talk of serfs and upper class is ringing very true. The fact I'm reading about the battle lines drawn, the cleansing of the poor classes, while instigating diversion is unsettling. A new kind of distortion is arriving, its how you, and everyone else will either survive, or wither. 1995 is a long time ago, but what was seen then is coming to pass now, and I hope that it won't end the way I foreseen.
Thanks for reading.
B.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Dark reaches, and the Tethering of unified support
Entering a new chapter, an unknown for me. The road I've been on, is slowly coming up to an intersection. I have a decision to make, and though I've been on this journey, I've been plodding along. By August, things will be a little more clearer. But for now two courses which have been a bane, are now completed. I feel somewhat indifferent, but satisfied. Its over, and now the road before me is of wonder, and excitement. Indeed these are interesting times to be alive.
Shoving off to the East was an interesting experience. Traveling east was different in that it was farthest I've gone before. That the time there was curiosity, met new peeps, and just hung out. Besides having to be up at the crack of dawn which at this time of year is around 4:30am, I might have slept to about 7. No later. Downtown is pretty cool, like the old school feel to the place. Streets were like driving off road. Alas, we'll be back soon, but could be later in the year.
So the big news still is the network from Sony. It finally came up this weekend, only to the limited capacity of Sony's doing. Alas, I've spent a portion of my time focusing on my finals, reading intermittently about the network debacle. Otherwise there is a lot of opinions on the subject, and I feel its subjective to the over all problems, who's right, who's wrong, etc.
Each opinion carries with its own undercurrent of either keen or vitriolic observation. The only issue I have with some of the paid contributors are the expected rights to online access to first person shooters, or multiplyer games. Not only that, the purported (conspiracy) deception Sony is evoking is spoke like its per fact. I'm not disputing the network attack was a good thing, nor did I evoke armchair posturing either. Sony's reluctance to respond publicly, resulted in a huge damage control from their PR head, and a lack of transparency, clouded a very terse situation.
No one was hurt, or killed. But, information was obtained, and could be used for nefarious means. The fallout from the debacle, has given rise to bickering, and badmouthing everything Sony does. I want to punch these people for being so mendacious, and maniacal. No one has given rights to anything but their own person. I just would like to see a little more balance in the coverage, not so much hysteria over something very trivial. Alas, I'm in the minority when this stuff arises. Sigh....
Kids have the know how, and fortitude to decrypt anything they can get their mittens upon. There also is the need to over react to the downing of a service that isn't exactly free. In essence people pay for their service providers network to utilize the network Sony puts out freely. There are certain perks to having a console mostly as a entertainment device, or a coders box. The only discernible aptitude the cats who tinker is to see what will it take to break the box down. Fortunately, and if there is honest scruples with the community, that none of the stuff taken will be used illegally, or in malice.
Thanks for reading.
B.
Shoving off to the East was an interesting experience. Traveling east was different in that it was farthest I've gone before. That the time there was curiosity, met new peeps, and just hung out. Besides having to be up at the crack of dawn which at this time of year is around 4:30am, I might have slept to about 7. No later. Downtown is pretty cool, like the old school feel to the place. Streets were like driving off road. Alas, we'll be back soon, but could be later in the year.
So the big news still is the network from Sony. It finally came up this weekend, only to the limited capacity of Sony's doing. Alas, I've spent a portion of my time focusing on my finals, reading intermittently about the network debacle. Otherwise there is a lot of opinions on the subject, and I feel its subjective to the over all problems, who's right, who's wrong, etc.
Each opinion carries with its own undercurrent of either keen or vitriolic observation. The only issue I have with some of the paid contributors are the expected rights to online access to first person shooters, or multiplyer games. Not only that, the purported (conspiracy) deception Sony is evoking is spoke like its per fact. I'm not disputing the network attack was a good thing, nor did I evoke armchair posturing either. Sony's reluctance to respond publicly, resulted in a huge damage control from their PR head, and a lack of transparency, clouded a very terse situation.
No one was hurt, or killed. But, information was obtained, and could be used for nefarious means. The fallout from the debacle, has given rise to bickering, and badmouthing everything Sony does. I want to punch these people for being so mendacious, and maniacal. No one has given rights to anything but their own person. I just would like to see a little more balance in the coverage, not so much hysteria over something very trivial. Alas, I'm in the minority when this stuff arises. Sigh....
Kids have the know how, and fortitude to decrypt anything they can get their mittens upon. There also is the need to over react to the downing of a service that isn't exactly free. In essence people pay for their service providers network to utilize the network Sony puts out freely. There are certain perks to having a console mostly as a entertainment device, or a coders box. The only discernible aptitude the cats who tinker is to see what will it take to break the box down. Fortunately, and if there is honest scruples with the community, that none of the stuff taken will be used illegally, or in malice.
Thanks for reading.
B.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Finals and much needed rest
As this week closes, I'm concluding my two courses, and awaiting a much needed respite from the hectic workload that was winter term. I need rest, away from information, tech, and frankly its well deserved. I've spent gobs of time just plunking around, reading, and trying to at least stay in the curve of information. There is a point though I've come to burn out, or lack of enthusiasm. Its not that I don't enjoy a good read, or learning, but there is a point to which it becomes cumbersome, boring, and tedious. There isn't any real complaint I can levy here, as this is the way things are in the fast paced interconnected world. People are literally walking billboards of social media whoring, and lets not mince words, if the brand of self isn't fitting into the construct of 21st century ideology, the focal idiom is at a downward slide into a void of irrelevance.
I base my existence upon truth, and what I bring to the table. In this world I watch in a corner in which the changes of outwitting the casual living person with distractions, incomprehensible iterations upon stupid non issues, that it sullies the experience of interconnectedness. I've pulled further away from these bristling's, and forced myself to confront why I'm so clingy to have my own bubble. If comfort, transparency are paramount in this new era of digital expansion, I'm okay with that. What I'm not okay with is the consistent battering ram of discourse built around fear and distortion. I suppose the very facet of which makes life interesting is how everyone perceives what they think is happening. Regardless, its gotten old, and I'm just to tired of caring.
Which brings me to my prior posting, Sony for all intensive purposes is the paradigm of which I talk about. The how big is too big, public relations double speak, the irrelevant expose on what is but what isn't. I can't wrap my head around these kinds of probes of verbal garbage. Plus, the fact we all are in some capacity slaves to the very system that bore what used to be competition, which turned into corporate sameness, while the public watches out shareholders hostile takeover of smaller independents.
I personally think that Sony's practices mirror exactly why there is so much wrong with corporate superlative. The largeness of the whole, where as the mantra of disjunctive press, and even to a lesser extent self mutalation of brand recognition has become fodder for many to lament at the state of current structures. It's become very apparent that we are witnessing in my estimation the fall of the corporate being. The covert, the misdirect, the vale of secrecy wound extremely tight, that the faces that represent these companies are often protected from scrutiny. Then there is the aspect of the consumer rights, ownership of said product to do with as we choose. Lastly, the tethering of media (DRM), to corporately controlled devices that go against even critical thinking in the face of more hostile forces.
I don't want to be the alarmist, but I believe we have vested interest in showing what can happen when checks and balances aren't legitmized, or in this case respected. That the owning to the mistake is far more important than being invisible to the problem currently. It doesn't take that much for a person to be soured on the experience of having something stolen. Then again we live in an unguarded internet world, that is rife with seedy situations, and characters whom scream for attention. Thanks for reading.
B.
I base my existence upon truth, and what I bring to the table. In this world I watch in a corner in which the changes of outwitting the casual living person with distractions, incomprehensible iterations upon stupid non issues, that it sullies the experience of interconnectedness. I've pulled further away from these bristling's, and forced myself to confront why I'm so clingy to have my own bubble. If comfort, transparency are paramount in this new era of digital expansion, I'm okay with that. What I'm not okay with is the consistent battering ram of discourse built around fear and distortion. I suppose the very facet of which makes life interesting is how everyone perceives what they think is happening. Regardless, its gotten old, and I'm just to tired of caring.
Which brings me to my prior posting, Sony for all intensive purposes is the paradigm of which I talk about. The how big is too big, public relations double speak, the irrelevant expose on what is but what isn't. I can't wrap my head around these kinds of probes of verbal garbage. Plus, the fact we all are in some capacity slaves to the very system that bore what used to be competition, which turned into corporate sameness, while the public watches out shareholders hostile takeover of smaller independents.
I personally think that Sony's practices mirror exactly why there is so much wrong with corporate superlative. The largeness of the whole, where as the mantra of disjunctive press, and even to a lesser extent self mutalation of brand recognition has become fodder for many to lament at the state of current structures. It's become very apparent that we are witnessing in my estimation the fall of the corporate being. The covert, the misdirect, the vale of secrecy wound extremely tight, that the faces that represent these companies are often protected from scrutiny. Then there is the aspect of the consumer rights, ownership of said product to do with as we choose. Lastly, the tethering of media (DRM), to corporately controlled devices that go against even critical thinking in the face of more hostile forces.
I don't want to be the alarmist, but I believe we have vested interest in showing what can happen when checks and balances aren't legitmized, or in this case respected. That the owning to the mistake is far more important than being invisible to the problem currently. It doesn't take that much for a person to be soured on the experience of having something stolen. Then again we live in an unguarded internet world, that is rife with seedy situations, and characters whom scream for attention. Thanks for reading.
B.
Monday, April 25, 2011
A mighty fine mess
Well, its finals time, well a week early for me as life can't stop just because I'm in school. Otherwise I'm a stressing unit at the moment, as I have concurrent courses side by side to finish. Programming is all but finished except a pass by reference thing, and two pieces left for the math course. Quiz for chapter 5 section, which I might add is/was difficult, but not to hard to understand, just a lot of rules to practice in a very short period. Lastly, the finals test which I told the instructor I would be doing Saturday, or this weekend. I am as they say working my arse off to get down crucial pieces of the formulas so I can take this without stress. Well, that's a little more easier to say than put into action for me. I hate tests, I find them to be a bit of annoyance to the process, as I think fun is where it needs to be. Unfortunately, this isn't the case with grown ups, everything must be on the line.
This weeks news is about the Playstation Network going offline. During the week, I was having intermittent connection issues. The full frontal network collapse happened last Wedsenday. Sony hasn't been able to rectify this problem as of this writing. The (unnamed group) whom announced publicly after Sony's suing a user whom decrypted the Playstation 3 algorithm. (unnamed group) became livid when Sony announced they were suing the gent who reversed engineered the protocol. His jail breaking of the PS3 essentially put a large bulls eye on Sony and its various affiliates.
**Update: As of today April 26th, Sony announced they were indeed hacked. All personal information pertaining to the system, blog site, credit card info, where compromised. This leads me to conclude their public relations department wasn't going to say anything until it was too late, or in this case way outside of the fact.
This doesn't bode very well for the future of console systems as this very foundation of security of said systems can be compromised without any regard to the fact. Users whom depend upon their entertainment fix will have to resort to their competitors, where as I think no one system is ever full proof. The illusion of security is often a bad precedence even for these other competitor systems XBOX, and Nintendo. Welcome to the open online world.
I don't theoretically believe Sony will recover from this. I think in part is that most of their business model has stemmed in part to the older gaming crowd, and that to a lesser degree used to tailor their systems to the tinkerer crowd (me) the old Playstation 2, and for awhile the Playstation 3. Their systems were compatible with the Yellow Dog distro *Red Hat forking. In 2010, Sony basically said no to the Linux tinkering, and went about a very covert, and I must say sly way of cutting off the ability to install Yellow Dog. They were threatening that their systems were being used for pirated games, and transmission of pirated games.
Because of the cloak and secrecy of Sony's lack of information during this ordeal, their PR department hasn't really been all that forthright in my opinion in asking for the gaming community for support. Its a really weird situation to watch as the giant that is Sony try to rectify their botched handling of the hack. Take what you want from a large corporations lack of control, which led to speculation, bickering, and nasty forum postings about Sony's PR department.
Before today's announcement, they've been exclusively hidden about their network problem. Its my impression they've been combative, evasive, and terse in getting any type of real information out to the public. Sony figured the core base was going to be patient about the downtime, and well that didn't really work in favor of their big releases: Mortal Kombat, Portal 2, and SOCOM 4.
I think at this juncture is how the rights of the consumer (us) has in essence been twiddled down to corporately controlled, manipulated, EULA heavily worded code for their property leased Playstation 3 machines. We the public are in essence given no right whatsoever to do what we want to the hardware we've legally purchased. I'm not saying that its right to pirate, but when you give the impression of being a major dickhead, some folks are going to look at this as just fodder for doing so. It hasn't helped the RIAA very much, nor has it made the MPAA any friends. People want choices, not tightly, corporately controlled devices that track what we do, say, and share. To this endeavor I feel is very much Orwellian. But I digress, I really would like to see an open world where there are options that are fruitful, and can be expanded upon without need of corporate interference. I can dream right?
This weeks news is about the Playstation Network going offline. During the week, I was having intermittent connection issues. The full frontal network collapse happened last Wedsenday. Sony hasn't been able to rectify this problem as of this writing. The (unnamed group) whom announced publicly after Sony's suing a user whom decrypted the Playstation 3 algorithm. (unnamed group) became livid when Sony announced they were suing the gent who reversed engineered the protocol. His jail breaking of the PS3 essentially put a large bulls eye on Sony and its various affiliates.
**Update: As of today April 26th, Sony announced they were indeed hacked. All personal information pertaining to the system, blog site, credit card info, where compromised. This leads me to conclude their public relations department wasn't going to say anything until it was too late, or in this case way outside of the fact.
This doesn't bode very well for the future of console systems as this very foundation of security of said systems can be compromised without any regard to the fact. Users whom depend upon their entertainment fix will have to resort to their competitors, where as I think no one system is ever full proof. The illusion of security is often a bad precedence even for these other competitor systems XBOX, and Nintendo. Welcome to the open online world.
I don't theoretically believe Sony will recover from this. I think in part is that most of their business model has stemmed in part to the older gaming crowd, and that to a lesser degree used to tailor their systems to the tinkerer crowd (me) the old Playstation 2, and for awhile the Playstation 3. Their systems were compatible with the Yellow Dog distro *Red Hat forking. In 2010, Sony basically said no to the Linux tinkering, and went about a very covert, and I must say sly way of cutting off the ability to install Yellow Dog. They were threatening that their systems were being used for pirated games, and transmission of pirated games.
Because of the cloak and secrecy of Sony's lack of information during this ordeal, their PR department hasn't really been all that forthright in my opinion in asking for the gaming community for support. Its a really weird situation to watch as the giant that is Sony try to rectify their botched handling of the hack. Take what you want from a large corporations lack of control, which led to speculation, bickering, and nasty forum postings about Sony's PR department.
Before today's announcement, they've been exclusively hidden about their network problem. Its my impression they've been combative, evasive, and terse in getting any type of real information out to the public. Sony figured the core base was going to be patient about the downtime, and well that didn't really work in favor of their big releases: Mortal Kombat, Portal 2, and SOCOM 4.
I think at this juncture is how the rights of the consumer (us) has in essence been twiddled down to corporately controlled, manipulated, EULA heavily worded code for their property leased Playstation 3 machines. We the public are in essence given no right whatsoever to do what we want to the hardware we've legally purchased. I'm not saying that its right to pirate, but when you give the impression of being a major dickhead, some folks are going to look at this as just fodder for doing so. It hasn't helped the RIAA very much, nor has it made the MPAA any friends. People want choices, not tightly, corporately controlled devices that track what we do, say, and share. To this endeavor I feel is very much Orwellian. But I digress, I really would like to see an open world where there are options that are fruitful, and can be expanded upon without need of corporate interference. I can dream right?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Meeting Today
This is probably the most difficult meeting I've had in sometime. I was thrusted into my own perception today. It was as if I was being shoved a little to think about what it is that drives me, and my personal difficulties.
Where does the pressure to succeed come from? What is my motivation to being extremely closed off about people, and open to new experiences that may or may not be advantageous for my personal growth?
Do I seek validation for the efforts I employ? Do I trust someone other than myself? Lastly, the importance upon setting boundaries that are healthy, and cognitive enough for me to mingle freely without provocation?
I suppose, its 2011, I've lived a very survivalist life. Hand to mouth. One project to another, and so on. Have I become so ingrained in my own lot, that I myself haven't really seen outside of the peculiarities of what life has to offer me?
I'm not trying to evade, or avoid, I've been burned, hurt, abused, and victimized that I've crawled into this shell, plunking away at the bottom feeders of carrion. I've been exclusively set in my dream to be an artist, and that endeavor somewhat ended because of ego/validation.
I guess its real work to look at what I've been, and where I need to be going. Nothing is ever certain, as proof of living through 2007. But, I'm also not so stuck in the mud that I need to acknowledge what I was doing for a long time doesn't work now. That I'm realizing that I've got to adjust, adapt, and figure it out. I still do not have the slightest idea what I want to do with my life. I have inclinations, but otherwise that clarity thing is obscured from sight. My feeling is it'll be with technology, in what capacity who knows.
Otherwise, I'm tired of rebuilding. Its old, its not in my best interest to keep tearing it down. I lose bits of myself this way. There was a time I was so Bushido, that I wanted nothing to own. Folks thought that mightily strange, but it worked for me then. I still feel like I have to hold onto various ethics for my personal safety.
I don't know, I'm just putting this here to read later on. A lot of brooding this evening. I have a lot to think about.
B.
Where does the pressure to succeed come from? What is my motivation to being extremely closed off about people, and open to new experiences that may or may not be advantageous for my personal growth?
Do I seek validation for the efforts I employ? Do I trust someone other than myself? Lastly, the importance upon setting boundaries that are healthy, and cognitive enough for me to mingle freely without provocation?
I suppose, its 2011, I've lived a very survivalist life. Hand to mouth. One project to another, and so on. Have I become so ingrained in my own lot, that I myself haven't really seen outside of the peculiarities of what life has to offer me?
I'm not trying to evade, or avoid, I've been burned, hurt, abused, and victimized that I've crawled into this shell, plunking away at the bottom feeders of carrion. I've been exclusively set in my dream to be an artist, and that endeavor somewhat ended because of ego/validation.
I guess its real work to look at what I've been, and where I need to be going. Nothing is ever certain, as proof of living through 2007. But, I'm also not so stuck in the mud that I need to acknowledge what I was doing for a long time doesn't work now. That I'm realizing that I've got to adjust, adapt, and figure it out. I still do not have the slightest idea what I want to do with my life. I have inclinations, but otherwise that clarity thing is obscured from sight. My feeling is it'll be with technology, in what capacity who knows.
Otherwise, I'm tired of rebuilding. Its old, its not in my best interest to keep tearing it down. I lose bits of myself this way. There was a time I was so Bushido, that I wanted nothing to own. Folks thought that mightily strange, but it worked for me then. I still feel like I have to hold onto various ethics for my personal safety.
I don't know, I'm just putting this here to read later on. A lot of brooding this evening. I have a lot to think about.
B.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Goddamn Me, Changes
1999 - 2011 Open Office
Well, well, well. A software suite I've used during my Windows and Linux days is over. Open Office first appeared online around 2000. Yeah, it wasn't fancy, perfect, or whiz bang intuitive, but it was a cheaper alternative to what was/is out there, and in my opinion a better version of a straight forward program to write with. I believed at that time that code/programs shouldn't cost a years salary, and some doctorate to install/use. Open Office will always be fondly remembered to me as I used this exclusively as my writing program. I wrote in my (then) journal, fancy resumes, cover letters, and endless edits with college homework assignments.
My last big project came with the Jazz in American Culture course back in fall of 2009. There was so much work that went into that assignment, the biggest drawback though and this became a real thorn for me was the cross platform ability to save from the .odt, to a .doc format. Saving in .odt meant the file size was tiny, going into a .doc format was three times the size, and often would balloon if pictures were placed. All the edits in the world wouldn't compact the file size, so this was becoming very concerning.
I should also qualify that Open Office was also pretty pissed off about the XML document standard Microsoft was sexing the industry up around 2006/2007. Thus making Microsoft's ability to be the big penis waver much more apparent. What is XML? XML is a standard to which only and specifically Microsoft can enforce for any documents being used, written, modified in their Word suite.
This essentially played very foul with other word programs because if one used (ex.) Open Office and wanted to save it in the XML standard, you weren't allowed to. Its also where the EU governing body was ignored to the case of a unified cross platform exchange of many document writers i.e. Open Office, Word, and Pages, etc.
Microsoft's tactics of trying to pay for votes towards a one only standard of file format somewhat fell on its ass. Microsoft decided they were going to institute the standard anyways and ignored any criticism levied. So here we are in 2011, I still don't use Word, and won't. Its a nice platform for it what does, but I prefer free.
When Sun MicroSystem's bought Star Office 1999, which was then turned into Open Office project. From 2000 onwards Open Office was developed by partnerships with Novell, Red Hat, and the open source project. Open Office gained a lot of core supporters, including myself. Open Office enjoyed some flexible development (I think), but Sun MicroSystem's was bleeding money from its network division, and by 2006 they were having trouble keeping the ship afloat. Three years later Oracle buys Sun MicroSystem's for 7 plus billion dollars. 2009 would see the end to the Sun MicroSystem's brand name, and replaced with the name Oracle. I have mixed feelings about Oracle, some of them relate back to the 90's when Oracle was trying a paywall service to the operating system environment.
As of today Open Office is gone. Oracle killed the project because of difficulties with the open source community. All I gather is that the operating profits for Oracle didn't include Open Office, and Oracle's own admission (In My Opinion) was they were going to kill off anything that wasn't profitable for their company.
The open source community fought Oracle, from what I can tell weren't going to cede the main reason for free software, and thunderously became a point of contention with the programmers. Though Open Office is gone, LibreOffice is the new kiddo, but I feel like it might take a little work to get this going because of the fallout of the XML standard. Some people aren't going to want to learn another program, the learning curve is really steep once you start taking into account how much will be changed. Heck, most office productivity programs are eventually going to be tethered to a cloud based writing program. It'll be interesting to see where this goes. I for one, will miss the oOo name. Just had a nifty ring to it.
Thanks for reading.
B.
Well, well, well. A software suite I've used during my Windows and Linux days is over. Open Office first appeared online around 2000. Yeah, it wasn't fancy, perfect, or whiz bang intuitive, but it was a cheaper alternative to what was/is out there, and in my opinion a better version of a straight forward program to write with. I believed at that time that code/programs shouldn't cost a years salary, and some doctorate to install/use. Open Office will always be fondly remembered to me as I used this exclusively as my writing program. I wrote in my (then) journal, fancy resumes, cover letters, and endless edits with college homework assignments.
My last big project came with the Jazz in American Culture course back in fall of 2009. There was so much work that went into that assignment, the biggest drawback though and this became a real thorn for me was the cross platform ability to save from the .odt, to a .doc format. Saving in .odt meant the file size was tiny, going into a .doc format was three times the size, and often would balloon if pictures were placed. All the edits in the world wouldn't compact the file size, so this was becoming very concerning.
I should also qualify that Open Office was also pretty pissed off about the XML document standard Microsoft was sexing the industry up around 2006/2007. Thus making Microsoft's ability to be the big penis waver much more apparent. What is XML? XML is a standard to which only and specifically Microsoft can enforce for any documents being used, written, modified in their Word suite.
This essentially played very foul with other word programs because if one used (ex.) Open Office and wanted to save it in the XML standard, you weren't allowed to. Its also where the EU governing body was ignored to the case of a unified cross platform exchange of many document writers i.e. Open Office, Word, and Pages, etc.
Microsoft's tactics of trying to pay for votes towards a one only standard of file format somewhat fell on its ass. Microsoft decided they were going to institute the standard anyways and ignored any criticism levied. So here we are in 2011, I still don't use Word, and won't. Its a nice platform for it what does, but I prefer free.
When Sun MicroSystem's bought Star Office 1999, which was then turned into Open Office project. From 2000 onwards Open Office was developed by partnerships with Novell, Red Hat, and the open source project. Open Office gained a lot of core supporters, including myself. Open Office enjoyed some flexible development (I think), but Sun MicroSystem's was bleeding money from its network division, and by 2006 they were having trouble keeping the ship afloat. Three years later Oracle buys Sun MicroSystem's for 7 plus billion dollars. 2009 would see the end to the Sun MicroSystem's brand name, and replaced with the name Oracle. I have mixed feelings about Oracle, some of them relate back to the 90's when Oracle was trying a paywall service to the operating system environment.
As of today Open Office is gone. Oracle killed the project because of difficulties with the open source community. All I gather is that the operating profits for Oracle didn't include Open Office, and Oracle's own admission (In My Opinion) was they were going to kill off anything that wasn't profitable for their company.
The open source community fought Oracle, from what I can tell weren't going to cede the main reason for free software, and thunderously became a point of contention with the programmers. Though Open Office is gone, LibreOffice is the new kiddo, but I feel like it might take a little work to get this going because of the fallout of the XML standard. Some people aren't going to want to learn another program, the learning curve is really steep once you start taking into account how much will be changed. Heck, most office productivity programs are eventually going to be tethered to a cloud based writing program. It'll be interesting to see where this goes. I for one, will miss the oOo name. Just had a nifty ring to it.
Thanks for reading.
B.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Utmost disdain
Well, I'm sitting here on a Saturday, coding, with what I think will be the building blocks of my switch case assignment, and I'm waiting as always for correspondence. To whatever avail I have at my finger tips, I'm feeling somewhat saddened by the change of computer systems, and how people interact with them.
You see, I built my first system (ECS). Though it wasn't perfect, I could and would do many types of tweaking and testing of whatever I chose to put that system through. Though I had lacked good fundage to afford a much greater system to bigger complicated tasks with, it wasn't just about tweaking that I became enthralled with. In general terms it was my connection to the world of information. Anything, video, music, and news. I was so excited for the next frontier I was immersing myself in the field of Linux thinking that maybe I could get 'in' on the open source wave. Well, I'm still trying to figure out where it all means for me in the sense of connectedness. I'm no closer to an answer I set out to find back in 2003/2004.
This year marks year 8 from the first build I did on my own. There was so much promise, excitement, I forgot to think about what happens when there isn't anything left to mine. I've spent countless hours going on weird niche information hunting assignments that I've become so accustomed to routine that now I'm feeling somewhat let down. I can't really feel alone here in that there is so much to learn but I've been so stubborn with the way I've honed the craft that I'm not sure where I'll end up next.
The uncanny valley I think has happened for me. The fact the tech foundries aren't utilizing even the 10th percent of the hardware, let alone designing stuff that will last beyond 3 months is atrocious. Gone are the bios chips one could remove flash, and rebuild, whereas companies specifically use built in, heavily controlled systems done by manufacturing. The guesswork is taken out of the loop, and we are expected to just plug in and go. For simplicity sake yes I like this, but at the same time, this leaves me an old man pinning for the old days. I want to tweak and install, and do whatever I can to break systems, but I feel like I'm in the last breathing gasps of the home computer user market.
Its going away from a tethered wall wort, to a transportable, linked via wireless type system. I'm not even sure where I fit into this new idiom. I enjoy doing and learning, but at the pace of turnover of yearly bothers me. There is already to much e-waste out there, so to make more doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Every type of handheld device is tethered to a pay to play construct it makes this stratus almost unreachable for me. The costs of using wireless services is astronomical, considering how much more expensive things are at this stage of the game.
I've spent hours talking to myself about what kind of system I need to build. Everything takes money, and money is often the bain that chars this hide. Alas, I'm realizing maybe the universe is trying to tell me something, I just haven't figured out what that is yet.
B.
You see, I built my first system (ECS). Though it wasn't perfect, I could and would do many types of tweaking and testing of whatever I chose to put that system through. Though I had lacked good fundage to afford a much greater system to bigger complicated tasks with, it wasn't just about tweaking that I became enthralled with. In general terms it was my connection to the world of information. Anything, video, music, and news. I was so excited for the next frontier I was immersing myself in the field of Linux thinking that maybe I could get 'in' on the open source wave. Well, I'm still trying to figure out where it all means for me in the sense of connectedness. I'm no closer to an answer I set out to find back in 2003/2004.
This year marks year 8 from the first build I did on my own. There was so much promise, excitement, I forgot to think about what happens when there isn't anything left to mine. I've spent countless hours going on weird niche information hunting assignments that I've become so accustomed to routine that now I'm feeling somewhat let down. I can't really feel alone here in that there is so much to learn but I've been so stubborn with the way I've honed the craft that I'm not sure where I'll end up next.
The uncanny valley I think has happened for me. The fact the tech foundries aren't utilizing even the 10th percent of the hardware, let alone designing stuff that will last beyond 3 months is atrocious. Gone are the bios chips one could remove flash, and rebuild, whereas companies specifically use built in, heavily controlled systems done by manufacturing. The guesswork is taken out of the loop, and we are expected to just plug in and go. For simplicity sake yes I like this, but at the same time, this leaves me an old man pinning for the old days. I want to tweak and install, and do whatever I can to break systems, but I feel like I'm in the last breathing gasps of the home computer user market.
Its going away from a tethered wall wort, to a transportable, linked via wireless type system. I'm not even sure where I fit into this new idiom. I enjoy doing and learning, but at the pace of turnover of yearly bothers me. There is already to much e-waste out there, so to make more doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Every type of handheld device is tethered to a pay to play construct it makes this stratus almost unreachable for me. The costs of using wireless services is astronomical, considering how much more expensive things are at this stage of the game.
I've spent hours talking to myself about what kind of system I need to build. Everything takes money, and money is often the bain that chars this hide. Alas, I'm realizing maybe the universe is trying to tell me something, I just haven't figured out what that is yet.
B.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Another few weeks, time just cooks along
Ah, this is what its like to weed through the weeks, focusing upon the titular bits of truth in a sea of misinformation, and trying to stay dedicated to the fruit of my passion: learning something viable for the workforce. (If I can even get into it considering the fact so much of it is under extreme uncertainty) I would like to believe that the world is a true and just place, only I've been learning this isn't so because certain things are in place that makes living your own life somewhat difficult, or damned miserable.
Something was posed to me a week ago, "what is the universe trying to tell me." This put me in a reflective mood, to ponder about. In my life I've always felt that my timing has been off. This idiom throws my prior comprehension a bit askew. Perhaps its that there was nothing wrong with my timing, in fact I'm supposed to be unfolding in my own aspect.
I've been blindsided with folks whom have been conditioned to believe and function a certain set (correct) way. That the paradigm I've been entrenched with doesn't suit their expectation/judgement of what it is. I'm being encouraged that isn't so bad, nor does it make me feel less of a person because I couldn't do it like most people. The universe has been trying to tell me that I'm fine, that what I'm doing is enriching to my perception, that I can't ask for anything more. That I'm to be contented with that fact. I've been exposed with harsh bitter judgement, which has fostered a cancerous climate towards me personally. I've been told numerous times that I'm not doing it right. For them I say fuck you, I've survived, done things on my own terms, and have enriched experiences for it. I've survived because I used my intuition, and gut instinct. Helps to have a bit of wisdom, and smarts to go with that.
Continuing on the new stuff segment that I was writing last time. I've been finding more groups of long gone status. Fudge Tunnel, and Leather Strip (still together last checked). Fudge Tunnel, a band that has roots in the slow doom sound. Raw, and poignant. This is an apt description I can give. Its pretty remarkable considering all that was out at the time. Entombed, and others were knee deep in the scene, Fudge Tunnel was a band muddled in the scene that was over flowing with similarities.
Then I go to Leather Strip, never heard anything from this German band tied to the industrial scene. Surprising on how much I still don't know about the industrial scene. I'm a listener of extremes, carving a wide swath of musical tastes, I have found metal music can be confining in its own right. Otherwise, this year has me searching back a little bit. Being exposed to as many different styles as I can.
I'm kind of tired of the styles label. There is so much out there that I've honed in on specific groups that I remember, and following the connections to other groups of the period. I think personally, the scene was explosive, challenging, and inventive. Yeah there are clones of regular type music styles, but its in the presentation that sticks with me. I'm not big on the flash, its heart, and substance that I get.
Hence, I've even gone back and looked at Siouxsie and the Banshees catalog. I think they're peak was 1987 with the covers album Through The Looking Glass. By the time Superstition 1991 came out, this era had moved on. Bands whom were born in the 1970's didn't survive much into the mid 1990s. I look at this period with profound nostalgia. Something about being exposed to different types of music really stuck with me. That I constantly hunt for that elusive different, and unique. I felt though during the period bands whom where clinging to their mantra, where losing out to the next wave of crop pushed out by the labels. People had moved away from the mod look, hair/cock rock, punk scene, and clamored around for a much more varied harder sound. Whereas the folks groomed on this style moved on, and never really looked beyond that music style.
My feeling is that the industry as a whole kept trying to push their fresh agendas to the homes of kids like myself. Announcing new offerings of Rap, Grunge, Hip Hop, R&B Hip Hop. I stopped really paying attention to the pop scene around 1992. Because I had felt that what I wanted to listened to was being largely ignored by the masses. I turned to the underground scene for substance. I would occasionally poking my head up to see what was going on in the proceeding years. I had aligned myself to only one specific style, which made me an elitist asshole. I find it can be really difficult to waft through the chaff when it comes to bands, and music. There is so much, that its hard to sift through what is, and what isn't. I suppose the backing of label interest or having a advertising firm step in and coach ones career makes sense. There isn't a market for the style I love anymore. In fact its teetering on irrelevance. So, I dusted off the cynical attitude, and pushed through it. Since 2000, I've opened up more, focused on a few areas that I think and feel are very important. Sure bands have come and gone, as youth trumps over the established group. The staying factor is often missing, but I don't align myself to that process, I don't care as long as one does what they love, the fans will always be there. Something the blokes in Novembers Doom were discussing is that the album era is long over. Short term attention spans, no one really has the time to sit through a full album. I'm that singularity that still does. I treat it with great respect to still have that ability. Otherwise until next time, lets see whats out there...
Thanks for reading.
B.
Something was posed to me a week ago, "what is the universe trying to tell me." This put me in a reflective mood, to ponder about. In my life I've always felt that my timing has been off. This idiom throws my prior comprehension a bit askew. Perhaps its that there was nothing wrong with my timing, in fact I'm supposed to be unfolding in my own aspect.
I've been blindsided with folks whom have been conditioned to believe and function a certain set (correct) way. That the paradigm I've been entrenched with doesn't suit their expectation/judgement of what it is. I'm being encouraged that isn't so bad, nor does it make me feel less of a person because I couldn't do it like most people. The universe has been trying to tell me that I'm fine, that what I'm doing is enriching to my perception, that I can't ask for anything more. That I'm to be contented with that fact. I've been exposed with harsh bitter judgement, which has fostered a cancerous climate towards me personally. I've been told numerous times that I'm not doing it right. For them I say fuck you, I've survived, done things on my own terms, and have enriched experiences for it. I've survived because I used my intuition, and gut instinct. Helps to have a bit of wisdom, and smarts to go with that.
Continuing on the new stuff segment that I was writing last time. I've been finding more groups of long gone status. Fudge Tunnel, and Leather Strip (still together last checked). Fudge Tunnel, a band that has roots in the slow doom sound. Raw, and poignant. This is an apt description I can give. Its pretty remarkable considering all that was out at the time. Entombed, and others were knee deep in the scene, Fudge Tunnel was a band muddled in the scene that was over flowing with similarities.
Then I go to Leather Strip, never heard anything from this German band tied to the industrial scene. Surprising on how much I still don't know about the industrial scene. I'm a listener of extremes, carving a wide swath of musical tastes, I have found metal music can be confining in its own right. Otherwise, this year has me searching back a little bit. Being exposed to as many different styles as I can.
I'm kind of tired of the styles label. There is so much out there that I've honed in on specific groups that I remember, and following the connections to other groups of the period. I think personally, the scene was explosive, challenging, and inventive. Yeah there are clones of regular type music styles, but its in the presentation that sticks with me. I'm not big on the flash, its heart, and substance that I get.
Hence, I've even gone back and looked at Siouxsie and the Banshees catalog. I think they're peak was 1987 with the covers album Through The Looking Glass. By the time Superstition 1991 came out, this era had moved on. Bands whom were born in the 1970's didn't survive much into the mid 1990s. I look at this period with profound nostalgia. Something about being exposed to different types of music really stuck with me. That I constantly hunt for that elusive different, and unique. I felt though during the period bands whom where clinging to their mantra, where losing out to the next wave of crop pushed out by the labels. People had moved away from the mod look, hair/cock rock, punk scene, and clamored around for a much more varied harder sound. Whereas the folks groomed on this style moved on, and never really looked beyond that music style.
My feeling is that the industry as a whole kept trying to push their fresh agendas to the homes of kids like myself. Announcing new offerings of Rap, Grunge, Hip Hop, R&B Hip Hop. I stopped really paying attention to the pop scene around 1992. Because I had felt that what I wanted to listened to was being largely ignored by the masses. I turned to the underground scene for substance. I would occasionally poking my head up to see what was going on in the proceeding years. I had aligned myself to only one specific style, which made me an elitist asshole. I find it can be really difficult to waft through the chaff when it comes to bands, and music. There is so much, that its hard to sift through what is, and what isn't. I suppose the backing of label interest or having a advertising firm step in and coach ones career makes sense. There isn't a market for the style I love anymore. In fact its teetering on irrelevance. So, I dusted off the cynical attitude, and pushed through it. Since 2000, I've opened up more, focused on a few areas that I think and feel are very important. Sure bands have come and gone, as youth trumps over the established group. The staying factor is often missing, but I don't align myself to that process, I don't care as long as one does what they love, the fans will always be there. Something the blokes in Novembers Doom were discussing is that the album era is long over. Short term attention spans, no one really has the time to sit through a full album. I'm that singularity that still does. I treat it with great respect to still have that ability. Otherwise until next time, lets see whats out there...
Thanks for reading.
B.
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