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[2009-06-09 09:14:07] - amy: When Napster was working (totally illegally) in college, that was how I found a ton of new music. I have many stories of finding artists that I thoroughly enjoy now with obscure or random searches and getting the music, almost by mistake. These days I find some new music on Pandora, but largely it has to be recommended to me personally. -- Xpovos
[2009-06-09 00:55:57] - ...or Rhapsody (which I have a paid subscription to and use but would totally not recommend and I'm going to cancel it soon). Yay flooding the mboard. -amy
[2009-06-09 00:54:31] - Well I'll go ahead and answer my own question. Who'd figure I'm the only one on the mboard at 1 AM, hmm. So I like to hear whole songs a few times before buying an album. I can tell from a clip whether a song is pleasant but I can't tell if I'll *love* it. A clip can't get me to buy a song. I will listen to tracks on bands' web presences or find music on YouTube... -amy
[2009-06-09 00:52:26] - Esp. for new artists as opposed to an artist you are already a fan of and maybe already have some of their music. I ask because we are trying to decide whether to put clips or full tracks on our website/myspace/fb/youtube, and how many songs, etc. Since our album will be avail for purchase in July! -amy
[2009-06-09 00:50:41] - ...before buying it? -amy
[2009-06-09 00:50:33] - How do you decide to buy music? Do you like to listen to whole songs or just clips, how many songs do you need to hear before deciding to buy a whole album, how many times would you listen to a song or clip before deciding on the purchase? Do you go to bands' fb, mypsace, websites, or do you use Pandora or last.fm, or would you find ways to download the music... -amy
[2009-06-08 16:18:40] - a: That's me. I'm a hardcore voter. -- Xpovos
[2009-06-08 14:00:28] - absentee a governor primary? yikes, that's dedication. ~a
[2009-06-08 13:16:25] - Paul: That's almost excusable. Should have absenteed! -- Xpovos
[2009-06-08 13:00:49] - Xpovos: I'm not voting, seeing as I will still be in California. -Paul
[2009-06-08 12:03:17] - a: Perfect. Now I just need about 3 million more people like you and a boatload of money and I could be the next governor. Unless there's an age requirement that I missed. Which there probably is. -- Xpovos
[2009-06-08 10:54:12] - I'm not sure if I still love the US. or maybe I love the US but I'm not in love with the US - vinnie
[2009-06-08 10:51:01] - xpovos: i'll sell you my vote. ~a
[2009-06-08 10:48:17] - xpovos: I was thinking about it but I don't know anything about the candidates. I'm trying to figure out if the barely informed opinion I can give myself over the next two days is good enough to vote with
- vinnie[2009-06-08 10:14:23] - So: primary election for the VA Democratic gubernatorial candidate tomorrow. Any strong opinions? You all -are- going to be voting, right? ('Cept Dave, and maybe Pierce if he hasn't adjusted his residency yet) -- Xpovos
[2009-06-05 16:29:51] - a: Not really (although if you take away addressing Xpovos, it works really well), I was just wondering where that message came from since I didn't see it before. -Paul
[2009-06-05 16:00:35] - paul, you thought that the first result was thanking you for using the search function? ~a
[2009-06-05 14:39:48] - a: Yeah, I did a search for impromptu after reading Xpovos' comment but before seeing yours and the results included your post, which confused the heck out of me. -Paul
[2009-06-05 14:39:12] - Haha, Q-Tip, I'm so funny/ -Paul
[2009-06-05 14:24:04] - oh noes. i just changed the search results.
~a[2009-06-05 14:23:25] - xpovos: yay search function.
i searched for impromptu! ~a[2009-06-05 14:20:57] - Apparently you saw a guy carrying a pistol and were wondering what the uses were for carrying a gun with you at all times. Pierce screwed it up with #11. -- Xpovos
[2009-06-05 14:17:59] - vinnie: That's what the search function is for! But it's safe to say it's not putting a baby in a blender. -- Xpovos
[2009-06-05 13:04:34] - xpovos: I don't remember what my random post was in reference to - vinnie
[2009-06-05 12:10:23] - The sub-title and random post are a disturbing pair. -- Xpovos
[2009-06-05 12:09:01] - yea, i was going to say the other aspect is that your hs classes lasted the full school year, while your college classes were one semester and tended to have more students in them. ~gurkie
[2009-06-05 12:08:12] - a: It also applies to me, btw. -Paul
[2009-06-05 12:07:47] - Vinnie: Damn you for saying what I was going to say, but sooner! -Paul
[2009-06-05 12:07:25] - a: I think it's because you spent a whole helluva lot less time with your college profs than your HS profs and you probably got a lot more attention from HS profs. -Paul
[2009-06-05 12:06:44] - conclusion: college classes sucked - vinnie
[2009-06-05 12:06:11] - a: class sizes are a lot of it. I just interacted with my hs teachers more. and (at least for me) having friends in hs classes meant it was a more memorable experience, often colored by the teacher's personality - vinnie
[2009-06-05 12:00:15] - a: I think my percentages are more like.... I remember 100% of my hs teachers names... I think I can map out teachers/class schedule for all 4 years... In college I remember more like 40% of the teachers either by name/face/voice... ~gurkie
[2009-06-05 11:58:44] - xpovos: true, but i feel less sympathetic for fictional characters then I do for the people who post on this board. ~gurkie
[2009-06-05 11:34:42] - why is it that i remember ~80% of my teachers in high school but i completely forgot about ~80% of my professors in college. hell, i don't remember what most of them even looked like let alone their names or personalities. does anybody else have this experience? . . . the same thing could probably also be said about classmates, but that one is more explainable. ~a
[2009-06-04 14:38:09] - gurkie: It's sad, regardless. Just if it's a quote from a movie, it's a fictional sad. -- Xpovos
[2009-06-04 12:39:55] - title: is that quote? otherwise im sorry, that sounds sad... ~gurkie
[2009-06-03 22:59:05] - a: Not anymore (GMT) -- Xpovos
[2009-06-03 18:43:40] - oh god. today is wednesday, isn't it?
~a[2009-06-03 17:00:50] - cool, see you all there - vinnie
[2009-06-03 16:57:58] - yea 7 PJ Skidoos... I am open to people coming back to mine after if people want to hang out and play games etc too... Pierce said he would meet me at the metro so I will see you all there... ~gurkie
[2009-06-03 16:54:00] - so 7:00, PJ skidoos? or gurkie, are you just gonna call us when it gets closer to the time? - aaron
[2009-06-03 15:50:27] - vinnie: that isnt even close to the latest... I am trying to decide if I need to be here for the release tonight... If I do I can leave at 6:15 hopefully, if not I can leave a lot earlier... ~gurkie
[2009-06-03 14:53:58] - gurkie: I'm good whenever, when is the latest you might get out here? 7:00? we could just meet then - vinnie
[2009-06-03 12:03:49] - I dont know what time I can get out to fairfax... im in dc right now... what are other people thinking? ~gurkie
[2009-06-03 11:55:19] - timing? ~a
[2009-06-03 11:07:02] - a: I believe from my house you pass pj skidoos on the way to bwu... but maybe I am taking the wrong route... I am fine with BWU too, I just dont know what sort of food I would be able to eat... Also I am not actually sure on timing for this evening. ~gurkie
[2009-06-03 10:18:55] - gurkie: bwu has great specials on friday - $3 rails, $5 appetizers - but i don't know if they do anything cool on wednesdays. pj's sounds good to me - aaron
[2009-06-03 09:50:05] - but to be perfectly honest, they're both about the same distance. in fact, i'm not so sure if you're right that pj skidoos is closer to you. ~a
[2009-06-03 09:45:15] - i would call that a bit further! ~a
[2009-06-03 09:44:14] - a: valid point... bit closer to FAIR LAKES!!! (and me) ~gurkie
[2009-06-03 09:27:29] - gurkie: a bit closer? closer to what?
~a[2009-06-03 09:24:26] - gurkie: never been there but that sounds pretty good... - vinnie
[2009-06-02 22:25:38] - buffalo wing university made me think of pj skidoos, a place on 50 (a bit closer than buffalo wing university) that has free nacho bars on wednesday in addition to cheaper appetizers and meals... ~gurkie
[2009-06-02 13:31:08] - yes. and i agree that hole in the wall is unrelated. ~a
[2009-06-02 13:20:43] - a: did alexi really create hatris?? and since when does "hole in the wall" constitute a tetris variant
- aaron[2009-06-02 13:15:49] - bars in the fair lakes area? i really like "buffalo wing university" out by... the... university. other than that, glory days bar and grill is OK too - aaron
[2009-06-02 11:53:12] - a: Hell, he barely gets credit. I 'love' how the capitalist basically stole the whole thing because it was produced by a citizen of a Communist nation. The Tetris lawsuits are truly fun law study. -- Xpovos
[2009-06-02 11:43:43] - tetris is 25 years old. here is a screenshot from the first version of tetris. the screenshot looks much like tetris does today but the creator got relatively little money for it. ~a
[2009-06-02 11:29:08] - do people have suggestions as to where? I know some of you guys go to happy hour type stuff a lot more than I do... ~gurkie
[2009-06-02 11:28:06] - gurkie: i'm in too! - aaron
[2009-06-02 10:09:44] - huh? i wonder why. ~a
[2009-06-02 09:46:09] - a: as far as I know paul hasnt been able to get onto the message board in a bit... at least not from work... ~gurkie
[2009-06-02 08:37:03] - Man... I missed the homeschooling discussion. Boo. Still. It came from Vox Day, so who knows. -- Xpovos
[2009-06-02 00:16:46] - paul: our repartee about homeschooling made me laugh. ~a
[2009-06-01 22:02:52] - gurkie: wednesday? me. where/when? ~a
[2009-06-01 22:01:46] - yea 2 days from now... who else is in? ~gurkie
[2009-06-01 16:50:13] - pierce/gurkie: you're talking two days from now? I think I can do that, just let me know where/when - vinnie
[2009-06-01 15:45:07] - i'm in. assuming you like having ugly male-redheads at your social gatherings. ~a
[2009-06-01 15:34:05] - sounds like the beginnings of a plan. I'll pencil out wednesday evening. where and when should we meet? and who else wants to go? - pierce
[2009-06-01 15:29:40] - I checked the boys calendar and he is busy so I figure that means Im free to make whatever plans...
~gurkie[2009-06-01 15:29:10] - pierce: dinner/drinks and depending on if other people want to join up with us then maybe some games too on wednesday? ~gurkie
[2009-06-01 15:05:39] - gurkie: I'm pretty sure that can be arranged. what do you want to do? - pierce
[2009-06-01 15:01:08] - pierce: but on a less affronted note, I generally am free tues/wednesday evenings but dont have a car... which means ud have to make the trip to see me... ~gurkie
[2009-06-01 15:00:16] - pierce: are you calling me old? ~gurkie
[2009-06-01 14:46:04] - we're in our late 20s now, I think it's okay to go out on school nights. - pierce
[2009-06-01 14:43:55] - pierce: what i have gone to is totally irrelevant... as is the fact that I will be out of town the next 2 weekends and most likely completely booked the one following that... its all part of my proof that you are avoiding me... ~gurkie
[2009-06-01 14:22:26] - gurkie: what have you gone to since I've been back? maybe if you pressured people to invite me to things, I could go and then it wouldn't seem like I was avoiding you. - pierce
[2009-06-01 14:20:22] - gurkie: it was a poop joke. - pierce
[2009-06-01 14:19:01] - pierce: I totally don't get it... Why would you have fiber to celebrate Phantom Menace??? Also I have decided you are avoiding me, only showing up to things I will not be at... ~gurkie
[2009-06-01 13:55:05] - title: lol. ~a
[2009-06-01 13:54:10] - s/trying to be /being / ~a
[2009-06-01 12:56:18] - a: "trying"? - pierce
[2009-06-01 12:01:35] - pierce: i know you were just trying to be funny. but i'm not sure if you also intended your joke to have such a serious point: 12th step: "Having had a spiritual awakening" (which, in practice, usually refers to christianity). step 11 isn't any better. ~a
[2009-06-01 11:42:56] - good point, vinnie. few people also realize that the dark side is the twelfth step. - pierce
[2009-06-01 11:23:49] - a: true. and fear leads to denial. denial leads to anger. anger leads to bargaining, and so on. the dark side comes at the end of all of that - vinnie
[2009-06-01 11:15:51] - he wasn't innocent. he was full of fear. ~a
[2009-06-01 11:05:34] - pierce: ah the days when anakin was young, carefree, and innocent
- vinnie[2009-05-31 22:49:17] - guys, we forgot to celebrate the tenth anniversary of The Phantom Menace two weeks ago. I'd have taken a fiber supplement and drank a bunch of coffee and everything. >< - pierce
[2009-05-29 13:18:46] - i'm not a big fan of them either. It seems that most of our stored procs are just there to cover up bad database design. - mig
[2009-05-29 11:47:18] - i avoid stored procedures unless there is a performance benefit. that's the only benefit i see for stored procs, otherwise they're just harder to understand, harder to debug, harder to change, harder to test... also heaven help you if you have multiple developers hitting the same database - aaron
[2009-05-29 09:33:38] - we use stored procedures strictly for the simplest dml stuff. anything that requires manipulation or logic ends up going in the code. personally, I wouldn't mind if we didn't use stored procedures, but I'm ok with the setup we have - vinnie
[2009-05-28 23:16:06] - there are ie debugging facilities? ~a
[2009-05-28 22:05:54] - wait, was that a plus or a minus? I can't remember. - pierce
[2009-05-28 22:03:27] - although on the plus-side, being actually pretty decent at JS development, I was the go-to guy for any kind of inexplicable client behavior. - pierce
[2009-05-28 22:00:02] - it was a continuing frustration that the app I was developing at my last job was IE-specific, because the debugging facilities in the IEverse are dramatically inferior and have an annoying tendency to introduce heisenbugs. - pierce
[2009-05-28 21:56:25] - and maybe this is just me being a UI nerd, but even though it's really just a few pixels of difference, the extra screen real estate IE devotes to it makes them seem a lot more unwieldy. - pierce
[2009-05-28 21:55:38] - regarding browser tabs: IE's tabs are just about as functional as vanilla firefox's, but definitely more taxing performance-wise (based on my nonscientific observations on older systems). - pierce
[2009-05-28 21:54:16] - I don't do a lot of direct DB work (including stored procedures) but my rule of thumb is to limit it to stuff that is (1) of pretty self-evident utility, (2) solid enough that it probably won't need much further development, or (3) a major pain in the behindus to implement outside the DB layer. - pierce
[2009-05-28 21:52:12] - yeah, the business-logic-in-its-proper-place has been the strongest argument I've seen against stored procedures, but a lot of people (myself included) have a hard time drawing a clear line between some of the business logic and what amounts to utility functions. - pierce
[2009-05-28 18:10:35] - the spellchecker is reason enough to switch. also add-ons are other reasons enough to switch. i'd say tabs is another reason enough, but microsoft finally added an almost usable tab implementation. ~a
[2009-05-28 17:07:29] - a: and i use IE
dont really know why...~gurkie[2009-05-28 17:07:18] - a: true business logic in the stored proc is bad which is why you still implement the business logic in a different tier and only pass in the data that you want put in the db.... Its about proper usage. ~gurkie
[2009-05-28 16:57:52] - gurkie: firefox has a spellchecker
and you're right, a lot of his reasons were pretty dumb except that stored procedures are hard to debug/test. also, business logic in the stored procedures seems like a bad idea coming from a few of the people i've talked to. ~a[2009-05-28 16:52:56] - DAOs is really the wrong term, more data access methodologies (sp?)... ~gurkie
[2009-05-28 16:52:24] - a: Im mostly ambivelent towards stored procs, definately used them but dont see them as a strong pro or con really. Currently we are avoiding them in favor of hibernate/nhibernate type DAOs. However I think a lot of his reasons for disliking them are idiotic, for the most part it sounds like he is stuck in his ways and afraid of trying something new. ~gurkie
[2009-05-28 16:40:47] - here is some random guy on the internet who doesn't like stored procedures. i think, in theory, they're nice because they can be used from multiple systems. it's almost an encapsulation layer. this guy doesn't discuss that. disclaimer: i've never used stored procedures. ~a
[2009-05-28 16:37:59] - a: not nearly as interesting as I expected from your post. ~gurkie
[2009-05-28 16:33:59] - xpovos: mysql definitely has stored procedures. on the other hand, "YOU CAN'T USE MYSQL STORED PROCEDURES FROM PHP" that's a note i left to myself. i'm not sure why it is true. i'm also not sure why the note is in all caps. ~a
[2009-05-28 16:30:36] - gurkie: it went fine. i was the interviewer, i guess i should have mentioned that. ~a
[2009-05-28 13:43:26] - Hmm, I misread. I thought a was on the way to the DMV. That might have made the morning worse, depending on the interview results, I guess. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-28 13:34:43] - Pierce: also I can totally understand keeping it on the dl and such, but I got an IM from Stephen on Sunday and talked to Miguel on Monday... You would think someone would relay the surprise... ~gurkie
[2009-05-28 13:33:12] - a: sounds like you had a lovely morning, did the interview go well when you got there? ~gurkie
[2009-05-28 12:15:23] - a: Also: unfair. Gingers are lovely people. Those talk radio programs are just despicable. I hate having to listen to them when I slug. I at least give my riders something soothing, like cello or chant, or news stations. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-28 12:14:21] - But I also realized that if I'd written all of the SQL into PHP, and rarely needed dynamic inputs, then stored procedures were clearly superior, probably faster and definitely safer. Also I figured it would be a good way to slowly break myself into more complex database techniques. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-28 12:13:43] - a: Wow. That's gotta be weird. I asked because in the past I wrote a lot of SQL into PHP and tossed it to the db. I recognize the security risk, but it doesn't matter too much. The db is well backed up and doesn't store sensitive data at all. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-28 11:04:55] - a: I want to make fun of you, but just ouch. - pierce
[2009-05-28 10:30:51] - there was dmv work on the beltway this morning. so i got to sit in traffic on my way to an interview while a bunch of people on the radio discussed how ugly male-redheads are. ~a
[2009-05-28 09:56:13] - also thanks gurkie
- pierce[2009-05-28 09:44:26] - title: thanks - pierce
[2009-05-27 18:23:47] - and i was overwhelmed because it looked like you were trying to give me a hug while i was holding a bunch of stuff in my hands. ~a
[2009-05-27 18:23:19] - pierce: i had heard that you were maybe moving. i wasn't too surprised to see you because i thought you were just visiting. ~a
[2009-05-27 18:21:39] - pierce
[2009-05-27 17:24:53] - pierce: well welcome home! Yea Dewey told Paul and I that we were going to miss the guest of honor so I figured you were in town, I just didnt realize it was a permanant thing... ~gurkie
[2009-05-27 15:06:29] - gurkie: I was keeping it on the D-L or whatever you kids are calling it these days, hoping to surprise people at dewey's party. people did not act as surprised as I'd hoped, so I'll probably move back to Seattle out of spite. - pierce
[2009-05-27 13:50:33] - aaron: huh? oh i get it.
~a[2009-05-27 13:50:01] - xpovos: it's funny you should ask that! i stumbled upon this forum last night posted by a one yuriy zilbergleyt. though i disagree with mr. zilbergleyt's implication that mysql doesn't provide "true" prepared statement support. ~a
[2009-05-27 13:49:25] - xpovos: images are supported by the mboard. but they have to be 12x12 px and you have to give them to adrian first - aaron
[2009-05-27 13:46:07] - gurkie: because you were in delaware. ~a
[2009-05-27 13:29:03] - I wonder if img tags work or if ~a disabled that HTML. <img src="http://roflrazzi.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/celebrity-pictures-burger-king-his-turn.jpg" alt='funny picture--motivator style'> -- Xpovos
[2009-05-27 12:26:05] - pierce: NOBODY TELLS ME ANYTHING!!! HOW DID I NOT KNOW YOU WERE BACK FOR GOOD!! ~gurkie
[2009-05-27 10:24:46] - Does MySQL handle stored procedures? -- Xpovos
[2009-05-26 15:43:04] - dee: i'll pass on this one but i hope you have a good time! good crap on the lucks table - aaron
[2009-05-26 15:32:49] - Dee: That sounds like a ton of fun, but I'm already booked for a cruise in December, about a week later. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-26 14:35:45] - Oh yeah and we have like 15 friends and such from the 911 center going... plenty of people to play Risk with!
! ~Dee[2009-05-26 14:35:03] - Anyone wanna go with us on the december 3rd, 9 day bahamas cruise, on Carnival's "Dream"... it'll be her 6th voyage, and her maiden voyage out of Florida... we just booked today but it's already very full... ~Dee
[2009-05-26 10:58:49] - aaron: i broke the random message generator on friday. i was cleaning up stuff for your coworker and i created a few minor regressions. ~a
[2009-05-26 08:07:57] - a: fgets? - aaron
[2009-05-23 01:06:00] - hah. fgets . . . that was the best random message evar! ~a
[2009-05-21 14:42:53] -
from javadocs: "it is permissible for a map to contain itself as a value" ~a[2009-05-21 13:05:27] - gurkie: yeah, just cheeseburger blended up =
- aaron[2009-05-21 11:16:52] - or maybe its just that cheeseburger blended up is nasty... cause I can see that being true... ~gurkie
[2009-05-21 11:14:04] - aaron: cheeseburgers and french fries? You eat them all together anyway... ~gurkie
[2009-05-21 10:26:15] - paul: there's far more gold in your old computers ($50-$100?): just don't kill yourself trying to get the gold out of it. ~a
[2009-05-21 10:06:47] - a: True, although I wonder at what point I would consider trying to salvage the gold in the bottle... -Paul
[2009-05-21 10:02:32] - yeah since we were in college, gold has tripled. still, the difference between $1 in a bottle and $3 in a bottle isn't much if you just have one bottle. ~a
[2009-05-21 09:14:30] - a: Funny you mention that. Just this week I was looking at a bottle that we have in the kitchen and wondering how much the gold in it was worth (considering the price of gold has gone up so much recently). -Paul
[2009-05-21 09:02:08] - peanut butter + cheeseburgers looked really really bad. well, pretty much anything + cheeseburgers is not a winner - aaron
[2009-05-20 21:02:02] - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcJFwy7KPBA blend your own adventure. pick any two items and he blends and drinks them! sorry, still no crowbar - aaron
[2009-05-20 19:39:39] - hah. saturday, they did another celebrity jeapardy on snl. it was pretty funnay. ~a
[2009-05-20 17:56:09] - wow, i never realized that goldschläger has real gold floating in it. $3 worth of gold. ~a
[2009-05-20 17:26:19] - vinnie: that may have been the gimmick! I'd feel really bad if it was actually a guest on both lines. I think that's what it was supposed to be - ten different people from the karaoke bar - aaron
[2009-05-20 16:02:36] - aaron: Try another cruise line? The gambling will be about the same across the industry, though; except for Disney. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-20 14:28:48] - really tone-deaf ricky martin guy = william hung? - vinnie
[2009-05-20 14:14:04] - also the menu was the same, and they had the same poker table... some other small stuff too. - aaron
[2009-05-20 14:13:44] - a: one of my coworkers went on a Carnival cruise in the caribbean and a ton of the stuff was identical. they had the same 10 songs for the "legends" show, and they had a really tone-deaf ricky martin guy also. the other twelve acts were also the same - aaron
[2009-05-19 17:19:42] - gurkie: stats fixed. and no, it only took up two of the usual posters. ~a
[2009-05-19 15:56:37] - So what do people think of the Palm Pre? I've been eagerly following the news and rumors regarding it as I've been wanting to buy a smartphone but haven't wanted to switch to AT&T. It's supposed to launch June 6th. -Paul
[2009-05-19 15:13:02] - aba: yeay! ~a
[2009-05-19 14:58:40] - mig: It's not like it's using some overclocked, no-name chip. It's actually using an Intel Atom processor specifically designed for this kind of device. -Paul
[2009-05-19 14:57:12] - mig: I can't really disprove that theory, except to say that I haven't heard anything in the way of my line of netbook having faulty hardware. Also, the hardware is definitely inexpensive, but I think it's inaccurate to call it cheap. -Paul
[2009-05-19 14:53:54] - linux makes much better use of low end hardware, but it can't perform miracles on faulty hardware. - mig
[2009-05-19 14:53:16] - paul: well I don't really want to make it sound like I'm ragging on your netbook, but the hardware could simply just be prone to random failures because well ... it was cheap. - mig
[2009-05-19 14:43:07] - mig: It could be, but I thought the common argument for linux was that it wasn't as bloated and resource intensive as windows. Shouldn't it work better on lower end hardware then? -Paul
[2009-05-19 14:42:33] - aaron: Yeah, I haven't used vista much. I've heard it's terrible. I was more referring to XP when I was talking about windows (it was the alternative to ubuntu on my netbook, vista wasn't offered). -Paul
[2009-05-19 14:39:59] - yay for mac os x?
- aba[2009-05-19 14:29:37] - paul: could just be the hardware, honestly, particularly considering it's a low cost laptop. - mig
[2009-05-19 14:28:29] - in dell/ubuntu's defense, windows has been deployed on consumer desktops for decades, and this is the first time ubuntu was really available to the average user via dell. give it a few more years before you render too much judgment on ubuntu for the average user. i'll admit, for the tasks you describe, ubuntu still has some catching up to do. ~a
[2009-05-19 14:26:31] - paul: i've had a lot of crazy problems with my vista laptop. it still locks up for 1 or 2 minutes on end sometimes, seemingly randomly. it also came with tons and tons of crapware on it i had to remove - aaron
[2009-05-19 14:24:56] - a: And this is all for a computer which is usually just use for web browsing (so any particular benefits of using ubuntu for me is likely overshadowed by the faults listed below). -Paul
[2009-05-19 14:23:48] - a: Because the fact of the matter is that ubuntu on my netbook has caused a bunch of lockups, has a faulty disk space analyzer, is lacking some nice gui functionality, won't load some webpages, and keeps messing up my icons whenever it "upgrades" firefox. -Paul
[2009-05-19 14:21:20] - a: I'm sure it is. I'm not trying to say that ubuntu is inferior to windows all around. In fact, my entire point is that it really just depends on a number of factors. In my experience, ubuntu has been a big pain in the butt and I really suspect I would've had far fewer problems with an XP netbook. -Paul
[2009-05-19 14:17:09] - paul: i use the commands "df" (disk free) and "du" (disk usage) for that. but the disk usage analyzer seems fine in newer versions of ubuntu. ~a
[2009-05-19 13:39:24] - a: The one that was reporting double of everything (free space, used space, total space) with the graphical representation of the file structure. I think you took a look at it. -Paul
[2009-05-19 13:37:40] - the "disk usage analyzer" in ubuntu 9.10 seems to work alright. ~a
[2009-05-19 13:35:51] - paul: which disk space tool? ~a
[2009-05-19 13:25:29] - Paul: I almost asked that, but then was like no... Calc is obviously a calculator utility.... ~gurkie
[2009-05-19 12:30:46] - Gurkie: I think Calc is the Open Office name for the spreadsheet. -Paul
[2009-05-19 12:28:38] - Paul: dont you use the spreadsheet functionality? ~gurkie
[2009-05-19 12:22:05] - a: I don't know if Dell sells netbooks with full versions of Office on it, but I have to imagine that they at least include MS Works or something like that. I think Calc is the only Open Office app that I have used so far on my netbook. -Paul
[2009-05-19 12:20:52] - a: Disk space could be another positive, I don't know. I haven't really concerned myself with disk space once I finally discovered that the disk space tool in ubuntu was broken. -Paul
[2009-05-19 12:13:53] - for example, the hd system requirement for xp sp3 is 3gb (though you can probably knock that number down to 1 or 2 gb if you like memorizing obscure directory names). hd system requirement for msoffice is 1.5gb not to mention $400-$500. probably not so easy to fit on a 4gb hd especially after you add other programs/data. does dell even sell netbooks with msoffice? ~a
[2009-05-19 11:45:03] - i'll bet there were some other positives. ~a
[2009-05-19 11:42:34] - paul: dominos.com has heavy usage of flash. it's possible you have an old or non-adobe version of flash that isn't working with their horribly designed website. i'm loading it just fine using adobe flash 10 in ubuntu (package name is flashplugin-nonfree). you can go to about:plugins in firefox to see what flash plugin you're using. ~a
[2009-05-19 11:36:28] - a: And I do like my netbook, but it's more in spite of ubuntu than because of it. Really, the only positive so far that I ended up getting from going ubuntu was that it was cheaper. -Paul
[2009-05-19 11:35:26] - a: You would think it would be my web browser, but the dominoes pizza website doesn't work on my netbook and the only reason I can think of is ubuntu (since it works in firefox on my desktop). -Paul
[2009-05-19 11:13:24] - plus i thought you liked your netbook. my mistake. ~a
[2009-05-19 11:12:40] - paul: "[you] like being able to visit websites without worrying about whether it's compatible with [your] os?" don't you mean your web-browser? regardless, i thought you ran firefox in windows too. ~a
[2009-05-19 10:50:21] - a: I am less concerned with compiling my own kernel or leaving my computer up and running for years. -Paul
[2009-05-19 10:49:55] - a: But I don't. I like being able to copy and paste in a gui environment. I like being able to visit websites without worrying about whether it's compatible with my OS. -Paul
[2009-05-19 10:48:28] - a: If I wanted to play around in an ugly dos-like environment and memorize obscure keyboard combinations and flags while using regular expressions, I'm sure ubuntu would be my wet dream. -Paul
[2009-05-19 10:47:43] - a: I care more about how things affect me. I generally use my netbook (and my desktop) for web-browsing and other simple tasks. For that, Windows has proven to be superior. -Paul
[2009-05-19 10:28:45] - you only care about one data point? maybe you just got unlucky. maybe it was user error. i care more about how a system does on average. ~a
[2009-05-19 10:10:37] - Gurkie: I care more how much my ubuntu stuff locks up? -Paul
[2009-05-19 10:04:29] - paul: did you forget an important word like more? ~gurkie
[2009-05-19 09:25:52] - a: I really don't care how much your ubuntu stuff locks up. I care how much my ubuntu stuff locks up.
-Paul[2009-05-19 09:17:42] - control-alt-f7 (or alt-f7) gets you back. ~a
[2009-05-19 09:16:21] - maybe you don't know about control-alt-f1. it lets you get to a console if your graphics card decides to start acting funny. ~a
[2009-05-19 09:15:28] - paul: i've never had any of my four ubuntu boxes lock up. so how's our average? ~a
[2009-05-18 22:56:06] - a: I think I've had my ubuntu netbook lock up on me in the 5 months or so that I've had it than my windows desktop has in the roughly 5 years I've had it. If that's what "going with Microsoft entails", I'll be happy with it. -Paul
[2009-05-18 18:04:58] - i'd say "it's what you get with going with microsoft" but you did just buy an ubuntu netbook, so you don't deserve such a despicable argument. ~a
[2009-05-18 17:29:06] - paul:
- aaron[2009-05-18 16:26:28] - a: I tried, but it wasn't immediately obvious how to go about talking to somebody and according to the website, the repair fee is higher if it's called in over the phone, so I didn't want to risk it. -Paul
[2009-05-18 16:16:04] - paul: phone? ~a
[2009-05-18 16:12:26] - a: No, it was hard pleading with the cold unyielding glow of the xbox website telling me that my warranty was expired.
-Paul[2009-05-18 15:45:21] - did you try to plead your case for the 3 year warranty? i was able to use my 1 year warranty on my car after it had expired. ~a
[2009-05-18 15:37:28] - a: Yeah, especially three red rings 3 years and 1 month after purchase. I'm sending it back to MS for a repair which looks like it will cost about $99. -Paul
[2009-05-18 15:33:15] - according to wikipedia, three red rings == bad. ~a
[2009-05-18 14:40:14] - Aaron: I got the three red rings yesterday, approximately 3 years and one month after I bought it.
-Paul[2009-05-18 14:20:03] - paul: ? - aaron
[2009-05-18 12:55:50] - gurkie: i look good? thank you! ~a
[2009-05-18 10:35:32] - a: you look like you had fun! good! ~gurkie
[2009-05-18 10:29:38] - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8052512.stm all your children are belong to the UK government. - mig
[2009-05-18 09:55:20] - gurkie: you can probably tell best from my expressions. ~a
[2009-05-18 09:31:36] - a: how was your trip? ~gurkie
[2009-05-17 17:06:02] - sd
[2009-05-15 10:54:57] - http://www.cnbc.com/id/30759956 I guess the same Federal Government that is so good with it's money also knows how to run Bank of America better than it's board does. -Paul
[2009-05-15 09:21:01] - Mig: You forgot the golden rule: Monopolies, gambling, stealing, torture, murder, counterfeiting, spending more than you make, etc is all irresponsible and bad... unless you're the government. -Paul
[2009-05-14 16:00:11] - "There's no doubt that people need to accept responsibility," Obama said at a town hall-style appearance at a high school here. "This is not free money — it's debt and you should not take on more than you can handle." ... this coming from the guy running a trillion dollar deficit. - mig
[2009-05-14 15:59:45] - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090514/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_credit_cards;_ylt=Ao7x7hkSMry1lTWLv8iR8pmyFz4D the irony here is just ... wow. - mig
[2009-05-14 15:25:22] - http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/05/14/new-york-bill-would-add-fat-tax-video-games-dvds-junk-food NY gov finds more ways to steal money from its citizens. - mig
[2009-05-14 14:57:14] - haha such a mean article about Duke Nukem Forever. the last sentence of the Manhattan Project one was hilarious http://games.ign.com/articles/981/981284p1.html - vinnie
[2009-05-14 13:59:32] - aba: Oh. That makes sense, on both counts. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-14 13:19:32] - xpovos: yeah, i meant that i have to fly out on the holiday itself because the prices shoot up like $300 on either side of it. - aba
[2009-05-14 12:35:18] - yay gmail is fixed !gurkie
[2009-05-14 12:34:19] - paul: the link u sent me like 2 weeks ago was from 3 years ago! and related to travis' random comment! ~gurkie
[2009-05-14 12:01:14] - is anyone else having trouble with gmail/gchat? I am not sure if my work has disabled it or if the site is down or something else all together ~gurkie
[2009-05-14 09:35:25] - aba: Will do, we're still trying to decide what else we want to do while in Cali (Napa, The Rock, etc), but once we have that settled, I'll let you know. -Paul
[2009-05-14 09:21:24] - xpovos: I think it's a drag because it's on the 4th - vinnie
[2009-05-14 08:23:12] - aba: Why a drag? I love flying in/out of National. It's a nice airport and you get a great view on take-off/landing. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-13 18:05:23] - paul: let me know what your plans are for CA, and i will def meet up with you.
i'm actually flying out of DC on the 4th itself (the ticket was cheap) which is a bit of a drag. - aba[2009-05-13 17:52:00] - http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/13/scotus.obama/index.html High court selection process down to finalists. -Paul
[2009-05-13 14:23:15] - aba: I don't see anything in there on my schedule that would be particularly fun for you. If it were later in the month, VNV is going to be at the 9:30 club (7/21). -- Xpovos
[2009-05-13 14:10:36] - aba: I'm interested in hanging out sometime, although I am going to be gone from 7/3 - 7/6. -Paul
[2009-05-13 14:09:21] - I'm looking at you, Pierce.
-Paul[2009-05-13 14:09:09] - I'm going to be in CA from 6/6 - 6/16 if anyone wants to meet up with me.
-Paul[2009-05-13 13:33:31] - i'm gonna be in VA from 6/26-7/4 if anyone is organizing something or wants to meet up with me. - aba
[2009-05-13 11:41:31] - Xpovos: Oh, ok. Gotcha. I thought you were saying you still don't get it. -Paul
[2009-05-13 11:17:41] - Sorry for the lack of clarity. It was one of those *smackhead* "Oh, now I get it" moments. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-13 11:16:56] - Paul: Yes, it is. I know that now, and figured it out this morning. Just I didn't figure it out, what, 2-3 years ago? -- Xpovos
[2009-05-13 10:00:00] - Xpovos: It's probably "Jesus of Nazareth" -Paul
[2009-05-13 08:13:41] - I don't think I figured out who j.o.n. was the last time that title was up. I think I should feel ashamed of myself. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-12 16:54:12] - paul: or you could if it werent broken ~gurkie
[2009-05-12 16:53:45] - Paul: your link failed... at least when I clicked on it... There are only four people on the cruise I dont think that takes up all the usual posters... Although you could check in stats and see... ~gurkie
[2009-05-12 15:25:17] - Xpovos: Interesting. I was pretty sure it couldn't be done, but really had no idea how to do about proving it until I read the "answer". -Paul
[2009-05-12 14:34:14] - I pondered the question for a while and got to the right answer.The solution in the next paragraph, though, is so sublimely simple (and logical to my mind) that I had to post it. -- Xpovos
[2009-05-12 13:32:59] - http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2009/05/baiting-nigerian-scammers-for-fun-not-so-much-for-profit.ars Baiting Nigerian Scammers -Paul
[2009-05-12 12:56:29] - paul: i'm here but i just don't post much in general. - aba
[2009-05-12 10:30:18] - No one said anything, and I didn't have any particularly good articles. I'm interested in debating the title, but don't think it would be all that interesting for anyone else. -- Xpovos
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