The Paulcam

Ubuntu... for the masses? (Part 2 - Installation)

2006-12-20T01:11:00.000-08:00

Having picked out my distribution of Linux, I decided it was best to just jump in. My adventure started at the Ubuntu website. There are various offshoots of the Ubuntu project encompassing different intended users. The main project, Ubuntu, is intended as a basic desktop setup using the GNOME desktop. Ubuntu also offers up a server edition as a separate distribution. Another option, Kubuntu, is similar to Ubuntu, only it opts for the KDE desktop instead of GNOME. Then there's Edubuntu, a version aimed for classroom use, which includes a number of educational tools and apps. Finally, there's Xubuntu, which was created with older, lower-end machine in mind.

Reviewing the different versions available to me, I opted for plain old Ubuntu desktop. It's interesting to me that GNOME and KDE are still at loggerheads in the fight for Linux users' desktops... I had expected one to come forward as the dominant desktop environment within the past couple of years. However, both projects appear to enjoy active development and usage. I've never really been able to decide which I like best. GNOME always seemed like a hodgepodge collection of programs that were cobbled together. KDE was always more integrated, but a little more liberal with its use of memory.

In truth, I thought KDE was going to trounce GNOME once they got their act together. With technologies like KParts encouraging integration and code reuse, I assumed that once mature, KDE would start benefiting from the economies of scale and start taking over. However, GNOME has a competing component technology called Bonobo that has apparently gained a lot of ground since the last time I looked in to it.

With the decision made, I downloaded the i386 Ubuntu desktop ISO from their website, and burned it to disc (though it's worth noting that Ubuntu (and its derivative projects) offer up CDs of their LTS distribution, a version of Ubuntu that guarantees up to 3 years of support, completely free of charge).

Prior to installing, I browsed through the installation docs, and was pleased to find that hard disk partition resizing is now supported as part of the installation process (previously, one had to have commercial software to be able to do this). My machine was running Windows Vista, and was set up with a single partition on each drive. I opted for a dual-boot configuration since I still have lots of Windows-specific things that I need to be able to do. According to the docs, I needed to defragment the disk that was going to be resized prior to resizing it, so I did that, then rebooted into the install disc.

The boot screen offers a number of different options, including choosing your resolution, booting into video safe mode, and recovering a broken installation. I took the default option (boot/install), and off it went. I got a fancy Ubuntu splash screen with a progress bar that went for a bit, then my screen went wonky. My monitor was covered with crazy colors and glitchy stuff. My first attempt obviously misguided, I rebooted and chose the safe video mode. No dice. I got the same funkiness as before. I ctrl-alt-backspace'd out of X, and started futzing around with my xorg.conf file. My monitor is very finicky about the resolutions and refresh rates that it supports. In the end, I had to switch to the VESA X driver, and drop down to 800x600 resolution. Unfortunately, 8x6 isn't very optimal for my setup, as the monitor has a 16:9 aspect ratio, so everything ended up stretched horizontally. In addition, I had problems with the mouse cursor. It just wouldn't show, no matter what I did. I tried changing it to a different style, thinking that it'd reload it or something, but to no avail. I ended up setting the option to "ping" the cursor when I hit the Ctrl key.

Now that my system was almost usable, I started looking around. Ubuntu's setup CD has multiple purposes. It can be used as a recovery disc (as noted earlier) or install disc, but it can also be used as a "live" disc. Basically, you insert the CD and boot to it, and once in you have a fully function Linux machine to work with. This can be very useful in situations where you're not sure what will be available to you, or if you just want to bring your favorite OS with you wherever you go. Setup is merely an app you run from inside the live CD's X environment. After looking around to see what the live CD provided, I started setup.

Setup wasn't very nice at 800x600. For some reason, setup was too tall for 800x600. The buttons on the bottom of the dialog ended up hidden underneath the taskbar that takes up the bottom of the display. I fixed that by forcing setup to be on top of everything. Now that I could actually see and interact with the setup app, I got to installing. Most of the setup was straightforward for someone with Linux experience. Resizing the hard drive partition that was to house my install was a cinch. I was a little confused, though, on the timezone selection page. In Windows, you select your timezone, but in Ubuntu, you're given a list of locations. Presumably, each location follows different time rules, but I was confused by the lack of options on the west coast. I'm in Seattle, so I chose "America/Los Angeles". I assume that's right, though I'm a lot closer to Vancouver, B.C., which I think follows the same time zone rules. Anyways, install was fairly painless from this point on.

After the install completed, and my machine rebooted, I went right in to Ubuntu (though it was nice to see my Windows install on the GRUB menu). Unfortunately, my install of Ubuntu encountered the same problem as the live CD had -- X had horrible problems... it was actually worse here, though. When I ctrl-alt-backspace'd out of X, I ended up on a console that was entirely illegible (due to apparent video corruption). I had to reboot and choose the single-user boot option to make X use the VESA driver. After this, I rebooted and began the process of getting X working correctly. For some reason, the "nv" driver hates using scan modes that my monitor can agree with. I installed the commercial nVidia driver via GNOME's snazzy Synaptic package manager, and managed to get everything working correctly (though not before something completely nuked my computer's BIOS configuration) at my monitor's native (and odd) resolution of 1360x768.

At this point, I tested to see if Vista still worked properly. GRUB chained to the Vista bootloader with no issue, but Vista failed to boot properly. I suspect that when I resized the partition, some files at the end of the disk got clobbered. For this I blame both GNU Parted and Vista. Vista's disk defragmenter no longer shows the physical layout of files on the disk, so it's much more difficult to figure out if the disk is really defragmented. That said, GNU Parted should have some way of finding out if a user is about to perform a dangerous action.

All-in-all, my Ubuntu installation was typical of the install experience I'm used to from 5 years ago: it's a complete pain in the ass. It's only through vigilance, determination, and a fair bit of experience that I was able to get as far as I did. Clearly installation is something that needs to be improved before Linux becomes an OS for the masses. There's no way my mom (hey mom!) would know what partition GRUB should be installed to.

Though I do have to admit... the desktop is pretty. Here's what mine looks like right now:

Next up: Configuration and Cool Tools.

Ubuntu... for the masses? (Part 1 - Introduction)

2006-12-20T00:11:00.000-08:00

After basically abandoning Linux for the last 4.5 years, I've decided to dive back in. Over the holidays seemed like a great time for me to refresh my memories of Linux. What have these open source developers been up to? I decided to find out.

The distro landscape has changed a bit since I last delved in to Linux. Gentoo has enjoyed quite a bit of popularity, but I decided to install Ubuntu, since it's Debian-based, and Debian used to be my absolute favorite distro. But I suppose I'm getting a bit ahead of myself... perhaps first, we should talk about my hardware setup.

The Machine:

Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 2800+
RAM: 1034912 kB
Drives:

WDC WD360GD-00FL SATA
ST3160812AS SATA
ST3160023A PATA
TDK CDRW241040B PATA

Video card: nVidia GeForce 6600 GT 128MB
Sound card: Creative Labs SB Audigy
Network cards:

Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8001 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Intel Corporation 82557/8/9 [Ethernet Pro 100]
Linksys Compact Wireless-G USB Adapter

Video capture device: Pinnacle Systems PCTV 800e
IR device: Micrsoft IR Transceiver (mceusb)
Keyboard: Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard
Mouse: Logitech, Inc. MX518 Optical Mouse
Monitor: Samsung LN-S3241D 32" LCD Television (connected via VGA)

My goal is to try out as much of what Linux has to offer as possible. Stay tuned for updates.

puyallupfair 115

2006-09-17T23:21:00.000-07:00

puyallupfair 115
Originally uploaded by ayatollah robyn.

awesome.

Cultural differences are interesting

2006-01-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

This article is about some New Year's cards in Japan that were soiled by, uh, poo. Reasonably bizarre by itself, but this part takes the cake:

Funabashi-Higashi Post Office plans to return the cards to the senders after cleaning them and will also give the senders fresh New Year cards and towels as an apology.

Very thoughtful -- wonder what the USPS would do in this instance? :)

Could be worse

2006-01-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

No matter what work I end up doing, I can rest happy at night knowing that my risk of infecting my eye with smallpox remains fairly low. (icky picture warning)

O'Reilly gets smacked down by... David Letterman?

2006-01-04T12:34:00.000-08:00

I'm sad I missed this episode. I've never known Letterman to be overtly political... or rather, he's usually an equal opportunity poker of fun. Last night, however, he took Bill O'Reilly to task. Here's a link to the transcript, and here's a direct link to the windows media file.

David Letterman is my hero. :)

Seattle is #3!

2006-01-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

Seattle ranks #3... unfortunately, it's not the kind of list most cities would like to be on. Seattle's Occidental Square is one of 16 public squares listed as needing the most dramatic improvement in the world. I agree with much of what PPS has to say about Occidental Square, though it's a bit of an embarassment that it ends up on the list. (picked up via Stranger's Slog)

Top 10 Albums 'o '05

2005-12-30T01:36:00.000-08:00

Seems everyone's got one 'o these... Here's mine (couldn't decide on order, so they're in no particular order):

Bright Eyes -- I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (this is actually my #1 -- I listened to it incessantly for some time)

Alarm Will Sound -- Acoustica (Alarm Will Sound Performs Aphex Twin)

LCD Soundsystem -- Self-titled

The Arcade Fire -- Funeral (technically, this was released in December of last year, but I don't care.)

Boards of Canada -- The Campfire Headphase

Broadcast -- Tender Buttons

Boom Bap Project -- Reprogram

The White Stripes -- Get Behind Me Satan

Dangerdoom -- The Mouse and the Mask

Death Cab for Cutie -- Plans

Outrageous Firsts in Television History

2005-12-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

Pretty strong posting about firsts in television:

1957: First Exposed Rack on Television.
This honor goes to Jayne Mansfield, who exhaled at the 1957 Academy Awards and accidentally let it all hang out. But if you're looking for intended nudity, that honor goes to Valerie Perrine playing an angel in a heavenly locker room in the PBS teleplay Steambath.

Crop Circles

2005-12-28T00:03:00.000-08:00

IMG_4444_fxd
Originally uploaded by paulcam.

I recently uploaded pictures from my flight out to Florida from Seattle. Nothing too fancy, but still fun to take.

Ever wonder what winning the lottery would be like?

2005-12-27T23:55:00.000-08:00

Don't wonder any longer -- some guys down in TX Tivo'd lottery numbers from the previous evening, bought a ticket, then recorded their friend after he thought he'd won. It's heart-race-o-rific.

Remedial Calculus, Anyone?

2005-12-27T23:16:00.000-08:00

I was randomly poking at Google's Video Search, typed in the name of a girl I know (more out of random boredom than anything else), and found a great series of videos. The series is called Bikini Calculus, and features two assistants.

One assistant, Jaime Lynn, is a former Playboy playmate (I guess she brings in the uh, physical expertise (SFW)).

The second assistant, Paige Hopewell, has a Master's degree in Nuclear Science from MIT, and is currently pursuing a PhD and an M.D. She's also won two world rodeo championships. She's also hot (SFW).

Both Paige and Jaime wear bikinis and do their best to teach the viewer about calc. A few videos are free online, but if you really want to take a calc course with their help, you have to buy the DVD.

The production values are questionable, and the acting isn't so great, but it's a brilliant idea. :)

redneck xbox sale

2005-12-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

redneck xbox sale
Originally uploaded by paulcam.

welcome to the souf. I don't know what's sketchier -- the price, or the fact that's at an auto parts store...

Pictures from my new apartment

2005-10-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

IMG_4222
Originally uploaded by paulcam.

I've finally gotten around to uploading some shots taken from my new rental house... pretty sweet.

If you have any permissions problems, let me know -- they're mostly just for friends and family to view...

New pictures from Seattle Center

2005-10-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

IMG_4101
Originally uploaded by paulcam.

I've uploaded some new pics from a recent trip down to Seattle Center... Some pictures turned out pretty well :)

Odd Weather in Seattle

2005-10-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

rainbow1
Originally uploaded by paulcam.

We've been having some crazy weather here lately... I've got some new pics up on flickr to prove it! :)

Radiohead has a blog

2005-08-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

It's awesome. (rss)

Who knew? Shoe lacing techiniques.

2005-07-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

Most excellent (via kottke)... a guide to lacing shoes. My Chucks look/feel better after applying the zipper.

NASA technology used to read ancient texts

2005-05-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

Some previously illegible writings from ancient times are being read for the first time using a technology originally developed by NASA to map Mars. Among the texts that have been read so far is an account of the Trojan Wars that confirms what historians had suspected for years -- the Greeks got lost and ended up landing at the wrong place before finally making it to Troy. Fascinating stuff. :)

Booze trivia

2005-05-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Some random and interesting trivia about alcoholic beverages through history... A few choice items:

Bourbon is the official spirit of the United States, by act of Congress.
President Lincoln, when informed that General Grant drank whiskey while leading his troops, reportedly replied "Find out the name of the brand so I can give it to my other generals."
Being intoxicated had desirable spiritual significance to the ancient Egyptians. They often gave their children names like "How Drunk is Cheops" or "How Intoxicated is Hathor."
The national anthem of the US, the "Star-Spangled Banner," was written to the tune of a drinking song.
In ancient Babylon, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead (fermented honey beverage) he could drink for a month after the wedding. Because their calendar was lunar or moon-based, this period of free mead was called the "honey month," or what we now call the "honeymoon."
In old England, a whistle was baked into the rim or handle of ceramic cups used by pub patrons. When they wanted a refill, they used the whistle to get service. So when people went drinking, they would "wet their whistle."

Craziness...

2005-05-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

Ever use MSPaint? This guy did... to make a drawing of Vienna... it's stunning.

Interesting article on race relations in the US

2005-05-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

Found this one earlier today. A fascinating read from a Briton-turned-American citizen talking about the difference in treatment when he arrived. Scary.

Bling!

2005-05-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

They're like spinning rims, but they're for your teeth!

Like the idea of a Segway?

2005-05-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

but want something a little more... utilitarian? How about a motorized chariot?

A call for the end of Reality TV...

2005-05-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

Ok... This is just ridiculous. It's bad enough that we create television shows based on reality (in this case, The Apprentice), but do we really need plays about TV shows that emulate real scenarios? What next, a fictional TV show based on the ins and outs of creating a musical based on a reality TV show? How much meta does the American public need?

Ever wonder what's allowed in Islam?

2005-05-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Some interesting information about what's allowed or forbidden in Islam. I'm not sure if this is for a specific sect, but it's interesting nonetheless...

Take chess for example...

Kuwaiti women win right to vote

2005-05-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

Today, Kuwaiti women have won the right to vote, leaving Saudi Arabia as the only Middle Eastern country left that women can't vote in.

Robyn visits Paris, takes great pics

2005-05-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Paris Day 3 041
Originally uploaded by robynw.

Robyn just got back from Paris, and managed to take far too many fantastic pics...

Been a while...

2005-05-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry all for taking my sweet time in updating my blog. Ever since I lost internet connectivity at home, I've not had much of a chance to post.

Anyways, check out this sweet shelving...

Hard times for one golfer...

2005-04-26T01:44:00.000-07:00

One South Carolina golfer got more than he bargained for on his 12th hole drive:

I'm jealous

2005-04-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Robyn just got a new Canon Digital Rebel XT. It's a newer (read: better) model than mine, and she's already started taking some gorgeous pictures with it. I need to get out to take pictures more often. :)

Robyn spots Vader in BC

2005-04-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

Victoria 4-2005 037
Originally uploaded by robynw.

My good friend Robyn snapped this great picture of a violin-playing Darth Vader in Victoria over the weekend. Great, eh?

Another cool blogger

2005-04-13T01:17:00.000-07:00

David Duchovny (of X-Files fame) is directing a new movie called "House of D". The cool thing is that he's blogging/podcasting about his entire experience. :)

New Acquisitions

2005-04-13T00:58:00.000-07:00

I've gotten my greedy hands on a couple more great albums:

Bright Eyes' Digital Ash in a Digital Urn -- good album, but I think I like I'm Wide Awake It's Morning better...
M.F. Doom's mm food.. -- more uncannily good rap from M.F. Doom (I like how the album title is an anagram of the artist's name, including the .'s!)

For future reference

2005-04-13T00:53:00.000-07:00

If any of you ever need to take grips off of a motorcycle handlebar (or bicycle for that matter), it's not that hard.

Idaho honors Napoleon Dynamite creators

2005-04-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

Read this bill. All of it. It's cool :)

WHEREAS, any members of the House of Representatives or the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Idaho who choose to vote "Nay" on this concurrent resolution are "FREAKIN' IDIOTS!" and run the risk of having the "Worst Day of their Lives!"

Mind Erasers are evil

2005-04-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I was introduced to a new drink (for my birthday). It's called a Mind Eraser, and it's pure evil. This recipe (the ones I've had use a splash of 7up instead of soda water) doesn't mention the most evil part about it -- it comes in a pint glass. Oh yeah, and you're supposed to drink the whole thing through a straw... all at once. So for those of you keeping track at home, if you say 2 oz of 7up (which is pretty generous for a "splash"), that leaves about 14oz of hard liquor to drink in one sip. Kinda like an Irish Car Bomb, but no beer. Scary.

Alien picture debunked

2005-04-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

See the little alien guy in the above picture? Turns out that the picture isn't doctored at all. Alien, right? No... it's a dog :)

My computer is back!

2005-04-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

I've finally gotten my machine at home back! Well... sorta... I won't go through all of the details, but suffice it to say that I'm running a shiny new x64 machine with Windows XP x64 Edition.

More reasons why Flickr rocks

2005-03-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

Flickr offers an open API for anyone who wants to program against it. Having this API enables people to create incredible apps that use Flickr.

Oh yeah... and uhm...

SCARY CAT

(c) Janesdead

Funniest lyric meme ever

2005-03-28T16:29:00.000-08:00

Pretty funny stuff. Represent lyrics to songs as bulleted lists.

From LJ's "loserface"

Here come:
- old flattop
He:
- come:
  - grooving up:
    - slowly
- got:
  - joo-joo eyeball
  - hair down to his knees
  - toe-jam football
  - monkey finger
  - walrus gumboot
  - ono sideboard
  - feet down below his knees
  - early warning
  - muddy water
- wear:
  - no shoeshine
- shoot:
  - Coca-Cola
- say:
  - I know you
  - You know me
  - 1 & 1 & 1:
    - 3
- one (1) holy roller
- one (1) spinal cracker
- one (1) mojo filter
- roller-coaster
- bag production
- got to be:
  - a joker:
    - he just do what he please
  - good-looking:
    - so hard to see
- hold:
  - you:
    - in his armchair
Things I can tell you:
- you got to be free
Things you can feel:
- his disease
Come together:
- right now:
  - over me

Kennedy Space Center

2005-03-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

My mom's been sending me scans of pictures from back when I was working at Kennedy Space Center. In turn, I've been placing them in a Flickr group here.

Big Cat Stilts

2005-03-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

Finally, a gift for the lion (or lioness) in your life that they can actually use: STILTS!

Sometimes truth...

2005-03-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

Is stranger than fiction...

Anyone else see a problem with this hospital's logo?

(click for full-sized image)

Backmasking is fun!

2005-03-25T13:21:00.000-08:00

Jeff Milner's blog links to a project he's been working on for a while -- a little flash app with soundclips from songs famous (and some not-so-famous) for having hidden messages that you can only hear when played backwards.

Person auctions possible vegetative state futures

2005-03-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

Brilliant! Someone has decided to sell his possible vegetative state future for political causes (only $2/minute!):

If, due to the absurd political state of affairs in this country, my persistent vegetative state and impending unplugging can be parlayed into some sort of political leverage, I wholly endorse using my predicament in whatever way possible for the purposes of passing legislation favorable to my general political and ethical outlook. Here is a list of top-tier causes I support and will continue to support, both while in my PVS and after my eventual death.

Daily Show clip about Schiavo hoopla

2005-03-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

The Daily Show had a bit about the Schiavo case... As always, completely entertaining. Also, ran across this indexed list of Daily Show clips available to view.

Weekly Prank Update

2005-03-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

Some fun stuff going on out there...

Guy replaces plant signs at local store with fake plant names (like "Heinous Welsh Squash")...

Reknowned graffiti artist/culture jammer Banksy performs reverse-art-theft at four major NYC museums:

Free music online? The hell you say!

2005-03-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

Some decent stuff out there...

There's Beck's new album Guero. Stream it here. Sounds like he's returned to his pre-Sea Change style.

Also out there is the new Queens of the Stoned Age album, Lulliabies to Paralyze. You can stream it from here.

Now with more cowbell

2005-03-16T21:45:00.000-08:00

I've brushed up on my CSS a bit and managed to change the way the place looks... feels a bit more like home now. MS Dialog Light is the best font ever.

Obligatory cowbell references go here.

iPod DJs Unite!

2005-03-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

Found this via Seattlest... The Mirabeau Room in Queen Anne has Playlist Happy-Hour every Thursday from 5-8pm. Basically, show up early enough to get on the list, then you'll have 15 minutes of play time from your iPod (or other MP3 player). Be warned, though, if your music sucks, you'll get the gong (courtesy of I Heart Rummage's Matthew Parker).

Finally, an internet glue resource I can use!

2005-03-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

You know how it goes... you're working on a random project around the house, and are presented with a dilemma. What adhesive should I use to glue this chunk of wood to that beam of styrofoam? Wonder no longer!

ACLU obtains torture docs

2005-03-14T17:31:00.000-08:00

Scary. The ACLU has obtained documentation pertaining to torture investigations by way of the Freedom of Information Act. There are summaries for a number of the documents, some containing fairly alarming text (and even more alarming conclusions):

Investigation initiated after SGT reported that he witnessed several
counter-intelligence agents (all associated with the 223rd MI Detachment)
"strike, pull the hair, and force into asphyxiation numerous Iraqi
detainees."The SGT also stated that "some of the CI agents would point a loaded
weapon at the detainees' heads and tell them they would kill them if they did
not talk" (8809). The SGT stated that "it was a chamber of horrors up in
Samarra" (8837). In a signed statement, the soldier says that he also "observed
staged executions."The soldier states that he "went to CPT [redacted]'s office,
who is my company commander. I told him I was requesting an investigation into
interrogation brutality used by my three team members. CPT [redacted] accused me
of lying and said I had no integrity. He said I had 30 seconds to withdraw the
request or he was going to send me forcibly to go see a psychiatrist."The CPT
later told the soldier that he had been appointed the AR 15-6 investigating
officer. Soldier: "I questioned him on the validity of him being the AR 15-6
officer when in fact he was the THT67 former OIC and the conflict of interest it
posed."The next evening, the soldier was flown to Germany (8845). Unnamed
civilian interviewee recounts conversation in which SGT told him, after
conversation with CPT, that "This is what I saw and they think I'm crazy but
they're wrong."The civilian states that he heard female CPT [presumably the
psychiatrist] state: "There's nothing I saw or heard that leads me to think SGT
[redacted] is mentally imbalanced."In response, CPT [redacted] states: "I don't
care what you saw or heard, he is imbalanced, and I want him out of
here."Civilian then "observed [female] CPT flinch and he could see the pressure
in her eyes, like she had never had that kind of pressure put on her previously.
Mr. [redacted] stated the next day CPT [redacted] went back and changed her
diagnosis" (8917). E-mail notes that "Dr. [redacted] stated that CPT [redacted]
went to her commander to influence her decision to send SGT [redacted] back to
the US. As a result, her chain of command put ‘undue pressure' on her which did
influence her decision" (8972). The investigation "established that there was
insufficient evidence to determine whether the offenses . . .
occurred" (8809).
There is no indication that the commander was investigated or held accountable for retaliating against the soldier who alleged the abuse.

Emphasis mine...

City of Seattle real-time incident list

2005-03-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

Found by way of Seattlest (in turn found by way of Mike Whybark) -- a real-time emergency incident list for City of Seattle emergency response. Ever wonder where that fire truck was off to? Now you know!

Not left enough

2005-03-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

left-wing propaganda poster graffitied by even farther-left-wing group
Originally uploaded by Asparagirl.

Saw this on my graffiti feed today. Pretty funny. Some people just aren't far enough to the left ;)

Best... game... ever...

2005-03-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

Soldat is an addictive little 2d-scrolling 3rd person shooter. Tons 'o fun, even against the computer-provided bots. I haven't registered yet, but I intend to.

It's worth noting that the "shareware" aspect of the game isn't all that intrusive. Download, play, enjoy. :)

Attack of the Geeks

2005-03-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

BoingBoing sends word of a hilarious video remix of some D&D nerds reenacting a melee. First version. Remixed version.

My current guilty pleasure

2005-03-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

Blink-o-rama -- a blog of pictures of famous people blinking.

Propaganda through the years

2005-03-10T12:06:00.000-08:00

I happened across this site the other day, and have been meaning to blog it. It's a collection of psychological warfare paraphernalia. They've got all sorts of goodies, from aerial leaflets to schematics and usage docs for a U.S. 105mm propoganda shell.

Google's news now customizable

2005-03-10T11:54:00.000-08:00

I've been using Google News for quite some time, and have always enjoyed the mix of stories I get. Now, they've added the ability to customize the news... I can turn off the crappy sports section, and create a new custom section based on keywords in the story... Sweet! (now only if they allowed me to tap into the news as an RSS feed...)

Seattle's Japanese Garden

2005-03-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

I spent today at the Japanese Garden. I took a bunch of shots and have created a photo set on the ever-excellent flickr. I've upgraded to a pro account, which means that you can download my actual original images for your use. If you see a picture you'd like to get prints of, simply click the "View different sizes" link to the right of the image, and pick the "original" size. You might have to register for a free Flickr account in order to do this. If that's the case, send me mail and I'll add you to my contacts! :)

Anyways, I'd suggest sitting down with a nice cup 'o tea, and reading up a bit on Japanese Gardens. There are several different kinds of Japanese gardens. Seattle's is of the Rojiniwa type, which is a type of garden appropriate for the serving of tea or Chado. Indeed, if one visits our gardens at 1:30pm on the third Saturday of any month April through October, one can witness a demonstration of this ceremony, which may last up to four hours. The Shoseian Teahouse at the gardens is co-sponsored by the Seattle branch of the Urasenke Foundation -- one of the two major tea schools in existence today.

One of the more interesting items to be found in a Japanese garden, aside from the plants themselves, are Japanese lanterns, which come in a number of styles.

Interesting fact I didn't know about that I learned while digging up links: the cherry trees in Washington D.C. are originally from Japan, and have an intriguing history. Then again, Seattle's own garden has a pretty interesting history by itself (pdf link).

New music!

2005-03-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

I've acquired some new music this week. Here's the list:

United State of Electronica's infectious electropop reaches pandemic proportions in their self-titled debut album.
Nine Inch Nails' Broken -- ok... not new, but still a great album... I'm trying to get back into shape for their upcoming release, With Teeth.
LCD Soundsystems's self-titled debut featuring the foot-tappin' "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" (check out the video!)
Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake It's Morning -- you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll put it on repeat

Cool future tech for cameras

2005-03-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

I dabble in photography. I try not to take things too seriously, but I can't help but get excited about cool new photography stuff... Like this super-cool camera prototypefrom Stanford that can essentially take one exposure and digitally generate new images at varying levels of focus. If only I'd had one when I took this shot:

Incredible color WWI pictures

2005-02-28T23:12:00.000-08:00

Absolutely incredible. There're plenty more!

Get yer hot cause 'o the week bracelet here!

2005-02-28T22:56:00.000-08:00

The indelible Mr. Chen enlightens us about something other than the so-called Lame button or little known NTFS features (and their unintended side-effects on directory size calculation). On the block this time? Those rubber cause-supporting bracelets that everyone seems so keen to wear (ok, I admit it: I'm still upset that I never got my giving campaign bracelet).

How much money from that bracelet makes it back to the cause you're trying to support? Depends, but probably not as much as you think.

It's about time!

2005-02-28T19:42:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Times is carrying a story about some a new traffic ordinance that officers are enforcing in the Seattle area. This new ordinance punishes "lane jumpers" -- folks that refuse to get into lines at offramps 'n such until the absolute last minute. So while most drivers diligently queue up and use the extra time to... well... do something other than drive... some people (obviously more important than those who queued) take advantage of the system to save time on their commute. The article mentions a few places where this occurs... One of them is westbound SR520 during rush hour. Folks will ride in the third lane for as long as possible until it turns HOV. They don't mention the other side of 520, though. Eastbound 520 has its fair share of jumpers during morning traffic... they stick on the right-hand white line and ride it as long as they can, passing people on the right. There's really nothing more frustrating than that.

Good job, Seattle. I'm glad someone noticed. :)

Skyline from my apartment

2005-02-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

Skyline from my Apartment
Originally uploaded by paulcam.

Here's the view from my apartment...

Architecture...

2005-02-27T06:51:00.000-08:00

New experimental home 1
Originally uploaded by elfhaiku.

I was catching up on my "architecture" flickr feed, running over pictures of old-world Europe and cloudy pictures from Ireland, pretty much all stunning in their own way, when I ran across this picture... Hardly what I'd expect in this feed...

Selecciones musicales de hoy

2005-02-27T05:49:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to tons of different things as of late...

Here's some of it:
Dntel's Life Is Full of Possibilities (per Monk's suggestion)
Rammstein's Reise, Reise (actually quite good, check out the video for Amerika)
The Chemical Brothers' Push the Button
The Shins' Oh, Inverted World (live KEXP performance)
Saul William's self-titled release (incredible KEXP election day performance)
Interpol's Antics (KEXP live performance)

KEXP spreads its catchy tentacles to NYC

2005-02-27T05:28:00.000-08:00

My favorite local radio station, KEXP, is non-profit. 90% of its funding comes from public donations from folks like me. They're currently in the midst of their spring pledge drive, but it doesn't stop 'em from playing tons of kickass tunes. Don't believe me? Listen to some of the shows from the past two weeks or any of the past live performances here. This station's so good, that folks from NYC prefer it to their expansive local selection.

PKD's "A Scanner Darkly"

2005-02-27T05:13:00.000-08:00

A Scanner Darkly
Originally uploaded by paulcam.

Another year, another Philip K. Dick movie adaptation. This time, it's for a story called A Scanner Darkly (brief summary here). Somehow Keanu Reaves managed to get into this one. The preview is still pretty cool-looking, though, despite the seemingly obvious Matrix knockoff screenshot shown here.

Link

Space Needle via EMP

2005-02-27T04:47:00.000-08:00

vert-needle
Originally uploaded by paulcam.

This is still one my faves. Really, more than anything, I'm just seeing how well Flickr's "Blog this" functionality works... :)

Flickr rules!

2005-02-24T17:09:00.000-08:00

I've finally moved into the wide wide world of professional blog reading. It's not just a hobby any more. I'm using SharpReader as my feed aggregator, and have few complaints about it. One of the things I've liked the most is using Flickr's tag-to-feed feature. Essentially, when people upload photos to the site, they're given the option to assign tags to them. I have a subscription to their "seattle", "graffiti", and "architecture" feeds. When someone uploads new photos with those tags, I get notifications with the images inline. Totally sweet.