So for those of you who don’t know or follow my twitter feed, my aunt is a IT Pro Advisor at Microsoft Canada. You may also know that my opinion of Microsoft hasn’t been the highest (as expressed often in this blog).
The purpose of my visit was to ask successful people how they got to where they are in their field, which holds my interest. The people were incredibly kind and interesting and really let me pick their brains. Continue reading
OMG! Ubuntu (a blog you should certainly be reading if you don’t already have it in your reader) has the complete guide to tricking out XSplash, the new bootscreen manager in Ubuntu 9.10.
One of the great things about XSplash is that it starts XServer, what displays good graphics on your screen in Linux, BSD, and OS X systems, a few seconds into the boot instead of near the end. This means that you no longer have to really know your stuff to change the bootscreen; all you need to do is follow some very simple instructions.
First off, if you just want to change your bootscreen, play with the files in /usr/share/images/xsplash
But I’m not here to talk about that: I’m talking about a seamless boot experience that changes your login window and XSplash background to be your normal wallpaper. Continue reading
The latest release of Ubuntu has hit the streets. The much-acclaimed “Karmic Koala” (Ubuntu 9.10’s codename) is now out in earnest, bringing many usability enhancements as well as technical ones.
Make sure to use the torrents if you can, just to relieve server tension.
Because I can’t update incredibly often, I’ll use this post to point you to OMG! UBUNTU!, probably the best Ubuntu blog I’ve seen out there. Regularly updated, OMG! UBUNTU! gives you the low-down on everything Ubuntu-related, including upcoming plans.
So I thought that the news on the Caprica front was that there was nothing new before getting close to the Jan 22 television premiere (I’ve already seen it on DVD, of course). Not so.
Several new gems have slipped under my radar. First is my favourite in a series of print ads that are being tested and were subsequently leaked:
What I specifically like about this one is the allusion to the Fall of Man as described in the Bible (refresher: Humanity, in it’s self-defeating quest for knowledge, commits the only sin possible: taking a fruit (usually portrayed as an apple but it really doesn’t matter) from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (which sounds snappier in Hebrew) after being tricked by the fallen angel Lucifer (aka Satan) who says that it will make them gods in their own right. This wakes humanity up, allowing them to know what is good but also the potential for evil and permanently corrupts humanity.). The allusion is an excellent one that I didn’t catch before and I really think that this poster really best reflects that and takes aim at a story that is so embedded in Western consciousness that even if one hasn’t heard it before one understands its significance.
There are also two new promos on Youtube. Though at first glance they may look similar to previous ones they both have some engaging new content, which I won’t go into for spoiler’s sakes.
And for good measure, a commercial worth watching.
I’m hoping the CBC or CTV or some mainstream network will air it since I don’t have and probably can’t shell out for SPACE, Canada’s answer to SciFi. It does, of course, comply with CRTC “Canadian Content” regulations (made in Canada starring mostly Canadians) and it would help networks fill that valuable 70% CanCon quotient… Just sayin’
Just a few days ago, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper got the support of Canada’s New Democratic Party during a crucial vote for the 40th Parliament’s survival and that of his minority government and staved off the defeat of his government in the House of Commons as promised by the opposition Liberals.
Not only does Harper get by with a little help from Jack Layton’s NDP, but apparently also with Yo-yo Ma.
Harper did a surprise performance during a Yo-yo Ma concert at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa tonight, playing piano and singing the Beatle’s “With A Little Help From My Friends”. Ma backed him on the cello. The crowd went wild.
Here’s a bit of video. It was started well into the song, but it’s the only one I can find. Mr. Prime Minister is on the piano and lead vocals in the centre.
(EDIT: This has been replaced with the official video from the Prime Minister’s Office)
Let the parodies about Minority Government and the song ensue!
If the whole Prime Minister/Calgary-Southwest MP/Conservative Party Leader gig doesn’t work out he definitely has a future singing.
Sorry for not posting in a while. I’ve been working alot and school has been hectic. I have not abandoned you, however! I will be posting soonish with my impressions of Ubuntu 9.10 Beta (which is out now: www.ubuntu.com)
This is a short essay I wrote for Mr. Bontakoe’s English II class at KCVI. It got good reviews so I decided to post it here. Mr. Bontakoe, if you’re doing a plagiarism check, I did indeed write this
Just a few nights ago I was working at the till at Best Buy when I got a paper-cut as I grabbed a customer’s receipt coming out of the printer. A paper-cut! I could have died! The Best Buy – just like everywhere else in the world – is crawling with microbes and bacteria and if just a few of those slipped into that paper-cut I could have had a serious allergic reaction and ended up in the hospital.
The fact that the world is a dangerous place isn’t news to anyone: daily we are assaulted with “studies” and “research” done by “scientists” who basically surmise that because I ordered a large fry at McDonalds last night the whole world is going to seed. I’m sure my impulse purchase has killed innocent kittens somewhere, but I only see two choices: live it up or stop living.
For indeed, life is a dangerous business: with one wrong step on black ice you could end up in hospital eating through a straw for the rest of your life. It is particularly peculiar that this is perhaps the most safety-aware generation and (according to the “scientists”) the generation most likely to make sure it removes itself in its entirety from the gene pool due to (gasp!) the sterilizing effect of cell-phone usage. Yes, I just made that up, but there is certainly a study or some lab work or some tinfoil-hat wearer that persistently insist that your digital communication habits will leave you barren as the Liberal Party coffers after an election. Continue reading
It has come to my attention that the public is not educated about the intertube’s latest sensation, FilmRiot, the Revision3 show that shows you how to pull off the techniques you see in the movies without having to sell your soul for an FX budget.
So I present this Public Service Announcement for the betterment of my readers.
For starters, throw away all your conceptions about desktops. They no longer apply.
Also remember that I am reviewing a highly experimental piece of software. It may look unwieldy but that’s because it has no customization options yet (or at least, no GUI).
And lastly, remember that because there is a whole new paradigm introduced here it may seem that GNOME Shell’s whole concept is flawed. However, after playing with it I can safely say that I can’t wait for it to arrive and believe it will increase my productivity.
So what am I talking about? This (click for full view).
Since I find nothing better to write about (ie I don’t want to talk about the whole Google Voice thing), I’ll write about my favourite things. Yes, this is for my family. Let me be subtle:
This one gives me a chuckle. In a report by the Observer that I picked up on BoingBoing, there will be about 200 people dropping their trousers to moon a American spy dirigible based in Port Huron, MI that overlooks the Ontarian city on the other side of the border. Basically it’s to highlight the privacy invasion caused by a blimp that can see the name of a ship from 14 kilometers away and likely can look into a person’s house if they live on Sarnia’s waterfront. It’s like the balloon can already see their posteriours with their cameras, the protesters are just making it official…
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