FMC 3.0

Well that was me today, making my around underneath my friend Christine’s house, rerouting Cat5 and TV cable to a more location of her house. It’s kind fun slinking under metal beams, around cinder blocks, over pipes. Yeah, got into all sorts of strange positions that made me glad I was surrounded by house and no one could see me. Even had to pull the ass up bit to get over a pipe. Heh, now you all want mental bleach. Too Bad. It took a mighty long shower to get all of the dirt off of me, and I’m still finding it stuck in some places. At least I was able to blackmail Christine into going to see Serenity with all of my hard work. I figure it’s on short time now that the Dover theater has dropped it to 2 show times. Plus, Harry Potter is on the horizon, and that’ll take up 5 of our 14 screens, I’m sure. That means I’ll have to knock out Domino PDQ, as well as Doom next week. Anyone interested?

In other news, I found a P3 mobo that had video, sound, and lan on board. I was a little bummed when I found it was a socket 370 as the chip I was planning on using is a Slot 1. I then found that the God of Computers Past somehow left a different P3 mobo around in my room, and it’s got a flip chip in it. So I snagged that board off of ebay. Why, you ask? Simple. It’ll mean I won’t have to build in support for any expansion cards in the Lego Case. Unless I want to use for FerretServer, in which case I’ll have to hook up a Gig E card. I may do that, as a 933 MHz P3 might just make a DOS box go a little crazy with speed. Of course, that all depends on me finding a copy of DOS.

Oh, and the Element rolled over… wait, no that’s not right. It’s a digital odometer. So it lit up over 5000 miles today. I’d say the break in period is definitely over. Now I’ll just need to get the break in oil changed.

It’s been a busy couple of days, hence no post. No, I’m not hiding out from an angry mob led by Pat Robertson. But that would be pretty cool. Right now I’m debating what order to do this in to keep people interested. I think I’ll go with random, with certain things in certain places.

First off, the Element got a be a little of the U in SUV:

(Warning, linked picture NSFD.) It seems strange to me to think of a vehicle that uses the Civic’s chassis as an SUV. But that’s what it gets categorized as.

Anyway, Liz asked me to be a good brother and run her up to Lowes for some project stuff. What that picture doesn’t show well is length of the split rail - 8 feet. The tail came came to within an inch of latching, but alas, we rode through Dover convertible style. I had bungee cords to keep things from flying out. Once it was emptied out, it went back to its cavernous like nature with no rear seats. The sound of the seat belt click echoes.

Hrm.. what next.

Oh yeah, found this nifty page of photos of decommissioned aircraft - that’s right, an airplane graveyard. Nice to know that the trillions of dollars once spent on military aircraft is still going to good use.

Next up, some crackhead legislator from Indiana wants there to be a test for people before they’re allowed to be parents. This one has me mixed up - I like the idea, but not her criteria. Hers is right wing based religious requirements, along with lifestyle investigations. It would also only apply to single parents, and people of alternate lifestyles. It would also just legislate whether a doctor could help deliver the baby. So, lemme get this straight. You, Ms. Right Wing pundit, who are undoubtedly Pro Life as a good conservative should be, are gonna let babies get delivered in back alleys without doctors, and cause infant mortality to sky rocket? Way to go, fucktard! Not only will this never fly, its ridiculous to think that the government can involve itself that much in the lives of its citizens. What’s next? Tracking chips so that Big Brother can monitor us? Oh, even better - they’ll just start sterilizing the people that won’t vote for the majority party.

Oh, and about that liking the idea. I do. I think there should be a test before you’re allowed to be a parent, but money, lifestyle, and faith should have nothing to do with it. It should be about common sense. I don’t mean book smarts, cause even geniuses do dumb things sometimes. It’s really a matter how you’d handle certain situations. There’s plenty of dumb parents out there - those that leave kids in cars on hot days, those that let them play with Rottweilers, and those that let them grow up to be Republicans. (I keed, I keed. If some parents didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have anyone to laugh at.) There should be a short 10-15 question test, with a practical application portion that is administered to see if someone is ready to be a parent. No, it won’t solve all of the problems, nothing will. Even good parents do stupid things sometimes. But it should make the 11 O’clock news a lot less revolting.

Next up, I’ve been reading rumors around the ‘net (which mean it could all be BS) that the earthquake in Pakistan last week was caused by an underground nuclear weapons test. Great, just what we need, another country trying to prove they’ve got infinite power. Pakistan has the added luxury of having the country it would want to nuke most right next door. Hell, we had to develop missiles to get ours to our enemies. People seem to think that now the cold war is over, and has been for a while, that nuclear war isn’t a big possibility. Well, maybe not for us (unless China gets too big for its britches) but there are countries out there that have the technology, and not all of them like us. Wait, no one likes us these days. Oh, and it’s not that I’m against anyone having nukes that isn’t us, it’s that I’m against anyone having nukes.

In other news, Dad picked up some good info at Lego land in Orlando over the weekend, and I found a great site for Lego parts. (He also brought me a really nifty tshirt). I ordered a bunch to make the lid of my Lego Case, and now that I know I can get anything, I’m getting inventive on the mounting of parts and fans. I’m still debating picking up a new mobo with onboard video, just to make life a little easier. Finding one for a Slot 1 Pentium 3 won’t be easy. That may be the next ebay crusade, since Legos are kinda overrunning my room at the moment. I still have a few logistical things to figure out as well, like how I’m gonna wire a power switch. I think I may cannibalize parts from some of the computer cases in the graveyard in the basement.

Oh, I found an interesting list of why gay marriage should be illegal. Please Note: before you go and call me a turncoat, read it very carefully.

And finally, Lost. (I think I just heard Heather breathe a sigh of relief.) First off, some guy out in cyberspace has too much time on his hands. Next, and some of you aren’t gonna like hearing this, but I’m getting bored with it. It was one thing to watch the entire first season in one weekend, where there was no downtime and the pace was good. However, this week to week thing, especially with the molasses in January pace they’re taking making any progress storyline wise this season. The first episode was good, the pace was right on. Now its like they’ve taken 3 episodes to do anything else. There’s been one plot point for show since the season started. Last night we found Rose’s husband. That was it. The back story on Hurley was pointless (Just get to the straight jackets already) and any of the other little things they showed we already knew: Jack wants to boink Kate, Charlie wants to boink Claire, and Locke is just fucking crazy. Maybe they’re just trying to weed out those of little interest, or they’re waiting to show 4 good episodes next month during sweeps. My money’s on the latter.

Oh, and before you go “Wait, what about the geothermal generator, and the other bunker, and all that stuff?” It was kind of obvious. That’s the only way that island could get power. That line going into the ocean? Prolly sending power outward, not bringing it in. Still, there are a lot of questions, and I’m kinda getting tired of not learning anything. Maybe I’ll just wait till May and watch the finale, or cram all of season 2 into another weekend. Cause right now, its not really holding my interest.

Almost forgot: this week’s sign of the Apocalypse. (Tongue firmly planted in cheek.)

For once, I don’t mean a comic book character.

I’ve been seeing a bunch of crap on the Internet here lately about the end of the world, and how lots of people say that the signs are all there. My more religious buddies are gearing up for the Second Coming, and some of them are actually quoting parts of the bible saying that that what and where crap happens is a sign. Even my non religious friends hint that they think something big is in the works.

I got one word for all of it: Bullshit.

Now, before I go off on a rant here, there’s a few things I gotta clear up. First off, I am about the furthest thing from a man of faith - I have 0. Truly. I work on fact, and what can be proven. Also, I accept that there are things we don’t know about the world and the universe, and can live with that. I don’t have to have all the answers. Therefore, I don’t need something written a long, long time ago to give me all the cure all answers. No, I don’t know how the universe was created. No, it wouldn’t make me feel any better thinking, nay, believing that some omnipotent being created everything in 7 days. I can sleep just as well not knowing. With that out of the way, lets get started.

First, let’s start at the source of all this: the bible. A book written 2000 some odd years ago, and translated a zillion and a half times. Not to mention a few hundred different actively read versions. Putting aside the recent news that the Catholic Church is now saying some of it is wrong, it’s a tough pill to swallow even still. How can something that edited and manipulated be anywhere close to authentic. Even then, you’re assuming some group of supposed holy men didn’t just make the whole thing up. Use enough realistic things to cite a few examples of reality, and make the rest up.

Next, let’s take on Religion. I don’t just mean Christianity, all of them. All of them I’ve seen use fear tactics. Christianity promises you’ll go to a really bad place when you die if don’t accept this guy they can’t prove existed as your personal saviour. What? Shroud of Torin? For all we know that was just a guy wiping mud of his face. Circumstantial proof at best. Cheap gimmick at worst. Like I stated, I need proof. Islam has the same hell for non believers. Most religions have some method of striking fear into their participants to keep them in line. In the case of a number of religions, the same fear is used to raise money, making some of them the best Racketeering Gigs out there. “You believe in god? Give us money or god will smite you for being a non-believer.” (Of course, this depends on the flock remaining faithful to the cause. Just look at the bankruptcy of the Boston Archdiocese after the pedophilia cases came to light.)

And not to go all George Lucas, but the fear inevitably leads to hate. Look at the religious right’s stance on gays. Look at the Israelis and the Palestinians. Look at the Klu Klux Klan, who believe they’re being good Christians. Look at the southern baptists and their treatment of women. Or Islam and their women. I’ve yet to see a religion that preaches tolerance of others, instead they preach that you should make others like you. Sure, bring more people into the fold. It helps the church’s coffers.

Some of them are insidious enough to strike enough fear into their flocks that the flocks feel compelled to go out and save the non believers. Man this ticks me off. I don’t give a shit what you think, or what you feel will save my ass. Keep it to yourself. Not to mention, why be a good person just to be in the good graces of the one who controls your fate? Why be good just to get into heaven. That seems greedy. You should be a good person and do good things because it’s the right thing to do, not because you’re trying to avoid eternal damnation.

Also, the variation of religions on the planet seem to think that a lot of different people thought this stuff up. If there really was one all knowing force that set things in motion, don’t you think they’d have set everyone on the same page? Or at least done something to stifle the confusion. While no doubt free will is a bitch, you’d have to admit that any creator figure that truly loved their ‘children’ would want them to be safe and happy - not caught up in holy wars about who’s god had the bigger dick.

Speaking of Holy Wars, they’re all a creation of man. It’s not like knights on the crusades heard from a god directly to go invade Jerusalem. They were instructed to by Kings, who listed to clerics. Mortal men not above reproach. Men, who if they were devious enough, could bend the will of the faithful to suit their needs. Funny how that still happens today. Mortal men order jihads against other nations, and evangelical leaders recommend a political candidate that they’ve manipulated into their puppet to ensure that he wins. And that they get their way. And make lots of money. Which is really the point of any war. Someone’s out to make money. Peace is bad for the economy.

OK, on to the science. People are citing the earthquakes of recent months, storms that are more frequent and stronger than well above average. For instance, the National Hurricane Center has a list of hurricane names for every year preselected, and it’s on a 6 or 7 year rotation. This year we run the chance of using every name on the list for the first time. There’s only one of the 21 names left. (They don’t use Q, U, X, Y, and Z - it’s too hard to come up with names for those letters.) It’s the first time in recorded history there’s been that many storms powerful enough to be named. Sure, its scary. But a sign of the end of the world? Not likely.

The important phrase in that paragraph is “recorded history” - there’s only 120 years or so of decent meteorological record keeping. That’s a really, really short time span of earth history to be able to detect a phase. Even if you believe that some creator made all of this in 7 days 6000 years ago, that’s only 2% of the history of the planet. For all we know this kind of cycle happens every few thousand years. OK, let’s be more realistic, and go with the 5 billion years theory of the history of the earth. 120 years is 0.00000024% of the history of the planet. Who’s to say what kind of long term cycle there is? Ice ages occur every few hundred thousand years, and every few million years the magnetic pole shifts. Not to mention, there’s no telling what the effect cosmic powers (meaning those coming upon the earth from space) have on the planet. Eventually the sun will get a lot closer as it expands near death, and the planet will go up in a ball of fire.

As for earthquakes and other natural disasters, they’re just that, natural. The earth can be a violent place, and can make massive changes very quickly. Just wait till the Yellowstone Caldera blows again. Or some other tectonic shift greatly rattles the planet. The earthquake that caused the tsunami back at Christmas? It moved the earth. I don’t mean where it raised the water, I mean the earth literally rattled in its orbit. According to google, 5.9742 × 10^24 kilograms is the mass of the earth. That’s 5974200000000000000000000 Kg. Oh wait, I’m an American. That’s 13170721320000000000000000 pounds. 6585360660000000000000 tons. Or, if you want to visualize it, 3,797,785,847,750,860,000,000 Honda Elements. That’s nearly 4 sextillion cars. That’s the kind of power the earth is packing in. All the nukes on the planet couldn’t pull that off.

Speaking of which, that’s more likely than some prophesied end of days. Humanity needs to worry about itself, not what might happen. There’s a lot of scary stuff out there, and we can easily trigger a cataclysmic event without divine intervention. I think we’re more likely to see nukes used in warfare again in our lifetime more than we are to see some guy who may or may not exist return to earth to clean up the place.

Man, this has been all over the board. The gist of it is, calm down. Armageddon isn’t on approach. Humanity will find a way to cause it long before any divine power steps in to end it all. Either by mass warfare, or by destroying the environment. At the rate we’re going, damnation is the least of our worries.

I of course welcome your comments. I’m not trying to be my own prophet, just getting all this out of my head. I’m interested in all views.

At least for Aardman Studios. They start Sunday night by celebrating the fact they’ve topped the US BOX office ($16.1 mil, approx), and end it by losing everything. Well, all of their props, collectibles, and all that stuff. The BBC is reporting that one hell of a conflagration took the warehouse by storm.

That sucks. Now it’ll be a long, long time before we see Wallace and Grommit again. Or any of there other great movies. So go see it now. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

It’s been a movie filled weekend here in FerretLand, and the two flicks couldn’t have been more different.

Last night I went and saw the new Aragorn flick “A History of Violence”. It wasn’t a bad movie, though it dragged a bit at times. Action wasn’t bad, and Viggo kicked some major ass. Other than pacing, my only problem with the movie was actually the audience. Which I guess isn’t a problem with the movie, just my fellow movie goers.

Now, I will admit that the sex scenes in this movie went a little further than most movies do. Oddly enough, there was little nudity except for Viggo’s rear and Maria Bello walking out of the bathroom with her robe open (yeah, full frontal, so what.) What I don’t get is how people in the audience can be so unphased by Viggo raking up a 10+ body count, yet gasp is disbelief when he goes down on his wife, only to damn near faint when she moves over to make it a 69. “Oh my God! They’re showing in a movie what millions do in their own bedrooms! Scandalous!” Yet he starts capping mobsters like he was the will of Michael Corelone himself and they want to cheer him on. Crazy fucking morals Americans on the whole have. I wanna go watch this movie with a European audience, and see where they gasp. If they do at all.

To be perfectly honest, one part did make me gasp. It wasn’t the fact that a little slapfest got Viggo and the missus hot and bothered and raring to go. It wasn’t the fact that after said slapfest the clothes moved just enough to make room for the proper parts to gain access (this is where Viggo’s butt made an appearance. Unless it was a stunt butt, like Costner used to do.) The part that made me gasp was the location. On a wooden staircase. All I could think was “Ouch! Splinters!” Viggo making his moves, and I’m just waiting for something sensitive to get wooden slivers driven into it. It was kind of painful. (WARNING, TMI: Trust me, it’s not that comfy on a carpeted staircase.) My moving going friend mentioned that the Marble staircase in “The Thomas Crown Affair” couldn’t have been much more comfortable, but at least there’s no danger of splinters.

Anyway, enough about the Sex and Violence.

The movie today was on the completely opposite end of the spectrum. Rated G even. After months and months of waiting since hearing of its release, I finally got to see the new Wallace and Grommit movie. My family has been into Wallace and Grommit since we first saw their short films on PBS years and years ago. The entire collection is running around here somewhere. This is a great kids movie - slapstick for them (which I still find funny) and sight gags that will go right over kid’s heads and make the adults crack up. So I basically spent an hour and 25 minutes laughing to the point of tears, and then to the point of soreness.

This movie worked on so many levels. The conflicts showed up differently to kids and adults, and you’re left with something more complex than you expected. Of course, it hides under the veil of simpleness until you think about it. Love, honor, sacrifice, humanitarianism, vegetarianism, and a whole slew of other things come up.

For those that don’t know who Wallace and Grommit are, here’s a little preface. They’re claymation. Each frame is shot individually, one at a time, and then put together to make animation. Yes, it’s low tech. But the effects in this are just as good, or even more believable, than anything I’ve seen in a CGI Kids movie recently. The fact that you know everything was modeled by hand, and can sometimes see lingering fingerprints in the clay makes it all the more realistic for some reason.

I’m not gonna bog you down with the story details, you just have to watch it and laugh your head off. It’s a great kids movie, so long as they can keep still for the 90 minutes of the movie (plus 15 of trailers.) I had actually dreaded the audience for this one, knowing what little kids in a movie theater can be like. Save for one little punk in the row ahead of us, who kept asking his mom what was going on at the top of his lungs, it wasn’t bad. And I’m not a kid person.

Oh, confused about the title? The two movies I saw were those on the “To See” list - Viggo being #3 and W&G being #2. In case you’re wondering, Serenity is at the top of the list. I may have to pull one of those ‘crappy guy going to the movies solo’ jobs just because no one else in town wants to see it. Or, doesn’t have a schedule that matches up very well to do so.