Derrik's journal

2008-09-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

Nothing prepared me for software engineering like playing Metroid

2008-09-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.project10tothe100.com/index.html

May Those Who Help The Most Win

Project 10¹⁰⁰ is a call for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible.

2008-09-24T09:50:00.001-07:00

Coolest. Shirt. Ever.

2008-09-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

yotify: http://www.yotify.com/

If this is a competitor to google alerts perhaps we're witnessing the start of a new industry, personalized web crawlers.

2008-09-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

2008-09-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Bailout Satire

I almost missed this email because it was diverted to my spam folder. But apparently Paulson is sending this around:

Dear American:

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully Minister of Treasury Paulson

[via BoingBoing]

2007-06-21T16:40:00.001-07:00

Miriam's invaluable advice:

2007-06-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

GLOBAL WARMING!!!!

It's TRUE!!
It's LIBRAL B.S.!!

actually, that doesn't matter...

The scary thing is, all this debate we do about global warming is pushing us closer and closer to the default: inaction. Counting down the days until we get a new president.

2007-06-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

I'm spying on you.

I've added google analytics to this blog, just cause I wonder if anyone ever does stumble upon it out there on the great wide internet. I had to add it after my friend showed off her blog and she had added analytics.

http://toothfairydreams.blogspot.com/

I also showed her how to block analytics and all Javascript via a no script plug in for Firefox. Installing this plug-in will block Javascript on all websites. Why would you do this? Security, privacy, for fun.

Security, malicious websites use Javascript to install bad things on your computer. I surf with piece of mind knowing that any site I go to has to ask me first before executing code on my computer.

Privacy, if you don't have Javascipt blocked anyone using Google Analytics or any other Javascript based tracking code will know where you surf, what links you click, how long you stay there, etc. Maybe you care, maybe you don't.

Fun, I love watching sites panic when they realize I have Javascript turned off. Sometimes I get a message saying 'This site works better with Javascript enabled.' Sometimes parts of the site just won't work period.

Most of the sites I use for banking don't use Javascript, which is very good. Websites that don't have to have to use Javascript shouldn't, it leaves them vulnerable for XSS, cross-site scripting. To learn more visit your local library. jk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-site_scripting

2007-05-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

e: 09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0
B: -----------------------------------------------------------
G: -----------------------------------------------------------
D: -----------------------------------------------------------
A: -----------------------------------------------------------
E: -----------------------------------------------------------

Reasons to get rid of the Major Music Labels

2007-03-07T23:43:00.001-08:00

Music diversity will grow.Pay-for-play radio will end.Independent music won’t be marginalized.The lawsuits will stop.Artistic freedom will expand.Musicians will make abetter living.

read more | digg story

2007-03-06T14:34:00.001-08:00

I don't remember if the Tivo cut off the preview for the next episode of Heroes or it just didn't air last night, but I don't remember seeing it. Here's a link to the preview of the episode that won't air until 2340483498134 weeks from now.

read more | digg story

2007-03-06T00:07:00.000-08:00

Heroes: Parasite Recap.
=================

This will not be a step by step reviewing of the ep or be in chronological order. I'll also skip the lame stuff.

SPOILERS FOLLOW

Hiro gets his sword, and man does he get his power back. He jumps into the future from Vegas to New York WITH ANDO. (Oh yeah, Andos back!) So this begs the question: Can Hiro teleport himself and (an)other(s) with him, or does Ando absorb some of Hiros power? I'd like to think the latter. Theory: Anyone can absorb anyones power (if only temporarily and weakly) if they are "close" to them. This could explain why Peters wussy, 'I care for everyone too much' complex gives him the ability to absorb others' powers. I mean Peter has a power, above and beyond us normals, but maybe it's possible for everyone to absorb anyones power if they're close to them. I don't just mean close physically, but mentally, emotionally, ~~financially~~, etc. Maybe Mohinder starting picking up some of Sylars powers after befriending him and going on adventures. Maybe...

We meet Linderman. (Is that Malcolm McDowell from Star Trek: Generations and the blocker buster hit Tank Girl?) He says he knows about Nathan's, and others', powers and can have him 'a heart beat away from being president.' So Petrelli becomes VP and someone offs the president? Cool.

Nikki fails.

The epic battle between Peter and Sylar we were waiting for thus far is Sylar starting to cut Peter's forehead. This COULD explain why Future Hiro says, "I almost didn't recognize you without your scar."....But so far it's just a little scratch, just a flesh AND SKULL wound, isn't Peter supposed to be able to heal? The only way around this I can see is 1. This isn't how Peter gets his scar, or 2. ---actually that's it. Cause even after Claire was dumped in the freakin' river and vivisected for who knows how many hours, she still doesn't have a scratch or scar on her. Maybe Sylar pokes Peters brain in JUUUST the right spot taking the healing power. Ehhh, maybe not. Maybe Peter never met Claire, see below.

Does Hiro mean the multiple universes kind of time travel. Like Back to the Future part 2? If Sylar killed Claire could Hiro have gone back in time to tell the heroes to save her OR WILL Hiro go back in time BECAUSE he knows he did/does it before/sometime, and he's afraid if he doesn't do it, he will uneximplode the universe?

An important question because if there is only one time-line then, Isaac is killed by Sylar and New York goes nuclear.

I urge the writers to look into the multiple universes kind of time travel. Why? Example: Let's say Heroes gets to it's 7th season. Season four was kick ass but it starts going downhill from there. Something really, really bad could happen that causes Hiro to go back in time to season four (maybe he over shoots the bad thing a little) and the story continues from there. We get TWO season fours!!! Each one different and awesome! Then writers can rectify whatever they did to cause this mythical sucky season five and six to occur. It's like taking candy from a baby...then beating the baby at arm wrestling.

2006-10-14T05:27:00.000-07:00

Here is my last and middle name in the the Japanese alphabet hiragana: さきまけにち

2006-10-11T04:52:00.000-07:00

Day 2 in Okinawa
------------------------

It's just like home, but TOTALLY different.

I like it when people around me are speaking in a different language, then I don't have to pretend to listen.

Because I'm half Japanese people here assume I speak Japanese. They ask me something I don't understand, then I either smile and nod or laugh and shake my head. So far, no fights.

Every product in Japan is a smiling cartoon character. EVERY product.

Anime is NOT an exaggeration of Japan. There are tons of school girls, they all giggle, and they're all in love with me.

I feel cool because I look American without trying.

1,000 yen sounds like a lot but it isn't.

We'll that's about it, I'll post more random thoughts as they occur to me.

-Derrik

2006-06-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

Support Network Neutrality

Walmart and other companies have to pay for the land their parking lot occupies, just as websites and servers have to pay for the immediate bandwidth they use.

However, the streets, roads and freeways we use to get to Walmart, the park, and grandma's are open and equal to all.

I believe in capitalism and a free market. I hope to own my own company one day, but that dream dies when the government caves to those who can afford lobbyists and make it more difficult for entrepreneurs to create new businesses.

A free market still needs government over site, or else companies like Enron can abuse the public.

I am an American who will innovate if possible. Support Network Neutrality.

http://www.savetheinternet.com/

Artist will be the only profession: The Anarchy retainer.

2006-01-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

As technology progresses computers and machines will replace more and more of what we consider work. One day, Artificial Intelligence and self-designing networks will be able to run the planet leaving us to create and explore, unburdened by work and labor. But can't computers be programmed to be creative? Won't they also be able to create art and music?

Yes, but people care about stories about people. People can read all their news on paper or on line but we still like the talking heads of news reporters. Intrumental music is a small niche market while hip hop and music heavy with lyrics is huge, because people care about people. So I'll share a little bit of my story:

After I got my braces off in high school I learned that I could have a retainer made with any picture I wanted on it. So being the kick ass little punk rocker that I was, I went home, opened up MSPaint and created an red anarchy symbol.

My orthodontist says, "I don't know if I can put this devil symbol on your retainer." I informed him, "Anarchy just means a society without a government." This seemed to impress the cute girl working behind the counter. So I continued, "I believe people are inherently good and intelligent enough to govern themselves without the need for an organized entity." Ahhh to be young, innocent, and incredibly stupid.

I applied for a passport and mailed the CDs today.

How Ill get my music on iTunes

2006-01-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

As the archaic structure of the music industry crumples away, we are left with a new world where indie and up-and-coming artists are on the same platform as mainstream artists. People aren't buying CDs, they are buying files. The indie artist merely has to have their files available on the same services. The first thing iTunes, or any mainstream online music store wants is a distributor. There are many distributors out there for indie bands and labels to sign up with. I did some research and discovered that CDBaby is the best. So,

Step 1. Create an account with CDBaby. You'll need:

An address
5 copies of your CD (To mail to CDBaby)
$35 Album registration fee

Their website may not be that impressive but it's an incredible company. Venture Voice did a podcast interview with Derek Sivers of CDBaby, that mp3 file can be found here.

My next step is to mail the 5 copies of my bands CDs to CDBaby. As soon as they receive my CDs and list me on their site I'll write another entry.