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 31.may.2005 - Updated the Black Beast. A bad case of link-rot had set in there.
I have much to say about the subject of link-rot: the bane of web masters everywhere. There's one source I know of whose links never rot: The Inquirer. Any link to an Inquirer article will always remain valid .. just like a Radified link.
30.may.2005 - Today we honor the fallen by taking time to remember their sacrifice, especially the 1657 soldiers who have died in Iraq.
My own little 6-year stint in the military taught me this: nothing else comes close to the challenge I faced daily while enlisted. Even my worst days now are better than my best days then. No matter how challenging life becomes, it's always a breeze compared to those 2192 days.
When I finally got out, my DD-214 (discharge papers) described my tour of service as "arduous". I didn't even know what that word meant. I had to look it up in the dictionary, which described it as:
- difficult and tiring: requiring hard work or continuous strenuous effort
- steep or demanding: very difficult to traverse, endure, or overcome
I thought, "damn right." The military, if nothing else, changes your perspective on life. My Navy buddy, the Dog, said it this way, "For years after you get out, you feel like life is too good to be true. There's a looming sense that it's all going to come crashing down on your head at any moment. But it never does."
And we never had anybody shooting bullets at us, which must increase the stress-factor considerably. War quotes posted here (should be required reading in our schools).
28.may.2005 - PC maintenance is scheduled for today. Think of it like a tune-up for your car, cuz it's hard to indulge your technolust if your beast ain't runnin' right.
27.may.2005 - In local news, the 24th Annual Corona del Mar Scenic 5K Race is scheduled for June 4th. That's one week from tomorrow.
Online registration is open until noon on the 30th, for $25. After that it's $30 at selected locations. Gorgeous course. 5K meters = 3.1 miles. It's sure to be a fun time for everyone. So dust off those running shoes all you techies.
I also want to be a good host and re-mention Mr. Magoo's Guide to BitTorrent, which shares with you the mojo on how to get that new file-sharing program up & running on your own PC. This weekend might be a good time for that. Remember to share responsibly.
After posting the guide a few weeks ago, Mr. Magoo has continued to update & clarify various sections in response to overwhelming reader feedback. He even added another page to address "Common Problems" people were having.
In other techie news, we hear Intel has embedded Digital Rights Management (DRM) into its newest CPU, the dual-core Pentium D, and the 945 chipset that supports it. Story here.
More dual-core info here. Ah, here is the best info I've found on the subject of dual-core, aka Pentium D. I'd wager some clever geeks will patch that DCM code quicker than you can say reverse engineering.
25.may.2005 - Upgraded the forum software today (YaBB), from v1.3.2 to v1.4. Primarily security stuff:
- Session ID protection added
- Javascript execution in shadow tags now blocked
.. and some bug fixes. Requires users to re-login afterwards. I almost forgot my dang password and couldn't log into my own forum. How embarrassing. Lemme know if you have trouble with your password. I can send you a new one.
Rumor has it AOL users may have problems staying logged in with v1.4 cuz of their dynamic IP. I always sweat bullets whenever I upgrade the forum software. Also added the option (a mod) to create Polls.
YaBB is getting ready to release v2.0 soon, which adds a long list of new features. Version 2.0 is currently at Release Candidate 2 (released 27.april). Folks who want to install a forum on their site might also consider Simple Machines. All freeware.
24.may.2005 - Today I pulled a letter from the Rad mailbox to share with you. One of the best things about running a site like this is all the people I hear from, who live all over the world. The subject of the message is titled: Most Useful Site since TOM's:
The remainder of today's entry is blogged here:> Kudos & a milestone
23.may.2005 - Been receiving mail from readers noting how summer is almost here, and that they're itching to build a new system (computer) this summer. So I dusted off the old template I used when designing the Black Beast.
The new "2005" system will be based on the Intel 955X chipset, which adds future-proofing with its support for 1066-MHz FSB. That's the only decision I've made so far.
The CPU selection has been narrowed down to two options (both Pentium 4s): either the 3.2-GHz 640 (US$280), or the 3.4-GHz 650 (US$414). Is the extra 0.2-GHz worth an extra $135? Probably not. I expected prices would've dropped faster than they have.
It will take a few days to wade thru the info and come up with something new. The new chipsets have been out long enough to allow plenty of time for the boys at Intel to iron out all the bugs.
21.may.2005 - In a galaxy far, far away ... I saw the new Star Wars yesterday. Had to catch the matinee, cuz the later shows were all sold out.
What a spectacular event. Lucas was criticize last time (Episode II - Attack of the Clones) for abandoning the element of "story" and relying too heavily on wiz-bang special effects. Episode III (Revenge of the Sith) presents a richly-layered, tightly-woven story.
What does it take for an altruistic Jedi to turn from the light and embrace "the dark side"? That's the backstory behind episode III. We see young Anakin Skywalker, the "chosen one", forsake his noble Jedi brothers and become transformed into Lord Darth Vader.
The remainder of today's entry is blogged here:> Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith: Rad review
20.may.2005 - Thought I would beat the crowds and see the new Star Wars flic last night (Episode III - Revenge of the Sith). But it was sold out. Surprising for a Thursday night, especially cuz the Big Newport seats over a thousand people. The camping area on the lawn of the Big Newport had been full for days.
George Lucas, the director, graduated from USC Film School, the oldest & best Film school on the planet. He's a big techie himself. Supposedly, he got the idea for Star Wars while talking to Joseph Campbell about the Power of Myth.
Maybe I'll try again tonight, but Friday will probably sell out even quicker. Strong reviews.
19.may.2005 - The phone rang last night. Friends called to say, "Dude, turn on 60 Minutes." CBS was broadcasting an interview with the Commanding Officer of that nuclear sub (USS San Francisco) that ran into an underwater mountain back in January.
What struck me most about the interview was how the Captain accepted complete responsibility for the accident, even tho the Navy had provided him with inaccurate underwater maps, which did not show the mountain, and had plotted his course for him.
It was strange seeing the 60 Minutes correspondent actually *defend* the Captain, when they are typically the ones making the accusations. The 60 Minutes guy says, "But they plotted a course that took you right into that mountain." And the captain responds, "That's right, but the safety of the ship is still ultimately my responsibility."
The remainder of today's entry is blogged here: 60 Minutes interviews Captain of nuclear sub that ran aground
18.may.2005 - Jumped in the ocean today, down at Crescent Bay. Caught a few of the big waves that rolled in. I can body-surf okay, especially when I have my Churchills. Got knocked around pretty good. One wave put me thru "the washing machine". Ka-runch.
Today is the first day I got in the water this year *without* my wet-suit. That always marks the beginning of summer for me.
On the flip-side (in autumn), the day I have to turn on the heat for the first time always marks the beginning of winter (.. usually late-November, or early-December). A sad day. But today's a happy day. Feels good to get wet and get pummeled by Mother Nature.
17.may.2005 - Saw the movie Crash last night. Rotten Tomatoes rated it Certified Fresh, which is one reason why I went. All CF-rated films I've seen have been excellent.
Crash is about "the complexities of racial conflict in America." A rather ambitious undertaking. And it does a superb job at addressing this aspect. Many familiar actors & actresses lend their talents. Can't remember the last time I recognized so many faces in one film.
It reminded me a little of Pulp Fiction, the way it was disjointed. Many seemingly unrelated scenes are strung together, which tie together only at the end. This is not my favorite style of film.
The remainder of today's entry is blogged here:> CRASH: A review of the movie / film
16.may.2005 - Was surfing the web last week, when I came across double-green-underlined words (forget which site). So I clicked the "what's this" link, which led to this page.
Turns out it was an advertising program. Since the Google thing went so well, I decided to apply for this other .. to see what gives. Today I got the following letter:
The remainder of today's entry is blogged here: Vibrant Media IntelliTXT contextual keyword advertising
15.may.2005 - Winky won! Descriptions of the fight can be found at Sports Illustrated, and MSNBC, and New York Times .. San Francisco Chronicle. I thought it would be closer. The bout should air next Saturday on regular HBO (not Pay Per View).
This sets up a championship bout between Winky and the decade-long middleweight champ: Bernard Hopkins. What a good fight *that* would be. None is cagier than Hopkins, who owns more belts than he can carry. But, at 40 years of age, father-time is fast on his heels. Few boxers have more title defenses.
14.may.2005 - I called all the local sports bars to see if anyone was hosting tonight's fight (refer to yesterday's entry). Only National Sports Grill was game, but only at their Buena Park & Torrance locations ($20 per-person cover).
I talked to the owner of one local place, here in Orange county. He said it's just too expensive. I don't feel like driving up to Los Angeles to see the fight, so I'm out of luck. I even searched the web to see if I could find a webcast. Looks like the odds are 3-2 in favor of Tito. That sounds about right.
13.may.2005 - Today is Friday the 13th. Beware of black cats & other such unlucky things.
Major boxing match tomorrow night: Winky Wright (48-3) vs Felix "Tito" Trinidad (42-1, Puerto Rico). This will be a serious fight. Too many fights, it seems, are arranged to produce a desired result. But this one has all the makings of a real contest.
I wonder who the Vegas odds-makers are giving the edge to. Probably Tito, cuz he has the knock-out power. But Winky has never been knocked out.
I admire Tito for not ducking tough opponents. He has fought all the big names (.. and usually wins). This doesn't surprise me, tho, because I grew up on the East Coast and knew some Puerto Ricans there (large PR population resides in New York City). They are a very proud, nationalistic people. Prouder than any group I've met. At least the ones I knew.
The remainder of today's entry is blogged here:> Felix 'Tito' Trinidad vs Winky Wright
12.may.2005 - While rooting around in the forum's administrative functions, I came across a feature to select Moderators.
Like any good geek, I love to tinker, and see what happens. So I selected one of the forum's more helpful members: Mr. NightOwl (who hails from Washington state .. aka God's country .. I used to live there myself .. for two glorious years) and assigned him Moderator status .. without asking, and without really knowing what that entailed.
The remainder of today's entry is blogged here:> RAD Bulletin Board Forum Moderators
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