Tacks Day Again
Tacks Day is upon us once again.
On the plus side, the Post Office will be open late.
Always a silver lining, eh?
Not Workers Compensation
WordPress – Not Just For Kids Any More!
A friend of mine owns and operates a number of websites – all of which run on ASP/.NET/MS-SQL servers. He knows what he’s talking about, but he’s fairly dismissive of WordPress, PHP, and MySQL.
All this time I’ve been raving about WordPress, telling him that you can basically do anything with it. I’ve mentioned how easy it is to use, how easy it is to maintain, its open source, how many global corporations use WordPress to build their websites, how its the tool of choice for so many designers, and how huge the WordPress community is.
In the meantime, he’s referring to his millions of rows in his “real-SQL, MicroSoft SQL” database. I believe he’s been stuck thinking of PHP and MySQL as “kiddie” stuff, just not ready for big time.
That is, he’s been dismissive of WordPress until about two months ago. In the last two months other people (SEO consultants, professional designers) have been raving about WordPress to him too.
I think he’s finally coming around.
Drooling over the Dell Mini 9
Since I reviewed available netbooks about two months back several new options have opened up.1 There’s the new Samsung NC11023 and a slew of new Acer One’s.
However, none of them can touch the 4GB Dell Mini 9 on sale right now for $199 with Ubuntu.
I know I had earlier said that 8GB was too small for my purposes. I had even suggested that I was more interested in some of the other available netbooks over the Dell for this reason. However, I want to make my next computer a Dell, true to my word.
The reason I’m considering the 4GB version where I was dismissing the 8GB version before is the incredible price and the purposes to which such a laptop would be put. In order to do about 98% of what I need with a laptop, I could easily use a netbook. On any given day I use:
- Firefox for web browsing
- Thunderbird for e-mail
- Pidgin for instant messaging
- FileZilla for FTP transfers
- Notepad++ for programming/text editing
- OpenOffice for word processing, spreadsheets
- TightVNC for remote access
All of these programs are open source software and available for Ubuntu4 and Windows. So, in shopping for a laptop, I really don’t care about which operating system I use. The 4GB Dell Mini 9 with Ubuntu could do all of these things – and for a $199 price tag. Plus, with the Mini’s SD card slot, I could pop in an extra 16GB of memory for only $26.
- Photo courtesy of Ciccio Pizzettaro [↩]
- The Samsung NC110 is the successor to the NC10 [↩]
- A review of the NC110 I found helpful [↩]
- An easy-to-use Liniux installation. [↩]
California Organic Eggs Recall
This weekend I learned that there had been a recall of organic brown eggs produced at en Dulk Poultry Farms in Ripon, California and distributed through Safeway, Pak n’ Save, and CostCo. 1 Although no illnesses have been reported, they are initiating this recall admist concerns about Salmonella.
Here’s how to check if you have these recalled eggs:
- You have “Kirkland Organic Brown Eggs” from CostCo in the 18-count cartons. It will have either of the expiration and plant codes:
- April 1 062, 35 P1776
- April 8 069, 35 P1776
- You have “O Organic Grade A Large Brown Eggs” from Safeway and Pack n’ Save in the 12-count cartons with the expiration and plant code:
- April 1 062, 35 P1776
I’m glad I checked: I had the 12 count container of recalled eggs from Safeway in my fridge. More details about the egg recall can be found in the article from the San Jose Mercury News.
Battlestar Galactica Finale: Explained
SPOILER warning: This post discusses every big reveal from series finale
If you’re a fan of Battlestar Galactica like myself, you may have watched the finale on Friday night and thought, “What the hell?” This show has introduced so much character development, conflict, and drama over four years that it is honestly difficult to tell whether I’m disappointed the series is ending or disappointed with the series’ ending.1 They wrapped up most of the big questions and left a lot unanswered. Without further ado, I present you with the answers to all the outstanding questions gleaned from the post-finale press conference:
- What’s the deal with the Battlestar Galactica “Final Supper” picture?
Red Herringe? - What’s the deal with the “Cylon god”?
- We don’t know. The “Cylon god” is not necessarily the same “god” referred to by the imaginary Baltar and Six. We probably won’t know for sure about the “Cylon god” until “Battlestar Galactica: The Plan” comes out in Fall 2009.
- What’s the deal with imaginary Baltar and Six and the real Baltar and Caprica Six?
- The imaginary Baltar and Six are agents of “god” that apparently only manifest to the real Baltar and Caprica Six. They are neither good nor bad, neither angels nor demons. The “god” the imaginary Baltar and Caprica Six serve is something akin to the collective unconscious underlying the universe. Their sole mission was to ensure the real Baltar and Caprica Six survive to deliver Hera to the CIC on the Galactica. The real Baltar and Caprica Six come to believe in the god described by their imaginary counterparts. This belief enables Baltar (a true cynic) to deliver his speach to Cavil and almost broker peace between the Cylons and humans and break the cycle of violence.
- What’s the deal with the opera house dreams?
- Four people (9Sharon “Athena” Agathon – a Cylon 8 model, President Laura Roslin, Dr. Gaius Baltar, and Caprica Six)) shared the opera house dream. This dream was meant to guide each of these people to the CIC on the Galactica at the end of the confrontation between the humans and Cylons.
- What’s the deal with Kara Thrace/Starbuck?
- Who the frak knows. While we don’t know how she was brought back to life, we do know why she was brought back. We also have no idea where she went or how she just disappeared. She was brought back from the dead for the purpose of entering the numeric equivalent of “All Along the Watchtower” into the FTL drive. Starbuck, her father, and Hera all tapped into something eternal and fundamental underlying the entire universe in order to hear/play this song.
- What’s the deal with Daniel? Was Daniel the father of Kara Thrace/Starbuck?
-
Red Herring He was an unintentional red herring. He was meant to be a “Cain and Abel” back story for Cavil to show he was a right bastard – nothing more. While there are certain pieces which support this theory, he was never meant to be Starbuck’s dad. The “Daniel” model Cylon would have been permanently destroyed long before Starbuck was ever born.
-
- What happened to the Cylons in the base near the black hole?
- After Racetrack’s Viper was knocked around, it accidentally nuked the Cylon baseship. After the battle and after the Galactica jumped away, it lost its stable orbit at the edge of the black hole and was pulled in.
- What’s the deal with the various prophecies, the mandala/nebula/nova in Starbuck’s drawings, and “All Along the Watchtower”?
- “Everything has happened before and will happen again.” The cycle of humans, humans building Cylons, Cylons evolving, human-Cylon violence, has occurred for thousands of years and will occur again. During these cycles certain people (Starbuck, Starbuck’s father, prophets, those who see the opera house dreams, etc) all tap into the collective unconscious underlying the universe. This allows Starbuck’s father to compose “All Along the Watchtower,” Hera to paint the musical notes for it, the song to be the key to unlock the final five, and the song to be the numerical equivalent of the way to our Earth. 150,000 years after everything in this series, humankind has again evolved to the point of embracing technology. This would allow the new BSG series to serve as a background and origin story for the original BSG series.
Most of this information is from the post-Battlestar Galactica finale interview. I’ve tried to make it as intelligible as I can.
Do you disagree with my descriptions above? Do you have another BSG question you need resolved? Let me know in the comments!
- Photo by way of “diverse distinctive dave’s” blog [↩]
- Photo courtesy of stridli. Editing, all me! [↩]
- And, they were right. [↩]
Online Eyeglasses: Is Pupillary Distance important?
Is pupillary distance is important?
Does pupillary distance matter?
Yes! Pupillary distance is the distance, in millimeters, between the center of your eyes. When your eyeglass professional is building your glasses, they will need to make sure the “sweet spot” for each lens is directly in front of each eye. They do this using your pupillary distance.
Its possible to have a different pupillary distance for each eye if your eyes are not the same exact distance from the center of your face. Don’t feel bad – your mom still loves you!
When you go into a brick and mortar eyeglass store, they measure your pupillary distance for you. If you’re buying glasses online, you can either measure your pupillary distance yourself or you can ask your eye doctor to measure it for you. If you’re buying glasses online, don’t cheap out – get your eye doctor to measure your pupillary distance for you. You can do it yourself – but why leave something this important up to chance? If you insist on doing it yourself, you just need a mirror and a metric ruler and measure the distance between the center of your two pupils.
Now that I’ve answered the burning question about pupillary distance:
- When you go to your eye doctor, print out this handy eye prescription chart to take with you.
- Also, don’t forget to check out my list of 5 easy steps for ordering glasses online.
- Once you’re done with that, I’d recommend reading my review of GlobalEyeglasses.com (with a coupon code!) and my review of Goggles4U.com (also with a coupon code!).
Goggles4U Review, epilogue
Last week I posted a Goggles4U.com review. 1 My review was favorable despite having received glasses that didn’t really work for me. It just so happens, according to my eye doctor, that some people are more sensitive to the “Base Curvature.” I happen to be one of those people and there’s no way either I or Goggles4U could have known that. The bottom line is that I received glasses with the exact prescription I specified- you can’t ask more than that.
After trying out this pair of glasses for a week I notified Goggles4U customer service that I was too sensitive to the “Base Curvature.” They responded immediately and gave me a code to order a new pair. I placed the order on 2/27/2009, sent them an e-mail specifying a comfortable range for the Base Curvature. The new glasses arrived on 3/7/2009.
These new glasses, with transition/polychromatic lenses, are great. I haven’t had any problems with them at all. I will still take them back to my eye doctor to confirm, because I think any review would be incomplete without an independent confirmation from a medical professional.
In end sum, I would recommend Goggles4U without reservation. Check out my prior review (now updated!) for the complete review and a Goggles4U coupon.
- Photo courtesy of Morningstar Lee [↩]
False Sense of Security: Part II
I recently posted about a fun experience with the metal detectors and security staff at the Oakland WCAB.1
At the end of January I was fortunate enough to witness more security shenanigans.
A man in line behind me took off all metal from his person and placed it in the provided gray plastic bin. Here’s a summary of the exchange between this gentleman and the security guard:
- Security: Sir, you’re going to have to take off your belt.
- Man: My belt buckle is metal. I took it off, see? There’s no metal in my belt.
- Security: That doesn’t matter, sir. Please take off your belt.
- Man: But, there’s no metal in it.
- Security: Sir, you’re going to need to put your belt through the metal detector.
- The man finally took off his belt…
I have several problems with this2 “security procedure.”
- It is irrational and absurd.
- This system encourages security guards to be lazy and unobservant, encouraging the hiring of unsophisticated or untrained security guards.
- This system places too much importance on the value of x-ray machines.
Let’s take this point by point, shall we?
First, when challenged to provide any rationale for their demands, the security staff resorts to argumentum ad verecundiam. 3 There’s no reason why a non-metal belt buckle or, heaven forbid a piece of paper, needs to be fed into the x-ray machine. They’re not security risks.
Second, the current system allows the security guards to insist all detachable belongings be fed into the x-ray machine. 45 The current system essentially removes the incentive for hiring trained, competent, or intelligent staff. And, really, why should they? A mannequin with a sign around its neck could instruct everyone to remove all belongings.
Finally, the current system allows all the security guards at the Oakland state building to place too much importance on the x-ray machines. Once you’ve placed your belongings6 in the plastic bin, you aren’t given a second glance. What happens if someone decides to conceal a dangerous non-metalic object on their person? These security guards believe that paper should be x-rayed! I’m supposed to trust in their powers of keen observation?
Can you tell I’m frustrated with the security situation at the Oakland WCAB?
- Original photo courtesy of Daquella manera. [↩]
- imaginary [↩]
- Latin argument for “appeal to authority” aka “I have a badge so I must be right” aka “‘Cause I said so, that’s why.” [↩]
- Don’t forget to put your right to privacy in that bin. After all, you don’t have anything to hide from Big Brother, do you? [↩]
- For a while they actually required the removal of shoes too. Taking your shoes off at the airport is bad enough. But at the Oakland state building??? [↩]
- And dignity! Don’t forget your dignity! Don’t worry, after a couple of times through this system it will be small enough to fit comfortably between your cell phone and belt buckle. [↩]
Review of Goggles4U.com
I recently ordered three pairs of glasses from GlobalEyeglasses.com and one pair from Goggles4U.com.1 Last Wednesday I had my doctor check all four pairs. Read on for the details!
I chose to try Goggles4U.com because an NPR commenter had a good review for them, they seemed to have good online reviews, had a very good website, and their prices for polychromatic glasses were fantastic. UPDATE 3/10/09: Updated Goggles4U.com review here!
Review of Goggles4U.com
- Website. Goggles4U.com lets you upload a photo of yourself and try on a virtual pair of glasses. I didn’t try this feature, but I suppose it might be useful to some. They also have the option of spinning a virtual version of each pair of glasses. It was fairly easy to navigate their website and place the order. One useful feature is that their website allows you to save your prescription so you don’t have to re-enter it.
- Selection. There were easily several hundred frames from which to choose. They have every imaginable style and variation. They also have a wide range of lens options: clear, tinted, polychromatic / transition lenses, and super thin materials.
- Price. Goggles4U.com has free shipping. Most of the frames are about $12.99.
- Frame Quality. The pair I bought fit with minimal adjusting of the nose pads and behind the ears.
- Lens Quality. For some reason the glasses from Goggles4U.com just didn’t seem right. They took me several minutes to adjust to and still continued to bother me in a subtle way I couldn’t quite understand. I took this pair to my eye doctor who told me that this pair had a lower “Base Curvature” than the pairs from GlobalEyeglasses.com. Apparently, some people are just more sensitive to variations in “Base Curvature.”
- Shipping. Two weeks, just about on the button. Shipping was free.
- Customer Service. After trying out these frames for a week I e-mailed Goggles4U.com to let them know I was having problems with the glasses and that I was going to take them to my doctor to be examined. The responded immediately asking me to let them know what my doctor had to say. I e-mailed them right when I came back to let them know the “base curvature” was off. The e-mailed me back almost immediately giving me a coupon code for $35.99 off another pair. The bottom line is that they responded to me nearly instantly and have gone out of their way to make me happy. I’m not interested in a refund, just a pair of glasses for a reasonable price. I feel like Goggles4U.com has certainly earned by business.
- Extras. Each pair comes with its own free case, eyeglass cloth, and replacement nose pads and screws. Shipping was free.
Verdict: I would use Goggles4U.com again and recommend them to a friend. When placing your order, use the coupon code, “glassyeyes” for 5% off.
UPDATE 3/10/09: Updated Goggles4U.com review here!
- Photo courtesy of Morningstar Lee [↩]
Review of GlobalEyeglasses.com
I recently ordered three pairs of glasses from GlobalEyeglasses.com and one pair from Goggles4U.com.1 Last Wednesday I had my doctor check all four pairs. Read on for the details!
I chose to try GlobalEyeglasses.com because I heard a glowing review on on NPR, they seemed to have good online reviews, had a decent website, and their prices were really incredible.
Review of GlobalEyeglasses.com
- Website. The GlobalEyeglasses.com webiste merely lets you see a larger photo of each pair of glasses. I am was the kind of person who needed to try on lots of different frames before I could make a choice 2 Incredibly, not being able to try on the glasses just didn’t bother me at all. Once I had gotten my prescription and narrowed down the frame choices, it was surprisingly easy to find the glasses for me.
- Selection. There were easily several hundred frames from which to choose. They have every imaginable style and variation. They also have a wide range of lens options: clear, tinted, polychromatic / transition lenses, and super thin materials.
- Price. Using the coupon code at the bottom of this review, I got 10% off my order. You can find frames as cheaply as $1.003 and lenses starting from $6.99. They appear to have several designer frames. The only shipping option is by UPS and costs $5.99. When I was buying a month ago they were running a promotion where I bought two pairs and got one pair free. $45.00 for three pairs, shipped, is basically unbeatable.
- Frame Quality. Each pair fit with minimal adjusting of the nose pads and behind the ears. On my pair of sunglassses4 one of the screws in the nose pads fell out the first day I wore it. When I replaced the nose pad I discovered that the screw fell out because the threads on that side had been stripped. I used an extra screw and tightened it. I haven’ t had any problems since.
- Lens Quality. I have had no problems with the prescriptions on any of the three pairs I got from GlobalEyeglasses.com. I didn’t require any “adjustment” period or any time to get used to these glasses. More importantly, the lenses themselves were confirmed by my doctor to be the correct prescription.
- Shipping. Two weeks, just about on the button. Shipping was $5.99.
- Customer Service. A day after I placed my order I received an e-mail from GlobalEyeglasses.com saying that one of the pairs I had ordered was now out of stock and would I please select a new pair. While a little bummed that one of my first choices was no longer available, I was very happy that they let me know immediately. I chose a new frame and made a small change to another frame I had originally ordered. They adjusted the price accordingly and immediately refunded me the difference.
- Extras. Each pair comes with its own free case, eyeglass cloth, and replacement nose pads and screws.
Verdict: I would absolutely recommend GlobalEyeglasses.com and use them again. When placing your order, use the coupon code, “glassyeyes” for 10% off.
- Photo courtesy of Morningstar Lee [↩]
- It’s an important decision! [↩]
- Not that you’d want them. [↩]
- Just a tinted pair of prescription glasses [↩]