2-column CSS

I keep dabbling with CSS, but I've never spent the time to actually learn it. Instead, I borrow bits and pieces from here and there, and try not to take enough to annoy anybody, or at least try to take from places where that's the point, and then acknowledge what I've taken. The two-column "ALA" format was the basis for the two-column layout I'm currently using here.

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Computers::Internet::Web::Design::CSS

How to Upgrade an iBook HD, the hard way

In a desktop machine, I'd install or replace a harddrive myself. But laptops aren't desktops, and the hard way of upgrading an iBook HD is a little too hard for me to want to do. My fingers are too big and clumsy to get all the screws back into place without breaking any of the flimsy connectors.

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Computers::Macintosh

How to upgrade an iBook HD, the easy way.

Instead of installing a new HD in my iBook myself, I plan to upgrade it the easy way.

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Computers::Macintosh

The Counts of Barrayar

For years, I judged Lois McMaster Bujold's Barrayar books by their covers, and studiously avoided them. Finally, the exceedingly heavy discussion of A Civil Campaign, the latest installment, in rec.arts.sf.written convinced me to give them a try. After reading the first two in one sitting, I ran out and bought them all. Dan Tilque has a chart showing the Counts that have been mentioned so far, as well as their family colors and other information about them.

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | CopyrightCartel::Books

Discworld Reading Order

For any long series of books, there is disagreement over the best order to read the various volumes. Sometimes the disagreement is over publication/written order vs. internal chronological (c.f. Narnia and Bujold's Vorkosigan saga). Sometimes it's about giving new readers more easily-accessible books to start with (c.f. Banks' Culture books). And sometimes it's just about avoiding the bad books (c.f. E. E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman books). And then, there's Discworld.

With well over 20 members, Discworld has books of varying quality, books that are completely unrelated to each other other than being set on the same world, books that are direct sequels of others, and books in numerous styles. Opinions on the best order to read them are strong and complex. Some people spend a little too much time making their opinion clear, or at least well documented.

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | CopyrightCartel::Books

Women Discover SF

Amazing! The AP has noticed that it's no longer 1942. Among other signs of change over the past 59 years, they report, Women are getting into Science Fiction. Maybe in a few more decades, they'll discover that SF fans read books, not just watch movies. I'm not holding my breath, though.

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | CopyrightCartel::Books

Interesting Random Numbers

One of the many problems with the DMCA is the confusion between copyright protection, copy protection, and use restrictions. The DVD/DeCSS case is a good example of this -- CSS is clearly a mechanism for the MPAA to control DVD player manufacturers, and via them, consumer's DVD use. It masquerades as a copyright protection scheme, though, giving it DMCA protection. These random numbers, which may be somehow related to CSS, are certainly not required for making infringing copies; they might possibly be useful for actually watching DVDs you own, though.

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | CopyrightCartel::DVD

Developers Developers Developers Developers

Developers Developers Developers Developers

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Old::ComputerIndustry

Why Cooperation with RMS is Impossible

I think we're all glad this doesn't come with video. This version is quite enough, thank you very much.

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Old::ComputerIndustry

foldable bookcases, mark 1

The bookcases in my living room are stackable 3-shelf folding affairs from the Barnes & Noble paper catalog. For reasons that escape me, B&N online doesn't seem to carry them, and asking about them in B&N brick stores will just get you looked at funny, and I haven't gotten a B&N paper catalog in years. These are very similar, but not quite identical, to the ones I have (mine don't have the middle vertical bar on the sides, but it would be nice if they did - that's a nice touch). On the other hand, the ones I have, bought in two batches several years apart, aren't quite identical either -- the newer ones are a bit lighter in color, and the stacking mechanisms aren't compatible -- so maybe these are Close Enough.

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Old::furniture

Hi-Tech Houses

What do you get when Ashley Pomeroy does a Jim Lileks impression? Such gems as
I imagine this is how audiophiles spend their days - listening to silent records at incredible volume, with oscilloscopes.
See the House of the Future, circa 1983!

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Old::furniture

Mac-on-Linux

Most people buy a Macintosh to run Macintosh software, reasonably enough -- the hardware has some nice touches, but not enough to justify the rather substaintial premium by itself. For those of us who would also like to run Linux on them, that poses a bit of a delimma. Mac-on-Linux, a Linux equivalent of MacOSX's MacOS Classic "Blue Box", provides one solution.

2001-01-01 00:00:00 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Old::Linux