I have become politically active. Below is a copy of a letter I e-mailed today to both of my senators and representative. You can find the address and contact information for your elected officials here. I urge you to participate in your country by writing your elected officials no matter what your beliefs or opinions. Do not allow the large special interest groups to make decisions that are beneficial to them without adding your voice to the debate.
The Honorable [insert name] United States Senator Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
RE: Iraq, Terrorism, and the Patriot Act II
Dear Senator,
I am contacting you as a concerned citizen. I wish to state that I am opposed to any military action against the country of Iraq or Saddam Hussein. There appears to be no clearly stated goal for this action, and, what is worse, no clear plan for the aftermath of this action. I am also unconvinced that there is any credible link between Saddam Hussein and the terrorist attack on the United States in September 2001. Finally I am deeply concerned about the use of these two issues to draft new legislation restricting the Constitutional freedoms I have as a United States citizen while increasing the powers of law enforcement.
With no clearly stated goal for military action against Iraq I fear that it will continue to escalate and grow long after the first salvo is fired. Unlike the 1992 Gulf War, where the world was united in its purpose and had the clearly stated goal of removing Iraq from Kuwait, this proposed war has divided the world and seems to be increasingly a contest of wills between our country and the leader of Iraq. The United States was instrumental in the creation of the United Nations following World War II. The events of the past few weeks have clearly demonstrated why that organization is vital to the citizens of the world. If the current administration cannot convince the world, through the UN, that war against Iraq is the only viable solution, then we should look for other solutions.
It is obvious that the terror attack of September 11, 2001 was used to generate support for, and pass the Patriot Act. The increased monitoring and arrest powers contained in that law are a dangerous precedent. The Patriot Act II is even more scary as it continues this erosion of personal liberties and freedoms, and it includes no ‘sunset’ clause limiting its lifetime. I am directly opposed to its passage.
In recent travels outside the United States I was engaged on more than one occasion by citizens of other countries who all expressed their concern about US foreign policy, and their increasing fear of the United States. Imagine my shock and dismay at learning first hand the the new attitude of fear and distrust the people of the world hold for the US.
As a concerned citizen I would like to request that you do not support the passage of the Patriot Act II, and that you do not support the United States engaging in military action against the People of Iraq without unanimous world support. For I fear that if these two events do happen, the United States will have slipped dangerously close to becoming a fascist state, and “that government of the people, by the people, for the people [will] have perish[ed] from the earth.”
Sincerely Yours,
Mark H. Nichols
Concerned Citizen
Last night my sweetheart and I talked about our different approaches to using computers. I am a born geek who lives and breathes technology. I am willing to experiment with new software and hardware just to see what it does, and I expect and welcome the challenge when I “break” something along the way. Michele wants her computer to enable her creativity and to provide the means to accomplish her goals in life. At times I hear a simple request and make it a arduous ordeal of trial and error. I enjoy the search for answers and solutions to problems. She just wants to copy VHS tapes to DVD.
This causes friction between us and, to our great credit, we sit down and talk it out. One of our greatest strengths as a couple is that we have differences and we acknowledge them. Knowing that she views computers and the role they play in her life differently than I, helps me to see them from a new perspective. I have learned a great deal about how the rest of the world views computers thanks to her patience with me. Michele’s passion is in truth seeking, and social/political issues. Just as I have learned more about computers from the difference in our use of them, I know she has gained new understandings due to the differences in our approach to social and political issues. At one level we are the same: we have areas of great passion in our lives that excite and invigorate us; while at another level we are quite different: our areas are diverse and sometimes not shared at all.
In our discussion last night I saw more clearly than ever that she has a subset of my computing experience, and that she has less tolerance for incompleteness or difficulty. Knowing this allows me to take care of myself without trying to make her do it my way. Instead of trying to help (force?) her to have the same experience I have, now I can relax and enjoy her experience because I know it is what she desires. I see her knowledge and experience growing all the time, and I know that when she wants assistance that she’ll turn to me. That feels good, and it allows me to celebrate her enjoyment of computers without needing to make like my experience.
She, in turn, sees my growing social consciousness and political awareness as different from her own experience. She is there as a sounding board for me, and she has enriched my life by opening me up to these pursuits. I know that she celebrates my enjoyment of truth seeking and social understanding without needing to make it exactly like her experience.
Together we are learning new ways to grow and experience life. Michele has given me new insight in to my passions and interests. And she has opened my eyes to a whole new world of social and political interests. I believe that I have been able to give her new insights into her passions, and I believe that I have enriched her experience with my passions.
Since switching to Apple in January I have started using the OS X Address book to store my contact list. For the most part I am happy with this tool, although it is quirky in how you edit addresses. I like that I can store multiple sets of addresses for a contact, but therein lies a problem.
You see Palm OS 4 Address only allows one address (street, city, state, zip) to be stored for a contact. When I synchronize my Palm (via Palm Desktop HotSync and iSync) I never know what address I’ll find in my Palm afterwards. Most of the time I get the first address listed in the OS x copy installed on the Palm. This is fine, but I also sometimes have multiple repeats of information on the Palm. A contact that only has one address and one e-mail address in Address book, ends up having their e-mail address repeated 2 or more times in the Palm copy.
In the short term I plan on duplicating address cards in OS X Address book so that each entry has only one set of fields. Then when I sync with the Palm I won’t lose or duplicate data. What I would really like is for Palm to update their address software to handle multiple sets of information per contact, or for Apple to update the iSync conduit for Palm to handle the splitting of multiply-addressed contacts into multiple entries going to the Palm, and rejoining separate entities with the same name coming from the Palm.
I have added Refer 1.1 from Textism to my site so that I might discover who is linked to my site. I get about two dozen hits a week but I have no real idea from where.
I must say that it was very easy to install. Now if only some one will link to me so I can see it in action.
What is your favorite type of literature to read (magazine, newspaper, novels, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)? I would have to say novels.
What is your favorite novel? I can only have one? Hmm. How about ‘Cryptonomicon’ by Neal Stephenson.
Do you have a favorite poem? (Share it!) Come live with me and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, Woods, or steepy mountain yields.
And we will sit upon rocks, Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks, By shallow rivers to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of roses And a thousand fragrant poises, A cap of flowers, and a kirtle Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;
A gown made of the finest wool Which from our pretty lambs we pull; Fair lined slippers for the cold, With buckles of the purest gold;
A belt of straw and ivy buds, With coral clasps and amber studs; And if these pleasures may thee move, Come live with me, and be my love.
The shepherd’s swains shall dance and sing For thy delight each May morning: If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me and be my love.
~Christopher Marlowe 1599
What is one thing you’ve always wanted to read, or wish you had more time to read? I have always wanted to read the plays of William Shakespeare.
What are you currently reading? “The Vanished Man” by Jeffrey Deaver, “A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking, “Programming Jakarta Struts” by Chuck Cavaness, and “Mac OS X in a Nutshell” from O’Reilly Press.
fridayFive
This CNN Money story heralds a change in the color of our money. In an effort to stop counterfeiting the US Treasury is going to start issuing new $20 bills that are a color other than green.
I am in the process of adding some of the postings that lived on my site prior to my switch to moveabletype. I have been meaning to do this for some time and kept putting it off.
All of these entries were written between December 1999 and September 2001. I was hand coding all my pages back then and additional effort prevented me from posting as often as I do now.
I’m re-adding them to the site using their original posting date, so they’ll all be listed towards the bottom of the History page.
Enjoy.
Two years ago this month my wife and I leased an Audi TT. We had looked at this car a couple of times and loved its curvy appearance. The car we leased was used and therefore the monthly lease payments were very reasonable. In the negotiation we asked the dealer if we could walk away from the car prior to the end of the lease. He assured us that we could. So we went with a 4-year lease as it got us the lowest monthly payment.
The car is fun to drive and attracts a lot of attention, whether parked or moving. It has been a blast to own. It has also been expensive to own. High performance tires don’t have the tread life regular tires have, and they are considerably more expensive. Insurance is also a high ticket item, and one that continues to grow every six months.
I’ve owned sports car and sporty cars several times in the part so I knew that there would be some compromises concerning this car. However I find that I am less willing to make these compromises. I’ve tasted what owning a luxury car is like and I find the TT to be lacking in some areas. Getting into and out of it when it is raining is impossible to do without getting the back of your left pant leg soaking wet just below the knee. You see the door sill is wide and you end up with that part of your left leg against the car when you get in, almost without fail. The seat pan is well bolstered. Too well in fact, as the sides of the seat press upwards into the backs of your thighs. You can shift to one side or the other, moving the pressure from one leg to the other, but you can’t avoid it altogether.
So the time has come to part ways with the little red sports car. Only the leasing company has other ideas. It seems that the dealer lied about our ability to walk away from the lease at any time. Oh, sure you can walk away, but not with out a potentially huge penalty. You see they will sell the car once I give it back, at a wholesale auction where it will likely not even generate book value. Then they will bill me for the difference between the sale price and the currently buyout as calculated by them. This amounts to at least 7000 dollars in my case.
I could sell the car privately, and in fact I have tried that 3 times since last August, but no one is willing to pay over book value, let alone $7000 over book. This last time I was willing to pay $3000 myself to lower my asking price to just $4000 over book, still no deal.
So my final option is to trade it in and hope that the dealer will give me enough to make it worth my while. The best dealer offer we have gotten would get us into a barely used Mercedes-Benz for roughly the same monthly payment. We’d have to refinance some of the difference between their offer (1500 over book) and the current buyout, but we’d only have to pay $3000 down to swing the deal.
If not for the TT’s shortcomings and expensive upkeep I would never consider selling at a loss like this, but I am so unhappy with the car that I am ready to switch no matter what. The M-B would be a purchase and not a lease, so that in 60 months we’d own that car. And since we’d be trading in a car we’d save over $2000 in sales tax on the deal as well. The Mercedes is a wonderful car to drive, it has 4-doors and a back seat, and it doesn’t have quick wearing high performance tires on it. And we believe it will hold its value, rather than depreciating faster than we can pay it off.
My fear about all this is that we are throwing money away by selling at a loss. But I realize that in two years we’d have no car and, to match this deal, we’d have to pony up $6500. (3000 down plus 2000 in taxes plus 1500 value the dealer is giving up over book) I don’t know of an investment I can make today that will return 116% in two years so I think this maybe a good deal.
I guess I had already talked myself into this deal, I just needed to write all my thoughts about it down so that I could put them in order and see them in black and white. This is a compromise and in some terms an expensive one, but it ends situation that is expensive emotionally as well as financially. Anytime you can make your life less emotionally expensive you’ve made a wise investment in yourself.
Last year in May my wife gave me a new Palm m515 handheld computer. This replaced my previous Vx handheld which I had purchased used from eBay. I use this handheld everyday and carry it with me everywhere. About one week after I got it the USB cradle stopped working. I called Palm Technical Support and they mailed me a new cradle. When it arrived it didn’t work either. By this time I had purchased a serial cradle that worked fine so I just tossed the two USB cradles into my junk drawer and forgot about them.
With the acquisition of my Powerbook G4 and subsequent switch to Macintosh computers I needed a working USB cradle to continue to synchronize my handheld ~ the laptop only has USB and FireWire ports. So I called Palm again and this time they sent me a Backup/Restore chip that also had software embedded to fix the synching problem. I followed the directions and backed up my handheld to the chip and then ran the reset process. This takes 8 hours, and requires a 2 hour charge afterwards. The next day my Palm once again worked when I tried to synchronize it using the USB cradle.
However within a week or so it had stopped working. I decided that one of the cradles must be bad and when I used it I was causing the problem to reoccur. So I ran the 10-hour reset process again and tried synchronizing with my cradle at work. It worked fine. Repeated synchronizations also worked. So I decided the cradle at home was the problem and only used it for charging.
Another week or so went by and once again the Palm refused to connect using the ‘good’ USB cradle. So I tried the other one, still no luck. I called Palm again and this time they explained what the problem was: static electricity. It seems that the chip in the Palm that handles the USB connection is somewhat sensitive to static electricity buildup. Once a certain threshold is reached it no longer works. The rest of the Palm circuitry is fine; everything else I used the Palm for worked, I just couldn’t synchronize it. In talking to the technical support guy I mentioned that I carry it in my coat or pants pocket. The movement of the metal chassis of the Palm against the fabric of these two pockets is enough, it seems, to generate a small static electricity charge. Enough to block the USB chip from working.
Once again I ran the reset process and now I am able to synchronize the m515 from either USB cradle. I have ordered a hard shell carry case from Palm to house my Palm in when it is riding in a pocket. In the meantime I rescued an old ‘static shield bag’ that a laptop hard drive had arrived in and I am using it when I carry the Palm in my pocket.
You’d think they would be able to shield the chip from the static electricity. But I guess there is more money to be made selling static electricity proof cases than in correcting what appears to be a design flaw.
Back in the ‘old’ days, when I used Windows as my primary personal operating system I was a part of several distributed computing efforts. Most notably the SETI @ Home project. Eventually I tired of that screen saver and I stopped using it.
In the meantime I discovered the Google Toolbar for Windows Internet Explorer and installed it. This is a great edition to the browser as it adds an always available search box and other goodies to IE. Somewhere along the line I discovered that it also offered a chance to participate in the Folding @ Home distributed computing project. This project deals with protein research.
So I downloaded it and gave it a try. Only it didn’t seem to be working. It never was working on anything and over time I forgot I had installed it.
For the past two weeks or so my workstation at work has mysteriously been running at 100% CPU usage when it should have been idle. I’d leave my desk for a few minutes and return to her the CPU fan going full-tilt and the CPU monitor graph would be pegged. As soon as I’d move the mouse or use the keyboard the usage would drop back to normal usage levels. I was stumped as to what could be causing this to happen.
Then this morning I opened up the Processes panel of the Task Manager so that I could see all the processes at once and waited. After a few minutes the processor usage jumped to 100% and lo and behold the number one task on the list was GoogleFAHCore_6, closely followed by GoogleFAH.exe. I had found the culprit. D’Oh! It would seem the my Folding @ Home client finally woke up and started folding.
I not only disabled the FAH Client, I uninstalled it from my hard drive.
Just goes to prove that no matter how smart you think you are, you’re still a big dopey at times.