Blogging Ottinger (tim)

So I’m browsing and I get a popup that says a trojan was detected, then my browser went full-screen and the attached image appeared.I would have been afraid, except there were two mistakes.

The first mistake is that firefox doesn’t allow you to eliminate the borders of a window (at least the way I have it configured) so I could see it was in a browser and not my desktop. If I were an IE user, it might have convinced me it was my desktop. With FireFox, I wasn’t impressed. I could tell. Lesson #1: use open source, or at least use browsers that allow you to configure your javascript more intelligently.

The second mistake is that my desktop couldn’t possibly look like that. I don’t have a C: drive. Or a D: drive. Or a “Shared Documents” folder. Or “My Documents” folder. Nor the blue ’system tasks” bit. My computer runs Linux, and so all my hard drives look like a single big file system rooted at “/” instead of “C:”. Also, although the various Unixes have allowed spaces in filenames for decades, Unix users don’t use spaces in filenames. It’s considered uncouth to make people wrap quotation marks around file and folder names. We can, we just don’t. Lesson #2, use open source, or at least Linux.

Maybe some day a jerky attacker like this may put up an attack versus linux machines, but we all have custom desktops, themes, backgrounds, window control themes, and the like. Would the jerk write it against Gnome? KDE? OpenBox/FluxBox? XFCE? What? Another advantage to having more choices is that it’s harder for bad guys to predict.

Nice try, no buy, goodbye bad guy.

You’d have to have a bunch of cash to get into it, but oh what fun!!

Is it the answer to the rough commute?

B&N has a new mp3 e-book store. Good for them. Books on CD or Tape or MP3 are a nice way to catch up on some stories while resting your eyes. MP3 is the “standard” format for all audio these days though it is kind of a lowest common denominator. Everyone has some kind of mp3 player(s), some built into cars, some portable, and every computer loaded to the hilt with them. A lot of devices that can play mp3 files can also browse the net. This is true for mobile phones, netbooks, and you-name it.

I see this, and go off a bit (emphasis mine):

After you complete your B&N.com purchase, we’ll send you two emails, usually within 5 minutes or less of placing your order. The second email will have a link to download your Audiobook MP3. In order to play the MP3, you’ll also need to download the Media Console. This free program allows you to download Audiobook MP3s, listen to them, and transfer them to other devices, including burning to a CD if you wish. The console also serves as your audiobook library

Why would B&N require a special downloader for their store? This kills me. There are web technologies a-plenty out there. You can do http and ftp and whatever you like for actual transfer (and theirs surely does). You can secure URLs using standard web tech. Why in the world would I want a custom barnes-and-noble file downloader that only works for their sites? Does that sound assinine? Redundant? Limited? Stupid?

If that whole game were server-side, and the prices prove to be good, then I could be happy about this service. But I’m not.

I’m not a Windows or Mac user. I choose not to be, and I expect that to have certain repercussions. But I’m not going to be alone here. Every device that isn’t a windows PC or a Mac is shut out of the store. Why would B&N not be going after books-on-phones like it was free money? This seems short sighted. Standard web tech would allow them to reach everyone. Their downloader means only Macs and PCs, and only those whose owners want to bother with downloading yet another limited, pointless application.

If I had something like the kindle or sony reader that had http, ample storage, and wifi, I could see mixing ebooks and mp3 books on the device. That would be a all-in-one edutainment center to reckon with. But it wouldn’t work at Barnes & Noble.

As is, I’m better off with RSS feeds to radio programs I care about. Sorry B&N, though I still love you and retain my membership, but this strikes me as bone-headed.

The best verdict money can buy? You be the judge.

Lauren De Long has a nice clear voice and a kind of girl-next-door quality. Even prettier without the frizzy red hair and quirky, bulky scarf & jacket. It’s like they were trying to ugly her down a little to sell the “normal” bit. I’m just glad she got a commercial that pays. I think it’s a little sad that she’s probably going to take heat on this, but hey… she’s an actress. Pretending is what she’s supposed to do. It’s the writers & M$ who are really responsible.

Personally, given the choice I would like to have a sub-$1000.00 PC with Linux on it. Preferably Debian. Maybe not the model she chose, because it’s like a phone (huh???) and dead last on performance. And shiny. I don’t like shiny.

And I’d like the VW Convertible. If I find it can I keep it?

rc flying saucer from William McNeal on Vimeo.

You know you want one of these. You’d be flying it after dark, rigging it with LEDs, all kinds of crazy stuff. Might even find a way to rig an mp3 player & speakers for spooky space noise. You’re a practical joker. You want a UFO.

It’s not like I need a reason. It’s Frank Gambale and Steve Smith.

For absolutely no reason whatsoever, here is Jeff Beck playing Blue Wind with a few of his mates.

Welcome to the world the second batch of Crazy Otter Pineaple-Habanero Madness.

The color comes from the orange of the habaneros, the yellow of the pineapple, and some arbol and guajillo pepper I put in. The red peppers don’t add much heat compared to habs, but the color difference is awesome.

This batch was larger. Last time I only made a few bottles, planning to give two away and keep the other. My wife used half a bottle, and then gave away the rest. So much for the bottle I was planning to keep. The only option was to make a larger batch so we can give more away.

My bottle of sauce is the very large bottle that originally contained “Gold Peak Sweetened Tea” (wonderful stuff). It was considerably bigger than the gift bottles. I sterilized the bottle and the lid with hot water and bleach, so it’s safe. I took out my big portion of the sauce first, so we can maybe give a few of the little bottles away. Does that make me stingy?

The other thing I’ve been learning is just how hot you have to make a sauce that is going to be used on meats. I don’t know how it happens, but chicken and pork and beef just seem to suck all the scovilles out of the sauce. If it’s not seriously intense straight, it’s not going to do anything on a meat dish. I have to taste the hot sauce in order to check the balance of heat to sweet to savory. There are about two dozen habanero peppers in there, so the first and second tastings were pretty intense. It’s tasty, but it is not mild.

Tomorrow for breakfast: eggs and pain.

Get your guide (from Consumerist) to spotting ATM card skimmers. They’re not dead common, but they’re less uncommon than we might hope. Don’t let anyone get access to your bill-paying accounts!

An interesting video on the current financial crisis, worth a watch. Much food for thought.

I’m betting he didn’t pick the theme music.

A friend sent this to me via twitter. Wow.

Susan Boyle is deservedly all over the internet. It is what it is.

Some bailed-out banks have come up with an answer for how they will remain competitive in light of the current financial crisis.

Whatever happened to usury laws? Wasn’t it illegal to have rates of 30% and over? What about 100% and over? I would think that this would be strictly out-of-bounds, and that any company trying to offer rates that high would be shut down.
At the very least, we should all advertise these behaviors to everyone we know.

Maybe we need a “UsuryToday.Blogspot.Com” where people can post information on which banks to avoid like the plague. Or we should all read Consumerist.

Absurd isn’t even the word for it. You give away content on YouTube (complete with “embed” and “link”) features, and then try to stop your own affiliates from embedding the videos. And you claim they’re stealing from you? I would ask what they were thinking, but insted opt for “whether”.