Advogato blog for AArthur

18 Feb 2001

Sun, 18 Feb 2001 04:08:01 GMT

Long Time No Update

As you can probably guess I have been busy.

Scouts

My Board of Review is now scheduled for either March 9 or 29, depending on when we can get people together, as council has finally approved everything...

iMacLinux

I've posted several updates to the site, as you can see, including some news, files and a few new g_hs.

KDE 2

I played around with KDE 2 a bit more today, but konqueror still is too buggy to be usable for me.

29 Jan 2001

Mon, 29 Jan 2001 18:57:33 GMT

iMacLinux

This weeks discussion over at iMacLinux is about machine specfic sites. Take a look here.

Beta.iBookLinux.net is up (well, has been for a while). I've hacked it slightly, to make it work better. Then again, Stew is probably still working on the site, so I probably have messed up something he was working on. At least it looks nicer.

11 Jan 2001

Thu, 11 Jan 2001 00:33:54 GMT

iMacLinux

I was talking to avatar earlier this evening. I guess I am finally getting a ssh account to the imaclinux box, so I'll be able to upload images, files, etc. myself. Also, besides the promised sponsership by LinuxPPC, I mentioned earlier, they are also going to be providing us with the ppclinux.org.

I don't know what's going to happen with penguinppc.net, or if we are going to use it. Right now it just points to the iMacLinux.net virtual server, but there is a penguinppc.net setup up there.

As you probably know already, <person>Kevin Puetz</person> has put some debs of XFree86 4.02 on penguinppc.org, which is cool (I've been waiting for a good excuse to play with it for a while).

Scouts

As you can probably see, I've updated bsa89.org, with some news and stuff. Also, I've added a page that has a script on it, that graps content from this diary, and puts it there (as my diary often has scout stuff in it).

School

Well, two more days until Friday. I can't wait this week, it seems to be taking forever to over, at least it's a long weekend.

Not much exciting happened today. I didn't have any homework. We didn't do much work in school. Sounds pretty much like a normal day?

I picked up my letter of recommendation for Eagle Scout from the guidence office, today, It's still in Math notebook.

Speaking of math, I keep all of my class assignments, and a calender in my calculator. It's pretty cool, to have all that in my calculator. They look kind of like:

**** Calender ****

 * Thursday 1/11/01 (A)
Library ?
Select Choir, AS
Scouts, 7:30

 * Friday 1/12/01 (B)
Happy Weekend.

I am still not sure if I like the new physics teacher (perm. subsituting for Mrs. Orris). I guess time will tell, although I do have make a decission soon if want to keep going with Physics. I probably will, unless something happens between then and now.

cowsandcorn

My machine runs really well with 96 MB of RAM, especially using Blackbox (which I really like). This week, I setup a firewall around my machine, and played around with Junkbuster to lie about my browser version user-agent Mozilla/4.7.3 [en] (X11; I; Linux 2.4.0 ppc; Milking Cows Edition; Fuck Corporations) and add-header HowtoMilkaCow: Clean the udder off and work the milk out of the teats using you thumb and fore finger. I figure that will probably make some poor system analysis who spends too much of his life under florcent light laugh at it.

I think my firewall is pretty good now, it only allows outgoing connections for the required TCP/IP stuff, ssh, telnet, irc, napster, ftp, and of course http. I don't allow any incoming connections (except for localhost, so I can use it to test stuff.

Society

I've put some items on my anti-censorship page, stuff about a local case in NYS a little bit about de-regulation of stuff.

In The End

Have a good evening.

9 Jan 2001

Tue, 9 Jan 2001 19:27:10 GMT

iMacLinux

I have to admit I am getting a bit tired of working on the iMacLinux project, as the news and articles all seem to sound alot alike. That said, also the Guides and Howtos section is being limited somewhat by my knowledge.

I've had offers lately to work on both the LinuxPPC.org site and PenguinPPC.org. I'm not particularly crazy about working on the LinuxPPC site, as it seems to close to LinuxPPC, Inc. for comfort (I generally dislike the commerical expolition of Linux ;).

Actually, if I had an x86 box I would probably play around with FreeBSD some more, as I am not particularly crazy about Linux's commuist-approach to forcing users with the GPL to use only GPL software, and ensure they are only linking to GPL'd software. It's kind of like they don't want you be free to choose -- that is mix and match. Then again, ideological reasons are not the only reason I use Linux. I like it's strong hardware and software support on the PowerPC compared to NetBSD (or hopefully someday FreeBSD). I also like the strong userbase. Okay, I'll stop whining -- I still like the idea of free software, including the Debian GNU/Linux that I use on my PowerPC.

Also, check out icd, a hack I have been improving alot lately. See here for more.

Society

Kuro5hin has an article over the Legalization of Force Against Flag Burners. Clearly, as the comments state, this is truely an non-American, totalarian goverment kind of thing. Nationalism is a dated contest over who's thingy is bigger.

A comment to that article mentions ...mostly we hear about the Machiavellian 'left' of Clintonism, the fascist- religious 'right' of Reaganism, and a disorganized and immature 'protest movement'...". Unforently that probably has alot of truth in it today. The fasict (Republicans) right, and the Commuist (Democrats) left, have fought so hard on both sides, and both have won (at least to a limited extent) that leaves a large powerful controlling power, especially in the hands in the national goverment. Another problem today, is the lack of a unifing cause to protest and demand change in society -- we face many different smaller problems, caused by an over barring goverment.

I've also ranted a bit about the Clinton administration's order that suppostly "protects" 1/3 of the US's national forests from lobbies over at Libertyboard.org. In short, it seriously damages a major industry, along with the enviroment, and puts people in risk. Logging is not nearly as distructive as some claim.

Scouts

My Eagle application is now into council for their approval. That takes alot of my back. Hopefully it will get approved soon, and I'll have my Eagle Scout Board of Review (it's been rescheduled for a date yet to be announced ;).

School

Well we got a new Physics teacher to replace Mrs. Orris. Not sure if I like him or not, yesterday he seemed like a real uptight authorian jurk, but today he seems nicer. Maybe he was just trying to get an impression of how things are.

Okay, I'm going home. Bye.

1 Jan 2001

Mon, 1 Jan 2001 02:53:02 GMT

iMacLinux

A new G&H is up, dealing with pppconfig and Debian. Also, I've written up a little shell script that uses cdda2wav to emulate cdcd on PowerMacs without analog sound input.

I guess John has found some funding for iMacLinux. Good. Maybe we won't have to beg for another hour or so to keep the bills paid.

Scouts

My Eagle Scoutmasters Conference is tommorow night. I have my stuff all ready for that. I'm getting my essay ready for that.

Assuming I pass my Scoutmasters Conference on Monday, and Council approves my application, my Eagle Scout Board of Review is January 11, 2001. That date is coming very fast.

I finally updated the Troop 89 website. Yeh.

Society

... them good ole' boys are drinking wisky and rye....

Happy New Year.

23 Dec 2000

Sat, 23 Dec 2000 04:30:09 GMT

iMacLinux

I've been busy, and haven't done much with the site in the past week or so, besides news updates. Also, I have to say my Howtos and Guides machine is running out, as I have written up about everything I know, not to mention the fact I am running out of ideas for new stuff.

Any ideas for Guides and Howtos, send them to me.

School

Another week done. Christmas break. Today I spent two and a half periods with the Spartin Singers caroling. Not to mention, we did a concert in the afternoon to. To say the least, my voice is sore and tired (not to mention the fact I am sick and have a cold).

Oh, regarding the question that got brought up in Course IV Math, I remembered (a bit to late) that the milk sac, is the thing about the teats of a cow.

My coat jammed my locker today. Luckly I got it fixed (rather quickly too).

For an programming class project, we had to do websites. I decided to a site on Censorship, and related topics. You can see it here. Not sure if I am going to turn it into anything beyond something for a class grade, although I like how it is turning out with the news, etc.

Scouts

My Eagle Scout Board of Review is scheduled for (gulp!) January 11, 2001. That's not far away. And my application, still isn't done, and I still have yet to have a Scoutmasters Conference yet.

I now have all my references -- I got Mrs. Orris, Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. Coyner, to sign. Well all except the religous one, I'll probably use the Clarksville Church (the troop's sponsering organization).

I started writing my personal asperations essay for the Eagle Scout application, although at this point it's bloody crap (to put it nicely).

cowsandcorn

I got my RAM upgrade yesterday in the mail for cowsandcorn. I will probably install it later this weekend (or maybe I'll be a good boy and wait for Christmas).

I also was playing with KDE 2.1 a bit. It's cool, although I still think it's an overkill for my usage. I really just like X-Chat, Netscape, gkrellm, and blackbox for the stuff I do. Not to mention gnome-xbill and gnapster. ;)

Society

Alot of the stuff the normally goes here on society is now on my censorship page. If I decide to stop messing with that, I'll start posting that stuff here again.

A release of Hard Days Night is now out in Theater. I plan to see it tommorow, I'll try to fill you in with the details.

People really should spend more time looking for the good in society, and less time concentrating on the bad.

The whole Democrat vs. Republican thing is really starting to tick me off. While there is a world of difference between the parties, they both have some very vocal radicals that make them seem similar.

The leftist Democrats seem like Socialists (wanting to protect everything with large Federal Goverment buecracies), while the right-wing Republicans seem more like <blanks out, Mussonlin Italian party allied with Nazis during WW II>. As they say, the Mussolini at least made the trains run on schedule.

Goverment is very powerful. It can harm and help.

However, I disagree with (especially Federal Goverment) large agencies getting in other people bussiness. People should be free to "hang themselves with their own rope" if they want to. A freedom forced upon you, isn't a freedom.

I have to stop now, I don't feel that good tonight (I have a bad headache).

17 Dec 2000

Sun, 17 Dec 2000 15:32:26 GMT

Scouts

Yeh. Finished my last Merit Badge. I'm done with them -- forever. Kind of sad too, I guess. Also ran my finalized Eagle Project by Edge and got his approval -- all I need now is Mr. Rapp's.

I also need to get a copy of the Eagle Application. I never got one, my dad is going to try to get one from the council office for me. I also need references, I'll try my Guidence Counciler, teachers, etc.

At any rate, I'll feel much better when this is all ready and in Tom McKie, Troop Chairman's hands.

School

Well I found that classified ad for a teacher to replace Mrs. Orris, so I varified what I was told. Apparently they are looking one to replace her from Jan. to Jun. (and maybe even longer)?

This means I'll probably drop Physics -- and replace it with a Social Sciences related class.

Oh, well, don't think about school on the weekend.

cowsandcorn

As you probably already know, cowsandcorn is my current hostname for my box. The name cowsandcorn comes from the fact that people often say that in Western NYS (especially in the Tugg Hill Plateu area) there is nothing but cows and corn. It's also suppost to poke fun of the fact that I live in the boonies, and this computer is out in the middle of nowhere.

My 15 year old SCSI Hard Drive died today. Rest in peace, never spin again. Hell, it will probably start working again. Maybe it's a cable problem, because Linux is just spitting up SCSI errors, and Mac OS isn't having any problems.

Also, I'm looking at adding some memory to this system. I think I'm going to get a 64 MB DIMM for now (giving my Mac 96 MB of RAM), as that will help out quite a bit, and double my memory. And it will only set me back around $150. Memory for this box (a PowerMac 4400), is expensive.

15 Dec 2000

Fri, 15 Dec 2000 19:11:49 GMT

School

Yeh. Another Friday. The weekend is here. So, I had a snow day yesterday, and was able to sleep in, catch up on work, and well relax.

So the rumor is Mrs. Orris is going to retire in January -- or at least the local papers are looking for a Chemistry / Physics teacher. She has been out alot lately. So putting two and two together, it makes me wonder.

At any rate we will certainly miss Mrs. Orris if you leaves. She has been a great Physics and Chemistry teacher, and alot of fun too.

Today was a bit of a confusing day. On Thursday we were suppost to have a switched first and nineth period, but do to the snowday we didn't -- and assumed that it would remained switched -- it wasn't. Also do to scheduling problems, they had to make today a "A" day instead of a "B" day, meaning that I had different classes that we expected. Actually, I signed up for the library earlier today, for a period I didn't have (they announced the day change later in the morning).

iMacLinux

iMacLinux continues to be improved. For example, you'll see Stew has fixed up Nope in little ways, I've made some little changes to the G_H section, and of course kept the news and other stuff up to date.

There is a nope bug that causes plain_pages calling for the imaclinux_g_h.php3 and ibooklinux_g_h.php3 to get the right template.

Scouts

We had another meeting on Thursday. Some of the Tenderfoot Scouts had there Scoutmaster Conferences, the X Patrol discussed plans for the spring.

I need to meet with Edge tommorow (if possible) to finish up Family Life, my last merit badge. Also tonight, I have to call Mr. Rapp, so I can get him to sign his final approval on my Eagle Project.

In The End

Have a great weekend. There is suppost to be more snow here, that is a good thing (at least right now -- it means a white christmas). Of course, I won't be saying this in 3 months.

5 Dec 2000

Tue, 5 Dec 2000 03:39:55 GMT

iMacLinux

3.0, maybe? At any rate, iMacLinux is now on it's own dedicated box, at John Buswell's house, connected via. a 2MB commerical line. So, in theory, mysql failures are a thing of a past, and it should be up most of the time.

PowerMacLinux.net is up and running, thanks mostly to the person who does the crap nobody else wants to work on it (or doesn't have to time to). Okay, I'm giving myself to much credit.

I fixed up the links, into a nice organized right sidebar. As you can see, with the new Nope revision, stuff got alot nicer (none of those really nasty URLs now). Moving onto the new machine, and the new Nope revision broke some things, I'm working on getting it all fixed up.

Yes, I spent alot of time redesigning the sidebars over the weekend. And updating pages. Of course nobody ever looks at them or cares.

So check out the new revision. Yes, I know the DNS isn't right for www.imaclinux.net -- it's pointing to the old Sourceforge host. It's suppostly being fixed, but imaclinux.net works. Not to worry, I've been prepared, made the head story on Sourceforge, that we have moved, and for those who can't read, added a meta refresh to the page to take you to the new site.

Scouts

Tommorow night, at 8 PM, I'm meeting with Edge to finish up (hopefully) on Personal Management and Family Life. Then on to, getting paper shuffled, and ready to be sent in. I can't wait.

30 Nov 2000

Thu, 30 Nov 2000 14:14:08 GMT

iMacLinux

Sourceforge MySQL crap appears to be down again. Once it's up again, then you can see, the "Around iMacLinux" section on the right sidebar.

Somebody (forgets name, like usual) has volunteered to help out with PowerBookLinux.net. Good, it would be nice to get the site under work now.

Insanely Great Macintosh has an interesting article on Ten Greatest PowerBooks of all time.

Scouts

Tonight's a scout meeting at the church. The snow has stopped, so it looks like it's going to happen today. Hopefully tonight, the other scouts will show there info that they have suppostly gather over the week. Besides the meeting, not much has changed since the last meeting.

Society

Here is something somebody relayed to me via email:

PLEASE PASS ON TO ANYONE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED.

Do you think the Anti-Gay policy of the Boy Scouts of America is wrong?

Well, here's your chance to do something about it.

The CDCIS would like to invite you to our:

COMMUNITY ACTION MEETING Wednesday, December 6th 7:00pm - 8:00pm Trinity Temple 279 Whitehall Rd, Albany

There will be a quick informational presentation followed by an open forum to ask questions and discuss the issues. At the end of the meeting, you will be able to volunteer for different parts of the coalition. We hope to see you there!

The Capital District Coalition for Inclusive Scouting is sponsored by the CDGLCC.

While it sounds interesting, I think that they do have to draw the line at some point at moral values. Where they stand right now, I believe is reasonable, excluding those who have done things that are socially unacceptable.

But then again, it's all relative to what your defination of socially acceptable it. Mine is probably different from yours. I don't condemn it, but I do support there positition that it is morally wrong.