tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51038382024-03-07T21:01:54.984-06:00Journal of Post-Ralphaelite ThoughtThe International Brotherhood of Post-Ralphaelites (NAR)Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.comBlogger588125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-74147382791677482912024-01-06T12:17:00.003-06:002024-01-06T12:20:13.400-06:00Random Thoughts on AI-generated images<i>It's been a while, but I'm back (bitching as usual). Let's start with....Artificial Intelligence generated art! </i><br /><br /><b>1. The first thing to remember is this is the new Bright Shiny Object. </b><br /><br />LIke the camera once was. Upon seeing the first daguerreotype around 1840, the French painter Paul Delaroche (1797-1856), declared: “From today, painting is dead.” He was a little premature. And there will continue to be be more Bright Shiny Objects that will grab everyone’s attention and cause gnashing of teeth and rending of garments.<br /><br /><b>2. It’s also version .01 of this Bright Shiny Object. </b><br /><br />What we’re currently seeing is essentially demo reels: “See what I can do!!” Interesting but not *that* interesting. Once the excitement wears off it will be just another tool, used badly by some, used well by others. The camera did not replace painting, but it opened the eyes of artists to the possibilities of other forms.<br /><br /><b>3. Where Does the Artificial End and the Artist Begin?</b><br /><br />in my mind this situation is the logical next phase in the rise of artists like Jeff Koons and Kehinde Wiley (not to mention the late Andy Warhol): the generation of high dollar art investment collectibles, generally produced by “assistants” who do the actual work (“art fabrication”). Koons at one point employed upwards of 100 “assistants.” Kehinde Wiley likewise employs a staff of assistants.<div><br /></div><div><b>4. But is it ... ART?</b><br /><br />The big driver on this is because of demand by collectors - many who buy art primarily as an investment (“art as bullion”). It’s the same mindset that gave us NFTs -- the bastard offspring of JPEGs and Bitcoins. I’ve said for years that the difference between Fine Art and Commercial Art is that Fine Art is about process and Commercial Art is about product. If you are generating art with a team of assistants to keep up with demand, my guess is you’re about product.<br /><br />------<br /><br />In a way, I’m glad AI-generated art is upon us. Maybe it will burn down the House of High Dollar Art and all the people who feed it.</div><div><br /></div><div>BTW - SalesForce (the big cloud-based customer management company) has a sly series of commercials that mock the limitations of AI generated imagery - this is cleverest of them, IMHO. </div><div><br /></div><div>Watch it carefully.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FvG41iEXFrU" width="451" youtube-src-id="FvG41iEXFrU"></iframe></div><br />Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-43034267714765616642021-04-05T14:12:00.002-05:002021-04-05T14:12:17.265-05:00A few random thoughts on "Cancel Culture."<p> A friend of mine recently took exception when I mocked people (mostly conservative) who tossed around the term "Cancel Culture." It seems in the opinions of <strike>many</strike> some (mostly conservative), it's a freedom of speech issue.</p><p>Not really. And it's not a First Amendment issue either, when Facebook or Twitter cancels your account for praising white supremacists, or neo-fascists, or other right-wing dickheads.</p><p>"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancel_culture" target="_blank"><b>Cancel Culture</b></a>," which, according to Wikipedia, was originally an outgrowth of the "MeToo" movement, (so not so much about speech as calling out behavior - specifically against women) has morphed now into the latest right-wing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspeak">NewSpeak</a> term for "I'm being punished for expressing my opinion." </p><p>Dig a little deeper though and you'll find the issue is not so much about "free speech," as "consequence-free speech." I mean...if you are going to be an opinionated ass, at least have enough self-respect not to be a <i>whiny</i> opinionated ass. If you don't have the strength of conviction to stand up for what you say, don't say it. Or if you were just being stupid, apologize. Frankly, there are people who <i>should</i> be called out on their bullshit.</p><p>Sheesh. </p><p>By the way, this is from the people who raged about "The War On Christmas," and boycotted stores that said "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas. And launched websites where <a href="https://professorwatchlist.org/aboutus">students could rat out their professors</a> for being "too liberal" (and presumably get them fired).</p><p>As for First Amendment rights: "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." Notice it says "Congress." If Facebook (a corporation) wants to set rules on what can and can't be posted, they have that right. If you don't like it, you have the right to go elsewhere with your opinion.</p><p>For a more in-depth look at the rise of "Cancel Culture," <a href="https://www.insider.com/cancel-culture-meaning-history-origin-phrase-used-negatively-2020-7">Insider.com has an article worth looking at</a>.</p><p><br /></p>Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-55513318138208741262021-03-31T13:40:00.003-05:002021-03-31T15:26:13.023-05:00At last, the bitch(er) is back<p> I just checked and the last time I updated this thing was in October 2017.</p><p>Why was I gone so long? Call me lazy, or a coward, or just not willing to shout outrage into the <strike>shitstorm</strike> thunderstorm that America under our previous grifter-in-chief had become. A man could go permanently hoarse yelling that much. It was a mental health decision on my part, okay?</p><p>But now I'm back. Things still suck a lot (<cough>Ted Cruz, Matt Gaetz, Mitch McConnell</cough>) but they don't suck as much as they did last year. Plus I retired from Sisyphean Corp last year after 20 years of whining and having a steady income, and God only knows there's nothing the Internet needs more than another old white guy with too much time on his hands pissing and moaning about what's wrong with the world on his blog.</p><p>So don't expect much. </p><p>I've given up the world of IT and resumed my past life as a painter, which is fun. If you know anything about me In Real Life, you can probably find my website(s) and see what I'm up to. Otherwise, it will just be one of life's little mysteries. </p><p>Thanks for checking on me. </p><p>PS. <strike>I'll see if I can update the design on the site, now that I have nothing to do. It's pretty long in the tooth.</strike> Never mind. I've updated the design. About time.</p>Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-73211772157808645802017-10-11T19:23:00.000-05:002018-02-14T14:26:04.822-06:00Ten phrases that tell me you're an assholeI'm normally not one to make snap judgments, but I <i>have</i> found that if you use the following phrases in your conversation or in your online opining, it's a sure bet you are an <b>asshole</b>.<br />
<br />
These should be so self-evident they need no further discussion but since some disputatious dick-weed is probably composing a response already...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Brietbart</b> (<i>as a source</i>) - if you have reposted even once, just go fuck yourself.</li>
<li><b>Fake News</b> - the favored insult of a certain serial liar, serial sexual predator, serial bankrupt artist, when hearing something about himself that displeases him.</li>
<li><b>Fox News</b> (<i>as a source</i>) - see remarks under Brietbart</li>
<li><b>Gay Agenda</b> - code for "please go back into the closet where you belong, sodomite."</li>
<li><b>MAGA / Make America Great Again</b> - code for "make America <i>white</i> again." Don't even try to deny it, cracker.</li>
<li><b>MSM / Mainstream Media </b>- translated: a bunch of socialist, America-hating, eastern elitists.</li>
<li><b>Second amendment rights </b>- used by heavily armed, argumentative nut-jobs with anger issues to justify their immense cache of expensive weaponry.</li>
<li><b>Snowflake</b> - insult used by people who are enraged by hearing "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas," to describe liberals who are overly sensitive</li>
<li><b>Southern Heritage </b>- term used by unrepentant racists to convince themselves they are not racists (since everyone else knows they are).</li>
<li><b>Taxation is theft </b>- I'm not going to bother to explain this one. Just fuck yourself, you freeloading bastard</li>
</ul>
<br />
(Dis)Honorable mentions go to:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Global Warming (denying)</li>
<li>Patriotism (claiming for self to the exclusion of others)</li>
<li>Politically correct (often used with Snowflakes)</li>
<li>Pro-life (except when it comes to the death penalty)</li>
<li>Values (just theirs - not yours)</li>
</ul>
<div>
For more clues, look at <a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Conservative_correctness">Right-Wing Political Correctness / Conservative Correctness</a>.</div>
Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-60973077871811380672017-10-09T10:05:00.000-05:002017-10-09T10:05:45.885-05:00Respect for flag (from the US Flag Code)Just a quick reminder, since a number of right-thinking Americans have become concerned over disrespecting the US Flag (from http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html)<br />
<br />
<h4 style="background-color: white;">
§<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="176">176</a>. Respect for flag</h4>
<span style="background-color: white;">No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.</span><br />
<ul style="background-color: white;">
<li>(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.</li>
<li>(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9LgmkU0KTiiE8jmsJ_BIwResCV6aYzeIEnueuyGH3ttFGRYNY9QQUTZChmZz54Xc7yH0GsaqhMoYUrxCtKTNDuGIyNFVrgmF7NprETAi5wOVj4c4shOjGQ2bhihlFA4X_Lntng/s1600/Custom-Made-font-b-American-b-font-font-b-Flag-b-font-Pattern-font-b-Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9LgmkU0KTiiE8jmsJ_BIwResCV6aYzeIEnueuyGH3ttFGRYNY9QQUTZChmZz54Xc7yH0GsaqhMoYUrxCtKTNDuGIyNFVrgmF7NprETAi5wOVj4c4shOjGQ2bhihlFA4X_Lntng/s320/Custom-Made-font-b-American-b-font-font-b-Flag-b-font-Pattern-font-b-Beach.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /></div>
</li>
<li>(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VGSbNBhx8iEgaFUOrwKYMx60w4Nx05jnrqR5C_MuI-rJkvMVxkkIreEu8hWgZBgt4LHPwYUIaR_LfgP2KDidV-mqVICSlxNOhSxYE3sYHWpdH8z6e1wn7lR3LmQ0i6L1OXKTtQ/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VGSbNBhx8iEgaFUOrwKYMx60w4Nx05jnrqR5C_MuI-rJkvMVxkkIreEu8hWgZBgt4LHPwYUIaR_LfgP2KDidV-mqVICSlxNOhSxYE3sYHWpdH8z6e1wn7lR3LmQ0i6L1OXKTtQ/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /></div>
</li>
<li>(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJyvXw7Lsiya5BalGlwyXK6kgNKuOWgvcZaaMUKxbJ1KdMsG-l14bB4mYoBav-QZtXvZA7yaAI3P0kFKuPlLKGVGlPWxVvfPUWZW4l0Of176rOgsBTK5NQyHJOWIP8YOoGa6Jbg/s1600/flagUnderwear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="342" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJyvXw7Lsiya5BalGlwyXK6kgNKuOWgvcZaaMUKxbJ1KdMsG-l14bB4mYoBav-QZtXvZA7yaAI3P0kFKuPlLKGVGlPWxVvfPUWZW4l0Of176rOgsBTK5NQyHJOWIP8YOoGa6Jbg/s320/flagUnderwear.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></li>
<li>(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.</li>
<li>(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.</li>
<li>(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-00_U4Gnjwut7hVkmJufBwJztzLtgkT1un4BIAzW3MR-nuk5_WS2_LcqHZEOlREeHFWcpMgRmYshlFMdHRJJxnLj8kEqM_6Tp4koLE5u4Lald4f8WkWNtL3235JCjo707Tdz8A/s1600/515150-donald-trump-supporters-golden-colorado-reuters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-00_U4Gnjwut7hVkmJufBwJztzLtgkT1un4BIAzW3MR-nuk5_WS2_LcqHZEOlREeHFWcpMgRmYshlFMdHRJJxnLj8kEqM_6Tp4koLE5u4Lald4f8WkWNtL3235JCjo707Tdz8A/s320/515150-donald-trump-supporters-golden-colorado-reuters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
</li>
<li>(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKXonuo48Uhz382Ihm8dDGGdRwzbzTPiOWhUQCz9ZRaHa1LiUhtk8yhbfsH10vGSNyu1kCwDngXX98XvVAGJFDwjQRaWDLcFV02CS1t_J7J4sUs7i164R3MokAMfZco5BX2gcmQ/s1600/flag_backpack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKXonuo48Uhz382Ihm8dDGGdRwzbzTPiOWhUQCz9ZRaHa1LiUhtk8yhbfsH10vGSNyu1kCwDngXX98XvVAGJFDwjQRaWDLcFV02CS1t_J7J4sUs7i164R3MokAMfZco5BX2gcmQ/s320/flag_backpack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></li>
<li>(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNq_SHzAnU82zF-kJ2OmdlH9TVf7tfsjEUUcg0xunR0uD3C5plHWCGxsz8QK4mpRm4yP6Fp3Qrbm2GOE675ae0Xw2rH_FHNM4wtntnYxObnFtX09xDQsPFT9RHcfeHbSP3i0pZhg/s1600/flag_paperplates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNq_SHzAnU82zF-kJ2OmdlH9TVf7tfsjEUUcg0xunR0uD3C5plHWCGxsz8QK4mpRm4yP6Fp3Qrbm2GOE675ae0Xw2rH_FHNM4wtntnYxObnFtX09xDQsPFT9RHcfeHbSP3i0pZhg/s320/flag_paperplates.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /></div>
</li>
<li>(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.</li>
<li>(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.</li>
</ul>
Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-86004425723345092152017-10-04T19:20:00.002-05:002017-10-04T19:20:47.819-05:00Why I've shut the f**k upI just looked and it's been almost a year since I've posted anything to this blog.<br />
<br />
I can't remember when I last posted as Dr Ralph on Facebook (and in my other guise I mostly share pictures of recent paintings from Instagram).<br />
<br />
Twitter? Bah.<br />
<br />
Most social media has become anti-social and I'm sick of it. Even for stuff that normally I would have some natural affinity for. It's tiresome and I'm tired.<br />
<br />
I no longer feel up to joining the army of angry voices out there, even though I find myself alternately pissed off and horrified.<br />
<br />
My most optimistic opinion about current events is that we, as Americans, have been stricken with a bout of temporary insanity, although truth be told, I don't think that insanity is ours alone.<br />
<br />
I don't think trying to shout louder than the folks I disagree with is going to make the situation any better. So I've decided to shut the fuck up. Mostly, anyway.<br />
<br />
I've got several friends and more than a few relatives that, in the interest of continuing to love them, I've stopped following (but not unfriending) on Facebook. Reading your reposts of Brietbart News no longer outrages me: it just depresses me. The same with the crap from Fox News.<br />
<br />
My resolve was tested in the extreme with the latest horrific mass shooting, this time out of Las Vegas. 59 (at last count) dead, and over 500 wounded. A friend, a thoughtful person, started a discussion on Facebook about trying to find a solution to the seemingly uncrackable nut of guns in America.<br />
<br />
I managed to get the first post, and said I no longer thought it was possible. She said, "Find a solution?"<br />
<br />
I said, "I don't even think a civil conversation is possible."<br />
<br />
I found myself getting dragged back in the conversation (my rule is: don't engage). Finally the trolls and disputatiously pedantic dickweeds crawled out from under their rocks and I gave up.<br />
<br />
Five years ago, a maladjusted shooter killed <i>20 first graders</i> with an assault weapon, not to mention 6 teachers trying to protect them.<br />
<br />
If that didn't cause all right-thinking people to find common ground on this madness, I no longer think anything will.<br />
<br />
In the aforementioned Facebook discussion, some asshole argued over what the definition is of an assault rifle.<br />
<br />
And within 48 hours of the Las Vegas shooting some old friend of mine was posting alt-right conspiracy theory hokum.<br />
<br />
Solution? Are you kidding me?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
It depresses me to consider the possibility that people (especially ones I care about) are either so stupid or mean-spirited they actually believe this horseshit. And sneering references to MSM ("mainstream media," for those of you who have never had to wade through the swamp of alt-right conspiracy psychosis) -- good lord, get your shit together and pull yourself out of the swamp of paranoid delusion -- <i>please!</i><br />
<br />
Instead of writing clever, snide jabs at people (read by fewer people that I have fingers on my left hand), I've taken up other pursuits. I have developed a love of the occasional martini. And I have found several of my friends who I'd otherwise not agree with on <i>other</i> topics, <i>do</i> agree with me on the occasional martini.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
So from now on, STFU and pass the shaker. I like mine dry with plenty of olives.<br />
<br />Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-68715390827806183242016-10-09T23:41:00.000-05:002016-10-09T23:41:39.269-05:00The 2nd 2016 Presidential DebateI have so far restrained myself from offering any opinions on this year's presidential race. It hardly seems necessary.<br />
<br />
I'll say this much: I had a choice of watching the debate or indulging in a martini on the porch with a good friend who doesn't share my political views.<br />
<br />
Guess which I took.Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-53499739998117249782015-10-03T17:22:00.000-05:002015-10-03T18:50:17.996-05:00Farewell, pal o' mine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://content-na.drive.amazonaws.com/cdproxy/templink/yYXMlErUtRDFqw2GiyRdv091b5CoOBP6ZJnvSUA9POALAYspN/alt/thumb?viewBox=1680" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://content-na.drive.amazonaws.com/cdproxy/templink/yYXMlErUtRDFqw2GiyRdv091b5CoOBP6ZJnvSUA9POALAYspN/alt/thumb?viewBox=1680" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I've known I was going to be writing this post for about 6 months now, and not looking forward to it.<br />
<br />
I learned yesterday evening that my old friend, debating partner, guitar playing buddy Allen Patterson - AKA, the <a href="http://thewhitedsepulchre.blogspot.com/">Whited Sepulchre</a> - has gone to that place where we all eventually go.<br />
<br />
Allen was diagnosed with a brain tumor about 6 months ago. After the initial shock, he dealt with it with his usual blend of wit and mockery. We should all face death with such an attitude.<br />
<br />
One of the things that as I get older I find I dislike about Facebook is that you learn all sorts of life-changing news there scattered among the cat videos and Candy Crush ads. So it was that I first that Allen had passed - on Facebook. He might have been delighted - he regularly delighted in turning around people's perceptions of the "proper" way of doing things. I knew the diagnosis was terminal, but I wasn't ready for him to leave us, dammit.<br />
<br />
I last saw him at a celebration of his life at the Stagecoach Inn - an event pulled together by fellow Libertarian John Spivey, who - like Allen - is a prince among men, even though I don't agree with him on a lot of political issues. As an aside - that's one of the reasons I don't post much anymore. I'm tired of disagreeing with people and politics seems to be an area where it is easy to disagree. Anyway, I'm sorry to say I hadn't gotten over to visit him again afterwards, but that's my loss, not his - he's had a steady stream of folks who love him for all sorts of reasons come by and wish him well.<br />
<br />
We regularly played guitars together; he was a hell of a musician and songwriter. I was honored to be included in the band (on harmonica) at that tribute to him at the Stagecoach Inn, held not long after news of his illness got out.<br />
<br />
To paraphrase author John O'Hara, upon learning of George Gershwin's death: "Allen Patterson died this week, but I don’t have to believe it if I don’t want to."<br />
<br />
Rest in peace, old friend, and prayers to Mary and Fran.<br />
<br />
<i>PS - I think this probably looks a lot like what Heaven will be like for Allen.</i><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qj3OiNdTUm4" width="460"></iframe>
Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-81284310697391007852015-05-05T23:30:00.001-05:002015-05-05T23:55:42.880-05:00PaaS on the Cheap<div dir="ltr">
<div>
PaaS stands for "Platform as a Service;" it's one of several classes of cloud computing services. Compare this to Iaas (Infrastructure as a Service), SaaS (Software as a Service), DBaas (Database as a Service) and CFaaS (cluster...well you get the idea).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Here's an update on some PaaS services that have free (as in no money) tiers. I've left off any that are free trial periods. It's annoying to have to keep checking the calendar. I'm also averse to listing any that require a credit card to get into the door.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This list was thrown together quickly, mostly so I didn't have to bookmark all these and remember the details. I went over some of these when I wrote about <a href="http://postralphaelite.blogspot.com/2014/06/cloud-on-cheap.html">cloud services in general</a> last year. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And now, in no particular order....</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><a href="https://www.openshift.com/">https://www.openshift.com</a></b></div>
<div>
My current favorite. You can run up to 3 small applications (they call them "gears") for nothing, nada, zip. You can even set up a custom domain. How cool is that? The free tier doesn't need a charge card. If you are willing to enter a charge card, you can move to Bronze and still not pay anything - the incentive is your apps don't go to sleep and need to be restarted. RedHat is behind this.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><a href="http://pagodabox.io/">http://pagodabox.io/</a></b></div>
<div>
"Tinker App" is the free model; you get 1 minuscule Worker, Web, Cache and DB. And it goes to sleep if you aren't using it. Okay to play with, not sure if you'd use free tier in the real world.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><a href="https://www.heroku.com/">https://www.heroku.com/</a></b></div>
<div>
Looks like you can sign up for free and use 1 "dyno" (512 MB ram, 1 vCPU) at no cost. There's a slider that shows how much it would cost as you scale up. I haven't played with this but it looks interesting. Salesforce.com owns them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><a href="http://www.acquia.com/products-services/acquia-cloud">http://www.acquia.com/products-services/acquia-cloud</a></b></div>
<div>
Acquia focuses pretty much exclusively on Drupal CMS support. That's not a bad thing. The free tier is a sandbox for development of Drupal sites. No support for custom names (bummer).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><a href="https://appharbor.com/">https://appharbor.com/</a></b></div>
<div>
While all the other services listed are Linux-based, App Harbor is Windows/.NET based. Free account ("Canoe") has one "worker." I want to play with this one more since I'm pretty much a dunce when it comes to writing Windows web apps.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><a href="https://cloud.google.com/appengine/">https://cloud.google.com/appengine/</a></b></div>
<div>
Google App Engine's free usage tier quotas are measured on a daily basis, and though they seem small, I have read (i.e. I have no direct experience) they are sufficient to run a small personal site. If you exceed your free quota, visitors will receive a 503 server error. <a href="http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/host-website-google-server/">Here's a short guide</a> on hosting a static site on Google App Engine.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><a href="http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/">http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/</a></b></div>
<div>
Finally, we look at Microsoft's cloud platform. Sign up for the free trial and play all you want - Azure is pretty slick. After the free trial is over, you still get 10 free web apps in their shared environment, which is pretty sweet. The downside : no custom domain for free sites. Still, good for testing, playing...<br />
<br />
Updated: here are a couple I missed the first round.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://console.ng.bluemix.net/pricing/">https://console.ng.bluemix.net/pricing/</a></b><br />
This is an IBM deal - they are hungry to get into this here cloud stuff. Not a bad looking offering. They have a handy calculator to let you see how you can slice and dice resources.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-56411">http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-56411</a></b><br />
SAP (who - I confess - gives me the willies) has a free perpetual developer account which they inform you in BOLD type is <b>Not For Productive Use</b>. I'm not interested, but maybe you are...<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.mendix.com/">https://www.mendix.com/</a></b><br />
Rapid Application Development for Enterprises.<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, 'Segoe UI', Arial, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"> </span>No experience with this one but it sounds intriguing. No credit card needed so what have you got to lose?<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Have fun!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-19631093590157991102015-04-02T16:32:00.001-05:002015-05-05T23:39:09.425-05:00Get well, old friend<div dir="ltr">I just learned today that my old friend and occasional debating partner, <a href="http://thewhitedsepulchre.blogspot.com/">The Whited Sepulchre</a> has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor of some type, and is scheduled to undergo brain surgery on Friday. From what he and others have said on Facebook (I hate that Facebook is now a venue for this sort of thing) the prognosis isn't particularly rosy, but I refuse to reflect on what that could mean.<div><br></div><div>I saw him last Sunday after church from across the sanctuary; I hadn't seen him there in quite some time so I pushed through the exiting throng to say hello. It struck me at the time that he didn't seem quite himself...a little more subdued than usual. He mentioned a writing project he was thinking about starting then we agreed that we needed to get together and do some pickin' and grinnin' again in the near future and then parted.</div><div><br></div><div>Today I saw a friend post something about his upcoming surgery and I was struck dumb.</div><div><br></div><div>We didn't always agree (read: rarely) but we always enjoyed talking -- he considered me a potential convert. I would show up at the monthly Tarrant County Libertarian Party beer and cigar gatherings as the token Democrat and let his loyal blog followers meet the person they roundly condemned as a socialist/liberal/left-wing devil. It was great fun.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Before embracing Libertarian politics, The Whited Sepulchre was a seminary student - for a while, anyway - and he took that evangelic zeal to his new-found political cause.</div><div><br></div><div>Okay - I'm not about to turn this into an obituary or eulogy. </div><div><br></div><div>Just do what you do that passes for prayer - whether "keeping in your thoughts," "sending good vibes," or, what the hell, saying a prayer for him. </div><div><br></div><div>Sounds like he could use it.</div><div><br></div><div>Get well, old friend.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div> Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-2963752574266498692015-03-27T10:41:00.001-05:002015-05-05T23:38:31.636-05:00A minor epiphany, and a long overdue update<div dir="ltr">Well, it's been a while.<div><br></div><div>Life here at Sisyphean Corp has always been a grind, but in the past it always had a modicum of amusement value, as well as the opportunity to do slightly interesting things with the support of a string of pretty good supervisors. I worked hard and had fun. That changed about a year ago.</div><div><br></div><div>January 2, 2014, I had a new boss. It didn't take me long to figure out the good times were over.</div><div><br></div><div>My second or third one-on-one meeting she said, "I'm not sure I understand exactly what you do, but you seem to have a lot less on your plate than everyone else." It's gone downhill from from there.</div><div><br></div><div>It occurred to me the best way for her to find out what I did was to quit, but I need the money.</div><div><br></div><div>So last year was pretty depressing. I'll spare you the boring details but I've been in a bit of a funk, to the point where I've rarely felt like writing. Why depress you, too?</div><div><br></div><div>I did talk to a couple of recruiters, and even flew to Seattle for an interview with An Unnamed MegaCompany (figure it out yourself). Alas, nothing came of this, but Seattle is certainly a cool place.</div><div><br></div><div>And then I had my epiphany: I am growing weary of doing this. My second epiphany: I'm ready to go back to being an artist.</div><div><br></div><div>I did a painting workshop back in December given by a friend who's a very good painter and remembered how much I enjoyed making art. After going for several years without picking up a brush, I've made more art in the last 3 months than I had in the previous 5 years. </div><div><br></div><div>It was fun but I felt like a fat former athlete - reeeally out of shape. I did quite a few things that could charitably described as okay but not wonderful. And I've had to re-remember a lot of things I'd forgotten. But I've finally started doing some things that I'm actually not embarrassed to show people.</div><div><br></div><div>A couple of weekends ago I dragged a bunch of old paintings out and was alternately charmed and horrified. Some good, some not so good. Sort of like now.</div><div><br></div><div>So, I'm not quitting my day job today. Or tomorrow, or next month. But I've decided it's time to start developing a transition plan. </div><div><br></div><div>In the meantime, check my <i>other</i> blog - the one I actually put my name on - and check for postings of paintings. I'll probably be posting more on that one in the months to come. I'll save this site for anonymous musings and the occasional rant.</div><div><br></div><div>Stay tuned.</div></div> Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-66972269107419541362014-09-30T13:31:00.000-05:002014-09-30T13:31:28.058-05:00The tale of my iPhone 5 battery...When it came time to upgrade my old iPhone 3GS a couple of years ago, I wavered between the new iPhone 5 and some flavor of Android phone. For a variety of reasons, not all very well thought out, I ended up with the iPhone 5. I had an iPad, and a small investment in apps, so it seemed the way to go.<br />
<br />
About 9 months ago, around the time of one of the iOS 7 updates, I found my phone would often (as in "constantly") turn itself off and show it needed to be charged when the meter showed about 30% charge remaining. A quick Google showed I was not alone in this annoying behavior. I'd plug the phone in to charge it and it would instantly show as having 35%+ charge remaining. Sometimes doing a hard reset by pressing and holding both the Sleep and Home button would temporarily remind my phone it did indeed have juice, but not always.<br />
<br />
"Miscalibration," was the term I saw bandied about. I tried backing up my phone and restoring it.<br />
<br />
No dice.<br />
<br />
This got worse and worse. Apple was no help at all, especially since I hadn't opted for the overpriced AppleCare. (<i>Digression: the success of AppleCare demonstrates Apple's cynical attitude about product warranties. Their goddamn phone wouldn't need a freaking extended warranty if they'd built it properly in the first place.</i>)<br />
<br />
And then things got ridiculous. I (stupidly) upgraded to iOS 8.<br />
<br />
With only moderate use, my phone would go from a full 100% charge to dead in 4 hours. One day, on my 50 minute morning commute, it went from 100% to 50% just because I used BlueTooth to play music to my car stereo. The final straw: using *nothing* it went from a full charge to almost dead in the space of an hour and half.<br />
<br />
All of my family got tired of hearing me bitch.<br />
<br />
Then one day, my brother sent me a link to a story on CNet that said Apple had quietly started a battery replacement program for the iPhone 5. Go to a <a href="https://www.apple.com/support/iphone5-battery/">buried page on the Apple support site</a>, enter your phone's serial number and see if your phone is one of the stricken.<br />
<br />
Guess what: I qualified. No surprise there.<br />
<br />
Here's the link: <a href="https://www.apple.com/support/iphone5-battery/">https://www.apple.com/support/iphone5-battery/</a><br />
<br />
After confirming I was affected, I set up an appointment with the "Genius Bar" (am I the only one who sees any irony in this?) at the Apple store nearest me. Before going, I did a full backup to iTunes, per the instructions. <br />
<br />
The scene at my local Apple Store was hopping, since the iPhone 6 had just been released. I made my presence known, and they took my phone away. About 30 minutes I got it back.<br />
<br />
I did a full reset AND restore (not just a restore) when I got home, then ran the new battery all the way down. Since doing that, I'm back to getting a full day or more from a single charge. No more goofiness with my battery calibration.<br />
<br />
If you are finding you are having the calibration issue, I'd recommend the full reset / restore. Wipe the phone, then apply your (recently made) full backup. I'd do this whether Apple replaces your battery or not.<br />
<br />
So am I happy? More so. Am I still planning on getting an Android phone when my mobile contract is up for renewal? Oh hell yes.Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-48391824926995010032014-09-22T00:28:00.000-05:002014-09-22T00:29:06.707-05:00I was going to write something political......But then I saw this on my Google+ feed and thought about my old friend, The Whited Sepulchre, who loves weiner dogs. After watching it, I decided the world would be a better place if we all talked less about politics and did this instead.<br />
<br />
Enjoy...there's time enough for arguing later...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qj3OiNdTUm4" width="440"></iframe>Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-12514582596893749092014-06-15T11:19:00.000-05:002014-06-29T13:17:19.589-05:00Dear Amazon: All is Forgiven (mostly)<br />
Okay - I'll admit it: it doesn't take much to buy me off.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0Intgl4Skc51sxXt5Aj1sr22Rkh2QSSNp1OenEMBp576ybCF-_ntBwasClHjqipx49ng3Cf4VFqYlib11YWWX__rJrxMCjSB6LZkNVct8PbEf32tnP4DYCEJuStSIblKSGx_zA/s1600/musicLibraryLogo._V340310713_.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0Intgl4Skc51sxXt5Aj1sr22Rkh2QSSNp1OenEMBp576ybCF-_ntBwasClHjqipx49ng3Cf4VFqYlib11YWWX__rJrxMCjSB6LZkNVct8PbEf32tnP4DYCEJuStSIblKSGx_zA/s1600/musicLibraryLogo._V340310713_.png" /></a>I've bitched about <a href="http://postralphaelite.blogspot.com/2012/09/dealing-with-amazon-mp3-stores-lack-of.html">buying and downloading mp3's to Linux machines</a> and Amazon's non-support for a while - in fact those posts are some of the most visited on my site. But still I stick with Amazon. It's like some trailer park relationship.<br />
<br />
But now I'm willing to kiss and make up because now Amazon Prime memberships get FREE MUSIC STREAMING! (I'm doing the happy dance).<br />
<br />
I signed up for Prime around Christmas because (I told myself) I needed a package in a hurry. While normally I might have just popped for the extra shipping, the fact that Prime accounts get free 2 day shipping AND video streaming was enough to get me to fork over the cost of a Prime membership. You can do a free one month trial, so why not? I don't watch a lot of stuff, but I watch some, and it's a nice deal. I even bought myself a Roku device (from Amazon!) for Father's Day this year to make it easier.<br />
<br />
But free music streaming? Holy shit!<br />
<br />
I love music. It's one of the things (along with martinis) that keep me sane in this world. I listen at work, I listen in bed at night, I listen to my gawdawful commute. And I have a fairly extensive collection of tunes - some purchased, some ripped, some...well, never mind.<br />
<br />
So the Amazon deal is huge.<br />
<br />
Now, downloading purchased tracks on Linux is still the painful, ugly process that it has been, BUT, with streaming, I essentially eliminate the middle man (my Linux box) and go straight to the playback device: either my iPhone or Android tablet. There is a new Amazon Music app for both devices. If you listen on a computer at home, there's also a desktop app for Windows and Mac (but not Linux - grumble), and for playback, the web app works and is adequate for any platform - including Linux. <br />
<br />
The iPhone and Android apps even allow you to download for off-line listening - perfect for the commute home. I download on the company wifi connection and avoid AT&T's cell phone data crap. And given the Content Industry's <a href="http://postralphaelite.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-many-movies-do-you-own.html">attitude about ownership</a> and licensing, how different is a track downloaded that you can only play on the device you downloaded it to from the rights they grudgingly parcel out when you "buy" a track?<br />
<br />
Now there is some griping that the Amazon catalog is not as vast as that of, say, Spotify, and that there's very little in the way of new tracks. That may be true, but since I've entered my old-fartage, I don't really care that much about newer music. This falls under the "bug or feature" debate in my mind. Give me some Oscar Peterson and Stan Getz and I'm happy.<br />
<br />
So thank you, Amazon. Your Linux support when it comes to buying music is still a bit of a fail, but I may not need to buy any more ever again.Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-28497392036350338972014-06-08T11:25:00.000-05:002014-06-08T11:32:58.362-05:00Cloud on the CheapThese days, The Cloud is all the rage in the computer world.<br />
<br />
Cloud storage is probably as far as most folks want (or need) to go - think Box.com, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive/Docs...the list goes on. You can collect <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/free-cloud-services-compared/">quite a bit of free off-site storage</a> if you're of a mind to. These are all examples of SaaS - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_as_a_service">Software as a Service</a>.<br />
<br />
PaaS - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_as_a_service">Platform as a Service</a> - gives you a specific pre-configured platform to build applications or services.<br />
<div>
<br />
Finally there is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrastructure_as_a_service#Infrastructure_as_a_service_.28IaaS.29">Infrastructure as a Service</a> (IaaS), which is virtualized hardware: CPUs, hard drives, networking, firewalls and the like.<br />
<br />
<div>
A little background: at my day job at Sisyphean Corp, I manage hosting for a couple dozen big websites (I lose count sometimes).When I first took this on, we were on physical hardware. Trouble with this is once you make your decisions about the hardware, you're sort of stuck with it for a while. If you've predicted your needs poorly, or they change, well...<br />
<br />
I migrated one of our divisions onto virtualized servers using Amazon's EC2 service as a pilot project. With cloud / virtualized servers, you can create, scale up or down, or blow away environments easily as your needs change. Unfortunately we finished the migration right before Amazon had a fairly <a href="http://postralphaelite.blogspot.com/2011/04/amazon-big-fail.html">major public failure</a>, which lasted way too long. We recovered, and over the ensuing months, I learned quite a bit about <a href="http://postralphaelite.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-dozen-random-things-ive-learned-while.html">dealing with Amazon Web Services</a>. I still use them for very specific things.</div>
<div>
<br />
Last year, I lead a project to migrate our 2 dozen websites off physical hardware, and onto Savvis (now <a href="http://www.centurylinktechnology.com/cloud/data-center">CenturyLink</a>) VPDC cloud services. Though not as inexpensive as AWS, I have to say, I like it a lot.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So -- as though I don't get enough of this geekish shit all day long, I started looking around to play with some of this on my off time. Since it is going to be on my nickel instead of Sisyphean Corp, here's the best (or at least my favorite) cheap stuff I've found.<br />
<br />
<b>Amazon</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://aws.amazon.com/">Amazon</a> is the 800 pound gorilla of cloud computing and offers a full range of services. If you are (ahem) looking to get in on the cheap, they offer, for new users, a year of free service using what they refer to as their <a href="http://aws.amazon.com/free/">Free Tier</a>, which is a single micro instance, with storage and DB services.<br />
<br />
All in all it's a great deal, BUT it's only for a single year. And you still need to give them your credit card. Still, if you are curious, it's certainly worth checking out.<br />
<br />
<b>Azure</b><br />
<br />
Microsoft, never to miss an opportunity to get on board after everyone else, has a cloud service called Azure. And with only a little effort you can find <a href="http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/">free trials</a>. At first they were offering 90 days (which I signed up for and promptly pissed away) which they have scaled back to a meager 30 days / $200 worth of services.<br />
<br />
Azure is not bad. I liked their management tools better than Amazon's, and Azure's pricing seems to be a little better (although Amazon has a habit of dropping their prices periodically). Much to my surprise, they had Linux environments (along with Windows). Still, I'm not all that interested in trial offers which go away. I *will* be using it for some of my corporate solutions (where Sisyphean picks up the tab).<br />
<br />
<b>Google</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I had previously run across Google's PaaS offering, called Google App Engine, but Google has recently expanded this to <a href="https://developers.google.com/cloud/">Google Cloud Platform</a>. They are clearly setting their sites on Amazon Web Services. They have a mix of free (for minimal use) services and some paid. Free services (if you are below the paid quota) include the App Engine and Cloud Datastore. Non-free services include Cloud Compute (virtual servers), Cloud SQL (database), Cloud DNS, Cloud Storage, and Big Query.<br />
<br />
<b>OpenShift</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.openshift.com/">OpenShift,</a> which is run by RedHat Linux, is another PaaS service which I have been playing with of late. The good news: there is a free level of service - no credit card required - which gives you 3 "gears," (the label they give their basic application units). With only a moderate amount of effort, I spun up an instance of an analytics tool called Piwik, which I'm using as part of a project.<br />
<br />
They have a number of pre-configured software stacks, including Java and PHP, and applications, including Drupal, WordPress, and MySQL.<br />
<br />
The down side with OpenShift is that it can be more than a little complex to set up and use, depending on what you are trying to do. Still, if your not afraid to roll your sleeves up, it could be fun (or useful).<br />
<br />
<b>Digital Ocean</b><br />
<br />
Finally, there's <a href="https://www.digitalocean.com/?refcode=e75f6687d045">Digital Ocean</a>. What to say -- I <i>love </i>these guys. Their service is simple to use, pricing is straightforward (without a lot of add-ons), and it's cheaper than all the other services I've found. They call their instances "droplets" (ocean - droplet? cute). The smallest instance is $5 a month, if you run it 24x7. That's for a 512mb/1CPU instance with 20GB of solid state storage, and 1TB of tranfers. I pay more than that for my shared webhosting provider, and I don't have root access!<br />
<br />
They have a number of different Linux images (Ubuntu, RedHat, CentOS, Arch, Debian) to choose from and other, larger sizes. A 1GB/1CPU instance with 30 GB of storage is $10 a month. And those prices are just the maximum you pay. They actually charge you by the hour, with a monthly cap on the cost. So, if you were to spin up the small instance for, say 10 hours of testing one month, it would actually only cost you around $.07 - yeah, you read it right: 7 cents.<br />
<br />
There are almost always promo codes (such as <a href="https://www.digitalocean.com/?refcode=e75f6687d045">ALLSSD10</a> ) you can add <a href="https://www.digitalocean.com/?refcode=e75f6687d045">when you sign up</a> that will give you an immediate $10 credit, so essentially you can get 2 months free if you use their smallest instance. There are also iOS and Android apps that will let you manage your instances and/or account. If the above code has expired, find a <a href="http://www.retailmenot.com/view/digitalocean.com?c=5836988">newer one</a>.<br />
<br />
So keep your head in the clouds and have fun!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-39437096667448364132014-01-21T14:08:00.001-06:002014-06-08T11:26:26.649-05:00How to view a remote desktop for free<div dir="ltr">There are basically two reasons for viewing a remote desktop: attending online meetings and running applications on (and/or administering) a remote machine. There's a little crossover since some meeting-type software will allow remote control of the presenting machine.<div> <br></div><div>As part of my daily grind, I frequently either host or attend online meetings, and assist end users. My employer, Sisyphean Corp, uses <a href="http://www.webex.com">Webex</a> for external meetings (with vendors, consultants or other folks not on our network, and - of late - Microsoft Lynx for internal meetings. There's always Windows Remote Desktop, but it's not well-suited to connecting to machines behind firewalls across the internet, and while it's fine at controlling, it's not designed for presentations.</div> <div><br></div><div><div>So, what do you do if you are not part of a huge, monolithic corporation? I was curious and found the following free alternatives in no particular order (you can thank me later). </div><div><br></div> <div><ul><li><a href="http://www.webex.com/plans/meetings-plans.html">Webex</a> - I was slightly surprised to discover Webex actually has a free plan as long as you only need to meet with 2 other people. Any more than 3 and things get start getting a little pricey. Still, Webex is sort of the leader of the pack, and as such has things like IOS and Android clients.<br> </li><li><a href="http://www.screenleap.com/">Screenleap</a> - this looks dead easy: java-based, so it will run on Windows and Linux with no install. <a href="http://www.screenleap.com/pricing">Free account</a> has a 2 hour daily limit, with up to 8 meeting attendees, paid for accounts get more options, including more attendees, SSL encryption. There are also APIs to enable sharing on your website. I've not tried this but it looks interesting.</li> <li><a href="http://vyew.com/s/">Vyew</a> - more than just a screen-sharing service, Vyew is a fairly full-blown collaboration space. Meetings are set up as always on "rooms" which allow for document sharing, and other team-based activities. <a href="http://vyew.com/site/product/pricing">Ad-supported (ugh)</a> but up to 10 real-time participants (20 person limit per room). I've used this - it's a little clunky but not a bad tool.</li> <li><a href="http://www.teamviewer.com">Teamviewer</a> - control Macs and PC over the internet or do online meetings. Mobile versions of the client available for IOS, Android and Windows Phone. "Free for private use" - whatever the hell <i>that</i> means; don't blame me if it suddenly stops working. It says it's free for all non-commercial users. Once I give it a shot I'll let you know.</li> </ul><div>Some interesting, but more limited alternatives, more focused on remote admin/control:</div><ul><li><a href="http://www.remobo.com">Remobo</a> - intended for remote control across a firewall using a VPN, but not presentations. I've not used, but I think I may look into it. Clients for Windows, Mac and Linux.</li> <li><a href="http://www.gbridge.com">Gbridge</a> - built on top of Google's GTalk service; lets you control, sync, share desktops and chat between computers. <i>Both have to have the software installed!</i> Interesting but limited to Windows machines</li> <li><a href="http://www.crossloop.com">Crossloop</a> - Free screensharing and unlimited remote access for Windows and Mac for one computer. Requires a download and install. If you are just looking to control your home PC while away, this could be an okay option. Paid access gets you access to more computers and remote access via Android app. If you were formerly using Logmein (which did away with their free account without warning) this might be an option.</li> </ul></div><div><br></div></div></div> Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-63672916744651874582013-11-26T15:18:00.000-06:002013-11-26T15:19:26.695-06:00Why bother with iTunes or Amazon MP3 store?Call me an old curmudgeon, but I find a lot of what passes for new music boring in the extreme: manufactured pop, pseudo-country, and studio produced crap. There are a few things interesting that I've chanced upon - most of it stuff my offspring have turned me on to - but not a lot.<br />
<br />
Lately I've been supplementing my (ahem) legally purchased music from Amazon (yes - as <a href="http://postralphaelite.blogspot.com/2012/09/dealing-with-amazon-mp3-stores-lack-of.html">awful as they are</a>, I still patronize them) with a new source - <a href="http://archive.org/">Archive.org</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://archive.org/">Archive.org</a>, in case you've never been there, bills itself rather cumbersomely as "Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music and Wayback Machine." While accurate, it's a bit of a mouthful. I could write several posts on this amazing site and barely scratch the surface. If you've never visited it, just do it. Just. Do. It. You won't be sorry.<br />
<br />
Some basics about me: I love music - especially old music. The funkier the better. Growing up, my dad had numerous Spike Jones 78's, which we listened to endlessly. I love jazz. I love old radio. I love oddball stuff. I love *some* old rock music. <br />
<br />
I recently have started listening to a lot of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Peterson">Oscar Peterson</a>. The man's a God. After dropping some coin at Amazon and the Half-Price Books flagship store in Dallas, I did a little searching at Archive.Org and found <a href="https://archive.org/details/OscarPeterson-OscarsBoogie">Oscar's Boogie</a>: <br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="30" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://archive.org/embed/OscarPeterson-OscarsBoogie" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="400"></iframe>
<br />
Other things I found at random include:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/EllaFitzgeraldOscarPeterson">Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/OscarPeterson-ReunionBlues">Oscar Peterson Reunion Blues</a> - with Ray Brown, Milt Jackson and Louis Hayes</li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/BagsGroove">Oscar Peterson - Night Train</a> </li>
</ul>
<br />
I'm also a big Stan Getz fan - here are <a href="https://archive.org/details/StanGetzTheOscarPetersonTrio">Oscar and Stan together</a>:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="30" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://archive.org/embed/StanGetzTheOscarPetersonTrio" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="400"></iframe>
<br />
Some other treats I found were this huge collection of <a href="https://archive.org/details/ArtTatum-01-170">Art Tatum recordings</a> (Tatum was a source of inspiration to Peterson) and this <a href="https://archive.org/details/FatsWallerCollection">Fats Waller collection</a>. Going to a search result will give you the option to stream or download
the file - usually a zip file either a collection of audio files, a
single cut, or a long file with multiple selections. The files are
usually available as either MP3's or (for the Free Software crowd) Ogg
files. There's a handy embeddable player (which is what I'm using). A lot of these are transcriptions of old recordings - even off 78's (in fact there's a whole sections of the site devoted to transcriptions off 78's!).<br />
<br />
There are sprinkling of recordings by Joe Pass, one of the greatest jazz guitarists you never heard of <a href="https://archive.org/details/JoePass-Cherokee">here</a> and <a href="https://archive.org/details/JoePass-LilDarlin">there</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
Some other large jazz collections that you may find interesting (in no particular order):<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://archive.org/details/RaymondScottCollection">Raymond Scott</a> (responsible for most of your old Warner Bros cartoon themes) </li>
<li><a href="http://archive.org/details/KingOliverCollection">King Oliver</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/DaddyGs_ETHEL_WATERS-Collection">Ethel Waters</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/JellyRollMortonCollection">Jelly Roll Morton </a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/LesPaulAndMaryFordCollection">Les Paul and Mary Ford </a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/JackTeagardenCollection">Jack Teagarden</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TexBenekeCollection">Tex Beneke</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/JoeVenutiCollection">Joe Venuti</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/LenaHorneCollection">Lena Horne</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/GeneKrupaCollection">Gene Krupa</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheloniousMonkCollection">Thelonious Monk</a></li>
<li><a href="http://archive.org/details/CabCallowayCollection">Cab Calloway</a></li>
</ul>
Of course, old jazz isn't the only thing out there. If your taste runs to more recent tunes, check out the <a href="https://archive.org/details/etree">Live Music Archive</a>: recordings of performers who have a "tape-friendly" attitude. While most of these are regional bands (you may have never heard of them but they rock nonetheless), you'll also find such treasures as almost <a href="https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead">9,000 live performances of the Grateful Dead</a>.<br />
<br />
The hardest thing about finding stuff is...finding stuff. It helps to be very patient and just go exploring. Collections often point you to related collections.<br />
<br />
I leave you with Les Paul playing the classic "<a href="https://archive.org/details/LesPaul-Sleepwalk">Sleep Walk</a>." <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="30" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://archive.org/embed/LesPaul-Sleepwalk" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="400"></iframe>
<br />
<br />Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-53035414926692686732013-11-22T18:24:00.003-06:002013-11-22T18:25:32.588-06:00A short recollection from 50 years ago.Years later I worked with a guy who was a couple of years older than me who said he never dated anyone who couldn't tell him where they were when Kennedy was assassinated - they were, he opined, either too young or too out of it.<br />
<br />
As for me, my family had moved from Fort Worth to the Chicago suburbs the summer I turned nine. The elementary school I attended in Park Forest was close enough that I used to walk home for lunch.<br />
<br />
That Friday 50 years ago, my brother and I had come home as usual and were watching Bozo's Circus on WGN when the station broke away for news flashes that President Kennedy had been shot. I wasn't sure what to think other than it seemed shocking - impossible to believe. But I'd seen it on television.<br />
<br />
My class had introduced to the idea of "current events" that year. We were supposed to tell something we'd heard or read about in the news. This seemed like the ultimate current event.<br />
<br />
I headed back to my classroom (I have no recollection of how my mother had reacted to all this) and my school was in utter chaos. The grown-ups were all flipping out -- some were sobbing, others panicked (this was during the Cold War, remember) -- and they ended up sending us home early. Really early.<br />
<br />
The rest of the weekend and into the next week was filled television coverage of the the assassination itself, the arrest and killing of Lee Harvey Oswald, the funeral and lots of speculation. It took the Thanksgiving holiday that year and created this little pocket universe of time outside the usual flow of the seasons.<br />
<br />
Things eventually settled down, but to say they went back to "normal" would be a mistake.<br />
<br />
My classmates didn't make much of a distinction between "Dallas" and "Fort Worth." I lost my Texas accent very quickly.<br />
<br />
Later that school year I had my appendix out. By then my classmates had forgotten I was practically from Dallas, and I got a lot of handmade get-well cards. It was years before I self-identified as a Texas again.<br />
<br />
For those of us who lived through it, that pocket universe still exists just a half step away from the real world, capable of being unlocked by a date on the calendar the way December 7 was for my dad's generation, and 9-11 is for so many of us alive today.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-43724360430599607392013-04-10T19:50:00.001-05:002013-04-12T23:07:52.858-05:00Surprise! Windows 8 doesn't suck as much as I expected.It's heresy, I know.<br />
<br />
I've used Windows for a while, usually grudgingly, and I'll admit: I've been a hater. I won't bore you with a laundry list of objections I've had over the years. "The triumph of marketing over technology," sums up my feelings. <br />
<br />
After sticking with Windows XP's bubble gum look and feel (it puts a whole new spin on "gooey interface") I finally made the jump to Windows 7, after skipping the over-hyped and under-performing Vista, and thought it was....not bad.<br />
<br />
Being an IT geek I of course had to try out the new Windows 8 prereleases, featuring the new Metro Interface.<br />
<br />
I thought: this sucks.<br />
<br />
But a funny thing happened. I picked up a copy of Windows 8 <a href="http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57541490-285/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-8/">on the cheap</a> (for a while you could snag a legit copy from Microsoft for $15 if you knew how to game the system) and installed it on a new <a href="http://www.zotacusa.com/products/mini-pcs/zbox">Zotac ZBOX microcomputer</a> that doubles as a video server.<br />
<br />
There are several <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/computing/141702-how-to-bring-the-start-menu-and-button-back-to-windows-8">add-ons</a> one can install that bring back the Start Menu, allowing you avoid the Metro interface, if you choose. I'm using a freebie called <a href="http://www.iobit.com/iobitstartmenu8.php">StartMenu8</a> but <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/computing/141702-how-to-bring-the-start-menu-and-button-back-to-windows-8">there are others</a>, both free and purchasable. <br />
<br />
Lo and behold - once you can deal with Windows 8 without Metro, it's not all that bad. I'd be willing to bet that in some future Service Pack, Microsoft quietly introduces a feature that allows people to toggle the old-style Start Menu on or off.<br />
<br />
Curiously enough, <a href="http://www.iobit.com/">IObit</a>, makers of StartMenu8, also make a
free product called <a href="http://www.iobit.com/iobit-winmetro.php">WinMetro</a>, that emulates/enables the Metro interface
for Windows 7, Vista and Windows XP. ...It's a funny old world.<br />
<br />
Since hooking my ZBOX to my television to stream stuff, I've found Metro actually makes a reasonably good <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10-foot_user_interface">10 foot interface</a>. All you have to do is install an air mouse server on the PC and an air mouse app on your iPhone or Android device. <a href="http://www.logitech.com/en-us/support/6367?osid=23&bit=64">Logitech</a> has a free version of server and app for iPhone, as does <a href="http://wifimouse.necta.us/">WifiMouse </a>(for iPhone and Android).<br />
<br />
Once I managed to avoid Metro, I found Windows 8 to be a pretty good product. The Window Manager is clean, and ditches the curves of Vista/Win7 in favor of a more squared off, less transparent look. A lot of the underlying system tools like Task Manager and the copy utility are redesigned to give more information. There is a feature called <a href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/10/storage-spaces-explained-a-great-feature-when-it-works/">Storage Spaces</a> (which I have not actually used) that sounds like a repackaging of the old Windows Home Server Drive Extender, that allows combining smaller drives to pooled and/or redundant storage.<br />
<br />
Just to give time to the other side, the Free Software Foundation is running a media campaign called <a href="http://upgradefromwindows8.com/">UpgradeFromWindows8.com</a>, to promote free operating systems like Linux. While I love Linux (I'm running Ubuntu on my main studio box), I gotta say, Windows 8 is the least awful version of Windows I've used in a while - once it's been tweaked. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/windows8"><img alt="Close Windows, Open Doors" src="http://static.fsf.org/fsforg/graphics/windows-infographic_share.png" /></a>Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-60253676958388657592013-02-11T22:24:00.000-06:002013-02-11T22:24:29.805-06:00The internet schools Ron Paul on free enterpriseIn a delicious bit of irony (at least from where I sit) <a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/02/ron-paul-feuding-his-fans/61970/" target="_blank"> the Internet is teaching Ron Paul </a> a thing or two about free enterprise in the Net Economy.<br />
<br />
It seems a collection of his fans registered the domain "RonPaul.com" a while back and
have amassed quite a mailing list through it: 170,000+ email addresses.<br />
<br />
Ron Paul now wants to buy it, but considers their asking price much too high. They generously offered him "RonPaul.org" for
free, but <i>he</i> wants the .com version.<br />
<br />
Such is the nature of supply and demand, Dr. Paul.<br />
<br />
Refusing the free offer of RonPaul.org, and unwilling to pony up the $250,000 the current holders are asking for RonPaul.com, the libertarian icon is filing his case with the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization, demanding the current holders turn over *both* domains to him.<br />
<br />
This is, of course, the very same U.N. he was referring to in 1998, when he said: <i>The choice is very clear: we either follow the Constitution or submit to UN global governance. American national sovereignty cannot survive if we allow our domestic laws to be crafted by an international body.</i><br />
<br />
Oh dear.<br />
<br />
Not surprisingly, <a href="http://www.ronpaul.com/2013-02-08/ron-paul-vs-ronpaul-com/" target="_blank">this has not gone down well</a> in some circles.<br />
<br />
I, on the other hand, am loving it.Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-12586717164675714482013-01-02T22:42:00.001-06:002013-01-02T22:50:47.850-06:00Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013Am I alone in thinking 2013 will probably suck about as much as 2013? At least we have maybe a year before the next campaign cycle begins. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9b5ejakTAkwt7VLf-JAmfY6CgQ1XBe0RPHZLP1twzfnq1z0Qo0kccz_iEBi8B7DjblV1hQE9mOmrH-fzk-lz6FrE_BCIzDRKIwa5XpPRbIXp3i_cUIQnjQTd0yQaIFg-qhS3NA/s640/blogger-image--441880557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9b5ejakTAkwt7VLf-JAmfY6CgQ1XBe0RPHZLP1twzfnq1z0Qo0kccz_iEBi8B7DjblV1hQE9mOmrH-fzk-lz6FrE_BCIzDRKIwa5XpPRbIXp3i_cUIQnjQTd0yQaIFg-qhS3NA/s400/blogger-image--441880557.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-4008874231551128862012-12-23T16:05:00.000-06:002012-12-23T16:05:28.394-06:00Gun logicIn the wake of the Newtown shootings, people are struggling to come up with ways to prevent future tragedies involving mass murders by gun-toting crazies.<br />
<br />
Some are calling for renewing the ban on military-type assault weapons and high capacity ammo magazines of the type used to gun down the victims at Sandy Hook elementary school. The previous ban was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and expired in 2004. Previous efforts to renew the ban have never gotten out of committee. <br />
<br />
Others have suggested that instead of banning weapons, a hefty tax be placed on certain types of ammunition. After all, without bullets, a gun is about as useful as a length of pipe in a fight. Back in 1994, Daniel Patrick Moynihan introduced a bill to impose a 10,000% tax on hollow point ammo, saying, "<a href="http://kottke.org/12/12/senator-moynihans-bullet-tax">Guns don't kill people, bullets do.</a>" Earlier in the year, Chicago discussed imposing a 5 cent per bullet "violence tax," which ended up going nowhere. <br />
<br />
Still others have said what is needed it a requirement that all gun owners have a gun liability insurance policy; and you'd need to show you had coverage before buying a weapon. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwasik/2012/12/17/newtowns-new-reality-using-liability-insurance-to-reduce-gun-deaths/">Forbes</a> magazine (hardly a leftist publication) points out cars owners are required to show proof of coverage as well as people applying for a mortgage - why not gun owners? The thought is that insurance companies have the actuarial expertise to know who is a high risk owner and who isn't and would set rates accordingly.<br />
<br />
Right after the shootings, the National Rifle Association, usually a dependably shrill voice, said they would, out of respect for the victims, refrain from making an immediate statement, and instead offer a "meaningful contribution" to the national debate.<br />
<br />
A week later, their "meaningful contribution" turn out to be -SURPRISE!- a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/remarks-from-the-nra-press-conference-on-sandy-hook-school-shooting-delivered-on-dec-21-2012-transcript/2012/12/21/bd1841fe-4b88-11e2-a6a6-aabac85e8036_story.html">call for more guns in schools</a>.<br />
<br />
This is like saying the way to solve drunk driving deaths is by doing away with open container laws. While we're at it, let's start selling cigarettes to kindergarteners to cut down on lung cancer deaths. <br />
<br />
Just how many gun-carrying government employees does Wayne LaPierre think are needed at each school? And how does he propose this be paid for? Higher taxes? Or will we just sack more teachers to pay these guards and jam a few more kids in already overcrowded classrooms?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://hypervocal.com/politics/2012/the-onion-nra/">Hypervocal</a> pointed out the Onion posted a fake news story that pretty much nailed it: "<a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/nra-sets-1000-killed-in-school-shooting-as-amount,28352/?ref=auto">NRA Sets 1,000 Killed In School Shooting As Amount It Would Take For Them To Reconsider Much Of Anything</a>." I don't know whether to laugh or cry.<br />
Least you forget, the NRA is essentially the lobbying arm of the gun manufacturers, and putting more armed guards will, of course, mean more sales and higher profits for the merchants of death.<br />
<br />
Columbine High School had armed guards. And we all know how much that helped. No - I'm afraid this is more <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_theater">security theater</a>, designed to distract us from the politically tough decisions that need to be made until the thought of dead children fades from the headlines. <br />
<br />
The NRA once again proves itself to be the functional equivalent of a wife-beater; they profess they love America but there's always a reason the violence they begat isn't their responsibility -- and is always the fault of someone or something else.<br />
<br />
The Dallas Morning News reported <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20121222-dallas-area-gun-shops-see-surge-in-demand-for-high-powered-weapons-after-connecticut-shootings.ece?ssimg=832376#ssStory832377">surges in sales of high powered weapons</a> at local area gun shops in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings, as people stockpiled more weapons in anticipation of some sort of sales ban. In the face of such paranoia, is it any wonder we can't get laws in place to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill?<br />
<br />
If you think we need more guns rather than less in our society, look in the mirror: <i>you are the problem</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-49567704763278577632012-12-22T23:58:00.001-06:002012-12-22T23:58:43.924-06:00After Sandy Hook...<br />
Now that the initial wave of shock and horror over the shootings at Sandy Hook has worn off, the national debate has again started about gun control, and to a less degree, mental health issues. Discussions about both are long overdue.<br />
<br />
After every recent shooting, the first reaction of the gun-lovers is...to buy more guns, because they fear "the government" is going to make it impossible to get guns. Am I the only one who sees this as closely related to the behavior pattern of people who are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsive_hoarding">hoarders</a>?<br />
<br />
I'm tired of hearing some say that this happened because of some amorphous "Evil" in the world that humankind is powerless to overcome. If there's Evil afoot, it's what <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Arendt">Hannah Arendt,</a> writing about the Nazis, call the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banality_of_evil">banality of evil</a>: "normalizing the unthinkable." Such as accepting the idea that the man or woman on the street needs to own military-style semi-automatic assault weapons with huge magazines of ammo.<br />
<br />
There have been quite a few unbelievably loathsome statements by the pro-gun crowd. Just to hit some of the highlights:<br />
<br />
<b>Mike Huckabee</b>, whose statement on Fox News that "<a href="http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/18/15996725-fierce-debate-after-newtown-school-shootings-where-was-god?lite">we've systematically removed God from our schools. Should we be so surprised that schools would become a place of carnage?</a>" has to be one of the ugliest, most offensive things uttered by a member of the religious right. And folks, that takes in a lot of competition. He's blamed the victims for their own horrific deaths, and painted a picture of God as some kind of drunken jealous, vengeful child abuser. What a vile, hateful human being. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Gun Owners of America</b> executive director <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Pratt"><b>Larry Pratt</b></a>, who, two days after the murders of 20 children and 6 adults, said, "Gun control supporters have the blood of little children on their hands.
Federal and state laws combined to ensure that no teacher, no
administrator, no adult had a gun at the Newtown school where the
children were murdered." This is the same guy who said people need guns to "<a href="http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/12/17/gun-owners-of-america-newtown-teachers-should-have-been-armed/">control the government</a>." In 1992, Pratt shared the stage with <a href="http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2000/winter/bombs-bullets-bodies?page=0,2">Neo-Nazis and Christian Identity groups</a>, and has also been accused of speaking before <a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/2591/news-analysis-buchanan-dogged-by-links-to-extremists/">white supremacist and militia groups</a>. And we are supposed to feel safer with this lunatic and his followers carrying guns?<br />
<br />
Though not in the same class as Huckabee and Pratt, Rep. <b>Louie Gohmert </b>(R-Texas) gave it his best shot: fantasizing that "I wish to God [Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hoschsprung] had an m-4 in her
office, locked up so when she heard gunfire, she pulls it out…and takes
[the gunman] out and takes his head off before he can kill those
precious kids."<br />
<br />
The <b>NRA </b>at least had the decency to wait a week before their CEO <b>Wayne LaPierre</b> came out and delivered a statement that called on Congress to "appropriate everything that is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation."<br />
<br />
Let's pretend for just a moment that the NRA actually was serious about their proposal instead of just putting out some complete piece of bullshit (because they had to say <i>something</i>) and see just what it would entail.<br />
<br />
How many entrances/exits does the average school have? Think of all those fire doors. And how many police guards would be posted at each of them? One? Two? <br />
<br />
What sort of weaponry will they be issued, and body armor? Remember - they are supposed to be keeping out crazy people with assault weapons.<br />
<br />
Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the average school has a 10 points of entrance/egress, and that each of these has 2 guards. That means 20 guards per school, multiplied by however many schools in the school district. Fort Worth Independent School District has over 125 schools (primary, middle and high), which would mean an additional 2,500 employees.<br />
<br />
And what assurance do we have that posting guards would deter would-be
psycho-killers? As one person pointed out last week, banks have guards,
but they still get held up.<br />
<br />
We have to admit this is just another example of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_theater">security theater</a> - something designed to make
us <i>think</i> we or our loved ones are safer, but without doing a damned thing. <br />
<br />
Now - the final question: who is going to pay for all of this?<br />
<br />
Is this an unfunded mandate the individual schools must pay for? Schools already have a hard enough time paying teachers and for "luxuries" such as art and music. Do we (dare I utter the words) raise taxes? And given the stereotypical NRA member (conservative) - what are they going to say when asked to pony up tax money to guard the schools? This is the same crowd that bitches like crazy about the TSA screening you at the airport.<br />
<br />
Or do we just enact reasonable, responsible gun control?<br />
<br />
All of the solutions the gun crowd are pushing boil down to: fight gun violence with more guns. That's like saying the way to fight childhood obesity is to eat more cheeseburgers. <br />
<br />
The National Rifle Association used to have a bumper sticker that said, "I’ll give you my gun when you take it from my cold, dead hands."<br />
<br />
Have it your way.<br />
<br />
That's sounding like a better and better idea these days.<br />
<br />
<br />Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-42884905594632950812012-12-08T22:34:00.000-06:002012-12-08T22:49:28.538-06:00Dave Brubeck...the final curtain fallsThe other day I awoke to the news that pianist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Brubeck">Dave Brubeck</a> had passed away at age 91, one day short of his birthday, December 6. To say he was a jazz giant is only to illustrate the weakness of the written word, compared to his chosen language, music.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Dave_Brubeck_Notes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Dave_Brubeck_Notes.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<br />
I first got turned onto him as a twenty-something who had grown bored with his dorm roon collection of rock and roll. KERA (local public radio station) at the time played classical during the day, and jazz at night. My first purchase was a double LP called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/At-Carnegie-Hall-Dave-Brubeck/dp/B00005AWMW/ref=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1355003255&sr=1-5&keywords=brubeck">The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall</a>. To say it knocked my socks off is to further illustrate the weakness of the written word.<br />
<br />
He was born in the San Francisco Bay area. After graduating from the College of the Pacific (where his inability to read music created a bit of a scandal), he was drafted and served in George Patton's Third Army. While in the army he formed one of the army's first multi-racial bands. It was then that he first met his long-time collaborator, Paul Desmond.<br />
<br />
After leaving the armed services, he formed and performed with a number of ensembles, but it was his quartet, formed in 1951, that he was best known for: Brubeck on piano, Desmond on tenor sax, Joe Morello on drums, and Eugene Wright on bass. This was the quartet that released the album "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Time-Out-Dave-Brubeck/dp/B000002AGN/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1355003255&sr=1-1&keywords=brubeck">Time Out</a>," which featured the ground-breaking original, "Take Five," arguably one of Brubeck's signature pieces.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/faJE92phKzI" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Brubeck and the Quartet was known for playing in complex time signatures (<i>Take 5</i> was written in 5/4, and that was one of the easy ones) and polytonal improvisation - which is a fancy way of saying they played in multiple keys simultaneously.<br />
<br />
He disbanded the quartet in 1967, and turned his attention to composing longer pieces, many, such as <i>The Light in the Wilderness,</i> which dealt with spiritual themes. He eventually joined the Catholic church in 1980.<br />
<br />
He received numerous accolades and honors, including the "Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy," presented by Condollezza Rice in 2008, for offering an American
"vision of hope, opportunity and freedom" through his music; honorary Doctor of Music degrees from the Berklee College of Music and George Washington University, to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Brubeck#Awards">name but a few</a>.<br />
<br />
Family was important to him. Five of his six children went on to be musicians and joined him often in concert or on recordings. In keeping with the spirit of the holidays, here's a clip of him from 1996 performing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," on the Today Show with sons Chris on electric bass and Dan on drums.<br />
<br />
Enjoy! <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="236" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6Le9Z7waBX4" width="420"></iframe>
Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5103838.post-80350269353070295992012-11-22T11:49:00.001-06:002012-11-22T11:50:00.001-06:00Reflections on Thanksgiving 2012<br />
Thanksgiving 2012 is remarkable for a number of reasons.<br />
<br />
Officially it falls on the 4th Thursday of November, which is usually the last Thursday as well, but because of how the calendar played out this year, we have another Thursday in November which falls <i>after</i> Thanksgiving. If you use Black Friday as the start of the Christmas Shopping, it means an extra week of Ho-Ho-Holiday sales for merchants, for which they are surely thankful this year.<br />
<br />
Speaking of Black Friday, I'll leave that again to the more intrepid - I have no desire to go out and mix it up with bargain-crazed shoppers. It used to be this annual Orgasm of Consumerism started at 5 AM or so, Friday morning, but it has steadily crept forward, first to Midnight, and now, in some cases to 8 PM Thanksgiving day.<br />
<br />
To which I say, shame on you Merchants. And shame on you, Shoppers, since without your enthusiastic support, this inexcusable practice would not happening.<br />
<br />
This year is also notable for the fact that Thanksgiving falls on the anniversary of John F Kennedy's assassination - the 49th, as I recall. This monumental tragedy took place two and a half months after my family moved from Fort Worth to the Chicago suburbs. This is one of the reason I lost my Texas accent so quickly.<br />
<br />
I'm thankful I survived another year, still employed. I'm thankful the
2012 elections are over, and I'm still on speaking terms with numerous
friends and family members. <br />
<br />
I'm thankful this year my youngest son is back in Texas, where he's finishing his degree at Texas State University, after starting at George Mason University. It's a better all-around experience - he's living with old friends, can drive home anytime he wants to, and generally finds the environment much more to his taste. Despite its proximity to Washington, DC, he found the whole Virginia experience a lot more Southern than he'd anticipated. Appearances to the contrary, Texas is not southern; at least not when you are as close to Austin as he is. Oh, and Texas in-state tuition is a lot cheaper.<br />
<br />
I'm thankful my parents, who will be coming over for dinner today, are still healthy.<br />
<br />
I'm thankful the wife and I had a chance to share Canadian Thanksgiving with our oldest son in Toronto, since he won't be able to join us down here this year for American Thanksgiving (or Christmas, it turns out). We spent four days with him, and had a wonderful visit. Thanksgiving Day we took him and a friend to a restaurant where they had turkey and dressing as their special that day. Even though he won't be joining us this year, we're planning to do a Facetime call once the rest of the family gathers.<br />
<br />
I'm thankful for friends, old and new, both in person and on-line. The internet is an amazing place.<br />
<br />
Here's hoping you have plenty to be thankful for this year. My best to you and all your loved ones. <br />
<br />Dr Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11315005375209513833noreply@blogger.com0