Today I randomly emailed Igor (a co-worker) a link to american antigravity, cause I know he likes to build things, and what better to build than a Lifter! Turns out he (like me) LOVES that stuff. We got all chatty about orgone accumulators, Joe Cells, ORMEs, Platonic Solids, etc etc. I’m sure something cool will come from this :) What luck! at 2003-11-03 17:13:20
derek said: jerk :P
hehe.
Okay, but you can also figure it out much more simply.
Divide tetrahedral volume inside sphere into octahedral volume in an identical sphere, aka sine180/sine120, then put it through Coulomb’s equation and voila!
Of course, I got this from some of that Platonic Solid reading I’ve been doing, namely this page. I understood the previous 3 pages of this ‘book’, but this one started to get a bit hardcore. I still got their meaning, but it wasn’t as easy. Still, interesting stuff to think about. Waves, baby, WAVES! at 2003-11-03 17:55:04
Gearboy said: You sure about that?
Sine of 180° is zero. Zero over sine 120° is still zero. Does putting zero into Coulomb’s equation give you the fine structure constant?
I restate my earlier position that this stuff is most likely mumbo-jumbo, which banks on its audience’s lack of familiarity with the subject matter to seem convincing.
Think about how easy it would be for you to write up some rational-sounding gobbledegook about how computers work… if you knew that the person reading it would be your mother.
-Steve at 2003-11-03 18:34:25
Steve said: Holy Cow….You guys have totally lost me. I used to enjoy this website!! Now it just makes my brain hurt. Can’t we go back to wacky Croats, Derek and his Dinko? Did I mention I have around the same level of mathematical knowledge as my 9 year old nephew!!
Derek are you coming home for Santa Day?
at 2003-11-03 19:47:09
mom said: glad it was you that asked that last question, ah, but then i already know the answer. bah humbug! just love the updates, hugs at 2003-11-04 02:36:41
I had this one a while ago, during a conversation with Regoczei at a cafe. It just came to me. “meSearch.com”, like research. You see, it occurred to me that it’s hard to find stuff that’s logically related to what you’re researching. How much of a pain in the butt are index books at the library when looking up psych journal entries?!
So, what if there was 1 huge site, where you put all research. It would be an “Amazon for Research”. You could rate various pieces of research, and based on your credentials, your vote would count for more. You could say “show me all the papers related to this, which were rated 8 or higher by people with Ph.Ds”. Or it could say “Researching X? You might also want to read these papers…”
How to make money at this? Perhaps there would be a “contact the author” feature, which would cost a nominal fee, and keep the author’s contact info confidential. Each contributor/author would have their own meSearch inbox, for receiving & replying to info requests. You could be automatically notified about new research by your favourite authors & researchers. It could be very cool. Sort of a purposeful scientific blog, with categorization. at 2003-11-04 11:09:51
I’ve been having a conversation with Mailblocks tech support.
I love bitching about bad design.
Dear Mailblocks Support,
Increasingly, spammers are adding themselves to my whitelist. I now get about 5 a day doing that.
Could you add a “Reject Mail From Sender” Icon of some sort, to allow me to quickly reject senders from the main Mail view?
Perhaps it could be a new icon beside the trashcan, or as a “Send To”, like “Send To Blacklist”.
Thanks Sincerely,
Derek Martin
——-Original Message——-
From: support@mailblocks.com
To: dmartin@mailblocks.com
Sent: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 09:50:33 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: Simple Feature Request ~11161
Hello Derek,
Thank you for your email and inquiry regarding blocking addresses.
There is a shortcut to adding addresses as accepted or blocked in the address list. When you preview the message, click the From field. In the pop-up window, click the check box once to accept and twice to reject. This will save you some time since you don’t have to retype the whole address in the address list. Thank you for using Mailblocks. If we can be of further assistance, please don’t
hesitate to contact us.
Regards,
Ty
Mailblocks Support Team
Hi Ty,
Yes, I’m aware of that feature.
However, I am currently doing some consulting in Croatia, where internet access is charged $0.75 per minute for dial-up. As I’ve learned, this is nearly standard outside of highly industrialized countries (I was living in Toronto, with a Cable Modem before).
So, first I have to open each individual SPAM message (if it’s 5 per day now, what’ll it be in 6 months?).
Then I have to click the pop-up.
Then I have to choose an option.
Then I have to click close.
Then I have to close the message window.
That’s 1 page load, 1 viewed SPAM, and 5 additional clicks to reject an email address.
Assuming I’m fast, that cost me about $1.50.
If there was a reject Icon in the main mail window, it would take me no page loads, and 1 click, which is pretty much free.
Thanks for your reply,
Derek at 2003-11-04 18:12:38
(James Trott (UK))[http://www.wildhog.co.uk] said: Woo! Go derek! way to beat the man :)
Lets face it, they should be greatfull for you pointing out the flaw in their system. Ive finally done those email bits i told you about! the email is tagged to this post so you should be able to get to it!
I know ive not sent that large email yet, things with the suits have been pretty stiff here, but ill def. get around to it soon!
Dont let the man get you down!
James at 2003-11-04 22:18:16
Breslin said: dude… donut day? seriously… how sweet is that… and the guy that grew the tomacco plant… for real. genius. they should do a simpsons go to croatia episode for sure… on donut day, homer would love it. i should toss that idea their way. definatley.
keep luvin’ it! at 2003-11-05 03:57:37
(vlad)[http://music..] said: Derek, check out www.allofmp3.com :)
at 2003-11-08 11:04:25
Paul said: I agree with you at 2005-04-03 21:00:52
Beige said: Enter the Cyclone : Bombardier’s kickin’ sports segway prototype:
http://recreation.bombardier.com/En/Media/PressReleases.aspx?press=2005 at 2003-11-12 16:21:12
Alex said: Derek,
What if “Italian Job” was made into a new scifi movie? That movie had no effects at all, plot was terrifc as were the characters. I mean come on really. Those squids in Revolution looked like someone went wild with the “stamp” brush in Photoshop and just swirled squids all over the screen and went insane. The movie sucked dude, and you know it. Just admit it like everyone else did. They ran out of plot after the first matrix… at 2003-11-13 17:11:11
Gearboy said: Since seeing Reloaded, I’ve been trying to find the words to articulate what the Warchowskis have done. Tonight, while watching Revolutions for the first time, I found them.
They raised the bar… and then strolled comfortably under it.
Still, we’ll always—always—have the first Matrix. :)
-Steve at 2003-11-16 08:33:12
(James Trott (UK))[http://www.wildhog.co.uk] said: There is no spoon! at 2003-11-28 12:50:06
(Scott)[http://aaa.pornobackup.com/nutten/nutten-frankfurt.html] said: old, but nice :) at 2004-04-06 14:12:55
You’ve noticed that tiny stickers that now appear on almost all fruit, and probably been annoyed that you have to peel each one off. These contain bar codes for the check-out clerk, but they also contain a secret the store might not want you to know.
Nutritionist Karma Metzgar of the University of Missouri writes that these stickers also tell you if the fruit is organic or genetically-modified. On conventionally-grown, non-organic fruit, the sticker has only 4 numbers. Organically grown fruit has a five-numeral code, which begins with the number 9. Since organic fruits and vegetables now have to be in separate areas in grocery stores, this confirms that your apple hasn’t ended up in the wrong pile. However, the store does not have to reveal which fruits and vegetables are genetically-modified—but you can find out by looking at their stickers, which will begin with the number 8.
According to Metzgar, this means a regular banana would have a sticker saying 4011, an organic banana would say 94011 and a GM banana would say 84011.
Lots of people complain that the stickers are too hard to peel off, so it may be a relief to know that the adhesive is safe to eat. at 2003-11-13 10:02:50
Traffic Limit: 1.46 G
Traffic Used: 5.57 G at 2003-11-18 09:17:24
mattdan said: Man, the only thing better than that guy Eric’s webpage is his girlfriend’s. Her poetry made me weep. at 2003-11-18 09:58:31
dad said: derek….i’m impressed…with your amdzone writeup and pics..well done;and with regards to “maybe this would be fun”….why not!!!!!…knowing you i would say you have all the qualities required. at 2003-11-18 16:07:52
“In the name of Bush’s safety, the Secret Service requested that the London Underground, the provider of transportation to millions daily, be closed down. American snipers and special agents traveling with Bush were to be given diplomatic immunity in the event that they should kill any of the expected 100,000 protesters. An artillery weapon called the “mini gun,” normally used in battlefield conditions, was to be flown in in case it was deemed necessary to mow down protesters en masse. Vast sections of the city were to be closed to all traffic, forcing the closure of untold hundreds of businesses. Americans were to be placed in charge of all security operations, ahead of the British Scotland Yard, the MI5, the Metropolitan police, and Blair’s own security detail. And U.S. fighter jets and Blackhawk attack helicopters, armed with surface-to-ground missiles and high-powered machine guns, were to secure the skies over London. All of this in addition to flying in not only Bush’s own presidential limousine, but in fact his own motorcade. No foreign cars for our President ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú only a custom-imported procession of Humvees would do. “
The mini-gun makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, like hot chocolate on a cold winter day. Between 6pm and 9pm on Tuesday (before going out) and from 1am-2am (after getting home), I was working on my resume for CSIS. This isn’t just any old resume. Here’s a list of *some* of the things they want on it: Previous employment information including the names of previous employers and supervisors; dates, and salaries. Information relating to education and training (degrees, diplomas, the name(s) of the institution(s) and dates attended). A list of all foreign countries you have travelled to or lived in and when, excluding the USA and whether the travel was for holiday, business, study or other reason. =============== CSIS Intelligence Officer Job Description:The Intelligence Officer category is one of the key professional occupational groups in the Service. An Intelligence Officer is required to conduct investigations, perform research, analyse information, and must be able to prepare clear and concise reports on national security-related matters. The Service is looking for motivated people who possess strong interpersonal skills and an ability to take the initiative; people who are empathetic and sensitive to the cultural mores of a changing Canadian society, are adaptable and embrace new experiences with confidence. Applicants should have a proven ability to work both independently and as a member of a team. Proficiency in both Official Languages is an asset, as are foreign language capabilities and computer literacy. Applicants should be aware of current events and have an appreciation of how the Service’s mandate meets the government’s security intelligence requirements. To be considered for employment as an Intelligence Officer, you must: * be a Canadian citizen with a university degree, and possess a valid driver’s licence; * agree to relocate anywhere in Canada, depending on the requirements of the Service, throughout your career. Intelligence Officers are on probation for an initial period of five years as part of their Career Progression program. The starting salary is $39,640 progressing to $63,800 during the probationary period, based on successful completion of training, attaining the required experience and on performance. The recruitment process is lengthy, and consists of several interviews and examinations. You should be aware that significant personal information will have to be provided. Access to the sensitive nature of the information collected by the Service necessitates a top secret personal security clearance; all information provided will be carefully considered and verified. As every stage is completed, each application will be assessed in comparison with others at similar stages. Only a limited number of applicants whose overall experience, personal attributes and characteristics indicate potential to excel in both the analytic and investigative aspects of this career stream will progress to the next stage. The hiring process consists of these 9 stages:Information Session Candidates found to have potential will be invited to an information session focussing on the mandate and the role of CSIS, the duties of an Intelligence Officer, hiring criteria and conditions of employment. Suitability Interview A limited number of applicants will be invited for an interview, giving them an opportunity to expand on their motivation and interest in the Service generally and the Intelligence Officer category in particular. The interview will give the Service an opportunity to assess the applicant’s overall suitability in relation to the Intelligence Officer requirements. Psychological Assessment A CSIS psychologist will interpret a battery of well-established psychometric tests and may assess through an interview your aptitudes and suitability. Second Language Assessment If bilingual, you will be required to undergo an assessment of the second official language. If not bilingual, an assessment to learn the second official language will be required and training provided to successful candidates. National Assessment Panel An in-depth interview will explore your motivation, your knowledge of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and your general suitability for employment as an Intelligence Officer. Security Clearance The Security clearance process includes an extensive background investigation involving the interview of references, verification of all personal information, criminal record name checks, and where necessary, verifying information outside of Canada. A security interview, polygraph testing, fingerprinting, and the submission of a financial statement are all requirements designed to assess a candidate’s reliability and loyalty. Executive Committee An interview by an executive of the Service will evaluate your overall suitability for a career as an Intelligence Officer. Final Assessment A final review of all applicants is completed based on the results of the overall recruiting process, to determine which candidates most closely match the Intelligence Officer requirements of the Service. Wow - I’m glad they don’t take Canadian Security lightly.
Comments from my old blog:
derek said: Idiots. When you email PayPal to tell them that you can’t access your account, they email you back and ask you to please login to your account and follow instructions. HELLOOOO??? My problem was that I CAN’T ACCESS MY ACCOUNT!
Similar Situations I’ve Been In:
Dick: “Yes, Rogers@Home Customer Support, my name is Dick, how may I help you?”
Derek: “Hi Dick, my name is Derek. Our internet is down and I can’t get online. I’m a computer consultant, so I’ve already checked my DNS settings, done an ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew, and rebooted the cable modem - ensuring that I waited at least a couple of minutes before turning it back on. So - how can you help me?”
Dick: “Okay, I’m gonna need you to click Start, then Programs, then Internet Explorer. Now go to www.rogers.com and login to your account, and then…”
Derek:”Umm, Dick? I can’t login. I’m OFFLINE.”
Dick:”Oh. Okay, I’m going to need you to try to restart your cable modem. If you go over to it and look for a…”
Derek:”Yep, remember how I said I already did that?”
Dick:”Okay, ipconfi—”
Derek:”Done.”
Dick:”I guess it’s a problem on our end. I’ll send a technician out to check it out. He’ll be there next Friday sometime between 8am and 5pm”.
Derek”Thanks, Dick.” at 2003-11-19 14:01:15
beige said: Let me get this straight. CSIS won’t come to you, regardless of how often you go on tv and scream MUSIC PIRATE!!! OVER HERE! MUSIC PIRATE!!!! So you’re going to THEM now. at 2003-11-19 15:08:31
derek said: To answer beige’s question - yes. Though I’ve heard that they don’t care so much about what your history is like, as long as you’re honest with them about it. So, I’m going to be honest.
Also, I wanna play paintball! I’ve had a huge craving for the last 2 weeks.
But guess what?
The idea of playing paintball seems insane to anyone who has lived in a warzone, so there isn’t any in Croatia.
I think they all thought I was a trigger-happy pseudo-american gun-nut death-machine psycho for wanting to play.
It really is fun to give your friends welts, right Jeff?
No real harm intended. at 2003-11-19 16:59:00
derek said: OH NO! Stop Being Vegetarian! “A lot of women are taking soy supplements to help with the symptoms of menopause, because it contains a vegetable form of estrogen. However, new tests show it can reduce normal sexual behavior as much as 70%.” New Scientist Source Article at 2003-11-19 17:03:30
mom said: I love that you have grown into an amazing adult, but sometimes I can’t stand that I can’t tell you what not to do. ie CSIS. Remember when you were little, and I said you couldn’t be a policeman or fireman? That was very naughty of me, Love you at 2003-11-19 21:27:41
“We have decided to save the Saruman sequence for the DVD. It’s a great little scene. 7 mins long. Chris is wonderful, as usual. It was a film maker decision - nothing to do with the studio.”
I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a ploy to sell many, *many* more DVDs. Is the $13 fee to watch the movie in the theatre not enough? I know - lets charge people to see the trailer on a big screen, and then later they can pay us $30 to see the actual movie! Brilliant! (jerks) Last NightWe went to Mochvara to see a Serbian band who was very popular before the war. This was a rare occurrence, as there are still tensions between Croatians & Serbians — but everyone there LOVED it, and sang along for the entire night. It took Danijela and I like 40 minutes to find Sandra & Friends — but after that it was all good — plus Danijela was nice enough to buy me a Stella Artois (I didn’t have enough cash on me). Wheeeeeeee. Oh, the music was good too :)
Looking at what you posted in your entry all I noticed was that you had “localhost” in your path. I just have “domain/directory/file.css” whether I’m calling the file from a shtml or php page.
I’m by no means a css wizard you might want to go to css-discuss.org and subscribe to the list. And Google for “css wiki.”
Good old Tesla. When I had a kid I had a nutty scheme to build giant Tesla coils and bring the world to its knees. But I was very young. at 2003-11-24 22:04:44
(Will)[http://langstroth.net] said: The reason Tesla never got funding for wireless power is that there’s no way to meter it, and thus no way to accurately charge people for its use. Electricity could easily be transimitted for thousands of kilometres using the sky and the earth (essentially), but who would foot the bill if there’s no return? at 2003-11-25 00:11:22
derek said: WILLY! Good to see/hear/read from you! Dude - what are you UP to? I like that you have Langstroth.net :) Want to visit Croatia? ;) My understanding was that Tesla’s Wireless Power both came from, and was transmitted through the atmosphere/earth. So - it was free energy. The only $ required is to build the Wireless Transmitter — a worthy investment for any government (municipal/provincial/federal). at 2003-11-25 10:03:45
jen said: Uh, d. Sorry to blow your Geek cover, but you are a full-blown hippy & activist. You just dont always choose to show these sides. I dont think you need anyone else to help you bring it out but i cant say that i am not pleased that Darko is anyway :)
Nikola Tesla—-my goddess, an incredible man. Where was he from? My favourite part is that he was soo in tune with every cell..Teach me, teach me. That is awesome. Cheerio from London. at 2003-11-28 23:38:36
Alrighty! Linux basically does what Microsoft Windows lets you do — run programs. Programs made for Microsoft Windows will not run on Linux, and vice versa. They must be “Made for Linux”. The coolest thing about Linux is this: No one owns it, and no one can own it. It says right in the Linux License Agreement that it must remain free for all to use. Also - Linux is not a company. It makes no profits and pays no wages. Thousands of software developers voluntarily contribute to it to make it better for everyone who uses it, for free. Thus, it will only continue to get better and better with time - and there’s no corrupt company behind it, just waiting to do something evil to screw you over unless you pay them the big bucks. And finally, if you, as a person, would like to make something about Linux work in a different way, and if you know how to code software - you can just open up your copy of the code that’s behind Linux and change it to work the way you want (this is what ‘open-source’ software is). By contrast, Microsoft encrypts the code behind Windows, so even if you opened the code hoping to change something, you wouldn’t be able to make heads or tales of it (this is ‘closed-source’ software). In this way, they keep you trapped inside their box. Linux scares the crap out of Microsoft. It gives away, for free, the equivalent of Microsoft’s biggest cash cow. The biggest challenges facing Linux: lack of high quality software (there are certain applications businesses need, and they’re not available for Linux — yet). Lack of intuitiveness — Linux is difficult to learn, and not as pretty as Microsoft Windows. Biggest benefits of Linux: free, open-source, never crashes (ever), more secure than windows
Stephanie Asks: “Are they still cool or have they been swallowed by IBM?”> Well, as you may have gathered now, “They” are not a “They”, but just a group of people working together for free… so they can’t be swallowed, ever :) Stephanie Asks: “Why is IBM all over them?” > IBM has decided that it doesn’t like paying Microsoft millions of dollars to use their software that is insecure and crash-prone, when they can use the super-secure uncrashable Linux for free :) The trick with Linux is that because there’s no “Linux Company”, there’s also no one you can call for Technical Support. IBM is one of several large companies coming to fill this gap. All of IBM’s servers now run on the Linux operating system, and they’ll gladly sell you one for quite cheap, but their technical support and strategic planning on how to leverage that technology costs a pretty penny — thus they get to pocket more of the cash (where they would have previously given a bunch to Microsoft). Another company you might have heard of is “RedHat Linux”. This company does sell Linux for money, but it’s funny, they’re not technically selling Linux — they’re selling 30 days of tech support and a bunch of pre-packaged Linux software, and a printed manual, and those things happen to come inside a box with a copy of “RedHat Linux”. RedHat has been the biggest proponent of Linux for home users to date, but they have recently pulled out of that market and are now only selling RedHat Linux for servers. The home market will be supported by a new company called “User Linux”, which is just getting started. Do you remember DOS? Typing stuff with white text on a black screen, at a prompt that looked like: “C:\” ? That’s pretty much what the hardcore side of Linux looks like. If you run a Linux Server, that’s all you’ll ever see. If you are a home user, there is a “Windoes-Like” side of Linux where you have nice icons and pretty things like that. When things go wrong, though, often the only way to fix it is from that happy old “C:\” command prompt (in Linux is’t not C:\, but something else).
Hope that helps make some sense of it :)
Comments from my old blog:
Breslin said: agreed linux is sweet because it never fucks up and stuff… but windows is definatley my number 1 choice. i hated fixing computers that used linux, it was the biggest pain in the ass of all time… almost… and formatting them. please. it may as well have been in all japanese. at 2003-12-13 23:44:34
Building Tesla coils eh? I once put together a working plan for a Rail Gun for my final Physics project, but it was turned down on safety purposes, they approved the project initially beleiving that we couldnt get a capacitor big enough, when we produced said capacitor the size of a catering sized coffee tin, we were promptly informed “You will NOT build that thing anywhere near this college” heh, thatll teach them to bluff.
Regarding OrangeBox, here’s a suggestion derek, put all your development files, all your documentation, experiments and code online here on your website, so anyone that wants to take it and improve it, can!
Put the GPL license on it, (or your preferred flavour) so that your name is carried on with the code, but i for one would be fascinated by the OrangeBox code, i love reading other peoples code, its how i learn new things, large and small. at 2003-11-26 13:58:43
However, the big military stylee ones are far cooler, just put a decent sized electro magnet around the “Breach” of the chamber, and attatch one HUGE capacitor, discharge said capacitor into correctly aligned magnet and POW huge Magentic Wave sends joe projectile flying out of the barrell… The danger here is that the capacitors are about the size of a waste paper bin, or bucket! at 2003-11-27 11:05:36
derek said: Incidentally, this product at thinkgeek.com is kind of like the ‘sound ring gun’, kind of. Fun nonetheless.
James - I love that. I was also thinking of building one like a solenoid (insulated tube penetrated by magnetic field, containing something metal) and just removing the other end so it can shoot out. Putting the magnet at the end makes a lot of sense though :) at 2003-11-27 11:55:45
Steve said: years ago i saw a program on tv that had some sort of high velocity air gun. the govt. was working on it for,get this, riot control. just think of the possibilities in conjunction with a sound system.we used to like to think our speakers on stage could blow out matches at 50 feet.good luck at 2004-07-06 00:44:22
mysql_query(“INSERT INTO funtown (column=>$value, column=>$value, column=>$value)”); mysql_query(“UPDATE funtown SET (column=>$value, column=>$value, column=>$value) WHERE column=$x”);
In fact, it seems so good that I’m sure it must be out there somewhere. Do you think it is? Have you seen such a beast?
Comments from my old blog:
(James Trott (UK))[http://www.wildhog.co.uk] said: Wheres the dilemma derek? Orangebox is your baby, your project, why just stop working on it? If you do, you’ll only find something else to work on :) Why not setup a sourceforge project for it, get it running, and get a bit more of a community around it, i for one would love to dedicate some of my own time to orangebox. at 2003-11-28 12:29:44
derek said: If you’ve never delved into the wonders of php’s ability to send different headers this page is worth a read. Very cool. Especially if you’re developing a custom 404 page, or if you want a link someone clicks to download a document instead of following a link, or if you want a php script to pretent it’s a .jpg — it’s magical, I say! at 2003-11-28 12:32:13
derek said: James - heh - I set it up at sourceforge about a year ago ;) Also its ugly outdated homepage is at orangebox.ca :) at 2003-11-28 12:33:30
(James Trott (UK))[http://www.wildhog.co.uk] said: Well let me have a think, i might have a bit of an idea with regards to it all… gimme the weekend, ill email you on monday, i think we should try to raise the profile a bit… after all, knowledge belongs to the world! at 2003-11-28 12:35:48
mom said: Its not like you to run from a challange, so just take it to the next level, (orangebox). think of it as the next cool experiment. love mom at 2003-11-28 13:23:48
(beige)[http://www.aeriscosplay.com/index.php] said: Re: Cosplay. When it’s not Comic Book Guy dressing up, I don’t see any harm in it. The Japanese have a minor industry going on in video game girl knockoff fuckfilms. at 2003-11-28 14:22:41
