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December 31, 2005
Computer history is boring
Is computer history as important as political history? Is it as important to understand the details of the business battles between CPM and DOS as it is to understand Robert McNamara? No. Not even in the same league. Even though I am a computer geek by admission and by nature. I picked up this book because the premise sounded intriguing, the influence of the 60 cultural revolution on the computer business. The author contends that the rise of free love, individual freedoms, and rebellion against “the man” is the rich soil which allowed the idea of a personal computing device (PC) to be born. It may have been coincidental, but even after reading the book I don’t believe there is a causal relationship. So some of the early computer pioneers took LSD to expand their minds. Does that mean we should all do LSD now to create the next generation of technology? Or that the PC would not be around but for psytropic drugs?
In addition, the writing style is simply boring. Very factual and documentarian style. You can almost see the author bowing at the feet of the early computer pioneers and begging from some LSD. It is not a pretty sight. If the path of events are to be believed, I did learn much that I didn’t know about the 50,60,70’s computer pioneers. But he spends most of his time paying homage to the “forgotten” and “unappreciated” “pioneers”. Does it really matter? I turn on the PC and there is a wonderful world out there. It is a tool like any other that if I am smart enough I can get advantage of. The interface still doesn’t fit with many people. It was invented for geeks, by geeks and you can tell.
Only today, decades after the initial ideas started the PC going are we starting to see real useful, unique, new applications that are truly additive to our abilities and our brains. Until recently most software programming effort has been spent trying to make the computer do things that we used to do with adding machines, type writers and hoards of people. Ok, so now a newspaper can be laid out in an hour rather than a day with 10 people manually setting type. But what is the real invention there? What do you do with the extra time you save? Only now with some of the applications people are calling “web 2.0” are we getting really new, additive applicaitons. Those are the interesting things about computing and technology.
Not the furious battles between devotees of vacume tubes and silicon switches. That is old news and purely foundational. I would argue that the future of computing is interesting and not the past. If you have a bizzare fantasy for geek details that may help you in the next game of Trivial Pursuit “Geek Edition”, then read this book. Otherwise, whip out your browser or your blog tool and become part of the future.
I give this 2 of 5 stars (only for its historical value).
Posted by Martin at 12:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
My stepmothers book
So I was down at my father’s house in Medford this week. Celina, his wife of 28 years had this book on the stand next to her chair and proudly told everyone who walke into the house how she was going to read about “Dirty Girls”. But she hadn’t read it yet. So one day while Finn was playing with her cousins I picked it up out of boredom. Ok, I will say it, it is a chick book. All about a group of Latina girlfriends and their struggles in life over time. Not exactly what a captain of the fuel industry should be reading eh? But it was engaging so I soldiered on. Just finished it after four days. During the end I was skipping pages to get to the end of the chapters since Valdes-Rodriguez is very predictable about where she puts the interesting stuff. I liked Rebecca the founder of the Latina women’s magazine married to a geeky trust funder perpetual philosophy student. If it weren’t vacation time I wouldn’t have finished it though and most of the women were not very interesting to me. Would not read it again, nor do I want to see the movie.
I give it 2 of 5 stars only because i finished it and kept reading ahead for tidbits of the one character I enjoyed or else it would get one star.
Posted by Martin at 11:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A story about "The Fog of War - Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara"
Robert S. McNamara was both Kennedy and Johnson’s Defense Secretary. Most liberals put him at fault for much of vietnam, the fire bombing of Japan, Hiroshima, and the cold war. What most people don’t know is that he was an incrediblly intelligent, pragmatic, very caring and thoughtful man. This documentary carries the title “Fog of War” to appeal mainly to those who want to understand how decisions are made under the real pressures of war. It is great at that. What is better at is revealing the man Robert s. McNamara. He is thinking through his accomplishments over the course of modern history. His insights into how and why certain major military decisions were made are completely riviting and important. “Astonishing, mesmerizing, and sometimes horrifying!” as one reviewer said doesn’t describe it enough. In these times where it looks like modern concerns and current events are the only things that matter, getting the perspective of McNamara is veryimportant. McNamara tells the story in his own words. In a world of sound bites and headlines, we hardly ever get the real story behind current events. This is the real story. Of course it is McNamara’s story. If you have been programmed to hate McNamara by the liberals you should see this movie to decide for yourself. If you believe in McNamara’s infallability preached by the right, you should see this movie. If you care at all about what goes on in the heads of our leaders during war, you should see this movie. Get it on PeerFlix, I did.
Posted by Martin at 11:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 30, 2005
Wow i got another patent
Those helpful folks at Patent Awards were nice enough to send me a little reminder that I am the co-inventor of the Digital VCR: Digital remote recorder - Patent 6981050 Hope Loudeye gets some $$ for it!
Posted by Martin at 4:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 24, 2005
sucks to grow up
i loved it when i was young. But I was young and stupid. The movie sucks. Except for Tilda Swinton who is strangelyHOTTTT!!!!!
Posted by Martin at 4:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Review: The Last Good Kiss (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
Two weeks ago Finn and I went up to Snoqualmie Pass for a little innertubing in the snow. We had so much fun we decided to stay the night. At the gas station they had a bin of old paperbacks. I picked up The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley
While some may call it pulp and formulaic, I call it fun and entertaining. Lots of seedy bars are visited and some ghost of 60s San Francisco are dredged up as well. Large calibre guns, porno movie producers, beer drinking dogs, dive bars, washed up writers, and a road trip all rolled into one. What more could you ask for? I give this a 4 out of 5.
Posted by Martin at 4:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Review: The Italian Secretary: A Further Adventure Of Sherlock Holmes
I have devoured The Alienist
This may just be a case of crossed expectations. I was expecting the Alienist and was not prepared for the stiff upper lip of an English detective story. Sort of like the shock I had picking up Flush by Carl Hiaasen after reading his other thrilling works. A total let down. I didn't labor through Flush, but I did labor through The Italian Secretary much to my dismay and waste of time. I am not a fan of high brow english "literature" and the prentiousness of it all. The faux royalty and round about language is all too obtuse for my taste. The only interesting part of this book which I am sure there is some factual background to are the parts where Holmes and Watson use their study of the human body size, movement, and muscle structure to determine identity. There are many reveals in the plot where they go back and note something insightful about a previous encounter that I didn't notice while reading it. Makes me want to be more observant to mannerisms, facial expression, posture and body build during my conversations.
Overall, I wouldn't want anyone but a committed zealot of english detective fiction to bother with The Italian Secretary. Certainly not any fan of Caleb Carr's prior work. I rate it a 1 of 5.
Posted by Martin at 3:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 22, 2005
Tis the season to ask for money
As the end of the year approaches, most of of us are thinking about Christmas and maybe our New Years Resolutions. But the politicians are thinking about money. Aren't they always? As the year end approaches all they see is the end of another tax reporting season. So along with the holiday (no never Christmas) cards come not so subtle reminders that all is not right with the world and you need to donate before the end of the year to prevent another apocalypse. The appeals are comical in their extremes. This year I have the dubious honor to be on the list for candidates from both major parties so I thought it would be fun to share parts of their appeal... (and oh, neither of these holiday wishes were successful in separating me from my money)
From the Republican National Committee...
I know that you are a strong grassroots leader in Seattle.
Which means you understand that the future of our country and President Bush's bold second term agenda is at stake in the 2006 elections.
You have a crucial choice to make - and the time to act is now!
Will President Bush continue to have a Republican-led Congress to support him as he works to move America towards a more secure and prosperous future or....Will the liberal Democrats regain total control of Congress and roll back the gains our country has made over the last five years?
The liberal Democrats are working to obstruct action on the President's positive policies in a cynical attempt to recapture Congress in 2006. Their left-wing allies are raising hundreds of millions of dollars and willing to pay any price to aid the Democrats' power grab.
We MUST expand our majorities in Congress to push through lasting change and defeat the liberal Democrats who stand in the way of President Bush's agenda of reform and renewal.
Then this from a leading Democratic Senator
(the entire letter is in ALL CAPITALS)
DEAR MARTIN,
YOU'VE PROVEN TO BE ONE OF MY MOST COMMITTED SUPPORTERS - SO CAN I PLEASE COUNT ON YOU TO HELP ME REACH MY YEAR-END FUNDRAISING GOALS BY SENDING A GENEROUS DONATION OF $1000 TODAY?
I'M ASKING YOU FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE SUPPORT BECAUSE ON DECEMBER 31ST I MUST REPORT THE RESULTS OF OUR CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR. WITH THE BUSH/ROVE WHITE HOUSE RALLYING AROUND A SINGLE CANDIDATE FOR THE RACE AGAINST ME, IT'S CRITICAL WE SHOW OUR CAMPAIGN IS STRONG AND HAS BROAD SUPPORT AS WE ENTER 2006.
WEIGHED DOWN BY AN UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT AND A RADICAL AGENDA THAT A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS BELIEVE HAS OUR NATION ON THE WRONG TRACK, THE GOP IS GOING INTO ATTACK MODE. LET BY THE LIKES OF VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY, THE REPUBLICANS ARE SMEARING ANY DEMOCRAT THAT QUESTIONS PRESIDENT BUSH OR HIS FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC POLICIES.
THESE KINDS OF OUTRAGEOUS AND DESPERATE TACTICS ARE A PREVIEW OF WHAT WE CAN EXPECT IN THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS. AND TO RUN A STRONG AND WINNING CAMPAIGN THAT CAN OVERCOME WHATEVER MISLEADING AND FALSE ATTACKS THE REPUBLICAN POLITICAL MACHINE LEVELS AGAINST ME, I NEED YOU TO STAND WITH ME TODAY IN THE MOST GENEROUS WAY POSSIBLE.
BUT AGAIN, FOR YOUR GIFT TO COUNT TOWARDS MY YEAR-END FUNDRAISING TOTAL, I MUST HEAR FROM YOU BY DECEMBER 31ST. THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING SUCH A LOYAL SUPPORTER - I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP.
_____________________________________________________
Hummm, what to do? Support the positive policies of the President against the liberal left-wing, or defend the (incumbent) unfairly maligned democrat against the unpopular smearing Republican political machine? Well something to sleep on anyway...
Posted by Martin at 5:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 21, 2005
What incentives for alternative fuels are available?
the Department of Energy has a handy dandy table: Incentives & Laws: State Summary. Just click on your state and which alternative fuel you are interested in and see all the incentives for its use. Very handy.
Posted by Martin at 2:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Seattle Times notes legislative support for biodiesel
Honk if you love bio-diesel
Full story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2002695001_biodieseled21.html
In these usually rough-and-tumble weeks of pre-legislative session posturing, there's one issue where not only bipartisan consensus, but enthusiasm, is emerging: biodiesel -- and state efforts to encourage its use and production. It's about time.
The hurricane-induced volatility of summer gas prices and increasing concerns about world oil supply have goosed discussions about fuel alternatives. While the Legislature all but ignored the possibilities last year, now everyone from Senate Republicans to House Democrats to the governor are pushing legislative agendas that advance biodiesel's use and production in Washington state. The details differ, and skeptics raise valid questions. But the concept has appeal across both partisan and geographical boundaries. The proposals are not panaceas for oil-supply problems, but could help Washington spawn a clean-fuels industry that benefits the entire region.
Last week, Gov. Christine Gregoire proposed creating a market for biodiesel by requiring that all diesel sold in the state contain 2 percent fuel created from farm crops, such as canola or mustard seeds.
Republican Rep. Janéa Holmquist of Moses Lake is expected to introduce a bill setting the same standard but one that is phased in only as state production can ramp up. Her similar bill last year never made it out of committee, but she's optimistic now.
Democratic Rep. Hans Dunshee, D- Snohomish, wants the Legislature, within the session's first days, to approve grants or a low-interest loan program for crushers to draw the oil out of the seeds. The idea is that farmers will be persuaded to plant more biodiesel crops this season if they see the investment.
Senate Republicans want to provide tax breaks for biodiesel, the mechanical service work that accommodates it and farm equipment that produces it.
Some tussling is guaranteed over any minimum biofuel content in diesel products -- oil companies won't like it; also, over whether it should be established immediately, attracting biofuel from other states or over time, so Washington growers can provide all of it.
A 2-percent standard would require roughly 20 million gallons of biodiesel, Dunshee said. That would translate to about 160,000 acres of production, but only about 10,000 acres are now in crops suited for biodiesel.
The good news is that lawmakers seem ready to act on an issue that fits Washington's environmental ethos, while providing an economic opportunity for its agriculture industry.
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Posted by Martin at 2:11 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
December 15, 2005
Movie Review Syriana
The film I have anticipated the most this year is Syriana. I saw it this weekend and wasn't disappointed. Sleeping with the Devil by Robert Baer is one of the formative books on my thinking about energy and the volatility of Mid East politics. Clooney plays a character roughly modeled on Baer. In fact Baer spent two weeks with Clooney taking him through the "real" mid east meeting drug dealers, arms dealers, princes and kings. The director of Traffic did the movie, so it has that slow sort of haunting pace to it which may not appeal to traditional Hollywood audiences, but in this case works perfectly. The writing is great, the scenery is amazing, the story is compelling and important. Basically everyone should see this movie immediately. I give it a 5 of 5 stars.
Posted by Martin at 8:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The perfect christmas gift
The SumSing 3000i multiphone. The commercial is in sweedish, but you will want all the features!
Posted by Martin at 7:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Bankruptcy shakes the surf industry
Last week the surf world: Surfline | WHAT'S NEXT was shocked by the closure of Clark Foam. Clark Foam makes an estimated 60-70% of the foam blanks that are the raw materials of shapers to make surfboards. This is a HUGE hit to a very small industry. There have been runs on surfboards and talk of a shortage. This is an unfortunate imposition of business reality on the normally idilic world of surfing. I am glad I stocked up last year!
Posted by Martin at 6:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 8, 2005
My renewable energy reading list
Many people have asked me to share some of the reading i have found most useful in my journey from bits to barrels. Here in no particular order, are the books I have found most helpful so far:
Sleeping With The Devil, Robert Baer.
The Bottomless Well by Huber and Mills.
The End of Oil, by Paul Roberts.
lots of web sites, but those are the most books that have been most influential to me so far.
Posted by Martin at 10:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Buying NAS this time instead of building
What a difference a year makes. Not so long ago, I built a 1.8TB RAID upgrade (to an existing server) for $1,712. This did not include the OS, chassis, motherboard, etc. which you had to put the raid enclosure in. Today I bought a 2TB plug and play system from LACIE: LaCie - Ethernet Disk - Gigabit Ethernet interface for $1999. Rack, chassis, OS, disks, etc. Now I don't believe it is hardware RAID, i believe you can set up software using Windows Server, but it is fully plug and play on gigE or USB 2.0. Very cool and no blood required!
Posted by Martin at 8:55 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Woolsey's Senate testimony
Thanks Jon for sending the full testimony! He mostly talks about plug in hybrids which are very promising, but has some great tidbits about global warming and transportation changes in general. Good to see more smart people thinking about these problems. PHEV Woolsey SenForRelHighCostofCrude.doc
Posted by Martin at 8:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Microsoft enters maps and aerial picture biz
Launched recently: Windows Live Local. I still am in love with Google Earth. Microsoft has a long way to go.
Posted by Martin at 8:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 6, 2005
Computer migration done (four days later)
Ok, I need an IT department. Five days after I started migrating from the IBM X40 to X41, I think I am getting close to being done... Not a good use of my time. The most frustrating thing was moving Outlook. I had 2003 on the X40 and the file transfer wizard from Microsoft didn't move Office or any of the data files. So I installed Outlook 2000 which I had. Nope, data files incompatible and 2000 doesn't support HTTP access to the exchange server. So I had to buy a copy of Office 2003 (which I should have done with the computer for a discount). So I install it, configure the mail accounts, but it can't find my exchange server. After a couple hours of messing I give up on exchange and just configure the new X41 to download my POP mail. The exchange is mostly Ignition Partners mail and i am getting less of that anyway. But the problem is that my outlook data is on the exchange server. So I have to go to the X40, and copy all the inbox, sent folder, etc to a personal folder. Then export (a different process) the contacts, calendar, tasks, etc. to the same personal folder. That created a 1gig pst file. Copy that over the network from the X40 to the X41, reconfigure Outlook 2003 on the x41 to point to the new pst, copy the already downloaded messages from default pst to the new pst. Ouch. What a mess. Outlook transfered. But what about the Blackberry that is still syncing with the Exchange server? Well still trying to figure out how to get to sync with my new X41 without blackberry enterprise server. Maybe the Internet service will work.
Microsoft was the hardest, but others caused problems too. I had to completely uninstall all Symantec programs because it's firewall didn't play nice with the Microsoft firewall and made my x41 invisible on my LAN. I had to go into the system services screen and manually stop all Symantec services for the uninstall to work. That Symantec is tenatious! Oh, and I had to download the Blackberry desktop, Click2Convert, CuteFTP, Cloudmark desktop and order 1GB more memory. Oh, thanks IBM for changing the plug compatability of the SoDIMM slot between the X40 and X41 so I HAVE to buy new memory and cant reuse. That is typical old school IBM, forced obsolescence. I am hopeful that when the memory comes in my new laptop will finally be almost as good as my old laptop.
The WORST part though was cleaning up my X40 to give to another employee. Try to delete all old software, your browser history, cookies, passwords, etc. Another 3 hours. I should have just reformatted it.
Posted by Martin at 4:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Prius is mostly emotion, not facts
Good read in WSJ today. Basically the $9,500 premium for the hybrid synergy drive would take 10 years at $5 gas to pay back. When I see Prius I see "sucker". You can achive the same or better mileage with a diesel like the VW Jetta and use a 100% renewable fuel. Remember with the Prius, you are still burning dinos...
BUSINESS WORLD
By HOLMAN W. JENKINS, JR. Dear Valued Hybrid Customer...November 30, 2005; Page A19
We at the Toyota Motor Corporation are writing to address certain misconceptions that have arisen about your Toyota Prius model, which we are proud to note is driven by many celebrities, including Prince Charles and HBO's Larry David.
Our pioneering gasoline-electric hybrid, introduced in 1999, has become an object of adoration to the world's enlightened car buyers. Our competitors, including America's Big Three, are rushing out hybrid vehicles of their own. Unconfirmed media reports say that we at Toyota intend to double our hybrid output to 500,000 vehicles next year. Along with other members of the auto industry, we will be lobbying for tax breaks and HOV privileges for hybrid vehicles.
However, any romance entering its seventh year tends to go stale. Some purchasers have begun to question the practical value of our Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. You may be aware that a survey by Consumer Reports found that our vehicles achieve considerably less mileage (some 26% less) than the sticker rating implies. This has led to some unflattering media stories.
Let us assure you that the Prius remains one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the road. Toyota applauds your willingness to spend $9,500 over the price of any comparable vehicle for the privilege of saving, at current gasoline prices, approximately $580 a year.
And should the price of gasoline rise to $5, after 10 years and/or 130,000 miles of driving, you might even come close to breaking even on your investment in hybrid technology.
We recognize that our customers have an "emotional" relationship with their vehicles. This transcends even the regrettable truth that driving a fuel-efficient car does not yield any substantial benefits for society if it doesn't save the owner money.
Contrary to any loose statements made by our marketing partners in the environmental community and media, petroleum not consumed by Prius owners is not "saved." It does not remain in the ground. It is consumed by someone else. Greenhouse pollutants are released. Also, please note that the warranty and owner's manual say nothing about reducing America's dependence on foreign oil. This is not an oversight. The Prius is an "oil-dependent" vehicle. It runs on gasoline, supplied by the same world market that fuels other vehicles.
The Toyota Corporation regrets any misunderstanding our marketing may inadvertently have caused (or may cause in the future).
We share your belief that the days of the internal combustion engine are numbered. Further research by our economists suggests this will happen when the price of gasoline rises high enough to make alternative technologies cheaper than gasoline-powered cars.
We at Toyota want you to know we recognize this effect and have taken steps to compensate with the rest of our vehicle lineup.
Our 2006 Tundra pickup will be equipped with Toyota's new eight-cylinder engine, making it every bit as much of a gas guzzler as any American pickup. We are also redirecting our efforts to use our Hybrid Synergy Drive to increase power output rather than reduce gasoline consumption.
Take our new hybrid SUV, which produces 38 more horsepower but gets the same mileage as our conventional version. A New York Times reviewer wrote, "One question lingers after driving the 2006 Lexus RX400h: How did it come to this, that Toyota is now selling a hybrid gas-electric vehicle with no tangible fuel economy benefits?"
We hope this corrects any misimpression caused by our latest slogan ("Commute with Nature"). Hybrid technology is not "green" technology. Like heated seats or flashy exterior trim, it's merely an expensive option that generates large markups for the Toyota Corporation and its dealers.
You will share our pride in the latest figures from J.D. Power & Associates, which show that the Prius continues to move off a dealer's lot in just eight days, compared to 36 days for a Honda Civic hybrid. Clearly, our customers are willing to pay handsomely for the privilege of showing themselves behind the wheel of so conspicuously virtuous a vehicle.
But we are also a far-seeing corporation. We recognize that the Prius's distinctiveness may be a wasting asset for reasons outlined in this letter. Other motorists may see the Prius operator and think "sucker." Our lawyers advise us this may affect your car's resale value. Toyota regrets any inconvenience.
We want you to know that Toyota remains committed to advancing hybrid technology just as long as our customers are willing to make it worth our while. Our esteemed competitor, Nissan's Carlos Ghosn, was recently quoted saying, "There's such a buzz today that no CEO of a car manufacturer dares to say his real opinion of hybrid because he's accused of being retarded."
Another esteemed competitor, GM, has suggested that hybrid technology is best deployed in city buses, where large fuel consumption and stop-and-go driving might actually make it economically sensible.
These are just two examples of the short-sighted, stick-in-the-mud marketing instincts of our fellow automakers that are helping to make Toyota the largest car company in the world.
Yours Truly, the Toyota Corporation.
Posted by Martin at 9:11 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
December 2, 2005
Northwest Watch oil counter
Want to watch your $$ leave the Northwest to pay for foreign oil in real time? Cascadia Scorecard energy counter. It will be over $6B this year for Washington alone. Over $30M each day for Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Ouch
Posted by Martin at 8:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 1, 2005
Thinkpad X41 first impressions
Got the new IBM Thinkpad X41 now made by Lenovo. The ordering process was a total pain, they haven't gotten the hand-off between Lenovo and IBM down. I ordered it two day delivery for a model they said they had in stock on the Tuesday before thanksgiving. It arrived today, the Wend. after thanksgiving! So much for fast delivery. WHen I called the Customer Service they said it would be 10 days to build the thing and it was not in fact in stock. All of that aside, it got here today.
I also received my X40 back yesterday from IBM service that had to replace the motherboard. It wouldnt' power up. Still under warranty so I took it in the wend before thanksgiving and got it back the tuesday after. Good service actually.
So now I am using the Windows file transfer wizard to move files. Both computers are connected over 802.11G network. It has been an hour and a half and it is less than half way done. I should have connected them by wire over my gigabit LAN, but couldn't be bothered just now.
Set up the fingerprint system. It was totally easy. And now when I turn it on, I just swipe my finger and dont' have to type any windows passwords. Very cool. Had to connect to the WiFI network and run Windows network set-up to get it on the MSHome domain for the LAN (neither of which the manual tells you to do), but that was easy. An interesting change, there was ZERO paper documentation it he hardware box. Not even a Quick start guide. Only a long release saying your warranty would be provided by Lenovo instead of IBM (portions of it).
I expect the transfer to take about 5 hours. Still way too long. Also the Microsoft wizard doesn't move any programs so I have do download all my programs again which is a pain. I understand why they don't (license deals) but that doesn't make it any better. I have to install: Firefox, Retrospect Back-up Client, w.bloggar, click 2 convert, JRiver Media Center 10, Skype, Audacity, VLC Media player, and EntraPass (to configure my home security system). Wow, what a list. Someone should make this easier.
Posted by Martin at 10:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Fischer Tropsch Diesel archive
The miracle of grad students free labor: Fischer-Tropsch Archive. Everything you ever wanted to know historically about FT diesel.
Posted by Martin at 6:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack