Author Archives: Randy Peterman

Shine, Shine, Shine

So I’ve been writing ‘birthday’ songs for my friends at Alt-N in Texas.  I’m going to be posting links to some of the songs here because I’m getting some positive feedback for them.  Here’s the song for Laura: Happy Birthday Laura.mp3.  Her birthday is right before Christmas and so I figured that she’s probably tired of the birthmas presents that combined both gifts into one.

Ford & Bush

So the New York Times headline declared that after the private family funeral a memorial for Ford would be “in Rotunda” (of course the online edition has different text so I can’t link to it).  Of course I can only wonder how different the foreign policy would be between the Ford administration and the nation of Rotunda and the Bush administration and the nation of Rotunda.  I hadn’t even heard of that country before.  I’d heard of Rwanda, but since some of those African countries come and go like satellites in the night sky, why should I worry about them other than they’re obviously kind enough to host a funeral for one of our nation’s presidents.  Some might even call him our best president – but I don’t know those people and President Ford unfortunately didn’t influence my life as much as Regan or the Bushes or Clinton because he was president while I was an infant.  But don’t get me wrong, it was a lovely infancy as far as I can remember.

President Bush might be more inclined to seek incredible influence on Rotunda because I think he believes that countries we dont’ influence are influencing other countries we don’t influence with iPods and other such nonsense.  Its probably for the best because given that more and more of the American population is becoming rotund, controlling a puppet government in Rotunda only makes sense.  Of course the biggest problem with the name Rotunda is that if its anywhere near Ethiopia it won’t fit in with all of the Ethiopian jokes I learned as a kid.  Speaking of which… what’s the fastest thing in the African desert?  An Ethiopian with a meal voucher.  What’s the slowest thing in the African desert? A Rotund person doing anything.

Our Postman has a Firstname, its O-S-C-A-R…

Actually, I’m certain that he has a first name, and a last name, and like many people he probably has a middle name. I don’t know any of his names. But I do know his nickname. His nickname is now Sparky. Why? Because last night when for the first time in five days he delivered our mail (due to the weather, that’s not a complaint) we watched him step on the gas and just let his mail deliver vehicle sink into the snow until it dug into the pavement and sent sparks flying from the snow tires not quite getting traction. I’m certain that he’s a fine individual, but I wouldn’t quite drive the LLV that way.

The patch Sparky left in the snow

Why I Can’t Recommend Friends and Family Upgrade to Windows Vista

If you’re one of the readers of this blog who has ever asked me for technical advice, then this post is for you. Microsoft, next month, is releasing Vista, the next version of its operating system series, Windows. Vista has been touted as the next big thing from Microsoft. Its big already. Its a rhinoceros. Its horned, its blind, and its dumb – and it wants to take over your computer. After doing some reading and some research I can’t recommend anyone upgrade from Windows 2000 or Windows XP to Windows Vista. Windows Vista is advertised as a Porsche, but instead delivers the performance of a 1980’s Ford Taurus. Which to bring things into a more feminine perspective would be like being advertised marble counters but arriving to find painted countertops.

Windows Vista will require a degrading of performance because everything that is multi-media based will have to be reduced in quality. If you get a Blu-Ray disc and are excited to watch that blu-ray movie on your home computer on your flat pannel hi-def monitor – forget it. The quality will be degraded in an attempt at keeping the Digital Rights (as in you don’t have any) Managed. All sorts of encryption goes on within the processes of Windows Vista so that the data can be ‘protected’. To clarify about encryption think of it this way: your computer processes become slower because data has to be encrypted [modified to not represent itself plainly], sent somewhere else on the comuter, decrypted [modified to represent itself plainly again] and then possibly sent back in another encryptiong/decryption process. That means that the computer you have now will have to work harder just to get the same things done in Windows Vista that it has been doing in Windows XP or 2000.

Furthermore Microsoft can revoke a driver at any time which means that you could run a Windows Update to patch any number of security holes and then suddenly find yourself the proud owner of something that doesn’t work because Microsoft also slipped in a ‘patch’ that made the hardware you’re using not work because they ‘revoked’ support for it. Nice.

As a Non-Fear and Uncertainty guy I do want to add this: A new computer that ships with Vista will more than likely handle all of the things I’ve described above just fine. But know that the manufacturers are going to work hard to sell you on ‘Intel Inside’ or any number of other features that maks you think that the computer is powerful, but running Windows Vista will mean that you won’t get as much power out of it as you would running an older version of Windows or possibly a flavor of Linux [I recommend ubuntu]. Don’t be afraid of Vista, but be aware that your choice to upgrade on a current computer could be annoying and bring an older machine that’s barely Windows Vista compatible to its knees.
The one other thing to be aware of is that Windows Vista is reported to have a huge number of ‘confirmation boxes’. Those are boxes that pop up and ask if you want to do something, then ask again just in case, “Do you really, really, really want to do that?” Every review I’ve read has mentioned this. Be forewarned 🙂
But otherwise, if you’ve got a great graphics card and a monster machine, you should be able to have a pleasant Windows Vista experience 🙂 I just wouldn’t call it an upgrade. The best single-source review of Vista for computer owners is here. Thanks to Matt for that particular link.

Update: Here’s a terrific review of Windows Vista for those looking for a good, detailed review: Windows Vista Super Site.

Twisted Twist-Tie Twisters

I am rather certain the people who twist the twist ties on the children’s toy boxes are bitter, bitter people.  I’m certain that they come home and they don’t kick their dog, mostly because they might have eaten the dog, but they sure are snippy with their kids.  They’re also a few twist ties away from starting a stick version of World War III.  I know they’re paid in rice and hookworms, but these people can’t be OK.

I told Jessica that next year we’re making all of our presents for everyone so that we can avoid any twist tie inflictions for others.  Amazingly we got a very limited number of blister packed (AKA: Satan’s packaging) toys to open for the kids.  I hope that you’re Christmas was blessed with no twist ties and no blister packs.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas readers of this blog. I hope that you’re not actually reading this on Christmas because you’re blessed to be with your family celebrating the birth of Jesus. But if not, I hope that you have a good day 🙂

Here’s a very strange video proving I need to not eat so much sugar, its 15MB because I need to learn how to use some of this software.