silebrity

Not even time to find a fitting picture..  Finally crawling out of Rails hell.  Why is it so difficult to host with Ruby on Rails?  You can maybe someday get it working when you’re using shared hosting, but if you want to maintain your sanity along with your website, you need a virtual dedicated server at least.

Sheesh, I thought .Net was a pain in the ass.  Well, at least all my sites are back up and running (though some are content-less).

Question:  Why does CentOS on GoDaddy have the world’s oldest installation of Apache?  Sucks, I know

Your computer is too slow. Your hard drive is too small. Your video card is certainly a piece of junk. You don’t have enough RAM. This makes you a loser. Time to upgrade. Hey, when you’re finished upgrading, you’re going to have to upgrade again. Seriously.

Why?

Well, if you’re into something like PC gaming, the answer is obvious. Need 4 Speed: ‘More Stupid Racing’ requires DirectX 10Z Hardware Shaders and Crowd De-Cardboarding along with 4TB of video RAM. But what about the rest of us? (me excluded, I needs my BioShock) - Are you a photographer? Are you a video editor? Are you an audio engineer? Are you a Minesweeper enthusiast? Well, then why are you upgrading? Honestly, is what you’re doing that time-consuming? Do you need that extra second or two? What’s so important that you can’t stop and smell the virtual roses? Nothing, that’s what.

Now, there comes a time when the new version of PhotoShop, Final Cut, or Cubase has some features you just can not live without… I guess. If you think about it a bit, probably not. Are you actually getting into the software so much that you’ve found limitations? Are you not good enough at what you do and you want to use the software as a crutch? Face it, this stuff was nearly perfected years ago, and as long as your computer is capable, keep your hardware and keep your software (and keep your money). I find myself waiting with baited breath for the new version of Cubase or Reason to come out. Then they come out, and I upgrade as quickly as possible. I’m all excited for awhile, then 2 months later I wonder why I upgraded… I use the last versions feature set, and probably the version before that. Waste of time and money. I think you’ll find you do the same.

However, I guess there is a time and a place where you need to upgrade.. Maybe you really are a gamer, and now you have to scrap everything you have because PCI Express has been replaced by AGP WTYWWFTPE 99X (we told you we were faster that PCI Express). Well, don’t be like me. Don’t throw your old stuff away or give it away to someone who doesn’t need it. Seeing as now you need a new motherboard, processor, RAM, case, etc, take a couple of minutes and dollars and build yourself a second computer. A little time-capsule, if you will.  This way you can improve your own skills at whatever you do without having to switch software versions every week (or just do the mundane tasks without screwing up your actual gaming rig). It would be nice to have a fully configured computer that suits your main task, whether that be Video Editing, Audio Editing, or Photo Editing.. Or MySpace editing (god knows it needs some editing).

Just my 2 cents. Oh, and keep this clunker off of the Internet as much as possible, or Microsoft will invent more ‘Upgrade Viruses’ to force you to install Microsoft ‘Sam Seltzer’s Steakhouse’ or whatever version is next. Just my 2 cents… Wake me when something earth-shattering happens with audio applications… In the meantime I’ll be rockin’ it old school.

Maybe there isn’t a stigma against Microsoft developers. It feels like there is, or there should be. My name is Bill deRome, and I’m a Microsoft developer. All by accident, I can assure you.

About 5 years ago, I was chugging along in my career. I was happy doing desktop support while writing simple applications in PHP using a MySQL server. I was starting to push the managers (very very unsuccessfully) toward breaking ties with Oracle and going open-source. I managed to get 3 or 4 PHP apps in production using MySQL on a Mandrake box (also running PostNuke). It was geeky, yes, but still felt just off-center enough to be cool. That’s when it all happened….

Visual Studio .Net was released, and I was pulled into the web team. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I was pretty happy to be making a change. Programming was something I never thought I wanted to do, but now I knew Visual Basic, and before long I was cranking things out. I was untouchable, I was revered, I was a frickin’ programmer. Ok, so I’m not delusional. There’s a certain new cool with programming, but it’s still not that cool. Especially not with Microsoft programming. It was tolerable, even exciting at times (what with the Ajax.Net release) to work with this stuff. But now there’s SharePoint 2007. Let me tell you, I’ve been into software since I could walk, and nothing makes me want to get out of it more than SharePoint. Confusing, unworkable, disjointed mess that software is. But now I’m the administrator, and while I do have to support it, I don’t have to like it. I love a challenge, but this isn’t what I had in mind. Give me something that’s worth the challenge, and I’ll eat it up. Sigh.. The price you pay for living the corporate lifestyle. At least if I can manage to muddle through this thing, I’ll have expanded my skills. But where is the cool?

It seems the cool is still with PHP, along with Ruby and Python and the like. So now I have to wedge it in. I have to run a VMWare Ubuntu box so I can develop and keep the cool alive. I have to convert my side projects (i.e. thesoundcircle.com) into Ruby or PHP so I can bring my skills up. I have to create FaceBook versions of my applications. I have to get to a point where I won’t be intimidated to apply for a job at some cool Web2.0 company. Only then will I be able to jump back into the new cool.

Did I say cool enough? Yeah, I guess regardless of the language programming isn’t very cool. You gotta have something to cling to while working with Microsoft.

Imagine I’m a pirate. OK, good, we can continue. Then you know that music is free. Movies are free. DVD’s are free. Software is free. There are more ways to get free things from the internet (or NetFlix if you’re savvy) than you can shake a stick at. It’s easy to the general user, and much much easier to the geek.

Now, I’m also a huge music fan. I have a gigantic collection of CD’s from way back. I have some vinyl, I have some cassettes. I have an 8-track or two laying around. One of the 3 Tenors is my butler. I like to collect things. If Radiohead comes out with a new album, I’m going to get it at the store (and order a copy from each country in each format). In that case, I’m not going to pirate a thing. Not even a little. If some band that’s just OK (or even quite good) comes out with an album…. Well… That’s another story. Gas is expensive. I don’t need to hang at the music store anymore. Why don’t I just buy it on iTunes? Well, you see, I like to own the music that I ‘own’. DRM is a joke, I don’t need some garbage copy that I have to re-encode to use elsewhere (thus lowering the quality further). Besides, some guy just posted it on BitTorrent at 320Kbps. Easy peasy. Yay, now I can listen even if the internet goes out! Talk about consumer enablement!

Don’t even get me started on games… I’m an avid PC gamer (and PSP gamer, but Sony deserves what they get from hackers). I refuse to buy any game from any store ever again. Why? SecureRom… StarForce. Thanks, EA, now my PC locks up when checking if I have optical drives. Thanks for the memories. This is why GameCopyWorld was invented.

Hmmm… Doesn’t sound like I’ve reformed. Well, I have (sort of, see the title). There are 2 services that seem to actually GET IT:

eMusic: They’ve been around forever, but just reopened with new plans (and more music to choose from). It’s an indie paradise. They don’t have everything, but it’s $10/month for 30 songs (to start with). That I’m willing to do. You own the songs, and they’re in MP3 format at generally 196Kbps or higher (VBR). You still don’t get the cover art and booklet, etc, but at 33c a song, you’re doing pretty good. Hint to other record labels: Offer this kind of service and pricing and you’ll also gain me as a customer.

Steam: Of course you know who Steam is. They sell Valve games (and more… BioShock anyone?). You set up your account and download the game from their client. It also provides automatic updates, and you can reinstall as much as you want without worrying about where your CD or your CD key is. Sure, it has it’s problems (occasional slow downloads, install problems), but it’s a small price to pay to get your games without your garbage-ware. Hint to EA: Do this, you jerks.

So I’ve actually bought a couple of games and a couple of albums. And I didn’t even have to. They could have been found elsewhere or with some patience, but why? In these cases, it made sense to spend the money. It feels kinda nice to own things. Now excuse me while I go fill out the missing pieces in… other ways…

No. Well, sort of. Not really. Should we shut down the Internet for 5 years? No. Is the Internet ruining music? Certainly not. As a matter of fact, because of the pervasiveness of music on the Internet, my musical influences now run the gamut, and as a result my own music has blossomed (I think). I am a singer/songwriter, and I use the Internet (through my own website, The Orchard, and PodShow) to promote the things I create. It’s a small bit, but it’s nice to be listened to somewhat. What’s missing? The local shows. I live in an admittedly older area, but it used to be more artsy. Maybe that’s just me growing older, but there seem to be less venues than before (also probably more of an old-rich person putting condos where the Cafe used to be, but still..). When a venue does spring up, it’s closed down before you hear about it. The attention spans are shortening, and cool places don’t stay that way. Is this a side-effect of the Internet generation? Probably… However, when I do want to find a new venue, what do I use? Google. If I want to invite people out to the show that might some day be booked… MySpace, eVite, Pownce, Upcoming.org.

It’s a complex issue.. Since it is almost harder NOT to create something and put it online, the crowd is much harder to push through. You still have to get outside once in awhile and carve out a niche for yourself. So keep on creating your music and movies and post them all over the Internet. I’ll be cruising for the next hole-in-the-wall to plug into. Now if only I can drag some kids away from MySpace and YouTube to cheer me on….

Did you know that you can have all the TV you care about for $0-$10 a month? Well, usually you can. I guess it depends on your willingness to do a bit of work (and spend a bit of cash to get started). Your parents called you lazy, here’s your chance to prove them wrong…. Following the scenario we used at my house, here’s what you get:

• Local HD channels w/Digital Sound
• DVR Capability (that’s like TiVo for the uninitiated)
• The added bonus of a jukebox/slideshow/divx player in your living room
• All the cable shows you can stomach (though not ‘live’)
• *Pretty much every live sporting event from around the world (youtube-like quality at best)
• Freedom from your local jerk-off cable company
• All the IPTV shows you can stomach

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Well, all except the lack of ‘live’ cable shows. This was almost a deal-breaker for me, because I’m a bit of an ESPN junkie. I also get the NBA league-pass every year, but won’t be able to without digital cable. C’est la vie. They offer an online package that you get with the cable package, so there’s always the option to buy it for my parents and watch online. You see, there’s always options for that kind of stuff. I’ll explain. But first, what you need (and this can vary greatly - more options):

• A PC near your TV (preferably a MicroATX style w/decent specs.. Nothing crazy)
• At least 160GB of HDD space (If you want to record at least 12 hrs of HDTV)
• An outdoor HDTV antenna - we use this one
• Windows Vista Home Premium (You can use XP or Linux, but Vista is honestly more family-friendly should something go wrong, plus the Media Center has been upgraded)
• A HDTV tuner card - we use this one - make sure it’s Vista compatible
• NVidia’s Purevideo DVD Decoder (*optional - for best video or if there are problems)
• A BitTorrent client or UseNet access (I recommend EasyNews because it’s, well, easy)

Whew. OK. I’m assuming you know how to install Vista and get some very simple drivers for your TV card, etc. The rest is really a cakewalk as well. The Hauppauge 1600 comes with a very handy remote control that works perfectly with Vista MCE, so check there as well (you need to install ALL the drivers with the 1600 software… sometimes twice). Have you mounted your cheap-o antenna outside your house? Good. Make sure you put the included signal amplifier as close to the ANTENNA as possible. Seems a little backwards, but if you don’t the signal will be dead before it can be amplified. Now obviously hook up that cable into the correct tuner slot on your TV card (this particular card has 2 tuners - one for cable and one for antenna).

Are we all plugged in? It’s not exactly a how-to as some suggestions, I know. Do it anyway.

So now we’re assuming you have Vista all set up and good to go. You’ve installed all your TV card drivers and the remote is working. Power up your Media Center (the big green button on your Hauppauge remote) and watch the sparks fly. You can, of course, set up all your video/music/picture libraries here, but we’ll focus on the TV. In fact, if everything is set up correctly, this will be painfully easy. Just run through the wizard and let it find your channels. I recommend you remove channels with low signal, as your PC can slow way down trying to make heads or tails of a bad signal. You can also edit any of these settings or channels in the ‘Guide’ section of your Media Center settings.

Some things of note:

• If there is a channel missing, visit antennaweb.org to find the right station to set.
• If some channels come in scrambled, try the Nvidia Purevideo DVD Decoder trial. It will probably fix that. It’s usually a codec issue. Go here and get some codecs and use the Vista MediaCenter MPEG2 decoder selection tool.
• Any other problems? Ask me, I might have seen it…

Other things to do:

• Fill out your TV library with programming readily available at tvtorrents.com or alt.binaries.tv (UseNet)
• Install TVTonic from Vista’s Online Media section. Great programming there
• Want to see some sports? Everything is available here: www.myp2p.us - They have their own clients, so keep a mouse and keyboard handy. Poor quality picture and more work than the rest, but hey, it’s free.
• Go outside. You don’t have 5000 channels anymore, good riddance. Pare down to only quality shows, and enjoy the rest of your day doing something else.

Remember: The specific setup mentioned here is really only anecdotal. You truly can use whatever TV card or Antenna (or OS or even Media Center software… Take a look at Yahoo’s Go TV if you have a card that can handle it). Do you have a different setup altogether? Something similar? Something cool to share? Let me know..

Remember the days of free ‘over-the-air’ television? Seems like some distant memory. A bad dream of poor signals, one of the kids having to stay glued to the rabbit ears so the other kids could actually watch something. Hey, it was free. Free? Really? How could it be free? It’s simple, really. Advertising. Now, if you’re like me, you are used to advertising. On some levels, you don’t mind it. You know that advertising provides free services. Advertising is why I can watch Revision3 shows or listen to TWiT podcasts. Hell, advertising is sometimes a good thing, when it can open my eyes to a previously unknown product or service that can do me some good. But you know what? I don’t eat McDonald’s. I don’t need another new car. I don’t watch stupid movies. If I want to watch my TV without seeing this crap, I’ll just pay for it. Right?

Wrong…. The cable companies (along with most other companies) figure consumers accept the fact that advertising runs their lives for them. That’s why they can jack up their prices every year, while also jacking up commercial revenue and average commercial pod length (the time you have to wait to find out what happened in Heroes). Take a look at the numbers:
Basic Cable Subscribers
Premium Cable Subscribers
Revenue From Customers
Cable Advertising Revenue

Pay particular attention to the subscriber/revenue ratio. See it rising through the years? Yep. Has your cable television gotten better through the years? Sure… With the advent of Digital Cable and the DVR, you have a better viewing experience. But you pay through the nose to have the equipment. And you pay to USE the equipment (even though the DVR box doesn’t need to connect for basic operation). Wouldn’t it seem only fair that with such a large number in revenue (remember, those numbers are in MILLIONS) they could afford to lower your cost each year? Nah, not when they can pass the consumerism down to you.  Wanting to cancel your digital plan and get the $30/month basic cable?  Don’t need the music channel, MTV30, or The Ocho?  Tough.  You’re getting them.  Ask your cable company, they’ll tell you to take the box anyway and hide it in your attic if you don’t want to use it.  Oh, and it’ll still run you $50 before taxes.  Merry Christmas.  But wait!  You’ve got a cable-card ready television!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha.  Good luck finding an associate who’s even heard of such a thing.  Is it for the phone service they offer?  Because, you know, they offer a phone service.  Get used to hearing about it.  Does that count as more advertising?

If you value your sanity, cut the connection. There are plenty of free, high-quality shows available through free video podcast channels (and, ahem, BitTorrent or alt.binaries.tv) with unobtrusive advertising or no advertising altogether. We’ve paid our dues to these money hungry conglomerate bastards. Take something back.

–As for us, we’ve cancelled our Bright House subscription and still watch all the shows we used to. Freely and mostly legally. I’ll follow with detailed information on how we did it. Hint: It’s easy and oh-so-satisfying.

And the time has come to start writing things.