Thinking | nate's naraku, the blahog

Category Archives: thinking

my thoughts on “the” matter

one year review of web host nearlyfreespeech.net

07-Jul-08

(almost) one year ago I switched from dreamhost to nearlyfreespeech for my primary web hosting needs.

in a word: great! in one year I can count the issues I’ve had on one hand. I’ve spent about $15 on hosting for the year and only had downtime a couple times. their business mantra cannot be beat. it’s a bit like supporting a grass roots cause.

on a nitpicky note, nearlyfreespeech latency leaves a bit to be desired. the point click … load is not instant. I’d say about “a” second for most pages, sometimes two or three…. but always less than ten. :) this is via this website, naraku a wordpress blog, and my pet project Tastes Like Happy which is entirely isolated from any potential mysql db related latency (if there is any, I haven’t noticed.)

Also filed in fyi, naraku | | Comments (0) »

California’s ambiguous Lane Splitting law

02-Jul-08

after an extended lane splitting adventure past multiple accidents on Northbound highway 101 yesterday, including a brief inconsequential encounter with a CHP biker, I figured I should find out exactly what the law states.

(as ignorance is never a valid excuse)

California Highway Patrol’s website states:

Can motorcycle riders “split” lanes and ride between other vehicles?

Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner.

so it is entirely up to the officer to judge your technique. just hope you don’t split past an officer having a bad day, because they can make up anything to smack it to ya.

Also filed in fyi, motorcycle | | Comments (1) »

700 mile observations of new 2008 v-strom 650

24-Jun-08

having just passed 700 miles (it started at 1!) and getting the ehh-ok at the 600 mile service - $170, overpriced oil change much? - I’ve noticed the bike running more and more smoothly and enjoying it more as well. from shifting to the power curve everything seems less jittery.

part of this I am sure is myself improving my own skill and familarity with how my bike operates. the other part, I assume, is the break-in process progressing.

the biggest observed win is the shifting - I had some serious qualms with the jolty shifting. especially going from neutral to first while stopped (I know not the safest idea, I only go there at long lights and after there is someone stopped behind me.) the transmission would stick in neutral, I could not kick into first at all… often right when a light would turn green. because of this, I forced it once or twice before figuring out that all I needed to do is let off the clutch the slightest bit while pushing down (normal pressure) on the shifter and it would slip right into gear. also, first to second seems a bit smoother, and I find myself using the clutch with less and less tension while shifting.

as a majority of my engine break-in is complete (again, I assume,) I have been riding at higher rpm (i.e. going faster, yay!) on the freeway. cruising at ~5500 rpm in 6th feels pretty solid with a good amount of engine breaking (if/when needed) and an equally good amount of ready-torque when I need it.

only farkle have on the bike so far is a madstad windshield mount. I bought it to help with wind issues however I do not feel that they are “resolved.” I am still using the stock windshield and think that it may be just too small to provide the amount of protection and calm-wind-pocket I want on my commute. I am currently undecided which after-market windshield to purchase…

my OEM hand guards come today… can’t wait to put them on. I am also considering these stock mirror replacements - emgo mark ii mirrors - that I’ve seen a couple times and looks like a cheap and effective farkle.

Also filed in life, motorcycle | | Comments (0) »

fitness todo - one hundred pushups

18-Jun-08

I’ve always had an issue sticking to doing push ups regularly due to my bum elbow (it’s like arthritus/tennis-elbow/nerve damage but not.) it’s always been something I’d like to accomplish - that is, being able to do a shitload and reap all the benefits (superficial and otherwise.) I’ve seen firsthand how effective they are as one of my best buds has immaculate pecs and push ups are basically all he does (for exercise.)

onehundredpushups is a fitness plan of that sort.

so first “fix” the bum elbow, then invest six weeks in pushup training.
yeeah!

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tiny is hot - tumbleweed houses

06-May-08

I adore the absolute efficiency of these homes. while they fascinate me to the point of awe, I wouldn’t want one as my primary domicile. I like my big screen tv, multi-monitor desk, couch, chairs, (ahh dishwasher…someday) and closets…. but, if given the choice of one of these or an RV, tumble me a house please!

my fav is the weebee >>

Also filed in awesome | | Comments (0) »

random comments sampling: metafilter vs youtube

25-Mar-08

as a metafilter subscriber, I found this particularly enlightening and theory validating — metafilterer’s IQ > youtuber’s. metafilter’s commentation is intellectually-substance rich, and each subsquent participant generally brings something new to the table. where as youtube represents the opposite, relying completely on the video to provide substance. the comments are really an after thought, avg. IQ on par with that found on digg which has a similar delimma.

random sampling - metavilter versus youtube

interesting to note: it’s built using the php “framework” symfony and the particularly slick yahoo pipes.

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coding horror

28-Feb-08

in the latest article from my prefered programming-commentary blog, coding horror, aptly titled douchebaggery, Jeff Atwood calls some Rails OSX zealot named David a douche bag. I am inclined to agree, based simply on statements from David like this:

I would have a hard time imagining hiring a programmer who was still on Windows for 37signals. If you don’t care enough about your tools to get the best, your burden of proof just got a lot heavier.

and

Apple will continue to trounce everyone else for the preferred geek platform. The stigma of being a Web programmer still using Windows will increase.

Jeff takes (understandably) personal offense, as he is a windows platform programmer, but rises above that simple fact by extracting the deeper offense and offering a logical retort to Dave’s insult:

…What purpose does the statement “stigma of being a Windows developer” serve? I can only think of one: David gets off on putting other people down.

And that makes him kind of a douchebag.

Which also means when you’re using Rails and OS X, you’re using the platform of choice for douchebags.

I admire Jeff’s wit as well as his coding-insight and that’s why I will always be a CH reader.

Don’t waste time arguing about the character select screen. Results speak loudest. Show the world what you can do in your programming environment of choice.

While I am no longer a windows coder, I use tools similar to those available on windows AND osx. I chose Ubuntu on my macbook pro because I prefer the interface over OSX and windows offerings. in the end, it makes no difference what platform you “use”, it’s what you create that defines you as a developer.

Also filed in humorific, news | | Comments (0) »

the Comcast seek and destroy Rumor Mill

19-Feb-08

last week my buddy abram posted a little blurb on some sketchy calls he has received about his new car’s warranty being up - it’s not, and they did not have the make/model/year. so he pondered, how the hell did this company get his cell #? perhaps it was comcast, selling or distributing (indirectly?) the contact info. additionally, abram wrote the consumerist a friendly little note with a heads up. they wrote back saying “oh, well, just subscribe to the do not call list” with little concern if there was indeed a scamola going on.

a few days later, he received a call from a legit (sounding) Comcast representative call letting him know he saw his blog post. “Frank assures me that Comcast is not selling any of their customers’ personal info to outside organizations, and then recommends I sign up for the Do-Not-Call list.”

now, the most interesting part about all this is that abram’s blog is under an alias, and in order to get his real (and up to date) contact info a decent amount of digging had to be done. so, this means Comcast has some sort of PR dept that actively and assertively seeks out and destroys rumors.

it likely went something like this: the representative received a tip (quite possibly from the consumerist) on the blog post, read it, whois’d the domain, looked up the real name in Comcast’s customer records db, retrieves cell phone #, and finally makes a friendly call to clarify and answer any other questions my bud abram had.

fairly impressive for a large company to go above and beyond to both save (Comcast) face and reassure customer. I wonder how often this sort of thing happens?

…perhaps the S&D Rumor Mill is in response to occurances such as this:

Also filed in fyi, news | | Comments (0) »

Ron Paul campaigns on

13-Feb-08

dismay swept over the Paul camp after “super tuesday,” but not much suprise - Dr. Paul didn’t win any states. most people figured he had thrown in the towel. he has not. in short, Ron Paul’s not campaigning to “win” the presidency, he’s a realist, remember. while he won’t outright say “we are not going to win,” he knows what is more important is to further his message and empower the people involved in grass roots politics.

prime Paul points:

belief in freedom as defined by the constitution
a (much) smaller federal government, leave many matters to states
a logical foreign policy (pundits say isolationist) that advocates protecting our borders over maintaining the US empire (world police)
concentration on a balanced budget, serious crackdown on overspending
maintain his seat in the 14th congressional district of TX
the presidential campaign will continue until funding drys up (or the GOP selects McCain officially)

message from ron (2/11)

my biggest gripe about Ron is that he doesn’t keep things short - a two edged sword. on the plus side, he is thorough and chalk full of education & experience; even when I do not exactly agree with his stance on a particular point, I find myself nodding, yeah he knows what’s up. (unlike dubya, who knows what’s up… his ass)

on the other hand, we are an ever shorter attention span people - short and sweet wins broader appeal. he speaks quickly, pauses rarely, and guns his points hard - oft times to comedic degree that many consider “crazy.” to those I ask, how bad could it be to have a mad scientist as president versus what we have now?

More…

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the 8 steps to a “traditional” online advertiser webpage

12-Feb-08

Super Happy Stock Photo Guy!!

1.) random stock photos of asshappy people
2.) plethoria of extraneous flash animation(s)
3.) each page contains “quotes” that support a page’s “content” as well as answers to broad questions nobody asked
4.) all quotes include positive reinforcement words like “great, excellent, revolutionary, and !!”
5.) make superfulous use of statistics when quotes are not enough (and even when they are)
6.) compliment the audience profusely, e.g. “You seem like a smart person….”
7.) …uniqueness…?
8.) profit!

inspired by atlas; most notably, their about page.

Also filed in fyi | | Comments (1) »

Donate to Ron Paul’s Campaign for President TODAY

16-Dec-07

today is Tea Party ‘07 - a historical concept to stir up the political realm as was done during the Boston Tea Party protest.

I donated because we need Paul. America is in deep deep shit and I agree with Dr. Paul on many fronts as to the cause and solution of our various entrenchments.

Also filed in fyi, news | | Comments (0) »

outspark “new” revenue model is gold farming?

10-Sep-07

outspark may be making money afterall. after skimming threads such as this, basically identical to most the floods of complaints, it makes me go hmm as there is no offical statement on the matter (afaik.)

it is known that: outspark has numerous foreign offices - at least one other “official” in Seoul, KR (source). or, more likely, the “gold farms” are shadow entities of Outspark’s primary investing company “Altos” - not a bad way to earn a quick return on ones investment, eh?

the concept in question, “gold farming,” goes way back. it is essentially, a sweat shop for people (stereotypically, Chinese) (and sometimes bots) playing the “game” 24 hours a day, “earning” in-game currency or “power leveling” for sale on these websites. this allows players, not into the grind typically required to obtain such sums or ascend to such levels, to exchange the in-game services for real-life money. it is a scorned process but very popular nonetheless; tis taboo if you will.

my biggest personal complaint is the blatent lack of respect in *advertising* these gold vendoring websites. in the case of Fiesta, bots/people sit in major towns and spam in the “shout” channel - “www.blahblahbuyourgold.com customer respect is number one to you.” yes, the engrish is that bad and often worse. what’s worse, there is no /ignore command in Fiesta, no blacklist, shitlist, fracklist, nothing. these people spam all day and all night. often even when a “GM” (gamemaster, moderator if you will) is on.

so, does it not make you go hmm? this isn’t a bad idea either. and if it’s the extent of it, and we continue to play for free, I guess I’m OK with it. there really isn’t anything illegal going on, so long as the gold buyers aren’t getting ID theft, etc… gold farm sites are pretty f’n sketchy.

Also filed in fiesta, fyi, gaming | | Comments (0) »

Fiesta Kingdom Quest is Broken

31-Aug-07

in this post I discuss variables, ideas to fix, and tips refering to outspark.com’s game Fiesta.

how many variables could their be? (not including non-disclosed ones)

for 15 spots and 5 chances - 75 people get to play per 2 hours -> 900 plays per day.

that’s a pretty small number considering how frackin’ popular the open beta is becoming.

first of all, how many level 5-16 people (speaking on King Slime KQ) on at any one time who are aware of the KQ - (as time goes this is certainly increasing) - oh, lets say how about 49%.
so 49% of… a few hundred… a few thousand? anyway, that sucks!

maybe connection speed? probably-certainly. I pity any dialup players, and imagine in it’s current state the game is unplayable especially in jam packed places such as roumen.

reflexes? doubtful. there are far too many variables for even the most reflexy of anyone to get in everytime. even still, I hold essentially hold my breath for the final 10-15 secs before a recruitment begins. Ugh.

My Idea to Fix Fiesta Kingdom Quest:
an internal Fiesta player priority Queue! this seems plausible, and come on, a damn good idea. it’s simple: 1st - monitor what players have partipated that day, and give them a lower priority. 2nd - monitor the level of people attempting to join, higher levels get a slightly higher priority; or maybe people lower than 8 levels to upper level cap get a lower priority.

Besides all that, I’ve tried a few tips/tricks with little increase in success - really doesn’t seem to make a frackin’ difference.
- LEAVE crowded areas, don’t huddle around the KQ guy.
- hold down participate button so that you only have to LET the button go when recruitment starts.
- be as quick as you can, but also patient - I know, it fuckin’ blows.
- try to play KQ at off PST peak hours (after midnight? before 8am?)
- log off and back on a minute or two before recruiting. it is rumored this alleviates acrued lag.

hopefully Outspark will fix the issue by adding more instance opportunities (possibly a bad idea in the long run) or taking my suggestion and giving me a job to implement it :).

good luck out there, Isya Fans.

Update - 9/14/07 -
as of about a week ago, outspark added a few more instances of the more popular KQs. this has somewhat bandaided the problem by simply allowing more supply to the demand. furthermore, I have not been offered a job at outspark.

Also filed in fiesta, fyi, gaming | | Comments (0) »

thankyou network / citicards bullshit

26-Dec-06

citibank is my first CC with rewards - free of $$ charge; free of cost however - not even close.

#1 Gripe: thankyou network is pathetic.
the “reward” points you receive are approx. 100/dollar spent. ok fine. I decided to use some - 13,500 points for a PS2 - cool - about $135. I order it up on 11/20. it is now the 27th and the order status remains exactly what it was the day I placed it: “In Progress.” perhaps I need to send them a friendly reminder? oh, what’s this - no email or e-contact method whatsoever, an address and a phone #. fuuuck you!

#2 Gripe: my finance charge calculation cycle based on std purchases is *20* days. NOT the same as my billing cycle (30 days.) this underhanded practice basically forces you into paying every 20 days or else you get charged. this is the first time I’ve encountered this tactic; it is sneaky and irritating. fuck you.

#3 Gripe: seriously, where’s my ps2?! assholes.

#4 Gripe: I called citi about a month ago to inquire about changing the due date of my payments. ‘ok np’ the CSR says in a garbled D-student english tongue. I ask to have a fee removed - ‘ok np, check back with us in 7 biz days’ - wtf? apparently ‘billing’ has to look over the acct and decide if I am worthy. ok fine I say. thanks…… at which point the CSR launches into a spcheel about some credit protection - y’know, 30 days free of “id/credit protection” yada yada shit that is probably included in my account already anyway. I say no. she launches into yet another spcheel. I am polite, I say no thanks I will consider it - mistake - as this is apparently another keyword for yet another speech. I am annoyed. I said no. good bye. in short - my gripe is NO FREE CUSTOMER SERVICE - you pay with your time as they WILL TRY TO SELL YOU SOMETHING after “helping” you. fu.

#5 semi-gripe: I did end up receiving the PS2. it took nearly *two* months and the status was never updated. well at least I got it…

Also filed in blah, life, wtf | | Comments (0) »

cables matter - the overlooked PS2 component cable factor

13-Dec-06

naraku presents: a brief homage to the wonders that are component cables; a side-by-side comparison to composite cables; a ps2 component cable review.

I had a problem with my Playstation 2 on my 42″ Westinghouse LCD: using the composite cables included, it looked like utter shit! …I almost broke down and hooked it back up to my 27″ CRT. fortunately, there is a (relatively) cheap and effective way to recover lost quality due to stretched resolution issues from using a big screen - component cables.

using component cables, the color reproduction is increased an (arbitrarily biggish) factor of 7. there is a small downside however, where blur was with composite cables, component now shows you crisp pixel edges often called “jaggies”. in our humble opinion, the jaggies are far less annoying (by a factor of 38) than the blur. see for yourself.

here are some shots of my TV playing Final Fantasy XII that acutely demonstrates the dramatic improvement component cables make on image quality.