Ma Petite Chouchou

Ramblings... a little tech, a little french, a little random... enjoy
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Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Long Live Procrastination
I'm procrastinating, again. This will be the last time till after finals. I swear. Please stop laughing. I'm serious :(. Fine don't believe me.... I don't believe myself anyhow.

I switched allergy medicines. I'm now taking Singulair, instead of Allegra-D. I like Singulair, it's actually working. Though I didn't have time to pick up the perscription yesterday so I just took one of my leftover Allegras. Yeah didn't work all that well. I'm sure I'd be more misserable without it, but after 7 days of trying Singulair it was really working. This year has been hell here for allergies. The side effects the first few days of Singulair were, umm, to say the least, interesting/mildly scary. For me atleast. I'm not used to medicines affecting me at all. It was a trip for about 3 days. Hopefully only not taking it for one won't make that happen again. Any way. Found a few cool French websites and some regular tech ones too and some cool stories.

For the French one's I didn't realize they have a french Wikipedia or Wikipédia for the french way. Also found a French news site that I like keeps their own wiki also.

You remeber when you were little, in the middle of the eighties early nineties, those public access classes on PBS? Well you can get them here. The French one is pretty cool. 52 episodes, all in French. Cool way to do it and for me to keep mine up.

On to the tech....
I found a Firefox encryption plug-in for Gmail. It looks pretty cool. It doesn't run anything else just integrates itself into your web view of gmail. Haven't tested it out myself but wnat to soon.
Here are some good tips for writing secure php.
For emailing any size attachments FilePC looks like a good alternative: (also untested but concept is cool)

"FilePC allows you to email any size file to anyone, right from within your own email software."


Hehe this story is just entertaining. It's a rant about Why Geeks and Nerds are Worth it..... Some very good points, however does that also work for the Geekgirl? not just a geekboy?

I do not condone software piracy (need a disclaimer) but here's a good place if you have lost your serial keys or what not.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this news article: Congress legalizes DVD censorship

" It will soon become legal to alter a motion picture so long as all the sex, profanity, and violence have been edited out, thanks to a bill called the Family Movie Act, an attachment to the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act approved Tuesday by the House. The Senate has already passed its own version, and the President is expected to sign it."


This sounds good in essence, I guess, but apparently the directors don't like it. Even if they are getting money for the copy, unchanged, the person who creates a "prudish" version of the movie has really completely changed the disk. However, since that company has bought that disk, so they own it, are they allowed to mess with it like that and make money off of it?

This is just soooo American. I mean, we have clean (virgin) copies of CDs (which is great when you have younger siblings but you still miss something). Sometimes violence, homosexuality (are we trying to help people live in denial/ under rocks?), sex, etc... are actually artistically done or are a big part of the plot. I just don't get it. If it's in the movie don't watch it or read the book/screen play instead or even fast forward.

I'm done ranting (not really but i need to stop procrastining) so, that being said, on to ee lab reports.
posted by mpcc @ 4/27/2005 06:09:00 PM   0 comments
Monday, April 25, 2005
already procrastinating
Need I mention I'm already bored? Can I also mention I don't understand any of our male population?

Anyway, I've found more good stuff I want to put up. This blog isn't going to become a link repository, but for now.... it's the best I can do.

So without further ramblings....

Newest Revenge of the Bleep is out, check it out, sounds pretty good.

Have you ever wanted to learn Morse Code? Yeah, me neither but with this program, using cmd prompts you can learn the code in a more familar setting. I thought it sounded kinda cool. Might have to give it a try myself.

In the spirit of finals coming is an article on note taking: Recovering the Lost Art of Note-Taking , may be to late if you could have used this before finals time, but an interesting read. Found through LifeHacker.

I have found 2 new places for news. Backslashdot: news for noobs and stuff you've already heard. So if you missed it the first time, not that you can't always find it, you can see it there. Also GeekCoffee: geek news to wake up to.

LifeHacker has done an entertaining article about coming off of caffeine, they seem to be against my usual cold turkey method. Can't figure out why! Definitly informative.

They have also done a round-up of Decent/Free CSS/HTML templates. Seen a few I kinda like.

And that link to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, if you change the ending from book1.html to the other numbers of the series the rest are there. I tried that yesterday and it didn't work but today it is.
posted by mpcc @ 4/25/2005 03:30:00 PM   0 comments
Continuation
Some more of what I've found......

La justice interdit de protéger les DVD contre la copie
-- Good french article about their dvd copying privileges. No english translation that I know of, but leave a comment and I can do a rough one.

carfree.com -- Interesting informative website about car free cities through out the world. I like their idea, but I enjoy driving, not that I do much now.

The Revenge of the Bleep -- This is from Leo Laporte's website, he got together a few guys from TechTVs old TSS (The Screen Savers = Bleep). Very entertaining. I hope it does become a weekly thing.

Technologies du Langage -- Another french blog that has technology of language stuff. Seems enteresting from what I've seen.

YourTotalSite.com
-- Good site with help and ideas for your own site

MAILTO Anchor Tag Generator
-- cool html mailto tag generator (like it says ;) ) easy tag to do yourself but if you have lots to put into it this is nice and easy.

ColorCombos -- Great site with ideas for color combos that work, and lets you test your own to see if they work.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Book 1
-- Like it says you can read the first book in his "trilogy" here. Don't remeber where I found this... but here it is.

EuroHacker Magazine -- This is the 2nd edition of this magazine. It's ok, not the best I've seen but some of the rants are decent. Not much tech stuff tho, lots of stuff about guns?

wooba.com
-- Good blog from a writer at extremetech.com, more indepth than in the other article.


That's probably it till after finals or when I'm studying/procrastinating. Our pong game is going pretty well. It now plays music and sounds during game play. It's sweet!
posted by mpcc @ 4/25/2005 11:46:00 AM   0 comments
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Week in close
2 more weeks and I'm done. Really only one of classes. 1 paper to write, 2 more projects. One finished this week the other finished next week. I'm ready. But in the mean time I was procrastinating not that long ago and figured I would update all with what I have found some online....

Gmail, PGP, and the End to End Solution
-- Good article on using thunderbird and gpg encription with gmail.

A guide to Oracle, Windows, Linux and OS X commands.
-- exactly what the title says. A good resource.

Webnotes -- A strange yet interesting idea to keep notes online, can put them on an active window on your desktop.

more later

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posted by mpcc @ 4/23/2005 06:38:00 PM   0 comments
Friday, April 15, 2005
Theoretical vs Realistic
I hate theoretical crap. Theoretically this that and these should happen but eh, reality wise not so much. Sure in physics class I'd rather deal with the theoretical values and rules, but ya know, when programing, raising children, etc... theoretically doesn't work at all.

Granted the raising children is a long way off from programming, but if you've ever programmed you know that something may look like it should work in theory but some random "practical" quirk is there to turn theory into ideal. Maybe I'm just confusing theoretical with ideal.

the·o·ret·i·cal (thē'ə-rĕt'ĭ-kəl) pronunciation also the·o·ret·ic (-rĕt'ĭk)
adj.

1. Of, relating to, or based on theory.
2. Restricted to theory; not practical: theoretical physics.
3. Given to theorizing; speculative.

SYNONYMS theoretical, abstract, academic, hypothetical, speculative. These adjectives mean concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations: theoretical linguistics; abstract reasoning; a purely academic discussion; a hypothetical statement; speculative knowledge.

and here is ideal:

i·de·al (ī-dē'əl, ī-dēl') pronunciation
n.
  1. A conception of something in its absolute perfection.
  2. One that is regarded as a standard or model of perfection or excellence.
  3. An ultimate object of endeavor; a goal.
  4. An honorable or worthy principle or aim.
adj.
    1. Of, relating to, or embodying an ideal.
    2. Conforming to an ultimate form or standard of perfection or excellence.
  1. Considered the best of its kind.
  2. Completely or highly satisfactory: The location of the new house is ideal.
    1. Existing only in the mind; imaginary.
    2. Lacking practicality or the possibility of realization.
  3. Of, relating to, or consisting of ideas or mental images.
  4. Philosophy.
    1. Existing as an archetype or pattern, especially as a Platonic idea or perception.
    2. Of or relating to idealism.
I suppose but now I just want to make it ideal vs theoretical vs realistic, i'm a realist, and cynical.

Our friend is here with her 1 year old little girl. Sooo cute. Anyway one of my roommates, we'll call her Midget (she is really short), is a Early Ed./development major. She is the youngest in her family, but becuase of what she has learned in school she thinks she knows everything about raising a kid. And what they learn are just theoretical methods. Those new "fad" trends basically. Sure some history behind it, and maybe even a few things that could be good, but the majority of it is bullshit. There has been a young kid in my family under the age of five up until I was 16. I also baby sat till I was 18, and still do periodically. It's all instinct, knowing certain psychological things before hand may be nice to have but ya know, parenting is the reality of that theory she learns. Shit happens in life.

It's just frustrating.

since i defined the other two i fiugre I should define Realistic. my english teacher would be proud: consistancy!

re·al·i·ty (rē-ăl'ĭ-tē) pronunciation
n., pl. -ties.
  1. The quality or state of being actual or true.
  2. One, such as a person, an entity, or an event, that is actual: “the weight of history and political realities” (Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.).
  3. The totality of all things possessing actuality, existence, or essence.
  4. That which exists objectively and in fact: Your observations do not seem to be about reality.
idiom:

in reality

  1. In fact; actually.



All definitions stolen from google->answer.com

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posted by mpcc @ 4/15/2005 03:11:00 PM   0 comments
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Furthermore.... I hate you
Not you, but I've decided I hate that word: furthermore. It just sounds so condescending and stupid. One of my partners used it in our paper, I realized I hate it to late to change it. But I really don't like the sound of it.

Have you noticed I've given up on tech and french content yet? Not forever, just for the next 2.5 weeks. Then it will be officially be summer and I will have time again. But till then, you will have to deal with my venting. Between school, projects, and other crap aka. roommate drama that's all I'm capable of right now.

I'm going home this weekend. I'm excited. Skipping my 2 monday classes and my organizations office hours. Granted I'm going for a doctors appointment. I'm getting my ear fixed again, finally!!! I like hearing. And thinking everyone on my left side is mumbling, and then if they really are mumbling not even hearing them, it bites.

oh well, time to work on hw, projects, and everything in between.

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posted by mpcc @ 4/14/2005 07:09:00 PM   0 comments
Friday, April 08, 2005
FAC
I'm ready for the weekend, granted it won't be restful or relaxing, but atleast I won't have to go to classes. Anyway, enough whining.

Haven't really kept up much at all in tech stuff this week. School keeping me busy, friends too, out of town friend coming for this weekend. But i saw a great deal at amazon.com for a Canon PowerShot S410 4MP Digital Elph with 3x Optical Zoom for around $250. I originally had a SD100, great little camera, but it got stolen when I was in France. I paid $250 for it and it was only a 3.2MP. I want this camera! However I do not have the money so I shall be waiting. What kind of deals will await me then? Well none, cause for the same amount I can get even better! I like gadgets.

Speaking of gadgets, on CNN I found this article about Clocky:http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/04/04/spark.clocky/index.html (using a mac can't do hyperlinks).

That would be awsome, exactly what I need. If you don't read it, it's an academic project to make a clock that roles off the bed table after hitting snooze once. It hides itself, so that the next time it goes off you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Tho it would have to move around for about 20 min. I set my alarm at 6:20 to get up at, well technically I "plan" on getting up at 6:45, lately it's more like 7, today I overslept and it was 7:15.

I've done my procrastination now I must read hw for 15 min. Debating if I should take a nap or not. I'm afraid if I don't I'll be screwed drinking tonight. Lack of sleep and going right after I get off work not good combination.


PS. FAC=Friday After Class --- meeting friends out after work at 5, can't get too hammered tho, do need to get up tomorrow before noon.
posted by mpcc @ 4/08/2005 10:29:00 AM   0 comments
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
jiwire wi-fi hotspot locator
Cool site if you need internet access. Enteries for a decent list of countries, gives address and name of the establishment and whether the access is free or a paid providor.
posted by mpcc @ 4/05/2005 12:08:00 PM   0 comments
Google Maps + Satellite
Look something up in google maps and you now have the option to see a satellite picture of it. Pretty cool, doesn't zoom in enough for me, but that would probably be kinda creepy if it really did. Definatly check it out.
posted by mpcc @ 4/05/2005 11:44:00 AM   0 comments
Monday, April 04, 2005
Adsense
I've joined the masses, I now have Google Adsense. If you are actually visiting please just clicked an add. I'm a broke college student!!! Leave a comment..... you click mine, I'll click yours!

Only new news I've heard is the Pope dying. It's sad, but he had to have been miserable for like the past year. He's much happier wherever he is, if there is something else. Should be interesting who they get for the next pope. Hopefully someone not quite as conservative. Pope John Paul II was decent as a pope but yikes he was a little behind the times.
posted by mpcc @ 4/04/2005 10:40:00 AM   0 comments
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Home: Mid-West, United States
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