Man I make a mean curry.
Friends will claim that I pile on the chilli when I use it, and I have to admit that I have calmed down with the demon spice.
My curries have always been tasty and never painful. Not that I would shy away from a painful curry, I can handle that challenge. I certainly wouldn't want that sort of thing regularly. When it comes to making my own, I like the tasty level. Ya, mix in some peas, corn, chopped steak then drop in some rice which you mix right in and you have the recipe for yum.
I don't have a large repitoire for generating my daily sustinance, but what I do create, I like very much.
Simple foods rock.
2005-04-04
2005-01-11
Web Cams
Web cams rock. You can set up some simple security in your house with software like Home Watcher or just take periodic simple snap shots using Cam Commander. You can also video chat using Yahoo Messenger or Microsoft Messenger.
If you have a permanent broadband connection, like cable or ADSL, then it isn't too hard to have your web cam up and going all day.
You will, of course, need a web cam. You should be careful because they are not all the same. There are some cheapo CMOS web cams out there that produce low res blurred images. There are some really nice cheap CCD web cams that produce images that are very sharp. A good idea is to get a web cam with a built in microphone, as they are generally good quality for chatting, although headphones with the pull down microphone seem to be taking over the world. I have never really had good luck with microphones as all the cheapo ones seem to be way too quiet / muffled no matter how I fiddle with drivers and filters.
If you have a bit of money to spend you can go hunting for network cameras. The good ones plug into your network and act as a web server or can be configured to upload images / video to a specified site. Wireless wifi cameras are also becoming more readily available - just set up your wireless network, configure the camera and place it where ever you wish.
Recently there have been google searches noted that allow you to find open cameras that you can freely access. Most of these are public places and offer an excellent way to view the world. To see live snow falling over a telescope dome in a forest while I am sitting here in sweltering weather is quite thrilling.
Amusing for a while anyway.
Yes there are many "Adult" sites that espouse web cam, but just avoid that stuff, they will ask you to download and run their virus ridden software that will fill your computer with advertisements. I have had to rescue way too many people from this sort of software. The dubious sites always seem to request your credit card details as verification - never ever give your details away unless you are absolutely certain that the company is legitimate and that the web site you are on is the exact web site of the company. There are so many web sites pretending to be a bank, or pay pal etc that you REALLY have to be careful.
If you have a permanent broadband connection, like cable or ADSL, then it isn't too hard to have your web cam up and going all day.
You will, of course, need a web cam. You should be careful because they are not all the same. There are some cheapo CMOS web cams out there that produce low res blurred images. There are some really nice cheap CCD web cams that produce images that are very sharp. A good idea is to get a web cam with a built in microphone, as they are generally good quality for chatting, although headphones with the pull down microphone seem to be taking over the world. I have never really had good luck with microphones as all the cheapo ones seem to be way too quiet / muffled no matter how I fiddle with drivers and filters.
If you have a bit of money to spend you can go hunting for network cameras. The good ones plug into your network and act as a web server or can be configured to upload images / video to a specified site. Wireless wifi cameras are also becoming more readily available - just set up your wireless network, configure the camera and place it where ever you wish.
Amusing for a while anyway.
Yes there are many "Adult" sites that espouse web cam, but just avoid that stuff, they will ask you to download and run their virus ridden software that will fill your computer with advertisements. I have had to rescue way too many people from this sort of software. The dubious sites always seem to request your credit card details as verification - never ever give your details away unless you are absolutely certain that the company is legitimate and that the web site you are on is the exact web site of the company. There are so many web sites pretending to be a bank, or pay pal etc that you REALLY have to be careful.
2004-10-08
Sharing is bad
If your neighbour asks you if he may borrow your lawn mower, you shouldn't let him. He should get his own mower and pay the mower company the money they deserve for designing, producing and marketing their product. If you bought Simon Singh's "The Code Book" and know a friend who would love it, you should not loan him your copy. If you like Hootie & the Blowfish and have purchased a copy of their music then you should most certainly not let anyone else hear it except you. If you transfer the music to files and give it to someone else then you are a criminal.
Criminals share.
If you like a product you should not share this information with other people. You should offer it for sale if they ask and sue them if they pass it on. Your opinion is your intellectual property. Sharing your opinion for free devalues the opinion. If you do give/sell your opinion to someone, make sure they sign a end user license agreement to not pass that opinion on to anyone else. You could also approach the company who owns the product for which you have an opinion, and ask them to sponsor you to publish your opinion. This is often mistaken for journalism.
The media industry has a problem. They appear to be a bunch of greedy middle men that will rip the guts out of an artist to generate as much income for themselves and their company. Their only talent is making money. Their alleged "nuturing artists" is more like "extorting artists". Often they will try to produce cheap popular crap that they shine up with as many special effects involving as few artists and more computer tinkering as possible and then commence the marketing. Marketing is their god. They inflate product price to "what the market will bare" and complain when people say "too expensive, I'm copying a friends." Rather than look at "why", the corporations start attacking the potential customer with legal proceedings. Such is the image of the media industry. Is it true?
There are plenty of forward thinking people in the world. There does not seem to be any in the media.
Criminals share.
If you like a product you should not share this information with other people. You should offer it for sale if they ask and sue them if they pass it on. Your opinion is your intellectual property. Sharing your opinion for free devalues the opinion. If you do give/sell your opinion to someone, make sure they sign a end user license agreement to not pass that opinion on to anyone else. You could also approach the company who owns the product for which you have an opinion, and ask them to sponsor you to publish your opinion. This is often mistaken for journalism.
The media industry has a problem. They appear to be a bunch of greedy middle men that will rip the guts out of an artist to generate as much income for themselves and their company. Their only talent is making money. Their alleged "nuturing artists" is more like "extorting artists". Often they will try to produce cheap popular crap that they shine up with as many special effects involving as few artists and more computer tinkering as possible and then commence the marketing. Marketing is their god. They inflate product price to "what the market will bare" and complain when people say "too expensive, I'm copying a friends." Rather than look at "why", the corporations start attacking the potential customer with legal proceedings. Such is the image of the media industry. Is it true?
There are plenty of forward thinking people in the world. There does not seem to be any in the media.
2004-08-26
Olympics
Every olympics I spend a lot of time in the rec.sport.olympics news group. There are the usual morons who post such low level garble of dreary prose that I just have to join in and set them on the road of self recognition of their lowly standards of verbal description, and comprehension.
OK, I flame.
But it is all good fun and I make sure there are plenty of smiles around. At least on my side of the screen.
However there are some particularly good posts and a lot of people wanting clarification or discussion on various issues that are important to them. One of the more interesting discussions is of course, who is winning. The one who has the most medals, cries the USA. Some, like many of the Australians there, would like to think you should score on medals per million population. The truth is that it is much more complicated than that, or simple. The simple answer is - measuring who wins is silly; athletes win events - so just stop there. There have been attempts to define a standardising function using population, economy and some other factors to predict what your score will be next games, and it seems that a couple economists have come pretty close.
In the end - we just want to see our countrymen do well. We would like to share in their moment of joy (seeing as usually our tax money went to get them there). We would like to see some spectacular events. We would also like to see sports that are familiar to us. Given all this, the television stations have a pretty hard task ahead of them. However they are stuffing things up. The free to air stations here in Australia have digital bandwidth that they could be filling with events that they don't have time to put into the mainstream feel good sections. They could have a couple other channels dedication to swapping between a full broadcast of the gymnastics, equestrian, shooting, judo, wrestling, team sport matches etc. But they haven't. This had bloody not better be the case in 2008. What a perfectly fantastic opportunity has gone begging for the tv stations to get people to buy digital decoders. Losers.
OK, I flame.
But it is all good fun and I make sure there are plenty of smiles around. At least on my side of the screen.
However there are some particularly good posts and a lot of people wanting clarification or discussion on various issues that are important to them. One of the more interesting discussions is of course, who is winning. The one who has the most medals, cries the USA. Some, like many of the Australians there, would like to think you should score on medals per million population. The truth is that it is much more complicated than that, or simple. The simple answer is - measuring who wins is silly; athletes win events - so just stop there. There have been attempts to define a standardising function using population, economy and some other factors to predict what your score will be next games, and it seems that a couple economists have come pretty close.
In the end - we just want to see our countrymen do well. We would like to share in their moment of joy (seeing as usually our tax money went to get them there). We would like to see some spectacular events. We would also like to see sports that are familiar to us. Given all this, the television stations have a pretty hard task ahead of them. However they are stuffing things up. The free to air stations here in Australia have digital bandwidth that they could be filling with events that they don't have time to put into the mainstream feel good sections. They could have a couple other channels dedication to swapping between a full broadcast of the gymnastics, equestrian, shooting, judo, wrestling, team sport matches etc. But they haven't. This had bloody not better be the case in 2008. What a perfectly fantastic opportunity has gone begging for the tv stations to get people to buy digital decoders. Losers.
Microsoft
People who know me will know I have been rough on Microsoft from pretty much Windows 3.0. Before then the software they made was well known amongst the computer savvy as being second rate, or barely adequate. But Windows 3 started Microsoft down the route of bringing the PC to the mass market. The mass market didn't know anything about crap software. Microsoft made the operating system so the word processor has to be good. Sounds logical. Reality was very much different tho. Microsoft started a bunch of dirty tactics to make sure that it and anyone who wanted in would have control of the market. Control. It's the big keyword here.
I see a lot of other people trashing Microsoft these days, but they don't have a very big grasp on the history and the slippery slick foulness that oozed off this company. Some people are just plain annoyed and mouthing off with spurious claims of Microsoft's misdeeds and they are doing more damage to the cause than good. I get a feeling for how some of the more conservative greenies must feel about the feral hippies chaining themselves to trees. Or the absolutely moronic punks who throw rocks in a globalisation protest. The idiot kids who want to fight against the "One Nation" party for what the kids "think" the party stands for and not what it actually stands for (which is more ignorance than maliciousness). Unions whose noble ideals are corrupted by petty minded administrative power hungry representatives.
A cause is not responsible for the morons that fight for it.
Unfortunately, in this day where marketing rules all, it seems if you have idiots on the frontline then the mass media will push that image. The public gets turned off the idea.
If you are a moron and prone to getting excited in a mob, please stay home.
Gandhi would win the media campaign every time with his non-violent protest, the other guy would have to become active and voila - he's the bad guy. And if they don't bite, damnit starve yourself until they do.
Back to Microsoft's history; the continual law suits and settlements against Microsoft were simply amazing. They stole code. They stole workers. They bought things that were good and bent them to their own purposes, often making them crap or killing them off completely. Their main product lines were and are lousy with bugs, flaws, unecessary feature bloat and lack of control. The department of justice lawsuit against Microsoft, which went on for years was a farce. Microsoft was convicted. Talks of splitting the company up were just about set in stone. But the penalty was appealed, while Microsoft continued doing what it went to court for. Negotiations and appeals went on for ages. Until the Republican party got in. Microsoft are big buddies with the Republicans. They are major sponsors of the Republican conventions, along with the national gun lobby, telecommunications companies, drug companies, and the tobacco companies. What then. Oh - let Microsoft think up their own punishment; free software for schools. Don't go thinking that the Democrats are any better, justice might have been served in this case had Gore been president but Microsoft money was still good enough for them. As soon as the Republican government came to power everyone knew that Microsoft would get off.
It seems that lately Microsoft, like the USA government, has picked up the pace of doing dirty evil thngs. The push for digital rights management, the lies about other operating systems, the pulling out from the United Nations Standard group, it's enourmous push to place patents on even the most rediculous of things is indicitive of an unhealthy system and power gone mad. The centralising of wealth can only go on for so long, but it seems that the power mongers of society today are rushing to wring every last drop of blood from the planet ... before we turn on ourselves.
So - don't buy Microsoft. Or Sony. Or NEC for that matter (they screwed me over once and I won't forget it). There was more point to this but my fingers and brain are tired.
I see a lot of other people trashing Microsoft these days, but they don't have a very big grasp on the history and the slippery slick foulness that oozed off this company. Some people are just plain annoyed and mouthing off with spurious claims of Microsoft's misdeeds and they are doing more damage to the cause than good. I get a feeling for how some of the more conservative greenies must feel about the feral hippies chaining themselves to trees. Or the absolutely moronic punks who throw rocks in a globalisation protest. The idiot kids who want to fight against the "One Nation" party for what the kids "think" the party stands for and not what it actually stands for (which is more ignorance than maliciousness). Unions whose noble ideals are corrupted by petty minded administrative power hungry representatives.
A cause is not responsible for the morons that fight for it.
Unfortunately, in this day where marketing rules all, it seems if you have idiots on the frontline then the mass media will push that image. The public gets turned off the idea.
If you are a moron and prone to getting excited in a mob, please stay home.
Gandhi would win the media campaign every time with his non-violent protest, the other guy would have to become active and voila - he's the bad guy. And if they don't bite, damnit starve yourself until they do.
Back to Microsoft's history; the continual law suits and settlements against Microsoft were simply amazing. They stole code. They stole workers. They bought things that were good and bent them to their own purposes, often making them crap or killing them off completely. Their main product lines were and are lousy with bugs, flaws, unecessary feature bloat and lack of control. The department of justice lawsuit against Microsoft, which went on for years was a farce. Microsoft was convicted. Talks of splitting the company up were just about set in stone. But the penalty was appealed, while Microsoft continued doing what it went to court for. Negotiations and appeals went on for ages. Until the Republican party got in. Microsoft are big buddies with the Republicans. They are major sponsors of the Republican conventions, along with the national gun lobby, telecommunications companies, drug companies, and the tobacco companies. What then. Oh - let Microsoft think up their own punishment; free software for schools. Don't go thinking that the Democrats are any better, justice might have been served in this case had Gore been president but Microsoft money was still good enough for them. As soon as the Republican government came to power everyone knew that Microsoft would get off.
It seems that lately Microsoft, like the USA government, has picked up the pace of doing dirty evil thngs. The push for digital rights management, the lies about other operating systems, the pulling out from the United Nations Standard group, it's enourmous push to place patents on even the most rediculous of things is indicitive of an unhealthy system and power gone mad. The centralising of wealth can only go on for so long, but it seems that the power mongers of society today are rushing to wring every last drop of blood from the planet ... before we turn on ourselves.
So - don't buy Microsoft. Or Sony. Or NEC for that matter (they screwed me over once and I won't forget it). There was more point to this but my fingers and brain are tired.
2004-08-08
Doom 3
Yes, I am a big fan of ID. I was one of the geeks who played all of the Wolfenstein levels you could find, I played the various Commander Keen releases too damnit. I was one of the idiots waiting for ID to release the original Doom, which they couldn't because the site they were supposed to release it on was clogged with slobbering geeks awaiting the download. I played a huge number of add on levels of Doom. I played it over a modem, I played it in a group lan.
And Quake was even worse for me. So many LAN parties which included a horde of Duke Nukem. I was in one of the top Australian guilds.
Quake 2 was fun ... in single player mode. Quake 3 was good intense fun for quite a while through the demo but never really made a hit with me for some reason. I guess that was when Everquest came out. So I wandered in my ID following. Return to Castle Wolfenstein was ok except when some of the bosses were just a little too hard I just went on to more fruitful ventures in life. Like anything. Vietcong provided a whole new feel for a while. Unreal Tournament with co-operative against bots was VERY entertaining. I have a friend who is in love with Serious Sam, and that was a real blast to play through on co-operative. I have played the Unreal Tournament 2004 demo and love the vehicles and taking over power towers. But it gets to the point where you know which side is going to win and the rest of the game is spent in futile resistance or bothersome stamping out of the opposition.
I knew there were a heap of other great software out there but you really have to limit yourself to something that will entertain you. LAN days where you spend half the time changing software is not really too much fun.
Doom 3 has been on the cards for a long long long time now. There was a "release" of a beta that showed a pretty neat environment - but wasn't overly interesting. The hype has been steadily building since then. The current reviews of the game are as good as you will ever get. Doom 3 was released last week and I have been playing it on and off whenever I get the chance. To make it simple for you, I approve and agree with what the reviews say: this is an awesome and defining game for it's genre. This game will scare you.
I love the tribute to the Doom monsters and setting. Some rooms I can pick as being right out of the original Doom. So should anyone who has had the Doom dreams - you know what they are if you have had them. And if you have had them then you have played Doom seriously too much.
And Quake was even worse for me. So many LAN parties which included a horde of Duke Nukem. I was in one of the top Australian guilds.
Quake 2 was fun ... in single player mode. Quake 3 was good intense fun for quite a while through the demo but never really made a hit with me for some reason. I guess that was when Everquest came out. So I wandered in my ID following. Return to Castle Wolfenstein was ok except when some of the bosses were just a little too hard I just went on to more fruitful ventures in life. Like anything. Vietcong provided a whole new feel for a while. Unreal Tournament with co-operative against bots was VERY entertaining. I have a friend who is in love with Serious Sam, and that was a real blast to play through on co-operative. I have played the Unreal Tournament 2004 demo and love the vehicles and taking over power towers. But it gets to the point where you know which side is going to win and the rest of the game is spent in futile resistance or bothersome stamping out of the opposition.
I knew there were a heap of other great software out there but you really have to limit yourself to something that will entertain you. LAN days where you spend half the time changing software is not really too much fun.
Doom 3 has been on the cards for a long long long time now. There was a "release" of a beta that showed a pretty neat environment - but wasn't overly interesting. The hype has been steadily building since then. The current reviews of the game are as good as you will ever get. Doom 3 was released last week and I have been playing it on and off whenever I get the chance. To make it simple for you, I approve and agree with what the reviews say: this is an awesome and defining game for it's genre. This game will scare you.
I love the tribute to the Doom monsters and setting. Some rooms I can pick as being right out of the original Doom. So should anyone who has had the Doom dreams - you know what they are if you have had them. And if you have had them then you have played Doom seriously too much.
2004-07-23
Pizza recipe
My girlfriend, Dragonfly, and I were cruising back to my place before we were to go out to the movies. We were going to have a quick dinner of whatever I might have about the place to avoid paying exhorbitant restaurant prices.
I usually can cook up something like rice and steamed vegetables and some lightly pan fried fish in less than 30minutes. Throw in some spices and nice sauce and you have really tasty healthy food. It is so easy - I don't know why "lean cuisine" sells at all.
A couple weeks ago, I had introduced Dragonfly to my specialty hors d'oeuvres of water biscuit, brie, smoked salmon and caviar (lumpfish roe). I don't make that many things, being a guy and all, but when you find something absolutely yummy as this, you find out how it is done and make it for yourself.
Well, as we were heading home, Dragonfly says that she would love some of the biscuits. In fact, she'd love one as large as a pizza.
Well now there was an idea. A pizza with brie, smoked salmon and caviar. Would it work? My mind was thinking about things that might go wrong but my taste buds and tummy were screaming out "YEAH BABY!"
So we stop at the local supplier of excellent but almost expensive things - Coles, and purchase about $20 worth of goodies. Get home and assemble the most delicious of pizza for about 25mins of baking.
Yes! This pizza is most excellent!!! We had it for the second time tonight, and I feel the need to share the discovery to the world because such yumminess must be shared. Be warned that it is salty and you will need plenty of beverage. If you are unsure about caviar - try the biscuit thing next time friends come over, there is bound to be a couple people who will *love* it so the biscuits won't go to waste if you don't like 'em.
At $20 for 2 largish pizzas - it's moderately good value too.
I usually can cook up something like rice and steamed vegetables and some lightly pan fried fish in less than 30minutes. Throw in some spices and nice sauce and you have really tasty healthy food. It is so easy - I don't know why "lean cuisine" sells at all.
A couple weeks ago, I had introduced Dragonfly to my specialty hors d'oeuvres of water biscuit, brie, smoked salmon and caviar (lumpfish roe). I don't make that many things, being a guy and all, but when you find something absolutely yummy as this, you find out how it is done and make it for yourself.
Well, as we were heading home, Dragonfly says that she would love some of the biscuits. In fact, she'd love one as large as a pizza.
Well now there was an idea. A pizza with brie, smoked salmon and caviar. Would it work? My mind was thinking about things that might go wrong but my taste buds and tummy were screaming out "YEAH BABY!"
So we stop at the local supplier of excellent but almost expensive things - Coles, and purchase about $20 worth of goodies. Get home and assemble the most delicious of pizza for about 25mins of baking.
Yes! This pizza is most excellent!!! We had it for the second time tonight, and I feel the need to share the discovery to the world because such yumminess must be shared. Be warned that it is salty and you will need plenty of beverage. If you are unsure about caviar - try the biscuit thing next time friends come over, there is bound to be a couple people who will *love* it so the biscuits won't go to waste if you don't like 'em.
At $20 for 2 largish pizzas - it's moderately good value too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
New bike day! VelectriX Ascent+29 (2018) electric power assisted mountain bicycle. I moved to a suburb 12km farther out from work (now ... -
So you have this iSight camera built into your Mac and you want to make it take images on demand. My first thought was to get Automator to d...
-
When you're feeling mellow and creative and you don't have a camera then poems can be an easy outlet for those creative juices or ev...
