Goobuntu
Could this be any more perfect? Accoring to The Register, “Google has confirmed it is working on a desktop linux project called Goobuntu, but declined to supply further details, including what the project is for.” I think some deductive speculation is in order.
First, rumors about Google entering the OS market have been floating around for a long time.
Second, Ubuntu has become a wildly popular Linux distro in the relative blink of an eye. It is used by Linux zealots and Linux newbies alike, and it is currently used exclusively on my home PC. Google, the company of minimalism in design and simplicity in use would be a perfect match with Ubuntu.
Third, there would finally be a real competition among operating systems. Microsoft pretty much dominates every OS market (with perhaps the exception of servers, where it still has quite a footprint). With applications starting to move towards the web, I think it’s the perfect time for Google to challenge Microsoft on the home desktop.
Fourth, this is all highly speculative. All I know is what I read in the RSS feeds.
If Al is mad…
…then chances are that I’m happy. The Reverend Al Shaprton was quoted in the Washington Post as saying:
“Cartoon Network must apologize and also commit to pulling episodes that desecrate black historic figures…”
Only the black ones, Al? Shouldn’t historical figures of all skin color be subject to equal desecration? If Al paid more attention to the episode in question, he would know that:
- The episode was all a ‘dream’ in Huey Riley’s head
- The episode said far more shocking things about black culture and rejection of what MLK stood for. Things that Al Sharpton did not address.
Additionally:
..he could appreciate McGruder and his achievements, but added: “This particular episode is over the line.”
What line? Who drew it, and why is Al Sharpton the defender of it? As a conservative and Bush supporter, I could certainly stand up like Al and say that the “Health Inspector” episode was over the line as well. However, I appreciate opposing viewpoints and I can respect Aaron McGruder for expressing them in a creative and very entertaining way. Instead of trying to destructively force McGruder’s episode off the air, may I suggest presenting an opposing opinion in a productive way?
I think there’s a welt on my face
If my laptop wasn’t in the shop, I would have seen him coming. He took advantage of me being on the backup PC, and my back being turned. A true coward! Oh well, at least he got it on video.
Internet quizzes: part 4
Quiz 4: Create your own personalized map of the USA
Not really a ‘quiz’ per se, but similar in purpose and usage. I believe there’s also one for countries of the world, but since I’ve only been to two (U.S. and Bahamas), that’s about as interesting as “planets I’ve lived on.” My results:
Accuracy: 8
This quiz doesn’t really specify what a ‘visit’ constitutes. For instance, if I briefly pass through the panhandle of West Virginia to get to Pennsylvania, does that count as a visit? I assumed ‘yes’, but since the graphic doesn’t explain that, one could get the idea that I’m some sort of eastern US globetrotter.
Usefulness: 7
If I were the type of person that wanted to visit all 50 states (after I fathered a son who became a web designer, for instance), then this map would be useful not only as a checklist, but also as a bragging tool. Additionally, if you were to visit 49 states, you could intentionally leave one out as a final insult to a particular state that you dislike (SCREW YOU MONTANA).
Entertainment value: 5
Besides conjuring up memories about travel in days of yore, the quiz really isn’t useful. None of the reasons I’ve done travelling in are particularly exciting:
- Florida: Family reunion, misc vacations
- Iowa: A wedding
- Arizona: Mission trip with Church
- Michigan: Brother’s graduation
- New York: Brother leaving for Iraq
- Massachusetts: Web usability training conference
- Delaware: Pick up arcade cabinet graduation gift
All the other states are simply states that have been between Ohio and the destination. Yawn.
USB game pads at Retrozone
I’ve always considered PC emulation to be not quite as good as the real thing. One of the main reasons is the control. Either it’s a keyboard, or it’s some PC joystick that is a poor PSX or SNES imitation.
RetroZone‘s solution isn’t new, but it is much easier than trying to hack together your own USB controller. Not to mention that they have NES, SNES, Genesis, NeoGeo, etc. Note that some of these are “mail in your own controller” or are the typical “hacking” kits to mod your own controller. Conspicuously missing is the Playstation/PS2 controller, but I would be more than happy to find a pair of SNES USB controllers in a UPS box on my porch.
Cedric and the Revolution: Walkthrough
Here’s a walkthrough I wrote up for Cedric and the Revolution, a game that you may recall from a few days ago.
All the normal warnings about spoilers and walkthroughs apply. Please don’t use a walkthrough to rush through the game. Take time to enjoy the game, get frustrated, and only use the walkthrough when you are absolutely stuck.
Retrogames.com feed
I just created an RSS feed for Retrogames.com. They have lots of good retrogaming (obviously) and emulation news.
Browser Stats
I find these browser stats very interesting. I highly expected MSIE to be in first place, since MSIE 6.0 is always at the top on my tracking page. However, the Firefox views are split over multiple versions (1.0 – 1.5) and edge out MSIE by 400 or so views.
I was pleasantly suprised to see Opera at 3rd place. I use Opera myself, but I did try to remove my own page views from the statistics as best I could to avoid skewing the results. I also removed all the bots, crawlers, RSS readers, etc. Among RSS readers, Google Feedgrabber was the only one with any significant usage.
I was also happy to see one brave soul is still using Lynx. Hello out there! If you are reading this, drop me a line and tell me why you still use Lynx.
Super-size me
Prince Charles does not know when to stop talking. As a loyal and long-time reader of my blog, you will recall that Prince Charles thought that the US “has been too intolerant” of Islam ever since 9/11.
I do value Prince Charles’s opinion and take everything he says to heart (despite the fact that he is not an elected representative of anybody), so I was quick to heed Prince Charles’s latest warning. Prince Charles is concerned that the British are “in danger of becoming as obese as many Americans.” He didn’t even say “most Americans” or “Americans”, he just said “many Americans.” Why pick on this unknown quantity of fat Americans? Not all fat people are Americans. Why didn’t ol’ Princy instead say that the British are “in danger of becoming as obese as a couple of these guys I saw at this record store this one time. Woo, they were fat.”
Henry VIII* said,
O, how wretched
Is that poor man that hangs on princes’ favours!
There is betwixt that smile we would aspire to,
That sweet aspect of princes, and their ruin,
More pangs and fears than wars or women have:
And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer,
Never to hope again.
And I believe it was the entire United States that said in 1776:
Go !@#$ yourself, British monarchy!
So I propose that in a continuation of the Boston Tea Party, that we all eat an extra cheeseburger in honor of Charles, Prince of Wales. It will be a Boston Food Party.
*Technically it was Shakespeare
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