Geek Miscellany

Black holes, LHC, Star Wars, quantum uncertainty… if it is of general geek interest, but doesn’t fit into one of the other categories, it lands here.

Technical difficulties

I run my main computer slightly on the edge.  I don’t overclock it, but I do have some of the latest hardware inside, and the latest drivers.  I build (assemble the bits, install and configure the OS) it myself not because I consider myself particularly brilliant, but because it sort of makes me feel good. 

I am pretty technically proficient.  However, I build one (1) completely unique computer per year more or less: you don’t learn all the ins and outs of a build when you only create one of them.  And as a result of the “one of a kind” nature of my configuration, I am periodically caught by a problem.  That’s what this post is about.

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Vista cometh…but no ATI OpenGL yet??!!

I’m not exactly known for my patience.  You could probably find my picture next to the Wikipedia entry for “instant gratification”.  If I decide I want a gadget, I’ll usually mull it over for some months, but when I make the final decision…there is no hesitation.  Don’t stand in my way in Best Buy…several Sales Associates have tried that, and they are still recovering.

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Computer upgrade 2006: the Coles Notes

I built my “new” computer over the weekend.  This is sort of a tradition- every two years or so, I feel the need to refresh my technology from the ground up.  Every other year I perform an “intermediate” upgrade- RAM, video, disk.  The distinction between these two types of upgrade is somewhat vague, but I pretend they are different.

The last “full system” upgrade was back in 2004.  I moved from Intel to AMD, NVidia to ATI, IDE to SATA, and life was good.  This time around the changes are a bit more subtle…basically, sticking with AMD, ATI, and SATA, but bigger, faster, and better.  Since I like living on the bleeding edge, I also decided to try Vista RC2…that turned out to be unworkable, but then it *is* a beta release. 

 

Computer parts

 

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Comatose man wakes up after 19 years…brain “rewires” itself

I was reading an article today about a man who was in a coma, in what they call a persistent vegetative state, for 19 years who “woke up “in 2003. Terry Wallis, the coma victim, had regained his power of speech and his mobility, and had clear memories of his life before the coma. Terry has awakened to a world where his one year old son is now 20, and Ronald Regan hasn’t been president in decades.

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Psychological Neoteny- I’m getting older, not more mature…

I read an article today about a study showing that people today are tending to retain a state of immaturity far into adulthood. Basically, instead of becoming fixed in their ways, focused on stability and safety, more and more people are continuing to retain a child-like interest in new and different things, in change, and in learning new things.

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Taking in the fresh air…

Irene has been aquasizing for a couple of months now as part of the recovery process from her hip replacement operation.  She’s going an amazing five or six times a week, and it really has been helping her: she’s walking better and better, and has even been able to go on some quiet rides on her horse Spirit. 

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Bill Gates stepping down from day to day role in MS

It’s really not news that Bill Gates is stepping down from his role at Microsoft. I recall him saying pretty clearly five or six years ago that he planned on removing himself from his position within the company before he was 55, and spending an increasing amount of time in his philanthropist role within the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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Woman charged with assault with a deadly…er, dead chihuahua

I was reading one of my news feeds the other day and came across this gem about a woman who beat a dog breeder with a dead chihuahua. Apparently, the dog breeder sold the puppy when it was too young. The purchaser took the puppy to a vet who told her it needed to be returned to its mother, but the puppy died while in transit. The puppy’s purchaser then proceeded to assault the dog breeder using the dead chihuahua as a weapon.

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