ipsin

Now I'm posting something simply to see if it's even possible.

Things I saw on the morning hike, and the drive back:

• Tick! I really didn't think the Angeles had ticks. I can't imagine why I thought that, but now I know better. It grabbed onto a cloth bag I was carrying, and as usual it was almost impossible to kill. I ended up grinding it between the bag and some concrete.
• An LA Child Protective Services van, parked in front of someone's house. Man, that's not something I'd want, even if I worked for Child Protective Services. Also, way to make it look like the "Kiddy Pound".
• The usual squirrels, bugs and flowers. Y'know, nature.

Woo. Updated my Android phone to Cupcake (1.5). Android, cupcake... Can they pick names? No, they can't.

Ladies and Gentlemen, a re-enactment of the "Surprise Attack" from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, at what should have been the court martial of James Kirk. Did anyone ever explain how he beat this "negligent douche" rap?

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Sulu: Captain, ship approaching. It's the Bingo Chip Delivery Ship Reliant out of Olderon 5. Starfleet records indicate it's not due in this sector for another ten... stardates? centons? months. months.

Kirk: Huh, weird. Well, it takes all kinds.

Saavik: Sir, may I quote General Order 12: "In this exact situation, raise you goddamned..."

Spock: Don't even try, he's been pulling this shit for twenty fucking years.

Uhura: They claim that P2P Traffic has overloaded their comm system

Spock: What does that even mean? It kind of sounds made-up. Sensors indicate that they're unfurling a giant banner on the side of the ship. On screen.

Kirk: (reading) "Fuck.. you.. Captain.. Kirk?" Uhura, let them know I've been promoted.

Kirk: Damn peculiar... Scan for hot alien women?... I don't know, I have no idea what to do in a situation like this.

Spock: They're raising shields...

Kirk: (looks thoughtful)

Spock: They're locking phasers.

Kirk: Damn, I figured everyone heard I was promotBLAMMO

Today's light reading, "Easter Island's End".

I went today to see the Lifestyle Consultants at the Apple Store, and to check out their new Mac Mini. I must say, the OS seems decent, but it's configured so you can't break anything, so I'm still not sure how much I'd like it in the long term.

I went in with three questions:

1. Dual monitors, eh? What would I need to support that on the Mini, given my particular setup?
2. How does upgrading your OS work? If I buy a machine now and the new operating system comes out soon, am I hosed?
3. If my mouse has three buttons, should I just throw it in the trash, or can I actually use more than one of them?

I suspect now that what I actually wanted was the "Apple Dents and Dings" store, where they sell the damaged goods, and where the floor staff are all Windows apostates, Linux dorks and the Amiga damned.

Most of the people coming in probably have questions like "I want to put my pictures on my computer on the Internet". That isn't even a question, but it has the virtue of being easy.

I think that I just want to spend a few minutes watching a convert carefully, doing the sorts of things I might want to do (development), and see if that looks like fun.

I didn't really get a good answer to the question about monitors, more "this is what we have, you may want to buy something online", without solid specifics on which something would want.

I got a good answer to the OS question, but it wasn't satisfying. If a new OS comes out, "I still have a great operating system on my machine". Yeah, but if that were true, why would you be selling me the newer, greater OS for $125? There isn't even a short-term grace period or a discount on the first upgrade? That same $125 would let me install the same great operating system on a comparatively cheaper Hackintosh.

I understand that getting a non-Apple computer to run OS X is like putting a spoiler on your Ford Explorer or hacking your AOL account. It violently misses the point, making something hard out of something easy. It may also be part of who I am.

The two questions were tough enough that I didn't even bother with the third. I was hoping for experience, but I probably should've realized I'd be better off asking google.

I've been playing around with pepper-infused alcohol in cooking. I like the raw heat more than what I'd get with an oil infusion, and I prefer the (lack of?) flavor to that from using habaneros.

Also: I want a resource other than wikipedia to tell me that "habañero" is not a word. Oh. Right. I own Spanish/English dictionaries. In, uh, the other room.

Edit: Well, at least one American English dictionary accepts either spelling. Attention: Non-American Linguists Required!

Edit 2: My Spanish-English dictionary only offers "habanero" as "from Havana" or "person from Havana". Way to not answer my question, book!

Anyway, back to our program. Crushed red pepper infusions. Hot. Good. I made a tomato and eggplant dish on Sunday, and I was pleased. This time, I'm putting 8 ounces of crushed red in a mason jar with some vodka. I'll let it steep, but I tried a tiny bit and it seems like it's heading in the right direction.

"A policeman's job is only easy in a police state."
   ——Touch of Evil

Oh, goodie, it's another stab at mandatory data retention.

Republican politicians on Thursday called for a sweeping new federal law that would require all Internet providers and operators of millions of Wi-Fi access points, even hotels, local coffee shops, and home users, to keep records about users for two years to aid police investigations.

The legislation, which echoes a measure proposed by one of their Democratic colleagues three years ago, would impose unprecedented data retention requirements on a broad swath of Internet access providers and is certain to draw fire from businesses and privacy advocates.

Even the name of the thing is designed to inspire rage:

Two bills have been introduced so far--S.436 in the Senate and H.R.1076 in the House. Each of the companion bills is titled "Internet Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today's Youth Act," or Internet Safety Act.

I guess the For the Childrunnnnn Act didn't have the same ring, huh?

Great. Ok, let me get right on that... "Yes, officer, I do happen to have the logs from wireless access point from 19 months ago. I'm quite pleased that I went to all that effort, because I have no idea what would happen to me if I were found in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2703.

You'll be pleased to know that a computer having or claiming to have the MAC address 00:DD:EE:FA:CE:09 connected to my network! That device received an IP address, and then connected to 23,193 different URLs on 60 different sites, and... Oh, I see, the computer is evidence and you're collecting it? Awesome, thanks, let me know when you're done with it."

Meanwhile, in WhatTheFuckistan...

The woman who gave birth to octuplets this week already has six young children and never expected that the fertility treatment she received would result in eight more babies, her mother said Thursday.

She acknowledged that raising 14 children is a daunting prospect.

Um. Yeah. Imagine how much easier it'd be if you were raising a smaller number of children, like, say, six? Wouldn't that be nice? This wasn't even a case of crazy fertility drugs — all those embryos were implanted.

Under the guidelines of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, U.S. doctors normally would not implant more than two embryos at a time in a woman under the age of 35. After that age it is more difficult to become pregnant. The mother of the octuplets is believed to be 33, based on available public records.

I really hope she doesn't end up on some "High Score!" Reality TV show, though if it happens, I'll only read about it.

Edit: I guess this is one in a long line of Security State Toys, like SWAT boats (boats? really?), and SWAT helicopter with jet skier.

According to Amazon, the bad guy is on a jet ski and the guy in the helicopter is the one holding the rifle, which is... awesome?