Tiger Wood is on Japanese TV as I am writing this ;) The announcer ask him how many trophes he has. He said he does not know, but when he was 13 years old, he had 113 already. With bother counting at that point really.
incredible ;)
Google back in 1998
Just found this university project draft... rather interresting read.
ALSA we love you
Anyone had fun with ALSA before ? Some would say its much better than OSS and much more powerful. Some would simply say the it supports more cards (well of course, development on OSS is kinda stopped for a while already) anyway.
Who need this kinda of configuration ? why there is so many options to this config file ? its like your computer could really have 5 different sound card and reroute them in some weird way. well, buy a mixer. got true use for all the power ALSA offer ? please comment below.
I'm just to a point where, even though you are a geek programmer, if all you want to do is software or web development. You don't really want to understand the fully underlying sound system of your operating system to chat with your girlfriend. There is advantage Linux has I can't live without but there is huge whack of extra time that you have to spend in order to get things working. And some of you who does not have problem, well either you have not used it long enough or you are just as picky as I can be.
anyway, I did not want to troll about anything today. I'm just very tired of rebooting on windows when I have to do my phone calls. And the good news is: I found this little hack that I need to get both my soundcard device and my USB microphone as default device.
somekool@krypton ~ $ cat /etc/asound.conf
pcm.!default {
type asym
playback.pcm {
type plug
slave.pcm "hw:0,0"
}
capture.pcm {
type plug
slave.pcm "hw:1,0"
}
}
somekool@krypton ~ $
that's it. so now I can just use arecord to record my voice without needing any options to specify the proper device.
somekool@krypton ~ $ arecord file.wav
well am I happy ? not really. skype needs OSS or OSS emulation to work. it does not use ALSA directly. but OSS is too old. and I can't really switch my system to it. so I'm not sure if I can get an OSS-emulated device for my USB microphone or If I really need to get arts to see my microphone. arts seems the easiest way to get everything working. but for some reason, it still does not see my microphone.
Hey you out there who knows all about it but are just a little to shy to help. show yourself off it will be highly appreciated.
VNC Casts
Here is my latest Tech find. After QuickTime video screenshot of your desktop and podcast of all sorts. Here's the VNC Cast.
Ever wanted to show your sister how to do something on the computer. Show off your computer to your friends easily or teach the world something ? Well [this site])(http://vnccasts.com/) Allow you not only to do this but also to chat with other viewers online and search for available VNCcasts aroung the world wide web.
Basically you setup a realvnc server which is free and you publish the broadcast info on the vnccast website. then people can look at it and chat online about it. multiple clients are available. and its all free.
I definitely think it can be usefull for bunch of things. what do you guys (anyone?) thinks ?
News from Japan
Français: voir plus bas.
I am sorry I did not give you much news about my trip in Japan. I thought it was a bit personal to give away every detail on the Internet. And I have been so busy with everything I had to see and learn around me. Basically I’ve been walking a lot around, the type of walk that most people never do, 4 to 10 hours long across de metropolis, looking at my dictionary every few minutes learning new words. So I saw quite a bit of Tokyo. Now that I was feeling ready to move on, go to Kansai-area and see Mihoko. The unpredictable happened. I got job interview for a C++ programmer position. Wow, I guess this is Tokyo speed, I’ll have to get used to it.
That’s it I’m tired to write and I need to get ready for the new challenge coming. I put pictures of my trip on my gallery site.
Je suis désolé ne je vous ai pas donné de nouvelle depuis le Japon. Je trouvais un peu personnel de raconter tous les petits détails et j’ai aussi été pas mal occupé. Beaucoup de chose à voir et à apprendre. En faites, j’ai marché énormément, des marches plutôt inhabituelles pour les la plupart des gens vivant à Tokyo. De 4 à 10 heures, traversant littéralement la métropole. Les yeux braquer à mon dictionnaire toutes les quelques minutes. Donc, j’ai pu voir quand même pas mal de la ville. Et maintenant que je me sentais enfin prêt pour la prochaine étape. Aller voir Mihoko dans sa ville natale dans la région Kansai. L’inimaginable se produisit. J’ai une entrevue pour un job comme programmer C++ demain. Wow, je suppose que c’est la vitesse à laquelle les choses se produit ici. Il va falloir que je m’y habitue.
Voilà, c’est tout pour aujourd’hui, je suis tanné d’écrire et j’ai besoin de me préparer pour ma prochaine série de challenge. Vous pouvez regarder mes photos de voyage sur mon site gallery.
Justbudget or how to save money.
Well, since I have not done it already, I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to my little baby, If I haven't already.
I made justbudget back in march 2005 to answer this craving need that everybody has, saving money. My girlfriend was travelling, visiting my country at the time and I was already planning to visit her country at some point. So I needed to save money. It's actually a web application I always dreamed of building but never did because of all those reasons you already know. Well, I did it.
](http://justbudget.com)
The idea is very simple, it replace the excel spreadsheets or the paper work that you would be doing. And makes it easier to enter your information and gives you more, for free. Free as in "no cost" and as in "no extra work". What more ? Well, a lot more and this is too early to start enumerating them. But think stats, graphs and real food.
People trying to determine their maximums, the money required per "envelopes" or categories. It is just going on step too fast. You first need know all those hidden categories you never thought you had. You need to know where you do really spend money. That requires you to track your expenses and start studying your very own profile. Then after, you can set maximums and change your lifestyle according to you needs and desires. As far back as I can remember, it's actually always what I've seen people doing. Keeping receipts and invoices and entering them in some system. And eventually giving up.
Giving up, most likely because: * their system were too sloppy and entering expenses was a pain. * their system was not available worldwide on any internet-connected web-surfing electronic device * their system was not giving them any answers or cool stats. they were just doing the first step, entering data.
So that's what justbudget mainly does. Allows you to track your expenses from anywhere, try to make it as easy as possible and gives you stats, graphs, results and as much feedback as you need to be able to learn something from your spending profile. To be able to save there is a lot that you need to know. More you give to the system, more the system will give you in return.
Here is my quick tips. * Every day: I'm sure I'm not the only one, after three days I already forgot all those tiny expenses that cost me the moon at the end of the month. Ask for receipts, write it down if not and enter them into your system at the end of the day. You'll save time too, as you won't need to remember, it should take you less that 5 minutes. As, for most days, most people has between 0 and 5 transactions a day. * Don't wait: Poeple are telling me "I don't have enough money. I have nothing to budget." It is so wrong, seriously. No wonder you won't ever have any. If you wait for the train without your train ticket, it'll take a while before you can take any train. Start now, don't wait for a bigger paycheck and especially not for this symbolic first of the month. And remember, poorer you are, better reasons you have to start now. * Enter the time: I know the date is more important and most people needs no more. But with the time, you'll have your expenses chronologically ordered. It will be easier to find something when you need to remember something you did. And justbudget's calendar makes it so easy anyway. * Category AND Location: I think most people got the category right. But many people message me asking "what is a location", or "why should I enter a location". In the end, it's totally your decision. but it will give your more stats. As where you spend your money. Not only for what purpose. You may actually decide to stop going somewhere after you realize you went to many times.
Well that's it. Tip #1 is for sure capital. Is the one that will make you succeed. I'll let you give it a try now. Have fun saving money. And if you have any comments, questions or simply want to leave a testimonials, feel free asking right here as a comment to this post. I'd be sure happy to know more what people think about it and if some of you succeed and are now saving money.
](http://justbudget.com)
Crystal Meth: an increasing problem
Last week I caught an article in the daily paper 24hours which was warning marijuana users because they found pot in Surrey and Delta (BC) that had crystal meth mixed with it. This is getting very dangerous.
Those guys really want to get people addicted. This is crazy. Actually, I can't understand how 9-13 years old kids can try this very hard stuff? Who the hell is squatting around our schools to offer this to kids?
Although fighting dealers and searching for labs is very important, I still consider our government and police force does not attack the problem on the right front. Looks like people are not learning really fast about problem solving techniques. I feel we are still in the 50ies.
Drug is not a cause or a problem we should really attack on its own. Drug is really a consequence. And we really should be seeking for the causes right now. Why do people get in these problems, why are they curious trying it and why the hell people have auto-destructive behavior in the first place?
As far as meth is concerned: If I understood correctly (and please correct me if I'm wrong), methamphetamine is not the most dangerous poison found in Crystal Meth. But most health problems would come from the fact that meth is created by non professional, in home-made labs using rudimentary techniques and chemical products such as [ Canned Heat, Rubbing Alcohol, Muriatic Acid ( Used for cleaning concrete), Coleman's Fuel, Acetone, Iodine Tincture, Hydrogen peroxide and Red Devils Lye ]. I mean, the actual drug "methamphetamine" is also synthesize in real laboratories and used to cure mental health problem such as ADHD and Narcolepsy. Of course the dosage quantities are far from similar but aren’t the tons of added chemicals and the unclean recipe causing most of the problems?
We need to stop considering users as criminals but as victims and start helping them and start looking for real solutions as reducing organized crime. Ask dealers if they want marijuana to be legalized. They certainly won't tell you "Yes". No way, they are making way too much money having this illegal. This makes me think there are most likely high ranked police officers and government employees that also make huge money out of the drug market and thus make sure it stays illegal.
Many people have been waiting for years for cannabis legalization, but we are not here anymore. All this have been taking too long and we need serious steps to be taken. What if we would give meth addicts some real methamphetamine, in smaller dosage to help them quit. Once they start to tamper off the drug and their counselor allow them to use the drug one or twice a week, to help them. Why are we letting them buying some more from the organized crime while we could just give them caps? This doesn’t make any sense.
Here is the way I see it. All Drugs becomes legal, but stays controlled. More controlled that cigarettes or alcohols. Drug Houses are created where people can buy the drug and have access to all the help and information they need in order to quit using. Either they are allowed to consume the drug outside of the house or not, I don’t know. Maybe they could not, maybe it should depend on the drug type. Maybe peoples who want to quit would be separated from the others. Drug would be cheaper than market price and would have a guaranteed quality. This would kill the organize crime. Addicts would save money and would be sure of what they are buying. Real stats about drug usage would be gained. Finding causes would be easier. Users could reach for help in a far easier way. Research about side effects could be resumed and scientist would learn a lot from it. And the last but not the least, drug money could be reinvested into social program instead of being lost in criminals hands. Cops could also target crime in a totally different way and thus get more specific and efficient. Right now they are just overloaded.
Either you are against or with me, please post your comments about constructive ideas to help the situation.
International Phone calls made easy
I run ran into this website and thought I should be sharing it with you guys. I was searching for various information about timezones and found this tool.
calling overseas can be so confusing sometimes, international dialing code + country code + very unusualy phone number. sometimes you got to remove few digits from the original phone number. anyway, If you are like me and don't call overseas often, I'm sure you are confused as well.
Well, the pain is behind, just select where you calling from, where you calling to, entering the phone number and this webtool will correct it for you and actually explain you clearly everything. Quite Neat I found.
Long life to our .... new Prime Minister, Stephen Harper
Hail to Mr Harper. Well, they finally got in, eh ? Not a big surprise since almost nobody wanted the liberal to stay in place. I find it so sad that people are only voting against the Liberal and going simply for the second biggest without really much more thinking.
Its quite interresting to see how close the Conservative and the Liberals are. It took lots of efforts from the Conservative to win (16 more seats in Ontario and 10 new one in Quebec) and still the Liberal are showing the close presence. It definitely shows how easy it is for the liberal the win in normal terms. Every province are splitting the vote.
I wish it would be possible to have a minority governement to last. Where all the parties are working together toward fixing all issues. Is it possible ? I don't know but it feels like it's how it should be in the future. no more parties, no more elections, just bunch of concerned people and experts working toward a common goal. what do you guys think ?
Anyway, I think the next year or so will be interresting. I just hope we won't get $300 millions worth elections every two years. because I don't think its the way canadians wants their money to be spent. Even though I'm sure politians have hell of a time travelling accross canada for two full months.
any inputs ?
