Enough talking, here are a few screenshots (click for full-res versions):

First one is just my basic desktop with background. The widgets are on the right, there's a clock face and below that is a little picture frame that, depending on how you set it, sifts through a folder (or folders if you specify) and changes the picture displayed. So you get a little miniature, changing picture frame. Nifty, eh?


(Click for high res image.)

This is shows how it pops up a little mini-view of the minimized window to preview before you restore it up from the taskbar to the desktop.


(Click for high res image.)

And finally, that side-view option that lets you see all the windows that are open. You click on the one you want to come forward to the front, then they zoom back in.


(Click for high res image.)

Well, I guess it's time for bed.

Oh, more coolness - when you mouse over a minimized application in your taskbar, up pops a mini preview of the window.

Also, there's a window fetcher button - basically you click on the button, and all the open windows and applications fall back a few feet and you look on them from a 45 degree angle in perspective, allowing you to see the content of all the windows when your desktop gets crowded. Then you mouse over and click on the window you want to bring to the front and it all zooms back in. Does the fact that I think that's really bitchin' mean I'm a dork?

Furthermore, and this is kinda silly, but I'm really enjoying the sample music files that come in the music samples folder. A few good electronica songs, some cool world music and jazz and classical songs in there. The new Windows Media Player looks like a decent program.

This post is being brought to you by Windows Vista™.

Been a loo-oo-oong time since I've gotten the rush of using a new OS. It's great. Goodbye, Windows XP! The user interface is nice and shiney, everything is responsive and peppy. My "Windows Experience Rating" was 4.1 out of 5. Apparently 1-2 is good for web surfing, and 4-5 is good for gaming. Ha. The Radeon 9800Pro still got a really high rating though, so I have all the eye candy turned on here and it looks, well, just really pretty.

There are a bunch of great features that should have been in XP - widgets for the side of the screen, hard-drive disc-imaging, advanced power settings, file run settings that make it easy to request permission for new applications to open and install (always a good thing) and - of course - sexy 3D user interface goodness.

Don't you wish you had a free copy of Windows Vista™?

Johnny Cash's version of Hurt

That's June (his 2nd wife) behind him in that video. I love this video so much.

Some high-quality urbandictionary.com definitions randomly observed:

guitar face: the face you make when in pain, ecstasy or passing massive amounts of gas. (bonus link HERE - am I the only one that laughs?

safety buzz: The amount of alcohol (or other substance) intake neccessary to provide a reason to try and make a move on someone. If this person is not receptive to the advance, then he/she can later claim that it was the substance talking and not them. However, if he/she welcomes the advance, there is nothing to worry about.

break the seal: The point at which you first piss after you have been drinking your favorite alcoholic beverage and at this point you will be pissing every ten minutes.

unprotected sleep: turning off your alarm clock and immediately going back to sleep; risking not waking up for a job, class, or other daily task.

Urbandictionary.com: usually crude; always entertaining.

Now for some Army of Anyone. I don't know if this track gets radio play or not, but I'm sharing it nonetheless. Decent stuff, I suppose.

So: It Doesn't Seem To Matter and Disappear - both by Army of Anyone

This is more Coheed and Cambria, and this is The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut

Rush/Pink Floyd/Mars Volta.

I (being most excellent) just discovered how to use the 2gigs of free web space Rice gives its graduate students.

I can now upload excellent new Coheed and Cambria songs like this one and there's not a damn thing you can do about it, slacka! Listen to those baby sounds! This track sounds so lush. I love it.

(If you're interested, you should read up on your C&C lore to see exactly what those kids are, why they're happy, and why he's talking about waking up. If not, the music is still lush and excellent.)

I'll throw up another tomorrow, now that I'm winning at "t3h internets" again.

Here's a test picture of Tokyo at night using a photography method called High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI) - which increases light contrast ratios to make ordinary pictures look totally awesome, and totally awesome pictures look like heaven. (Right click and select "View Picture" for the full picture. *EDIT: That only works in Firefox (which you should be using) but I changed it to where you can click on the image to see the full picture.*

I just watched Princess Mononoke - excellent, excellent movie! I loved it. Really intriguing.

How many animated movies have you seen where feudal Japanese towns engage animal gods in combat?

Anyhow, next on the Blockbuster list is Shaun of the Dead. :)

(EDIT: Read the post before this before reading this.)

What exactly does this mean anyhow?

I said the last post would be the last post before bed, but I got curious about that "time" and the idea of "better use" ... so I tallied up my logged time across all the characters on my account.

Keep in mind that my playing time is probably somewhere around average:

111 days, plus change.

That's days, as in 24 hours increments of time.

Multiply by 24 to calculate hours played, and you get 2,664 hours.

Two thousand, six hundred and sixty-four hours. At a computer. Killing electronic demons in a fantasy land called Azeroth with other people using voice-chat software to help us communicate.

Since World of Warcraft was released right before Thanksgiving, 2004, I'm going to estimate the total amount of time to have passed since then to be roughly 790 days. (Two years from Thanksgiving '04 to Thanksgiving '06, then 30 days for November to December and another thirty for December to January, so 365+365+30+30 = 790 days) This equals 18,960 hours, of which 2,664 were spent playing WoW.

2664/18960 = 0.1405, so I've spent 14% of the last 2 years playing a game.

I mean, at least I'm not on the streets dealing drugs or in the lab working on my PhD thesis, you know? Gotta keep it in perspective.

So - can I put this time to better use? I'm not sure - man is nothing if not naturally lazy and averse to work. But I do know that my productivity at work and at home goes up when I don't play. I also know that I've turned down at least one date because I was too busy with scheduled raids (for those who aren't WoW-addicts, a "raid" is a massive 40-man activity in World of Warcraft... some fights require 40 people to work together to take down bosses - miss too many of them and you'll get kicked out of your guild). Scary how the priorities get altered, huh?

***As a parting thought, I'll humbly submit to the reader that, in fact, there have been two distinct periods of time where I have stopped playing WoW... so if I were to try to be more accurate in determining a "WoW density" quantification, those 2664 hours of playtime were really compressed into less than 1.5 years (not 2 years and 2 months)... or maybe even a little bit tighter. I wouldn't be surprised if my total amount of playtime (adjusted to take into account only the time passing during those periods when I'm actively subscribing to play the game) inflated to near 20-25% of total time during those periods. That's a quarter of my existence.***

I'm not buying the Burning Crusade (World of Warcrack expansion software). I've thought about it a few days. Well, at least one. I can probably put the time to better use.

Anyhow, Dan and other committee members or faculty who frequent this blog, I hope this means I can get more work done faster in the lab.

I like it.

Thoughts?

Laugh a little: Link.

is going through a molt following his recent feedings. The other day I noticed a slight ruddy color on his ivory-white underside, and now today his eyes are cloudy and most of his body is a faded color. Sometime soon he'll start doing his hiding and molting thing.

I'm pretty happy about this, because sometimes molts can take a long damn time to happen. After his last molt (October), Snakey got in the bad habit of extending up and wedging himself on a glass lip under some aluminum screening that I'd stapled on the top of the tank lid. Every time he'd try to get out from under the screen, he'd end up scraping his dorsal scales and for the last couple of months his scales were pretty beaten up. No wounds or anything really wrong, it was just an aesthetics issue.

Anyway, now he's got a solid wooden tank top and (soon) a shiny coat of armor, so he'll be more impressive.

Cichlids incoming. More later.

So I was just going to do a bit of face maintenance before going into work (late... :( ) so I busted out the shaver.

Long story short, after repeated salvage attempts, I had to shave off everything.

The one good part was that I made a Fu Manchu mustache to enjoy for a brief while before shaving even it off. No pictures, sorr.

Sad, because I got a compliment on it just yesterday.

From a Ball Python FAQ list:

Q: Help, My snakes eye has a dent in it!
A: Don't panic. This occasionally happens and can be attributed to the snake being a little dehydrated. Make sure it's got fresh water and a bowl that it can soak in. The dent should be gone with the next shed cycle.

A dented eye? Gotta hurt.

I like my python more and more each day. :)

I also discovered the binomial name for ball pythons is Python regius, which translates to "Python King" from Latin, which is why my random habit of calling my snake "Lord McSnakerson" (his real name is Snakey McSnakerson) is surreptitiously cool.

Dear Chris:

Congratulations, you’ve learned how to build well-connected, visually stunning applications with Windows Vista, and now your free, full-licensed copy of Windows Vista Business is on its way.

Please be patient. We cannot ship your gift until Windows Vista Business is released to manufacturing. Your free software should arrive in six to eight weeks after RTM. If it doesn't arrive after eight weeks, please contact a customer service representative at Windows Vista and Office Kit Order Admin. Be sure to have your confirmation number XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX on hand.

Microsoft

So I got in on this deal a few weeks ago where I registered with Microsoft to watch some webcasts through one of their education websites about how to use their new operating software (Windows Vista) and Office 07 Suite.

So I got a free copy of Windows Vista Business.

People who are friendly to you aren't always your friends.

Because I know after the last post, you do, in fact, yessiree want more...

How terrible of me not to include a link to the story so far!

of this good stuff: Coheed and Cambria

(Another, if you want more.)

Coheed and Cambria are a music group that sound like the Mars Volta but are a bit less experimental and a bit more ballady/rock-ish.

The band released a comic along side their albums, and the two bodies of work complement each other and create an entire mythology in a distopian sci-fi fantasy universe.

It's really quite interesting, and I've liked the music I've heard so far, to say the least.

Yeah, so that little flash doohickey that counts abortions...

I really like it.

Correction - it's useful - of course I hate what it represents.

When I added it to the sidebar, it was under 57 million. The counter I was using now says 59.2 million.

Ah, but time marches on - and either 2 million completely morally-neutral surgeries have taken place or 2 million small children have been killed. It's all about perspective, and what you personally decide you believe. (No, I'd never be comfortable pushing my beliefs about 2 million child non-incidents and/or child killings on anyone. Only a maniacal religious zealot would do that.) Unfortunately, some of the earliest of that 3 million-strong number aren't able to be reached for their opinion. But as I said - it's all about perspective, right? Oh, and power to enforce your perspective.

Yes, kind reader - I digress.

Anyhow, when I added the HTML code to display it, I copy/pasted it from 1way2god.net. I'm happy they made it available, but I'm not sure what I think about everything posted on their website, so I'm removing the link to their site, so as to somewhat distance myself from them.

Just thought I'd let it be known - since people may have in the past clicked over there and then thought I was endorsing their website.

And right now I'm going to switch it now to show total number of abortions worldwide since 2001.

If you're interested to know, or flabbergasted at the number, the data comes from a 1999 report from Planned-Parenthood/Guttmacher Institute and from the CDC and the UN's World Health Organization.

I'll finish this post off with some Creedence Clearwater Revival:

Long as I remember, the rain's been comin' down
Clouds of mystery pourin' confusion on the ground
Good men through the ages, tryin' to find the sun
And I wonder, still I wonder, who'll stop the rain.

I went down to Virginia, seekin' shelter from the storm
Caught up in the fable, I watched the tower grow
Five year plans and new deals, wrapped in golden chains
And I wonder, still I wonder who'll stop the rain.

Heard the singers playin', how we cheered for more.
The crowd had rushed together, tryin' to keep warm.
Still the rain kept pourin', fallin' on my ears.
And I wonder, still I wonder who'll stop the rain.

A reaction messed up. Work down the drain.

Lots of time and reagents wasted.

While waiting on my gel to, well, gel, I watched some more of these wacky TV clips of the Iranian national TV station.

The videos archived over at MEMRI range from the unbelievably stupid: (LINK) - watch out! Pepsi stands for Pay Each Penny to Save Israel! Oh, and Coke plans to topple Iran!!! (No, I'm not kidding!)

...to the scary: (LINK) - check out 9:30 into this video clip, where Ahmanijad says point blank that "America and England are the enemies of the Iranian Nation" followed by chants from the many thousands of spectators of "Allah Akbar! Death to America."

The few clicks it takes to see these videos is worth it.

If you want to watch more, here's a smorgasbord of stupidity for you to wallow in.

“We oppose obtaining nuclear weapons and we will peacefully use nuclear technology under the framework of the Nonproliferation Treaty, but if we are threatened, the situation may change."

That coming from the mouth of an Official of the state of Iran, a country whose leader has sworn to "wipe Israel off the map."

Even the Iranian leadership isn't too stupid to understand that once they are threatened it will be too late to develop a nuke...

I suppose this is good, since at least now it looks like Iran has stopped pretending like it will never attempt to produce nuclear weaponry.

And facing reality, while not always never fun when dealing with a fundamentalist, religious idiot sworn to "annihilate" his religious adversary (a secularized Jewish state) is always good.

Oh! Wait just a second, Mr. or Mrs. Reader Person - I can hear your gears a-twerlin' up there in your head! You're like, "Quick, didn't Bush say something similar about the Axis of Evil or something?!?! Didn't he...?!" To which I respond: show me where Bush swore to annihilate and wipe off the map the countries that he said were in that Axis of Evil (whether or not I approve of that Axis term is irrelevant to my point) and I'll concede the point that Bush is a terrorist, fascist, fundamentalist dictator.

And while we're at it, take a look at what the Iran state-run TV medium consistantly broadcasts and decide yourself whether or not Iranian policy makers think producing a nuclear weapon is in or out of line with their stated goals.

LGF link

Abba Pambo asked Abba Anthony, "What ought I do?" and the old man said to him, "Do not trust in your own righteousness, do not worry about the past, but control your tongue and your stomach."

Right on.

I really don't feel like going back in to work.

I guess things like this build character. Or maybe I could run up to school and around the loop. I haven't run in about a year.

But I just aced off a Lean Cuisine™ spaghetti dinner with mountain dew, followed by ~8 little Hershey's chocolate bars, so I'm all food-filled and lethargic.

I guess I still need to come up with a New Year's resolution, too. Is "to stop drinking so much @(!$ing soda" a legitimate resolution, or is that poser? Wait, is it poser to wonder if something is poser?

I better just stop here.

Oh wait, another thing, I now have a hand-crafted and fitted, fully-latching top to the Snakey Pit. It's high quality, and I can tell already that Snakey feels like a million bucks snaking around inside of his tank now. Ordinarily, such wanton displays of materialism would disappoint me a bit, but in our conversations, Snakey has told me that he's really not out to impress anyone - it's more like he takes pride in his owners fine craftsmanship. (Well, Eric helped also. And the big dude at Home Depot that helped cut the lumber. But hey, that's hardly the point.)

Bwahahaha!

I mean, they didn't really have to throw in the gay stuff, but overall it's still pretty funny.