my war on iTunes

Today marked the first day of being bored at work on my first day. I’m glad that I got the job, however playing chess can only amuse you for so long until the evil clutches of the internet grab you and your soul. I was pretty lucky because halfway through my shift the manager decided to go home, and that left me to my own devices.

Enough about you…what do you think of Apple?

Well I’m a gamer so any non-Microsoft normally would cause me a lot of concern…although its gradually growing on me. I never thought I come to love this new subculture in the computer industry…but my knees get weaker everytime I see a Macbook. They just LOOK so damn sexy…something that Microsoft couldn’t achieve. Microsoft is a technician’s tool which is why I initially liked it. It made me look clever and smart, and I learnt to fix things that newbies struggled with. now I’ve reached the point, where I’m pretty tired of fixing things and just want something that won’t break in a hurry.

Let’s not forget my pet hate with mac…iTunes. When the iPod came along every teenager got a bit giddy and decided to give it a go. As a result they ended up crashing their Mum’s precious computers (non Apple ones of course) and spending tons of money of the next best iPod gizmo to hit the shelves. When the same teenagers turned around to their iTunes they realized that their music had gone, and they were now having numerous glitches with song names, albums titles, and album artwork. This was the first time that I really hated Mac. A friend of mine got all psyched about them and told me to use ITunes. After a while I realized the iTunes made up its mind that I was no good at organizing things and decided to move around my music.

Anyway I got a bit down in the dumps about the whole thing and decided to give up on Apple for a while. Now back in the deep end, and have to put on a valiant smile and tell customers that a Mac is the best thing since since brass door knobs. I think I should manage, just got to keep my focus on all the other great applications that Apple offers and bury iTunes in the back of my mind;)

PhilosopherPoet

Calculate

Calculate

WARNING: This story has very graphic content 

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Book Dilemma

This morning was one of those mornings (for me), where you find yourself lying in bed for an extra five minutes meaninglessly listening to the radio. You wait for the guilt of wasting time in bed instead of doing the morning chores, to override your current impulse of listening to more news. Eventually half of me decided it was time to get out of bed, this time it was the heavier half. So I managed without oversleeping. I did my morning ritual of staring dumbly into the depths of my bookshelf, for not particularly reason at all, other than that I seemed to be doing the same thing every other morning.

The First Copy of the book I bought

 

Still half asleep, and feeling lazier than most days, something on my bookshelf jolted me to a sudden and frightening freshness. I have two copies of the same book! I’m a Don DeLillo fan at the moment, and I realized that I’d bought two copies of the book Falling Man. This was on two different occasions, and the two books I had had different covers. The first time it was when I was at a book sale on a leisurely weekend stroll through the mall. The second was when I was in a rush buying groceries. All my brain registered at the time was the Author’s name, and the fact that I hadn’t seen this cover before. Both are still in good condition, so I came up with a cunning plan. The book with the most attractive cover (the second one in this case) will be my personal copy. I’ll read this in due course and then rave about the book to my friends and lend out the other copy, to further promote literacy. This way I can not worry about my favorite books being lost to the terrible clutches on friends.

This is the Second Copy I bought. The image above is of an audio tape, by the background image is the same as what I landed up with.

 

This experience has haunted me previously. It’s ironic that your most favorite books you end up recommending always get lost in the clutches of some long-lost friend you can’t find on facebook anymore. Sigh…anyway I’ve decided now that I’m going to draw up an inventory of all of my media. This would be books, films, music…and so on. I think I need to start keeping up to date with discs that go missing. The handy thing about music, is if I recommend an album, I’ll download it…and then make a copy for a friend or two. Alternatively if I do happen to buy the original, I’ll still make a copy of the disc for a friend. It’s logical and sensible. Unfortunately I don’t have a pocket printing press I can slap on the counter, and run off a few extra copies.

 

PhilosopherPoet

Where is my sword?

Over the weekend, I came to this realization by watching a BBC documentary on Ancient Rome, and then the classic movie 300 (for the umpteenth time). I’ve always been fascinated with the Roman Era. The reason is it’s a period of history that seems so close to our own. Okay, nowadays we’re not exactly watching people get thrown to the lions…and to me it was the birth of thinking. They tried to be as civilized as possible, and in doing so brought forward many ideas, theories and religions that would later be boosted a couple hundred years later in the Renaissance.

Call me the historian now…but think about it, if the Roman Empire didn’t exist (this includes all the thinkers, philosophers, scientists, scholars, and activists of that period) would there still be a Renaissance? Many say that the 1600-1700s was a time of rebirth in knowledge, although it was more an uncovering of past ideas and thinking. This is not to say that there weren’t new discoveries, but I see the Renaissance as a whole lot of people stopping themselves and saying, “Holy crap, there’s so much to build on in the past! We better get started and make the most out of our generation…”

Moving on, I think that we a lot to thank the Roman’s for. They were ahead of their time. Okay, they didn’t exactly have the internet, automobiles, and a Starbucks around every corner, but they did begin what the rest of mankind would continue to build on. The only regret (I have) of the Roman rule, was the institutionalization of Christianity with Emperor Constantinople, deciding that slaying a few pagans in the name of God…isn’t such a bad idea.

(Anyway, I won’t get started on that train of thought just yet.) For those who are interested the documentary I mentioned, it’s called BBC: The Rise and Fall on the Roman Empire.

If you’re into history…I highly recommend it!

 

PhilosopherPoet

Keep your lid on

At the moment I seem to be catching up on my movie collection, more than my bookshelf. That’s okay with me…I just have to remind myself to blog about the movies, and in a sense to keep on thinking. This is probably why I don’t smoke weed, or do any drug other than alcohol…this is because I’m too addicted to a clear mind. So the movie I saw the other day (which I thought to be blog-able) was Be Cool. This is quiet an old movie, but it had Uma Thurman in it.

She an acting legend IMO. Of course after Quentin Tarantino got a hold of her, I’m used to seeing her swinging swords and covered in blood. It was actually quite refreshing to see her in a more feminine role for a change. In this movie she plays an owner of a record company. Her and co-star John Travolta, are trying to get a talented young girl in the music industry.

There are a few problems. She already had a contract with someone else…although that one wasn’t going anywhere. So she has to try brush off these wanna-be gangsters, plus the Russians who are always involved somehow. This is a very quirky movie. It has numerous twists and turns, not to mention it has Travolta actually playing the good guy (which is rare with his current films). I would give it 4/5 simply because I don’t think it’s everyone’s kinda movie. On the up-side it has some good twists in the plot, and plenty of laughs.

I find the trick to a good comedy is does the person understand the underlying humor of the whole story. The scriptwriter wants the viewers to see a certain thread of comedy, and in this case it’s not always seen. This could be seen as a positive or negative. You should know by now that the movies I review are one’s I hate, this is because I find that a waste of breath. There are too many good movies to promote!

 

PhilosopherPoet

Educated Detectives

I’m not talking about men with guns that’ve gone to Harvard or Cambridge. Everyone complains about the police, and most of the time they’re not honest enough to be educated. Think more in terms of the medical industry, and you start getting somewhere…

I’ve always hated hospitals. I find it kinda spooky to be around a spotless room…and yet there is still an anesthetized death floating about the place. There are people with masks, people who are prepared to wrestle you down against your will, deceptively attractive nurses who aren’t afraid to administer something delicious into your veins.

Despite all of this, I find doctors fascinating… They are our modern day detectives. They can kick your ass, wear a mask, and feel okay about it all. They are the only people who have enough degrees to give you the right to feel like some kind of respect is due. In case you are wondering, this means I’ve been watching too much House.

All I can say it two thumbs up for this series. I’m generally not a fan of medical films and series, although this one proved me wrong. The series gets its name from Dr. House (Hugh Laurie). He is the Sherlock Holmes of this story. He is abrupt and grumpy. Some go as far as to say that he’s uncaring and harsh, but just like any good detective…he gets the job done.

House has an addiction to Vicodin. This is due to an accident that left him limping in one leg, and holding a cane wherever he now walks. Despite this, he still manages to solve most cases that his peers, provided his patients are prepared to sit through his black humor along with other idiosyncrasies.

In real life Hugh Laurie is in fact a British Actor, a veteran in the field of comedy. I’ve been a fan of his back in the days of Black Adder, and now to see him flawlessly pull off the American accent…I think I’m got a new favorite character to add to my list!

The story goes that the Director was originally looking for an American actor to play the role. Laurie went along with this and sent off a tape of himself, acting with an American accent. The Director didn’t know who this actor really was, and so told him to come in for an audition. Laurie then proceeded to act out his version of House (with an upside-down umbrella used as a cane). The Director bought this and went away raving about Laurie as the best American actor his EVER seen.

I had a quiet chuckle to myself about this…since I’ve got a huge soft spot for British comedy.

PhilosopherPoet

the L word

I’ve often heard fellow heterosexual men joke about being lesbian. It’s one of those big mysteries…why lesbians are a turn-on to heterosexual men? Part of the reason (some may even say problem) is Western chauvinism has socialized us that way. We are meant to believe that a man and a woman is a natural combination. But then if you start to mix it…whoa, you’re in trouble. I find it fascinating that our cultures values are influenced by society, which is in fact popular opinion which has evolved over time. That said this brings me to marvel at a TV series I’ve recently been watching, the L word.

The title is ambiguous. Clearly the ‘L’ is for the term lesbian, although it can also be associated with other words. The words love, laughter, life, longing, lilting, Los Angeles, lonely night, legally, lawfully, laurels, liberal, lightning, lecherous, least, lewd, literature, lesson, leaving, luscious, lithe, list, leggy, lust, label, limpid, lips, laps, lyrics, liquid, launch, large, lasting, lacking, languorous and looking also appear in the title. (Generally you wouldn’t have time to read all of that.) This is a fairly good summary of the series itself, however I’ll elaborate.

There is a group of lesbians that this story revolves around. (See below.)

• Mia Kirshner as Jenny Schecter
• Jennifer Beals as Bette Porter
• Laurel Holloman as Tina Kennard
• Eric Mabius as Tim Haspel
• Katherine Moennig as Shane McCutcheon
• Erin Daniels as Dana Fairbanks
• Leisha Hailey as Alice Pieszecki
• Pam Grier as Kit Porter
• Karina Lombard as Marina

They are all successful women, but like all of us, they struggle with their personal lives. At first when I sat down to watch this I was highly skeptical, since I thought it was going to be a glamorized porn film. Look it is certainly explicit throughout the series, but it’s is still hugely profound. It’s an in-depth look at what lesbians get up to, and the challenges that they face.

So far I’ve only watched the first season, but it’s so intensely emotional it’s actually brought me to tears on a few occasions. Mostly I’m a cynic when watching and reviewing cinema, although this one I have to speak differently about. Of course I won’t deny that part of the appeal is because I’m a straight guy. I’m not convinced that a straight woman would find this series compelling.

IMO there are two major reasons why I would recommend this series. That would be the dynamic cast and the multifarious storylines. It’s intensely layered with emotion and honesty, and because of that I believe it’s one of the most accurate glimpses you’ll get of the lesbian world. This is one of those series that is not for the faint-hearted, so try and be open-minded when you approach it.

PhilosopherPoet

The World is Dead (Horror is Born)

Haven’t you noticed? I suppose this is what happens when you spend your evenings watching horror movies, rather than be a normal person and get out to a date, or the pub. Anyway, I sometimes find they are the best entertainment we still have around. I was watching the classic, Dawn of the Dead. Wow, what a film! I don’t care how unrealistic and absurd it really is…the whole point of undead people ripping up a handful of living ones…somehow excites me.

I mostly avoid explaining my fascination with death to people. The reason why is a) it doesn’t make for such a good dinner conversation and b) people will think I’m cuckoo and will probably give me some pills rather than some freedom to talk. Putting my personal issues aside I started thinking about why we create these creatures…

Why was horror born? Well like anything there are a number of reasons behind it. One of them is that it is a reaction to the norms of society. Horror started way back in the Victorian Era with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. This was a significant leap into the genre as we know it. The Victorian’s took Christianity very seriously. Woman had to be covered up, and children were best seen and not heard. Think of your grandparents going Amish, and then you’ve got the right idea. Moving on into the Early 1900s books are still highly regarded…but a new medium in film is developing…cinema.

When the Roaring Twenties hit America, it was a sort of Media Renaissance. Society was starting to open its eyes. Women got far braver by wearing shorter skirts, smoking in public, drinking in public, and attending events without a chaperone. It all sounds pretty innocent to us. Although tell any Victorian to wear a knee-high dress and whip out a cigarette, and she’d probably tell you to sod off.

Everyone was trying to forget all the business of WWI, and so the Western world was living it up. Cinema happened to be an indication of the evolution of entertainment when the silent film appeared in the late 1920s (if my memory serves me). So now people are getting bored with books, and want a new medium to give the audience. Movies were born on pretty primitive technology, but that didn’t stop anyone. All of a sudden theaters were for the old folks, and cinema became a rage.

Ticket after ticket were sold all around Europe and America. After WWI Europe was still limping after the war, so America had the resources to hone this newly found craft. By the time WWII struck in the forties, black and white films were going strong. Media was now reaching the masses. Any person could pay for a movie ticket, and go and sit in a cinema, not to mention it was a helluva experience seeing character’s expressions 100x closer than in reality.

I’m skimming over the topic of Cinema pretty briefly simply because there is so much in it. Anyway, to make a long story short, after the sixties Horror really came to the Media’s attention. Special effects were developing at a massive rate. By the time the eighties came along this was not only the rise of Horror, but also the darker side of Heavy Metal. I would be lying if I said that this is when this music genre really started, but it’s certainly where things began to kick off. Also all media is interlinked, and compliments each other, so we can’t deny music not playing a role.

So I obviously am aware that the world isn’t dead. Although I think when I lay my head down at night…my mind may take some convincing. All I need to do is pray they don’t eat me, and move on to someone else.

 

Later Bloggers

PhilosopherPoet

Ted Hughes – Macaw and Little Miss

I’m an image whore. I love poetry because it achieves this almost immediately And of course you don’t get much better than Ted Hughes. I enjoy him because he’s the Beethoven of poetry. He creates the storminess and ferocity that many other are afraid to mention and talk about. He uses the animal kingdom to reveal the Dark side of Humanity. He can be tender at times, but generally he’s vivid and intense.

This poem is probably more suited for a horror film, but I really like it. Comments are always welcome

Macaw and Little Miss

In a cage of wire-ribs
The size of a man’s head, the macaw bristles in a staring
Combustion, suffers the stoking devils of his eyes.
In the old lady’s parlour, where an aspidistra succumbs
To the musk of faded velvet, he hangs in clear flames,
Like a torturer’s iron instrument preparing
With dense slow shudderings of greens, yellows, blues,
Crimsoning into the barbs:

Or like the smouldering head that hung
In Killdevil’s brass kitchen, in irons, who had been
Volcano swearing to vomit the world away in black ash,
And would, one day; or a fugitive aristocrat
From some thunderous mythological hierarchy, caught
By a little boy with a crust and a bent pin,
Or snare of horsehair set for a song-thrush,
And put in a cage to sing.

The old lady who feeds him seeds
Has a grand-daughter. The girl calls him ‘Poor Polly’, pokes fun.
‘Jolly Mop.’ But lies under every full moon,
The spun glass of her body bared and so gleam-still
Her brimming eyes do not tremble or spill
The dream where the warrior comes, lightning and iron,
Smashing and burning and rending towards her loin:
Deep into her pillow her silence pleads.

All day he stares at his furnace
With eyes red-raw, but when she comes they close.
‘Polly. Pretty Poll’, she cajoles, and rocks him gently.
She caresses, whispers kisses. The blue lids stay shut.
She strikes the cage in a tantrum and swirls out:
Instantly beak, wings, talons crash
The bars in conflagration and frenzy,
And his shriek shakes the house.

-Ted Hughes

BoSD…One error you don’t want to see!

The Blue Screen of Death, or known as a STOP error is the last thing any user wants to see. For the unenlightened I simply talking about when your computer stops working and sooner or later you see a big blue screen pop up with an error script. It usually starts with about five to six zeros and turns into gibberish as it progresses. Below I’ve shown what this all looks like:

Anyway, most people will simply sigh and go and take it into the nearest computer repair shop. Then there are those of us who are just not satisfied to leave it at that, and want to fix the damn thing our self! So here is how you’d go about it. The following information was taken from this link: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ht/stoperrors Hopefully you’ll also find it useful if you are technologically inclined.

1. The most important STOP error troubleshooting step you can take is to ask yourself what you just did.

Did you just install a new program or a piece of hardware, update a driver, install an update, etc.? If so, there’s a very good chance that the change you made caused the STOP error.

Undo the change you made and test for the blue screen. Depending on what change you made, some solutions might include:

1. • Startup with Last Known Good Configuration to undo recent registry and driver changes.
   • Use System Restore to undo recent system changes.
   • Rollback device driver to version prior to your driver update.
2. Verify that a minimum amount of free space is available on your Windows partition. STOP messages and other serious issues, like data corruption, can occur if there’s not enough free space on your primary partition used for the Windows operating system.

I recommend that you maintain at least 200MB of free space.

Scan your computer for viruses. Some viruses can cause STOP errors, especially ones that infect the master boot record (MBR) or boot sector.

Important: Make sure your virus scanning software is completely up to date and that it’s configured to scan the MBR and boot sector.

1. Apply all available Windows service packs and other updates. Microsoft regularly releases patches and service packs for their operating systems that may contain fixes for the cause of your STOP error.
2. Update drivers for your hardware. Most STOP messages are hardware and driver related so updated drivers could fix the cause of the STOP error.
3. Check the System and Application logs in Event Viewer for errors or warnings that might provide more clues on the cause of the STOP error.
4. Return hardware settings to default in Device Manager. Unless you have a specific reason to do so, the system resources that an individual piece of hardware is configured to use in Device Manager should be set to default. Non-default hardware settings have been known to cause STOP errors.
5. Return BIOS settings to their default levels. An overclocked or misconfigured BIOS can cause all sorts of random issues, including STOP errors.

Note: If you’ve made several customizations to your BIOS settings and don’t wish to load the default ones then at least try returning clock speed, voltage settings, and BIOS memory options to their default settings and see if that fixes the STOP error.

1. Update your BIOS. In some situations, and outdated BIOS could cause a STOP error due to certain incompatibilities.
2. Make sure all internal cables, cards, and other components are installed and seated properly. Hardware that’s not firmly in place can cause a STOP error so try reseating the following and then test for the STOP message again:
   • Reseat the internal cables
   • Reseat the memory modules
   • Reseat the video card
   • Reseat other expansion cards
3. Perform diagnostic tests on all hardware you’re able to test. It’s highly likely that the root cause of any given STOP error is a failing piece of hardware:
   • Test your system memory
   • Test your hard disk drive
   • Test your CPU
4. Start your PC with essential hardware only. A useful troubleshooting step in many situations, including STOP errors, is to start your computer with the minimum hardware necessary to run the operating system. If your computer starts successfully it proves that one of the removed hardware devices was the cause of the STOP message.

Hope this comes in handy to some frustrated users! If there are those of you who are even more geeky and are interested in the error codes themselves, here’s a list of STOP codes you can download: bsod error code list

PhilosopherPoet