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651

Living Room / Re: Top 10 Survival Tricks for When the Zombie Apocalypse Hits :: Lifehacker

« Last post by J-Mac on August 12, 2011, 11:17 PM »

Some of my favorite zombie quotes:

 "They're coming to get you Barbara!"
    - Johnny, Night of the Living Dead (1968)

 "I don't know what's happening to me. I'm not alive. I'm not dead. I'm just...I'm just so lonely."
    - Julie, Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993)

 "If we hole up I want to be somewhere familiar, I want to know where the exits are, and I want to be allowed to smoke."
    - Ed, Shaun of the Dead (2004)

 "Every dead body that is not exterminated becomes one of them. It gets up and kills. The people it kills get up and kill."
    - Doctor on newscast, Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Night of the Living Dead- Original - 1968:

Johnny (in a creepy voice):  They're coming to get you, Barbara!
Barbara:     Stop it! You're ignorant!
Johnny:     They're coming for you, Barbara!
Barbara:     Stop it! You're acting like a child!
Johnny:     They're coming for you!
[Points to the cemetery zombie]
Johnny:     Look, there comes one of them now!
Barbara:    He'll hear you!
Johnny:     Here he comes now! I'm getting out of here!

(Of course immediately after Johnny's last line there, he utters his REAL last line, which was something like, "Aaaarrrghhhh". Ah, the good old days of cinema!)

Jim

652

General Software Discussion / Re: Outlining software recommendations?

« Last post by J-Mac on August 09, 2011, 09:16 PM »

40hz: The problem isn't that you can't undo what you already typed; it's that you can't undo what you accidentally delete!! I have a problem wherein I highlight some text to delete it and if I move my mouse even slightly as I complete highlighting the selected text is unselected and all other text on that line - or sometimes in that paragraph - is highlighted instead! And my fingers are moving faster than my "thought-to-action" reflex, so I hit the delete key a split second after noticing the highlighted test just changed. Undo function usually manages to save me right then! Lack of an Undo function might drive me to drink!

Jim

653

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloudberry S3 Explorer and Bucket Explorer

« Last post by J-Mac on August 05, 2011, 09:44 AM »

Tom, do you know where the TC plug-in can be downloaded?

Thanks!

Jim

654

General Software Discussion / Re: Cloudberry S3 Explorer and Bucket Explorer

« Last post by J-Mac on August 05, 2011, 09:06 AM »

Sorry for the "thread necromancy" but since Bucket Explorer is for sale at a 50% discount today on BitsduJour - and since this is the only thread mentioning "Bucket Explorer" here at DC - I thought it might be appropriate.

I currently use the free Cloudberry S3 Explorer, mainly because it is free (naturally!) and my only Amazon S3 bucket is the one I created for Jungle Disk to store my JD backups. Jungle Disk stores the data in a way that is not easily browsable to the human eye so I have Cloudberry installed only in case for some reason I cannot access the data any other way. Kind of an emergency backup S3 browser.

Some forum posts I have read elsewhere tout Bucket Explorer as the best tool for browsing S3 data, but it is expensive: regularly $69.99. Bits has it today for $34.99, which though it is a 50% discount that's not exactly cheap either! The praise-filled forum posts I have read all read similarly so it is possible that it is really some astroturfing by the folks at Bucket Explorer. Or not - I'm not trying to accuse them; it might just look that way to me. Actually it looks like it could be more appropriate for companies that require collaboration and access control for multiple S3 buckets. I can't see the justification for using it for a personal S3 account though.

Anyway, is anyone here using Bucket Explorer? If so, can anyone give me reasons why it is so costly? Any special or unique features that aren't otherwise available in other S3 browsers?

Thanks for any advice.

Jim

655

Living Room / A Cat and Dolphin Love Story

« Last post by J-Mac on August 02, 2011, 09:13 PM »

OK, I'm not a cat person; not really a dolphin person either...  I am a lifelong dog person! But this was cute anyway so take a look:

http://www.wimp.com/catdolphins/

Cat on a boat, dolphins swim up to the boat, and well, take a look!

Jim

656

Living Room / Re: Intelligence and Internet browsers

« Last post by J-Mac on August 01, 2011, 10:05 PM »

Also well stated here:

Jim

What Is Intelligence, Anyway?
Isaac Asimov

What is intelligence, anyway? When I was in the army, I received the kind of aptitude test that all soldiers took and, against a normal of 100, scored 160. No one at the base had ever seen a figure like that, and for two hours they made a big fuss over me. (It didn't mean anything. The next day I was still a buck private with KP - kitchen police - as my highest duty.)

All my life I've been registering scores like that, so that I have the complacent feeling that I'm highly intelligent, and I expect other people to think so too. Actually, though, don't such scores simply mean that I am very good at answering the type of academic questions that are considered worthy of answers by people who make up the intelligence tests - people with intellectual bents similar to mine?

For instance, I had an auto-repair man once, who, on these intelligence tests, could not possibly have scored more than 80, by my estimate. I always took it for granted that I was far more intelligent than he was. Yet, when anything went wrong with my car I hastened to him with it, watched him anxiously as he explored its vitals, and listened to his pronouncements as though they were divine oracles - and he always fixed my car.

Well, then, suppose my auto-repair man devised questions for an intelligence test. Or suppose a carpenter did, or a farmer, or, indeed, almost anyone but an academician. By every one of those tests, I'd prove myself a moron, and I'd be a moron, too. In a world where I could not use my academic training and my verbal talents but had to do something intricate or hard, working with my hands, I would do poorly. My intelligence, then, is not absolute but is a function of the society I live in and of the fact that a small subsection of that society has managed to foist itself on the rest as an arbiter of such matters.

Consider my auto-repair man, again. He had a habit of telling me jokes whenever he saw me. One time he raised his head from under the automobile hood to say: "Doc, a deaf-and-mute guy went into a hardware store to ask for some nails. He put two fingers together on the counter and made hammering motions with the other hand. The clerk brought him a hammer. He shook his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering. The clerk brought him nails. He picked out the sizes he wanted, and left. Well, doc, the next guy who came in was a blind man. He wanted scissors. How do you suppose he asked for them?"

Indulgently, I lifted by right hand and made scissoring motions with my first two fingers. Whereupon my auto-repair man laughed raucously and said, "Why, you dumb jerk, He used his voice and asked for them." Then he said smugly, "I've been trying that on all my customers today." "Did you catch many?" I asked. "Quite a few," he said, "but I knew for sure I'd catch you." "Why is that?" I asked. "Because you're so goddamned educated, doc, I knew you couldn't be very smart."

And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there.

657

Living Room / Re: I was wrong - again! (cheap monitor theory invalid)

« Last post by J-Mac on August 01, 2011, 09:36 AM »

I have been using nVidia GeForce graphics cards for a few years now - even though they have been the very bane of my existence a lot of the time! - and most often the nVidia software "reads" the monitor's requirements and sets the refresh rate accordingly. I usually peek at the various settings from time to time though I rarely change anything manually unless I read a specific thread at the nVidia forum that recommends otherwise - I just don’t know enough to change the settings my own knowledge.

One thing I have noticed is that at times (on different monitors) the refresh rate has been set at 59 MHz, and at other times 60 MHz. I never found out why but the monitors never appeared to display poorly so I guess the settings were OK. I guess that 1 single MHz can actually make a difference?

Thank you.

Jim

658

General Software Discussion / Re: Unlocker punishes you for not installing toolbar.

« Last post by J-Mac on August 01, 2011, 09:22 AM »

The main problem is that it install is the wrong time to ask for support or donations - just like at registration on a new site is the wrong time to ask me to recommend to a friend or upgrade to "plus".

I don't know if I want to give you my browser revenue/a donation/risk inconveniencing my friends, I haven't used your software/site yet! So making me wait hardly is going to help anything.

Now when the software/site detects that it is the nth time or nth hour it has been running, then would be a good time. I'm more likely to donate, or subscribe to a newsletter/feed/toolbar once I am using the tool and have found it valuable

-iphigenie (August 01, 2011, 08:12 AM)

So true. Very well stated!

Jim

659

Living Room / Re: Do You Want Your Searches Monitored?

« Last post by J-Mac on July 28, 2011, 10:14 PM »

So what security is gained by monitoring everyone's internet searches? Another example of what Bruce Schneier calls "security theater". Looks like it could possibly add to security but in reality does nothing but waste a lot of money. Terrorists aren't caught by invading the entire population's privacy! Terrorists are caught the way they have always been: with good, solid targeted intelligence and investigative work. Monitoring everyone everywhere is completely unworkable - who the hell is checking ALL searches? What, through filters? Useless. Look at every instance of terrorist caught since 2001 and tell me how many were due to mass monitoring. Zero. Plus here in the US the mass privacy intrusions are being used more for lesser crimes rather than terrorism. Which is probably why the internet search monitoring is proposed more so than preventing another act of terror.

Jim

660

General Software Discussion / Re: ClipMate developer has returned

« Last post by J-Mac on July 27, 2011, 10:32 PM »

Well, that's a good thing I guess. But to be honest he has never been that much help IMO. Once in a while he seems to get into a helpful mood and doesn’t come across like a complete oaf, but on many occasions his responses to inquiries are short and not helpful. I've read too many where someone asks about a problem they're haing with ClipMate and he replies, "That's a Windows problem. Nothing to do with ClipMate." Maybe true but some explanation would seem to be in order.

IDK, I just haven't seen enough helpful replies from him in the few years I've been using ClipMate. The program fortunately doesn’t require much maintenance.

Jim

661

General Software Discussion / Re: Deduplication, encryption, security and... Dropbox

« Last post by J-Mac on July 20, 2011, 12:10 PM »

Well, at least it isn't because of a security problem!

-J-Mac (July 19, 2011, 09:02 PM)

I actually think that makes it worse.  How can one trust their security code if they're having this much of a problem detecting how much space a user is using vs what they're allotted?

-TheQwerty (July 20, 2011, 11:20 AM)

Quite simple - I don’t equate the two. One issue is "security", plain and simple. How does getting free space for referrals relate to security? It may well affect your ability to like the developers. It may affect your general trust in what they tell you. However their security measures have been testified to by many who have no stake in the other aspects of their business.

I might not like these folks because of my free space issues... but their security is still better than a lot out there.

Jim

662

Living Room / Re: Want to see impressive numbers?

« Last post by J-Mac on July 20, 2011, 09:23 AM »

Well, from that linked Debt-tracking page, the US govt. sure seems to think that you do! Unless you are not in the US.

Jim

663

Living Room / Re: I am so sick of google's search result urls with tracking info

« Last post by J-Mac on July 20, 2011, 09:20 AM »

Have you ever tried Scroogle? http://www.scroogle.org/scraper.html

 I've been using it for a coupla years now; and I like it so much that I donated...

-Ben

-benhenry (July 20, 2011, 06:23 AM)

Ben,

Does Scroogle just pass on your search terms and then return whatever Google returns? I guess the really important question (to me) is: Will my searches through Scroogle still be subject to Google's asinine restructuring/respelling of my search terms?  (Which I obviously hate with much passion!) I have a feeling that it does since it appears that it just passes info to and from Google, eliminating only the tracking aspect of it.

Thank you.

Jim

664

Living Room / Re: Want to see impressive numbers?

« Last post by J-Mac on July 19, 2011, 11:46 PM »

I say write off the debt and start over!! I'll forgive me my portion of the debt... how about you folks?   

-J-Mac (July 19, 2011, 09:13 PM)

I don't have any debt. There are enough chains and shackles without adding a big iron ball to the chain...

-Renegade (July 19, 2011, 10:03 PM)

Hey, as long as America is still such a wonderful land of opportunity, where bluebirds fly, dreams really do come true, trouble melts like lemon drops...... and where companies like Bank of America can take in $4.4 billion in profit in 2010, receive $1 trillion in "stimulus" money, pay NO corporate income tax, and still receive a tax refund of $1.9 billion dollars.....

....why me worry??  (about the "Debt", that is).

Jim

(BOA numbers above from Forbes, BTW - and way too many more like it!)

665

Living Room / Re: "We're Alive" - Online Radio Show Drama

« Last post by J-Mac on July 19, 2011, 09:47 PM »

@40hz:  Cool - I'll check it out. Now that I buy most all of my books and DVDs used at Amazon it has become much more affordable for me!    (Other than brand new stuff... those I have to go out and get them the old-fashioned way. Steal 'em!    )

Jim

666

Living Room / Re: Want to see impressive numbers?

« Last post by J-Mac on July 19, 2011, 09:13 PM »

I say write off the debt and start over!! I'll forgive me my portion of the debt... how about you folks?   

Jim

667

Living Room / Re: "We're Alive" - Online Radio Show Drama

« Last post by J-Mac on July 19, 2011, 09:09 PM »

Hey 40 - I purchased Pontypool from Amazon... received and watched it yesterday. Pretty cool flick! Very weird to have a full-length zombie-type film with no gore! And hardly any blood! Interesting concept though. Leave it to Canadians to insist that to avoid the infection people speak French and  NO English is to be spoken at all!

Jim

668

General Software Discussion / Re: Deduplication, encryption, security and... Dropbox

« Last post by J-Mac on July 19, 2011, 09:02 PM »

If you're going to pay for encryption on DropBox though (for accounts larger than 2GB), might as well just use SpiderOak.

And the jury is still out on SpiderOak as far as I'm concerned.  I still haven't heard back on my support issue, as discussed here.

-kyrathaba (July 18, 2011, 06:47 PM)

Well, at least it isn't because of a security problem!

Jim

669

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Update disaster - recovery help, please!

« Last post by J-Mac on July 19, 2011, 09:00 PM »

The Windows Secrets Newsletter has a section authored by Susan Bradley on nothing but MS Patches. She reports on all new patch releases and recommends to install, wait, or skip each patch as noted. Her column is also shown as a thread in the Windows Secrets Lounge, which is their forum. The latest patch-watch column thread is here: http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread.php/139366-Office-File-Validation-patch-leads-to-problems

I always wait and then read her column, as well as ComputerWorld and a few other sites to see if any patches are causing problems and I only install patches after a time when there doesn’t seem to be any notable issues.

Jim

670

General Software Discussion / Re: In search of ... Windows registry hack to display boot progress

« Last post by J-Mac on July 17, 2011, 11:29 AM »

Thanks all. I have used Chameleon Startup Manager for a few years and do have most of my startup programs staggered. Also whiel I haven't used the bootlogger I have tried to catch something with Process Monitor but nothing shows up that suggests why it does this. Lots of little stuff but a lot of other folks see the same little stuff without any noticeable problems. I still tend to think it is an nVidia thing, since they have been the cause of so many headaches with this machine.

Thanks!

Jim

671

Living Room / Re: I am so sick of google's search result urls with tracking info

« Last post by J-Mac on July 16, 2011, 08:35 AM »

Excellent find J-Mac -- GoogleMonkeyR works quite well! (took me a while to find that the options dialog is available under the upper right Gear menu on search results screen). 

-mouser (July 16, 2011, 01:24 AM)

Best part is - and I have never seen this in a GM script before - that when you click on the Settings icon and open the GoogleMonkeyR settings, at the lower left where it normally shows "History-Prefs -..." it will show any updates to the script and offers to install them directly from there. Pretty cool actually.

Jim

[attachthumb=#1][/attachthumb]

672

Living Room / Re: I am so sick of google's search result urls with tracking info

« Last post by J-Mac on July 16, 2011, 08:26 AM »

in newer versions of firefox (versions 4 & 5), the statusbar is hidden by default. you need to install an add-on to bring back the status bar.

● https://addons.mozil...addon/status-4-evar/

-lanux128 (July 16, 2011, 02:45 AM)

Part of the problem is that Mozilla no longer calls it a "status bar"; they have re-christened the bar formerly known as "Status" as the "Add-On Bar"... Go figure.

Jim

673

Living Room / Re: I am so sick of google's search result urls with tracking info

« Last post by J-Mac on July 16, 2011, 12:55 AM »

I use the Greasemonkey script GoogleMonkeyR. Not only removes tracking but lets me change the number of columns, eliminate sponsored results, and more.

Jim

674

General Software Discussion / Re: Can I alter an exe's File Description?

« Last post by J-Mac on July 10, 2011, 08:11 PM »

Might have also found it with Universal Extractor?

Jim

675

Living Room / Re: "We're Alive" - Online Radio Show Drama

« Last post by J-Mac on July 10, 2011, 03:15 PM »

OK, you know I had to go and look up caries to see what the heck it was. Never heard of that before. Learn something new every day!

Jim