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651
Non-Windows Software / Re: LINUX: In-place upgrade of Mint 17.0 Qiana to Mint 17.1 Rebecca
« Last post by 40hz on January 13, 2015, 01:09 PM »
The LTS versions of Linux usually run for 3-5 years rather than ten.

That doesn't mean nothing in it's core or kernal won't be changed during that period. It just means that any changes will be fully supported for the duration of the release.

My day-to-day work machines all run long-term support versions for obvious reasons.

To me, the two good reasons for going to a newer release are: (a) security patches; (b) better hardware and driver support.

In the case of Mint, I stay more current than usual because I try to stay on top of Cinnamon. Not so much because I personally like it (and I do btw!) - but because it's the easiest and most productive way for a new user to get started using Nix on the desktop.

I can hand a copy of Mint Cinnamon to anybody with even a modicum of computer experience and not worry they'll be in over their head. I've even passed Mint Cinnamon off as a beta of a 'top secret' future Windows release, and had long time Windows users tell me how neat they thought it all was. You just can't do that with every distro out there. :up:

652
Living Room / Re: Congratulations Terrorists, You are getting what you want!
« Last post by 40hz on January 13, 2015, 12:53 PM »
You're making a habit of starting 'basement-style' threads Stephen :p
-tomos (January 13, 2015, 09:11 AM)

... and not starting them in the basement...
-wraith808 (January 13, 2015, 09:38 AM)

Yeah. And here I thought it was just me that seemed to be seeing it working way. :P ;D
653
Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!
« Last post by 40hz on January 13, 2015, 08:10 AM »
^Perhaps "schlock" wasn't quite the word I was looking for. Let's call it "sweet" instead... :)

The Carpenters were just a couple of the "local kids" where I grew up. It caught me completely by surprise when doing my post how thinking about Karen's passing still hurts almost as much as it did the day we first learned about it.

On a positive note, her untimely death brought the whole issue of nervous eating disorders into a broader public awareness such that they're now seen (and treated) as the serious psychological and medical problems they actually are, rather than just some "silly hysterical women's thing a good swift kick in the ass would cure."

Sad how so often the price for real social change comes at the cost of a human life.

So it goes...

This was her last recording.



Here's the story behind the song.
It's long
In June 1981, Karen and Richard released "Made In America" and made a world tour to promote the album with appearances in Brazil and Germany. In November of that year, she and Richard returned home to California. Karen and her husband Tom Burris formally separated that same month. Shortly after Christmas, Karen moved to New York to begin treatment for her anorexia. She sought treatment with psychotherapist Steven Levenkron who was noted for his research into anorexia nervosa and self injury.

In April 1982, she took a two-week vacation from her treatment and returned home to California. She and Richard returned to the studio and recorded several songs, including this song, "Now.". At the time of this recording, Karen was heavily anorexic. Richard says she had lost even more weight since the last time he had seen her the year before. Karen returned to New York and stayed there until November 1982. During a two-month stay in a hospital, she was fed intravenously and gained 30 pounds. She returned home for Thanksgiving that year. Although she felt that she was cured, Richard says she just didn't look well and he told her so. The additional weight of 30 pounds added back suddenly on a body that had been underweight for so many years further strained her weakened heart, and she died of heart failure on the morning of February 4, 1983. She was just 32 years old, a month shy of her 33rd birthday.

Following Karen's death, Richard returned to the studio and worked on his and Karen's last recordings, including two of the songs she recorded in 1982 as well as other songs from previous recording sessions over the years before. The album, "Voice of the Heart" was released in October 1983, eight months after Karen's death.

"Now" was a work lead, recorded in one take, and was intended to familiarize the musicians with the song as well as Richard's arrangement of it. After a complete music track had been recorded, Karen would have then returned to the studio and recorded new vocals for the song. But as it was, the work lead turned out to be the last song Karen ever recorded.

There's an old legend about the swan's song - how the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) which is completely mute during its lifetime until the moment just before it dies, is said to sing one beautiful song. Over the years, listeners have commented on the lyrics of the song and knowing what we know now, wonder if perhaps Karen had had a premonition of what was to come. Indeed, "Now" can be said to have been Karen's "swan song."

Now

Now,
Now when it rains, I don't feel cold.
Now that I have your hand to hold,
The winds might blow through me
but I don't care.
There's no harm in thunder if you are there.

And now,
now when we touch, my feelings fly.
Now when I'm smiling, I know why.
You light up my world like the morning sun.
You're so deep within me, we're almost one.

And now all the fears that I had start to fade.
I was always afraid love might forget me,
love might let me down.
Then look who I found.

The winds might blow through me
but I don't care.
There's no harm in thunder if you are there.

And now, now,
now when I wake, there's someone home.
I'll never face the nights alone.
You gave me the courage I need to win,
to open my heart and to let you in.
And I never really knew how, until now,

Until now.

No, I never really knew how,
until now


654
Living Room / Re: home automation
« Last post by 40hz on January 12, 2015, 06:14 PM »
+1 w/Renegade. I'm actually doing as much as possible to reduce my technical and energy footprint these days. My new goal: As little as possible - and simplify, simplify, simplify.
 :)
655
Living Room / Re: Animal Friends thread
« Last post by 40hz on January 12, 2015, 03:00 PM »
+1! My sister had a little mixed breed (Pookie) who was like that. She'd never eat alone. Dinner in the same room with the rest of the family also eating was her rule. And if she went and got herself a cookie (she was one of those rare dogs that could self-regulate their treat intake) she always brought two back and dropped one by whoever else was in the room. (Although being a dog, she'd almost always eat the second one a short while after she finished the first. But only if the person said "You eat it." first.
656
Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!
« Last post by 40hz on January 12, 2015, 08:02 AM »
I like her voice ...

-panzer (January 12, 2015, 04:24 AM)

Nice mezzo soprano! Very pure tonal quality.

Here's another superb female vocalist (contralto this time) and drummer who spun absolute magic before succumbing to complications after her unsuccessful battle with anorexia. Karen Carpenter was another one of these vocalists (like Presley) who might have left an even bigger mark in music history had they not done so much schlock (although very good schlock) pop music in their careers.

karen.png

I still can't listen to this autobiographical song without feeling bad. She was as lovely a woman inside as she was outside and vocally.





657
Non-Windows Software / Re: LINUX: In-place upgrade of Mint 17.0 Qiana to Mint 17.1 Rebecca
« Last post by 40hz on January 12, 2015, 07:45 AM »
(I'm still waiting for 17.1 Xfce)
-Deozaan (January 07, 2015, 05:42 PM)

The Xfce & KDE 17.1 versions are now out. And the upgrade path is the same for all (i.e. Cinnamon/KDE/MATE/Xfce) versions. Yay! :)
658
Living Room / Re: Open Source News anyone ?
« Last post by 40hz on January 12, 2015, 07:35 AM »
You sure have the knack to make those "jabs" utterly delicate 40hz.
Guess that's why you have that hurtz after 40 hé!  :D
-dantheman (January 11, 2015, 07:16 PM)

At times I do have an admittedly unfortunate tendency towards the semi-sharp rejoinder. :-[

But in this case, it's more to genteely tweak the noses of people who should know better - because they are better IMO. Especially when I see them manifesting the same contemptuous attitude towards the general public as those whom they're supposedly fighting against.

Elitism is elitism, no matter which side of the equation it comes down on. Or so I think anyway. 8)



PS: Renegade's comments are fair game for me - as my comments are for him. We go back a long way. And I suspect we'd both be bored out of our gourds without having each other around for the occasional sparring match.
659
Living Room / Re: Expanded role for Anonymous - Now more like The Watchman than V?
« Last post by 40hz on January 12, 2015, 07:20 AM »
But who watches the watchmen? :o
-Deozaan (January 11, 2015, 08:37 PM)

I've watched it several times. The director's cut, in particular, is quite good. Not on the same level as the comics, but good nonetheless.  :P
-Vurbal (January 11, 2015, 09:31 PM)

Agree! Especially about the director's cut. :Thmbsup: :Thmbsup:
660
Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?
« Last post by 40hz on January 12, 2015, 07:17 AM »
This is a perfromance
-40hz (January 11, 2015, 01:34 PM)

I ain't gonna watch a video of a perv romance! :P
-Deozaan (January 11, 2015, 08:40 PM)

Why not? You never know where you might learn something useful. ;) ;D

(Oh well...That's what I get for trying to do a long post with a lot of cut & paste on a smartphone.) :-\
661
Living Room / Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Last post by 40hz on January 11, 2015, 03:01 PM »
Latest project from lasersaber. :-* This is just the intro. The build article and video is on the way.



Don't know about anybody else, but this is the DIY solar project I've been waiting for. :Thmbsup:
662
Living Room / Re: Open Source News anyone ?
« Last post by 40hz on January 11, 2015, 01:50 PM »
I don't agree with everything they all say. That's one of the problems with how a lot of people view XYZ - they seem to feel that they need to agree with XYZ 100% or hate them. Heck, I like Bernie Sanders but I disagree with most of his ideas. Same for Alan Grayson - I like the fellow, and he has a lot of good ideas, and a lot of bad ones as well.
-Renegade (January 10, 2015, 08:35 PM)

Funny. That's how a lot of people view mainstream news channels as well.

I guess the general public is nowhere near as stupid as some would paint them.

But, it's nice to see more and more variety in media springing up. MSNBC, CNN, BBC, ABC, etc., are all pretty much useless tools now.
-Renegade (January 10, 2015, 08:35 PM)

Oh...I'm sorry. Apparently they are. :P



663
Living Room / Re: Donating to EFF
« Last post by 40hz on January 11, 2015, 01:45 PM »
I'm not sure if that, that that, that that, that that referred back to was that that I understood it to be.

But enough of that. ;)
664
Living Room / Re: It took 2 years to build this functioning word processor in Minecraft
« Last post by 40hz on January 11, 2015, 01:38 PM »
And you wonder why conspiracies work?
-TaoPhoenix (January 11, 2015, 01:35 PM)

LOL! Actually...I don't wonder at all. ;D ;D ;D

Conspiracies are the deus ex machina of the web. And pretty much the go-to argument for anybody with an axe to grind or an agenda to advance these days. Without ever proving anything, they can say sooooo much!  ;)
665
Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?
« Last post by 40hz on January 11, 2015, 01:34 PM »
Here's something interesting for keyboard players who might have about $5K to spend on a keyboard controller. (Don't rush the checkout counter please! ;D)

This is a perfromance of Handel's 'Hornpipe' segment from Water Music. It's played by Mark Smart on a Haken Continuum Fingerboard driving a custom setup on Native Instruments Reaktor software.

Very cool.



Uploaded on Oct 20, 2011

"Alla Hornpipe" from Handel's Water Music, Suite #2 in D major.

This performance is dedicated to the memory of my father Mervin Smart (1934-1991) who loved Handel's music.

In this multitrack recording, I'm using the Haken Continuum Fingerboard
(http://www.hakenaudio.com) to control a custom synthesizer built with
Native Instruments' Reaktor software (running on a Muse Receptor 2
for fast response). I used Cubase for the multitrack recording.

The left channel of the audio is the same take I'm playing in the video
(with some corrections). The Continuum surface is split in the Y
(front-to-back) direction so playing above the halfway point produces
a string sound and playing below it produces a brass sound. The
"Mono Interval" on the Continuum is set to 2, which means that when
you play notes more than 2 half-steps apart, you get two separate
notes, allowing you to play dual melody lines in thirds. But if you
play notes 1-2 half steps apart, you only hear whichever note you
are pressing the hardest, allowing half-step and whole-step trills.
So in the same take I can do the 2 Violins, 2 Trumpets, or 2 French
Horns by playing at different locations.

The right channel contains 9 additional tracks, also performed on
the Continuum driving Reaktor:

1. Violin 2 (when it's not playing along with 1)
2. Violin 3
3. Viola
4. Cello and bass (this is panned a little to center)
5. Oboe 1&2
6. Additional trumpet 1
6. Additional trumpet 2
7. Additional horn 1
7. Additional horn 2

In case you're wondering, my finger is injured and I wear a splint
on it to keep it straight. It's a repetitive stress injury from flipping
too many people off.

Haken Audio web site: http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/

My web site: http://www.marksmart.net

More Continuum examples by me: http://www.marksmart.net/instruments/...

666
Living Room / Re: Open Source News anyone ?
« Last post by 40hz on January 11, 2015, 01:12 PM »
Quid est veritas?

Few things increase the credibility and character of someone more than when we find they are in agreement with us. ;)

667
Living Room / Re: Expanded role for Anonymous - Now more like The Watchman than V?
« Last post by 40hz on January 11, 2015, 12:52 PM »
Very good comic, BTW...
-wraith808 (January 11, 2015, 10:29 AM)

Never heard of it. Have now. Will have to check it out. Thx! :) :Thmbsup:
668
Living Room / Re: It took 2 years to build this functioning word processor in Minecraft
« Last post by 40hz on January 11, 2015, 12:50 PM »
^Me too! :-[
669
Living Room / Expanded role for Anonymous - Now more like The Watchman than V?
« Last post by 40hz on January 11, 2015, 07:59 AM »
Saw this in an article by Alan Buckingham on BetaNews. Apparently Anonymous is expanding it's range of target baddies to include non-government and non-corporate SOBs. Most interesting if so. Especially since it drastically ups the stakes (and physical risks) for Anonymous if it becomes their new charter. More here.

From BetaNews:

...Things began just over a week ago when the group [Anonymous] declared war on Lizard Squad, a rival gang, if you will. That loosely run outfit had claimed responsibility for the takedown of Christmas for many people. In other words, it attacked the networks of both Sony Playstation and Microsoft Xbox on the day everyone was getting a new console. A cowardly act that they claimed was done just for fun.

The fun is over, as the group did a poor job of disguising members' identities and several are now in the hands of authorities. Worse for them, Anonymous declared war, which is the last thing anyone wishes to have happen to them.

Now Anonymous is setting its eyes, and considerable technological firepower, on Jihadist groups, looking to retaliate for the recent tragedy that took place in Paris, France...

ror.jpg

Yeah. This could get interesting. Real interesting... 8)

670
Living Room / Re: It took 2 years to build this functioning word processor in Minecraft
« Last post by 40hz on January 10, 2015, 07:13 PM »
Shouldn't there be a link to this in this thread?  :D
-x16wda (January 10, 2015, 05:05 PM)

That is this thread. :huh:
-Deozaan (January 10, 2015, 05:44 PM)

Wheels within wheels I would think.  ;)

Like the definition of recursion that reads: See recursion. ;D
671
Living Room / Re: It took 2 years to build this functioning word processor in Minecraft
« Last post by 40hz on January 10, 2015, 02:19 PM »

also interesting for someone like me who has never spared much thought about how computers work

-tomos (January 10, 2015, 02:14 PM)

It is pretty amazing once you get into it. They don't actually work like most people think they do. The computing theory and machine architecture (601: Finite and Infinite-State Machines) course I took in college was probably the most fascinating (to me) thing I ever learned about while there. Far more interesting and intellectually pleasing than anything I learned about afterwards to make them actually do something "useful."
 :Thmbsup:
672
Living Room / Re: It took 2 years to build this functioning word processor in Minecraft
« Last post by 40hz on January 10, 2015, 02:11 PM »
I'm gonna go even broader and call it "the power of 'just because I can'  " .

At its peak is the fundamental clash that created the renaissance!!

-TaoPhoenix (January 10, 2015, 02:00 PM)

And, unchecked by any notion of humility or morality, also brought the human race an untold deal of pain and misery.

That's why I'm always somewhat grateful whenever I see somebody channelling their obsessions into a benign artistic endeavour.

Especially when you consider how the person who has the drive (and gluteal stamina) to program an entire working computer into a computer game - or build a miniature dollhouse within a miniature dollhouse, within a dollhouse - is surely capable of doing ever so much else besides.

 ;D
673
Living Room / Re: Authorities suspect a shark tried to eat Vietnam's Internet
« Last post by 40hz on January 10, 2015, 01:59 PM »
I'm not sayin' it was ...

But it was.
cthulhu_rises_by_silberius-d7mlm8d.jpg

674
General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for Windows Email Server Options
« Last post by 40hz on January 10, 2015, 01:36 PM »
Standard Windows 2012 license is about 6000USD (if memory serves me correctly)
-Shades (January 10, 2015, 12:47 PM)

A 2-CPU OEM edition runs between $600-$700 last I checked.

The standard 4-CPU retail package goes for about $1700.

The 2-CPU Essentials version costs about $400.

For home use, Essentials should handle anything you throw at it as long as you don't plan on running a lot of VMs. Essentials allows only one guest OS instance at at time. It does have good integration with Office 365 and 3rd party Exchange hosts however. So your own e-mail setup can be as simple or complicated as you decide to make it. At $4 per month per address for Exchange Online e-mail (hosted by Microsoft) with a 50Gb storage limit per mailbox (or $8/mo for unlimited storage +voicemail) it's a compelling proposition. Especially considering a 5-CAL license for Exchange Server butchers in around $1200.

FWIW, the cheapest way to get Microsoft Server (currently) is usually to buy it bundled with inexpensive server hardware. For example, you can get MS Server Standard for around $435 (or $170 for Essentials) when you buy it with a sub-$1K server from one very well known company. Similar savings can be found for most of the other major hardware brands. That's almost like paying substantially less than the cost of the license alone and getting your server hardware thrown in for free when it comes to the OTC Standard edition.

 8)
675
Living Room / Re: Donating to EFF
« Last post by 40hz on January 10, 2015, 12:57 PM »
Not sure if they show on the stamps...
-wraith808 (January 10, 2015, 09:43 AM)

Don't know about the stamps. But on the franking meters, "Non-Profit" is clearly shown when printing postage. It's not that easy to obtain non-profit organization postage permits. And the USPS does monitor their use rather closely.
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