/dev/null/kevin

Starring Thin Guy as Sun Ray.  Inspired by a tweet from acworkma.

[Original]

Be careful what you first name your blog entry.  When Roller saves your entry for the first time it creates the Permalink URL from the blog title.  This URL never changes, even if you change the blog entry's title.

I can't count the number of times I've had a spelling error, or some other issue, that's preserved for all time in the Permalink.

Take this blog, for example.  It started off with a much different concept.  You'll have to examine the Permalink to see what it was.

Now if anyone diggs or slashdots this entry (no real chance of that) that's the URL people are going to see.

Paraphrased conversation:

Engineer1: We need an Apache expert to look at this.  Who can we call?

Engineer2: That would be you.

Engineer1: Damn it!

I'm just putting this out there so people who have the same problem I did might find this solution in a Google search.

Problem: On MacBookPro your VPN fails.  Get error "Driver Failure" 

If you use Cisco's VPN client then you just get an immediate failure.  But if you open the Notifications window you will see this error:

Shimo prints this error:

 
Solution:

Check to see if you are using the built-in Ethernet port and have the AirPort turned on.  If so, the solution is to turn off the AirPort while you use the Ethernet port, or unplug the Ethernet port and use the AirPort if there is WiFi available.

My guess is that the VPN client is trying to use the AirPort to make the connection but your MPB is using the Ethernet port.  This causes a conflict and the error.

Note, this is for Tiger (10.4).  I don't know if this happens with Leopard (10.5).

Proving that you're never too old to learn, or too young to teach, my four year old daughter taught her grandparents how to use a computer.  Granted it was a Mac Book Pro, but Ang Ang was a pro in no time.

Here are some photos and a short video of them in action:

Here a few of the results (they took dozens):

Yes, Steve Jobs, they are available for your next marketing campaign.

Scientists have made another obvious discovery: Kids hate clowns! [link]

Of course kids hate and fear clowns, everyone should.  At best clowns are annoying, but most clowns are scary.  Grown men and women with grotesque makeup?  What's not to fear?

And I'm not alone:

• ihateclowns.com
• This writer
• These guys
• Wikipedia
  
• And this Wikipedia user
  

The most famous clown-hating "person" is Bart Simpson.  Ironically, in looking for Bart's infamous "clown'll eat me" clip, I found the following anti-clown video from Alice Cooper.  Alice Cooper fears clowns!  Man, that alone speaks volumes!

Warning, if you don't fear clowns now, you might after watching this video!  The first 30 seconds are Bart and his clown, but the rest is an Alice Cooper video featuring his scary clowns (most from the movie IT). 

UPDATE [03 May 2008]: OMG.  If this doesn't make you hate clowns, nothing will.

As social networking sites increase in popularity, so do the number of avatars that people use to represent themselves.  Y'know, the little picture that appears next to someone's post or message.  I've noticed that there are only a finite set of avatar styles.  Using my imaginary Ph.D in Internet Psychology I have analyzed what the various avatar styles mean.

Update [02/22/2008]: Thanks to @monkchips, I must add one more: The Chin Hold (a.k.a. Chin Posin').  Coming soon, the group photo, aka, "Which one are you?" 

What Your Avatar Says About You

Avatar Style	Examples	Description	Meaning
The Portrait		Close up of the whole face, focused and nicely centered.	You are confident in your appearance and don't mind stalkers knowing what you look like.  I originally called this the "Normal" but you really don't see it as much as you would think.
The Off-Center		Similar to the the Portrait, but with the subject to the left or right.	You find the Portrait to be a little too square for your tastes (no pun intended).  You may be a geek, but you're not a nerd!
The Half-Face		Only show the left or right side of your face.  Sometimes just the top.	You consider the Portrait to be boring and you want to be edgy and cool.  You might be a little insecure, but you still want people to know it's you.
The Too-Close		Taking the Half-Face to the next level, you go for the extreme close up!  It's almost always on the eye.	Like the Half-Face, only edgier.  Only people who already know you can tell that it's you.  Why the eye?  Because it's still personal.  Also, there are less zits on your eyes.
The Distorted		Could be blurry, over-exposed or processed.	You are not only edgy and cool, but also a little disturbed or tormented!  You also know how to use photo editing software.  Or you might just be a really bad photographer.
The Obscured		You face is hidden behind some object.   Bonus for creating the Half-Face.	You are introverted, or perhaps in an Austin Powers movie.  You like to be behind the scenes and don't crave the lime light, mainly because you fear limes.
The Reflection		a.k.a. The Camera.  Taking a picture of yourself in a mirror, complete with the camera.  Sometimes a special subclass of the Obscured.	You are a photographer and want people to know it.  Apparently, you also don't know how to use a tripod or ask a friend to take your picture.  Maybe you don't have any friends.
The Far-Away		Hello!  I'm the pixel just left of center.  Bonus points if it's also blurry.	You are shy and this maintains your anonymity.  You like to keep things at a distance until you feel more comfortable.  Much like a feral cat.
The Pose		A picture taken just for your avatar.  Sometimes taken with a web cam.	You are a control freak and want everything "just so."  You probably change your avatar three times a day.
The Look-Away		Direct eye contact?  Not here.	You are aloof and care free and perhaps subservient.  Don't pick me...Please, don't pick me!!
The Mac-Book		A subclass of the Pose.  Using the Mac's built-in camera and image filters.	You just bought a Mac Book Pro.  Congratulations!
The Action Shot		A picture of yourself doing something exciting.	You want to show everyone that you're not as boring as your tweets, blogs and Facebook updates would indicate.
The Perspective		Taking a picture of yourself from a weird angle.  Usually taken with a cell phone.	You're just lazy.  You can't even be bothered to lift your hands to take the picture.
The Chin Hold (new!)		Similar to The Look-Away, but you are holding your chin.  See @chinposin	You are authoritative, smart, thoughtful, or a copycat.  Perhaps you just have a big zit on your chin.
The Companion		Yourself with your child(ren), pet, toy or perhaps security blanket.  Almost never includes the spouse.	It's your way of saying, "I'm ugly, so look at my beautiful cat."
The Kid		Just your child, or yourself as a child.	You used to be cute, but no more.  So look at me from the past, or look at my progeny.
The Cartoon		A cartoon version of yourself as the Simpsons, South Park, Second Life, Mii, WoW or the caricature artist from the mall.	You let others be creative for you and then take the credit.
The Celebrity		A picture of someone else, basically.	There is nothing interesting about me so I'll just take someone else's persona, even if they are fictional.
The Abstract		A non-human image: either a graphic or some trinket.	You don't want anyone to know anything about you.  Not that there is anything worth knowing.
The Logo		Part, or all, of a tech site's logo.	You are a high level blogger.  Please read my site and feed my ego and drive up my ad revenue.
The Default		The default avatar.	Welcome to the Internets, n00b.

Note: All of these images are real avatars from Twitter that I took from either the public feed or from people that I follow.  You guys know that this is a joke and that I love you all.  Right?  Guys?  Uh, put down that cactus!

If you're 43 years old you are too old to be a terrorist!

Or so says the US Department of Homeland Security when it unveiled its latest plans for the REAL ID.

So, while I'll still need to get a Real ID, some of my older school mates won't have to.  I guess they are all too busy downing Geritol and watching Matlock to be a threat.

Oh, perhaps someone should tell Michael Chertoff that Osama bin Laden was born on March 10, 1957.  He won't need to get a new ID.

VeriSign, a company who millions of people trust to encrypt their most sensitive data, recently bought a company whose only business plan seems to be to scam people.

In 2006 VeriSign acquired m-Qube, "a leading mobile channel enabler."  To put it another way: they sell ring tones.  That would be well and good, but m-Qube's tactics are deceiving at best, and certainly very questionable.  Typically, m-Qube (or some other shill) offers "free" ring tones, but in the process enrolls the user in a "club" that bills the user $10 to $20 per month.  Most people don't even notice the additional fee until it's way too late.

The number of complaints against m-Qube is growing and VeriSign's own FAQ includes several questions dealing  with m-Qube's practices.

The most questionable practice (and why I feel safe to call this a scam) is that even if the user cancels the process they are still enrolled, and still billed.  After noting a $20 increase in my cellular bill I called my provider who immediately knew what was going on.  I remembered back a few weeks being offered a free San Jose Sharks (hockey) ring tone.  The process to get the ring tone started asking for too much information, so I bailed on it.  I never received anything, but was still enrolled in this "club."  Fortunately, the customer service rep knew exactly how to unenroll me, and how to request a refund for the now TWO months of services I'd been charged for (and received nothing for).

It didn't take much to find lots of people with similar stories about m-Qube's scam.  But I didn't expect that a reputable company like VeriSign would be associated with them, let alone own them.  How can I trust a company who supports a company like m-Qube?  If they are willing to scam people $20 a month then who is to say that they won't sell the private keys to the certs they distribute?

Update [01/30/2008]: I received my latest bill and it included a credit for everything, so the process worked.  Also, as noted in the comments, m-Qube is really a billing service and it's their clients who are pulling the scams.  I don't think this completely exonerates m-Qube, or VeriSign, but it sounds like the process is improving.