Archive for March, 2007

Liberty Boxes

Saw a great signature quotation today:
There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
(afidel)

Code Sharing — Play a Random File on Linux

Some random geekery: I wrote this bash script a long time ago, but its served me well so I thought I’d post it on the vast Internet, in hope that maybe someone else may someday get use out of it. Google, don’t fail me now! Anyway, my linux bash script to randomly select a video file and play it follows below.
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Random thought from a Cafe

At the Courtyard Cafe today, I noticed a small plaque which reads, “We have the right to refuse service to anyone”. What a strange thought! It’s as if they were trying to create a new “write” for themselves out of thin air– I can’t put up a plaque saying, “I have the right to smack people around” and expect to get away with it. Just saying something doesn’t make it factual or true.

Even though they somehow manufactured that statement and went with it, it’s still blatantly false. If they used their “right” to refuse service to, say, all black people who came in to the cafe… Well, I don’t think that policy would fly for very long. Guess they aren’t right about their right. I recall some similar thoughts on signs in the Illuminatus trilogy, I may have to pull it out tonight and re-read.

Taking the Plunge

My hard drive crashed this weekend. Or, I should say, one of my hard drives crashed. You see, for several years now, I’ve been dual-booting Windows and Kubuntu Linux. My Windows drive was the one that crashed (I did recover the data, see after the cut), and… I’m thinking of not going back. Right now my system is booting only Linux, and it feels nice. Read on for crash experiences, my joy that my favorite windows programs run in Linux, and thoughts on computing.
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