People love American Idol 5. People love pictograms. And people love trenchant commentary. In response to a largely non-sensical (at least in terms of the judge’s response) performance night, MASHUP! GO!
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rds
One of the fun things about having time is the ability to optimize things that otherwise would never get optimized.
I think today’s mission will be figuring out why the hell iTunes always consumes 100% of one of my 2GHz G5 CPUs.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
rds
update @ 1:15PM
After a few Googles, the first stop on our journey is downloading and installing CHUD Tools from the Apple Developer site. As a fan of CHUDs, I’m excited already.
The reason for downloading CHUD Tools is to gain access to amber and acid, two tools that trace and analyze thread execution within processes… which is something I apparently can’t do in the core Mac OS X (ex. there doesn’t appear to be a native version of the Solaris pstack command).
update @ 1:21PM
CHUDs are installed. I’ve completely forgotten about Amber/Acid because I’ve discovered Thread Viewer[1], a GUI for… viewing threads… so I can analyze iTunes. Let’s see… I wonder which of these threads is consuming the CPU… perhaps the big green one:
Hmm… “DoAmazonLookup”. I’m betting dollars to donuts that has to do with the Now Playing iTunes module I’m running to update album art on this blog, especially since it’s been hanging a lot in the current version. Quit iTunes, reboot iTunes, we’re back to normal momentarily - iTunes consuming 4% of one CPU. We’ll keep an eye on it and I’ll notify the developer of Now Playing.
[1] Maybe a front-end for Amber/Acid? D/dc[2].
[2] Dunno, don’t care.
rds
This guy did a wireless guitar controller for last year’s awesome PS/2 game Guitar Hero (think dance pad / karaoke game - with a fake guitar with one string and five frets).
the first comment-posted on the related /. slug for this asks the valid question (paraphrased): “Isn’t the time spent playing Guitar Hero perhaps better-spent learning to play an actual guitar?”
I did ask myself that question - prior to experiencing the power of the game and becoming hooked a few months ago. All I can say is that with a real guitar, lightning bolts and stuff don’t fly out of the guitar when you hold it directly up… unless you’re a member of the band Lightning Bolt, in which case said effects probably do happen.
rds
Chainloading, speedloading, partitioning, and booting Linux, XP and OS X on an Intel Mac
Take it to the limit.
rds
I’ll do away with the witty post titles when it comes to American Idol 5 commentary from here on in; since we’re down to the last 8, this is all business.
Tonight was the music of Queen. I like Queen, although I’ll only say now that Brian May is a fossil that needs to return to the tar pit.
Bucky - “Fat Bottom Girls”: As horrible as it was, it was also his best performance on AI to date, so he won’t be in the bottom 3. But how do we know it wasn’t really his twin brother?
McPhever - don’t remember, which says something: Pretty. Shi*ty. Her WASP fan base is too busy tonight replacing the empty vermouth bottle to vote for her, same as two weeks ago, but she won’t hit the bottom 3 because Simon had a stiffy for her. He said something like “this was almost the moment”… or maybe that was for someone else. The crap performances all run together, to be honest.
Pickler - We Are the Champions, maybe? No, “Bohemian Rhapsody” - She looked like a huu-ore. Song was weak. Her base will be out, as always, in force, so she’s safe. i like her boobs, though.
Ace - “We Will Rock You”. We Will Miss You. You’re going home this week, Ace-hole. Finally. Time to pack it in. Let me make this clear, and I’m not trying to be mean: you suck, Ace. You are a horrible, horrible singer. You have no fan base. Not even 11 year old girls. You can (and I’m sure will) be a successful model, so please go do that. But your continued presence on this show is an offensive mystery.
Paris - something something… oh yeah, “The Show Must Go On”, which is sort of indulgent and depressing. She looked like a cross between Catwoman, Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible and Super Mario. Absurd. Whoever is directing her on the show is doing her no favors.
Taylor - “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. Um, I liked the fact that it took him two tries to kick the mic stand over, and in general I like Taylor, but he’s on his way home within the next week or three, so it matters not. Simon said it was “ridiculous” after asking TH if he was drunk, and that’s pretty much on. Kelley shared that she thought Hicks gave up a few weeks ago, and although that seems true, it’s also somewhat sad; I hate it when people give up, but you still have to be subjected to them.
Elliot - “Somebody to Love Me”. This guy is awesome, and it’s not just because he’s from VA. He would win if he didn’t look so goofy. But his voice is the best in the competition.
Chris - “Innuendo”. This song always sort of reminds me of Queen meets Pink Floyd’s The Wall. A well-delivered power attack, but no one knows that song, so… fortunately for him he has a big fan base. Maybe next week will be Creed week and he’ll be back in his element. I like Chris, but this dual-layer facial hair is a sort of g-a-y.
I think that’s it. The bottom 3 will be:
Ace, Paris and Taylor, with Ace going home. I am all-seeing, all-knowing. I’ve never before been right re: any of my predictions, but that matters not.
rds
UPDATE
Bucky got voted off the island. It had to happen, and sooner was better than later, as far as I’m concerned.
Bucky clearly didn’t understand the key principles of American Idol: Outsing, outlast, outsource, outkast (hey ya!), outshine, out-survive.
So thousands (hic) of you have asked, and I’m using Joni Mueller’s Zen Minimalist wordpress theme here on rds.com. It’s pretty much unmodified except for the now playing stuff that I stuck in the sidebar (and, as a side-note, is not working very well in recent versions; for $10, I’m not exactly expecting rocket-speed updates, but that’s another topic).
I like it (zen minimalist wordpress theme) because it’s simple and I like to think I try to be a sort of zen guy, although thinking one is zen is probably the antithesis of zen-ness.
There are lots of other awesome themes out there, but none of them are compelling enough to make me switch.
Now, there is an idea for a theme that, massive Apple power user (or, as others have suggested, “lemming”; at least i never bought, nor do I plan on buying, this) that I am, would make me switch, but as far as I know it doesn’t exist. That would a theme more or less modeled on the Apple website.
More specifically, the style of one of the product pages, not necessarily the main page which is sort of sparse.
With the release of iWeb, which features a default web page theme that is kinda-sorta modeled on the Apple web aesthetic, it looks like I could actually create a blog in the Apple vein, and be an ever huger nerd in the process.
Looks like I’ll be learning how to create wordpress themes… or not. CROSS-CHECK!
rds
I’ve really enjoyed using Remote Desktop in the past. Apple released the first update in like a year this week.
ARD is systems management software for OS X. In a nutshell, it allows you to control a remote Mac over the network (think VNC for Mac, if you know what that is) as well do other admin tasks on groups of machines (system status reporting, push software updates, reboot, troubleshoot, etc etc etc etc.)
I do wish Apple had a ~5 managed systems edition for like $150, but I’ll probably wind up biting the bullet for the 10 user @ $300. This is so I can control my 17″ PowerBook, which is sitting right next to me on my desk, from my G5. Because I am a lazy, lazy man. I also realize that being able to remotely control my mom’s mac in Sterling from Arlington has a certain appeal during phone troubleshooting of her various issues, but since many of those issues deal with her cable modem network allegedly being “down”, maybe not. Hey, at least I got her to OS X and off XP… that was a big step.
But, funny (and true) story:
One time I went over to my friend Mike’s house around 11PM on a Friday night and banged on his basement door. I knew he was in the back “media” room of said basement, drinking and watching TV at 110 dB. Mike is a not a one to answer his phone, and I required access (and the whiskey he was hoarding), so extreme measures were required.
NOTE: This is a good example as to why it’s a bad idea to let your friends know your system / network passwords:
I just happened to have my PowerBook with me…
Step 1) Log onto Mike’s Airport network
Step 2) Install ARD agent on Mike’s PowerBook without his knowing
Step 3) Take control of Mike’s PowerBook
Step 4) Open TextEdit on Mikes’ PowerBook
Step 5) Type: “Mike, it’s Rick. Don’t freak out. Open your basement door.”
Since his house is made of brick, Airport reception is crap outside, and each of these steps, which should have taken about ten seconds apiece, took several tries.
The net effect was Mike first thinking he was experiencing an Amityville experience, followed by the relief of realizing that it’s only his as*hole friend. He appeared at the door sheepishly, relieved that it was just me and not Robert Johnson/the devil/some zombie from The Monkey’s Paw.
Then we drank the whiskey.
This is why ARD is essential software.
rds
From the “So Horrible It’s Funny At First In A Ha-Ha Way But Then Quickly Turning To A Scary Way Before Briefly Returning to Ha-Ha Before Ending On Horrible Like Genocide in Rwanda Which Is Not Funny But Neither Is This” Department:
If you have not heard David Lee Roth’s morning FM radio show, you should. It is as horrible as this article indicates, and I don’t think you’ll have the chance much longer.
You can lock into the horror via internet stream here.
rds
Screen dump from Activity Monitor.app after upgrading an external disk to Firewire 800. Check out the peak throughput in the graph:
Ha ha. I’m just kidding. I’m sure it was a bug, or something. Yes, I am a huge nerd.
rds
figure 1. Pauly, Christopher, and the Russian Bob Pollard make time in the Pine Barrens (Sopranos Season 3)
No, I don’t mean the pool where the f**k’n ducks were, where Tony had his first panic attack in S1E1. This seems like a good idea since I think there are about 12 episodes left before the show enters the Big Sleep. And from what I understand, they won’t all be consecutive; there will be a final six in October or something.
Anyway, I’m talking about a pool (yes, betting pool) about how things are going to turn out for our favorite HBO crime family (which I guess is the only HBO crime family, other than the one on Big Love).
Also, this season is pretty much awful so far, except the first episode. But I am fully expecting an electrifying conclusion. Ergo, my thoughts about starting this pool now.
Brainstorming:
function sopranos_end_pool_ultimate_power() {
everyone_put_money_in_kitty(20.00);
For each character on Sopranos {
switch {
case dead:
case in_witness_protection:
case on_run_having_escaped_lifestyle:
case promoted;
case in_prison;
case flipped;
case same_as_before;
}
}
rds_maintains_big_board_on_rickshangle.com();
}
Thoughts? Let me know. rds
