A Cajun-Asian View

I am now running off of LUSFiber Internet. We picked out the top tier with its 50 Mbps symmetrical connection1. Of course, after getting it setup, I couldn't help but run some speed tests on it from speedtest.net2:

... I thought I was on 50 Mbps symmetrical? Oh well, I'll take it!3

1. 1. with 100 Mbps to connections inside the LUS fiber loop
2. 2. the system seems to want you to pick the Baton Rouge server, but I couldn't get the speeds past 5 Mbps down or up there. The Dallas, TX server, on the other hand...
3. 3. This definitely is strange, unless that particular server is considered to be within the "100 Mbps" local loop for some reason...

It's been a while since I last posted here. Just a short little update on a few things. First of all, I've changed employers; I'm currently developing in Flex, which has been an interesting and fun learning experience. I use Flex Builder 3 as my development Environment, but since the Linux Beta of it is somewhat limited at the moment, I've end up running the Windows version on Windows XP Pro in a virtualbox on my work laptop.

Now, my previous employer gave a Dell Latitude D8101 to me when I was let go. I wanted this particular laptop from the different laptops I could have picked as all of the components on it (wireless network, bluetooth, video card2) worked well with Linux and featured a 15.4" 1920x1200 resolution screen. I've found that screen real-estate is a real boon for development work, and I can more easily adapt a Linux environment to my work flow, even if I have to run Windows apps in a virtual environment.

The problem with this particular laptop was the processor was underpowered as a single core 1.8 GHz Intel processor, which I think was a Mobile Pentium 4. The laptop was also maxed out at 2 GB of RAM. Between running apache, postgres, and mysql for my various projects, plus Zend Studio for PHP work3 or Flex Builder in a virtualbox, I find the processor is overworked on a regular basis.

So it when it came down to it, getting another work laptop became a pretty high priority.

1. 1. And my iPhone!
2. 2. With the open source ATI drivers; though it didn't give me the full capabilities of the video card, it works well enough to run Compiz on it if I wanted to. I rarely did due to performance issues
3. 3. And I use the same Eclipse install for mucking around with Ruby

Emails from LUS1 announces that Fiber service may be starting this month. I can't wait.

On Monday this week, some work crews came by to install some fiber equipment on the telephone pole in front of my house2 and on poles down the street. Here's a couple of pictures of the equipment they installed, that I could tell:

1. 1. Awww... why didn't I get one yet? I guess my greylisting filter is delaying the email?
2. 2. And I gladly let them park their trucks on our driveway.

I'm no economist to tell if it's close to the mark, but The Rampant Coyote's MMO analogy to the current economic crisis is quite entertaining, if nothing else. And depressing, also.

My hat's off to you, Mr. Barack Obama, for your win for the 2008 Election for the President of the United States of America1. I hope you run our U.S. Executive office as well as you've run your campaign. I will be right in the line to complain if you don't2.

And if nothing else, I stand proud for being a part of this historic moment. To tell the truth, I am partly in shock that this country could elect a half-black man to lead it for the next four years. Despite all of the polls and trends predicting your win, the pessimist in me kept me from being confident that it could happen.

Nonetheless, congratulations.

Now take some time to celebrate. Finish up your Senate duties. And be ready to hit the ground running on January 20th.

1. 1. Of course, not all the electoral votes are in at this point, but it's largely a formality now.
2. 2. Especially since I did vote for you!

Just a message from the humble host of this not very popular website:

If you are a U.S. citizen and haven't voted yet, please do so today. It doesn't matter if you don't like either of the top two choices; if you absolutely refuse to vote for either of them, vote for the third party that best matches your views. Yeah, it's "wasting your vote" as some people say it, but it's the best way we, as U.S. citizens, can say we have "no confidence" in the standard two choices in this rather restricting two-party system that dominates U.S. politics. Not voting doesn't hold that same message.

For those of you that are either not U.S. citizens or have voted early1, have a good November 4th, 2008.

And for those you are U.S. citizens, no matter who is elected, feel free to fully criticize his actions in office2. That is the American way.

1. 1. like I did
2. 2. Even if he was your choice to begin with.

If the U.S. Presidential elections were held in World of Warcraft, who would win? A "study" of how players in this MMO see the Republican and Democratic choices for president:

From the same guy who made the "Death and Taxes" series of posters.

When having to choose between the following for the free time I have outside of spending them with the girlfriend, it always seem I have energy and time for only three of them:

1. Read the 50 or so blog in my Google Reader list.
2. Watch anime.
3. Play Armed Assault, Sim City 4, or City of Heroes/Villians
4. Write in my blogs about above activities

it always seems the last option loses out. Writing isn't something that I can seem to do quickly or efficiently as I've seen others do.

Ah well. Off to beat up villians instead of watching the Presidential debates. My choice is already largely made up; the blogs I read will probably highlight any major events, if there's any to pay attention to.

I've set the bar for myself to leave the house some time over the weekend1 and attend Lafayette CampFiber tomorrow. I've been getting a bit down and burnt out lately; hopefully this might get me out of that funk and maybe get me some ideas.

1. 1. instead of getting stuck at home playing certain video games or wasting time on the internet