Network Problems
Monday, July 23, 2007 - 09:08 PM
It’s really amazing that whenever I’m running my bit torrent client (Transmission), my Earthlink DSL keeps dropping it’s connection. I don’t seem to have this problem any other time, except when I’m running torrents.
Is Earthlink purposely doing this to discourage torrent users? I know there are a lot of people out there who download copyrighted material using file sharing applications, and maybe Earthlink is trying to cover their asses when the RIAA or MPAA comes calling (or, more likely, their lawyers), but this is just ridiculous (and highly annoying).
The thing is, there are legitimate uses for any file sharing program, including bit torrent. I don’t use it for downloading copyrighted material. I only download live music, shared legally, by bands that allow people to tape and trade their shows. (Yes, there are a lot of bands that allow this, not just the jam bands - check here if you’re unaware of this.)
Some open source software uses bit torrent as a distribution method. These are just a couple of examples of legitimate uses of bit torrent (and other file sharing systems).
So why does Earthlink feel the need to kill my DSL connection when they notice I’ve got torrents running? This isn’t something I can call up their tech support and say “My DSL goes out only when I’m downloading files via bit torrent.” “Unplug your DSL modem and shutdown your computer, then wait 30 seconds and reboot and plug your modem back in.” “Um, no.... This only happens when I’m downloading torrents. I reset my modem, like, every five minutes.” “Sir, go to System Settings and click on Network...” “Arrrrggg!” CLICK!
I can’t be the only person this is happening to. Who can I complain to about this? I can’t call Earthlink, their tech support is useless, and their customer service is, too (both outsourced, by the way - regular readers will know my feelings on this).
Signs of aging
Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 12:01 PM
We all occasionally have those moments when something stirs something inside of us, and we realize that we’re getting older, and that life is just racing along. I had one of those moments today.
What sparked it, you ask?
Today, on WXRT, the Saturday Morning Flashback feature was 1995, the year after I graduated from college.
Saturday Morning Flashback was for the year after I graduated college.
Yikes.
Scotch Ale
Sunday, July 08, 2007 - 06:38 PM
This is a Scotch Ale recipe that I found on the internet, but changed a little to suit my needs (and what they had at the local home brew supply shop). I also changed the procedure so that the specialty grains weren’t in as long as the malt, and I made the malt extract a late addition.
Scotch Ale
Extract (Partial Mash)
Original Recipe: Jeff McNally
Ingredients:
6.6 lb Northwestern Gold LME (late edition)
2.0 lb Munich malt (10L)
0.5 lb Crystal malt (60L)
0.5 lb Crystal malt (20L)
3.0 oz Chocolate malt (350L)
4.0 oz White wheat malt (2L)
2.0 oz Peat smoked malt (2L)
1.0 oz UK Kent Goldings pellets @ 60 min
1.0 oz US Fuggles pellets @ 30 min
1 tsp Irish moss @ 10 min
Wyeast 1338 European Ale
5 oz corn sugar (for primimg)
Procedure:
- Mashed Munich malt in 2 gallons of ~160F water for 1 hr
- After 1/2 hour added specialty grains to steep for 1/2 hour
- Sparged with 4 qts of ~170F water
- Brought to boil, added first round of hops, 2nd round of hops at 30 min.
- Added LME at 15 min, (increased temp to bring back to boil)
- Irish moss at 10 min.
- Cooled, pitched yeast, fermented
I ran into a problem with adding that much LME as a late addition; I had to really increase the temperature to bring it back up to a boil. It was taking a while to get boiling again, so I ended up throwing the cover on to the pot. I kept an eye on it to make sure it wouldn’t boil over, but of course in the ten seconds that I wasn’t paying attention, what happened? (Luckily, I cleaned up the mess before Carrie saw it, or she’d have never let me brew in the kitchen again!) Hopefully the boil over won’t effect the final product, since it was really late in the boil I don’t think I lost much of my hop utilization (this recipe is already kinda low in the hop department).
Best Buy - Now serving bootlegs.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007 - 09:09 PM
So, I was at a Best Buy today, and I was browsing through the music DVDs, as I’m wont to do from time to time, and I came across something interesting. I happened to see “Led Zeppelin Live at Earls Court, 1975”. This caused me to do a double take, as I was unfamiliar with this title. Naturally, I picked it up to check it out…
“This is clearly a bootleg”, I thought to myself. The label said “Masterplan” and the producer credit said “Can A Puss”. I contemplated buying it (it was only $14.99) to check it out, but after researching it on the web I’m glad I didn’t. It is most definitely a bootleg, and apparently a poor quality one at that.
I snapped a couple quick pics with my camera phone (sorry about the quality, I accidently had it set to the lower setting).
Funniest show on TV
Tuesday, July 03, 2007 - 08:58 AM
Last night I managed to catch an episode of Flight of the Conchords on HBO. I had seen these guys’ musical stand-up act before on Comedy Central, which I thought was funny. Plus, cultural bellwether Lin Brehmer mentioned it in high regards on his morning show, so I decided to check it out.
If you haven’t already caught on to this show, check it out - you won’t be sorry. (If you don’t have HBO, maybe the episodes will show up on-line somewhere. Otherwise, I don’t know what to tell you!) This has got to be the funniest show on TV right now; I laughed so hard I was practically in tears. I immediately went into the “OnDemand” feature on our cable to watch the first two episodes (which I had missed, as a late-comer).
I don’t even know how to describe the show in a way that would do it justice. You just have to see it for yourself. Basically, it’s about these two guys from New Zealand who are trying to make it in New York as a band. They have an ineffectual band manager (who holds band meetings in his office at some New Zealand tourism bureau) and a single, obsessive fan. Through the course of the show it occasionally morphs into a kind of musical, where the plot turns into a cheesy music video.
Again, describing it does not do it justice. Trust me, and go check it out for yourself.