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QOTD

deprecate
1. To express disapproval of; deplore.
2. To belittle; depreciate.
3. Computer Science To mark (a component of a software standard) as obsolete to warn against its use in the future so that it may be phased out.
- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/deprecated

Howdy neighbor,

Well, my blog is moving. Soon...

• I'll no longer be at www.williamt.com/blog
• I should be (cough) moved to williamt777.blogspot.com

Here's Google's explanation: Deprecating FTP
And this is supposed to be fairly transparent and auto-magic.
We shall see.

"Deprecate" is a fave word among nerds.
We use it when we're getting rid of the "old way" of doing something in favor of a new, improved way. There are typically two reasons for this: 1) the old way is getting creaky and obsolete in view of new technology, or 2) the old way always kind of sucked in the first place. For example, Intel decided to never deprecated their old X86 architecture, choosing instead to contort around, over and through the old X86 technology. Apple has generally decided to ditch old architectures in favor of new in both hardware and software.

It's always a tough nerd decision. Change is uncomfortable. Being deprecated makes users cranky. He he.

Well, Google (the owner of blogger) is deprecating the use of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) in blogs. Don't laugh, but FTP is almost as old as me! It makes Google cranky to have to support it. I originally chose to use FTP for two reasons: 1) I liked my old williamt.com URL, and 2) I wanted my blog files to exist on my ISP server rather than over at Google.

So, I'm a user being deprecated. I'm not cranky as much as wary.
I hope this works.
Google's "Migration Tool" is supposed to copy my (2 1/2 year old, 400+ post) blog over to their servers and my new URL. It's also supposed to (gulp) put forwarding tags in the HTML of these old files pointing your browser to the new location. (gulp gulp)

I'll probably try my migration later today.

My last bikini shot... pre-deprecation... google "ftp bikini" leads you to Bridget Bardot.

So, it's not all bad. He he.
And I heart blogger. So there.
peace... yow, bill

Labels: qotd, technology

With 3.6 seconds left and just a 2 point lead, Coach K told his player to intentionally miss a free throw. Pretty unorthodox strategy, and it almost cost Duke as the Butler guy narrowly missed a half court shot.

So, why not just make the free throw, go up by 3... then the worse you get is overtime.

QOTD

"I think we lose in overtime."
- Dike Coach K on his decision v. Butler to miss their last free throw on purpose

Gutsy call. I like it.

Book: "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... barely just OK

This is "Hunger Games 2".
More light teeny-bopper reading. This one barely made the cut because of two really aggravating things:

1. We traipse back to the same "Hunger Games" plot of kids fighting each other
2. We get the bogus "to be continued" ending. That's tough to pull off well, and it does not work here.

I'm cranky, but I went with 3 stars because I liked the first half of the book, and I will probably snarf the finale when it comes out. The last of the series is "Mockingjay" and comes out in August ("Mockingjay" on Amazon).
mocking book... yow, bill

Labels: 3stars, books, qotd, sports

For the record, we looked, but did not buy. That D-Rose is creepy. He he.

1. Buerhle Highlight
Mark Buerhle's incredible play of the year on opening day: Yahoo video, MLB video

QOTD

"That one's going to be on highlight reels all year long."
- Steve Stone

2. Chicago Cameras
Truly sad state of affairs as our society comes under more and more surveillance.


And nobody gives a hoot.

QOTD2

"[Chicago] could put 10,000 more cameras up and nobody would say anything."
- Paul Green, Roosevelt University

3. $2M Coach at DePaul
DePaul hires a new basketball coach:


How does DePaul University justify paying a basketball coach $2M. They must run the numbers, right? I just can't get my head around it. They shouldn't even be in the Big East.
chicago rules... yow, bill

Labels: myphoto, politics, qotd, sports

Finally, a cause we can all support: Topless Women March in Portland

QOTD

"I'm really upset by the men… all the men that are here, just like watching it like it's a parade."
- topless march organizer

The march was legal in Portland, ME because they only have laws against exposed genitals, not, um, torsos.

This is a fer-pay WSJ story, but a good one: What's the Next Global Warming
The author chronicles the cracks in global warming across the globe:

• French best seller "L'imposture climatique" rip global warming
  
• Leftie German magazine "Der Spiegel" had a 15 page feature on "scientists who want to be politicians"
• Leading British environmentalist James Lovelock says the planet "will save itself, as it always as done"
• US poll has global warming as the 6th ranked out of the top 10 environmental worries
• In a different article, CA voters will challenge the state's goofy cap-n-trade regulations in the election this Fall.
  

Global warming as religion... the author compares Al Gore's carbon credits scheme ("It's how Al Gore justifies his utility bills") to a Catholic penance.
Good news all.

And finally some real SCIENCE!
Give a bunch of college kids some beers, and their test scores are fine the next morning.

Test-Takers Shrug Off the Effects of Alcohol

I could-a told you that.
he he... yow, bill

Labels: fun, globalwarming, qotd

Windmills in Palm Springs, CA

LA Spars over Green Energy

LA's push to "green" energy has two effects:

• LA power bills are up over 10% to pay for "green" energy options like the windmills
  
• LA residents are treated to the eyesore you see above

Environmentalists, I presume, are all gung-ho on this windmill thing. But how can you look at the photo above and not call that an eyesore? I don't get it.

Baseball is back. Ahhhhhh. Red Sock beat the Yankee 9-7 in Sunday's season opener. Papelbon with the save.
QOTD

“It’s good to get a win opening night. It’s good for the city. It’s good for the fans. It’s good for the players. It’s good for everyone. … But it’s still just one game.”
- K Youkilis, Red Sock

And fantasy baseball is back. Double ahhhhhh.
Speaking of, the Naperville Watchmen will rely on the fine closer corp ever constructed: Papelbon, Mariano, and K-Rod.

Papelbon!

...

...


The finest closer corps... on paper. Now we play the games.
papelbon... yow, bill

Labels: globalwarming, politics, sports

Book: "Waking" by Matthew Sanford
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... OK.

He he. Here I go again. This reminds me of my "Avatar" experience.

"Waking" is an inspirational story about a guy dealing with paralysis due to a childhood car accident. It's really heart-wrenching stuff to hear the stories of what this guy went through. And then he perseveres ultimately by learning yoga. It's an amazing story. Anyone dealing with this kind of trauma and disability is amazing to me.

"Waking" on Amazon is a 5-star deal (source) with people about as gushy as I've seen for any book or anything on Amazon.

Sorry, I wasn't that moved. Why?

• Much of the book (2/3?) deals with his accident and the fairly immediate trauma and treatment of his paralysis. It's just brutal reading... because it's happening to a 13 year-old kid.
• Then, we get preachy. If you don't do yoga, then you don't "get it". You're not connected with this and that and the other thing. Jeez. The paraplegic who gets totally into weight-lifting and Special Olympics stuff... he doesn't get it. The doctors don't get it. The therapists don't get it. Whatever.
  
• He also describes how, after winning a lawsuit over his accident, he becomes "enlightened" about not needing to work and that his philosophy and inner-self are more important. Yawn.
  

It's almost universal isn't it... everyone's religion is the religion. Even not having a religion is a religion, as the worst religion these days is people who won't tolerate the religion of others.

What works for me? Running. Working hard. The "life is a game or contest" metaphor works pretty effectively. But am I in your face if you're not running, not working hard, not competing. Heck no. There's a lot of benefits to an alternate approach (including yoga)... just don't tell me yours is better for everyone and I won't do likewise.

Look, this wasn't a terrible book; it was worth the read. Dude, I'm glad that yoga worked for you. But please please please don't tell me that your way is the way. It isn't.

Baseball tomorrow!
Ahhhhhhhhh.
play ball... yow, bill

Labels: 3stars, books

QOTD

"Never buy a used Subaru WRX STI."
- WilliamT

My little Sooby (2007 Impreza WRX STI) is easily the best car I've every owned. Fast. Tight. Reliable. Just solid as a rock and fun fun fun.
2 1/2 years and no tickets yet. Knock, knock.


Subaru changed the Impreza to be a hatchback a couple years ago. Blech.
They are coming back with the sedan for 2011. Oh my.


Here's the official Sooby link: www.subaru.com/auto-show/index.html

Now, I paid like $32K for my Sooby, and they have jacked the prices since. The 2011 will come in easily over $40K. I can't blame them, but I might not partake. I have another couple good years with my Sooby and then we'll see.
sooby... yow, bill

PS - A paste on... Red Sock star Bernie Carbo was high as a kite during the 1975 World Series:

• Little Yahoo summary of the deal: link
• The original Boston Globe story is really inspirational about Carbo's overcoming addiction: link
• Youtube of Carbo's 8th inning, pinch-hit, game-tying homer in the 1975 World Series: link

QOTD2

“I probably smoked two joints, drank about three or four beers, got to the ballpark, took some [amphetamines], took a pain pill, drank a cup of coffee, chewed some tobacco, had a cigarette, and got up to the plate and hit,’’
- Bernie Carbo, source

And pardon my geezer moment here... less was more back then. No ESPN. No SportsCenter. No internet. Just WGN and NBC's Saturday Game of the Week. These moment's were treasuries, in part because of their scarcity. Now, they are a commodity.
Young whippersnapper.
He he.

Labels: fun, myphoto, qotd, sports