Saturday Mashup

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai this morning at 8:15am after a sleepless night (thanks to Joker). I routine followed the usual itinerary when meeting up with Shirley. The only exception is that we ate lunch at Gyotaku in the Niu Valley Shopping Center in celebration of her b-day. I have also passed my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer to her. If necessary, I will assist her in installing a newer version of Ubuntu later.

Acer® Aspire One Netbook

Well, my Acer® Aspire One netbook has officially taken over as my primary computer. I've already discussed the limitations of the netbook computer in the "blog," so there's only a need to express my frustration with the latter. However, as I vowed, I will not be purchasing another notebook (i.e., "laptop"). My goal is, in fact, to eventually deprecate and divest the netbook. Can the BlackBerry® PlayBook® really suffice as a primary computer? Only time will tell.

I have also downloaded the latest version Kubuntu, although I am not really in the mood to install it on the netbook. "Maverick Meerkat" is working just fine now. I have had absolutely no issues aside from the quirkiness of the Plymouth splash screen. If it ain't broke, why fix it? Unfortunately, the latest Kubuntu software update has over 160 items. Heck, I may as well just install "Natty Narwhal" already. More later.

After an hour or so taking my Acer® Aspire One netbook through the rigors of being the primary computer, I may have to change my opinion. I was able to view a near HD-quality hurdy-gurdy video with no problems. The rekonq Web browser was running concurrently. I was able listen to my Deep House Cat music clips without a hitch. The sound was excellent. Oddly, rekonq is not able to download properly from all sources. That's not a problem if we are talking about hurdy-gurdy sites. Perhaps the massive hurdy-gurdy video library can be gradually mummified. All I can say is that Kubuntu and KDE are awesome.

The exodus has made another small step forward. There are now only a couple of items left worthy of divestiture. After that, I will own even less than the majority of homeless people. Speaking about homelessness, there is now a local Homeless Hotline (808) 793-9359 and email (homelesshelp@waikikihc.org) through the Waikiki Health Center (WHC). Hey! That's where I got the ear wax problem remedied. Nonetheless, if I plan to become homeless, I will need to contact the WHC first.

Well, that's the bottom line, isn't it? The whole concept of the exodus is freedom. And, freedom cannot be attained when one is anchored to any aspect of the failed "civilization" paradigm. Following the expected order of the failed "civilization" only forces one into poverty. Aren't we all getting tired of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?

Friday Mashup

Another visit to Hawai'i Kai went well. Moms and I ate lunch at Loco Moco. Later, moms served Welcome® vanilla ice cream for dessert. The rest of the day? The urban nomad fulfilled his usual benign functions and followed his routine itinerary as planned.

I should mention that I noticed a distinct smell of mangy mutt urine around the right side of my Nissan® Frontier truck. Then, I observed that the aluminum wheels and tires had a brownish residue on them. I also noticed a large number of nicks in the paint. Since I only drive the truck only twice in a week, I seriously doubt that anything happened off of the Slob Manor (read: rental housing) property. Guess who parks his 4000-pound motorized chair (read: automobile) extremely close to the right of my truck on the rock pile? Did you say either "Meathead" or "Joker"? Does the fool have some kind of death wish? You think? The fucktard is apparently on permanent disability entitlements. Should I just put him out of his misery entirely? I can't help it that Joker was born a loser. However, the fact that he is a hideous slob allows him to collect lots of free money. He should take the money and run far away.

I spent most of the evening cleaning up my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. I had to remove all of my user files and any other residuals. Officially, this is the last day of service for my beloved and faithful notebook (i.e., "laptop") computer. At the present time, I will not be attempting to install the newer version of Ubuntu. That's just too risky.

I imported and tested the compatibility of user files on my Acer® Aspire One netbook computer. So far, so good. All remaining hurdy-gurdy files were copied to my Seagate® FreeAgent Go® portable hard drive. The Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer will be the last of its kind that I own. Given how quickly I could mummify both my vast hurdy-gurdy video library and the "blog," I plan to finally downsize to just the BlackBerry® PlayBook® tablet computer. Will I voluntarily become homeless thereafter? Who knows?

Freedom, or What?

I met up with Lori at Ala Moana Center this morning. She is leaving for Molokai on Saturday for six months. When she first contacted me, I was under the impression that she was moving there for a longer duration. Molokai, although quite a pretty island, is somewhat desolate. The rest of the day? Same ol' shit.

When I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I noticed that Joker (formerly Meathead) had been in his filthy hovel all day watching the tube. He was stomping around and dropping various objects on the floor. Is the fat slob that clumsy? Or, is he trying to be a literal joker? In any case, the guy is a loser and a stupid-looking twit (see picture in the "blog" of yesterday).

Speaking of jokers, Ben "Handjob" Bernanke held his first press conference. The reviews of his performance was quite similar (i.e., negative) to that of the BlackBerry® PlayBook® tablet computer. My favorite review was penned by RJ Eskow. An excerpt:

A cloud of phantom Bernankes arose in response. Jobs are important, said one. Jobs are part of our dual mandate, another agreed. But policies to address long-term unemployment are outside of our mission, frowned another. Yes, another agreed, nodding sadly. Unfortunately, we're a macroeconomic institution.

One of the Bernankes appeared to be struggling to say something -- something important. Yes, yes, we whispered. Say it! Say, "Quantitative easing and discount windows can only help the entire economy when they're accompanied by government policies which require the banks to use the advantages they bring in an economically constructive way."

But that Ben Bernanke fell silent. Then he shivered, grew translucent, and faded from sight. Another Bernanke spoke in his place. Strategies for addressing long-term unemployment were, he said, "out of the scope of the Fed."

Be sure to read the entire review on the Smirking Chimp site. It's hilarious.

The readership of the "blog" is beginning to dwindle (acording to the Feedjit® Live Feed). And, there has also been a serious decline in viewers looking for babe pictures. Sad, eh? On a morbid note, though, I was somewhat elated. When the readership dwindles down to basically nothing, I will have no choice but to either reduce the nnumber of posts or end the "blog" entirely. That's another big step toward "freedom."

Coasters

Last night, I attempted to burn Ubuntu "Maverick Meerkat" to a CD-ROM. After three attempt, all I had were three "coasters." For some reason, I encountered write failures. My guess is that the aging CD/DVD drive is defunct. So, there is no way for me to refurbish my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. It is now stuck with a crippled operating system that is slated for end-of-life in three days.

Meathead Look-Alike

To add insult to injury, Meathead was upstairs in Slob Manor (read: rental housing) stomping around and dropping heavy object on the floor continuously. The asswipe had been in his filthy hovel all day watching his widescreen LCD tube. Yeah, he watched the tube from 7am yesterday morning until 4am this morning straight. That's 21 hours. He also plays video games from 1am to 4am with the tube blaring in the background. What a maroon! Incidentally, he looks uncannily like the "Joker" character played by Cesar Romero in the slapstick sixties "Batman" series. Even the hair is exactly the same. I kid you not. Of course, Romero was wearing makeup. Joker ... errr, I mean Meathead ... isn't.

Same ol' shit, with the exception that I restored my extreme monk haircut at the Institute of Hair Design. And, yes, I enjoyed a cup of coffee in order to sustain my caffeine addiction. I returned to Slob Manor via Ala Moana Center this afternoon just so I could enjoy an ice cream treat from Foodland.

Well, I was able to burn the "minimal" CD of Ubuntu "Maverick Meerkat." It's very small because all of the installation files must be downloaded. The installer is also text-based only. From what I understand, I should theoretically be able to install the full Ubuntu desktop using metapackages. I also attempted to burn a full install CD again, but that resulted in another "coaster." Right now, I am not too excited about the tedious method to install a new operating system. However, the sooner I get that done, the quicker I can divest the Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer.

Decaffeinated Computerized Coma

Last night, I attempted to produce a "blog" entry in a trial run with my BlackBerry® PlayBook®. The end result was laughable. Copying and pasting in a Web text box is excruciatingly painful because the virtual keyboard keeps popping up. In addition, there is no way to simply select text for formatting. I would have to type in the complete HTML tags although, oddly, the virtual keyboard seems to be devoid of certain special characters. Mind you, I doubt that the latter problems are confined only to the PlayBook®. All tablet computers share the same problems. And, really, every computer and Web interface has been designed for use with a keyboard and mouse, not a touchscreen.

I also believe that I have determined the reason why the BlackBerry® Playbook® must be powered up before the battery can be charged. It seems to be tied in with the allegedly unusable power switch. The device is apparently not designed to be turned on and off frequently. Rather, it is supposed to remain in "suspend" mode when not being used. Certainly, that makes sense if the device is used daily. The wireless radio remains active during "suspend" for file transfers, although it can be manually shut off, if necessary.

Typical Coffee Ritual Hottie

As for the day, same ol' shit. Or, should I say, "SOS"? I did not have a chance to procure my morning cup of coffee. I was groggy all day, even though I slept fairly well for the past few nights. Well, I should say that I deliberately skipped out on my morning coffee as a test to see whether I was addicted to caffeine or not. Looks like I'll be continuing my morning coffee ritual. Sheesh!

I estimate that I spend five hours or more with the computer every evening. I should specify that I use all three of my computing devices sequentially throughout that time. Is what I do any better than watching the tube for five hours straight? The latter question is what I have been asking myself as of late. After all, I only have a few more good years left.

We already know that the main computer activities are:

• Reading the alternative news
• Searching for and downloading hurdy-gurdy videos
• Composing the "blog."

What exactly is the point of such nonsense? Decommissioning my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer serves the purpose of putting the hurdy-gurdy downloading in check. It is currently the only computer than can download from all sites. It is also the only computer that can view up to 720p HD videos, that is, until the BlackBerry® PlayBook® came along. However, at this time, there is no adequate file management utility for the PlayBook®, so loading up its limited memory with hurdy-gurdy videos is absurd.

I wanted to eventually decommission my Acer® Aspire One netbook as well. However, I can only compose the "blog" on it once the notebook computer is divested. I could use the tablet computer to compose the "blog," but it will be devoid of any kind of formatting. Even the font of the content section would be different. Subconsciously, I believe that I am attempting to mummify both the "blog" and the massive hurdy-gurdy library. Since I can't seem to rely on my own initiative, I am forcing my hand by downgrading my computing capability.

In any case, the final question is: What would I do with all of the time on my hands after that? There are only two places that I could hang out in the evening. That would be Barnes & Noble® in Kahala Mall or Barnes & Noble® in Ala Moana Center. I would be considered loitering anywhere else. Is that why everyone else is at home in front of the huge widescreen LCD tube all night?

Post No. 1,821

Another visit to Hawai'i Kai went well. Moms and I ate lunch at Panda Express®. My Panda Express® fortune cookie's prediction: "You will find a real bargain." Are we talking about my new BlackBerry® PlayBook® tablet computer? Later, moms served Welcome® vanilla ice cream for dessert. The rest of the day? The urban nomad fulfilled his usual benign functions and followed his routine itinerary as planned.

Speaking of the BlackBerry® Playbook®, I just discovered that the device's battery cannot be charged when the power is off. Charging time is several hours, by the way. The latter issue is by far the most bizarre one that I've encountered. However, I have decided to remain loyal and keep the device.

So far, no progress concerning the refurbishing of my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. Ubuntu has really thrown a wrench in the works with the default Unity desktop for "Natty Narwahl." Moving away from Ubuntu may be the only solution. I considered Kubuntu, but I would prefer Gnome® over KDE on a large screen.

Well, I spent $500 on a tablet computer that every moronic pundit has stated will fail in as little as a few weeks. Yeah, I could have purchased a really nice notebook (i.e., "laptop") computer for that kind of dough. However, I previously stated that I am no longer interested in bulky "clamshell"-type computers. The wave of the future is true hand-held computing.

Computerized Aggravation

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday, devoid of the hottie gym trainer, has come to pass. There weren't too many people loitering or milling about anywhere, no doubt because of the "Christian" holiday. I'm not complaining, mind you.

Last night, I came to discover quite by accident that my BlackBerry® PlayBook® does indeed have cut, copy, and paste functions built in. I had my finger resting on some text displayed on the touchscreen when the editing menu appeared out of nowhere.

Since I am on the topic of computers, I may as well list some of my empirically determined computer facts (or trivia):

1. Notebook computers should not be called "laptops." Few models lay comfortably in anyone's lap. The chassis of the computer becomes very warm as well. Notebook computers are not portable and are too bulky to stow away.
2. Netbook computers are better "laptops" because of their smaller size. However, the chassis become even more hot than notebook computers. The size of the screen is not ideal for viewing at a two-foot distance.
3. Both notebook and netbook computers function best on a desk.
4. Tablet computers with ten-inch screens are too large and heavy, creating a disadvantage for its form factor. Holding a large tablet computer up at a good viewing angle is difficult to maintain. Without a desk, the tablet must lay flat on a person's lap. Looking down at the screen is bad for the neck, back, and overall posture.

I have also discovered that, whereas the netbook and tablet computer are seemingly portable, both suffer from extreme fragility. Dropping either one will result in significant damage. In the case of the netbook, the hard drive would most likely not survive the impact. The glass screen of tablet computers would easily shatter. So, what good are they?

Well, I tried to implement the wireless transfer from my BlackBerry® PlayBook®, but it does not seem to want to cooperate with Linux. I can detect the tablet computer on the wireless network, but I cannot gain access to its file directory. I have also discovered that I cannot perform a USB transfer because there is no Linux driver available. And, rumor has it that there is no way to delete files from the PlayBook®. What, no file manager? I am now beginning to wonder if the PlayBook® needs to be returned for a refund.

The jury is still out concerning which version of Ubuntu that I will install on my soon-to-be decommissioned Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. The latest version (i.e., "Natty Narwhal") will be released next week, but I am not willing to accept Unity as the default desktop. Then again with the BlackBerry® Playbook® proving to be a complete mess, I may have to postpone any decommissioning. Can you say, "Sheesh!"?

Late Addendum: My Acer® Aspire One netbook was able to access the BlackBerry® PlayBook® file directory using Samba. File transfers and deletions were quick and easy. I also discovered that many PlayBook applications have the ability to delete its associated files. What a relief!

Computerized Relaxation (Reprise)

"Let's face it, we're not changing the world. We're building a product that helps people buy more crap - and - watch porn." -- Seagate® CEO Bill Watkins

We can thank Urban Coyote for the opening quote, by the way. I surmise that Seagate® is the same company that produces hard drives like my portable external hard drive. Great for storing massive hurdy-gurdy libraries.

The day? Same ol' shit. I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) about an hour earlier than usual. Yes, I am still configuring my new BlackBerry® PlayBook® for its new role in the general scheme of things. I neglected to mention yesterday that there is no "copy & paste" in any of the installed applications. Heck, even Android® now has that feature. Should I have just waited for the final entry in the tablet computing arena, the HP® WebOS TouchPad? I don't think so.

I have not attempted any kind of file transfer with the device, although I suspect that it is incompatible with Linux. I only have a handful of small spreadsheet files that could be sent as e-mail attachments. Other files (e.g., music or hurdy-gurdy video) can simply be downloaded and discarded. File transfer is not an issue. Neither is the missing native e-mail, calendar, and contacts applications. I don't use them anyway. I don't like that crap cluttering up the computer.

"Apps" mean nothing to me. I don't have any need for the thousands of "apps" that are out in the wild. The PlayBook only has a few of its own, mostly useless, which had led to pundit outrage. Most "apps" are for idiots anyway. All in all, the PlayBook® essentially fills the void left by my old Palm® TX.

Well, I'll be preoccupied with all of my computers for the rest of the evening in my squalid room. Up next is the decommissioning process for my aging Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. At least I haven't been fretting about my mortality lately. Sheesh!

Good Friday, Bad Friday 2011

Last night at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I had a brief chat with the landlord. Since the young Asian hottie is moving out at the end of the month, her squalid room would be vacant, I requested to move to the other room. Unfortunately, the room has already been rented to a friend of the young Asian hottie. I mentioned the noise problem concerning Meathead. The landlord has not been too pleased with Meathead. He's been a troublesome and demanding tenant since the first day.

Another visit to Hawai'i Kai went well. Moms and I ate lunch at Zippy's. Later, moms served Welcome® vanilla ice cream for dessert. The rest of the day? The urban nomad fulfilled his usual benign functions and followed his routine itinerary as planned.

Koko Marina was extremely crowded because of the holiday. Lots of people were going to or coming from the beach. After an extremely mundane workout at the gym, I decided to drive my Nissan® Frontier truck to town. My first stop was Best Buy®. I was able to check out both the Motorola® Xoom® (using Android® "Honeycomb") and the new Blackberry® PlayBook (using QNX®). I have to admit, the Android® operating system was much more dazzling than QNX®. In addition, the Xoom's larger screen was seemingly more appealing. As for the PlayBook, it looked like a small toy. I stood around for almost 30 minutes. No salesperson ever approached me. So, I headed for the exit.

My next stop was Office Depot®. I was able to find assistance within a couple of minutes. Yeah, sad to say, I spent $499 on the toy-like BlackBerry® PlayBook®. One-man spending spree. Why did I commit such a foolish act? Was I trying to make myself feel better after a whole sleepless week thanks to Meathead? What am I going to do with three computers?

For whatever foolishness was involved, the deal is done. The BlackBerry® PlayBook® is not being returned for a refund. In other words, there's no buyer's remorse. Sadly, the tablet computer is nowhere near a replacement for a real computer. Even Documents To Go® has turned out to be somewhat disappointing. Although the tablet computer can be used as a stand-alone device, there will still be a need for a conventional computer. I'll refrain from reviewing the device since there are already myriad reviews available. I will mention, though, the BlackBerry® PlayBook® has extraordinary 1080p video capabilities, an HDMI port, and a nice tabbed Web browser. QNX® is much more capable than the existing software.

At this point in time, I am returning to the original plan of decommissioning my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. I am not certain about which version of Ubuntu that I will install. Once the latter issue is settled, then I'll be down to two computers. To no surprise, I want to eventually decommission my Acer® Aspire One netbook as well. Certainly, we are looking at the end of any hurdy-gurdy video downloading sprees. Maybe that is why I acquired the tablet computer. It's costly way to mummify my massive hurdy-gurdy video library. Sheesh!

Why?

Another sleepless night at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) left the ol' lavahead in a dazed and confused state. Insomnia was the culprit, although Meathead was up until 3am making all kinds of noise yet again. The second floor common area is right about my squalid room. Meathead spends most of his time in the common area. I'm almost certain that he sleeps there, too. Why is Meathead such a moron?

Being sleep deprived and groggy put a whole different perspective on my squalid existence. Nothing stupid seemed tolerable. Thus, while I was attempting to catch up on my sleep at the library, I became considerably unnerved. I began to question the sorry state of my squalid life-style. Why am I always subjecting myself to squalor? Why did I make so many bad decisions? Why am I eating lamp-baked chicken? Why do I secretly desire to become homeless? Why am I wasting so much time on the Net? Why can't I find something else to do?

The last question really struck a nerve. Why do I have two computers? Why do I spend all evening, five hours or more, on the Net? Why can't I divest the massive hurdy-gurdy library or at least curb the benign activity? Why am I still contemplating the acquisition of a tablet computer?

BlackBerry® PlayBook®

Speaking of tablet computers, the BlackBerry® PlayBook® seems to be most obvious choice. Unfortunately, it has been receiving very bad reviews. Oddly, I find strengths in the weaknesses pointed out by the reviews. The QNX® operating system is solid. The seven-inch screen size is actually perfect, albeit small. Anything larger is quite cumbersome. The BlackBerry® PlayBook® can be held in one hand easily. Will the ol' lavahead rush out to purchase one? Why?