We’ve all heard about the DTV transition, but how much do we really know about it? Here are some fun (or not-so-fun) facts about the technology:

• The transition is not about when digital broadcast can start, it’s about when analog broadcast must end. Why force the end of analog broadcast? Money… plain and simple.
• The biggest lobbyists for the DTV transition were cable and satellite providers like DirectTV.
• Digital TV uses less bandwidth than analog TV… so there will be left over space in the spectrum that’s no longer being used. What’s going to happen to this space? It will be sold. This is what this transition is really about… several big companies want that bandwidth space, and as usual, the little guy is getting screwed.
• What’s so great about DTV? Better picture quality. Period. That’s the only advantage the average American will get out of the transition. This assumes, of course, that the people who care about high-def don’t already have cable… ’cause the only thing changing is over-the-air broadcast.
• What sucks about DTV? Sadly, a number of things. For starters, most people who still get their television over the air don’t care all that much about quality. As the previous bullet states, that’s the only gain they’ll see. So we’re really spending all this money for very little perceived gain for the consumer
• Unlike analog TV, DTV is all or nothing. Either you get a strong enough signal or you don’t get anything at all. Gone will be the days of slightly “snowy” yet easily discernible video. Most of those channels will be simply unviewable. Just take a look at what’s going on in Hawaii right now.
• Related to the previous point, gone are the days of watching a staticy news channel during a strong storm. I remember many nights as a child, watching the weather reports on the TV in the basement during a tornado storm. Any situation where the video used to go fuzzy, will now produce a complete lack of video signal (even if the audio used to be understandable). Again, DTV is all or nothing.
• Think about the people you know who still used an anteana for their television. Are they the most technically savey folks? I didn’t think so. Unfortunatly, they’re the ones that will have to deal with the DTV converter boxes that the government is subsidizing. Granting, these boxes aren’t much more difficult to hook up than a DVD player… but it’s still non-trivial for most people.
• Many people don’t know about the DTV converter boxes or aren’t sure how/where to get them. So, several big electronics resellers are pushing very hard to get these people to purchase brand new digital TVs that don’t require a box. There are too many people spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on equipment who would be just as well off buying a $60 box and getting a $40 rebate from the government.
• Many broadcasting stations are spending thousands of dollars a day to transmit both analog and digital television signals. If the government’s plan of postponing the deadline goes through, many of the smaller, more local stations won’t be able to afford this dual broadcast for the additional months until the switch. Their only financially viable option will be to cut out the analog signal early.
• What happens when the local guys are forced to cut analog early? Consumers who aren’t ready for the switch (and likely never will be) will have to start tuning into the other larger broadcasters who can afford to transmit both signals. End result… the little guys are screwed.

In short, I’m quite oppose to the DTV transition… but unfortunately, it’s going to happen. When it does, many consumers will be confused and placed in a very vulnerable position. If the transition is delayed, local broadcasters will be forced into a very difficult business situation that greatly favors the larger corporations.

Sources: Consumerist, Gizmodo, Wikipedia, EngadgetHD, & DTV Facts

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This is just wild. The cost of the 2008 US Government Bailout, as of November, has been $4.6165 trillion. To put things into perspective, that’s more than all of the following… combined:

• Marshall Plan: $12.7 billion, Inflation Adjusted: $115.3 billion
• Louisiana Purchase: $15 million, Inflation Adjusted: $217 billion
• Race to the Moon: $36.4 billion, Inflation Adjusted: $237 billion
• S&L Crisis: $153 billion, Inflation Adjusted: $256 billion
• Korean War: $54 billion, Inflation Adjusted: $454 billion
• The New Deal: $32 billion (Est), Inflation Adjusted: $500 billion (Est)
• Invasion of Iraq: $551 billion, Inflation Adjusted: $597 billion
• Vietnam War: $111 billion, Inflation Adjusted: $698 billion
• NASA: $416.7 billion, Inflation Adjusted: $851.2 billion

Total (adjusted for inflation): $3.92 trillion

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So, I just wasted about half an hour trying to figure this bug out. A web search shows that I’m not unique in encountering this issue. So, I’m hoping that posted the solution here might lend a hand to some other poor soul who’s stuck in the same boat.

Problem: I had a directory that appeared in Windows Explorer and Command Prompt, but acted as if it didn’t exist. It would issue the following error messages: “Could not find this item… This is no longer located in PATH. Verify the item’s location and try again.”

Solution:

• Run the Windows Command Prompt (CMD)
• WinXP: Start → Run → cmd
• WinVista: Start → Start Search → cmd
• Navigate to the directory containing the problem file/directory
• cd C:/path/to/directory/containing/problem/
• Figure out the 8.3 file name
• dir /x ⇒ somethin~1
• Remove using the 8.3 name
• del /s somethin~1
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M: McCain
O: Obama

R: Conservative (right)
C: Moderate (central)
L: Liberal (left)

Totals:

• M-R: XXXXXXX
• O-L: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
• M-C: XXXXXX
• O-C:

International Issues: Foreign Policy, Homeland Security, War & Peace, Immigration, Free Trade, Energy & Oil.

• M-R: XX
• O-L: XXXX
• M-C: X
• O-C:

Domestic Issues: Gun Control, Crime, Corporations, Drugs, Civil Rights, Environment.

• M-R: XXX
• O-L: XXXX
• M-C: XX
• O-C:

Economic Issues: Budget & Economy, Government Reform, Tax Reform, Social Security, Technology, Principles & Values.

• M-R: X
• O-L: XXXX
• M-C: X
• O-C:

Social Issues: Education, Jobs, Welfare & Poverty, Health Care, Abortion, Families & Children.

• M-R: X
• O-L: XXXX
• M-C: XX
• O-C:

What’s the point? One candidate is consistently partisan, the other is consistently moderate. I’ve known this for quite some time, it’s just interesting seeing the data in this head-to-head format.

Source: OnTheIssues

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I finally found a way to get rid of that annoying “Application/Chat” bar on the bottom of all facebook pages. I’ve always felt it was a huge waste of screen real estate, so I’m thrilled to be able to kill it.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• GreaseMonkey Firefox Add-on
• NoFacebookChat GreaseMonkey Script [mirror]

First, install the GreaseMonkey add-on and restart your web browser. Then, install the NoFacebookChat GreaseMonkey script. That’s it, you’re done.

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While the eeePC 4G contains a 900 Mhz Intel Processor, it is factory underclocked to 630 Mhz for battery life reasons. I just found a fantastic tool to return the CPU to its native clock frequency.

 70 Mhz FSB == 630 Mhz CPU
100 Mhz FSB == 900 Mhz CPU

Original Post
KRingg Mirror

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I ran across this information the other day and found it quite interesting. The first graph plots Barack Obama, John McCain, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton according to their voting records. The second plot depicts the same individuals on a scale from moderate to partisan (be it democrat or republican). The surprising observation that John McCain is actually less partisan than Barack Obama. Essentially, Obama is about as liberal as Bush is conservative, while the same comparison applies to McCain and Clinton.

All data is taken from OnTheIssues.org.

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As a proud technology nerd, I found the following information very interesting (and quite disconcerting). According to his record, Joseph Biden…

• …has close ties with and fully supports the RIAA and the MPAA. [The RIAA and MPAA understandably want to protect their work, but they go way too far. As an example, according to them, you're not allowed to make backups of your own CDs and DVDs.note]
• …strongly supports internet censorship. [Seriously, this is a basic freedom of speech issue. Take a look at the Great Firewall of China. Is that what we want the U.S. internet to look like? I didn't think so.note]
• …opposes encryption that does not allow plain text backdoors. [The whole point of encryption is to keep your data safe from the outside world. If anyone can just get your private key (government included) what's the point? This one is especially ridiculous.note]
• …strongly opposes peer-to-peer technology. [Yes, P2P is used extensively for illegal content, but the technology itself is not (and should not) be outlawed/bottlenecked. This would simply punish all of those (like myself) who use this fantastic technology for legitimate contentnote]

Here’s the data to support the above points:

• Biden sponsored a bill in 2002 that would have make it a federal felony to trick certain types of devices into playing unauthorized music or executing unapproved computer programs. Biden’s bill was backed by content companies including News Corp. but eventually died after Verizon, Microsoft, Apple, eBay, and Yahoo lobbied against it. [link]
• Biden signed a letter that urged the Justice Department “to prosecute individuals who intentionally allow mass copying from their computer over peer-to-peer networks.” This means that the taxpayers pay for the MPAA’s and RIAA’s lawsuits. [link]
• Biden sponsored an RIAA-backed bill called the Perform Act aimed at restricting Americans’ ability to record and play back individual songs from satellite and Internet radio services. [link]
• Biden was one of only four U.S. senators invited to a champagne reception in celebration of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act hosted by the MPAA’s Jack Valenti, the RIAA, and the Business Software Alliance. [link]
• Biden has twice introduced bills with the following language: It is the sense of Congress that providers of electronic communications services and manufacturers of electronic communications service equipment shall ensure that communications systems permit the government to obtain the plain text contents of voice, data, and other communications when appropriately authorized by law. [link]
• In 1996 Biden voted for a bill that would have required “states to place Social Security numbers on drivers licenses and to obtain fingerprints or some other form of biometric identification for licenses.” [link]
• Biden pushed to make posting bomb-making information on the Internet a felony, punishable by up to 20 years in jail. He has a record of supporting internet censorship. [link]
• In April, he proposed spending $1 billion in U.S. tax dollars so police can monitor peer-to-peer networks for illegal activity. [link]
• On Net neutrality, Biden has sounded skeptical. In 2006, he indicated that no preemptive laws were necessary because if violations do happen, such a public outcry will develop that “the chairman will be required to hold this meeting in this largest room in the Capitol, and there will be lines wandering all the way down to the White House.” [link]

Much thanks to CNet News for compiling the original data used here.

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I wanted to write up a full introduction to this article similar to what I did with the Obama counterpart. John McCain, however, has not captured America’s attention (or at least the American media’s attention) nearly as much as Barack Obama has. So, I really can’t say a whole lot about him. His voting record is very much on par with what I was expecting though… he’s a moderate-leaning republican and tends to vote that way.

According to his voting record, John McCain:

• Supports: Pro-Life
• Supports: Affirmative Action
• Supports: Homosexual Partnerships
• Supports: Prayer in Public School
• Strongly Supports: Death Penalty
• Strongly Supports: Three Strikes Laws
• Strongly Supports: Absolute Gun Ownership
• Opposes: Federal Health Care Funding
• Strongly Supports: Privatizing Social Security
• Supports: Alternative Energy
• Strongly Supports: Anti-Drug Legislation
• Strongly Supports: Allowing Church Provided Welfare
• Opposes: Progressive Taxes
• Supports: Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants
• Strongly Supports: Free Trade
• Strongly Supports: Campaign Funding Limits
• Strongly Supports: The Patriot Act
• Strongly Opposes: Withdrawal from Iraq

The above information is taken from: www.OnTheIssues.org. I’ve attempted to phrase this article in the most non-biased manner possible.

Note: Barack Obama has voted “no opinion” on two issues, which I have left off of both voting records.

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I, like a large percentage of Americans, have been extraordinarily impressed by Barack Obama’s speeches and campaign platforms. He’s a very motivating man and knows how to get people excited about his causes. But what exactly are his causes? We all know “a vote for Obama is a vote for change”… but what change is he speaking of exactly? I was sitting here tonight pondering that very questing when it occurred to me, I honestly have no idea what kind of voting record he has. I’ve been so swept away by his public speaking, that I never bothered to look up what exactly he has stood for in the past.

After some time spent exploring his stances on a number of key issues, I’m amazed how he’s managed to position himself as a moderate candidate. He is not. At all. I think a lot of this moderate perception revolves around his statements on faith and politics (which are nothing less than pandering to the religious right). I’ll address his views on that issue on a later night. What I’d like to present here is a list of controversial issues and Obama’s voting record for each of them. Over the next week or so, I plan to walk through each of these and present my own rationale outlining my support (or lack thereof) for each.

According to his voting record, Barack Obama:

• Strongly Supports: Pro-Choice
• Strongly Supports: Affirmative Action
• Supports: Homosexual Partnerships
• Opposes: Prayer in Public School
• Opposes: Death Penalty
• Opposes: Three Strikes Laws
• Opposes: Absolute Gun Ownership
• Supports: Federal Health Care Funding
• Strongly Opposes: Privatizing Social Security
• Strongly Supports: Alternative Energy
• Opposes: Anti-Drug Legislation
• Favors: Allowing Church Provided Welfare
• Strongly Favors: Progressive Taxes
• Strongly Favors: Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants
• Opposes: Free Trade
• Strongly Favors: Campaign Funding Limits
• Strongly Opposes: The Patriot Act
• Favors: Withdrawal from Iraq

The above information is taken from: www.OnTheIssues.org. I’ve attempted to phrase this article in the most non-biased manner possible.

Note: Barack Obama has voted “no opinion” on two issues, which I have left off of both voting records.

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