Steven Joniak – the Blog

Finally got to go for a run after missing them for a couple weeks (working waaay too much!) and realized I’m now passed 300 km! (for Sparta!!! sad I know, couldn’t resist)

I think a new challenge will be to see how many km I can run per month? Well that and getting my speed back down again – a few months off and have lost so much!

As anyone who knows me will already know, the last April 1st post was indeed an April Fool’s joke (or at least attempt at one). Apple and I go together like peanut butter and chocolate and what a tasty combination that is! mmmm, resse’s pieces…

Just to clarify, my last post was sarcastic as I have had a much better overall computing experience since the early ’90s using Macs. I’ve spent a number of years using PC’s for work and found them to by MUCH more problematic, virus ridden, graphic-less and overally frustrating to use on a day to day basis. Overall, the Mac OS has been far more produtive, problem free and pleasurable to use day to day then any Windows or Linux version I’ve tried to use. The fact that its really only my PC friends who ask for help or advice to ‘fix’ their computers, where as my Mac friends only ask, how do I create this or that IS a testament to the stability and different computing nature of the two platforms. 

Neither Mac or PC is perfect by any means, but the Mac is far more an elegant, refined and productive OS with just as aesthetically pleasing hardware to boot. Truth be told, if I was to match up the features and hardware of a PC from Sony, Dell, HP or any the other main brands I’d be paying as much or even more then a comparable professional Mac, which for me being a creative professional is absolutely perfect. Add to that there are so many other little details in both hardware and software you just don’t find on the PC side. PLUS, I can STILL run a full version of Windows XP Pro INSIDE my Mac OS X, running both OS’s at once, for the occasional testing of websites for clients – and it all, just works.

Since 1995, I’ve only ever run into 1 hardware failure (old Mac died), 2 viruses (harmless ones in ‘98 that simply kept restarting the Mac) and only ever lost files because of my own ‘tinkering’ with Unix commands (d’oh!) and with each version of Mac OS X am finding having very bad crashes only happen, at most 1-2 times A YEAR. The rest of the time I can just keep working away happily without much hassle at all.

And that is why I will always love my Macs.

For a long time I have been a devout Mac fan – always defending, always buying the newest and best when it comes out and thinking that I was ahead of the curve. But recently I’ve been feeling less a Mac zealot and more a Mac idiot.

But no more paying Steve Jobs – its time to start paying this Steve right here! To think of the countless hours I wasted watching keynotes and reading up Mac sites on every rumour, detail and new feature only to come to realize that it was all a show – a smoke screen – but I nolonger have the wool pulled over my eyes. So now I’m going to begin decrying a new mantra – Turn your back to the Mac.

Once I finish up these projects I’m going to sell every Mac related item I know and fully embrace the other side – the PC – and I can say my eyes are nolonger wide shut. I mean if everyone else is using them, why can’t I join in on the fun? Besides, if I want real fun I can just use my PlayStation 3 now anyways, so its a win-win! Sure I’ll have to contend with a less appealing interface, bloated software, driver issues and constant virus checks BUT I’ll be saving money and all that time I spent reading and watching all that Apple ‘cult-like’ media.

If it feels a bit chilly around here, its probably because hell hath frozen over since I’ve decided to make the switch as its THE LAST thing anyone would  have thought I could do. The new theme will help reflect my change to the darker, more worn side of the tracks where I give up the forbidden fruit for the Windows into a new soul.

Besides, I always did like the ‘PC’ better in the Apple commercial.

I love these show recaps – everything you need to know about the award-winning series Battlestar Galactica over the last 3 seasons so your up to date before Season 4 begins on April 4th. Even if your not a fan of the show, the quick talking and witty narration is very frakin’ amusing – enjoy.

Update: After some testing of the drives in the ol’ G4 and reading an online tip that lack of power may be a culprit, I managed to further figure out a way to temporarily rig the pair of drives to be recognized. Seeing how the drives powered up (but not readable) when tested in the G4 proved that the drives themselves may be ok but required the original RAID controller built into the LaCie to properly read the drives in their current RAID configuration (see pic below).

Its Alive, ALIVE!

The solution involved using the G4 as an extra power source through the use of a Y-Connector Power cable – this allowed to independently power each hard drive and ensure they spun up properly. The next hope was that the original LaCie power cable would have enough power to run the controller board and allow access to the drives.

A final connection was a FireWire 400 cable between my G5 and the LaCie to hopefully access the files on the hard drives from my desktop. So I powered on both Macs, turned on the LaCie, and…

SUCCESS!!! ‘Six’ mounted on my desktop without a hitch and I was able to access all the files just like before. So what does this now mean? It may be that either

a) the LaCie power adapter needs to be replaced or

b) the controller chips have burnt out on the LaCie preventing enough power to get to the drives.

I need to find a source with a working adapter to test this, but in the very least I know the hard drives are fine and if needed I can pick up a new RAID controller enclosure. Just NOT a LaCie.

Sometimes it good to be a geek

Today I was out shopping on a beautiful sunny day after yet another big snow fall the day before and was stunned to have a total stranger come up to me and ask me if I had lost my phone. Now I have a Treo 650 smart phone – loaded with features, emails, software and info that IS practically my life in the palm of my hand – and for the first time I can ever remember, I had lost the phone in the snow as it somehow popped off my belt clip without me knowing. But what a relief that such a nice woman was courteous enough to search me out and then ask me if I had lost the phone when she could have so easily kept it! That restored some faith in humanity for me and really made me day! A special thank you again to you!

That was the good. But when I got home, I felt the balance of the universe kick in and give me the bad.

My backup external 600 GB Lacie d2 Extreme hard drive died. It would not mount or startup and simply flashes its blue light, mocking me. Of course, its 6 months past warranty so I’m left to my own devices to find a way to see if I can fix it or get some of the info back. Its mostly used for backing up all my important data and also the drive for my EyeTV software which acts like a PVR with my cable connection on my Mac. So if anything, I lost all my backup data (not the main data thankfully!) and ALL my recorded TV shows and can’t remember what else was on the drive besides that.

So my Sunday afternoon has turned into a Geek-fest Resuce Mission – taking apart the LaCie drive, pulling out old Macs from the closet, lots of cables testing, trial and error, Googling any ideas and help I can find *sigh* this is still supposed to be a busy work day (and it will) so there’s only so much I can do for now. But what I have learned are the LaCie drives have a vast history of failing just after warranty – so lesson learned AVOID LACIE products!!!

On the plus side, I’ve gotz me some cajun catfish with sweet potatoes and corn to be cookin’ up this evenin’! Yum!

This event snuck up on me and is an interesting one in that it highlights independent music around Toronto for the few days its live. I wish I could go see all the concerts as the last few years I’m finding many hidden talents in the independent scene that really rock the shit out of most of the mainstream ‘muzak’ that is put out these days. The official website is a bit of a mess to navigate but somewhere in there, is all the info [link: CMW.net].

Your best bet for a complete listing of all thats going on during the event (and in the city in general) is the free Eye Weekly magazine you can pick up at any newstand or subway station around the city. [ link: EYE Weekly.com ]

My real complaints with the event are 1) the bands I would like to check out are playing well after midnight! and 2) this damn snow and cold weather makes club hopping a less then desirable experience. Well at least the internet offers a warm and cozy way to check out the bands from the comfort of home (and buy their music – don’t steal it!). Here are a couple cool bands I recently came across and like – both from Toronto:

Scarlet Sins – http://www.scarletsinsonline.com/
Music speaks for itself, but when it comes to Toronto’s Scarlet Sins, it shouts in your face.
From the inimitable cover of their debut independent eponymous effort—the alchemical symbol for androgyny—to the 13 tracks of thick, undulating metallic rock inside, this is not your typical band. The sinister, mysterious passion put forth on Scarlet Sins proves this quartet’s ambition is matched only by their technical prowess and undying aural allure.

Die Mannequin – http://www.diemannequin.ca/
Loaded with infectious hooks and melody yet sharp as knives slashing through your speakers, Die Mannequin is a monster trio that will leave you craving more. That, and care failure has bigger balls than any man I’ve ever met!
Ian D’Sa – Billy Talent
credit to Bean on Fire for introducing me to this group on YouTube.

Definition (courtesy Wired.com):
The Internet treats all data equally. That riles some ISPs, which would like to charge certain companies, say, Google, big bucks to provide faster service. Over the past year, Congress has considered four bills that would either codify an equal-opportunity online environment or explicitly legalize tiered service. A non-neutral Net probably would create crippling costs for the Googles of the world — which is why the search giant has opposed it. On the other hand, it might help ISPs fund long-overdue service upgrades.

Net neutrality goes beyond just media companies and delves deeper into the ISPs and other companies who host and manage the net as we know it. Sure we can make a network among our neighbours ‘free from media’ but then all you see is each other. What if you want to see YouTube? Research something on Wikipedia? Learn about the history of African cultures, etc, etc, etc. You can’t do that unless you are ON the internet.

The threat to net neutrality is that the companies who control our gates, or access, like the Rogers, the Bell, the AT&T, Sprints, etc. WOULD love to charge us and extra ‘fee’ for downloading or accessing higher bandwidth content like videos. Apple & iTunes is not immune – think of this – you want to download an HD movie you bought from iTunes, you click the link, your card is charged and you get ready to download the video but wait! Rogers pops up a window saying that the content is deemed by it to be ‘high broadband and you need to upgrade your plan another $20/month to access it. This, after you already paid for what you thought was ‘high speed’.

Rogers and Bell already have been forced to admit they do ‘throttle’ your speed regardless of what you pay as THEY seem fit – notice how the term ‘unlimited download’ nolonger exisits on all broadband plans? Its all about the money and greed and essentially does create a divide where those who want to get access to the ‘broadband’ content will have to pay extra ‘access fees’ and once you let that happen, you bet your ASCII that the media companies will follow suit and be ready to charge you for premium content.

Rogers is already ‘testing’ this type of ’service’ for its customers – link on the Star

It never ceases to amaze me how humans, the supposedly most intelligent creatures on Earth, are capable of inducing the most hanneous acts of violence and cruelty to both their fellow man and all other living things.

The fact of the matter is that as intelligent beings, there should never be any ‘excuse’ for this kind of behaviour – creating one only further shows we are by far the weakest minded being on the planet.

My first run began on May 11, 2007 and was 2.51 km. Today marks nearly 10 months, 49 runs AND 251 km (funny how the numbers worked out that way)!!!

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