Deadhead Vaping

[ddavelarsen]

This is the first time I've been to this part of VT and I have to say after reading a while, that I've never felt so 'at home' sitting alone in my office as this moment. You folks - keenan, Speakeasy, SmokingMan, FTJoe, all the rest - are such fine and honest people I feel honored to get to sit here. Wow.

So my post will probably feel like vanilla! I was half an hour late to work this morning 'cause I overslept. Anyway, I thought "What the hell" and took off half an hour early this afternoon. With all that extra time and hitting the road before rush hour I was just cruising along watching the telephone polls slide by, listening to Mars Hotel and vaping to my heart's comfort. Ah... Had it been a little warmer I'd have rolled down the window and hung my arm out.

Vaping goes great with everything, and hitting that 555 with the tunes full (windows rolled up! no smoke!) was about as good as commuting gets.

---------------------

Just side comments on a couple of the other posts I've looked at; I've been using Macs for about 12 years. It was an ethical choice initially but became an issue of security and, well, a 'pretty' GUI. These machines run forever. You'll get sick of looking at the same Mac everyday before you actually need to replace it. That being said, my next machine will run Linux. Apple's gotten a but full of itself lately (just my opinion but I vote with my dollars) and I just don't feel like I need them for the security anymore.

I'm a vet and I believe in our soldiers. Not so much their various commanders in chief however. And like Speakeasy, I think we need to do away with the Fed and avoid RFIDs like the plague. I don't know how I'm going to avoid the National Armband Real ID though. Move to New Zealand? I often hear people say that congress needs term limits. BS! They have term limiters; we call them "voters." I vote against every incumbent in every election, and I will continue to do so until we've turned congress over and broken up the good ole boy's club. I wish you all would too. Then we might possibly begin to restore the Constitution to the United States. The two parties are clones in all important respects, so voting along party lines does no service to anyone.

If you're interested in political parties that might make sense in this world, check out Modern Whigs. We need to restore the Constitution, and quickly. We have very little time.

---------------------

Okay!

My favorite Dead album is Wake of the Flood, which is weird because I'm really not fond of brass. Go figure. I love music but have too little time to listen. And even after all these years and so much great music it's still the Dead who play my tune most clearly.

[Christopher]

Well I'm glad that you feel welcome! That's how I hope the forum always stays.

What Distro of linux do you plan to use? I currently use Ubuntu mostly because there is so much support for it.

[ddavelarsen]

Well I'm glad that you feel welcome! That's how I hope the forum always stays.

What Distro of linux do you plan to use? I currently use Ubuntu mostly because there is so much support for it.

At this point it looks like it'll be Ubuntu for me too. I just like the way it looks and it seems that (until 9.x anyway) it 'just worked.' There's been some question in my family whether Shuttleworth got the boot; do you have an opinion, or better, inside information, on that? I'm just curious. That one took me by surprise.

[TheSmokingMan]

Making everyone feel welcome is something that I think we all should do and I think that the members here at Vapor Talk have been a great success at doing just that. I have seen very few quarrels here on the forum and I think it's because were all friends here.

I do have some input about Macs and Linux. I'm one for new things, I vape don't I? In my experience and line of work and from listening to others who know much more about computers than I ever will. I have always thought that Macs were for Visual Media type applications, best thing to use for editing video or putting together a visual presentation, but that they are limited in the respect that not all software will run correctly on a Mac. So they have been able to create a Windows environment in the Mac OS to be able to correctly run these programs. Now I just don't see how that can be efficient, it's like trading in you pickup truck for a car that gets better mileage then pulling a trailer to get the job done, thus reducing mileage efficiency. I have to state here that I know very little about Macs and I haven't even seen one in about 5 years. There is a construction company that I do a lot of business with and the owner was talked into changing all of his computers (which were laptops for use in the field) to Macs. They made this big purchase and it took their Tech guy (Who talked the boss into Macs) several weeks to adapt the software or the environment or the computer to the software that we use in this industry (MSB and Exactimate). After several months of all kinds of problems, they scrapped the Macs and went back to an IBM Compatible computer (do they still call them IBM Clones or Compatible?). Now I understand the security aspect of the Mac, but hasn't the Mac come far enough now that the virus writers and the hackers are now writing detrimental programs for the Mac? Linux is supposed to be great, and I know nothing about it except the symbol is a penguin, but does it have a wide variety of software written for that platform? I have always used IBM Clones and a Microsoft OS (ie DOS or Windows). I'm too old to learn a new OS, I think that is why OS2 failed twenty years ago because no one wanted to learn something new. Heck I was just getting used to Windows 2000 when they came out with Vista! I don't want to have to relearn something, I want to sit down in front of what I'm comfortable with and get to work. So, do I have it wrong and all of those problems are in the past or have they simply been solved by creating a Windows environment within the Mac or Linux environment? If so, wouldn't that pose the same security risk as just running a Windows environment in the first place? Like I said, I really don't know much about either anymore and I'm not trying to start any crap, inquiring minds want to know...

Edited December 22, 2009 by TheSmokingMan

[Brian]

Well I'm glad that you feel welcome! That's how I hope the forum always stays.

I do hope that from time to time you take a moment to relax and bask in the glory of your creation. < bow emoticon goes here >

[ddavelarsen]

I do hope that from time to time you take a moment to relax and bask in the glory of your creation. < bow emoticon goes here >

Man that's exactly why, when my body woke me at 2:00 am, I didn't just go back to bed. It's a whole new day! And I want my piece of it. I love being alive.

[ddavelarsen]

Making everyone feel welcome is something that I think we all should do and I think that the members here at Vapor Talk have been a great success at doing just that. I have seen very few quarrels here on the forum and I think it's because were all friends here.

I do have some input about Macs and Linux. I'm one for new things, I vape don't I? In my experience and line of work and from listening to others who know much more about computers than I ever will. I have always thought that Macs were for Visual Media type applications, best thing to use for editing video or putting together a visual presentation, but that they are limited in the respect that not all software will run correctly on a Mac. So they have been able to create a Windows environment in the Mac OS to be able to correctly run these programs. Now I just don't see how that can be efficient, it's like trading in you pickup truck for a car that gets better mileage then pulling a trailer to get the job done, thus reducing mileage efficiency. I have to state here that I know very little about Macs and I haven't even seen one in about 5 years. There is a construction company that I do a lot of business with and the owner was talked into changing all of his computers (which were laptops for use in the field) to Macs. They made this big purchase and it took their Tech guy (Who talked the boss into Macs) several weeks to adapt the software or the environment or the computer to the software that we use in this industry (MSB and Exactimate). After several months of all kinds of problems, they scrapped the Macs and went back to an IBM Compatible computer (do they still call them IBM Clones or Compatible?). Now I understand the security aspect of the Mac, but hasn't the Mac come far enough now that the virus writers and the hackers are now writing detrimental programs for the Mac? Linux is supposed to be great, and I know nothing about it except the symbol is a penguin, but does it have a wide variety of software written for that platform? I have always used IBM Clones and a Microsoft OS (ie DOS or Windows). I'm too old to learn a new OS, I think that is why OS2 failed twenty years ago because no one wanted to learn something new. Heck I was just getting used to Windows 2000 when they came out with Vista! I don't want to have to relearn something, I want to sit down in front of what I'm comfortable with and get to work. So, do I have it wrong and all of those problems are in the past or have they simply been solved by creating a Windows environment within the Mac or Linux environment? If so, wouldn't that pose the same security risk as just running a Windows environment in the first place? Like I said, I really don't know much about either anymore and I'm not trying to start any crap, inquiring minds want to know...

Wow man, I dig these long paragraphs. Makes me think of Henry Miller.

There are a few things about the various OSes I'd like to point out. The most important of them being security. Mac OS X and Linux share a common origin, and one of the most important aspects of that is their architecture. When you are working in windose, you're running at the "root," administrative level. That's because windose doesn't have any other layers. So whenever some malware wants to take over the machine, it takes over at the most fundamental level.

In Linux and OS X, you're logged in as a user; admin privileges have to be manually evoked. The short value of that is that no software can install on the machine without the user's express consent, and then it generally only installs at the user level - not at the core of the system. So the worst that can happen to a Mac or Linux machine is to have the user account corrupted. That's much less traumatic to correct (though deeply traumatic all the same) than losing the entire drive.

Windose is fundamentally flawed in that regard, from conception. It was never meant to be a networked OS, and M$ has never taken the hard step (like Apple did when it switched to OS X) of starting over from scratch from a secure base.

Like you mentioned it is possible to emulate windose in OS X and Linux, and you nailed it when you said that is a less than stellar experience. And for business purposes, particularly for legacy windose applications, it's 100% not worth the pain to try to make windose apps run in any other environment. I feel sorry for your customer's experience; his tech guy was either just an Apple fanboy or an M$ hater that didn't have the experience - or respect for his own responsibility - to make a wise choice. That's really too bad. One of Ms greatest successes has been ensuring that their customers are life-long captives. While we might rue that reality, it's real and trying to migrate a windose installation to some other base strikes me as deeply foolish. The smart choice would be to fork development going forward and make that transition through attrition and careful planning and testing. Things like that just give alternative OSes a bad name, when the reality is it's a creation of M$ - a brilliant one that works fantastically well.

That being said, there is absolutely no reason that a small company, at least, couldn't run its business successfully in an OS X environment. And there's so much great software available for OS X that for personal computing purposes, no one has to live with a crappy crashing and insecure experience. Prices for Apple machines are higher, no doubt about it - though when you compare apples to apples, so to speak, the price difference between a Mac and an equivalent machine running windose is much less than you'd think. Apple makes kickass, powerful computers, while most commodity windose machines are stripped down, built from lowest-common-denominator hardware. That's the real source of the price difference. Apple does get a premium for its brand, but that is something that they can overdo, ultimately losing sales to a better value somewhere else. Like Linux.

And there are so many heavy-duty business applications available for Linux that no company has to be stuck with windose. The entire internet runs on open source software; so does Wall Street. And the NSA. OSS is the best kept secret in the world. That windose is so prevalent in business is not a function of best fit, but of criminal activity. Brilliant criminal marketing. Linux is relatively new to the game but make no mistake: It's the future and nothing M$ can do is going to stop it. Linux - and open source software generally - is simply better, more innovative, faster to evolve and less expensive. And you're blessed with the freedom to change without those horrible business-killing experiences that come with a windose legacy.

I don't want to start my M$-education rant here, though no doubt you'll all get bits and pieces of it over time. Let it suffice to say that I believe that any ethical person that truly understood how microsoft conducts its business, would never - Never - give them another dime of their honestly-earned money. Except for business subject to critical application lockin, where it's much more difficult to escape. If anyone is ever interested, I can share enough court documentation to change your mind forever. At one time I thought "what's the big deal?" when people talked about how corrupt M$ is. Then I started reading court documents, and I soon made the decision that I would never again support them with any aspect of my life. I abhor microsoft with every fiber of my being.

So! How 'bout them Bears?

[keenan]

Glad you feel welcome DD ! Except for SmokingMan, everyone here is very friendly ! Smoke has always been a poopyhead to me, but its just because he's jealous that Chris loves me more. Im not a hater, and I forgive him. I dont know diddly squat about computers, at least not as much as you guys. I turn it on, it works, Im happy. So, that being said, Im not a Deadhead, truthfully, I really dont like a lot of thier stuff. I can see why people do, its just not my style. HOWEVER, I am an artist, illustrator, went to college for graphic design WAY back when, and one of my FAVORITE pieces of art is the "Blues For Allah" album cover. Ive always put that right up there with Norman Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth and Roger Dean as my favorites. So, welcome to the lounge, and glad to have you. I love you too, Smoke !

[FTJoe]

I'm too old to learn a new OS, I think that is why OS2 failed twenty years ago because no one wanted to learn something new.

Man was I an OS/2 fanboy. You can also blame M$ for a hand in that as well, cross licensing agreements my a$$!!! I should have reached out to you guys when I was doing my triple boot on the netbook. I fear Ubuntu will have to come off. The problem is really Windows as it doesn't play nice when it comes to re-partitioning. I just wanted a three OS partitions and a common one where they can all reach out to and where everyone can play nice but Windows will have none of it. Any tweaks to the drive map and Ubuntu falls apart. I just don't know enough about grub and EFI to know how to get it all working together again. I'll start a thread when I get a chance with pics of the triple boot, was fun, something I didn't have time for as my main PC keeps stumbling...and I rebuild my daughter's lappy from a nasty infection that I believe is a true rootkit and I setup two Dell lappys for friends. I also think I will find out what all this OSX stuff is about via my netbook, though I sense not all MAC fanboys are appreciative of Snow Leopard and where Apple is heading these days.

Sorry ddave for the ramblings in your thread

[Travis798]

Now thats what you call a lot of threads all rolled into one!

As far as computers go, I'm once again feeling bad that I haven't been giving Linux the play time I feel it deserves. I haven't put it on this laptop because I've had a few times Windows seemed to get jealous and decide to screw me over. As was said, Windows doesn't seem to play nice with new partitions sometimes. I think maybe I'll break out one of my other laptops and get back acquainted with Linux. I couldn't stand Ubuntu when I tried it though, so probably back to my personal favorite, PCLinuxOS.

As far as voting against the incumbent in every election, I actually Like my Senators. Tom Coburn seems to make waves all the time, and is widely regarded as a Maverick, which I like. He has sponsored a bill to try and make the Senate show where in the constitution they get the authority to pass a law with every new one they create, which we all know will never pass though. I'm hoping he will also end up an ally for E-Cigs, since he is also a MD. I guess I shouldn't go into all the things I like about him, as this post would be too long, but with things like demanding the entire health care plan be read on the floor as they are legally required to do but don't, putting forth a bill to force Congress onto the health care plan should they pass it, fighting for my gun rights, etc, I'll take him. My other Senator Inhoffe is also conservative, has been called a loon and crazy for saying for years that global warming is a scam, and his voting record tends to (mostly) agree with my own beliefs and ideas.

We aren't going to take our country back through the polls. Thats simply a facade. We have to expose the real people that run this country, and they aren't elected. Granted voting out all the incumbents would show the real powers that be that we are tired of the way the country is heading and will no longer stand for it, which may stop/slow down some of their plans short term, but the American Sheeple have a short memory and a long list of goods/services that they want and are willing to trade freedoms to receive. On a good note, an uprising has been brewing and I think the people will soon have enough of it. (By soon, I mean relatively speaking, maybe 20-30 years?)

[FTJoe]

By soon, I mean relatively speaking, maybe 20-30 years?

May as well keep thread-crapping until ddave says enough...though he really did pile a lot into one post!!! My personal fear is there is no more than another 2 years or so until all heck breaks loose. People already grumbling about the banks being saved, loans not available, yes the 401ks are better but they will probably give up ground over the next year. Nothing is really better, the housing bubble started this and houses are not back. Once the Fed starts bumping rates, they will get worse again. You would think at some point in time the FASB accounting rules will be changed back to recognize the toxic crap these banks and now the US taxpayer own. I wouldn't be surprised if the banks came back for help again in a year or so...

Edited December 22, 2009 by FTJoe

[Brian]

You would think at some point in time the FASB accounting rules will be changed back to recognize the toxic crap these banks and now the US taxpayer own. I wouldn't be surprised if the banks came back for help again in a year or so...

There's talk of adopting IFRS, so don't hold your breath. Another step towards one global mess.

FASB/ISAB & IFRS

[FTJoe]

There's talk of adopting IFRS, so don't hold your breath. Another step towards one global mess.

FASB/ISAB & IFRS

I'm sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a little. ;-)

[ddavelarsen]

Getting caught up has been quite a ride! What one day away from here will do is kind of overwhelming. Remind me not to do that again! I'm so thankful to have fallen in with a bunch of interested and smart people. My other forum experience is with custom knife makers. While many of these guys are absolutely mind-blowing artisans, writing isn't generally a strong suit. Making beautiful stuff sure is. You folks have so much diverse experience I can't help but have my mind expanded any time I read in VT. It's great. Thanks for all the wisdom. Between VT and Knife Dogs, I'm becoming an all around better vaper and maker - and a better human.

[profbeard]

Ah! Another Deadhead!

[ddavelarsen]

Ah! Another Deadhead!

Whew! I was beginning to think I really am ... special. Good to know you prof! I dig your avatar too.

Edit: Man I just saw your sig line - has that always been there? I've been listening to that album for weeks!

Edited December 23, 2009 by ddavelarsen

[profbeard]

Whew! I was beginning to think I really am ... special. Good to know you prof! I dig your avatar too.

Edit: Man I just saw your sig line - has that always been there? I've been listening to that album for weeks!

That has been my sig on every forum I've been a member of for years - sums up my attitude to things...

[ddavelarsen]

That has been my sig on every forum I've been a member of for years - sums up my attitude to things...

I'm sorry for myself that I hadn't noticed it. That is a great attitude; thoughts like that are why the Dead are so close to me. I have a sign in my studio that says "Beggar's Tomb." I made it when I was getting out of the Army 30 years ago. (They let 'short' guys do all kinds of wasteful things their last few days. )

[seaspine]

Saw the Dead once in San Francisco, too bad I don't remember much of it! Guess that means I had a good time.

[ddavelarsen]

Saw the Dead once in San Francisco, too bad I don't remember much of it! Guess that means I had a good time.

I'd say so too.

Must've been cool to see them at 'home'; I've seen the Dead somewhere in North Carolina (can't remember the venue, it was too long ago!), and in Kansas City once. I think those were the only Dead shows I've been to. I've gone to see the Others a couple of times, but it's just not the same...

[profbeard]

The last Dead show I saw was in 1981 at the Finsbury Park Odeon in London