Bryan Strawser

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Archives for 2004

Dashboard v. Konfabulator

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One cool thing from Steve Job’s keynote at the WWDC yesterday was the release of information about Tiger, the next generation Mac OS, but specifically the Dashboard widget application.

I’ve long been interested in dashboards and other knowledge management tools and am currently involved in a major project ending in late July along these same lines for my real job.

Reading about Dashboard in Tiger led me to Konfabulator, which I had never heard of, and does almost exactly the same thing as Tiger’s Dashboard will do.

So here I sit, on my powerbook at work, with widgets open in Konfabulator showing me the current weather, the days left until the startup of this project’s active phase, and the current stock price of my employer. Absolutely fantastic.

I can’t wait to get it home and try it out on the big screen.

The Return of the King

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Who other than Tolkien could write oratory such as this:

Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my Brothers!

I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The day may come when the courage of men fails, we forsake our friends, and we break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day.

An hour of woes and shattered shields when the age of Men comes crashing down, but it is not this day.

This day we fight!

By all that you hold dear, from this good earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!

The Parable of the Stairs

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James Lileks writes in today’s Bleat about a recent Kerry supporter that came by asking for his vote:

“Well, it’s a philosophical difference,” she sniffed. She had pegged me as a form of life last seen clilcking the leash off a dog at Abu Ghraib. “I think the money should have gone straight to those people instead of trickling down.” Those last two words were said with an edge.

“But then I wouldn’t have hired them,” I said. “I wouldn’t have new steps. And they wouldn’t have done anything to get the money.”

“Well, what did you do?” she snapped.

“What do you mean?”

“Why should the government have given you the money in the first place?”

“They didn’t give it to me. They just took less of my money.”

That was the last straw. Now she was angry. And the truth came out:

“Well, why is it your money? I think it should be their money.”

Then she left.

And here we see one of the issues that I simply don’t like about the loyal opposition – the concept of whose money we’re talking about here.

It’s my money. And I want to keep it. I don’t get to keep enough of it as it is.

Marines write to Al Qaeda

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Blackfive has posted a letter from the 3/4 Marines written to Al Qaeda about the captured US Marine that they are holding hostage:

Before the current politically correct climate enveloped our culture one of the recruiting slogans of our band of brothers was “The Marine Corps Builds Men.” You will soon find out just how true that is. You, on the other hand, are nothing but a bunch of women. If you were men you would show your faces, and take us on in a fair fight. Instead, you are cowards who hide behind masks and decapitate helpless victims. If you truly represented the interest of the Iraqi people you would not be ambushing those who come to your country to repair your power plants, or sabotage the oil pipelines which fuel the Iraqi economy. Your agenda is hate, plain and simple.

When you raise that sword over your head I want you to remember one thing. Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun is not alone as he kneels before you. Every Marine who has ever worn the uniform is there with him, and when you strike him you are striking all of us. If you think the Marines were tough on you when they were cleaning out Fallujah a few weeks ago you haven’t seen anything yet. If you want to know what it feels like to have the Wrath of God called down upon you then go ahead and do it. We are not Turkish truck drivers, or Pakistani laborers, or independent contractors hoping to find work in your country. We are the United States Marines, and we will be coming for you.

The letter speaks for itself….

A Cry Heard Round the World

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This morning, Ron Bell writes in “A Cry Heard Round the World“:

All this the world saw in Kim Sun-Il’s plight—and more.

It saw that the defense of freedom demands personal sacrifice, while the defense of despotism demands a sacrificial lamb.

It saw that zealotry requires conviction for a cause, while democracy requires just cause for a conviction.

It saw that free men protect ideas they hate, while terrorists hate the idea of free men.

It saw that those who do not value their own lives never respect the lives of others.

True, Kim Sun-Il died desperate and alone, but he did not die unheard.

His appeal for freedom resounded around the world.

And the world will not soon forget what it stands for.

I will not forget….

A Free Iraq

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When I went to bed around 12:15am this morning, Iraq was an occupied nation, under the control of a group of occupying powers, led by the United States.

When I woke up this morning, Iraq was a free and sovereign nation, and coalition forces because an invited foreign army that could be ordered to go home.

And all done two days early – I’m sure the terrorists.. err.. insurgents.. are kicking themselves this morning.