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December 31, 2006

Happy Holidays

I haven't been writing much around here the last couple of weeks, sorry...it's been very busy here at Idiot Central. Everyone have a safe and healthy New Year, and I'll promise to write more in 2007.

Posted on December 31, 2006 7:06 PM | link to this entry

December 27, 2006

Democrats '08

Three of the Democratic front-runners.

Posted on December 27, 2006 12:08 PM | link to this entry

December 21, 2006

OS 9 on an Intel Mac

Everything with the new MacBook Pro has been going swimmingly, up until this afternoon when I ran headlong into a brick wall. You see, I've got this one little utility which was written in 1991 or so which takes Mac fonts and converts them into PC versions so that I can transfer files back and forth, enabling my PC programs to edit Mac-authored files, and vice versa. Now that I'm on the Intel Mac, I can't run OS 9 in the background under emulation like I used to on my iBook. So, I booted up the trusty old G3 tower under my desk to use the application there. Because I've hooked my second monitor to the MacBook, I don't have a monitor on the G3—no problem, I'll just use Remote Desktop, right? Wrong. Remote Desktop 2.X is incompatible with Intel Macs, so I have to upgrade to 3.0, which costs $300. Argh! Now my iTunes server, downstairs on the porch, is cut off from remote administration. Double Argh!

I found a website which points to a little application called SheepShaver, which purports to run OS 9 on Intel hardware, but apparently one must have the boot ROMs handy to be able to get the thing hooked up—something I don't have time to fool with right now. When I get a moment to get it sorted out, I'll write about it here. But for now, I have to dive under the desk to swap the monitor cables. Again.

Update: After a bunch of false starts and failed attempts, I found this article, which is a lot more detailed than the first. Knowing which ROM to use, which install CD to use, and the correct keyboard file helps out a lot. Still no success, though.

Update 12.27: I got Basilisk working with a copy of a Quadra 650 ROM linked from the second article above. SheepShaver just didn't seem to like the ROM I pulled from the OS9 disk; whatever. Basilisk is running OS8 with no problems, and that's all I need.

Update 1.1: I'm going to run through this so that folks can benefit from my experience:

Download Basilisk. Uncompress the Basilisk file.

Download the Quadra 650 ROM found here (and good luck if it's not still available.) Drop it in the Basilisk folder.

Open Disk Utility (found in Applications->Utilities.) Click on New Image, and make a disk image at the size you'd like (my image was 500MB, and after installing OS8, I had 350MB of free space left.) name it what you like-I called mine "OS 8 Disk". Drop that in the Basilisk folder as well.

Start up the "BasiliskGUI" application. Cringe at the UNIX-tastic UI goodness!

Under the "Volumes" tab, click Add and browse to the image you just created (in my case, the "OS 8 Disk" volume.) Inside this volume, you'll install the operating system.

Under the "Keyboard" tab, click browse and navigate to the BasiliskII_keycodes file in the Basilisk folder. This way you'll be able to use the keyboard under emulation.

Under the "Serial/Network" tab, select slirp in the Ethernet Interface pulldown. This allows the OS 8 emulator to use the ethernet interface.

Under the "Memory/Misc" tab, bump the RAM size up to 128MB or so. I have the Mac Model ID set to Quadra 900 and CPU Type set to 68040. For ROM File, click Browse and navigate to the quadra650.rom. This is how Basilisk gets to the point where installation can start.

Additionally, under "Graphics/Sound", I changed the refresh to 15mhz and width/height to 800/600.

I used an OS 8 install disk for my installation. Put it in the machine and click the "Start" button. This should bring up a window with the happy mac and start booting off the install CD.

Install OS 8 with whatever options you like. Restart the emulation; it should bring up the installed OS. From here, you should be able to get online, bring up a web browser, and use OS 8.

If you'd told me a year ago that I'd be running OSX, Windows XP and OS8 on the same machine concurrently, I would have laughed at you.

Update 3.19.07: I was able to get the shared folder working with Basilisk, finally, and it's much easier to use than mounting and unmounting the disk image.

Posted on December 21, 2006 4:55 PM | link to this entry

December 18, 2006

Living Room Update, 12.18.06

We moved furniture back into the living room on Saturday night after everything got final coats of paint. The area above the mantel is supposed to be darker than the wall, but it's not dark enough for us yet. It's great to have everything coming back to normal again, and even better to look at the base of the walls and see crisp white paint on clean new baseboard going around the length of the room. For your amusement (and my indulgence), here are some before and after shots. I don't have any good shots of the room in original condition, unfortunately.

6.4.05 This is the day I tore the nasty wood paneling off the wall. (note the shitty floor, pre-sanded.)

6.4.05 After the paneling came down, before I patched the wall (note the chimney.)

This afternoon.

Posted on December 18, 2006 2:39 PM | link to this entry | Comments (1)

Life With Parallels, Day Two.

This is so strange, and very hard to get used to, but... I have two monitors on my MacBook, the laptop screen and an external monitor. The native display runs all my Mac stuff, and the external monitor is handling Windows apps, so I've got HomeSite runing in fullscreen on my left side, where a blocky ThinkPad used to live, but there's only one laptp on my desk. Mousing between the two environments is seamless and easy. About the only thing that I had to alter was disabling my Mac's default F12 quickkey (which toggles the Dashboard, something I find worthless) so that I could see quick previews in HomeSite. Oh, and remembering Command+( ) combination vs. Ctrl+( ) for basic modifiers like Cut and Paste wil take time, but that's minor.

Shiny new Macbook Pro!

Next I've got to change my workflow around completely so that all my working files are in the same place (I had working files on both my PC and on my Mac, and some of them didn't ever get synced up, a situation that I've had no luck fixing over the last ten years, and something that has caused major heartburn.)

I've noticed the MacBook runs pretty hot (the strip directly above the keyboard is very, very hot) so I'll have to keep an eye on temps and the battery.

This is, without a doubt, a jump far into the future. How did I get by without it for so long?

Posted on December 18, 2006 1:17 PM | link to this entry

December 15, 2006

This Laptop Goes To Eleven.

I just got a delivery from FedEx with a new toy inside. It's a shiny 17" MacBook Pro, bought refurbished from the Apple Store (saving me $700). On first blush, this thing is beautiful. The keyboard is so much better than my iBook. And the screen? Well, let's just say I have more than twice the room I had before. Moving all my data over via the Migration Assistant took about an hour, and when it came up on the new computer, everything was smushed over in the upper left corner of the screen. I don't know how I put up with that tiny thing for so long.

I have another stick of memory to drop in it and then I'm going to install Parallels and a fresh copy of Windows XP, and try to get a decent development environment organized. This is very, VERY nice.

Update: Things are humming smoothly along; I've found that my external monitor only does 1280x1024, so I can't make things any bigger than that, which is a slight bummer. I also just realized (slaps forehead with hand) that I can't run OS9 on this machine, which means that a little legacy piece of software I've got called FontMonger is an orphan. I'm going to have to keep an OS9 machine around here just to convert fonts, I guess. The keyboard is sexy and feels great, but it's taking me some time to get used to the tactile feel, and the backlighting feature is the bomb. Props to Other World Computing for their clear, easy to follow RAM installation guides. If you are buying gear for a Mac, I strongly recommend this company.

I'm also officially in love with the Apple Remote; I don't know how I survived without one for so long. For those with more than one Apple Remote in the room, this little Technical Article will come in handy: pairing your remote with your particular computer.

Posted on December 15, 2006 2:40 PM | link to this entry

December 14, 2006

Now, With More Paint!

This fireplace thing has been burning up all my free time, to the point where I've been up until 1AM this entire week trying to get it finished. The problem with carpentry, I'm finding, is that the amount of time needed to finish the project multiplies exponentially as the project gets closer to completion. (This logic, of course, states that the project will never get done, but don't tell that to my wife.)

Anyway, I was able to get paint on the entire thing last night after the final sanding was completed, and this is what it looks like. There are some small issues to be touched up, but overall I'm happy with the results.

It got even better after two coats of super bright white semi-gloss; having the walls and trimwork on either side cleaned up sets it off even better. Today I'm going to put two more coats of paint on it, clean up the sides, and touch up the black on the brick.

Posted on December 14, 2006 10:09 AM | link to this entry

December 12, 2006

Toy Truck

I set up the light tent to shoot some shoes for a comp Jen was working on last night, and remembered this toy truck sitting in the bottom of a box, waiting to be displayed again. I found it on sale at an antique store because the trailer it originally came with was missing, but I loved the rake of the grille in the front.

I had to do some serious color retouching because I still don't own a proper flash unit and the lighting situation is still less than optimal— these issues affect DSLRs as much as my G3. But I'm excited to do some more experimentation with brighter lights and learn to use my camera better for this kind of thing.

Posted on December 12, 2006 11:18 AM | link to this entry

December 11, 2006

Fun With Math.

I posted an entry to the Houseblog with an update on the fireplace mantel, with some details on the top molding and the results of the weekend's work. It's coming together, people.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to send shout-outs to my lovely wife for her gift of a table saw last year, and my wonderful sister, who gifted me with a compound miter saw a few years back and the router two years ago. Without you both, this project would not have been possible. It's a pleasure making stuff out of wood when one has the right tools, and while I don't have the New Yankee Workshop setup, I have enough tools to produce something this nice. Thank you, everyone.

...Now, if i could only rip that ugly brass fireplace surround out of there and put something nice in its place...

Posted on December 11, 2006 11:16 AM | link to this entry | Comments (1)

Living Room Update, 12.11.06

When last we left the fireplace mantel, I'd finished adding wings to the sides of the box on top to make the structure look proportionally correct. The next step was to find molding of some kind that would fit the top of the box, mimic the molding in the rest of the house, and have it be approximately the right size.

This is the basic crown molding sold at Lowe's and Home Depot, clamped into place for test-fitting and basic aesthetic testing. At first I had it lined up with the top of the box, so it began about 4" down the box and (to my mind) was squishing the top box too much proportionally. My initial plan was to tack it into place here, then see if I could have a 3/4" plank planed down to 1/2" at a lumberyard somewhere and basically just tack it on top of the molding. This would have left me with a thick lip at the top of the mantle though—the squared top of the molding is about 1/4", plus a 1/2" board == eccch.

My second thought was to mill the sides of a plank down to fit the bevel of the molding (tip: all crown molding is essentially a thin board turned on its side so that it doesn't create a 45° wedge at the back, which makes it undesirable for finishing the top of, say, a mantle) and fit it to the mantle, then tack the molding onto it and into the side of the box. This would be considerably more difficult but the end product would be much more pleasing.

Another thing to note is that with this particular crown molding, the angle at the back is not a perfect 45°; it's somewhere around 32°, which makes fitting the bevel that much trickier. I cut the molding according to the measurements and test-fit it, then measured both the box and the outline of the molding to find the final edge size. (Sure, your fancy "New math" might have helped here, but remember, this house is out of square in five dimensions.)

Cutting the long edge of the plank was easy on the table saw, but cutting the short edges was tricky because my compound miter saw only has a reach of about 7", and this board is 8 1/4" wide. So I had to revert to the circular saw, adjusting the blade by guesswork and praying for good results.

And luckily, it seemed to work. I got true 32° cuts from the circular saw in a straight line, and fit the plank into place. Next, I had to jigsaw out the odd scalloped shape of the bumpout above the fireplace into the back of the plank—both edges come out about 1/8" further than the center— and plane out any inconsistency left so that it fit as flush as possible.

The end result has a few very minor hiccups here and there, but overall looks very good, and turned out better than I'd dreamed it might. I have to cut and fit shims on the top to support the plank, and then the whole thing gets permanently fastened to the frame.

The next step is to cut down those small planks on the right side and fit them around the sides so that they meet the kickplates on the wall, covering up the lousy edging job the floor guy did around the fireplace and the lousy brickwork we inherited. Then, putty and caulk go in to fill any rough edges, a final sanding, and finish paint goes on.

Posted on December 11, 2006 10:19 AM | link to this entry

December 8, 2006

Fireplace Surround

Here's the fireplace surround with wings on the edges. There are more pictures on the houseblog.

Posted on December 8, 2006 12:19 PM | link to this entry

Living Room Update, 12.8.06

Here's the fireplace with added wings on the edges, sanded and primed. If I can clear the decks this weekend I'm hoping to finish this project off and move back in before next Monday. Cross your fingers.

This took a little longer than I thought because I built the boxes with 45° angles to avoid having the edge of the woodgrain to deal with when I finish. Clamps are a wonderful invention, and I need to buy more of them.

This is the other side. Under this section we'll put the rounded bead, and above it will go a milled edge finished off with a 1/2" flat cap.

Posted on December 8, 2006 12:12 PM | link to this entry

December 7, 2006

Fun With Babelfish.

So I finally have some decent (well, working) logfile reporting for my personal site, and I spent about 20 minutes going through some of the lists to see who's looking at me. As it turns out, there are five or six people jacking some of my bandwidth (mostly MySpace punks and an MP3blog), but I stumbled across a blog in Spanish which refers to my illustration portfolio. A quick trip to Babelfish and I had a rough translation of the site:

Stupid King. Gotta remember that one.

Posted on December 7, 2006 9:55 PM | link to this entry | Comments (2)

December 6, 2006

Diabetic Sage

Sorry, I posted this from the vet's office yesterday and meant to follow up with details (typing out words on a Motorola 551 keypad is as much fun as sticking bamboo up one's own fingernails) but I got caught up in finishing a rush project.

Sage has been losing weight pretty steadily for the last three months, and his back legs have begun to get erratic and shaky. His water intake has increased dramatically. He's been weak and unwilling to haul himself up onto the bed with us this last week, which is sort of like the sun suddenly refusing to rise. We've had problems with one of the cats missing the litterbox while urinating, and when I clean it up, it's sticky and never seems to dry completely. Before we left New Jersey on Monday the first thing Jen did was call in an appointment for him.

After a protracted fight with one of those little test strip machines, our vet concluded that Sage is diabetic. One blood test and about a half-hour later, the results were confirmed: his blood sugar was 601, an astronomical sum compared to the standard 70-110 shared by humans and cats. The sticky urine is due to its massive sugar content—he's probably too weak to make it all the way into the litter pan after navigating the basement stairs.

The vet gave us a quick course in insulin injections, which boiled down to grabbing a handful of scruff and shooting 3cc's subcutaneously under the skin, on their stunt cat Tommy with some saline. Jen administered quickly and professionally, and Tommy happily obliged my fumbling attempts to hold both him and the needle correctly, drooling all over my sleeve, knowing he'd get fed for his trouble. (I am terrified of needles, both giving and getting.) I was able to inject on my second try, and Tommy made it out alive.

We picked up the insulin and a 100-pack of needles, and worked out a crude system where we distracted the other cats with canned food while we gave Sage a special diabetic formula, and while he wolfed that down (the resemblance to Randy, the little brother from A Christmas Story, eating mashed potatoes with his nose, was uncanny) Jen shot him with the insulin. He didn't even notice.

The vet tells us it's going to be a while before his sugar evens out and recovery is noticeable, so we shouldn't expect him to bounce back tomorrow. For us, this is frightening, considering what we went through with Penn, but having a solid diagnosis and clear treatment options provides a huge sense of relief—this is Jen's first husband, after all.

Posted on December 6, 2006 11:30 AM | link to this entry | Comments (4)

December 5, 2006

Red Top Market

On the way back from New Jersey.

Posted on December 5, 2006 12:47 PM | link to this entry

December 3, 2006

Installed and Painted

Cleaned up and primed; the newspaper stays until the final coat of black is on.

Posted on December 3, 2006 11:02 AM | link to this entry | Comments (3)

Peace, Out.

TOMS RIVER — Dover Township retired Sgt. Thomas Joseph Dugan Jr. died Wednesday, Nov. 19 at Jersey Shore Medical Center.

He was born July 25, 1945 in Point Pleasant and was a graduate of Toms River High School, class of 1964, Ocean County College and Northwestern University Traffic School.

Tom Dugan served in Vietnam as a sergeant with the 173rd Airborne Division and was awarded the National Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star.

Tom began his career with the Dover Township Police Department in 1968. He was promoted to detective in 1976 and to sergeant in 1977. Sgt. Dugan retired in 1994 after 26 years of outstanding service. Sgt. Dugan's two sons followed in his footsteps and are currently Toms River police officers.

His life will be celebrated by those family members he left behind, including his wife, Nancy Dugan; his oldest son and daughter-in-law, T.J. and Sarah Dugan; his daughter and son-in-law, Robyn and Paul Guichard; his youngest son, Brian Dugan; his parents, Tom and Grace Dugan; his sisters and brothers-in-law; Patricia and Lowell Gutridge and Kathy and Harry Cafiero; and by his beloved granddaughter, Samantha Dugan. Tom has another grandchild on the way.

Tom Dugan was a loving and supportive husband. He was an outstanding father. His newest role, as "Grandpa Friday," was his most enjoyable. He served well as both brother and son. His living example touched the lives of all who knew him and his presence will live on in the minds of friends and family forever.

Visitation will be held from 2-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Sunday at the Anderson and Campbell Funeral Home, 703 Main St., Toms River. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, 509 Hooper Ave. Toms River. Cremation will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to the American Heart Association, 2550 Route 1, North Brunswick, NJ 08902 or www.americanheart.org.

Posted on December 3, 2006 12:38 AM | link to this entry

December 1, 2006

View from the 26th floor

Posted on December 1, 2006 12:48 PM | link to this entry