Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

Dear Senator,

I read in the paper the other day, yet another voter remarking their impression that “A vote for Hillary is just another vote for Bill, and he’s had his chance.” This common logic must be absolutely infuriating for you. Over the years you have shown yourself an incredibly intelligent, accomplished, and affluent woman in your own right, and just a quick glance at your Wikipedia entry (a dubious source perhaps, but the citations on that article are too many to re-list here), shows a list of feats so incredible that I am ashamed for those that would only recognize the feats of your husband.

According to the article, you had repeatedly denied Bill your hand in marriage before eventually consenting. When you did eventually marry, it states that you “still harbored doubts about marriage, concerned that [your] separate identity would be lost and that [your] accomplishments would be viewed in the light of someone else’s.” (Wikipedia.org)

While I do not claim to have done the due dilligence of checking the article’s sources, nor have I read your book, I now wish that I had, and will go purchase a copy of “Living History” immediately. If, however, the words in this article are true, then it must absolutely sting to know that your fears have come to light for many Americans, and only because you selflessly helped to campaign for your husband when you were still an active and well respected lawyer.

Madame Senator, you have more than earned the respect of myself, and of the nation, and I wish you only the best luck as you continue your campaign for the Presidency.

Thank you,

Adrian Sud

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

My router has been power-cycling itself at random for approximately a day.

I’ve owned three routers now, two D-Links and a Linksys, with the current being a D-Link WBR-2310. All three of them had issues with automatic power-cycling after approximately 6 months of ownership. What I expect from these routers is merely

- Wireless G with WEP 128-bit or WPA support
- UPnP
- Static port mapping
- DDNS
- Normal Routing features (DHCP Client/Server, Routing tables, DNS Cacheing)

All three of the routers I have owned “supported” these features, and worked–for six months. And then it’s as if the router was not powerful enough to continue performing with any reliability.

I’m looking for a router that does not die. A router that will be 100% reliable, no glitches or shutdowns save for manual ones, for years of use. Google couldn’t tell me anything, so I turn to you: What routers are you guys using? have they treated you well?

(More Piglet is coming, but it’ll take a while while I trudge through homework this week)

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

Dramatis Personae:

Owl	King of the Hundred Acre Wood.
Piglet	son to the former, and nephew to the present King
Gopher	Lord Chamberlain
Roo	Friend to Piglet. Also Officer, Soldier, and Servant to Gopher.
Pooh	Son to Gopher
Heffalump	Former friend to Piglet, Courtier
Woozle	Former friend to Piglet, Courtier
Christopher Robin	Prince of Under-The-Bed
Tigger	A Player. Also a clown, a gravedigger, and an Under-The-Bedish Captain.
Rabbit	Queen of the Hundred Acre Wood, Mother of Piglet
Kessie	Daughter to Gopher
Ghost of Tresspassers William	Piglet’s Father, former King of the Hundred Acre Wood
Eeyore	Everyone Else

ACT I. Scene i.

Hundred Acre Wood. A Platform outside Piglet’s house

(Enter EEYORE, pacing across the platform listlessly.)
EEYORE: So cold. Really eerie night.
(Enter Roo.)
EEYORE: Hullo? Oh fine, go ahead and ignore poor old Eeyore. Even Ghosts ignore me.
ROO: Eeyore? It’s me, Roo.
EEYORE: Oh well then. I guess I’m off guard duty. Good thing too. I’d just as soon be away from the Ghost out here.
ROO: There’s no such thing as ghosts. You’re making that up.
Enter GHOST
ROO: OH MY! It’s the very image of Tresspassers William!

END OF SCENE

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

Us.

Television Viewers.

Now in reality, I watch exactly two television shows that have not been cancelled, and two television shows besides. The two that aren’t over yet are Heroes (NBC) and Battlestar: Galactica (Sci-Fi). The two that are were Firefly (FOX) and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC). Given this fact I really don’t consider myself a television viewer.

Therefore, let me explain why I’m mad at you people:

It’s because of Studio 60. Aaron Sorkin’s amazing talent for blindingly crisp dialog aside, this was an amazing show with a fantastic cast, and a solid concept. I could get mad that the show was taken off the air, but it was taken off the air when it just… failed to draw audiences.

Now, Firefly failed to draw audiences, but to be frank, it was never given an honest shot, what with multiple changes in its time slot, last minute reordering of episodes, and frankly poor advertising.

Studio 60 was given more than an honest shot.

Actually, it was given the slot before prime time, right there with Heroes, a dumb but extremely entertaining show I expect to stay on the air for quite a while. Studio 60 had a decent opening audience which faltered immediately, and continued to flounder, even when NBC tried to get people back into the show by having Masi Oka (plays Hiro on Heroes) make a cameo. It eventually sputtered and they pulled it.

The problem was the show was smart. It was based on the premise that the fictional broadcasting company NBS was banking on American audiences not being “too dumb” for good television. The real thing was that NBC itself was banking on the same proposition, and we as audiences let them down. We showed them that we are indeed too dumb for good television.

So there you are, everyone who tuned in at 10 to watch that first season of Heroes but missed the good stuff that was on at 9pm, I’m mad at you tonight.

(oh, I’m extremely glad I own the Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Complete Series.)

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

When the day came, I went to the spot and waited.

And I seriously pity anyone who didn’t go.

They had jugglers. Live music. The best jungle gym ever. There were playpen balls and random toys. There was a mattress that got signed by Randall and I jumped off the jungle gym onto it. There was a dancing velociraptor. There was a dancing velociraptor.

This was amazing.

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

(10:27:57 PM) John FX: the pitcher, Buchholz
(10:27:59 PM) John FX: is 20
(10:28:04 PM) John FX: it was his 2nd major league game ever
(10:28:04 PM) Adrian Sud: wierd
(10:28:12 PM) John FX: he was just brought up from pawtucket to pitch tonight
(10:28:16 PM) John FX: and he pitched a no-hitter against baltimore
(10:28:27 PM) Adrian Sud: you know what’s weird? I always spell weird wrong.
(10:28:30 PM) John FX: lol
(10:28:33 PM) Adrian Sud: always.
(10:28:37 PM) John FX: i think its ridiculous and amazing
(10:28:58 PM) John FX: he’s 20, he had the whole red sox team jumping and chearing him at the end of the game, crowding around him
(10:28:58 PM) Adrian Sud: because you say “wi” and “erd” wi-erd. But in fact it’s “We” and “ird”, which sounds different
(10:29:03 PM) John FX: everyone in the stadium cheering for him
(10:29:23 PM) Adrian Sud: lol we do not require each other for this conversation
(10:29:34 PM) John FX: apparently
(10:29:40 PM) John FX: lol

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

As the summer winds to a halt I just realized how much, exactly, I’ve changed.

Not all of me has, of course, nobody ever changes completely, but this summer I took on a great deal of responsibility; I formed a persona somewhat larger than I am, one made of bravado and self-worth. I moved away from my family, deciding that I needed to be out from under my father’s roof. I took on a research position with the Computer Science department because I “knew I was good enough”.

And then I began dating the most perfect girl I’ve ever known. I say perfect because for me, at least, she is. Some people may not quite understand, some people may think it’s silly, and in many ways they may be right–but this is what I’ve needed to happen for a long time.

But I’m still the same in a lot of ways. I love symbols. When I was a little kid, I found a stone on a beach in Massachusetts, and immediately understood it to be beautiful, and a solid symbolic piece. I decided it would be the beginning of a rock collection, so it was polished, and set atop my dresser, a deep blue heart-shaped stone that fit perfectly into the palm of my hand. I never had a rock collection, but the stone stayed with me for more than ten years, until I found something that required a symbol. I gave the stone to my first girlfriend, Hannah.

Until now, I had not found another relationship that I felt required a symbol as such.

The other day I asked Hannah for the stone back. It is perhaps a rude thing to do, to ask someone to return what was given, but returning it was also a symbol. Mikah understood that immediately; I’m almost certain that Hannah did too.

But with Mikah, the stone is not a sufficient symbol. I cannot give it to her for several reasons: first, it was a stone I found in my youth; it represents immature and young love–worth every second but not to be trusted. Second, it was the stone I gave to Hannah. I would want the symbol I give Mikah, when I choose to do so, to represent both of us in some way, even if it’s small.

This is the close of the best summer I’ve ever had.

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

This girl makes me feel like a totally untalented waste of human space. Why can I not do that?

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

The wasps come.

I wage war again, a slow stream of them–thus far just one a night. And as with previous years I am ruthless as they are–they wake me in the earliest hours of the morning, buzzing, threatening with their envenomed organic needles. But they are mere beasts. I must be resourceful; must have a strategy that keeps them safely away from me. In the course of this war, I have commandeered two plastic containers from the local stockpiles, and the flow of prisoners may require soon that I acquire another.

This morning I failed my watch. At six on the clock I heard a buzzing sound which woke me, but to which I said only “I need a truce this morning.” I turned on a window air conditioner unit on fan mode to drown out its buzzing, buried my fears under a pillow, and returned to sleep. At seven and thirty, I again awoke, but again did not take any action against the invader. It was near nine and thirty before I moved from my bed, and the creature was no longer there. It took a moment to register this. I tossed my sheets and blankets–I have been stung while under covers before–and my eyes roved the room, searching for signs, my ears alert to any sound.

There, next to the air conditioner, the tape that had held the thing against the window sides had ripped, a hole was open to the outside that, to a wasp, must seem extremely inviting at night. I have a new course of action for this war: Rebuild defenses.

I realized, upon dressing, that all of my clothes need washing. All, that is, except my sleeveless navy blue shirt. I put it on, an action which always prompts from me one of two reactions: “I hate this shirt,” or “Holy shit I am sexy!”

This morning prompted the latter.

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

… but I must share the following scene.

Adrian is standing in the bathroom, preparing to brush his teeth. His shirt is off. He glances at the mirror, and then away, then looks back quickly, noticing something for the first time.

Adrian: … Shoulders…? (He reaches his left hand to his right shoulder, rubs it, a confused expression coming over him) Red?
Silence for a few moments. Adrian pokes his shoulders a few times each.
Adrian: … I guess I can burn after all?

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

Liking her was absolutely… ridiculously… mindlessly… stupid.

Waiting for her was not supposed to be my intention.

Hoping things would work out was against everyone’s (including my own–and her) better judgement.

Having things begin to fall into place is a fluke.

Having them continue to do so is a beautiful accident.

Counting on this optimistically for any time into the future is still, perhaps, naive.

I know I’m freaking awesome, but my trust that anyone else really believes that is shaky at best, nonexistent at worst.

ps: I’m going to boston tomorrow, to find out if i’m finally actually done with this. if i seem zany it’s because i’m trying not to think about it. if i seem down it’s because i’m failing.

clarification: it’s an appointment with Dr. Foster in Boston–It should be fine, these things just always bother me.

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

but I woke up with the following thought:

World’s smallest black hole… more like world’s most literal tourist trap!

i remember seeing a NO EXIT sign, too…

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

I’ve set my laptop up as a dual-boot system now, so that I can do cross-platform development. Usually when you hear things like “I wish [program] was available for [operating system]”, it follows this pattern: “I wish [windows program] was available for [Open source operating system (or OSX)]”.

I wish there was Banshee for windows.

Now, originally (as with many linux music players and media management systems), it feels like Banshee was born out of the sentiment, “I wish there was iTunes for Linux”, but I’m using iTunes right now, and you know what? It’s not as good, and it’s not really iTunes’ fault, nor is it Banshee’s.

It’s Quicktime versus GStreamer.

You see, iTunes uses the Quicktime backend in order to play music, which gives it support for MP3, AAC, and (given a plugin) OGG files, and some others.

Windows Media Player also has its own backend, which provides support for MP3 and WMA, and given plugins a bunch of other filetypes.

GStreamer is one of a few media backends that run on many open source distributions, and powers most of their players, including Banshee. It has three basic sets of plugins: The ‘Good’, the ‘Bad’, and the ‘Ugly’. ‘Good’ plugins are for formats which are free and open source (Like OGG and FLAC). ‘Bad’ plugins are those that are free and open source, but that aren’t stable enough to be considered ‘good’. The ‘Ugly’ are codecs which have licensing issues, e.g. they may not be free of patents, etc. (thanks Anonymous for the correction)

With the GStreamer backend, one can play virtually any kind of file at all, as long as it is not encrypted.

What I noticed was that because MP3 lost its luster for me a while ago and I switched to FLAC, I can now only play approximately a quarter of my music library from iTunes on Windows.

Now, about a year ago I would have encoded all my files as MP3’s at 192 bits per second, and beyond that I would not care about the quality loss because I couldn’t hear it in the resultant files. This gets problematic however, because I write songs to CD’s. Taking a song as WAV, converting to MP3, and back, twice, can cause a drastic loss of sound quality because each conversion compounds the loss. FLAC, on the other hand is a variable bitrate format, so that if there is not much “happening” in the song, it will be a very small filesize, but the more detail there is, the higher the bitrate will raise. Theoretically, one should be able to convert from FLAC to WAV and back a hundred times without any problems.

I’m not a huge sound buff, but geez… I wish there was GStreamer for Windows.

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

MOAR!!

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

I’m doing research this semester on the structure of the internet, specifically by studying bandwidth information between bittorrent users. In order to do this, I’ve been collecting packets this morning using WinDump.exe, a windows port of the unix tcpdump command.

This program effectively spews out information for every packet, in or out, that touches the selected interface. Here’s something I noticed this morning:

The internet ebbs and flows. Like the endpoint computer is a pristine beach on the sea of information, packets rolling in and out in bunches; the local computer responds to everything that comes in, and a quarter of a second passes before the next incoming wave arrives. And while it may be something people have remarked upon before, this is the first time I realized how true it is: I’m watching the waves crash in and out as I write this. If the browser is like scuba gear for safely navigating the water, then TCPDump and WinDump are the beach towel, so I can sit here, sip my powerade, and enjoy the view.

this is nice.

Originally published at Pigsflew.com. You can comment here or there.

I was cruising with FX and the brothers last night, mind racing, Reliant K booming on the sound system, through a bit of a thunderstorm. It was quiet–no rain, nothing, just the occasional flash and boom like some kind of Shutter of God’s Camera (They say you cannot observe something without changing it)–and FX makes like he’s shouting to the heavens, says, “I’m here! Come to me!”. Now I tell him it’s a bad idea, because we’ve learned from every movie ever that Aliens will destroy all of humanity on a whim.

So then I get to thinking.

Why is it that aliens always seem to pick on humans for some incidental reason? Let me give a few examples. In Stargate (and its derivative series), Humans got picked on by the Goaul’d because humans are easy to regenerate. In the 4400, humans got picked on because the aliens… well, just because. Y’know, they had all this technology for making people super-powered and crazy, and it would be a crying shame to let that go to waste.

So here’s my thought: What about other alien species? Why us and not them? Because of our simple bodies? Just because we’re easy to modify or regenerate doesn’t mean we don’t have feelings!

I propose anti-discrimination abduction legislation. I think that species should be abducted on a merit scenario, not on incidental things like the color of our skin, the shape of our eyes, our amazing livers, our prehensile tails, etc.

Actually now that I reflect on it, there is one show that had a merit-based abduction–or at least visitation. The Vulcans first appeared on Earth in Star Trek because Zefram Cochrane’s Phoenix hit warp speed and they saw it. In that show we earned our visitation. That’s pretty cool.

Other alien species should totally learn from their example.

… what, you don’t have a prehensile tail? Freak.