Posted by Robyn on Mar 23, 2009 in
Politics … but that’s not what I’m doing here. I’m actually saying that neither side is really looking at this issue the right way.
The liberals been trying to get all of us to “save the planet” for decades, so when they realized they had finally convinced nearly everyone that global warming was real, they started tripping over themselves to make environmental practices the solution. Meanwhile, conservatives have been fighting regulations for so long that once they realized there wasn’t any rational argument against the reality of climate change, they started trying to convince people it wasn’t humans that caused it.
Here’s how that whole thing is going to play out.
The right wing is beginning to realize that so-called “environmental” policies aren’t such a bad thing. There’s big money to be made in new energy development, and most “sustainable” practices are actually good for the bottom line. At the same time, the left wing is kind of like the unpopular kids finally realizing they outnumber the popular kids. By a lot. So, environmentalism is becoming very “fashionable”, not to mention a whole lot easier, and usually cheaper, too.
And that’s what I’ve been saying all along. Most people want to do the right thing, but we’re also very lazy and very greedy. If you make “doing the right thing” difficult and expensive, then we’re going to do the easy thing. If you force us to “do the right thing” through regulation, then we’ll get really mad. But if you make “doing the right thing” easy and profitable, then we’ll do it all day long.
And love it.
And again, that’s great. I’m all for living sustainably. But none of that is really to the point. I don’t care if the primary cause of climate change is carbon emissions, sun spots, deforestation, the tilt of the Earth’s axis, or your deity of choice declaring his or her wrath on humanity. Whatever the cause, let’s figure out what we can do to stop it. Because it’s not the planet that’s in peril, it’s us.
Somehow, I don’t think buying a hybrid is the solution, but some scientists already have the right idea.
Posted by Robyn on Mar 23, 2009 in
Politics Imagine there was a giant asteroid headed for Earth. It’s not the first asteroid of this size to strike Earth, but it’s the first one since humans have lived here. This particular asteroid is not big enough to destroy the planet, but certainly big enough to do serious damage to the humans who live here, especially if it strikes in a populated area.
Now, imagine there was a huge debate over whether this giant asteroid had been knocked towards Earth by a piece of space junk created by humans. Some people think we caused the problem, and others think we didn’t. They like to argue about it a lot. Meanwhile, I’m over here thinking…
HEY! LOOK AT THAT GIANT ASTEROID! SHOULDN’T WE MAYBE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!?
Global climate change is real, and to be frank, it’s not “saving the planet” we should be worried about. Planet Earth has survived far worse, and it’ll probably be here long after we’re gone. We should be worried about how our coastlines will be flooded if any more ice melts.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for living sustainably. Reducing carbon emissions, recycling, and conserving energy are all fantastic things for us to do. But those are also money-saving things that we should be doing anyway, for our own sakes. Sure, taking those actions may have an impact on climate change, but it’s probably too little too late at this point. When it comes to climate change, we should be building sea walls around New York and LA.
I’m just saying.
Posted by Robyn on Mar 21, 2009 in
Technology BE A FOLLOWER
One of the main things I love about webkit browsers (Safari and Chrome) is the tabs being on top. Having the ability to detach tabs and create new browser windows is also cool. This makes it so easy to switch between tabs, and also solves another problem: bookmarks.
In Firefox, I am constantly hitting a bookmark on my toolbar, rather than clicking the tab I want to switch to. This is very annoying, and I’ve been living with it for years. As a temporary fix, I have moved my navigation buttons and address bar down to the bookmarks toolbar, and put the bookmarks further up. It more or less solves the problem, but it looks stupid.
By comparison, here is how the same window looks in Chrome.
See how much cleaner and prettier that is? So yeah, Firefox. Be a follower. Nobody will blame you. 
Posted by Robyn on Mar 11, 2009 in
General I just canceled our Blockbuster Online membership. After trying Netflix for a month, it just wins, hands down. While they both carry pretty much the same stuff, Netflix actually has it in stock more often, and oh yeah… you can STREAM a fair chunk of it INSTANTLY.
Blockbuster had me for a while with the unlimited in-store exchanges, but you still had to make that trip to the video store once a week to cash them in. And once you did, you had to return them eventually, or Blockbuster would charge you for them.
Compare that with the convenience of streaming instantly, and it’s LOL time! By the way, if you’re running a computer with Windows Media Center on it, and you don’t have this Netflix plugin, you should get it. Right now. I’ll wait…
Yeah, pretty awesome, huh? It’s constantly being tweaked and improved, so update it often to take full advantage of the awesomeness. 
Posted by Robyn on Mar 6, 2009 in
General … at 9:22 PM PST on Friday March 6, 2009.
Most TV shows and movies already have a smattering of product placement-type advertising. I say, go for it. Add all you want. Embed all the advertising into the programs, then cut out all this DRM-anti-piracy crap. The more we download, the more money the studios make.
Want to get rid of the torrent clients, and drive people to your studio’s site? Make high-quality downloads available over super-quick connections. Put all the advertising you want on your own site. Offer ads and previews for upcoming shows and movies. We want your stuff, so give us more!
So there it is. I solved the whole issue. Go me. 
And yes, this thought was inspired by Hulu. For anyone looking to TRY and get Hulu working on an HTPC, here is what I’m currently using. It’s a VERY early beta, but does seem promising. I’m still hoping for Hulu to either support this guy, or come up with their own, slightly better integrated solution, but so far, this is at least usable.
Second Run TV
Posted by Robyn on Mar 3, 2009 in
General Lately, I have been feeling slightly uncomfortable with the amount of praise I get from my students. I am a software trainer, and I typically train half-day or full-day classes in your typical Microsoft and Adobe products. It’s a lot of fun, and I really enjoy it.
But since I started this job, I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who not only give me a good review on the course evaluation, but actually come up to me after class and make a special effort to say how enjoyable the class was, how I was the best teacher they ever had, etc. It especially makes me uncomfortable when they compare me directly with my co-workers — all of whom have more seniority than me! WTF are you supposed to say to that?
I guess it partly has to do with the fact that I haven’t been doing this very long, and often feel I’m bringing my “B” game. For some of the software I’m teaching, my knowledge only goes about an inch deeper than the manual I’m training out of. Yet everyone seems to think I’m an expert. Also, when you teach every day, it’s hard not to have a bad day once in a while. I guess I feel like I’m barely treading water most of the time, but then I get all this massive praise. It makes me feel like a fraud!
I’ve always wondered whether being a good teacher was dependent more on your knowledge of the subject, or more on your skill in teaching and ability to make the class enjoyable. Clearly, some of both is necessary, but what do you think is MOST important?
