Okay, let's take a passage in a Reuters news story about some Russian guy who wound up in trouble for posting that cops there should be killed. Here it is:

Most Russians receive their news and information from television stations and newspapers controlled by the state or by businessmen with links to the Kremlin, with opposition voices confined largely to the Internet, talk radio and low-circulation publications.

The mere postulation of this statement suggests that, somehow, things in this country are any different (if you were looking to compare I mean). Here's how a foreigner might read the same story if it were written about our country:

Most Russians Americans receive their news and information from television stations and newspapers controlled by the state large corporations or by businessmen lobbyists with links to the Kremlin Washington, with opposition voices confined largely to the Internet, talk radio and low-circulation publications.

Either way, you're the surf consumer.

I have this nasty habit of applying the rules of our country to the outcomes as reported in other countries, particularly countries unpopular culturally or politically with the United States. Time and time again I clearly see how the outcome, whether it be to suppress dissident ideas, curb or promote extremism, is the same, even if we rely upon different tactics to achieve them.

Incidentally, go ahead and post to the internet that cops should be cleaned up by "ceremonially burning them up twice a day", and see if you get away with it in this country. Free speech is likely a priority in Russia as it is here, so when we read articles that somehow paint the country, any country really, as "evil" for merely struggling with the boundaries of the concept, we should be skeptical of the agenda. There's no difference between super powers other than how the cards are shuffled.

I should probably finally talk about my latest Dave the Web Guy impulse project. Unlike anything I've done before, this thing sprouted legs almost instantly after launch.

I call it Perp Turkey, and really, it's a blog devoted to stories and musings of crooks who are caught before they realize it thanks to consumer level and specialized law enforcement technology. In such a situation, the blog refers to such perpetrators as perp turkeys. See it for yourself.

Blurb about Perp Turkey as it appeared in the Providence Journal in Rhode Island.

I launched it kind of low-key, but the concept must have some kind of promise. In just two weeks it had a great mention in The Providence Journal, a major Rhode Island newspaper. The mention was complete with Perp Turkey's tagline "Where Bad People Meet Good Technology". Damn. I didn't discuss the site in but one place on the web, and lo and behold, that one place led to the mention. That mention drove in over 500 hits in one day (400 or so within 10 hours), whereas before, the site received just a couple. These were real hits, too. People had to actually type in "Perp Turkey" in Google to reach the site because the newspaper article didn't hyperlink it or provide the qualified URL address. When over 500 people go out of their way to Google search something, you start to think that you might have a potential winner of a concept on your hands. And, let's face it, it's nice that it received the same billing as You Tube in the very same paragraph. Bonus points.

The site itself needs a lot of work, of course. It's little more than a generic Battle Blog presentation with virtually no graphics. I was hoping to put a lot more into it before it was noticed, but concept may be the greater sail over aesthetics in this case. I ain't complaining.

Perp Turkey is officially a Dave the Web Guy project, now. So, here's to a long one Perp Turkey, I'm going to enjoy working with you!

This happens every now and again.  I'll notice on the headline news module at my Yahoo portal that two different if not somewhat similar stories appear.  I swore next time it happened I was going to screenshot it and show it off.  Here it is:

Two "most viewed" stories via Yahoo that deal with either plane passengers sleeping, or the pilots.  What's up with that?

Prodded by the feeling I really had to do something different this weekend, I went to see Dasavathaaram. This is a Bollywood production and definitely qualified as different.

An old acquaintance actually plays a large and pivitol role in it, and her local promotion of the impending premiere was all the prodding I needed. She plays Yuka, the kick-ass karate wife of a murdered man who takes as good as she gives. You might think that that alone would get a post out of me, but that's not why I'm writing. Ann's actually being oddly humble about the whole thing (though I will say that having a text message conversation with the same person kicking ass on the big screen in front of you as part of a major motion picture, is, well, pretty cool).

Dasavatharam Trailer

In reality, however, I'm making this post because I can't get over how fantastic the movie was. Could be a case of something merely different registering as something great; but, nah, I don't think so. I was entirely engaged even after having initial suspicions that I would in fact be lost in translation and in cultural references. The film featured brilliant cinematography, particularly at the movie's opening when a story about a 12th century apostle for one god is thrown into the sea by a King demanding subordination to another. It is breathtaking and horrific at the end when the tsunami of 2004 is depicted with mind-boggling realism. Indeed, it must be due to some cultural benevolence that the film producers were even able to tie the 2004 tsunami into a deeper moral of the story that everything happens for a reason.

Aside from its laden philosophical suggestions, the plot revolved around a mild-mannered scientist and a determined ex-CIA agent each trying to retrieve the same vile of deadly biological agent stuff that could potentially "kill millions". The ex-CIA guy was in fact a paid assassin, and he wanted the vile in order to return it to those who in turn wanted to sell it to terrorists. The scientist, a party in the agent's concoction before it was leaked into this whirlwind chase by a wayward monkey, obviously wanted to prevent that. The chase starts in America and winds up in India, parting here and there for little side stories (and the occasional musical interlude) that an American made film would never tolerate in the space of 1.5 hours. This flick went beyond 3 hours and actually had an intermission. It led me to wonder if that was common with Indian cinema.

It's worth noting that the lead played 10 characters in this movie. Something similar to what Eddie Murphy did once, though not to such scale, and, hardly with as much convincing success. They announced this novelty as much in big white letters at the movie's opening (dude gonna play 10 parts, get ready!), but I didn't know immediately which characters would be the same guy so hardly gave it a second thought 5 minutes into it. I was floored to learn at film's end that every major character, except for the leading lady, was the same guy. And if you see this, keep an eye on the little old lady - yep, same guy. His name is Kamal Haasan and judging by the reaction of the largely Indian audience I was sitting in the middle of, he's considered a big deal in Bollywood.

Look, I'd be the last person to recommend someone go see an action flick. Bottom line, they're shot in the dark, cater to ADD kids, and seek to make an explosive visual no less than every 60 frames. Somewhere in there there's usually a "story". But, I'm highly recommending this one because it avoids all that and will actually, for-real, not-kidding-here, keep you at the edge of your seat. Yes, it's Indian, but you'll come back here and tell me, damn, I was right.

Of course, I saw it on opening night as a special premiere at Muvico in Centro, so I guess I'm not really sure where you'd see it now. Only that if you get the opportunity, do.

Co-worker Dan is pointing me to a website called The Best Web Page in the Universe. It's a type-a intellecualist blog that's gaining traction.

This has to be among one of the cruelest accidental ad placements ever.

I've been looking for something to vocationally shore up my resume with before I launch my next job search. After considering the potential financial impact on current resources, and the time with which I have to do so in, I've decided the most digestable yet valuable course of action is to become A+ certified. I'm hoping that combined with my experience, the extra step of certification will keep me in the game after almost three years of no systematic contact with PCs. A+ is considered the norm in PC tech work, and about half the positions advertised flat out require it. Truth be told I should have done this ages ago. I guess it's one of those things where if you're comfortable, you don't stretch.

I don't work the hours that allow for classes, but luckily, it's easy enough to study for the certification exam on your own these days - particularly if you already have the experience. Ergo, I opted for an A+ kit from Amazon to study and practice with.

A+ Certification in a box.

As well, I dropped yet another application to a local PI firm hoping to find someone who can keep me going at least part time. Granted my last experience didn't go well, but different firms have different needs and different approaches in training and HR implementation. Honestly, I don't expect that to pan out (especially now since I'm louder with my online publishing than ever), but I want to make sure my own hunch, in this case, is not the final authority on whether I can actually continue to develop as a PI. Many firms don't need full-time PIs, or, just need a fresh face for a quick assignment in order to collect a detail about someone or something. Since I do have my intern license, I could be incorporated quickly if only briefly and continue to benefit from the experience - so long as the firm is willing to sign my sponsorship papers. By December, I have to know for sure whether to bother keeping myself licensed, and, if so, be sure to somehow keep active in the field.

Also, people naturally ask me, if I do have to wind up leaving the area because it turns out I can't land anything, PC or PI, where will I go? In a nutshell I'm favoring any city with a rail-based transit option. I do, after all, make a local cause out of one. I have relatives willing to offer launch support in New York City if I wish to tackle the monster of all cities (and one of the most transit rich), but I'm guessing I'd have more luck a lot of other places first. I won't consider that much until after I've exhausted my local possibilities.

Frankly, if I fizzle on a local job search after leaving my present gig, I'll probably take a good vacation or travel the country a bit in general, before deciding. For the moment, it's important more than anything to me that I develop all options to their maximum potential.

I'm really going to check into an assertiveness program or something. Lately, it seems, I've encountered a number of challenges that seem to capitalize on my point-of-presence naitivity. This is a chronic condition I admit, and I suspect that it's because I avoid hanging out and interacting with people so much in general, I'm really not exercised in the management of what people typically refer to as bullshit.

Case in point. I'm at the ol' Wal-Mart earlier this week when I pass by a gritty plump woman, dirty, maybe even homeless, but clean enough and coherent enough to be walking through the store. This is not an unusual thing at 2:00 in the morning in the East Tampa Wal-Mart. I only notice her because of course I instinctively assume any new woman falling into view might be someone to wink to. Sometimes this desperate, and sure, pretty darned pathetic and even creepy bachelor instinct, races slightly ahead of assimilating the merits of the woman in question. Is (insert periphereal physical profile of a woman) someone I'd care to spend time with standing in the checkout line, let alone anything more?, is a question that should be fully qualified before making eye contact, in an ideal world. But it isn't an ideal world.

Having already made my erroneous eye contact, she muttered something as she strolled by. Something under her breath I didn't quite make out. Did she just hit on me? Did she convey one of those spontaneous crazy street lady sentiments for me to go to hell? Maybe, figuring I'd actually hit on her, she preemptively told me I wasn't classy enough. Don't rule that out.

In any event I pass by her, shrugging it off. But moments later, I spot her in another isle talking to a guy who also appears a bit down on his luck. He's got a long white dirty beard and a t-shirt spotted with black patches of what looks like grease. It's clear from looking at them in secretive huddle that they are up to something. I groan because it might not involve approaching me for money, but it probably does. Plus, it's a little disturbing. Who plots a common panhandling encounter with a huddle? Whether I was the mark or not, it was bound to be something deeper than asking for money. Double groan.

My suspicion is confirmed in the bread aisle where she bee-lines straight for me. At first I cannot understand what she is saying, but, bolstered my habitual friendly interest, she finally speaks up and lays out the deal for me. She has a Wal-Mart gift card and would like to get some money out of it - as in actual cash. If I allow her to buy my groceries at checkout, she will then ask the cashier for money back on the card, and we'll both win. This is really something only a complete idiot would even consider, let alone agree to, but amazingly, I do.

The Scary Thing

And that's the scary thing here. Forget how it turned out (it was of course a scam attempt. After purchasing the groceries, the woman then confronted me as having misunderstood the "bargain" and tried to convince me that one way to appease the situation was to buy the card with a $50 charge on it for $20 - which I declined in at least one smart move. The card likely had no balance left or some other such thing. I paid her the cost of my groceries and that was that). What's important to note is just how lulled I was into doing something I concurrently didn't want to go along with the entire time. The question it begs is, just how easy it for people to hijack my will?

Pretty darned it seems.

This event really follows a series that have brought about this epiphany. For instance, about 9 months ago I found myself doing the boots of a homeless man at an all night laundromat, paying for it, and, even holding the door of the dryer closed the whole 30 odd minutes while he leaned on a table nearby watching. Hm. Then there's the dude who, without warning, and after an otherwise pleasent conversation, put his hand on my stomach to feel my muscles. I mean, he kept it there for like a second or two. Whoa!

For sure, one thing I'm going to look into are assertiveness classes. Don't get me wrong, I don't consider myself weak or even without force. However, it's a little more than obvious now that, given the right hit-and-run situation, I am easily taken advantage of, corralled into things, or, set up in ways that even a little common assertiveness would prevent. As one who depends a lot on thinking to get by in life, I have gotten rusty if not outright locked up in my ability to manage life live as-it-happens when there is no time to think. And people with malicious or strange ends seem to notice almost instantly.

Folks, steps will be taken to correct this. I only hope to god I don't have to become like one of those people who have surrendered to that creepy stoic look, bolstered by the rich foundation of zero personality, in order to get by. Those people creep me out. I have always been naturally friendly, helpful, and very liberal in my tolerance for others. But as I seek to break the chains that bind me in life, this wussiness one set of them that seems the most important to go.

Pretty productive weekend. On Saturday I visited Tampa Union Station for National Train Day celebrations. I continue to support the development of local urban, and, intercity rail networks wherever they may be built. You can read my Tampa Rail posting discussing my time there in more detail.

I also managed to push out Battle Blog version 2.25. Battle Blog is the engine you're using to read these very words, of course, and it's been quite awhile since I've released an update. The current update incorporates a rich text editor and some other enhancements. Here's the official release as a blog entry at Battle Blog.

I've been experiencing a strange kind of technical conundrum lately. Simply put, I can't decide if I want to consume web content via RSS, or, consume web content by visiting web pages directly. Several months into this debate, I still just can't decide.

Is IJustin sexier as an RSS feed, or, in the full Monty?

It little helps if I stick to the rule of letting either methodology serve its own purpose. For example, RSS is supposed to be preferable when you want to focus on fresh content, particularly fresh content as bundled with dozens or a hundred channels of it at once. Effectively, RSS is a way of assuming that a website or blog is not interesting unless something has been added to it. Directly visiting websites, by contrast, should make the best sense when it isn't so much about the latest content, but about exclusive content or content that might be tucked behind a login page.

I suppose what's bothering me is the idea that if the functionality of an RSS reader is supposed to make life better as a web consumer, and everyone relied on it exclusively, what would be the point of building pleasant artful blog experiences? If blog entries are reduced to little more than neglected unread e-mail-like headers in a newsreader, why don't bloggers just build giant e-mail lists and spread their rant that way? Forget the overhead of hosting Wordpress or Battle Blog, the coding, the maintenance fees, and just the plain hassle. Hell, as an early web publisher, I can tell you that's how we used to do it.

For me the debate rages on. I maintain both an active newsreader, and, a particular bookmark folder called "Daily Visits". They both sort of do the same thing - and I have no clear idea yet why I choose to read the feed of one site, but bookmark another. I will say that I find that I do enjoy visiting entire web or blog presentations on a regular basis, even if nothing has changed (which is supposed to be the core value of the RSS newsreader). Somehow, it keeps me intimate with a publisher's spirit and provides me with a solid mental cursor of their intent. That "dead time" between fresh content is pretty informative, psychologically speaking.

As well, I seem to enjoy my newsreader most for technical data. For instance, there are a number of Google News searches I've converted to RSS feeds (which Google allows for), which are best served up in the newsreader. Job openings, search hits, discussion groups...these things seem to make better sense for consumption via RSS.

That's how the sea seems to be parting right now. I'd be curious about other's thoughts on this.

Okay everyone, the webcam is back. This rendition is static and time interval based. There's a new image every minute or so. I highly recommend the handy external viewing window, if you're a true Nut fan.

How's that for nuts? For the past three mornings now I've become acutely aware that using Google Maps or any ajax-based online map service, after a period of a few minutes, will eventually cause my internet connection to break. The first morning I simply figured, hey, Verizon is working with the line or something. The second morning it happened again, but at a different time. And finally this morning, doing the same thing at yet a different time, it happened again; thus convincing me I'm not crazy. Ajax maps are bringing me down.

First the map output gets spotty, as above, then my entire network goes kaplooey!

The problem, as it happens, occurs at at least the router level (I use a Netgear MR314). I know this because my other router, one used exclusively by my Vonage phone network, goes into "error mode" each time this happens. The solution, ultimately, is for me to reset the router power which ultimately restores everything. But why is this happening at all?

Turns out there are at least two Googable references to the very same problem (thank goodness a basic Google search doesn't cause this too!). One at Ask MetaFilter entitled Why is My Network Hectoring AJAX?, and another at Tech Guy entitled Solved: Online Maps Freezing My Connection!, the latter which suggests a solution. One which I've not yet applied since it involves disabling outgoing firewall protection which I happen to believe in. But, it is a lead.

Now that things are back to a new normal I find myself looking at the bigger picture and what to do next. By far the most important thing on the agenda is to get a job. I'm committed to the company I'm with now for quite a few months yet - but my notice is (effectively) in, and my time there is running down. This time next year, I'll be doing something different with my days.

Finding a compatible and fulfilling situation for the long-term will take a bit of deliberate early planning. Most of the places and things I feel like I'd be happy about require quite a bit of ramping up. It took months to even qualify myself legally for working (using that term loosely) as a private investigator before I did so, and that level of orchestration is no less required as I'm about to shift yet again.

Beyond that, the game plan is pretty simple. I'll start by simply going back to USF, the place I left a year and and a half ago to try my said ill-funded PI stint. My record there is superb and there's no reason to believe I couldn't go back, save for being the political hot potatoe I speculate that I was. Granted, that may wind up just being more a motion in execrcise than not since the situation there is tight, but it's a logical attempt nonetheless.

Otherwise, I'll spread the search into any IT area. I have 8 years (tens of thousands of closed service tickets) under my belt, and enough experience at coding and web development where I can probably find some first tier effort that could use a dedicated and crafty worker. My true hope would be that I could be a roamer, organizer, and manager again, since that's where I find myself most effective.

The effort may wind up taking a degree of flexibility. For instance, I'm not afraid to leave the area entirely if it comes down to it. One of the advantages of being single is that I can be as mobile as I need to be in order to find a happy situation that is value/value based, and, yields more money than that which just pays the bills. Of course, even as I say that, my top priority is not the highest starting salary. Money is weighed in with both the comfort in the people I work with, and, function.

In practice, what I mean by my latter point is that if decent paying IT jobs just aren't there, I can lay sod under a hot sun all day so long as the people I'm working with are easy to get along with, or I'm sufficiently empowered enough by my daily objectives to make a difference in my own way. That attitude may be all hippie-like, but how you work and get along for any 8+ hours a day (and I actually tend to work a lot more when I'm engaged by my work), is crucially connected to everything else about you.

So, my radar is now on for opportunity and possibly on getting in just a degree more education in the time I have before I'm on the streets again. Here we go!

Gram and I, one last picture....

I'm out of town for the week attending my grandmother's funeral. I'll let my Tampa Rail posting on the subject provide the background.