“… You might as well introduce the children to an addictive drug. If the XO turns out to be a platform for spreading the use of proprietary software, its overall effect on the world will be negative.”

— Richard Stallman

Yes you self-righteous prat. Giving children in third world countries access to technology that will allow them to aspire to greater heights of learning and economic standing is evil, evil I say! Unless of course it is technology that you approve of. Then it is all ponies and rainbows.

How I wanted to love you. I really did. This entry is written as a response to missives like this.

The idea is great, the design of the laptop is perfect and the choice of OS, at least initially, was perfect. Then, they had to go and design a new user interface that shares almost nothing in common with computers that kids that grow up with the XO's will come in contact with in the real world.

Sugar and Spice and everything crappy

Yeah, I am just going to come right out and say it, I hate the sugar UI.

I hate the idea behind it, I hate the execution of it and I hate the feeling you get when you use it. You are doing a disservice to the kids who will be using these laptops, by not equipping them to work in the real world.

A couple of nights ago, I decided to give the Film and TV show site Hulu another chance, since I heard that they had added the tv show Alf to their lineup.

First, some background

The last time I tried the site was in the private beta, and lets just say I was less than impressed. Along came Joost, which is brought to you by some people I know, and poof! I didn't really care about Hulu anymore.

Hulu didn't have any compelling content, and the Joost offering was a client you ran on your computer, and worked with the apple remote. Laziness wins out every time.

The dark days for a Joost user on a mac

Joost was great in the beginning, but one update removed full screen, even on the widescreen movie content, and then another update hosed the apple remote. Things were frustrating for a good long while for me and countless thousands of mac users.

So I realized something this weekend, in point of fact, I realized it this evening, not 30 minutes ago.

I am a failure. In the one area of my life that I should have put my all and been a success, I am a complete, utter, contemptible failure.

Tonight was an artists reception for Rudy Medlock, former chair of the art department at the college where I studied. This was his last year teaching at the college and there was a special art alumni reunion in his honor.

The man who started it all

Rudy started the art program at the college, and for 37 years was a fixture there. He was the reason I entered into the college and chose art as my field. He found a scholarship for me, so that I could get by that first year. He believed in me, in my voice and my talent.

Ah, another year another Ichthus Music Festival.

Things couldn't get any worse, this quote comes from MacRumors:

This is just obnoxious. I own the hardware. I am not renting, leasing or otherwise using it without actually owning it.

I made the joke today at lunch, that all hollywood has left to do to completely ruin and destroy my childhood was to make Voltron into a live action movie.

Tomorrow is Drawing Day 2008 and yours truly will be participating.

That would be what I call Dreamhost nowadays. And yeah, I refuse to link to them.