Disqus - Latest Comments for jeber

Re: In one way, losing a father is a relief (Scripting News)

jeber — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:33:28 -0000

Within the last three years both of my parents died and I, too, felt the same emotion. No longer do I have anyone to whom I have to justify myself other than myself. No longer do I have to put away certain books to avoid offending a parent should they stop by for a visit. It's a freedom that I can appreciate while at the same time I'm sad at what it required to be gained.

Re: My New Geek Bag

jeber — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:51:35 -0000

It appears to be made by Wenger, and I love their full-size backback but this would be sweet for the netbook. Don't tease us, what's this pack called, what's the price? I may be headed for Target soon.

Re: Too Anti-Social For Social Media

jeber — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:07:50 -0000

<nods head>
I keep trying to make a go of social networks, but I agree that it's usually too much like trying to start a conversation at a party where everyone else knows each other and is talking about something else.
Still, I'm sticking with it for now. If it continues to be an unprofitable and unpleasant experience I may find myself slowly withdrawing over time. Unfortunately I doubt many will notice or care. I suppose that's OK, though.

Re: Sade - duhtrav: ITS NOT A PURSE! ITS A SATCHEL! INDIAN...

jeber — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:11:46 -0000

Cool. Will it hold a netbook?

Re: Before the storm (Scripting News)

jeber — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:22:59 -0000

Thank you for posting this. With all the negative comments I've been reading lately about netbooks I was beginning to think that perhaps I was among the very few who can appreciate the possibilities of these devices. It's telling that netbooks were born out of the One Laptop per Child movement. Netbooks are indeed the everyman's laptop. They are the computer for the masses, people who would or could never afford $800+ for a computer with bells and whistles they don't need. Many folks only want to be able to surf the web and email their friends. Netbooks are to computing what bicycles are to transportation.

Re: Why Is Religion A Problem?

jeber — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:56:18 -0000

I'm an atheist by choice, yet I don't think CL acted politely or reasonably in the above scenario. He over-reacted, was reacting to blows not delivered. If waiting until Monday would put a project or product in jeopardy, then he should say so. If that Saturday call is vital, that should be his point. If it can easily wait until Monday, then it shouldn't matter to him how you plan to spend your free time. If your request is reasonable (and it appears to be) and what you do in your free time doesn't discredit or embarrass the company, AND you're being honest when you say you aren't obnoxious with your beliefs, then it's none of his business what you believe. It sounds like he's trying to start an argument. He sounds like a jerk.

However, once a person with passionately held beliefs decides to hold forth on their beliefs without invitation, no matter what they are, then their beliefs are fair game for skepticism and questioning.

Re: CA churches against equal rights

jeber — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 21:29:13 -0000

Actually the Bible says nothing about homosexuality, since Bronze age
herders knew nothing of sexual orientation. The Bible condemns homosexual
behavior, and when it does it's almost exclusively in the context of
heterosexual men practicing homosexual acts. Besides, I don't accept the
Bible as anything more than an ancient text of superstitious belief.

Re: They serve what on NorthWest flights?

jeber — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:23:16 -0000

I don't think I'm allergic to penis. So I guess I'm safe.

Re: | Enrique Gutierrez

jeber — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:38:23 -0000

One of these is on my wish list. Which OS are you running on yours?

Re: tumbléo

jeber — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 11:50:15 -0000

Confetti FTW

Re: Channeling Your Inner Jackass

jeber — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:48:11 -0000

Steve, you've nailed it. I couldn't agree more and have nothing to add. Well said.

Re: How Twitter makes you a better writer (Scripting News)

jeber — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:16:33 -0000

Reading and writing poetry helps as well.

Re: Why I Don't (Often) Respond Publicly on Twitter

jeber — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:40:29 -0000

There are a lot of indecipherable Tweets I see. I even get replies that don't mention what Tweet of mine they're replying to, which makes for some fun trying to guess. Unless my reply makes obvious what I'm replying to, I try to include a reference or add "re: XXXX" so the other person won't have to guess what I'm Tweeting about. I see hashtags a lot but don't make much use of them myself.

Re: 3 things you can do to show your customers you appreciate them

jeber — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:32:18 -0000

Certainly. I'll be glad to edit it so that the main points are featured. I
appreciate the feedback.

Re: Atheism or Agnosticism

jeber — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:24:09 -0000

I agree it would be preferred to have a name without a negative connotation
that expressed our commonality. But that's just it. The only commonality
atheists share is their lack of belief in gods. Otherwise they're humanists,
libertarians, socialists, Republicans...all kinds of attitudes that have
names with positive connotations. So yes, in this one small portion of our
overall philosophy of life we share a common disbelief, the disbelief in a
single supernatural contention, that gods exist or have existed. And that by
definition is atheism. Apply my same skepticism to the Loch Ness Monster and
you can call me an aNessy.

In other words I'm fine with defining myself in terms of my disbelief in a
suggestion that gods do exist as an atheist, I have no problem with my
stance being defined relative to religion. That's the only thing my atheism
touches on. You want to talk to me about my position on evolution, or
humanity, or football, my lack of belief in gods will have no part to play,
no reason to be a part of those discussions.

Re: U.K citizens…please enable remote desktop

jeber — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:07:12 -0000

I have a tech blog and a blog for my job, both of which could benefit from
this information. So instead of posting these tips to this blog, check
http://jebersblog.com/ for a new post of tips added daily until I've wrapped
up this topic.

And thanks for reading.

Jack

Re: U.K citizens…please enable remote desktop

jeber — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:01:03 -0000

Didi, I'll put together some suggestions that I've accumulated and post them soon. Having worked on help desks for Gateway and D-Link I was able to learn a few easy-to-do ways to secure yourself against most all but the most determined snoop. Until I get a chance to post that, do at least one thing to make your laptop harder to access, providing it's a Windows-based computer. When it first boots up, tap the F1 or F2 key (which will depend on the brand you own) to access your BIOS setup. Once there, go to the "Security" tab and create a BIOS (sometimes also called a startup) password. Enter it (twice if needed), hit the F10 key, say OK and reboot. Now, when you first power up your laptop, before Windows even loads, you'll have to provide a password. This will keep your personal files and folders somewhat safer if you ever lose your laptop or leave it unattended but turned off. (Note: this does not provide strong security. The BIOS can be reset by someone with enough time to disassemble it, and your hard drive can be removed and accessed with another computer. This is just a basic security step.)

Re: Lewis Gray on Why Friendfeed Will Fail

jeber — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 11:42:22 -0000

I find the value in Friendfeed is not so much what I can contribute as it is what I can learn from the conversations going on there. Friendfeed is like a meetup of interesting, informed people. I can learn a lot by listening to the conversations going on around me. It's not much different than if I were invited to a board meeting at Microsoft or Google. I'd hardly presume that what I had to say would be of interest to anyone there. But let me sit in the back and take notes and I'll emerge a wiser and more informed individual.

I don't expect Friendfeed to meet all my information or conversation needs. I still chat, I still read blogs and comment on them. But Friendfeed does provide a unique way to listen in to the thoughts and opinions of those I'm not likely to meet meet in the real world. Seriously, can I expect to sit down over coffee with Scoble to discuss the use of blogs in business? I've been a friend of Chris Pirillo for years, but I've never met him in person. Friendfeed allows me to keep up with the interests and opinions of these guys in one place with a threaded conversation. Friendfeed isn't perfect, there are a few changes to their interface and functionality I'd like to see improved. But until I find an alternative that provides the same opportunity with the same easy-to-use GUI, I'll be hanging out at Friendfeed and learning more every day.

Re: Swedish government - it’s illegal for schools to teach religious doctrine as if it were true.

jeber — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:22:25 -0000

One can adopt this view only if one has never studied evolutionary theory.
It's this sort of uninformed attitude that Sweden hopes to avoid. There is
sufficient evidence in nature for evolution to be considered a scientific
fact. "An observation that has been confirmed repeatedly and is accepted as
true (although its truth is never final)." I know theists think that since
science refuses to make absolute statements or claim absolute truth that
this means we accept its findings on faith. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Science draws non-absolute conclusions based on evidence.
Theology presumes a god for which there is no evidence in nature then
demands belief based on faith. If you really want to understand how
evolution works and why it usually takes millions of years, read texts on
evolutionary biology or attend a class. At least at that point, if you still
wish to deny the evidence, you can do so intelligently. Perhaps you'll
discover an alternate theory that accounts for all the evidence but points
to a different conclusion. Scientists have been trying to do that for over
200 years now. Maybe you'll be the one to pull it off.

Re: I Am Gay

jeber — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:46:04 -0000

I am in my mid-50s and finding the instances of intolerance and hatred hard to deal with in the real world. I don't mean to imply I don't love individuals. I do mean to say that as individuals humanity is harder to love than in the abstract. I moderate a debate forum where gay issues are frequently brought up. The level of discourse is often hard to believe. So I find it harder to like and love individuals, but not impossible. When young I was a romantic. Now I've aged into a cynic and skeptic. But I don't want to discourage the young and passionate from fighting the good fight.

Re: I Am Gay

jeber — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 13:43:42 -0000

Micah, I commend you on a thoughtful and insightful post. It is truly a shame that in this 21st century United States it's still considered courageous to stand up and be counted as a gay person. I'm a child of the 50s and grew to awareness in the 60s. We had such hope for the transformation of society, equal rights for Blacks, women and gays seemed achievable if we just pushed and prodded and protested loudly enough. Two out of three ain't bad, but it ain't all that good, either. We've come a ways as a society but we have so far to go.

Bill, I can understand your situation easily, it's mine as well. I'm not comfortable around those who hold others in contempt. I'm a humanist, I love humanity in the abstract. But I often find it hard to love individuals. It's far easier to keep my distance from those who promote hate and divisiveness, the racist and religious bigots. But my savior has been the internet. I've been able to speak out about and defend my point of view as a gay atheist (and left-hander to boot) like I couldn't in the real world. I can be rational and logical on one blog and wildly offensive and confrontational on another. I have been able to reach those well beyond the sound of my voice. I would encourage you, if you don't already, to consider blogging as a means for expressing your thoughts in a constructive manner.

There's a lot of re-education yet to be done before people will drop their traditional bias and prejudice and see us for what we are, other human beings.

Re: CA churches against equal rights

jeber — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:52:12 -0000

Civil unions are not recognized outside the state they were created within.
How would you like to travel to a neighboring state only to find you weren't
married anymore? Federal marriage benefits are not extended to those in
civil unions. Marriage predates Christianity by thousands of years. The
Bible approves of multiple-wife marriages and arraigned marriages.
Supporters of 8 would rather deny thousands of their civil rights than
accept the idea that definitions change all the time. I guess words are more
important than people to them. Granting others civil rights in no way
diminishes yours. Finally, religion has no place in a secular government. If
you want a theocracy, what will you say when your state decides to base its
laws on the Koran?

Re: Gay marriage - no longer unthinkable

jeber — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:14:08 -0000

Don't forget "both or neither". These four preferences are called homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality and asexuality.

Re: Creative pause — thinking while taking a shower

jeber — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:15:27 -0000

The shower is where I come up with my best blog posts. It is, however, not easy to record notes under a stream of water. So some of my thoughts don't survive getting dried off and to my keyboard.

Re: Twitter is the new weblog | Broadcasting Brain

jeber — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:20:04 -0000

I find Tumblr to be the easiest mini-blogging platform. Using "Share on Tumblr" bookmark, I can post near anything with a couple of clicks without having to go to the site.