Farting around

Streisand Effect

There’s a hoary old bit of Internet folklore, that in the mists of time when dinosaurs roamed the computer rooms, there existed a machine which could be upgraded by cutting a single wire.

In other words, the machine shipped with more power than you paid for, with some kind of a silicon handbrake to cripple the hardware until such time as you could afford to pay for an upgrade.

But that’s long ago and ~~we do things differently now~~ some people don’t learn from history.

Because apparently Tektronix sells equipment with built-in capabilities that costs money to enable, except if you can program an EEPROM. And not with some encrypted password or string, no, apparently plain text available straight off of Tektronix’ website will do the trick.

So after Hackaday linked to Oontz’ website, Tektronix got all butthurt and issued a DMCA takedown notice.

Notes to Tektronix:

1. Streisand Effect. I wouldn’t have written this post if you had not got all upset.

2. Wayback Machine. Jason saved it all for us. Including the original post.

3. Once the cat is out of the bag, it becomes trivial to replicate. Even if you DMCA the Wayback Machine, and me, and everyone else… you still lose. See Note 1.

So, learn from this and design better security next time.

2014-08-06 by wrm Computers Farting around 0

Ons was jonk gewees

I remember when this album hit the shops. We loved it. I drove from Cape Town to Johannesburg, via St. Francis Bay, with one tape in the car. It was amazing.

2014-07-31 by wrm Farting around Get Off My Lawn 2

I think I coined a new term.

Someone who looks at a picture like this one

and comments

Finger off the trigger tsk tsk :)

shall henceforth be known as a gunorak.

2014-07-14 by wrm Farting around Guns 0

Be vewy quiet…

If you wear camo and sit very quietly in the shade of a bush you can get to see interesting things.

See it? Lemme zoom in a bit for you.

I sat watching this fellow as he was making a beeline pretty much straight for me.

This is a split second after he saw me (the camo in the foreground is me). Changed his mind pretty quickly and made for the hills.

And the evening I had to eat a gemmerkoekie* as punishment for not shooting the blighter. Because there are two problem animals that get shot on sight on farms, jackal** and caracal***.

Why didn’t I shoot? The gemsbok were just behind that ridge ahead of me, and I was seriously considering changing my priority from kudu to gemsbok. That ended up not happening and I walked-and-surprised**** a nice young kudu bull the next day. So all turned out well.

* “gemmerkoekie” = ginger biscuit. But laced with Stroh rum. I like Stroh rum. This is a game I play to lose.

** Black-backed jackal, known as “rooijakkals” or red jackal in Afrikaans. The little bat-eared foxes and silver foxes are also “jakkals” in Afrikaans but you don’t shoot those.

*** I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shoot a caracal. And of course the african wild cat is rightly so a no-shoot.

**** You don’t walk-and-stalk a kudu. You walk-and-surprise it. It will see you before you see it, if you’re moving, and it won’t stay around for too long. And once they’re gone, they are gone. Over the mountain, down the other side, over the next mountain, and still going strong, while you’re still trying to find your second wind.

2014-06-30 by wrm Farting around Guns 2

Thirty years later…

… I still think it’s a bloody good movie.

http://youtu.be/y-YHw1sqjL8

Here’s an interview for you.

The final act of ‘Top Secret!’ spoofs ‘The Blue Lagoon,’ a 1980 film starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins — a film that was the ninth highest grossing film of 1980, but hasn’t retained a strong presence in popular culture today. Despite the disparity of their original box office totals, today ‘Top Secret!’ is a more popular film than “The Blue Lagoon.’

2014-06-22 by wrm Farting around Geek 0

Stealthie

A stealthie is a selfie…

… taken while wearing camo. So sayeth Tamsyn.

Note to self. If your pants are too short, and you don’t put suntan lotion on your shins, you will regret it later.

Father and Child Hunt, Richmond, April 2014.

As always, it was fun.

2014-04-26 by wrm Farting around Geek Guns 0

HeeeeCheeee!

They’re making a TV version of Fred Pohl’s Gateway, otherwise known as the Heechee Saga.

I grew up on this stuff.

I sure hope they don’t stuff it up.

(H/T Scott)

2014-03-13 by wrm Farting around 0

Another one too good not to share

Joan Atwell, courtesy of the googles.

2014-02-27 by wrm Farting around 0

Too good not to share

From Borepatch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A91pY1L9meQ

Maybe some clarification required. The traditional New Orleans Funeral with Music consists of two parts. It starts with a somber procession to the cemetery, transporting the Guest of Honour to the planting* ceremony, followed by a helluva big party on the way back.

Just a Closer Walk with Thee comes in two parts, one suited for the mourning and one suited for the party. Google will give you plenty versions of it, the one I’ve always liked is by The Preservation Hall Jazz Band — I might even prefer (blasphemy!) (the jury is still out) the second half to that of Clapton et al. Not that it matters, these guys are stunningly good.

Of course Tanya hates it :-)

* In reality, tradition tends to favour above-ground tombs in New Orleans, because water table.

2014-02-26 by wrm Farting around 0