Never been one to let the carrier drop

As many of you know, I have a long standing animosity towards telephone companies in general. I’ve never found much to reverse my opinion – most telcos are downright slimy, and will pull any number of fast ones on you.

SBC (Southwestern Bell), however, has hit a new high – er low – er something.

In Hindsville, AR (479-789), customers who want to access the internet via dialup have exactly zero local access numbers. Even though SBC has their own ISP, there is no number that is a local call. This is because the only place you can call from 479-789 that is local is – 479-789.

That’s right, every other number is EAC (extended area calling) – not inter-LATA, but intra-LATA – which means the phone company is justified in screwing you in any way they want. And, as it happens, how they want is with something called local+ – a extra $31.95 a month to be able to call Fayetteville – just 30 miles away.

So, if you want to have a ISP be a local call in Hindsville, you have to pay $31.95 a month. On top of whatever your ISP charges.

Isn’t capitolism grand?

S.

Paranoid: Low
Schizoid: Low
Schizotypal: High
Antisocial: Moderate
Borderline: Low |
Histrionic: Moderate
Narcissistic: Low
Avoidant: High
Dependent: Very High
Obsessive-Compulsive: Moderate

———————————–

Great. 😉

I should be working, but thinking about this problem keeps making smoke come out of my ears..

S.

The world is not something to be afraid of. For the most part, strangers aren’t handing out razor blades – and they have the nicest candy, and some of the most interesting things to say. Some drugs can be good and positive things. Almost no drugs belong in a child’s bloodstream – legal or illegal. Love is to be cherished. There’s nothing wrong with being gay – or transgendered – or different. The government is to be distrusted at all times. Politicians lie, cheat, steal, and are generally evil. At times, abortion is the only reasonable action. Life is what happens while you’re making other plans. God does not want you to fear him/her/it. The old testiment is just plain wrong. If you want to show love to God, show love to your fellow man. Believe impossible dreams – and then make them happen. We don’t need more children. We don’t need more wars. We don’t need more nuclear weapons, missle defense systems, troops, aircraft carriers, or cold wars. Above all, WE DONT NEED MORE FEAR OR HATE! Encourage children to turn off the television. Imagine everything you know is wrong. Imagine everything you know is right. Sin is hurting other people.

And, thoughts that didn’t quite make the poster, but still seem worthwhile:

Rather than telling kids not to have sex before marrage, tell them that having sex with someone will create a bond with that person, a obligation to that person, and a memory of that person that will last their entire lives – so choose wisely and don’t rush in. Capitolism is mostly evil – ‘Better Dead than Red’ is a sign of how thoroughly bankrupt the mental capacities of America apparently were in the ’50s.

Audio haikus

Oh, dear, now I’m using my livejournal as a scratchpad. Ah well..

Echo Layla, $350 minimum bid, $20 S/H

8 1/4″ balanced TRS inputs, 8 1/4″ balanced TRS outputs – turn your computer into a audio octopus!
In my 2+ years of HDD recording, this is the only part of my PC that didn’t ever screw up. The Laylas are rock solid 24 bit 96 khz A/D – works great with Sonar, Pro Tools, or any other audio software – you can even run four copies of WinAmp aimed at the four different outputs. In addition, if you happen to have a ADAT or any other Alesis gear that uses the ADAT ports lying around, you can in fact do 8 channels of ADAT and 8 channels of analog at the same time. I’ve done it – on a P-II – and it works just fine. (better on a P-III of course)

As a bonus, Echo even threw in a MIDI interface. This is a great way to start a real project studio. Upgrade from that Creative Labs monstrosity to something with enough channels that you can record a whole drum kit at once!

You can easily use more than one Layla at once just by connecting a word clock cable between them.

These units are prime – only minor wear and tear from being racked once. They’ve been reliable little performers for me – and I’m sure they will be for you as well. I hate to sell them – but I got utterly sick of the PC that they went in after it ate several weeks worth of recording work (Windows 2000 issues, nothing to do with the audio interface), and I chose to replace it with a laptop. But, if you have a desktop – Mac or PC – here’s your audio interface.

You get the interface box, the PCI card, a 15′ hookup cable, a power cord, and a CD of the latest drivers.

Read more about the Layla at www.echoaudio.com.

Roland SC-880 – Minimum bid $200, $30 S/H (because it’s huge and heavy)

Do you want that famous Roland drum sound, but don’t want to pay through the nose? Here’s a sound module for you! 64-voice polyphany, a wide variety of samples, onboard effects, and some really kickin’ drum kits! Balanced 1/4″ TRS sends and built in mac MIDI interface – and, it won’t take up another stereo pair on your mixer because it has a line in with a trim pot for cascading with another sound module. Manual and power cable incl.

Midiman Midisport 8×8 – Minimum bid $150, $10 S/H

There’s really not too much to say about this. If you need a 8×8 MIDI interface, this is a pretty good one. I’m trading up to something that also does word clock – but this unit has been a good little performer for me, and I’m sure it’ll do just great in your project studio as well. It even supports SMPTE striping, in case you need to sync with a outboard analog tape deck or movie reels. You can read more about it at www.midiman.com And it’s neon green.. Updated driver disk included for Win95/98/2k

Cool resource:

C++ Libraries

S.

Truly disturbing news story here. Particularly disturbing line:

Remember, Optimus Prime will always be there for you ... no matter the cost, because freedom is the right of all sentient beings. Autobots! Transform and roll out!

[thoughts directed in the general direction of the author:]

You know, I’m glad that freedom is the right of all sentient beings.

I hope you don’t keep dogs.

No, seriously, doesn’t that include the freedom to be alive? I’m guessing, since your son just changed his name to a transformer doll and is off to perform acts of random violence in iraq, you’re for the war. It’s just a guess. I might be wrong.

So Optimus is off to kill a lot of innocent people in order to protect us from weapons of mass destruction that Scott Ritter, a ex-marine and cheif U.N. weapons inspector, says those people don’t have.

Yah, this is really great. I mean, I think Optimus might be a bit dissillusioned when he realizes he’s been had. I know I would. You sign up to help protect the american way of life, and it turns out the way we do that these days is by killing innocent people over weapons that don’t exist.

I’m sorry, Optimus. We didn’t fight hard enough to keep King George’s hands off you.

Welcome back to the dark ages, folks. Only these are gonna be digital dark ages. Fight hard for peace.

Yah, that’s a phrase that really works.

This leaves us with the uncomfortable position of not being able to do anything violent. But we can’t give up, either..

I know there are many web communities discussing this right now..

Hope someone comes up with something good. 😉

My dog, Daisy.. well, my parents’ dog, really, but the dog I grew up with, and the dog who comes to mind immediately when canine ideals of perfection are discussed, is dying. She has perhaps six months to live.

I remember bringing her home in a laundry basket when she was a little tiny puppy – it’s hard to believe her entire life has come and gone.

I mean, it’s been a good one. She’s been happy, healthy, and boisterous her entire life. Even now, from what I hear, she still acts perky and healthy – it’s only the blood tests which say her canine days are numbered.

My mother says she looks at each day of the short time remaining to Daisy Wogdog as a gift. I suppose all of our days and hours and minutes of life are to be looked at that way. But still..

Why must everything die?

S.

if this story is true – and I have no reason to beleive that it is or it isn’t – even Bush Sr. is not all gung-ho for the war. Perhaps he’s beginning to realize the error of his son’s ways?

Actually, they weren’t wrong, they were just written in a way to present completely the opposite meaning into the mind of one such as I of the one they meant.

I’m just not very bright.

Especially lately.

S.