Archive for November, 2008
Hungarians Weigh In On BTDM
Curious as to why one of my referral links was coming from Hungary, I discovered that a short discussion on my first book, Bearing The Devil’s Mark, was transpiring on a Hungarian site devoted to Satanism. Since it was in a language I don’t speak, I used one of those online translators. The following is an abridged version of that translation…
Kétvirág: In brief superb writing. Only from financial reasons I do not buy all of the books outlined by you moströgtön. Did you not think of a bookseller orbit yet?
Deimoss: I have the right to this in exchange of me anyway, but the financial obstacles are averted soon fortunately. From among these writings I heard it about a lot already, but I postponed the order only. The article with an absolute inspiring effect, the draughting (ill. the translation) everywhere necessarily unambiguous, gratula.
Kétvirág: -Izé, now immediately… True, that I wrote the greatness of the urge as one word deliberately to be illustrated, but then.
So, I’m thinking they liked the book. Or just excited to get it. Or something.
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Shocking Tech-Autopsy Revealed!
Although I still haven’t decided exactly how its shell will be repurposed, I took advantage of the time off from work this weekend and completely disassembled my dead Grape iMac G3. I actually went a bit further than I needed to out of sheer curiosity. Call it a lifelong desire to see how things tick in general, and to learn more about how Apple does what they do under the hood.
From the beginning, I got a firsthand example of what I’d always read about many of Apple’s machines: Mr. Jobs doesn’t want people easily getting into the hardware. (This excludes my dual G4 and my Blue and White G3, since it’s only a matter of grabbing a plastic ring and pulling the door down.) Since I do have at least a tinkerer’s knowledge of the inner workings of Macs and PCs, I wasn’t exactly starting at Square One. Still, it took some time, a little savvy, and some actual physical effort, but I got through the endless number of screws and the tricky plastic tabs to discover some interesting facts. For one, they really cram a whole lot of stuff into such a small space. Kudos on the engineering! Also of note was that a couple of the plugs related to the hard drive were visibly glued in (when they normally aren’t in computers), so those weren’t obtainable, but I did take and store the PRAM battery, a couple ancient-looking memory sticks, and some generic drive plugs I figured I’d one day use for some other mad scientist endeavor. Oh, and one of the two memory sticks was shielded and the other not. And although they are the same MB size, each is a different physical size than the other. Weird.
I even dealt in and around the CRT’s wiring without electrician’s gloves. That’s because I live on the edge. That, and the thing hadn’t been on since GW first entered the White House, which probably shatters all illusions of daredevilry you might have had of me during this whole computer disemboweling experiment. Of course, I’m sure some of you would rather that I disembowel GW. But I think I’ll stick to computers.
As I mentioned previously, the monitor blew out from a powersurge in 2001. While taking the machine apart, the amber-colored burn marks were very apparent on the top of the front bezel (following the arc of the plastic trim around the Apple logo) where the tabs are. Some of that actually cleaned off from the inside seven years later. Thank you, Mr. Clean!
I had to go back later and put in the top outer housing — the piece of molded plastic in the same shape as and directly underneath the front bezel. I was going to toss it along with the monitor/video board but, on a hunch, I thought it might steady the overall frame better, and it did. It formed a better and more sturdy skeleton this way — otherwise it wiggled in parts, especially in front.
Now that the shell is reassembled, I have to get some appropriate glue to affix the floating optical drive door, since it no longer has an optical drive holding it in place. Now, to make that trip to the dumpster to toss the dead CRT and other useless parts. A burial at sea might be more fun, but all I have is a lake with a purported monster in it, and Champ is in no need of computer parts down there. Pretty sure of that.
This also officially retires this Mac from my Apple Retro Collection, which means the current count is now down one to 15. I think I’ll manage somehow.
Total machine disassembly / case reassembly took a little over an hour. Fun. Now, what to do with it? (Visual documentation of the process can be found in this Flickr Set.)
No commentsHave A Happy Harlequin Ichthyosis Thanksgiving!
Harlequin-type ichthyosis (also harlequin ichthyosis, ichthyosis congenita, Ichthyosis fetalis or keratosis diffusa fetalis), a skin disease, is the most severe form of congenital ichthyosis, characterized by a thickening of the keratin layer in fetal human skin. In sufferers of the disease, the skin contains massive, diamond-shaped scales, and tends to have a reddish color. In addition, the eyes, ears, mouth, and other appendages may be abnormally contracted. The scaly keratin greatly limits the child’s movement. Because the skin is cracked where normal skin would fold, it is easily pregnable by bacteria and other contaminants, resulting in serious risk of fatal infection.
A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F as measured with a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook turkey to higher temperatures. This new cooking temperature is a change from previous 180°F for a whole turkey and 170°F for turkey breast. The single minimum internal temperature change to 165°F was recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) in a press release earlier this year.
Gobble, gobble.
No commentsWelcome To “Welcome To Macintosh”
Although there is another documentary out there taking a bit of a spin through the same neighborhood, Welcome To Macintosh seems the (slightly) more anticipated. (If needing to know the significance of the doc’s title, click here). At the very least, they got Hertzfeld, and somehow got some input from Ron Wayne, the often unknown third founder of Apple (who lost out on a half-billion dollar!), and perhaps there’s something to those festival awards. Sadly, I’ve yet to see it, but it will no doubt be in wider availability in the future.
Until then, here is an interview with Rob Baca and Josh Rizzo, the directors of the film…
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Just How Does One “Go” Hot Rockin’?
Between the gym/shower scene, the flaming microphone, and the suspicious absence of the fairer sex, I think this video might have been trying to tell us something way back in the early-80s. It’s probably something those wacky kids in Heavy Metal Parking Lot might have missed as well. In any event, enjoy some classic Judas Priest while I go off and work, work, work through the wee hours of the night…
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What To Do With A Dead iMac?
Above is a deceased member of my collection, otherwise known as my Grape iMac G3. When I got it in early-1999, it was my very favorite Mac, and it being in my favorite color made it all the more cherished. But, one unprotected powersurge in 2001 electrically blew out the monitor, and since I already excavated it for its hard drive and other parts, it’s a mere shell of its former self. So, I want to mod it. More specifically, I want to repurpose it, change it into something creative. There’s always the standard Mac Aquarium…
It’s a workable idea since I have fish, but I already have a working tank so it might be a little redundant. And, truth be known, a whole lot of people have done this mod. I could go the more functional route and make it into a trash basket…
Nah. Too undignified. And not too terribly creative. I was thinking about handing it over to my cat for a place of lounging…
Of the three, I’m rather fond of this one. But, I’m wanting to give it a great deal more thought (including a couple of other ideas I have, which I’ve yet to see done elsewhere) before I commit the iMac to its new life.
What do YOU think would be a fun mod along these lines? (And, yes, any anti-Mac/Apple snarkiness will be promptly deleted before posting.)
4 commentsLinkdump: 11/23/08
60… count ‘em, 60 not too shabby Apple wallpapers.- Not exactly the pragmatic student here.
- Ruthless Reviews are, well, ruthless. See how they tackle such vintage metal acts as Judas Priest, AC/DC, and Quiet Riot.
- It’s been awhile since you checked out The Darwin Awards, hasn’t it?
- Shave that Yeti! Then, find out how he responds to his new lease on life.
- Is David Bowie disappointed in you?
Somewhere In New England – November 1989
Some answers to questions you might be having at this point…
1) Yes, I was in bands (until 1992).
2) Yes, I am wearing two watches.
3) Yes, I am about to stage dive into about a couple hundred kids.
Oh, the portrait of misspent youth.
6 commentsP.W.E.E.T.A.: Meat Is For Lovers
from their official website:
Meat is Good. Meat tastes good, smells good, and plumps when you cook it. Meat is one of those things that makes you glad you’re at the top of the food chain so you can enjoy it. Meat makes friends. Meat is for Lovers.
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