postrad

Keeping the internet neutral

2009-11-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

I've just read some disturbing news in regards to the future of the internet. It seems there are many forces at work trying to stipulate harsh controls and regulations upon the web, including (unsurprisingly) our own government. You have good old John McCain stating that a neutral internet is one that isn't truly free but controlled by the government (read on). Of course, while he is trying to paint current FCC regulations as part of a Socialist take-over of the web, the telecoms and cable companies are contributing to his campaign coffers.

Sadly, the attacks on Net Neutrality are not free from attacks on the Left, either. The Obama Administration is working hard to rewrite copyright laws that would stifle the web as we know it. Worse yet, they have been trying to keep it secret. Check out Michael Geist's fine article on the subject for an in depth look at what has been going on over in South Korea that could dramatically affect the way the internet operates.

If you don't think this is serious, I encourage you to read more about the subject of Net Neutrality.

post-rad.com is live and postrad.blogspot.com is feeling neglected.

2009-10-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

So I have been busy creating post-rad.com, which involved a lot of tough decisions. The initial site I envisioned was going to be a much larger affair. I, hoping to avoid turning my own portfolio page into a quagmire, pruned the whole project to the more stream-lined site that you now see. One of the big choices was to keep the blog off for now.

That doesn't mean that the blog isn't going to be maintained. It is. In fact, it will be brought into the pantheon of the post-rad.com domain in the future. For now, postrad the blog will continue its merry existence hosted by our good friends Google. When Google takes over the world we hope they remember how much we appreciated them. Hail Google!

I have nothing to add to this post, other than this:

Worst. Sidekick. Ever.

2009-10-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who thought Scrappy-Doo was a terrible sidekick, think again.

Microsoft's cloud server support of T-Mobile's Sidekick went down earlier this week, and they lost all of their user's personal data. Yup, all of it. Pictures, emails, contacts, calendars, everything. And they apparently didn't back it up, so it is as gone as gone can be.

How bad is it? I mean, the Sidekick was one of the world's leading smart phones. It was one of the hippest devices to own once-upon-a-time. And according to Seth Weintraub over at computerworld.com, the device is as good as dead.

To all the Sidekick users out there, I send my sincerest condolences. I think it may be time to buy a new smart phone. Or maybe it is time to play things safe and just go back to the LAN line.

Or you can seek out one of these sleek looking "vintage" cell phones

UPDATE! Conan made a comment worthy of reprinting in the main post regarding this Sidekick fail. Looks like Microsoft managed to fix things with that limited budget of theirs:

"Data recovery was possible it turns out. You can follow that end of the story here: http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/10/15/1855200/MS-Says-All-Sidekick-Data-Recovered-But-Damage-Done?art_pos=1

Thanks Conan.

Ow.

2009-10-09T11:56:00.001-07:00

I fell down after nailing a pot hole that was hiding in a puddle on my trusty (and rusty) Le Tour Wednesday Night. It was a good thing I was wearing a helmet, because I would have gotten a little love tap from mother earth had I not. Unfortunately, I strained my right wrist, not bad enough that I can't use it to type, just bad enough to make riding my bike uncomfortable.

Whattya do.

Bad news for Paypal

2009-10-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I use Paypal regularly. I've been paid by clients with Paypal, and eBay just wouldn't be eBay without the convenience of Paypal. Of course, using an online service to access your bank to eith deposit or withdraw money is something that could make a person a little uncomfortable. Heck, it could even make you a bit paranoid. Well, like Joseph Heller once wrote, just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you. Sadly, the case is true with Paypal.

The link below will take you to an article that discusses how a Windows-based vulnerability allows hackers to use a false SSL certificate (a special encryption that is supposed to keep people from snooping through your private info after you hit the "send" button) to steal your information. Awesome. Just what you wanted to hear, right?

The link.

Oh, if you are using a Mac or a Linux-based machine, you're fine. Which isn't a big surprise, now is it?

Another fun (and pointless) Flash piece

2009-10-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

Check it out!

Blogger, you've been swell...

2009-09-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of switching over to a Wordpress blog for the new and improved Postrad site and just wanted to say thanks to Blogger. You are a fine blog platform. But it is time to grow up and I need my space.

The difference between Arial and Helvetica

2009-09-27T18:46:00.001-07:00

Here's cool image I found on reddit.com (sadly, without any info as to who created it). This chart shows you how little difference there is between Arial (which Microsoft created to avoid paying royalties for the use of Helvetica in its software) and Helvetica.

New site is getting closer everyday...

2009-09-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

I should document all of the cups of coffee that are going into my system as I build the new postrad website. I'm getting jittery just thinking about it. As of now I am expecting to go live sometime in mid- to late-October. I plan on having a little launch party, probably at one my new favorite local bar, Kings. I will post more info as it becomes available.

Also, just to let you know, thanks for checking in on my little blog.

Better safe than sorry.

2009-09-24T10:47:00.001-07:00

From the CRC Cykel Garage:

Almanzo Bound

2009-09-17T12:43:00.001-07:00

This Saturday I will, for some dumb reason, ride 100 miles of gravel road in the name of fun. Okay, that sentence isn't properly enthusiastic. *Ahem* This Saturday I will be taking part in a Gentleman's Ride that will take me through the beautiful rolling hills of the South Minnesota country-side. We will be following the same course friends of mine slogged through this past Spring when the Almanzo is a race. I'm glad this isn't a race, because I have no desire to receive the DFL award and I would definitely be a man in danger of that dubious honor.

Here is the site with all of the pertinent details:

http://www.almanzo100.com/

Go check it out and maybe next year you can have your butt handed to you in God's Country.

Fall is coming.

2009-09-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

And that isn't such a bad thing. Just ask Smurfette.

Or the Swiss Miss Girl.

Or... Schreiner?!?

Summer '09 comes to an end in 8 days. Make the most of it.

Word(de)pressed

2009-09-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

So last week, if you have a self-hosted Wordpress site (like XXL Magazine and Harvard Law School) you may have noticed that your site has been hacked. The signs are pretty clear if your site has been compromised, since you probably won't be able to log in. The attack, orchestrated by someone who wanted to be the Debbie Downer for bloggers on a holiday weekend, only affects older versions of Wordpress, so if you are one of those diligent people who updates their software regularly, you are in the clear. If you are still coasting along on anything less than version 2.8.4, go to your dashboard now and updates ASAP.

I happen to have a client who had 3 sites that needed immediate update last weekend. I got the call 3 hours into a 7 hour drive, which is not what you want to hear when you've put your brain on Stand By for a 3 day weekend with the family. Fortunately, none of the sites had been hacked. And double-fortunately, Wordpress is easy to update, even if you have to do it manually. Everything should have as helpful a FAQ as Wordpress.

If you want to read more about this bit of interweb nastiness, check out what Wordpress has to say.

All Hail Unexpected Exposure (That Wasn't)

2009-09-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I commented about how someday I might feel the power of the Stevil Bump by him linking to my site again. He did it once for reasons I can't remember (it probably had something to do with bacon) and it was fun to watch my little blog get all sorts of new visitors. It made Google Analytics fun again. Well, what should I see right afterwards when I checked out All Hail the Black Market but myself in the banner image for the site.

photo allegedly by Steve Smith

CORRECTION: that ain't me. Balls. Steve Smith was kind enough to send me a bigger pic, which under further examination revealed that bike and its rider to be someone else. Clearly, the person I mistook for myself has great taste and is strikingly handsome. At this point in the derby, I was probably licking my wounds from being knocked out by none other than Gene-O. Que sera sera. This is a cool pic, all things considered. It was a stellar homie.

I'm the guy on the gold bike behind the fella in the middle, front and center. I wasn't quite sure it was me, to be honest. But I knew that the bike was mine, and eventually I became convinced that the knucklehead on the bike could be none other than myself. I guess I will call it serendipity.

I am excited about getting my real site up soon. It will be nice to show off some of the work I've done on the web. Heck, I might even get a little work out of it. I also plan on devoting part of the site to helping the DIY-set who don't want to pay someone like me to build them a site. Being a fan and advocate of the open source philosophy, I look forward to it. Some might call this counter-productive, but methinks they miss the point about the web. It is about possibility. It is about creativity. It is about (cue the theremin music) the future.

Postrad for a better tomorrow. It's like the WWF, except with less pandas. Or Macho Man Randy Savages, depending on which WWF you think of first. Which is why I leave you with this image:

Oh yeah, snap into a Zhen Zhen!

Logos aren't as easy as they look

2009-09-08T12:03:00.001-07:00

So as I ratchet up for the long overdue next phase in Postrad evolution, the biggest hurdle is a simple one- a cool logo. As I mentioned last post, Kelly Mac, Our Lady of Perpetual Awesomeness, has been helping me with this process and is designing a logo for me. I am, in turn, becoming a difficult client, and surprising myself with how wishy-washy I can be when it comes to committing to a logo. In the mean-time I am playing with the overall design of the Postrad 2.0 site, and making progress that would at least impress a glacier.

No one said trying to be your own boss would be easy. Just ask the Godfather of Soul:

I'll admit I've never had to machine-gun a pool table to get a client to pay, but I'd be lying if I never thought about it.

I also think of the life I could lead if I just went for the 9-5, but then I watch this video and think twice:

I can't swallow sadness on a daily basis, amongst the many other things it apparently takes to be a boss in the corporate world. I don't know because I've never been, so I'll just have to take their word on it.

One other thing before I stick a fork in this post and call it done. Steve Smith, AKA Stevil Kinevil, blogger extraordinaire, is no longer giving the world his wonderfully off-kilter perspective via How to Avoid the Bummer Life and is now lone wolfing it at All Hail the Black Market ! Someday I hope to feel the power of the Stevil bump again like I did when he linked to postrad some months ago at the Bummer Life blog. It made my week. Anyway, check it out. As usual, his blog consists of a motley mash-up of bike culture, humor, art and general radness. If I could give his blog a big wet kiss, I would.

Long live Postrad!

2009-09-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

So there was a post I put up not too long ago about a portfolio site I was going to put up with a different name. It has since be dumped like so many other ideas that seem good at first, but ultimately don't have staying power. Kind of like MySpace. Anyway, change is coming. Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? Oh lord, indeed.

I want to also say something else- if you go to the Minnesota State Fair, ride the Zipper. It was the best rush for 3 bucks I've ever had, and I've been to Amsterdam.

So if you still for some ungodly reason still check this site from time to time, things are going to change. For better or for worse, things are going to change...

I would also like to thank Kelly Mac for being my spiritual adviser on all things visual and awesome. She took the picture below, and as you can see, she clearly meant to take it of me:

Check out her web-site and give her your business.

Stay tuned for more cha-cha-cha-changes.

Coolest Flash Thing Ever

2009-06-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

Check this out. It is awesome.

Awesomeness here.

Help the Hot Tomato!

2009-06-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

You like pizza, right? You like bikes, right? You like Fruita, right? Okay, you might not know what a Fruita is, but if you do your mind probably sets adrift a memory bliss. Hot Tomato Cafe, one of the most bestest pizza places on God's green earth, is getting a kick in the pants by their landlord. They need to move their venerable pizza Mecca somewhere else, and they need the money to do it. I can't imagine a world without their "hot pie" double entendres.

Click the pretty image and buy a shirt or something. You will be a better person for it.

Swedish Athiests Are Hardcore

2009-05-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

If this billboard, the product of close-minded fear-mongers, is correct (which it isn't), then I finally understand why Sweden is so goddamn metal!

Sociopathic gun-toting kids murdering for candy- if this isn't the subject of a Swedish death metal song, it should be.

Must... Not... Buy...

2009-05-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

$43 for a 2 gig flash drive? I know, that's insane. But $43 for a flash drive that transforms into Ravage from the Transformers? Must... Resist... After all, you know that he's going to tell Megatron what kind of data you're storing. Or worse yet, he'll tell Michael Bay. *shudder*

Also, in the world of bikes, is an example of "unique" riding form leading to a silly accident with a speed bump. Enjoy.

Postrad has gone semi-legit

2009-05-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

I have used the Postrad moniker for the first time on a web-site I built. I didn't link to the blog, because it really isn't *ahem* a serious web-site. I realized after I went live with Dragonfly Coffee that if someone googled "postrad," this silly blog would be the first hit. Go ahead, check it out. I finally beat out the site with the vosotros conjugation of the word "postrar!" Celebrate good times, come on! So I figured it was worth noting to anyone visiting in regards to the Dragonfly Coffee site understand that I will have a real portfolio site up soon, and that I am a diligent professional.

Like this guy:

Deadwood + Family Circus = Win

2009-05-05T07:48:00.001-07:00

My friend David sent this to me in a response to my Al Swearengen post a while back. My life has been filled with heart-ache and misery as of late, so the curt wisdom of Al (the Tao of Deadwood, if you will) definitely resonates with me. It's also good to see those little bastards from Family Circus getting a dose of unfiltered reality.

Keyboard Cat is my favorite new artist

2009-05-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Over at reddit someone posted a link to a sad Youtube video which has a very real set of parents having a very real and hostile "talk" with their teenage son who has just announced he is an atheist. Heavy subject matter. The most harrowing moment is when the mom says "you aren't getting anything for Christmas, because Christmas is about Jesus." But then Keyboard Cat plays the video out and I felt better. Don't know what that means? Well, instead of the video of the dysfunctional family, I found another one where Keyboard Cat plays out a video in which a dude hits himself in the nuts with a set of nunchucks. Enjoy.

UPDATE:

Keyboard Cat died a long time ago. The video of that fabulous feline piano maestro is 20 years old. We never knew ya, Keyboard Cat, but you live on in our hearts.

The more you know

2009-05-03T15:06:00.001-07:00

I have lapsed in my blogging duties. Again. Nobody is probably reading this. Anyway, if you are reading this, and you aren't a web bot simply gathering info, then let me get to the point. A man used Youtube to help him deliver a baby. No shit- read it here. Who needs universal health care? All you need is a wifi connection.

I blame part of my lapse on Spring time. I know I blamed my last lapse on the Winter, but I mean it this time. Because of Spring I actually do activities that do not require a laptop. Like biking, bbqs, going to shows (Mastodon melted my face last Wednesday). I am behind on Hurl's guitar lesson, but I think we will be having a real one soon, so I don't feel so bad.

Well blow me down

2009-04-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

We are on the verge of a flue pandemic but holy shit, it appears to be Popeye's failed fried chicken special that seems to be the real news. First, Mark Emery shoots me the following Youtube link:

Is the story really about Popeye's not having enough chicken, or is it about black people getting mad about not getting cheap fried chicken. I don't know. It's weird in an uncomfortable way. So naturally it's time to watch a similar video, except this time the action is just down the street:

I don't know what is more contemptuous- the fact that the story was deemed newsworthy in the first place, or the demonic glee in the Fox reporters face as he rains condescension on everyone involved, from the consumer ("well, it looks like they got you to buy some chicken anyway"), the store manager, and the franchise owner. He seemed overjoyed by it. I hope Walter Kronkite's ghost haunts this man and punishes him for the highest crimes of douche-baggery.

Hurl's guitar lesson will be posted tomorrow.