Ubuntu on Dell

As Gerry points out, it’s looking very likely that Dell will shortly start selling PC’s with Ubuntu instead of Windows. I’m delighted but suprised, as although Ubuntu is without a shadow of a doubt the most usable Linux distro available today, it’s also the least “connected”. Connected, of course, but not to the level as Red Hat or SuSE, one would have thought.

Whether or which, I look forward to the day when I can take on my first employee and sit them down in front of a fully-supported rig running Ubuntu!

Dealing With Canvassers #1: Be Prepared

Damien has posted a list of resources for when politicians call, here’s my more general contribution. I’ve had this in draft for months as three basic lessons in one post, but this is the only section that’s complete. I’ll try and tie up the other two later today.

All this is basic stuff, but if you’re anything like me you probably either clam up or get angry when the doorbell rings, and you shouldn’t. They want something from you, but they shouldn’t get it for free. Make them sing for their suppers.

You’ll be needing a notebook and a pen for this. Yes, actual paper. Go on, I’ll wait here.

Lesson One: Be Prepared

  1. First, jot down the things that are important to you. Health, tech, sports, money, the lot.
  2. Number them in order of importance, then scratch out or delete all but the top five or six.
  3. Think about how they can be improved. More money or less money? More freedom or more restriction?
  4. Reformat your thoughts in politician mode: think “nothing is free”; think “compromise”, “deal”, “negotiate”.
  5. Reformat them again, in Jeopardy mode: “Your answer must be in the form of a question.”
  6. On a fresh page, write down the final set of questions; still in order of importance.
  7. Tear off the pages with scratch work on them, and put the notebook and pen by your door.
  8. Now get yourself a beverage and a biscuit, that’s half the battle done.

Geek table quiz anyone?

I think this may have been done before, but what the hell. Anyone up for it? I’m thinking questions like “do you know who CmdrTaco is” and “what’s his real name so, brainbox”? In Cork for preference, but I’d travel if the majority were in some other god-forsaken town that thinks it’s the capital of Ireland.

Gimme some feedback first, and if all goes well I can take questions and answers by email, what with me being a lazy bastard an’ everthing. If you have a blog pass it on please, nobody reads mine and I have a tshirt to prove it.

UK War drivers arrested

This kind of bollocks drives me demented. In separate incidents, a man and a woman “received a caution for dishonestly obtaining electronic communication services with intent to avoid payment”. How are they avoiding payment when they’re simply using a publicly-available connection? It’s the clueless dickwad that left his or her connection open that should be locked up. Their rig is probably spewing out all sorts of shite anyway, we should at least do them for littering.

Clever government

Not ours obviously, the British one. They’re giving away energy monitors to anyone that requests one. I’d bet this is the first step on the road to mandatory energy monitoring and limits, via the fashion victims that’ll jump on the bandwagon when the greenies start putting these in their homes. Or am I giving Gov.uk too much credit? That’s the way I’d do it anyway.

Sorry for the lack of posts btw, I’ve been moving house. Yes, again.

What’s in a name?

No doubt some of these will turn up False on Snopes, but most are probably true.

Did you know why Amazon.com is called Amazon.com. I have to confess, I didnt.

Here’s the full source list, from Wikipedia.