The new balance

This error caused me all manner of difficulties with Norton Internet Security 2004, which includes Norton Antivirus 2004. Symantec's fix does not work in some cases, for one simple reason: they don't require you to unregister the library before you register it again. Read on for the fix you need to try. Additional information on this approach can be found at Jaspal. Thanks to him for this.
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Microsoft Re-Designs the Ipod Packaging

A satirical short, very well done. For anyone who wonders how Apple gets away with nothing but a few product photos and a silhouette on their packaging, whereas Microsoft has to litter theirs with disclaimers and details.

I'm going to start taking more of an interest in "crackpots", largely on the advice of hacker and writer Paul Graham in his book, Hackers and Painters (man that guy needs a blog a la Steve Pavlina). I can strongly recommend this book, to hackers in particular (you know who you are) but anyone who likes a read about unconventional world-views.

Today's crackpot is a non-conventional medicine salesman, called Joseph Mercola.
The FDA are already on to him for marketing his products as drugs, rather than simply non-theraputic supplents, as indicated by this FDA warning letter. He still seems to be doing good business in spite of it. Maybe he's right about conventional drugs. He seems particularly anti NSAIDs, but there are medical grounds for that. Possibly also in his commercial interest, though.

It is not the business, legit or not that interests me, but a flash video he has on his site that entertained me. Take a look and have a laugh. It is entitled The Town of Allopath. Ignore the ad at the end, which tends to ruin what is basically a good message.

For those of you who work in tech (or have a similarly obsessive interest), I'm planning a few junkets educational trips up to free conferences and seminars in Olympia, Earl's Court. It would be a good way for Kohera partners to meet up on the job: we're very distributed, so it makes sense for us to touch base face-to-face from time to time, and this looks like a good opportunity. Let me know and I'll do the registrations.

• Internet World 2006
  
  Looking like a great event in general, and is completely free. Some good keynote speeches timetabled. Tuesday, 9th May looks like the best day. Exhibition runs from 9th - 11th May.


• The Wireless Event
  
  I'm particularly interested in the VoIP side of things, and this conference looks like that may be a major theme. Wednesday, 17th May's Wireless Networking Seminar series appeals the most to me here, but have a look: I'm open to suggestions. Exhibition runs from 17th - 18th May.

Let me know! Hopefully there might be a few of us to go up during these events. Maybe a meal out in town afterwards?

A quotation taken from the preface of The Last Day of a Condemned by Victor Hugo. I haven't read the work, but I'd like to. The preface is brilliant. Hugo has wit and skill with words, and was a forefront abolitionist writing, seemingly with the Revolution Guillotine in sight.

Let it not be supposed that social order will depart with the scaffold; the social building will not fall from wanting this hideous keystone. Civilization is nothing but a series of [p. 30] transformations. For what then do I ask your aid? The civilization of penal laws. The gentle laws of Christ will penetrate at last into the Code, and shine through its enactments. We shall look on crime as a disease, and its physicians shall displace the judges, its hospitals displace the galleys. Liberty and health shall be alike. We shall pour balm and oil where we formerly applied iron and fire; evil will be treated in charity, instead of in anger. This change will be simple and sublime. The Cross shall displace the Gibbet. That is all.

Thomas Aquinas believed that death was an acceptable punishment, but should not be used for vengeance. He shaped Christian theological doctrine with his view. Hence there are Christians who are in favour of capital punishment. I don't consider that Christ's message is properly conveyed in this view. Neither does Hugo:

Let there be no executioner where the jailer can be sufficient.

But, they answer: "Society must avenge itself, society must punish." Neither one nor the other: vengeance is an individual act, and punishment belongs to God.

Society is between the two; punishment is above its power, retaliation beneath it. Society should not punish, to avenge itself; it should correct, to ameliorate others!

So true.

Useful reading:

• Wikipedia capital punishment article


• Preface to Victor Hugo's Last Day of a Condemned

Thought I might show you a screenshot of my desktop. Not because it is particularly exciting, but because I realise that some of you know I use alternative software, but don't know what it looks like.

As it happens, I have lots of free live CDs. That is, CD-ROMs that don't change you computer at all, but if you start it from one, you'll get a taste of what I use day-to-day. Some of it is boring, I'll grant you that. But some of it will blow your socks off. Let me know if you want one.

I've got this shot here because I rushed it when I was taking my network connection down. I just thought my sister, Amanda, looked so typically her: eyes down, webcam on, working away. I thought I'd save the moment.

At some point I'll take a few more careful screenshots and show you some of the fancy stuff.


A chat system based on the idea of NetMeeting (and compatible: Amanda's on WinXP)

Read on for more...
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