Castel Wolfenstein Ported to TI-83 Calculators 
This looks legit to me. If true, it's amazing. Someone ported Castle Wolfenstein to the TI-83? Wow!
Via Engadget.
Penny Arcade Invasion
It looks like we all just to whatever Penny Arcade tells us to do. I made a character on the Dark Iron server and the newbie area is a complete mob scene. It's incredible that the server is still up. Every few minutes someone comes on and asks what's going on...Penny Arcade is going on. I'm off for now until it calms down some. The newbie monsters can't spawn fast enough.
Update: They did break it. There are two PA guilds and they are both full. I need to think through whether I really have time to play. It would be fun to be in an active guild...
DRM on Mactel
It's looking like Cult of Mac had it right back when the Mactel announcement was made. Boing Boing just reported on the findings at OSx86 that the version of OS X for Intel is using the Trusted Computing features. Um, Cory Doctorow is not happy:
| If this "feature" appears in a commercial, shipping version of Apple's OS, they'll lose me as a customer -- I've used Apple computers since 1979 and have a Mac tattooed on my right bicep, but this is a deal-breaker. |
| I travel in the kinds of circles where many people use GNU/Linux on their computers -- and not only use it, but actually call it GNU/Linux instead of just "Linux," in the fashion called for by Richard Stallman. Some of these people give me grief over the fact that I use Mac OS X instead of GNU/Linux on my Powerbook, because the MacOS is proprietary. |
| I've been an Apple user since 1979. I've owned dozens -- probably more than a hundred -- Macintoshes. When I worked in the private sector, I used to write purchase orders for about a quarter-million dollars' worth of Apple hardware every year. I've stuck with the machines over the years because the fit-and-finish of the OS and the generally kick-ass hardware made them the best choice for me. I've converted innumerable people to the Mac (most recently I got my grandmother's octogenarian boyfriend to pick up a Mac Mini, which he loves). Hell, I even bought half a dozen Newtons over the years. |
| When my free software companions give me grief over this, I tell them that I'm using an OS built on a free flavor of Unix, and that most of the apps I use are likewise free -- such as Firefox, my terminal app, etc. |
| ... |
| So that means that if Apple carries on down this path, I'm going to exercise my market power and switch away, and, for the first time since 1979, I won't use an Apple product as my main computer. I may even have my tattoo removed. |
| My data is my life, and I won't keep it in a strongbox that someone else has the keys for. |
Ooohh - a Penny Arcade Guild
In response to a challenge from the evil PvP, Penny Arcade is forming an Alliance guild to defeat thier evil Horde plans. Hmm, it wouldn't hurt to roll up a new character would it :-). The guild is Knights of Arcadia on the Dark Iron server.
Different Mindset
The biggest difference in blogging with the OPML Editor is that it just seems a lot easier to do quick hit blog posts. If you read Scripting News you can really see where that format comes from. This blog tool is an extension of how Dave works. Not having to go to the browser to make a post is a very different and fast experience. I'm typing this now right into the editor. The only problem is my absolutly horrible spelling. It would be nice to have a spelling checker.
Mariners Trades Podcast
John and I just finished a new Mostly Mariners podcast. It was an interesting weekend for the team as they executed a bunch of trades. I think it's a pretty good show. 
Also, John and his family have started up the Family Reviews podcast again. They reviewed Herbie and have a bunch more coming.
OPML
OPML is the Outline Processing Markup Language. It's currently used by most RSS readers to store the subscription list. Dave Winer has recently released the open source OPML Editor application and it just came out for Mac. I'm playing with it to make the show notes for the next Mostly Mariners podcast. Here is my OPML blog and my Instant Outline. If you publish an instant outline let me know so I can subscribe. I'd like to play with this feature.
Stem Cells
Walker and I were riding the van to the ferry and Friday when the a report came on the radio about Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's flip-flop on stem cell research. We had an interesting discussion about the issues and that led him to do a very good post on WatchBlog. Hypocrisy really bothers me and has lead me to pretty much completely change my religious and political beliefs over the years. The stem cell issue is just another example. If the critics of stem cell research really believe that the destruction of any fertilized human embryo is a murder there should be pickets in front of every fertility clinic in the country. But a lot of people like fertility technology so speaking against it is a political non-starter. Well, if many many extra embryos are going to be created and then destroyed in, let's face it, an act of selfishness (how many children are waiting for adoption) on behalf of only two people, at least let's have some good come from it and work on cures that could save thousands of lives.
Cross Posting
I'm going to try cross posting from my real blog to here to get a feel for the day to day use of the OPML blog tool.
Instant Outlining
I'm using the Instant Outlining feature to work on show notes for the next Mostly Mariners podcast. Here is my outline.
Second Post?
Yep.
Hello, world!
My first post with The OPML Editor.
