Wi-Fi in Linux

Sucks. Ain't no better way to phrase it. It just. Sucks.

What's linux, you ask? Good question. I discovered linux WAY back in 2001. I was a loyal Windows 2000 user, trying to get my Windows Media Player to play a video clip I found on the web. I was rudely told that to play the clip in question, I would need the NEW Windows Media Player, which was only available to users of Windows XP. Huh?! Jigga-what?! Now, far be it for me to tell someone they can't make a buck by charging someone for software upgrades, but at least pursuade me to upgrade by offering me some perks! Windows 2000 was perfectly suited to the task of playing the clip, but Microsoft did not want to retrofit the operating system (They since have reversed they're stance on supporting old versions since companies like the Dept of Defense logged a few protests). So, as a consumer, I exercised my rights to choose a different operating system. Enter Linux.

I had read about linux a few years prior, but I still didn't "get" it. And what was with the penguin, anyway?

"Linux (also known as GNU/Linux) is a Unix-like computer operating system. It is one of the most prominent examples of open source development and free software; unlike proprietary operating systems such as Windows or Mac OS X, all of its underlying source code is available for anyone to use, modify, and redistribute freely."

So, I got my hands dirty, and installed my first linux distro in late September of 2001. (Um, a distro is simply a particular "flavor" of linux). I chose Slackware. Sure, I could have chosen Red Hat, but after wrestling with Slackware for a few weeks, I actually learned how computers work. Some people have no desire to know this, but in the end, I saw it as a benefit. Years later, linux has reached a similar point of usability as Windows 2000. The problem is that, as a free operating system, some of the hardware development lags by a few years. Yes, a few YEARS. Hardware developers are not eager to release the code to their drivers to the general public (and thus, their competitors), so linux generally gets the shaft with cutting edge hardware drivers. Especially, wi-fi cards.

802.11b support is pretty good in linux, but it's soooo last year that you can't even buy a card at your local Best Buy or Circuit City. Everything is 802.11g now! And that's where linux support is really sh*tty. The damn hardware vendors won't release the code for their drivers, and thus linux support is HORRENDOUS! There are a few glimmers of hope out there:

Mad-WIFI
RT-2x00
Bcm-43xx

But they need support. Hardware vendors, take note. Linux users are getting pissed! And they make choices with their $$$$$. Sure, we're a tiny minority in a Windows world, but we're also REALLY loud on the internet. ATI finally got tired of the bad press and decided to make better drivers. Wi-fi vendors better recognize!

Whew, it's been a while!

Wow! I haven't blogged in a while. Things have been fast and furious for the last few weeks. On the work front, at some point, someone thought I should be given MORE responsibility. So, I got promoted, and now I have my very own Big Box! But, you know the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for?" Yeah, now I REALLY understand what that means.

Soooo many stories to tell. So little time. So, I've moved from Racine to metro Milwaukee. Right on the lake. And my customers have changed, too. No more Ray. Now I cater to Barry. 40ish, married, upper-middle class, big spender, but not without his quirks. Ray did not understand technology, but he looked at me as an equal. Barry gets technology, but he talks to me as if I'm a burger-flipper. At least until he reads the "GM" name-tag. Then, it's all smiles and hand-shakes. Riiiight.

People, please think about how you treat the next person in customer service that you meet. We are in customer SERVICE, not customer servants. Yes, my employees are young, dumb and full of.... it. But, I take time every day to teach them about delivering EXCELLENT customer service. And they are LEARNING! PLEASE just give them a chance before you talk to them like they're morons. I say this for ALL OF US. If you get a smile, smile back. If someone greets you, greet them back! Sometimes we're not trying to sell you something; we're REALLY just saying, good morning. Shocking, but true.

Why Galactica is cool

#1 - It's the writing, stupid! Something network genre TV creators have continued to neglect. For years, any fan of good scifi TV had to turn to syndication. Those writers were hungry (literally) and they generally turned in the most cutting edge stuff. But with that current proliferation of big-budget cable TV channels, we now have the best of both worlds: Good writing and top notch FX! And the Galactica writers are, without a doubt, the best in the biz.

#2 - Hot, kick-ass chicks! Yes, Starbuck and Boomer are chicks. Fans of the old series were incensed by this. But, I was shocked at how little air-play Colonel Tigh's ethnicity change got. From a black man in the 70's to a white man in 2006?! How's that for affirmative action? Yet, I will be the first one to say that I support ALL of the character changes. They all JUST WORK. Especially the leading women. It is truly the first series I have seen where the leading female roles are not just stereotypical "tough chicks" a la Vasquez from Aliens. They are 3-dimensional, complex, and yes, they are soldiers. And, they are hot.

#3 - Shaky-cam realism. It feels like an episode of Law and Order. Except for the Cylons. Ron Moore said that he was going for the faux realism of a documentary, and that's the feeling you get. Firefly first used this effect in a genre series, and it was cool.

#4 - Realistic physics in scifi??? From another chapter in the book of Firefly, external space shots get muted sound. In truth, there is zero sound in space. But zero sound doesn't make for good TV, so Moore compromised. And they use bullets, not laser or phasers. And their computers crash, their guns misfire, and they use nukes!

#5 - The people ain't perfect, and definitely not what you expect! The president is a school-teacher who leads a fanatical religious crusade, and the military commander is a soft-spoken guy who believes in civil liberties. Seriously. His first officer is a surly drunk with bad judgement and a wife who cheats on him. Cylons are screwing the entire crew (literally), and the vice-president is BARKING mad. Shall I go on?

#6 - It's just cool. Ron Moore and company tackle all of the issues of today without flinching. It's great because we all really get asked the question, "What would you do?" On the outside, humanity is relentlessly pursued by a bunch of religious zealot automatons that HUMANITY originally created! And on the inside, the humanity's greatest internal conflicts are carefully dissected. Personal liberty vs security, what are the limits on free speech, creationism vs evolution, etc. THIS is what genre TV was MADE to do.

#7 - Anthrax loves it! Really!

I was watching the pilot with Wxman a while ago, and I could see that he was not quite as into it as I was. That's because I was partially in love with it BEFORE I even saw it. Ron Moore is a genius, and I needed no patience to be receptive to his latest brain-child. But to folks not familiar with his work, I invite you to watch Season 1. The pilot is not a crazy shoot-em-up. It's slow, methodical, and at times plodding. But the setup is awesome because the series kicks off with a BANG in the first episode and it doesn't look back. Honestly, its like Law & Order meets Space: Above & Beyond meets 24. How cool is that?

Great Movies - Miami Vice!

Well, I finally saw it. At the ArcLight theater in LA, no less. At $12/ticket, this is the gourmet of movie theaters. Assigned seats with ushers, full bar and grill, state-of-the-art DTS sound, and a screen half the size of an IMAX! There's nothing cooler as far as I'm concerned. Oddly, the seats are sort of uncomfortable. Weird thing for a theater so designed around comfort. No matter..

This movie FREAKIN ROCKED! Let me first say that you have to be one of two things to REALLY enjoy this flick. Either a serious Miami Vice tv-series fan, or a Michael Mann fan. If you liked Heat or Collateral but missed MV:The Series, you should enjoy the movie as it really is the climax to this style of movie-making. If you're a fan of the series, but missed the latest Michael Mann flicks, you'll be pleasantly surprised how Mann's style has evolved, and you'll love his new vision for the characters we all came to love. If you're both a Mann fan as well as a Vice fan, this movie is a MUST SEE! And no bootlegs or downloads. (Yeah, I said it...) Go to the nearest Ultrascreen and fork over your $9, and prepare to be amazed...

For you suckas who don't like Mann or Vice, like almost every commecial critic out there, why did you go see the movie in the first place? NOT EVERY MOVIE IS FOR EVERYONE! It doesn't mean the movie sucks, it just means it wasn't for you. This is something that critics don't grasp. Case in point: Unbreakable. M. Night Shyamalan is a gifted film-maker. I go to all of his flicks on opening night. I left Unbreakable feeling very unsatisfied. It was well-made, well-acted, great cinematography, good script, just not my cup of tea. Do I tell everyone it sucked? Nope, just that it didn't interest me. Anyways, back to the Vice...



The main cast was great, although there was not a huge amount of screen time for everyone. Some of the relationships and characters were changed, but I really have an open mind in terms of that stuff. It was like one bad-ass ultimate episode of the series. No bullshit about how they meet, or how they form a team, or crap like that. The movie just jumps right in and tells the story of two vice cops (and their larger team) and their lives within DEEP cover. They have to take on drug dealers, gun runners, slave traffickers, and their own corrupt associates. And they have to live their lives. Mann's new vision was PHENOMENAL! He maintained the core part of the series. The moody, atmospheric, angst-ridden music is the backdrop for a gorgeous, yet deadly Miami. He features crisp blue skies, fast European cars, and the hottest women seen on any screen. And wait for the scenes with the go-boats! At the same time, Mann has stepped up his game with digital film-making and has presented a format that really worked for this film. Again, if you're a fan of the series, all of your favorite villains are here: Pimps, Columbian drug kingpins, Haitian gun-runners, white supremacists, and dirty cops. And, yes there is a kill-fest in the end. But if you're just looking for a summer shoot-em-up with some clever punchlines, look elsewhere. This movie is all about painting a picture for the audience, and Mann takes his time. My only hope is that it's the prelude to something more.... Maybe a series?