I have been poking my little Asterisk server now and again to try to build an “advanced” answering machine. Asterisk is far more than just an answering machine, but for my home needs, many of the extra features are not required. I just need voicemail, telemarketer zapping, and a few other basic features. In light of the funny phone call I just got, I want my asterisk server running more than ever. If I had Asterisk fully going, I would have turned that call into an MP3. Oh well. Live and learn.

For the record, I am using Asterisk@home version 2.1 - it starts easially enough, and works great with my $10 Digium Wildcard X100P. However, the terminology for a PBX is so alien to me that I am having trouble getting everything to work. TCP/IP? Easy. PBX? Confusing!

I got a phone call today from an unlisted cell phone (I have the number due to caller ID however). It was some guy, and his buddy calling me because apparently I *MUST* be a big seller of weed. What makes me this supposed massive drug-lord of all Nanaimo? My phone number. The last 4 digits of my phone number are 9333. Big deal. However, as I just discovered a few seconds ago, 9333 translates to WEED on your telephone keypad.

So these two guys start begging me to sell them pot:

Guy: “Dude, you MUST sell weed right? I mean, man, you got the ***-WEED phone number man!”
Me: “Uh, no. I don’t sell weed.”
Guy: “Oh, come on man don’t give me that, you got weed, thats why you have the WEED phone number man!”
Me (Trying very hard not to laugh): “No, I don’t it is just a funny coincidence.”
Guy: “We know you got some man, we know. Everybody does weed.”
Me: “I don’t.”
Guy: “Don’t gimme that man, EVERYBODY does weed man! EVERYBODY!”

It went on for a little longer, I was biting my cheek to keep from laughing. I hung up soon afterwards as the apparent level of intellect of these callers was, well, lets say “damaged” to be fair.

However, if you would like to call THEM and ask the same question, you could always call (250) 619-0770.

Slashdot and Hack a Day have been all a buzz about homebuilt LCD projectors. Sometime back, I considered building one of my own, but I was presented with the option of buying a Benq DLP projector when I worked at future shop for about $650. I did not buy it, but I seriously considered it at the time. Now, I am glad I did not. The reason is, that after weighing the options, the DIY projector will run at 1024X768, and cost less than half of the Benq that ran at 800X600. The other advantage is that the homebuilt projector uses bulbs that are rated for about 20,000 hours and cost $25-$50. Storebought projectors use bulbs rated at 3000 hrs and cost about $300.

Now, there is a reason for this, the storebought projectors are smaller, and must use better bulbs. But those bulbs burn out faster, and cost more. My homebuilt will cost less for bulbs (but much more for my time in building it) and it has the added advantage that later down the road I can upgrade it to 1920X1200 (WXGA) with a simple switch of the LCD - leaving all the other parts intact.

One comment I heard often from people was: “…but the homebuilt projector does not have a warranty!” True. However, it should not need one. Why? Because if it breaks, there is no better person to bring it to than the person that built it in the first place. Me.

Over the weekend a new ramped 42 tooth 130 MM chainring arrived from MEC and I put it on my old Marushi Aggressor. I have had this old bike since the late 1980’s, and at the time I paid $400.00 for it. Probably too much money at the time, but I have certanly got my moneys worth out of it. Enough that I have completely worn out one chainring (hence the replacement) and about 3 chains.

Sheri lent me her set of unused slicks for road riding as I now use the Kona Blast for offroad. With the slicks and chainring, I got to work in 27:36, an average of 18.6 km/h over a distance of 8.7 km. This is about the same amount of time it takes me to drive to work! Of course, this is also because I cannot park directly near work, and must walk about 10 min from the parking area. If riding the bike takes about the same amount of time, I might as well start doing it more often as it keeps me in better shape - and does not burn any gas!

Of course, heading home takes a little longer as it is slightly uphill…

The return trip took 37:13, but it was slightly shorter at 8.61 km, with an average speed of 13.8 km/h. I discovered that in the wet, on a bike path, when it is dark it can be hard to see mud on the pavement, and that if you try to turn, you wipe out. Fortunately, I have lots of practice doing that.

I just finished watching the Dukes of Hazzard Movie. It was base, crass, and as other reviewers have pointed out objectifies Jessica Simpson in the role of Daisy. It has, as many reviewers have said, no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

I loved every second of it.

When I was about 7 or 8 I watched the regular tv show, and I thought it was great at the time. When I was older, I caught an episode while in college, and we all laughed at how insane the car jumps were, how useless the plot, and how it is a generally valueless show. Still, after watching that movie I can’t help but think how much fun it would be driving a Dodge Charger with a big block hemi under the hood at insane speeds. It would, of course, have to be orange.

Business ideas quashed…

When I was in college 10 years ago I came up for an idea of how to make glow in the dark flowers. I explained this idea to a lab professor, and she thought it was a neat idea. I explained the same idea to my lecture professor, and she told me “not to bother because someone else has probably already beaten you to it”.

Yet, at that time, I knew how to do it, right then. Now, 10 years later, this exact idea is now coming to market, and, no doubt the companies are reaping the benifits.

On that note, I am proceeding forward with an inventive idea that is mostly Sheri’s, but I use it all the time. In fact, I use this invention about twice a night, and it is great. As far as I know, you cannot buy it anywhere, although similar things are for sale. All I need to do is to market it to the correct audience.

This weekend I saw that audience. I saw my market. And they like the invention.

I am going to get moving on this one. The worst thing that could happen is that I could fail, and lose a little time and money. The best thing that could happen?

Sky’s the limit.

Most important books ever written:

“The trick is knowing which ones to read.” — Carl Sagan, Cosmos

Carl Sagan pointed out in Cosmos that if an average person reads a book a week or so, over their life they probably read about 1000 books. (20 years of reading 1 book per week) Most people likely read far fewer books than one a week, and indeed, some cannot read at all. This is part of the reason I enjoy Audiotasking so much.

Prior to this comment in Cosmos I decided to educate myself in the various fields of human pursuits that I was lacking in. Therefore, I have read a number of books on Economics and people skills to suppliment my former weaknesses in those areas. I have also been adding a number of books from classical and modern literature that have been constantly lauded. However, I have noticed a problem. No one seems to consistantly agree on the most important books to read. The Teaching Company even has a course on this matter, but again, the books on that list differ from various lists.

Now, that people feel that X is better than Y should not be a surprise. However, every time I encounter a list such as this, the list will be comprised ONLY of English Literature books, or ONLY of books on philosophy. What interests me is reading the best books from the most broad fields of human study. Therefore, that would be subjects such as: Physics, Biology, History, Philosophy, Economics and Psycology. Add to this a number of things that are not always studied (but should be!) in universities, such as interpersonal skills and leadership. This would result in a large list over a broad array of subjects. This is the list for the modern “Renaissance Man” one who excels over a large range of subjects.

It once was possible to have read nearly every publication in existance, you were, then, learned in nearly every thing known at the time. Now, it is probably not possible for an individual to read in a lifetime the published works released just last week alone.

The closest I can get to this list from what I can see is to use the rating system provided by amazon.com - and figure out the highest user-rated books on various subjects, as the masses of other eyes who have read these books are probably forming a better opinion of the books. The books cannot just be the top rated ones however. They must be the top rated in the various fields noted above. Again, I am not talking about bestsellers, I am talking about best rated.

My objective is to obtain the broadest knowlege in all these fields - not specific knowledge. There is simply too much information on even a single field, say, economics or medicine to know everything about those fields, let alone all fields. Ergo, I seek to have a well rounded and broad understanding of the most important knowlege we currently have. I have yet to even come close to finding a list like this. I am, however, in the process of trying to create one.