Contact me to work out the details.

]]> http://www.mattkowal.net/blog/2010/trade-photos-for-magnets/feed/ 0 http://www.mattkowal.net/blog/2010/relaxation-performance/ http://www.mattkowal.net/blog/2010/relaxation-performance/#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 22:11:52 +0000 Matt Kowal http://www.kowalabearhugs.com/blog/?p=1522 The World’s Greatest Head Massage is a video that I’ve come back to a number of times over the past few months. It depicts a traveler in Pushkar, India receiving a head massage from a barber/masseuse named Baba. Apart from Baba’s comment to “Go Back, Go Back, Go Back, Relax”, the video is devoid of any dialogue. However, the ambient sounds and application of cosmic energy greatly enhance the performance.

Mirror Neurons: A neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another. Thus, the neuron “mirrors” the behavior of the other, as though the observer were itself acting. (via Wikipedia:Mirror_Neuron)

If you dig around in the comments, you’ll find viewers claiming a general state of relaxation and occasional attempts to tie in the theory of mirror neurons. It’s worth noting that a high number of commentators claim to be are repeat viewers.

Other things that I find relaxing or mesmerizing include…

• people water gardens
• street sweepers (white noise)
• leaf blowers (white noise)

I was looking backup/media storage solution and initially thought a Windows Home Server based setup would suffice, but found them to be overpriced and a bit too Windows Media Center/Microsoft centric. I then explored the DIY option of building an Intel Atom based Mini ITX system and running the popular FreeNAS operating system. However, most small form factor setups have only 1 HD bay and the cost difference between a custom build and a pre-configured unit was negligible.

I researched some pre-built systems from the usual suspects (D-Link, Iomega, Netgear), but decided to purchase a Synology DS210j and equip it w/ a 2 TB Western Digital SATA Drive. The DS210j features 2 drive bays (currently supporting up to 2x2TB SATA drives), 3 on-board USB ports, and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet jack.

The device can provide local network access to Windows, Mac, or Linux system and stream video, music, and images to a wide range of devices. I recently shared some locally hosted files with my father in Ohio via a DynDNS account and the DS210j’s web enabled file station app.

I’ve been using the DS210j as a backup device for my primary PCs and as primary storage for all completed projects and archived work. Utilizing one of the three on-board USB ports, I have setup the the Disk Station Manager to automatically backup select folders to an attached 1 terabyte Western Digital My Book.

I’ll spare you a more lengthy spiel. If you want more info, I recommend you checkout the DS210j’s complete feature set on Synology’s website then read the reviews on Newegg.

Bonus Level:

• Initial setup was a cakewalk. The Synology wiki has an excellent start-up guide and the company host’s an active forum.
• The AJAX based management system and File Station are responsive and full featured.
• Optional software RAID.
• Low operating power and additional energy-saving options.
• FTP and HTTP(s) (w/ php + MySql) server for Internet file sharing and/or simple hosting.

Cons:

• Lack of guide/documentation regarding the generation and importation of custom SSL certificates.

** Outlook ** Datacenter clouds and p2p systems will compliment each other as they continue to grow. Casual users and business interests will likely live in the cloud, but for content producing local groups, power users, and media center enthusiasts we are still in the era of the network/home server.

For guides+reviews on home and small business networking check out smallnetbuilder.com.

The goal is more than a number.

Why You Should Care About It

ACTA has several features that raise significant potential concerns for consumers’ privacy and civil liberties, for innovation and the free flow of information on the Internet, legitimate commerce, and for developing countries’ ability to choose policy options that best suit their domestic priorities and level of economic development.

ACTA is being negotiated by a select group of industrialized countries, outside of existing international multilateral venues for creating new IP norms such as the World Intellectual Property Organization and (since TRIPs) the World Trade Organization. Both civil society and developing countries are intentionally being excluded from these negotiations. While the existing international fora provide (at least to some extent) room for a range of views to be heard and addressed, no such checks and balances will influence the outcome of the ACTA negotiations. (via EFF)

Thus far, negations have been held behind closed doors, but details of the plan have been leaked and some countries have already vowed to sabotage or derail a unilateral agreement.

I suggest you visit the sites listed below for more details.

• Electronic Frontier Foundation [ISSUES] ACTA
• Techdirt – This link searches Techdirt for the term ACTA
• Free Software Foundation [CAMPAIGNS] ACTA

Last summer, I was looking for new digs around Portland and an apartment located near the Springwater Corridor (pdf map) was high on my list. My search was intense, but the market was willing and I have been living it up in the greater Sellwood/Brooklyn area since September ’09.

Apart from easy access to the river and downtown, the corridor is simply is dotted with blackberries. There are a host of berries along the river, but the further West one follows the Springwater’s path, the more the frequent the brambles. This past Sunday, I threw a couple 32oz  containers in my pack and biked out for a recon run of the current berry situation. I picked a couple lbs of berries and succeeded mapping out some excellent picking locations.  Berry season peaks in early August, so I have a solid 30 day window in which to glean.

Last year, I hauled in roughly 14lbs of wild blackberries and 25lbs of asian pears. I’m upping the ante this year and hope to pull in about 25lbs 20lbs of berries. With all the fresh produce available at my local farmers markets it would be a pity to only consume local foods during harvest time. So instead of spending August days noshing on berries, the whole of my efforts are going directly into the freezer. Come Winter, I will still be able to eat local (and free to boot). I’m talking oatmeal and blackberries every morning.

Corporate interests aim to gain lawful control over the Internet access and bandwidth they provide to customers. Cable and phone company lobbyists are pushing to block legislation that would reinstate Net Neutrality. AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner Cable actively oppose the tenets of Net Neutrality. While content and service providers such as Google, Amazon, Yahoo, eBay, and Skype are all in favor of a neutral playing field for their services. The debate is controversial and complex.

Some analysts proclaim that non-interference (no neutrality) can be the best form of regulation. Arguing that ISP’s will have to be more upfront in informing customers about traffic management, data limits, etc. The argument is that competition, rather than technical regulation,  is the consumer’s best guardian against “bottlenecks and monopolistic gatekeepers” . However, broadband competition among ISPs is solely lacking in many major US markets and can be virtually non-existent in suburban or rural areas. I’ve also heard arguments that Net Neutrality will stifle job creation and hamper the efficiency of the market, but would a corporate net not present the possibility of closed networks with limited access and the potential for censorship?

This leads me to questions where the FCC’s recently announced National Broadband Plan will fit into the mix. If the government is coordinating and funding the expansion/upgrade of the national broadband infrastructure, how can we allow corporate interests to have control over that network?

On the flip side, is giving the FCC power to impose neutrality and thus micromanage the Internet a viable alternative? The private sector has built an expansive network and in the past decade per megabit broadband prices have fallen significantly. Broadband adoption rates continue to rise. Would a government takeover/control dissuade private investment? Do we risk entangling the Internet, technology, and communication companies in red tape and litigation?

What is the true spawn of a non-neutral net? Do the potential pitfalls of regulation warrant Government intervention? Corporate control or government control? Wag the dog?

For more information, I recommend checking out the EFF’s Net Neutrality page.

You have until Thursday, July 15th to file a comment with the FCC. Visit their Electronic Comment Filing System and leave a comment on Docket 09-191 (In the Matter of Preserving the Open Internet Broadband Industry Practices).

Stay vigilant.