Ask MetaFilter posts by hincandenza

MacPro for a Windows User

hincandenza — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:46:41 -0800

MacPro for a Windows User: Please help me plan my new MacPro that can ease me from my Windowsean ways and meet my eccentric needs about dual-booting and hardware disk mirroring. I'm looking to buy and then hardware upgrade a new MacPro 8-core tower as my older Dell PC replacement/all-in-wonder home machine. I'd likely buy a base model MacPro (8-cores, 2GB ram, 1x320GB sata drive)

Goals:

1) Parallels/Dual-Boot of Windows: It'll be some time before I'm part of the Mac-l33+, so until then I'll need the crutch of Windows and its programs. 95% of the time, I'd be happy running Windows Vista as a virtualized OS in parallels. But ideally, I could Parallelize a Bootcamp'ed dual-boot partition inside OSX, so that if I need to dual boot to a true, native hardware mode for graphically intensive programs like PC games, I can do that as well. Am I crazy that the two OSes can happily coexist?

2) Hardware improvements: The MacPro has crazily expensive updates, wanting hundreds of dollars more for disk drives, RAM, or RAID controllers than any sane person would pay. It's far more sensible for me to buy 4GB RAM for ~$250 aftermarket, and 4x750GB or 4x1TB drives at $150 each and put them in as two hardware mirror sets. Does the MacPro do hardware mirroring natively without the pricey add-on card? Can I "clone" my OSX to a new drive and then mirror it if I start with the base 320GB drive?

3) Home DVR: Currently I have a Comcast Motorola HD-DVR, but it is space limited especially for HD (the older 120GB drives). So why not have an internal/external capture card(s) on the MacPro doing the same thing? I assume there are a number of OSX software packages that do a mythTV et al recording (if only someone affiliated with Metafilter ran some kind of personal video recorder blog...).

4) Music software: I wanna be the next cortex! :) I've abandoned my music for years since entering the working world, and have a nice Kurzweil PC88 collecting dust. I understand Garageband is good enough to start with, and comes free. Are there midi-to-whatever convertors that can help me hook my keyboard up to the MacPro.

I know I'm asking a lot of questions, of which the dualboot/parallels and the "how can I hardware mirror drives for less than $800?" are the most critical to know in advance. Thanks for your help, and hopefully I won't be pissing $3500-4000 down the drain! :)

Seattle home buying as a group?

hincandenza — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:11:27 -0800

A friend and I, and possibly others, are interested in pooling resources to buy a nice Seattle home as an investment and to live in (for now). Any experience/tips/quasi-legal advice on creating a small real estate trust or corporation to do this? We basically want to do what the people mentioned in this thread, but making sure to set it up equitably, and to have legal documents and structures in place up front that make the transitions and future complications as easy as possible. I have some DINK friends from Microsoft who recently upgraded to a $700k home in Greenlake, which is beautiful and huge and spacious, with far nicer amenities and qualities than 3 people would get if they bought single-unit $233k condos. Seeing that inspired me to wonder if we could find some legal and relatively safe way for long-term friends, all long-term renters and tech workers in Seattle, to do the same thing and get to live in a much nicer "starter home" in a nicer area of town than we would otherwise.

My thinking is that this seems like a classic small business corporation/partnership model, which have well-tread legal structures for managing these kinds of group investments. Could we create essentially a corporation or partnership whose sole purpose was to buy this one house (at least for now- we aren't looking to do a true real estate investment group with dozens of members), which we would each buy starting shares in to the tune of $X which is enough for the corporation to raise the money for a down payment on the house along with other running costs and a pool of funds to cover unforeseen problems. We would then, via the corporation, rent the house initially to ourselves as tenants, and use that rent money to cover the costs including mortgage, insurance, upkeep, etc. Effectively it would be a business that we happened to live in. Down the road, if someone wanted to move, or liquidate their portion of the house, they could either sell off their shares to the remaining owners or someone else, or just keep their shares and help find a replacement tenant- in effect, keeping a clean divide between owning the place as an investment, and living in a nice place as a tenant.

So, at long last, my questions are:

Is this legal/an established type of investment?
Would a lending agency give a mortgage more or less readily to a business as opposed to an individual?
Does anyone have experience doing this, or something similar?
What kind of lawyer/accountant/real estate agent would you talk to for advice and guidance on setting something like this?
What major tax/financial advantages would you gain from this arrangement, and what would you lose?

We know we'll be working with several lawyers at some point if we pursue this (one for each of us, and one for the actual business/investment), but would like to have a better idea of all the options and what's been done like this, so we can be more informed in our choices.

Where to download Dali's "Destino"

hincandenza — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 10:37:48 -0800

Salvador Dali's "Destino"- where can I find or download it? The Dali/Disney collaboration that went unfinished back in the 1940's, "Destino", was finally made into a 7 minute film in 2003 thanks in part to Roy Disney's efforts, appearing in film festivals and museum exhibits, and even being nominated for an Oscar for animated short film.

However, it's still not apparently for sale/rental, and my search-fu has failed me in finding sources online to download or view the entire piece (I'd prefer to find a download copy that can be burned to CD).

Can any surrealist cineastes help out?

I don't care about spirit elves or light shows... I just want to be happy

hincandenza — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 10:47:34 -0800

Ayahuasca in Seattle: Putting aside any questions of morality, legality, or personal tastes... I have a deep need to find a source of ayahuasca and/or DMT in the Seattle area. I'm looking for someone who can find me a source of ayahuasca tea, and/or someone who can lead ayahuasca sessions, in the Seattle area.

A little (long) history:
I've suffered under the wooly wet weight of depression for as long as I can remember. I've been too close to the edge too many times, and I desperately want to live, and be happy. While ultimately the answer lies within myself, I can say that the "medicine" of ayahuasca can help me greatly to learn to be that way as a normal state of mind. Lord knows people who know my posting history at Metafilter can attest that I'm all over the emotional map and in need of some inner tranquility.

The last time I did ayahuasca was a couple of years ago, at a friend's house; he'd invited a shaman from Portland to come lead a session, and it was the clearest I've ever been. For a time I fully understood the patterns of my mind and how I held myself down, and how easily I could get the goose out of the bottle (so to speak). I felt for weeks afterward so positive and in love with myself and utterly right with the world, and an uplifting sense of forgiveness of myself for how I've been my own worst enemy in my own life. I've since forgotten those lessons of self-love except on the most abstract and verbal/intellectual of levels, and my life is showing the cracks and strain of that. I truly believe ayahuasca is the only thing that can help bring that feeling back, and eventually teach me to be like that all the time- without assistance.

However, that friend has long since lost touch with that shaman, and no one I know can seem to help- they have either never heard of it or have no idea who to ask. If I wanted anything from pot to shrooms to cocaine to heroin, I could get those fairly easily. But I don't want them, because those aren't what I need. It's distressing that drugs to numb us or boost our ego or burn our candle out in pursuit of a short-term sense of pleasure are all around us, but something that might lead to real change inside and a freedom from our addictions in all their forms... are so difficult to track down.

I'm not looking for a lifelong medication, be it Gleemonex or DMT; I'm certainly not looking for a chemical crutch. But I do know first hand the power of ayahuasca, and how can help me ultimately learn to be a happy and long-lived person. I need help, I want to be happy, and this is the best way I know how.

Please, if you disagree with this or want to tell me that I should "just be happy" or that a good therapist or GlaxoSmithKline happy pills or the love of Jesus are what I really need, don't leave comments.

And given the nature of the question, please feel free to contact me via the email in my profile.

Legality of public restaurant unmarked audio/video surveillance

hincandenza — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 14:57:32 -0800

What are the (US/WA/Seattle) laws regarding video, and audio, surveillance in a restaurant- of both employees and customers? There's a restaurant/bar I go to where all but hidden into the ceilings (you can see them, but only if you look really hard, and know what you're looking for- I never noticed them until an employee pointed them out, and the restaurant is quite dimly lit by design) are little webcams all over the place. They cover the kitchen area and employee-only areas, apparently, but also most of the main dining area and the bar space itself. In addition, an employee there told me there is audio surveillance as well in at least the main bar area, and that the owner is able to watch and listen to them from home. There are no posted signs at least publicly suggesting these cameras, much less any microphones, are around.

Is this legal? Even if legal for the employees to be monitored with both video and audio surveillance- workers tend to have very limited rights in this regard, from what I saw in searching- is it legal for the audio and video recording to be in place in a restaurant with no posted warnings? While it's a public place, I would think there's a reasonable expectation of privacy on the part of the customers that their conversations and actions while dining won't be recorded, and the cameras (much less microphones) in the public areas should at least be advertised or made clear to those dining there.

Non-microsoft computer jobs in Seattle?

hincandenza — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 13:21:48 -0800

Blacklisted from Microsoft- filter: Can I still find a job for my computer skills in Seattle if I can't work for the 800-pound Redmond gorilla? I live in Seattle, and was fired from Microsoft a few months ago, for "NDA Violations"- basically, someone read web forum comments I'd made, which were unrelated to my job, and recognized my commonly used handle. I didn't think I had posted anything bad, and my annual review scores were always high, but despite the efforts of co-workers, my manager, his manager and others to keep me employed I was let go based on a decision from HR. The real kicker is that I can't work for Microsoft in any capacity until 2007. This didn't bother me much at the time as ironically I was thinking of leaving MS in about a year... but I'm in the Seattle area and it seems like any jobs I find at places like Monster or Craigslist that might fit my skill set are turning out to be contracting gigs... at Microsoft.

I've been in the biz about 10 years as an Operations guy. My last job, besides a short stint on the Windows OneCare Live ops team (where I was when they let me go), was pretty much the lone Systems Engineer for a certain search engine at Microsoft for a few years, and where our footprint grew to about 8,000 servers. It was highly automated; I helped architect and build it- by no means alone, there was dev team to code much of the automation- and designed and/or created some of the tools to go along with it, crafted standards and naming conventions, etc. I made our very custom application and automated way of doing things integrate well within the larger MSN bureaucracy by coming up with standards around shared services like AD and networking and asset tracking, etc., that allowed us to be automated while the paper pushers were still happy. Of course as an SE, I also ran the live and beta systems too: app releases, patches, upgrades, sending physical systems for repair, etc. We hired additional people closer to launch to help out as well, but for a time I was the only SE running the new search engine as well the legacy search engine that was making money while the new one was being built and beta'ed.

I thought I was a desirable employee, and I thought for sure I'd be able to find work easily... but I guess I'm in for a rude awakening. I'm open to telecommuting, but it seems my Windows skills are an anchor more than a help: jobs I'm finding locally or that allow telecommuting tend to want *nix skills, or are for such junior level sysadmin/ systems engineer positions that they don't seem to fit me.

So I guess my question is: have I specialized myself out of a job? Are there no positions for skilled Windows/networking people anymore beyond "jr. systems engineer with 3 years exp."? Or am I just looking in the wrong places- are the kinds of jobs for people like me not posted at Monster/Craigslist, etc? I must admit that at 30 and an ex-Microsoftie, this is the first time I've had to look for work in several years and I'm armed with (what I thought was) a pretty good resume and experience level compared to the last time I went job hunting. I'm not really sure how to go about this.

How the heck can you make a career out of the "Real World"?!

hincandenza — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 16:44:25 -0800

Just how much do people make on television? I'm not talking about the big-time tv stars with well-publicized contracts such as network stars like Friends, Oprah, Letterman, Katie Couric, etc., or the many people who get sitcom/series deals on major networks where we can guesstimate how much they are earning to the right order of magnitude. No, I'm asking about all the "little people" who fill my teevee screen. (much more inside) I find this question fascinating because, as a fairly devoted couch potato, I see plenty of TV where I can't help but wonder just how cheaply the dignity or pride of an individual has been bought. :) Specific individuals would be nice as methods of comparison to give a ballpark estimate. I'd prefer a general resource if one exists to find out what kind of money people make on the considerably- less- than- huge television shows, of all kinds.

For example: before he became filthy rich hosting the highly rated "ABC/Disney Extreme Home Makeover Sears Commercial" with all his tie-in marketing dollars to boot, Ty Pennington was a lowly goofball carpenter on "Trading Spaces". So: how much do the various carpenters and designers and on-camera personalities earn from their regular or in some cases only occasional appearances on the many cable home improvement shows?

Or the Queer Eye fab five- what are people like that banking from their 15-20 episodes a year while the show was hot and now... not so hot? Or other stars of minor cable shows, like hosts of regular programs on TLC, Bravo, HGTV, G4TV, VH1, Spike, etc, etc? Or sitcoms/dramas on north american cable that aren't getting boffo ratings and big-time contracts, like Ricky and Julian on Trailer Park Boys- that show's fantastic, but have they even been able to quit their day jobs in Nova Scotiaville after five seasons of TPB?

We know Jon Stewart makes a couple of million for TDS, and that Chapelle had a huge contract, but how about people like the hosts of various short-lived cheesy game shows/reality shows like "Celebrity Fit or Fat" or "Real World/Road Rules Challenge"? Or for that matter, how about the parade of unemployable famewhores and way-past-their-sell-date barely famous types that are veterans of Viacom "reality" programming? I keep seeing the same people show up, and wonder if they actually make enough money from these shows each year to have it be their annual income, since they clearly aren't holding down real jobs. Are these old Real World cast members making that much from their recurring MTV reality stints that it's worth it, or do they all just take a chance at winning the big prize?

When Steve-O gets his ass bit by a crocodile, or Bam Margera harasses his parents- what is MTV paying them for this privilege? Or take when some D-list celebrity like Peter Brady or Hulk Hogan or Kathy Griffin opens up their life to the tv cameras in the post-Osbournes era: how much are they getting paid to be shown in all their stupidity and venality VH1 or MTV2 or E! TV? How about when non-famous working folks from plastic surgeons and hairdressers to auto mechanics and bail bondsmen that have tv crews invade their home and work for a season- what do you get paid to have your life filmed for disposable tv entertainment?

I understand that people appearing on tv talk shows, or in competitive reality are required to be paid at minimum something like $540 a day, so that when you see the minor comic talking heads on "Best Week Ever", they probably are getting a small but tidy little sum for a single day's work in a studio making pithy or snarky comments. But those who get "lucky" enough to be recurring roles/appearances such as the examples above... just how much (or in some cases, how little) are these people earning?!

Mystery song lyrics

hincandenza — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 04:16:07 -0800

Looking for the band/composer that created the songs on an old cassette tape I have from the early 90's. Song titles include "We can Rearrange the World" and "Goddamn the Empty Sky", "The Lament of the Corporate President's Wife" among others. The tape had only a hand-written label on it calling it "Maestro Mix", and probably was copied 1991-92. I actually asked this question once before, and got no luck. Trying a second time, just in case the broader AskMe readership can help. :)

Some context:
I grew up in New Hampshire, and my sister, who is 4 years older than I, went to a performing arts high school in Natick, Massachusetts called Walnut Hill. When I was in the 11th or 12th grade (around 92-93, my sister was by this point in college), she gave me an old box of tapes she had in high school from a few of years earlier. One in particular caught my interest, which was a cassette tape with "Ani Difranco" written on one side (this proved to be her self-titled album it turns out, with "Both Hands" as the opening track- good album, but easily identified ages ago). On the other side, it said simply "Maestro Mix", and my sister couldnt' recall anything about it. The tunes are catchy, "show tune" like, but with often vulgar or base lyrics that, I think, add to their charm.

Over the years, I have tried every now and then, and have never been able to track down the artist/band that did this, or whether it was a student work at the Walnut Hill school, or something commercially available at the time, etc....

Two particular things that might help clue in the music geeks in the room:
1) One of the last songs is "Goddamn the Empty Sky", in English, which it turns out uses the text of a poem/song by Violetta Parra.

Goddamn the empty sky,
and the stars at night
Goddamn the ripply bright
stream as it goes by
Goddamn the way stones lie
on dirt or on the street
Goddamn the summer's heat
because my heart is raw
Goddamn the laws of time
when they cheat
My pain's as bad as that.

2) Another song, apparently called "Oh my god, it's so beautiful", was actually done as a cover on yet another mix tape I was given as a gift around '94. However, the cover sheet for it, which listed the band covering it, was lost so I can't follow that lead, either (all-female a capella group).

Oh my god it's so beautiful,
Oh my god it's so beautiful,
Oh my god it's so beautiful, on the eleventh floor

Now Joseph was talking to this blind girl
At the top of his lungs.
As if describing the view in meticulous detail
Could make her see where it's coming from.
And now to tell you what kind of guy Joseph is,
At the end of his spiel
He assured her the view was not spectactular
As if he realized just how she must feel.

Amazon, google, P2P, etc.... any resources I've looked at over the years have turned up nada, whether I search on snippets of lyrics, supposed song titles, whatever.

Does anyone have any clue? I have just the cassette, which is basically irreplaceable. I'd gladly buy the album of whoever made this if I can just figure out who it is.

Help me identify these songs.

hincandenza — Sat, 06 Mar 2004 18:11:38 -0800

Looking for the band/composer that created the songs on a tape I have. Song titles include "We can Rearrange the World" and "Goddamn the Empty Sky", "The Lament of the Corporate President's Wife" among others.
The tape had only a hand-written label on it calling it "Maestro Mix", and probably was made around 1991 or so. (more inside) Some context:
I rew up in New Hampshire, and my sister, who is 4 years older than I, went to a performing arts high school called Walnut Hill (as a dancer). When I was in 11th or 12th grade (around 92-93), she gave me an old box of tapes she had in high school from a couple of years earlier.

One in particular caught my interest, which was a tape with "Ani Difranco" on one side (the self-titled album it turns out, with "Both Hands" as the opening track). On the other side, it said simply "Maestro Mix". I have tried every now and then, and have never been able to track down the artist/band that did this, or whether it was a student work at the Walnut Hill school, or something commercially available. Suffice to say, my sister doesn't know.

The tunes are catchy, almost "musical" or "show tune" like, but with often vulgar or base lyrics. Two particular things I know about it:

1) One of the last songs is "Goddamn the Empty Sky", in English, which it turns out uses the text of a poem by Violetta Parra.
Goddamn the empty sky
and the stars at night
goddamn the ripply bright
stream as it goes by
goddamn the way stones lie
on dirt or on the street
goddamn the oven's heat
goddamn the laws
of time the way they cheat
my pain's as bad as that.
2) Another song "Oh my god it's so beautiful" was covered on yet another mix tape I once got- however, the cover sheet for it, which listed the band covering it, was lost, so I can't look up that lead, either (all female vocals, want to say it was the Mint Juleps but I think that's incorrect).
Oh my god it's so beautiful,
Oh my god it's so beautiful,
Oh my god it's so beautiful, on the eleventh floor

Now Joseph was talking to this blind girl
At the top of his lungs.
As if describing the view in meticulous detail
Could make her see where it's coming from.
And now to tell you what kind of guy Joseph is,
At the end of his spiel
He assured her the view was not spectactular
As if he realized just how she must feel.
Amazon, google, kazaa, napster, etc.... any resources I've looked at over the years have turned up nada, whether I search on snippets of lyrics, supposed song titles, whatever.
Any leads? I can make song samples available (I have two I copied to wav then mp3 from a tape deck), but don't have the bandwidth unless you think you have a good idea who I'm talking about.