The missing link(s)

The Captain has become aware of a need. Many people are searching and searching for items and can never quite find them. These elusive missing link(s) could be hard to find. However, The Captain is here to solve these problems. The Captain has scoured the High Seas of the Internet and found several missing link(s) to share with you. These links are for a variety of purposes. News sites, other awesome blogs, Linux cheats, Geeking out, and on and on. So without further ado, other than this ado, I present to you the missing link(s). If you would like something added to this list, comment or message me, and The Captain will review your choice.

ThinkGeek provides for all your geeky habits. Slashdot is user submitted news links for a broad spectrum of interests but mostly Technology related news. Sourceforge and Freecode are databases of open source software. Sourceforge is for more general systems and Freecode is more specific to just Linux.

Next is Geekologie. This is a general blog written by GW. He may seem a bit off, but he is pretty awesome and shares a ton of interesting articles. And some of the stuff he may do while drunk. Sorry, had to GW. Most of the articles are geeky happenings or just some really cool videos. All in all, really awesome.

For some good geeky laughs, there is xkcd. This is a web comic that is posted three times a week and always provides for a good laugh. Also, watch out for the red spiders.

For even more laughs, Reddit exists. The front page of the Internet has comedy in all forms and is a special place to see. Just visit and enjoy is all I can say.

Another good news site, with some reviews and other stuff, is Tom's Hardware. This is also a network of sites. There are sites for guides on how to do stuff. A site to help find stuff cheap. A site for just general news. Provides some good information.

Another good humor site, as well as information about projects he cares about, check out George Takei. He also has Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest. Links on his site for those. Tons of great humor. And also just great to see how much he is involved with Allegiance and various other projects. It's ok to be Takei!

Now about open source. For too long people have been paying for software that they don't need to. Enter osalt. Select a catagory then it provides a long list. First are the commercial products, ie the ones you pay for. After this it provides a list of open source alternatives that get the job done for free.

Another good site to know is MakeUseOf. This site provides several cheat sheets and how to guides on a variety of topics, as well as general reviews about techy items and such. They also provide lists and lists of the best software or plugins for different programs. All of which have been reviewed by them. They even have some geek humor out there too. Oh and lots of giveaways.

And then if you are worrying about viruses, worry no more Avast! is here to save the day. They provide free anti-virus for all the OSes out there. There is even an upgrade option to pay for some extras, but the free version does just fine.

Now onto the big one that didn't almost get away. Linux, or more specifically Ubuntu, is a great OS that for some reason people just don't get or have an unnatural fear of. If you are just new to the Linux world, the Captain suggests starting off with Ubuntu.

This is a good basic OS for beginners and the advanced users. There are also several websites that provide some good information about Ubuntu. For a quite thorough guide, there is Ubuntu Guide. Provides specific how to's of various areas of Ubuntu. If you want to keep up with Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of Ubuntu, this is his personal blog. For general happenings and news about Ubuntu, check out OMG! Ubuntu.

Enough about Ubuntu. Maybe you want to try another version of Linux but don't know which one to try. Check out DistroWatch. Name a flavor and they have information about it, as well as links to even more information.

Now you know some stuff about Ubuntu and Linux and you hear you can do things in the terminal window. But you are still confused about the commands. Enter SS64. This is for the bash shell commands, but they also have some other command lists as well.

Too much work, time to have fun. For some good flash games, check out Ninja Kiwi and Game in a Bottle. Both are smaller developers that produce some fantastic games. For a more general site that uploads all sorts of games, there is Armor Games. Search for games done by John, like Achievement Unlocked. Always a good time.

What about listening to musick? Pandora is wonderful Internet radio. You enter a few bands and it plays musick similar to what you entered. You either thumb up or down new songs which then helps Pandora to suggest other musick choices for you. The Captain's Station is where you can find all sorts of musick that I listen too. Too long to list them all.

That about wraps this list up for right now. Again, if you know of anything to be added, comment or message me and I will review the site.

~Captain Steak

The Cola Wars

I am not going to tell you which cola is better, or that this cola is more awesome than that one. Instead, take a look at the most recent ads of Pepsi and Coke. Which company would you rather support?

Seriously though, which of these companies would you rather support? Personally, Coke is a much better choice. One company shows the good things that people surprisingly still do. The other shows how hard you have to work to get their product. Coke's current motto is "Open Happiness". Pepsi's is "where there is pepsi, there is" insert something here. What more could be said?

Captain Steak

Marri Age for all

So, when it comes to certain issues, I have no problem stating my mind. Will it piss people off? Possibly. Does The Captain care? Not a damn bit.
My thoughts on equality: Why the hell are we squabbling over meaningless issues? Marriage should be for any couple that is in love. This could be a man and a man, a man and a woman, or a woman and a woman. As I have seen several people post and say, "What will these protestors look like in 50 some years? What will we remember about them?" For a good reference, just think back when the minorities stood up for equality, mainly the African Americans. Looking back at that whole fiasco, many state that we were idiots for fighting over that for so long. How is this any different? This is after all the Home of the Free, ain't it? Why are we one of the last nations to make this law?
I am in full support of Equal Marriage for All. This article provides an interesting take on the issue that may make you change your mind.
As a final note, consider Clint Eastwood's sentiments on this issue:
"These people who are making a big deal about gay marriage?
I don't give a fuck about who wants to get married to anybody
else! Why not?!
We're making a big deal out of things we shouldn't be making a
deal out of. Just give everybody the chance to have the life
they want."

~Captain Steak

Yay for Geeks!

Saw this and thought I would share. If you are wondering, The Captain does not fit into just one of these molds. The Captain fits into many.

~Captain Steak



Source: BCO

Ubuntu

As many of you may or may not know, I have a huge fondness for Ubuntu. Every six months a new Ubuntu version is released. After each release there is a summit to discuss the next version and the next set of features. Before this summit, people are able to pick the brain of Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu. The questions were intriguing, but to my mind this question stood out the most. The answer to it is just more reason to love Ubuntu. Ubuntu is here to build our future. Also, follow the questions link to read the rest of the Q&A session.

~Captain Steak

Q: What do you think about Windows 8? Have you tried it? Do you think that it is a big chance for Ubuntu?

Mark: I admire some of the gutsy choices microsoft are making.
It’s difficult for them, and they are doing some things very well
credit where it is due.
We are not here because we hate anybody else.
We’re here because we have a vision of a future only we can create.
Nobody else is trying to create that – not Microsoft(!), not Google, not Red Hat, not Debian, not Arch
so, it’s up to us to build that future: free, supportable, beautiful
 and your help is much appreciated.


 

Time for some reviews

This past month I have had the pleasure of playing, reading, and watching something that was incredible.
First up is the playing. My fiance has a friend who happens to be a programmer. He recently released his very first game, Omegalodon. Check out the link for the description of the game. My take on the game is that it's a uniquely original concept. The controls are fairly basic and the objective easy. Overall, the game can provide for long hours of enjoyment. If you have not yet played it, why not?

The reading is a trilogy by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. The books are incredible reads and very engrossing. After taking a few days to get through the first one, I then finished the last two in a mater of a couple of days. There is action, comedy, tragedy, romance, and the Capitol. The books were nothing short of amazing. If you have not yet read them, why not?

The watching is the movie that is based off of the first book of the above trilogy. Before going into the movie, I read up on some facts about the movie. It had shattered box office records just at the midnight premiere. The movie's opening weekend went on to shatter even more records. The theatre I want to still has it playing on four screens despite having opened over three weeks ago. So is this just hype or is the movie that great?

You don't need to read the book first, but the book does help explain some things in the movie. The movie itself was mind-blowing. I will not go into detail of the movie as I do not want to spoil anything. But the movie is worth every penny. It might be over two hours long, but by the time it's over it feels only like an hour. The movie just draws you in and makes you feel everyone's pain. If you have not yet seen it, why not?

~May the odds be ever in your favor.

~Captain Steak

past, future, present

why do people always dwell on the past?
the past is past, no one can change the past
the past is only used for knowing and understanding

and dont dwell on the future, its in the future
yes by thinking of the future you can plan
and hope to get to that future, but thats a long shot

instead lets dwell on the present
for if we dwell on the present, we can change our future
the present is used for ensuring that we have a better future

Destiny and Fate

What is destiny?
What is fate?
Can we change our destiny or our fate?
Are they not what make us?
And make us do what we do?

Destiny and fate are the paths of our life.
Our destiny chooses our fate.
Our fate makes the paths of our destiny clear,
And can open up new paths of destiny.
Destiny can help us understand our fate.

What is destiny?
It is by our own choice,
Which path we take.
It is by our own choice
That we are where we are.

What is fate?
Fate cannot be changed;
Fate chooses the paths we take.
It is by our fate that
We are where we are.

What is destiny?
What is fate?
Our destiny is ours to choose.
Fate is where we end up,
No matter what we do.

Why?

Why do we believe what we believe?
Why do we believe that water is actually water?
Why do we believe that 2+2=4?
Why do we believe that gravity exists?

Why do we believe that the earth is round?
Why do we believe that the sun is the center of the universe?
Why do we believe that there only 8 planets in our solar system?
Why do we believe that men have travelled to outer space?
Why do we believe that man has actually walked on the moon?

Why do we believe the news that we hear?
Why do we believe that Hitler was an evil man?
Why do we believe that Oswald shot Kennedy?
Why do we believe that Booth shot Lincoln?
Why do we believe that Columbus discovered America?

Why do we believe some of what we read and hear?
And yet don’t believe some of what we read and hear?

So the question to you, yes you,
The one that is reading this, is
Why do you believe what you believe?

Do you believe these events and stories
Because you witnessed them firsthand?
Or do you believe these stories
Because they are taught in school
And you have to believe them in order to get on with your life?

Next time someone spins a fancy tale
Remember this and ask yourself
Why do I believe what I believe?

The Invisible Power

What is this Power?
It will take the young and the old,
The sick and the healthy,
The poor and the rich.

Where is this Power found?
It will find you whether
You have a job or not,
If you have a home or not,
If you have a car or not.

What could this Power be?
It stops at nothing.
It does not care who you are,
Where you have been, or
How you got to where you are now.

What is this invisible Power?
Could it be a man in a murderous rage?
Where is this invisible Power found?
Could it be a wild animal gone berserk?
What could this invisible Power be?
If not man or beast, than what?

What is this invisible Power?
Death will take them all.
Where is this invisible Power found?
Death is not found, but will find you.
What is this invisible Power?

This invisible Power is Death.
Death does not care who you are,
Nor where you have been,
Nor how you got where you are now.
Death will always find you and come for you.