April 2005 Archives

The Distributed Proofreaders is an interface to a proofreading mechanism for scanned books. It includes projects for various languages including the Portuguese. The Portuguese National Library is using this site to transcribe some old documents and books to make them available on the Gutenberg Project.

If you remember that Dictionary project I have posted some months ago, we are preparing to go ahead with it, with another dictionary (this one without copyright) and use the Distributed Proofreaders interface to transcribe it.

When it is available to start editing I'll post another entry, so you all can help us with this project.

Ok, Ok, I know I'm writing too much about this subject. But this is what a blog is: what I am thinking about.

Today was the day to test a 15" PowerBook from a friend. Nice screen. But, small keyboard, ugly design and... too large. I keep using the CapsLock as the 'A'.

Meanwhile, 12" is too small display, but a nice laptop. A beautiful laptop.

But I need a functional laptop, not a beautiful one. Also, at home I just work in my laptop all time. Also, I use it to see movies. Also, I might use it to see.. erm... that...

I think I'm going for the 15" display... or maybe not :-|

Yesterday discovered that there is a 12" and a 15" powerbook, both with 80 GB of disk, and both with SuperDrive. So, my main reason to go for a 15" is no more valid.

Yet, I don't know if I can manage to work with a 12" display. I am of the kind to like big displays (I normally work in a 19" CRT). What are your ideas about the case?

I am going to buy a PowerBook. The model with a 15" display and a SuperDrive. People continue saying it is big, but I don't think I can work in a 12" display. Another option would be an iBook (they are beautiful) but there are some specific issues in the PowerBook I like. Specially, it has a better GraphicsCard.

I'm used to Linux and I like it. But OS X is so eye candy and has a so good battery management that I will change. I'll continue with Linux on my work machine, but use OS X in my laptop. I hope I don't regret this option.

Today's movie was I, Robot, a story from Isaac Asimov re-created for cinema. First, I must state that I didn't read the book (well, yet... I'm reading the Foundation serie). So, I have an idea about Isaac Asimov kind of books and the movie does not surprise me as an Isaac Asimov story. That's good, although they must be incoherences with the book.

The book has nice special effects, nice 3D Modelling and nice actors. I vote 9 in 10 for some small details I didn't like in the movie.

During the movie there are a lot of commercial trades referred. First was AllStars from Converse(?), second was JVC, FedEx, then AUDI and finally U.S. Robotics. If all these are referred the most publicitized is USR. Now, I just don't know if they are getting real benefict with this movie because I wont trust them if they are some how related to the movie USR...

Finally, my quote from it: I'm sorry, but this won't work. You're a cat, and I'm black.

Today movie was Resident Evil: Apocalypse. This is a reasonable movie. Normally I vote movies very high, but this will not be the case. There are a lot of small things that could be better, some questions to answer, and some bad points. For example, it is easy to see that the end of the movie is prepared for a continuation.

Meanwhile, some comments:

• Nice girls (Alice and Jill Valentine), with very interesting movements. I just didn't understand why they wear so few clothes. I'm not complaining. I just wonder why. Maybe for freedom of movements?


• Again, a big company did not get condemned by its crimes. Just be afraid of big companies. Just as Microsoft. If they want to cover something they can do it.


• One more time, computers are not shown properly. First, nobody uses that kind of sophisticated interfaces to work. Then, it just don't take that few minutes to crack a system.


• If a videogame like resident evil, with some story, ends-up in this kind of movie, what can we expect of... DOOM?

Today's movie was Kung Fu Hustle (or Gong fu). This is a kung-fu movie (check the title if in doubt), full of special effects, blood, action, romance and laughs. Of course I would do some things in a different way, but the movie is great. Imagine that it includes a woman and a sissy wich are kung-fu fighters.

Also, the soundtrack is very nice and very well chosen for the movie.

Voted 10/10 on IMDB.

Ordered three copies of Higher Order Perl and one copy of C Programming to Barnes and Nobles on 23 March. Today I don't have yet any information about those books.

I ordered them with normal post deliver. Did that to see if the books come to me without passing in Customs. If they pass there I imagine I'll have to pay Taxes. And that is very bad.

Now, I just don't know if I should ask Barnes and Nobles to locate the books or just wait a few more days. What do you think? (BTW: I'm in Europe, B&N at the States).

So, we have a new pope. He will be called Benedictus XVI. Now, why does Portuguese people call him 'Bento XVI' instead of 'Benedito XVI'?

Yesterday had the time to see Seed of Chucky. I didn't see the original Chucky movie what can be a loss to comment on this one.

Seed of Chucky is an Comedy (although you can classify it as horror). It has blood (I think a little more than Kill Bill I), some flying heads, screams (these ones screamed directly from Jennifer Tilly), and awesome good pair of boobies (these ones directly from Jennifer Tilly breast) and fun.

I'm voting 9 in IMDB because of some little problems of the movie.

There is a computer store (hardware/software) near the University named Megatrónica. It is a very interesting store because they have much hardware in stock (not common in other stores around) and good prices. Unfortunately they are completely incompetent.

First Story: bought a graphics card (an ATI model I can't remember which, with AGP 8x) and installed it in the machine. Worked well but in the next few days I bought some memory. Installing the memory I don't know what I did to the graphics card it never worked again. Took the PC to the store for repair. After more than one week their answer was: the graphics card is incompatible with the motherboard. It works on other computers. Of course I asked "why" and they answered "because it is!" and I asked "why" and they answered the same. I don't like idiot people, so, I took the machine and visited a friend who knows more about hardware than me. He looked to the motherboard and said: the AGP slot is damaged! D'uh!

Second Story: I never visited Megatrónica again. But here in the university they continue buying stuff there. So, we need a laser printer, I choose a Samsung ML-2551N (seems nice, didn't tried it yet...). In the same day they delivered the printer to the university. We opened it and... the toner was opened and... the printer had paper in it... WEIRD! Meanwhile, and I don't know how, I noticed that the model was the ML-2251N and not the ML-2551N. Printer sent back to the store. Three days after that they deliver again the printer. Again, the wrong model. Again the ML-2251N instead of the ML-2551N. We sent back the printer. And here we are waiting for it... for more than a week...

The movie for this weekend was TAXI, a comedy. If you check the results on IMDB, the movie as a rate of 4/10.

In fact, I voted 10. The movie is not the best movie you can imagine. It has problems but it is an hour and half of fun, nice girls, and car speed.

I recommend.

Today I've sent an email to Michael Schwern, creator of ExtUtils::MakeMaker module asking for some help. In the subject line I wrote something like: "Need help from the God".

This is his answer...

1. And God said unto ambs:

2. Blessed are the built-ins; for they shall work for all.

3. Blessed is require(); for it is simple and always works.

4. It shall forever and always find modules which have strayed from your flock

5. As long as they are in the eyes of @INC.

6. And God saw that ambs was troubled and he comforted him saying.

7. Rejoice and be glad for this is the keyword of the Lord.

8. And God finished the letter to ambs

9. And He saw that it was silly and that it was good.

10. And He closed His laptop and lay His crown upon the pillow

11. And in the third hour, He rested.