JWL.Freakwitch.net

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Blogging on this channel has been somewhat lighter than normal over the past couple of weeks. I've been very very busy. So some updates are in order.

First, I've created a new politically-oriented website, radicalpolYtics.org. The goal of the site runs something like this:

We are dedicated to those who question the current state of politics in America and in the world. We are not dedicated to any one particular viewpoint, however we do recognize that alternatives to the party lines in the mass media are necessary. These two party lines are so overexposed, many people don't realize that there many alternatives out there. The purpose of this site is to provide reading and listening material that involve these political alternatives.

We are radical in the mathematical sense; we look to get to the root issues that define politics today. And we are poly in the sense that we look at the many paths through the forest.

Our plan is to host a dynamic archive of articles and audio recordings in the furtherance of alternative political dialogue in America and in the world.

Related to this new site is some typesetting work I've been doing, helping to format various texts for publication in various media. One huge benefit of all this is that it looks like I'll finally be able to purchase a laptop computer, so researching this has also taken up some time. I'm very much a computer geek; I've built several desktop computers and have no trouble installing operating systems, etc., but I've never really worked with a laptop before. There are some issues running Linux on laptops, most notably getting the winmodems to work, getting the power management features (ACPI or APM) to work, and then the normal sound/video issues that still lurk in the background of any Linux installation.

So among my tasks has been seeing what's involved in running Linux on laptops, though my preferred Linux distro is a LiveCD so I can just insert the CD into the laptop, boot directly from the CD, and get a working Linux desktop within minutes. This will be a great test for the new system, as any config problems will reveal themselves quickly.

Ideally, then, I'd find a local dealer and try everything from the laptop before purchase. However, prices are typically much cheaper online. I've also been considering getting a used laptop to save some money. But, with some various discounts that are available to me, it may be just as cheap to get a new one.

More research is necessary, but my laptop budget won't land in my lap for another week or two. By the time I have the cash, I will hopefully know just what I want to get.

In other news, this will be a big week for the Freakwitch album. Matt and I have booked out 2 solid days this week, where the kids are with other people, so he and I can just focus on getting some solid guitar and vocal tracks recorded. I'm very much looking forward to it. With any luck, I'll have some oggs up for your listening pleasure in about 10 days.

posted by JWL at 1:23 PM |