http://asisaid.com/journal/ Tim's Blog en-us http://asisaid.com/journal/article/1465.html Timothy R. Butler
So afraid to open your eyes, hypnotized.
You know you’re not the only one
Never understood this life.
And you’re right, I don’t deserve
But you know I’m not the only one.

We’re all grieving,
Lost and bleeding.

All our lives,
We’ve been waiting
For someone to call our leader.
All your lies,
I’m not believing.
Heaven shine a light down on me.

Don’t look down,
Don’t look into the eyes of the world beneath you.
Don’t look down, you’ll fall down,
You’ll become their sacrifice.

Right or wrong.
Can’t hold onto the fear that I’m lost without you.
If I can’t feel, I’m not mine,
I’m not real.

--A. Lee



There's a lot in this song -- it has an almost apocalyptic edge, I think, along the lines of "Whisper," but it also has a more direct message for "When they all come crashing down, midflight." To what extent do problems arise when one thinks he or she is "the only one?" To what extent would the problems be solved when realizing others are just as grieved? Thu, 2 Jul 2009 5:15:26 GMT http://asisaid.com/journal/article/1464.html Timothy R. Butler As I do every so often, I had a debate with a fellow blogger the other day about ad blocking. My assumptions are rather straightforward:


Ads don’t pay much, but they can pay for the bandwidth a fairly busy site needs.
Ads are clearly the “price” for using the site, so long as they are attached to the content of the site (pop ups and pop unders are a different story).
A laborer is worthy of his wages (Luke 10.7), so when I am asked to “pay” something for content that I request (and web pages are requested not pushed to me, after all), I should pay what I am asked.
If the requested price is too high (annoying ads), I don’t buy the product (I find a web site that works that doesn’t annoy me).


Now my friend thinks that is unfair: he doesn’t like ads, so why should he have to view them? For me the answer is simple: if you value what you are receiving, why wouldn’t you? In any other situation, I expect to pay if someone requests a payment for something I value and want. And, more importantly, if it is costing the content provider money to send the content to you that you requested (and make no mistake, bandwidth is still costly), why should the content provider not only provide you with content you value but also eat the cost of you viewing it?

I’ve heard a number of people say, “but I already pay my teleco $40/month for Internet, that grants me the...[Truncated, view original post for the full entry.] Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:3:28 GMT http://asisaid.com/journal/article/1463.html Timothy R. Butler If you haven’t already had a chance to enjoy an unboxing of an iPhone 3G S, I’ve put some up for you, right here. The 3G S seems to deliver on its promise: apps load even faster and more smoothly while the 3G radio is amazingly fast compared to 2.5G EDGE.

In early tests, it seems that the AT&T UTMS/HSDPA network is indeed as fast as they claim, competing ably against Verizon's Ev-DO network. On the other hand, it is always tricky to judge handsets' performance from two different carriers, since there are so many variables.

I don't have a lot of other observations just yet, but I did write about the launch event itself today on Open for Business Sat, 20 Jun 2009 4:55:51 GMT http://asisaid.com/journal/article/1462.html Timothy R. Butler It seems that Apple’s policies toward the iPhone may turn out to actually be rather generous, based on some reports coming out about Palm’s own policies towards the Pre (and, I’d guess, future webOS devices). Engadget says,


Even worse for hackers, Palm's taking an unusually aggressive approach to webOS system updates -- they're mandatory. According to the support docs, webOS updates are automatically downloaded in the background within two days of being available, and they're required to be installed within a week of the download -- after seven days and four install prompts, the phone will give you a ten-minute countdown and then automatically begin installing the update.


Keep in mind, that for all the fuss that Apple's updates have sometimes "bricked" phones, as I have noted before, no one was required to upgrade. Anyone doing something unsupported with the phone should have had the common sense to wait to see what more experienced testers found rather than plunging ahead. If you don't want to play within the rules, don't call the referee when things don't go smoothly.

In any case, many people have advocated the Pre as being a far more open, tolerant, Linux-like answer to the iPhone. It is interesting that in this very context that the Pre has a far more restrictive...[Truncated, view original post for the full entry.] Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:19:45 GMT http://asisaid.com/journal/article/1461.html Timothy R. Butler Well, I couldn’t miss the landgrab. At 11:01 CDT tonight, I was at the Facebook username request page and nabbed “tbutler,” my standard username. I thought about “timbutler” or “timothybutler,” but decided simpler was better.

Anyone else grab a name tonight? I know my fellow Cranium Leakers Christopher and Michael did... Sat, 13 Jun 2009 4:34:43 GMT http://asisaid.com/journal/article/1460.html Timothy R. Butler I reviewed the Mi-Fi using Verizon's 3G network earlier in the week. If you've been considering this nifty little device, take a look -- I even look at how the device interacts with the iPhone. You won't want to miss it! Sat, 6 Jun 2009 5:36:38 GMT http://asisaid.com/journal/article/1459.html Timothy R. Butler It’s been a rough couple of weeks. It’s a long story I’ll save for another time, but I wanted to post something rather than completely disappear from my blog.

The basic result of the last few weeks occurrences is that I have had to rethink some things I have been doing. Sometimes it is time to move on. I don’t like moving on from this or that thing that I have been doing for years, but sometimes it is the right thing to do. I had to make the decision to move on from a project I have been involved in for years this week.

I’m looking forward to focusing on new things… some of which I may be able to detail here soon. Fri, 5 Jun 2009 3:38:45 GMT http://asisaid.com/journal/article/1458.html Timothy R. Butler I was thinking the other day about which (music) albums have been the most influential on me. Not which ones are most profound, but which ones have stood the test of time so that year after year they continue to established the baseline for my musical taste. Each of the following actually altered my musical taste to some degree. These are the ones that keep being played month after month and year after year. Though I lack musical performance ability, if I had the ability to compose music, I rather think it would sound like a mix of these.

5. The Screen Behind the Mirror (Enigma) — It’s a bit “different,” but Enigma creates a sound that is grand in scale. The interweaving of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana into a rich texture of traditional and electronic sounds creates an unforgettable, intriguing and haunting sound on this album. I’m not really sure how to describe Engima if you haven’t heard it. But imagine rock, alternative, gregorian chant and classical blended together to the point that the parts are no longer really separate and you have an idea. If you haven’t heard them, you are missing out on something.

4. No Angel (Dido) — I remember first hearing Dido perform on TV not long after this, her first CD, came out. I didn’t pick up the CD for several years after that, but “Here With Me” immediately stuck in my head. It sets the t...[Truncated, view original post for the full entry.] Sat, 16 May 2009 5:30:54 GMT http://asisaid.com/journal/article/1457.html Timothy R. Butler Over the last 24 hours I’ve begun to decompress. Last night I finished my final final and polished up my last exegetical paper of the semester. After the crazily intense Jan-Term Hebrew Weak Verbs course jumping into the semester this spring was a challenge and the particular way this semester’s schedule fell out only made things more difficult to hold together. Though I learned a lot, I have to say I have never been more thankful to have reached the point where I can say, “I am done.”

That’s not to say I am done entirely, of course. I have three semesters left at Covenant. And I’m not in a particularly hurry to move on. I’m just happy to be able to focus my time on other things for a few months. I am about four to five months behind on many of my projects. Sheesh. Wed, 13 May 2009 3:58:25 GMT http://asisaid.com/journal/article/1456.html Timothy R. Butler Here’s a fun little meme that I was tagged on via Facebook.

Answer these 30 Things No One Would Think To Ask. Then tag me so I can come and have a look. After that, tag friends who you’d like to answer these questions.

Feel free to answer below or otherwise comment on where you answered the questions.

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops?
No.

2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters?
I don’t think so. I’ve only been on one or two — I’m a fast learner when it comes to things like establishing I’m not a roller coaster guy.

3. When’s the last time you’ve been sledding?
I really couldn’t say.

4. Would you rather sleep with someone else or alone?
I’m happy enough to have my cat lay on my bed. Other than that, I’m unmarried, so I’ll say alone.

5. Do you believe in ghosts?
No, if you mean tortured souls unable to escape the earth. But, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

6. Do you consider yourself creative?
Yes, I believe so. I like creative pursuits such as poetry.

7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife?
Yes.

8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie?
To the extent hearing about celebrities is unavoi...[Truncated, view original post for the full entry.] Sat, 2 May 2009 4:42:48 GMT