Bug Fix: Dual OS Intel Mac Clock Time

So, I work in a computer lab where we use Intel based iMacs so that we can provide both a Windows and Mac OS platform to our patrons. We are on a domain, and everyone is to log on with their domain account when using the facility. If the time of your system is more than 5 minutes off from the domain server time, you can't pass authentication.

Unfortunately, we ran into a problem recently where the Mac OS clock would not keep the correct time. I noticed this happened after the computers had been switched between Windows and Mac OS. After a little research, I found out that Windows stores the local time in the hardware clock, where Mac OS will store universal GMT time and adjust for your time zone.

A little further research, and some testing later, I found a solution that seems to have the situation under control. It involves editing the registry in Windows, so make sure to back up your registry beforehand in case there happens to be some unexpected problem.

What this will do is set Windows to use GMT time as well so that both systems can use the same hardware clock time.

• First open your Registry Editor by typing regedit into the Run... dialogue box.
• Next navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation
• If there is already a key here namded RealTimeIsUniversal, set it to 1. Otherwise create it as a new DWORD Value, and set it to 1
  

This will force Windows to use the same universal time as the Mac OS! Hooray.

The Point Blank Critic

Free Drink Friday #6: Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout

For my first installment, I told you about cream stouts.

To be brief on the subject, it is a dark beer with lactose sugar to remain unfermented and add sweetness to the beer.

This week I want to talk about the Milk Stout from Duck-Rabbit Breweries.  It comes through with a wonderful aroma, and a dark beer flavor that relays the flavors of the malt used.  Unfortunately, I find that this just tastes like a dark beer, and overpowers the sweetness implied by the cream stout genre.

As far as taste goes, I'll take 4 of these in my 6 pack.  Just realize that this isn't going to be a little more bitter than you might expect from the name.

The Point Blank Critic

Screw Gas Companies

Sorry to be so blunt, but someone has to say it.  The bias of the following post will be heavy, and I apologize for that.  Now, let me tell you a story:

19 years ago, in wonderful 1989, an oil tanker captain with an alcohol problem at the attention of his employers was allowed to continue his duties on a ship, the Exxon Valdez.  Late in an Alaskan winter, this inebriated captain ordered his crewmen to steer the ship through the wrong lane of the port entrance to attempt to pass between ice flows and the Bligh Reef.

It didn't work out.

About an hour later, they had lost an estimated 115,000 barrels of oil into the sea.  Another 5 hours later, they were up to around 215,000 barrels (about 11 million gallons).

This immense natural disaster destroyed the ecosystem along 1,200 miles of coastline ruining the livelihood of local economies which were heavily fishing based.  There have been all sorts of legal battles since and Exxon has appealed it every step of the way fighting tooth and nail to never actually have to pay punitive damages to the people whose lives were destroyed.

Details of this case can be read in the Washington Post, but ultimately we all know what is happening.  An oil company is powerful and influential in our country, and as such can hold things up in our efficiency deprived judicial system for a few decades until the surviving 80% of the original 32,000 plaintiffs are on their last legs and the endless appeals have reduced the damages to be paid to almost nothing.

Good thing our Supreme Court didn't have anything more important pressing down on them so that they could take the time to debate the last grasp at positive qualities of their good friends at the nature-raping plant.

I mean, fair facts about defendants from the oil companies.

The Point Blank Critic

A Little on Apple

I have heard many people complain about not being able to use the Mac OS on other machines that have similar hardware. Even claims that these things make them a monopoly of their own, and that they may be subject to antitrust cases similar to those brought against Microsoft.

I say this is faulty logic. You can get the Mac OS installed on other machines that have similar hardware architecture, it just isn't supported. Apple isn't going to help you fix something if you break it in this case. They don't spend the time in training learning to make their software work on every other available hardware.

And, look at other companies. There's no faulting Sony for not letting you install their Playstation3 OS on another machine with similar hardware. Or, Microsoft or Nintendo for the same thing about the Xbox360 and the Wii.

The Mac OS is just supported on Apple hardware so they can be sure they are fully available to support them together because they know them both inside and out.

The Point Blank Critic

Microsoft Finally Taught a (tiny) Lesson

Today, the European Union finally finished going through the legal mess involved in an antitrust battle with Microsoft. The final fine on the company came to $1.3 billion.

This is a lot of money, even to a giant like Microsoft. But, by no means (sadly) will this be entirely detrimental to the company.

This antitrust case came about from Microsoft's habit of charging people who want to develop software that works with their system. I understand a royalty fee, and don't fault Microsoft for charging one in general. But, they were charging rates that were deemed unfair by the European Union. Microsoft responded by changing their rates for European companies, but that was about it.

They also appealed the decisions in EU courts. Now, however, things stand at a fine that itself it close to Microsoft's average annual legal expenses. CNN has more details in their article. I don't pretend to understand it all fully; I'm just glad someone finally stood up to the software giant.

The Point Blank Critic

Baby Giraffe!

The San Francisco Zoo welcomed a new baby giraffe born yesterday.  It weighs in at 150 pounds and is over 5 feet tall.  It's nice to see baby animals, especially one as exotic as a giraffe.

They haven't named the calf yet that I can find, but she is likely to get a name soon.

The SF Zoo hasn't put anything in their podcast about it yet, but CNN has some video of it available online.  

The Point Blank Critic

Proposition 3-17

Ever wonder why school isn't closed for St. Patrick's day?  Want a chance to stay home from work and drink beer?  Want your Irish heritage to be recognized by the United States?

Then Proposition 3-17 might deserve your attention.  Sponsored by Guinness, Prop 3-17 is a petition to move to make St. Patrick's day an official US holiday.  I bet you didn't realize that it wasn't already.

If you want to sign the petition, visit the website or you can just text the word "sign" to 65579.  You can even express your reason for signing for the world to see.  The goal is to reach 1 million signatures.  Get in now, and you can be in the first 100 thousand!

The Point Blank Critic

Lunar Activities

I hope you all got a chance to check out the lunar eclipse.  Things like this happen relatively often, but not always with a great North American view.  For example, the upcoming total solar eclipse on August 1st will only be seen on the more northeastern part of our continent.  Us here in western North Carolina may just barely see it happening on the horizon during sunrise.

I don't plan on being up that early.

Either way, being able to actively watch the shadow of our massive planet moving across another large celestial body puts a realistic sense of scale to the universe.

If you missed it, look for upcoming occurrences on the NASA eclipse schedule.  They are calculated out for thousands of years.

The Point Blank Critic

Point Blank Critic MIA

I'm sorry for the lateness of this post.  I realize that my readership is young and developing in loyalty, and I broke the trust placed on me.  I will be making up for subjects I intended to write about shortly, and will back log the Free Drink Friday I missed.

As for what happened to me last week, I've just been kind of down.  I'm broke beyond as broke as I have ever been.  My friends and I are being shafted on job opportunities that we apply for.  People all around me are sick, and family members have been in and out of emergency rooms in the last couple weeks.  I generally was just sick of people for a bit.

I took a day to relax on Friday, even skipping out on my usual group that I see most every week, and the break seems to have helped.  I've been using video games and fantasy/scifi novels to keep my mind off of things as well.

My friends and family have been amazing in helping encourage and support me this month, and I know I will make it.  I even applied for a new opportunity at a local Harrah's entertainment location.  I'm pretty excited about it, and will talk more on it as I find out more.

Thank you all for baring with me though this rambling series of musings, and I hope to return to my regular posting schedule and rebuild new loyalty in my readership.

The Point Blank Critic