One "feature" of Windows XP is the built-in support of what Microsoft likes to call "compressed folders." But nothing new was introduced here; the zip file format is all that's being used. When I first learned of this feature, I was fairly excited to see that Microsoft was actually trying to make life easier. No longer would I need a zip tool like WinZip to do my extractions. Instead, I would just use the features in Windows Explorer to do my compressing and uncompressing as needed.

That was an idealistic view if there ever was one, and I'm not too surprised to say that it was grossly mistaken. The zip support offered in Windows XP is utterly horrible. My work place is fairly strict about not having shareware applications installed on our personal workstations, so WinZip isn't an option for me. As a result, I'm relegated to using the native support offered by Windows. What I'd like to know is this: what the heck are they doing when unzipping a file? We package stuff up in zip files all the time around here (since we often have tons of source code files to deal with), and unextracting them through Windows literally takes 5 to 7 minutes. Literally! WinZip could chew through these files in less than 30 seconds (I know, because I've tried it at home). Is the Windows stuff just horribly inefficient? Are they doing more complex file system stuff than WinZip? Whatever it is, it makes file extraction very slow.

I use the Cygwin package all the time at work, and so I occasionally use their command line zip utility. It's way faster than what Windows provides, but it has the occasional problems with file ownership, which is why I use it sparingly. For instance, I've encountered the case where I extracted a zip file using the Cygwin tools, then tried to open a subsequent file for viewing. Windows then tells me that "I don't have the authority to open that file." I'm the freaking administrator of the machine! I should be able to do whatever I want, right?

If anyone has tips on how to improve things in the "compressed folder" world, I'd be glad to hear them.

Ever have the experience where something that you were sure was right turned out to be wrong? Last night, while browsing the web for some new jazz fusion albums, I happened to read the Mahavishnu Orchestra article over at Wikipedia (MO is one of my favorite jazz fusion groups). I have always assumed that Jean-Luc Ponty was the violin player in the classic line-up of the Mahavishnu Orchestra (the line-up that I prefer; the later incarnation of MO isn't nearly as good, in my opinion). This assumption led me to buy a number of Mr. Ponty's albums, all of which I thoroughly enjoy.

It turns out, however, that Jerry Goodman was the violinist in the original line-up! Jean-Luc was the violinist in the later line-up (ironically, the one that I dislike). All this time I've been mistakenly attributing the awesome musicianship in the group's first albums to Jean-Luc Ponty (that being said, Jean-Luc is an awesome musician). Needless to say, my mind was blown at how wrong I was. I'm really surprised that I have lived under this illusion for so long.

Several videos of the band are on YouTube, strangely enough (the original line-up was only together for a few years in the 1970s). The audio in the videos isn't the greatest, but it's definitely cool to see the guys in action (Billy Cobham on drums is phenomenal). Here are a few links for your enjoyment:

• You Know You Know
• One Word (one of my personal favorites)
• Resolution

I'm not much of a sports fan, and I know very little about sports in general. But one thing that I do know for certain is that the NCAA tournament is one of the biggest jokes in the entire universe. How can a team that performed as poorly as Duke did this season make it in, while a comparable NC State team, who knocked off number 2 and 3 seeds in the ACC tournament, be relegated to the NIT? The answer to that question has to be the word money, though I'm not quite sure of the particulars.

Regardless of all that, Duke lost in the first round. How awesome is that? And NC State won their first round game. Perhaps there is a little justice in the sports world after all...

One ill side effect of being a computer geek is a lack of physical exercise. My typing and mousing fingers are in great shape. Sadly, the rest of me has only gotten worse over time. In fact, I think I can safely say that I am in the worst shape of my life at the moment. The typical out-of-shape physical ailments seem to follow me around all the time: aches, pains, and a general lack of energy. Seeing that I can't improve this area by continuing to sit around, I've decided to (try and) do something about it.

Thankfully, my employer offers a nice deal (a small monetary bonus) to motivate physical activity. I signed up to participate this year, thinking that a little coin would provide that extra push I need to start exercising. How and where to exercise is my first major hurdle. I'd rather avoid a gym if I could, mainly because I don't want to (a) pay for a membership and (b) spend time driving to and from the place. I could avoid point (b) by using the gym at work, but I still have to pay. Buying a piece of exercise equipment for home would be cool, but I don't have the room at the moment, and most good exercise equipment isn't cheap.

So long story short: I've decided to start out by spending 30 minutes walking the paved trail around the gym here at work. I clearly won't be able to do this when it's raining, and it won't be the most comfortable when it gets hot, but it's at least a start. Some exercise is clearly better than none, right? Plus, the weather is just starting to get nice, so it'll be good to get a little fresh air. I also hope to walk over at Eno River State Park more often on the weekends, which should give me a substantially higher workout (since the trails are often quite hilly).

In what ways do you exercise? Got any tips for a newbie like myself?

An increasing number of links to photographs are making the front page of Digg, making an already weak collection of 'news' even weaker. There's a petition for adding a new photography section to the site, and that would certainly help keep these links off the front page. Most of the photographs that get linked to on Digg are nice, but none of them are front-page worthy.

On a photography related note, I will be making some upgrades soon to the photo album software I employ here at this website. Don't be surprised if the photo galleries are down for a while over the next few days. Some new features are coming, and I'm excited about them, so stay tuned for updates.

It appears that LucasFilm Entertainment is suing Digg Inc. over the use of the trademark "Digg." Strangely enough, LucasFilm claims that the Digg name infringes on their 1996 video game The Dig. LucasFilm has just lost all credibility; their glory days are truly over.

There's nothing that says "my career as a popular icon has hit rock bottom for good" more than shaving your head, getting a tattoo, and wearing a blond wig with gigantic, Cobra-style sunglasses. I've never had any respect for Britney Spears, so I'm really not moved by her latest cry for attention. What really makes me laugh, however, is the fact that semi-respectable people are saying that we shouldn't poke fun at Ms. Spears, since she's going through a "tough time" right now.

Get serious.

Everyone should be making fun of her non-stop. She has now entered the realm of Michael Jackson and Mike Tyson; everything she ever does from here on out will be a joke. I say that we get the most entertainment out of her while we can. Let the late night jokes commence!

It seems that Papa John's has "outsourced" the pizza ordering process. The past two times that I have called our local Papa John's establishment, I was connected with an operator at who knows where. She took my order like the local folks normally do, but she clearly submits the order via her computer ("let me key in your order here on my computer," she says). What clearly gives it away as a call center is the fact that the operator gives the actual address of the local establishment: "Do you want to pick up your pizza at [insert address here]?" The local folks never asked that in the past; it was simply "is this for pick-up or delivery?"

I'm not exactly sure why Papa John's would want to send the ordering process to a call center. Is it simply to hire fewer people? Was our local establishment doing such a poor job that the corporation stepped in to help?

Has anyone else seen this behavior when ordering pizza? I'm not sure if this is just something at our local establishment or if this is a wider spread change. Either way, it's very strange.

Mark Pilgrim just recently patched a long-standing bug in Firefox (the fix will appear in Firefox 3). Currently, there is no way a user can disable timed redirects through META refresh elements. This becomes a gigantic problem to blind users who utilize screen-reader software. By the time the screen reader starts reporting what's on screen, the page changes unexpectedly.

Beginning in Firefox 3, users will have the option of being warned when such refresh event takes place. A notification bar, just like the one used to alert the user of blocked pop-up ads, will appear when a META refresh takes place. The user will then be able to click a button to allow the event. Note that this new system will be disabled by default, meaning that everything will act as it does today in Firefox 2. Also note that JavaScript refreshes are not handled by this fix.

What I find most intriguing about this new system is that the notification bar appears just like an ALERT to assistive software. Mark has a blog post that goes into way more detail on the fix, so check it out if you're interested. It's really good to see Firefox making strides in this area. Yet one more reason that Firefox 3 will be super awesome.

The US Mint has once again released a dollar coin, although to seemingly mixed reviews. Will the dollar coins catch on? Though I don't care one way or the other, I'm inclined to say "No, they will not." Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea failed before, and these are likely to fail again (though exactly why is debatable). I always find it interesting, however, when people from the vending machine industry are interviewed on this topic. They always give this kind of response:

Reporter: So, what do you think of these new dollar coins? Vending Machine Guy: Eh, they'll never catch on. Reporter: Why do you think that is? Vending Machine Guy: Well, people never use them in these here machines, so we don't flip the switch inside to let them accept the dollar coins.

This kind of discussion appears every time dollar coins are launched (in fact, it appears in the story I linked to above). Do you see the idiocy of the vending machine guy's statement? They won't enable the mechanism to allow vending machines to accept dollar coins because people don't use the dollar coins. Maybe people don't use the coins because your stupid machines don't accept them! Are these people idiots or what?

I've been monitoring some of the upcoming games for this year, and here's what I've got my eye on:

Half-Life 2: Episode 2

Apparently Episode 2 has been delayed again. As frustrated as I'd like to be about that, I think I would rather Valve take their time and do things right than to rush it out the door (like so many games today). Episode 1 was phenomenal; just as good as Half-Life 2 itself (though it was surprisingly short). If they can keep the gaming quality bar set this high, I'll patiently wait for it.

The Elder Scrolls IV: The Shivering Isles

This expansion to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion looks incredibly awesome. I simply cannot wait for this to be released.

Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific

I haven't played a submarine sim since the days of Aces of the Deep, but I heard great things about Silent Hunter 3, and installment number 4 looks good enough to draw me back into the genre.

Crysis

This next-generation shooter from the folks that gave us Far Cry (a really great game, by the way) is truly a sight to behold (large image warning). I'm not certain that this game is scheduled for this year, but I can certainly hope. If it can bring back those oh-so-cool moments from Far Cry, I'm sold.

A few other things are on my radar, specifically for my Nintendo DS Lite. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 has been getting good reviews and looks like a truly unique adventure game. Some other similar games are in the pipeline, all of which I can't remember at the moment. Anyone else looking forward to anything particular this year? If I can ever get my hands on a Nintendo Wii, I'll have that much more to look forward to.

I enjoy my job at IBM, but I also enjoy coming home and putting work as far from my mind as possible. To do so, I tend to escape to other worlds. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is one of my particular favorites. There's something about becoming another person in another world that's refreshing. I can completely forget who I am for a while, and role play if you will. Another realm I'm starting to venture back to is the world of Prince Valiant. I've just begun rereading the comic strip from the very beginning, and I thoroughly enjoy becoming entangled in the intricate storyline.

What are some of your means of escapism? Surely I'm not the only person who enjoys getting away from it all...

We got hit with a "winter weather storm" here in North Carolina, and it was a colossal disappointment. A forecast 1 to 3 inches of snow (with a 1/4 inch of ice on top of that) turned out to be a light dusting, most of which melted in a few hours time. It seems like every state in the US has gotten tons of snow this winter; it even snowed in the Arizona desert! But does North Carolina get anything? Not around here. It's like we're cursed or something.

The official 1.0 release of Firebug is now available. If you are a web developer, be sure to pick up this super-ultra-mega-cool extension. You'll thank me later.

Some time ago, my family tried out digital cable. We were thoroughly unimpressed at the 'digital quality' and subsequently dropped the service. But strangely enough, the digital artifacts that annoyed us so greatly are now showing up in the analog signal. We routinely see compression issues and dropped areas in the picture, and it only seems to be getting worse. Is Time Warner digitally encoding the signal before they send it out on the analog line? It sure seems like they are, but I don't see the benefit in doing that. Maybe it's cheaper on their end? Does anyone else with cable see this problem?

The new networking card that I ordered came in yesterday, and I installed it last night. I now get excellent signal strength in my room, compared to the 'poor' rating I was seeing before. Hopefully the slow down issues I've been seeing will disappear as a result. My computer boots way faster now, which seems encouraging (boot time had slowed to a crawl, and I correctly suspected that the wireless card was to blame).

An expansion pack for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has been announced, which means bad things for my productivity later this year. After having not played the game for some time, I've gotten hooked again, thanks to the Knights of the Nine expansion that I recently picked up. A few screenshots are available over at 3D Gamers, and though there are only a few of them, they look awfully interesting. The environments appear to be quite different from the game's current locales, which should be refreshing. I can't wait!

While working on my rewrite of Monkey Album, I ran into an interesting programming dilemma. In the past week or so, I've been introduced to the MySQLi extension in PHP. The current Monkey Album implementation makes use of the PHP 4 mysql_*() calls, so I thought I'd try out the MySQLi interface to see how it works.

MySQLi includes support for what are known as "prepared statements" (only available in MySQL 4.1 and later). A prepared statement basically gives you three advantages: (1) SQL logic is separated from the data being supplied, (2) incoming data is sanitized for you which increases security, and (3) performance is increased, since a given statement only needs to be parsed a single time.

It seems to me that the performance benefit can only be seen in situations where the query is executed multiple times (in a loop, for example). In fact, an article on prepared statements confirms this suspicion; the author in fact mentions that prepared statements can be slower for queries executed only once.

So here's the problem I face: the queries that get executed in Monkey Album are, for the most part, only ever executed once. So, do I make use of prepared statements just to get the security benefit? It doesn't seem worth it to me, since I can get the same security by escaping all user input (something I already do today). Does someone with more knowledge of this stuff have an opinion? If so, please share it.

A coworker and I were recently reminiscing about our elementary school days, and we brought up something that I hadn't thought about in years. Does anyone here remember "Swish Day" at their school? You know, the day when the teacher would bring out the big bottle of mouthwash, dispense it into little plastic cups, and make you swish it around in your mouth? They said it was "bubble gum" flavored, but in actuality, it tasted nothing like anything you've ever had before.

Searching the web doesn't yield many hits on swish, but I know it's something we did. Does anyone else remember this? If so, feel free to share your memories.

Over the holidays I had the chance to finally beat Yoshi's Island DS. I also got Meteos for Christmas, and have had a substantial amount of time with it. As such, here are my two short reviews of both games.

Yoshi’s Island DS (A-) This 'sequel' to Yoshi's Island for the Super Nintendo is faithful to the original, while adding enough new features to feel fresh. Introducing multiple babies for Yoshi to carry around (subsequently giving him new abilities) was an interesting idea that works well. My only real problem with this game was that a number of the later levels are ridiculously difficult. I don't recall the original Yoshi's Island being so tough, but I played it a long time ago, so I only have the vaguest recollection. I had to play through several levels 20 or 30 times to get past them. Needless to say, this quickly got frustrating. Sounds, graphics, and gameplay are all top-notch, however, so this gripe pales in comparison. Overall a great game, and worth your time. I only wish one could trade their extra lives for red coins, stars, or flowers in each level; getting 100% in some of the levels is nearly impossible!

Meteos (A-) This puzzle game is reminiscent of Tetris (as are most puzzle games), but it's use of the stylus is incredible. In fact, I consider this a 'stylus-only' game, even though you can play with the D-pad and buttons. The goal of the game is to launch falling Meteos back into space by lining them up in groups of three, either vertically or horizontally. Each planet that you play through has different gravity and so varying strategies must be employed to succeed. For example, some planets require that you create secondary ignitions of launched Meteos by lining up another set of three or more in the air. This game is fast paced, fun, and highly addictive. For a few days after I got it, I actually spent time thinking about ways I could line up items in the real world in groups of three or more. It's been a long time since a game has affected me in such a way, which should be a testament to how addicting this game is.

Does anyone have any recommendations for games I should get next? Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime is currently on my list. What else should I get?