Lubuntu 11.04

Here is a screenshot of my newer desktop, this machine currently runs Lubuntu 11.04 on it. You can tell the difference in speed compared to Xubuntu, which has become rather bloated these days. Nice and lightweight...no fuss or other fancy eye-candy to hog your memory, although I did get some of the Compiz effects working the other week just to play around with.

Here is my .conkyrc file in case you liked what you saw:

# UBUNTU-CONKY

# A comprehensive conky script, configured for use on

# Ubuntu / Debian Gnome, without the need for any external scripts.

#

# Based on conky-jc and the default .conkyrc.

# INCLUDES:

# - tail of /var/log/messages 

# - netstat connections to your computer

#

# -- Pengo (conky@pengo.us)

#



# Create own window instead of using desktop (required in nautilus)

own_window yes

own_window_hints undecorated,below,skip_taskbar

background no



# Use double buffering (reduces flicker, may not work for everyone)

double_buffer yes



# fiddle with window

use_spacer yes

use_xft yes



# Update interval in seconds

update_interval 3.0



# Minimum size of text area

minimum_size 400 5



# Draw shades?

draw_shades yes



# Text stuff

draw_outline no # amplifies text if yes

draw_borders no



uppercase no # set to yes if you want all text to be in uppercase



# Stippled borders?

stippled_borders 8



# border margins

border_margin 4



# border width

border_width 1



# Default colors and also border colors, grey90 == #e5e5e5

default_color white

default_shade_color black

default_outline_color white



own_window_colour brown

own_window_transparent yes



# Text alignment, other possible values are commented

#alignment top_left

alignment top_right

#alignment bottom_left

#alignment bottom_right



# Gap between borders of screen and text

gap_x 10

gap_y 10



# stuff after 'TEXT' will be formatted on screen



override_utf8_locale no

xftfont Terminus:size=8

xftalpha 0.8



TEXT



${offset 240}${color slate grey}${time %a, } ${color }${time %e %B %G}

${offset 240}${color slate grey}${time %Z,    }${color }${time %H:%M:%S}

${offset 240}${color slate grey}UpTime: ${color }$uptime

${offset 240}${color slate grey}Kern:${color }$kernel

${offset 240}${color slate grey}CPU:${color } $cpu% ${acpitemp}C

${offset 240}${cpugraph 20,130 000000 ffffff}

${offset 240}${color slate grey}Load: ${color }$loadavg

${offset 240}${color slate grey}Processes: ${color }$processes  

${offset 240}${color slate grey}Running:   ${color }$running_processes



${offset 240}${color slate grey}Highest CPU:

${offset 240}${color #ddaa00} ${top name 1}${top_mem cpu 1}

${offset 240}${color lightgrey} ${top name 2}${top cpu 2}

${offset 240}${color lightgrey} ${top name 3}${top cpu 3}

${offset 240}${color lightgrey} ${top name 4}${top cpu 4}



${offset 240}${color slate grey}Highest MEM:

${offset 240}${color #ddaa00} ${top_mem name 1}${top_mem mem 1}

${offset 240}${color lightgrey} ${top_mem name 2}${top_mem mem 2}

${offset 240}${color lightgrey} ${top_mem name 3}${top_mem mem 3}

${offset 240}${color lightgrey} ${top_mem name 4}${top_mem mem 4}



${offset 240}${color slate grey}MEM:  ${color } $memperc% $mem/$memmax

${offset 240}${membar 3,100}

${offset 240}${color slate grey}SWAP: ${color }$swapperc% $swap/$swapmax

${offset 240}${swapbar 3,100}



${offset 240}${color slate grey}ROOT:    ${color }${fs_free /}/${fs_size /}

${offset 240}${fs_bar 3,100 /}

${offset 240}${color slate grey}HOME:  ${color }${fs_free /home}/${fs_size /home}

${offset 240}${fs_bar 3,100 /home}

${offset 240}${color slate grey}SLACK:  ${color }${fs_free /mnt/slack}/${fs_size /mnt/slack}

${offset 240}${fs_bar 3,100 /mnt/slack}

Book Review: Food of the Gods

Many people have their own theories as to how the hell we evolved into upright-walking and thinking creatures. Some believe it was aliens tampering with our DNA, others believe it was gamma radiation from space and there are countless other theories flying around out there. But there is one that stands out and (if you take the time to listen rather than just laugh) that actually makes some sense. Terence McKenna proposes that our ancestors living on the grasslands of Africa ate Magic Mushrooms as part of their diet (which contain the active and non-toxic chemical Psilocybin which resembles ordinary human neurotransmitters already present in our brains) which stimulated our central nervous systems and the linguistic functions of our brains to give birth to culture, art and language. I am sure that sounds crazy to most of you, but anyone who has tried this or other similar mind-expanding substances will know how powerful and profound their effects can be. Psychoactive plants have had a long history of use dating back thousands of years in shamanic cultures all around the world, and there is plenty of historical evidence to support this, which this book presents.

McKenna also looks at how our species has always had a fascination with substances that alter our perception of the world, and looks at the damage that everyday drugs such as chocolate, caffeine, sugar, alcohol and tobacco cause in our society, and he also looks at how the CIA trafficked cocaine and heroin the the 20th Century. He argues that our species lost a deep connection with nature when we stopped using these sacred plants and believes we created alcohol to try and fill that spiritual void and need for ego-loss, mental stimulation and intoxication that only these plants that exist as part of our planet's natural eco-system can provide.

He also examines man-made psychedelics such as LSD, all the way through to the natural Mescaline-containing cactii and DMT and their use throughout history and the benefits that they would provide to individuals and society as a whole if they were legalised and seen for what they really are. Beyond that he goes into detail as to what the experiences that these substances provide actually mean, and the potential for expanding the human mind into seeing beyond our five senses and into higher dimensions and realities. There is little mention in this book of McKenna's machine-elf theory, but seeing as a lot of people will find that hard to swallow and that this is more of an introduction to psychedelic plants then that is best left to McKenna's other books and lectures to explain in further detail.

So, go on - open your mind a little! Even if you don't do drugs and are really against them then please read this book to understand why people do them. Terence McKenna is no crazy hippy or Timothy Leary-type advocating irresponsible use of these substances, he is an intelligent and funny guy with some brilliant arguments and an amazing knowledge of the subject (he is a botanist after all!) and his writing style is second to none. Highly recommended!

DVD Review: Doctor Who - The Mind Robber

This one stands out in my mind, not just because it was the first black & white Doctor Who story I saw during a BBC2 repeat as a child in 1992, but because it has some really far out ideas in it. Far out ideas, even for a show like this, and brilliant performances by the lead cast - Patrick Troughton shines as the Doctor! I watched the DVD again this week and it still looks as fresh as ever thanks to the Restoration Team cleaning up the fuzzy old film print (you'll notice this if you've seen the VHS release) and the bonus material on the DVD is excellent too.

So what's the score? At the end of the previous story The Dominators the TARDIS is stuck in lava from a volcanic eruption... Of course, the Doctor panics and hits a switch on the TARDIS console and the travellers are transported out of time and space to a void where an alien intelligence has made a fantasy world out of people's imaginations. Episode 1 stands out on it's own as a masterpiece, even though it was rushed together by the production team because there wasn't enough in the script to pad out over the five episodes of this story. I won't spoil it too much but in this episode we do get that lovely infamous scene of Zoe draped across the TARDIS console...

This episode is pure 1960s' psychedelia. Peter Ling (the story's writer) pushes the boundaries of the show, and this story stands out from the rest of Troughton's other ones. Whereas most of his stories are famous for being monster mash-ups, we don't actually see the main baddie or alien in this story. We never learn who created the fictional world that the TARDIS crew find themselves in. And that makes it even more mysterious and eerie. (All the great science fiction and horror writers know that keeping your enemy hidden adds to the atmosphere of the story!)

This story leads directly into the next serial, The Invasion which is to be reviewed another time...

Bizzy B - Revolution (Remix)

White House Records

Grant Morrison Disinfo Con Lecture Part 1 of 4

Book Review: Prometheus Rising

Robert Anton Wilson has been one of my favourite authors for quite a few years. It all began on the 23rd of February 2006 when my copy of Cosmic Trigger 1 arrived in the post. In many ways, that book changed my mind and the way I thought from the moment I read it. Well, it was either that or the sheets of acid I was eating regularly at the time. I then delved into The Illuminatus! Trilogy some time after, which was a real mindfuck!!! I always find Robert Anton Wilson's work highly optimistic, which is why it has appealed to me for some time.

I do wish I'd read his Prometheus Rising first - this is a beginner's manual on how to operate the human brain, a nice & easy read. Wilson uses Timothy Leary's 8-Circuit Model of Consciousness as a map/guide for the user and introduces exercises at the end of each chapter to break down the user's 'reality tunnel'. This book covers a wide range of topics related to manipulating consciousness and how the mind works, such as yoga, magick, philosophy, mind-altering drugs, sex, isolation tanks, brain washing, religion, quantum physics, etc.

Of course, quite a few years have passed since Wilson wrote the book and many of his predictions have not come true, whilst others have. I can also say I don't agree with some of his maps, but again Wilson states that these are his own and encourages users to drop their old reality tunnels, create new ones at will and learn from other people's ones. This is supposed to help the reader understand the concept of militant agnosticism, not just about God but about everything.

To sum it up - this is essential reading for every domesticated primate who owns a brain, for anyone who wants to make the most of their mind and for anyone who has ever wanted to find out who is the maker that makes the grass green... ;-)

Fnord.

Skat-E - Darker Side Of The Jungle

A short 26 minute mix I did this morning...dusting off my records again after a while.

Download: http://dnbshare.com/download/Skat-E_-_Darker_Side_of_Jungle_Dec_2010_Mix.mp3.html

Tracklist:
Mad Dog - My God
The Fugitive - Mind Games
Wishdokta & Emma C - Infinity
DJ Exodus & Head Pressure - Rude Boy Dem
DJ Scoobie - Wait 4 The Bass
Babylon Timewarp - Changing
Essence of Aura - Everybody

Let me know what you guys think! Peace.