lucidlook

Mac-like keyboard switcher in Windows

2009-11-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

As I use english and russian keyboard layouts both in XP and Mac OS, I've designed the following AutoHotKey script to enable Alt-Space layout switching in Windows XP:

-----8<-----
!Space::
SetKeyDelay, 1, 1, Play

; For Control-Shift layout combination
SendPlay, {CTRLDOWN}{SHIFTDOWN}{SHIFTUP}{CTRLUP}

; For Alt-Shift layout combination
;SendPlay, {ALTDOWN}{SHIFTDOWN}{SHIFTUP}{ALTUP}
-----8<-----

What it does -- it waits for Alt-Space and then sends combination of the keystrokes into Windows, so it mimic either Control-Shift or Alt-Shift.

Enjoy! :-)

How to configure Push-to-Talk in Skype

2009-10-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Well, there were some discussions in blogs regarding Push-to-Talk feature in Skype. Though it is possible to configure a key shortcut to mute-unmute in Skype, it is not actually a PTT as such.

The solution is again to use MorphVOX Jr. This time however it is plain and straight forward, you just disable Morph and Listen in it's main window (click on small green buttons) and set 'Screaming Bee Audio Driver' in Skype as Sound Source (see pics in previous post).

Of course you should configure Push-to-Talk button in MorphVOX Jr options (I use Left Control).

Enjoy!

How to play music into Skype conversation

2009-10-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, if you need to playback something into your Skype conversation (i.e. SkypeCast), the easiest way is to bridge the sound output (what you hear) into Skype input (which is normally -- microphone). For happy Mac users there is a freeware sound router 'Soundflowerbed', but for Windows it is not so simple. Sure you can use 'Virtual Audio Cable', but it's not free. So I came with the following solution:

You will need to install MorphVOX Jr'. The software which intended to change voice... which is funny things too, but we need it's ability to pass sound unchanged. After installation it will add a virtual sound source into your Windows -- 'Screaming Bee Audio Driver'.

After initial calibration configure MorphVOX Jr this way:

Make sure you have no Push-to-Talk enabled:

And you have Morph and Listen switched OFF:

In Windows Sound Mixer set the following in Recording options:

And finally in Skype set Screaming Bee Audio Driver as source:

Done :-)

One side note: Please be aware that until you close MorphVOX Settings dialog it will not pass audio to the Skype (actually to it's driver).

Obviously, you have to have MorphVOX running in background to make SkypeCast working.

Enjoy!

How to create a water reflection in GIMP

2009-09-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

This tutorial describes how to create realistic water reflection in GIMP. You will need a script (download).

The original photo:

Now step-by-step for GIMP 2.6

1. I usually work with copy of image, so I duplicate it and add a mask:

2. Using scissors select the area in bottom part of image which you want to have a "coast". Fill with black in mask.

3. Using Clone tool remove unnecessary objects (people in this case):

4. Increase canvas by 200% vertically Image -> Canvas Size...

5. Copy layer and mirror it vertically. Move it down so it will touch just the very tip of image.

6. Use black brush on mask to remove transparent areas:

7. Lock the alpha and run Gauss Blur on reflection layer

8. Check exact size of reflection layer: Layer -> Layer Boundary Size

9. Run script to build the map: Script-Fu -> Map -> Water reflection map. Put size from #8:

10. Wait... :)

11. The result should be like this:

12. Back in reflection layer run Displace :

13. Set the parameters (Y=2*X, "Smear", X and Y maps from image generated by script)

14. Adjust "Hue and Saturation"

15. Make it little bit bluish:

16. Adjust contrast:

17. To avoid sharp border use smear tool on mask in original (top) layer.

18. Crop and save as JPG.

P.s. To find out where to put the script, please check Gimp settings:

The final result:

Tell me your name!

2008-10-14T05:08:00.000-07:00

Today I have had another conversation with 3 support. The support engineer told me that they have no records in their system regarding any request (no previous phone calls, no e-mail) from me about possible compensation for the extremely bad mobile service. When it became apparent to me that I will not get anywhere without clear evidences, I've pushed "record" button on my phone and... that's what happened next:

Just to give you a background, below is the mail I've sent to the 3 support from their web site (http://www.three.co.uk) on 7th of October (numbers removed due to privacy restrictions):

Dear Sir/Madam,

On 27th of September I've bought new phone from one of the 'Three' shops. Together with the new phone I've decided to switch from pay-as-you-go to the monthly payment plan.

At that time I've been using number 07906-xxx-xxx. The new monthly plan came with different number 07868-yyy-yyy. I've requested my old PAYG number to be transferred to the new SIM card, so I will be using old number and pay monthly. This has been requested in store on 27th of September. Today is the 7th of October, yet the transfer has not been completed.

But this is not all. On 29th of September I received an SMS saying that my old PAYG number will be transferred to my new (monthly plan) SIM card. At that moment my PAYG number has been disconnected. I was no longer able to use old SIM card. However, the new SIM card was given with completely different new number. Worst of all is the fact that the number belong to somebody else. Yes, it was somebody's else's number!

I started to receive calls and SMSs' from unknown people who believed they call somebody on that number. You can imagine my frustration after such a call in the middle of the night!

After 24 hours of such a disastrous situation I called the 3 support on 333 and asked to fix it. I've been told that it will be fixed in 24-48 hours. Needless to say that next day nothing was fixed. And after two days either. I finally decided to switch the phone off, because it was unbearable!

Last Sunday (5th of October) I called 3 support again and asked why it wasn't fixed and when I will get my original number on my new phone? The person told me that he escalated the issue to the "High" priority, but it will take 72 hours to just investigate it! 72 hours for investigation after a week of fault!

At that time I requested the compensation because the service from 3 was completely unacceptable in any respect. I've been told that it will be discussed later when the phone number will be transferred.

Today is 7th of October. I decided to check with 3 support how the progress of the solving the issue goes and called 333. After the conversation with the person I realized that transfer didn't take place and technical team transferred the wrong number and I have to wait 48 hours AGAIN !!!

I have no words to describe my frustration.
Just let me ask you, how often YOU receive such a "service"?

Regards

BBC: Russians 'leave Georgian areas'

2008-10-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

The fighting in the region began on 7 August when Georgia tried to retake South Ossetia by force after a series of lower-level clashes.

More about it here

Russian troops have left "buffer zones" around Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia's interior ministry said...

EU report about Georgia

2008-09-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

«It seems however – but they will understand this themselves the coming days – that houses in Gori have not been damaged heavily, whereas the villages around the city have been completely smashed down. Therefore, the refugees from Gori might be able to go back to their houses soon, whereas those from the neighbouring villages do not have a house anymore.»

«Eka Gvalia is also noticing a sort of tendency by Georgian Government to push refugees to return home, more for strategic – it seems – rather than for humanitarian reasons. Eka’s feeling is that the government is not doing everything in their power to ease the situation, in a way maybe that the humanitarian dimension of the matter is used as propaganda for the conflict.»

Highlighted by me.

http://www.pmmg.org.ge/uploads/publish/EUreport_final.pdf

Human Rights Tribune writes a chronology of the war and looking for facts

2008-09-04T01:18:00.000-07:00

Human Rights Tribune ( http://humanrights-geneva.info/How-the-Georgian-war-began,3393 )
—
«How the Georgian war began»

«On August 14, Georgian prime minister Lado Gurgenidze gave more details from his side saying, “At around 6 am the Georgian forces blew up the Kurta bridge (about three km north of Tskhinvali). A column of the Russian troops that had entered the previous night from the Roki tunnel was there, so a couple of their vehicles were blown up as well… Think about how many hours of preparation, assembly, then marching, it would take for that column, moving at that speed on rugged terrain to be at the Kurta bridge at six in the morning. If that isn’t a premeditated invasion, I don’t know what is.”

Many of these assertions are disputed. For example, an IWPR reporter who visited the area last week did not see any destroyed bridges in the Kurta area.»

AP: Georgia admits to dropping cluster bombs

2008-09-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

A prominent human rights group says Georgia has admitted dropping cluster bombs in its military offensive to assert control over the restive province of South Ossetia.

Human Rights Watch says it has received an official letter from Georgia's Defense Ministry that acknowledges use of the M85 cluster munition near the Roki tunnel that connects South Ossetia with Russia.

The M85 is the same weapon that was used extensively by Israel in its 2006 war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

HRW arms division researcher Bonnie Docherty told reporters in Geneva on Monday that Russia undoubtedly used cluster munition in several places during the conflict. However, Russia has denied using the weapon.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5je4oTliESokD-zge0diVbbczCPIgD92TT2VG0

US ambassador endorses Moscow military reaction

2008-08-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Moscow John Beyrle, in a rare U.S. comment endorsing Russia's initial moves in Georgia, described the Kremlin's first military response as legitimate after Russian troops came under attack.

Pretext for US troops in Georgia

2008-08-21T04:05:00.000-07:00

Let us remember that... According to BBC (18 January, 2004):

"US officials have said that their military presence in Georgia will now become permanent."

So, they now have a pretext for it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3406941.stm

FNN shows South Ossetian 12 years american girl

2008-08-20T02:49:00.000-07:00

"It is Georgian who started the war."
Oops...

US citizen in South Ossetia

2008-08-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

BBC about Georgian aggression

2008-08-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

"Virtually all the people of the city are in shelters, myself included. It started at midnight, and has barely stopped for a minute," she told the BBC. "Can you hear? That's rockets. All my windows have blown out. Thirty-five thousand residents of our capital have become the hostages of Georgian fascism."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7548715.stm

Евросоюз требует немедленно прекратить насилие в Южной Осетии

2008-08-08T02:25:00.000-07:00

Евросоюз требует немедленно прекратить насилие в Южной Осетии

Евросоюз (ЕС) крайне обеспокоен развитием ситуации в Южной Осетии и призывает все стороны конфликта немедленно прекратить насилие в регионе, передает Reuters со ссылкой на источник в руководстве блока.

"Мы пристально следим за ситуацией и крайне обеспокоены тем, как она развивается", - заявил представитель Евросоюза, добавив, что ЕС поддерживает контакт со всеми заинтересованными международными сторонами, включая США, Россию и Организацию по безопасности и сотрудничеству в Европе...Читать далее >

РБК. Политика

Medvedev holds emergency meeting

2008-08-08T02:16:00.000-07:00

RBC, 08.08.2008, Moscow 12:27:53.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is holding an emergency meeting regarding the situation in South Ossetia, the Russian leader's press office reported today. It also announced earlier that Medvedev was receiving full and immediate information on military operations from the South Ossetian conflict zone.

The participants of the meeting are now discussing emergency measures to be taken to settle the Georgian-Ossetian conflict and to protect the peaceful population of South Ossetia, given Russia's peacekeeping mandate in the area, as well as to protect Russian citizens and the country's national interests.

http://www.rbcnews.com/free/20080808122753.shtml

Georgian artillery and tanks attack Russian peacekeepers

2008-08-08T02:11:00.000-07:00

RBC, 08.08.2008, Tbilisi 11:08:51.
Georgian artillery, tanks, and infantry fighting vehicles have attacked a battalion of Russian peacekeepers, Vladimir Ivanov, deputy commander of joint peacekeeping forces in South Ossetia, told RBC today. He noted that he had no information to confirm that any peacekeepers had been killed or injured.

The central part of Tskhinvali is currently under heavy shelling, in which artillery and the Grad multiple-launch rocket systems are being used, Ivanov said. Massive military operations are underway on the southern and south-eastern outskirts of Tskhinvali, according to Ivanov. He also pointed out that five Georgian planes had bombarded South Ossetian positions earlier.

http://www.rbcnews.com/free/20080808110851.shtml

Georgia's jets attack humanitarian aid convoy

2008-08-08T02:09:00.000-07:00

RBC, 08.08.2008, Tskhinvali 11:53:28.
Georgia's Su-25 fighters bombed the humanitarian aid convoy earlier today which was bound from North Ossetia to Tskhinvali, South Ossetia's state information and press committee reported. North Ossetia's President Teimuraz Mamsurov was going with the convoy. There have been no reports of deaths or injuries in the attack. South Ossetia has asked Russia to take urgent steps to protect Russians in the republic and work to stop massive bloodshed.

http://www.rbcnews.com/free/20080808115328.shtml

Две пустоты

2008-07-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

Однажды встретились две пустоты.
- Ты знаешь, - начала сразу жаловаться одна пустота, - я чувствую такое внутреннее опустошение. Мне кажется, что во мне ничего не осталось, совсем-совсем ничего.
- Ну, что ты так расстраиваешься? - решила поддержать ее другая пустота, - Ты совсем не пустая. Ты прозрачная, ты звенящая, ты гибкая! Кроме того, тебе не придётся ни от чего чиститься.
- Так-то оно, конечно, так, - не унималась первая пустота, - Но ведь во мне ничего не держится. И я ничего не могу создать. Всё во мне пропадает.
- Как это "ничего"? Ты же можешь менять свою форму! - воскликнула вторая пустота.
- Форму?
- Да! Форму!
- Хмм... а ведь действительно, - и пустота свернулась бубликом. - Смотри-ка. - и она сжалась в пирамидку, - Вау!
- Вот видишь. Не все так уж и плохо.
- Да-да, ты права, я могу! Могу так много!
- А давай...
Какое-то время ещё было слышно негромкие голоса удаляющихся собеседниц, сплетающихся и расплетающихся в самые замысловатые формы и объёмы. А вокруг бушевал океан энергии, рождались и умирали вселенные, сочинялись стихи и небылицы.

Almost the truth

2008-06-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

From Popular Mechanic's "Debunking the 9/11 Myths":

In the decade before 9/11, NORAD intercepted only one civilian plane over North America: golfer Payne Stewart's Learjet, in October 1999.

From Michael Meacher article "This war on terrorism is bogus":

Between September 2000 and June 2001 the US military launched fighter aircraft on 67 occasions to chase suspicious aircraft (AP, August 13 2002).

So, indeed, only one plane was intercepted because of the tragedy on board, but 67 times fighters were scrambled because of suspicious aircraft. 67 times in less than one year before 9/11 !

US N-weapons are missing

2008-06-19T03:31:00.000-07:00

Now it is here!

All those scary stories from the Hollywood blockbusters where nuclear bombs were missing from ex-USSR arsenals -- are real. But, wait... it is not about Russia... it is all about US ! Surprise!

“It raises a serious question about where else these unaccounted for warhead related parts may have gone,” said Mr Kimball. “I would not be surprised if the recent Taiwan incident is not the only one.” http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/04dfa24c-3db6-11dd-bbb5-0000779fd2ac.html

"Why you people hate americans"?

2008-06-19T01:58:00.000-07:00

Even though I've never accepted such a position, recently the e-mail with this question was addressed to me (dah...)

Well, there is my open reply:

---------8<---------
One thing, i believe, could explain the "hate" spirits.
Americans... most of them believe that their country is truly democratic.

The definition of the "Democracy" reads:
---
Democracy is a system of government by which political sovereignty is retained by the people and either exercised directly by citizens or through their elected representatives.
---

If it is so, then as per definition of "Democracy" we can say, that all and every action of the democratically elected government is an action of the people ("demos" - /greek/ "people").

Hence, you can see why people of one country can blame entire american nation for all those sins, crimes and wars the US government did. Unfortunately, such a "democratic" idea in this case plays against US people.

In this case we have two scenarios:
1. Americans indeed support their government in all it's actions and in this case blindly trust to them. And in this case reinforced steel can be melted by kerosene.

-OR-

2. There is no democracy in US. There is: "elected dictatorship" - the system means "one party can wield absolute power" without a clear majority of votes. (c) Lord Lester

Which one you believe is true?

---------8<---------

Про русский язык

2008-06-14T02:40:00.001-07:00

Я проверил свои знания русского языка и получил пятерку.

Сходи, проверься?