Extra Extras!

Added a sort of extras section to LaFlaga as a place to put our unsorted creative junk. Enjoy.

Opera Unite (Our New Vanguard?)

Just spent a good hour playing around with Opera Unite--the highly publisized web browser widget that gives the Opera web browser basic web server functionality with almost no learning curve. First impressions certainly include a certain WOW factor that isn't to be had with traditional server software that usually leaves one tired and angry with the world... The process from installation to operation was extremely short and instantly gratifying (which being currently addicted to Discovery's Pitch Men series) is quite brilliant.

Now these are certainly first impressions and much more thorough thought has been put into this product: like these fine articles,

InfoWorld
Wired

Or for those more numerically inclined (Mmm graphs) http://unitehowto.com/Performance

I only read the InfoWorld article and from my perspective I think it misses the point. Opera Unite provides an extremely easy to use/functional webserver for those serious persons not given to the facebook[s] and myspace[s].

But the bottom line is would I run this as a 24/7 webserver? Probably not... Unless not until its proven by the online masses. To me web serving is still about dedicating hardware; exactly the wrong answer when it comes to Unite.

So to end this rather long post... LLOOOK a picture!

2ch-uisms (pronc. truisms)

Found this compiled list of 2ch anime related truisms worthy of linguistic praise and study:

CLANNADは人生
Clannad is Life

狼と香辛料は経済
Wolf and Spice is Economics

Airは芸術
Air is Art

なのはは燃えアニメ
Nanoha is a Hot Anime

Fateは文学
Fate is Literature

こじかは葛藤
Kodomo no Jikan is Discord

ﾘﾄﾊﾞｽは筋肉
Little Busters is Muscle

極上生徒会はモラトリアム
Best Student Council is a Moratorium

鳥の詩は国歌
Tori no Uta is the National Anthem

ハルヒは感性
Haruhi is Sensitivity

SchoolDaysは神話
Schooldays is Legend

ARIAは現実
Aria is Reality

君が望む永遠は哲学
Kimi ga Nozumu Eien is Philosophy

すももは楽園
Sumomomo is Paradise

攻殻は政治
Ghost in the Shell is Politics

Myself;Yourselfは月９
Myself;Yourself is September

うたわれるものは日本史A
Utawarerumono is Japanese History

アイマスはわが娘
Idolmaster is My Daughter

ひぐらしは論理学
Higurashi is Ethics

初音ミクは真実の光
Hatsune Miku is the Light of Truth

EVAは聖典
Eva is Scripture

00は教科書
00 is a Textbook

神霊狩は音楽
Shinreigari is Music

truetearsは真実
truetears is Truth

Kanonは奇跡
Kanon is Miracle

H2Oは格差社会
H2O is Stratified Society

ゼロの使い魔は国旗
Zero no Tsukaima is the National Flag

D.C.～ダ・カーポ～は純愛
Da Capo is Pure Love

ムリョウは日常
Muryou is Ordinary

efは旋律
ef is Melody

まなびストレートは青春
Manabi Straight is Adolescence

みなみけは食事
Minamike is a Meal

砂糖菓子の弾丸は撃ちぬけないは社会派ミステリ
A Lollypop or a Bullet is Social Mystery

東方は宗教
Touhou is Religion

電脳コイルはデジタルデバイド
Dennou Coil is Digital Divide

らき☆すたは地域振興
Lucky Star is Regional Promotion

けよりなは八百屋
Hayorina is Grocery

solaは幻想
sola is Illusion

グリーングリーンは若さ
Green Green is Youth

キノの旅は絵本
Kino no Tabi is a Picture Book

コードギアスは国家論
Code Geass is National Discourse

rewriteは嘘
rewrite is Lies

バンブーブレードは竹刀
Bamboo Blade is Shinai

瀬戸嫁は仁義なきたたかい
Seto no Hanayome is an Immoral Battle

かんなぎは中古
Kannagi is Second-hand

ストパンはノーベル賞
Pantsu Witches is Nobel Prize

スケッチブックは昭和
Sketchbook is Shouwa

とらドラはリアル
Toradora is Real

ヨスガノソラはシステム
Yosuganosora is the System

アキカンはリサイクル
Akikan is Recycling

ムントはファンタジー
Munto is Fantasy

咲ははいてない
Saki is Not Wearing Any

けいおんは生きがい←New!
K-ON! is Our Raison D’être ←New!

Original link here (warning is not work safe!!!)

On June 5th HOME

A film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand on the subject of Earth.

http://www.home-2009.com/us/index.html

Nitro Free PDF Services

Just tried the PDF-to-DOC-converter; actually pretty decent. Link here

Worldwide Telescope

Visualize the "universe" with this research application from Microsoft called Worldwide Telescope. Preview video filmed for TED

Too Cute for Words

David Pogue on Cool Phone Tricks

Equation Failure

Ara ara ufufufu

"Aria is the closest you can get to hug therapy with something as cold and inanimate as a television screen."

ANN Review ARIA The Natural DVD Part I

Sage: Open Source Mathematics

Having lived entirely in math land for several years now, I've found Mathematica to be an indispensable tool for performing those mathemagics. But some people (me) cannot afford a Mathematica license so I went looking for an open source alternative. The software I found is called Sage and is an adequate python based symbolic manipulation, calculus, etc. total package; however, it does require a rather long build process...

Sage: Open Source Mathematics Software

shuu coo moo? uhh...

Hans Rosling Mind the Gap

Biographical from TED:

As a doctor and researcher, Hans Rosling identified a new paralytic disease induced by hunger in rural Africa. Now the global health professor is looking at the bigger picture, increasing our understanding of social and economic development with the remarkable trend-revealing software he created.

http://www.gapminder.org/

あけおめ

Happy New Year! What providence should this one bear?

Maria Holic Streaming Preview

Due to air on Jan 4th a streaming preview of Maria Holic is available now. Refer to the original post at ANN:

The Animate.tv video website has begun streaming the first anime episode based on Minari Endo's Maria Holic romantic comedy manga on Friday. Viewers are first required to register in Japanese and install the latest version of Windows Media Player, and the episode itself is in Japanese. The streaming will last until January 6 at noon, Japan Time.

Star Wars Motivationals

Cause sometimes two minutes of your life is worth it...

(stumbled upon when looking for good Admiral Ackbar pic, ITS A TRAP!)

Figma Mirai

I want this...

Original post over at Danny Choo, click here

Gmail Goggles

From ars technica:

"How many times have you stumbled home after a long night out with friends, only to plop down in front of the computer and start sending e-mails that you would wake up regretting the next day? OK, maybe some of our older readers in the crowd have never moved beyond "drunk dialing," but many of us are probably more familiar with the embarrassing phenomenon, a technological evolution of the drunk dial. Thanks to a new project out of Google Labs, however, you can at least stop yourself from sending "impaired" e-mails during certain hours."


Now, if only they'd do complex integrals using Cauchy Theorem...

Asian Emoticons

Danny Choo has a great article with links and information about the use of Asian emoticons. Check it out here.

Final Geass - SPOILER

Spoiler *** Scroll over text to reveal:

The final episode of Code Geass aired very recently and I think the writers gave the most acceptable ending possible (Zero Requiem). Everyone had high hopes of high body counts; but it wasn't really meant to be... Overall, Code Geass is one of the best animes a collaboration between companies has produced. The only problem is the shallowness of having only 50 episodes present the content of easily twice that many.

Oh, and here's the RANT. In the episodes portraying the decisive battle for Tokyo between the Black Knights and Schnizel the ending of Suzaku firing Freya makes NO SENSE. Given that Orange-kun had joined Lulu on the side of *justice* and basic premises of Lelouch's strategic ability it's hard to believe Lelouch would have not given the order to dispell Suzaku's "live" geass. Having believed Suzaku just tried to betray him to Schnizel, Lelouch would not have been holding any lingering loyalty to any friendship. Then again, killing millions with Freya finally made Suzaku less of an EMO-hypocratic-punk-ass-b*t*h.