statistics software alternative to SPSS or STATA

There's Project R, a mature, open-source statistical computing package.

And then there's SOFA - Statistics Open For All - which not only intends to create a mature statistical computing tool, but make it easy as well.

Both package will run on Linux, Windows or the MacOS.

Best Ubuntu repository in Southeast Asia

I've never found a repo mirrin in the Philippines that's fast or updated, so I usually get my updates elsewhere, Taiwan or Malaysia.  I (belatedly) found this Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3) Ubuntu repository hosted in Singapore:
http://ap-southeast-1.ec2.archive.ubuntu.com.s3.amazonaws.com/ubuntu/

It's pretty fast, and I there's little doubt about their capacity, considering their commercial requirements.

Just add it to your sources.list.

xubuntu 12.04 - 2 steps forward, 3 steps back.

It took me two long days to get Xubuntu 12.04 installed in my computer. I burned myself a live disc and reformatted the OS partition of drive, but in the middle of the installation I found my copy faulty, and I ended with no operating system, except for a live CD and a home partition I couldn't access because I had it encrypted.


I went through my old stack of live CDs, trying to get a copy of a live CD I could use to burn myself a new copy. The thumb drives I tried wasn't working, too. It was so frustrating I gave myself two days break from the computer.


Anyway, I was trying to choose between super-light Lubuntu or Xubuntu but decided to ditch LXDE as I'm more used to XFCE, having used it for so long now.


The new Xubuntu UI is polished and clean and so far the only thing I hate is that I couldn't put my computer on hibernate - like I've always done before. So, after so many years of never having to shutdown a computer, I'm now forced to do without it.


I hope the Xubuntu devs are working on a fix. Come on. I had hibernate/suspend working on 6.04, 7.04, 8.04, 10.04 and now that we're on 12.04 you decide that this "feature" is important since it doesn't work on most new systems anyway? What a cop out. 


Anyway, try this recipe and see if you can convince the gnomes in your computer to make it work.


P.S.
I finally got it to work. There seems to be an issue with encrypted swap drives and the default configuration.

Ex-techie. Ex-farmer. Ex-Ex-techie.

I've been looking about my  Google account dashboard (Thanks Google for re-arranging my stuff even if I didn't ask for it) and re-discovered this abandoned outpost in cyberspace.

The last post was made almost five years ago, and many posts contain dead links to the past.  Lots of things have changed since then, for one I'm five years older, and most of the plans I said I'm supposed to have done did not turn out the way it's supposed to be.

The site was abandoned because I decided I wanted to become a farmer instead, and I did. The funny thing though was that it didn't earn me enough that I still  have to take in some tech jobs to make things work out. Now, a year after I decided to give up farming, I end up in the same place I was before.

Last year was actually more difficult because I went into depression, and then kept myself away from family and friends. I was in a state between hoping and waiting for myself to break.  It was scary ride for me until I decided to seek professional help.

Anyway, meds finally took care of that - the good thing was that I lost most of the weight I wanted to get rid off. But now that I'm off the meds, I'm easily gaining those kilograms back. Shoots.

It's been a wild ride - and I do not expect to have anything less.

Finally, to add some sort of continuity to my previous post five years back, let Google point you to "the answer to life, the universe, and everything".

No, not ruins. Building blocks for the future.

P.S.
Reading back the posts, me thinks I was a much better writer. Time to practice more.

Playing with Google Calculator

(Hmmm ... now the interface is back to English whereas yesterday it was in Filipino - and I didn't modify any settings)

Anyway, if you're like me, I sometimes take advantage of the fact that Google can also perform calculator functions. Instead of pulling up the Calculator app in my computer, I just type in the calculation in the search bar of my browser. This feature is not apparent to most users but I really find it very useful.

For example, if you want to quickly add something, just try inputting this on the Google search form and hit the enter key. (Click on the image to view in full size)


What's interesting is that you can perform calculations using words instead of signs.



I also use it for other conversions. For example,

• Foreign currency, using ISO codes to convert 3,400 euros to Philippine Pesos. 3,400 Euros to PHP
• Metric to English (or vice versa): 6 feet 3 inches to centimeters
  
• In the kitchen: 1 cup in teaspoons
• Percentages: 15% of 344,343.2
• Exponentation: 4^78 (or 4 raised to the 78th power)
• Volume: 1 gallon to liters

And finally, are you seeking for the answer to life, the universe, and everything ? Try it in the google search box and let Google do its job (Hint: use the text in bold).

So, there. It's 42. I'm now at peace with myself.

Part 2: Birthday Calculator

Doon sa huli kong post, hindi ko sinama yung isang link na tungkol naman daw sa kaarawan mo. Kaya, ito, ilalagay ko ngayon:

Your date of conception was on or about 26 November 1973 which was a Monday.

You were born on a Monday
under the astrological sign Leo.
Your Life path number is 3.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 2, 5 & 11.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 4, 7, 8 & 22.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2442278.5.
The golden number for 1974 is 18.
The epact number for 1974 is 6.
The year 1974 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 1/23/1974 and ending 2/10/1975.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Tiger.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Salmon; your plant is Raspberry.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Paopy, the second month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 1 Elul 5734.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 2 Elul 5734.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.1.1.14 which is
12 baktun 18 katun 1 tun 1 uinal 14 kin

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Monday, 30 Rajab 1394 (1394-7-30).

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 14 April 1974.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 14 April 1974.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 27 February 1974.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 2 June 1974.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 9 June 1974.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 17 September 1974.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Sunday, 7 April 1974.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 26 February 1974.

As of 6/20/2007 7:20:47 AM EDT
You are 1,036,221,647 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:

Lil' Romeo (1989)	Matthew Perry (1969)	LeAnn Womack (1966)
John Stamos (1963)	Adam Arkin (1956)	Peter Gallagher (1955)
John Deacon (1951)	Tipper Gore (1948)	Bill Clinton (1946)
Jill St. John (1940)	Willie Shoemaker (1931)	Gene Roddenberry (1921)
Malcolm Forbes (1919)	Ogden Nash (1902)	Orville Wright (1871)

Top songs of 1974

The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand	Seasons In the Sun by Terry Jacks
The Streak by Ray Stevens	Having My Baby by Paul Anka
Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas	Billy, Don't Be a Hero by Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods
Annie's Song by John Denver	The Loco-Motion by Grand Funk
TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) by MFSB with the Three Degrees	I Can Help by Billy Swan

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 4.69393346379648 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

There are 60 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 33 candles.

Those 33 candles produce 33 BTUs,
or 8,316 calories of heat (that's only 8.3160 food Calories!) .
You can boil 3.77 US ounces of water with that many candles.

In 1974 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US.
In 1974 the US population was approximately 203,302,031 people, 57.4 persons per square mile.
In 1974 in the US there were approximately 2,158,802 marriages (10.6%) and 708,000 divorces (3.5%)
In 1974 in the US there were approximately 1,921,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

In 1974 the population of Australia was approximately 13,831,978.
In 1974 there were approximately 245,177 births in Australia.
In 1974 in Australia there were approximately 110,673 marriages and 17,688 divorces.
In 1974 in Australia there were approximately 115,833 deaths.


Your birthstone is Peridot

The Mystical properties of Peridot

Peridot is used to help dreams become a reality.

Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Sardonyx, Diamond, Jade

Your birth tree is

Cedar, the Confidence

Of rare beauty, knows how to adapt, likes luxury, of good health not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, determined, impatient, wants to impress others, many talents, industrious, healthy, optimism, waiting for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

There are 188 days till Christmas 2007!
There are 201 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waxing crescent.

Ano ang ibig sabihin ng pangalan mo?

Napulot ko habang nag-gagala sa internet:
What Your Name Means


At ito daw ang ibig sabihin ng pangalan ko:

You entered: *******************************************************

There are 17 letters in your name.
Those 17 letters total to 97
There are 9 vowels and 8 consonants in your name.

What your first name means:

Welsh	Male	White river.
English	Male	Variant of Irwin: Boar friend. Sea friend

Ngayon ko lang narininig iyong kahulugan sa wikang Welsh . Pero ang nakakatuwa, ang apelyido ko ay may kaugnayan din sa ilog sa wikang Kastila

Your number is: 7

Noon, sa okulto (occult) ng Numerology, ang numero ko daw ay 1 dahil naman sa kaarawan ko.

The characteristics of #7 are: Analysis, understanding, knowledge, awareness, studious, meditating.

Swak! Kung ako'y tinatanong ng "What drives you?" Ang sagot ko ay knowledge. Yung eks ko, nung mag-desisyong syang tumiwalag sa relasyon ay sinabing niyang ako'y "driven by an insistence to understand."

The expression or destiny for #7:
Thought, analysis, introspection, and seclusiveness are all characteristics of the expression number 7. The hallmark of the number 7 is a good mind, and especially good at searching out and finding the truth. You are so very capable of analyzing, judging and discriminating, that very little ever escapes your observation and deep understanding. You are the type of person that can really get involved in a search for wisdom or hidden truths, often becoming an authority on whatever it is your are focusing on. This can easily be of a technical or scientific nature, or it may be religious or occult, it matters very little, you pursue knowledge with the same sort of vigor. You can make a very fine teacher, or because of a natural inclination toward the spiritual, you may become deeply emerged in religious affairs or even psychic explorations. You tend to operate on a rather different wavelength, and many of your friends may not really know you very well. The positive aspects of the 7 expression are that you can be a true perfectionist in a very positive sense of the word. You are very logical, and usually employ a quite rational approach to most things you do. You can be so rational at times that you almost seem to lack emotion, and when you are faced with an emotional situation, you may have a bit of a problem coping with it. You have excellent capabilities to study and learn really deep and difficult subjects, and to search for hidden fundamentals. At full maturity you are likely to be a very peaceful and poised individual.

If there is an over supply of the number 7 in your makeup, the negative aspects of the number may be apparent. The chief negative of 7 relates to the limited degree of trust that you may have in people. A tendency to be highly introverted can make you a bit on the self-centered side, certainly very much self-contained . Because of this, you are not very adaptable, and you may tend to be overly critical and intolerant. You really like to work alone, at your own pace and in your own way. You neither show or understand emotions very well.

May kulang. Ang problema ko pagkaraan ko maabot ang knowledge o understanding ay ang aking kabobohang i-apply ang mga ito para sa praktikal na mga bagay. At, nawawalan na din ako ng gaana pagkaraang maabot ang puntong iyon.

Your Soul Urge number is: 11

A Soul Urge number of 11 means:
With the 11 Soul Urge, much of your thinking and interests relate to the abstract, the spiritual, and utopian dreams. You are motivated toward idealistic concepts, and the sharing of your ideas and concepts with humanity. This number is not one that is giving in a material or a practical sense, but rather one who desires to help mankind with a more abstract commodity such as religion, spiritualism, occult studies, or even psychic abilities.

If you possess the positive 11 Soul Urge traits, you have a dream of the perfect world; you are highly idealistic and inspirational. Your inner strength and devotion to your beliefs are extremely strong. You have a very good mind that is especially well equipped to handle the higher, more abstract forms of thought.

If there is an excess of 11 energy in your makeup, you may possess some the negative 11 traits. There is a tendency for the 11 to produce considerable amounts of nervous tension which is bought on by a very high level of awareness. You may be too sensitive and overly emotional. In some cases, these sensitivities and emotions are quite repressed, and this tends to add even more to the sense of nervousness in the makeup.

The strong 11 is not a very practical person because of the extreme idealism; often, there is a degree of self-deception present. There is usually a rather fixed idea of right and wrong held by those showing strong 11 traits, and with this very often is a resulting attitude of inflexibility.

Lakas naman chumamba nito. Masyado nga akong stucked sa mga abstrak na ideya at mga ideolohiya.

Your Inner Dream number is: 5

An Inner Dream number of 5 means:
You dream of being totally free and unrestrained by responsibility. You see yourself conversing and mingling with the natives in many nations, living for adventure and life experiences. You imagine what you might accomplished.

Bitin naman.

Nakakatuwa naman ito