• You have root access to your CentOS box.
• You have eyes that are connected to your brain.

Step 1: Squid sure is yummy.
Install the latest Squid from yum:
yum install squid

Step 2: Time to play "EDIT! THAT! CONF!" (applause)
Go on ahead and vi into that brand spanking new squid.conf file:

vi /etc/squid/squid.conf

There are a couple of things we're going to edit in here. By default, Squid installs as a non-anonymous proxy. However, the Squid developers have left behind a very nicely documented conf file, so that even grandma can get in on the action.

Step 2a: Forwarded For OFF!

What we'll do first is keep the client IP address from being recognized. Search for "forwarded_for" and turn it off:

forwarded_for off

Step 2b: Paranoia sets in

Good. Next, we're going to enable the old "http_anonymizer paranoid" feature of Squid. Go ahead and do a search for just that, and uncomment the example they give you:

header_access Allow allow all
header_access Authorization allow all
header_access WWW-Authenticate allow all
header_access Proxy-Authorization allow all
header_access Proxy-Authenticate allow all
header_access Cache-Control allow all
header_access Content-Encoding allow all
header_access Content-Length allow all
header_access Content-Type allow all
header_access Date allow all
header_access Expires allow all
header_access Host allow all
header_access If-Modified-Since allow all
header_access Last-Modified allow all
header_access Location allow all
header_access Pragma allow all
header_access Accept allow all
header_access Accept-Charset allow all
header_access Accept-Encoding allow all
header_access Accept-Language allow all
header_access Content-Language allow all
header_access Mime-Version allow all
header_access Retry-After allow all
header_access Title allow all
header_access Connection allow all
header_access Proxy-Connection allow all
header_access All deny all

Sweet. The documentation gives a quick and dirty explanation of what this does, but it's basically fine-tuning your HTTP headers for maximum anonymousness. I love that that's actually a word.

Step 2c: Agent Anonymous, reporting for duty! (Haha, doodie)

Right, the final edit in this wonderful conf file is right beneath our last one, in the header_replace area. You can do a search for TAG: header_replace, but it's just as easy to scroll down a few ticks. Add the following:
header_replace User-Agent anonymous

Step 3: Hello, World! From, Nobody at All

You're done! Restart the Squid service using:
/etc/init.d/squid restart

Change your proxy settings in your browser to point to the IP address of your Squid server (Squid defaults to listening on port 3128). If you don't know how to do that, Google that shit. What am I, a comprehensive tutorial author?

EXTRA SAUCE: International Hulu Support

Ah, so the whole reason you want this Squid server is to watch Hulu, eh? Now that you've done the hard part in connecting to your very own Squid proxy server, getting to Hulu is quite simple. First, let's double check that your proxy is working as it should.

Visit http://www.whatismyip.com and make sure you see the IP address of your proxy server. Also ensure that underneath it doesn't give you a warning saying that a possible proxy server is connected. That would mean you didn't properly configure Squid to be entirely anonymous. If you've followed my instructions above, then I don't know WTF you've done and you're on your own. Google is your friend now, not me.

Take one last precaution and visit http://releasegeo.hulu.com/geoCheck. You should see "valid false", which means your Geo Location check is valid, and it doesn't think you're using a proxy. Hooray!

Whatever OS you're using, be it Windows, Linux, or OS X, find the easiest way to block OUTGOING ports. In Windows, it's super easy using Windows Firewall. Windows users can follow the guide here: http://maximumpcguides.com/windows-7/block-a-port-in-windows-7s-firewall/ NOTE: If you follow that guide, make sure to use the OUTGOING port blocker, not INCOMING like it tells you. Block outgoing ports 80, 443, and 1935.

If you're using *NIX or OS X, you probably know how to do this shit already. Block outgoing ports 80, 443, and 1935 (ah, that was a good year). Use whatever means necessary!

After your new firewall rules are in place, you should now be able to view videos on Hulu. Depending on your proxy, you *probably* won't get HD videos but hey, it's better than nothing at all.

But, as they say, with any great accomplishment there comes a price. The problem lying within any open and largely unmoderated medium is that, given enough people using it, you start to expose the "fringe" to a much greater audience. When I say "fringe" here, I'm not pointing to one particular side of the aisle. I'm pointing to both. I'm pointing to the two ends of the political spectrum.

These extreme conservatives and extreme liberals have no place in proper, civil discussion. They will hear only what they want to hear, and will say things only with the intent to divide. As a nation we must not become distracted with the ramblings of unstable minds - we must focus on solving the important issues that face us all. There is a saying - "The things which are most important don't always scream the loudest." Unfortunately, even if we were to try and listen for the important things, they would be drowned out by those demanding to see birth certificates of President Obama, or birth certificates for Sarah Palin's son Trig.

On the bright side, instability cannot sustain itself for long. The screams of a few will soon dwindle to the mumblings of a couple, and life will move on. But until that happens, we must not let ourselves be so easily persuaded by the fanatical claims on both sides. President Obama, like it or not, is not planning on turning the USA into a Muslim country, complete with compliance to Sharia law. Nor are Republicans trying to force the country into a shithole.

Both sides are trying to do what they think is right, and the sooner everybody realizes that, the sooner we can come back to having some civil %@!#ing discourse.

For now, I'll just write down what I've been thinking lately. I want more and more to learn either Mandarin or Cantonese (or both). I wish I had more of a background in mathematics and physics. I'm pretty sure Richard Feynman is an idol of mine, if I had to have one. I love taking care of my wife. No matter how hard I try, I can't stay away from politics. Perhaps one day I'll run for something in the US. Maybe start campaigning now? A historic 10 or 15 year campaign? Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was a great television show. Finished the first and only season the other night (Thanks again Chad for that gift on my birthday), it was very entertaining. It's really too bad NBC cut the show.

Yes, I still have a website.

The two and a half years since that weekend in October have been a roller coaster, and I'm lucky enough to say there have been far more peaks than valleys. I'm finally settling down in Canada, as a permanent resident I have a full-time job, and our amount of housework is becoming a routine. If you had told me just three years ago, as a sophomore in college, that by this time I'd be where I am now, I would have laughed you out of my dorm room.

So what does the future hold? Startlingly, this has only been the beginning; the introduction to the rest of my life. My hope for the near future is that I can really begin pursuing the passions of life after buckling down in a new home and a new life. My hope for the long term is only that I get to spend each and every moment with my wife - my better half, and my best friend.

A Happy Anniversary, indeed.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04/poll-texas-republicans-approve-of-rick-perrys-secession-remarks.php

I saved the best poll result for you to find out at the end of that page. Trust me, it's worth it for the shock factor really.

Personally, I'm against using it as a personal status updater. Why limit your personal status to 140 characters when you have a Facebook account? Or your own blog? There are so many more methods of getting out what you're doing this very instant much more effectively, and Twitter will not survive as a fad for long if more and more people use it in this very way (and they are).

My unfortunate prediction for Twitter is the following: Although it will remain useful as a means for professionals in certain industries to communicate effectively, it will die as a fad within a year. Growth has been extremely high recently, given the popularity given to it by certain celebreties (Opera, Ashton Kutcher, etc.), however these new users are almost all using it as a limited Facebook status. They will use it for a month, and slowly move on to other things and forget about it entirely. It's just the nature of things, but mainly the nature of fads. Harumph.

"Don't fix, prevent."

Anyway, you can now see my four latest tweets (why four? Because that's what I decided, haha) on the far right sidebar of this page. You can also click the link "Follow me on Twitter" to see my Twitter homepage.

Cheers!

So, my remedy? After sitting and stewing in anger, I followed this advice and gave in. I took the background property off of the table row and put it on its parent, the table itself. Problem solved averted.