YouTube Hangs my Ubuntu-10.04 HP-dv7

At 7:17pm on Mar 2 2011 Ubuntu-10.04.1 running on an HP dv7 (x86_64) ceased to be able to play YouTube videos. Both Chromium and FireFox get wedged. Hulu and other Flash services play without problems. But after a couple of seconds of playing a YouTube video, the screen goes black with white streaks. /var/log/kern.log goes into loop:

Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.470145] [drm:radeon_fence_wait] *ERROR* fence(ffff8800b8044980:0x000097BA) 510ms timeout going to reset GPU
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.470157] radeon 0000:01:00.0: GPU softreset 
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.470164] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_008010_GRBM_STATUS=0xE53024A4
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.470171] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_008014_GRBM_STATUS2=0x00110002
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.470177] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_000E50_SRBM_STATUS=0x200000C0
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.470192] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_008020_GRBM_SOFT_RESET=0x00007FEE
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.470249] radeon 0000:01:00.0: R_008020_GRBM_SOFT_RESET=0x00000001
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.470314] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_000E60_SRBM_SOFT_RESET=0x00000402
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.519205] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_008010_GRBM_STATUS=0x00003028
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.519211] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_008014_GRBM_STATUS2=0x00000002
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.519217] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_000E50_SRBM_STATUS=0x200000C0
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.523318] [drm:radeon_fence_wait] *ERROR* fence(ffff8800b8044980:0x000097BA) 570ms timeout
Mar  2 19:17:37 dv7 kernel: [ 8232.523320] [drm:radeon_fence_wait] *ERROR* last signaled fence(0x000097BA)
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.040219] [drm:radeon_fence_wait] *ERROR* fence(ffff8800c4203ac0:0x000097C3) 510ms timeout going to reset GPU
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.040231] radeon 0000:01:00.0: GPU softreset 
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.040238] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_008010_GRBM_STATUS=0xA0003028
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.040245] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_008014_GRBM_STATUS2=0x00000002
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.040251] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_000E50_SRBM_STATUS=0x200000C0
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.040263] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_008020_GRBM_SOFT_RESET=0x00007FEE
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.040319] radeon 0000:01:00.0: R_008020_GRBM_SOFT_RESET=0x00000001
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.040384] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_000E60_SRBM_SOFT_RESET=0x00000402
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.089275] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_008010_GRBM_STATUS=0x00003028
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.089280] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_008014_GRBM_STATUS2=0x00000002
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.089286] radeon 0000:01:00.0:   R_000E50_SRBM_STATUS=0x200000C0
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.091966] [drm:radeon_fence_wait] *ERROR* fence(ffff8800c4203ac0:0x000097C3) 570ms timeout
Mar  2 19:17:39 dv7 kernel: [ 8235.091968] [drm:radeon_fence_wait] *ERROR* last signaled fence(0x000097C3)
Mar  2 19:17:42 dv7 kernel: [ 8237.611578] [drm:radeon_fence_wait] *ERROR* fence(ffff8800c4203f00:0x000097CA) 510ms timeout going to reset GPU
Mar  2 19:17:42 dv7 kernel: [ 8237.611591] radeon 0000:01:00.0: GPU softreset 

Reinstalling Flash didn't help. Eight hours earlier, I had updated to 2.6.32-29-generic; but booting with the previous kernel version doesn't help. Installing the "linux-firmware-nonfree" drivers made no difference.

Start-Date: 2011-03-02  10:42:14
Install: linux-headers-2.6.32-29-generic (2.6.32-29.58), linux-headers-2.6.32-29 (2.6.32-29.58), linux-image-2.6.32-29-generic (2.6.32-29.58)
Upgrade: linux-generic (2.6.32.28.32, 2.6.32.29.35), linux-headers-generic (2.6.32.28.32, 2.6.32.29.35), linux-image-generic (2.6.32.28.32, 2.6.32.29.35), linux-libc-dev (2.6.32-28.55, 2.6.32-29.58)
End-Date: 2011-03-02  10:43:29

What has changed to cause this?
Others with the same problem are posting to
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1699550

Fix Pink / Red YouTube Videos Bug Using Flash 10.2 In Ubuntu
"Possible fix 3" solved the problem by disabling "hardware acceleration" in Flash. So who's bug is this? Is the bug in Flash 10.2 or something it calls? In any case, plugins shouldn't be able to crash X11. So X11 is behaving badly; but the errors show up in "kern.log"; does the kernel deserve some of the blame?

Asperger-Syndrome Software Job Index

Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.

In the last few years it seems like more and more job postings for engineers are including requirements for better than average communication or interpersonal skills. Back when I was an undergraduate student, engineering was a good career choice for nerds. Apparently, no longer. Looking at Craigslist - boston software/QA/DBA/etc jobs classifieds for Wed Feb 02, 2011, 19 out of 33 postings require good communication or interpersonal skills. Several of the postings by third-party recruiters didn't have the full job description and might also require those skills. So today's Asperger-syndrome-software-job-index is 42% or less; only 42% of the job postings don't mention communication or interpersonal skills.

Software Development Engineer - (UMass, Boston Campus)
Research Programmer - (Cambridge)	Strong organizational and communication skills and the ability to work with others.
SQL Database Administrator - (Cranston, RI)	Good written and oral communication skills. Good interpersonal skills. Ability to present ideas in user-friendly language.
Software Engineer (Java) - (Downtown Boston)	Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Be able to clearly communicate at both high and basic technical levels.
Data/Analytics Engineer - (Boston)
Developer in Testing - (Boston, MA)	High energy level & excellent people/team member skills Good communication ability
Director of Systems Operations - (Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA)	Excellent customer service attitude, communication skills (written and verbal), and interpersonal skills.
QA Engineer - Java - (Greater Boston)
QA Engineer - (Waltham)
Microsoft Tech. Solutions Prof. - (Virtual)	Excellent written and oral communication skills
Entry-level Tech Support - $60k - (Waltham, MA)	Excellent communication skills
Software Engineer – .NET Development Contractor - (Cambridge, MA)	Good written and oral communication skills
Sr. Software Engineer - Flex/Flash - (Rte. 495 South)
.NET Application Engineer – C# - CSS - SQL - (Boston, MA)
Want to get into the HealthCare field?? VB.NET position open! - (Braintree, MA)
Sr. Software Engineer - (Rt. 128 West)
Junior Java Developer - (Downtown Boston)	Good verbal and written communication skills
iOS Developer - (Providence Rhode Island)
Are you Mark Zuckerberg without the idea? -
Hardware Quality Assurance Engineer - (North Reading)	Strong communication skills and cross-functional leadership
Contract Software Developer - (Boston) img	Strong communication and collaboration skills.
Document Prod Coord. - (Wellesley)
Mid-Level Software Developer - (Boston) img	Strong communication and collaboration skills. Strong communication and collaboration skills.[sic]
Release Engineering Manager - (Boston) img	Strong communication and collaboration skills.
Information Management Software Developer - (Cambridge, MA)	Should have problem solving and research skills along with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Senior LAMP Developer - (Lexington)	Excellent communication skills
Mid-Level LAMP Developer - (Lexington)	Good communication skills

New webapp to transpose tunes in ABC format.

I made a web application out of my program to transpose tunes in ABC format.
http://voluntocracy.org/Music/Transpose.html

Instrument key (Bb), interval (-3. or 1/5), or semitones (+12):

Paste an ABC tune or its URL here:

  Check square to save file, otherwise view.

ABC Music Transpose Program

I have reorganized my Music Pages and added a page for my program to transpose ABC-format music files.

• Folk Tunes
• About the Folk Tunes
• ABC Music Notation
• ABC Transpose Program
• Why Musical Scales Work

Simulating Availability of Radiative Cooling

The SimRoof program I have been developing can now create graphs of the availability of radiative cooling. This "Perfect CoolRoof" graph shows that in Guam:

• The roof will provide more than 7 W/m² of cooling 99% of the time;
• the roof will provide more than 22 W/m² of cooling 90% of the time;
• the roof will provide more than 60 W/m² of cooling 50% of the time (the median);
• the roof will provide more than 80 W/m² of cooling only 10% of the time;
• the roof will provide more than 90 W/m² of cooling only 1% of the time.

Marbling the Torus

I have cleaned up the math on Marbling the Torus and changed my scripts to oversample the images, resulting in less graininess.

Kjorcevo and Gankino

I added two kopanicas (11/8) to my Folk Tunes page: Kjorcevo and Gankino.