Diary of a Network Geek

I want one!
Hey, I know Negroponte designed these for kids in developing nations, but, uh, I want one. I mean, c’mon, who wouldn’t want one? And, if I can load Linux on it, well, that would be just peachy.
I guess what I’m thinking here is, if Negroponte can make this happen for the poor of other nations, why not sell it here in the States, too? Couldn’t some kids in the many impoverished communities in the good old US of A use them too? And, if not them, what about the poor, impoverished middle-class, like me? Or, even college students? And, why just the poor and downtrodden? Heck, if you can make it for under $100, just sell it everywhere!
And, apparently, they’re even energy efficient. At least according to this article on AustralianIT, which makes mention of the fact that these sucker are “wind-up”. Now, that makes them even more attractive to me. I could keep writing even after a power failure or a hurricane. Nothing could stop me!
Man, I gotta’ get me one of these bad boys somehow, someway when they hit the market!

I don’t normally post twice in one day, but…
But, well, this has been an odd week and I had to cancell my therapist appointment last night, so you’ll have to do, eh? As you regular readers know, I was so sick Monday that I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Alas, I lived through my brush with whatever that particular plague was and had to finally go into work Wednesday. Wednesday, I also found out that I had a quickly approaching deadline to get my house refinanced before we had to start the entire process again. Thursday seemed fine. Until lunch.
Normally, I take my lunch in the backyard and eat while the dog runs and plays. After lunch, I read under my covered porch and let Hilda get some squirrel/bird chase time in. (Relax, tree-huggers! She’s only come close once that I’ve seen and, besides, she’s just doing what dogs do. It’s her nature and a force of evolution. What’s unnatural is the way she loves to eat off my plate!) So, Thursday, I’m sitting there finishing I Heard You Paint Houses and the dog starts to get all strange. I look up from my book just in time to see this giant, bird-shaped shadow sliding over the lawn as the biggest damn bird I’ve ever seen in person starts to make a landing by my ponds! Without any exageration at all this bird must have had a wingspan as large as my outstreched arms! (That’s over five feet, for those of you who haven’t met my manly physique in person.) Of course, I exclaim loudly, which startles this monstrosity into landing on my garage instead. I could hardly believe I was seeing this thing. I mean, I’ve seen big birds before, but, as a rule, even in Texas one does not expect to see a giant, black turkey vulture swooping into one’s backyard.
Now, what got really unnerving about this is that the thing just sat there looking at me. Not scared, really. At least, not of me. Frankly, the dog looked at me as if to ask, “Uh, Dad, care to fill me in on just what the hell is going on here?”, so I doubt the feathery beast was all that intimidated by the dog, either. Anyway, I decided I didn’t like the way this thing was eyeing the pond, or either of us, and I sort of shouted at it to try and scare it away.
It blinked at me.
So, I waved my arms and shouted.
The damn thing just glided up to perch on my chimney and blink at me. It just sat there, this huge ebony carrion-eater with wings, and blinked at me as if to say,”Yeah, and, your point would be, what, exactly?” Then, being bored with me, it looked down the chimney. So, I start looking for small rocks to throw at this thing to scare it off. The first two shots encouraged it to move to the far side of the chimney and, yes, blink at me. Then, I noticed the second one. Oh, great, a mated damn pair of enormous black harbringers of death in my backyard. Looking for a new home, no doubt. I bend down to find more stones to throw and I hear a loud thump. I check and, sure enough, that one on the chimney is looking down inside. At this point, I’m sure I let loose with a string of expletives that would have made a sailor blush because I’m convinced that the damn thing as dropped a dead animal down the chimney. I start looking for more suitable rocks to throw, but when I find them and go to assault the dirty birds, they’ve gone. Just as quietly as they arrived.
Well, at this point Hilda and I look at each other to confirm that the other has seen what we thought we did. (Yes, I know she’s a dog and has limited communication skills, but it’s the best either of us could do on short notice.) Then I start laughing, put her inside, and head back to the office. Once back to the office, I call a friend of mine who happens to work in the Houston Zoo in the bird department to check on what I’ve just seen. He confirms the guess of turkey vultures, expresses a little surprise at the proximity to “civilization” for that kind of encounter, and then he says “Impressive birds, aren’t they?” Um, yeah, sure, “impressive”. Just the word I would have used. Not freaky. Not menacing. Not down right frightening. Nope, impressive fits the bill just right. And then, the day turned ugly.
That’s about when I got the call from our Bellechasse office that they were having problems with the network. After a minute or two of troubleshooting, I can’t see an issue, so, since I’m dealing with a Windows 2000 server, I figure a reboot is in order. Now, see, this is where that black omen comes in. The reboot ends in a Blue Screen Of Death. Hmm, well, that would be a problem, wouldn’t it? So, we kill the power and try again. No joy. I try Last Known Good Configuration with the same results. I try doing the automated recovery, but again, end up with a BSOD. Mind, at this point it’s 4:55pm so I end up calling to cancel my therapy appointment, much to my chagrin, since I had some things to talk about this week. Finally, after all that, I get into the Recovery Console, run chkdsk and repair the error and get back to the original problem. Yeah, I spent 3 hours dealing with a secondary issue only to come back to the original problem. Again, after waiting for someone to come back to that office after making his appointment, which was for a HAIRCUT, and some more troubleshooting, I finally determine that the hub has gone out. The damn hub had died. No moving parts to fail and no power-spike, but the damn hub had failed. And, finally, I drag my sorry butt home at 8:00pm.
This morning, they get some new switches in place, which is no small feat in Katrina-damaged New Orleans area, and, like Network Geek Magic™, they’re up and running.

Why all the effort not to travel? Because, Monday I have to get a certified file copy of the warranty deed from the Harris County Clerk’s office so I can refinance my house on Wednesday. All so I can save $150 per month. If I stay in Houston past next year. Can anyone, given that turkey vultures landed on my house, the likliness of another hurricane striking Houston, and the not always so great economic outlook for IT guys here in Houston, give all that, can anyone give me three good reasons to stay?
Damn bad-luck black birds.

I wish I was.
All arty, that is. Alas, I am inhibited by my close association with “The Man” via my degree in Marketing. Still, working to overcome such crippling handicaps is my stock and trade, so I went to an art opening last night. A friend of mine, Mark Flood, and a group of other artists that he did some collage work with, had an opening in the Heights area. Sadly, I cannot remember the name of the gallery where the work was shown. And, I was late. In fact, I was so late the other people I know who were going came and went, so I ended up spending some time with Mark, then was alone for a bit, looking at art and a mulitmedia presentation of the art being created, then poor Mark felt guilty for leaving me alone for so long and hung out with me the last 20-30 minutes I was there. It was, in a word, “interesting”.
I’ve never been to an art opening before. It was a little strange, to me, because it seemed like it was such a social event and had so little to do with the actual art. Also, I have to admit, it was art that I’m not really all that “in to”, either. Modern found-object collage art, for the most part. Still, it was interesting to look at. I much prefer Mark’s other work with lace. *That* absolutely fascinates me. But, I did have a good time people-watching. Seeing human drama unfold still enthralls me. There was some poor girl who was obviously quite upset at something her paramour, who I never connected to her, was doing or not doing. I’ve lost some of my ability to read lips in poor lighting, but I did catch “… but it still sucks. I just sucks!…” and the poor thing looked like she was on the edge of tears at one point. She did seem to recover enough to flirt with someone later, though, so I guess it all worked out. I have to admit, I was sorely tempted to quietly tell her “Darlin’ whoever it is, they just ‘aint worth it. No one should put you in that mood and make that pretty face so troubled and frowny. It’s time for a new horse, darlin’. You rode this one on out and you can’t ride ’em any further, so it’s just time to jump on a new horse.” You’ll be pleased to know that I successfully resisted that temptation.
Still, it did get me thinking about being creative and that longing to be part of a creative subculture reared its ugly head. Again. One day, I’d love for Mark to be introducing me to his friends as “my friend Jim, the writer” instead of just “my friend Jim”. So, I need to work on my writing. And, I need to work on it in an envrionment other than home. That led me to dig out my pile of laptops and sort through everything until I could make a reasonably decent one that ran. Then, of course, I installed Linux on it. Why? Well, why not. I have a copy of RedHat 9.0, the last free version of that particular distro that they released before going to Fedora. It installed like a charm. Easy as pie. Actually, easier, since pie can be a bit challenging sometimes. And, now, since the only drive I had that worked well was a five gigabyte IBM, I ordered a new 40 gig and a 512 meg memory upgrade from Tiger Direct. So, with old parts that I got free and the new hardware that will be coming soon, I’ll end up with a new, to me, laptop for under $200. Not bad. All of which means, ultimately, that I’ll be able to go to coffee houses and write. And emulate some of my heros, like Ernest Hemingway, in the process. Now, all I need is a good laptop bag that’s just as cheap. I was thinking about going with something Army surplus, but I’m not sure.
This is all part of the changes I’m trying to make in my life as I work toward being a person I like more. A person I like being more. Little by little, it’s happening. After God only knows how many years, I’m finally becoming the man I wanted to be when I was a kid.
Life is good.

Hmm, more of an update, I guess…
It’s been a crazy week, and is shaping up for more of the same. First off, I forgot to mention the other day that I picked up my gear from REI, so, now, I’m pretty well ready for any disaster that might come my way. Though, if it’s thermonuclear destruction, I’m saving the last bullet for myself. Everything else, though, I’m all set to weather, if you’ll pardon the pun. And, I’ll have had a hot shower and a cup of coffee when the time comes, too, thanks to my 4 Gallon SunShower and my green, enamelware percolating coffee pot. It may be the end of the world as we know it, but there’s no reason to be uncivilized!

In other “news”, I’ve been thinking about ways to meet more ladies of the datable variety. No good ideas yet, that I’m not already doing or planning on doing, so I started browsing the “relationship” books at Amazon. That’s where I found this: MACK Tactics : The Science of Seduction Meets the Art of Hostage Negotiation. Okay, does a “relationship” book that includes the phrase “hostage negotiation” really seem like a good idea to you? Yeah, me neither, so I took a pass on that one. Hey, I got out of one hostage situation clean, no need to take that kind of risk again!

And, in semi-business news this week, I heard that Loomis Fargo finally had some cuts in the IT department. I was expecting the dreaded “outsourcing” to wipe out a bunch of the staff, but, it turns out upper management of the parent company didn’t like that idea and axed a bunch of the high-level IT management at Loomis. In fact, it sounded like I could get my job back there, if I wanted it. Doesn’t seem like a very good idea to me, really, unless they can tack on a cool $10k and great benefits to boot. Frankly, I don’t see that happening, even with the “extra” cash from the CIO’s salary floating around. Ah, well, at least the front-line guys I worked with survived. Too bad some of the managers I really liked didn’t survive the cut. They were nice guys. Maybe that’s why they didn’t survive the cut! Still, if Joe Dante ever turns up somewhere I’m interviewing, I’d work for him again. He’s a great guy and an excellent manager.
Good luck guys!

I’m sure there was more, but, well, my calcified, old brain can’t remember what it might have been, so, that’s all the news for now.

Yes, that’s right.
Papa John’s Pizza is offering a free Blackberry with your on-line pizza order. According to the ad, if you “Just add any Papa John’s side item and two 20-oz. beverages to your online order” they’ll give you a free (after rebate) Blackberry. Some restrictions apply, like signing a two year contract, but, honestly, the contract doesn’t look too bad for what you get:

Consumers will commit to a new 2 year voice and data service agreement for $74.98 per month which will consist of an email data plan at $34.99 per month plus a voice plan for $39.99 which includes 450 anytime minutes, plus 5000 night and weekend minutes and mobile to mobile unlimited calling. Customer will pay $150.00 and will receive a $150.00 Mail-In Rebate with the device. Offer may vary by market and is contingent upon service provider credit. See order page for complete details. Not valid for upgrades. Offer good only in the USA and may not be available in all markets. Early Termination fee applies. Activation fee and applicable taxes extra.

Anyway, it struck me as interesting enough to pop another Friday message at you. Enjoy!

No, not here!
But, apparently, coming soon in the form of assorted free Office suite packages. According to this article on eWeek, all the happy-go-lucky Mac users out there who are looking for a free replacement for Microsoft Office will have alternatives shortly. Um, actually, I thought there was one already… (*cough* “OpenOffice” *cough*)
Okay, actually, the article admits that there is such an animal, but apparently the average Mac user doesn’t want to install XWindows to run a free office suite. Not sure why, since that should be free, too, but, then I’ve never gotten a good “picture to reality” chart for the Mac interface. Oh, and it won’t be quite “free” either. It’ll be $49, which is practically free compared to the cost of a full, non-upgrade copy of MS Office for Mac.
Or, you could just learn how to install XWindows and OpenOffice.

Well, I’m off to Louisiana! Be good while I’m gone!

Oh, Mr. Cruise, what were you thinking?
It must have been those pesky Thetans, eh? Did you see this crazy interview with Tom Cruise and Mat Lauer? Basically, Mr. Cruise says that psychiatry doesn’t work because, empirical evidence aside, biochemical imbalances in the brain don’t exist. Instead, Mr. Cruise asserted that we should somehow get to the “root of the problem” and use vitamins instead of anti-depressants. Hmm, interesting. So, we’re not supposed to believe in a scientific method of behavior modification, but we are supposed to believe in posession.
After all, isn’t that what you call it when disembodied spirits inhabit a physical lifeform? And, what are those nasty Thetans, Tommy? Yeah, disembodied spirits that we’re supposed to exorcise, or “clear”, so that we can get on with our life unimpeded. In a nutshell, then, we’re supposed to ignore hundreds of years of empirical, scientific progress and return to the Middle Ages. Well, lawyers do say that posession is 9/10ths of the law, but I don’t think this is what they had in mind.

Now, I believe in “things unseen” and a spiritual world, but I don’t think that these things directly interact with my life. Certainly, not in the sense that I’d be posessed by Thetans that make me miserable. People make themselves plenty miserable without any help from invisible beasties! Honestly, much of my personal philosophy about how God works in the world comes from Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People, which was written by a Rabbi. It may not be the hardline Christian point of view, but then, I’ve never been a very good hardline Christian, either. I think it was growing up in a Jewish neighborhood. Anyway, my point is that I’d rather rely on REAL science for help than some wacky pseudoreligion, invented by a science-fiction writer, that happens to have “science” in the name.

And, think about this, L. Ron Hubbard has been quoted in Science Fictionisms as saying:

“Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.” –L. Ron Hubbard, Founder of Scientology

Now, do what few Scientologists would ask you to do, make up your own mind.

Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us."
   --Helen Keller

Today is the birthday of UNIVAC.
According to Writer’s Almanac, it was on this day in 1951 the world’s first commercially produced computer was unveiled. UNIVAC, as it was known, weighed eight tons, used 5,000 vacuum tubes, and cost a quarter million dollars. But it could perform a thousand calculations per second, the fastest rate in the world at the time. The first one was bought by the U.S. Census Bureau. Not a big surprise, I guess, considering that no one else at the time had any idea what to use a computer for, besides quickly tabulating large numbers.
I remember a Troop Leader in Boy Scouts who worked on computers like this. He talked about the first “portable” calulators which were the size of laptops today, were filled with vacuum tubes, and could only add, subtract, multipy and divide. We’ve come a long way, baby! Now, we’ve got pretty graphics, free operating systems, and giant multi-national corporations all focused on selling us the next machine and suite of applications to go with it. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry and has almost generated a whole new economy. Heck, it’s what makes it possible for you to even read this.
I wonder what the next fifty years will bring in the computer world?

No, trust me, this is really cool.
Okay, Gizmodo had this on their site weeks and weeks ago, but now, you can actually buy it. And, I just may. It’s the VooDoo Knife Holder, and, as I said, it’s for sale, or it will be in June. You can get it here. Though, you have to put down a $20 deposit, according to the article, and you can contact the company who makes it, ViceVersa, at this page, if you can manage the Italian. The total is going to be $40, but, I think it’s worth it for the shock value. And, when I start dating again, it will be a good test of my future wife’s sense of humor. If she doesn’t find the VooDoo Knife Holder amusing, she won’t be my future wife.

Anyway, it’s been another crazy week and we all made it to Friday, so go ahead and click the link. You know you want to do it!

No, I don’t have a girlfriend.
No, I met the “Senior Partner” from Louisiana today. Apparently, he’s done some checking up on me with former employers. He mentioned Kirby by name and talked about people in management there. Not sure who he talked to, but they seemed to have liked me okay because he said they had nice things to say. Sort of interesting, considering the somewhat dubious circumstances under which I left that job. Well, I guess I did better at not burning bridges there than I thought! Yea for me!
I’ve been doing a lot of research into moving from Windows NT to some version of Linux this week. It actually might be easier than I thought. For one thing, I’ve been looking at Novell’s Linux solutions and they have several options, all of which use a migration tool that seems workable. It’s actually a Windows server “consolidation” utility which they meant for admins to use as a way of merging several Windows servers into fewer Novell servers. It sounded a little clunky, but it was free with the software. The other option was something called LSP from DAS Technology. LSP Pro, which showed on the site as costing $500 per instance, would migrate everything for me, automatically, and also add management tools for the long term. Not a bad option and it would be an easy upgrade to RedHat. I think I could make that work, if I can convince them to spend the money.

In other, totally unrelated news, I took my dog for a walk just a few minutes ago. She was so scardey of the little, tiny dog that we met I thought she was going to wet herself. Some fierce watchdog I’ve got. Ah, well, at least she’s lovable and always happy to see me when I get home. It’s the best unconditional love I’ve gotten since I left my parent’s house. I miss my mommy sometimes. I really ought to investigate those dog parks I wrote about some time ago. I just haven’t had the time with all the chaos in my life. Ah, well, one day soon it will all calm down. I hope.