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Welcome to Orb Graffiti, a place for me to write daily about life and computers. Contrary to popular belief, the two are not interchangeable. EMAIL - I publish email sometimes. If you send me an email and you want privacy or anonymity, please say so clearly at the beginning of your message..
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May 06, 2001 - Updates at 0700,
1423
Good Morning. My organizational skills this morning are in the dump bin, ready to take to the tip. I've been sitting here looking through my email and a few standard websites for something irritating, a grain of sand around which to form this pearl of a post. Instead, this likely resembles some misshapen lump, an anamorphous solid of ill-determined nature. Maybe I just need more caffeine to match the early hour.
I'm fighting through the OpenOffice 1.0 Writer review, against MS Word. There's such a lot to cover, and really more similarities. But I'm looking hard for the little gotchas that'll trip an unsuspecting user. When the interfaces are fairly similar (well, they'd have to be, wouldn't they), it is the small differences that make up the transitioning user's mind about how good OpenOffice is going to be. And change is hard, people don't like change (well, most people don't like change). Anyway, I'd best get busy. There's a job or two to look into, some writing to be done, and more. I'll have some garden pics up, and a shot of the extension table I built for Marcia's sewing machine up later today, or tomorrow morning.
In the meantime, check out LinuxMuse, and see what's been going on. We're talking about distributions, SuSE 8.0 travails and more. I'll see you around. Take care!
Oh, sorry, I just remembered. I did get a burr under my saddle yesterday. As we wandered through Costco, I was drawn to a display with some compilation CD's, including Billy Joel and Journey. Both 2 CD sets, something like The Essential Billy Joel. I picked it up, looked at the song list and thought to myself, "How cool! All my favorite songs." I took two steps, then thought, turned around, and put the CDs down, thinking to myself: Fucking RIAA. I will NOT support them. I will NOT! But I hate that they force me to this. I don't download music, and I didn't use Napster, or Gnomster or any other ...ster that I can think of. But I so extremely annoyed by their money-grubbing, unfair to artist and customers alike ways that I just can't. I haven't bought a single disc of recorded music since they've started all this folderol. I wanted that music in my collection. Billy Joel, Steve Perry? You listening to me? I can't buy your music because I hate the record companies. They won't listen to me. Maybe they'll listen to you! Bah!!!
1423 - Everybody, say hello to Ralf. Ralf, say Hi! Oh, right you already did that with your non-spamming email, all four of them that appeared in my mailbox over a two minute span this afternoon with (almost) all of your contact information in it. I had to go to your website (at http://www.atecsubsystems.com/) to get the 800 number (1-800-874-5228). I sure am glad I called and spoke with you directly, Ralf. You confirmed that your firm was indeed the originator of the emails in question, selling large lots of IBM hard drives. Thanks for the email, Ralf! I think it's time I started making a living off of spammers - turn about is fair play, is it not?
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Mon, 6 May 2002 13:23:00 -0700
Reply-To:
From:
To:
Subject: For Sale
Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 13:22:59 -0700
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000
Message-ID:
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 06 May 2002 20:23:00.0231 (UTC) FILETIME=[D10DE970:01C1F53B]
please forward to purchasing:
IBM DDYS 07N3255
9 GB 10K RPM 1" 80 pin
price : US$ 69,00
price : US$ 72,00 with 80-68 connector 1"
1 year warranty
2000 units
Min. order 480 units
NEW Factory sealed in IBM boxes
Ralf H Heiss
GM A-Tec Subsystems Inc
18261 Enterprise Lane
HB CA 92648 USA
www.atecsubsystems.com
P: 714 848 3599 x29
F: 714 848 9679
C: 714 608 6018 (cell and pager)
For IT Alliance customer: use [email protected]
AOL IM ralfiiii
This email can not be considered spam as long as we include: Contact
information & remove instructions. This message is being sent to you in
compliance with the current Federal legislation for commercial e-mail
H.R.4176 - SECTION 101Paragraph(e)(1)(A))
AND Bill s.1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress. Not
reponsible for typographical errors.
Availability of product subject to change. Further transmissions to you
may be stopped by replying back with the word "REMOVE" in the subject line
of the E-mail which was sent.
Of course, Ralf. I know that times are tough and that you really are just trying to make a buck. But you're making a buck on my nickel, and I'm gonna start taking my nickels back. Reply to be removed? Smart geeks know that replying to spam just validates their email address anyway, giving you a list of verified names to sell on for a much larger sum than you paid for the original list. Besides, it's tough to reply, when the reply-to address doesn't exist, Ralf. How do I know that?
bilbrey@grendel:~$ host -t mx atec-2000.com
atec-2000.com does not exist (Authoritative answer)
Well, that just about covers that, doesn't it, Ralf. I do thank you for dropping me a line. I always appreciate email, and if my new spam-into-money enterprise really takes off, then I'll be grateful to you for setting me on the road to riches.
Top / Email Brian
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May 07, 2002 - Updates at 0615
Howdy. There's a lot to do today, and plenty of time, from this vantage. But it always seems to slip away too quickly, that time stuff, doesn't it. First, let me check my email and see if I've gotten any fresh email from my new friend Ralf (see yesterday afternoon's post). Nope, no more of that email. Once things settle down from Marcia's surgery tomorrow, I'll write a letter to Ralf letting him know that I plan on making use of California's Anti-Spam laws as a profit centre.
We went to Marcia's pre-op appointment with the surgeon yesterday. He's a good guy, and recommended by friends of Marcia's from work. All the meds are in order, we got a bit more blood work done yesterday, it looks like everything's a go for tomorrow. I'm still a bit preoccupied, however, so I'll wrap this post up. Maybe I'll be back later, when something else gets under my skin. TTFN.
Top / Email Brian
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May 08, 2002 - Updates at 0532
Good morning. Surgery day for Marcia's knee. Updates later. See ya!
Top / Email Brian
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May 09, 2002 - Updates at 0840
Good morning. I've been a bit awake since 0430, up and around since 0630, but only now settled enough to get you an update. Sorry for the delay... Marcia's well, thanks. She was at her desk in the home office, working, shortly after 6. She managed about two hours before she retired to the couch to get her leg and knee above heart height. Now she's ensconced with 47 pillows, a cell phone, pad and pen, awaiting an 0900 conference call.
Marcia's surgery yesterday went well, although there was more damage than showed on the films. Aside from the known cartilege work, the probable meniscus tear and lateral release (both there, and done), there was also a ligament tear or two. It's all gussied up now, but that much work is a pretty heavy insult to the knee (most especially the lateral release). We've got the first follow-up appointment this afternoon, to change the dressing, manipulate the knee and so forth.
I haven't given much time to the reviews I've been writing, or the LinuxMuse boards, and I may not for another couple of days. While Marcia is getting around on her crutches fairly nimbly, there's still quite a bit of fetch'n'step work that needs doing for my love. I'll get back into the groove soon, though, never fret.
Now I'd best get on with my day. See y'all soon, and thanks for all the kind words of encouragement and support that we've received over the past days.
Top / Email Brian
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May 10, 2002 - Updates at 0810
Good morning and Happy Friday! Marcia's doing well, doing her exercises, icing and elevation. So am I, more or less. We're a little low on sleep, since getting up several times in the middle of the night is a two person process, yet. And there's a lot of little things that need doing, none of which I begrudge. I'll be back in force online when the time comes. Thanks for your consideration and support.
Take heed: Bob Thompson is transitioning his sites over to a new server (Rocket, the same box that serves Greg and I up to you). However, the DNS propogation beat Bob to the punch, and you're likely to have a bit of a lag finding him online. I spoke with him earlier today and he should be up and running shortly, once Frontpage finishes munging his pages into their new structure for him.
Now to go assist in the first exercise set of the day. Take it easy!
Top / Email Brian
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May 11, 2002 - Updates at 1000
Good morning. I remain as busy as a beaver with dental problems, and very little time for things computational. I've got a bite of breakfast to have yet, and get started on a variety of chores. I might return later, and I also hope to get some progress in on the OpenOffice 1.0 Writer overview for LinuxMuse. Thanks again for your patience. Oh, and hang in there, we'll have some big news early next week.
Take care.
Top / Email Brian
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May 12, 2002 - Updates at 0845
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!
Today is a special day to celebrate having a mum. It's only us larger mammals (I'm implying more than just us humans) that tend to have "relationships" extending more than a few days past birth with our parents, which I find a little astonishing in hindsight. After all, childbirth is supposed to feel like passing a stone the size of a bowling ball, it's a wonder any of us survived past 5 minutes. She must have been too tired to throttle us just then.
Later on, of course, the wonders of self-denial and the softening effects of time allow human mothers to keep their young around long after most other mammals have shown their offspring the highway. We piddle on things (and people), are destructive to things (and people), and apparently are just entirely either annoying or endearing, sometimes simultaneously. Writing as not-a-parent, I'm told that parenthood is a timeless struggle between the conflicting forces of pride and homicidal mania, and that it's a mark of some sort that most of us survive to "leave the nest".
I've made my mum proud more than once, and I've broken her heart more than once. Through it all, I know that she loves me. I sure know that I love her. Happy Mother's Day!
Yesterday I managed to get in nearly an hour of working time on the OpenOffice 1.0 Writer article for LinuxMuse. At this rate, I might finish it sometime in the current decade. I know, I'm just blowing off steam - my love needs a lot of my help right now, and I begrudge her not a single moment of it. Priorities are.
Marcia is doing quite well, actually. She's moving about a little easier, doing her exercises with less pain in the knee, and the swelling is again noticably down today. I've got a number of chores and some shopping to get to, so I'd best leave this off here. I'll make it back when I can. Take care!
Top / Email Brian
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Next Week
Visit the rest of the DAYNOTES GANG, a collection of bright minds and sharp wits. Really, I don't know why they tolerate me <grin>. My personal inspiration for these pages is Dr. Jerry Pournelle. I am also indebted to Bob Thompson and Tom Syroid for their patience, guidance and feedback. Of course, I am sustained by and beholden to my lovely wife, Marcia. You can find her online too, at http://www.dutchgirl.net/. Thanks for dropping by.
All Content Copyright © 1999-2002 Brian P. Bilbrey.
