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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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August 26, 2002 - Updates at 0952 EDT
Good morning. I'm sitting here in the office at work, but I'm not really here... that is, I'm not on the clock yet. I just came in for the bandwidth. Of course, I've had a conversation or two which might be construed as work related, but that's the price I pay for a fat pipe this morning.
Today I've just got a couple of meetings, and some scheduling to do. Then I'll head home and do some more chores. Also I've got to fit in a Costco run this week, now that we have a fridge worthy of the name. Ah, well. Not much else to report - I still haven't caught up with the world. If Comcast comes through tomorrow then I'll make a good start at it.
See you later, perhaps.
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August 27, 2002 - Updates at 0812
Good morning. No work at the office for me today. Instead I'll putter around here, clean up the un-used dining room, etc. And maybe, just maybe, we'll have a broadband connection worthy of the name before the day is out. I did get the Comcast automated appointment wizard calling me last night, confirming the appointment and my ability to be here during the scheduled time. "Please hang up if you will be at home during the appointment time, otherwise press one..." Of course, that's not the same as a warm body out here, hooking things up and ... boy, I sure hope they aren't set up so that only Windows software permits connection to their system. I said "NO Windows here!" several times during the order placement process.
Here's a fun article about the dangers of sharing ... rides. I know, it's not a comparison to sharing copyrighted works illegally, but it's funny all the same. An excerpt:
"These 'pool pirates are depriving Ford of rightful income. Three sometimes four people are sharing rides. Less wear and tear on the cars means fewer new car purchases. That's revenue that's being robbed from Ford."
Let's see what else is new... Caldera morphs into SCO group, still supports Linux (well, UnitedLinux, anyway). Found on Linux and Main, New MSFT license provision may force Windows users to buy extra licenses...
"I don't think Microsoft has any ethics or recognizes any law," he [the unnamed OEM officer] said.
...
What is the alternative?
"There isn't one, unless everyone all of a sudden switches to Linux or something. If you look at the licensing tricks they're trying to pull, you very quickly understand that there is nothing they wouldn't do to make a buck. That and gain control."
Yes, Brian, but what about Linux, when are you going to do something with Linux? And I've been ignoring LinuxMuse, too. Well, not ignoring as such, but really, really busy, then too tired to even think straight. The light is on at the end of the tunnel, though, whether or not broadband happens here. I have avenues for getting downloads, and I can always order CDR sets cheaply from LSL or Cheapbytes. I'll get rolling here shortly, after the Labor Day weekend.
See you soon, with news of the upgrade around here.
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August 28, 2002 - Updates at 0720
Good morning. Wooooo Hooooo! We have achieved fat pipe. I'm maxing out at about 375 kilobytes/second. That's not shabby. I can pull an ISO image from a good source in under 35 minutes at that speed. Just for fun testing purposes, I grabbed all five discs of the Red Hat beta, Null, last night. I set all five downloads to running simultaneously after 2300. All done this morning. How nice! And this means that this is the first post in over a month from Goldfinger. I've been working almost completely from Gryphon the Acer Travelmate, so it's really nice to be back on something larger, faster, and more comfortable to use (keyboard, screen, etc). I'll do some upstream testing this evening. Today I've got a full day of work to attend to. About the connection, from Mike Kelley
Subject: Comcast & Linux
Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 06:50:12 -0700 (PDT)Brian,
I run Comcast HS Internet, and at one point I was running Linux on a box at my home office. Their setup for Linux is odd and one they don't support. I wound up using their self install kit and inisitally setting up via Windows 2000. After that I moved my network cable to a Linksys router so I could run Linux, OS X, or Windows. I just plugged my settings into the router setup and it has worked without problems for months.
Thanks,
Mike Kelley
weblog.mkelley.net
Thanks for the pointers, Mike. I'm sure I can make something work, especially now that I've heard that you were successful.
And that turned out mostly to be the case. I plugged the one or two settings into the Sohoware Broadguard Gateway/Hub, and connectivity came right up. The Comcast techs left, and the fun started. I was getting LOTS of dropped packets. After a couple of hours fooling around, I found this: a required upgrade for the Sohoware equipment, for Comcast connections post the @Home demise. Once I managed to upgrade the firmware (an adventure in itself and one I don't have time for just now), everything just plain worked.
It's raining now, and should continue for the next several days. School just started here, so the buses are freshly on the road, too. And I've got an hour's drive one third of the way around the beltway and up the 270 to Gaithersburg. I'd best be getting to it. More later, as time permits. Take care!
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August 29, 2002 - Updates at 0811
Good morning. I was asked to think about Iraq and war the other day, when I got several copies of the MoveOn.org missive from people, including a couple of family members. The Iraqi regime is clearly not one fit to live under... only on top of. However, as a nation, our responsibility is to protect ourselves, and our allies under treaty. That's it. Saddam is a nutcase, but so far as we can tell, his people and his "administration" weren't directly involved in the acts of terrorism on our soil. If you want to point fingers there, forget the Taliban, they're history. Look to the House of Saud... There goes argument one for war with Iraq. Next, Saddam is defying UN weapons inspection teams. Um, well. We have those weapons, don't we? Yes he's a nutcase, but he hasn't actually used any of these weapons that we say that he might have. Last I looked, we don't lock people up here for what they might do. Why should it be acceptable to take that step on an international scale? Finally, how can we justify the gross deficit spending necessary to prosecute this war? Our economy needs a boost, not a drain. We can't afford this war. How about we just continue our current course? Keep the sanctions up. Eventually, the country will implode. If it explodes, then much of the civilized world will stand with us, we'll retain what little moral high ground we have, and others will help bear the economic cost.
Just up the road from us, back in 1999, Judge Durke Thompson issued an order allowing a convicted sexual abuser to have contact with his stepdaughter. His victim. It has come to light that the girl, now 15 years old, gave birth last November. Here's a link to one story, and a choice excerpt:
The judge said he's not responsible for people committing crimes after he makes a decision.
I beg to differ. I think the judge ought to suffer whatever fate that the menace to society, a man named Sidney Richardson, is set to. In the same cell. Turned into a bitch with pretty lips by the same group of large lifers that take their fun with Sid. And of course, if what I've heard is true, that child abusers don't last long in the general population of most facilities for incarceration, put the judge out there with Sid, and let their peers decide their fate. What more could an American judge ask for, than a jury of his peers?
Okay. Good news time. For those of you who've been patiently waiting, not for me to start up properly again, but for Marcia to start posting ... well, she has. A brand new long Musings for your enjoyment.
On the Linux front, not much action for me yet. But the good news is that I'm back. I've got the 5 disc set of the Red Hat Null Beta burnt to CD-R, ready to rock-n-roll. Depending on time constraints, I'll start an install and a write up for LinuxMuse, which has not had enough of my attention since Marcia and I started this move thing. I'm not working today, so I'll be doing the final stack of chores that were to occupy last night and tonight, including bathing the dog, a quick swipe around the house with a vacuum, parceling out the meat from a Costco run for freezing, and assorted other bits. Then I can play work with computers again, if I still have enough energy.
Now, off to the races. See you around.
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August 30, 2002 - Updates at 0715
Howdy. First, a second notice - those of you kind souls who were just reading over here while waiting for my civilized and lovely Marcia to start posting again, your day has come - She's baaaaaaaaack! Well, yesterday's post drew some email, wooo hooo! There are better thinkers and many more knowledgeable people than I on matters international, not to mention those with the facilities for critical thinking, which I am so sorely lacking. Steve DeLassus chimed in early...
Subject: Iraq and all that
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 12:57:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve DeLassusHey, Brian. Before your big move, I was going to email to talk (or commiserate) about some things we had in common: gardening, losing a job, wondering at M$, fun with Linux, etc. But, alas, my schedule became much like yours: busy.
In any case, your post for today (8/29) got me thinking. I agree with you on a variety of topics, but I can't reconcile your reasoning on Iraq. By point:
- Iraq pays the families of Palestinian terrorists for their sons' (and daughters') homicide attacks. Abu Nidal chilled out in Iraq. Reports indicate that some Al Qaeda leaders are doing so as well. While we don't have direct proof of an Iraqi link to 9/11, it's obvious that Saddam runs a terrorist state. Ergo, by Bush's doctrine, Iraq is a valid target, even outside of the whole UN inspector debacle. Is that alone enough to attack Iraq? Pretty close for me...
- Yes, we have WMDs, and the world should be damn happy we do. History has shown we've been loathe to use our nukes; when we did, we ended a war. MAD held the USSR in check until it collapsed under the weight of communism. Saddam, on the other hand, has no problem gassing his own people. Kinda shows he's willing to push a few red buttons. And he has a missile program. So your argument that he just *might* use WMDs is a bit thin. But it also contradicts your statements on the sexual abuser who was let free. If Sidney Richardson would commit his crime again, why not someone who's killed thousands? Why should we allow either criminal the opportunity to do it again?
I agree that we don't lock up people for what they might do - in the US. But this is the world stage, not a US courtroom; there are many sets of conflicting rules, not just one. And Saddam is not a shoplifter; he's an aggressor whose actions have bordered on genocide.
- Indeed, there is a cost for waging war, but if anything, history has shown that wars stimulate economies (unless, of course, you lose). That, of course, is not a reason unto itself to wage war.
Iraq is not Russia; we can't play Cold War with a madman and wait him out. Rumsfield actually said something intelligent the other day. :) He asked what would have happened if Hitler had been stopped before he started his march across Europe. How many millions would have been saved? With Saddam, it's not a question of whether he has the stomach or the desire to do something horrible. He already has. The question is: when will he do it again?
So ends my rant. I regret that my first email to you seems argumentative, because I think we have more in common than not. :) And while our opinions may differ on this topic, I do respect yours.
Perhaps in a future exchange, we can hit the more pleasant topics. :) Cheers!
Steve
Hi, Steve.
On Thursday 29 August 2002 15:57, you wrote:
> ...busy.It's not just a job, it's an adventure.
> In any case, your post for today (8/29) got me thinking. I agree with you
> on a variety of topics, but I can't reconcile your reasoning on Iraq. By
> point:You expect me to actually reason coherently? Before my first cup of coffee? I really do write these things each morning, when I arise, often before ANYTHING else. The good news is that the socks match, but they don't go with the shorts or the little umbrella sticking out of my left ear. However, tomorrow I can cheat, and post this.
> - Iraq pays the families of Palestinian terrorists for their sons' (and
> daughters') homicide attacks....Well, we're chiding Israel for warring on the Palestinians. But then everything we do (as a nation) conflicts with some other policy. Sigh.
> ...Why should we allow either criminal the
> opportunity to do it again?Agreed. But I *really* think that we need him to become excursionary again to do anything more than keeping the borders closed, and putting a price on his head. Let the Iraquis do the dirty work for us.
> ... he's an aggressor whose actions have bordered on genocide.
Native Americans.
> - Indeed, there is a cost for waging war, but if anything, history has > shown that wars stimulate economies (unless, of course, you lose).
Japan.
> That, of course, is not a reason unto itself to wage war.
Well, sure it is. Wag the dog, war-style.
> So ends my rant. I regret that my first email to you seems argumentative,
> because I think we have more in common than not. :) And while our opinions
> may differ on this topic, I do respect yours.Well. I'm not fully clear yet. My head strongly believes that waging war with Iraq, on their ground, would be a mistake. Maybe it's just my liberal upbringing. But... like Han Solo, I've got a bad feeling about this.
My gut, OTOH, would be happy with picking up Israel and plopping it down in Southern California (they'll be happier there, and I won't miss SoCal at all). Then we can just turn the whole middle east into a nuclear test field. In a hundred years or so, we can go in and setup our own oil rigs on the glassy plain, once it's cooled off (radioactively speaking). Send them all to Allah and they can be happy together. But that's only the evil Kirk speaking...
I am of two or more minds. And to me, prudence says that if I can't be sure, I should not go. It's like executing someone. You have to be sure, because you can't take it back. But then, I'm not making the decision, just contributing my confused two-cents worth.
> Perhaps in a future exchange, we can hit the more pleasant topics. :)
If it's not controversial, then what fun is it? Heck, I think I'll throw over this whole Linux thing and go buy full-rate copies of every piece of Microsoft software there is, one for each computer that I own, and some for computers I might own in the future. I sure don't want Bill G. to go hungry...
***> Please kill me, I'm trapped in here <***heh.
Then a family member chimed in with many of the same points, including our current weapons status (we're almost out of a lot of munitions important to any prosecution of war in Iraq, according to some reports), and interesting to me, closed with a paragraph or two that read like Pournelle to me:
[much snipped. Ed]There are a bunch of unsettling things taking place. Makes one long for the cold war. Not much seems "right" these days.
Beats the hell out of me. I am not real proud of being an American these days. I suppose there is someone out there picking seditious keywords from the email stream. Have at it Mr. Ashcroft.
Parts of my reply were as follows:
You make many valid points. I will admit to making that post before my morning coffee, in fact right after I got out of bed, and there was some decidedly fuzzy stuff there, and I'm personally fuzzy about the whole thing. I trust the government not at all, but don't have any better options to offer. That's not a comfortable position for me.
Look at it this way: I signed the petition. That was your goal, was it not?
[... repetative nuclear musing elided ...]
But that's just my visceral reaction, still. I am of many minds, and thus cautiously not for a war in which I cannot put my heart. However, I would happily put Ashcroft and his thugs out on the street in a heartbeat. Makes me wish that Pat Paulson were still around. I'd vote for him this time...
I could put the Political Correctness baby out with the Bush Administration bathwater, too. Profile the bastards. If some tall white dude with a beard does a bank robbery in Bowie, I'd expect to be stopped and questioned. I don't expect that the police will be pulling over granny because we're not going to *just* question tall white dudes, eh?
mmm...
And let me clarify one thing. Steve's missive is leaning towards action, the latter is pointed in the opposite direction. What I am concerned about is how easy it is to find good, solid moral (at least on some terms), technical and economic arguments for both sides of this debate. What's an ostrich to do?
Oh, OK. Here's some pictures of the house. No thumbnails as I have no patience at this moment. I did try an installation of Red Hat Null in a VMware jail. That didn't work nicely. First off, it wouldn't detect the VMware mock video card and 640x480 monitor. I wonder why not. SuSE's capable... So I threw the beta at Garcia, which has been sitting lonely since Goldfinger the Dual Athlon MP arrived. Pretty, and some neat new features, as well as some interesting decisions made by the RH crew. More about that soon.
Meanwhile, I've got a busy day ahead working at my now standard Friday customer site over in Montgomery county, about an hour's drive. And by the time I get home, our guests should be arriving. I'd best be rolling.
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August 31, 2002 - Updates at 0800
Good morning. Sally woke us up early, barking at the closed guest room door. I guess we're all up for the day now. And tonight we're having lobster for supper. Yummy. In between, I dunno yet. The girls are going shopping, so ??? More when I know more, eventually. Later!
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September 01, 2002 - Updates at 1330
Hullo. Dinner last night was brilliant. Lobster is so good, and it's been a long time. Everyone else was up early, and I slept in until nearly 0930. It's raining here, and been so fairly steadily for about 15 hours. Apparently this is long overdue, so that's a good thing. To tide you over on this Sunday, while we decide how to occupy our afternoon, here's some email and some links...
Subject: RH null & VMWare
From: Dave Markowitz
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 12:45:40 -0400Brian,
I had the same problem as you with trying to install Red Hat null inside a VMWare virtual machine, although this was on my XP laptop with an S3 Twister video card. SuSE 7.3 handled the same setup without any problems, but then SuSE has the best video detection and configuration of any Linux distro I've tried.
And then there was this one, laying fallow in my to-do stack...
Free SFTP and SSH clients for Windows
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 20:07:23 +0200
From: David ThorarinssonHi Brian,
Just reading through your past notes after coming back from vacation....
You can find a free SFTP client for Windows that works well at http://winscp.vse.cz/eng/ and you can find a free SSH client for Windows at http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/. They are free so spread the word and put them to use!!
Good luck with the move.
/Dave T.
Even with the weather, we're having fun. Hope you are too, see you later!
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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.
