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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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November 04, 2002 - Updates at 0715 EDT
Good morning. I'm running on plus time, and have a busy day in front of me, so I'll slight you for now, and make it up at a later date. If you didn't see, then check yestereday's post for pictures of the new PDA, a Sharp Zaurus SL-5500. So far I've worked with the stock software package, an independent one called Crow, and a highly organized Debian-based distribution called OpenZaurus. It's a powerful small tool with nice features and a lot to learn about it. I'm doing my experimenting early because I want to settle on something, then actually have a useful PDA thereafter. What a concept.
Now I must gird for battle with the Exchange server that my client is having such trouble with. Happy Monday!
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November 05, 2002 - Updates at 0700
Good morning. Those of you lucky folks watching the webcam at 1630 yesterday afternoon were treated to the usual odd sights. In this case, it was me having a pair of chocolate brownies (Ghirardelli, if you must know), balanced out by a Diet 7up. Now, steady readers of course will know that my main four food groups are sucrose, glucose, fructose and caffeine. Of course, when I'm in a Science Fiction mood, galactose also makes the list. Yes, really: Galactose. Of course, for those of you with more, um, normal food groups, there's always the perfect food: Pizza. A meat lover's special generally has grains (crust), dairy (cheese), vegetables (tomato sauce), and enough meat to send you over the edge into protein shock. And for those of you who voted for mushrooms on the darned thing: Let me tell you that fungus is not on ANY list of food groups that I subscribe to. Yeah, cheese is a bacterial reaction, and dough rises from yeast, but fungii are right out.
On the Exchange front, I tried a few obvious and not so obvious things. Best of all, the clients are online with their email again. That took a while to extricate each LookOut client from the clutches of Mother. The OST files on each workstation don't have any contents, as they've never done any synchronization for working offline. And who can blame them: these are stationary workstations. I think I'm going to have to go pick up Paul Robichaux's Managing Microsoft Exchange Server. That and give it a quick read to help us determine if I should even try to tackle this project myself, or find some Exchange pro's to put in a quick assist. That reminds me that I should drop Paul a line and ask his opinion directly. I still need to have that book around though, these aren't the only customers with Exchange painting them into a corner.
We have bunches of sirens wailing around town this morning, and a couple of engines went by the house just now. I imagine that we've got a bad road accident, or a fire someplace. And it appears from the news that traffic this morning might be particularly hairy. I'd best be going. Later folks. Now, go VOTE!
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November 06, 2002 - Updates at 0730
Good morning. You'll excuse me if I don't get up. I'm afflicted by some bug or another that brought me home to nap in a dark room with a screaming headache by midday yesterday. I didn't sleep much last night, with a light fever and muscle/joint aches. So I'll take today as well. I also just noticed that I never moved the current pointer on this page from Monday to Tuesday, yesterday morning. Sorry.
Well, it would appear that W has his rubberstamp Congress just about ready to rock and roll, as at least one Democrat's seat was lost. The final tally may have the GOP holding a two or three seat margin. That's a pretty big swing, and a strong, if sideways, stamp of approval of the Republican agenda. As with any of the genus Politician, I agree with a few of their stands, and disagree with most. I don't prefer Democrats particularly either - Voting on party lines has always seemed like a cop out to me. How about voting for what you believe? How about representing your constituents? Ah well. Having a split congress was, I think, good for the nation. We'll see how things shape up over the next two years.
One thing that fuddles me is the news from Wall Street. One day, stocks are down on worries about war with Iraq. This morning the headline reads, "Wall St. Set to Cheer Republican Gains". Have they forgotten that this is a sealing of the doom? Oh, right, I forgot, this is Wall Street, the only geographic area with a stronger base of Willing Suspension of Disbelief than exists in Hollywood.
I think I'll go rest now. Take it easy... I will.
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November 07, 2002 - Updates at 0715
Well. I am apparently much more rested, having spent more time prone in the last couple of days than I have in a year or two. I'm pretty sure I feel better, too. Wrung out, but better. I guess that it wasn't plague, then, was it? Heh. Lot's to do, from trash out this morning, to a full day of work. I've got most of KDE 3.1 RC2 installed here on Goldfinger - That was something I could do without having to be in attendance. Even better, for long emerge processes like that, attendance is contra-indicated. So I set it running, and walked away. That served two purposes. It updated my software, and used my machine so that I couldn't, a good thing since I rested as I was supposed to. Konqueror is much repaired over the beta versions.
Let's see. Over 60 emails unread in the box this morning, any of interest? Well, yes, but only if I want perfect skin, and changes to several other body parts, to make heaps of money from home, and even more heaps of money by helping South Africaaners and Nigerians transfer money out of their country. I tell you three times: The Internet is the new land of Opportunity. Don't miss out, time is short. Oh, right, that was just the spam folder. Spam Assassin has marked all of those for me, and Evolution just filters them into the correct mark-all-and-delete folder for me. The other mail is a collection of mailing list stuff from assorted LUGs, a few development lists, and other fun stuff. About 110 of those, and I don't have time just now.
Indeed, I'd best organize myself and hit the road. See you later.
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November 08, 2002 - Updates at 0715
I felt fine when I got up yesterday morning. Really, I did. I got into the office and started settling into my day when I was told that, effectively, I looked like hell. By the time I'd spent three hours in the office, and three hours onsite for a customer, I simply had to agree that I felt the way I supposedly looked. I'll just have to see how today goes. I am going to try to be conservative about energy expenditure and so on. In other news, we're working on a new venture, Greg and I. I don't think that we are quite ready to pull the covers off, but it looks like a bit of work and a bit of fun. Of course, the last couple of days, I certainly haven't been of much use.
Enough blithering here for now. I'm sorry, but my head's still not screwed on right, and I really ought to reserve my super-powers for the paying customers today, in case there isn't enough to go around. To tide you over, why not spend some time cat bowling? See you around!
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November 09, 2002 - Updates at 0845
Good morning. And finally, it appears as if it might indeed be a good morning. I slept well, and through the night. No massively odd dreams, waking up seventeen-squillion times or any other disturbances that I can remember. My coffee is starting to soak in, the first CDRs of the day are starting to burn, and I've got a busy day planned. Here's the list of things that I can work on today:
There's also a shower or two in there someplace, as it's likely that one or more of those tasks will cause me to break into at least a mild sweat. Could I get all of that done today? Probably. Is it bloody likely? I don't think so. But it's good to make lists once in a while. Okay, the third disk is merrily writing, I'd best get into that list.
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November 10, 2002 - Updates at 0848
Good morning. So, out of yesterday's list, there was just one item that got no attention at all: the car. Getting 7.1 up to date, pulling an IP from Comcast, and starting to install the software took up the bulk of the afternoon and evening. I know that many of you have the same question that Tom called me with yesterday. Why in Oberon's name are we installing RedHat 7.1. Wasn't that the reviled version of the distribution, the one with a broken GCC and other challenges? Well, yes. But what we're doing is building a testbed that replicates one of our public servers, as closely as possible. And that machine started out as a 7.1 machine. So that's why.
The laundry got done: I put two loads in, Marcia finished it out over the course of the afternoon. In the morning, I cleaned and vacuumed upstairs, and got all the screens up and storm windows down, as well. Later today I'll perhaps do the same thing downstairs. I moved the lights around in here, and I started working with Varicad to do layouts for my new desk. Ah. So that's two things I didn't get to... The Zaurus got no attention at all. Of course, nor did the thin client computer that I've brought home from one of our customer sites to experiment with. Sally, with her usual aplomb, put the day to perhaps the best use of all, as you can see to the right. The cutest part is the way the tip of her tongue hangs out when she sleeps, sometimes.
We were going to go downtown today. However, between our just getting over whatever bug (viral) bit us recently, and the added crowds due to Veteran's Day and the 20th anniversary of the Vietnam War Memorial, we've decided the better part of valor is well served by being homebodies today, with the exception of a run to Safeway and perhaps Costco.
So I'll work on finishing up the United Linux writeup, spend some time on the test server with Greg, relax and nap a bit in the afternoon with my girls, and generally have a Sunday. Maybe I'll even get around to the downstairs carpets and storm windows. We'll see. Have a lovely day.
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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.
