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GRAFFITI -- September 06, 2004 thru September 12, 2004>> Link to the Current Week <<Last Week << Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun >> Next Week Welcome to Orb Graffiti, a place for me to write daily about life and computers. Contrary to popular belief, the two are not interchangeable. About 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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September 6, 2004
1022 - Good morning. I'm a slow starter today. After about 5 hours of strenuous yardwork each of the last two days, I guess I'm due. I've had breakfast, browsed about a bit, and otherwise done very little. But the dogs have stayed energetic over the last few days...
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Speaking of which, (I wasn't, but let's pretend, anyway) it was my brother's birthday on Saturday. Happy Birthday, Pete! I'm not a card person, so didn't send one, and I figured not to bother calling, as he was likely to be at Burning Man. I'll give him a jingle tomorrow, instead.
Yeah, a boring post, I know. I've some herbs to harvest out, a little cleaning to do, and precious little else to occupy my day. I suppose that's good, for a holiday. Happy Labor Day, have a great one!
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September 7, 2004
0823 - Good morning. Already at work, I have a couple of items to remember to you. First up: Magnatune. Run by John Buckman, it's the record label that's not evil. High quality MP3 streams to see what you like, reasonable prices (between $5 and some number in the mid-teens, default $8, you choose how much to pay), and half the selling price goes to the artist. No, they don't carry lots and lots of artists, but what's there is quite good, with some excellent artists, like Beth Quist and Lara Saint John. The classical music section is quite good, too. Check it out, and pass the word. Magnatune is worth patronizing and promoting - they really don't have the budget for advertising. And no, I have no business relationship with Magnatune except as a satisfied repeat customer.
Second up, check out Linux Gazette (at www.linuxgazette.net). The September issue is now up. Additionally, you should know (and pass along) that The Answer Gang (the original Answer Gang) is at LinuxGazette.net. Send your Linux questions to The Answer Gang by following the instructions on the TAG Posting page. The interchanges between you and TAG will get edited for content and published in a future issue, allowing other people to benefit from your Q & A. I've personally had a huge number of my early Linux questions answered either by members of TAG, or by Google giving me back answers from old TAG issues. Highly recommended.
And thus starts a four day work week. I've a lot to accomplish, so I'd best be about it. Have a great day.
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September 8, 2004
No Post.
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September 9, 2004
1820 - Tiny post... So sorry to have missed you the last couple of days. But the nights have been partially filled with not-so-restful sleep, the days - well, let's just say "Wrapped Around The Axle" and be done with it. Oh, and last night I played Myst Uru Complete Chronicles through to completion. Lucy's been sick and is just home from the vet. Other than that, life is fine. Have a good evening, I've got to help Marcia clean up before Girls Night tomorrow night.
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September 10, 2004
0710 - Good morning. It's a good news : bad news sort of morning. The good news is that an offer came in from the publisher a couple of days ago, following the book proposal I put in several weeks ago. The bad news is that it was about a third below what I'd set as my personal requirement for that level of effort. I let the idea roll around in my head for a while, and thought about motivations, sacrifices and whatnot ... and it's not worth my time at the advance as it was offered. I need my minimum number at least, or it's not worth it. So I said so. We'll see what transpires.
The bad news is that my back and arm are pretty sore. The good news is that they're only pretty sore ... I made the turn at the top of the stairs last night shortly after my mini-post, and my feet went out from under me, leading me down the stairs. The second bit of good news is all that practice time bumping on my ass down the carpeted stairs at my grandmother's house paid off, as I managed to actually check my momentum and regain my feet while still on the stairs. The hollar and bump did give Marcia a bit of a fright though... and of course, that was my fault. Argh!
Day before yesterday, I put a new server into play for a client, serving DNS, Apache on port 80, Tomcat4 for a Java application on port 443, and that's it. It's a remodel of a Red Hat 8 box that's been serving admirably, but has issues with security updates going forward. Since FedoraLegacy.org dropped the 7.2 and 8.0 trees at the beginning of summer, I've been converting my remnant RH8 boxen over to Debian at a reasonable clip. Even better, all the packages that I had to install custom on the Red Hat box are all standard distro packages at a good release level in Debian Sarge.
Yesterday I helped debug the applet that runs against the Tomcat server, and dealt with a number of other small-item issues. Today I've got a two-hour customer stop first off, then I'm back at the NERDS office to take care of machines around the place there. So I'd best be about my work. Tonight I'll hide up here while Marcia and the girls from the office whoop it up downstairs. Maybe I'll have some Doom3 fun, or perhaps I'll just putter on the machines. I don't know yet, but anyway you look at it, today is Friday and that's not a bad thing at all. Have a great day!
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September 11, 2004
0949 - Good morning. Today we take a break to remember those Americans who were among the first major casualties in the war upon the US by terrorists. Remember always those who were passengers and crew on those four airplanes - they had time to know their fate. Applaud those people on the Flight 93 who saw what was coming soon enough to fight back, and force the terrorists' hand, so the plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, instead of into the White House, or the US Capitol Building. Remember the men and women who died in the initial impacts of three airplanes into the two World Trade Center towers, and into the Pentagon, and in the soon-to-follow collapse of both Towers. Remember especially those first responders: Police, Fire and Port Authority personnel, who died because they went into the buildings to help save others, and gave their lives as a consequence.
And never, ever forget those bastards who made this happen, bin Laden and others in the world who have done and intend to do more harm. Pay heed to where these people come from, and let there be consequences visited upon those who support, encourage and harbor our enemies. We don't need to make martyrs. We just need to make them dead. It needn't be widely known. Unmarked, unremarkable holes in the ground are good enough for these Islamic people who are guided by their beliefs and their leaders to hate and attack that which we hold dear. Don't call these people murderers, for that makes them criminals who must be brought to justice. Call them soldiers, for we are at war with Terror, and with Terrorists, and as such, enemy soldiers should be killed before they can do unto us. If they must be captured, just release them unarmed, but announced, into Central Park. New Yorkers will know what to do.
Finally, take a stand with our own government, that we do not continue to inflict upon ourselves the crippling, petty intimidations and do not allow to pass or stand rights-stealing laws that harm and treat as criminals law-abiding American citizens while providing virtually no extra protection against terrorist attacks. Specifically, the Patriot Act (aka The Big Law Abrogating Our Rights Written And Passed By Spineless Bureaucrats) and the TSA must go. Help our government find the backbone necessary to realize that we should be stopping and searching primarily Arabic young men. Point in fact is, when you know who the enemy is likely to be, but don't stop and search all of them in an effort to remain Politically Correct, to not profile, you've got a policy that puts Americans in danger. Let go of the stupid shit and do what's right.
Both political parties will toe the same line of fear and power. Vote Libertarian. The government can't protect all Americans, all the time. Americans can, and will, when we are allowed to do so.
Remember September 11, 2001 for what it was: An attack upon American and Americans. Work to ensure that we don't remember it as the end of American freedom at our own hands.
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September 12, 2004
1129 - Good morning, I suppose. The date 9-11 claims another life: Marty, wife of a coworker at customer site and mother of a pre-teen daughter, died of a hyper-aggressive cancer early Saturday morning. She'd been hospitalized for a blood clot 6 days before, and on Friday they found out the bad news - Marty had less than a month to live. Then in less than 24 hours she was gone. I never met Marty, but her guy is real good people, so she surely must have been, too. My heart goes out to my friend and his daughter ... how terribly, terribly sad.
In other news, of far less real import, I've declined to accept the contract for the proposed book, and withdrawn my name from the ring. As I noted in my email to my agent at Studio B:
While finally getting ink on dead tree pulp might be nice, there are too many tech authors who are working for the same small set of table scraps. On a per-hour basis, how many of the people who work on the production of a book are doing so for less than $10/hour? Not many, I'd think. And when it comes down to it, if I have to write to a deadline, and for a string of other people to make money as well (from their hard work as well as mine), it needs to be a fair wage. As I noted (and you didn't disagree with,) there's nothing guaranteed except the advance. Everything else is hopes and dreams - that includes revisions and "getting my name out there".
...I withdraw my name from the hat, and you can take me out of your rolodex. Thanks for having kept me in mind all this time, but I don't want to waste any more of your time. I'll send a formal email to David terminating my relationship with Studio B in the next week.
I'm a fair hand at writing, but there are too many projects and too many intangibles that would have to happen just right for me to reach the point where I'd be paid enough for my investment in writing as a career to make sense. And there are far too many things that can go wrong.
...Life is too important to spend every waking minute working, which is what I'll have to do to make a career of writing.
Harlan wrote yesterday evening with an addition to yesterday's post:
Hi Brian,
I liked your Daynotes for today. I would ask you to include one other category of people: Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT-Basic) and Paramedics (EMT-Paramedic). Not all EMT's and Paramedics are police officers, nor firefighters. Some EMT's and Paramedics died in the WTC attacks, but not necessarily associated with a department.
Thanks again for your comments...
Harlan...
That's what I get for writing off the cuff. I have no excuse but my own thoughtlessness - I know plenty of EMT personnel who aren't associated with their local PD/FD or other municpal/county departments. I have always rather grouped all of these service agencies in my head in the box labeled "People whose job it is to help others." Admittedly, not a bad box to be in, neh? Mea Culpa.
I slept as much as I can sleep, and bits still hurt from my fall. What feels like a torn muscle in my right forearm, bruising in the right shoulder socket, and a fair bit of tenderness through my lower back. All of that will be fine in a few days, it's just annoying as all get out right now.. Now we've got to go get the shopping done, so have a good Sunday!
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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.
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