Orb Designs Graffiti, a Daily Blog - October 31, 2005 thru November 06, 2005

GRAFFITI -- October 31, 2005 thru November 06, 2005

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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. 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.

MONDAY Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
October 31, 2005

0820 - Good morning. The working day has started, after a busy weekend. I'll note in passing that the radio news clued me in to the Senate's blocking of yet another proposed raise in the minimum wage here in the US. Since 1995, when it was set at $5.15, the Senate has blocked seven attempts to increase the minimum wage, while giving themselves $28,000 in raises over the same timespan. Bastards.

I didn't get anymore done on the mailserver last night, and between bills, trash, and Halloween tonight, it's unlikely still. Patience is indicated. Now I have a lot to get done, so back to pushing the millstone round and round for me. Ciao!

Top / Email Brian

Mon TUESDAY Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
November 1, 2005

1801 - Good evening. Welcome to November. After two days with frost on the ground to greet us in the morning, we're back in the high-40's to high-60's range for temperatures, for a few days at least. But does it bode early snow as payback? Who knows? Halloween went okay, except for the two middle school hooligans who tried to make off with a big stash of candy. Here's hoping they cross the street at an inopportune time, and become members of the Darwin Legacy Project.

I spent the day mucking about with kickstart and getting some machines ready to go out for review with our new software release. Better, faster and hiqh quality stuff - that's my opinion, not marketing spin. The new release rocks all over the old stuff. Anyway, I'll finish building out some servers and sensors tomorrow, then prepare for the major rollout of MS Exchange services for a big chunk of the company. Funny how none of the engineers want any part of that at all...

Time to feed the puppies... Have a great evening.

Top / Email Brian

Mon Tues WEDNESDAY Thu Fri Sat Sun
November 2, 2005

1050 - Good morning. I'm awake, at work, and there's plenty of that to be done. I did get OpenBSD installed on the little Sony PCG-R505JSK laptop, last night. Funny how I can boot into the installer with the CD drive in the docking base (connected by IEEE 1394), but once running, OpenBSD can't see that device. The good news is that networking worked, so I finished the install that way. Anyway, back to work... ciao!

Top / Email Brian

Mon Tues Wed THURSDAY Fri Sat Sun
November 3, 2005

0650 - The Bill of No Rights is one I've seen before. Harlan forwarded it to me last night, with the Rep. Mitchell Kaye attribution that it's carried around for the better part of a decade. According to Snopes, it was written in 1993 by Lewis Napper, and picked up Kaye's name when he forwarded it to some friends, who passed on the Libertarian love...

The following was written by State Representative Mitchell Kaye from GA.

"We, the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt-ridden, deluded, and other liberal bed-wetters. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of No Rights."

ARTICLE I:
You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone — not just you! You may leave the room, change the channel, or express a different opinion, but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.

ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII: You don't have the right to demand that our children risk their lives in foreign wars to soothe your aching conscience. We hate oppressive governments and won't lift a finger to stop you from going to fight if you'd like. However, we do not enjoy parenting the entire world and do not want to spend so much of our time battling each and every little tyrant with a military uniform and a funny hat.

ARTICLE IX: You don't have the right to a job. Sure, all of us want all of you to have one, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.

ARTICLE X: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to pursue happiness — which, by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an overabundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

If you agree, we strongly urge you to forward this to as many people as you can. No, you don't have to, and nothing tragic will befall you should you not forward it. We just think it is about time common sense is allowed to flourish — call it the age of reason revisited.

And for the love of Cthulhu, don't forward crap like this around the Internet to all your friends. If you find something like this that you like, put the first bit in quotes, and plug that into Google. You'll find that if someone mailed you a funny|thought-provoking|whatever, at least several someone elses thought it good enough to post online - so send your friends a link. They can get email, right? So they can follow a link as easily as read Word/HTML filled copy of it that you posted. For example, this particular piece has over 700 linkages (one more, once Google visits this place, as I've never posted this piece before).

Get in touch with your Reps and Senators in DC, as the Analog Hole Bill written by Hollywood for consideration as law makes the DMCA and the Broadcast Flag look like a pair of playground bullies by comparison.

Now I've got to get to work. Have a great day!

Top / Email Brian

Mon Tues Wed Thu FRIDAY Sat Sun
November 4, 2005

0718 - Good morning. Welcome to Friday. This late start is put down to this being a travel day. Marcia and I are off to Michigan for som family visiting. Linda Rose is staying here and puppy-sitting as a great favor to us. I probably won't have much access to the 'Net so don't expect rapid answers to emails, nor much in the way of posts until Monday evening or Tuesday Morning. Have a lovely weekend!

Top / Email Brian

Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri SATURDAY Sun
November 5, 2005

No Post!

Top / Email Brian

Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat SUNDAY
November 6, 2005

1825 - Good evening. A family-filled weekend is winding down. We had a lovely dinner last night with all of Marcia's siblings and most of the immediate family thereof. That was the core of this trip. In a short while we'll be off to Beltline Bar and Grill for some chow with a few folks, then tomorrow we fly home. I'm dropping by tonight because our conversations with Barb and Leon at lunch today included the agreement that our troops rock, and I'd rather not miss my weekly time spent in observance of the price they pay...

Pfc. Dillon M. Jutras, 20, of Fairfax Station, Va., died in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on Oct. 28, from injuries sustained while conducting combat operations.
Sgt. Michael P. Hodshire, 25, of North Adams, Mich., died Oct. 30 of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device during combat operations near Nasser Wa Salaam, Iraq on Oct. 29.
Col. William W. Wood, 44, of Panama City, Fla., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 27, when he was directing security operations in response to the detonation of an improvised explosive device.
Spc. Kenny D. Rojas, 21, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., died near Bayji, Iraq, on Oct. 29, when his unit was conducting a combat patrol and a landmine exploded near his HMMWV.
Capt. Raymond D. Hill II 39, of Turlock, Calif. died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 29, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
Sgt. Shakere T. Guy, 23, of Pomona, Calif. died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 29, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew R. Kading, 32, of Madison, Wis., died at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Oct. 31, of injuries sustained near Tikrit, Iraq, on Oct. 19, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle.
Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Tessar, 36, of Simi Valley, Calif. died in Al Mahmudiyah, Iraq, on Oct. 31, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
Spc. William J. Byler, 23, of Ballinger, Texas, died in Al Mahmudiyah, Iraq, on Oct. 31, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
Pfc. David J. Martin, 21, of Edmond, Okla. died in Al Mahmudiyah, Iraq, on Oct. 31, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
Pfc. Adam R. Johnson, 22, of Clayton, Ohio, died in Al Mahmudiyah, Iraq, on Oct. 31, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
Staff Sgt. Travis W. Nixon, 24, of Saint John, Wash., died from injuries sustained north of Lwara, Afghanistan, on Oct. 29, when his patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.
Staff Sgt. Joel P. Dameron, 27, of Ellabell, Ga., died Oct. 30 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Al Amiriyah, Iraq.
Petty Officer 1st Class Howard E. Babcock IV, 33, of Houston, Texas, died in a motorcycle accident on Oct. 13 in Bahrain.
1st Lt. Robert C. Oneto-Sikorski, 33, of Bay St. Louis, Miss., died in Iskandariyah, Iraq, on Oct. 31, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol.
Staff Sgt. Wilgene T. Lieto, 28, of Saipan, Marianas Islands of the Pacific, died in Balad, Iraq, on Oct. 31, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
Spc. Derence W. Jack, 31, of Saipan, Marinas Islands of the Pacific, died in Balad, Iraq, on Oct. 31, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
Sgt. Daniel A. Tsue, 27, of Honolulu, Hawaii, died Nov. 1 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
Spc. Dennis J. Ferderer Jr., 20, of New Salem, N.D., died in Ad Duluiyah, Iraq, on Nov. 2, when enemy forces threw a hand grenade at his HMMWV during convoy operations.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Allan M. Cundanga Espiritu, 28, of Oxnard, Calif., died Nov. 1 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
Maj. Gerald M. Bloomfield II, 38, of Ypsilanti, Mich. died Nov. 2 when his AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter crashed while flying in support of security and stabilization operations near Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
Capt. Michael D. Martino, 32, of Fairfax, Va. died Nov. 2 when his AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter crashed while flying in support of security and stabilization operations near Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
2nd Lt. Mark J. Procopio, 28, of Stowe, Vt., died on Nov. 2, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Kyle B. Wehrly, 28, of Galesburg, Ill., died in Ashraf, Iraq, on Nov. 3, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
Spc. Joshua J. Munger, 22, of Maysville, Mo. died near Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 2, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV.
Spc. Benjamin A. Smith, 21, of Hudson, Wis. died near Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 2, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV.
Pfc. Tyler R. MacKenzie, 20, of Evans, Colo. died near Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 2, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV.
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel J. Pratt, 48, of Youngstown, Ohio, died in An Nasiriyah, Iraq, on Nov. 3, from a non-combat related cause.
Capt. Jeffrey P. Toczylowski, 30, of Upper Moreland, Pa., died in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on Nov. 3, from injuries sustained during combat operations.

This post is brought to you courtesy of PuTTY and Mozilla Firefox. Have a great evening.

Top / Email Brian

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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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GRAFFITI -- October 31, 2005 thru November 06, 2005

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