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GRAFFITI -- January 23, 2006 thru January 29, 2006 >> Link to the Current Week << Last Week << Mon   Tues   Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun >> Next Week Search this site : 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   
January 23, 2006

0629 - Good morning. Yesterday, we got the shopping done and I replaced a toilet fill valve that was failing in the stop filling department. Then I took Marcia's Christmas-dismantling handiwork of the previous day, put it all into bondage (tied up the tree segments like a roast), and hauled all that up to the garage attic. Not much else going on. Oh, in the evening, it became evident that Lucy doesn't much like short haircuts in the winter. While Marcia was reading in the library, Lucy clambered up onto the other chair and got herself underneath the throw. Marcia called me and the camera downstairs to record the moment. After I took the first picture, I took pity on her shivering (touch o'the cap to Mr. T for creating pity) and wrapped her up in the throw. She seemed to like that, and posing for the camera - I got several good snaps of the puppy...

Now it's time to get to work. Happy Monday (at least for Pittsburg and Seattle fans).

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Mon    TUESDAY    Wed    Thu    Fri    Sat    Sun   
January 24, 2006

0619 - Good morning. Not much going on. Yesterday was all about archiving and backing up historical data, and tweaking/tuning on the new mailserver. Then at home, it was bills and trash and other chores eating the night alive. Today is going to be much like yesterday, only with web-work eating the evening. So for entertainment value, and to give a great number of y'all a big reason to grin, have a look at those lovely folks at right. Yeah, aren't those Syroids a happy looking bunch. I noted that Tom and Landon were looking at the camera, while Leah and Danielle are looking at the photographer. Either the camera is very cool, or the photographer is cute, because half the crowd isn't following directions. Still, they're looking well, and it's wonderful to have heard from them.

Marcia is busy preparing for the pilgrimage to Paducah in April, and is theoretically going to start mucking about with that Flynn Frame one of these evenings, if she can eke out a spot of time from one of her other 17 projects. Now, to work with me! Ciao!

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Mon    Tues    WEDNESDAY    Thu    Fri    Sat    Sun   
January 25, 2006

0637 - Good morning. Oh, did I mention that I was getting my eyes checked for the first time since probably grammar school? No? Well, that was yesterday, and everything checks out fine, from a glaucoma and retinal exam perspective. We're kicking up the prescription a bit from the drug-store glasses that I use now, and I'll have those in a couple of weeks. Meantime friend Dave found the need to create the image he calls davinci-mona-lisa:

We had thunder and lightning (not forecasted, thanks, fellas) last night. Oooh, the software, mobo, CPU and UPS for Marcia's new system arrived yesterday. The RAM is due today from Crucial, and I'd expect another box or two from NewEgg. Also today we're due for some high winds and a little bit of a cool-down before another warming cycle. It's been a warm winter so far. Good for the heating bills, bad for snow days. I gues I'd better get on the road, now. I've got 8 more users to migrate to the new mailserver, then I can start setting up mailman.

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Mon    Tues    Wed    THURSDAY    Fri    Sat    Sun   
January 26, 2006

1912 - Good evening. Hardware buildout and OS load on Marcia's new machine last night. A busy day at work today, and now I'm starting the major update and software load portion of Marcia's new box build. First run of Windows Update is completing right now. Okay, Anti-Virus time. Have a great evening. I'm going to go get some food.

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Mon    Tues    Wed    Thu    FRIDAY    Sat    Sun   
January 27, 2006

0634 - Good morning. Greg wrote yesterday...

Subject: spam stats

I look at these occasionally, and each time I look, I get more angry.

As I've mentioned before, Zidane has a three tiered spam blocker.
1. We block anyone on a large set of "stable" RBLs outright.
2. We block all of several really bad netblocks outright. (CHINANET
and KORNET to name two)
3. Spamassassin does it's magic with what 1 and 2 don't reject outright.

Yesterday, Zidane processed 10232 mail messages. Of those an
astounding 9784 or around 79% were rejected by layer one or two
outright.

I don't have aggregate statistics for #3, but looking at my own mail
over a week, Spamassassin marks around 60-70% of my mail spam.

That means that around 95% of all mail processed by Zidane is spam. I
think that is truly stunning.

Violence is the only answer.

Greg

Bob replies:

You must be mistaken, Greg. Bill Gates said two years ago that the spam 
problem would be solved in two years, and we all know Bill Gates never lies.

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Mon    Tues    Wed    Thu    Fri    SATURDAY    Sun   
January 28, 2006

0954 - Good morning. It's data-migration day for Marcia, as we move her from her old laptop to her new Athlon 64 desktop system. I've got a lot to do, wish me luck.

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Mon    Tues    Wed    Thu    Fri    Sat    SUNDAY  
January 29, 2006

1807 - Good afternoon. Marcia's new machine is fully in play. We've got just the software that she wants installed, installed. Everything appears to be working, and I've got a network backup thing running from NovaStor. Of the pictures below, there's the computer after it was fully assembled, just after the smoke-test. While we're busy, Lucy likes to perch on one of Marcia's sewing baskets, the better to restfully survey her domain out the window. Finally, Marcia's new system in place on her desk. I may yet build a hutch to raise the printer a couple of inches off of the top of the machine, but most of both top vents are still clear, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Today I slept in very late, until about 1030. We finally got out and did the week's grocery shopping, then I did a few touch-up items for Marcia's computer. Then I went downstairs to build her a new small shelf for her desk. That's been my day.

I see from the news that Woodruff and his cameraman got nailed by a roadside IED. Bummer. Still, they've lived, while a number of our folks in service haven't...

• Staff Sgt. Rickey Scott, 30, of Columbus, Ga. died in Al Huwijah, Iraq on Jan. 20, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
• Sgt. Dennis J. Flanagan, 22, of Inverness, Fla. died in Al Huwijah, Iraq on Jan. 20, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
• Spc. Clifton J. Yazzie, 23, of Fruitland, N.M. died in Al Huwijah, Iraq on Jan. 20, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
• Spc. Matthew C. Frantz, 23, of Lafayette, Ind. died in Al Huwijah, Iraq on Jan. 20, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations.
• Sgt. Matthew D. Hunter, 31, of Valley Grove, W.Va., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 23, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol during combat operations.
• Cpl. Carlos Arrelanopandura, 22, of Los Angeles, Calif. died Jan. 20 from a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in Haqlaniyah, Iraq.
• Pvt. Lewis T. D. Calapini, 21, of Waipahu, Hawaii died Jan. 23 from a non-hostile vehicle accident near Al Taqaddum, Iraq.
• Lance Cpl. Brandon Dewey, 20, of San Joaquin, Calif. died Jan. 20 from a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in Haqlaniyah, Iraq.
• Lance Cpl. Joshua A. Scott, 24, of Tunnel Hill, Ga. died Jan. 23 from a non-hostile vehicle accident near Al Taqaddum, Iraq.
• Tech. Sgt. Jason L. Norton, 32, of Miami, Okla. was killed Jan. 22, when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while conducting convoy escort duties in the vicinity of Taji, Iraq.
• Staff Sgt. Brian McElroy, 28, of San Antonio, Texas. was killed Jan. 22, when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while conducting convoy escort duties in the vicinity of Taji, Iraq.
• Sgt. Sean H. Miles, 28, of Midlothian, Va., was killed in action Jan. 24 from small arms fire while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Karmah, Iraq.
• Staff Sgt. Lance M. Chase, 32, of Oklahoma City, Okla. died in Baghdad, Iraq on Jan. 23, of wounds sustained that day when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A2 Abrams tank during patrol operations.
• Pfc. Peter D. Wagler, 18, of Partridge, Kan. died in Baghdad, Iraq on Jan. 23, of wounds sustained that day when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A2 Abrams tank during patrol operations.
• Sgt. Joshua A. Johnson, 24, of Richford, Vt., died in Ramadi, Iraq on Jan. 25, when a rocket propelled grenade struck his vehicle during combat operations.
• Staff Sgt. Jerry M. Durbin Jr., 26, of Spring, Texas, died in Baghdad, Iraq on Jan. 25, when an improvised explosive device exploded near his dismounted patrol during combat operations.

Now, just a couple of minutes past feeding time, both dogs have come in to let me know that I need to take care of them. Forget this flash-in-the-pan Internet thing, Men and Dogs have been partners for millena, right? Okay, I'm going to do that now. Have a great evening.

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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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