I have a friend who owns a satellite Television company. He installs Starband satellite internet systems sometimes. He has one of these on his RV. You just need to buy an aiming box (not sure what the technical name of these is) and re-lock you satellite everytime you move. Starband is two-way satellite internet. Its way faster than dial-up and is about $60 a month. BTW, these dishes can be cloned if you can use an E-Prom Burner.... so you can buy two sets from an irreputable dealer and use it @ the station when you are not out and about
I'm sure everyone was as shocked bewildered and amazed as I was when they heard the news of todays events. I woke up to hear the news on NPR this morning and thought it was a very, very. bad dream.
Even after listening to the news all day and watching our President address the nation, its still seems faraway and surreal. I just urge people to maintain restraint. Don't do anything rash or violent. We need to focus towards our nation, donate blood and all those other things that people have suggested.
However, I am mad, violently pissed off. Imagine the gall of some asshole terrorist crashing an Airliner into a building full of civilians. The Pentagon, that's a cowardly act, but it is a military target. But New York City? Thats unadulterated murder of thousands of innocents. I think that we as Americans need to urge our leadership to fight terror with terror. For every innocent American life lost today, 10 cowardly bastards need to die.
We were not at war with these people, we merely were attempting to assist in resolving a age old conflict. Any American who doesn't think this is totally inexcusable and needs to be reacted to carefully, and explosively violently needs to move to Bagdad or Islamabad. I hope our political leadership responds in such a manner that this never happens again.
Terrorist are cowards and bullies, and as one who has experinced bullying, I say hurt them back. Hurt them ten times as much as they hurt us. Make the hole damn place these people came from a radioactive parking lot. Some one once said it most eloquently: fuck the fucking fuckers. I hope to hear the aircraft from the military base right next to my house take off in the next week on a "Global Power" mission. This is insane. People need to die for this. Remember people pray today for all the injured, pitch in if you can. Tomorrow, we will seek a resolution, and God will judge them.
I have had great luck in my consultance with castelle's line of faxpress stand alone network faxing appliances. Thye do both inbound and outbound faxes, are a HARDWARE product (all the software fax solutions I've tried, suck), have a decent linux client, integrate seamlessly with MS Exchange, and are reasonbably priced! Check em out @ www.castelle.com.
The Castelle box will import any fax into TIFF and one other image format (can't remember which one). The software interface is a tiny bit clunky, but once you figure it out it works great. You can also hook any laser printer or dot matrix printer up to the parallel port on the FaxPress and print your faxes as they come in. On the out going side, your client sees it as a network printer. I got the castelle to work via samba e-mail me if you want more info.
I would absolutely stear away from the panasonic products, they are nothing but trouble.
One of my clients has several large NAS boxes, both Quantum SNAP and Maxtor maxAttach boxes. (Note that they are they same company now!). When I was talking to the level 3 tech support about our box that crapped out I found out that the snap has a proprietary Journaled file system, you can't do anything about upgrading the thing, or in our case if the OS craps out getting your data back can only be done under warranty by Maxtor/Quantum, or via a data recovery center. My honest opinion of these devices is that they are great appliances, very easy to use and my mom could pbly install one, but their hack potential is just about zero. I tried upgrade a 30 gig single drive model to 80 gig, and was totally unsuccessful. My engineer contact said that the OS is housed on the drive and that trying to ghost it would move the locatation on the drive thus confusing the OS. Sorry dude, you are out of luck!
We had pblms w/ Backup Exec 8 but when I upgraded my client servers (I'm a consultant) to 8.5 it solved that exact pblm...... go to Verutas's website or call them (if you can swing a free tech call) and ask, there is a hot fix for this.
If you have a static IP address at your sight, then A MS Exchange Server (version 2000) allows you to do what you want. You just need o have your ISP set up an MX record for the server. I know MS is evil, but Exchange + Outlook is a very powerful combination. There reqally is not an Open SOurce alternative that does what it does. You get calendering Tasks, contacts, it has web-email support and except for the fact the licenses are so damn expensive its a decent solution. Be sure and back up those databses w/ Veritas Backup Exec exchange Option!!!
YUM, Redbull and Vodka is the alcohol of Kings. The best stuff ever if you are a supe lightweight like me. You don't feel the booze until it sneaks up and kicks yer arse. Yes children if you too would like a serious case of alcohol poisoning then try my favorite elixer of Redbull and Vodka
John, you have some interesting thoughts about this subject, but they are so splayed about and expressed very murkily (is that a word?). Shit John, please learn to express yourself clearly, otherwise people are going to think your even more of an oaf than they already do.
Yes global warming is an issue people think about, yes US Environmental policy w/ regards to the Kioto Treaty (spelling?) is inconsistent and very embarrassing. Just in case you didn't know, the US is the #1 user of petroleum products. If for example the people of mainland Chine were to use Petroleum like we as Americans do, it would deplete known world petroleum reserves in 6 years (I'll find a link later and post it). We as Americans drive our SUV's and don't give a shit about the Environment. Not to sound like a quack, but I think a modicum of environmentalism on the part of just half our population would be a great thing. Little things all add up, buy that Geo Metro instead of the Escalade, ride yer bike if you can, recycle your beer cans. Pick up litter in the park. Have respect for mother nature. Live in the city instead of the Suburban sprawl that encroaches on the remaining wildlife. Boycott the Sierra Club, and take an ecology class. Respect Mother Nature, and she respects you! That's All Folks!
I have my three home computers rackmounted. I did this because of the amount of desktop space 3 full systems take up, and the fact my apartments have all benn pretty small (and thusly cheap). I found a small cabinet on e-bay for about 1/2 price, I also found some nice older fiberchannel drives and enclosures pretty cheap. A good way to get easy storage for all my ummmm MP3's. Check out e-bay, and if you live in SoCal dot bomb closeouts and auctions and stuff.
As a guy in the trenches, I must say this is the dumbest move for Compaq ever. From much experience working with Compaq (my job for the last year until I got canned for interviewing) was in an all Compaq shop. Their Prolient and ML*** line of commidity servers are really a stellar product line. Even on thin margins if you sell enough of these puppies you make decent money. Thier "services" staff just isn't up to snuff to make them money backing anything but THIER hardware. Sorry Compaq we had hope for you when you bought DEC but it looks like your going to go down the toilet. Let me see now.... can I sell people IBM servers?
I Have a Schwinn Rowing machine. Its resistance is regulated via a fan and I really like it. It set me back about $1000, kinda spendy, but since I kayak for fun, I am glad to have it to keep me in shape. It has a really nice smooth action and folds easily if I need to put it in the closet, oh wait I'm single, its always out.:)
I have found a rowing machine that is nicer than the one I bought... at my gym they have a rowing machine that is magnetically regualed, and I like it a little better than mine. Can't remember the brand.... sorry!
As a former Tubby Geek(TM) I recommend the following formula to maintain the geek lifestyle and not looke like a barge. Eat a big lunch a reasonable breakfast, and skimp on dinner.... That way when you are up till 2AM coding and get the munchies, you can snack and not put on the pounds. I always aim for about 2000 calories a day. Thats pretty reasonable for most 20-30 year olds, unless you are VERY active. When out backpacking (one of my hobbies) I usually budget between 3000-5000 calories per person per day. THe best way to stay slim is to not sit on yer hiney all evening. I got a stand for my Mountain Bike and when watching TV I ride my bike. Or I use my Rowing machine (for a few minutes at a time). Staying in shape keeps me sharper, helps me sleep better, and helps me with the ladies. Plus its damn hard to clean a 5-12 when yer ass is too big to pull up with two arms!!!
If you are looking for a Portable Video Encoder look at these turnkey solutions from Pinnacle Systems (Great Industry Reputation, I Love my NITRO system).
Why build it when you can buy the whole thing for less money. Granted you are locked into Windows and a proprietary hardware combination, but thats pretty much the nature of video.... I have a FAST VMSTUDIO that we still use, the capture card is almost 8 years old.
Payphones are great if you want to make a call and reduce the chance of people knowing who you are. (Like calling the cops for a domestic violence incident on your neighbors and being able to give a fake name)
Payphones are also nice when you have to make a long call and are roaming, $.75 a minute can get really pricy compared to $.05-$.10 a minute charge on my trusty AT&T pre-paid phone card. Even with connection fees a pre-paid phone card can save you a bundle (some of us still have &h!tty Analog Cell Service, THANKS VERIZON YOU SUCK)
I very much doubt that government action is going to solve this problem. This issue is one of spiraling decline. When a society starts to degrade, it creates a looped process that just continues downward adinfintum, UNLESS there is some sort of action that breaks this spiral.
You ask what is my suggestion to break this cycle? I'm not sure how to influence the entire population of this country with out simultaniously(SP?) violating their civil rights. I have some ideas, ut nothing working yet, when I have something good I'll run for office. Until then, I'll live a good life and be an example unto others.
I was a geek all through school, ostracized and bullied (Even more so since my little brother 12" shorter than me and extremely athletic could kick my @ss in a fight, good thing we are really tight).
I didn't kill anyone or go postal. WHY? Because I had good parents who recognized when something was bothering me and dragged it out of me. I say a culture where parents don't give two shits about whats going on in their lives and let their kids have free rein of their lives is what causes killer kids. This is not an issue of what the schools/teachers/media can do, but what good parenting can solve. Call me out of line or whatever, but I really think a two parent loving family, that is attentive will prevent 99.9% of these incidents from occuring! THATS ALL THERE IS TOO IT!
We have a client that has the most digusting smoky office ever. I swear everyone in this office lights a cigarette every 15 seconds or so. There is literally a cigarette burning on almost every desk all the time. In the last six months I have replaced 3 flopy drives, 4 hard drives, 2 CD-ROMS, and about 12 fans. The smoke seems to muck up the cheap Quantum IDE harddrives that we use in our white boxes, but we have yet to lose a SCSI drive.... curious.
The other huge pblm with this office is I always go there before lunch so I can change my clothes at luch so i don't smell like an ashtray thats been sitting in a bar for 3 days, its just plain nasty, WTF are people thinking smoking in the office.
Have you ever opened an oldschool (Full Height) Seagate drive? HMMM Nope? Well they are not quite the density of cardboard.... and let me rephrase that.... put platters on chuck of drill and sand.
My College roomate worked for the Airforce as a computer guy while he was in college. They had a harddrive on a topsecret machine go bad. Before they could send it in to Seagate to get a replacement they took the cover off the drive and sanded the platters with a rotary sander. I am pretty sure all that data was erased.....
I live in the state of South Dakota (its a right to work state, like I think 22 other states are).
I was working remotely for a company in California and got a killer offer, but I had signed a non-compete. So I went to visit my lawyer, for $50 he drafted a letter to my employer that I sent along with my resignation.
The old employer was going to sue me, but for $180 in legal fees my trusty lawyer fixed that for me. In a right-to-work state, these thing don't mean crap UNLESS you take "trade secrets" with you. Don't worry about a non-compete, sign it and smile, then call your lawyer!!!
If your company is really commited to exchange. I suggest Bynari Tradeserver. We recently purchased a copy of this software and have been very happy with it. They have an Open Source client for Windows, Linux, and Solaris, and Outlook also works as a client. All the software can be downloaded here. I love this app and for $299 unlimited users its a very good price. A good product that can only get better as the versions increase. Check out the 30 day trial!
As a Linux User of 4 years I vote for compiled Binaries. I cannot program worth a wit in C, I can hack my way through PERL and Python but C... no way. I have been using Linux for about 4 years, and love apt. Please release binaries if you want a large user base, and just source if you want just 'leet people to use your software. Its simple really!
These things are wonderful. My company ought the 240 rack mount to replace an aging CD-ROM tower. We just copy the disk images up and viola no friggin broken CD-ROM's and takes up less space in the crowded server room.
THe NFS implementation sucks though since its on FAT32 but for the money.... if you just need space for your MP3's these boxes rock.
I have been using Dreamweaver UltraDev to develope my PHP based site. (the templateing is VERY VERY VERY nice) It plays nice with PHP if you set it up correctly. Go to WebMonkey and read the Dreamweaver FAQ there. It will help you setup PHP support correctly under Dreamweaver standard.
Slashdot Mirror
I have a friend who owns a satellite Television company. He installs Starband satellite internet systems sometimes. He has one of these on his RV. You just need to buy an aiming box (not sure what the technical name of these is) and re-lock you satellite everytime you move. Starband is two-way satellite internet. Its way faster than dial-up and is about $60 a month. BTW, these dishes can be cloned if you can use an E-Prom Burner.... so you can buy two sets from an irreputable dealer and use it @ the station when you are not out and about
I'm sure everyone was as shocked bewildered and amazed as I was when they heard the news of todays events. I woke up to hear the news on NPR this morning and thought it was a very, very. bad dream.
Even after listening to the news all day and watching our President address the nation, its still seems faraway and surreal. I just urge people to maintain restraint. Don't do anything rash or violent. We need to focus towards our nation, donate blood and all those other things that people have suggested.
However, I am mad, violently pissed off. Imagine the gall of some asshole terrorist crashing an Airliner into a building full of civilians. The Pentagon, that's a cowardly act, but it is a military target. But New York City? Thats unadulterated murder of thousands of innocents. I think that we as Americans need to urge our leadership to fight terror with terror. For every innocent American life lost today, 10 cowardly bastards need to die.
We were not at war with these people, we merely were attempting to assist in resolving a age old conflict. Any American who doesn't think this is totally inexcusable and needs to be reacted to carefully, and explosively violently needs to move to Bagdad or Islamabad. I hope our political leadership responds in such a manner that this never happens again.
Terrorist are cowards and bullies, and as one who has experinced bullying, I say hurt them back. Hurt them ten times as much as they hurt us. Make the hole damn place these people came from a radioactive parking lot. Some one once said it most eloquently: fuck the fucking fuckers. I hope to hear the aircraft from the military base right next to my house take off in the next week on a "Global Power" mission. This is insane. People need to die for this. Remember people pray today for all the injured, pitch in if you can. Tomorrow, we will seek a resolution, and God will judge them.
I have had great luck in my consultance with castelle's line of faxpress stand alone network faxing appliances. Thye do both inbound and outbound faxes, are a HARDWARE product (all the software fax solutions I've tried, suck), have a decent linux client, integrate seamlessly with MS Exchange, and are reasonbably priced! Check em out @ www.castelle.com.
The Castelle box will import any fax into TIFF and one other image format (can't remember which one). The software interface is a tiny bit clunky, but once you figure it out it works great. You can also hook any laser printer or dot matrix printer up to the parallel port on the FaxPress and print your faxes as they come in. On the out going side, your client sees it as a network printer. I got the castelle to work via samba e-mail me if you want more info.
I would absolutely stear away from the panasonic products, they are nothing but trouble.
One of my clients has several large NAS boxes, both Quantum SNAP and Maxtor maxAttach boxes. (Note that they are they same company now!). When I was talking to the level 3 tech support about our box that crapped out I found out that the snap has a proprietary Journaled file system, you can't do anything about upgrading the thing, or in our case if the OS craps out getting your data back can only be done under warranty by Maxtor/Quantum, or via a data recovery center. My honest opinion of these devices is that they are great appliances, very easy to use and my mom could pbly install one, but their hack potential is just about zero. I tried upgrade a 30 gig single drive model to 80 gig, and was totally unsuccessful. My engineer contact said that the OS is housed on the drive and that trying to ghost it would move the locatation on the drive thus confusing the OS. Sorry dude, you are out of luck!
We had pblms w/ Backup Exec 8 but when I upgraded my client servers (I'm a consultant) to 8.5 it solved that exact pblm...... go to Verutas's website or call them (if you can swing a free tech call) and ask, there is a hot fix for this.
LLAMA
If you have a static IP address at your sight, then A MS Exchange Server (version 2000) allows you to do what you want. You just need o have your ISP set up an MX record for the server. I know MS is evil, but Exchange + Outlook is a very powerful combination. There reqally is not an Open SOurce alternative that does what it does. You get calendering Tasks, contacts, it has web-email support and except for the fact the licenses are so damn expensive its a decent solution. Be sure and back up those databses w/ Veritas Backup Exec exchange Option!!!
YUM, Redbull and Vodka is the alcohol of Kings. The best stuff ever if you are a supe lightweight like me. You don't feel the booze until it sneaks up and kicks yer arse. Yes children if you too would like a serious case of alcohol poisoning then try my favorite elixer of Redbull and Vodka
John, you have some interesting thoughts about this subject, but they are so splayed about and expressed very murkily (is that a word?). Shit John, please learn to express yourself clearly, otherwise people are going to think your even more of an oaf than they already do.
Yes global warming is an issue people think about, yes US Environmental policy w/ regards to the Kioto Treaty (spelling?) is inconsistent and very embarrassing. Just in case you didn't know, the US is the #1 user of petroleum products. If for example the people of mainland Chine were to use Petroleum like we as Americans do, it would deplete known world petroleum reserves in 6 years (I'll find a link later and post it). We as Americans drive our SUV's and don't give a shit about the Environment. Not to sound like a quack, but I think a modicum of environmentalism on the part of just half our population would be a great thing. Little things all add up, buy that Geo Metro instead of the Escalade, ride yer bike if you can, recycle your beer cans. Pick up litter in the park. Have respect for mother nature. Live in the city instead of the Suburban sprawl that encroaches on the remaining wildlife. Boycott the Sierra Club, and take an ecology class. Respect Mother Nature, and she respects you! That's All Folks!
I have my three home computers rackmounted. I did this because of the amount of desktop space 3 full systems take up, and the fact my apartments have all benn pretty small (and thusly cheap). I found a small cabinet on e-bay for about 1/2 price, I also found some nice older fiberchannel drives and enclosures pretty cheap. A good way to get easy storage for all my ummmm MP3's. Check out e-bay, and if you live in SoCal dot bomb closeouts and auctions and stuff.
As a guy in the trenches, I must say this is the dumbest move for Compaq ever. From much experience working with Compaq (my job for the last year until I got canned for interviewing) was in an all Compaq shop. Their Prolient and ML*** line of commidity servers are really a stellar product line. Even on thin margins if you sell enough of these puppies you make decent money. Thier "services" staff just isn't up to snuff to make them money backing anything but THIER hardware. Sorry Compaq we had hope for you when you bought DEC but it looks like your going to go down the toilet. Let me see now.... can I sell people IBM servers?
No Pblm!
:)
I Have a Schwinn Rowing machine. Its resistance is regulated via a fan and I really like it. It set me back about $1000, kinda spendy, but since I kayak for fun, I am glad to have it to keep me in shape. It has a really nice smooth action and folds easily if I need to put it in the closet, oh wait I'm single, its always out.
I have found a rowing machine that is nicer than the one I bought... at my gym they have a rowing machine that is magnetically regualed, and I like it a little better than mine. Can't remember the brand.... sorry!
Feel free to mail me....
As a former Tubby Geek(TM) I recommend the following formula to maintain the geek lifestyle and not looke like a barge. Eat a big lunch a reasonable breakfast, and skimp on dinner.... That way when you are up till 2AM coding and get the munchies, you can snack and not put on the pounds. I always aim for about 2000 calories a day. Thats pretty reasonable for most 20-30 year olds, unless you are VERY active. When out backpacking (one of my hobbies) I usually budget between 3000-5000 calories per person per day. THe best way to stay slim is to not sit on yer hiney all evening. I got a stand for my Mountain Bike and when watching TV I ride my bike. Or I use my Rowing machine (for a few minutes at a time). Staying in shape keeps me sharper, helps me sleep better, and helps me with the ladies. Plus its damn hard to clean a 5-12 when yer ass is too big to pull up with two arms!!!
If you are looking for a Portable Video Encoder look at these turnkey solutions from Pinnacle Systems (Great Industry Reputation, I Love my NITRO system).
Why build it when you can buy the whole thing for less money. Granted you are locked into Windows and a proprietary hardware combination, but thats pretty much the nature of video.... I have a FAST VMSTUDIO that we still use, the capture card is almost 8 years old.
Payphones are great if you want to make a call and reduce the chance of people knowing who you are. (Like calling the cops for a domestic violence incident on your neighbors and being able to give a fake name)
Payphones are also nice when you have to make a long call and are roaming, $.75 a minute can get really pricy compared to $.05-$.10 a minute charge on my trusty AT&T pre-paid phone card. Even with connection fees a pre-paid phone card can save you a bundle (some of us still have &h!tty Analog Cell Service, THANKS VERIZON YOU SUCK)
I very much doubt that government action is going to solve this problem. This issue is one of spiraling decline. When a society starts to degrade, it creates a looped process that just continues downward adinfintum, UNLESS there is some sort of action that breaks this spiral.
You ask what is my suggestion to break this cycle? I'm not sure how to influence the entire population of this country with out simultaniously(SP?) violating their civil rights. I have some ideas, ut nothing working yet, when I have something good I'll run for office. Until then, I'll live a good life and be an example unto others.
I was a geek all through school, ostracized and bullied (Even more so since my little brother 12" shorter than me and extremely athletic could kick my @ss in a fight, good thing we are really tight).
I didn't kill anyone or go postal. WHY? Because I had good parents who recognized when something was bothering me and dragged it out of me. I say a culture where parents don't give two shits about whats going on in their lives and let their kids have free rein of their lives is what causes killer kids. This is not an issue of what the schools/teachers/media can do, but what good parenting can solve. Call me out of line or whatever, but I really think a two parent loving family, that is attentive will prevent 99.9% of these incidents from occuring! THATS ALL THERE IS TOO IT!
We have a client that has the most digusting smoky office ever. I swear everyone in this office lights a cigarette every 15 seconds or so. There is literally a cigarette burning on almost every desk all the time. In the last six months I have replaced 3 flopy drives, 4 hard drives, 2 CD-ROMS, and about 12 fans. The smoke seems to muck up the cheap Quantum IDE harddrives that we use in our white boxes, but we have yet to lose a SCSI drive.... curious.
The other huge pblm with this office is I always go there before lunch so I can change my clothes at luch so i don't smell like an ashtray thats been sitting in a bar for 3 days, its just plain nasty, WTF are people thinking smoking in the office.
E@teme dude,
Have you ever opened an oldschool (Full Height) Seagate drive? HMMM Nope? Well they are not quite the density of cardboard.... and let me rephrase that.... put platters on chuck of drill and sand.
My College roomate worked for the Airforce as a computer guy while he was in college. They had a harddrive on a topsecret machine go bad. Before they could send it in to Seagate to get a replacement they took the cover off the drive and sanded the platters with a rotary sander. I am pretty sure all that data was erased.....
I live in the state of South Dakota (its a right to work state, like I think 22 other states are).
I was working remotely for a company in California and got a killer offer, but I had signed a non-compete. So I went to visit my lawyer, for $50 he drafted a letter to my employer that I sent along with my resignation.
The old employer was going to sue me, but for $180 in legal fees my trusty lawyer fixed that for me. In a right-to-work state, these thing don't mean crap UNLESS you take "trade secrets" with you. Don't worry about a non-compete, sign it and smile, then call your lawyer!!!
I have a Webserver up and am just finishing up the PHP coding for just such a site........ anyone wish to donate a URL?
Or anyone wish to help administrate such a site?
It'll be a PHP Nuke site.......
E-mail me!
THANKS!!!!
If your company is really commited to exchange. I suggest Bynari Tradeserver. We recently purchased a copy of this software and have been very happy with it. They have an Open Source client for Windows, Linux, and Solaris, and Outlook also works as a client. All the software can be downloaded here. I love this app and for $299 unlimited users its a very good price. A good product that can only get better as the versions increase. Check out the 30 day trial!
http://www.bynari.net/
As a Linux User of 4 years I vote for compiled Binaries. I cannot program worth a wit in C, I can hack my way through PERL and Python but C... no way. I have been using Linux for about 4 years, and love apt. Please release binaries if you want a large user base, and just source if you want just 'leet people to use your software. Its simple really!
These things are wonderful. My company ought the 240 rack mount to replace an aging CD-ROM tower. We just copy the disk images up and viola no friggin broken CD-ROM's and takes up less space in the crowded server room.
THe NFS implementation sucks though since its on FAT32 but for the money.... if you just need space for your MP3's these boxes rock.
I have been using Dreamweaver UltraDev to develope my PHP based site. (the templateing is VERY VERY VERY nice)
It plays nice with PHP if you set it up correctly. Go to WebMonkey and read the Dreamweaver FAQ there. It will help you setup PHP support correctly under Dreamweaver standard.