Stuff I Learn

VMware certificate issues!

2011-08-10T14:07:00.001-07:00

Here and there I post some interesting technical detail I run across, but this one will be pretty esoteric for most.

I currently manage several VMware Infrastructure 3i clusters (ESXi 3.5). I don't upgrade on a regular basis, because, well, these systems just run. They're not highly exposed (they're behind a firewall) and none of the host ports are exposed to the public internet. That said, an upgrade to VMware 4.1 is forthcoming!

As a result, I didn't become aware that VMware has a certificate on their systems against which patches are checked - and that this certificate was expiring in June 2011.

Using the VMware Infrastructure Update tool, I tried to update the ESXi systems I have at my DR site (in preparation to update those in production), and while one updated without trouble, the second failed, with "Signature check failed." in the esxupdate log (in /var/log/vmware/, if you're logged into the console on the host.)

Because this is an ESXi system, I didn't have the (relatively) easy RPM-based update mechanism that the ESX systems have, and all of what I could find from VMware indicated the same thing - that I needed to get the most recent version of ESXi 3.5 on an ISO, boot from that and perform the upgrade that way.

That seemed like way too much work, in particular because these machines are 1975 miles away from me.

The contents of the particular ESXi offline patch file I needed (ESXe350-201105401-O-SG, downloadable here includes three components - firmware, VMware Tools, and the Virtual Infrastructure Client.

The patch file is in a Zip format, though ESXi has no "unzip" tool, so I opened that archive and pulled out the three zip files it contained. The one that matters is the one with the firmware (in this case, ESXe350-201105401-I-SG.zip).

I extracted the folder contained within it (ESXe350-201105401-I-SG) to the desktop on my Windows workstation. I then uploaded the folder to a datastore reachable from the host.

At this point I verified that no VMs were running on the host, and I switched it to maintenance mode.

Not knowing what all I would need to execute in this directory, I got on the console (I enabled SSH a while ago), and navigated through the filesystem into the ESXe350-201105401-I-SG folder (in my case, it was in a folder off the root of a datastore called "DR-Test", so /vmfs/volumes/DR-Test/update/ESXe350-201105401-I-SG). The important script therein is "install.sh", and as it was not set executable (it was -rw-------), I performed a "chmod 755 -R ESXe350-201105401-I-SG", so the script could run.

I then ran the script (typing "./install.sh"). The script ran a quick filesystem check, then indicated progress with percentages (0%, 14%, 28%, ...). Once it was finished, I went back to the VMware Infrastructure Client and rebooted the host.

In a few minutes, I was up and running the new version ("vmware -v" showed "VMware ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-391406.

Let me know if this helps you!

Thanks to VMwareWolf for the good info.

Blogging is hard

2010-11-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

I initially started this blog because of a challenge from my friend Naomi Takeuchi - she decided to start blogging *daily* (and she did, for quite a while).

I knew that I would never be able to do that, so I just posted sporadically. And then 16 months went by, and I hadn't posted.

No good.

So what keeps me from posting? I certainly want to make sure I'm writing something worthwhile, something of value. I know not many care about the minutia of my daily life, as we all have that - and my particular minutia is no more interesting than anyone elses'!

I certainly can truthfully claim that I am busy - but really, who isn't? I love traveling and visiting friends, but weekends where I get stuff done are particularly satisfying. Of course, combining the two is even better!

That said, the real reason is the constant struggle to make posts worthwhile - when really, posts that are "good enough" would yield not only more content, but likely are better than I think they are. This is not applicable only to my highly irregular blog postings - it is applicable to my entire life, it seems!

It is a case of Voltare's adage: Perfect is the enemy of the good (or to paraphrase, Perfect is the enemy of done.) How many projects have I postponed, half-completed, or spent WAY too much time on? Too many to count. I have to stop trying to achieve that 100% perfect, because the 80/20 rule applies: the last 20 percent takes 80 percent of the time!

This is solvable, with deliberate attention to how I work on things - and it does not mean that I will work with no attention to detail. It is a fuzzy balance between detail and speed.

But it is not the only challenge...

Keep your smile intact!

2009-07-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

This will sound a bit like an advertisement, but it isn't - I am just a happy customer passing on what I have found...

---

I don't like going to the dentist, though I'm not phobic about it. Up until a year ago, I was always really bad about flossing until a few weeks before my next dentist appointment - and mainly because I didn't want that regular speech about how important it was to floss.

I know it is important for me to take good care of my teeth. It is a very rare occasion that I go to bed without brushing - and because I'm so easily distracted, I often would find myself brushing for 5 minutes, because I'll lose track of where my brush has been...

I was pleased that my dentist told me I was "dentally boring" two years ago, though he still indicated that I needed to floss more. This was my third visit to him after about a 4-year hiatus from going to the dentist (which was preceded by a 5-year hiatus from going to the dentist), so I figure I must have pretty good teeth!

Still, I got to thinking about it - I do want my teeth to last me as long as possible. While I don't like going to the dentist, I like oral surgery even less. Dental pain is like bone pain - best avoided!

With that in mind, I started looking at how I care for my teeth. I had been satisfied with my regular toothbrush - toothpaste was the most variable item in my oral hygiene. The dentist had suggested one of the ultrasonic toothbrushes (like the Sonicare or Oral-B Sonic), but I thought they were way too expensive (over $70), considering the cost of a perfectly effective regular brush was well under $5.

When I went to my parents'-in-law in Colorado during Christmas 2006, I discovered that I had somehow left my toothbrush at home. Stopping at the Super City Market in Montrose, I found the Oral-B Sonic Complete toothbrush that my dentist had recommended on sale - so I went ahead and took the plunge.... and I have never looked back.

It takes a little bit of getting used to it, but it makes good brushing incredibly easy. No need to really "brush" - just apply a little pressure as you run it over the surfaces of your teeth, and it does an excellent job. I don't like tartar-control toothpaste (too gritty for me), and this does an exceptional job of keeping it under control with regular toothpaste. I do not like that it has a "non-user-replaceable" NiCd battery, but as of now, I'm still using the original battery. Generally, the battery typically lasts about 2 years, and it is tricky to replace. Don't just put it on the charger after every use - I charge mine just once a week. New replacement heads are also inexpensive and available on eBay.

That said, it still doesn't prevent me from needing to floss. My main issue with flossing is wrapping that floss around my fingers and having circulation cut off as I struggle to get the floss between my tightly-spaced teeth!

The solution I currently use is the Reach Access Flosser (on the right here). I don't have to put my fingers in my mouth, it works very well, is convenient, and the floss is quite durable!

One other item - and I only heard this recently, from my hygenist - that it is best to floss first, then brush. The only reason they brush then floss you is to get the polishing media out from between your teeth!

Certainly, do what you think is best, is most cost-effective and comfortable, but don't just brush as you always have simply because of inertia. Technology has advanced - leverage it to your advantage!

Personal scent care...

2009-07-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

As a proper citizen of the United States, I concern myself with personal hygiene. I brush, I floss, I (try to) make myself look presentable.

Scent has been a somewhat vexing item, though. I was never been a fan of smelling like typical deodorant/anti-perspirant, so I chose unscented. If I wanted a scent, I'll reach for my cologne.

It wasn't until college that I started to think more about picking a scent. I didn't grow up in a particularly "smelly" household, so I didn't think about it much. But as I met people who applied a scent I liked, I started to consider it more.

Add in the fact that I a) don't sweat much normally, and b) have read enough about the risks posed by aluminum, the main sweat-reducing ingredient in modern anti-perspirants, to feel like I should avoid them, and I'm lead to choose the simple deodorant. Not a fan of roll-on or other wet/gel-based application, I use a stick.

Trouble is, deodorants don't typically come in "unscented", and as I said, I don't want to smell like... deodorant (or non-deodorant). I tried an unscented "Kiss my Face"-brand unscented deodorant from Whole Foods, and it just didn't hold up through a normal day.

What I did discover during my quest was that both of the colognes I like (Curve for Men, shamelessly stolen from my brother, and Halston Z-14 from high-school friend Brian Rockwell) both come as a deodorant stick as well. Yes, it is more expensive up front than buying a typical stick of Sure, but it takes me at least 6 months to go through one $10 stick (which I can buy least expensively on eBay). And it lasts a long time - I smell just fine over 48 hours later!

Let's think about that for a second - the smell I want to have, lasts a long time, cost-effective... it's a complete win!

So, consider that the next time you're putting on your current scent (or non-scent) - Do you like how you smell? Find a scent you like and make it yours!

Protect your data!

2009-01-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

As previous posts have made clear, I am a bit of a packrat. I might need that 24V AC power supply sometime, so it goes in the power supply drawer, along with MANY others.

Needless to say, this collective nature applies to the digital realm as well. Over the past 20 years, I have collected a terabyte or few of digital data. Between a decade or so of email, amusing pictures, sound samples, documents and all my digital media files, I maintain a pretty good-sized file server at home to keep all this data in one place.

Keeping it organized is certainly an omnipresent challenge (as it is everywhere else in my life), but I'm less concerned that it will be lost now.

When the 10-year-old computer that was my home server finally refused to boot even a newly-installed OS, I took the opportunity to build anew the server and tackle the issue that had caused me concern for a few years - how to back up all the important stuff?

DVD media has a lot of capacity, but once you get to a certain amount of data, it becomes a bit cumbersome to burn all those discs. Also, as the data changes, how do you keep track of the new from the old on all that separate, often read-only media?

I liked the online backup options much better, as I have good cable-based broadband at the house, and their software will track the changes to the files. However, in order to leverage best the inexpensive "unlimited" online options, the client must be installed on a "workstation" OS - such as Windows XP or 2000 Professional. The second caveat is that the backup software is smart enough to only back up data on locally-attached drives. It will not include mapped network drives or USB-attached volumes in its backup set.

Much as I like Windows 2000 Pro, I figured that if this system was going to have the longest legs, it was best to stick with something that wasn't already out of current support, so Windows XP Professional it was. All the "server" apps I needed it to run (TiVo Desktop, Rio Receiver server, VMware server, as well as file/print sharing) would run fine there - all that was missing was a DNS and DHCP server, which I can get by without for the moment.

Trouble was, I didn't have much extra space on the XP server I had built. It was an amalgamation of various drives, and only one disk was protected from failure by a second mirrored disk. Much as I liked having the online backup, I'd much rather protect from failure in the first place. But if I had a second server, how would I back *that* up? I only wanted to have one server and backup set to maintain.

Enter the home SAN. I have worked with UNIX systems for a long time, and thought I might have found a loophole - iSCSI-attached volumes are block devices just like local disk. Would my backup software (Carbonite) see through my ruse and refuse to back up the data on those "locally attached" iSCSI volumes?

I bought several big drives on sale and installed them into one chassis, and installed Openfiler. Openfiler is a general-purpose storage device - it can act as a Windows file server, as an NFS server or as an iSCSI SAN device. It is not terribly easy to figure out if you are tech-challenged, but it is a worthy alternative to buying a "real" SAN. The system is flexible and permits you to build RAID volumes in software as well as in hardware. I wholeheartedly recommend gigabit ethernet hardware for communications between the server and the SAN (if you can make the whole path speak Jumbo Frames, so much the better) if you'd like performance to be as good as it can be.

Am I happy with what I've assembled? Thus far, yes. Speed to the SAN-attached disks is not horribly slow (between 75 and 200 Mbit), mainly limited by the speed of the controller card. I can always add additional space to the server by adding more drives to the SAN (I have 3 free SATA controller ports). And best of all, the Carbonite software *does* backup the SAN disks.

Windows device cleanup!

2008-09-18T14:34:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder how Windows remembers (read: doesn't need to install drivers every time you connect it) your USB drive, external monitor(s), DVD-ROM drive, etc? It keeps track of everything that it ever detected (through Plug and Play or otherwise).

Forever.

While researching VMware physical-to-virtual (P2V) and virtual-to-physical (V2P) conversion, I couldn't figure out why I kept receiving error messages about an IP address configured on an interface that was no longer in the system. I did some digging, and found this Microsoft KB article, which outlines the two-step process to finding all these hidden devices (which can cause some unintended conflicts).

Have a look at your system, and see just how much old junk you can pull out of there!

Wired VoIP... wirelessly?

2008-06-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

My current position requires me to travel internationally quite a bit. Using a mobile phone abroad is not cheap - and Skype is not always practical. Instead of spending US$ 0.99/min on my ATT mobile phone, I have a separate Vonage-based home office line that I carry with me when the mobile will not be cost-effective.

I have been a Vonage subscriber since 2004, and find its portability to be of tremendous value. Not only does it allow me to make calls from anywhere there is sufficient broadband (>64 Kbit symmetric), but also receive calls - in exactly the same manner as if I were at home.

Admittedly, I'm geeky about it. This means I don't use my PC with a headset. I like walking around when I'm on the phone, so I bring a Uniden 5.8GHz cordless handset and base with me (which normally is running in my office). This phone attaches to the Vonage ATA (the hardware device that connects back to Vonage HQ to give me a dial tone), so that also goes into the bag, along with its power supply. Needless to say, the setup contains a lot of wires and power plugs, but since it goes (typically) into checked luggage, I don't worry too much about the space.

Trouble is, I always had wired (ethernet) connectivity at the hotels where I typically stay. The Vonage ATA doesn't use wireless to connect outbound. On a recent trip to Scotland, however, the B&B where we stayed offered wireless connectivity only, so I had to improvise a bit to make it work. I had not planned for this, so that I could hack a solution together was extremely gratifiying!

My Windows XP-based laptop could connect to the wireless network without trouble, so I connected the Vonage ATA to my laptop's ethernet port. I then made use of a feature I'd never tried before - the "Bridge Connections" feature. I selected my wireless and wired interfaces, right-clicked and selected "Bridge Connections" and after a minute (and a reboot of the Vonage ATA), I had a dial tone!

I was not expecting it to work that easily, and indeed, later in the trip, it did not. At our last B&B, the same trick did not want to work. Not sure if it was because the first was a Linksys AP/router and the second was a Belkin AP/router, but needless to say, I went with Plan B - Internet Connection Sharing. I removed the bridge from the laptop's network configuration, and proceeded to share my wireless connectivity with my ethernet - and (after a reboot of the Vonage ATA), I had a dial tone again!

Not a solution for everyone, but it is nice to be able to make and receive calls exactly as you would from home!

The history of the "Amen break"

2008-03-27T08:21:00.001-07:00

Ok, I get a lot of email. No, really, a LOT of email. So it is no surprise that I found a message from a friend of mine that he sent me in July 2006 that I had overlooked, much to my dismay.

What he had sent however, was golden. I had no idea about the rich and varied history involved with this 6-second sample from 1968, but had enjoyed the fruits of the manipulation of that track, from favorite trance tracks to current advertisements on radio and television.

Set aside 20 minutes and be as astounded as I was by this video.

YouTube: The History of the Amen Break

Quotes for the day...

2008-03-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

Some very good quotes from my personalized Google page:

The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

In science, 'fact' can only mean 'confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent.' I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow, but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms.
- Stephen Jay Gould

Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum (I think that I think, therefore I think that I am.)
- Ambrose Bierce

Stem the tide, and protect yourself!

2008-01-23T15:24:00.000-08:00

We're all faced with two related problems. One is an overflowing number of offers for new credit cards, and concern about protecting your identity (and credit) from theft.

Stop that flood of inviting credit card offers with the help of the (generally not-so-helpful) big three credit reporting agencies. A link on the Federal Trade Commission website has some very helpful information on ways to stem the flow of offers. They also have links to the National Do-Not-Call Registry which should keep any legitimate commercial entities (with which you do not already have an existing relationship) from contacting you unbidden.

Not only does this keep junk out of your mailbox, it also provides fewer opportunities for those who might slip one out of your mailbox for untoward purposes.

Keeping a regular eye on your credit details and score can help you discover earlier any discrepancies in your record. Another link on the FTC website explains how you can receive (for free, annually) your credit report from each of the big three credit reporting agencies.

Also, for those who still pay regular bills via regular post, consider this reason for going online with your bill-paying. Those stamped envelopes you place in your mailbox (to await your letter carrier) are easy prey for those who can then empty out your checking account writing forged, duplicated checks. Pay electronically, or take those outgoing paper payments directly to the post office (or to wherever they'll be safely picked up by the post), not in your mailbox by the street.

Purge, purge, purge...

2008-01-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

As a proper card-carrying technophile, I have collected far more than my fair share of electronics and other computer-related miscellany over the years. Since 1991, I have accumulated so much stuff that I have bins, boxes and drawers full of computer electronics with no current purpose... for anybody. Eventually, one gets to one of the big questions:

Just how many vintage-1995 PCI video cards does one need?

As it turns out, I don't need any.

Nor do I need ISA-bus modems - or, in fact, ANY ISA bus components whatsoever. Nor Socket 7 motherboards. Or that extra Pentium Pro system. Or those 30-pin SIMMs.

You're getting the picture. I need to get rid of a lot of stuff.

The purges have begun, with the shipment (finally!) of almost 50 pounds of cards, cell phones, mice, cables, etc. to Dell as part of their recycling program.

The realization that I needed to get rid of this stuff happened long ago, but it was made more... temporally important... by virtue of the new house (and the need to move all of our stuff from our old place. I didn't want to just toss this stuff out with our regular trash, because isn't the right way to dispose of all the lovely lead, mercury, cadmium and other nasties that lurk within all this gear. In searching around, I stumbled onto Dell's Recycling page and ordered two of their "Consumer Recycling Kit with one airway bill" for US$10.

Over the next 22 months, I collected many cards, motherboards and other not-so-goodies and filled a box - finally ending up with 49 pounds and 14 ounces of electronic junk, and shipped it off this past week.

I had occasion to look around again, and realized that I needed to send more. I had given the other "Recycling Kit" to my similarly-afflicted friend Brad Schutter, so I figured I'd just order up a few more. Returning today to the link I found via Google today resulted in immediate disappointment, however, as I couldn't find any links to that which I'd previously ordered.

Fortunately, despite my tardiness in using them, my order was still within the 2-year window into your order history that Dell allows, so I found the original Dell part number (310-6492) - and lo and behold, I found the page with the actual item.

Take stock of the old electronics you (or your company) have in your posession, and consider this viable (and valuable) option for getting rid of the now-worthless electronic clutter that a) you no longer need to keep around, b) you can't sell on eBay for US$0.01, and c) has no value to charities like The National Cristina Foundation.

Quote by which I live...

2008-01-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

I have described myself as "360 degrees of geek", given my ENTP nature, but never have I read it as well described as this:

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The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well.

- Horace Walpole

Homeowner's Associations....

2007-11-29T05:47:00.000-08:00

Lesson #1:

If you want to be involved with your HOA at any level (and not a) frustrated out of your mind, and b) not have your time wasted) don't bother going to the regular meetings (for the general membership).

The meetings are about 20% substance, and 80% annoyance. It is a very good example of why "pure" democracy is not ideal. Too many "votes that count" from the uninformed (despite every effort to inform).

Go to the board meetings and vote by proxy. Be involved, but be efficient!

some fine quotes for the day...

2007-11-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

From my Google page, but I thought I'd share anyway:

We Americans live in a nation where the medical-care system is second to none in the world, unless you count maybe 25 or 30 little scuzzball countries like Scotland that we could vaporize in seconds if we felt like it.
- Dave Barry

The only thing that scares me more than space aliens is the idea that there aren't any space aliens. We can't be the best that creation has to offer. I pray we're not all there is. If so, we're in big trouble.
- Ellen DeGeneres

If man does find the solution for world peace it will be the most revolutionary reversal of his record we have ever known.
- George C. Marshall

Laundry!

2007-11-25T18:25:00.000-08:00

I know that the fact I don't mind doing laundry makes me strange (though I don't like to fold). I can't remember ever damaging any clothes I have, or really screwing up in any big way. There are just a few rules and tricks I make sure to employ.

1) I very rarely use hot water
Unless the load is all whites, I don't ever go over "warm". Modern laundry detergents are orders of magnitude better than the "Tide" of yesteryear when in warm and even cold water. Hotter water encourages colors to fade more quickly.

2) Silkscreen-printed items are turned inside-out
I have an inordinate amount of T-shirts, accumulated over years at high school and college. Some are thus almost 20 years old - and the silkscreen is largely intact. Put the print on the inside, and it is subject to far less physical wear from other items in the wash.

3) Don't overload the washer
As tempting as it is to get through that wash more quickly, it really compromises the ability for the soapy water to flush through laundry when the machine has too much in it. Start filling the washer with the largest items and work down to the smallest.

4) Don't use too much/too little detergent
Read the recommendations on the detergent package and realize that they are a generalization (for an "average" wash), and adjust up and down as necessary. Clothes won't get much cleaner if you put in tons of soap - in fact, it can create a mess, and your washer may not be able to get all the detergent out without an extra rinse.

5) Use good detergent
Generally speaking, any major brand (Tide, All, etc) will do a good job of cleaning your clothes. The few dollars you save (across many loads of laundry) buying lousy detergent is not efficient use of your time or money. Do some research and find one of the major or store brands that works well, smells the way you like it to, and satisfies your budget. I currently use the Costco house brand "Kirkland - Free and Clear" liquid. I prefer the unscented, as I don't want to smell like... laundry soap.

6) "Boost" your detergent
I'm dubious of just about anything that sells itself via infomercial, but somehow I started using Oxy-Clean - and after it performed a few miracles, I became a believer. I had a few cotton dress shirts that had some stains that didn't want to go away - and I figured I had nothing to lose. Filled up my 40+ year old laundry sink with hot water, put in 10 or so scoops of Oxy-Clean, dropped in the shirts, and let them soak for several hours, after which I ran them through a normal wash - and they came out looking practically brand new. Stains gone, color brighter. And the laundry tub was much cleaner as well!

Who are you?

2007-11-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

We're all "special snowflakes", right? We're unique, just like everybody else.

Details aside, we *can* be categorized. I'm not referring to skin color or religious faith or ethnic origins. Those attributes certainly can flavor our experiences, but for the most part, our behavioral tendencies are based in our genetic code.

Many of us have people in our lives with whom we just "click". They can be friends with whom we'll interact for perhaps a lifetime. But there are just as many (if not more) with whom we just can't get along. What are the differences between us?

Some of us have a very hard time working in particular environments, or always get in trouble for taking things apart, or doing things in a different way than the "standard". Some are natural inventors, while others are more comfortable with steady, consistent work.

Years ago, my dad had me learn about the Meyers-Briggs Temperament Indicator. It is a device that measures 4 aspects of behavior, and ascribes a point value to those categories:

Extraversion/Intraversion (10-point spread)
Intuition/Sensing (20-point spread)
Thinking/Feeling (20-point spread)
Judging/Perceiving (20-point spread)

Typically, the subject takes a 70-question survey, and at the end finds where in the 16 possible "temperament types" he falls. There is no better or worse type, they're just different. It is possible to fall evenly between two or more types, as most people are not extremes of the spectrum.

Read more about it. You may find it odd finding pages and chapters that talk about you (as if written to describe you).

The Meyers-Briggs Foundation

Keirsey Temperament Sorter

A very good book is
"Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament Types".

I haven't read the followup
"Please Understand Me II: Temperament Character Intelligence" but I have heard it is excellent as well.

Each of us has natural tendencies, whether usually living by strict planning, or by the seat-of-the-pants. Some people typically choose from the heart, others from their head. These attributes take attention and diligence to adjust, if you feel some change is needed to suit the role you play.

The starting point is knowing who you are.

We do some dumb things...

2007-09-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I was focusing on my fuel economy, and didn't want to waste kinetic energy stopping for traffic at a left-turn - so I made the turn in front of another vehicle, knowing there was enough space, but that it was tighter than I typically allow for such a manouver. Not smart at all. But there were no horns, gesturing, or (even more importantly) damages that resulted. All was well.

Still, I found myself asking - What the hell was I thinking?

We make quick decisions all day, every day. It is the only way we can get through life without having everything take an inordinate amount of time. We rely on muscle memory, prior experiences, pre-set expectations - to get done whatever we need to do. We very often don't think about what happens when something unexpected crops up. Perhaps the vehicle 5 cars ahead of us on the highway will blow a tire, or swerve to avoid some debris. Other vehicles react by swerving to avoid the sudden obstacle, or worse yet, with panic stops, because the driver wasn't paying adequate attention and it is the only reaction that comes to mind.

How prepared are you for unexpected things in "normal" surroundings? How close to the car in front of you do you follow? How many fire extinguishers do you have in your home, and where are they? If your income stopped, how long could you keep paying your bills?

It is when things *don't* go as we expect them to that we find ourselves in the most trouble...

There are some smart people in this world...

2007-09-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

We regularly hear about the stupidity that exists all around us. Just turn on the television or radio, watch any moderately successful movie, read any popular fiction, open your local newspaper - you won't have to look far. Between reality TV, talk shows and mind numbing drivel, one might be lead to think there is not much intellect out there. Certainly, much of what is offered to us is not geared to engaging our brains.

Output from the brightest and most ingenious is somewhat harder to find, but they do have outlets as well.... TED.com is one of those outlets.

Instead of spending a few hours watching TV, have a look at the Technology, Entertainment, Design website. Some of the most brilliant minds at work today are invited to speak (often quite articulately) for only 20 minutes on their subject.

Two examples:
Tony Robbins asks why we do what we do.
Aubrey de Grey says we can avoid aging.

Watch with an open mind. Listen to genius speak.

Today's language lesson...

2007-09-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

In an IM conversation today, a friend of mine used the term "bated breath". As one trained (thanks, Mom!) to use language correctly (if not imaginatively), I did a quick Google search to determine the proper spelling, as well as the origination of this curious idiom - because I'd always spelled "bated" with an "i".

"Bated", as it turns out, is a linguistic corruption of "abated".

Read more about it here.

Thnking of Verizon FiOS?

2007-09-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

Here is something to consider before you make the jump to FTTH (Fiber To The Home) from Verizon:

Will you ever, in the future, require the use of the telecom copper cabling that currently feeds your house? I'm not talking about the telephone lines inside your walls, I'm referring to the copper pairs that come from your street.

Verizon's policy is that once you have FiOS installed, they will make unusable those pairs that go from their publicly-subsidized infrastructure to your home.

If you ever decide that you want to switch to a different telecom provider - one that would use those copper wires - you yould need have new lines run, at your cost (if Verizon would allow it at all).

The hidden agenda:
Verizon (and other ILECs (Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers) were required to provide open (low cost) access to their copper infrastructure to other CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carriers). This allowed companies other than the ILEC to provide DSL and other telecom services, without having to build out their own infrastructure.

Verizon lobbied hard to make sure that the same sort of access would not be required of them, were they to build out a new, fiber optic infrastrure. With that in place, they began to roll out FiOS to their territory.

The bottom line:
If you want the option to go with another telecom provider (for data or voice service) other than your cable company, get it in writing from Verizon that they will not destroy your existing copper infrastructure in any way.

Or, don't get FiOS at all.

What is your time worth?

2007-09-08T09:15:00.001-07:00

Sage wisdom came from a business owner for whom I worked a few years ago:

I knew our office made a lot of long-distance calls, and I spent about 15 minutes trying to explain to our office manager some ways the company could probably save some money every month by subscribing to Vonage or another unlimited LD plan. Another engineer joined me, and another 15 minutes passed as we discussed the upsides and downsides.

The CEO came out of his office, and suggested that our time would be better spent finding ways to earn the company $20K than to save $200 - and that in the time we'd spent thinking about the savings (30 minutes * 3 people), we'd expended well more than that $200.

Certainly, from the company perspective, employee time is best spent focusing on that for which you have responsibility - it is why you are employed.

Similar thinking applies to our personal lives - what are you doing with your "free" time? Are you using it to your best advantage? Weekday evenings and weekends are short enough as it is - are you making best use of that time, doing what you need to do, and hopefully, what you would like to do?

For example, would it be worth it to spend $100 every two weeks to get your home cleaned by someone else, and get back the several hours you'd otherwise spend on it?

I commented to a friend of mine a few years ago that I was always amazed at what he would accomplish - teaching himself this skill, completing that project - and I asked him how he found the time to get it all done.

His simple answer: "I stopped watching TV."

What is each of your hours worth?

Adventures in good music...

2007-09-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

What kind of music do you like?

In answering this, some would indicate a genre - (country, rap, classical, classic rock, techno) and specify a few groups that are good examples of what they like to hear. Or, perhaps you'll point to a channel on a content provider (like "FNX in Boston" , WQXR (New York), or "XM Flight 26"), because they program the genre to which you typically listen.

I have no idea how to say what I like to hear. I enjoy the three examples above, though both play music that will make me switch away to something else. I regularly listen to Tag's Trip, Space Station Soma and Groove Salad from Soma FM, but again, I don't like everything they play.

I hate to pigeonhole my likes and dislikes, because indicating a genre is too broad. I will say I like "Techno" or "Electronica", but most people's idea of that is James Brown is Dead, even though they're exposed to it daily in advertising and other media. There is soul-touching, spine-tingling electronica, but there is also uninspiring noise.

If you would categorically say "I hate country.", then you have likely not heard country that you like - and I would wager that it is indeed out there, among all that which you find too twangy or otherwise unlistenable.

So, again, to what do you like to listen? Or do you rather silence?

Daily?

2007-09-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ok. Here's something I should already know well enough...

Blogging daily is hard.

With countless other items in my life which demand my attention, it takes more than this has initially received. It is said that it takes 21 days of persistence to transition a new behavior to a habit.

Is it possible for me to transition this to a daily habit over the next three weeks? Time will tell. I *intend* to do that, but the best intentions don't mean much if the implementation is lousy.

And, of course: "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

Getting going...

2007-08-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

Not a day goes by that I don't learn something new. Sometimes it isn't that significant, but some days can be eye-opening.

I decided a bit ago to begin making notes of the interesting things I learn each day. Sometimes, it is something technical, and will require explanation - other times, it may be insights into personalities, or just something that I find neat.

Of course, I may learn things that everyone else already knows - and that's okay. I figure there are going to be others that may need the clue I only just found!

In any case, that's the introduction. On to the thing I learned.

---

I was concerned that there was something wrong with my laptop, because while sitting at my desk all day, the system would get quite warm. There is a direct correlation between heat and reduction in an electronic component's lifespan (as well as a corresponding increase in my power bill), so I felt it important to determine why my laptop was running hot.

Most heat in a computer system is created by the stationary electronic components - mainly the processors (GPU or CPU). This laptop is a Dell Inspiron 8600, with a 1.6GHz Pentium-M processor - a CPU well known for low power consumption.

In troubleshooting this, I discovered that Windows XP gives you the ability to adjust the CPU's SpeedStep configuration. SpeedStep allows the CPU to drop to a lower-power mode in order to minimize power consumption (maximize battery life, reduce system heat). Drivers for this have been available for all versions of Windows since Windows 95. Windows XP integrated the driver, so it functions without any notification to the user that it is there.

To change the SpeedStep mode, go to the Power Options, and adjust the "Power Scheme". There is a good amount of info at Bay Wolf's Support Site.

Addendum 30 September 2007 - One of the fellows who developed SpeedStep documents its behavior in XP in greater detail.