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Thursday, September 30th, 2004
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3:56 am - Long time no see
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A lot has changed. I was very upset when the war in Iraq started. I really didn't think we belonged there. Even now I believe our true reasons for being in Iraq are being carefully protected by the Bush administration.
But we have a lot of brave young men and women going over there that want to serve their country, and the leaders of their country are telling them that this is what they need to do in order to keep our Republic safe. To you, I offer up my apologies for withholding my support. You are a fine bunch of men and women, and I have grown to look past my objections to the war and build a deep respect for what you're doing over there. I just wish that our government would show a little more conviction and give you everything you need to finish the job expediently and come home.
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(1 tasty oyster | feed me oysters)
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| Monday, March 8th, 2004
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5:43 am - My God...
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| Tuesday, March 25th, 2003
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6:29 am - Rumsfeld & Hussein, friends or enemies?
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Way back in the 1980's, Donald Rumsfeld was our special envoy to the Middle East under Reagan. He can be seen here making nice with Sadam Hussein, a man who was (at the time) considered our ally. All this despite the methods he used to get into office.
Back then, we couldn't get involved in conflicts militarily in the region so we had this nasty little habit of sending weapons over there to our friends to tip the balance of power in our favor. Had we gotten involved militarily, it would have drawn the Soviets directly into the conflict.
So back in the mid 1980's, several American organizations (including the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia) sent all kinds of nasty chemical & biological weapons of mass destruction to Baghdad which were officially for some bullshit reason like medical research or something. Yeah, right. Funny how shortly after that these weapons were used against Iranian soldiers. Not to mention Iraqi citizens.
Not that one politician is likely to tell the truth better than any other, but GWB has not been telling you the whole truth. Sadam Hussein was our buddy, we gave him WMD (they weren't developed by Iraqi scientists as he contends) and we sat idly by while he used these weapons against our enemies. Anyway, Senator Byrd had some things to say about this issue and while I don't particularly trust his words any more than GWB, he cites some sources that are very official in nature and not too hard to follow up on.
If you really want to support this war and its leader, at least know the whole truth about who and what you're supporting.
current mood:  annoyed
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(feed me oysters)
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| Thursday, March 20th, 2003
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12:38 pm - Supporting the troops
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I know it has been a long time since I've written, but I only have one short observation to make.
First, understand that I oppose the war like nearly half of the US population and the majority of the world population.
I am being told to "support our troops" regardless of whether I support the war or not.
However, I do not support our troops in this aggression. "I was just following orders" is not an excuse when you are ordered to do something that is wrong. The international community has said "no". Most Americans that have an opinion to voice have said "no". This war is being fought on behalf of a few spiteful people, and not on behalf of the American populace or the world populace.
So, no, I will not "support our troops" (whatever that is supposed to mean, anyway).
current mood:  disappointed
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(feed me oysters)
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| Sunday, February 16th, 2003
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10:20 am - So much for global warming...
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The snow started really early today, much earlier than the "meteorologists"[0] had called for. I'm looking out the window and we've already gotten a good two or three inches of snow, easy. It is coming down so hard this is bordering on a blizzard. I'd be surprised if we got less than a foot today.
Oh, check this out, the meteorologist/model on TV is now calling for 18 to 20 inches before this is all over.
I've definitely been experiencing some colder winters with more snowfall in the last 10 years than the previous 20. Back in 1997 we had over three feet fall in one night. This winter, the white stuff never seems to go away because it is staying too cold to melt.
I don't think the earth is warming up. I think if anything we could have an ice age coming.
[0] - I always have to laugh when I hear that word being used seriously.
current mood:  amused
current music: "It's All For Me Grog" - (Irish Drinking Tune)
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(feed me oysters)
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| Saturday, February 15th, 2003
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1:20 pm - more weight loss
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Weighed in today at 284 lbs. That's 5 lbs in 2 weeks. It's not exactly falling off but I'm pleased.
Original weight: 330
Today's weight: 284
Total Weight Lost: 46 lbs
Yes I am still a big fat fellow. But walking doesn't make me run out of breath. My knees don't hurt. And I can just about see my toes. At my current height, I figure I won't look too bad if I lose 50 more pounds and I will be dead sexy again if I lose about 70 more pounds or so.
current mood:  accomplished
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(feed me oysters)
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| Friday, February 7th, 2003
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8:53 pm - arrogant people
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I got called tonight to fix a problem at the office. The person who was complaining the loudest is the former sysadmin that built the machine that was down. He formatted the HDD as one monolithic partition, which then overflowed. Things went downhill from there.
Then the other sysadmins had cluttered up their logins with useless stuff, using third party shells & such instead of using /bin/sh like competent people do. So I was the only person who could actually get in to fix the problem.
It just really irks me in IT when you get the young bucks right out of college that are really smart on one hand, but really inexperienced on the other and act arrogant thinking that they somehow know more than you because they are more up to date with the latest whizbang toys that you can strap onto a UNIX box. I may not be a twenty-something anymore, and I may not have all the time in the world to dedicate to playing with all the new toys, but I've been around the block a few times and gotten through some of the kinds of problems that are ruffling their feathers for the first time.
current mood: aggravated
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(1 tasty oyster | feed me oysters)
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| Sunday, February 2nd, 2003
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10:29 pm - Outsourced Web Hosting vs. Self Hosting
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I found two ISP's today who are willing to sell me broadband internet connections for $100/mo or less, while at the same time allowing me to have 2 or more static IP addresses and no blocked ports.
My web host has been giving me fits for years. I keep meaning to move, but none of the offerings out there have gotten me very excited. I guess it's because I know I can do it better for myself than they would do for me.
I've got plenty of hardware to throw at the problem, so I would have no problem taking email, DNS, web, etc. in-house.
The bandwidth sucks compared to what I'm used to, though upstream is improved (downstream sucks). I'd be happy with a T1 but the costs are unreasonable. Maybe if I get into selling off some space on my servers, I can use that to defray the costs of a fatter pipe.
current mood:  giddy
current music: silence
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(feed me oysters)
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| Saturday, February 1st, 2003
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9:10 pm - Lost a bunch of weight
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I've had a problem with my weight for most of my adult life. I've been making subtle changes to my lifestyle in the hopes of keeping from gaining anymore. Not owning a scale of my own, I don't weigh myself very often. In fact it has been many months since I've last been weighed. At that point, I was at a high of 330 lbs.
Today I was using someone else's bathroom and they had a scale, so I climbed on to see if I have at least stopped gaining weight. Much to my surprise, I weighed in at 289 lbs. This is a double bonus for me because I have been over 300 lbs for several years now.
There are further things I can do to adjust my lifestyle and continue losing weight. First of all, I need to stop drinking so much cola and drink water. My caloric intake goes way down when I switch from cola to water. Secondly, my wife likes to cook big dinners. When she doesn't feel like cooking, we end up getting pizza instead. I'd be happy to order sushi and just get a couple of maguro rolls with some seaweed.
Breakfast is usually a large soft pretzel, if I have breakfast at all.
Lunch is usually some steamed white rice with vegetables and a little meat mixed in (poultry, usually). I do go out for sushi for lunch from time to time, and I do like it, but it is quite expensive.
If I can better manage my cola intake, and my dinners, I'll be well on my way. Both are going to be challenging.
For exercise, we're actually moving to an area soon with wide sidewalks and no roaming canines. Lots of cool shops & such within walking distance. The library is a nice walk away, as well. Walking isn't aerobic, but when you're as big as me aerobics can give you a heart attack so I need to work my way up to that.
I did find a cool shop down the street from the new place. They sell used CD's, DVD's, PS2 games, etc. and at good prices. I'm a real DVD addict so I plan on doing a lot of business at this place if they take good care of their customers.
current mood:  surprised
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(1 tasty oyster | feed me oysters)
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10:57 am - Shuttle Lost (Again)
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This morning the US lost another space shuttle this morning. I was in middle school the last time it happened, and saw it happen live.
Seven lives were lost, and at this point in time there is no explanation for what happened. People seem to have become complacent about space travel, thinking it is somehow "routine". Shuttle missions are hardly covered, if at all, by mainstream media.
There has been a lot of controversy about the aging shuttle fleet, with those who would like to see it scrapped. This may very well be the ammo that shuttle opponents need to shut the program down.
Every time the shuttle goes up, a small group of brave people risk their lives to push the envelope of scientific discovery and exploration.
Shuttle commander Rick D. Husband
Pilot William C. McCool
Payload commander Michael P. Anderson
Mission specialist David M. Brown
Mission specialist Kalpana Chawla
Mission specialist Laurel Clark
Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon
current mood: shocked
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(feed me oysters)
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| Thursday, January 30th, 2003
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11:06 pm - gotta get off my butt
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Motivation has been a problem for awhile. Motivation to learn new skills, that is. I've been reading books out the whazoo on subjects like RDBMS and various programming languages but haven't found/made the time to actually apply it. A good part of it is the legitimate need to be a good daddy, but a lot of it is just a matter of not feeling up to it.
Maybe I just need to feel like I've accomplished something useful.
I guess I'm in a rut. All this yucky weather isn't helping.
current mood:  lazy
current music: "In My World"-Anthrax
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(feed me oysters)
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| Wednesday, January 29th, 2003
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11:09 pm - Where does a man have to go to smoke a cigar?
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So I was checking out a recent post on ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) drmellow's blog and got to thinking about cigars.
You would thing cigarette smokers, of all people, would understand the plight of the lowly stogie smoker and open their few remaining smoking areas to us to rapidly oxidize tobacco together, like brothers & sisters. But no. Cigarette smokers thing that cigars stink (now there is a twist) and there is just no room for us in the smoking sections of restaurants, the smoking lounge at work (if indeed you even have one), shopping malls, etc.
The humiliation continues when the cigar afficienado gets home and can't light up in his own home. If he's lucky, the wife holds the door for him while he clutches his cigar, cutter and torch and heads out the door. That is well and good on those perfect windless 72 degree days but what about the rest of the year? It started snowing in the wee hours this morning and didn't stop until sundown. I think it may have gotten as high as 28 degrees today. Is this really an enjoyable place to kick back for 45 minutes and light up?
Maybe the answer is for this toadfish to get a boat with a small cabin and go on frequent "fishing trips". Awfully expensive way to catch a smoke out of the sometimes harsh elements of nature, but I can think of worse places to spend a weekend than on a boat.
Oh, yeah, my regular smoke is a Punch Rothschild Maduro Maduro (aka "double maduro"). It's a nice smoke for the money, but has a very strong flavor to it that you instantly love or hate. Most men (of good taste anyway) that I have queried are pleased by the aroma of the unlit cigar, while most women are turned off immediately by it.
current mood: tired
current music: "Californication", Red Hot Chili Peppers
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(2 tasty oysters | feed me oysters)
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12:50 pm - Wisdom that is lost on our leadership
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Wisdom from the far east that is presently lost on GWB:
"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill." - Sun Tzu
I'm not afraid of war, when it is necessary, but I just don't see the point of the current direction we're being taken in. Not when there are so many alternatives to war, and when there is no clear and present danger to the sovereignty or safety of these United States.
As a followup to my earlier posts, the snow outside is now worse than it was this morning. Unless a snowplow comes through here I could very well lose my new job. On the upside of this possible outcome, I'm not presently thrilled with this company or the business that it is in anyway.
God, I hate snow.
I'm still struggling to figure out some of the cool features of this site. I've been able to search out some people with similar interests, and from there find more people with similar interests to them. Very cool. Some of the communities I was interested in seem less active than I would have thought, so I'll probably work more on finding the blogs of individual people.
current mood: weird
current music: "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag", Country Joe and the Fish
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(3 tasty oysters | feed me oysters)
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10:57 am - ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) openbsdnsswitch & PAM
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This is more of a vent than anything else.
I'm working at a shop now where OpenBSD would be an awesome fit... but only if it supported nsswitch & PAM. Argh. I know there is some movement on the nsswitch front, but that is really crippled and not part of the distro. It certainly doesn't play well with LDAP.
So I guess Root Hat will continue finding its way into server rooms, if for no other reason than that it plays well with others. OpenBSD is awesome for standalone servers or edge appliances, but in terms of integrating with heterogeneous environments it has really been letting me down.
[Forgive my LJ newbiness... I don't think I submitted this to the OpenBSD community correctly.]
current mood: disappointed
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(1 tasty oyster | feed me oysters)
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10:48 am - Stuck at home
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I'm feeling more than a bit nervous. I'm stuck in the house, and haven't been at this new job for a full week yet. No word from the boss yet. The salt truck came and went but the silly thing didn't have a plow on it. The main roads are fine, but I cannot get to them.
If my job survives this, I'm getting some piece of crap AWD subaru, even if it looks like swiss cheese.
So much for global warming.
current mood: pissed off
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(feed me oysters)
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6:53 am - Who is running our military anyway?
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I was reading this article before work about how the US Navy wants to equip our ships with 802.11b so the captain can command the ship from anywhere via automation, and the crew can be "downsized".
Of course, this extends a popular hobby to maritime opportunities.
But I would have hoped by now that the US Navy would have learned it's lesson about automating ships. The US Military is a regular (and many claim easy) target for computer hackers. Something like this will be exploited quickly by some kid in Yemen with a laptop and a pringles can.

current mood:  distressed
current music: Green Day
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(feed me oysters)
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6:38 am - Let it snow....
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As I look out the window today I see one of the many things that makes life in the north different from my life in the south.
Firstly, the *ahem* "meteorologists" (I always laugh when I have to say that word) have been calling for snow, and yet I haven't seen a mad rush to the supermarkets to clean them out of their eggs, milk & bread (is everyone going to eat french toast?) Up here, with snow on the ground, people just shrug and get in their cars. Life slows down a little, but doesn't stop.
But that does leave me in a bit of a dilemma. Under the best of conditions, my car is absolutely unsafe in the snow. It is an overpowered rear wheel drive muscle car. But these aren't the best of conditions. I moved up here because the sagging economy has hit harder in the south, and I was doing without a lot of things for a couple of years. Replacing bald tires is one of those things (oops). While I've had a steady job now for just under a week, I won't get my first full paycheck until Valentines Day. So the bald tires are still there.
But like any good yankee, I'm going to shrug, get in my car, and ever so slowly try to crawl my way to work. If I can get out of the neighborhood I think I'll be okay. The neighborhood I'm staying in temporarily is very hilly and poorly maintained by the salt trucks though so it could be interesting.
current mood: distressed
current music: Guns-N-Roses - "November Rain"
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(feed me oysters)
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| Tuesday, January 28th, 2003
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11:29 pm - Please be gentle...
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...it's my first time.
I haven't even really been much of a visitor to blogs, let alone write one of my own. But life has been pretty interesting for me lately so I thought I'd give it a go.
current mood: anxious
current music: Tom Baker Locksmith Crank Call
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(1 tasty oyster | feed me oysters)
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