You Get a LInE, I'll 6et a PoLe, We'll Go D0wn to the Phishin' Hol3

I was taking a look at my spam this evening when I noticed a mail from Bank of America. Hmmm... I thought. What possibly could make Gmail think that this was spam?

The first line gave it away:

Your Online Banking is Blocked

---

We recently reviewed your account, and suspect that your Bank of America account may have been accessed by an unauthorized third party. Protecting the security of your account is our primary concern. Therefore, as a preventative measure, we have temporarily limited access to sensitive account features.

To restore your account access, we need you to confirm your identity, to do so we need you to follow the link below and proceed to confirm your information:

http://sitekey.bankofamerica.com.signon.do.onlinesecureserver.us

Tank you for your patience as we work together to protect your account.

Sincerely,
Bank of America Customer Service

*Important*
Please update your records on or before 48 hours, a failure to update your records will result in a temporal hold on your funds.

---

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender
© 2006 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

These people are very stupid, and yet I'm sure that there were some people today who were dumb enough to click on that link and enter their account information. Two things:

Bank of America (or any banking institution) no longer puts direct links to the signon page in their e-mails to customers, or anyone. They all tell you to go to the site and sign in, manual-like.

Professional correspondence from a company that does billions of dollars worth of business will not replace the word "temporary" with "temporal," or say "Tank you for your patience...."

Okay, three things. I just noticed that it was not even sent to the e-mail address I have on file with the bank.

Please be careful with e-mail messages. If you have any sort of question about a peice of correspondence telling you that there's trouble with your account and your identity needs to be verified, just pick up the phone or go to the bank yourself. Those are the only ways to be sure.

Sweep the leg, people.

How to do the signature thingy:

I use the Blogger engine for publishing. That interface has a "template" feature where I can put in crap that shows up in every post without me having to explicitly place it there. So I decided to put my little signature at the bottom of every post.

That signature is only a .jpg image I created with my tablet PC and Windows Journal. I just wrote my name, copied the handwriting as an image, and saved it. It now sits on my web server and every blog post simply calls that image with the <img> tag.

You don't have to have a tablet or a digitizer. I did a signature for e-mails when I used Outlook at my last job. I signed my name on a peice of super-bright paper and scanned it in. Easy as pie.

Just get the image and put it at the bottom of every post. The only problem you'll have is matching the background at your blog.

He's a Star Now

How much did he get paid for this?

The $53 Camera is Fantastic

Walking the Dog

Oct 8, 2006 - 42 Photos

We went for a walk today and I made sure to take the camera along. It was a nice cool day and we all enjoyed ourselves for the majority of it.

Ffocee

Anika tries her best to say the word "coffee," but it just won't come out right. The result is hilarious, but can prove dangerous come Monday morning at daycare.

Goodbye

My grandmother died last night. She was 86. Lovely woman she was; raising 12 children on $2 a day makes a very patient person.

Now comes the time to make preparations for three generations to gather and say their goodbyes. No doubt the place will be filled with old children concerned, young children oblivious, and everyone else in between. Grandma no longer has worries about another stroke, nor is she concerned about the unsteady hand of those with Parkinson's. She lived a full life and devoted much of it to her children and grandchildren. She had a wonderful sense of humor all the way through and will certainly surface time and time again in many joyful conversations for the rest of many lives. She will be missed.

Mission Impossible

Hi, and welcome to benrehberg.com. I have had this Internet presence for about three years now, and am enjoying having my own name out there.

I got this domain for one real reason - at the time I was changing ISPs pretty often, and had to change my e-mail address at the same time. I wanted one mailbox, no matter where I was or who my provider should be. benrehberg.com was the solution. I had my own name and e-mail: ben@benrehberg.com. Then I screwed up.

I was going to see what the "Free iPod" was all about, and what I had to do to get it. I used my own e-mail address that day. Two years later, that address gets about 80 spam e-mails every 24 hours.

So now I'm on a mission to clear that address, and we'll see how we do. I am going to "unsubscribe" from every spam message I get, and we'll see how that works.

Birthday Cake

I was surprised when I was asked for identification this morning when purchasing tobacco. When they saw that today is my birthday, they gave me a treat.



See? Not every convenience store owner not born in this country is bad. You've just got to know how to talk to people. And you've also got to be me.

Happy Birthday, Avril.

That's right. Today is Avril Lavigne's birthday. Also born today were Samuel Adams, Thomas Nast, Cheryl Tiegs, Meat Loaf, Gwyneth Paltrow, Google, and I.

As of this post time, I am 28 years old. In the word of Richard Nixon:

"Shit."

New Idea I Like

I'm not an operating system programmer, but I'm willing to bet that there is a lot of work being done to make Windows Vista more secure. Microsoft has said fairly often that it listens to its customers and gives them what they want. Given their market share in the desktop operating system world, their strategy seems to be working.

I've found another company that listens to its customers and responds in a fashionable manner: Holiday Inn. Namely, the Holiday Inn Express chain they've got going. The shower heads are great. The rooms are usually quiet, clean, and inviting, and they've pushed the envelope even further as they have now gotten rid of the bedspread.

What did we all do with that thing anyway? If I didn't throw it on the floor when I arrived, it certainly worked its own way off the bed before morning. And usefulness - well, what good is an itchy, 20-year-old blanket that doesn't keep anyone warm? My wife says they never get washed, either. This change is good in many ways. I'd love to get into that, but I've got some tests to run (note the time of this post).

Learning RSS and CSS for Little Gain

I've been hired to create a website for a local writer who wants to do a podcast. He is using the university's equipment to create his audio program, and they let him because it's not-for-profit. He eventually wants to take it and go a bit commercial and try to make some money.

So here's the thing. I helped him get his domain name and hosting account. Showed him what it's all about. That's what I do - I'm a consultant. I built a simple front page for the site (he said his main content would be the podcast) and I thought I was done.

Now my phone rings nearly every day so he can tell me that he's not pleased with the layout and the level of professionalism that the site has, and "...could it be more like the BBC site?"

Well, yeah, if you were paying me $80K to do it. But this is nonprofit. And you're paying a student a pennance. A student, by the way, who works full-time and squeezes in his classes among the hundreds of miles driven every week, his family, and the rest of his life. Calm down, sir, or find someone else. I'm not a starving student, and you haven't recorded a single word yet.

Nothing Beats the End of a Good Day

Washing the Car with Daddy

Sep 25, 2006 - 30 Photos

Sooooo Ready for it

I am very anxious for my schooling to be done, or to quit my job (one has to go soon). Autumn is coming and I would love to do more outside - the weather yesterday was wonderful, that is, at least when I went to check the mail. It could have been raining the rest of the time, but it was very nice with a cool breeze when I went out.

I just read some news briefs from a paper in Everett, Washington, and wondered how the weather was up there. Is it nice? Are the people nice, and are they gearing up for the holidays already? I'd love to be doing more of the things I enjoy rather than operating with the feeling that everything I do is absolutely necessary. This blog just might be the only thing that isn't.

Privacy Expectations

This is an article I wrote for my Political Science class. It was titled 9/11: Five Years Later (wouldn't have been my choice).

My expectation of privacy from the government since 9/11 has not changed much since before that date. On the morning of September 11, 2001, I took a physical fitness test. It was to be the last one I would take in the U.S. Army. After four years of service, I was looking forward to getting out and going to college. At about the time the first plane hit the North Tower (8:46 a.m. EST), I was probably performing the sit-up portion of my test, after which was the 2-mile run. When we all got back to the office, the television was on and it didn't turn off for at least the next four months. We watched the towers fall, Enron collapse, and the bombings begin. I spent days upon days in the office up until I got out, and I had no privacy in the Army; I don't expect any now. Personally, I don't have anything to hide and if the government needs to compromise the secrecy of my conversation to prevent further attacks, so be it.

Same goes for my Internet traffic. Sure, I download a few songs here and there illegally, and they might know that. But my peer-to-peer file sharing does not compromise national security. It could, in ways, but my use is very limited and I keep a good watch over my PC due to my occupation. It actually could be a bit legal for the government to collect information about my phone calls and Internet traffic, according to the Supreme Court decision in Bartnicki v. Vopper. The Supreme Court actually upheld the First Amendment protection, but a reporter mentioned that the conversations recorded were of public concern:

Because of this suit’s procedural posture, the Court accepts that the interception was unlawful and that respondents had reason to know that. Accordingly, the disclosures violated the statutes. In answering the remaining question whether the statutes’ application in such circumstances violates the First Amendment, the Court accepts respondents’ submissions that they played no part in the illegal interception, that their access to the information was obtained lawfully, and that the conversations dealt with a matter of public concern. Pp. 9—10. (Cornell Law School)

Matters of public concern could eventually take higher precedence than the First Amendment. As long as the listeners-in don't join the conversation, I couldn't care less. A machine probably wouldn't pick up on anything I have to say on the telephone anyway, especially since I am such a poor businessman that there's nothing critical I discuss to begin with.

Wow – I don' t have much more to say. This isn't an argument for me; I don' t care whether “Big Brother” listens to my conversations. I believe that my privacy should be protected from other people (neighbors, business competitors) and will stand up for that. But when the American government wants to tap the phone, inspect every packet that leaves my cable modem, and take a look in the house once per month to make sure we're not staging Jihad, it's okay with me.

However, if they use this voluntary breach of my privacy for other reasons, I do have a problem. Playing the 9/11 card in Iraq may have worked, but I have my limits. If agents visit my house looking for terrorists and ask where I got the money for the $7,000 in computer equipment when I only have $24,000 in annual taxable income (“Come with me, sir.”), there will be issues.

In all, I expect my privacy to be respected as I will respect the values and safety of the United States and its citizens/occupants. There will inevitably come another time in which America will think back to this level of privacy and will want to have not been so secretive to protect their personal image. Anyone's neighbor could be plotting to kill a vast number of people. One of the 9/11 hijackers lived in Georgia for a little bit.

I encourage Americans to give up a little bit of privacy. Swallow your pride, because your neighbor has the same rights – and it's very possible he one day could be on a plane yelling in another language as everyone speeds toward Earth...

References
The quote about Bartnicki v. Vopper came from Cornell Law School. It was in the syllabus of the case decision, available here. Some points were also taken from the Wikipedia article on Privacy, found there.

Did you know?

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

Wierdest thing on Wikipedia yet.

Consider Me Warned

"We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action."

- Frank Tibolt

Stop This Train

This certainly has been an interesting day, though I might not get it all in because my mind is not free like some. I wish I could just let go and blog, but something's missing.

Anyway, while the coffee maker was doing its thing and I was in the shower this morning, my wonderful machine was retrieving the latest John Mayer album, Continuum. It started in the car this morning on my 1.5-hour-long-trip with the single ("Wating on the World to Change"), and I was delighted with the rest of it (I cried toward the end of "Stop this Train.")

When I finished my work up north, I started back to the office. I stopped in Tifton at the mall to pick up the actual CD and a copy of the latest Rolling Stone. I read somewhere there was an interview with John in it. The following is my story:

[Ben walks into Sam Goody and is greeted by the idiot]

Idiot: "Can I help you, sweetie?"
Ben: "Do you have a copy of Rolling Stone?"
Idiot: "Is it something new, or has it been around a while?"
Ben: "It's a magazine."

She led me to the back of the store to where the rack was, and couldn't find it. I picked it up from under her nose. "I got it. Thanks. I also need a copy of Continuum."

For a magazine that's been in publication for 39 years, it somehow has escaped the people down here. This is the place where I live. Please stop this train.

I should be posting a review of Continuum later in the week. I have heard it about five times, but I haven't looked at the cover insert yet.

Then Again...

I was reading John's blog this evening and the thought came to me that he has the best and worst of the world right now. His album, Continuum, will be released in two days. That's not all too bad until one thinks about his personal position. He's traveling around right now (Chicago at present) and he's probably busy as a person could be. Not much time to think. This is the first studio album with just his name on it in three years (Heavier Things was released September 9, 2003). He's got to be anxious, but doesn't have time to be.

There have been times that I wish I was John Mayer, but I think I've changed my mind. I definitely don't want to be where I am right now, but I'm sure I could find a quieter place than his brain at the moment.

El Extremo Para J.J.

Stories came out yesterday about John dumping Jessica, and I just couldn't disagree more. They say "it only lasted a week" and that Jessica's father was all proud of the couple.

Reason this is bullshit #1: John's on tour and Jessica is busy with whatever it is she does. If they did get together it would never be serious.

Reason this is bullshit #2: They both denied an actual relationship. Everything that was said came out of someone else's piehole.

If he likes her and she likes him, who cares? As long as it doesn't interrupt John's career or his music production, I'm fine with whatever he chooses to do.

Yet I still sit here after writing this wondering why I care so much about hyped-up crap pertaining to people I don't even know.

As if Anyone Cares what I Think

Immigration Reform is a hot topic these days. That's probably why my political science class is discussing it tomorrow.

The Problem: It is perceived by some that there are too many people immigrating to the United States every year. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, that number is about 1.1 million, and they project that the U.S. population will be around 420 million by 2050, largely due to the incoming people and the children they have when they get here. There are a lot of different impacts this influx has on our society - economic, educational, environmental, etc. Even city planners are having trouble with housing people and law enforcement is losing ground.

Building an increased number of houses on farmland and protected wetlands to accomodate more people is posing an environmental problem. Reducing the amount of farmland presents an obvious issue - more people and less food. FAIR seems to think that the high level of immigration is causing more crime, since a lot of immigrants are low-skilled and live in poverty (makes one wonder why they left home), and poverty doesn't exactly produce a high ratio of productive citizens. Schools are becoming crowded (hell, my high school was crowded in the 1990's, but that was due to a lack of concern, not immigration) and reducing the effectiveness of the primary and secondary education the U.S. provides. Economic impacts are readily seen - the people receiving financial assistance from the states, the low-skill jobs are all (well, not all) being taken by immigrants who will work for much less (the people who built my house are certainly low-skilled.)

The Solution: I have not a solution. I'm not a policical scientist or an immigration expert. I'm a technologist who doesn't watch TV (not going to pay a cable company to watch commercials, sorry) or read the newspaper (same concept). All I am interested in every day are new gadgets and software programs that help people do things.

However, G.W. Bush and his people evidently have a plan. This in no way implies that I like George W. Bush. That said, the White House’s Comprehensive Immigration Reform aims to solve many of these problems. 6000 National Guard troops have been sent to the Southern border States to provide assistance to the Border Patrol. This seems to have helped a great deal with the resistance of illegal immigration and drug trafficking across the Mexican border. They have also expanded holding facilities to accommodate more captives and expedited the deportation process. I guess I’m in favor of these measures, on a grand scale anyway.

Bush has also asked Congress to come up with a resolution to the current issues inside the U.S., like illegal workers, expired visas, etc. He even wants to start English language programs (I assume for legal immigrants).

I would probably recommend, as the global leader, that the potential illegal immigrants get help where they are; get them something to help make their lives better so they don’t feel the need to cross over and join the crowding. I think if the influx of people to the United States without an increase in productivity does not cease, we will soon find that this country is not as glamorous as it once seemed to the outside. Tourism would decline. Companies would start to move their main business lines outside the country and the economy would fail. The United States could eventually become what I have just invented a phrase for: “Social Sahara,” a country in which everyone is so poor and dried up that no one wants to visit. Then Britain would rule again. Did my imagination just cut loose or what?

I’m not one to praise the U.S. for its selfish attitude (what’s-mine-is-mine kind of thing; close the blinds to the rest of the world), but there has to be a limit on immigration before this country becomes the one those people left. Australia has an interesting acceptance program and it seems to work. I read a bit about it during the time the Olympic games were at Sydney (whenever that was) and wanted to try to get in. I think I have a better chance at getting in to Google just because of the process involved. Not recommended for a country the size of the United States, but effective nonetheless.

Cool Tool

During the conversion of posts from my bBlog blog to this one, I had to convert a UNIX timestamp to an actual, readable date. I Googled a bit and found this one, and it was quite useful I'm posting it here for my readers, but mainly so I can find it again later. It converts both ways.

I Need Plumber's Putty for This?

The kitchen sink has been leaking since we moved in (remember that this is a brand-new house) and I finally got sick of it this weekend.

I went to find out what was wrong and discovered that the plumber the contractor hired must have been Britney Spears. Every stainless steel fitting was cross-threaded. I had to put new drains in both sides, but couldn't figure out how to get the old ones off. So after buying new pliers and traveling 60 miles one-way to get a couple of tools and some plumber's putty, I got the damn thing apart at about 1:15 this morning.

20 minutes it took me to get it back together (no leaks), another 10 minutes to clean up, and here we are at the computer just after 2:00 nursing a beer and basking in my own glory. If only someone were awake to share this with me.

Now if you don't mind, I'm late for Labor Day.

So Commonly Mentioned

Until I hear differently, the couple made up of John Clayton Mayer and Jessica Ann Simpson are herein referred to as "J.J." I will probably mention their union many times in the near future and this will save me some time. I can't believe I'm following this.

And John, I don't believe the hype.

Don't Be Alarmed

I really just wanted to type a bit on this wireless keyboard, and throw in a link to johnmayer.com which has recently seen a makeover. John keeps a blog there now and (aside from the obnoxious commercialism) writes some pretty interesting stuff. There's a new store, too, and stuff about Continuum.

I don't get the hype between Jessica Simpson and John Mayer. Could someone explain that to me? Does he like her, or is this just a big publicity stunt? And why does it bother me like it does that K-Fed is now a rapper? Entertainment was never my thing, but when it comes to my only star, I get edgy. Jessica better not stitch him up, whatever the case. Keep the music flowing.

Oh, and someone get me tickets to Atlanta in October, okay? Thanks.

If the new counter at the bottom isn't displayed, view this blog with Mozilla Firefox. Don't ask me why.

Has anyone seen my USB drive?

Okay, So It Didn't Last

I was going off on my own, away from blogger, and thought I'd found a sweet peice of software that allowed me to blog away in my own independence as if I were my own geek. I thought I'd have the time to work out the bugs (there were none, just one configuration I couldn't manage to change). I just hate spammers. Plus I didn't get enough traffic there. In the weeks I had it going, there were only ~197 hits, mostly me from different locations.

Anyway, on behalf of benrehberg.com, I welcome myself back.

JM and JS? Not My Kind of Duo

I never thought Jessica Simpson would ever enter my life. I was perfectly happy not knowing what she was doing until I found out what was going on. John started dating her recently.

As if the TV show with Nick wasn't enough, and all the drama with the divorce, John's going to be distracted by the paparazzi and the rumors. Continuum is out September 12, and if the two of them stay together it will probably take four years for another album. His whole demeanor will change.

I forgot to tell him that I have to live vicariously through him - single and rich, doing exactly what I enjoy doing. If he hooks up, I have no one to model my imaginary life after. Thanks alot.

So John, congratulations. She's hot, but don't get all stitched up, or someone will find a bag full of chicken-tuna sandwiches on their front porch (maybe the one you'll be sleeping on).

Interestingly Enough, I Play Golf.

"When you reflect on the combination of characteristics that golf demands of those who would presume to play it, it is not surprising that golf has never had a truly great player who was not also a person of extraordinary character."
-Frank D. Tatum Jr.

Fantastic Getaway Weekend

We went to our third bedroom to complete a monumental task in two days. We almost did it.

The third bedroom used to be a "guest bedroom" of sorts, but Beth and I wanted an office where we could shut the door and study when needed. We moved both desks from the living room to the new office, and completed many other tasks. Here's what we did, and yes, we are tired.

I finished putting my new computer together (motherboard failure last week) and moved my desk to the office. We moved two full bookcases to accomodate a second desk. I installed three Ethernet drops behind the desks.

And we installed two more ceiling fans (the cool ones with remote controls), a closet organizer in the bedroom, a shelf above the washer and dryer, boards on the attic floor for storage, and I organized every cable I have in a five-drawer organizer thingy. The drawers are labeled "data cables," "power cords/adapters," "telecom," "audio/video cables," and "small devices," just in case you were interested.

Have a good week, people.

Update: Oh, and we also framed two pictures I painted in high school. Talk about things on the back burner!

Back in Time

I tend to get up pretty early in the morning (or have so for the past few weeks) and my wife hates it (so I understand now) when I turn on the light to get ready. We're (actually, Beth is) renovating Anika's room this week so Anika sleeps in our room for now. She's the real reason I didn't use the light.

So now I've been reduced to simulating an experience like that of waking up in basic training for fireguard - middle of the night, flashlight in closet/locker, clandestine attempt to muddle in the dark and get dressed. I was thinking about getting a red lens for my flashlight, but then I wouldn't be able to tell the blue socks from the black ones.

At least the coffee pot is quiet.

Competition

Amazon.com has become pretty cool with their recommendations and new interface and such, but it's still a store, like any other. Case in point:

I used Amazon's cool new "lists" feature to create a gift list for Beth. When I finally decided to buy, I discovered that they were out of stock on one item. I was going to order the only other thing on the list, but it was under $25 (no free shipping). So, what the hell - I went to my own wish list (only to find that half the shit on it was no longer available) to find something that would bring the total above that required to get shipping free. I found one thing, added it to my cart and voila! It was currently unavailable from the supplier. Seems odd since it was a NYT bestseller.

Off to buy.com I went, and got everything I needed (read: nothing for myself). No wish list there, just impulse at its best working for me.

I found it cool that it was just like the good ol' days when one couldn't find something at Wal-Mart. He just went to Kmart or Target and got it. Only today I didn't have to even stand up, walk down an aisle (or fart in it), or speak to a single person, but Amazon.com knows that I didn't buy anything today and left their site to go directly to buy.com. They know what they need to do.

And I'm Spent...

I think I'm going to have a tumor before I figure out just how Samba works on my FC5 box. I've been trying to build a Linux file server using big hard drives on old hardware, sharing files via SMB, but it just doesn't seem to want to work. I thought I had it working last night (I started this low-priority project two years ago) and wanted to expand the server to include the new 200GB hard drive.

I fucked it up. Again. And I had to reload the operating system.

Since I reloaded, I'm back to square one. Samba is not working properly and I can't figure out what the problem is. Again.

Never mind, I got it.

No I don't.

Fuck it - I'm installing Windows. Some things just aren't free enough. I've bought and read an entire book on Samba, and I haven't had any success. I have also consulted four other Unix/Linux books and several computing experts (none of whom have visited and shown me what's wrong) to no avail. To quote a famous line from my lovely wife, "This is me throwing in the towel..."

Update: I've got Windows installed and formatted both drives. I am moving all my movies to that server. I'm also wondering why I didn't do this a year ago.

"Continuum" out September 12

John Mayer has released another single, a preview of what will be on his new album, “Continuum,” due out September 12. This one's called “Waiting on the World to Change” and addresses some of the things going on right now. He mentions the war, and a few other things I can't remember (Anika was unhappy at listening time) and almost went against something he said two years ago (during the 2004 elections) in an interview. I remember when someone asked him how he felt about certain artists who give a little speech about their political leanings before their performance, and John didn't like it. He said something like “We're musicians. If you've got a message, write a song about it.”

And so he did. Except that John's got more of a perspective than a message, more of a question than an answer. We really can't ask for anything more.

This new song renews my interest in his music (it's just been too long) and inspires me once again to find something I really enjoy doing and find a way to make a living doing it.

Maybe later. For now, I have to pay the bills and try to get ahead in my career.

New Name

I was a bit late for the training this morning and when I got there I was informed that people were asking where “the skinny man” was. Great. Now I'm the outsider. There's no longer “the fat kid” because “fat” became “normal.” I shall now live the remainder of my life with the shame that I cannot be like the other kids.

Just kidding. But they were asking for the skinny man.

The 3x5 is Better on the Other Side

I just tried to read a blog on live.com and it really sucked. It was actually featured on the front page of MSN, and had a cool picture of someone in a straw hat looking over the desert. The tagline of the blog (according to MSN) was "Getting Used to New Mexico." I just had to read it. And it sucked. My blog is better, and I should just stick to reading it all the time.

But I'm writing today to tell about something my experience this morning helped me to realize: out West, as I like to refer to my favorite place, the pictures are so much better. We took such good damn pictures out there, and other than the photos of Anika, there has been no scene here like any of those in Colorado, Arizona, or New Mexico. The sun just shines differently over there, and in my eyes (through the sunglasses, of course) makes everything look better. I really gotta get out more.

This Bridge is Gonna Kick Ass

There are several websites devoted to telling people just how "bad" Chuck Norris is, and he is. This website says so.

So I came across an article this morning about 12 percent of voters in Budapest want their new 2.5-mile bridge to be named after Mr. Norris. I'm not sure what the voters will decide, but if Chuck Norris has anything to do with it when they pick another name, I am certain the bridge will come down with just one roundhouse kick.

Update: I realize this post may come across as my undying support for Chuck Norris. Truth (of my opinion) be told, he's old and never was much of an actor. These sites mentioned above are mere parodies and exaggerations joking of Chuck Norris' abilities because of the B- or C- class movies and TV shows he starred in, similar in case to those of Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Arnold Schwarzenneger. The only difference among these names is that I didn't have to look up the spelling for Chuck Norris.

Fiber in the Morning for Regularity

If I had some half & half this morning, I would almost be in bliss. But even if I had all I ever wanted for my coffee, MediaCom still doesn't have a good contingency measure for a power outage.

What, do you ask, is the relationship between half & half and power outages? I have a routine, if you will, every morning. I get up, make coffee, and drink it while I check my e-mail, read some news, and research whatever comes to mind. Back in the day, dad's place was the garage or the woodshop out back, or some room he can read in. I have my desk, inconveniently situated in the corner of the living room, in sight of everything. But it is my place for me to enjoy. Early morning is the only time I have all to myself to do what I do without interruption, whether it be surfing porn, reading about protein synthesis, or looking for another job. My sanity depends on this; the day is not right unless I can have at least 30 minutes to myself. So...

My cable modem is out this morning due to a storm in Valdosta last night that apparently knocked out power to their head-end down there. What they must not realize or care much about is that quite a few of their customers these days depend on the cable network for telephone service. Since I moved into this house and was forced to use MediaCom cable, my modem has been offline at a minimum of once per week. The first three weeks we paid for the service, there was none. It didn't work at all.

I am one of those customers whose home telephone depends on their cable network. I am not a customer of MediaCom's telephone service (I use Lingo; it's cheaper), but nonetheless, I would be very enraged about this, I'm sure, if I had a teenage daughter. For as long as I can remember, the telephone was never out when the power went down. This outage is unacceptable, given the frequency. As a technologist, I know that there is just about no way to make a large cable network as solid as the telephone system, so when we start gabbing over copper cable with UDP packets, it's time to take another perspective on the network. Here's my solution:

Some companies are beginning to toy with the idea of running fiber optic cable directly to the customer's house. While this could prove very expensive, it would provide a robust level of service and expand the horizon of the service capability. With the bandwidth that fiber optics can provide, companies can run just about anything over it, including television, telephone, and high-speed Internet service, all at once, to every customer. Maintenance, in my opinion, would become almost nonexistent (recovering the initial cost of implementation) and service interruptions could only be caused by (and this doesn't help me today) power outages or a physical break in the fiber. This would greatly reduce calls to the technical support desk and hatred of such a big dumb company.

But I would still be out of service today, since no one wants to provide backup power to a head-end that serves, by my estimate, ten thousand people. They'd better hurry up, or I'll... Never mind. There is no other company to choose. Maybe I should start one.

Party of One

Andy touched a topic today (don't really know when he wrote it, but it posted today) that touched a bit on something I've been applying a small amount of brain power to: the two sides of political battles of late.

In recent times, and probably since the beginning of time, the leftist folks have always hated those conservative, selfish bastards. I was once one of those leftist folks for a few days, and then I realized that I didn't ever like being in a category, just "one of those" as I was in the U.S. Army. I wrote sometime last year about labels and how I don't really like them, but I fit in with more liberals than I do conservatives. I like mostly the "world view" they have, though some liberals are downright hippies who would rather have an anarchy and not bathe.

But I don't think that was what I wanted to write about tonight. There was something I wanted to point out in the midst of all the Republicans saying "...it's those fucking Democrats who want to open the gates and let all the poor aliens in to eat all our food and take our jobs" and the Democrats saying "...those damn Republicans just hate all the Mexicans."

It's this (actually, it's questions):

• Which party is it that wishes for everyone in the world to be healthy and happy?


• Which one is going to get global conservation right so I don't have to invent a bubble for Anika to live in?


• Is there a party whose leaders don't lie, cheat, or steal?


• Which one accepts humans as they are?

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for the United States and its conservation, but do we have to ignore the political and social health of every other country while we do it? I believe that's why <insert name of popular terrorist organization> hates us. Well, that and we're mostly Christians.

So here we are, blasting each other with words and slashed tires. Republicans think Democrats are just a bunch of gay hippies, and Democrats think Republicans are Chevy-driving gun-toters. Or something like that. I believe President Bush, deep down, wants all conflict resolved. I think he'd really be okay if there were no wars and everyone was healthy, he could solve starvation and the spread of disease in Africa, and the world was perfect. I am willing to accept that G.W. would be fine with that, if that were all we had to worry about.

I believe this right/left bashing has to do with other issues that the two parties (in general) don't agree on. These days it's religion, the definition of life, and the definition of marriage, to sum it up. There's also the war and our involvement about the globe, but two guys wanting to get hitched gets better ratings.

This post is long enough, and I really forgot where I was going with it, so I may try to sum it up here:

The United States of America grants freedom to its citizens, and I interpret that freedom to be the liberty to choose and do whatever I want to, so long as it does not take away from someone else (okay, that leaves some gray lines, but fewer of them.) I won't really associate myself with a party because no individual fits every idea of his/her association. I am Ben: The Party of One.

Update: I just can't let this one go for some reason, but I don't want to keep babbling:

Republicans/Conservatives have their general characteristics, including, but not limited to: conserving the "American way," firearm support, support of the death penalty, opposition of abortions and homosexual marriage.

Democrats/Liberals have their general characteristics, as well, including, but not limited to: saving animals, conserving Earth, banishment of firearms and the death penalty, support of a woman's choice to abort, and the union of whomever.

The right-wing folks fight for my right to carry a firearm, but also to keep drugs out of my hand. In my opinion, that's conflicted freedom. I personally don't like guns, so I'll go witht the Liberals on that one, including the drugs. I've never even tried marijuana (hell, I can barely spell it), but I'd like to think I could if I wanted to grow it, roll it, and smoke it without the police busting down my door, marching past the arsenal of firearms, confescating my weed and throwing me in jail.

This is too complicated. Free but not free? Protected from self?

Daughter: Defined

I had a great time this morning with the all-inclusive responsibility of getting my daughter up and going with me. I have never done this before, but I must say I did a fair job with her hair:



She ate bread, as you may see. Let me assure you that this is a regular thing. We could have just as easily had oatmeal or grits, but this morning time was of the essence and bread was handy. She ate 85% of it on the way to Tifton. With milk.

I can't say enough about how she's so much more fun every day. Her vocabulary is growing and she loves to read (which reminds me that we need more books; Hand Hand Fingers Thumb is getting very ratty). As she becomes more active and responsive, she is beginning to tell us what she likes and doesn't (and the doesn't category certainly gets more drama applied to it) and bringing a more accurate definition of who she is. She used to be just "Anika, our daughter." Now the definition has changed, and it's "Anika, our daughter who gets in and out of bed by herself, doesn't like sour cream, loves to laugh for the fun of laughing, stomps in rain puddles, and fancies popcorn with mommy and daddy."

How to Add Hexadecimal

(Also titled as "I'm bored today.")

The MAC addresses on the LAN and WAN side of most home routers are exactly one increment apart. All we have to do is add one (1) to the value of the LAN MAC printed on the bottom of the router. Sometimes, though, we have trouble doing that addition in our head because the LAN MAC might end in F, the highest hex digit, meaning more than one digit in the number will change, kind of like 899 will roll over to 900 when adding one. So, there's an easy way to do this:

Start your calculator (using Windows XP in this example).



Switch to Scientific mode:





Change the base to "Hex."



Enter the hexadecimal value



Since the number 1 is the same in hex as it is in decimal, we don't have to do any conversions to increment this value by one. Just add one (1) by clicking the "+" and the "1" and the "=." Your new value will be displayed.



Cross-posted at techpickle.org.

How do you Spell That?

Anika is nearing the 18-month milestone and it gets more interesting every day. I put our daughter to bed and was helping Beth with her mathematics. I was on one knee at her desk, drawing a heptagon, when I saw Anika casually walk out of her room and smile at me.

"Shouldn't you be in the bed?"

"Yeah."

"Well why aren't you in it?"

"Ishy-ishh-lilll-lillsh-la-dat."

"Oh. Okay. Now go to bed. I love you. Night-night."

I walked her into her room and she put her bears to sleep before laying down herself. She's such a lovely little girl.

She was up five minutes later.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," I responded, "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"

"Yeah..."

And so goes the almost nightly ritual. Hope you're enjoying this as much as I am.

Big Brother in Mountain View

I read an article at techdirt about Amazon.com getting in trouble over a magazine it had available related to cockfighting. Amazon.com says it's not liable because it's actually sold through a third party, and it's in their agreement that it is the responsibility of the actual seller to offer legitimate goods (or something like that). Anyway, in the comments were several other definitions of cockfighting that I don't need to mention, along with other complaints about Amazon.com and how they sell kiddie porn in Japan.

Someone provided a link to an example of this (which, of course, was in Japanese) and I, being curious about this claim and also in complete confidence that I would not see what this comment had implied, I followed the link to a book at amazon.co.jp.

Obviously, the person wasn't fluent in Japanese, and, to be a bit cliche, "judged a book by its cover." He didn't bother reading into it to see what it was all about. I think his comment about this 'book of kiddie porn' had something to do with "forcing her to take her clothes off."

Thanks to Google, I can read Japanese (BETA). Nothing on that translated page had anything to do with sex or violence. The front cover was admittedly a bit suggestive, but from what I gathered it was a book of pictures of a 12-year-old during summer. If you want to read the translated page (I swear it's not even legitimate pornography), click here.

Boy, that was long. All I really wanted to say is that since I've been to Google and translated one page to Japanese, it's throwing Japanese sources into my news column in the Google sidebar. Isn't that just creepy?

News Supported by Ads, or Ads Drawn to with News?

I read stories on Forbes every once in awhile, and every time I do I get frustrated with just how much of the page is dedicated to the actual report or story. See for yourself:

Troubleshooting Home Networks

We all know about wireless networks, and that most of us
should have our own router if we want to use more than one computer on the same
Internet connection. What a lot of
people don’t understand, though, is that being “connected” to a wireless
network doesn’t always mean that we’re connected to the Internet.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> For example:

 

Tech Support:style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Thank you for calling technical assistance,
how may I help you?”

Customer:style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “The Internet is broken.”

Tech Support:style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “How are you connecting to the Internet?”

Customer:style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “I have a wireless thingy in my closet.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> My computer says I’m connected and the signal
strength is ‘Excellent,’ but it still says ‘Page cannot be displayed.’”

 

This can happen for a number of reasons.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Let me try to help you understand what the
problem usually is. We’ll start with a
basic overview of how home networks are usually set up.

 

If you have high-speed Internet access, your connection to
the Internet at home is likely through a cable or DSL modem.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The modem is the device connected directly to
the TV cable (cable modem) or telephone line (DSL modem) and does the needed
modulation/demodulation for communication over your Internet Service Provider’s
(ISP’s) network (don’t get discouraged at this point – I know those were some
foreign words.) Techies like to refer to
this as the wide-area network, or WAN.
Your connection has an IP address, that is, an assigned set of numbers
used by the Internet to route traffic to your house.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Much like a phone number, but obviously a bit
different. I won’t go into the details
here, but I will say that your ISP usually assigns one IP address per customer,
and it always is given to the device connected directly to that modem.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Also, this IP address is what we call your
“public” address.

 

Those of you who use more than one computer at home
simultaneously probably have some sort of router.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We will assume that you’re hip and have a
wireless router, and probably a laptop with which you roam about your home.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Your wireless router is connected directly to
your modem, which has been granted that single IP address from your ISP.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Now routers have lots of places to plug in
cables, but we’re only going to look at two of them.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> On the back of the average wireless router,
there are five RJ-45 connections (these look like wide telephone jacks).style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Four are right next to each other, and one is
separated from the pack.

 

That lonely RJ-45 connection is usually
labeled “Internet,” “WAN,” or both.
It is the WAN (remember, wide-area network = Internet Service Provider’s
network) interface, and should have a network cable (usually included with the
modem and with the router) connected from that port to the modem.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> This is the extent of your connection
directly to the Internet. Everything
after this concerns your internal home network, or local-area network (LAN).

 

The other four ports (the RJ-45 connections) are referred to
as the LAN. It doesn’t matter which port
you connect your computer to; they’re all the same.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Just pick one.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You’ll need another one of those network
cables to connect your computer to the LAN.
If everything is on and working properly (and you’re all paid up with
your Internet provider), you should be able to access the Internet.

 

Okay, here we go…

 

This home router can do some pretty cool stuff if you really
think about it. It creates a whole other
network, just for you, and it allows everyone connected to it to use that one
single Internet connection. It grants
each computer an internal, or private, IP address so that it can manage each
connection separately. After granting
the IP addresses, it uses something called network address translation (NAT) to
properly route communications to and from the Internet for each user.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> For all your computer knows, it’s connected.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It is not connected directly to the Internet,
but it is connected to your home network, or the LAN.

 

This picture I’m painting concerns a “hard-wired” connection
(remember the cable from the computer to the router?), but the same goes for a
wireless connection. The status could
show “connected” and the signal level could be “Excellent,” but that’s only
your connection to your router, not the
Internet. You could think of your
router as a “gateway” to the Internet through which all traffic must pass. I’ve
gone through all of this to say that if
your router can’t access the Internet, no one in your house can, either.

 

There are a couple of reasons this could happen:

 

Reason #1: style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Your
modem is offline. Large networks,
especially cable and DSL networks, are exposed to many
elements and are fairly fragile. They
are susceptible to radio interference, heat and cold, lines being cut by
construction workers, lawn mowers, bad landlords, and the occasional car
knocking down a telephone pole.
Maintenance on the cabling that runs through your neighborhood can also
affect your service.

 

You can tell that your modem is online just by looking at
it. Cable and DSL modems always have a
series of indicator lights used for showing its own status.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> One light that is pretty standard is the one
labeled “Power.” If this light is not
lit, check the following:

 

1. That
   the modem is plugged into an electrical outlet,
   and the cord is firmly in place in the power connector on the back of the
   modem.


2. The
   electrical outlet you are using is live.
   Is there a tripped circuit breaker in the house? style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Is the power out? style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You can even go so far as taking the
   modem to another room just to plug it in and check the power connection. style='mso-spacerun:yes'> If none of this works, it could be that
   the power supply for your modem has gone bad, or the modem itself has
   ceased to live. Most customers
   rent/lease the modem from the ISP.
   Call tech support to get a replacement.

 

If the light is on, continue your investigation:

 

Some modems have a standby mode which breaks the
connection. If there is a standby button
on your modem, press it and see if the lights come back on.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I know that Motorola modems have a separate
light used to indicate the modem is in standby mode, but I’ve seen an RCA modem
that shuts off all the lights when in
standby.

 

Usually there is a light labeled “Online” or “Ready.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> If it is not on, or if it is blinking at a
steady rate, there is a problem with your ISP’s network.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Before calling tech support, try this:

 

1. Make
   sure the telephone line (DSL) or cable (Cable Modem) is connected to the
   modem and to the outlet in the wall.


2. Unplug
   the power cord from the modem.


3. Wait
   20 seconds.


4. Plug
   the power cord back in and let the modem initialize.

 

That often solves the problem, but not always.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I recommend at this point that you wait about
an hour (if you haven’t done so already) before calling tech support.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> There may be maintenance in the area or some
other type of outage, and your ISP likely knows about it.

 

If that worked and your modem shows that it is “Online,”
congratulations.

 

If it was online to begin with, we can assume then that the
problem lies elsewhere, and it is not a problem with your ISP.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It is a problem with your network.

 

Reason #2: style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Your
router can’t access the Internet.
When the power goes out at my house and comes back on, everything comes
on at the same time, including the modem and my router.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> When the router comes on, it looks to the
modem for access and starts asking for its IP address.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The problem lies in this:style='mso-spacerun:yes'> it can take up to five minutes for a modem to
connect to the ISP and come online again.
During this time, the router can simply give up asking for an address,
because nothing is responding while the modem is situating itself.

 

So, what needs to happen is for the modem to come online, style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>then the router to power up and get
access right away.
Here is the fix-all for this situation:

 

1. Shut
   down everything. Turn off all the
   computers, and remove power from the modem and the router.


2. Wait
   two full minutes.


3. Apply
   power to the modem only.


4. Wait
   for the modem to initialize and come online. style='mso-spacerun:yes'> This could be a few minutes.


5. Apply
   power to the router. It will
   initialize and connect within about 30 seconds.


6. Start
   your computer(s). All should be
   well.

 

If this is not done in the prescribed order, it may not
work.

 

Reason #3: style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Your
router still can’t access the Internet.
Lightning can be a real pain sometimes.
I’ve seen computers that have fallen prey to lightning strikes hitting
the cable networks, which in turn can ruin the modem, the computer, or
both. Check the lights on the modem
related to PC or LAN. This is the
connection from your modem to the router.
The corresponding light on the router is usually labeled “Internet” or
“WAN.” They should both be class=GramE>on, and possibly flickering.
If not, try the following:

 

1. Try
   another cable between the router and the modem.


2. Connect
   a computer (must be powered on) to the modem and check the PC light on the
   modem. If it still does not light,
   the modem is likely at fault.


3. With a
   network cable, connect a computer (again, it must be on) to the
   Internet/WAN port on the router and check the light. style='mso-spacerun:yes'> If it does not come on, it may be the
   router, or both the modem and the router.

 

Reason #4: style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Logical
Problems at the ISP. I won’t
call them hackers, because most hackers aren’t evil.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I will refer to evil hackers as Technologically-Advanced
Rogue Degenerates, or TARDs.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Sometimes those TARDs
have a field day with someone, and try to crash whatever ISP their victim may
be using. You might be on the same ISP,
or even be that victim. Other things can
happen though, such as a server crashing or a
disgruntled employee gone mad. These
things we cannot help, but rest assured that someone is working on it.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Call tech support just to see what the
problem is. Also, you might want to make
sure your payment wasn’t late.

 

Conclusion

 

As you may imagine from reading this far, many things must
be in place for the Internet to work and for your home or office network to
operate. I probably haven’t covered
absolutely everything in this article, but from my experience, this covers the
majority (and I mean majority, like 97% for home users) of the problems related
to Internet access that I had to help customers correct while I did technical
support at an ISP. I still encounter these
same things with the people I meet and serve, and not much outside of this ever
arises in the residential arena.

 

Many things can affect wireless networks, radio interference
being the main culprit. Other factors
can affect connectivity, but that is not the scope of this article.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I will soon write about wireless network woes
in another post here.

Cross-posted at techpickle.org.

Shout Out

My good friend Andy and I go way back.

No we don't.

We just know each other but never talk. I included him the other day when I blasted out a mass-mail announcing the move from blogger and never heard from him. I did confirm today, though, that he does check his e-mail, because the link on his site has been updated. To return the favor, I added his RSS feed to my Random Feed box in the sidebar.

Andy is such a professional blogger that I forget he's also an Army officer. He wins awards, gets invited to write at other blogs, and is summoned to interviews. He is very insightful, as he was when we used to hang out. He knows a lot of stuff (and now I assume does a heck of a lot of reading) and seems to be quite concerned with the political state of the world.

He has become somewhat of a celebrity as his hit counter is nearly 250,000 at the moment! I realize that's not many for a popular website, but if you'll look at the latest count at my blogger site, you'll see a vast difference. Keep it up, Andy, and feel free to comment here anytime.

Improv Night at the G8

Actually it was morning, but I missed it!

See, the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over."

-George W. Bush

Update: I appreciate the fact that Bush actually thinks about what's going on. Seems to me he has to be forced to explain himself every time he's in public, and that he doesn't actually consider much in private. This shows that Bush seemingly cares about something and proposes a solution, or something close to it.

Update II: I saw some of the video and while I haven't changed my mind that Bush actually thinks about what's going on, he still isn't very professional, even in an event in which all leaders are known to be audited by their every move. I mean, he was smacking his food with his mouth wide open when he said "...get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over." One can barely understand him! That's not to be a judgement on his entire character as an American president (jury's still out on that one).

And the fact that he didn't want to speak at length because it was a long trip home is just plain shitty. If he's got something to say, then damnit, he should go right out and say it, because after all, he is the "leader" of a global superpower, isn't he? Shouldn't he have some clout at these meetings?

Having Babies to Escape Poverty?

A new study in the UK has found that teenage pregnancy is better than a dead-end job. While I'm not a teenage girl nor do I even know one at this time, there are better ways of fixing one's future than having a baby in high school.

I knew one girl in high school who got pregnant. She didn't choose to get pregnant (she did, however, choose to have sex, but did so without the intention of bearing a child^*) and was criticized for the entire time she carried. It was big news in my town; the girl dated one of my brother's friends and we saw her almost every day. She did quite well through the pregnancy and the birth, finished high school and is reportedly living a life above poverty. I don't think she's better for it. More experienced, yes. Better off than having gone to college, no.

But times as they are, I'm not sure exactly what they think in middle school these days. The world's technology keeps us so connected to each other electronically that we're very removed from the real world, especially when one is young and impressionable. If life sucks so badly that a young teenage girl would rather have a baby than find another way to make herself succeed, parents need to be just a little bit more involved.

My mother is the executive director of a children and youth organization down in this area. I'm sure she'd have something to say to these kids pregnant at 13.

Then again, given the same educational environment I had in middle and high school, I might have chosen to have a baby and seek assistance from the state. That's exactly where my education led me, until the Army recruiter stopped by my work one day. The Army saved me, in a way. I didn't know what a bachelor's degree was when I finished high school. The majority of the teachers didn't give a crap where we ended up because they thought they already knew (and as you may guess, no one was success-bound.) I honestly don't know who the school counselor was, and I vaguely remember some kind of broad assessment telling me to work with my hands. That's it. All through high school I could see the end of it and nothing past. Nothing was there to prepare me for college; no one mentioned the possibility. I don't remember ever being challenged there; no real goals were set, temporary or long-term. I suppose I was destined for the Army, as the girls were destined for pregnancy, shitty marriages and the rest of their lives confined to one region of the United States.

Teachers need to wake the hell up, and parents need to open their eyes. Who's gonna take care of you when you're too old to wipe your ass, the high-school dropout you ignored?


_{* to my knowledge.}

Numero Uno

I used to do like many others and put my own name into Google from time to time. And probably like so many others, I failed to find myself on the first page. As far as I know, I'm the only Ben Rehberg in this country, and I should show up in at least the first ten listings!

Well, I do now. I've had this domain since 2003 and it's never seen very much activity until now. The blog being here makes a bit of noise every time I update it, and when my friends change the links to here, Google and the other engines will crawl this site a bit more.

Oh, and the "Earlier Entries" box is filling up. I was right - ten posts.

Of All People!

Pete Coors? Who would have ever imagined he was a drinker?

Hot Enough

I remember back in the early 80's when I lived in Nebraska someone saying that the sidewalk that summer was "hot enough to fry an egg." I don't remember this very vividly, though; I was five or six years old.

Now I've heard that some of the more powerful laptops today emit high levels of thermal energy (read: they get hot). This HP TC1100 tablet PC gets pretty warm sometimes, and I think my Dell Inspiron 1100 actually started to cook the meat on my palms if I typed at it long enough.

Well, here's news. Engadget says someone actually cooked an egg on a new MacBook. Literally hot enough.

Now here's a moneymaker: underwear that protects you from your laptop! Watch your packages, boys.

Mission Complete

It was 9:17 this morning on my atomic clock when I saw and heard confirmation of "wheels stop" on Discovery at Kennedy Space Center. They traveled 5.4 million miles, repaired the heat shield using a 50' boom, and returned the space station's crew to a full complement.

I wish I was there. That stuff sounds like so much fun, it might not seem like so much work (though it is a full ton of it). I currently have a job that isn't very challenging; the only exception to that is finding something to do when there's no training. That can prove taxing; which is why I'm home this morning watching the space shuttle land on NASA TV via Akamai/Yahoo:



I think now I'll work on some more work-related stuff here, where it is comfortable and more user-friendly.

As I Sit...

Discovery will land in a couple of minutes. I am still fantastically amazed at the level of engineering employed in these missions. I just heard "...wiggle the right data probe" just after they announced the shuttle was moving at Mach 4.6.

I'm not picking on them. I love those people.

Little trivia: STS-41B (Challenger) was the first shuttle mission to land at Kennedy.

More Video Fun

Launch in external player

I don't know why Firefox doesn't display this video the same way that IE does. The code instructs the browser not to play the video automatically, but Firefox obviously doesn't listen. If you're using Firefox, I'm sorry, but you're going to just have to sit there and watch it every time you open this post, or just press stop.

On the other hand, if you're not using Firefox, there's a link to get it at the bottom of the sidebar.

NEWS

This is the new location for Random Thoughts, a blog by Ben Rehberg. This post will remain at the top of this blog until October 2006.

I think I'm all done with the build here. Those of you who link to Random Thoughts should think about changing the link! Random Thoughts will not be updated as of July 16, 2006. The official link to here is http://www.benrehberg.com/

Thanks for visiting!

Update: This post was at the top of my blog created with bBlog and is only included here for purposes of completeness.

What's Wrong?

There never is anything in the "Earlier Posts" section. The call to display this list is "{recentposts skip=10}." Hm. Maybe I have to have posted at least ten entries to this blog before it displays "earlier posts." Especially since the first eight or so have been posted during the same 24-hour period.

Sunday Morning

The calendar thing is a bit tricky. I don't even know how to call it up. I'm also having problems with the landing page at benrehberg.com. I can change my web server to serve up the blog when you go to www.benrehberg.com, but for some reason it's not working. I put a quick redirect page up front (first time I'd ever needed one; it took five minutes when it should have taken 30 seconds).

I've notified my readers at Random Thoughts to update their links, and I'll send an e-mail to a select few whom I know have links to me.

In other news, It's Sunday. It is going to be a slow day today because I was up until nearly 4 a.m. getting this blog configured. My wife is building a tent out of sheets for our daughter, and my parents are coming over. They're getting ready to move in the middle of next month and they're in a hissy on what to do with all of their stuff.

I would be too. My dad built the place he's currently in and still has all the equipment needed to keep it up. He's moving from a 3000 ft^2* home on 25 acres to a three-bedroom apartment in the city. I really feel for them.

Sorry I don't have any global news today. It's Sunday, people. Get to church.

Just kidding.

_{* estimated square footage and acreage.}

Easier Than I Thought

All is moved from blogger. The archives of Random Thoughts can be found here. Happy reading!

This Blog has Moved

Hi. I'm moving my blog to my personal site, benrehberg.com. I'm tired of wondering what the hell to do with the place and I have wanted to control my own blog for a while now, so I'm copying Scott and moving to my own domain. Please update your bookmarks. The official URL is

http://www.benrehberg.com

Don't forget it.

Thanks for visiting! See you there!

Now I just need to figure out something to do with the other two domains...

Third Post

This is the third post to this blog, and I can't tell if the "Earlier Posts" section is being filled out. Anyway, it's very late and I think I'm going to call it a night.

Maybe I'll play with the calendar before I go...

Testing... Testing...1.2.3.

I am just testing the image posting thingy. I have to host my own pictures now and this is how it's done:



She's so darn cute! Enjoy!

Update: I had to shrink this image because it was HUGE. The main window didn't resize it. I could have resized the image display with HTML, but scaling the picture allows a faster page load. I still kinda like this. Now if I could just get my AdSense ads on here...

Update 2: Done with AdSense placement...

I Finally Found It!

I finally found this damn thing! I've been wanting to display a good-looking blog at the front of benrehberg.com for a long time now (because I am a horrible web designer and don't have the patience) and I got it!

It took the right Google search to find this, and setup was easy! Scott, you really should try this. It's called bBlog, and it does everything for you. It has everything, so far as I can tell, including trackbacks, commenting, and RSS feeds. Random Thoughts is no more from this point on, unless I really screw this thing up.

Update (9/5/2006) Looking back, it wasn't such a grand experience. Judging by the fact that you're now reading this same post powered by Blogger, I have failed in my endeavor to escape the masses, but succeeded in my goal to have my blog here at my site instead of rehberg.blogspot.com. Thank you very much.

Review: Brokeback Mountain

I finally saw Brokeback Mountain and I can see why the conservatives and other homophobes hated it or refused to see it at all. It was a slightly slow movie, but interesting throughout. I found it interesting that there wasn't even a kiss before the first (ahem) love scene. That struck me as just plain weird. Every love scene in every other movie has the two in question lip-locked as they tear each other apart.

One has to admit that it took a bit of acting ability to pull the two main roles off. I mean - I'm no homophobe (nor am I homosexual), but it would be tough for me to make it look genuine while kissing another man, caressing him as if he were my wife. That's probably because I'm a geek, not an actor. Props to them.

And I honestly forgot that Heath Ledger is Australian and has an obvious natural accent. He did a magnificent job with the speech for his part. Jake Gyllenhall didn't have to change too much to play Jack Twist (he looks funny with a mustache), but he did a great job. I always thought for some reason that he is older than I am, but he's actually younger than my wife is. For someone to pull off this type of role at age 25 is just fantastic.

Even though most of the filming took place in Alberta, I could still believe it was Wyoming. The scenery in this film was a catalyst for my desire to move back out to the West.

The story - I don't know what to say about the "love story" aspect of it. It has certainly attracted a lot of attention, hasn't it? The controversy is what made me want to watch it even more. It's the same reason I just had to read The Da Vinci Code. Minus the homosexuality, Brokeback Mountain was like any story and could have even been about two women, filled with unabashed emotion and tenacious love. I think there's more than one real story of a 20-year extramarital affair out there. Some things are just irresistible; it's part of being human.

All in all, I think the movie was good. However, I'm going to buy Anne Proulx's book that includes this short story so that I may read the actual

Tentacle

So I haven't been consistent with my blogging - so what? I have a life. It has now slowed to the point where I can write more often, but I don't necessarily do more thinking. Since there is no cognitive energy to spend, there is not much to write.

Seems lately that I'm writing a lot about not writing.

But here's something I didn't know - Ken Lay was on vacation in Aspen when he died. Aren't people supposed to have a bit worse time while awaiting sentence? Anyway, screw him. He was that successful and threw it all away to greed (or ignorance, if you believe him). Now thousands of people are out of their pensions and investments, and Ken just cuts out and dies. What a dick.

News on some people who need a break, though - astronauts. I wanted to be one once. Now I'm too tired.

Escape Plan

I must find a way to get out of South Georgia. I'm of the "If you can't beat them, leave" train of thought, and it's time I found a way to do that.

I want more choices.

I want more diverse people.

I want technology more readily available.

I want more money for what I do.

I want to hang around with more geeks.

I have only thought of one thing to do first: finish a four-year degree in a computer-related field. I have started just that and will be looking for more ways to get out while I'm pounding my brain away.

I'm also on track to take the CompTIA Network+ certification exam in a couple of months. It's not a fantastic credential, but it's a good start. For those of you who visit here often enough to read this post, leave some serious comments (Justin) giving me some ideas.

Bad Man, Good Warez

I did something the other day that I don't do very often; in fact, I haven't done it for years. My friends may think I'm crazy or stupid, but I'm my own man and I make my own decisions. This time I went against the grain to do the unthinkable. I dove in head-first...

...and actually paid for a piece of software.

I downloaded the trial version of TechSmith's SnagIt 8, used primarily to capture screenshots, but it is way more than a simple replacement for [alt+prtscrn]. This thing is awesome. It can take full screenshots or just a piece of a window, capture menus (even the right-click context menus!), and even capture a video of on-screen action. Isn't that just the best thing in the friggin' world? In addition, it comes with a simple editor that isn't so bland. It is easy to use and allows one to lay stuff over the image (arrows, text boxes, etc), and do shading, scaling, and perspective/shear changes. These things are instrumental in creating effective presentations and instructional documents.

So I chose to purchase it since the trial is only 30 days long. I thought I once found a crack for it, but the download turned out to be a virus. Oh, well. Now I don't have to worry. I got it at the Government rate ($30) because I will primarily use it to create instructional material for my job.

Before you close this blog, I'm not getting paid for loving this program, nor am I being compensated for writing this slight praise. I have merely found a program that I can use the hell out of and that works as prescribed, and thought you might be looking for such a tool.

Anika's New Bed

It's not a new bed, actually, but it's the first conversion it was designed for. It is now officially a "toddler bed" and we are slightly worried about Anika getting out of it. So we put up the camera to see how she does it without breaking her neck.

Launch in external player

A New Verb! Yay!!

From TechDirt:

Attention English Teachers: Google Is Officially A Verb: Every summer, it's always fun to see what new tech-related words make it into the Oxford English Dictionary as official 'words.' A few years ago, it was things like 'blog,' 'cyberslacker,' and 'egosurf.' This year, however, the Google lawyers probably won't be all that thrilled to discover that Google has now been included as a verb. Yes, that's right. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it's now perfectly legitimate to say you 'Googled' something. From the standpoint of Google, however, this could take them a step closer to losing the trademark on their own name, as it starts to fall into more common usage. Can Google sue the Oxford English Dictionary?

I love this language sometimes. The company isn't ten years old yet and its name is officially a verb in the English language. Sergey and Larry must be thrilled, but Eric Schmidt is probably a bit concerned about the Google name. I'm not concerned; I never had to pay to use "Google" as a verb to begin with. I don't think this will affect their trademark.

Crappy Fan

I'm such a shithead. I can't believe I missed the launch of STS-121 yesterday.

I always wanted to be an astronaut, but I guess I can't pay attention long enough.

It doesn't help that I don't watch television.

Stay the Hell Inside

Georgia's 'shoot first' law, others take effect this weekend. - Gwinett Daily Post

Apparently it is now legal to protect yourself with a weapon if you or your family is in imminent danger. This is good.

Though it was legal already, I think more people might just start carrying rifles and handguns in their Chevrolets for "protection." Then the next black man who approaches them asking for bus fare will take a dirt nap. They'll claim he "looked threatening" and was unwanted in their presence. They will then drive to the next Wal-Mart and shoot another "suspicious" black person for free. This is not good.

I might mention that I am not a black person. I hate racism, and find that I would rather hang out with many more black folks down here than the white ones. Some of them are finally over the Civil War and don't hate me because I'm white. A lot of the white people still use the word "nigger" as it has always been used - in degradation of people of African descent. They are the ultra-conservative type who can't get out of the trailer they parked in their mama's backyard. Their ignorance makes me sick.

Sorry - I meant to stay on topic.

Hell, I might be in danger myself in any public place. I don't look like anyone I know who supports the NRA (a huge backer of this new law), so I might just get blasted by some bearded fella' with a barbecue-stained Dixie Outfitters shirt on.

"Zach Ragbourn, spokesman for the Brady Campaign, a Washington D.C.-based gun control advocacy group, said supporters of the measures have been unable to point to an instance where someone defending themselves in public was prosecuted. Therefore, opponents argue the law is unnecessary. " Good point.

Oh, and Georgia isn't the only state that makes an effort to tell you that it's legal to protect yourself. "Georgia is now one of eight to 12 other states to follow through with a law of their own this year," stated the article.