http://www.psmag.com/navigation/business-economics/leaning-out-sheryl-sandberg-women-career-work-78360/
and...
http://www.psmag.com/navigation/business-economics/will-ever-able-enjoy-shorter-work-week-78891/
Showing posts with label Frustration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frustration. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Taxes 2013
All I can say (yet again) is "WHOLLY FUCK! FILING YOUR TAXES SURE DOES SUCK!"
Glad that's over....for now.
Glad that's over....for now.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Smarter thieves means we need smarter cops....and a purge in Washington
I'm currently reading Griftopia by Matt Taibbi....yet another punch in the stomach to my ever-more corroded notions that America is a nation of justice and equal treatment of law for all.
With Mr. Taibbia's background, it's no surprise that the book has a bit of a leftist-leaning bias...but I think that shouldn't be taken as a reason to avoid the book. I mention it simply so you have some idea of the perspective the author carries into his book....and you can prepare the appropriate "bias filters" as you consider the writing. I'd offer the same warning for any detected bias...regardless of political spectrum it leans towards. I.e. don't read only those that agree with you....and be EXTRA careful about your "bias filters" when you're reading those whom you agree with...sneaky mindfucks creep in too often in such moments of letting your guard down.
Nonetheless, having worked in the mortgage industry during the sub-prime boom that lead up to the 2008 crash, and being closely involved in that industry during the crash, I assure you that much of what Griftopia describes is accurate. I would differ with some of the descriptions, opinions and conclusions the book presents, yet overall, the main point he makes and the tone of his writing make the book a worthy read for anyone who wasn't intimately involved with the high level financial shenanigans that went down. For the rest of us, Matt explains the overall arc of this recent international financial scam in his entertaining and accessible writings. Sadly, the overall arc is a description of how, yet again, the powers that be have pulled a giant con on the masses, enriching themselves at the expense of the common man and his offspring for generations to come.
Today I stumbled upon this article in the NY Times regarding a recent investigative report from the Inspector General of the Justice Department. Although its focus is on fraud closer to the loan origination side than Griftopia's (which covers the BILLIONS of dollars swindled via the treasury and the financial markets), it still is sickening in its revelations of the scope of the problems. The report, “Audit of the Department of Justice’s Efforts to Address Mortgage Fraud,” emphasizes how our law enforcement and regulatory agencies are at best, incompetent in the face of "white-collar" criminals, or quite possibly, complacent in the fleecing of the American taxpayer (and other victims around the world) via corruption throughout our government and financial entities.
With Mr. Taibbia's background, it's no surprise that the book has a bit of a leftist-leaning bias...but I think that shouldn't be taken as a reason to avoid the book. I mention it simply so you have some idea of the perspective the author carries into his book....and you can prepare the appropriate "bias filters" as you consider the writing. I'd offer the same warning for any detected bias...regardless of political spectrum it leans towards. I.e. don't read only those that agree with you....and be EXTRA careful about your "bias filters" when you're reading those whom you agree with...sneaky mindfucks creep in too often in such moments of letting your guard down.
Nonetheless, having worked in the mortgage industry during the sub-prime boom that lead up to the 2008 crash, and being closely involved in that industry during the crash, I assure you that much of what Griftopia describes is accurate. I would differ with some of the descriptions, opinions and conclusions the book presents, yet overall, the main point he makes and the tone of his writing make the book a worthy read for anyone who wasn't intimately involved with the high level financial shenanigans that went down. For the rest of us, Matt explains the overall arc of this recent international financial scam in his entertaining and accessible writings. Sadly, the overall arc is a description of how, yet again, the powers that be have pulled a giant con on the masses, enriching themselves at the expense of the common man and his offspring for generations to come.
Today I stumbled upon this article in the NY Times regarding a recent investigative report from the Inspector General of the Justice Department. Although its focus is on fraud closer to the loan origination side than Griftopia's (which covers the BILLIONS of dollars swindled via the treasury and the financial markets), it still is sickening in its revelations of the scope of the problems. The report, “Audit of the Department of Justice’s Efforts to Address Mortgage Fraud,” emphasizes how our law enforcement and regulatory agencies are at best, incompetent in the face of "white-collar" criminals, or quite possibly, complacent in the fleecing of the American taxpayer (and other victims around the world) via corruption throughout our government and financial entities.
Religion and sex are power plays
Manipulate the people for the money they pay
Selling skin, selling God
The numbers look the same on their credit cards
Politicians say no to drugs
While we pay for wars in South America
Fighting fire with empty words
While the banks get fat
And the poor stay poor
And the rich get rich
And the cops get paid to look away
As the one percent rules America
- Spreading the Disease, Operation Mindcrime - Queensrÿche
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Fecund Destruction
“It is almost banal to say so yet it needs to be stressed continually: all is creation, all is change, all is flux, all is metamorphosis."
- Henry Miller
- Henry Miller
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Mental makeup of good managers
An interesting read...
Why Good Managers Are So Rare - Randall Beck , and James Harter - Harvard Business Review
http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/03/why-good-managers-are-so-rare/
Why Good Managers Are So Rare - Randall Beck , and James Harter - Harvard Business Review
http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/03/why-good-managers-are-so-rare/
Friday, March 14, 2014
Seems Confusing To Call It the "Second First Friday Salon." Hmm?
I've decided I want to start an art club. It turns out I'm not getting enough time sipping shiraz out of a paper cup and smoking a filterless cigarette that gently litters light grey ashes across my "Hades midnight" (black) organic cotton turtleneck. Life is too short.
Ok, actually it's not really an art club, it's an artists' club. Yep, I've been hitting the Seth Godin kool-aid again.
The idea, in it's beta version was released to the public during a delightful evening of beers, food, and conversation with two of the most genuine and admirable guys I know: Mike Proctor and Steve Hathaway. The seed for that idea was planted by a lunch outing with my ex-boss and friend, Mark Swift just hours prior. My brain-to-mouth turn-time is amazing, eh? "Fuck it, Ship it!"
Initially, the idea was to form a monthly gathering of friends....just an assortment of the interesting, impressive, admirable, wickedly smart people that I've been blessed to have stumble on to my life's stage. Poor bastards!
You see, after returning from Mexico (and accentuated by our too-brief visit back to Oaxaca in January), Meredith and I have felt the withdrawal of no more fiestas de amigos. In Mexico we spent a good chunk of time in each month just hanging out with our friends - talking, making/enjoying music, drinking, laughing and saying God-only-knows-what to them in our half-assed Spanish. Yet, here in the "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave" we have spent less time over seven months than we did there in any given month doing anything similar to those Mexican social gatherings. HELL, I spend more time in my fucking car in traffic each week than I do truly, actively "in" my friendships!!
Perhaps, I could see more of my friends (and they could see more of each other) if I made it a bit more "scheduled." Nothing more formal than a happy-hour after work would at least be something...if not the first step towards something even more "real," and intimate, and meaningful.
Many years ago....ok, MANY, MANY years ago, my girlfriend and I started something similar. Most of us were in our twenties and dispersing geographically across the metro area. News was slow to make the rounds. Job changes and relationship changes could happen and once-close friends might found out only months later via some shared contact.
This wasn't just pre-Facebook. This was pre-(public)-Internet, BITCHES!!!!
We started the First Friday social club and convinced enough people to join us for cocktails and appetizers and, most importantly, conversation, on that designated evening each month. We emphasized it wasn't a party or a dining event. It was a chance to catch up with a special group of people.....friends who had many years together.....friends who were now noticing that life was pulling them apart and the bonds would wither without some effort.
Eventually, we started rotating the location among the homes of the participants. And it grew. And, I believe, it became a meaningful event to all of us. Time marched on and more changes came and went just like the seasons.
So, I want to do it again. I want to spend more time hearing the thoughts and laughter of the clever, funny people I know. I want to see what happens when those who don't know each other make acquaintances. I want to share more of the nifty, amazing, awe-inspiring, silly, inspiring things I stumble across. And I want my friends to do the same so we can determine if maybe these types of honest intimacy are the true jewels we ignore in the crazy-lust of consumerism that seems to be America. Thus, it's time for a new salon!
More details to follow. In the meantime, Id love to hear your thoughts on starting, conducting or nurturing the growth of a salon? Care to join us?
Ok, actually it's not really an art club, it's an artists' club. Yep, I've been hitting the Seth Godin kool-aid again.
The idea, in it's beta version was released to the public during a delightful evening of beers, food, and conversation with two of the most genuine and admirable guys I know: Mike Proctor and Steve Hathaway. The seed for that idea was planted by a lunch outing with my ex-boss and friend, Mark Swift just hours prior. My brain-to-mouth turn-time is amazing, eh? "Fuck it, Ship it!"
Initially, the idea was to form a monthly gathering of friends....just an assortment of the interesting, impressive, admirable, wickedly smart people that I've been blessed to have stumble on to my life's stage. Poor bastards!
You see, after returning from Mexico (and accentuated by our too-brief visit back to Oaxaca in January), Meredith and I have felt the withdrawal of no more fiestas de amigos. In Mexico we spent a good chunk of time in each month just hanging out with our friends - talking, making/enjoying music, drinking, laughing and saying God-only-knows-what to them in our half-assed Spanish. Yet, here in the "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave" we have spent less time over seven months than we did there in any given month doing anything similar to those Mexican social gatherings. HELL, I spend more time in my fucking car in traffic each week than I do truly, actively "in" my friendships!!
Perhaps, I could see more of my friends (and they could see more of each other) if I made it a bit more "scheduled." Nothing more formal than a happy-hour after work would at least be something...if not the first step towards something even more "real," and intimate, and meaningful.
Many years ago....ok, MANY, MANY years ago, my girlfriend and I started something similar. Most of us were in our twenties and dispersing geographically across the metro area. News was slow to make the rounds. Job changes and relationship changes could happen and once-close friends might found out only months later via some shared contact.
This wasn't just pre-Facebook. This was pre-(public)-Internet, BITCHES!!!!
We started the First Friday social club and convinced enough people to join us for cocktails and appetizers and, most importantly, conversation, on that designated evening each month. We emphasized it wasn't a party or a dining event. It was a chance to catch up with a special group of people.....friends who had many years together.....friends who were now noticing that life was pulling them apart and the bonds would wither without some effort.
Eventually, we started rotating the location among the homes of the participants. And it grew. And, I believe, it became a meaningful event to all of us. Time marched on and more changes came and went just like the seasons.
So, I want to do it again. I want to spend more time hearing the thoughts and laughter of the clever, funny people I know. I want to see what happens when those who don't know each other make acquaintances. I want to share more of the nifty, amazing, awe-inspiring, silly, inspiring things I stumble across. And I want my friends to do the same so we can determine if maybe these types of honest intimacy are the true jewels we ignore in the crazy-lust of consumerism that seems to be America. Thus, it's time for a new salon!
More details to follow. In the meantime, Id love to hear your thoughts on starting, conducting or nurturing the growth of a salon? Care to join us?
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Erratic or Totally Missing eMails with Windows SMTP Server
This week I was doing configuration work on a client's new SharePoint Server 2010 farm to get inbound & outbound mail set-up. This project had a slightly "one-off" requirement in that their business uses Microsoft Office365 for their employees' email and Office suite. Ergo, there is no on-premise Exchange or other mail server and instead we needed to set-up SharePoint to route mail via their mail domain inside Office365. Fortunately, John White has two great blog posts covering this topology (though it references Office365's "predecessor," BPOS):
http://whitepages.unlimitedviz.com/2010/09/integrating-sharepoint-on-premises-with-bpos-and-exchange-online-part-1outbound/
http://whitepages.unlimitedviz.com/2010/10/integrating-sharepoint-on-premises-with-bpos-and-exchange-online-part-2-inbound/
I had the configuration done and had started unit testing the setup. Outbound email was working fine but as we completed more and more inbound email tests and confirmed the SharePoint site's mail-enabled document library was getting the emails it became apparent that not ALL emails were making it in. Time to put on the troubleshooting faceshield, crap-waders, leather gloves and get out the proper tools for computer troubleshooting:
Spam filter folders/logs showed nothing amiss. Examination of the SMTP log files showed that each test message resulted in the Office365 mailservers connecting to our SMTP server and seemingly delivering the email messages successfully (e.g. 200-series status codes, bytes-transferred relative to the test email's attachments). No error messages could be found in the SharePoint ULS nor the Windows Event Logs. Then, looking in the SMTP server's Badmail folder (default location is C:\inetpub\mailroot\Badmail) we discovered where all the missing emails were going.
For each missing message sent, three files existed in the Badmail folder; a .bad, a .bdr, and a .bdp.
This MS KB article describes the three file types in more detail: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306043
But looking inside the .bdr files for an explanation gave only the following error information:
Sadly, that is a fairly generic error message and Googling it lead to many false leads (including the KB article above).
Over the course of several days we sent multiple messages from different email addresses (e.g. hotmail, gmail, internal to the client, etc.) and the puzzle only grew. There seemed to be no absolute pattern to the failures. E.g. attachment v. no attachment, type of attachment, size of attachment, time of day, one sender v. another, one email service v. another, text in the body of the message. Eventually, though, it started to seem that emails sent via corporate email servers (e.g. our Exchange server) had a higher failure rate.
So here is the short and skinny of it all: The default setting in the MS SMTP Service (for IIS7.5...and probably all the way back to the first offering of SMTP Server) for the Maximum Hop Count is 15.
You can see that setting at the top of the Advanced Delivery tab as screenshotted in John White's coverage of SMTP configuration in his blog post (see URL above). Ignore his red circle around the Smart host parameter.....
In the old days, that was probably a pretty generous limit. But, now days with outbound & inbound spam filters, corporate IP trackers, and global Web mail-provider networks (e.g. GMail), it seems it isn't that hard to have your email message passed through 15 machines on its zippity-do-da way around the big ole Internet as it goes to a server across the street from your office. Depending on the gods-of-TCP/IP-routing and the current sum of the airspeed of all airborne English Sparrows, test messages that seemed to be identical tests resulted in different pass/fail results as some messages took slightly different (i.e. longer routes, they'd exceed the allowed Maximum Hop Count and the SMTP Server would do as configured and shove them into the Badmail folder.
Raising the Maximum Hop Count to a more generous 99 (max allowed value is 255) solved the erratic-emails problem.
One other thing to note while your in the SMTP configuration is to ensure the message size and session limits on the Messages tab reflect modern email expectations...especially for a SharePoint server that will be accepting documents into a document library via email. If nothing else, raise the "Limit Message Size To (KB)" parameter from its default value to something with real MB meat - e.g. 51200KB = 50MB (but don't forget that the default IIS & SharePoint file upload limits might still need to be addressed for your document library's needs, as well).
Sadly, the server never seemed to use the email address in the "Send Copy of Non-Delivery Report to:" parameter (aka Postmaster) to send an email notifying a human of the non-deliverable emails during our testing.
Oh, and here is a nice single-page overview sheet of the MS SMTP Server settings: http://www.tech-faq.com/understanding-and-managing-smtp-virtual-servers.html
http://whitepages.unlimitedviz.com/2010/09/integrating-sharepoint-on-premises-with-bpos-and-exchange-online-part-1outbound/
http://whitepages.unlimitedviz.com/2010/10/integrating-sharepoint-on-premises-with-bpos-and-exchange-online-part-2-inbound/
I had the configuration done and had started unit testing the setup. Outbound email was working fine but as we completed more and more inbound email tests and confirmed the SharePoint site's mail-enabled document library was getting the emails it became apparent that not ALL emails were making it in. Time to put on the troubleshooting faceshield, crap-waders, leather gloves and get out the proper tools for computer troubleshooting:
Spam filter folders/logs showed nothing amiss. Examination of the SMTP log files showed that each test message resulted in the Office365 mailservers connecting to our SMTP server and seemingly delivering the email messages successfully (e.g. 200-series status codes, bytes-transferred relative to the test email's attachments). No error messages could be found in the SharePoint ULS nor the Windows Event Logs. Then, looking in the SMTP server's Badmail folder (default location is C:\inetpub\mailroot\Badmail) we discovered where all the missing emails were going.
For each missing message sent, three files existed in the Badmail folder; a .bad, a .bdr, and a .bdp.
This MS KB article describes the three file types in more detail: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306043
But looking inside the .bdr files for an explanation gave only the following error information:
Unable to deliver this message because the follow error was encountered:This message is a delivery status notification that cannot be delivered.The specific error code was 0xC00402C7.
Sadly, that is a fairly generic error message and Googling it lead to many false leads (including the KB article above).
Over the course of several days we sent multiple messages from different email addresses (e.g. hotmail, gmail, internal to the client, etc.) and the puzzle only grew. There seemed to be no absolute pattern to the failures. E.g. attachment v. no attachment, type of attachment, size of attachment, time of day, one sender v. another, one email service v. another, text in the body of the message. Eventually, though, it started to seem that emails sent via corporate email servers (e.g. our Exchange server) had a higher failure rate.
So here is the short and skinny of it all: The default setting in the MS SMTP Service (for IIS7.5...and probably all the way back to the first offering of SMTP Server) for the Maximum Hop Count is 15.
You can see that setting at the top of the Advanced Delivery tab as screenshotted in John White's coverage of SMTP configuration in his blog post (see URL above). Ignore his red circle around the Smart host parameter.....
In the old days, that was probably a pretty generous limit. But, now days with outbound & inbound spam filters, corporate IP trackers, and global Web mail-provider networks (e.g. GMail), it seems it isn't that hard to have your email message passed through 15 machines on its zippity-do-da way around the big ole Internet as it goes to a server across the street from your office. Depending on the gods-of-TCP/IP-routing and the current sum of the airspeed of all airborne English Sparrows, test messages that seemed to be identical tests resulted in different pass/fail results as some messages took slightly different (i.e. longer routes, they'd exceed the allowed Maximum Hop Count and the SMTP Server would do as configured and shove them into the Badmail folder.
Raising the Maximum Hop Count to a more generous 99 (max allowed value is 255) solved the erratic-emails problem.
One other thing to note while your in the SMTP configuration is to ensure the message size and session limits on the Messages tab reflect modern email expectations...especially for a SharePoint server that will be accepting documents into a document library via email. If nothing else, raise the "Limit Message Size To (KB)" parameter from its default value to something with real MB meat - e.g. 51200KB = 50MB (but don't forget that the default IIS & SharePoint file upload limits might still need to be addressed for your document library's needs, as well).
Sadly, the server never seemed to use the email address in the "Send Copy of Non-Delivery Report to:" parameter (aka Postmaster) to send an email notifying a human of the non-deliverable emails during our testing.
Oh, and here is a nice single-page overview sheet of the MS SMTP Server settings: http://www.tech-faq.com/understanding-and-managing-smtp-virtual-servers.html
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Configuring SharePoint 2010 UPS? These are must reads!
Are you sitting down to configure the User Profile Service in SharePoint Server 2010? Of course you've read all the TechNet articles, but have you read these blog posts? You simply must (and then distill them down to get the proper steps for what you're trying to do - e.g Greg's steps are better suited for a demo enviro than with all the gritty details a real-world farm might entail).
Huge props to all the people who shared the info on these blogs as they sure kept my forehead from getting even more flat.
http://www.harbar.net/articles/sp2010ups.aspx
http://sharepointgeorge.com/2010/configuring-the-user-profile-service-in-sharepoint-2010/
And just in case you can't launch the Management page for your shiny, newly set up UPS service application:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointadminprevious/thread/d5cde29d-cfe0-4b4d-92f7-86bac94c9041
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointadminprevious/thread/2e9b1a91-066f-41d6-a30f-2f7d25ad39f2/
Oh, and now I'm having a problem with the FIM Service not starting after a reboot. This in turn (allegedly) is what caused my nightly incremental sync to fail...at least according to http://blogs.c5insight.com/Home/tabid/40/entryid/185/Resolve-an-TCP-10061-Error-with-the-SharePoint-2010-User-Profile-Service.aspx
So even though I'm not running an aliased SQL server for this latest farm, I'm trying the DTC "Allow Network Connections" mod as mentioned in this article (worthy for adding to the first two to make sure you have a good mix for your "distillation.")
http://kb4sp.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/setting-up-the-user-profile-servicequick-start-guide-2/
I'll let you know what happens after some more reboot tests.....
Huge props to all the people who shared the info on these blogs as they sure kept my forehead from getting even more flat.
http://www.harbar.net/articles/sp2010ups.aspx
http://sharepointgeorge.com/2010/configuring-the-user-profile-service-in-sharepoint-2010/
And just in case you can't launch the Management page for your shiny, newly set up UPS service application:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointadminprevious/thread/d5cde29d-cfe0-4b4d-92f7-86bac94c9041
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointadminprevious/thread/2e9b1a91-066f-41d6-a30f-2f7d25ad39f2/
Oh, and now I'm having a problem with the FIM Service not starting after a reboot. This in turn (allegedly) is what caused my nightly incremental sync to fail...at least according to http://blogs.c5insight.com/Home/tabid/40/entryid/185/Resolve-an-TCP-10061-Error-with-the-SharePoint-2010-User-Profile-Service.aspx
So even though I'm not running an aliased SQL server for this latest farm, I'm trying the DTC "Allow Network Connections" mod as mentioned in this article (worthy for adding to the first two to make sure you have a good mix for your "distillation.")
http://kb4sp.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/setting-up-the-user-profile-servicequick-start-guide-2/
I'll let you know what happens after some more reboot tests.....
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Formato #4, Agente #036
I could have SWORN I posted this last time we did our Mexican visa renewals, but can't find it anywhere. My buddy L is doing his MX visa renewal this month, so this goes out to him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXWZ3uAEKsw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXWZ3uAEKsw
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Español Banking Terms for your Mexican Visa Efforts
Well this (i.e. http://costablanca.angloinfo.com/countries/spain/bankterms.asp ) was a start but some of these are wrong and some may be regional to Spain instead of Mexico (as needed for our Mexico VISA application/processing). Thus my list of banking statement terms translated to Spanish from English. I.e. DSD's translation of his bank statements from English to Español. YippieKiEh, Motherfuckers!
|
English |
Spanish |
|
|
|
|
Account Number |
Número de cuenta |
|
Amount |
Cantidad |
|
Assets |
Activos |
|
ATM & Debit Card Withdrawals |
ATM y Retiros Tarjeta de Débito |
|
Balance |
Saldo |
|
Balance Summary |
Resumen de saldo |
|
Balancing Your Checkbook |
Cotejar tu cuenta |
|
Beginning Balance |
Saldo Anterior |
|
Card Purchase |
Compra con Tarjeta |
|
Card Purchase Return |
Devolución |
|
Card Purchase with PIN |
Compra con Tarjeta con NIP |
|
Checking Account Summary |
Resumen de la cuenta de cheques |
|
Checks Paid |
Cheques Pagados |
|
Continued |
Seguido |
|
Credit |
Crédito |
|
Customer Withdrawal |
Retiro de cliente |
|
Date |
Fecha |
|
Description |
Concepto |
|
Deposit |
Depósito |
|
Deposits and Additions |
Depósitos y adiciones |
|
Electronic Payment |
Pago Electronico |
|
Electronic Withdrawals |
Retiros electrónicos |
|
Ending Balance |
Saldo final |
|
Fees |
Honorarios |
|
Fees and Other Withdrawals |
Honorarios y otros retiros |
|
Free Checking |
Cuenta gratis de cheques |
|
Page 1 of 6 |
Página 1 de 6 |
|
Primary Account |
Cuenta Principal |
|
Savings Account |
Cuenta Ahorros |
|
Service Fee |
Pago por Servicio |
|
This Period |
Este periodo |
|
Total |
Total |
|
Total Assets |
Total de Activos |
|
Transaction Details |
Detalles de la transacción |
|
Transfer |
Transferencia |
|
Withdrawals and Other Fees |
Retiros y otros honorarios |
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Waiting for TelMex
Tuesday August 23rd, 2011
Still no Internet today. The house’s property manager, Cipriano Ramos (who has been a HUGE help to us as we’ve been trying to get settled in here) called TelMex today and we went through the tier-1 tech support to no avail. There are supposed to send a technician out in “24 to 36 hours.”
At Teizcali school starts at 7:50AM. Since we don’t have a car we walk to school. Our _route_ takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Thus wake up time is around 6:15 or so. We are not a bright-and-early type of family so this early start time plus the one hour difference in time zones between Oaxaca and Denver, CO, USA means things are a bit grouchy around here.
After walking down to B’s school this morning I found out that TELMEX techs can show up well outside of American or Mexican “business hours.” They can seemingly come as early as 7 am and as late as 8pm….any day of the week. And if you miss them when they come you allegedly go to the bottom of the queue. I will not be leaving the house it seems.
Still no Internet today. The house’s property manager, Cipriano Ramos (who has been a HUGE help to us as we’ve been trying to get settled in here) called TelMex today and we went through the tier-1 tech support to no avail. There are supposed to send a technician out in “24 to 36 hours.”
At Teizcali school starts at 7:50AM. Since we don’t have a car we walk to school. Our _route_ takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Thus wake up time is around 6:15 or so. We are not a bright-and-early type of family so this early start time plus the one hour difference in time zones between Oaxaca and Denver, CO, USA means things are a bit grouchy around here.
After walking down to B’s school this morning I found out that TELMEX techs can show up well outside of American or Mexican “business hours.” They can seemingly come as early as 7 am and as late as 8pm….any day of the week. And if you miss them when they come you allegedly go to the bottom of the queue. I will not be leaving the house it seems.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Donuts v. Bagels
I'm not much of a breakfast guy. I'm lucky if I get a ClifBar with my morning coffee. But I enjoy a bagel or donut if given the opportunity. But here is what I want to know:
If everybody slices a bagel in half, why is only one side coated with toppings? I.e. shouldn't there be schtuff (e.g. poppyseeds) on BOTH sides? I can understand with a donut as you eat the thing whole.
Somebody address this market opportunity!
If everybody slices a bagel in half, why is only one side coated with toppings? I.e. shouldn't there be schtuff (e.g. poppyseeds) on BOTH sides? I can understand with a donut as you eat the thing whole.
Somebody address this market opportunity!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
The $500 Denon audio cable
http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AKDL1-Dedicated-Link-Cable/product-reviews/B000I1X6PM/ref=cm_cr_pr_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0
Ah, yes, yet another example that some of us out there are making TOO MUCH DAMN MONEY &/or are too stupid to be allowed to use the Internet alone!!. Oh, wait, I should say some HAVE too much money as they surely aren't working for their income....are they? OMFG!
Ah, yes, yet another example that some of us out there are making TOO MUCH DAMN MONEY &/or are too stupid to be allowed to use the Internet alone!!. Oh, wait, I should say some HAVE too much money as they surely aren't working for their income....are they? OMFG!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Lessons Learned on SQL Server Instances and Ports
While working on a SQL 2008 install and problems encountered when a second instance was added, some questions came up about how SQL uses ports and allow remote access - especially when a second instance is added to a host computer. Here is the summary:
1) SQL Server 2005/2008 Express, Eval, Developer all install their instances (root OR follow-on) remote access turned OFF by default. References: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914277 and http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/3692831/SQL-Server-2005-Express-Edition---Part-4---Surface-Area-Configration.htm )
2) SQL Server instances supplemental to the initial (aka "root") instance will use Dynamic port assignment for its "listening" port.
3) The default listening port for the initial instance of SQL Server is 1433 EXCEPT for Express which uses dynamic port assignment for ALL its instances by default.
4) The default listening port for additional instances is "dynamic" for all versions.
5) Because of the differences in how SQL Server installs and seems to modify Windows Firewall for the machine SQL is installed on, DSD-Best-Practices is to follow these steps (assuming your goals want remote access to the SQL Server AND you are allowed to make these mods):
a) Install the SQL Instances you want.
b) Use the (2005) "SQL Server Surface Configuration" / (2008) "SQL Server Configuration" program to enable remote client access to the SQL Server. (For 2008 details see: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd857537(VS.85).aspx note that for 2005 it's done a bit different using the Surface Config tool)
c) Use the (2005) "SQL Server Surface Configuration" / (2008) "SQL Server Configuration" program to specify a (different!) set/static port for each instance (e.g. 1433 for the root instance 2433 for the next instance). (Restart the changed instances to put this into effect).
d) Create a rule to open the machines (Windows) firewall for the ports used for all SQL instances.
e) Test access from a remote machine.
6) The SQL Server Browser Service acts as sort of a proxy server or DNS server on a machine with more than one SQL Server instance. It handles attempts of SQL client's trying to find/reach a SQL Server (instance) by listening on port 1433 (on the server the SQL Server instances are on) and bouncing the requests to the actual port that one of the instances is really answering on. Ergo, on some items (System data source name wizard) you shouldn't expect to see or enter the instance name for a SQL Server. For example, if you have a machine named MySQLServer and the root instance is "MySQLServer" and the second instance is "MySQLServer\IamNumTwo" then you will only see "MySQLServer" in the dropdown.
7) SQL Server Browser Service Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms181087.aspx
1) SQL Server 2005/2008 Express, Eval, Developer all install their instances (root OR follow-on) remote access turned OFF by default. References: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914277 and http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/3692831/SQL-Server-2005-Express-Edition---Part-4---Surface-Area-Configration.htm )
2) SQL Server instances supplemental to the initial (aka "root") instance will use Dynamic port assignment for its "listening" port.
3) The default listening port for the initial instance of SQL Server is 1433 EXCEPT for Express which uses dynamic port assignment for ALL its instances by default.
4) The default listening port for additional instances is "dynamic" for all versions.
5) Because of the differences in how SQL Server installs and seems to modify Windows Firewall for the machine SQL is installed on, DSD-Best-Practices is to follow these steps (assuming your goals want remote access to the SQL Server AND you are allowed to make these mods):
a) Install the SQL Instances you want.
b) Use the (2005) "SQL Server Surface Configuration" / (2008) "SQL Server Configuration" program to enable remote client access to the SQL Server. (For 2008 details see: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd857537(VS.85).aspx note that for 2005 it's done a bit different using the Surface Config tool)
c) Use the (2005) "SQL Server Surface Configuration" / (2008) "SQL Server Configuration" program to specify a (different!) set/static port for each instance (e.g. 1433 for the root instance 2433 for the next instance). (Restart the changed instances to put this into effect).
d) Create a rule to open the machines (Windows) firewall for the ports used for all SQL instances.
e) Test access from a remote machine.
6) The SQL Server Browser Service acts as sort of a proxy server or DNS server on a machine with more than one SQL Server instance. It handles attempts of SQL client's trying to find/reach a SQL Server (instance) by listening on port 1433 (on the server the SQL Server instances are on) and bouncing the requests to the actual port that one of the instances is really answering on. Ergo, on some items (System data source name wizard) you shouldn't expect to see or enter the instance name for a SQL Server. For example, if you have a machine named MySQLServer and the root instance is "MySQLServer" and the second instance is "MySQLServer\IamNumTwo" then you will only see "MySQLServer" in the dropdown.
7) SQL Server Browser Service Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms181087.aspx
Sunday, October 4, 2009
What Took You So Long?
- Often things ARE as bad as they seem.
- Even so, some of the time it's possible to enjoy life as it is.
- But the better anyting gets, the more you will miss it when it's gone.
- Why grieve when nothing helps? We cry because nothing helps.
- If you stubbornly refuse to mourn your losses, you get depressed.
- Revenge is a form of nostalgia.
- Suicide can be a case of mistaken identity.
- What's a person to do about feeling helpless? For a while there's just no way to see what's funny about being stuck.
- At last, a cry out in anguish: "Why me?" God answers "Why not?"
- You CAN so stand it!
- After all, it's only pain.
- What makes it seem unbearable is your mistaken belief that it can be cured.
- Everything is difficult at first.
- I have never begun any important venture for which I felt adequately prepared.
- Not everything worth doing is worth doing right.
- Without knowing for sure what is right or wrong, take your best shot.
- There's just NO way to get it all straight. Mistakes are inevitable.
- Control is an illusion.
- You wait for everything to be all right, knowing all the while that the next problem is already in the mail.
- Life just keeps coming at you.
- Complaining can become a way of of boasting about how much suffering you can endure.
- If we allow pain more of our attention than it requires, we lose some opportunities for joy.
- Escape is not a dirty word. None of us can face what's happening head-on all of the time.
- It's all right to pretend sometimes. The only danger lies in pretending that you are not pretending.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Time
"And then you went your way
I stumbled down a highway, I went mine
You know, I think it's funny the way infatuation gets beat up by time
Woo, woo baby, do you think that's fair?
Do we really have to be so lonely and so scared
Woo, woo baby, do you think that's fair?
Well, I know this is up to me and you
We can make this thing turn out like we want to"
- Do You Think That's Fair
by John Cougar (Mellencamp)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Moving Hyper-V VMs
Ok, in my never-ending attempt to keep all electronic files for the Deron S. Dilger Presidential Library, I added another TB of storage to the home LAN. I put it in the Windows Server 2008 box that has become my primary server. As this machine is acting as the Hyper-V Virtual Host for several VMs running on GTech's LAN, I wanted to get a second SATA drive in this box to try and get some better performance outta the VMs who were running from the system drive.
Anyway, got the 1TB drive added and formated and ran Robocopy to move a bunch of stuff (including the VM folders/files) off the C drive. Last time I moved around my Hyper-V VMs I had to export them and re-import them in Hyper-V Manager to get the type of directory structure I wanted (i.e. to keep the VM's XML and VHD files in their own folders for ease of grouping and backup). This time I figured there had to be an easier way.
Not only did I (ok, Google) find this great explanation of how Hyper-V Manager keeps track of "its" VMs, that link in turn pointed to a freeware utility (DiMASoft's Hyper-V File Manager Utility) that makes the whole moving of HV VMs super easy. I was cursing at Hyper-V at first, especially now that I've also been running VMWare for the last few months. Much easier to move around VM folders/files with VMWare! But now with this utility, I'm back to feeling like Hyper-V and VMWare are comparable (for my purposes).
I also learned about mklink. Plan to use that tool more to organize my electronic rat's nest. Let's hear it for abtractions and vitualizations.
Virtualize On, Baby!
Anyway, got the 1TB drive added and formated and ran Robocopy to move a bunch of stuff (including the VM folders/files) off the C drive. Last time I moved around my Hyper-V VMs I had to export them and re-import them in Hyper-V Manager to get the type of directory structure I wanted (i.e. to keep the VM's XML and VHD files in their own folders for ease of grouping and backup). This time I figured there had to be an easier way.
Not only did I (ok, Google) find this great explanation of how Hyper-V Manager keeps track of "its" VMs, that link in turn pointed to a freeware utility (DiMASoft's Hyper-V File Manager Utility) that makes the whole moving of HV VMs super easy. I was cursing at Hyper-V at first, especially now that I've also been running VMWare for the last few months. Much easier to move around VM folders/files with VMWare! But now with this utility, I'm back to feeling like Hyper-V and VMWare are comparable (for my purposes).
I also learned about mklink. Plan to use that tool more to organize my electronic rat's nest. Let's hear it for abtractions and vitualizations.
Virtualize On, Baby!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The sticky state of sperm warfare
I remember many years ago a female friend told me that human ejaculate gets extra viscous upon release, and then 18 minutes later becomes more fluid. Stumbled across this and now I understand why she was right.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
- Pogo
So I've spent the last two days going crazy trying to get Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services working on my laptop. I was getting an ASP.NET error when I tried to hit the report server's Web user interface (i.e. http://localhost/Reports). My error (for the datasphere search engines) was along the lines of:
After much grasping at thin straws from the short list of online references to this error, and getting nowhere, I had gone so far as to uninstall and re-install MSSQL Server 2005 and IIS twice. I then spent a ton of time:
Then, in the fashion such successful epiphanies seem to come in - i.e. randomly, sans connection to proceeding efforts - I remembered that on some work laptops we had had problems with Mortgage Cadence Orchestrator installs and had ended up modifying the machine Web.Config file (i.e. C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\CONFIG\Web.Config) to remove a line that was causing MCO to fail to launch.
<configuration>
blahblahblah...
<system.web>
<authorization>
blahblahblah...
</authorization>
<browsercaps>
blahblahblah...
</browsercaps>
<clienttargets>
blahblahblah...
</clienttargets>
<assemblies>
blahblahblah...
<add assembly="*">
blahblahblah...
</assemblies>
blahblahblah...
This wildcard directive to load all assemblies in the Web application's folder caused the MCO app to try and load non-.NET DLL files that were in the MCO app folder. I never heard a good explanation as to why this caused problems on only some consultants' laptops. Regardless, our "quick-fix" to circumvent that problem was to delete that wildcard line in the machine's Web.config file (this was known as the "Web.config line 61 wildcard problem"). Yet, now when I returned that line to the laptop's Web.Config file - SHAZAM! - the report server started working. Two days gone due to short-routing around a problem many months ago. Life at times seems nothing but dealing with the unintended consequences of previous actions/decisions...and I'm talking not just about I.T., parenting, or rescued turtles.
So I've spent the last two days going crazy trying to get Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services working on my laptop. I was getting an ASP.NET error when I tried to hit the report server's Web user interface (i.e. http://localhost/Reports). My error (for the datasphere search engines) was along the lines of:
Server Error in '/Reports'
Application.
Parser Error
Description: An error occurred during the parsing of a resource
required to service this request. Please review the following specific parse
error details and modify your source file appropriately.
Parser Error Message: Could not load type
'Microsoft.ReportingServices.UI.GlobalApp'.
Source Error:
Line 1: <%@ Application Codebehind="Global.asax.cs" Inherits="Microsoft.ReportingServices.UI.GlobalApp" %>
Source File: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\MSSQL.3\Reporting Services\ReportManager\global.asax
Line: 1
Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework
Version:2.....
After much grasping at thin straws from the short list of online references to this error, and getting nowhere, I had gone so far as to uninstall and re-install MSSQL Server 2005 and IIS twice. I then spent a ton of time:
- Running Process Monitor to see if file or registry ACLs were preventing something from getting to what it needed.
- Modifying ACLs on the ASPNET temporary files folder.
- Modifying ACLs on the Report Manager folder.
- Modifying Local Security Policy settings.
- Comparing a working SSRS install on a W2K3 Server machine.
- Copying SSRS files from a working machine.
- Repeatedly running aspnet_regiis with various parameters
- Playing with the GAC trying to get my stupid laptop to "understand" the parent assembly (i.e. ReportingServicesWebUserInterface.dll) it couldn't seem to find.
- Swearing, begging, giving up, swearing some more.
Then, in the fashion such successful epiphanies seem to come in - i.e. randomly, sans connection to proceeding efforts - I remembered that on some work laptops we had had problems with Mortgage Cadence Orchestrator installs and had ended up modifying the machine Web.Config file (i.e. C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\CONFIG\Web.Config) to remove a line that was causing MCO to fail to launch.
<configuration>
blahblahblah...
<system.web>
<authorization>
blahblahblah...
</authorization>
<browsercaps>
blahblahblah...
</browsercaps>
<clienttargets>
blahblahblah...
</clienttargets>
<assemblies>
blahblahblah...
<add assembly="*">
blahblahblah...
</assemblies>
blahblahblah...
This wildcard directive to load all assemblies in the Web application's folder caused the MCO app to try and load non-.NET DLL files that were in the MCO app folder. I never heard a good explanation as to why this caused problems on only some consultants' laptops. Regardless, our "quick-fix" to circumvent that problem was to delete that wildcard line in the machine's Web.config file (this was known as the "Web.config line 61 wildcard problem"). Yet, now when I returned that line to the laptop's Web.Config file - SHAZAM! - the report server started working. Two days gone due to short-routing around a problem many months ago. Life at times seems nothing but dealing with the unintended consequences of previous actions/decisions...and I'm talking not just about I.T., parenting, or rescued turtles.
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