Whopping the product properly

From the user guide of a Chinese-made USB drive enclosure:

Whopping the product properly

You must click the “safely remove hardware ” icon on the right of the taskbar, if you want to stop the product and then there a direction telling that the USB Mass storage device can now be safely removed.then you can whop the USB cable from the USB port and then there appeared a direction telling that the USB Mass storage device can now be safely removed.then you can whop the USB cable from the USB port

Egyptian protesters march, denounce Mubarak

This is remarkable. Dissent is not usually tolerated in Egypt.

Thousands of anti-government protesters have broken a police cordon in the Egyptian capital and are crossing a major bridge over the Nile to join hundreds more demonstrators massed on the other side of the river.

The demonstration calling for an end to Hosni Mubarak’s government is the biggest Egypt has seen in years.

Police are showing unusual restraint in what appears to be a concerted effort by the government not to provoke a Tunisia-like mass revolt.

The demonstrators chanted, "Long Live a Free Tunisia" and "Down with Hosni Mubarak."

via Egyptian protesters march, denounce Mubarak :: WRAL.com.

Shift colors

The new server is answering web requests now. Seems like most everything is in place but the mailserver stuff. That should be changed over shortly, too. If you try to email me but it gets bounced for any reason, please try again shortly. These DNS changes take some time to propagate through the Internet.

(The title of this post comes from the announcement made on a commissioned Navy vessel when it gets underway. The colors are flown from the fantail when the ship is docked and moved to the mast when the ship gets underway.)

Space station spotting

International Space Station


I’ve been having fun tracking the International Space Station using the free Linux satellite tracking package Gnome Predict. This morning’s pass was exceptionally good, with the space station sailing almost directly over my home in Raleigh.

I took a series of long-exposure photographs to try to capture the station’s path across the sky but the station’s high path presented a problem. My 18mm lens was not nearly as wide as it needed to be to capture the almost 180 degree arc the station traveled in. Thus, I had to hastily reposition my camera and tripod in the dark as the station progressed through the sky and simply hope for the best.

The truth is, I should have gotten up about 10 minutes sooner in order to get things set up, but I misremembered the approach time.

If I get into this hobby further (and I think I will) I will have to get one of those equatorial mounts in order to keep the stars from blurring as the Earth rotates. Time to start saving up, I guess!

For those of you who have not yet discovered Linux, you can also track the ISS at the legendary site Heavens Above or at SightSpaceStation.

Server switcheroo

In the next 24 hours or so I will switch MT.Net and other services over to a new server. If things go as planned you will not see any disruption in service.

I will likely throw the switch about 9 PM Monday evening.

Fun weekend

I had a fun birthday weekend. Friday night, my parents came over for dinner, after which Kelly and I went out to see Blue at Burning Coal Theater. We then hung out at Slims for a bit before heading back home.

Saturday we went to Meymandi Concert Hall to hear The Mozart Experience. It was an excellent production, with mimes and great music. The kids had a great time and it was fun seeing all the people we knew from Conn. Also, the kids (and, ok, me too) enjoyed playing the instruments before the show at the “instrument zoo.” I think I want a trumpet now!

Saturday night I went out to have a beer with my friends Scott and Holly Reston and Reid Serozi, again at Slims. Scott and Holly had to head to a show, so Reid and I headed over to 18 Seaboard to continue our conversation.

This morning we hopped in the car once again and headed over to the North Carolina Museum of Art for the Norman Rockwell exhibit. It was jam-packed but it was great to see this prolific artist’s work up close.

After lunch I went to work on a pile of fill dirt left in our driveway by a friend. I’m building up the garden area in the backyard and the dirt was much-needed. I should sleep soundly tonight!

The Cap’m

I love the looped audience track in this song.

The Cap’m (YouTube)
They Might Be Giants

Do you think there’s somebody out there
Someone else who’s better than the one you’ve got?
Well there’s not, there’s not

When I talk you keep looking away from me
‘Cause you probably think that I’m high on pot
But I’m not, I’m not
Continue reading →