Diary of a Network Geek

Strange addresses watch my web page.
Who on the other side of disneyOC3-gw.customer.alter.net would be interested in my web page? Does Disney run Novell? Is an imagineer looking for Linux tips? I just can't imagine what the interest might be, myself. Though, it is cool that I seem to have a fan in South Africa. Never been there, but it always looks beautiful in the documentaries. Besides, that's where Charlize Theron is from, right? So, that's all good.
Again, though, who the devil at Winn-Dixie.com would be interested in little, ole' me? Is this another Novell site? I have a feeling that there are a lot of big Novell shops that are rather "stealth", if you take my meaning. Of course, I get hits from all kinds of state and local governments, too, but I expect that considering how highly entrenched Novell is in the government sector. Though, I have to admit that the hits I get from .MIL always make me wonder. Is the NSA actually monitoring my communications? Or, Army Intel? Or even, the CIA? In any case, I think it's great that so many people in the Washington, D.C. area are interested in my website.
Contrast those sites with the all the anonymous browsing sites that hit my page, though. I find that very interesting, indeed. After all, if the United States military isn't embarassed to be browsing my website and blog, who would be? It certainly can't be anyone from big business, since, in part, that's who I cater to here. Is there a closet Novell geek out there who's afraid his boss might find out? Or, perhaps, she's afraid that her husband might catch her at something? Oh, whoever you are, just come on out of the closet and say hello! What could be the harm? (Oh, if you're interested in using any of those free anonymous browsing systems, you can find a decent grouping of them here. Thank you, anonymous fan, whoever you are, for giving me that bit of information!)
Naturally, I find it particularly interesting that a device labeled "virgo-gw.customer.alter.net" seems to like hitting my website. Gee, do I have a secret admirer who just happens to be a Virgo? Well, what the heck, it can't be worse than any of the Capricorns I've known! Say, just what is compatible with a Sagitarius like me? Ah, well, it doesn't really matter, I guess, since I don't believe in that hokum. Still, it is fun to speculate, isn't it?

Yea! Puppies!
Hey, you can get a free puppy kit from Pedigree! Okay, so I've been a little dog-obsessed lately, but free stuff is always good, so I thought I'd throw this out for you. I figure, if you had free puppy supplies to help you out, you might be more inclined to go to H.O.P.E. and adopt a dog. So, go click on the first link and order your Pedigree puppy kit, then go to H.O.P.E. and find a doggy to adopt.

Hey, it's Friday, so click the links and have fun being socially aware.

I'm sure most of my loyal readers have already seen this, but...
Just in case you don't read Slashdot as compulsively as I do, they recently ran a story, or link to a story on PCPitStop, about a guy who got $1000 for reading the End User License Agreement (EULA) for a little piece of software he installed. I have to confess, I hardly ever read the damn things myself, since they're mainly boilerplate legal agreements, but maybe I should start! The folks who made this particular piece of software included instructions for claiming a $1000 "consideration" for actually reading their EULA. Pretty cool. And, almost worth reading those long, boring EULAs everyone has. Almost...

Hey, here's another reason to be proud of my adopted state!
The State of Texas is sueing one of the world's top four spammers. Apparently, the company, or companies, is based out of California and is already being sued by MicroSoft, but the State of Texas is joining in. The suit itself is based on the CAN-SPAM Act, which was such a big deal when it was passed. I have to admit, at the time, I never thought we'd actually see any of these bottom-feeders prosecuted in any way, but it looks like the CAN-SPAM Act may be actually doing some good! According to the article, the two spammers who run this company could face "penalties of $250 per violation, up to a maximum of $2 million." Wow. That'd hurt!
Apparently, the Texas Attorney General is bringing suit against these guys under Texas law that "cover electronic mail and solicitation as well as deceptive practices. Those laws carry fines of up to $25,000 per day and $20,000 per violation..." Dang! You go get 'em!
Let's hope it does some good!

No, that is not some kind of euphemism!
This morning when I'm drinking my coffee and praying, which is how I start every workday, I see something splashing about in the back of the square pond. At first, I thought it was a bird taking a little bath. Then, I thought it might be a squirrel that fell in and was dragging itself out. But, finally, it occurred to me that the weather was nice, the water was getting warm in the sun, and neither squirrels nor birds are generally bright gold and white, at least in my neighborhood. So, yes, Spring is springing here in Houston. The fish are feeling frisky and, well, "getting it on". My only disappointment is that it's the comets not the koi. Comets are cheap, but baby koi are anywhere from $50 to $300 a pop!
Of course, what that really all means is that I have to get out there and work on the ponds. Time for Spring cleaning. And, Spring water gardening. And, this year, a whole lot of repair work on the round pond's waterfall. Right now, if anything blocks the waterfall even a little bit, it starts to overflow out the back. That's a Bad Thing, in case it wasn't clear. Not sure how I'll get that done, especially alone, but I'll manage somehow. I always do.

Okay, here's a good reason to sit and think before hacking.
Or, even just taking a quick look at anything that you find you "accidentally" have access to and probably shouldn't. I read a short story on AustralianIT.com about a guy who deleted e-mail sent to his former lover by her new beau. Apparently, he set up her e-mail address and knew the password, so he used it. I guess she wasn't quite smart enough to change it while she was still using it to contact her new guy. Of course, the kicker was that she was seeing the "new" guy while still with the e-mail "hacker". I can imagine how that must have felt. Probably pissed the poor guy off pretty bad. But, that's still no excuse to lose your head!
Security work is often about maintaining a clear head when emotions or pressure are running high. Sometimes, both. I understand about keeping a clear head under pressure. Heck, everyone in this industry does. We're usually under pressure, frankly, but freaking out doesn't make it any better! In any case, if the guy had just printed the e-mail, or just read them, he probably would have gotten away with it. After all, who would've known? How would they have known? But, he lost his temper and, out of spite, deleted the e-mails that he found offensive. And got caught.
He got off lightly, though, mainly due to the fact that he got over the girl in question and moved on with his life. And, he pleaded guilty. In other words, he fessed up to what he'd done and how it was wrong. He got a suspended sentence. So, as long as he keeps his nose clean, he's free and clear. Fair enough. But, there's a lesson there for all of us who have that kind of access to other people's accounts. Be careful and be smart.

Just when you thought it was safe!
Yep, this is the final sushi link for a while, at least. While I'm sure you all are getting tired of the sushi links, this was just too good to pass up. This site, The Original Sushi Pillow, has the perfect cushions for a post sushi party nap. They have several nigiri sushi pillow, including salmon and shrimp, and a whole mess of sushi roll pillows. I have to say that these pictures look really good! You can actually buy them, too, via an eBay store.

Way cool, and the perfect Friday Fun Link to end this series of sushi links.

I re-read the Science of Breath last week.
For a skinny, little book it sure is packed full of information. Those yogis really pay a lot of attention to the details of everyday physical life. We all breath, but how often do we actually contemplate our breathing? The Science of Breath asks us to do just that. What's more, it offers the most correct way of breathing for maximum health and benefit. It also gives the yoga student breathing exercises that help revitalize, reinvigorate and recharge themselves on many different levels. I re-read the book to refamiliarize myself with those breathing exercises which, over the years, I have found extremely helpfull in times of stress. As one might imagine, they are very meditative in nature and I found them quite relaxing.
This little, 90-page book is now a bit of a challenge to get, but well worth the effort. (Oh, and don't be fooled by the other books of the same title. The one to get is the one by Yogi Ramacharaka.)

Okay, so I'm almost done coughing up a lung.
Yeah, I've been sick this week, but not in the usual way. I'm not sure if it was a sinus infection or the flu or what, but horrible wracking cough is finally dwindling. I'm sure it was not helped by the long hours, or extra days, I was putting in at work. The good news is, though, that I mainly got my problems worked out and I'm starting to feel better. And, I now know more about Linux boot loaders and Novell's ZENWorks Workstation Imaging solution than I thought possible. I feel like Dr. McCoy in that episode of Star Trek "Spock's Brain" where he has an entire civilization's medical knowlege dumed into his head. (Yes, I've had the same bug-eyed stare, too!) But, whatever, I got it more or less done. Now, we get to test. Yea! Incidentally, I don't reccomend pushing yourself as hard as I do. I don't plan on living to be as old a man as my peers. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Okay, so, maybe I'm not burning twice as bright, but I'm burning faster than I ought to be. Eh, what the Hell, I figure I'm losing the last years where I'm drooling on myself and don't remember my own name anyway.
Oh, and for those of you who were interested, no, I don't actually expect to get my Hilda back. That was just my way of expressing how crazy my week was. It felt like anything could happen! But, as always, I pray for the best and plan for the worst. Though, I am keeping an eye on what seems to be Hilda's sister. Sometimes, volunteering at H.O.P.E. has its advantages!

Apparently, from suicide.
I have to admit, I've never read any of Dr. Thompson's books, but I have read some of his other writing in magazines and was suitably impressed. Also, it didn't hurt that he was a good friend of Warren Zevon, who I admire greatly. Dr. Thompson, father of "gonzo journalism", was the basis for another of my favorite characters, Doonesbury's Uncle Duke. He was an icon of Americana that simply cannot be replaced.
This article at MSNBC.com has details, scant though they may be, regarding his death. No word on a suicide note, but his death was caused by an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
You may not agree with his politics or his journalistic style, but you cannot deny the profound influence he had on the publishing landscape of the 20th century. Good luck on the other side, Doc.