amusing login fortune

fortune is an amusing little terminal program for Linux/Unix and the like. I set it up to run on one of our bastion hosts whenever someone logs in. This one just popped up for me. I was amused..

Tell me why the stars do shine,
Tell me why the ivy twines,
Tell me why the sky's so blue,
And I will tell you just why I love you.

Nuclear fusion makes stars to shine,
Phototropism makes ivy twine,
Rayleigh scattering makes sky so blue,
Sexual hormones are why I love you.

OMFGHAM!!!11

Wow.

After hearing a little bit about Jamon Iberico lately, I figured I'd see if our local fancy-ass delicatessen had any on hand when I went in for lunch today.

They did.

I bought it.

I ate it.

It was amazing.

Sadly. I only have pics of the greasy paper it was wrapped in.





I'll get some pics of the goods next time. Promise.

Wikimedia Glossary extention

I installed the Glossary Extension for our Mediawiki wiki today. Be sure to install install the php-xml package ([RHEL,Centos]-specific?) This makes things "work". Otherwise you get:

[Fri Oct 17 15:03:38 2008] [error] [client 10.70.3.240] PHP Fatal error: Class 'DOMDocument' not found in /var/www/html/w/extensions/glossary/Glossary.php on line 47
[Fri Oct 17 15:03:40 2008] [error] [client 10.30.21.249] PHP Fatal error: Class 'DOMDocument' not found in /var/www/html/w/extensions/glossary/Glossary.php on line 47
[Fri Oct 17 15:03:40 2008] [error] [client 10.20.26.193] PHP Fatal error: Class 'DOMDocument' not found in /var/www/html/w/extensions/glossary/Glossary.php on line 47, referer: https://intranet.backcountry.com/wiki/Customer_Service
[Fri Oct 17 15:03:40 2008] [error] [client 10.70.3.240] PHP Fatal error: Class 'DOMDocument' not found in /var/www/html/w/extensions/glossary/Glossary.php on line 47
[Fri Oct 17 15:03:40 2008] [error] [client 10.20.26.200] PHP Fatal error: Class 'DOMDocument' not found in /var/www/html/w/extensions/glossary/Glossary.php on line 47, referer: https://intranet.backcountry.com/wiki/Special:Upload
[Fri Oct 17 15:03:40 2008] [error] [client 10.30.21.248] PHP Fatal error: Class 'DOMDocument' not found in /var/www/html/w/extensions/glossary/Glossary.php on line 47
[Fri Oct 17 15:03:41 2008] [error] [client 10.30.20.167] PHP Fatal error: Class 'DOMDocument' not found in /var/www/html/w/extensions/glossary/Glossary.php on line 47, referer: https://intranet.backcountry.com/w/index.php?title=Joe_User&action=submit
[Fri Oct 17 15:04:18 2008] [error] [client 10.30.22.139] PHP Fatal error: Class 'DOMDocument' not found in /var/www/html/w/extensions/glossary/Glossary.php on line 47, referer: https://intranet.backcountry.com/wiki/Aether_%26_Communication_Widgets
[Fri Oct 17 15:04:18 2008] [error] [client 10.70.3.240] PHP Fatal error: Class 'DOMDocument' not found in /var/www/html/w/extensions/glossary/Glossary.php on line 47

Easily sorted though.

btw...

I created an account w/ twitterfeed.com to send a notice to my twitter account whenever I create a post at Blogspot. Aren't you lucky?

Report Twitter Spam!

Follow spam on Twitter and then either post a direct message or just a normal "@" message to report follow-spammers - e.g. ("d spam @russianwhores" or "@spam @russianwhores"). Easy peasey.

I want to get my grandma a computer. I think something Vista-based would be too much for her to handle. Not that she's stupid - far from it - but I find it overwhelming myself, sometimes. I was looking at some of the Asus Eee machines, but it turns out that the Eee Box is Windows based, though it is XP. gOS-based hardware looks a bit more promising. I managed to pick up a slightly older Everex VA1500V so I'm going to evaluate it a bit and see if I should send it off to her. If I can get Skype going on it, I think we'll be in business. Hopefully I can keep her away from all of those silly online game sites. :)

Stuff that should be fun/useful.

• Pidgin
• Skype
• Picasa
• various Gadgets (weather, puppies, calendar, etc.)
  

Should prove to be an interesting project. I'm looking forward to it.

Keep prying eyes away from your IM conversations

If you use instant messaging to communicate you should be using OTR. Basically it makes messages look like a bunch of garbled crap to anyone who might be intercepting your traffic. That isn't such an unlikely scenario these days with free wireless being all over the place - bars, libraries, coffee shops, etc. So, instead of seeing;

(2008-09-24 10:35:36) Me: http://www.thewebsiteisdown.com/
(2008-09-24 10:35:37) Matt: lol
(2008-09-24 10:37:25) Matt: that link is better

They'll see

Me: ?OTR: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.

Matt: ?OTR:AAIDAAAAAAEAAAABAAAAwGnhPrS8lds0rHIFKhwlYOFfxyNGWwUp6qAy6b7z/AXlftvgWyRShRZFmza0atUN72lUHLTEzLiepgrtSQvuNCQblgb53R3G6HbP+T+0h/M7MH27FcuVke2o0phHF1lpWENLwZlzc07K8uqo3VNSLQVA8vzyOO9aFZHO7ERdnO37ftNlQDVhKclWl1JjZtIa8h//nNPP1o3BXzRU5og+xw3ZlSmpb6Qe7hAEvJbOEsoGBEhPaVW6PeIqNWO3jepsNQAAAAAAAAABAAAACPFDxCMQUKGNjkWJoe1X7VoFl1cPTz2KSbEsxkEAAAAA.

?OTR:AAIDAAAAAAEAAAABAAAAwGnhPrS8lds0rHIFKhwlYOFfxyNGWwUp6qAy6b7z/AXlftvgWyRShRZFmza0atUN72lUHLTEzLiepgrtSQvuNCQblgb53R3G6HbP+T+0h/M7MH27FcuVke2o0phHF1lpWENLwZlzc07K8uqo3VNSLQVA8vzyOO9aFZHO7ERdnO37ftNlQDVhKclWl1JjZtIa8h//nNPP1o3BXzRU5og+xw3ZlSmpb6Qe7hAEvJbOEsoGBEhPaVW6PeIqNWO3jepsNQAAAAAAAAACAAAAIC60G6RKhlsYl3lX6bLoLEamphgA/20RR1NHoWlvk2/0grXePmV3RGJYQ/amiKpd+YfInD0AAAAA.

That's also what will end up on the servers for AOL, Yahoo, MSN, Google or whichever IM service you use. Yes, they store your old conversations. If you use Google's Gtalk service you can actually view your old conversations in Gmail.

How does one use OTR? If you run Windows, throw away AIM, Yahoo Instant Messenger, MSN or whatever other garbage you're using and install Pidgin (www.pidgin.im) as your instant messaging client. Install the OTR plugin from Cypherpunks.ca in the section labeled OTR plugin for Pidgin. Run Pidgin (close and run it again if you were running it already) and press ctrl+U to bring up the Plugins menu, enable Off-the-Record Messaging and close the window. If you start chatting with anyone else who has OTR enabled, it will automatically start an encrypted session with them.

Mac users can install Adium. It has OTR enabled by default.

Kill OpenDNS default search in Firefox

Using OpenDNS.com for your DNS servers is pretty sweet. Unfortunately it takes over the default addressbar search functions. This will disable that behavior.


Go to about:config in your address bar and search for keyword.URL.

Replace whatever's in there with http://www.google.com/search?q=

(From labnol.org)

Installing Backtrack 3 on a USB stick

Get the Backtrack 3 USB version (bt3final_usb.iso) here:
http://remote-exploit.org/backtrack_download.html

Get a 1G minimum USB flash drive. Create a FAT32 partition of 800MB and format the remainder or just a portion as EXT2 for saving data.

format as FAT32 (note: ensure sdq is appropriate for your drive. Type sudo dmesg or sudo fdisk -l to discover what it is.)

sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n btrack /dev/sdq1

set boot flag on drive.

sudo parted /dev/sdq set 1 boot on

Mount your new partition, extract the contents of your freshly-downloaded iso (boot/ and BT3/) and navigate to boot/ (in /media/disk/boot if your distro happens to automount it for you).

Make the following executable:

bootinst.sh
syslinux/syslinux
syslinux/lilo

Next, run bootinst.sh from boot/ on your flash drive and follow its directions.

End. Boot from your new toy and have some fun.

Birthday Dinner @ Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas

I'd like to get together with everyone for a 30th birthday dinner at the Hof. I went last year with a group of friends and it was a great time. Who's up for it? Bring your wallet and tip your waitress or we'll beat you in the parking lot.

Try to let me know if you're coming and if someone's coming with you before the 31st so I can make the reservation. If it's over 25 people I'll have to contact their group sales folks. Hopefully we can be down in front of the band. :)

RSVP here plz http://mobaganda.com/bens30thbirthdaydinnerthehof

http://www.hofbrauhauslasvegas.com/

what dignity?

Got a notice today about the "Microsoft Security Appreciation Reception at Black Hat USA 2008". MS always throws a nice little soirée every year at BH. It's always at one of the fancy-ass clubs on the strip with some food, music, women and most importantly, liquor. In the invite for this year they had the following:

Microsoft cannot be responsible for lost items, clothing, or dignity.

:)

most important meal of the day

Mmm... breffus.

Dear Thunderbird

Plz get your shit together and quit being a twat.

Love and Kisses,

Me

Chain Love

Go check out www.chainlove.com. DO EET NOW!!

THE MISSION

Biking is your lifeblood, not your hobby, and you're not a millionaire (yet). You’re addicted, and Chainlove is here to help. We're the stone-cold pusher on your corner with the premium product at cut-rate prices. Our merchandise? Everything from the Tour to the North Shore, and we’re not afraid to take it off the back of a truck if our connect gets spooky. We’re talking completes, components, apparel, tools—just name your vice.

Here's how it goes down:

* We slap a primo piece of cycling gear on our site at a scandalous price.
* We sell it 'til it's gone.
* You leave feeling like a smooth criminal.
* The gear arrives fast and you're back in the saddle.

Sign up for Instant Alerts so you always know The Deal. But don't blame us if you overdose.
Who We Are

We clip in or mount up every chance we get, rain or shine, hot or cold. We sneak away at midnight just to stare at our secret two-wheeled lover. Carbon fiber parts and CNC-machined aluminum pivots make us sweat and shake like we're extras in Flashdance. We're always searching for the next high: the rush of breaking away from the pack, the ecstasy of that perfect stretch of single track, the burn in our body the day after. We live for the ride.
Abusers Beware:

Those who come falsely to Chainlove seeking monetary gain, take heed: our agents are many and our reach is long.

* You can buy up to three (3) of any one product.
* No resale. Anywhere.

Abuse will result in swift punishment of a most merciless nature.

You’ve been warned.

munching on stale gummi bears

Black Forest, natch.

I just used these today in our NOISY datacenter. They were the best.

Test

Beep

Boop

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Ben

I think it's the weekend

Installed Hardy on the work machine tonight. It's interesting, but nothing hits you over the head as being "new". I was kind of annoyed by having to install a package for bash-completion though.

Well, that's out the window.

Seattle trip is off. Bummer.

I feel as though I've been tricked

It's 6:16pm as I'm writing this and the sun is coming in through the side windows. Very strange. I've been annoyed by the semi-annual timechange for years now, but now I think it's just outright bullshit. If you want more daylight go do your work earlier. If you can't swing that with your job you either made a shitty career choice or just have an asshole for a boss. I'm thinking we should ditch DST and go back to a more modern variant of the old sundials. 12:00 noon is scheduled for when the sun is at its highest and the days and hours prior to it would be the same with a little jiggering by computers around midnight.. You could still have regional time zones with the same boundaries that we have set up now if you need to have any meaningful accuracy in timing with people to your east or west. But there in your town it's not going to matter.

this can be good and bad...

I was wandering back to the office after having my regular quesadilla + rice and beans at Bajio's when I notice one of the signs by the new construction that's going up over by us. We're getting a Best Buy. On one hand, it's going to be nice to have something close by in case there's some ridiculous emergency and we *need* to get something, but it's going to suck to have to pay their inflated prices. $15 for a 6ft Cat5 cable? Get stuffed!

Going on another trip

I'm heading to Seattle next weekend (Feb. 7-10). Should be a lot of fun. :)

Heading to DC

Just got an invitation to go to BH in DC, so I'm going. :) Ticket was $500 but it will be worth it. It's time to figure out if this is what I want to get into.

Word of the day

"Untellectual"

Christmas Party Pictures

My Photoset


Rachel's Photoset



Derrick's Photoset


Manda's Photoset

Car's fixed!

It was a short in the vanity mirror. So lame...

Additional blog

Not that anyone checks this one but I started another blog for my outdoor activities and gear purchases and reviews - Big Green Room

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday. :) I'll have pictures of our party up soonish.

Snow!

We had the first real snowstorm of the season. It was beautiful. Of course, people have completely forgotten how to drive in snow since last year so there were tons of accidents. I was on my way out of the canyons just outside of Park City on my way to Ogden when I saw headlights behind me begin a pendulous swaying from left to right. That car ended up trying to poke itself through the concrete barrier. Further down on a curving overpass I went into a little bit of a fishtail myself but managed to out of it before poking my own car through the barrier. :)

Consumed

I have just been overcome by a need for an IBM Model M keyboard with completely clear keys - caps and posts. I don't know what I can do about this.

What have I done?!

I signed (back) up for a myspace account... I feel so dirty. :(

X-mas in Frisko is back!

Sweet! I always enjoy this stream. Some songs might not be work-safe, so don't crank it up too loud. :)

http://somafm.com/play/xmasinfrisko