Monday - 27 November 2000
Win2K. I decided now was the time to switch over from Win98SE to Windows 2000, SP1. Why now? Mostly because I had a copy. But also because SP1 came out awhile back and one assumes that any show stopping bugs would have been identified and corrected by now. So, I did a clean install (i.e., formatted my C: drive, but left my D: partition alone, which has my data on it) but did not choose to use NTFS. That way I could later read the partitions with Linux and also keep the data on my D: partition.
The installation went without problems (how refreshing compared to OpenLinux) and when finished, I had a functioning PC. Something I can't say the same for with Linux. By functioning I mean I had access to the Internet and to the Novell servers here. If only it were so easy in Linux. If any gotcha's come up I'll let you know.
The Need for Speed. The number of high speed Internet options available locally just went up by one. To date, we had cable modems and DSL. But as of last week, we have, tah dah, wireless service. Internet Concept Solutions debuted the service with rates ranging from $24.95 to $79.95 US. See their site here.
The Good News. So, you are "living" on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Living is in quotes because you aren't exactly doing all that great. But you get by. You are even able to put a little money away towards your dream - a house of your own for you and your family.
But times are hard in Hawai'i, especially on the Big Island. And even though you know you have to go to work, you wonder sometimes if it's worth getting up each morning. But you do. Five days a week. Doing what you have to do to get by.
One day, while driving to work, you see up-ahead, a stranded motorist on the side of the road. Everyone else in front of you just drives by, perhaps glancing towards the motorist but not seeming to give them a second thought. Continuing on yourself would be the easy thing to do. And for all you know, this being a rougher part of the island, they could be trying to pull a trick on you just so they could steal your truck (old and dilapidated as it is).
But you decide to stop. If you were in such a predicament, you would want someone to come to your aid so you pull over and help the man change his flat tire. It makes you a little late for work but that ain't no big thing, bruddah.
So the days pass and turn into weeks and then months. You've finally been able to get the down payment on that dream house and move in. Life is good, if still difficult.
Comes November, and with it the winter rains. In fact, one storm brings more rain, in 24-hours, then have ever been recorded in Hawai'i. Ever. Over three feet (914 cm) of water. It cascades in torrents down the hill side near your home. It is so strong it simply opens a hole the size of a bus in one side of your house and another hole in the opposite side. Boulders as big as cars come rolling through the hole during the worst part of the storm.
But the storm eventually clears. And so, with a heavy heart, you begin assessing the damage. Your furniture is crushed like so many match sticks. The carpets are covered by a layer of mud several feet thick. Then, of course, there are the two holes in the house. And that's just the inside. Outside, your property looks like those pictures of the moon. Not a single green thing is left. Everything is covered either by mud, ripped out by the roots, or under lava rock boulders. Some weighing several tons. How will you ever get those cleared away?
In fact, your place looks so bad, the local TV station comes by to shoot a story showing all the problems you have. Later that night, a man watching the evening news recognizes the Good Samaritan that stopped to help change his tire when no one else would. And immediately, he leaps into his car and heads to his work place. Once there, he jumps into a huge tractor trailer with a bulldozer on the back, and goes to the home of the Good Samaritan. For you see my friends, this man owned a construction company and he was going to aid someone who had helped him one day, lo those many months ago.
You can guess the rest of the story. Not that everything is perfect or that everything is easy now. But at least they are getting back to what could be described as normal. And indeed, life is good.
I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving also.
Aloha!
Top / Home / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Tuesday - 28 November 2000
What? Me worry? I'm still working on the paper due tonight so this will be a short one.
Linux Code in Windows? Huh? That's what I said when I read InfoWorld's Nicholas Petreley. He says the reason Windows is becoming more stable is that "Microsoft has dedicated resources specifically to the task of analyzing Linux source code and rewriting sections of it for use in Windows. According to my source, it is the adoption and translation of Linux code that is helping Windows become more stable." Hmmm. But if you see a Penguin, the next time you boot Windows, now you know why (see the story here).
Moving On. Also over at InforWorld is an article (see it here) on moving your web site. It goes over the things you need to plan for. Yes, it is oriented towards larger commercial sites, but still, there are a few things worth considering when you decide to move your site.
Well, I said this would be a short one. I gotta go - Aloha!
Top / Home / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Hump Day Wednesday - 29 November 2000
Internet Time. You've no doubt heard about Internet Time. You know, the phrase about how things occurs faster on the Internet then in "real time." Well, now comes Internet Time from the watch maker Swatch which breaks the day into 1,000 intervals, or beats. There are no time zones and ground zero is Biel, Switzerland. Extra points to the first person to tell us why Biel, Switzerland. What? Yes, you back there with your feet up on the desk. Right you are. It's where Swatch is located.
While I wouldn't say they are a little full of themselves by creating BMT (Biel Mean Time), there already is an internationally accepted time standard. Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC (don't ask why UTC instead of CUT - just remember not to include any French people on any committees). For a brief history of time, see the National Institute of Standards and Technology site here.
USB 2.0 is Coming! USB 2.0 is Coming! Okay, so this isn't the most Earth shattering news, but ATEN recently released the first USB 2.0 five-port PCI card. The main difference between USB 2 to version 1 is the speed of transfer (480 megabits/sec vs. 12 megabits/sec). See their press release here.
I have to finish working on the testimony for the legislative bill our group at school is working on so I gotta go - Aloha!
Top / Home / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Thursday - 30 November 2000
Mapping the Changes. For a couple of weeks now, Republicans have been showing a map of the US indicating districts Bush won versus Gore. What they want you to see, if not mistakenly understand, is a sea of Red (for Bush) surrounding a few splotches of Blue (for Gore). Which of course misses the point entirely. So I'll make this really simple so even these people can understand.
Gore won the popular vote (by almost a quarter-of-a-million votes). He won it by winning the districts in which large numbers of people live. In other words, the metropolitan areas (Oops. Using multiple syllabic words. Substitute the word cities here). Bush got the districts in which few people live (but where many sheep are nervous - sorry, old joke). That's all you can say about the map.
What? What's the old joke? Well, okay. Here is is:
[Insert your state of choice. But for purely illustrative purposes I will use Texas ;>)
Texas, where men are men.
Women are scarce.
And sheep are nervous.
Yehaw! Ride'em cowboy!
I have to revise our testimony and and the 15-page bill it is based on. So I gotta go - Aloha!
Top / Home / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Aloha Friday - 01 December 2000
Do not adjust your TV. Daynotes.com is about to enter into, the Twilight Zone. Actually, the domain's IP address will be changed over the weekend. Actually number two, the change starts today so if you are using the Daynotes.com site as your portal, and its IP has been changed, you won't be reading these words. How neat is that?
If by chance you have linked directly to my page, you probably also link to the others that you read. If, by chance number two, you actually don't have links to each of the Daynoters, then you can use any of the mirror pages, such as my own at http://www.seto.org/mirror.html.
I have some links here that you can try. Note that as the technical changes occur this weekend, one of more of the links may not work. If they don't, don't worry about it. As the the DNS change propagates around the world things will get back to normal. But remember, use these links only if you can't get to the sites the regular way.
Syroidmanor.com
Insights.SyroidManor.com
Daynotes.com
Songs of Aloha. PBS will be showing something called the "Songs of Aloha." Many people don't like what is commonly called Hawaiian music. You know, the slide guitar in the background as Dorothy Lamour dances (don't know who she was? well, watch one of those Bing Crosby and Bob Hope "Road" movies. Don't know who Bing Crobsy or Bob Hope were? Well, forget it already...). But this program shows what real contemporary and traditional Hawaiian music is about.
Perhaps you'll find something to like, perhaps not. But if you have the time, when it shows in your area, give it a few minutes and decide for yourself.
Na Wahine. The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team moved into the second round of the NCAA volleyball tournament last night by beating NCAA Southern conference champion Davidson in three straight sets. Round two brings the the Utah Utes.
Government Rules. The Clinton administration, obviously seeing the end nearing, is rushing to get, what is estimated to be, 29,000 pages of new regulations into effect. While this is not unusual, especially when changing from one party to another, some of the rules have far reaching affects. Perhaps, this is not the best way to run a government.
Well, another paper to write for next Tuesday and then another for the following week. Will it never end? I guess not. At least for the next two-and-a-half years. The body and spirit willing that is.
Have a Great Weekend Everyone - Aloha!
© 2000 Daniel K. Seto. All rights reserved.