One of our clients has a server we have been limping along for several months. It runs an old DOS database that the client is in the market to replace, but we decided that the random crashes mean we can’t wait for the new to replpace the old. In line with this, we built them a handsome new server powerful enough to handle any of the current software solutions the client might purchase. Today was install and migration.

The domain has been screwy for some time now, and today I got a look into all the things that were causing problems on a software level. It turns out that (unbeknownst to me) a server I pulled out of the network and rebuilt some time ago was actually a backup domain controller. It’s ghost was still mucking about in the system, though, and prevented us from integrating the new server until it was cleared out. Whoops.

Unfortunately, there were other things wrong – like the fact that for DNS to work properly on a domain controller, the DC’s own NICs have to point to itself. And no, the DNS installation wizard does not do that for you or ever mention the idea. Useful information that is now imprinted on my brain for life.

The list doesn’t stop there, but it does involve about 15 command-line scripts that the Server2003 installation wizards never mention. It is quite obvious to me now that I need to purchase myself a book detailing all the tips and tricks of Windows Server2003.

For now, though, we realized that with less than 20 users on the network, it would be quicker and easier to rebuild the domain from scratch on the new machine than try to iron out all the little bullshit preventing the by-the-book method of join server to domain, promote inside domain, demote old server. And we were right, and it now works just fine.

Login speeds have improved dramatically; there is a ton more storage on the new SATA array; they have a real tape backup system; and I can now complete the rollout of the corporate-edition anti-spyware solution that would not run on Server2000.

Next step is to take the old server back to the shop for some serious hardware diags and a tune-up or possible re-pave to Server2003. Better yet, I’ll throw SuSE on the damn thing. Okay, I can’t really do that, since we can use it as a backup DC once we get the crashes sorted out.

Rats.

So, after I replaced the alternator in the Beastie last month, things were fine until about a week ago when I noticed that after I got a few blocks from home, the Charging light would come on for a couple minutes, and then go off again. Worrisome, but as long as it was running right the rest of the time…

But no, this morning the light came on and stayed on, all the way to work, even after I stopped and re-started the car a couple times trying to shake it loose. Nothing for it but to take it back for exchange, right? So I did. And the fucking thing passed all the tests, just like my battery did a few months ago.

This time, I just stood there and kept giving the guy behind the counter my unhappy face until he exchanged it. It was against policy, but I explained that the problem usually doesn’t show up for 5 minutes, where their test only lasts thirty seconds. Eventually he gave in to me and swapped it out.

So far, so good – I made it home from the shop without any trouble lights. Tomorrow will be the real test.

Check out the new page to your left: Surviving Bachelor Life

Okay, maybe not quite Denmark, but the client in question is out in Sandy, which sometimes feels that far away.

Got a call last week that one of the terminals at a clien’ts business had managed to get a virus. Considering the presence of a masterfully tuned installation of SAV10, this was a rare feat indeed for the virus sender.

One look at the screen said it all: the culprit was one of many variants that turns the affected host into a spam relay – as evidenced by the no less than 37 email scans in constant process. Logs revealed a multitude of random email addresses and bogus subject lines. Oh – and the damn thing spreads itself via file sharing protocols across a network.

Nuh-uh. Nobody turns my systems into a botnet!
>click< as the network card is disabled. SAV quick scan...target acquired. Download removal tool from Symantec, follow simple instructions... >beep< The light is green, the trap is clean. Turns out only the one system was compromised, and it had to be by inadvertant user assistance. (The poor sod clicked on something somewhere...) The beauty part is the only folder available via file-sharing at the time was the data folder that is only accessed by an ancient DOS database - and DOS is too stupid to know what to do with this bit of virus code. In other DOS fun, I was suckered into responding to a post on Craigslist from someone having trouble re-formatting a disk for an XP install. They are currently running into just about every problem they can have. It sounds like the whole thing started with a mildly corrupt mbr that hosed the install process - not a big deal. Turns out there is an undocumented feature of fdisk for erasing and re-writing the master boot record of the drive, and that should fix their problem. Only they don't have a boot disk. Ok, send 'em a link to bootdisks.com...oh, they don't have a floppy drive. Ok, quick tutorial on making a boot CD with the proper tools... Now I'm waiting for the email that says they don't have a CD burner available to them. That's when they hear about my fee structure.

If you have come to this page using Internet Exploder, you have just seen what may be a taste of things to come: a big yellow banner across the top of the page urging you to try Firefox.

Why did I do this? Because I’m tired of surfing to sites and seeing things screwed up because the asshat who wrote the code optimized it for that sorry, hole-ridden piece of trash out of Redmond. Now, I can get a little back.

As a bonus, I actually get money if anyone actually does download and install Firefox with the Google Toolbar downloaded through my site. (You’ll also notice the Google ads off to your left.) Why the ads too? because there is a slim chance I might actually get something back from the small amount of space they take up, so why the heck not?

Of course, I have tuned the ads so that nothing from Redmond will ever show up over there :)

There’s only one thing worse than being given an un-paid day off because there’s crap for business and your boss is a fucktard who A.) won’t carry enough credit to float the biz during a slow time and B.) hires two new guys during the slowest time of the year:

Snapping wide awake at 8:30 thinking you’re late.

So, what does a disgruntled techie do on a day like this? He spends it looking for a new job, that’s what. Things have picked up a little lately, and I found several worth sending a resume off to. That all came later, though – you don’t want to jump into that sort of thing right off, do you? No, you want to start the day more gradually. Read Slashdot, get the daily comics out of the way, check the email accounts…
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The EMC made a point of telling me there would be a kiddie activity area at an Earth Day celebration going on down at Sellwood Park Saturday, so I took the Pookster down there to see it. It was a beautiful day aside from a chilly breeze, and it was good for the both of us to get outside.

Sellwood Park is a good place to get away to on any sunny day, as they have a lot of open grassy areas and a good playground that’s shaded enough I don’t have to worry that the World’s Whitest Girl will burn her hide off. It’s not the most entertaining place on Earth Day, however.

Sure, the Pookster had a good time and they had a really interesting marching band leading a parade (think Hawthorne freaky kids with tri-tops and brass), but for me there were far too many dirt-lovers present. Now, I’m all for recycling and cleaning up after yourself, but for me, that includes taking a shower at least 4 days out of 5. You would think a group of people dedicated to cleaning up their environment would start at home, you know?

I also can’t understand how the idea of ‘casual clothing’ has somehow mutated into an excuse for a slovenly appearance – generally shapeless and baggy clothing that is so wrinkled it looks like it has been slept in for a number of days has somehow become the norm for the non-business set in a number of areas I am forced to be lately. (The parents at my daughter’s school seem to adhere to this recent trend. I always feel out-of-place because none of my clothes are wrinkled and they all match.)

One of the most disturbing things I saw was the number of younger people (under an estimated 25) sporting a noticeable gut. Not just the guys, but the girls too were wearing what I have heard called a “muffin top” where the belly kind of overflows the pants. Okay, I have a gut, but I’m 34 and don’t get enough exercise. These are people who ride bicycles and dance at drum circles for hours on end, and they’re sporting beer bellies? What the hell are they eating? It makes me wonder if being a vegetarian to them means they can eat nothing but french fries cooked in vegetable oil.

And they wonder why no one outside of Portland really takes them seriously.

I was looking around for something to write about, and ran across a meme over at Frizzen Sparks – “6 Weird Things About Me”. Huh. Not a bad idea…so what have I got?

1.) I was once offered a job as a sniper, back when Boznia-Herzogovina was the hot LZ. The job didn’t pay enough for the risks involved.

2.) I have a strange knack for walking up to the most broken-down computer in any room at random, and having it break in a new and unusual way when I touch it. Handy, considering my profession.

3.) I have a really high tolerance for pain and can absorb quite a bit of physical damage without being overly inconvenienced. Growing up in the woods with an older brother teaches you a few things.

4.) I rarely get sick, something that has seriously offended at least one of my old girlfriends, considering that I smoke, don’t get enough exercise and generally should take better care of myself. (She always had the sniffles, even though she led a very healthy lifestyle and I never even so much as sneezed in her presence.)

5.) Even though I have no real reason to be paranoid about being watched, I often will make a point of picking out the security cameras when entering a building, and then plotting ways in my head to get around them.

6.) I once got so into Fantasy books and role-playing games that I created an alternate symbology for the English alphabet and could read / write it fluently all through high school.

Okay, in the grand scheme of things, nothing really too weird in there after all. Shrug.

So here I am, all proud of myself for managing to not only drag my sorry ass out of bed, I even managed to get Pookie to school on time and even had a couple minutes to swing by the 7-11 and grab a morning gnosh on the way in.

I get to work about 5 minutes to 9, and the door is locked still – no surprise, Ed (the guy who nominally manages the westside shop) is rarely there before 8:58. Then our Accountant Lady (I like her, so she’ll remain nameless here lol) rolls up to open, saying she can’t reach Ed. No real shock again, since he took half of last week off for personal biz that seemed to be getting him nowhere except sunk in a vast see of lost paperwork.

5 minutes later, Bossman calls to say that Ed not only quit, he got the hell outta dodge and is halfway to Florida.

Now, I can’t say as I’m surprised that he quit, but I was a little taken aback by him leaving town so quickly. The last time I left town, I gave my boss a month’s notice. Then again, I liked my job and wasn’t working for a man I would call a tweaker if I didn’t know he was clean.

Well, not much I can do about it except motor on, eh? So that’s what I do. Bossman is going through Ed’s remaining bid paperwork and starts asking me questions about our build standards. They were in a bit of a flux as we are going over to SATA, so this was something we needed to work out.

Unfortunately, this is also where my boss’s tendency to be a fucking ferret kicked in. See, for every answer or opinion I had, the new guy had the exact opposite, and Bossman ignored every single thing I said for the entire conversation.

On top of that, the way the new guy was contadicting me just got all over my fucking nerves. I will be the first to admit that I am an opinionated, arrogant asshole, but I at least try to soften it up with humor as much as I can. This new guy is one of those quiet, retiring types who can fit “you’re completely wrong on so many levels” into the word “No.”

Now, I’m sure the new guy has some redeeming qualities somewhwere, and he does know his stuff, but I was on the brink of doing violence to this guy just because of the smug fucking look he was wearing.

I have got to get out of this shop.

Here’s a couple of quick reviews to keep a tiny bit of traffic coming here…

Ice Age II: The Meltdown

Being the father of a 6-yr-old girl means that I will eventually see every major animated feature produced. This weekend was no different, and I took the Pookster out to see the new Ice Age.

In general, not a bad flick, but better on DVD than in the theater. Pookie enjoyed it, but she didn’t talk about it much afterward, which is a sure clue it will fade pretty quickly. The plot seemed a little contrived, kinda like the producers sat down and said “Ok, we gotta do something for a follow-up to keep the parents spending money. Whatta we got? I know! We’ll do a riff on the Noah’s Ark thing!”

Yup – that’s right. The plot is to move the “herd” from one end of a valley to the other, where a large “boat” is waiting to save them from the melting ice floes.

The movie has it’s good parts. Unfortunately, they don’t really connect all that well. If it had been at a theater with more comfortable seating, I probably would have fallen asleep.

Knife of Dreams – Wheel of Time book 11 by Robert Jordan

I mentioned a while back that I was not going to buy the book, only get it from the library. Well, Ratboy decided to pick up a copy instead, so I read the thing last week.

This is definitley one of the better books in the series. The pace is solid all the way through, and I had a hard time putting it down. I was a bit annoyed at how small a part Rand has in this book, but all the time we spent with Mat made up for it. *shrug*

The best news is that there should only be one more book – at least, that’s the word on all the fan sites. Jordan used this book to tie up a large list of loose ends and set the final events in motion. By the end of the book, Egwene is fomenting rebellion in the White Tower itself, Lan is riding to the Blight with an army that Nynaeve put together for him, Perrin and Faile are re-united after having put the Shaido on the run again, and Mat is back with the Band. Where is Rand? Jumping around all over the place, of course, but mostly in the thick of it. And going madder by the minute.

Every now and again, it’s nice to have an insane protagonist. Sure keeps the bad guys jumpy.