Fedora Core 6

Another good Linux Distro is Fedora Core. Fedora is an RPM based distro that is sponsored by Red Hat. Unlike Red Hat though, fedora contains only free and open source software. Also due to Red hats involvement, the community is slightly more focused on making it easier to implement technologies that windows users take as given. This means that from a beginner’s point of view, networking and file sharing, or setting up basic servers for DNS or firewall/gateway purposes might be easier. Personally, if it can be done on Fedora, it can be done on Ubuntu. And I my self and more inclined towards the sudo side of the Sudo/Root implementation argument. But like I said earlier, my implementation choice will also depend on making the tech usable to the average John/Jane who are so indoctrinated by windows that it’s an effort just to get people to give OpenOffice or Firefox a chance, let alone switch OSes.

Ubuntu

At home I have been using ubuntu for a while now, so it was the logical place to start. Ubuntu is a Debian based distro that focuses on stability and ease of use. It comes with the GNOME desktop as standard, which I have always preferred to KDE for some unknown reason. If someone out there is a curious newbie, Linux doesn't get easier than Ubuntu. Some of the included features include aptitude for downloading all kinds of software that one could need and Synaptic package manager for handling download of updates, adding and removing software, and automatic updating. Ubuntu also ships with the OpenOffice and Firefox packages so it's pretty easy to get up and running in under 30 minutes.
Another plus for noobs is that the ubuntu-desktop installation CD is Live, so one can just insert it into the CD drive and boot from it into a complete and running OS without having to install anything. Its like test driving, there’s no commitment.
Those interested can just wiki it or go to ubuntu.com and download a desktop CD from torrent or http. Those on slow connections look for a link to ShipIt and get CDs shipped to you anywhere in the world for free.

Of course for a server install I will have different considerations. One of the biggest hurdles that I see is going to be getting LDAP, SAMBA, WINBIND, etc set up right.

To Tux or not to Tux...

As my friends know, every now and then I just “happen to” find myself in interesting situations. Well so it is that I just “happen to" find my self in charge of the IT implementation at work. Currently we are using two main techs. A windows based Active Directory implementation and a SQL based central database. This system is currently a very hackneyed implementation by the previous IT staff with resources just slapped together by wiring and users just thrown randomly into the AD. This is quickly reaching manageability limits as the number of users in now around 25. My goals are to move all this to a Linux based setup with the goal of easy future additions to the network. Some considerations are to use easily manageable tech so that I can teach administration to non-Linux IT team members. On big hurdle is to do all this experimenting after hours to minimize down-time.
Over the next few posts I will talk about the implementation that I… implement and how I got about it. This is going to be fun.

Brazilian Grand Prix

In just over an hour the Brazilian GP is going to start and when the dust settles, someone will be crowned the 2006 driving champion and one team will walk away as the constructor's champion. Massa is on pole with Raikkonen second. Alonso is starting fourth and Schumacher is tenth on the grid due to trouble during qualifying. To have hope, that is both a good thing and a bad thing. I am posting before the race instead of later as I intend to sit and enjoy the race no matter what happens. 2006 has been an amazing season. As a scarlet fan I will remember this one for a long time to come.

Apple Gets Classy

"Small number of Fifth Generation iPods May Be Carrying Windows Virus". This was the headline on a support page at apple.com. If you have frequented this blog, which I highly doubt, then you know that I am a huge fan of Apple (sarcasm apparently doesn't translate well to print). So imagine my shock when apple uses the following words to apologize."As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it."
This remark is in really bad taste. I mean there could have been all sorts of answers, ranging form poor quality control, to not using updated software. But apple decided to use the opportunity to shift blame.
best of all was the line that read "This known virus affects only Windows computers, and up to date anti-virus software which is included with most Windows computers should detect and remove it". Apparently the windows that apple uses at its facilities wasn't up to the task.
My only question is that where are the cultural values and consumer commitment of a corporation when it shifts blame instead of accepting responsibility.

Digital Comic Preservation

I have been a comic book fan for a very long time. I guess I must be getting old as I can’t remember when the addiction started. It was harmless fun when I began reading about Peter Parker. But soon I found my self addicted to all things Marvel. I tried to kick the habit twice; one during the ordeal that was the clone saga, and then again during the travesty that is onslaught. But I wasn't strong enough. Soon I found myself in experimenting with varying doses supplied to me by the Distinguished Competition. I few years later I can into the world of Dark Horse and Image. It took me a while to get a hold of myself. Now I am mostly confined to Mareldom, with only occasional forays to check out Flash, Ion or the new Checkmate. Bats does a good story every now and then, and of course one has to keep tabs on the hotties, in Witchblade, Fathom, and even Tomb Raider. Star wars is fun but I buy trades there. So that’s like a once every three months deal. This brings me back to the topic. All those who keep yelling “make mine marvel” know that the 616 is embroiled in civil war. It’s really a great event. And trust me when I say great, I don't me the kind of Bantha PooDoo that was the Infinite Crisis.
So imagine what I was going through when I came back home to find that the only comic book store in the area had become an old bookstore with only one or two titles a year. Yes, the overgrown smug goodie two shoes Boy Scout, who has no idea that underwear goes inside ones pants, is all one can really find at stores. Some Batman and Spider-man make it through but no Deadpool, no Ultimates, and definitely none of the Civil War stuff. So I did what any comic book junkie would do, I turned to DCP.
The name DCP refers to a group of loosely connected comic book scanners on the web, who use BitTorrent for distro. Each of them scans several comics and contribute them to one large torrent, adding their aliases to their scans to let us know who to thank. Several torrents containing the latest comic book and graphic novel releases are offered each month and usually can be found on bit-torrent hosts as dcp-mm-dd-yy.
It’s not like this is a new discovery. I've availed DCP's offerings on several occasions in the past to get a hold of out of print series or when one just got curious or was missing a reference. Still it was a relief to know that even being in a country like Pakistan I can still keep up with my addiction thanks to the cool people that make up DCP.
Also this is in now way an endorsement to stop buying comics. I myself have sent an average of about a hundred dollars a month, every month for the last five or six years. And if comics become available readily in Pakistan, I will again. Artists and writer need to eat too. I know that sounds clichéd, but consider this, that unlike other artists, say Hollywood actors or musician and rock stars. The average person in the comic book industry is not a multimillionaire with an endorsement deal on the side. This post has gotten longer than I expected. So, I’ll leave it hear, saying thanks a lot DCP. I'll keep seeding as long as I can.

2006 Formula 1 Season Blown Wide Open

Today, Micheal Schumacher won the 2006 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, becoming the first driver in history to win 90 races. The seven-times world champion also announced today that he would be retiring at the end of this season with the Brazilian Grand Prix on 22nd October set to be the last race of his career. I have been following the sport for the last 5 years, and Schume has been the reason I have fallen in love with the sport. I am not going to be too verbose, All I can say is that we will miss him, and we wish him and his family a very happy future. As for the remaining three races, they are going to be an awesome spectacle to watch. Hope Schume can pull it of in style. Go scarlets.

Andre Agassi

Today is the 3rd of September, 2006. Andre Agassi's tennis career came to an end today. Benjamin Becker of Germany defeated Agassi 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5 in the third round of the U.S. Open. It was a good match that Agassi nearly controlled. In his tearful goodbye speech Agassi said:

"The scoreboard says I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I have found. Over the last 21 years I have found loyalty; you have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I have found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed, sometimes even in my lowest moments. And I have found generosity. You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams; dreams I could never have reached without you. Over the the last 21 years I have found you and I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life."

Have a good one man.

Saint Peter's Church

At the corner of Lexington and 54th street, hiding amongst all the skyscrapers is this small building pictured here. The reason I find this building interesting is that it happens to be a church. Usually all centers of organized religion are designed to impress. Their architecture reflects them being full of themselves. This building on the other hand is hiding under a Citigroup building. One would almost miss it if one was walking by, or just consider it a useless annex to the building next to it. If God wasn't dead he would be impressed. And the other lesson here is simple; pay attention to everything around you. Or as cliched as it sounds, stop and smell the roses.

MBF-P03 Astray Blue Frame Second L

Here is one of my most favorite gundams. The Astray Blue that makes appearances in the Gundam Astray manga. Those wanting to know more can check out the section at MAHQ here. Of course there is always wiki. I built this 1/100 over five or six months ago. I chose a darker blue instead of the original lighter scheme and went with some custom decals. If you want to see some more pics leave a comment and I will take some more and paste them here.

Union Square Park

Union Square is probably my favorite place in NYC. It is bound by 14^th Street, Union Square East, 17^th Street, and Union Square West. Important thoroughfares which lead away from the square are Broadway, leading both north and south; Fourth Avenue, leading southeast to the Bowery; and Park Avenue South, leading north to Grand Central Terminal. The park is a second home to all kinds of radicals and radical wannabes. It is also home to the Farmers Market, held Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays between 8 AM and 6 PM for six months every year. One can find all kinds of people in and around the square. Personally the square has served as a kind of meeting place for me and my friends. We usually converge on the square before we head out for a night in the city. Another interesting thing is that there is a Barnes & Noble located on 16^th street. I like the selection they have there. Also close by are Greenwich Village, University Place and MacDougal Street, The Forbidden Planet, and some of my favorite eating spots. Those wanting to know more about the park should check the wiki here and the NYC parks webpage here.

Venom Revealed !!!

The most anticipated thing amongst the Spider-fan community has been about the look Venom will have in the movie. I wont say much but let you guys take a peek.

The Empire State Building

First on the list of things in NYC that intrigue me is the Empire State Building. The building is the tallest building in Manhattan and once was the tallest building in the world. What I really like about the building is that unlike most of the skyscrapers in the city, the Empire State has a masonry facade which makes it stand out from the crowd. Also the giant spire on the top gives the building an extremely distinctive look. Those interested in learning more can click here to get to the wiki page. The picture on the side was taken from the roof of a nearby building (about 25 stories tall). That is this picture is missing the bottom 25% of the building. Lets see what I can find tomorrow. I do have a game plan but it mostly involves wandering the streets. Who knows, maybe by loosing myself, will I finally end up finding myself.

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC 600

I had been planning on getting a digital camera for a while; how else am I going to take pictures of my gundams. Anyway, long story short, I finally picked up a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-600 and a 512MB memory stick today. This kicks of my new New York project. For the next two weeks I hope to upload a picture everyday of something in the city that I Find interesting. Also I will post a review of how the camera performs very soon. Hopefully I didn't buy a really expensive paperweight.

Gundam Astray Gold Amatu

The Astray Gundams have been on of my favorites for the unique head and body design. I own both the red and blue in 1/100 and have been hoping for Bandai to do the Gold Amatu Mina for a while now. So imagine my surprise when rumor started circulating that they were working on a 1/100 gold. The beauty was displayed at the Tokyo hobby show (or some other convention) a while back and I have been counting days till its release. Well today I finally got my hands on one and I am as happy as a (insert your favorite expression). I will hopefully posts pics of what I have and how it turns out finished, but it looks like an awfully cool gundam.

Bull-shitting 110

Ten years from now when they teach bull-shitting to marketing majors Steve Jobs will get the first chapter in course books. I have to give the guy credit; I, for one, am completely amazed by his ability to get away with things. When introducing the Shuffle he talked on about how screens were so last year and it was time to enjoy life at random. That was before he gave us all cool color screens on our iPods and Nanos. Now jobs goes on and says that he expects cool iPod owners to go buy a new iPod every year. "you keep on innovating, you keep on making better stuff. And if you always want the latest and greatest, then you have to buy a new iPod at least once a year". The guy is just a marketing god. Who else would have the guts to belittle Intel for years before he moves to the platform for its superior technology. I am really looking forward to what must-have features they introduce with the next-gen iPod rumored to be announced on August 7th at WWDC06.

Baqwas Blog

Some of my friends are trying to blog their nonsensical thoughts. I will also try to post there every now and then but it you like the weird give these guys a try. They can be found over at Baqwas Blog

They won

Who Would Have guessed; i for one was hoping and praying. but WooHoo the Italians pulled it off. They won it!!!

Football!!!

Nuff Said!!! the World Cup is here...

P.S. Hope Italia wins.

Something Old, Something New...

Something old, something new, something borrowed and something red and blue. Most of the great spidey arcs are not about the websliger but about Pete and finally in Amazing Spiderman #532 JMS (Joseph Michael Straczynski) gets back to a old-fashioned tale that is about the man and not about the spider. Don't get me wrong here; I enjoy a good archetypical myth just as much as the next man, but finally after a long time (probably since Jenkins' send-off in Spectacular (Vol. 2) #27) did I resonate with what I read.

Emotional Energy

I don't hate anybody, I just cant seem to. I believe that hating just requires too much energy. Frankly, by hating people or things I would be wasting all the energy that could be well spent towards other activities. Life is absurd. If one accepts that fact, then it become a stepping stone to being happy and not wasting energy towards hate.

War is Upon Us

Is anyone else out there a comic buff. Well rather than take my time getting to the point, I will say it out loud; DC Sucks Big Time!!! (yes it deserves all three exclamation marks). I mean the entire Infinite Crisis was an utter waste of time. And it made me realize on thing, as much as I am a fanboy for good Bats, Supes, or even Flash and GL stories, they are few and far between. I also realize why I and millions keep yelling year after year "Make mine Marvel!" So heres counting down to what is going to be a really good story arc (fingers crossed).

The Man of Iron

Any Spidey Fans out there, those who are reading JMS current run will be up to date on all that is happening in the Marvel 616. Apparently Civil War is upon us, and I for one am extremely excited. But more on that when the first shot is fired. I follow everything Parker related, and one character has caught my attention; Tony Stark. I have new found respect for the man's shrewd-ness. He has been playing Peter for a fool, and only time will tell what that costs Peter. Not only that but he has been busy else where as well. But without spoiling much for people whole like good stories, you need to check out the current Iron-Man run and the New Avengers: Illuminati, to find out what I am talking about. I really don't know who this new Stark is, but he is one mean dude, and I plan on following him for a while.

The Only Good Thing

I try to be open-minded about everything. Hey, that's how you learn new things is life. But DC comics much hyped Infinite Crisis turned out to be a complete waste of time. It is a completely haphazard story that does nothing but give fan service to lost forgotten characters. I mean, I am a long time reader, and even I did not get all the "homage" the first time round. That coupled with a weak storyline, messed up pacing and 60's style science logic, all lead to one crazy (the bad kind of crazy) mini-series. Still one good thing came out of all the madness, Probably good enough to buy issue # 6. And That would be the amazing cover art of Infinite Crisis #6 by Jim Lee.

Blessed are the Ignorant

We have all heard it before; "ignorance is bliss". The ignorant man has one huge advantage over others; he is free of angst. Why? Well that should be the topic of another post. But the idea I am going to talk about here is the thought of those people who jeer, sneer and mock others. They do so to make fun of others but also to point out to others that they themselves are quite good at doing something. Case in point, a person in a restaurant is using all the table utensils properly. He notices someone else, not displaying proper manners and this ignorant peasant is enjoying himself. Now my feeling is that Mr. Proper is upset that he himself is behaving so well, and no one is noticing his superb behavior. So to get noticed, he has to act all haughty and superior, only so as to have the acknowledgement of another sentient that a person with manners is better than a person without manners.

Hiatus

Hiatus: gap or interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break. That is what is in store for this blog as I plan to be moving around for the next month or two. Still I plan to post regularly, and post I shall.

Stupid Evil

There is the theory out there that anything that is evil is by definition also stupid. It’s not actually a science or anything, but I come across it a lot. Especially amongst fiction writers, who have a tendency to follow it like a religion. Let me explain. The writing usually portrays the bad guys outnumbering the good guys a million to one, but they run in straight lines only and are slow thinkers as they all belong to retarded races, the hero or heroine outwits them at every turn and the evil people never see any of it coming, they all live in dull flea ridden villages and cannot read or speak foreign languages, they leave keys or incriminating evidence out in the open for the hero to find, and so on and so forth. I wonder why that is? I mean it is a good thing to see a clever protagonist but authors should realize that there is a big difference between smart heroes against normal people, and clichéd heroes against an even dumber people.

For those out there who are interested in writing believable bad guys Peter Anspach has a humorous list that can be reached by clicking here. It has some interesting pointers to keep in mind when writing.

Medalon Review

I just finished reading Medalon by Jennifer Fallon. It was definitely good enough to make me go out and buy Treason Keep, the second book in the Hythrun series. Of course, a bibliophile like me is cursed to read to the end anything I pick up. Still, the book does a very good job in the perhaps over-crowded fantasy genre. The characters are unique and have to, some extent, quite believable motivations. R’shiel, the main protagonist is a very strong lead and has very human aspects for a “good guy”. Tarja, the required companion in any fantasy, is perhaps a little too concerned about honor but that is me being fussy. The book gives us a good mix of politics and intrigue without getting bogged down in them like some other series; cough, Wheel of Time, cough. In addition, another criticism I have about most fantasy writers is that they overwhelm the reader with something I refer to as the superman aspect. We get an inordinate amount of fight and battle scenes and magic thrown in so that the reader gets the Hollywood feel. Personally, I like human stories where the author keeps these aspects in check. At the same time, myself being a wannabe writer, I feel that Medalon did a good job at hinting at these things to come in future installments. I just hope we get to see some cool battles and powers soon, rather than none at all until the climactic scene in the final book. One thing the book was probably lacking was moments of humor. The book has a very serious tone from the get go and after midway, we rarely see the characters attempt any sarcastic remarks or the like. Still, the bottom line is that I would definitely recommend this book as a good read to anyone looking to pick up a series. And those looking for synopsis and plot summaries, there are too many out there already. Still if you need one, look up the book on Amazon.

Tiger and I

I once asked a tiger to take me on a journey; to show me something, anything, it thought I should know. It asked me to follow it and it ended up showing me four things. First, I saw a field littered with carcasses and bones. I could not tell if they were human or animal. Second, it showed me a grave in a cemetery. I thought it was mine, but only for a moment. Next, it took me to a field where I saw daisies in bloom. I wondered how they'd smell. Finally, it led me to a small hill top where sitting under a tall shady tree, there was someone waiting for me. I thought, I hoped, she might be Dawn, the bringer of good tidings. The tiger left me there. I haven't seen it since.

Sports and Newtypes

I am a huge tennis fan, not to be confused with rabid, but still a huge fan. The sad news is that Martina Hingis just lost to Kim Clijsters 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 in the Quarterfinals of the Australian Open. I was really rooting for the Swiss. Alas, it was not meant to be. I still hope she will do well in the future and win a Grad Slam in a year or two.

Anyway, I stray from the point to be made. In all spectator sports there are so many people watching, cheering, wishing, and hoping and so on. Is there really the possibility that a million people watching an event could some how telepathically or telekinetically influence the outcome? Just bear with me here. If humans do have the potential to evolve into, for a lack of better word, “Newtypes”, then shouldn’t we start seeing signs first in spectator sports? Maybe we already are. How many times have underdogs gone on to win, despite the odds, against stronger opponents. Could it be because of the tiny psychic energy of millions of humans was simultaneously directed towards influencing the outcome. I guess there is no science to verify this but it would be somewhat cool to believe that there is a remote possibility to this being true. After all, who doesn’t want to be a newtype?

To Another Beginning

Well, here is to the beginning for another project. I never started a blog before because there was never anything I thought that I needed to say; I still don't. But now this project starts, shakely and purposeless in direction. The idea is to construct a place where I can past all the ideas that dwell in the depths of the mind and usually end up dying without ever seeing the light of day.

So here in this place titled "Radium's Space" I will be pasting all sorts of useless tidbits. Who knows how long this lasts and what shapes it ends up taking.