WRAL.com – News – Head Of Local Company Building Iraqi Government Remains Optimistic

WRAL.com – News – Head Of Local Company Building Iraqi Government Remains Optimistic

This is an interesting headline. We’re now using taxpayers dollars to pay private American corporations to “build” foreign governments. So I guess the people of Iraq are not in charge of their future as the Bush administration claims. North Carolina’s own Research Triangle Institute is.

Note: Just over two years ago I was offered a Sys. Admin position at RTI. I turned it down for the position I held at Glaxo.

It’s snowing!

imageConnor was urging me to open the front door this morning so he could look outside. What do ya know? It’s snowing. And just three days ago it was 70 degrees here. Amy was dressed first so she got Connor together and took him outside for his first walk in the snowflakes. She couldn’t find our digital camera so she got his pic with the camera on her phone. I’m pretty impressed with the quality of the images we can download off the Audiovox 8910‘s.

Camera phones are a must have with kids. It makes it so easy to collect pics that our parents missed (or never got developed). Later this afternoon I’m going to burn our entire photo directory to CD and back up the mySQL database running this blog to an excel file or something I can import later if necessary.

Who’s cruzin?

imageToday Connor entered the world of full blown walkin! He made it from my office all the way down the hall to the living room where his toys are. That’s where I caught this pic just ten minutes ago. We don’t have a baby anymore. We have a toddler!

Now his plan is starting to become obvious…. mommy and daddy will never rest again.

Apple – Mac mini

Apple – Mac mini

imageGotta have one. I’ve always wanted to run OS-X v.10 Panther at home but never could afford a Powerbook or an expensive apple display for their desktops (which start at $999.00).

The technology gods have spoken and I see a Mac mini in my future. This Mac hooks to standard VGA and USB components. Right now it’s more important to me than a plasma TV, new laptop or anything else electronic.

HP DL380 and MSA30 Array

imageHere’s what I’ll be installing if I can find time between interviewing four potential contractors tomorrow. This file server’s about a week overdue in the rack. It’s been built for days, I just haven’t had time to get it to the Inflow data center. It’s a pretty good file server including an HP Smart Array 6i internal controller with four 36GB drives configured at RAID 1+0. The memory is at 4GB with two 3.6GHz. Xeon Processors. Overkill? Hefty for file storage to say the least.

imageThe MSA30 has seven 72GB drives configured RAID 5 for a usable capacity of 407GB which can be expanded by the Smart Array 642 controller. Since it’s a file server this controller’s only got 64MB of battery backed cache. For SQL etc. I would only use 256MB of cache on the card and RAID 1+0 regardless of the loss of usable disk space. After this is in I’ve got an SQL server and another Citrix box to get installed for a P21 Commerce Center test environment. It all needs to be done by Monday morning.

Where do you put the kid?

imageConnor’s bathtub is so full of toys I’m not sure where the heck Amy puts him in it. We’ve got toys all over the house (except my office) and Amy doesn’t like the way it feels “cluttered”. Solution: bigger house. Do I move us soon or wait for her to start working again after she finishes school?

Personally I think we can live in what we’re in for a while. Connor’s outgrown half the toys he has anyway. It’s time to clean out his bedroom – hint, hint Amy. Speakin of tubs I gotta get in the shower – it’s already 7 am. I’ve got meetings all day starting at 8:00.

WRAL.com – News – Duke Health Trims Hospital Bill; Woman’s House Still Vulnerable To Pay Debt

WRAL.com – News – Duke Health Trims Hospital Bill; Woman’s House Still Vulnerable To Pay Debt

Duke will cut you up with Hydraulic Fluid (see below) and then take your house. This reminds me, I just got a follow up card sent by Duke to review my care during my stay. It sucked quite a lot. I’m starting to feel glad I survived it. Is Grandma Johnson the only thing good from Durham?