Generally speaking, people provide better maintenance for their cars than for their own bodies.

Scott Adams, The Dilbert Future

• ECE Solaris Server Farm at compute.ece.ncsu.edu.
• ECE Linux Server Farm at grendel.ece.ncsu.edu.

These resources are presented in the Graduate Student Orientation.

• Use gateway.2wire.net to access the basic setup for the router.
• Use gateway.2wire.net/mdc to access the Management and Diagnostic Console (MDC). This is essentially the advanced configuration page.

The 2Wire Gateway does not include support for the popular DynDNS service. You’ll have to use one of the DynDNS Update Clients instead if you require this functionality.

While we did have a few issues with the account activation process, a quick call to Tier-2 technical support resolved the issue. The technicians were aware of registration problems through the web site, and with my permission tried a USB installation system of some sort at one point — however, it appeared not to work under Windows Vista.

Like many others in technical circles, I am worried about AT&T’s decision to provide fiber to the node (FTTN), versus Verizon’s FiOS, which offers fiber to the home (FTTH) with up to 15 Mbps both downstream and upstream. When I examined the signal tester that the technicians were using, I did observe a channel capacity of approximately 55 Mbps, so perhaps AT&T is simply testing the waters or provisioning for their television service.

Still, if your options thus far have been limited to Comcast, or 6 Mbps DSL, AT&T’s U-Verse may be just the ticket.

• Xbox 360 Premium: NTSC, HDMI
• Manufacturing Date: 2007-12-10
• Lot: 0749
• Team: CSON
• DVD Drive: BenQ VAD6038
• 175W Falcon

Thanks, Microsoft — it’s payback time!

Note: Obviously, I only intend to use this to play backups of original games that I have legally purchased, and absolutely would not download games that could be acquired illegally through torrent sites like Pirate Bay.

I rise to urge the Congress to think twice before thrusting this nation into a war without merit — one fraught with the danger of escalating into something no American will be pleased with. 9/4/02.

I voted for Ron Paul.

The NCSU recommended approach to running remote X11 applications from a local Windows machine is through the use of StarNet X-Win32, for which a student license is freely available from EOS. The X-Win32 technique works well for most applications, but for low-bandwidth connections, VNC provides an alternative, lightweight connection option.

This article describes the procedure for instantiating a VNC server on a Linux Lab Machine (Realm RHEnterprise Linux 4) through the Virtual Computing Lab (VCL). It assumes that you are already familiar with the use of both PuTTY and UltraVNC, and simply need additional information on setup nuances particular to NC State.

One Time Initial Configuration

PuTTY is used to bypass the RHEnterprise firewall by using SSH and its port forwarding capabilities. Create and save a PuTTY profile with the following SSH tunnel:

SSH to the your VCL reservation with your NCSU login and password (eg, 152.1.21.221, login tbarik). Type ‘vncpassword’ at the command prompt and set your desired VNC password:

dan255-21-222% vncpasswd
Password:
Verify:

Next, edit the xstartup file found under the .vnc directory and uncomment the following lines so that they appear as follows:

# Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop:
unset SESSION_MANAGER
exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

This will allow the VNC server to load a proper window manager, for which GNOME is the default on NCSU.

New VCL Reservations

For every new VCL reservation, start the VNC Server, specifying your desired resolution. By default, this is 800×600, but can be easily changed with the geometry argument:

dan255-21-222% vncserver -geometry 1152x864

New 'dan255-21-222:1 (tbarik)' desktop is dan255-21-222:1

Starting applications specified in /ncsu/tbarik/.vnc/xstartup
Log file is /ncsu/tbarik/.vnc/dan255-21-222:1.log

You can double-check the log file created above to confirm the port number of 5901:

Sat Feb  2 18:53:02 2008
vncext:      VNC extension running!
vncext:      Listening for VNC connections on port 5901
vncext:      Listening for HTTP connections on port 5801
vncext:      created VNC server for screen 0

Finally, open UltraVNC Viewer on your local system. For VNC Server address, enter:

 127.0.0.1:5901

If all goes well, you will be connected to your Realm RHEnterprise Linux session, as illustrated in this screenshot.

An introduction to the theory and practice of codes for detecting and correcting errors in digital data communication and storage systems. Topics include linear block codes, cyclic codes, cyclic redundancy checksums, BCH and Reed-Solomon codes, convolutional codes, trellis-coded modulation, LDPC and turbo codes, Viterbi and sequential decoding, and encoder and decoder architecture. Applications include the design of computer memories, local-area networks, compact disc digital audio, NASA’s deepspace network, high-speed modems, communication satellites, and cellular telephony.

The course is being taught by Dr. Brian Hughes.

Modern digital design practices based on Hardware Description Languages (Verilog, VHDL) and CAD tools, particularly logic synthesis. Emphasis on design practice and the underlying algorithms. Introduction to deep submicron design issues, particularly interconnect and low power and to ASIC applications, and decision making.

The course is being taught by Dr. Paul Franzon.

• ECE 520: Digital ASIC Design
• ECE 767: Error-Control Coding

With two heavy Engineering courses, this will be one of the most difficult semesters yet.

• Midterm Exam, 90%
• Homework 1, 100%
• Homework 2, 100%
• Homework 3, 100%
• Final Project, ?
• Final Exam, 89%

Final average: ? (A)
Costs: $2040 (tuition) + $140.32 (books)

The final project grade was never posted, so it’s impossible to directly calculate a numerical final average. The Spring 2008 semester begins January 9th, with three out of ten courses having been completed thus far.

• Midterm Exam, 86%
• Quiz 1, 60%
• Homework 1, 100%
• Homework 2, 106%
• Homework 3, 98%
• Homework 4, 100%
• Homework 5, 95%
• Final Project, 98%
• Final Exam, 66%

Final average: 86.44% (A)
Costs: $2040 (tuition) + $73.89 (books)

Quiz 1 was dropped entirely for most students because of the low results overall. Despite the low numerical final exam grade, I received the highest score on the final project in the class and that was enough to keep me at an ‘A’ (4.0) in this course for the semester. Numerically, these scores were considerably lower than CSC 501, but the difficulty was far higher and this is reflected in the grade distribution through scaling.

I’m still waiting on the results from CSC 510, Software Engineering, but I’ve once again decided to sign up for two courses in the Spring 2008 semester: ECE 515: Digital Communications, and ECE 520: Digital ASIC Design.

Over 250,000 people will see this per day. We have 3 different locations we are scouting on the Cobb I-75 parking lot between 575 and 285, but depending on how quickly we can raise the money will depend on which option is available to us.

Take a look at the Liberty Billboard and donate if you can.

This is being done purely through Atlanta locals without the approval of the Official Ron Paul Campaign.

UPDATE wp_posts SET comment_count = 0 
WHERE comment_count < 0

Update: Of course, I now have incorrect comment counts on certain posts, so I need to find a fix for this as well.

• For My Documents, add the AppData folder. Exclude the file desktop.ini so that it is not included in the backup set.
• Under Photos and Images, unselect the Desktop for consideration in the backup set.

Items available for download over the Internet:

• SiI3114 32-bit Windows SATARAID5 Driver BETA, Silicon Image RAID driver for Windows Vista, needed during operating system installation.
• MozyHome, online backup client. Also grab MozyDecrypt, and the encryption key.
• KeePass, light-weight password manager, with the encryption key.
• Mozilla Firefox, Firefox web browser.
• Mozilla Thunderbird, e-mail application.
• SnagIt, screen capture software. License.
• µTorrent, BitTorrent client.
• Java SE, Java SE Development Kit (JDK). Download Windows Offline Installation, Multi-language.
• RealPlayer, Real format videos.
• PuTTY, Telnet/SSH Client.
• WinSCP, SFTP client for Windows.
• NewsLeecher, Usenet download tool.
• ESET NOD32, antivirus software. Requires username and password to download.
• Metapad, replacement for Microsoft Notepad.
• MindManager Pro 7, planning and performance software. License.
• WinRAR, compression tool for RAR and ZIP files. License.
• Trillian, instant messaging client.
• WinAmp, media player for MP3s.

Items available on local media:

• AutoDesk AutoCAD 2008 Electrical
• Adobe Acrobat Professional 8
• Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007
• Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007. License.
• PTC MathCAD 14
• MathWorks MATLAB 2007b

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

Today is the day. Ron Paul 2008.

*** Warning:Your Computer CHIP Fan Fail or speed too low***
    You can also disable this warning message in SETUP

While the motherboard is under warranty, forum discussions indicate that even the replacement fan is likely to fail. A recommended solution is to instead install the Zalman NB47J, which is passively cooled and has no moving parts. It is listed as $4.99 on Newegg.

If you still want to replace the original faulty part from Asus, see the following e-mail:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your support of our products!

If you are in the USA or Canada, please call our RMA department at 510-739-3777 option 3. Please have your motherboard’s serial number handy when you call. You can also send an e-mail to:

RMA@asus.com

Please include your name, mailing address, daytime telephone number, your motherboard’s model number and serial number. Please type “Northbridge Fan” as the subject of the message.

Best Regards,

ASUS Technical Support

Be forewarned, however, that Asus technical support is not the greatest and it may not be worth your time or effort.

WP Hashcash is an antispam plugin that eradicates comment spam on Wordpress blogs. It works because your visitors must use Javascript to submit a proof-of-work that proves they opened your website in a web browser, not a robot.

Unfortunately, Javascript is required in order to submit a comment, so site accessibility has been turned down just a notch.

The flash animation shows his incoming donations in real-time. At the time of this writing he has just over $700,000 in donations. Neat.

• Tara McPherson and William Stout competed head to head to win this year’s “7th Annual Iron Art Competition,” presented in a format similar to Iron Chef, but with art instead of food. In previous years, Adam and I attended the Digital Iron Artist competition, so we though it’d be interesting to see the competition applied to more traditional art forms. Hosted by Michael Winslow, an American actor and comedian known as the “Man of 10000 Sound Effects.”
• In “Fundamentals of Game Programming,” Dr. Jalal Raissi of DeVry University, discussed the various programming areas within the video game industry including: game play, graphics, input, network, physics, sound, tools, user Interface, lead programming and more.
• Met the guys behind the voices of Adult Swim, including Doc Hammer and Dana Snyder. The panel had provided some upcoming previews of Cartoon Network cartoons, as well as the Aqua Teen Hunger Force video game.
• The “Artificial Intelligence in Gaming” panel, also from DeVry University, presented several common undergraduate algorithms in AI, including the popular Dijkstra’s algorithm.
• In “Voice Acting,” the voices behind your favorite Anime shows congregate to discuss what it takes to become a voice actor. Members from Robotech, Full Metal Alchemist, Ghost in the Shell, Crusher Joe, and more. Michael Brady, C. Martin Croker, George Lowe, and Vic Mignogna were guest speakers for this panel.

Unfortunately, the event was unusually crowded this year, and we were surprised that we were unable to attend many of the panels because they had reached capacity. We also managed to once again miss James Phelps and Oliver Phelps, better known as the Weasley twins from Harry Potter, because of scheduling conflicts.

• This year we made an effort to attend the DragonCon Parade itself, where various costumed people marched around the block to show off their obsession with science fiction.
• I missed part of Grandmaster Musashi’s martial arts panel last year, and this year caught the whole thing. Grandmaster Musashi uses sword, walking stick, and empty hands to do some amazing things.
• Ron Glass and Mark Sheppard discussed their experiences as actors on the science fiction series Firefly and its sequel film Serenity.
• In “9/11 Conspiracy Theories and Other Internet Hoaxes”, Dr. Michael Shermer, founder of The Skeptics Society, surveys of some of the top hoaxes and conspiracy theories driven by bloggers and YouTube home documentaries. I found this panel to the most educational of the day.
• The “Star Trek Guest Stars” panel featured John de Lancie (Q) and Barbara Luna (Marlena) as they talked about their plans after Star Trek and answered questions from the audience.
• The “Stargate Guest Mega Panel” offered a free-wheeling hour with a whole bunch of Stargate actors, including Vanessa Angel, Alexis Cruz, Louis Gossett Jr., Christopher Judge, Paul McGillion, Jason Momoa, Corin Nemec, Robert Picardo, Michael Shanks, and Marcia Patterson.

An introduction to software life cycle models; size estimation; cost and schedule estimation; project management; risk management; formal technical reviews; analysis, design, coding and testing methods; configuration management and change control; and software reliability estimation. Emphasis on large development projects.

The course is being taught by Dr. Aldo Dagnino.

Detailed description and related performance issues of OSI layers two and three for wide-area networks, well-known standards for local and wide area networks such as Ethernet and TCP/IP, and basic random access mechanisms for local area networks. 3 credit hours.

The course is being taught by Dr. Rudra Dutta. It is a live course and thus offered through a RealMedia format. The digitized lecture is made available approximately thirty minutes after the actual class.

• Midterm Exam, 96%
• Homework 1, 100%
• Homework 2, 100%
• Homework 3, 100%
• Homework 4, 105%
• Homework 5, 96%
• Final Exam, 99%

Final average: 98.46% (A+)
Costs: $2040 (tuition) + $155.26 (books)

Based on these results, I’ve decided to take two courses in the Fall 2007 semester, CSC 510: Software Engineering, and ECE 570: Computer Networks.

1. We misjudged then — and we have since — the geopolitical intentions of our adversaries … and we exaggerated the dangers to the United States of their actions.
2. We viewed the people and leaders of South Vietnam in terms of our own experience … We totally misjudged the political forces within the country.
3. We underestimated the power of nationalism to motivate a people to fight and die for their beliefs and values.
4. Our judgments of friend and foe alike reflected our profound ignorance of the history, culture, and politics of the people in the area, and the personalities and habits of their leaders.
5. We failed then — and have since — to recognize the limitations of modern, high-technology military equipment, forces and doctrine…
6. We failed as well to adapt our military tactics to the task of winning the hearts and minds of people from a totally different culture.
7. We failed to draw Congress and the American people into a full and frank discussion and debate of the pros and cons of a large-scale military involvement … before we initiated the action.
8. After the action got under way and unanticipated events forced us off our planned course … we did not fully explain what was happening and why we were doing what we did.
9. We did not recognize that neither our people nor our leaders are omniscient. Our judgment of what is in another people’s or country’s best interest should be put to the test of open discussion in international forums. We do not have the God-given right to shape every nation in our image or as we choose.
10. We did not hold to the principle that U.S. military action … should be carried out only in conjunction with multinational forces supported fully (and not merely cosmetically) by the international community.
11. We failed to recognize that in international affairs, as in other aspects of life, there may be problems for which there are no immediate solutions … At times, we may have to live with an imperfect, untidy world.

Poet and philosopher George Santayana told us that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Have we repeated history?

We drove three hours from Atlanta, GA to attend the Ron Paul Lunch Program with the Spartanburg Republican Party in South Carolina to listen to 10th-term Republican Congressman Ron Paul spread his message of freedom. I’m not one to normally become involved in politics, but Dr. Paul earned my respect in the Republican debates on Fox News, where he was the only candidate on stage courageous enough to speak out against the neoconservative party line.

This event was particularly important because GOP maverick Paul was shunned earlier in Spartanburg when Spartanburg County Republican Party Chairman Rick Beltram said that he was not welcome in his county. “The door is closed for him,” Beltram said. “He can stay home.” But two days later, thanks to our persistent e-mails and phone calls, Beltram changed his tune. “I was told by at least 125 e-mails and 25 voice mails that I didn’t hear correctly, newspapers didn’t report it correctly and live TV didn’t reflect it correctly,” Beltram said. “If we’re all that naive and we all misunderstood, I think they should come on down and tell us how we’re wrong, and I think the people of Spartanburg will be anxious to listen.”

And boy, were we anxious to listen. The Paul faithful flocked to the Spartanburg appearance, as about 400 people — half from out of state — were shoehorned into Summit Pointe for the event. Paul received no less than 16 standing ovations during his hour-plus speech, promoting the cause of Liberty.

Ron Paul is the only Republican candidate who voted against the Iraq war. Join the Ron Paul Revolution and see how Dr. Paul is transforming American politics — one idea at a time.

Other YouTube videos of Ron Paul:

• Ron Paul is Bill Maher’s New Hero
• Congressman Ron Paul at the First GOP Presidential Debate
• Ron Paul on The Daily Show
• Ron Paul on Colbert Report
• 44 Second Summary of Second Republican Debate

Please wait while Windows configures Mindjet Manager Pro 7.

after which I get yet another puzzling dialog box:

The setup must update files or services that cannot be updated while the system is running. If you choose to continue, a reboot will be required to complete the setup.

This is just one of the many problems I’ve encountered on Vista. Though it appears that the developers are aware of MindManager problems under Vista, it looks as though there is no solution in sight.

Update: I have finally gotten MindManager 7 to work. It required me to completely uninstall Microsoft Office 2007, including Microsoft Project 2007. After reinstalling these products, followed by MindManager, everything is well again.