Adding PATH to bash

In your .bash_profile, (or .bashrc) add the following

PATH = $PATH:/PathToAdd1:/PathToAdd2:/PathToAdd3
export PATH

l33t

The following post is in l33t. If you can't decode it, too bad. Go
figure it out.

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Servers and fan replacements

I replaced one of the cooling fans on one of the group servers this morning. The process was relatively painless. From powering down the server to powering it back up with the replacement fan took less than 30 minutes of actual work.

The old fan was still spinning, but the server's on-board diagnostics were complaining that it was bad. On shining a flashlight onto the spinning unit, it did appear to be spinning slower than the rest of the units - so we figured that replacing it was probably a good idea.

It was much easier to do it early in the semester when people aren't using the machine that much. This made it easier to find a time slot when no one else was logged on, since replacing the fan requires that we power down the machine.

Now I get to go look at the machine about once a week to make sure that the error lamp stays OFF. :)

A Presidential Inauguration

48 fantastic pictures of the Presidential Inauguration.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/01/the_inauguration_of_president.html

The Dangers of using GOTO

XKCD says it the best.

January

Monthly Overview:

From here : http://astrology.yahoo.com/astrology/virgo/monthly-overview/

The 1st gives you the chance to immediately implement your New Year's resolution to not be overly critical -- when you wake up to find a great big post-party mess. Sure, there are party hats in the sink and plastic champagne flutes on the floor, but take a deep breath and remind yourself of your resolution: Be constructive. Don't be afraid to delegate, just don't give into the urge to nag. You'll be proud of your progress on the 5th and 6th, especially when you notice an overall sense of calm pervading your environment -- thanks to your diminished critique. On the 11th and 12th, you want to be organized, but something is getting in your way. Is it your desire to go skiing? Why not give in? You might want to lock up your credit cards on the 17th, since a whole lot of luxury items will look indispensable (they aren't). On the 21st, take a risk -- you won't be sorry. Being open-minded and experimental will only enhance your life on the 27th. There's always time to go to an experimental dance performance! Don't let a problem with a co-worker ruin your day on the 30th -- turn it into a learning experience!

Monthly Career:
From here : http://astrology.yahoo.com/astrology/virgo/monthly-career/

As the year starts out, you might think you know just want you want, career-wise, on the 1st and 2nd. You very likely based all of your New Year's resolutions on a certainty of where you're at and where you want to go, but before you take the plunge into a new year at work, take a second look: Things may be far more complex than you realize. This isn't a bad thing -- after all, it would be boring if you already knew everything all the time. Don't fret, but do be prepared for some (exciting!) challenges this year. You need to be careful -- to the point of neurotic -- when going over details on the 7th. On the 13th and 14th, some of the very thrilling upsides of the unknowns you are encountering begin to present themselves. Could all this office upheaval result in a big promotion for you? You'll be very curious on the 19th, so give your quest for more details a wide berth. On the 24th, somebody cute at work has their eye on you -- if you aren't available, let them know right away (and ditto if you are available!). On the 28th and 29th, turn off your impulse to criticize before you know the whole story.

Monthly Relationships:

From here : http://astrology.yahoo.com/astrology/virgo/monthly-love/

Somebody really, really, really thinks the world of you, and they want you to know that on the 1st. So why are you criticizing them so much? Are you maybe feeling a little bit vulnerable? Like if you allow yourself to feel how much they love you, you might accidentally give up some of your self-control? Have you considered that giving up some self-control and accepting unconditional love, unconditionally, could be a good thing? Give it a shot, this year. On the 4th, a personality clash at work could take the wind out of your romantic sails. Try not to let it. You'll be ready to communicate some of your deepest feelings on the 8th. The 13th and 14th are your days: Spend them as romantically as you can. Even just staying home and cooking dinner together could be perfect. On the 18th, if you're feeling romantically restless, explore those feelings. Where are they coming from? Fun and romance are in the cards for you on the 23rd, when somebody surprises you with a date you hadn't expected. Sushi dinner at the zoo after-hours? Don't say no! On the 26th, it's really important that you stay positive. You'll be more than ready to end the month in a well-rested spot on the 30th.

---
Ok, let's see how the rest of January plays out.

Forecasts

Ever noticed that the predictions for the year/month/week/day are always glowing and positive for every sun sign every day/week/month/year? Days you know are going to be bad, always have a positive spin in the papers/website/your-source-of-this-info

Since I figured out this patten many many moons ago, I'm rather skeptical about horoscopes.

However, this being a new year and with my resolution to try to do new stuff on my own, I figured, I'd give Yahoo Astrology a chance to predict the months of January- March. Every month, I'll pick up and record what the site said for me and at the end of the month, I'm going to see how well (or not) it all worked out. Of course, the way some of these are worded, anything that happens could possibly be related to what was written.

Yahoo Astrology can be found here : http://astrology.yahoo.com

Next post, predictions for January.

Blocked schedules

This is going to be another high intensity semester. Tuedays and
Thursdays have me blocked from 9:35am through 7pm.

And this is before finding out what the lab meeting schedule and other
research based deadlines for the semester are. :-/

Miss Mailers

Essential reading for anyone curious about the etiquette connected with
dealing with mailing lists.

Miss Mailers Answers Your Questions on Mailing Lists
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/mail/miss-mailers/

<abstract>
Summary: An explanation of how to use and run mailing lists
</abstract>

Speed upgrade

We were on a 1Mbps broadband plan until recently in my apartment.
Looking at our bills over the past few months and talking to people
around us, my roommate and I decided that we need to renegotiate our
plan with the ISP. So he called the ISP this morning and they bumped us
up to an 8Mbps plan for the same price per month!! Whoop!

With a 54Mbps WiFi connection, my laptop just reported an average
download speed of 5Mbps and an upload speed of 500Kbps. Not bad at all
for a shared connection and the router being in another room. :D

Season's Greetings

Season's greetings for a very happy and prosperous New Year 2009.
May the year bring you lots of laughter, fun, success and prosperity in
all your endeavors large or small.