Good post here, on the NetBackup Blog, about why tape is not dead. I just purchased a new tape backup system, and many people keep asking me why I'm not using disk. This excellent post from the folks at Symantec points out many of the reasons why tape-based systems can be superior to disk-based ones.
This story in the Washington Post made me sick. In it, you'll hear the story of how the police delivered a box of marijuana to the doorstep of a town mayor, waited for it to be taken inside, and then smashed in his doors, shot his dogs, and held his mother-in-law on the floor with a gun against her head. A sting operation against a suspected drug dealer? No. A drug-sniffing dog found a package at Fed Ex that was addressed to the mayor's wife containing pot. Was she a pot dealer? No. Her Fed Ex driver was. If this can happen to a town mayor, and he doesn't even receive an apology for it, what can happen to you and me?
A Blizzard employee is giving away several gift cards to people who donate to her fundraising drive for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Now is a great time of year to make a donation and claim it on your taxes, it's for a worthy cause, and you could win some free World of Warcraft time! More about it here at WoWInsider.
Anyone in need of a last minute gift idea for us should check out our Christmas lists.
I heard on the radio today about the death of H.M., a man I first learned about in Psych 101 in college. His tale is fascinating and tragic, after having part of his brain removed in surgery, he was left unable to form new memories, and left behind in time, remembering nothing new since 1953. It's hard to fathom what that would be like, and he was subjected to endless tests which greatly increased knowledge of how our memory works. Of course, for him, each test was new, as he had no memory of any prior tests, so, in a way, his curse also benefited him in a situation most of us would have found intolerable.
I know she got her degree in Sports Journalism, and not Political Science, but Sarah Palin continues to display a grasp of the Constitution that absolutely perplexes me. Today's quote from her (which I saw at Andrew Sullivan's blog) just makes my head hurt.
"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."
The First Amendment, as well as all other Amendments, protect you from the GOVERNMENT, not from the media, not from corporations, and not from me, Seth the Blogger. In fact, the First Amendment guarantees me the right to call you, Sarah Palin, a fourth-class intellect that makes Dan Quayle look like William F. Buckley by comparison. Now I'm no great constitutional scholar, but I did pretty well in Political Science 320, aka Constitutional Law.
Personally, I gave her a pass on her "gaffe" that she said the Vice President is in charge of the U.S. Senate. While not, erm, true, you can legitimately argue that "presiding" over something rather sounds like you are in charge of it, and I don't see any reason to latch on to that as evidence of Constitutional ignorance.
However, this is a different matter. Even if she was, tragically, elected to office, how could she swear to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution when she seems to not even understand the very principles she'd be taking an oath to uphold? She seems to think that the First Amendment means you can say whatever crazy shit you want, and if (a non-governmental) someone points out that reality (which has a well-known liberal bias) differs with your batshit-crazy-conspiracy-theory-of-the-day regarding your opponent, then they are not, in fact, exercising their rights to free speech, but somehow infringing upon your own.
It's flu shot season, go get your shot! I received mine today at our Wellness Fair, and it was the least painful injection I've ever had. Since I started getting the flu shots about five years ago, I have yet to contract the flu. While I know it doesn't perfectly prevent it (and the plural of anecdote is not data) it only takes me five minutes, and my insurance covers the cost. Being able to get the shot done at work makes it especially easy.
I made my first stock purchase today (not counting all the stuff in my retirement account, but I don't really pick those). I decided to toss a very small amount of money at Sprint, because I think they're undervalued now, and ripe for a takeover/buyout. I know there are fears of bankruptcy, but they have very real assets (spectrum & customers) that are worth real dollars. So, I risked a small amount of money (less than my last video game system) on some of their stock, now to see if it pays off...
We're hiring someone to run our student computer labs:
Support Services Coordinator/User Consultant
ITS – User Services
Provides primary support for fifteen general student computer centers (labs) including servers and workstations; oversees operations and student staffing; provides software consulting and support to centers and to University faculty and staff; interfaces with faculty regarding software needs for curriculum; creates and maintains software documentation; and provides secondary support for faculty and staff servers and workstations. Bachelor's degree plus at least one year of experience in server administration and computer applications as applied to computer support or related field required. Interpersonal communication and organizational skills also required. Experience in supervision, computer communications, networking, as well as experience with Active Directory and Group Policy preferred. Experience with a package management system like SMS, SCCM, or Altiris also preferred. Student experience will be considered. Criminal and other relevant background checks required. Application materials received by November 17, 2008 will be given first consideration. Additional information provided upon request (319) 273-3424. Send cover letter, resume, and names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references to: Support Services Coordinator Search Chair, Human Resources, 027 Gilchrist, UNI, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0034. Fax 319-273-2927. Email: HRS-Applications@uni.edu URL: www.uni.edu. UNI is a smoke free campus.
I guess when your party starts shunning intellectuals as being "elite", this is the kind of stupid decision the remaining members of your party make. If you believe that watermelon, fried chicken, and ribs were chosen at random, you're even dumber than the woman who published that newsletter.
