Joe's Blog

A Simple Streaming Video Server

2013-02-18T00:00:00-08:00

I recently went on vacation and while we have a cat sitter I wanted to keep an eye on our two cats Mira and Motorboat. This seemed like a perfect use for the RaspberryPi I aquired a few months back. To get this going you only need a few things:

* RaspberryPi (running Raspbian “wheezy”)
* USB video camera (I used this one)
* A working installation of ffmpeg, I built mine from source but that might not be required

Once you have these things, plug in the camera to the RaspberryPi. Afterwards you should see a device at '/dev/video0' or similar. 'dmesg' will likely tell you. First you need to start the server which needs a configuration file like the following:
Using that config run the following command:

'ffserver -f ./ffserver.conf'

Once that is running, you can start the stream using this command:

'ffmpeg -v verbose -r 5 -s 640x480 -f video4linux2 -i /dev/video0 http://localhost:9999/webcam.ffm -an'

Note that '/dev/video0' will need to match what you have on your system. Additionally, to help your RaspberryPi survive streaming video I found prepending a 'nice -n 19' to those commands seems to help system interactivity. Lastly you may also need to 'chmod' the video device or run those commands using 'sudo' to make things work properly.

Now that both those commands are running simultaneously you can open VLC or a different video application and open a video source, specifically a network source. Use a URL like 'http://RASPIPADDR:9999/webcam.mjpeg'. It'll take a second but you should see video from your camera pop up. In my case the video is a little choppy but good enough. That's it!

Helpful link: ffmpeg streaming guide

Best Music of 2012

2012-12-15T00:00:00-08:00

Here's the list of the best music I have heard all year in alphabetically order.

Aesop Rock - Skelethon
Crystal Castles - III
Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
EL-P - Cancer 4 Cure
Extra Life - Dream Seeds
Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
High On Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis
Hot Chip - In Our Heads
Killer Mike - R.A.P Music
Laplux - When You're Gone
Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction
Purity Ring - Shrines

Best Music of 2011

2011-12-21T00:00:00-08:00

Here's the list of the best music I have heard all year in alphabetical order.

9th Wonder - The Wonder Years
Animals As Leaders - Weightless
Battles - Gloss Drop
Blue Sky Black Death - Noir
Extra Life - Ripped Heart
Forest Swords - Fjree Feather
Foster the People - Torches
Giraffes? Giraffes! - Pink Magick
Hella - Tripper
Liturgy - Aesthethica
Nat Baldwin - People Changes
People Under The Stairs - Highlighter
Red Fang - Murder the Mountains
Russian Circles - Empros
Wavves - Life Sux

Best Music of 2010

2010-12-17T00:00:00-08:00

Time for my annual best music post. These are the twenty best albums I listened to 2010. There were a handful that didn't quite make the cut that were also good (The National, Murs, Pantha du Prince, etc). Aloe Blacc - Good Things Arcade Fire - The Suburbs Bonobo - Black Sands The Books - The Way Out Caribou - Swim Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (2) Extra Life - Made Flesh Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma Forest Swords - Dagger Paths Girl Talk - All Day Loscil - Endless Falls Menomena - Mines Ratatat - LP4 STATS - Crowned Tera Melos - Patagonian Rats TOBACCO - Maniac Meat Wavves - King of the Beach Wolf Parade - Expo 86 Women - Public Strain Zs - New Slaves

Watching Hulu in the Cayman Islands (or any non-US location).

2010-10-15T00:00:00-07:00

I recently went on a vacation to the Cayman Islands. One evening while there my wife wanted to watch Glee and found that it isn't possible due to some sort of restrictions only allowing streaming to the US. I took this on as a challenge. One of the first things I noticed (thanks Firefox+live headers plugin) when hitting a page on hulu was requests to releasegeo.hulu.com/geoCheck. This does what I assume to be a geoip lookup to determine if you are in the US. Additionally it seems to do a proxy check. The response I was getting in the Caymans looked like this: From a server in the US I received: I figured this would be easy enough to forge. I needed two things a DNS server and a web server. I'll assume you know how to set those up and the rest is pretty simple. Setup a vhost for releasegeo.hulu.com on your web server with a file called geoCheck in your doc root. This file should contain the appropriate value above. Then setup your DNS server to have an entry for releasegeo.hulu.com and point it to your web server. Then setup the DNS server as such on your local machine. This should direct requests from your local machine to the phony releasegeo.hulu.com site you setup. You should be able to test this using normal unix tools like dig and curl. Note that adjusting your hosts file will not work in this case as many browsers use system calls to do DNS lookups bypassing the hosts file. Admittedly this isn't a fool proof way to get Hulu outside of the US. It seemed to be a bit finicky due to DNS browser and system caches but after a little playing around with it my wife did indeed get to watch her Glee that night.

SurgeCon 2010

2010-07-27T00:00:00-07:00

If you haven't heard about Surge, it's a new web operations conference presented by the smart folks at OmniTI. They have amassed a good list of speakers including guys like John Allspaw and Theo Schlossnagle. I also happen to have been invited to talk about the cloud, Cloudant and all sorts of good stuff.

Adding Health Checks to Deckard from Chef.

2010-07-19T00:00:00-07:00

Recently, we (at Cloudant) open sourced Deckard, a HTTP content check monitoring system based on CouchDB. One of the best bits about using Couch is that it gives you a ReST API and with Deckard it can be used to add new health checks. Doing a simple PUT adds new URLs to monitor. At Cloudant we love Chef and use it for everything. Chef has things called resources and providers. Resources are abstractions that describe the state you want a machine to be in. Providers perform the actions described by a resource. A good example is using the package resource on Centos uses yum while on Ubuntu it uses apt-get. The resource abstracts that away, letting the provider (and node) deal with the specifics on how to install the package. This makes your recipes nice and DRY, use the same code to install packages on all sorts of platforms. There are resources and providers for anything from installing packages to even one I wrote for executing Erlang code via erl_call. One resource that works well with Deckard is the HTTP request resource, using it makes it very easy to add health checks from your cookbooks. We use something like the following code to add checks to new nodes at Cloudant: This code will add the document describing the check to the monitor_content_check database and then create a file so we can use "not_if" and Chef won't attempt to add the check twice. Pretty cool stuff and even more reason that everything should have an API. Even cooler than this example would be to use Chef Search to do the same thing but I'll save that for another blog post.

Just Opensourced: Gaff and Deckard

2010-06-04T00:00:00-07:00

This post was stolen from my original post on the Cloudant blog. Today we released two open source projects that have been in use internally at Cloudant for some time now, Gaff and Deckard. All of our infrastructure is in the cloud and as such we need a way for disperate systems to all request resources, this is where Gaff comes in. Gaff is a pubsub daemon for asynchronously talking to cloud APIs using AMQP. Currently it supports a subset of the Dynect (DNS), Slicehost and EC2 APIs and uses geemus' awesome fog Ruby library. The basic workflow for Gaff is to send JSON-RPC formated messages to an AMQP exchange with a routing key corresponding to the API you are talking to, you could be sending these messages from a web application or another service. Each message gets routed to an API specific queue and is picked up by Gaff and turned into the appropriate API call, starting, stopping, modifying your servers on EC2 or elsewhere. We have a lot of CouchDB instances to keep tabs on to do this we wrote Deckard. Deckard is a HTTP check monitoring system based on CouchDB. Yo dawg! What better than to monitor CouchDB with CouchDB (and some Ruby)? Deckard supports basic HTTP content checks, email alerts, SMS alerts (via email) for on-call rotations, basic maintenance scheduling, replication latency alerts (between two Couches) and even has EC2 Elastic IP support for failover between two EC2 instances. Best of all since it's based on Couch you get an API for free, just PUT a doc in the HTTP checks database and you get a new HTTP check the next time Deckard runs. Checkout these and my other projects on GitHub and follow Cloudant and myself on Twitter.

Beyond BigData.

2010-05-31T00:00:00-07:00

BigData is a big deal. It's changing how we look at data and analytics, but it isn't the end. What are the enablers of BigData? First and foremost, cheap computing resources (CPU, disks, memory, bandwidth, etc) all thanks to Moore's Law. Today even startups have the ability to afford huge amounts of computing power, the likes previously only the big boys could afford. Additionally, this has given rise to commodity hardware and cloud computing, which only furthers the proliferation of large amounts cheap, quickly-provisioned, computing resources. Second, to apply all that power, we have open source data processing systems based on years of distributed systems research, like Hadoop, and many incarnations of NoSQL. The development of open source data processing sytems has allowed proliferation of systems that scale, which only the highly capitalized could afford, until recently. These two things alone have allowed for the democratization of BigData. A guy in a garage can process terabytes of data with little more than a credit card and elbow grease. With all these tools and recently acquired computing power, where are we going? Of course we can expect datasets to continue to grow, and the computational complexity of our data processing to increase, as well as compute power to continue to rise (GPGPUs, multicore and so on). In addition, I anticipate the emergence of something I'm calling NewData. NewData will build on what we have currently with the BigData, but will include some trends just beginning to take off. First, the development of ubiquitous public APIs (Meatcloud Manifesto). Public APIs have yet to proliferate to all online systems. As a consequence, there is still a lot of screen scraping going on. By having easily query-able and parse-able datasets available through ubiquitous APIs, consuming the internet with machines is easier making the application of BigData more powerful. Netflix is a good example of this. Second and similarly enabling will be the development of standardized public datasets. Current datasets are generally hard to find and use, standardized dataset formats will enable BigData analysis to be more productive and not waste time munging. Data.gov is a start. These two developments are yet to be fully realized in current systems but will allow for the rise of NewData. As these developments begin to roll out we will begin to see changes to how our BigData systems look. NewData systems will be less concerned with how big the data is and what it looks like, but will emphasize derivation of more information from the data. Bradford Cross gets this, and as a result FlightCaster is an early example of what I mean by NewData.

The scale of data and computations is an important issue, but the data age is less about the raw size of your data, and more about the cool stuff you can do with it.

Asking the right questions of the data is important, especially if you're trying to do cool stuff. The Freakonomics guys proved this a few times over. NewData will be about creating value from data, and asking the right questions is worth as much as the answers. The key enablers of this will be using new found APIs and datasets to combine data from disperate sources in ways that BigData couldn't. Asking questions that we wouldn't have thought to ask of BigData. Where BigData was about a handful of datasets at most, NewData will be about dozens of datasets. The mashup is the cornerstone of NewData. That being said, we will need new systems to process this data and enable us to ask these questions. NewData analysis will need inter-process communication and collaboration. Currently, systems like Hadoop process data by splitting the data up and processing chunks in parallel on hundreds to thousands of machines. Processes are isolated from the other processes. This will continue, but NewData will require more from these systems to ask deeper questions. Complex inter-process communication will be needed to ask these questions. Think of the simplicity of writing Map/Reduce jobs, the robustness of Hadoop, the workflow and dataflow of Cascading and DryadLINQ, respectively, and the power of a message passing system like MPI. These jobs will likely include large in-memory collaborative computations across thousands of machines. Where data locality was key in BigData, both data and memory-locality (NUMA/ccNUMA) will be important in NewData. It is clear that BigData still has some runway before NewData takes over. However, if the trends in the democratization of compute and processing continue (beyond Hadoop and EC2), and the opening of APIs and datasets proliferate online and off, NewData and it's new questions, mashups, and systems are inevitable. Where having readily available compute resources and the software to use it defined BigData, NewData will be defined solely by asking the right questions, the algorithms to derive answers, and the systems used to produce them. Thanks to Mike Miller, Bradford Stephens and my awesome wife Erin for the help on this article. Follow me on twitter.

Availability, the Cloud and Everything

2010-05-31T00:00:00-07:00

Finally posted my presentation at Erlang Factory, WTIA Cloud SIG and Seattle Scalability Meetup here on the blog.

Availability, the Cloud and Everything

View more presentations from logicalstack.

Still Alive.

2010-04-13T00:00:00-07:00

I am still alive and still maintain the blog but haven't had time to post recently. Lots of cool stuff brewing at Cloudant. Follow me on Twitter for more immediate updates. In the mean time keep following me here and hopefully I'll have some blog inspiration soon.

Fun with the CouchDB _changes feed and RabbitMQ.

2010-01-01T00:00:00-08:00

I was recently introduced to yajl-ruby, ruby bindings to the C based yajl json parsing/encoding libraries. After discovering that it can parse HTTP streams it seemed like it would be a perfect fit for use with CouchDB. A while back I wrote some code to push update notifications to RabbitMQ and a commenter mentioned using the _changes feed instead. Combining the _changes feed and yajl-ruby's HttpStream seemed like a good way to do it. The _changes feed is a running list of all the documents that have changed in a database listed in order by sequence number. This is similar to update notifications but gives more information such as the document IDs and is HTTP based (with multiple feed styles) rather than stdout. Additionally you can create design document filters which can be specified as a query parameter to give you only the parts of the feed you want. All in all _changes is a pretty powerful feature. Now for the fun stuff, the code. There are a few dependencies I used to do this, specifically focused on making it fast. As such I used EventMachine based libraries for AMQP and HTTP requests. The first bit of code takes the _changes feed for the "test" database, parses the feed, uses the document ID to request that document and publish it to the queue. One key item to note is that this code requires the latest yajl-ruby from github to run properly. Additionally, this works nicely with feed=continuous so it grabs the documents as they are changed without a need for polling. Note that there is a variable for since, this allows you to start from a specific sequence number so you can skip over old changes. The next bit of code works from the other side of the queue. It subscribes to the queue, parses the JSON, performs some operations on it and puts the results back into another CouchDB database called "results". What could it be used for? My first thought is some sort of parallel computation, boot up a few dozen EC2 nodes and start dumping data into CouchDB. Have all those nodes pop messages off the queue, process them and dump the results back into Couch. Legitimately one could chain these together to process the results again. The queue ends up being a simple job management system with the EC2 nodes popping new messages as they finish processing them. With a little bit of work, features and the right use case I think could be a pretty powerful system. Check out the code, my other projects and follow me on twitter @williamsjoe. [edit: made a slight improvement to changes_sub.rb on 20100107]

Best Music of 2009.

2009-12-18T00:00:00-08:00

I do this every year and figured 2009 should be no different. Here are my picks for the best albums and EPs of the year in no specific order. Best albums: Wavves - Wavves Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself Riceboy Sleeps - Riceboy Sleeps Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion Japandriods - Post-Nothing People Under the Stairs - Carried Away Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport Russian Circles - Geneva Best EPs: Extra Life/Nat Baldwin - A Split LITE - Turns Red Abe Vigoda - Reviver STATS - Marooned

Biodynamic Agriculture Applied to Datacenters.

2009-12-15T00:00:00-08:00

While listening to the Green HPC podcast I had the thought that biodynamic agriculture could be applied to managing datacenters. Now I might be off my rocker but I think it might be a worthwhile way to think about it, hopefully without getting too hippy-ish. From wikipedia:

Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming with homeopathic composts that treats farms as unified and individual organisms, emphasizing balancing the holistic development and interrelationship of the soil, plants, animals as a self-nourishing system without external inputs insofar as this is possible given the loss of nutrients due to the export of food.

To me this totally has an analog in datacenters, server farms (pun intended) and machine rooms. To paraphrase the above wikipedia quote:

An electrodynamic datacenter is one that is treated as a unified and individual organism. That is each datacenter is an autonomous entity and needs to be thought about as an organism where all the components (CRACs, servers, network, power, etc) are balanced and interrelated without external inputs insofar as this is possible given the loss of capacity (bandwidth, compute, storage, etc) due to export of data, compute or another resource.

Putting it like that seems pretty reasonable and would seem to lean toward making datacenters as efficient as possible. The goal being reducing external inputs (power, bandwidth and etc) while still getting the desired amount of output. Practices such as running datacenters hot, data locality optimization or shutting down part (or all) of a datacenter while not needed would be common place. This would require tight monitoring, analysis, controls and automation on inputs and outputs. This also means developing a quantitative relationship between consumption/utilization and production, ie how much input is required for X amount of output. Certainly an interesting problem to solve and system to build although I imagine some level of this has been implemented by the Googles of the world. While datacenters will likely never be self-sustaining in the end this may be a reasonable way to think about datacenter controls and management especially as we all try to go green for monetary and environmental reasons.

Baracus.

2009-11-05T00:00:00-08:00

Just did my first official Cloudant blog post on a project I created called Baracus. It's an httperf wrapper for benchmarking CouchDB, check it out on github.

Daedelus : LA Nocturn

2009-09-24T00:00:00-07:00

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/4046989[/vimeo] Yeah ... it's that good.

Red Black Trees.

2009-09-19T00:00:00-07:00

Been reading up on Red-black trees, a self-balancing binary tree. Here are some resources I found interesting.

Multiple posts at Fuad AlTabba, with an erlang implementation.
Ruby rbtree library (uses C).
An implementation in Ruby.
Trees in Erlang.
Red-black trees in two hours, with a link to Chris Okaski's Red-Black Trees in a Functional Setting with implementation in Haskell.

Compiling Nginx with Syslog Support.

2009-09-08T00:00:00-07:00

I recently setup a rsyslog server for my employer. Rsyslog is an enhanced syslog server that is multi-threaded. There is all sorts of filtering and rules that can be setup in the configuration. Cool stuff. In an effort to get as many systems using syslog as I can I needed to track down how to get syslog support built into nginx as a couple of our backend systems use it. The first thing I found was the out of date patch on this page over at the nginx wiki. Unfortunately this doesn't work for me as I already run 0.7.61. A quick email to the nginx mailing list and I found out about another patch set for 0.7.x and 0.8.x by the same author as the old one. Basically it's as easy as patching the nginx source with the aforementioned patch and then the standard ./configure, make and make install with one catch. You need to add --with-syslog to your configure. Unfortunately this didn't seem to work for me I needed to also add the CFLAG to add syslog support in as well by running export CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -DUSE_SYSLOG". After that run your build and things should be ready to go. After the make if you want to double check that syslog support got built just run strings objs/nginx | grep openlog if you get "openlog" as a result you should be ready to rock. Now for your rsyslog setup you may want to have nginx log to its own files rather than the default syslog log file. To do that just add the following to your configuration:


if $programname == 'nginx' and $syslogseverity <= '4' then /var/log/nginx_error.log
if $programname == 'nginx' and $syslogseverity == '5' then /var/log/nginx_access.log
if $programname == 'nginx' and $syslogseverity >= '6' then /var/log/nginx_debug_info.log

This will filter out all the logs for nginx by the severity of the log message. I have all errors go to one (<= 4), access logs (== 5) go to another and debug and info messages (>= 6) go to the last. For more details on configuring rsyslog check out the wiki.

HAProxy Stats Socket and fun with socat.

2009-08-20T00:00:00-07:00

I've been debugging issues with HTTP, my backend servers and HAProxy. After a quick email to the HAProxy mailing list I found out about a configuration option stats socket PATH. This will create a socket you can send commands to and get more information out of HAProxy. To do this I just used some simle unix tools, the key is socat. From the man:

socat is a relay for bidirectional data transfer between two independent data channels. Each of these data channels may be a file, pipe, device (serial line etc. or a pseudo terminal), a socket (UNIX, IP4, IP6 - raw, UDP, TCP), an SSL socket, proxy CONNECT connection, a file descriptor (stdin etc.), the GNU line editor (readline), a program, or a combination of two of these. These modes include generation of "listening" sockets, named pipes, and pseudo terminals.

Here are a few examples of how to use the stats socket. First, you need to add stats socket PATH to your configuration and restart haproxy. You should then find a socket located at the path specified, I used /tmp/haproxy. Now you can send it commands to get more information and stats from HAProxy.


echo "show stat" | socat unix-connect:/tmp/haproxy stdio

This will give you stats on all of your backends and frontends, some of the same stuff you see on the stats page enabled by the stats uri configuration. As an added bonus it's all in CSV.


echo "show errors" | socat unix-connect:/tmp/haproxy stdio

show errors will give you a capture of last error on each backend/frontend.


echo "show info" | socat unix-connect:/tmp/haproxy stdio

This will give you information about the running HAProxy process such as pid, uptime and etc.


echo "show sess" | socat unix-connect:/tmp/haproxy stdio

This will dump (possibly huge) info about all know sessions. For more details check out the docs section 9 and stats socket in section 3.1. Bonus socat fun. socat is a more full featured cousin of netcat. Both can be used in similar ways, one thing I use them for occasionally is debugging REST and etc. This was a real help when working with an API that didn't have a library, I could test things out without needing to make erroneous calls to the API. In the simplest case you can have either of them listen on a port and output all the details of the request. To do this with socat run: socat tcp-listen:8000 stdio This will listen for connections on port 8000. Doing the same thing with netcat is easy as well: netcat -l -p 8000 For instance you can see the output from creating a document in CouchDB. In one terminal:


$ irb
irb(main):001:0> require 'rubygems'
=> true
irb(main):002:0> require 'rest_client'
=> true
irb(main):003:0> RestClient.put("http://localhost:8000/somedb/somedoc", "{\"somekey\": \"somevalue\"}", :content_type => "application/json")

In another run your mock server:


$ socat tcp-listen:8000 stdio
PUT /somedb/somedoc HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/xml
Content-Type: application/json
Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate
Content-Length: 24
Host: localhost:8000

{"somekey": "somevalue"}

Oh! By the way, if you install netcat from source, don't compile with -DGAPING_SECURITY_HOLE unless you know what you are doing. :D

tens3 : dead simple s3 backups

2009-07-29T00:00:00-07:00

I recently needed some simple scripts to backup files on various machines, stuff like configs and even some small CouchDB files. Not finding something already out there I put together tens3, two simple scripts to get and put files to Amazon S3. They provide the following:

uses s3 to backup a directory of files (no subdirectories)
uses fadvise to be easy on filesystem caches and disks
purges files after X days
streams files rather than loading them entirely into memory

They are very simple to use, just create a configuration file together:


amazon_access_key_id: "someid"
amazon_secret_access_key: "somekey"
backup_dir: "/some/path/"
purge_threshold: 3
bucket_name: "somebucket"

Backup a directory of files: $ ./tens3_put tens3.conf Restore a file from a backup: $ ./tens3_get tens3.conf date somefile ./somefile The date is the date that the file was backed up in a YYYYMMDD format. Enjoy and let me know if you find any bugs or want new features.

Boston Meet-up.

2009-07-21T00:00:00-07:00

Headed to Boston next week, planning to meet-up next Tuesday (7/28) 7pm at Cambridge Brewing Co. Drop by for a beer, food and maybe a little Erlang.

Introducing haproxy_join, and how to use it with Chef.

2009-07-01T00:00:00-07:00

Inspired by Holger Just's haproxy configuration tool I decided to write one my own that worked better for my setup and haproxy_join was born. It's a simple Ruby script that allows you to break up a monolithic haproxy configuration file in to pieces. haproxy_join expects files and directories to be in the following scheme:


HAPROXY_PATH/conf/global.cfg (file)
HAPROXY_PATH/conf/defaults.cfg (file)
HAPROXY_PATH/conf/frontend.cfg (file)
HAPROXY_PATH/conf/frontend.d (dir of frontend configs)
HAPROXY_PATH/conf/backend.d (dir backend configs)

The HAPROXY_PATH and resulting configuration file are specified when running the haproxy_join command. On most systems it would look like the following, all you need to do is break up your current config and put it in the above structure.


haproxy_join haproxy.cfg /etc/haproxy/

haproxy_join will also attempt to backup your configuration file before writing a new one. This works great in tandem with a tool like Chef, allowing you to have Chef manage each small configuration file with a template and haproxy_join to concatenate them together each time they are changed. You can achieve this by using a Chef recipe based on the default opscode haproxy recipe and a slightly modified haproxy init script based on Holger Just's haproxy init script. The recipe will notify haproxy Chef to restart haproxy if a configuration has changed and the init script will run haproxy_join before it restarts haproxy. I have posted an example of the cookbook recipe and the init script. Neither of these have been heavily used/tested so try them out before you put them into production. Hope this helps anyone with large haproxy configurations. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments.

The Specials.

2009-06-21T00:00:00-07:00

A Message To You Rudy [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVcD1xAMTo8[/youtube] Ghost Town [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2oXzrnti4[/youtube] Yup. The Specials.

Sending CouchDB Update Notifications to RabbitMQ.

2009-06-05T00:00:00-07:00

Working at Cloudant I use CouchDB on a daily basis. This evening for fun I decided to write some Ruby to take update notifications and push them into RabbitMQ. There are other examples of using the update notifications and Ruby in Couch such as the view updater out on the Couch wiki. It turned out super simple. There are a few AMQP libraries for Ruby, in this example I am going to use carrot. It's based on the amqp library without all the eventmachine stuff. So here it goes: couch_amqp.rb :

#!/usr/bin/ruby require 'rubygems' require 'carrot' def main queue = "couchdb" run = true couchq = Carrot.queue(:queue => queue) while run do notifications = gets if notifications == nil run = false else couchq.publish(notifications) end end end main

As you can tell we connect to a queue called "couchdb" on by default this is on localhost. Next we have a loop that continually runs and grabs updates from stdin. I then publish each notification to the queue and that's that. To get the messages out of the queue I used irb and carrot.

[user@host ~]$ irb irb(main):001:0> require 'rubygems' => true irb(main):002:0> require 'carrot' => true irb(main):003:0> couchq = Carrot.queue(:queue => "couchdb") => #<Carrot::AMQP::Queue:0x7f8d2284b640 <snip> irb(main):004:0> couchq.pop => "{\"type\":\"updated\",\"db\":\"test1\"}\n"

So yeah, pretty simple stuff. Go ahead relax! :) [EDIT 06/05/2009 2326 PST : Don't forget to add the entry to your local.ini]

[update_notification] couch_amqp=/PATH/TO/couch_amqp.rb

Claws Mail.

2009-05-30T00:00:00-07:00

I recently switched to using Claws Mail from Mozilla Thunderbird. This was mostly to try something new and because of the seeming stagnation of the Thunderbird project. So far so good, here are a couple things that I think are cool. Lots of plugins and themes. Claws Mail has for all sorts of tasks and features. The ones that I think are key are GTKHTML, Notification (libnotify/notify-osd) and SpamAssassin. SpamAssassin in interesting because it actually uses a full SpamAssassin installation like you would see on a mail server. The plugin connects to the spamd daemon running on your system and you can teach it what is spam and ham. If you are running Ubuntu all/most of the plugins are available in the normal repositories. Also very cool is its auto-generated mail filters. Basically you can right click any email and create a filter based on the headers. This worked great for all the mailing lists and ticketing systems I use. Claws also has a network log which worked great for diagnosing issues with an IMAP or SMTP session. There are a few quirks, the first that I noticed was that when Claws is checking the mail servers for new mail it locks out some of the menu items. This is annoying if an automatic check happens when you are trying to change a config item. Another annoyance is when using the up and down keys to go through messages you either have to click on the message or hit enter to view it. It would be nice if they loaded as soon as you arrowed to it. Lastly, the interface seems a little less polished than Thunderbird but that may be just because I am more accustomed to TBird after years of use. If you are interested in trying Claws out and use Ubuntu I recommend adding the Claws PPA to your apt sources to get the latest version and claws-mail-extra-plugins.

New Sunset Rubdown Next Month.

2009-05-19T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZdS3hG7tfU[/youtube] SUNSET RUBDOWN - DRAGONSLAYER - ON JAGJAGUWAR - 23.06.09

Nginx and Passenger, Gateway Timeout Fix

2009-04-24T00:00:00-07:00

I recently switched an application I am working on from nginx and mongrel to nginx and passenger. The setup is easy as can be but I noticed an issue on one of my long running operations. I have a controller that spawns some threads, performs operations and returns back a result to the page. Sometimes this takes a minute and using mongrel you would just increase the proxy_read_timeout in nginx. With passenger it times out after 60 seconds. There is not a configuration parameter for adjusting this. I found that adjusting upstream.read_timeout and upstream.send_timeout in /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/passenger-2.2.1/ext/nginx/Configuration.c (below) to a higher value and reinstalling the passenger module solves the problem. /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/passenger-2.2.1/ext/nginx/Configuration.c

::snip:: ngx_conf_merge_msec_value(conf->upstream.send_timeout, prev->upstream.send_timeout, 60000); ngx_conf_merge_msec_value(conf->upstream.read_timeout, prev->upstream.read_timeout, 60000); ::snip::

Thanks to the passenger team and the quick response on the mailing list.

Best Photo Evar.

2009-04-06T00:00:00-07:00

This is a photo of me back in the day, I don't know if I posted here or not before but it's good regardless. By the way my cousin looks bored.

Missing.

2009-03-27T00:00:00-07:00

Haven't had much time to post anything lately. I have been busy working on projects for work. While you're here checkout some interesting reads from this week:

Also, photos from my wedding recently got posted to flickr if you are into that sorta thing.

Erlang Factory.

2009-03-11T00:00:00-07:00

It's official I will be giving a talk at the Erlang Factory conference next month. I will be speaking about web server performance with a final round of tests that should be much more complete than the last couple death-matches. Hope to see you there.

Erlang Queue and Merle.

2009-03-05T00:00:00-08:00

Lately I have been playing around with the idea of adding a process pool to merle or at least a layer that allows you to use a process pool. I also happened across Erlang's queue implementation. It has all the basic functions you expect from a queue and two API's. So I created a branch of merle to play around with this idea. There are two main differences from the mainline merle, the first is the pid is always passed to the functions doing the work rather than using ?SERVER, for instance.

stats() -> gen_server2:call(?SERVER, {stats}).

versus

stats(Pid) -> gen_server2:call(Pid, {stats}).

This allows more than one gen_server process to be started, the down side being you have to pass this Pid variable around. The other change is a new module called queue_merle, this is a sort of the process pool later that interfaces with merle. Obviously this is a very rough cut but seems to do the trick. The start function starts five merle processes and adds them to the queue, rotate rotates the queue taking all the head of the queue and inserting it into the bottom. I have impletemeted getkey and set as well. They accept a queue, key and/or value. The downside to this implementation is similar to that of using merle without defining ?SERVER, you have to know what, in this case, queue you are using and you need to make sure it is the most current otherwise you will end up getting more calls to one process than another. Here is an example of usage.

1> Queue = queue_merle:start(). 2> {Queue1, Result1} = queue_merle:set(Queue, a, "asdf"). 3> {Queue2, Result2} = queue_merle:set(Queue1, b, "1234"). 4> {Queue3, Result3} = queue_merle:getkey(Queue2, a). 5> {Queue4, Result4} = queue_merle:getkey(Queue3, b).

As you can see the queue is rotating each time the functions are run but due to not allowing for multiple assignment one has to grab the new version of the queue each time and use it for the next operation. I imagine there is probably a cleaner way to do this, if I come up with one I like it will probably get added to mainline merle. Fun stuff.

People Under the Stairs - The Whiz

2009-03-04T00:00:00-08:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8av64Va_-4[/youtube]

Animal Collective - My Girls

2009-02-28T00:00:00-08:00

Another music video post, plenty of good stuff to listen to! [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/2616231[/vimeo]

Röyksopp - Happy Up Here

2009-02-27T00:00:00-08:00

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/3281558[/vimeo]

Het Volk.

2009-02-27T00:00:00-08:00

... err they had the sponsors change and now it's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad rather than Omloop Het Volk. I imagine folks will still call it Het Volk. Anywho, it's the start of the spring classics this weekend, my favorite part of the season. For this weekends race they even have google maps and google earth maps of the course. CyclingNews has a nice overview. I'm getting excited!

Fixie Photo By Request.

2009-02-23T00:00:00-08:00

Working and Back on the Bike.

2009-02-21T00:00:00-08:00

I am happy to say after a short hiatus I am working and riding my bike again. I was recently hired on as a contractor at Cloudant and just finished my first week of work. Also I have been riding and working out. It feels good to be outdoors and loosing some of the weight I gained getting ready for the wedding and the move. For the bike nerds out there I figured I would post a photo for my rig. Also regarding bike stuff, I finally broke down and installed a brake on my fixie. There are some stupid steep hills here in Seattle and happen to like my knees and life thank you very much. :) Anywho, things are good here, Erin, the cats and I are doing well. While you are out playing on the internets go check out Dan Bischoff's photos from his volunteer work in Rwanda and photo's from Mike Lanyon and Erin Smith's trip to Egypt and Israel (you might have met them at the wedding).

New Stuff for merle.

2009-02-06T00:00:00-08:00

I have been playing around with merle and have switched it from using the normal gen_server to using LShift's modified gen_server2. It has a couple of changes to make things faster, the key is:

From a comment in their source file: More efficient handling of selective receives in callbacks gen_server2 processes drain their message queue into an internal buffer before invoking any callback module functions. Messages are dequeued from the buffer for processing. Thus the effective message queue of a gen_server2 process is the concatenation of the internal buffer and the real message queue. As a result of the draining, any selective receive invoked inside a callback is less likely to have to scan a large message queue.

This means if you send a ton of messages at once it can handle this more effectively. In the case of merle this means more gets/puts/deletes/etc in a shorter amount of time. Some of the downsides are stated on the mailing list. I believe for the workload that merle does (lots of small messages in short time spans) this is a great addition. For other use cases it may not be, you know when you should test. I have run some tests using gen_server and gen_server2 doing a large number of 'set' operations to memcached. The test consisted of running merle:set(a, "1") a specific number of times (25k, 50k and 100k) with both gen_server and gen_server2. Since the mailbox gets backed up the Erlang processes are started before the operations complete on the memcached side. I didn't have a good way to watch the memcached logs for when the operations completed and log timestamps so I used a simple stopwatch app to physically do the timing. Obviously this isn't scientific but as you will see the differences are large enough its not a big deal. (click here for a larger view) As you can see gen_server2 performs much better (almost linearly?), shaving large amounts of time off. Also note that on the gen_server 100k tests I stopped the testing once it reached 5 minutes, so I am unsure how much longer those would have went on. Below is the raw data, I also preformed subsequent tests and found that my initial findings seemed to be accurate.

	gen_server test 1	gen_server2 test 1	gen_server test 2	gen_server2 test 2
25000	24	4	25	4
50000	134	8	115	8
100000	300	18	300	16

The latest source for merle using gen_server2 has been committed to github, give it shot and let me know if you find any bugs.

New Theme.

2009-02-05T00:00:00-08:00

Decided to freshen things up here on the blog. Hope the new theme does the trick.

Using Chef Server with RabbitMQ and STOMP.

2009-02-03T00:00:00-08:00

I decided to play around with RabbitMQ and chef (Opscode recently released new version) this afternoon. My main objective was to see if I could replace stompserver with something a bit more robust. In this case RabbitMQ and it's STOMP plugin, the following is a basic outline of what I did. Please note that this was done on a Ubuntu 8.10 machine, if you are using another non-apt distro you will likely need to adjust the package installation commands and etc. The first thing that needs to be done, if you do not already have a working chef/chef-server/ohai installation, is to get one up and running. If you already have a working install you should be able to skip down to the Erlang install portion and start from there. Installing all this is pretty basic, check out the instructions. You should end up with a working installation with chef-server using stompserver (which we will be replacing) and couchdb. Here's what I did:

sudo apt-get install ruby ruby1.8-dev rubygems libopenssl-ruby1.8 build-essential wget wget http://rubyforge.org/frs/download.php/45904/rubygems-update-1.3.1.gem sudo gem install rubygems-update-1.3.1.gem sudo /var/lib/gems/1.8/bin/update_rubygems sudo rm /usr/bin/gem sudo ln -s /usr/bin/gem1.8 /usr/bin/gem sudo gem sources -a http://gems.opscode.com sudo gem install chef ohai chef-server apt-get install couchdb

I then added in my configuration for chef-server:

vi /etc/chef/server.rb # ## Chef Server Config File ## # log_level :info log_location STDOUT ssl_verify_mode :verify_none registration_url "http://localhost:4000" openid_url "http://localhost:4000" template_url "http://localhost:4000" remotefile_url "http://localhost:4000" search_url "http://localhost:4000" cookbook_path [ "/var/localhost/site-cookbooks", "/var/localhost/cookbooks" ] merb_log_path "/var/log/localhost-server-merb.log" queue_user "guest" queue_password "guest" Chef::Log::Formatter.show_time = false

Since I am using a single machine for my chef server I started two chef-server instances, one with the defaults chef-server and another chef-server -p 4001. Two instances are needed for OpenID to work properly. The next objective is to install Erlang.

sudo apt-get install erlang

Now for the RabbitMQ and STOMP plugin install. Per Update 2 (below) using the latest plugin and version 1.5.1 of RabbitMQ doesn't work. The latest revisions from the repository for both is needed.

apt-get install mercurial cd /opt/ hg clone http://hg.rabbitmq.com/rabbitmq-codegen hg clone http://hg.rabbitmq.com/rabbitmq-server hg clone http://hg.rabbitmq.com/rabbitmq-stomp apt-get install python-simplejson make -C rabbitmq-server make -C rabbitmq-stomp

I used the init script for rabbitmq-server found in debian package for 1.5.1 with a slight change, pointing to my installation in /opt. I put a copy of it here.

DAEMON=/opt/rabbitmq-server/scripts/rabbitmq-multi

You will want to edit the config for rabbitmq to start up with STOMP activated and then restart the service.

vi /etc/default/rabbitmq SERVER_START_ARGS=' -pa /opt/rabbitmq-stomp/ebin -rabbit stomp_listeners [{"0.0.0.0",61613}] extra_startup_steps [{"STOMP-listeners",rabbit_stomp,kickstart,[]}]'

Finally, start everything up, minus stompserver.

/etc/init.d/couchdb start /etc/init.d/rabbitmq-server restart chef-server chef-server -p 4001 chef-indexer

After all that you should have a working chef-server using RabbitMQ/STOMP rather than stompserver. The rest is up to you. Update 2: It looks like the issue (below) was caused by using incompatible versions of STOMP plugin and RabbitMQ. Using the latest server and plugin from their repository fixes the issue. I have adjusted the above instructions to state this change. Update: It seems that I am having issues with the chef-indexer connecting properly to rabbitmq-stomp. From what I can tell this seems to be an issue with the RabbitMQ STOMP plugin since the stomp ruby client seems to work fine against stompserver. I suppose the RabbitMQ folks do label it "experimental". Perhaps in a future revision it will be corrected. Anywho, here are some examples of what I am seeing.

root@ubuntu-810:~# chef-indexer /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/stomp-1.0.6/lib/stomp.rb:233:in `write': Broken pipe (Errno::EPIPE) from /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/stomp-1.0.6/lib/stomp.rb:233:in `puts' from /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/stomp-1.0.6/lib/stomp.rb:233:in `_transmit' from /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/stomp-1.0.6/lib/stomp.rb:232:in `synchronize' from /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/stomp-1.0.6/lib/stomp.rb:232:in `_transmit' from /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/stomp-1.0.6/lib/stomp.rb:220:in `transmit' from /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/stomp-1.0.6/lib/stomp.rb:117:in `subscribe' from /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/chef-0.5.2/lib/chef/queue.rb:79:in `subscribe' from /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/chef-server-0.5.2/bin/chef-indexer:80 from /usr/bin/chef-indexer:19:in `load' from /usr/bin/chef-indexer:19 root@ubuntu-810:~# irb irb(main):001:0> require 'rubygems' => true irb(main):002:0> require 'stomp' => true irb(main):003:0> conn = Stomp::Connection.open('guest', 'guest', 'localhost') => #, @login="guest", @reconnectDelay=5, @transmit_semaphore=#, @failure=nil, @port=61613, @connect=#>,n <<"/">>]},n {rabbit_stomp,do_login,5},n {rabbit_stomp,process_received_bytes,2},n {rabbit_stomp,init,1},n {proc_lib,init_p,5}]}n", @headers={"content-type"=>"text/plain", "content-length"=>"290", "message"=>"Processing error"}>, @reliable=false, @clientId=nil, @subscriptions={}, @host="localhost", @socket_semaphore=#, @socket=#, @passcode="guest", @closed=false> root@ubuntu-810:~# tail /var/log/rabbitmq/rabbit.log =INFO REPORT==== 3-Feb-2009::02:11:42 === starting STOMP connection <0.3746.0> from 127.0.0.1:59035 =ERROR REPORT==== 3-Feb-2009::02:11:42 === STOMP error frame sent: Message: "Processing error" Detail: "{undef,[{rabbit_channel,start_link,n [rabbit_stomp,<0.3746.0>,<0.3746.0>,<<"guest">>,n <<"/">>]},n {rabbit_stomp,do_login,5},n {rabbit_stomp,process_received_bytes,2},n {rabbit_stomp,init,1},n {proc_lib,init_p,5}]}n" =INFO REPORT==== 3-Feb-2009::02:11:42 === ending STOMP connection <0.3746.0> from 127.0.0.1:59035

fermal: a last.fm API library for Erlang.

2009-01-29T00:00:00-08:00

I decided to start a new project after the relative success and fun I had writing merle. This time I decided to do something a little more web-centric, a library for last.fm's awesomely complete API called fermal. While I doubt it will eventually support the entire API it will likely support a good portion of it. I recently made the commits and there is already some usable stuff in there. At the moment there is support for getting album info, artist info and using their tasteometer to compare tastes of two last.fm users. fermal uses last.fm's JSON format API and LShift's rfc4627 library to do the dirty work. Here is an example of its usage:

3> fermal:album_info("animal%20collective", "feels"). [[album, {name,"Feels"}, {artist,"Animal Collective"}, {id,"2050717"}, {mbid,"8a9ee208-3c9e-4fec-8f60-9a8b1db39960"}, {url,"http://www.last.fm/music/Animal+Collective/Feels"}, {releasedate," 18 Oct 2005, 00:00"}, {listeners,"184794"}, {playcount,"3539880"}, {toptags,"\n "}]]

CouchDB Load Balancing and Replication using HAProxy.

2009-01-27T00:00:00-08:00

Last night, I decided to dig into CouchDB a bit more than I have in the past and setup a simple load balanced and replicated setup using HAProxy. In the end it was a pretty easy feat and seems to work fairly well. Here's what I had to do. First, I setup three instances of CouchDB on the same machine using different configuration files, PIDs and loopback addresses for each. This can certainly be exchanged for three different machines. Running them on the same machine make sure you adjust the DbRootDir, BindAddress, LogFile in the configuration file and use a command like the following to start things up. This will make sure the non-default configuration and PID location are used.

./couchdb -c SOME_PATH/couchdb2.ini -p SOME_PATH/couchdb2.pid

As you may already know CouchDB has a nice web interface called futon, http://HOSTNAME:5984/_utils/ Using futon I created a database with the same name on all three. I then chose which instance would be my "master", couchdb1 and couchdb2 and 3 will be "slaves". I put master and slave in quotes because there isn't this type of relationship in CouchDB as far as I can tell. All instances can replicate to each other as long as they can connect to each other, so master-slave replication is simply the type of configuration I am enforcing with HAProxy and my replication POST commands. More on these bits later. I then created created a document on my master node and using futon's replicator replicated the changes to the other nodes. I then wanted to find a way to automate or schedule this. You can initiate replication simply by sending a POST request to couchdb so I wrote a simple curl script to do just that. First I created the replication POST body in a file:

{"source":"test_rep","target":"http://couchdb2:5984/test_rep"}

When run against the master this will replicate the master to couchdb2. I wrote a similar file for couchdb3 as well. Then using curl I can send this body to the master:

curl -X POST --data @couchdb1_2_rep http://couchdb1:5984/_replicate curl -X POST --data @couchdb1_3_rep http://couchdb1:5984/_replicate

After running you should see some output that starts with {"ok":true,"session_id ...} this means things went well. You should also see some output in the logs on both instances. These commands can be put in a cron to run a specific intervals to keep the slaves updated. You can also create a script and configure DbUpdateNotificationProcess to replicate after each update. The later is probably a nicer solution but a cron and curl should get you started. I then moved on to setting up HAProxy to load balance between the nodes. Since I wanted a master-slave relationship between the nodes I needed to set HAProxy to only send POSTs, PUTs and DELETEs to the master and GET requests to the two slaves. After checking the docs and playing with a couple different ACL configurations I didn't find a solution. I then contacted the mailing list for some advice and conveniently a solution was sent back to me quickly. They also told me about another piece of documentation I didn't find initially. My configuration for HAProxy is pretty basic but it shows what needs to be done.

global maxconn 4096 nbproc 2 defaults mode http clitimeout 150000 srvtimeout 30000 contimeout 4000 balance roundrobin stats enable stats uri /haproxy?stats frontend couchdb_lb bind localhost:8080 acl master_methods method POST DELETE PUT use_backend master_backend if master_methods default_backend slave_backend backend master_backend server couchdb1 couchdb1:5984 weight 1 maxconn 512 check backend slave_backend server couchdb2 couchdb2:5984 weight 1 maxconn 512 check server couchdb3 couchdb3:5984 weight 1 maxconn 512 check

The part that enforces where the PUTs, DELETEs and POSTs go is the ACL definition and it basically says that if HAProxy receives a POST, DELETE or PUT then use the master node otherwise use a slave. Once done I started up HAProxy and tested it out and found that it worked out nicely with GETs going to the slaves in roundrobin fashion and PUTs, DELETEs and POSTs going to the master. I then made a slight change to my curl command from earlier to have the replication POSTs go through HAProxy just to make sure.

curl -X POST --data @couchdb1_2_rep http://localhost:8080/_replicate curl -X POST --data @couchdb1_3_rep http://localhost:8080/_replicate

If things are working properly you should find that the replication POST commands only go to the master node and the GET commands got to the two slaves. CouchDB is pretty easy to get going and fun to work with. Hopefully this will help you get going.

merle 0.2 released.

2009-01-24T00:00:00-08:00

I have just released merle 0.2. It has some new memcached commands as well as a cleaner/easier API. This also includes some contributions from Nick Gerakines. Also note that I have removed support for direct calls to memcached, we decided it wasn't really needed. If this is something you would like to see added back into the code please let me know. Also if you run into any bugs or want to see improvements don't hesitate to comment here or on github. You can clone the code from github or download the tarball. Enjoy!

Woodhands - I Wasn't Made for Fighting.

2009-01-23T00:00:00-08:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eLfpqxremM[/youtube]

Weekend Links.

2009-01-23T00:00:00-08:00

Here are a few interesting articles I have seen this week.

Have a great weekend!

merle 0.1 release.

2009-01-16T00:00:00-08:00

It's official, I have released merle 0.1. Download it here. Features: * Support for the following memcached commands : stats, version, get, delete, set, add, replace, append, prepend, cas * Supports making calls to memcached directly as well as through gen_server Let me know what you think and report back if you find any bugs. Thanks!

Chef and ohai.

2009-01-16T00:00:00-08:00

The guys at Opscode recently released ohai and Chef. ohai "Ohai profiles your system and emits JSON" and "Chef is a systems management framework masquerading as a configuration management tool." Ezra Zygmuntowicz explains the details over here. I decided to check out ohai today here's what I came up with. First, just for fun I wrote a little rack server that serves up the JSON that ohai produces.

require 'rubygems' require 'rack' class OhaiRack def call(env) data = IO.popen("ohai") info = data.readlines [200, {"Content-Type"=>"text/plain"}, ["#{info.join}"]] end end app = Rack::Builder.new { use Rack::CommonLogger, STDERR run OhaiRack.new }.to_app server = Rack::Handler::Mongrel options = {:Host => "127.0.0.1", :Port => 3000} server.run app, options

I also wrote a erlang plugin so that ohai can get the version and details about your erlang installation. I put the following code in /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/ohai-0.1.2/lib/ohai/plugins/erlang.rb, your location may be different depending on your ruby and/or gems installation location.

require_plugin "languages" require "open3" languages[:erlang] = Mash.new stdin, stdout, stderr = Open3.popen3('erl +V') output = stderr.gets info = output.split languages[:erlang][:version] = info[5] languages[:erlang][:options] = info[1] languages[:erlang][:emulator] = info[2]

The output should look something like:

"erlang": { "name": "Erlang", "version": "5.6.5", "emulator": "(BEAM)", "options": "(SMP,ASYNC_THREADS,HIPE)"

Anywho, kinda fun and worth checking out, especially if you are working on the cloud.

Seattle Erlounge.

2009-01-14T00:00:00-08:00

For anyone in or around the Seattle metro area we are starting an Erlounge up and the first meeting is Wednesday January 21st, 7pm at the Garage. You can find more information at http://erloungeseattle.org/ Hope to see you there.

Merle Updates.

2009-01-14T00:00:00-08:00

I just pushed out some new code to github for merle. It should have some nice new treats in it for you including a new recieve loop for large objects. Just to make sure it worked properly I ran md5's on the input and output, example below. In the last few days I have also added a few new calls such as version/0 which gets the memcached version for you. Check out the readme for examples and entire API. Things are getting close to the first full release so stay tuned.

2> merle:start_link("localhost", 11211). {ok,<0.38.0>} 3> {ok, TestPDF} = file:read_file("test.pdf"). {ok,<<"%PDF-1.4\n11 0 obj\n<< /S /GoTo /D (Outline1) >>\nendobj\n14 0 obj\n(Introduction)\nendobj\n15 0 obj\n<< /S /GoTo /D"...>>} 4> merle:set("a", "1", "0", TestPDF). ["STORED"] 5> merle:get("a"). [<<"%PDF-1.4\n11 0 obj\n<< /S /GoTo /D (Outline1) >>\nendobj\n14 0 obj\n(Introduction)\nendobj\n15 0 obj\n<< /S /GoTo /D (Ou"...>>] 6> [TestPDF1] = merle:get("a"). [<<"%PDF-1.4\n11 0 obj\n<< /S /GoTo /D (Outline1) >>\nendobj\n14 0 obj\n(Introduction)\nendobj\n15 0 obj\n<< /S /GoTo /D (Ou"...>>] 7> erlang:md5(TestPDF). <<120,165,244,215,18,94,214,215,236,65,148,80,135,39,68, 125>> 8> erlang:md5(TestPDF1). <<120,165,244,215,18,94,214,215,236,65,148,80,135,39,68, 125>>

megaman vs all the bosses at once.

2009-01-12T00:00:00-08:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlq2LInVyys[/youtube] [Found at offworld.]

Introducing merle : an Erlang memcached client.

2009-01-10T00:00:00-08:00

The last couple days I have been putting together a memcached client for Erlang called merle. At the moment it supports the gambit of memcached commands (minus the noreply option). While it is very much a work in progress and under heavy development it is fairly usable. The latest code is available on github. Here's an example of its usage:

[user@host ebin]$ erl Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.6.5 [source] [64-bit] [smp:2] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.6.5 (abort with ^G) 1> merle:start_link("localhost", 11211). {ok,<0.35.0>} 2> merle:memcache_set("123", "1", "0", "this is some data"). <<"STORED\r\n">> ok 3> merle:memcache_get("123"). <<"VALUE 123 1 17\r\nthis is some data\r\nEND\r\n">> ok

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Merle Haggard. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iYY2FQHFwE[/youtube]

A Simple Web App using Nitrogen.

2009-01-08T00:00:00-08:00

Nitrogen is a Erlang web framework created by Rusty Klophaus. It's looking pretty good so far and seem to be steadily improving. Today I decided it was time to jump in and get to know Nitrogen and setup my own app. Using the Amazon wishlist gen_server code I posted yesterday I created a little app that will accept an email address and then return your wishlist. Nitrogen Installation: First you need to install Nitrogen to your Erlang installations library path, follow the instructions here. For me this looked like:

cd /opt/erlang/current/lib/erlang/lib/ git clone git://github.com/rklophaus/nitrogen.git nitrogen-master cd nitrogen-master make cd /opt/erlang/current/bin ln -s /opt/erlang/current/lib/erlang/lib/support/nitrogen .

From there you can use the nitrogen create APPNAME command to generate a basic application directory. I called my app nitro_test. Creating the wishlist app: Since we are going to use the wishlist gen_server code I already wrote, I created a file named wishlist.erl in the src directory and pasted in the code adjusting the module name to match the file name and commenting out the inets:start() in the start_link() function. You should see something like this:

[user@host src]$ ls nitro_test_app.erl pages wishlist.erl

Next, since we need gen_server to start up when we start nitrogen we need to edit nitro_test_app.erl's start method to include this, it should look like this:

start(_, _) -> nitrogen:start(), wishlist:start_link().

Next I went to editing the web_index.erl file to include the functionality we want for our app's index page. The code should look something like this:

-module (web_index). -include_lib ("nitrogen/include/wf.inc"). -compile(export_all). main() -> #template { file="./wwwroot/template.html"}. body() -> %% Create the body of the page Body = [ #p{}, %% Create a label #label { text="Email Address" }, %% Create a textbox #textbox { id=emailTextBox, next=continueButton }, #p{}, %% Create a button with a postback of 'continue' #button { id=continueButton, text="Get Wishlist", postback=continue } ], %% Validate the text is in the textbox wf:wire(continueButton, emailTextBox, #validate { validators=[ #is_required { text="Required." }, #is_email { text="Enter a valid email address." } ]}), wf:render(Body). title() -> "wishlist". %% This runs if the button is clicked event(continue) -> %% Grab the email address from the textbox Email_addr = wf:q(emailTextBox), %% Run a gen_server call to our wishlist module to actually get the wishlist [List] = gen_server:call(wishlist, Email_addr), %% Create a message to display with the email address Message1 = wf:f("This is the wishlist for ~s :", Email_addr), wf:flash(Message1), %% Iterate through the wishlist displaying each item's name lists:map(fun(X) -> ListItem = wf:f("~s", [X]), wf:flash(ListItem) end, List), ok; event(_) -> ok.

Hopefully the comments help you figure out what each directive does. Finally, you should be able to build your app and run it. The start.sh script will build everything for you, but you can run make if you want.

[user@host nitro_test]$ ./start.sh Starting Nitrogen. Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.6.5 [source] [64-bit] [smp:2] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.6.5 (abort with ^G) (nitrogen@localhost)1> --- Nitrogen is now running on inets. Serving files from: ./wwwroot. Open your browser to: http://localhost:8000 ---

Hitting http://localhost:8000 in your browser, typing in your email address and clicking the get wishlist button should result in something that looks like this: (click the image for a larger version) Hopefully this helps you get started with Nitrogen. The full app in working order can be downloaded here.

Another Erlang XML Project, Part 2 - Converted to gen_server

2009-01-07T00:00:00-08:00

A while back I wrote some code in Erlang to grab your public Amazon wishlist based off of your email address. Today I had the urge to rewrite it using OTP, specifically gen_server. The code is up on github. Switching it over to use gen_server is fairly trivial since the sequential code is already written. Basically all that needs to be done is to setup the handle_call method to send any email addresses over to the get_wishlist method for retrieval. Here's what the handle_call looks like:

handle_call(Email_addr, _From, State) -> %Reply back with the result from get_wishlist Reply = get_wishlist(Email_addr), {reply, Reply, State}.

The rest of the functions look pretty much as they did before so I won't put them here. One other change I made was to start_link to have it also run inets:start() so we can make the http requests in the other functions. Here's how the thing works:

[zeusfaber@der-dieb ebin]$ erl Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.6.5 [source] [64-bit] [smp:2] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.6.5 (abort with ^G) 1> c('../src/amazon_wishlist_otp.erl'). {ok,amazon_wishlist_otp} 2> amazon_wishlist_otp:start_link(). ok 3> gen_server:call(amazon_wishlist_otp, "SOMEADDR@SOMEPLACE.com"). [["Algorithms on Strings, Trees and Sequences: Computer Science and Computational Biology", "Algorithms: Sequential, Parallel, and Distributed", "Starting Forth: An Introduction to the Forth Language and Operating System for Beginners and Professionals (Prentice-Hall Software Series)", "Biobazaar: The Open Source Revolution and Biotechnology", "Nmap Network Scanning: The Official Nmap Project Guide to Network Discovery and Security Scanning", "American Nerd: The Story of My People", "FreeDarko presents The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Game", "CP Technologie USB TO SERIAL ADAPTER ( CP-US-03 )", "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die"]]

Nginx vs Yaws vs MochiWeb : Web Server Performance Deathmatch, Part 2 [Update x 2]

2009-01-03T00:00:00-08:00

Update 1: Retest data (using different machine and Erlang kernel polling) added near bottom of post. Update 2: More details and testing on the weird MochiWeb kernel polling results, bottom of post. Almost a year ago I did some Apache and Nginx performance testing. Apparently I have the bug again and have done some performance testing on Nginx, Yaws and MochiWeb. The latter two being Erlang based. Again deathmatch may be an overstatement but this is my attempt at gleaning some interesting performance data from some high performance web servers. Also, I attempted to improve the graphs this time around since they were a bit hard to read the last time. The Setup: I was not able to use the same server and setup as the last time, so comparing between this and my last deathmatch probably isn't very accurate. For this test I used a Intel Dual Core 2.2GHz, 4GB RAM machine running Ubuntu 8.10 (64bit) and for the test server. Erlang (R12B-3), Yaws (1.77) and Nginx (0.6.32) are installed from the standard repository and mochiweb from subversion (rev 88). All are using the default configurations outside of adjusting listening port numbers. The test is again against a basic robots.txt file. The tests were done using a consumer grade 100mb switch and all tests originated from an old laptop I had laying around. I think that about covers the test bed, if you have any questions let me know. For the tests I used autobench (httperf under the hood) with the following command, each test ran ten minutes apart. The order of the tests were done in was MochiWeb then Yaws and lastly Nginx.

autobench --single_host --host1 HOST --port1 PORT --uri1 /robots.txt --low_rate 10 --high_rate 200 --rate_step 10 --num_call 10 --num_conn 5000 --timeout 5 --file SERVER-results-`date +%F-%H:%M:%S`.tsv

The Results: There are a few results from httperf/autobench that I would like to show, errors, network I/O, reply rate (and it's standard deviation) and response time. (click on the graphs for a larger view) MochiWeb and Yaws both seem to be the most consistent here. Nginx had a couple of funky spikes, I do not know if this was an issue with Nginx or with my tests and/or test bed. Take from it what you will. Nginx seems to use a bit more network I/O consistently through the lower ranges of this test and then again as some spikes. MochiWeb and Yaws seem to have some inconsistencies as well. The reply rate and network I/O graphs certainly seem to be tied, which would make sense. Edit: Average reply rate is average replies per second. In the higher reaches of the tests Yaws seems to be most consistent. MochiWeb seems to have consistently the highest response times with Nginx has the lowest. This also follows the data from the first deathmatch. Nginx had consistently low response times against Apache. Edit: Response time is how quickly replies are sent in milliseconds. Next up are the system graphs, I have CPU usage (both cores combined), context switches, interrupts and load. To help read these please note recall that each test ran ten minutes apart and the order of the tests was MochiWeb then Yaws and lastly Nginx. The data was gathered using sar at five minute intervals and graphed using ksar. It seems Nginx is the clear winner here. Kernel polling may be the answer here, a retest may be in order to see if it makes a difference. MochiWeb and Nginx seem pretty even on context switches with Yaws a little higher. I suppose turning on kernel polling might make this a bit more even, since Erlang and Nginx both use epoll. This may also account for the CPU usage difference above. Interrupts are fairly even across all of them. Again Nginx takes it, again likely due to kernel polling being disabled. That's my best guess anywho. The data I used to create the graphs and etc is available here. Let me know if you are interested in me retesting anything, I may try to enable kernel polling and try again if I get a chance. Note that these are *my* experiences with each webserver, your testing and experiences may be different. As with most things there are pro's, con's, trade offs and pitfalls. The only way to find out what will work best for your environment is to test, test and test. Update: I performed the upper half of the tests again to see if there were any changes to sporadic jumps in the graphs http performance graphs. My initial test using the old laptop I saw the same results. I then ran the tests from a VM (running Ubuntu 8.10 in a KVM VM) on my dual core machine and found that the results were much more even. Unfortunately it's the same machine that the webservers are running on but the results look much better. The first set is using the same setup as before but just adjusted to have the top half test. The second is the same test but with kernel polling turned on in Erlang. All of them are very even and close, no real winners here. Looks like Nginx is the clear winner with Yaws next, followed by MochiWeb. Pretty much the same as last time (likely a little higher across the board due to running the tests in a VM on the same machine). Note that Nginx is a system process, so for Yaws and MochiWeb follow the blue line and Nginx follow the green. About the same as before, other than being higher due to running a VM. Pretty much the same as before again, Nginx seems the lowest. Now for the tests with kernel polling enabled in Erlang (erl +K true). With kernel polling on it looks like Yaws actually performs better in the reply rate test with MochiWeb performing worse and Nginx in the middle In the response time test a huge change is noted, MochiWeb goes from roughly a ~14 ms response time at 2000 requests to ~65 ms. Also noted Yaws performs much better matching or beating Nginx. With kernel polling in the Erlang webservers Nginx still seems to come out on top for CPU usage. Following the performance trend we saw above Yaws sees a drop in context switches and MochiWeb increases. Load-wise things stay roughly the same with Nginx being the lowest. While it certainly seems that my old laptop that I did the original tests on is too slow or has a network issue, hopefully with these new tests we have some more clarity. It seems that Yaws improves with kernel polling enabled and competes well with Nginx. MochiWeb on the other hand apparently has issues with kernel polling and actually degrades performance. If anyone has more info on the internals of MochiWeb and possible causes I would be certainly interested. If anyone would like the data from the second round of tests it is available here. Update 2: I did some more testing to see what the issue might be with MochiWeb, response times and kernel polling. I did a few tests with different versions of Erlang, with and without kernel polling and testing from within and outside a KVM VM. From what I can tell the issue seems to be isolated to testing from within a VM with MochiWeb and kernel polling. Seems to be sorta strange but all my testing and retesting shows the same issue. Just to be clear on my setup, I am running httperf from with in a VM to MochiWeb running outside the VM. Here is the latest round of testing to show this point. Even though the numbers are higher from within the VM without kernel polling, it certainly seems to be an issue with the combination of MochiWeb, KVM and kernel polling. Since I did not see the same spike from within a VM in the earlier tests with Yaws and kernel polling I assume it is not an issue with Erlang or it's kernel polling mechanism conflicting with KVM. I am not entirely sure what to make of this other than MochiWeb, kernel polling and KVM don't play well together and that kernel polling actually helps MochiWeb significantly when KVM is not involved. If anyone has any ideas on why that may be I am all ears.

Prefuse 73 w/ School of Seven Bells.

2008-12-25T00:00:00-08:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wYPwTRB-Ko[/youtube] DOPE.

Motorboat's New House.

2008-12-25T00:00:00-08:00

With moving into the new apartment it was inevitable that Motorboat would find a new place that was his. In the past he has claimed the bathroom as his domain, the new bathroom does not seem to be of his liking although he still likes toilet water. The first few days we heard a knocking from the kitchen but wasn't sure what it was. Soon enough we found Motorboat was the cause, entering and exiting the same cabinet before and after naps. He has officially claimed a bottom cabinet of his own. Rather than fight it I put some towels in there for him and knock before entering.

gedit and Erlang.

2008-12-22T00:00:00-08:00

While it seems that most (?) Erlangers use emacs as their editor of choice, I enjoy using gedit. Here's what I do to get things just right for writing some code (many of the changes I found here):

Plugins: Auto Completion, Bracket Completion, Document Statistics, Embedded Termal, File Browser Pane, Session Saver, Snippets, Spell Check (if you are rolling ubuntu, many of these can be installed via apt-get install gedit-plugins)
Theme: Darkmate
Font: droid sans mono

One additional change I make is to the snippet plugin. I have basically copied the code skeletons from erlang mode in emacs and put them into the snippets plugin. You can download my export file here. This file can be imported into the snippets plugin and will provide similar functionality to the skeletons in emacs. Here's what it looks like when I'm done, with an example of a snippet on the upper right.

Talking to Executables in Erlang.

2008-12-19T00:00:00-08:00

Lately I have been working on a TCP server that works similar to D. J. Bernstein's ucspi-tcp. Basically, it is a TCP server that sits in front of a executable of some sort and plays a middleman between the TCP client and the actual code that is performing functions on the data sent to the TCP server. More on ucspi-tcp in later post(s). The first portion of my TCP server code can be found here and blog post here. The portion of code for today is for sending and receiving messages to/from the executable in Erlang. This is done using an Erlang port, the Erlang docs have a good interoperability tutorial that should help anyone start out. erl_portc.erl

-module(erl_portc). -export([start/1, call_port/1, init/1, port_loop/1]). start(Cmd) -> % spawn a process connected to the executable spawn(?MODULE, init, [Cmd]). init(Cmd) -> % register it and set things up register(port, self()), process_flag(trap_exit, true), Port = open_port({spawn, Cmd}, []), port_loop(Port). call_port(Msg) -> % send messages to the executable port ! {call, self(), Msg}, receive {port, Result} -> Result end. port_loop(Port) -> % recieve results from the executable receive {call, Caller, Msg} -> Port ! {self(), {command, Msg}}, receive {Port, {data, Data}} -> Caller ! {port, Data}; stop -> Port ! {self(), close}, receive {Port, closed} -> exit(normal) end; {'EXIT', Port, Reason} -> exit(port_terminated) end, port_loop(Port) end.

Here is an example of its usage using DJB's qmail-smtpd executable.

[joe@box01 ~]$ erl Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.6.3 [source] [smp:4] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.6.3 (abort with ^G) 1> erl_portc:start('/var/qmail/bin/qmail-smtpd'). <0.32.0> 2> erl_portc:call_port(""). "220 mail.someaddress.com ESMTP\r\n" 3> erl_portc:call_port("HELO mail.someaddress.com\r\n"). "250 mail.someaddress.com\r\n" 4> erl_portc:call_port("MAIL FROM: joe@someaddress.com\r\n"). "250 ok\r\n" 5> erl_portc:call_port("RCPT TO: joe@someaddress.com\r\n"). CHKUSER accepted rcpt: from remote rcpt : found existing recipient "250 ok\r\n" 6> erl_portc:call_port("DATA\r\n"). "354 go ahead\r\n" 7> erl_portc:call_port("Subject: TEST123\r\n.\r\n"). "250 ok 1229721933 qp 10176\r\n" 8> erl_portc:call_port("QUIT\r\n"). "221 mail.someaddress.com\r\n"

Shortly after running the above directives I received an email in my inbox with the subject "TEST123". So it seems to be interfacing with the executable properly. As with most of the code on this blog, this example can be checked out from subversion and viewed in WebSVN. Enjoy!

Road Trip Photo's.

2008-12-14T00:00:00-08:00

I have been posting photo's from our trip from Saint Louis to Seattle on my flickr, here is the set. I will be doing updates when I can.

Code Release.

2008-12-09T00:00:00-08:00

I just released a bunch of code that I have written over the years. The languages sort of run the gambit, Java, Ruby, Erlang and C. Most of the code works or at least partially works, some of it doesn't and some I am still working on. Lately I have been working on erl_tcp, an Erlang TCP server in the vein of DJB's ucspi-tcp. You can find my messy work in progress in there too. SVN Repo : http://svn.joetify.com/svn/projects/ WebSVN : http://svn.joetify.com/ Enjoy!

Best Music of 2008.

2008-12-09T00:00:00-08:00

In the spirit of what once was MusicSucks.net, here are my picks for the best albums of the year, in no specific order. • Mighty Joseph - Empire State • Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles • Abe Vigoda - Skeleton • Icy Demons - Miami Ice • Azeda Booth - In Flesh Tones • Au - Verbs • TOBACCO - F*cked Up Friends • Ecstatic Sunshine - Way • Islands - Arm's Way • Women - Women • People Under the Stairs - Fun DMC • Alias - Resurgam • Excepter - Debt Dept • Ratatat - LP3

Officially offical.

2008-12-08T00:00:00-08:00

It is official, Erin and I are hitched. The wedding on Saturday went as good as anyone could have hoped although there were a few mishaps. Now it's all about getting things ready to roll for the move to Seattle.

Erlang, Apartment Hunting and the Job Search.

2008-11-21T00:00:00-08:00

The last few days, since my departure at Contegix, I have been busy working on finding Erin and I an apartment, looking for gainful employment and working on my little Erlang project(s). Luckily all three went really well. I will hopefully be posting the Erlang stuff next week. Two weeks until the wedding and just a few more days than that until we head to Seattle. Things are a'changing.

A Simple Concurrent Erlang TCP Server.

2008-11-12T00:00:00-08:00

The last few days I have been playing with gen_tcp and writing a simple TCP server. I have found a number of resources helpful: gen_tcp, miniserv, 20bits and Programming Erlang. My server will run and display the data sent to it along with the client IP address and a timestamp. The server will also echo back whatever the client sent. It uses {active, once} for flow control as well. I just used telnet as my client. Pretty simple but a good exercise to see how this stuff works. erl_tcp.erl

-module(erl_tcp). -export([start_server/0, connect/1, recv_loop/1]). -define(LISTEN_PORT, 9000). -define(TCP_OPTS, [binary, {packet, raw}, {nodelay, true}, {reuseaddr, true}, {active, once}]). start_server() -> % start up the service and error out if we cannot case gen_tcp:listen(?LISTEN_PORT, ?TCP_OPTS) of {ok, Listen} -> spawn(?MODULE, connect, [Listen]), io:format("~p Server Started.~n", [erlang:localtime()]); Error -> io:format("Error: ~p~n", [Error]) end. connect(Listen) -> {ok, Socket} = gen_tcp:accept(Listen), inet:setopts(Socket, ?TCP_OPTS), % kick off another process to handle connections concurrently spawn(fun() -> connect(Listen) end), recv_loop(Socket), gen_tcp:close(Socket). recv_loop(Socket) -> % reset the socket for flow control inet:setopts(Socket, [{active, once}]), receive % do something with the data you receive {tcp, Socket, Data} -> io:format("~p ~p ~p~n", [inet:peername(Socket), erlang:localtime(), Data]), gen_tcp:send(Socket, "I Received " ++ Data), recv_loop(Socket); % exit loop if the client disconnects {tcp_closed, Socket} -> io:format("~p Client Disconnected.~n", [erlang:localtime()]) end.

Hopefully all of that made some sense. Here is an example of usage, first starting the server and receiving a message.

[zeusfaber@der-dieb ebin]$ erl Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.6.5 [source] [64-bit] [smp:2] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.6.5 (abort with ^G) 1> erl_tcp:start_server().

To send the message "TEST123" I simply used telnet. Of course you could also write a client in Erlang to do the same.

[zeusfaber@der-dieb ~]$ telnet localhost 9000 Trying 127.0.0.1... Connected to localhost. Escape character is '^]'. TEST123 I Received TEST123

Erlang R12B-5 is out.

2008-11-05T00:00:00-08:00

Downloads are available here. The highlights according to the readme: OTP-7531 Processes spawned using proc_lib (including gen_server and other library modules that use proc_lib) no longer keep the entire argument list for the initial call, but only the arity. Also, if proc_lib:spawn/1 is used to spawn a fun, the actual fun is not kept, but only module, function name, and arity of the function that implements the fun. The reason for the change is that keeping the initial fun (or a fun in an argument list), would prevent upgrading the code for the module. A secondary reason is that keeping the fun and function arguments could waste a significant amount of memory. The drawback with the change is that the crash reports will provide less precise information about the initial call (only Module:Function/Arity instead of Module:Function(Arguments)). The function proc_lib:initial_call/1 still returns a list, but each argument has been replaced with a dummy atom. OTP-7586 In user-defined attributes, Name/Arity is now allowed and will be translated to {Name,Arity}. (An implementation of EEP-24 by Richard O'Keefe.) The module_info/{0,1} functions automatically inserted into each compiled modules are now documented in the Modules section in the Reference Manual. OTP-7630 The eunit application (for unit testing of Erlang modules) by Richard Carlsson is now included in OTP

Message Passing in Erlang.

2008-10-24T00:00:00-07:00

In an attempt to do something other than XML parsing (here and here) in Erlang this week I started playing around with Erlang processes and message passing. It's pretty cool and fairly intuitive. I wrote two small programs one a receiver and the other a sender. The receive runs as a registered PID and will recieve a message and depending on what it gets will perform an operation. The sender is a basic API that sends messages to a registered PID on a host you specify. Pretty basic but a good practice. Here's my code: message_receiver.erl

-module(message_receiver). -export([run/0, start/0]). start() -> P = spawn(message_receiver, run, []), register(msgpr, P). run() -> receive {mesg, Content} -> io:format("Message Received ~p~n", [Content]), run(); {add, Value1, Value2} -> Total = Value1 + Value2, io:format("Total: ~p~n", [Total]), run(); {file, Data} -> io:format("Output: ~p~n", [Data]), run(); stop -> io:format("Stopped ~n"); Error -> Error end.

So when message_passer:start(). is run this code will spawn and register a PID and wait for connections. Within the receive block it will perform the different operations, such as print the message, add two values and print the result or etc. message_sender.erl

-module(message_sender). -export([message/2, add/3, stop/1, file/2]). message(Host, Content) -> {msgpr, Host} ! {mesg, Content}. add(Host, Value1, Value2) -> {msgpr, Host} ! {add, Value1, Value2}. file(Host, Filename) -> {ok, Data} = file:read_file(Filename), file:close(Filename), {msgpr, Host} ! {file, Data}. stop(Host) -> {msgpr, Host} ! stop.

The sender code will send messages to the PID, for instance running message_sender:file(HOSTNAME, FILENAME). will read in the specified file and send the message containing what is in the file. message_sender:file(HOSTNAME, NUMBER, NUMBER1) will send both numbers to the receiver and the receiver will add them together. Pretty fun stuff, it's obvious how Erlang could be used as a powerful tool in distributed computing. More to come at the next (and possibly final) ErloungeSTL.

Too Much.

2008-10-20T00:00:00-07:00

There has been too much to do lately to blog. I have been getting the wedding stuff together, moving and searching for a job in Seattle on top of work and the usual. I can usually find time to throw up some tweets, so hit twitter for the play by play.

Efterklang is Awesome.

2008-10-15T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxiCmWRxcPs[/youtube]

SSH and Ruby

2008-10-13T00:00:00-07:00

The last couple days I have been a bit distracted from the Erlang stuff I have been doing lately and ended up some how playing with Ruby and the SSH library. For running commands on a bunch of machines at once it would work really well. Here's some code I wrote and paraphrased from various sources.

require 'rubygems' require 'net/ssh' username="yourusername" hostnames=["node01","node02"] script="date;uptime;" hostnames.each {|hostname| Net::SSH.start( hostname, username ) do |session| session.open_channel do |channel| channel.on_data { |chan,output| puts "#{output.inspect}" } channel.on_extended_data { |chan,type,output| print output } channel.exec script end session.loop end }

This will run the commands contained in the script variable on the hosts in the hostnames array as the specified user. As it is currently it does not supply a password, so you'll need keys setup. Adding your password is pretty simple, just check out the API here.

More For Sale.

2008-10-11T00:00:00-07:00

Star Wars PSP 4GB Memory Card 3 Game Cases Games:

Patapon
MGS Portable Ops
MGS Portable Ops Plus
Me and My Katamari
Star Wars Battlefront
Dead Head Fred
Prince of Persia Rival Swords
Rainbow Six Vegas
God of War (Demo)
Patapon (Demo)

All yours for $300

It's Official.

2008-10-09T00:00:00-07:00

Erin and I are moving to Seattle.

New Ratatat Video : Shempi

2008-10-01T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLUthOxfpMo[/youtube]

Moving Sale.

2008-09-30T00:00:00-07:00

As some of you might have heard I am getting married and afterwards moving to Seattle (was San Diego). As such I need to get rid of a few things. Here's what I got:

Sling Tuner : $50
Fender Deluxe 112 plus Guitar Amp with assorted cables : $75
Netgear B/G Wireless Router (WGR614) : $25
Spinergy Wheel Bags : $25
Philips 1080p HDMI DVD Player : $30
Assorted Tech Books : $25 for all of them (6) or $5 each

Photos of everything can be found here.

Playing With Erlectricity.

2008-09-28T00:00:00-07:00

Looking for ways to have Erlang and other languages inter-operate I found Erlectricity. It is a ruby library (gem install erlectricity) that assists in message passing between Erlang and Ruby. Electricity basically allows Ruby and Erlang to talk using an Erlang port to a Ruby process. I checked out a couple of the examples contained in the source and decided to expand upon the echo program. My version takes a tuple, the first item being what job to do and the second is a URL. Erlang determines what to send along to Ruby, sends it and Ruby runs either job and returns the result. The two options are scrape and url, the first will scrape the URL provided and return the HTML the latter will simply return the URL you provided to it. The Erlang side:

-module(echo). -export([job/1]). job(Info) -> Cmd = "ruby webscrape.rb", Port = open_port({spawn, Cmd}, [{packet, 4}, use_stdio, exit_status, binary]), case Info of {scrape, Site} -> Payload = term_to_binary({scrape, Site}), port_command(Port, Payload); {url, Site} -> Payload = term_to_binary({url, Site}), port_command(Port, Payload); Error -> Error end, receive {Port, {data, Data}} -> {result, Text} = binary_to_term(Data), io:format("~p~n", [Text]) end.

The Ruby side:

require 'net/http' require 'rubygems' require 'erlectricity' require 'stringio' receive do |f| f.when(:scrape, String) do |text| scrape = Net::HTTP.get_response(URI.parse(text)) f.send!(:result, scrape.body) f.receive_loop end f.when(:url, String) do |text| f.send!(:result, "You gave #{text}") f.receive_loop end end

Here's an example of its usage:

10> echo:job({url, <<"http://www.joetify.com">>}). <<"You gave http://www.joetify.com">> ok 11> echo:job({scrape, <<"http://www.joetify.com">>}). <<"html>ncenter>nimg src="./joetify_logo.png">ncenter>nhtml>n">> ok

I modified the HTML code so it shows up properly above. Pretty cool stuff. If you find this interesting you should certainly check out fuzed, a Yaws based web server that allows you to run Ruby on Rails apps behind it. I have played with it a bit and the clustering of rails nodes is pretty sweet.

Ubuntu Ibex Alpha 6 Intel GigE Adapter Bug.

2008-09-24T00:00:00-07:00

Don't use the latest Ibex Alpha 6 if you run an Intel Gigabit ethernet card, there is a bug (here too) currently that will screw with the firmware render it inoperable by making the checksum fail. This applies to the e1000e driver but can cause issues if you have used e1000 in the past. The image download page says:

Due to an unresolved bug in the Linux kernel included in these images, they should not be used on Intel ethernet hardware supported by the e1000e driver (Intel GigE). Doing so may render your network hardware permanently inoperable. Older Intel ethernet hardware which uses the e1000 driver is not affected by this; however, some hardware which used the e1000 driver in previous Ubuntu releases, such as hardware that uses a PCI Express bus, has been moved from e1000 to e1000e in the latest kernel releases. If in doubt, do not use these images, and subscribe to https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/263555 to be notified when the bug is fixed.

Yikes! Hope they have it fixed by the 10th. Update: More info can be found in a discussion on the kernel mailing list. Update #2: Looks like the main bug report is here. Looks like they are getting close to a resolution. Update #3: Seems that a fix as been released and the final release of Ibex (8.10) will be out Oct 30th.

Another Erlang XML Project.

2008-09-22T00:00:00-07:00

This past weekend I decided to work on another erlang project. Similar to the last one it revolves around parsing XML. This time I am using xmerl to parse Amazon wishlist data. I used a number of examples (here, here and here) and a mailing list post to figure this one out and I must say that it is much more complicated that the first. The program accepts an email address and then gives you a list of items on all of your wishlists. So here it is. First, I define the URLs we need to grab the wishlists from Amazon web services.

-module(amazon_wishlist_xmerl). -export([get_wishlist/1]). -include_lib("xmerl/include/xmerl.hrl"). -define(LIST_ID_URL, "http://webservices.amazon.com/onca/xml?" "Service=AWSECommerceService&Operation=ListSearch" "&SubscriptionId=YOURAWSIDHERE&" "&ListType=WishList" "&Email="). -define(LIST_URL, "http://webservices.amazon.com/onca/xml?" "Service=AWSECommerceService&Operation=ListLookup" "&SubscriptionId=YOURAWSIDHERE" "&ListType=WishList" "&ResponseGroup=ListItems" "&ListId=").

I then use an anonymous function to get the value that I need from the XML input using a list comprehension.

-define(Val(X), (fun() -> [ V || #xmlElement{ content = [#xmlText{value = V}|_]} <- X] end)()).

I then have two functions which first build the URL, then use http:request to get the XML, next it checks to see if the HTTP status code is good (200 rather than 404 or etc). Each function then scans the XML for the appropriate value using the above defined anonymous function. build_list_id returns the wishlist ID's to build_wishlist per the list map in get_wishlist. build_wishlist then prints each item title using a list comprehension.

build_list_id(Email_addr) -> List_id_url = ?LIST_ID_URL ++ Email_addr, { ok, { _Status, _Headers, Body }} = http:request(List_id_url), check_status(_Status), { Xml, _Rest } = xmerl_scan:string(Body), ?Val(xmerl_xpath:string("//ListId", Xml)). build_wishlist(List_id) -> List_url = ?LIST_URL ++ List_id, { ok, { _Status, _Headers, Body }} = http:request(List_url), check_status(_Status), { Xml, _Rest } = xmerl_scan:string(Body), Titles = ?Val(xmerl_xpath:string("//Title", Xml)), [ io:format("~p~n", [T]) || T <- Titles ]. check_status(_Status) -> case _Status of {"HTTP/1.1",200,"OK"} -> ok; _ -> io:format("Error! Bad Status Code. ~p ~n", [_Status]), exit(not_200_status_code) end. get_wishlist(Email_addr) -> lists:map( fun build_wishlist/1, build_list_id(Email_addr) ).

Here's what it looks like when I run it against my wishlists.

[zeusfaber@der-dieb amazon_wishlist_xmerl]$ erl Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.6.4 [source] [64-bit] [smp:2] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.6.4 (abort with ^G) 1> inets:start(). ok 2> c(amazon_wishlist_xmerl). {ok,amazon_wishlist_xmerl} 3> amazon_wishlist_xmerl:get_wishlist("MYEMAILADDRESS"). "Erlang Programming" "Notes on the Underground, New Edition: An Essay on Technology, Society, and the Imagination" "Programming Embedded Systems: With C and GNU Development Tools, 2nd Edition" "The Supply and Demand Paradox: A Treatise on Economics" "The Post-American World" "Building Clustered Linux Systems (HP Professional Series)" "High Performance Computing (RISC Architectures, Optimization " "Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops" "House of Bush, House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the World's Two Most Powerful Dynasties" "The long, lonely leap," "Playstation 3 80GB" "Clumsy Crab (Tiger Tales)" "Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things (New Report, No 4)" [[ok,ok,ok,ok,ok,ok,ok,ok,ok,ok],[ok,ok],[ok],[]]

Seems to work well. For my next project I think I will attempt to replicate the functionality of this program using erlsom's SAX parser rather than xmerl. I'll post it if/when I get it done.

Twitter.

2008-09-16T00:00:00-07:00

I am a little late to the party but I now have a twitter. How exciting.

More Erlang Stuff.

2008-09-09T00:00:00-07:00

Today Luke Galea posted on the erlang-questions mailing list regarding some code he wrote to give Erlang the same sort of inflection characteristics (mouse vs mice) as Ruby. Check out the details and example here.

Hawking Bet.

2008-09-09T00:00:00-07:00

From Breitbart:

Renowned British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has bet 100 dollars (70 euros) that a mega-experiment this week will not find an elusive particle seen as a holy grail of cosmic science, he said Tuesday. In the most complex scientific experiment ever undertaken, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will be switched on Wednesday, accelerating sub-atomic particles to nearly the speed of light before smashing them together. "The LHC will increase the energy at which we can study particle interactions by a factor of four. According to present thinking, this should be enough to discover the Higgs particle," Hawking told BBC radio. "I think it will be much more exciting if we don't find the Higgs. That will show something is wrong, and we need to think again. I have a bet of 100 dollars that we won't find the Higgs," added Hawking, whose books including "A Brief History of Time" have sought to popularise study of stellar physics. ...

I'm ready for the science smack down if he is wrong. :)

Disco.

2008-09-08T00:00:00-07:00

Something I happened to see over here this weekend was Disco. It is a Map/Reduce framework written in Erlang. A user/implementer doesn't need to know a lick of Erlang to get rolling but according to their site most folks use Python to write the actual jobs. If you as me a Map/Reduce framework built using Erlang makes a great amount of sense due to its message passing and light weight processes.

Oops!

2008-09-02T00:00:00-07:00

I went to go checkout google chrome today and it looks like the video got taken down. One would think this sorta thing wouldn't happen to the parent company of youtube. :)

MusicSucks.

2008-08-25T00:00:00-07:00

I have shutdown musicsucks.net, it has been neglected in the recent months due to music blogging becoming more of a job (music reviews, going to shows, interviews and etc are surprisingly a lot of work) than a fun thing to do when I have time. Also as you might imagine I have plenty of other things to work on in the coming months so I cannot see myself (or Erin for that matter) keeping it up. Thanks for reading.

Erlang Optimizations Post at Tenerife Skunkworks.

2008-08-25T00:00:00-07:00

In relation to a post on the Erlang mailing list here is a pretty interesting post over at Tenerife Skunkworks about the speed of setting and getting variables (specifically arrays, tuples etc) in Erlang. Interestingly tuples are much faster at 'get' than arrays and arrays are much faster at 'set'. To that end getting a tuple is multiple orders of magnitudes faster than setting it.

The tuple test pre-allocates a tuple of 10k or 100k elements. There's no destructive assignment in Erlang and so the same large tuple needs to be allocated and discarded on every set operation. It's very inefficient to allocate and discard a large tuple on every set operation, thus naive tuple set is very slow. The array module uses an efficient tree-like internal representation...

Cool stuff.

ErloungeSTL.

2008-08-24T00:00:00-07:00

If you have been reading this blog lately you know that I have picked up an interest in Erlang. As such I have been on their email list. Recently there was a question of Erlounge meetup sorta stuff in Missouri since there wasn't anything like that yet myself and another Erlang'er have decided to get things rolling with ErloungeSTL. The first meeting will be Sept 11th at 7pm at Contegix. If you are at all interested in functional languages, programming or Erlang you should show up and check it out. We will be having a couple presentations and should be remotely interesting for even someone that has never written a line of Erlang.

Getting Hitched.

2008-08-15T00:00:00-07:00

Erin and I are getting married! There will be a lot going on and tons of stuff we want to share in the next few months leading up to the big day, December 6th 2008. As such we have setup a blog to keep everyone informed and abreast of current marital and prenuptial events and information. Check it out at http://www.teamwilliams.info/ . More to come soon!

The 10th Dimension.

2008-08-13T00:00:00-07:00

Masks.

2008-08-05T00:00:00-07:00

Mike Friedman made the top of the page at Drudge Report this morning with a link to a Yahoo news article about some cyclists arriving in China with black respiratory masks on. In the article they also have a couple photos of Bobby Lea. Sadly this is likely more press than they might get if they medal in the madison. Edit: Velonews has an article regarding an apology for any disrespect the masks caused.

New Bike Day!!

2008-08-01T00:00:00-07:00

The LHC.

2008-07-31T00:00:00-07:00

The Large Hadron Collider will be starting up soon (August). It should produce some interesting data and help us understand the world we live in. Stuff like why electrons have mass (Higgs boson) and help explain dark matter. Now check out the LHC Rap! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50ZssEojtM[/youtube]

A Couple Erlang Tips.

2008-07-29T00:00:00-07:00

I have been watching Kevin Smith's Erlang videos lately and have come up with a couple tips to supplement a couple topics I have seen. First, using the Erlang ping function with a machine that is behind a firewall. I have found that there are ports that need to be opened to make sure your ping works properly. Remote Machine:

[joe@catalpa02 ~]$ erl -sname coppi -setcookie pingtest Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.5.2 [source] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.5.2 (abort with ^G) (coppi@catalpa02)1>

Local Machine:

[zeusfaber@der-dieb ~]$ erl -sname merckx -setcookie pingtest Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.6.3 [source] [64-bit] [smp:2] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.6.3 (abort with ^G) (merckx@der-dieb)1> net_adm:ping(coppi@catalpa02). pang (merckx@der-dieb)2> net_adm:ping(coppi@catalpa02). pang

As you can see above when I initially attempted to ping my remote machine (with shorewall, iptables based firewall installed) I received a 'pang' which means it didn't work. I also checked the logs on catalpa02 and saw the following messages:

10.1.1.195 DST=10.1.1.200 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=23194 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=43037 DPT=4369 WINDOW=5840 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0 Jul 29 23:07:27 catalpa02 kernel: Shorewall:net2all:DROP:IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=00:0b:db:a8:b5:06:00:1e:4c:a2:9d:36:08:00 SRC=10.1.1.195 DST=10.1.1.200 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=23195 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=43037 DPT=4369 WINDOW=5840 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0

So, it looks like port 4369 needs to be open since the firewall is dropping them. I opened it and attempted a ping again and received:

Jul 29 23:13:47 catalpa02 kernel: Shorewall:net2all:DROP:IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=00:0b:db:a8:b5:06:00:1e:4c:a2:9d:36:08:00 SRC=10.1.1.195 DST=10.1.1.200 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=38806 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=43200 DPT=57783 WINDOW=5840 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0 Jul 29 23:13:50 catalpa02 kernel: Shorewall:net2all:DROP:IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=00:0b:db:a8:b5:06:00:1e:4c:a2:9d:36:08:00 SRC=10.1.1.195 DST=10.1.1.200 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=38807 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=43200 DPT=57783 WINDOW=5840 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0

It looks like 57783 is also being blocked. After opening it everything seemed to work:

(merckx@der-dieb)4> net_adm:ping(coppi@catalpa02). pong

Unfortunately the second port that we needed to open changes for each new Erlang session (the next time I attempted a ping it used port 54328). So it may be more advantageous to run your Erlang nodes across a private network linking your machines rather than across your public interface. This generally a good practice anyway since it saves you from poking to many holes in your firewall, sending unencrypted data across a public network link and not to mention bandwidth costs. Edit: A commenter described a switch that allows you to specify the port range, example below.

[zeusfaber@der-dieb ~]$ erl -kernel inet_dist_listen_min 6000 inet_dist_listen_max 6050 -sname coppi -setcookie pingtest Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.6.3 [source] [64-bit] [smp:2] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.6.3 (abort with ^G) (coppi@der-dieb)1>

Tip number two is sort of related, it is when pinging hostnames with hyphens in them. Erlang treats node names as an atom so if you attempt to use a hyphen without any precautions you will likely get an error like the following.

[joe@catalpa02 ~]$ erl -sname coppi -setcookie pingtest1 Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.5.2 [source] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.5.2 (abort with ^G) (coppi@catalpa02)1> net_adm:ping(merckx@der-dieb). ** exited: {badarith,[{erl_eval,eval_op,3}, {erl_eval,expr_list,6}, {erl_eval,expr,5}, {shell,exprs,6}, {shell,eval_loop,3}]} ** =ERROR REPORT==== 29-Jul-2008::23:24:15 === Error in process <0.35.0> on node 'coppi@catalpa02' with exit value: {badarith,[{erl_eval,eval_op,3},{erl_eval,expr_list,6},{erl_eval,expr,5},{shell,exprs,6},{shell,eval_loop,3}]}

Simply by adding single quotes around the node name we can get around this error.

(coppi@catalpa02)2> net_adm:ping('merckx@der-dieb'). pong

More on Hadoop Metrics In Ganglia.

2008-07-28T00:00:00-07:00

I have gotten a few comments and etc regarding whether or not I was able to get Hadoop to talk to Ganglia. Sadly I wasn't able to get this to work properly either but I did contact the Hadoop mailing list (this thread) and got the following information. There is actually a bug. The link includes a patch but note that the trunk has changed and the patch currently only works on Hadoop version 0.16.0. I have not had a chance to test everything out yet but it is at least a step in the right direction for those of you who are curious. Hope this helps.

Kaminsky DNS Spoofing Exploit.

2008-07-25T00:00:00-07:00

As some of you may have heard there is a new DNS cache poisoning 'sploit in the wild (CVE). Currently there are two exploits available, one for a domain and the other for a hostname. Check out the info on each here and here. The basic idea is described in the files.

This exploit targets a fairly ubiquitous flaw in DNS implementations which allow the insertion of malicious DNS records into the cache of the target nameserver. This exploit caches a single malicious host entry into the target nameserver. By causing the target nameserver to query for random hostnames at the target domain, the attacker can spoof a response to the target server including an answer for the query, an authority server record, and an additional record for that server, causing target nameserver to insert the additional record into the cache.

Metasploit (the latest from their SVN) includes each exploit. This makes it easy to test and attempt the exploit against your servers. Luckily my name servers are running TinyDNS which does not have this flaw. For example:

msf auxiliary(bailiwicked_host) > check [*] Using the Metasploit service to verify exploitability... [*] UNKNOWN: This server did not reply to our vulnerability check requests

You will see some requests in your DNS logs that look like this:

2008-07-25 14:26:45.896813500 3ff6167e:373a:0009 - 0010 spoofprobe-check-1-11391593674.red.metasploit.com 2008-07-25 14:26:55.899392500 3ff6167e:373a:000a - 0010 spoofprobe-check-2-1139140392.red.metasploit.com 2008-07-25 14:27:05.903259500 3ff6167e:373a:000b - 0010 spoofprobe-check-3-11391648643.red.metasploit.com

So yeah, if you aren't running TinyDNS patch your name servers! More info at hackaday and Dan Kaminsky's blog.

Simple Example of XML Parsing With Erlang and Erlsom.

2008-07-17T00:00:00-07:00

I have been doing some work with Erlang lately and wanted to do figure out how to do XML parsing. After a bit of looking I found Erlsom, which is a XML parsing library for Erlang. It has a few modes including a SAX parser and a "simple sort of DOM parser". I have had experience using Java, xerces and jdom so this sounded good to me. So I created an XML file containing music data, stuff like artist, album, song title and etc. So I decided to screw around with some of the examples found in their docs. First, I had to install Erlsom. I just downloaded the tarball and extracted it and did the normal configure, make, make install. One issue I noticed is a error with non-visual ("^M") characters in the config* files. I just used dos2unix to remove the bad characters and the configure script then worked fine. Then I threw together my XML file, I had some old ID3 tag parsing code from a project of years ago that I used to create it. It basically looked like this. Then I just started up the Erlang console, loaded and parsed the XML file.

[zeusfaber@der-dieb ~]$ erl Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.6.3 [source] [64-bit] [smp:2] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.6.3 (abort with ^G) 1> {ok, Xml} = file:read_file("music-library.xml"). {ok,<<"\r\n Arms and SleepersLimited Edition EP"...>>} 2> erlsom:parse_sax(Xml, [], fun(Event, Acc) -> io:format("~p~n", [Event]), Acc end). startDocument {processingInstruction,"xml", " version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\""} {startElement,[],"Library",[],[]} {startElement,[],"ArtistName",[],[]} {characters,"Arms and Sleepers"} {startElement,[],"AlbumTitle",[],[]} {characters,"Limited Edition EP"} {startElement,[],"SongTitle",[], [{attribute,"SongDate",[],[],"Unknown"}, {attribute,"SongGenre",[],[],"Unknown"}]} {characters,"We're all in Paris Now (pt. 1)"} --SNIP-- {startElement,[],"ArtistName",[],[]} {characters,"Wolf Parade"} {startElement,[],"AlbumTitle",[],[]} {characters,"At Mount Zoomer"} {startElement,[],"SongTitle",[], [{attribute,"SongDate",[],[],"2008"}, {attribute,"SongGenre",[],[],"Unknown"}]} {characters,"Kissing the Beehive"} {endElement,[],"SongTitle",[]} {endElement,[],"AlbumTitle",[]} {endElement,[],"ArtistName",[]} {endElement,[],"Library",[]} endDocument {ok,[],"\r\n"}

Once it loads the file you can do operations on the data. I did a few counts of artists and songs. The first counts how many times "Wolf Parade" shows up in the 'characters' field (ie {characters,"Wolf Parade"}).

3> CountWolfParade = fun(Event, Acc) -> case Event of {characters, "Wolf Parade"} -> Acc + 1; _ -> Acc end end. #Fun 4> erlsom:parse_sax(Xml, 0, CountWolfParade). {ok,9,"\r\n"}

So I have nine entires of "Wolf Parade". Next, I ran it on the other artist in the XML, Arms and Sleepers.

5> CountArmsAndSleepers = fun(Event, Acc) -> case Event of {characters, "Arms and Sleepers"} -> Acc + 1; _ -> Acc end end. #Fun 6> erlsom:parse_sax(Xml, 0, CountArmsAndSleepers). {ok,6,"\r\n"}

This time I have six. In both cases the counts matched what was in the XML file. Next, I decided to count not a characters field but based on one of the element names, specifically "SongTitle". The count should give me the total number of songs.

7> CountTotalSongs = fun(Event, Acc) -> case Event of {startElement, _, "SongTitle", _, _} -> Acc + 1; _ -> Acc end end. #Fun 8> erlsom:parse_sax(Xml, 0, CountTotalSongs). {ok,15,"\r\n"}

Don't forget that things need to match the '{startElement,[],"SongTitle",[],[]}' directive so your patten needs to look something like '{startElement, _, "SongTitle", _, _}' so it takes into account the empty brackets ('[]'). The pattern matching in Erlang and Erlsom makes parsing pretty easy although I have heard that using Erlang alone to parse XML is troublesome.

Ricco Suave.

2008-07-17T00:00:00-07:00

OOPS! How did that Micera get in my musette?

Happy Birthday Erin.

2008-07-14T00:00:00-07:00

Word Bird.

2008-07-13T00:00:00-07:00

Upgrade.

2008-07-12T00:00:00-07:00

I finally got around to putting a new fork on the track bike. This is something that has floated around the back of my head for a couple years now but I just never pulled the trigger. Thanks to the guys at The Hub for hooking me up with this sweet made-to-order Wound Up fork and the fatty commuter tires.

Erlang : The Movie

2008-07-06T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=uKfKtXYLG78[/youtube] I have been playing around with Erlang the last month or two and just came across this video. Probably the best programming video EVAR.

Some Links.

2008-07-03T00:00:00-07:00

Here are some links to check out over the long weekend.

Motorboat.

2008-06-25T00:00:00-07:00

Well folks, Motorboat is being nuetered. Today, Wednesday June 25th 2008 is the last day he will be a complete man cat.

Boston Trip.

2008-06-21T00:00:00-07:00

Erin and I went to Boston for a bit of vacation and for the RedHat summit. Here are some photo's. The Stata center at MIT. Erin riding a duck in Boston Commons. Fenway. Chinatown.

RedHat Summit: Day 3.

2008-06-20T00:00:00-07:00

The RedHat folks decided to change the times of the seminars up and rather than at 1015 things started at 0900. Unbeknownst to me I was a little late to the first seminar. Dynamic Grid Computing With Red Hat Enterprise MRG & Amazon EC2 Bryan Che

Enterprises today are running more and more distributed applications and workloads and requiring additional computing power. However, they also increasingly need management flexibility and to cut down in their power and space usage. The recent rise of cloud-based infrastructure services like Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) helps address some of these issues, but there are challenges in adopting these types of services--particularly for grid or distributed applications. Red Hat Enterprise MRG is a new high performance distributed computing platform from Red Hat that integrates Messaging, Realtime Linux, and Grid technologies. MRG's grid scheduler includes the ability not only to submit jobs to local or remote grids in an enterprise's data center but to cloud-based infrastructure like Amazon EC2 as well. Whether enterprises are looking to add computing capacity on-the-fly to existing grids or to provision dynamically entirely new grids, Red Hat Enterprise MRG and Amazon EC2 offer tremendous flexibility and efficiency in addressing today's computing demands.

Understanding Application Memory Performance Ulrich Drepper

Introduction of ways to discover a program's memory performance.

RedHat Summit: Day 2.

2008-06-19T00:00:00-07:00

Here is day two at the summit. Network Performance: 10GB Ethernet Mark Wagner

Performance of 10GB Ethernet in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, MRG, and virtualization environments.

Database Performance and Scaling Sanjay Rao

Optimizing database performance and scalability with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Making the Best of the Global File System Curtis Zinzilieta

Best practices and performance tuning guidance for users of Red Hat's Global File System.

GNU Compiler and GCC Update ~~Tom Tromey~~ Jason Merill

Recent enhancements to the GCC toolchain.

Introduction to Frysk Andrew Cagney

An introduction to the Frysk graphical debugger with real world examples.

At the 2:45 pm slot the GCC presentation was fairly short and I was able to check our Frysk as well. Red Hat Enterprise MRG Overview Carl Trieloff

This presentation provides an overview of the the three MRG components and what can be achieved with them.

RedHat Summit: Day 1.

2008-06-18T00:00:00-07:00

Here are the seminars that I attended today at the RedHat Summit. RHEL Kernel Performance Optimization - Part I and II John Shakshober & Larry Woodman

An in-depth session covering the tools, tips and tricks of performance measurement and tuning of the RHEL kernel

How to Make Good RPM Packages Tom Callaway

A journey into the design and construction of manageable and flexible RPM packages.

Laptop Power Management Richard Hughes

Laptop power management is improving. In this session, you'll learn what can be done to make batteries last longer and how to make suspend work successfully in a modern Linux desktop. The presentation will show what infrastructure we have developed, what we are doing now, and what the future will allow us to do.

Securing your Red Hat Enterprise System Steve Grubb

This presentation outlines ways and means to ensure that your Red Hat deployments are highly secure.

Music Blog Numbers.

2008-06-09T00:00:00-07:00

I decided to crunch some numbers for MusicSucks (my other blog) and over at Annie's blog AtoZ. Mostly I just was curious what the deal was with all the show reviews lately, it seems the AtoZ staff has been canvasing the St Louis Metro area. This is a good thing, glad we now have the band traffic to support it. Anywho, with some help from curl and egrep I wrote some scripts to get the data and parse through it. Here's what I found:

Posts to AtoZ 'Show Review' Category: Blog Inception: September 2006 Total Shows: 105 Sep 2007: 3 Oct 2007: 9 Nov 2007: 6 Dec 2007: 3 Jan 2008: 4 Feb 2008: 8 Mar 2008: 18 Apr 2008: 19 May 2008: 26 Jun 2008 (so far): 9

They really kicked it up a notch this spring. Also note that it seems they started using the 'Show Review' category in Sep 2007, so this does not include anything prior to then. In fairness, here is the stats from my own blog for the 'In Attendance' category:

Posts to MusicSucks 'In Attendance' Category: Blog Inception: December 2006 Total Shows: 50 Dec 2006: 1 Jan 2007: 0 Feb 2007: 2 Mar 2007: 2 Apr 2007: 4 May 2007: 5 Jun 2007: 3 Jul 2007: 5 Aug 2007: 6 Sep 2007: 3 Oct 2007: 4 Nov 2007: 4 Dec 2007: 0 Jan 2008: 1 Feb 2008: 4 Mar 2008: 3 Apr 2008: 2 May 2008: 0 Jun 2008 (so far): 1

I better get busy.

New Bike Day.

2008-06-05T00:00:00-07:00

I saw this over at trackosaurus rex and figured I would post it here.

Mother Jones.

2008-06-04T00:00:00-07:00

On the way home from Chicago Erin and I stopped off in a little town named Mount Olive. I have seen the sign for the Mother Jones Monument a number of times on I55 and wanted to know more about it. Interestingly she played a key roll in the unionization of labor in the US. The Kent Law site has a lot of info about Mother Jones. Wikipedia says:

Two major turning points in her career were, first, the deaths of her husband and four children during a yellow fever epidemic in Tennessee in 1867, and secondly, the loss of her property in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Forced to support herself, she became involved in the labor movement and joined the Knights of Labor, a predecessor to the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or "Wobblies"), which she helped found in 1905. Active as an organizer and educator in strikes throughout the country at the time, she was particularly involved with the United Mine Workers (UMW) and the Socialist Party of America. As a union organizer, she gained prominence for organizing the wives and children of striking workers in demonstrations on their behalf. She became known as "the most dangerous woman in America", a phrase coined by a West Virginia District Attorney named Reese Blizzard in 1902, when she was arrested for ignoring an injunction banning meetings by striking miners. "There sits the most dangerous woman in America", announced Blizzard. "She crooks her finger—twenty thousand contented men lay down."

Interesting to me, it seems she had a part in the Virden Miners Riot in 1898, a town in which I have some family. Here is an archive of a New York Times article dated October 13 1898.

MINERS SHOT DOWN IN A LABOR RIOT; Virden, Ill., the Scene of a Desperate Battle. MOB ATTACKS NEGROES Engages in a Fierce Fight with Their Armed Guards. TEN LIVES ARE LOST List of Wounded Includes More Than a Score -- The Town Now in the Hands of the Military Authorities.

More info about the riot can be found here. I also found this, which seems to have a good synopsis of the riot.

On October 12, 1898, Illinois miners at Virden, Illinois, confronted armed guards in a battle that became one of the bloodiest class conflicts in American history. This battle, part of the longer struggle to organize miners into an economic and political force, shaped the views of a generation of workers in Illinois and across the nation. It was the reason that Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, the famous labor heroine, is buried in Mt. Olive, along with the "martyrs" who were killed in what became known as the "Virden Massacre." In making the request to be buried with "her boys," Mother Jones sought to acknowledge that their deaths had helped to establish Illinois as one of the "strongest labor states" in the country. The mine workers of Illinois became known as some of the most radical and contentious unionists in the country. But the heroic struggle also reinforced deep racial divisions.

It's pretty interesting what you can find out about just by making a pit stop.

More gexec.

2008-06-04T00:00:00-07:00

Bernard Li pushed a new version of gexec out in response to my inquiries on the mailing list, it includes the Ganglia switch.

I did some further code changes and was able to generate a tarball which builds fine without any modification, can you please try it on your system and see if it works? All you need to is run `rpmbuild -tb` against the tarball: http://therealms.org/oss/ganglia/gexec-0.3.8.1375.tar.gz

I've Now Been An Uncle For 40 Days.

2008-06-03T00:00:00-07:00

Hi Ava! When you are big enough I'll take you to Mi Ranchito for enchiladas.

Chicago.

2008-06-03T00:00:00-07:00

Erin and I went to Chicago to see Efterklang, we stayed with my good friends Mike and Erin. Here are some photos.

NVIDIA GPU/CUDA Based Supercomputer.

2008-05-31T00:00:00-07:00

Check out this sweet machine that the University of Antwerp built. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnIvodB2RzU[/youtube]

Ratatat.

2008-05-30T00:00:00-07:00

I posted this video of the new Ratatat track over at musicsucks.net. It's so flippin' good I'll post it here too. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk8qcGOtBFw[/youtube]

gexec Success!

2008-05-30T00:00:00-07:00

I was finally able to get a clean build of gexec with the '--with-ganglia' option. Here's what I did: I downloaded the tarball available at http://therealms.org/oss/ganglia/gexec-0.3.8.tar.gz (thanks to Bernard on the Ganglia mailing list). Then run:

rpmbuild -tb gexec-0.3.8.tar.gz

This created a RPM and SRPM, the RPM can be deleted and I installed the SRPM. Should be located at '/usr/src/redhat/SRPMS/gexec-0.3.8-4.src.rpm'. I then edited the SPEC file '/usr/src/redhat/SPECS/gexec.spec' removing '%configure' and adding the following above the 'make' line but below the '%build' line.

./configure --with-ganglia --host=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu --build=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu --target=x86_64-redhat-linux --program-prefix= --prefix=/usr --exec-prefix=/usr --bindir=/usr/bin --sbindir=/usr/sbin --sysconfdir=/etc --datadir=/usr/share --includedir=/usr/include --libdir=/usr/lib64 --libexecdir=/usr/libexec --localstatedir=/var --sharedstatedir=/usr/com --mandir=/usr/share/man --infodir=/usr/share/info

Next, extract the tarball at '/usr/src/redhat/SOURCES/gexec-0.3.8.tar.gz'. Edit 'configure.ac' to include 'AC_PREFIX_DEFAULT(/usr)' rather than 'AC_PREFIX_DEFAULT(/usr/local)'. Then change GANGLIA_LIB to use '/usr/lib/libganglia.a' rather than '@libdir@/libganglia.a'. I also edited the Makefile to use '/usr/lib/libganglia.a' rather than '@libdir@/libganglia.a' in a couple spots. Then move the gexec-0.3.8.tar.gz to gexec-0.3.8.tar.gz.OLD and 'tar zcvf gexec-0.3.8' to create a new tarball with the changes just made. At this point one can build and install the new RPM by running:

rpmbuild -ba /usr/src/redhat/SPECS/gexec.spec rpm -ivh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/x86_64/gexec-0.3.8-4.x86_64.rpm

I have made my SRPM available, you can download it here.

Ganglia, gexec, authd and libe Install Procedure.

2008-05-30T00:00:00-07:00

Install Ganglia

wget http://voxel.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/ganglia/ganglia-3.0.7-1.src.rpm rpm -Uhv http://apt.sw.be/redhat/el5/en/i386/rpmforge/RPMS/rpmforge-release-0.3.6-1.el5.rf.i386.rpm yum install libpng-devel libart_lgpl-devel rrdtool-devel freetype-devel rrdtool-devel rpmbuild --rebuild ganglia-3.0.7-1.src.rpm rpm -ivh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/x86_64/ganglia-gmetad-3.0.7-1.x86_64.rpm /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/x86_64/ganglia-gmond-3.0.7-1.x86_64.rpm /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/x86_64/ganglia-devel-3.0.7-1.x86_64.rpm

Install libe

wget http://www.theether.org/libe/libe-0.3.0-1.src.rpm rpmbuild --rebuild libe-0.3.0-1.src.rpm rpm -ivh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/x86_64/libe-0.3.0-1.x86_64.rpm

Install authd

yum install openssl-devel wget http://www.theether.org/authd/authd-0.2.2-1.src.rpm rpmbuild --rebuild authd-0.2.2-1.src.rpm

You will run into an error like the following, don't worry about it we clean it up next.

Installing authd-0.2.2-1.src.rpm warning: user bnc does not exist - using root warning: group dusers does not exist - using root error: Legacy syntax is unsupported: copyright error: line 5: Unknown tag: Copyright: GPL

Finish up authd

mv /usr/src/redhat/SPECS/authd.spec /usr/src/redhat/SPECS/authd.spec.1 sed 's/Copyright/License/g' /usr/src/redhat/SPECS/authd.spec.1 > /usr/src/redhat/SPECS/authd.spec rpmbuild -ba /usr/src/redhat/SPECS/authd.spec openssl genrsa -out auth_priv.pem chmod 600 auth_priv.pem openssl rsa -in auth_priv.pem -pubout -out auth_pub.pem

Copy auth_priv.pem and auth_pub.pem to '/etc' on each node of the cluster

rpm -ivh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/x86_64/authd-0.2.2-1.x86_64.rpm

Installing gexec (using my SRPM, includes the '--with-ganglia' option)

echo "gexec 2875/tcp # Caltech GEXEC" >> /etc/services yum install glibc gcc gcc-c++ authd expat-devel rpm -ivh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/x86_64/gexec-0.3.8-4.x86_64.rpm

Is It You Or Me Ganglia?

2008-05-29T00:00:00-07:00

So I began building a new head cluster node in a KVM, just as a test run and to refine my methodology. I decided to drop Unicluster due to an unresolved issue, this time around I decided to install everything myself. ... Java, check ... Hadoop, check ... Pig, check ... Grid Engine, check ... OpenMPI, check ... Ganglia, ugh ... Ganglia seems to be an interesting beast. I build the SRPMs and then installed the RPMs for the "ganglia monitor core" without a problem, it was easy and quick. I then moved on to the "gexec execution environment" this includes gexec, gexecd, authd and libe. The first issue I ran into in building from the SRPM was the dependencies. First, I started with authd and ran into dependency issues during the build. Sadly the SPEC file did not include what the package requires. I attempted the normal RPM (found on Ganglia' SourceForge page). Even those didn't work properly due to a requirement of some old OpenSSL libraries unavailable in Centos5.

[root@m ganglia]# rpm -qa | grep openssl openssl-devel-0.9.8b-8.3.el5_0.2 openssl-0.9.8b-8.3.el5_0.2 openssl-devel-0.9.8b-8.3.el5_0.2 openssl-0.9.8b-8.3.el5_0.2 [root@m ganglia]# rpm -ivh authd-0.2.1-1.i386.rpm error: Failed dependencies: libcrypto.so.2 is needed by authd-0.2.1-1.i386 libssl.so.2 is needed by authd-0.2.1-1.i386

So I went back to attempting to build the SRPM. Soon I found out that the above libraries have nothing to do with the build issues I was seeing. My issue was with the libe library missing. Once I built and installed that authd build and installed without a problem. Next, I attempted to build gexec. This proved to have the same issue as authd, the SRPM did not include a requires in the SPEC making it difficult to determine what needs to be installed as a prerequisite. I then started to investigate the errors I was seeing in the build,

gexec.c:39:33: error: ganglia/gexec_funcs.h: No such file or directory

Googling for this I found a Ganglia Developers email list entry that described that

The gexec-0.3.6 available from http://www.theether.org/gexec does not build with 3.0.* versions of Ganglia. It builds correctly only with 2.* versions. If you want to build with Ganglia 3, edit the gexec.c to include /usr/include/ganglia.h and not /usr/include/ganglia/gexec_funcs.h. Of course, you have to have ganglia-devel installed for this to work. Another thing, in addition to the above, you have to add #include to gexec.c in order to successfully build the gexec.

That works, so I edited the gexec.c source tarball containing the gexec.c including the above changes. My attempt to build again failed on the 'e/llist.h' include not existing. 'locate' proved that it did not exist on my machine even though libe is installed. So I went back to that email list post and found this link:

http://svn.oscar.openclustergroup.org/svn/oscar-soc/soc-2006/hpcmetrics/ganglia/

Looking through the source I found http://svn.oscar.openclustergroup.org/svn/oscar-soc/soc-2006/hpcmetrics/ganglia/src/lib/llist.h and copied it in to '/usr/include/e/'. This worked nicely, but as you might expect it failed again. This time looking for libraries in '/lib' rather than '/lib64', which is to be expected since I am running x86_64. I symlinked the library into place and moved on. Now I am at an error that I haven't been able to figure out. My mailing list post describing the issue has not seen a reply.

gexec.c: In function ‘main’: gexec.c:324: warning: ‘ips’ may be used uninitialized in this function gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I. -I. -O2 -Wall -D_REENTRANT -g -D_GNU_SOURCE -DDEBUG -c gexec_options.c gcc -O2 -Wall -D_REENTRANT -g -D_GNU_SOURCE -DDEBUG -o gexec -L. gexec.o gexec_options.o -lpthread -lgexec -le -lauth -lssl -lcrypto /usr/lib/libganglia.a -lssl -lpthread -lcrypto /usr/lib/libganglia.a(ganglia.o): In function `gexec_cluster': (.text+0x10c): undefined reference to `XML_ParserCreate' /usr/lib/libganglia.a(ganglia.o): In function `gexec_cluster': (.text+0x160): undefined reference to `XML_SetElementHandler' /usr/lib/libganglia.a(ganglia.o): In function `gexec_cluster': (.text+0x16b): undefined reference to `XML_SetUserData' /usr/lib/libganglia.a(ganglia.o): In function `gexec_cluster': (.text+0x178): undefined reference to `XML_GetBuffer' /usr/lib/libganglia.a(ganglia.o): In function `gexec_cluster': (.text+0x1c4): undefined reference to `XML_ParserFree' /usr/lib/libganglia.a(ganglia.o): In function `gexec_cluster': (.text+0x1f6): undefined reference to `XML_ParseBuffer' /usr/lib/libganglia.a(ganglia.o): In function `gexec_cluster': (.text+0x265): undefined reference to `XML_GetErrorCode' /usr/lib/libganglia.a(ganglia.o): In function `gexec_cluster': (.text+0x26c): undefined reference to `XML_ErrorString' /usr/lib/libganglia.a(ganglia.o): In function `gexec_cluster': (.text+0x277): undefined reference to `XML_GetCurrentLineNumber' collect2: ld returned 1 exit status make: *** [gexec] Error 1

After a bit of Googling, I found that these XML directives are related to expat. I installed expat-devel (as well as a number of other xml devel packages) and attempted to rebuild. Same thing, failure. Next, I decided that since it seems in relation to libganglia.a that perhaps it was not built with expat support and needed to rebuilt, so now with expat-devel installed I did this. This fails with the same error as above. After looking at the doc I noticed that the ganglia SPEC file does not include '--enable-gexec' in the configure. I built the RPMs with this option and still ran into the error. I have attempted to build gexec from SRPM as well as straight source. In every case I get the above error. The error suggests ("collect2: ld returned 1 exit status") to me that there is a library (or libraries) missing. But at this point I'm not really sure at all. If I come up with something (outside of running gexec in standalone) I will be sure to post it. If anyone else out there knows what's up post a comment. This all leads me to the point of this post which is ... why is setting this up so difficult? Truth be told I have no clue, but I don't think it should be. The Ganglia mailing list was helpful enough but documentation seems a little lacking should one run into any issues. One would think that if "The gexec-0.3.6 available from http://www.theether.org/gexec does not build with 3.0.* versions of Ganglia." this should be documented. I don't think that I am doing anything strange and I am using Centos5, not some obscure distro. You may be asking what all these problems with gexec have to do with ganglia (a guy on the mailing list asked me just that "What does this have to do with ganglia?"), fair enough. Ganglia is not gexec and gexec is not Ganglia. My response was that the gexec SRPMs are downloadable side by site with all the Ganglia RPMs off of SourceForge. This leads me to believe that questions to the Ganglia mailing list about gexec doesn't seem too far off base. Additionally, for someone that is trying to install these packages for the first time or is new to Ganglia it seems that the mailing list would be the place to ask, as I imagine there are plenty of folks running gexec hosts in Ganglia. The Ganglia documentation even mentions gexec that "integrating it with ganglia is a bit clumsy" but provides no information outside of how to run it standalone mode and how to turn it off if you have configured it by default to be on. To boot the gexec site hasn't been updated since 2004. Next, you may think that if this is broken and the documentation sucks why don't you fix it, it's an opensource project. That's valid and I will be happy to write up some documentation on how to build the RPMs for Ganglia and associated applications. For good measure I will even see if I can get it posted to the Ganglia wiki. Of course this hinges on me actually being able to build the RPMs and have everything work properly. Lastly, here are a few lessons learned:

Something I learn time and time again, don't assume anything.
Any time you create SRPMs make sure you add the "BuildRequires" directive. This alone would have likely solved my issue with gexec after I modified gexec.c or at least would have pointed me in the right direction.
If source code modifications are required or any other oddities in building an application document them, simply something is clunky or unintuitive is not enough.
If you have a software product you would like other people to use provide installation procedures. Having install docs is almost as good as having a marketing team. If people find it easy to install and are happy with it they will tell others (example: Wordpress).

That's it for my rant. Thanks. :)

CATS.

2008-05-26T00:00:00-07:00

Using Pig with Hadoop.

2008-05-23T00:00:00-07:00

Pig is a query language for use with Hadoop. It allows users to query hadoop data similar to a SQL database. Formally, according to their website:

Pig is a platform for analyzing large data sets that consists of a high-level language for expressing data analysis programs, coupled with infrastructure for evaluating these programs. The salient property of Pig programs is that their structure is amenable to substantial parallelization, which in turns enables them to handle very large data sets.

To get rolling you need the following:

A Java SDK Installed
Ant Installed
Subversion
A working installation of Hadoop

Once you are rolling with those items we can install Pig and test it out. First, you need to download Pig from their Subversion repository. Once done you will need to build it with Ant.

svn co http://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/incubator/pig/trunk pig-svn cd pig-svn ant

From there you can run the following command to drop into the interactive shell.

java -cp pig.jar:HADOOPSITEPATH org.apache.pig.Main

Or you can run a pig script that you have already created.

java -cp pig.jar:HADOOPSITEPATH somescript.pig

HADOOPSITEPATH needs to point to the directory that contains the hadoop-site.xml file. If you run into an issue such as:

Caused by: org.apache.hadoop.ipc.RPC$VersionMismatch: Protocol org.apache.hadoop.dfs.ClientProtocol version mismatch. (client = 29, server = 23)

You will need to upgrade Hadoop so the versions match. In the end you should get something that looks like this:

[cluster@front pig-svn]$ java -cp pig.jar:HADOOPSITEPATH org.apache.pig.Main 2008-05-23 10:37:42,478 [main] INFO org.apache.pig.backend.hadoop.executionengine.HExecutionEngine - Connecting to hadoop file system at: front.esper:9000 2008-05-23 10:37:42,585 [main] WARN org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem - "front.esper:9000" is a deprecated filesystem name. Use "hdfs://front.esper:9000/" instead. 2008-05-23 10:37:43,117 [main] INFO org.apache.pig.backend.hadoop.executionengine.HExecutionEngine - Connecting to map-reduce job tracker at: front.esper:9001 2008-05-23 10:37:43,246 [main] WARN org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem - "front.esper:9000" is a deprecated filesystem name. Use "hdfs://front.esper:9000/" instead. grunt>

If you need more info on the above steps check out the Pig Wiki. From here you can follow their tutorial or play around in the shell. Regarding the tutorial, I can't seem to find the download of the archive they mention "Pig tutorial file (*.gz)". If anyone knows where that can be found let me know and I will post it.

More Hadoop, Grid Engine Goodness.

2008-05-23T00:00:00-07:00

Over at GridEngine.info they found a link on DanT's Sun blog that has a sweet tutorial on setting up Hadoop using SGE's parallel environments with loose integration.

Here we are relying on master node to start othe daemons ( [rs]sh the machine and start daemons) and distribute jobs , and we donot have control on the TaskTracker threads. This way of setting a pe in Grid Engine is called loose-integration With some more effort one could also achieve a tighter integration wherein the task of starting daemons and tasks on other slaves could be done by SGE. But this would require further understanding of Hadoop internals.

Pretty dope.

Case and point.

2008-05-06T00:00:00-07:00

Related to yesterdays post regarding the gas tax holiday, where I stated

Both Clinton and McCain have it wrong, I imagine they contacted their campaign advisors rather than their economic advisors before suggesting its repeal.

Apparently it's at least in part true. Over here I found

John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee who should know better, was the first presidential candidate to endorse the gas-tax holiday for the summer driving season. Reportedly, the idea originated with a political pollster, not among Mr. McCain's economic advisers.

Gas Tax Holiday.

2008-05-05T00:00:00-07:00

Why all the hoopla over the gas tax holiday? Both Clinton and McCain have it wrong, I imagine they contacted their campaign advisors rather than their economic advisors before suggesting its repeal. The numbers simply do not work out on the side of the consumer. The way I see it reducing gas prices by $0.184 will reduce the national average ($3.611) for regular grade gasoline to $3.427. So currently a 15 gallon tank takes $54.165 to fill. If we remove the tax it costs $51.405, a savings of $2.76. This means that you get about 8/10's of a gallon more for the same money. It's a bit of a savings but nothing to write home about. The way I understand it, when the cost of a good goes down, demand increases due to an individual being able to purchase more of it with the same amount of money. This means there is less supply of that good since more is being purchased. This is especially true since in this case because the raw materials (oil) used in the production of this good (gasoline) is a finite resource that is controlled by a cartel (OPEC). So as a result the price of gasoline goes back up since there is less of it. Here comes the economics. All this is due to the demand for gasoline in the US is inelastic. That is demand hasn't changed much with the increase in price this is because there is no realistic substitute for gasoline. There are options (E85, electric and etc) but they cannot yet be considered developed to the point of being a substitute for gasoline. Additionally gasoline is a normal good, this generally means that with the decrease in price there is higher demand. What I am talking about here is price elasticity of demand:

In economics and business studies, the price elasticity of demand (PED) is an elasticity that measures the nature and percentage of the relationship between changes in quantity demanded of a good and changes in its price.

Obama gets a gold star because in the end you have slightly lower prices in the short run and the same or higher prices in the long run. I imagine that a gas tax holiday would lower prices for a couple months (at most) and shortly there after we would be back to the same (if not higher) price we are today. The price will go back up because our demand of gasoline will likely not decrease from present levels, additionally when the price goes down we will likely see an increase in demand since the price is lower. Also, we must not forget that we would be out millons/billons in tax revenue. At this point I don't think the government has the cash to lose. We need it for Iraq, the helping our neighbors with the global food crisis and to help the people effected by disaster in Myanmar. So there are plenty better ways to spend the gas tax than on our poor oil addiction. Interestingly (but not surprisingly) the effects of higher gas prices are causing increasing demand on smaller cars, which is a prime example of cross price elasticity of demand. Greg Mankiw's blog has an example of this in a NYT article and how camels are making a comeback. He knows his stuff, is a Harvard prof and has a decent economics blog. He also wrote the text book for my macro class in college, it's one of the few text books I didn't sell after graduation.

sudo

2008-04-30T00:00:00-07:00

Map Reduce and MPI.

2008-04-30T00:00:00-07:00

Over at GridGuru's they have a interesting article regarding Map Reduce its applications. The Map Reduce crowd has been growing of late and is out spoken about what a great tool it is. Without a doubt it is, but something I learned a long time ago is that for each job there is a correct tool. You don't use a sledgehammer to fix your watch and you don't use a pair of tweezers for demolition.

I am a skeptic, which is not to say I have anything against a generalized framework for distributing data to a large number of processors. Nor does it imply that I enjoy MPI and its coherence arising from cacophonous chatter (if all goes well). I just don’t think MapReduce is particularly "simple". The key promoters of this algorithm such as Yahoo and Google have serious-experts MapReducing their particular problem sets and thus they make it look easy. ... Sadly this implies that processing data in parallel is still hard no matter how good of a programmer you are nor how sophisticated your programming language is.

Running Hadoop On The Cluster.

2008-04-22T00:00:00-07:00

Since I have built the cluster I have been trying to find cool things to do with it. One cool project is Hadoop:

From Wikipedia: Apache Hadoop is a Free Java software framework that supports data intensive distributed applications running on large clusters of commodity computers. [1] It enables applications to easily scale out to thousands of nodes and petabytes of data. Hadoop was inspired by Google's MapReduce and Google File System (GFS) papers.

The MapReduce methodology has really caught on, Yahoo now uses it as well and actually use Hadoop specifically. Basically it can be used anywhere you have a large dataset that needs to be processed that can't be handled by single machine. Setting Hadoop up wasn't a problem, Hadoop Wiki and this site had tons of good info. Basically the idea is that you have master and slave nodes. The master(s) coordinate the slaves and the slaves do all the work. You also have to create a HDFS filesystem for Hadoop to use. Once you have Hadoop setup on all the nodes, configured your hadoop-site.xml and created your HDFS filesystem you should be ready to start up your cluster. Needless to say there are many small details that I am not mentioning, the docs above do a pretty good job or outlining those so I won't repeat them here. There are a few things I did differently than the docs. First, I installed Hadoop in a shared partition that all my nodes can access. This should make upgrades fairly simple. My 'conf' directory is also symlink'ed in as well as the version that I am currently using:


[cluster@front hadoop]$ pwd
/opt/share/hadoop
[cluster@front hadoop]$ ls -la
total 28
drwxrwxr-x   7 cluster cluster  4096 Apr 22 13:39 .
drwxrwxr-x   8 cluster ucluster 4096 Apr 21 11:57 ..
drwxr-xr-x   2 cluster cluster  4096 Apr 22 13:40 conf
lrwxrwxrwx   1 cluster cluster    13 Apr 22 11:46 current -> hadoop-0.16.3
drwxrwxr-x   4 cluster cluster  4096 Apr 22 13:45 data
drwxr-xr-x  12 cluster cluster  4096 Apr 21 12:08 hadoop-0.15.3
drwxr-xr-x  12 cluster cluster  4096 Apr 22 13:16 hadoop-0.16.3
drwxrwxr-x   2 cluster cluster  4096 Apr 21 14:06 input
[cluster@front hadoop]$ echo $HADOOP_HOME
/opt/share/hadoop/current/
[cluster@front hadoop]$ ls -al current/conf
lrwxrwxrwx  1 cluster cluster 8 Apr 22 11:46 current/conf -> ../conf/

I also created '/opt/share/hadoop/data' and '/opt/share/hadoop/input'. 'data' is my HDFS store. 'input' is the location where I store the input that is eventually copied into the HDFS store. I also modified my hadoop-metrics.properties configuration to turn on the Ganglia monitoring. I'll admit that I haven't got it properly working with Ganglia yet and the documentation is fairly sparse. If you have any suggestions on how do this out side of whats on this page let me know. Once everything is rolling you should be able to 'start-all.sh' to startup the Hadoop daemons on all nodes. From there you can submit jobs, below is the wordcount example:


[cluster@front hadoop]$ /opt/share/hadoop/current/bin/hadoop jar /opt/share/hadoop/current/hadoop-0.16.3-examples.jar wordcount input output-wordcount6
08/04/22 14:18:27 INFO mapred.FileInputFormat: Total input paths to process : 6
08/04/22 14:18:28 INFO mapred.JobClient: Running job: job_200804221413_0001
08/04/22 14:18:29 INFO mapred.JobClient:  map 0% reduce 0%
08/04/22 14:18:42 INFO mapred.JobClient:  map 21% reduce 0%
08/04/22 14:18:44 INFO mapred.JobClient:  map 40% reduce 0%
...

You can check your jobs and see how things are running by hitting 'localhost:50070' and 'localhost:50030' in a browser while Hadoop is running. Lastly, I attempted to also create jobs to run hadoop in Sun Grid Engine, which I spoke about installing with Unicluster in this post. This worked like a charm, the normal q* commands and etc work like you would expect and the jobs run properly. Hadoop is a pretty sweet utility, its no surprise that large internet search companies could use this to their advantage. We will likely see a lot more from Hadoop and the MapReduce framework in the future. Edit: Check out, http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/07/28/more-on-hadoop-metrics-in-ganglia/ for more info on ganglia and hadoop metrics.

The Cluster.

2008-04-20T00:00:00-07:00

So, the last couple months I have been working on a project in clustering and high performance computing. I haven't really dealt with much of it in my day job outside of clustering J2EE containers like Tomcat and Resin but that sort of clustering is something entirely different for the most part. What I wanted to build was something that would be able to perform parallel jobs and solve hard math, like something you might find at a university or government lab. TACC is a great example or something you might find on Top500. Obliviously something like TACC with 3,936 nodes and 123TB of memory isn't something I can afford to buy. So I decided to piece it together with cheap hardware from ebay. I first found a lot of three IBM Netvista's each with 512MB of RAM and a 866MHz Pentium 3 CPU. Then I picked up a Nortel Baystack 450-24T switch, I wanted something I could manage if needed and decent throughput, better than a Linksys or Netgear off the shelf at BestBuy. Lastly I needed a machine to become the front/main node that will be leader of the cluster. For this I found a Compaq EVO, 1.7GHz Pentium 4 with 512MB of RAM. After a few weeks I had all my hardware. Next was to choose the software I wanted to run. I tried a few different setups, the first was PelicanHPC. This clustering distro is based on Debian and works pretty well. It is completely CD based and there is very little setup involved, everything just boots over the network or off the CD. While quick and easy I shied away from using it for just that reason, I wanted something that is installed and permanent. Next in line was Rocks. Rocks is Centos based and uses Kickstart to distribute the OS to all the nodes of the cluster. It also has "rolls" that include all sorts of HPC software like Ganglia, Sun Grid Engine and Condor. Seemed like a nice all-in-one solution. I didn't have much luck with it due to only having 512MB in my main node, it needs at least 1GB to load up the image to install. I tried it on my laptop that has 4GB in it and it worked nicely but changing out hard drives in my laptop to play with the cluster was not something I wanted to do on a daily basis. My next trial was using Centos 4 and installing OSCAR. OSCAR has a decent install process and number of packages "built-in" like MPI and Ganglia. OSCAR also hasn't been updated in a couple years so it requires an older distro to work, like Centos 4 and Fedora Core 5. This isn't really a problem (I happen to like Centos 4 quite a bit) but as you might expect during the install I ran into a number of weird package dependency issues but was able to correct them. Once I got it installed on my main node I began to install it over the network to the other nodes, a process that should have been trivial I was unable to get working properly. So with that and the annoying package dependencies I moved on. My final trial was using Centos 4 with Univa UD's Unicluster Express 3.2. This includes Grid Engine, Globus, a dead simple install process and Ganglia (including Univa UD's own monitoring client). Once installed on the main node I began on the rest of them their installation script made this very easy. Once done I was able to attempt to submit jobs, I first attempted using one of their example jobs which basically just runs the 'date' command on the node that the job is sent to: qsub /usr/local/unicluster/sge/examples/jobs/simple.sh It worked! Grid Engine sent the job to one of the nodes and the node completed it. Next I wanted to try something a bit more intensive, I tried their 'worker.sh' example and it worked without an issue as well. Next I wanted to find out how to submit parallel jobs, after a few trial and error attempts using the wrong software I installed MPICH2 in a shared partition on the cluster, set the path and started it up and tested it out:

mpdboot -n 3 -f hostfile
mpdtrace -l -n 3 hostname
mpdringtest 100

It worked without a hitch. I now needed to setup the queue to be 'batch interactive parallel' so I can submit parallel jobs and have then run immediately. qconf -mattr queue qtype "BATCH INTERACTIVE" all.q I also went ahead and wrote a script for the job I wanted to run which is the pi example included with MPICH.

#!/bin/bash
#$ -cwd
#$ -N mpitest
#$ -pe mpi 3
#$ -now y
#$ -j y
/opt/share/mpich2/bin/mpiexec -l -n 1 -host front.esper /opt/share/mpich2/bin/cpi : -n 100 -host node01.esper /opt/share/mpich2/bin/cpi : -n 100 -host node02.esper /opt/share/mpich2/bin/cpi : -n 100 -host node03.esper /opt/share/mpich2/bin/cpi

When this script is submitted to the cluster using SGE 'qsub' it will run 100 processes on all the nodes and 1 on the main node. Since this is a parallel job they all work together at finding the result. I was pretty excited to find that it produced a result. My next project was to get linpack running to test the performance of the cluster. After a bit of playing with the Make script and installing atlas and fortran I was able to have it compile. I kicked off a test in the same way I did in the pi script above and scored 1.919Gflops. Nothing to write home about but it works and it's good enough for me.

0: ============================================================================
0: T/V                N    NB     P     Q               Time             Gflops
0: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0: WR00R2R4          35     4     4     1               0.02          1.919e-03

All in all I have been pretty happy with Unicluster and continue to work with it and figure out all the cool stuff you can do with Grid Engine. One issue I have ran into is the monitoring software that is included hooks into Ganglia but currently I am not seeing anything on the graphs. Luckily the guys at Univa UD run Grid.org and are fairly active in the forums. They have helped me out a couple times now. It's fairly easy to get a cluster running (just time consuming) but as I am now finding out it is more difficult to keep it rolling and make life easy on myself while running. Here are a few tips I can share from my experience:

Shared partitions are key, I use shared home directories and a directory '/opt/share' mounted on each machine. I initially wasn't doing this and found it cumbersome to do anything that needed to be on each machine. Have applications and libraries that need to be installed on each machine? Install them on a shared partition and set the PATH to the appropriate location in your bashrc. This allows you to install and set it once for all machines.
Use SSH keys without pass phrases, life is easier without passwords.
Read the docs. MPICH2, Unicluster and SGE all have pretty good docs and decent examples to get you rolling.
Understand how to configure SGE queues and how they work. Here's a starter.
Script everything! Script your jobs, MPI startup and anything else you do on a regular basis.

Lastly, there are likely things I failed to mention in this article so if you have a question or there is something missing just comment on this post and I will do my best to answer.

Grape Drink.

2008-04-13T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPgwFLItDww[/youtube]

Churn.

2008-04-11T00:00:00-07:00

Of late things have been entirely too busy. I haven't been able to do nearly as much blogging as I normally do here or at MusicSucks. For that matter I haven't been getting outdoors enough either. But I suppose thats the way it goes sometimes. Here's a few things that have been going on:

You can find out about cool stuff going on at Contegix over here, we recently updated our old any crusty website. Even with a fancy blog.
The last month or two I have been working on a clustering project in my spare time, using Univa UD's Unicluster Express product. It's opensource and is fairly sweet from what I have done thus far. I plan to post a more complete synopsis in the future. I am also considering playing with the new beta release of Rocks.
I have also been working on a Catalpa-related project with my brother. It is currently in stealth mode, so I cannot say much about it but I will be sure to post more about it here when I can. I think it's going to be pretty frickin' cool.

Tuesday Nights.

2008-03-25T00:00:00-07:00

I just did my first Tuesday night crit of the season, and by did I mean I got dropped five times. Sweet.

Clinton.

2008-03-25T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]8BfNqhV5hg4[/youtube] oops...

Get Joe Williams Back into Shape Training Series presented by Little Debbie Breakfast Pastries - YEAR 3

2008-03-21T00:00:00-07:00

Ok gang, it's time to eat up your cosmic brownies and roll. Now in its third illustrious year the ride will be starting from the Muny (lower) in Forest Park at 6pm every Thursday until the fall time change back to CST. We will start out with a shorted loop until the days get longer. If you are running late we head out on Midland from Vernon. Show up, make fun, ride some bikes.

For Erin.

2008-03-15T00:00:00-07:00

Dog Sitting.

2008-03-15T00:00:00-07:00

This is Sophie, my brothers dog. I happened to get a box with a bunch of peanuts in it, so I figured I would combine the two.

My Email From Claire McCaskill.

2008-03-13T00:00:00-07:00

Here is the email I received today from Claire McCaskill regarding the FISA and telecom immunity. I contacted her a few weeks ago by phone and email. Below is my response, I hope making her and my emails public it will shed some more light on this issue.

Dear Mr. Williams: Thank you for contacting me regarding efforts to revise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, also known as FISA. I appreciate hearing from you, and I welcome the opportunity to respond. On February 12, 2008, after months of debate, the Senate passed the FISA Amendments Act of 2007 (S.2248) by a vote of 68-29. I voted in favor of this effort to modernize the 30-year-old FISA in order to allow us to effectively monitor terrorist communications overseas. As the FISA Amendments Act was debated on the Senate floor, I voted in favor of three amendments introduced by Senator Feingold (D-WI), all of which sought to add further safeguards against Executive Branch surveillance on innocent Americans. Unfortunately, these amendments failed to garner enough votes to pass. However, the Senate-passed FISA Amendments Act does include several measures to improve our national security without violating the constitutionally protected privacy rights and civil liberties of law-abiding Americans. For example, it would require the government to obtain a warrant whenever the target of surveillance is a U.S. citizen as well as bolster the authority of the FISA courts to oversee the eavesdropping activities of the National Security Agency. As you may know, I joined 18 other Democrats in voting against Senator Dodd’s (D-CT) amendment to remove provisions granting retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies (telecoms) that cooperated with the Bush Administration’s wiretapping program. Please keep in mind that this is a limited immunity that applies solely to the telecoms, not the government. I just don’t think we should punish these companies for their good-faith reliance on government assurances that they were assisting in a legal effort to combat terrorism. If the government violated our surveillance laws by eavesdropping without the necessary warrants, then it is the Administration – not the telecoms – that needs to be held accountable. That’s why I supported Senator Specter’s (R-PA) amendment, which would have substituted the federal government in place of telecoms as the defendant in lawsuits, allowing existing legal actions to move forward in an appropriate manner. While this measure was rejected, the underlying legislation would still allow citizens to sue the government for past violations and telecoms for future violations of the new law. As your United States Senator, I remain determined to get to the bottom of any government misconduct. Currently, the Senate-passed FISA legislation needs to be reconciled with the House-passed version. I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind as Congress continues to debate this important issue. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future regarding other matters of interest or concern to you. All best, Senator Claire McCaskill

Here is my response:

Thanks for your email regarding the FISA bill. I understand your argument regarding telecom immunity but humbly disagree. I am concerned that giving immunity sets a precedent that the executive branch can tell corporations what they need and the corporations will automatically get a trump card against any law suits should they give the executive branch what they asked for. There are two issues here, one, the executive branch needs more oversight from the legislative. I hope that the bill proposed will do this. Two, corporations should consider the legality of their actions before taking them regardless of who is asking. The latter is something that this immunity directly effects, giving immunity allows them to act without thinking about the ethical and legal issues surround the actions. From what I understand (http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm) Qwest communications was the only telecom to not comply according to the mentioned article "it was uneasy about the legal implications of handing over customer information to the government without warrants". This type of protection of customer data should be commended and I wish the other telcoms would have done the same. Lastly, as a consumer and citizen I believe that the wiretaps need to be investigated. Since everyones data (internet usage, email and phone services) was effected by these wiretaps we should know, as owners of that data, the extent of this operation. I hope this finds you in good health and spirits. Thank you for taking the time to listen to a constituent. -Joseph Williams

Support the EFF and Senator Dodd's fight against telecom immunity and the encroachment on our privacy by our own government.

Rock Racing.

2008-02-28T00:00:00-08:00

That's be scary.

Apache vs Nginx : Web Server Performance Deathmatch

2008-02-28T00:00:00-08:00

Deathmatch may be an overstatement but here are the results from some performance benchmarking. The Setup: Server:

CENTOS 5.1
Dual 2.4GHz Xeon CPUs
4GB RAM
RAID5 (4 x 15k disks)
Server and test client were connected via a consumer grade 10/100 switch

Configurations:

Basic static vhost
Keepalive turned on and with timeout of 15 seconds
GZIP turned on

I used autobench to perform the tests. Basically this is a perl script that sits on top of httperf and will run multiple tests in succession outputing the results to CSV. Awfully convenient. All the tests were run against the same robots.txt file. Autobench ran the following command 20 times incrementing the request rate by 10 each time. I started at 10 requests per second and went up to 200.

httperf --timeout=5 --client=0/1 --server=HOST --port=80 --uri=/robots.txt --rate=X --send-buffer=4096 --recv-buffer=16384 --num-conns=5000 --num-calls=10

I performed two samples and arbitrarily used the second as the results shown here. At the bottom of this post I will have spreadsheet containing the data from these tests so you can check out all the results. The Results: Both web servers performed well in all the tests and had no issues completing the requests. So I will not mention the metrics that they finished very closely on, only the ones that they did not have similar results. There were three httperf related tests that Nginx and Apache differed on more than small amount, reply rate, network I/O and response time. This one really piqued my interest. It seems strange to me why we would see such a result from Apache. In both tests there was a big difference at the 700 request mark. Statistically the difference was only on the max reply rate. The average and minimum are within a few tenths of a percent consistent through the tests. The max for Apache in the first test was 734.7 and in the second 758.7, standard deviations of 13.9 and 22.9 respectively. I suppose the real question here is whether or not this is my test or how Apache acts. If it is the later it seems strange that dealing with 700 requests would be any different than dealing with 800. From 800 requests to 2000, the larger differences in these results seems more realistic, controlled and gradual. The network I/O graph I find interesting mostly because I don't know how to take it. On one hand it seems Apache is simply using more bandwidth to do the same number of requests as Nginx. Which would seem bad. On the other it could just mean that Apache does a better job of consuming and using the available pipe. Which would seem good. My hunch is that it is the former. The response times are also interesting since Nginx responds consistently at 0.4 ms. I am not sure why this is since I don't know the internals to Nginx but I imagine that it is something that is built into how it deals with requests. While the httperf tests were running I collected sar data from that time. The results show that Nginx uses a good amount less CPU and produces equally less load. Apache: CPU: Load: Nginx: CPU: Load: Thats all I got, pretty cool. Nginx seems to compete pretty well with Apache and there doesn't seem like there is a good reason not to use it especially in CPU usage constrained situations (ie huge traffic, slow machines and etc). Here's my results spreadsheet for the detailed results of each httperf metric.

Nginx and Apache.

2008-02-27T00:00:00-08:00

So I have started playing around with Nginx a bit, normally I am an Apache user. It seems to be the latest fad in web servers for the ruby on rails community. It's a constant rotation. Last year it seemed that the web server of choice was lighttpd, I am sure for some it still is. Before mongrel, fastcgi was the way to connect your rails app to your web server, whether it be Apache or lighttpd. The first thing I noticed was the difference in the configuration files. They seem organized more like a script or etc rather than a normal linux configuration file. Overall it was pretty easy to replicate my Apache configuration files. I got gzip and expires rolling too. Anyway I will hopefully be putting some performance tests together, as soon as I do I will post them. Here's a little test ... Apache, Nginx head to head with Apachebench. I used a static file for the tests, robots.txt. From this easy test it seems that Nginx is pretty quick. Hopefully, there will be more to come. Nginx:

Server Software: nginx/0.5.35 Server Hostname: HOST Server Port: 80 Document Path: /robots.txt Document Length: 204 bytes Concurrency Level: 200 Time taken for tests: 1.503728 seconds Complete requests: 1000 Failed requests: 0 Write errors: 0 Total transferred: 494984 bytes HTML transferred: 204408 bytes Requests per second: 665.01 [#/sec] (mean) Time per request: 300.746 [ms] (mean) Time per request: 1.504 [ms] (mean, across all concurrent requests) Transfer rate: 321.20 [Kbytes/sec] received Connection Times (ms) min mean[+/-sd] median max Connect: 17 91 43.3 99 174 Processing: 25 165 188.4 123 1140 Waiting: 18 135 141.9 113 1004 Total: 67 257 188.8 231 1175 Percentage of the requests served within a certain time (ms) 50% 231 66% 282 75% 290 80% 298 90% 475 95% 605 98% 1018 99% 1162 100% 1175 (longest request)

Apache:

Server Software: Apache/2.2.3 Server Hostname: HOST Server Port: 80 Document Path: /robots.txt Document Length: 204 bytes Concurrency Level: 200 Time taken for tests: 8.891118 seconds Complete requests: 1000 Failed requests: 0 Write errors: 0 Total transferred: 504510 bytes HTML transferred: 205020 bytes Requests per second: 112.47 [#/sec] (mean) Time per request: 1778.224 [ms] (mean) Time per request: 8.891 [ms] (mean, across all concurrent requests) Transfer rate: 55.34 [Kbytes/sec] received Connection Times (ms) min mean[+/-sd] median max Connect: 0 30 231.0 8 2999 Processing: 2 437 1153.2 164 8745 Waiting: 1 422 1115.7 162 8745 Total: 69 468 1175.9 169 8770 Percentage of the requests served within a certain time (ms) 50% 169 66% 182 75% 197 80% 223 90% 271 95% 4658 98% 4675 99% 6005 100% 8770 (longest request)

Will Froze Toes Happen?

2008-02-22T00:00:00-08:00

Who Cares?! I don't want to ride in this crap. Andy Hampsten on the Gavia on his way to winning the 1988 Giro.

Is a "laptop the same as a suitcase"?

2008-02-07T00:00:00-08:00

In this article at the Washington Post they describe the experiences of a few travelers that have their laptops taken and they forced to type in their passwords so TSA/Customs could search for "information possibly tied to terrorism, narcotics smuggling, child pornography or other criminal activity". The individuals in the article are rightfully concerned about their sensitive data on their electronic devices (Blackberrys, laptops etc) but also proprietary information to their employers. Whats more is one individual never got their laptop back. The cases in the article also bring up questions of racial/religious profiling. The whole notion of "let me read your email or you can't get on this flight" and to quote the article, "the government's laptop-equals-suitcase position" seems awfully ridiculous to me. The worst part of this is that the innocent people are the ones that are hurt. I have nothing to hide but that doesn't mean I want government officials rummaging through my apartment or laptop. Here's an interesting excerpt:

"It's one thing to say it's reasonable for government agents to open your luggage," said David D. Cole, a law professor at Georgetown University. "It's another thing to say it's reasonable for them to read your mind and everything you have thought over the last year. What a laptop records is as personal as a diary but much more extensive. It records every Web site you have searched. Every e-mail you have sent. It's as if you're crossing the border with your home in your suitcase." If the government's position on searches of electronic files is upheld, new risks will confront anyone who crosses the border with a laptop or other device, said Mark Rasch, a technology security expert with FTI Consulting and a former federal prosecutor. "Your kid can be arrested because they can't prove the songs they downloaded to their iPod were legally downloaded," he said. "Lawyers run the risk of exposing sensitive information about their client. Trade secrets can be exposed to customs agents with no limit on what they can do with it. Journalists can expose sources, all because they have the audacity to cross an invisible line."

I have a business trip this spring, there is a good chance that I will be enabling filesystem encryption (easily done with Ubuntu at install time) on my machine should they confiscate it. In the end I would rather not get on the flight than hand over my laptop. They not only take your laptop and password, they take your privacy and rights as a US citizen away as well. If this happens to you inside the US, ask for a search warrant before handing anything over. Support the EFF.

What will happen to Cannondale?

2008-02-04T00:00:00-08:00

From VeloNews:

As a result of the acquisition, Dorel’s recreational/leisure segment, which includes Pacific Cycle, InStep, Playsafe and Roadmaster, will be split into two separate divisions. The Cannondale Sports Group, which will target the independent bicycle dealer and be separate from the mass-market line, will include Cannondale, Sugoi, GT and the company’s other premium bicycle brands, presumably Schwinn and Mongoose. Cannondale Sports has already stated that it plans to seek acquisitions of similar high-quality brands.

Being owned by the same folks as Pacific and Roadmaster it's anyones guess. I am a Cannondale fan and have been for a long time, I hope the quality and Made in the USA label aren't dropped (at least more than they already have been).

T61 Suspend to RAM with Ubuntu Gutsy.

2008-01-28T00:00:00-08:00

I now have suspend working on my new T61. It was an easy fix after all, I had just not read thinkwiki close enough to find the answer. As you will see below "acpi_sleep=s3_bios" is for Intel graphics cards and "acpi_sleep=s3_mode" is for Nvidia cards. I have confirmed that "acpi_sleep=s3_bios" does not work on the Nvidia chip but "acpi_sleep=s3_mode" indeed does work. Also note that I have the Atheros based thinkpad wireless and have not had any issues coming back from suspend and my wireless failing, which is an issue mentioned in the link above. It seems like an issue isolated to the Intel wireless cards. Edit '/etc/default/acpi-support':

# Should we save and restore state using the VESA BIOS Extensions? SAVE_VBE_STATE=false ... # Should we attempt to warm-boot the video hardware on resume? POST_VIDEO=false ... # Set the following to "platform" if you want to use ACPI to shut down # your machine on hibernation HIBERNATE_MODE=platform

Then add 'acpi_sleep=s3_mode' to '/boot/grub/menu.lst' like so:

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=dcf288e6-5431-4f65-bd88-2a6f58c02fae ro quiet nosplash acpi_sleep=s3_mode

After that my suspend worked just fine. I never use hibernate so I haven't even tried it but I imagine it may work too.

The T61 has landed.

2008-01-26T00:00:00-08:00

After a long wait in the line at the UPS store I was able to pickup my new laptop. After I took my girl to a nice dinner I spent the good portion of the rest of the night getting everything setup and rolling. The only real caveat so far is I am having trouble with both suspend and hibernate. It seems those two items are as fickle as you can get in the world of linux. I found some tips on getting it work here (thinkwiki.org) but didn't have any luck. One portion of the setup I was pleasantly surprised about was the nvidia graphics card. The Ubuntu restricted driver was used initial but I disabled it and I used envy to take care of the install and it is about as simple as it gets. Click 'ok' a couple times and it downloads the latest driver and sets it up and even configures xorg to use it. Also graphics related I had to boot up the installer in "graphics safe mode" I suppose this might be due to the proprietary nvidia drivers. At any rate it was a breeze. The Atheros wireless was detected and installed without a glitch as well. Pretty easy setup, everything seems to work well. The laptop itself is sturdy, it feels like the IBM/Lenovo's that I have had in the past. It has the same feel that my 600e (circa 1998) has. That may be looked down upon by some but I think the sturdy build quality and feel is a nice throwback to the days when things were overbuilt. That said the laptop isn't all that heavy, it is certainly a bit heavier than the MacBook but it is also a bit wider and deeper. A few things I am stoked about with this laptop are the high resolution screen. The last two laptops I have had have been 1280x768, which is nice enough but Lenovo had an option for 1440x900 resolution screens and I had to take it. The extra real estate is great. Another item is the nvidia graphics card, its been years since I have done any gaming but when I saw trailers (below) for Portal I had to make sure my next laptop had a decent graphics card. One other nice upgrade is from the Core Duo to the Core 2 Duo in this laptop. More speed, more cache and it's 64bit. Also, I picked up 4GB of ram for this thing, should be a nice upgrade. [youtube]TluRVBhmf8w[/youtube] Here's some nerdy stuff: Specs: Lenovo T61 (7662CTO) Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz (T7500) Nvidia Quadro NVS 140m Hitachi 7200rpm 200GB 4GB Mushkin PC2-6400 DVD/CD Burner Atheros ABG Wireless (Thinkpad Wireless) Here's the lspci: 00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 0c) 00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 PCI Express Root Port (rev 0c) 00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82566MM Gigabit Network Connection (rev 03) 00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Contoller #4 (rev 03) 00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03) 00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03) 00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03) 00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03) 00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03) 00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 03) 00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 03) 00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03) 00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03) 00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03) 00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03) 00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03) 00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f3) 00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HBM (ICH8M-E) LPC Interface Controller (rev 03) 00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller (rev 03) 00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03) 00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03) 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Quadro NVS 140M (rev a1) 03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01) 15:00.0 CardBus bridge: Ricoh Co Ltd RL5c476 II (rev ba) 15:00.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd R5C832 IEEE 1394 Controller (rev 04)

The Orange Box using Wine.

2008-01-26T00:00:00-08:00

I got Valve's Orange Box (Portal, Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2 and friends) running really easily using this tutorial. It's pretty basic stuff, getting Sling Player to work was a bit tougher but it works for me. The only issue I have with the Orange Box so far is I have yet found a way to adjust the in-game resolution, it seems locked at 1024x768. Kinda sucks but it's fun to play games again. If anyone has any ideas post a comment and let me know.

Wooden Bike.

2008-01-25T00:00:00-08:00

Check out this wooden bike.

New Guinea Pig.

2008-01-24T00:00:00-08:00

I haven't done a cycling related post in quite some time, so here it goes. The racing season is just a month or so away and I couldn't be less prepared. That's the way it feels anyway. My winter training has been much, much different than in the past. The last two winters I haven't done crap, and then was pretty much M.I.A. when the bulk of the racing starts. Mostly because of work and life and any excuse I can come up with to not ride my bike indoors. The trainer sucks ass. Late last season I downgraded to the 3s in hopes that I will be able to race again and by race I mean finish races. A two year hiatus does not help a whole lot if you are racing in the 1/2s. Prior to the last couple years I would spend big number of hours on the bike (15 to 25) and a couple hours a week in the weight room. This winter I have rode very little probably 3 to 5 hours a week, pretty minuscule. But on the other hand I have been hitting the gym a lot more than I ever have. I have certainly gotten physically stronger, arguably as strong as I have ever been, but without a doubt I am bit heavier and laking endurance. I have no idea if this training plan will work so I am a bit of a guinea pig for myself. I suppose we will see how things go at Froze Toes, hopefully my younger brother doesn't hurt me too bad. Once things get warmer I will head outside and get a few miles in. Hopefully my lift when its cold, ride when its warm training plan will at least keep me racing through August.

Downtown WiFi, part 3. Confirmed.

2008-01-24T00:00:00-08:00

I have confirmed there is indeed wifi available downtown St Louis. My brother confirmed it when he walked past a technician installing an antenna, asked if this were indeed free wifi for the downtown area. The tech also stated that it is difficult trying to get decent range with all the building and etc. Very true indeed, wifi is all about line of sight, buildings get in the way.

Ruby, Rails, Mongrel.

2008-01-23T00:00:00-08:00

Ok ... so with all the hoopla (good or bad) regarding Zed in the RoR community it seems like a few folks will be creating an alternative to Mongrel. This seems like mostly personal issue and not an issue with mongrel/mongrel_cluster itself. However, what I have been thinking someone (possibly myself) should fork mongrel and make mongrel connect via AJP rather than proxy. This should improve performance and bring mongrel one step closer to a looking like a servlet container like Tomcat, Jetty or Resin. To that end, Resin can run PHP code, so maybe the way to go would be to take an already existing container and make it RoR compatible. Down the road maybe Rails will include its own container build in, Rails being both the framework and container. With yml configs and an all-in-one type of installation setting up deployments should be a breeze. At any rate there is certainly some work to be done to bring Rails to the same level that Java webapps now have. Anyone got any ideas?

The Endless Search for a Laptop that Works ...

2008-01-22T00:00:00-08:00

Ok, as you already know I have been rolling a MacBook with Ubuntu. Things at the beginning were fine but eventually things just got plain annoying. The keyboard changes were dumb and I am tired of other MacCrap that I have dealt with. I am sure it's fine while using OSX but I am hooked on linux. Last week I ordered it's replacement, a Lenovo T61. Needless to say, I am pretty stoked. This sort of thing (and other situations) has taught me to get what you want (within your means obviously) rather than whats easy or {insert reason}. Having exactly what you want is worth a bit more money, time or {insert valuable resource}. I will post info about the new machine when it arrives, hopefully before the weekend. If you are wanting to purchase a clean, use ready MacBook (Leopard installed) let me know I will be selling mine in the very near future.

New Theme.

2008-01-17T00:00:00-08:00

It's been a long, long time since I changed up the theme here on the blog. This blog has been around since 2004 and the theme hasn't changed but a couple times. So here it is, with cool rotating photos!

Downtown WiFi, part 2.

2008-01-16T00:00:00-08:00

I have a report that there does indeed seem to be free WiFi downtown now. There is a SSID of "ATTMETROWIFI" now available near the antenna locations. Cool beans! Edit: there also seems to be a SSID of ATTMETROFREE, so perhaps one pay for service and one free service?

Stuff for sale.

2008-01-15T00:00:00-08:00

Hey gang, it's time to clean out the old computer closest again. I have the following for sale:

100GB 7200RPM Seagate 2.5in hard drive (made for sata laptops) $75
80GB 5400RPM Toshiba 2.5in hard drive (made for sata laptops) $50
Enterasys Yagi Antenna, this thing is used by Wireless ISPs $30
Two 512MB PC2 5300 sticks of DDR2 memory (SODIMM, works in laptops, macbooks and etc) $30 for the pair
American Megatrends 780 MegaRAC-II (I think that's the model anyway) PCMCIA PCI Adapter with Psion Gold 56k modem RETRO! $10
Iomega Zip 100 drive $10 ... order now and get a free Mitsumi floppy drive (1.44)
Boca Research or GVC (not sure) SuperModem 2400 ... that's right 2400 baud! HIP OLD SCHOOL ACTION! Great for war dialing with friends. Pricele$$

Photo's of all the items can be found HERE.

Downtown STL WiFi?!

2008-01-13T00:00:00-08:00

I have seen a few of these radio masts show up downtown near where I work (next to the Federal Court House). The look an awful lot like WiFi setups, does this mean we are getting free wireless downtown? I have no idea but I am curious in the least. I have a number of pics here.

Anyone know what these are for?

Linux Users and Los Campesinos!

2008-01-08T00:00:00-08:00

Tiny Mix Tapes has a hilarious comparison of linux users and Los Campesinos! [MySpace] being a linux user myself (at home and at my day job), I find this review completely awesome and dead on accurate. The whole part about installing Ubuntu is classic. Anywho, read the article and listen to We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives (LISTEN). I posted this at MusicSucks too!

Scotty Cranmer.

2007-12-23T00:00:00-08:00

[youtube]geO1pWjJKD8[/youtube]

Robo-Cat.

2007-12-21T00:00:00-08:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_UyGP9d2R8[/youtube]

Re-building and Optimizing Ubuntu Packages.

2007-12-20T00:00:00-08:00

In hopes of squeezing a bit more performance out of firefox and thunderbird I decided to compile them from source with some gcc optimizations. Here's a general outline of what I had to do:

Install needed build utilities: apt-get install autotools-dev fakeroot dh-make build-essential
Make a directory for the source: mkdir src; cd src
Download source: apt-get source PACKAGENAME
Download build dependencies: apt-get build-dep PACKAGENAME
Change into the directory create: cd NAME
Edit 'debian/rules', change 'OPTFLAGS' to something better suited for your machine. I used: -O3 -march=prescott -pipe -ftracer -fomit-frame-pointer -freorder-blocks -fno-reorder-functions -funroll-loops -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -fweb -fno-strict-aliasing which should help speed things up for a Core Duo. If you have a different CPU some of these options may be different. D_FORTIFY_SOURCE will help against buffer overflows by being more strict on copies to buffers. See here.
I also add export MOZ_MAKE_FLAGS='-j3' to the rules to help compile in parallel since I am using a dual core CPU.
Build it: dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot -uc -b
... sit and wait, depending on the package this can take a long time

Something like that should work for most packages. Comment if you have any additional info or questions. Check out this and this for more info on gcc optimization.

OMG!!!LOL!!!KILLERPARASITES!!1!

2007-12-19T00:00:00-08:00

[youtube]3ZuQaSctVY0[/youtube]

Bought Some Time.

2007-12-18T00:00:00-08:00

The FISA bill was postponed yesterday by some hard work by Chris Dodd and others. Make sure you contact your senators before they return from the holiday break. Don't let the telco's get away with giving your emails and phone calls to the administration with our your permission. [youtube]-I4Z0_dyFMc[/youtube]

Christmas Tree ...errr... Shrub.

2007-12-16T00:00:00-08:00

Doing a full sized tree seemed a bit wasteful especially if you cannot plant it somewhere after Christmas. So Erin and I went hunting for something a bit more reasonable for my apartment. We decided on a Juniper of the Gold Cone variety. It's really more of a Christmas shrub than a Christmas tree but it's all good. Motorboat loves the scent to boot. I hope it will find a home either at my parents place or at my brothers recently purchased abode. Full grown it will be pretty large something like 10ft by 10ft so it can't stay indoors.

Busy.

2007-12-09T00:00:00-08:00

Damn, lately things have been busy. I have been working usually 9 or 10 hours a day, then meet up with my girl Erin and hit the gym and/or running/riding then grab some dinner. It's well after 9pm by the time we are done most days. The weeks feel completely non-stop. Things at work have been busy to, never a dull moment. It doesn't help that I need to get some Christmas shopping done, not to mention that I have no idea what to buy anyone. With all that things are good, busy but good. I have been busy over at Music Sucks too. Check out our best of 2007 lists or some upcoming shows.

This cracks my shit up.

2007-12-01T00:00:00-08:00

Bike Soundsystems. Dope.

2007-11-29T00:00:00-08:00

Check out this post at BoingBoing. NYT photos and article.

Completely Awesomenessity.

2007-11-22T00:00:00-08:00

[youtube]p_iup2jXQqI[/youtube] I want one.

VMWare Server 2.0 Beta - Linux

2007-11-14T00:00:00-08:00

I have installed the VMWare Server 2.0 Beta on my Xubuntu laptop and was pleasantly surprised to see that it installed without glitch. No more hacking to get it to install like on older versions. Once complete I attempted to run the 'vmware' command from the command line, it gave me the following message:

[zeusfaber@der-dieb vmware-server-distrib]$ vmware Try 'man vmware' for more information.

WTF?! After a bit of looking (here) at the VMWare forums I found that they have omitted the vmware server console. This sucks ... why would you want to trade a desktop app for a buggy and slow webclient? Not to mention I run this on my laptop not a server so whats the point of having an app (in this case tomcat) running in the background all the time? I cannot answer either of these questions so I uninstalled it and reinstalled 1.0.4 vmware server.

VMWare please bring back the server console and make the webclient optional!

Apple Power Supplies - 85w or 60w?

2007-10-31T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, so I want to get a second power supply for the new MacBook. The MacBooks come standard with a 60w but the MacBook Pro's come with a 85w. The two power supplies are the same price at the Apple Store. Can I use the higher powered one with my MacBook? Here's the answer, From http://www.macworld.com/2006/05/firstlooks/macbookfaq/index.php

I already own a MacBook Pro—can I use the power supply that came with it on a MacBook? If you hold the two power supplies side by side, you’ll notice that the MacBook Pro’s is larger. That’s because the MacBook Pro uses an 85-watt power supply, while the MacBook uses a 60-watt power supply. Apple says you can use the more powerful, 85-watt power supply with a MacBook without any problems, and that in 80 percent to 90 percent of situations, you can use the MacBook’s power supply with the more-demanding MacBook Pro as well. If you’re really taxing the MacBook Pro’s processor with some heavy-duty work, the MacBook’s adapter will still be able to power the MacBook Pro—but it may not have any power left over to charge its battery.

The little bro ripping it up.

2007-10-29T00:00:00-07:00

He's been kicking some butt in the Bubba Cross series.

MacBook and Ubuntu.

2007-10-28T00:00:00-07:00

I took the plunge, I purchased a MacBook from my brother and his wife. I have had it for about 24 hours maybe and have most of the kinks worked out. The first kink was to remove OSX, that was fairly easy. One thing I noticed though is that if your boot partition is not the first partition on the drive then the Apple BIOS (EFI thing or whatever) will not detect it. As such I had to delete all my partitions and arrange them in such a manner that Steve Jobs approves of. Outside of that the installation of Ubuntu Gutsy was cake. I have been attempting to rearrange the keyboard a bit which is mainly the only other issue I have ran into. I have been able to get the apple key to turn into ALT but not the ALT button to turn into SUPER. My xmodmap output:

[zeusfaber@der-dieb ~]$ xmodmap xmodmap: up to 3 keys per modifier, (keycodes in parentheses): shift Shift_L (0x32), Shift_R (0x3e) lock Caps_Lock (0x42) control Control_L (0x25), Control_R (0x6d) mod1 Super_L (0x40), Alt_L (0x7d), Meta_L (0x9c) mod2 Num_Lock (0x4d) mod3 mod4 Super_L (0x7f), Hyper_L (0x80) mod5 Mode_switch (0x5d), ISO_Level3_Shift (0x71), ISO_Level3_Shift (0x7c)

Also regarding the keyboard, it seems that by default Mac's have the 'fn' key pushed down at all times. This allows one to use the F1 - F12 keys for stuff like changing the volume and screen brightness. I changed this to the opposite, now they act as F* buttons normally and when 'fn' is pushed they act as special functions. I used 'pommed' to do this, just change '/etc/pommed.conf':

fnmode = 2

Another change I made was to how the keyboard and touchpad work. I am not used to using a touchpad due to years of using IBM/Lenovo laptops. So I had trouble using the keyboard and not hitting the touchpad which would cause my cursor to go flying and start typing somewhere else. As such I used syndaemon to put a timer on my touchpad keeping it inactive while typing. On startup I have the following run, it delays the touchpad for 1 second after typing.:

syndaemon -d -t -i 1.0

So far so good. I found a few good pages for setting this stuff up, check out: MacBook - Ubuntu Wiki Touchpad - syndaemon Some guy's Mactel Personal Setup Page MacBook - Gentoo Wiki

Contegix - Two Years.

2007-10-24T00:00:00-07:00

Welp folks it's official, I have been employed by good ol' Contegix for two years. On Oct 24th 2005 Matthew and Craig took a a risk on a wanna-be pro cyclist who just got back from racing bicycles in Europe and recently graduated from college. That same day I took a risk on a linux hosting company that until a few weeks prior worked out of little more than a storage closet on the same floor as a datacenter. The company hasn't stopped growing since and recently being promoted to lead engineer makes things seem like they worked out nicely. Speaking of growth, do you need a job and happen to have linux skills? We may be looking for someone just like you. Give us a call 314.621.8105.

Dreamlife Of Your Dreams.

2007-10-23T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]PPsUmhqncAg[/youtube]

In a bag.

2007-10-22T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]0SKbk-i7JH0[/youtube]

We are winners.

2007-10-14T00:00:00-07:00

Erin (she's like totally my girl friend), Daniel (my brother) and I competed in the Colorfest Biathlon in Anna, IL this weekend (Saturday). Erin and I were on a co-ed team and Daniel raced as an individual. We all threw down good times and won our respective categories. Erin even did her best 5km time in a decade.Yeehaw. In other racing news, Daniel raced again on Sunday at the Bubba Cross Cyclocross race in St Louis. He placed second after he and his breakaway companions (John Matthews, Nolan Frose and Daniel's teammate from SIUC) completely gapped the field. Nice work.

xkcd.

2007-10-10T00:00:00-07:00

http://xkcd.com/

2.6.23 Linux Kernel Released.

2007-10-10T00:00:00-07:00

It got released today. It includes all sorts of cool stuff like the new CFS process scheduler and SLUB as the default slab allocator. Kernel Newbies has got the run down.

Blackwater?

2007-10-05T00:00:00-07:00

[via BoingBoing] What is Blackwater you say? Wikipedia has the answer.

Amazon MP3 Music Store ... Linux?

2007-09-28T00:00:00-07:00

If you haven't already heard Amazon has opened a DRM-free MP3 based music store. Good times, music that you own rather than rent. Not to mention you can play it on anything that supports the MP3 format. Anywho, currently it seems that linux users can only download single songs rather than whole albums since they do not currently have a download utility for linux. Not to fear according to their docs:

If you use Linux, you can currently buy individual songs. A Linux version of the Amazon MP3 Downloader is under development, and when released will allow entire album purchases.

CFS.

2007-09-27T00:00:00-07:00

CFS is the new Completely Fair Scheduler for the linux kernel. It is pretty slick from what I gather. Luckily it was just backported to older versions of the kernel. They backported to version 2.6.22 which happens to be the version of the kernel that the latest Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon release will have as its base. Along with with some other folks on ubuntuforms.org I have put my two cents in to hopefully have this included, if you want it in Gutsy make some noise on the forums. More cool stuff from the kerneltrap.org post:

Which testbox had a system load of 1000.17 at this time, due to a rogue runaway workload of one thousand (!) non-reniced infinite loops: top - 14:34:05 up 30 min, 3 users, load average: 1000.17, 839.23, 444.57 Tasks: 1131 total, 1002 running, 129 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 30.8%us, 0.2%sy, 0.0%ni, 68.2%id, 0.8%wa, 0.0%hi, 0.0%si Mem: 2048992k total, 157688k used, 1891304k free, 18308k buffers Swap: 4096564k total, 0k used, 4096564k free, 25464k cached PID USER PR NI VIRT RES SHR S %CPU %MEM TIME+ COMMAND 3633 root 20 0 2892 1576 724 R 7 0.1 0:00.06 top 2427 mingo 20 0 1576 244 196 R 2 0.0 0:01.14 loop 2429 mingo 20 0 1576 244 196 R 2 0.0 0:01.14 loop To the root user, the box was fully usable an interactivity was excellent - i was easily able to kill off those runaway tasks. ( The /proc/root_user_cpu_share tunable also allows the root uid to have higher weight than other uids. Unit of the tunable is 0.1%, a weight of 100% is 1024, the default weight of the root uid is 200%. )

Tour of America?

2007-09-26T00:00:00-07:00

VeloNews has this press release about a North Carolina company that wants to start a grand tour in the US.

In its release, the company said it expects the race will be "the largest spectator event in the history of U.S. sports, covering approximately 4000 miles (more than 6000 km) from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean." Organizers of the tentative 30-day, 27-stage race expect to invite "25 of the most elite cycling teams in the world and will boast a prize purse currently pegged at $11 million, the largest purse of any international cycling event."

Sounds cool enough. They also provide a link to this "preliminary site" for the tour and mention the official site www.aqusports.com that will be "made available after Thursday's press conference". Interesting to me is the route on the preliminary site. One of the stages start here in STL and ends in Carbondale, IL which is roughly 5 miles from my home town. The next day starts in Carbondale, IL and finishes in Nashville, TN.

Stage 6 - 9/12/08 Indianapolis, IN to St Louis, MO Stage 7 - 9/13/08 St Louis, MO to Carbondale, IL Stage 8 - 9/14/08 Carbondale, IL to Nashville, TN

Lots of racing to be seen within a just a couple of hours of STL. Dope.

Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorne for Sega.

2007-09-22T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]fZBSdorJcIg[/youtube]

A World Without Net Neutrality.

2007-09-22T00:00:00-07:00

I found this post on BoingBoing about what an ISP might charge for if Net Neutrality is removed. I think it is fairly true to life and as Cory on BoingBoing says, turns "the Internet back into cable TV, where access to anything except MPAA content costs extra and is walled off from the majority of users".

(click to enlarge)

Thursday Night Muny Ride.

2007-09-19T00:00:00-07:00

Alright guys, today is Wednesday that means that tomorrow is Thursday. Which results in there being a ride from the Muny at 6pm. Show up. Ride.

The iPod checksum has been cracked.

2007-09-17T00:00:00-07:00

Since my last post apparently some folks have been working diligently to reverse engineer Apple's new hash to thwart non-itune's ipod users. Check out this post on Amarok's blog. Here's another blog post about getting it to work. Yay! [via Slashdot]

The New iPods Won't Play With Linux.

2007-09-15T00:00:00-07:00

I was lightly considering purchasing one of the new ipod nano's that recently came out. But it looks like I won't due to changes by Apple to keep thrid party apps from working with the ipod. As Cory Doctrow explains at BoingBoing:

The latest iPods have a cryptographic "checksum" in their song databases that prevents third-party applications from synching with the portable music players. This means that iPods can no longer be used with operating systems where iTunes doesn't exist -- like Linux, where gtkpod and Amarok are common free tools used by iPod owners to load their players.

There's also a bit of a technical post regarding the itunes database and the changes made. They have a snip of the itunes database (below) where they think the new changes were made.

At the very start of the database, a couple of what appear to be SHA1 hashes have been inserted which appear to lock the iTunes database to one particular iPod and prevent any modification of the database file. If you try to do either of these, the hashes will not match and the iPod will report that it contains "0 songs" when the iTunesDB would otherwise be perfectly adequate. ... ... 0x2C 4 zero padding 0x30 2 unknown = 1 0x32 20 unknown, changing completely from itdb to itdb 0x46 2 language, seen: de, en 0x48 8 library persistent id 0x50 4 unknown, seen: 1, 5 0x54 4 unknown, seen: 0x08, 0x0D, 0x1D, 0x4D, 0x8D 0x58 20 unknown some similarities between versions 0x6C 4 timezone offset in seconds. +2*60*60 -> 0x00001C20, -4*60*60 = 0xFFFFC7C0 (really?) 0x70 76 zero padding 0x00000000 0x32 is most likely a SHA1 hash, and 0x58 also could be. The question is, could you help? Hop along to freenode #gtkpod if you have some serious technical expertise in this kind of thing and are able to obtain a new iPod Classic or Nano.

This is disappointing. Unless a development team with gtkpod, rhythmbox, amarok, exaile or another FOSS music player/ipod manager can reverse engineer this stuff, linux will be without any new ipods. I don't imagine Apple making any easier in the future.

Too Bad...

2007-09-13T00:00:00-07:00

You missed the Thursday night group ride, it was a joyous time.

Seattle.

2007-09-11T00:00:00-07:00

I have a bunch of photo's HERE ... check 'em out.

Not Cool.

2007-09-07T00:00:00-07:00

[via Salon.com]

The next day, Sept. 18, Tenet briefed Bush on Sabri. "Tenet told me he briefed the president personally," said one of the former CIA officers. According to Tenet, Bush's response was to call the information "the same old thing." Bush insisted it was simply what Saddam wanted him to think. "The president had no interest in the intelligence," said the CIA officer. The other officer said, "Bush didn't give a f*ck about the intelligence. He had his mind made up."

[youtube]bxOzMz2jlrs[/youtube] [youtube]IDVEo9JGGXU[/youtube]

GWC.

2007-09-04T00:00:00-07:00

The Gateway Cup was this past weekend. Four races in four days, all sorts of dudes (and chicks) in tight pants, racing bicycles. Good times. I didn't race but there are plenty of people that did. Good ol' Dan B. posted a bunch of pics over HERE.I have to say that my youngest brother (above, veloshots.com) tore it up this weekend. He placed 2nd, 5th and 16th in three of the four races. Not too shabby for a kid with big hair.

Scrabble.

2007-08-21T00:00:00-07:00

Looks like an epic battle: .... no this is not me.

gitstat.

2007-08-21T00:00:00-07:00

If you are a linux nerd like myself you may find gitstat interesting. From the site:

gitstat is an Open Source, web-based git statistics interface. You may browse up-to-date statistics information, search and overview changeset(patch) status and monitor the git tree.

Going here you can see the latest stats for the linux kernel. Pretty cool, much more interesting than viewvc. With a name like 'gitstat' and Linus' abhorrence toward SVN [video], I suppose there isn't a chance that it will eventually work with SVN (my perfered scm).

VOLTRON!

2007-08-12T00:00:00-07:00

Apparently Transformers did well enough (I didn't see it) that the movie industry is doing another classic giant robot movie ... Voltron. I have to say that this is great news, as a child I loved Voltron and had the action figures and etc. Here is the Variety article. The IMDB and Wikipedia pages too. [youtube]1uS5b8aQ6z8[/youtube]

Disco is out, Burrito's are in.

2007-08-10T00:00:00-07:00

[via CyclingNews]:

Tailwind Sports has announced the end of the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team today, confirming rumours that cropped up when the team failed to announce a new sponsor after winning the Tour de France. The team was given notice that the Discovery Channel would not renew its sponsorship back in February, leading to a long and intensive search for a replacement sponsor.

...

That the team which won eight Tours can not find a sponsor bodes poorly for the sport in general. "Tailwind has had an amazing ten years of success with U.S. Postal and more recently Discovery Channel as its title sponsor. This is arguably the most successful sports franchise in the history of sport," stated Stapleton. "This was a difficult decision, not made any easier by our recent Tour de France success."

As good as the decade of dominance by the Celtics in the '60's? I'm not quite sure, but he did say "arguably".

The dissolution of the Discovery Channel team leaves one ProTour license up for grabs, leading to speculation that Team Slipstream could be the next American ProTour team. Manager Jonathan Vaughters told Cyclingnews that he wasn't sure his team would be able to take on three Grand Tours. "The ProTour requires that teams race the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta - and that's a huge undertaking," said Vaughters. His team has already signed ProTour riders David Zabriskie, David Millar, Christian Vande Velde, Magnus Backstedt, Julian Dean and Christophe Laurent.

You know Vaughters is gunning for this ProTour slot. Should they decide to give it to a US based team it sounds like he should have a chance with the names he has signed for next season. It would seem that Slipstream/Chipotle is better prepared for this and other US teams, although it may not be prepared for a full European schedule.

XMPP + Ruby = Bots!

2007-08-09T00:00:00-07:00

Lately I have been screwing around with XMPP (Jabber) and Ruby. It's pretty slick what you can to fairly easily. The XMPP4R library makes things cake. Also, Jive's opensource Openfire XMPP chat server is easy to get up and going. Anywho, here's a quick example of how to connect and login to a chat server using the XMPP4R library:

require 'xmpp4r/client' bot_jid = "USERNAME@SERVER" bot_pass = "PASSWORD" client = Jabber::Client.new($bot_jid) client.connect client.auth($bot_pass) client.send(Jabber::Presence.new)

As you can see, we first load the library. Then create a few variables for your credentials. Then we connect using those variables and lastly let everyone know you have logged in.

Chocolate cake.

2007-08-03T00:00:00-07:00

Bill Cosby Chocolate cake
Uploaded by Spookytime

What You Missed on This Morning's Muny Ride.

2007-08-02T00:00:00-07:00

Online Yard Sale Time.

2007-08-02T00:00:00-07:00

Ok folks, it's time for a good ol' fashion yard sale. HERE are large photo's of whats for sale. Comment on the post or email me at joe@joeandmotorboat.com if you are interested or have any questions. Electronics: I have two items on ebay: Pioneer xm2go XM Radio iPod AV Dock w/ charger If you are local and would like to purchase either of these I will take them down from ebay. Terk HDTV Antenna, $25: Samsung wide screen HDTV, 26 inches diagonal, flat tube. It has an HDMI port too. $300: Toshiba HDMI DVD player, $30: Bike Stuff: Olmo Track Frame, 51cm. It has a 53cm top tube, $300, Look CX7 Pedals with all the fixin's, $15:

Slipstream Rumors Come True.

2007-08-01T00:00:00-07:00

[via Velonews]:

On the same day that an American team won the Tour de France and American Levi Leipheimer finished on the podium, Slipstream Sports manager Jonathan Vaughters announced that he had signed compatriots Christian Vande Velde and Dave Zabriskie, both from team CSC, and Scottish rider David Millar, from Saunier Duval-Prodir.

And

Vaughters also said Slipstream was on the verge of signing a former Paris-Roubaix winner, but was not yet able to name the rider. Active Paris-Roubaix winners include Stuart O'Grady (2007), Fabian Cancellara (2006), Tom Boonen (2005), Magnus Bäckstedt (2004), Peter Van Petegem (2003), and Frederic Guesdon (1997). With both O'Grady and Cancellara committed to Team CSC in 2008, and Boonen staying with Quick Step-Innergetic, the possibilities can only include Bäckstedt, Van Petegem and Guesdon.

Lastly, I wonder who is getting the axe?

In all, Vaughters is letting 10 riders go from this year's 22-rider squad.

Mayo Positive.

2007-07-30T00:00:00-07:00

[via CyclingNews]

Iban Mayo tested positive for EPO on the Tour de France's rest day, July 24, it was announced Monday night. His team Saunier Duval was informed of the positive test by the UCI and immediately suspended the Spanish rider. The 29 year-old finished 16th in the Tour de France, which finished Sunday. He was 27'09" behind winner and compatriot Alberto Contadour (Discovery Channel). The Basque rider was the Italian team's leader. "In line with the fight against doping that the team fully support, the rider is immediately suspended until the B sample has been tested," Saunier Duval said on their Web site www.saunierduvalteam.com. "If that is confirmed as positive as well, we will proceed to rescind his contract." Team manager Josean Fernandez Matxin confirmed the UCI's notification of the positive test on the Tour's second rest day, calling the news a "disagreeable surprise." He told the Europa Press agency that the team is eager to demonstrate that it is clean. "At no time had he been a suspicious rider, on the contrary," he concluded. "Mayo passed all the UCI controls, all the internal controls, and he had never been suspicious. This has been bad news." Mayo joined Saunier Duval from the Basque Team Euskatel Euskadi this season. He finished sixth tin the Tour de Frnace in 2003 and won the Dauphine Libere in 2004. This is the third doping case to arise from the recently concluded Tour de France. Alexander Vinkourov of Team Astana tested positive for blood doping and Christian Moreni (Cofidis) for testosterone. Race leader Michael Rasmussen was pulled out of the race by Team Rabobank for having lied about his whereabouts during training prior to the Tour. Both Astana and Cofidis pulled their teams from the Tour folllowing the positive doping tests. Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for more information as the story develops.

More Dope?

2007-07-27T00:00:00-07:00

[via CyclingNews]

Following the exclusion of pre-race favourite Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana), race leader Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) and Christian Moreni (Cofidis) from the race, hopes that the Tour de France would get to Paris with no further scandals appear uncertain due to rumours that another doping case has taken place. Unconfirmed reports have said that a prominent rider tested positive on last Sunday's Pyrenean stage to Plateau de Beille. According to these reports, the positive case involves one of the jersey holders from that day. These were the-then maillot jaune Rasmussen, stage winner Contador [white jersey], maillot a pois wearer Juan Maurico Soler (Barloworld) and points leader Tom Boonen. Belgian website HLN.be has gone a step further, saying that Soler is the rider in question. Other reports this evening have placed French police at the Barloworld hotel. Tour de France organisers ASO have called a press conference for 11 am on Saturday, where they are expected to elaborate further on the situation.

FBC - Alley Cat #1

2007-07-25T00:00:00-07:00

Badgers.

2007-07-25T00:00:00-07:00

BBC News [LINK]:

Word spread among the populace that UK troops had introduced strange man-eating, bear-like beasts into the area to sow panic.

Um, is the war going so bad that the folks in Iraq think that we have resorted to using badgers as weapons?

Group Ride.

2007-07-18T00:00:00-07:00

Hey kids, the Thursday evening group ride is changing times again. I am back to working a different shift and will not be able to make it in the evenings. So ... the ride is moving to the mornings. Every Thursday 10am at the Muny in Forest Park. Good times. Tomorrow will be the last evening ride.

Team Slipstream.

2007-07-12T00:00:00-07:00

From DailyPeloton [LINK]:

There are also rumors that David Millar is going to sign for Team Slipstream, the team of Jonathan Vaughters. This team wants to go to the Tour de France and it seems that David Zabriskie, David Millar, Martijn Maaskant, Marcus Burghardt, David Canada, Jerome Pineau and Thomas Voeckler are candidates for this team.

Interesting ... Thanks Tosh!

Jack Kerouac.

2007-07-08T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]jBILjdzkpzU[/youtube]

The Tour starts soon, CyclingNews has the numbers.

2007-07-05T00:00:00-07:00

From CyclingNews:

As one of the world's largest sporting events, the Tour de France boasts a huge impact and infrastructure. Here is a look at the numbers behind Le Grande Boucle: 4,500: accredited people (organization, teams, media, publicity caravan, service) 2,400: vehicles (including 200 vehicles in-race and 135 trucks in TV technical area at finish line) 725: staff in Tour race organization 1,300: hotel beds reserved each night for Tour race organization and teams 189: professional riders in the Tour Peloton (21 teams of nine riders) 280: team staff members 45: motorcycle patrolmen of the Garde Républicaine 10: policemen of the Tour permanent task force 23,000: police officers along the Tour roadside for traffic control 1700: accredited journalists, photographers, TV cameramen, consultants and producers 185: countries with TV coverage of the Tour 51: countries with live TV coverage of the Tour 4,500,000,000: people will view the Tour de France worldwide on TV 3,200: hours of total TV coverage 12,000,000: roadside spectators (81% French / 19% other) 15,000,000: free gifts handed out during the Tour de France 34: stage cities

Champagne OK

2007-06-29T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]P7_8Axy7rIo[/youtube]

My Hero ...

2007-06-24T00:00:00-07:00

Audrey Is A Great Daughter And Human Being
Uploaded by TheDlisted

Compiz Fusion ...

2007-06-22T00:00:00-07:00

So Beryl (a fork off of Compiz) and Compiz are now merging under the name Compiz Fusion. The name isn't all that great but from the looks of the preliminary demos there will be some really sweet 3d desktop stuff for linux soon. If you run Beryl already some of this you will have already seen but there definitely seems to be a smoothness that isn't seen today. Also check out the movie playing while in the tile mode, damn cool. [youtube]E4Fbk52Mk1w[/youtube]

Chipmunks, Squirllels and shit.

2007-06-21T00:00:00-07:00

Random TDF Thought.

2007-06-20T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, I have been keeping track of Dauphine Libere and Tour de Suisse. I am trying to figure out what CSC is planning for the Tour. Here's the run down of things I found important lately:

Carlos Sastre is nowhere to be found ... yet at TdS.
Frank Schleck is everywhere at TdS.
Cancellara seems to be in decent TT form at TdS (Won the prologue).
Zabriskie did surprisingly well at Dauphine.
Volodimir Gustov road very quietly into 12th at Dauphine.

It seems that things are going well at CSC but what is going to happen at the Tour? Is Schleck their go to guy with Zabriskie and Gustov as support? With Zabriskie climbing so well at Dauphine they must have some plans sorted out, other than just doing his normal TT workhorse job. Anyone have any ideas?

Go Race This Weekend.

2007-06-20T00:00:00-07:00

Hey You! Go race at the Webster Crit presented by The Hub this weekend. Even if you won't race show up and hang out, meet some cycling chicks or something.

Sling box.

2007-06-17T00:00:00-07:00

I purchased a Sling tuner box. I also got the player running in Wine on linux. Pretty cool stuff.

The Outcast and Misfits Ride.

2007-06-15T00:00:00-07:00

Check out this post and a couple pics from the GJWBSTS. Thanks Danny B.

Scripting is Cool.

2007-06-13T00:00:00-07:00

So I wrote a script to download (free and legally) some MP3's of a band. The script itself is not all that remarkable but it's handy. With a few modifications it should work for all sorts of stuff really, pictures and such. Just replace the URL with the one you are attempting to get stuff from and the 'mp3' grep with the file extension of the files that you want to download. You will likely need to adjust the sed stuff too. The script just looks at the html on the page, finds all the mp3's, gets rid of the stuff you don't want, then downloads all of it.

wget ``curl http://shinkoyo.com/skeletonstv/dietyofhair/ | grep mp3 | sed s/\<a\ href\=\"//g | sed s/\"\>//g``

Good times.

GJWBSTS - 3 Months Later

2007-06-11T00:00:00-07:00

Damn, its already been three months. Thats nuts. Training has been going well, riding most everyday and all that. I will be racing soon methinks. The deadline for racing is the Webster Groves criterium, presented by The Hub. If I don't do it there, screw cycling and its tight ass clothing, I am joining a bowling league or maybe the Team Tony Danza softball squad. One thing that's for sure is that my new Co-Motion is pretty dope and it makes it easier to ride when you like your bike. Don't let their crappy website fool you, they make high quality rides. I can easily say that it is the fastest bike I have owned. Most notable is its stiff bottom bracket area and the cornering. Cornering at speed is great, it tracks through very well. As far as the fit, if you are ever in Izegem,BE go talk to Frans Vanmarcke he will set you straight. I didn't have any room to question his decisions, he fit the likes of Eddy Merckx, Axel Merckx, Tom Steels and Nico Mattan. Needless to say, it fits properly. Now watch this crap. [youtube]D3Lr70lwaVg[/youtube]

Simoni's Giro Stage Win.

2007-05-31T00:00:00-07:00

From CyclingNews.com:

Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir) conquered the 10.1-kilometre Monte Zoncolan in 1850 metres per hour according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. The speed, 39 minutes over the 1203 metres, 1850 VAM (Velocity Ascended, Metres per hour Vm/h), was faster than that of Ivan Basso on the Maielletta Passo Lanciano in 2006, 1805 VAM. Marco Pantani blasted up the Alpe d'Huez with a 1791 VAM and Danilo Di Luca did the final four kilometres of Tre Cime di Lavaredo with a 1750 VAM.

Pretty interesting. I did 2000 VAM once while smoking a pack of American Spirits, it was cool.

Google Street View is DOPE.

2007-05-30T00:00:00-07:00

Check THIS out. Or check this out in New York, New York. Click on the blue/purple stuff and you can drill down and see a pic of that location.

Break Dancing.

2007-05-30T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]Aus7I7MhaOM[/youtube]

Cat - Cheese.

2007-05-23T00:00:00-07:00

Nothing Much.

2007-05-22T00:00:00-07:00

Not a lot is going on. I am working nights now and still riding some bikes. I logged into the STLBiking forums today and found that there were 21 pages of unread posts, I won't be reading all those. They are probably all from shill anyway. I did a google image search for 'shill' and found the image to the right, no pun intended. ***Spoilers*** You guys see the season finale to Heroes tonight? It was good too see 'Nathan' have a change of heart. Something else, that show is addictive. I had never seen it before this past weekend and found myself watching a marathon on the SciFi channel on Saturday. Lucky for me I didn't have to wait nearly as long as the folks who have been watching the entire season for a conclusion. Also and needless to say the chicks on that show are hot too. I have a feeling that the cheerleader girl is making faux ped's out of more than a handful of guys. By the way, faux ped is a term I coined. There is a huge difference between seeing a person walking down the street or on TV that is attractive and possibly underage and being a pedophile. Faux ped represents when people say or think a person is hot, sexy, attractive without taking age into consideration. It's not that one is a pedophile, just that you think the person is attractive. We all do it, especially guys, now we have a name for it. It's also a play on faux pas, which is "a violation of accepted, although unwritten, social rule".

GJWBSTS is changing schedules.

2007-05-13T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, so I am working a new shift at work. Here's the plan, the series will be changing to a single group ride, once a week. The ride will start from the Muny on Thursday's at 6PM. It will be about 1.5 to 2 hours long. So be there!

Redhat Summit Day 3

2007-05-11T00:00:00-07:00

Last day of the summit, time for the final sessions and a bit of r&r before my flight tomorrow. Last night I went to the big party at the aerospace museum in Balboa Park. That place is a hoot, tons of airplanes and etc packed into a small area. Not to mention all the creepy mannequins flying them and standing around the displays. Here's what I did today:

Performance Analysis and System Tuning of RHEL5
Performance Tuning Java and JBoss on RHEL
Open Source Security Updates; Why it's different and what you should know

Redhat Summit Day 2

2007-05-10T00:00:00-07:00

Another pleasant day in San Diego, sunny, slightly warm but not baking hot. The day started off again with keynotes. I posted on musicsucks about emusic's CEO speaking. I also posted some photos the St. Vincent and John Vanderslice show last night. Here are the seminars I attended today:

Intro to JBoss Enterprise Middleware and Redhat Application Stack
The Ext4 Filesystem: A next generation filesystem for linux
Program Performance Analysis and Tuning with AMD CodeAnalyst (CodeAnalyst is pretty slick, helps if you have an new AMD proc and running an RPM based distro)
Open Document Formats (generally a non-technical perspective)
Security in a Networked World (mostly about SSO and identity management)

To the right you'll see the Redhat branded water, or as I like to call it "Redhat tainted water". It's something like the MySQL kool-aid. Craig? ... I also got a quick second to checkout the OLPC it's surprisingly small and toy-like, but seems real sturdy. I couldn't check out the OS, the battery was dead. Tomorrow is the last day. It is slightly shortened so I hope to check out more of San Diego, specifically Balboa Park.

Redhat Summit Day 1

2007-05-09T00:00:00-07:00

I am currently in San Diego For the Redhat Summit. So far so good, the keynote from the CTO, Brian Stevens, was interesting. He talked about the One Child Per Laptop project and Redhat's role. The other key notes where from AMD and the Open Voting Consortium. I have also been to some interesting seminars:

General Public License v3
Best Practices Using Xen Visualization with RHEL 5
Diagnosing and Troubleshooting Problems with RHEL and Xen
Intellectual Property, Open Source and Available Protections
RHEL 5, Yum and You

Tomorrow I am looking forward to a keynote from the CEO of emusic.com (from which I buy music from all the time) and seminars on topics like the ext4 filesystem. Should be cool.

My Back Yard.

2007-05-06T00:00:00-07:00

Hey Mom (and Sam).

2007-05-03T00:00:00-07:00

Check out the full sized image here.

Cyclist Terrorism?

2007-05-02T00:00:00-07:00

Check out the article here. Can I believe what I read on the internet? If you like those strange 9/11 conspiracy theory sites you might dig this.

Bay Area Roadway Collapse Was Actually Cyclist Terrorism, Sources Say My secure phone has been buzzing with disturbing tips undermining the official story about the Sunday morning inferno that brought down a key Bay Area highway connection ramp near the Bay Bridge. In fact, the official story is a lie, something THREAT LEVEL wanted to break open on its own, but an intrepid blogger has already leaked some of the key info at 429Truth.com, where tough questions like "Did Arnold Know?" and "Were incendiary devices planted in the retaining walls?" are already being asked. There is, however, disturbing misinformation at that site. The destruction of the bridge is, in truth, clearly the work of rogue cyclists intent on destabilizing the Homeland and the Middle East by reducing demand for oil. Just two days earlier, the San Francisco Chronicle gossip reporters got wind that a coalition of rogue cyclists known as Critical Mass was going to riot in the streets AGAIN. Once the cyclists got wind their plan was foiled, they pretended to hold a peaceful parade, but were actually traveling around the city in a giant pack filling their little plastic water bottles with gasoline siphoned from cars using old bicycle tire tubes cut in half. And Sunday morning, a horde of them stuck their Lycra shorts in the top of those bottles, sneaked onto the highway and used their cyclist Molotov cocktails to firebomb a gasoline truck, and then disappeared onto local roads. The goal? To topple Saudi Arabia and install a puppet cyclist dictator who would jack up oil prices until all of us would be stuck riding Huffy mountain bikes to the mall for the rest of our lifetimes. That's what my sources tell me. Unless of course global warming was at fault.

Cat Adventurer.

2007-04-22T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, so I found Motorboat climbing this evening. Here's how he got on top of the door: First, gets up on the shelves in my bathroom closet. Then grabs the top of the door with his claws and pulls himself up. Once he has all four up on the edge he bridges the gap between the doors. Here's him hanging out. Finally, Motorboat makes an exit.

So funny I almost died.

2007-04-18T00:00:00-07:00

GJWBSTS week 2

2007-04-18T00:00:00-07:00

So far so good, last week I had a folks on each of the rides. Not so much this week but it's all good, with the ipod bumping and the warm, sunny weather it has been easy to ride. 10am Tue, Wed, Thurs at the Muny. Don't be square.

FRIDAY!!!!

2007-04-13T00:00:00-07:00

Get Joe Williams Back into Shape Training Series presented by Little Debbie Breakfast Pastries - YEAR 2

2007-04-08T00:00:00-07:00

Ok guys and gals, it's that time of the year again. Time again for the "Get Joe Williams Back into Shape Training Series presented by Little Debbie Breakfast Pastries", now in it's second year! Here's the plan, ride some bikes a few days a week until Gateway Cup. I will be starting this week, you can plan on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings 10am at the Muny. The rides will vary in length, could be 5 minutes, could be 5 hours no one knows except for me. You can bet on me being slow and unable to properly tell time, so you can estimate that the ride length to be between the aforementioned amounts. I have no doubt it will be at the very least the second best year ever.

WTF Mates.

2007-04-06T00:00:00-07:00

[youtube]u0Gwz-2qB7o[/youtube]

iPod for sale.

2007-04-06T00:00:00-07:00

*SOLD* Like new iPod video 30GB, $150. Oh it comes with the USB cable, a timbuk2 case and white ear buds too. Let me know if you are interested. You know you want it. Click here for the EBAY! Listing.

Story Time.

2007-04-05T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, this is an oldy but a goodie, the New Yorker. I had been living in St Louis for about a month, actually a month to the day. It was the post Thanksgiving weekend and friends were in town. A friend from cycling, Mike, called me up and wanted to get a drink after work. Being in the tech industry working for a small company I had to work on the biggest shopping day of the year, not that I would shop. But it seemed like a good excuse not to work. Getting off at 10:30pm I headed home and gave Mike a call. We planned to meet at the HiPointe Bar around the corner from my apartment. I arrived early and got a Newcastle. Waiting for Mike I wandered around and watch the patrons drink and be merry. Upon Mikes arrival I welcome him at the front door and we converse like no time has passed. He also introduces me to his friends, Randy and Brian. Both of them being completely wasted. Mike and I catch up and the other two proceed to become more inebriated. At one point they come back with a pitcher they apparently stole from someone. Brian hid it in his coat and they went calmly walked outside to hammer it unnoticed. Upon their return Randy gets another beer and ends up talking to a two girls at the bar. He made a good wing man, attempting to set one of them up with Mike. We walk over and introduce ourselves. "Liz" ... "Meg" Then Meg popped the question "what do you guys do?" Mike and his friends say "we are still students", I got the luxury of saying "I'm a computer engineer." She tells Mike "Get out of that chair! Joe has a real job." Soon Mike and the guys decide to head to the east side strip clubs, I opt not to go. She asks why, I respond "I think they are degrading, they just rub me the wrong way." Meg says "Awww, that's cute." As it turns out she is working in New York doing fundraising for artists and actors. Her friend is a grad student at Northwestern. Similar to Mike and I when they are in town they hang out and catch up. The three of us have fairly stimulating conversation until last call when we exchange phone numbers and go on our way. The next day starts as a usual Saturday should, 9am ride with the team. I tell my good friend Dan about the night before. I told him that if they call we should go out. He reluctantly obliges. That evening I give Meg a call and leave a voice mail. She calls back an hour later, we make plans to meet at Ciceros. We meet and I introduce Dan to them. Upon sitting down they pop the question "what do you do Dan?" This is a bad subject for Dan, since he does have a job. Not wanting to be dishonest he responds "I manage personal financial portfolios." As a good wing man should, he kept Liz busy while I worked on Meg. We talk about cycling, life, work, the Belgian beer I was drinking and Lance Armstrong and how he's a jerk for leaving his wife and kids. Eventually, we explain that Dan and I know each other from cycling and racing. As usual they don't have a clue and suggest that Meg's brother in law is doing a have a race tomorrow. It ended up actually being a group ride. Nearing the end of the night, Meg looks at me and says "You need to find us a place to make out." I think to myself, "holy shit, I like when women are forward." I respond, "I'll see what I can do." She replies "I was thinking that bathroom over there but that's kind of obvious." I say, "No problem, I will think of something." I am actually thinking, "where the hell can we go?" The bartender screams "Last Call" and I get up to pay my tab. She leans into Dan and asks "Did I scare your friend off?" He replies "No, I doubt it." "Are you sure?" "Yeah, he's good." "Oh, Ok." I return and talk a bit more and give her a little caress on the leg. She gives me a huge smile and teases me with her eyes. Soon we get up to leave, she follows me out. I hold the door for her and once closed we take a couple steps and we being to make out on the sidewalk in front of Ciceros. She then stops to move her glasses, cute pseudo intellectual glasses, to the top of her head, while backing up against the window. She pulls me in and We begin kissing again. I pull out a couple of time honored moves, the lip nibble, the firm hair grab and the under shirt love handle squeeze. After a couple minutes we walk on, hand in hand. We meet Dan and Liz at their car and we go on our separate ways. I never see her again.

Richard Rogers Wins Pritzker.

2007-03-30T00:00:00-07:00

The Pritzker is the architecture worlds biggest award and in 2007 Richard Rogers has won it. The building above is the Pompidou in Paris which was designed by him and fellow Pritzker winner Renzo Piano.

Iran and the Brits.

2007-03-29T00:00:00-07:00

Anyone else notice the similarity between what is going on off the coast of Iran right now and what was going on in the late 1940s and 1950s? Well, things aren't exactly the same. To me it is most definitely reminiscent to when Mossadegh was named Prime Minister and began to start talks about nationalizing the oil industry that Britain had on lock down. Not to mention they were using basically slave Iranian labor and giving Iran very little of the profits. They soon started putting war ships off the coast to show their military might and did what they could to subvert any plans. I can't help but to think all this hoopla over the soldiers being held is largely being caused by wounds opened some 50 years ago.

My ISP.

2007-03-27T00:00:00-07:00

So I get my DSL through Speakeasy. They have been great, service and connectivity have been top notch. They announced that they are being bought by Best Buy today. Lets hope things don't change, otherwise I will be looking for a new DSL provider.

Rich People.

2007-03-21T00:00:00-07:00

I saw this on BoingBoing and had to post it here.

The New York Social Diary is a website about people of such fantastic wealth that they shouldn't really be considered members of the human species. It makes fascinating reading. My favorite part is called "The List," which features photos of the 100 or so most prominent socialites accompanied by fawning bios. The names of the socialites on the list are wonderful: Muffie Potter Aston, Topsy Taylor, Bunny Mellon.

Check the list here. Also check out the personal ads here. Party pictures here.

Nachos.

2007-03-19T00:00:00-07:00

My brother and I went to a Mexican grocery this weekend. I got some stuff to make some nachos, that Mexican cheese is really good. Oh and I got some Coke with sugar rather than corn syrup. Good times.

KSM.

2007-03-15T00:00:00-07:00

In case you haven't heard Khalid Sheikh Mohammed made some confessions recently, such as "I was responsible for the 9/11 operation from A to Z". If you are at all interested here is a DoD site with the transcripts. Also check out the other "High Value Detainees" Abu Faraj al-Libi and Ramzi Bin al-Shib too. If you aren't interested at least read this post on the Counterterrorism Blog, it's short and will keep you informed. Like a good citizen should be. :)

Cat Sitting.

2007-03-15T00:00:00-07:00

A wild feline duo, Motorboat and Mike's (and Erin's) cat Toby. Watch out.

Salame - Tim and Eric's Awesome Show

2007-03-08T00:00:00-08:00

This shit is delightfully funny and very strange. [youtube]elvNBPoGUG4[/youtube]

AKG's for sale.

2007-03-06T00:00:00-08:00

I am selling my AKG k271 studio's. If you are interested check out the auction. Local and interested? Email me with details and I will take the auction down. [edit @18:21 CST] Must be a good day at eBay. They are already SOLD!

The North American Hand Made Bicycle Show

2007-03-05T00:00:00-08:00

Holy Moly! These are some insane rides. Check out a lot of pics here. Below are some interesting ones.

Omloop Het Volk.

2007-03-02T00:00:00-08:00

Het Volk is tomorrow. The first of many big Belgian single day races of the early season. I wish I had Sporza but I doubt it is possible to get it even with some crazy satelite TV package. It would be sweet to watch it live and would help me brush up on my Flemish.

The Lottery.

2007-03-01T00:00:00-08:00

You always hear about the horror stories of people winning a huge jackpot and then their life going up in smoke. This guy seems to have it together. It's kinda nice to see someone that has their shit together win it and not blow a lot of money on a truck full of menthols ... Chappelle is the best. Although spending $65k on bicycle crap is a little extreme. I thought only people under 16 years old road bicycles.

$45 million: Safe, low-risk investments such as municipal bonds $35 million: Aggressive investments like oil and gas and real estate $1.3 million: A family foundation $63,000: A trip to Tahiti with 17 friends $125,000: Mortgage retired on his 1,400-square-foot house $18,000: Student-loan repayment $65,000: New bicycles, including a $12,000 BMC road bike $14,500: A used black VW Jetta $12,000: Annual gift to each family member

Skills.

2007-02-25T00:00:00-08:00

Take a seat this is going take a while. Apparently from the Munich Six Day. [youtube]rcEF2GyBR_Q[/youtube]

A lot of Toes.

2007-02-22T00:00:00-08:00

This cat has a total of 26 toes. Nutty. Motorboat could still take 'em in a bar fight. Read about it here. Also, check this out. This guy is riding his bike from Alaska to Argentina. He is doing it to raise money for Macular Degeneration.

Laptop Blues.

2007-02-19T00:00:00-08:00

My hard drive died in my laptop today, luckily IBM will have one to me tomorrow morning. These sorts of things suck regardless of how soon you get a replacement. I can't wait for solid state drives to become the norm.

Snack Attack.

2007-02-18T00:00:00-08:00

I'm not normally a fan of chocolate but was wandering around Schuncks this evening and got a hankering for Nutella. Then I found these great little orange cookies. Damn, what a combo. Read this, it's funny and about cats. This too.

I spent my Valentines Day with this ...

2007-02-15T00:00:00-08:00

Happy Valentines Day.

2007-02-14T00:00:00-08:00

Happy Valentines Day ya poor sap. Who's your valentine?

Ad.

2007-02-10T00:00:00-08:00

Your Mom.

2007-02-08T00:00:00-08:00

You remember when your mom used to get mad at you (maybe she still does)? What was the worst thing she could say? …. “I’m not happy with you son!” Nah. “Don’t talk back to me!” Nah. Use your full name in a sentence? “Joseph Andrew Williams get your ass over here!” Nope. The worst was always “Joseph … I’m disappointed in you.” It’s true, this was the worst. Mom had reached a point to where she could not be angry, sad or upset. She was just disappointed, knowing well enough that you were better than what your actions displayed. Why do I bring this up? Well, lately this is how I have been feeling about our leaders in Washington. Disappointed that we have not seen what it is we are doing wrong and attempting to correct it. Instead we are continuing to go down a path we know could be wrong because we are attempting to save face or out of ignorance or both. Please note that I said we, since this is our country and our government and our mess. There are many issues at hand, not just Iraq. But the two that see being the largest and most widespread are not scandalous in anyway nor are they economic or political. The two biggest issues with our government are the complacency and conformity of this country’s citizens. But like most things one causes the other and this is no exception. The complacency and conformity that we see in our leaders is allowed by us. If we demanded more from our leaders they would have to oblige considering we put them there. It is our government not theirs. As the cliche goes “Think outside the box”, have our leaders do the same. And never settle for something/someone that is good enough especially when it effects everyday life for everyone around you. Your mom expects your best, at the very least we can expect more from our leaders.

Finally.....

2007-02-05T00:00:00-08:00

My frame is finally here! Custom geometry, Columbus Starship aluminum with Reynolds carbon stays, straight from Co-Motion in Eugene, OR. I'm stoked to take it for a spin but alas I must wait till it's built up. The fade paint job came out just how I wanted it too. Too boot I made a tasty lunch: Toast (one side with butter, the other with spicy mustard), two fake sausage patties, three eggs with chooped baby spinich scrabbled.

Dan's B-Day!

2007-02-02T00:00:00-08:00

Check out all the nutty-ness that went on at the Delmar Lounge last night. Everybody showed up, Tosh, Jai and some other weirdos. (We have no idea who the guy is on the right throwing the peace sign but he did say this was going on myspace.) (Sylvia, everyones favorite waitress.) (We also do not know who this bat-shit crazy chick was.)

Craziness.

2007-02-01T00:00:00-08:00

It's been a nutty week, late nights, overload at work and snow of all things have kept me from being much of a good blogger lately. On the bright side my custom Co-Motion frame should be in at any time at the Hub and to boot I have a three day weekend (which I completely could use right now). Other than that things have been fairly normal. Oh and don't forget to wish Dan a happy birthday!! -------------

Another thing, I am sure you have probably heard of the whole bomb scare thing in Boston (LINK via Wired, LINK via BoingBoing!). I can't help but to think it is a complete overreaction and ignorance of the Boston police. It's also really amazing that our country is such a state that we cannot see one abnormality and not think it is a terrorist plot. Fear mongering comes to mind. Oh and I also heard that the signs have been around for 2 weeks in Boston, so why the hoopla now? Dumb. Also, anyone who says "Well, I'm not doing anything wrong, why should I care if the government taps my phone calls and reads my emails?" This is a perfect example of why. These guys were doing nothing wrong, maybe something a little mischievous but no worse than your neighbor letting their dog poop on the side walk (day after day) and they are being arrested and whatnot. Next thing you know graffiti will be considered a terrorist act. Dumb. Screw you terrorists! And an up yours to the media and government officials that feed this mindset of fear. Living in fear is not a life for me.

*Disclamer: I am a fan of ATHF and watch it on a regular basis.

It's Cold.

2007-01-28T00:00:00-08:00

"Okay, campers, rise and shine. Don't forget your booties because it's cold out there today. It's cold out there every day. What is this, Miami Beach? Not hardly." --Groundhog Day

Future Weapons.

2007-01-28T00:00:00-08:00

Future Weapons is a show on Discovery Channel that is all about guns, armor, missiles and etc that are in development by governments, gun manufacturers and military contractors all over the world. While I do like this show I can't help but to think of a couple things. One, I am watching a show about weapons and while the show is interesting and the devices impressive, these are weapons meant for killing. This makes me feel uneasy when I say, "Whoa, that was badass." It feels that when we watch a show like this it disconnects us from the weapon. We see it as a intresting device not something that destroys life, regardless of who's life it is. Not everything on the show is a weapon, some are related to defense. Which brings me to #2, how we are defending the US. They had a missile defense system on the show today. It was a radar guided missile that had no payload but would lock on and slam into the incoming enemy projectile destroying it. They did a demo and it was pretty amazing. But then I thought, "When have we had missiles pointed at the US and or shot at us?" I understand that there is likely a good chance that the public doesn't know if we have been shot at. But from what we do know is that during the Cold War we had missiles and maybe Saddam had some pointed at us. Currently, terrorism seems to be a larger threat than attacks from the developed or second world (albeit Iran and North Korea are likely threats). 9/11 was proof of that, it was also proof that we cannot expect anything. If we have a missile defense system, it will not protect us from airplanes or car bombs, only missiles. It's not hard to believe that having a missile fly from the Middle East and hit us is much more difficult than hijacking an airplane and doing the same. Also easier would be buying a plane ticket flying to the US and then create a bomb from urea, nitroglycerin and other chemicals for cheap. The missile system that would be needed to shoot a missile at the US from the Middle East is expensive and throws off too many red flags to be a sneak attack. Anyway, it's still an interesting show and the explosions cool. Regardless of the of moral, societal, political and govermental implications of the equipment described.

Cat Spa.

2007-01-25T00:00:00-08:00

Quite possibly the funniest video I have seen ... ever. Well may be not but at least in the last 3 minutes. Watch below or click here. [youtube]15bwhVxw-Bg[/youtube] Don't worry, while very humorous I will not do this to Motorboat. He finds those huge pet stores much to institutional, not too mention his fear of automatic doors and car rides.

If We Had More Snow...

2007-01-24T00:00:00-08:00

We only got a few inches this past weekend here in the STL. If we would have gotten a few feet like those folks in Colorado I would build me one of these. A '71 Nova with some real meats. LINK

New Site.

2007-01-23T00:00:00-08:00

Well, I figured it was about time I took my blog in-house, rather than having Blogger host it. So it is now running Wordpress on the Catalpa Solutions server, right next door to Music Sucks. Catalpa Solutions is a web consulting and hosting company owed by my brother and I. Oh, I hope you like the URL better, it's a bit shorter. :)

Meme: "Mouthful of Mouse".

2007-01-16T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_1224 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

There's cool new trend taking the interwebs by storm! All the cool kids are doing it, that's right putting your mouse in your mouth. It was started by Bob (he's a Music Sucks. contributing writer and all around software development kung-fu master). Check out other pretty faces here.

Hujass Rabbits for North Korea

2007-01-13T00:00:00-08:00

Ok so, apparently Kim Jong-il is smarter than we thought. He wants to start a giant rabbit farm to make attempts to stop the 'famine' caused by sanctions to his regime. He will be buying surprisingly large rabbits and breeding them to feed his people. No I am really serious, check it out. Here too.

MusicSucks : Interview with Alex Chow of Islands

2007-01-12T00:00:00-08:00

Over at MusicSucks I did my first interview with Alex Chow today. Check it out here.

Story Time.

2007-01-09T00:00:00-08:00

I haven't posted a good story in a long while. Here it is, Clayton. Early into my college career I decided to never choose my roommate. I figured I would learn a lot and meet people I wouldn't have otherwise associated with. My senior year my roommate was a man named Clayton Wadsworth. He was an aerospace engineer. I soon found out he had a bad reputation. Not in the sense of "bad boy gangsta" or as a thief but as in roommate that doesn't shower, is antisocial and is silent. This was also the kid, which I found out to be true, that corrects the professor and then laughs at their error. I moved in first. Got the bottom bunk because I never had the bottom before. I had a few days of peace before he moved in. As prescribed I had a few days of peace even after he moved in, beyond the initial meet and greet, it was silent. Eventually, we did indeed talk, share jokes (all of which were really bad) and actually get along. Considering that I talk a lot and he talks very little, it worked out very well for us. I found the rumors to be untrue, he does take showers, at least one a day. This pleased me greatly. Additionally, he liked to keep a tidy room this also was pleasing. As nerdy as it may sound, what brought us together was our interest in math, science and video games. I feel we had a certain respect, while we didn't know anything about each others fields of studies (mine being computers) we could both see that we love and have a passion for what we do. Not everything was just peachy keen. His antisocial behavior was an issue on a few occasions. One spring night, I decided to have friends over to watch the recently released, remastered Star Wars movies. Dan, Dan, Riley and Nick where their for the festivities. We ordered pizza and had a jolly time, until Clayton came home from studying. When he came in the dorm room, he was startled that I wasn't alone. I explained that we were watching Star Wars expecting him to sit down and join in. This is not how Clayton works. This little movie time was not on his terms, he couldn't handle it. He but his books away and checked his email and walked to the door, as if he was leaving. He then turned around, walked back down the hall. Then turned around and walked back. He was pacing. After a couple minutes we started to take notice. We look at each other and then him and then "The Empire Strikes Back". We continue as we were, with one eye on Clayton, one eye on the movie and one eye on each other. This lasts for an uncomfortable twenty minutes, with him taking his jacket and leaving. None of us are sure what we just saw but we knew it wasn't good. Later that year, I learned something else about people. Specifically, smart kids, nerds whatever you want to call them. It is that they fall into the same traps that the popular kids do. Same trap different content. I shave my head, it's cheap, it's easy, it's makes me think that my receding hair line is less noticeable. I can't see the back of my head. On this occasion I had let my hair grow for much too long and need his assistance to "square off" the back. He obliges. We take care of it, nothing is said. A few days later, a coworker of mine and classmate of Clayton, lets me know that he thought it was cute that Clayton helped me cut my hair. Apparently my socially inept roommate likes to gossip. This came to my surprise. Living with him nearly two semesters I did not see this coming. I never told him about this. But from then on, I knew it was all a front. He may be a geek but he does not lack social skills. He only chooses to talk to certain people and his group is much smaller than the "average" person.

RIP Momofuku Ando

2007-01-06T00:00:00-08:00

Momofuku Ando passed away yesterday from heart failure at the ripe age of 96. Even if you don't know who he is you have appreciated his culinary ventures. He invented instant ramen noodles in 1958. More from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hard Candy.

2007-01-06T00:00:00-08:00

Holy Moly!!! I just finished watching Hard Candy. I have never seen a movie like this, very intense. I am not usually one for thrillers but ... whoa. I won't go into the details since I would probably let too much go and ruin it for you. If you need a crazy movie to watch check it out.

Happy New Year.

2007-01-03T00:00:00-08:00

It is the second day of the year and things are off to a good start, back at work, riding and good times. I went out to Indy for the weekend and holiday and hung out with my brother and sister-in-law. The highlight other than their lovely dog Sophie was the Margot and the Nuclear So and So's concert, check out the words, pics and video over at Music Sucks. I am also anxiously awaiting my new frame to arrive from Co-Motion. T-Minus 3 weeks.

Schlong in a Box.

2006-12-28T00:00:00-08:00

The funniest SNL in a long time:

Bike Stuff and Christmas!

2006-12-26T00:00:00-08:00

Drove home on Christmas Eve for a short shift at work on Christmas day and a full day today, although an non-normal schedule. My family did Christmas in Indianapolis at my brother and sister-in-laws place. We also did Christmas early on Sunday since I needed to get back and my parents were to get on the road for their drive to warmer climates and vacation. The drive wasn't as bad as I usually anticipate, around 4 dull hours of central Illinois. On Friday I finalized plans on my custom Co-Motion frame and also picked up my new FSA carbon cranks from The Hub. I can't wait to build it up. They said it should be around 3-4 weeks till it arrives.

Warrantless Wiretapps Case Continues

2006-12-21T00:00:00-08:00

If you remember we had this whole scandal regarding the wiretapping of US citizens within our own borders. For one reason or another the case seemed to drop of the news radar, partially to legal delays and also because Miss America was caught being naughty. Regardless, those same news companies/organizations are arguing for the release of the secret documents to the public [Wired]. We can only hope that they are released. Should be interesting.

Toby vs Motorboat

2006-12-14T00:00:00-08:00

A while back I cat sat for Mike. Toby and the big MB get along really well. Here's a clip of one of their many battles that weekend (I think Toby won):

On Beauty.

2006-12-11T00:00:00-08:00

Just finished Zadie Smith's latest book On Beauty. I must say I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is the tale of two college town families who are at odds. Each family has their own internal issues to deal with as well. Smith makes it difficult to pick a side. Anywho, I won't go any further....you should read it! My next reading adventure is Jack Kerouac's On the Road. I will let you know how it goes.

Music Blog.

2006-12-11T00:00:00-08:00

Considering how many of my posts are music related I have started a new music blog devoted to the subject. Music Sucks.

12 oz Mouse.

2006-12-11T00:00:00-08:00

Quite possibly the craziest and most entertaining cartoon ever... well maybe not but it is pretty bad ass. Completely strange and intriguing. You never know what will happen next. Watch a clip:

Top Albums of 2006.

2006-12-06T00:00:00-08:00

[Shameless plug, my new music blog: Music Sucks.] The year is coming to a close and it is time for the 1st annual top music picks of the last year. After much contemplation and changing about (it is likely that the minute I post this I will want to rearrange the ranking), this year's best album is Murray's Revenge by Murs and 9th Wonder. The List (2006): 1) Murs and 9th Wonder - Murray's Revenge (LISTEN) 2) Vetiver - To Find Me Gone (LISTEN) 3) The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics (LISTEN) 4) Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - The Dust of Retreat (LISTEN) 5) Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (LISTEN) 6) Beirut - Gulag Orkestar (LISTEN) 7) Modill - Midnight Green (LISTEN) 8) People Under the Stairs - Stepfather (LISTEN) 9) JDilla - Donuts (LISTEN) 10) Cat Power - The Greatest (LISTEN) Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): ...And You will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - So Divided (LISTEN) Beach House - Beach House (LISTEN) Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope (LISTEN) The Decemberists - The Crane Wife (LISTEN) Joanna Newson - ys (LISTEN) The Theater Fire - Everybody has a Dark Side (LISTEN) Britta Persson - Top Quality Bones and A Little Terrorist (LISTEN) Most Overlooked/Underrated Album: Modill - Midnight Green - I didn't see anything regarding reviews or etc for this album. It's really too bad these guys threw together a great set of tracks, definitely one of the best hip-hop albums of the year in my opinion. Most Overrated Album: The Decemberists - The Crane Wife - Talk of this album was everywhere and while it is a good album it's not the bands best and too many yuppies were touting it as such. Good but not good enough. Albums I Haven't Bought but Likely will before the Year is out (in no particular order): The Knife - Silent Shout (WATCH) Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming (LISTEN)

No sir, I don't like it.

2006-12-05T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_1138 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Yeah....I went to the World Food Market in K-Wood Sunday and picked up some Vegimite. Seeing that the whole continent of Australia likes the stuff I figured it couldn't be all that bad. Well, I was wrong. It's pretty gross, I'm not sure what it tastes like (if anything, a cardboard box maybe?). To me it was not a pleasant taste, not something I would wake up put on some toast and have with a cup of OJ. It is likely that it will never be removed from my cupboard unless some Aussie comes strolling in.

Still No Power.

2006-12-04T00:00:00-08:00

When I left this morning for warmer surroundings (work), I did not have power. So far four nights without power. I have a good feeling about today, I saw a bunch of co-op electrical trucks in Forest Park this morning which is just a stones throw from my place.

POWER!

2006-12-04T00:00:00-08:00

I finally have power. Oh how glorious it is to have a warm living space. Not to mention wireless internet at my disposal. I'm a happy camper. Night night.

My Cold Apartment.

2006-12-03T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_1132 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This is my thermostat. Don't think it goes any further to the left. Surprisingly enough, the weekend has been good. I have enjoyed the quiet, crisp feeling to my apartment. The closest feeling I can think of is camping. It's been nice. In general the weather is good now that the storm has passed albeit abrasively cold. Most of the ice has melted away on the roads and safe travels are completed with the ease of a summer day. Below is my power line seen the other night sparking and cracking on the ground. It has been tidily trimmed and wound up. Hopefully this means that it will be replaced and working soon.

Winter Storm.

2006-12-01T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_1129 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Well folks, it seems that Ameren has done it again. Again failed to be prepared for nasty weather. For the second time this year I am without power due to a storm, this time unlike this summer it is snow and ice, mostly ice. As you can see my power line is laying on the ground sparking in the ice/snow/rain mixture that blanketed St Louis last night. I ended up waking up early this morning because it was 55F in my apartment and came into work since I figured it would be a bit warmer. In lighter news I picked up some new Look Keo pedals yesterday at The Hub. I can't wait for the this crap to melt so I can test them out. Last night I had to install them by candle light.

No-Handed Track Stand.

2006-11-24T00:00:00-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-23T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_1121 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I left St Louis this morning to spend Thanksgiving with the family. I had planned to bring the cat along but he didn't want to come, or at least it didn't seem like it. I put him in the car for the short 2 hour drive. Before getting off my street he was whining like a big baby. By the time I reached Grand and 40 he had pooped in the back seat, so I took him home and filled his water and food bowls and then was back on the road. Finally, I got to my parents place in time for the food and completely ready for the holiday and some R&R. Dinner was all vegetarian other than the obligatory turkey. It's nice when you have all you can eat and you can eat all of it.

IMG_1119 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

After dinner and clean up we went for a nice evening ride to work off some of the heft we acquired. All in all a great Thanksgiving.

IMG_1122 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Net Neutrality.

2006-11-22T00:00:00-08:00

If you watch TV or have seen the news lately you may have heard about something called Net Neutrality. The cable companies are even producing commercials against it, say it is just a "scheme for the million dollar tech companies". I have Charter Cable here in St Louis and I see this commercial a couple times a week. At any rate, if you don't know what it is and you use the internet, then keep reading. Net Neutrality is effectively the notion that all data traversing the internet is treated the same way, regardless of its purpose or destination. So for example, you are reading this on my blog, the systems allowing access to my blog look at you no differently then if you were trying to access CNN.com or Playboy.com. Another good example is phone usage, a popular trend is to use your computer as a phone or to have a service like Vonage, where your phone is plugged into your broadband and not the normal phone line. In this case your phone calls are treated the same way as your email or web browsing. Hopefully now you see how the net is neutral, it does not discriminate by service, destination or otherwise. What cable, phone and other companies want to do is get rid of net neutrality. Why? They would like to charge the large users of the net more money. They would like to charge the Google's and Microsoft's of the word more because more people visit their sites. This sounds fine on the surface but there are two issues. One, they are already getting charged. Companies already get charged for their connection to the internet and the bandwidth they use. Especially in the case of a Google or Microsoft because they have there own data centers which SBC or whomever had to lay fiber optics to. Second, this allows for a "fast lane" and "slow lane". Basically, if a company doesn't want to pay the fee then they will be relegated to the "slow lane", which means they do not get the guarantee that customers/vistors to the site will have access to it nor the speed at which someone would access it. Why is this a bad thing? Think of who will be able to pay the extra fee's if net neutrality is removed? By and far, large companies. Now, think of how these large companies became large companies (Google is a good example). They started out small and then grew out of demand for their product. If net neutrality did not exist at the birth of Google it is likely they would not have had the money to pay to get into the "fast lane". Which then means that if you or I tried to do a bit of searching on their site it would have been slow and cumbersome. Also think about the ramifications on free press. Would you want ma' Bell deciding what news source you use? If net neutrality is removed, your small, local news paper website may not have the money to pay the fee's but I am sure CNN or Fox News will. I hope you can see the issue here. Removing Net Neutrality will be taking shots at innovation, freedom and the American way. Because on the net everyone is treated equally, there are no discriminatory practices. It doesn't matter who you are, what you are doing or what sites you are doing it on, everyone (that has an internet connection) has equal access and availability.

Annie Hall.

2006-11-19T00:00:00-08:00

I saw Annie Hall on TV today. This movie cracks me up. Here's a couple quotes I love: [Alvy addresses a pair of strangers on the street] Alvy Singer: Here, you look like a very happy couple, um, are you? Female street stranger: Yeah. Alvy Singer: Yeah? So, so, how do you account for it? Female street stranger: Uh, I'm very shallow and empty and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to say. Male street stranger: And I'm exactly the same way. Alvy Singer: I see. Wow. That's very interesting. So you've managed to work out something? And Jeff Goldblum's best performance ever as a "Party Guest": [a guest is calling his meditation guru] Party guest: Hello? I forgot my mantra. Alvy Singer: [narrating] After that it got pretty late, and we both had to go, but it was great seeing Annie again. I... I realized what a terrific person she was, and... and how much fun it was just knowing her; and I... I, I thought of that old joke, y'know, the, this... this guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, "Doc, uh, my brother's crazy; he thinks he's a chicken." And, uh, the doctor says, "Well, why don't you turn him in?" The guy says, "I would, but I need the eggs." Well, I guess that's pretty much now how I feel about relationships; y'know, they're totally irrational, and crazy, and absurd, and... but, uh, I guess we keep goin' through it because, uh, most of us... need the eggs. IMDB has many quotes from the movie if you want to reminisce.

RIP: Milton Friedman

2006-11-18T00:00:00-08:00

The great economist and a purveyor of personal freedom pasted away on Thursday. He was a Nobel Prize winner, is the father to monetary policy and an amazing personality. Regardless if one agrees with him or with what his research has produced, one must appreciate the massive effect on the world he has had and the fact that at the core of his opinion is freedom, whether it be financial, emotional, political or otherwise. Never heard of Milton Friedman? Let Wikipedia educate you, here is his entry.

New Music Mega Post!

2006-11-16T00:00:00-08:00

music Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I picked up a few new albums today (and this week). Here's the run down: ** Tres Records: Shipping and Handling This is a hip-hop compilation from Tres Records, a company started by one half of the People Under the Stairs which I have talked about before. This album is made up of tracks previously only available on vinyl. If you like anyone from Tres Records you will like this album, it's got them all. ----- ** Count Bass D: Act your waist size Count Bass D's latest release. I haven't dug to far into it yet but the beats be sweet so far. If you like Madlib or J Dilla this may be for you. ----- ** Vetiver: To Find Me Gone Second album from a band that is better without Devendra Banhart. If you like Sufjan Stevens or Iron and Wine you should check them out. ----- ** Wolf Parade: Wolf Parade EP and Apologies to Queen Mary Their most recent self titled EP and first full length release. Crazy indie rock from the Canadians. If you are into Arcade Fire you will probably dig this. ----- ** Architecture in Helsinki: In Case We Die and Fingers Crossed Two albums, Australian twee pop at it's finest. If you like Belle and Sebastian or Acid House Kings there is probably a good chance you will like these guys. ----- ** Explosions in the Sky: The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place and Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever Two albums from the instrumental, post-rock band from Austin. Think Mars Volta minus the high pitched lead singer and a bit less harsh.
I would post links to sample MP3's but most of these bands have samples on there websites and I am tired after all the linking I just did.

Cyclocross Videos and more!

2006-11-15T00:00:00-08:00

For the first time in a long time I am mentioning cycling on this blog. You should check out Nathan Spears website. He has a bunch of Superprestige Cyclocross race videos available for download. Pretty dope. Also, as far as cycling goes, I have been taking it pretty easy lately. As such there isn't much to talk about in the off season. Soon enough I will get more motivated and start riding more than a couple times a week.

A Fixer Upper.

2006-11-13T00:00:00-08:00

Something I have been thinking about lately is how much we as humans hurt ourselves. I am talking self imposed, voluntary actions we take on ourselves. Stuff like smoking, eating habits and etc. Sometimes I get the feeling that we do these things and then expect that our large brains will get us out of it. Who knows what all the processed food has done to us in the last 20 years, we have no way to measure the prolonged use of these types of foods and more recently genetically modified foods. I mean what if (completely hypothetical) we were never to eat processed food or no one was ever to smoke. These types of things one would think would have to have effect on future generations. Would it be reasonable to think that the cure for cancer has already been found and we ruined it by prolonged exposure to smog? Of course this is all hearsay but I believe it is an interesting notion. Also interesting, is the thought process we have when doing these types of things. It's always a "put off" type of situation, "I can eat the ice cream because I will workout tomorrow". We always seem to know we will fix it later. Which goes back to our "large brains". The entire pharmaceutical industry has been built off of being sick. The enduring successes of the industry can be attributed to two things, our large brains and new sicknesses. As long as we are able to cure whatever the new bad sickness is there will be an industry. So as a result I have to think that our society is both making ourselves sick and healthy at the same time. I guess the big question is, as I proposed earlier, if we weren't to do the bad things we do to ourselves in the first place would we to fix ourselves nearly as often or as seriously? Food for thought.

Gillette Fusion.

2006-11-12T00:00:00-08:00

Gillette Fusion. Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

The Gillette Fusion razor, four blades of battery powered, vibrating luxury. I am a long time Mach 3 user, ever since they sent me one on my 18th birthday (I suppose that marketing tactic worked). I was at Target looking for new blade cartridges and then I saw the new razor with four diabolical blades and a handy trimer on the opposite side. At first I was dumb struck with idea that four blades closer together would work better than three blades further apart. After a week of shaving with it, once with the legs, face and arms, I am pleased. I noticed two things, my skin is smoother, while only by a small amount more than my Mach 3, it was indeed smoother. Second, it seems that I cut myself less. I didn't have any abrasions in the normal locations I usually do. Cool beans. I have not had a chance yet to do a proper longevity test of how long each blade cartridge lasts but from what I can tell so far they will last as long as Mach 3's. Also, I have the electric one that vibrates (I suppose that marketing tactic worked), I don't think this helps the shaving but one thing I do like about the vibrating version is that the handle of the shaver is larger in circumference. I find this nice especially when shaving the legs. If you are in the market for a new "reusable disposable" razor, give the Fusion a shot.

Vote for Pedro!

2006-11-07T00:00:00-08:00

I already voted today but there's plenty of the time left. Get out there and vote!!!

Virtualization is Rad.

2006-11-04T00:00:00-08:00

installingwinblows-parallels4 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I have been playing with VMware and Parallels this weekend, it's pretty hot. I took some screen shots too, check 'em out here. If you don't know, virtualization is where you run an operating system inside another operating system. VMware and Parallels are pieces of software that allow you to do this. The photo here shows my Windows XP installation on my linux desktop. Cool eh? This is especially nice for someone like myself who is a linux user that may want to use Windows for random tasks and using software unavailable on linux.

Bike Art and such.

2006-11-04T00:00:00-08:00

Check this out, Tree Line Designs. This guy takes bike parts and makes lamps. Pretty cool if you have a broken or wore out fork.

Couple 'a Three Things.

2006-11-03T00:00:00-08:00

It seems that the candidates for the Missouri senator both suck (Claire McCaskill and Jim Talent). I think I will be voting for Dan Bischoff or maybe the check out lady at Target. I don't care, I don't like either of them. Also on a political note, those dang electronic voting machines are a sham. If we get them here in Missouri any time soon I will be boycotting the election until the glaring security/accuracy issues are addressed. Check out the info here: Bruce Schneier and Wired via Boing Boing. It seems that even something as simple receipt is out of the question. My proposal: upon submitting your vote you receive two paper receipts one to turn in to the election official and the other is yours to keep. That way there is something to check in the case of any mischief. From what I understand "Diebold claimed that electronic voting was so foolproof that it would be a needless expense to add any kind of paper-trail to their boxes". [more via Boing Boing] Yeah...ok. ----- Thank goodness the weekend is almost here, work has been nutty this week. Busy as always I suppose. Anyone have plans this weekend? I don't. Maybe do some laundry, hang out with Motorboat and eat some burritos. Thats likely to be the gist of my weekend. Woohoo. Goodnight.

Qdoba.

2006-10-31T00:00:00-08:00

I like Qdoba, I mean I really like Qdoba. For a chain Mexican restaurant it's pretty dang good. In fact I had some for lunch today and paying for it I gave the check-out person my debit card and he said "I don't need to see your ID, I have seen it before." Damn, now I am a regular. Maybe I should not eat so much Qdoba... On second thought maybe I should just go to a different Qdoba. Whatever, burritos are good.

Vegan Kicks.

2006-10-27T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_1093 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

My new shoes came in today! These bad boys are MacBeth Eliot's (velcro version). This is my first pair of MacBeth's (the website is loud) so we will see how they stand up. MacBeth is a pretty interesting shoe company as they have a strong social justice stance. Here is their code of conduct. In addition they make a line of vegan shoes. That means no animal products in the shoes or manufacturing process. All the way down to the glue they are free of animal products. While I am not a vegan, I am a vegetarian and I appreciate the vegan aesthetic and ethic. Not to mention in a very simple way I cannot get over the feeling that it is unnecessary to kill an animal if there is an alternative or replacement for a product originally derived from animal sources. As such I limit my use of animal products and do not eat anything that an animal must be killed to be produced (yes, this includes steak). I am proud to say I can count the amount of leather items I own on one hand (they happen to be only belts and dress shoes). As they wear out I plan to replace them with non-animal alternatives. Next time you slip on a pair of Nike Air's or Rebok Pumps think about who makes them and what they are made of.

One Year Anniversary.

2006-10-24T00:00:00-07:00

So, I have been working at Contegix for one year today! Considering how fast it has gone by I can't believe it. Thanks to Matt, Craig and everybody for giving me a job and taking a chance on a washed up cyclist like myself.

Chome Children Flipped.

2006-10-23T00:00:00-07:00

I got the new Chrome Children album. For those of you that don't know what it is all about Wikipedia has a good description:

Chrome Children is a co-production between Stones Throw Records and Adult Swim. The CD & DVD set, released on October 3, includes songs from Madvillain, J Dilla, Madlib, and other Stones Throw artists. It also includes a full-length hip-hop concert headlined by MF DOOM and Madlib on DVD. The concert was filmed by Adult Swim at the 2006 SXSW festival in Austin, TX. An edited version of the album is available in mp3 form on the Adult Swim website. --Wikipedia SOURCE

This album is full of artists like I like, which was my reasoning for checking it out. Here's a few arists, Madlib, JDilla, Madvillian, Percee P and Peanut Butter Wolf does some mixing on a track or two. Little did I know that it would be about the most schizophrenic album I have heard in a long time. While there are some very good spots, there are also some dull places too. If you are intrested in any of the above artists there are better places to introduce yourself to their styles. Craziness. Track 3: Madlib - Take it Back LISTEN.

Contegix.

2006-10-20T00:00:00-07:00

I work for this place called Contegix. We work really hard and I think we do very good work. So it's always good when customers thank you. Here's one I got today in two separate emails from the same person (names have been removed to protect the innocent):

You f$%kers rocker harder than a porn star in Vegas on 3 Levitras! [removed]'s words, not mine. ;-) Where would you prefer I post your logo at? I'm all over it, you guys are the bomb. I'd hump your leg if I was a dog. ---- You guys are the best MotherF#$kin' hosting company I've ever worked with. :-D Hope you buy you a few cocktails in the near future.

Good times.

Hey Mom.

2006-10-18T00:00:00-07:00

This is for you and Sam. Sam is my mom's little, long haired, bug eyed, prima donna chihuahua. He would make for a good turkey on holloween. In other news. I got the below error when attempting to hit my blog earlier, pretty sweet.

A Few New Discs.

2006-10-17T00:00:00-07:00

I got a couple of new albums, Animal Collective Feels and The Mars Volta Amputechture. In both cases I think I like their older stuff better. Then again, a few weeks from now I may come to better understanding of the current releases. If you are in to folk-ier type stuff check out Animal Collective on the second half of this post. If you dig the prog rock start reading immediately below. The Mars Volta Amputechture: Track 2: Tetragrammaton: LISTEN. The Mars Volta De-loused in the Comatorium: Track 3: Roulette Dares: LISTEN. In this case I find myself liking the heavier riffs and metal influences from beginning to end of the De-loused in the Comatorium album. I found the new album Amputechture to be a bit "slow" in spots where I would sometimes end up flipping to the next song. I won't say that it is a bad album because it is not, just that the old one may be better. Both albums are engaging in their own respects. --------------------- Animal Collective Feels: Track 2: Grass: LISTEN. Animal Collective Sung Tongs: Track 6: Sweet Road: LISTEN. The new album Feels is great but I find the older album Sung Tongs much more accessible and easier to listen to. The newer album has more ambient feel in a "space cadet" kind of way while Sung Tongs has much more of a folk feel to it.

Home for the Weekend.

2006-10-15T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_1082 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I went back to the place I was born this weekend, the town where I grew up, to visit my family. Murphysboro, IL. A small town in Southern Illinois. Here are some highlights: * My brother John and his wife were in town as well, so I got to hang out with both of my younger brothers. * John had a keen eye Saturday night and noticed a robbery in progress across the street from my parents place at a electrical contractor's shop. My mother was able to call the owner up and he came by and put a stop to it. Apparently it was a woman and child stealing copper wire by the handful. She reportedly even asked the proprietor "Can I keep what I have in my hands?" * John and I both brought our bikes but did not ride. * We made a bonfire Saturday and had an evening by the fire roasting ourselves and various non-meat items. * My father brought the above sign to my attention. This gas station like many new stations these days are in the parking lots of other retail stores (Walmart, Kroger and etc). This one happens to be in the lot of a Mad Pricer. We can only hope that they mean patrons of the grocery store get gasoline with any purchase of food. Otherwise I am unsure of how many people will be getting there banana's and tofu at Tom's Mad Pricer. * I ate at my favorite pizza place, Quatro's, as well as one of my favorite burrito locales, La Bamba's. Pictured below. Their slogan is "Burritos as big as your head!" with good reason.

Two Things I Noticed.

2006-10-12T00:00:00-07:00

First, I saw a 90's Escort with a bumper sticker on back which read "At least I can still smoke in my car." I'll go ahead and mention that I am not a smoker, but regardless I though it was humorous. As walked past the vehicle I noticed a car seat in the back ... I though great, at least the kid can still smoke in the car too. Second, I saw a commercial for a new Glade air freshener that lights up and gives a "light show" while despinsing fragrance. This seems really strange to me. Why would you want to draw attention to the fact that you need to use an air freshener. This seems to defeat the purpose, aren't you trying cover up the smells and keep people from noticing the stench? Thats all, just figured I would share.

The Decemberists: The Crane Wife

2006-10-10T00:00:00-07:00

I picked up the new Decemberists Album this weekend The Crane Wife. I must say that I like it but it is a departure from a bit of what they are known for. The new album has a much more rock feel to it rather than the old timey, folky feel of the older stuff. While I was looking forward to accordians and such the new album fills the void will heavier guitar riffs and as always interesting story lines in the songs. By no means will long time fans be disappointed nor will first time listeners. Check out a track from the album HERE.

I'm Dumb and my Thumb Suffered the Consequences.

2006-10-08T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_1081 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

So, I was opening a box... you know one of those plastic ones you have to destroy to get to the good stuff inside. In a lapse of my Boy Scouting skills I learned at the age of 8, I sliced my thumb something fierce. After a few minutes of heavy bleeding I walked to the hospital. I live a few blocks from St. Mary's on Clayton, not to mention it was a wonderfully clear and cool evening ripe for a walk. I then spent 2 hours in the waiting room, then an hour in another room waiting for a RN or doc or whatever. Instead I got the billing lady, I had to pay before seeing anyone of course. Soon after they had me cleaned up and stitched up. Totaling 4 hours of hospital time. Yee haw.

Vegetarian Man's Chili Dogs.

2006-10-01T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_1075 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Ingredients: Yves Veggie Brats Chili Man Vegetarian Chili Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese Whole Wheat Bread Tuong Ot Sriracha Chili Sauce

IMG_1077 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Start with two pieces of toasted bread. Then two of your favorite dogs, I like fake meat brats. Cook 'em on the stove with a little olive oil or on the grill. Top with a whole can of vegetarian chili then cheese, I like vermont sharp cheddar. Throw the whole thing in the microwave for a minute or two until the cheese is melted. Douse with hot sauce to taste. Eat.

IMG_1078 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Check this out.

2006-09-25T00:00:00-07:00

Quite possibly the best video clip of our generation.

Bowling.

2006-09-24T00:00:00-07:00

I went bowling with Dan and his brother Alex his wife and her brother last night at the Moolah. Afterwards Dan and I went driving around aimlessly. Something that we discussed is the social status of bowling. It seems to have a special place in the nightlife of Americans. There are very few "sports" that people use as a activity equivilent to going to movies or going to dinner. In fact the only other one that comes to mind is possibly put-put golf and that might be a stretch. But really, why has bowling reached this status? I mean you likely wouldn't take a girl to play 1 on 1 at the local Y or go for a bike ride. At least these are not nearly as common as taking a girl bowling on a date. But this isn't limited to dates and such, it is a night time activity that everyone does regardless of age, race, marital status and creed. My only guess is that in general everyone is equally bad at bowling, so there is little competition. Also, it's turn based play offers plenty of time to talk, drink and enjoy the ones you are with. Most importantly it's cheap and easily accessible. But if you have any ideas let me know.

Sights and Sounds.

2006-09-23T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, so a while back I picked up a piece of vinyl, The Campfire Headphase from Boards of Canada (They are not from Canada, Scotland rather). I can say now that I like much more than I did. I am not sure if I need time for it to absorb or I just listened to it enough that I tricked myself into liking it. Regardless, I really enjoy it and they are my very short list of electronica that I like. Below is the video from a song off the album called Dayvan Cowboy, it features great footage from Joseph W Kittinger's historic ultra high sky dives. Their latest EP Trans Canada Highway is also very good and has some new cuts and a remix of Dayvan Cowboy.

The mobile office.

2006-09-20T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_1073 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I work a lot, which is something that I am becoming more and more aware of by each passing day. My sister started calling my a work-aholic months ago, I suppose I am finially figuring that out. I am not all that concerned with it as I still have plenty of time to ride and relax. Anywho, this is my version of a mobile office. These are the indispensable items that I take with me everywhere. My recently upgraded Blackberry, the laptop and IPod. One other item is my digital camera, but since I am taking a picture you can't see it. I never know when I may need one of these, either for work or just to make things a bit more comfortable wherever I am. Good stuff. While we are on the topic of work, it's hump day! It's downhill to the weekend from here.

Two Sunday Feasts.

2006-09-17T00:00:00-07:00

Motorboat's feast: My feast:

So I sorta woke up on time.

2006-09-17T00:00:00-07:00

I woke up at 7:30, good enough to make it but saw the pic below and decided not to waste $20 doing a kilo and maybe the 200 qualifier. As they expect the t-storms to roll in at noon. Off to the grocery store. Ahhh, the life of a domesticated male.

"Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed Bath and Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time." --Frank the Tank

I'm lame.

Missouri State Track Champs.

2006-09-16T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_1066 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

The races start tomorrow at the luxurious Penrose Velodrome. Hopefully I wake up on time.

Want to join the Mile High Club?

2006-09-10T00:00:00-07:00

Check out this guy. He has started a business where he has installed a bed into his private plane and will take paying customers up past 5280 feet so they can initiate each other into the Mile High Club. Yee Haw!

Q: I would imagine you get some married people who are not with their husbands or wives. A: After the flight, I give (customers) a certificate on joining the mile-high club. I have had a couple of couples who did not want their names on the certificate.

A certificate! Ha! You never needed a certificate before.

Q: Does anyone else do this sort of thing? A: The only one I know of is in Cincinnati. It's called Flamingo Air (flamingoair.net).

Hey I bet BA knows something about this...at least I know he's into Flamingos.

Music.

2006-09-10T00:00:00-07:00

If you know me you know I listen to a lot of music. Here's what I have been listening to lately, by no means is much of this "new music", just what has been going on in my head of late. All of which I recommend. J Dilla : Donuts : Hip-Hop Sounds like: Instrumentals from your dad's collection of dusty records Murs and the 9th Wonder : Murray's Revenge : Hip-Hop Sounds like: a little like Kanye West if he wasn't a dumb ass Broken Social Scene : Broken Social Scene : Indie Rock Sounds like: um...Broken Social Scene? Of Montreal : Sunlandic Twins : Indie Pop Sounds like: The Beatles if they were playing today and were hipsters Tapes 'n Tapes : The Loon : Indie Rock Sounds like: The Arcade Fire combined with Franz Ferdinand and Modest Mouse, I think If you want to hear what any of these sound like check out Pandora. You can put in a title of a band/artist or the name of a song and it will attempt to create a playlist of music similar to what you entered, starting with a song from that artist. Best of all it's free!

TGIF Bitches.

2006-09-08T00:00:00-07:00

I am unbelievibly glad that the week is over. While I have been sleeping well, I have been in a daze the past few days (Dad, no pun intended). I'm not sure what the cause has been. But I'm not all that concerned, today I felt much better. Ride Saturday 9am. Do something outside the stupid apartment Saturday night. Ride at the velodrome Sunday. Take a nap. Maybe write some code. Relax, think nothing of work. Sounds like a plan.

Gateway Cup.

2006-09-04T00:00:00-07:00

P1000058 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Holy Mackerel!! This weekend was fast. Much to fast for my legs and lungs. I found myself scrabbling to hang on. But it's all good, I have had much worse Gateway Cup's in the past. I remember my first year at SLU as a cat four. That was painfull, I think my best day was 17 minutes. Considering I have tallied a meer 2500 miles this season I am pleased with lasting around 45 minutes in two of this weekends events in what I would bet to be the fastest Pro/1/2 and biggest field that the Gateway Cup has ever seen. So no hard feelings here. Anywho, time for some R and R, the next event on the docet will be the State Track Champs, that is if it is going to happen. Anyone out in cyberspace know?

New Movie.

2006-08-26T00:00:00-07:00

One of my favorite authors Augusten Burroughs and his book (also a favorite) Running with Scissors is becoming a movie! Woohoo! Check the trailer here. If you want to know what happens in the movie read the book.

It's Finially Here. The IBM - Lenovo z60t.

2006-08-26T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_1027 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I finally got it. After about 24 hours with it I have to say it's sweet. Much better than the old used IBM's I have had in the past. The titanium lid gives it much more modern look than its predisesors. I will say this one took a little longer to get things rolling simply because this laptop has more features than my last. On the bright side most everything is supported well in linux but may take some configuring. I decided to run Ubuntu Dapper Drake and wireless card, fingerprint reader, bluetooth and SD card reader took some adjusting. All but the SD card reader were easy fixes. I used the following to set them up: Wireless: MadWifi Instructions for the Atheros wireless A/B/G card. Something I noticed, was that each time I need to connect to my AP I need to run "modprobe -r ath_pci" and then run "modprobe ath_pci". After that DHCP and what not work like a charm. The only thing that doesn't seem to work is the little wireless activity light under the screen next to the caps lock light and etc. Fingerprint Reader: This is was pretty easy to get integrated into PAM but I could not get it working with xscreensaver. Here's what I followed. All I have to say is logging into your machine with a swipe of your finger is pretty sweet! Here's a couple pics: IMG_1032 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber. IMG_1031 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber. Bluetooth: ThinkWiki Bluetooth Instructions, this seems to work although I haven't done much testing. Also, I didn't need to any kernel compilation. Just enable it. SD Card Reader: I haven't tried to get this working, due to custom kernel BS. The driver for the reader is supposed to be getting integrated into future mainline kernel versions. It's also pretty thin, about an inch: IMG_1026 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber. It's IBM's first widescreen format laptop: IMG_1030 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.
I also used the The Ubuntu Guide, it's really helpfull for installing those much needed multimedia packages. In addition here are the hardware specs (z60t - Model 2511HAU): Pentium M 1.733GHz 512MB of PC4200 DDR2 RAM, soon to be 1GB 80GB SATA Hard drive A/B/G Wireless Mini-PCI DVD/CD Burner Combo drive The lspci command gives you this: 0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/PM/GMS/910GML Express Processor to DRAM Controller (rev 03) 0000:00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 03) 0000:00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 03) 0000:00:1b.0 0403: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 03) 0000:00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03) 0000:00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03) 0000:00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 03) 0000:00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 03) 0000:00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 03) 0000:00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 03) 0000:00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 03) 0000:00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 03) 0000:00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 03) 0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev d3) 0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FBM (ICH6M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 03) 0000:00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801FBM (ICH6M) SATA Controller (rev 03) 0000:00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03) 0000:02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5751M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 11) 0000:13:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01) 0000:14:00.0 CardBus bridge: Ricoh Co Ltd RL5c476 II (rev b3) 0000:14:00.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd R5C552 IEEE 1394 Controller (rev 08) 0000:14:00.2 0805: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter (rev 17) Good Stuff!

New Laptop.

2006-08-24T00:00:00-07:00

Well, my laptop was shipped but it looks like customs has it: * LOUISVILLE, KY, US 08/23/2006 4:19 P.M. THE SHIPMENT IS BEING HELD BY BROKERAGE FOR REASONS BEYOND UPS' CONTROL * CHEK LAP KOK, HK 08/23/2006 10:32 P.M. EXPORT SCAN 08/23/2006 10:31 P.M. ORIGIN SCAN * KOWLOON BAY, HK 08/23/2006 10:01 P.M. PICKUP SCAN HK 08/23/2006 3:02 A.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED I called UPS regarding the ambiguous "THE SHIPMENT IS BEING HELD BY BROKERAGE FOR REASONS BEYOND UPS' CONTROL" exception. Since it was supposed to be delivered to me today, it looks like customs thinks my laptop has SARS or something. There's no telling. Anywho, UPS says delivery can be expected tomorrow before 10am. If so I will be a happy camper and have a new toy to play with this weekend.

Nothing Much.

2006-08-21T00:00:00-07:00

Not a lot going on lately. Just the normal routine, ride in the morning, work in the afternoon and sleep. I recently ordered one of these: An IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad z60t. Hopefully it comes in sooner rather than later. My old IBM T23 died a few weeks back and it sucks not having a laptop. I suppose you don't know what you got until it's gone, because I didn't realize how much I used it until I didn't have it. Once I get the new one I will post a short review and any info I aquire attempting to run linux on it (Debian Etch most likely).

Tuesday Night's.

2006-08-16T00:00:00-07:00

Once again I was able to skip out of work and get to the Tuesday Night World Champs as a part of the Get Joe Williams Back into Shape Training Series presented by Little Debbie Breakfast Pastries. This edition seemed a bit faster than usual, likely due to the fact that KGSN pro Dan Schmatz showed up. I don't think it was fast because he was on the front drilling it, I think it had more to do with when he attacked the group followed. No one wanted him to get in a break, alone or otherwise. I felt like I raced well, I was near the front most of the race and felt strong. But with about 5 minutes to go I hit a wall it wasn't a big one but it was enough to put me in my place. After that my race was over. I will be back at the Tuesday Nights in a couple of weeks, just before Gateway Cup. Hopefully I will be ready.

So Yeah.

2006-08-13T00:00:00-07:00

It was a beautiful night tonight, cool with a slight breeze and just enough clouds in the sky to remind you they were there. So I decided to go for a stroll in the central west end. I walk by Culpeppers and surprise surprise, who comes out and talks to me? Thats right the DWI girl from Thrusday night! She said that she was getting off work in an hour and I should come back for a drink. I say, "sure". About an hour later waiting to see if she's around, she comes up to me with a couple friends and says that the place is closing and we probably can't get a drink. I reply "No problem, you headed anywhere?". She has this to say, "Yeah, I'm headed to my friends place." as she points to the guy and girl she is with. I say, "Cool." She replies, "I think we are going to go get high. I geuss I'll see ya around. Bye." "Sounds good, later." I respond. I walk to my car with my hands in my pockets and shaking my head. The End.

Night Life.

2006-08-11T00:00:00-07:00

What a night... The last few Thursdays after I get off work around 10:30-11:00 Dan Bischoff and I have gone out bar hopping, although we seem to end up at the Delmar Lounge everytime. As you may expect it is always an enjoyable experience. This weeks episode was no different. Here's a run down: * I met this girl who was at Delmar Lounge with some friends from High School. She went on to tell me that she had gotten a DWI and was arrested last week for drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license. * Dan talked to this girl who lived in Australia last summer, when he told her that he knew me from bike racing, she thought motor cycle racing. So I think he got some macho points for that. * We also talked to the older clientele of the Delmar Lounge. She sat down at our table waiting on some friends and soon she was trying to hook us up with her 22 year old daughter. She even brought out the family photo she had in her purse. * We talked to Marylin from Mesa cycles fame. She's living in Florida. * This guy named Shawn sat down with us too. He was hilarious. After observing on his friend dancing up on some woman, he said "There some freaks up in here tonight!". We agreed. As you can see it was an eventfull evening.

Anniversary. Work.

2006-08-09T00:00:00-07:00

This is my 255 post and today is my two year blog anniversary. Woohooo! Yeah, I've been writing on this damn blog for two years, kinda nuts when you think about it. ----- Also, I as at work for 13 hours today. 11am to Midnight, by far the longest I have been at work in one sitting. I was going a little stir crazy by the end of it. On the bright side I still rode my bike for 90 minutes today before and after work.

State Crit.

2006-08-06T00:00:00-07:00

Wow, false sense of security. Well, after last weeks step forward (doing well at tuesday nights), I have taken a step back. Back to the stone age because I raced like a rock today. I hung out near the front for a while and then I sank quickly to the bottom. I could say it was the heat or whatever but it's probably just my legs and fitness. This was no doubt faster than tuesday nights. Crap-tacular.

New Template.

2006-08-05T00:00:00-07:00

I hope you all like the new template. I think I finially found one I am 100% pleased with. It's clean, has some nice features and looks and best of all it has the sweet naviagtion bar on the right. Go ahead touch it. It's fly.

US Relations, Issues and etc.

2006-08-04T00:00:00-07:00

I read this blog on a regular basis. I find that the information, dicussion and topics are interesting and educated. If you are all interested in the US "War on Terror" or Middle-East/World relations I recommend it. A recent post describes a study about the language skills of the state department. As you might guess we are severly lacking in these skills. Here's a run down of the "hardest languages" according to the study:

Korea: 17% do not meet requirements Arabic: 38% Chinese: 40% Japanese: 40%

I find these numbers fairly staggering. The jobs these people have, most of which are in the country where these languages are spoke and they cannot meet the requirements? To me, that means that they can't do their job. I know if I couldn't do my job, I would be removed. Beyond that, we should be able to understand the countries we are in and being able to speak the language is a huge part or gaining the cooperation of the citizens. For instance, while I was in Belguim I picked up a little Dutch. Even the small amount I learned was benefical during my stay. Going to the grocery store was much easier when you could ask the price of something. Even if I screwed up trying the check-out lady appreciated my effort and would then speak in English to be nice. Just like us in the US they would much rather speak in their natvie language. Can you blame them? In the end this is key to our relations with other countries. Also, this is key to our security. Simply (albeit bluntly) put if you can't understand the person sitting next to you on a bus how you do know they aren't talking to the next person about when they are suppose to hit the trigger on the bomb? We have to be able to understand the countries/NGO's (non-goverment organizations) we are at war with, language is the key. If you want your kids to have job, teach them Arabic and push them toward a Poli Sci degree. This war won't be over any time soon.

Fixies in Portland.

2006-08-01T00:00:00-07:00

Bad news, read about it here. A few quotes from the case:

Ginsberg (to Officer Barnum): “When you approached the rider did she stop?” Officer Barnum: “Yes.” Ginsberg: “How’d she stop the bike?” Officer Barnum: “I don’t know.” ----- In the Judge’s opinion, gearing itself and/or leg muscles are not a sufficient source of braking power. He said, “The brake must be a device separate from the musclulature of the rider. Take me for instance. I don’t have leg muscles as strong as a messenger…how would I stop safely?”

Wanna MTB?

2006-07-29T00:00:00-07:00

I got one for sale, the auction. Independent Fabrications. Steel. Hot Shit.

Floyd 'Roid.

2006-07-27T00:00:00-07:00

Well, not steriods ... maybe his thyriod. At any rate regardless of the conclusion of Floyd's tests, this sucks. It doesn't matter how you look at it. At this point any notion doping taints the sport, regardless if anyone is positive. Anyway, Velonews has an article on the press conference that Floyd did regarding all of this. There also is an audio clip of it found here. Fairly interesting. Although I don't like the way he answered the question "Did you or have you ever taken performance enhancing drugs...?" He responds with "I'll say no." and then goes on about how he says no eventhough people will think otherwise. To me this sounds a bit shady. I think there is a big difference between "No." and "I'll say no.". This sport is a crap shoot anyway. Training your ass off to be a "tier 2" racer or some other category bullshit. There are pleanty of people that dreamed of being baseball players, they drink beer and play in softball leagues. Cycling is for the people that don't know when to quit. Quit, trying to be faster than the next guy, regardless of what pharmecuticals you have to take. Quit, hammering past people on the bike trail in Forest Park in displays of one-up-manship. Quit, buying exorbitantly expensive bikes because you can, and becuase you have some sort of notion that they make you faster. Quit, riding around in tight pants to display who's got the biggest balls. Because I know who has the biggest balls, I do! By the way, just so Buddy and Mike Weiss know, I will be doping at Gateway Cup. I am currently on a pre-race mix of Amstel and Jack, with a Cortisone chaser. Can't wait to see you there, so I can hip check you into the curb. Whatever. I'm bitter.

Holy Balls of Crap.

2006-07-25T00:00:00-07:00

The Get Joe back into shape training series presented by Little Debbie Breakfast Pastries has gone as planned. Tonight I did my first race since Tour of St Louis in April. Considering I did better tonight than then I am pleased, I finished with the front group ... maybe 15th. Since it was a Tuesday Night crit it may not be considered at the same level as a normal weekend race, but I figure it's a step in the right direction. Thanks to Jay Thomas of the Trek Mid-West team for the extra motivation throughout the race. Back to training, I got some good hours planned heading into August and Gateway Cup. Also, my little brother Daniel is in town staying with me. So you know we will be hammering some miles out and playing video games.

Power.

2006-07-22T00:00:00-07:00

I now have power. Although a bit hot without any AC, the lack of power was a bit pleasant. My apartment was silent except for the random cat noises. I think I might turn stuff off more often. My next hurdle is to find out if I have clean water, on my way home from work tonight at around midnight. All the east bound traffic on 40 was being diverted on to Hampton due to a water main break near the science center. I am willing to bet that this effects me.

Quote of the Day.

2006-07-14T00:00:00-07:00

From this article about Floyd Landis in the NY Times. ‘‘I got it!’’ Landis said. ‘‘When this is over, I’ll have the surgeons give me my old hip, and I’ll sell it on eBay. I’ll mount it on a trophy.’’ He pantomimed lying on a stretcher, talking to an invisible surgeon. ‘‘Excuse me, could I please get a to-go bag?’’ ‘‘I need a cane!’’ he blurted out another time. ‘‘I’m going to show up at the tour with a cane, diamond tipped. Or maybe I should just go straight to the wheelchair. Motorized, with rims. Now that would be classic: drive up to the start, get out of my wheelchair and get on the bike! Yes!’’

Another New Cat.

2006-07-14T00:00:00-07:00

You may remeber the last time I had a lovely new cat on my blog. He was a cute little cyclops. Well I have found another friend for Motorboat, article here: I think Motorboat needs a playmate.

The Tour.

2006-07-12T00:00:00-07:00

So, after the first day in the mountains the leaders still remain to be seen. I am starting to think that there is no real leader(s). The way todays stage went gives me two ideas, everyone was looking at someone else to take the helm or everyone is waiting for tomorrows very difficult stage. Hopefully it was the latter. Otherwise it may end up a boring tour with few attacks and a very unexpected podium. At any rate, tomorrow will be interesting. We will finally get to see what Landis can do in the mountains and see what T-Mobile and Disco do to react. Also, I have a hunch that one of those Euskatel riders will pull something off. Probably not Mayo, I am thinking Inaki Isasi or Inigo Landaluze, perhaps even Haimar Zubeldia. We'll see. ----- Also, sorry for the ugliness. The folks that host my CSS (the code that makes my blog pretty) is having issues.

North Korea.

2006-07-10T00:00:00-07:00

So, most of you I am sure have heard about the predicament that we are dealing with in regards to North Korea. This is an interesting situation, and I can't help but to think and have though of a time now that our policies are a bit two faced. The situation in North Korea is similar to what was happening in Iraq prior to the war. A country run by a tyrannical leader, human rights violations and the possibility of nuclear weapons. With these similarities in mind, why have we taken such different steps to squash each of these regimes? I do not have the wherewithal to answer that question. But my impression is that Iraq has something we want and is in a place where we want to be. That thing being oil, and the place being the Middle East. North Korea has neither oil nor is it in a strategic (economic, military, etc) location. Legitimately, we began the war in Iraq with less evidence than we currently have on North Korea. Saddam is no doubt a bad leader and the world is better without him in power. We went into Iraq based on our best information (at least I hope). Currently, we not only have information but also have proof that North Korea has missiles or is attempting to create them. "Why haven't we taken the same steps to take Kim Jong-il out of power?" Is a question that I have been asking myself. But a better question is this, "Why didn't we deal with Iraq in the same way we are dealing with North Korea?" I do understand that these are not identical situations, but both happen to be similar unruly regimes. I think a similar multilateral pressure to what we are using against North Korea could have been used against Iraq. We have friends in the Middle East just as we do in the Far East. Israel, Suadi Arabia and others I feel would have came to different degrees of support of our negotiations. This wasn't even attempted and any sorts of policies were "skipped" when we went to Iraq. At any rate, it has been a long time since I can remember agreeing with the foreign policies of the current administration but I do think we (the US) are moving in the right direction with North Korea. At the same time I wonder what happened in Iraq that caused us to act in the way we did.

More Daniel.

2006-07-10T00:00:00-07:00

My little brother is everywhere! After kicking some but in Carbondale CX race they mentioned him in the local paper, along with more info about the race. Read the article here.

This Week.

2006-07-09T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_1002 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

So this is the second week in the "Get Joe Williams Back into Shape Training Series Presented by Hostess Breakfast Pastries". I must say things are going good so far. This week I hit 13.5 hours and 211 miles on the bike. Not bad. ----- The Tour: Landis is the man. Boonen sucks. Apparently the riders were too distracted by the World Cup to chase today. ----- This is my new chair, I found it down the street by a dumpster while coming home from a ride and cleaned it up. Motorboat immediately claimed it.

Proctor (IL State Champs)

2006-07-05T00:00:00-07:00

dan-crit-proc Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I know I already talked about my little bro winning the IL State road race and crit but I figured I would post a pic of him taking it to the other juniors.

At work on the forth.

2006-07-05T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_1000 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

As the title says, I was at work on the forth. I traded Monday for Tuesday, a three day weekend seemed better than coming back and then going on break again. Anywho, this is the view from the roof of my work place. It would have been sweet if those buildings weren't in the way. Nonetheless, still fairly cool. ----- Since Valeverde is out I think Evans will slide into a podium spot. So Landis, Liephimer, and Evans in no specific order. Also, I am surprised by Boonen. While he is wearing the yellow, he doesn't seem all that sharp. Like he is missing that 2% to put himself over the line first instead of third. That may very well improve as the Tour continues. I haven't seen todays race yet, so its possible he will take one this morning. ----- In general, this year's Tour has been a massacare. I feel like I am watching March Madness, in a year full of upsets. Once you think some one looks good they're gone. It happend with Ullrich and Basso before the Tour, now with Valeverde. My question is who will be next?

I'm Pissed.

2006-07-04T00:00:00-07:00

(Don't read if you haven't watched the Tour coverage today) ----- I must have jinksed (spelling?) my favorite rider. My overall pick had a tough crash today and it looks like his collar bone is broken. Thats right...Valeverde is out of the Tour and I'm pissed! I don't even care anymore. Bicycle racing is dumb.

Weekend.

2006-07-02T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_0992 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

My first week of training has come to an end. I am proud to say I logged 12 hours and 183 miles. In other weekend news, my youngest brother is now both criterium and road race Illinois state champion. He won the 14 and under races at Proctor in fine form. Also, while Mike Lanyon was at Proctor I watched his cat Toby. Seen here sleeping with Motorboat on the cat couch. Apparently they found the OLN tour coverage a bit boring.

My Final Prediction and Stage 1, 10 second recap.

2006-07-02T00:00:00-07:00

The next winner of the Tour de France: ----- Stage 1 in a nutshell: Fairly long breakaway that was caught roughly 25km from the finish. The sprint was very confusing, with no team leading anything out and things completely unorganized. It was hard to tell what the hell was going on. Boonen gave up. McEwen came out of no where as usual, got 2nd. Caspar took it in fine fashion. Somewhere along the line Thor got beat up. Hincapie gets the yellow jersey and leads the contest for being most sneaky and best mathematician.

The Great Shake Down.

2006-06-30T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, so if you don't know already it's a day before the Tour and the shit storm has just officially started. The doping allegations have come to a head and people have been pulled from the tour. Here's the list so far: Jan Ullrich (T Mobile), Oscar Sevilla (T Mobile), Ivan Basso (CSC), Francisco Mancebo (AG2R). Joseba Beloki (Astana-Wurth), Sergio Paulinho (Astana-Wurth), Isidro Nozal (Astana-Wurth), Allan Davis (Astana-Wurth), Alberto Contador (Astana-Wurth). Thats some big names removed from the biggest race in professional cycling. From the sound of it there may be more riders pulled later today, most likely from the Astana-Wurth team. ----- Heres the complete list, including those that have not been pulled from the Tour ... yet: Astaná-Würth: Michele Scarponi, Marcos Serrano, David Etxebarria, Joseba Beloki, Angel Vicioso, Isidro Nozal, Unai Osa, Jörg Jaksche CSC: Ivan Basso Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears: Constantino Zaballa Saunier Duval: Carlos Zarate AG2R: Francisco Mancebo T-Mobile: Jan Ullrich, Oscar Sevilla Phonak: Jose Enrique Gutierrez, Jose Ignacio Gutierrez Comunidad Valenciana: Vicente Ballester, David Bernabeu, David Blanco Rodriguez, Jose Adrian Bonillla, Juan Gomis Lopez, Eladio Jimenez, David Latasa, Javier Pascual, Ruben Plaza, J.Luis M. Jimenez Unibet.Com: Carlos Garcia Quesada Retired/suspended riders: Roberto Heras, Angel Casero, Santiago Perez, Tyler Hamilton ----- A few thoughts: 1) At least David Millar can race. Will he be pulled simply because he just came off suspension? (Sarcasm) 2) Could this be a conspiracy put on by the French and assisted by the Spainish to make the chances better for a French or Spanish rider to win the Tour? I wouldn't put it past Le Blanc. 3) Where's the beef? I mean has there been some sort of proof? I heard some things about some documents with code names and doping schedules but legitimately that could be anything. I suppose it's like when a teacher or a principal at a school gets accused of sexual misconduct. Regardless if it proved or not, accusal is enough to get removed. 4) Is it cool if I change the Tour picks from last week? If so, I got Landis, Leipheimer and Valeverde for the podium. The rest of my picks I'm sticking with. I never thought I would have to count in a "likelyhood to dope" variable. At this point if racers keep getting pulled, it's possible that I could fly to France and find a team to race for and win the Tour.

From Worse to Worser.

2006-06-30T00:00:00-07:00

As a result of being named, Francisco Mancebo has retired from cycling. Thats right retired, as in he's quiting his job. ----- Also, according to Cycling News a cleaning person found a bag of 100 syringes in an underground parking lot the day before the Paris-Roubiax. Apparently the bag came out of a car with CSC logo's all over it. ----- Also, Astana-Wurth will not be allowed to start due to only having 4 racers, below the 6 racer minimum. ----- David Millar is still slated to start tomorrow.

So Far, So Good.

2006-06-29T00:00:00-07:00

So I'm back on the bike. The week thus far has gone fairly well, including this morning 6.5hrs total ride time. Hopefully this weekend I will get out for a longer ride and build up some desperatly needed endurance. If anyone is interested in a more than 3 hour medium paced ride on Sat or Sun. Let me know. ----- In other news it seems like Saul Rasin is back on his feet according to Cycling News (near the bottom). It's good to hear he is doing well, before you know it he will be back to his winning ways. ----- Also, it looks like the doping situation it getting pretty intense. The news papers in Spain are dropping more names than I think anyone expected. Here's an excerpt from Cycling News. Jan Ullrich, Roberto Heras, Oscar Sevilla, Joseba Beloki, Santiago Botero, Santi Pérez, Tyler Hamilton, Quique Gutierrez and Angel Edo are all mentioned in the 500 page report that will be delivered to the Spanish Secretary of State for Sport, Jaime Lissavetsky. In addition, Spanish radio Cadena Ser mentions that Ivan Basso, Francisco Mancebo, and Rabobank riders Denis Menchov and Juan-Antonio Flecha are on the list. In total, 22 riders scheduled to take part in the Tour de France are on the list of 58. All the riders questioned by journalists so far have denied any involvement in the affair. We can only pray that the allegations are completly false, otherwise we may end up with a situation like Festina but about 100 times worse.

The Art of Sucking Wheel.

2006-06-28T00:00:00-07:00

dan-o Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Here is my little bro showing all y'all how to draft in the junior race. Later in the day he showed the the guys in the 4/5's that he could hang with them. Later in the race in a feat of selflessness he showed the 4/5's how to crash. All at the tender age of 14. He's a little banged up but fine. Oh and Daniel, I wouldn't be worried about showing the 4/5's how to crash most of them already know.

The Get Joe Williams Back into Shape Memorial Group Ride Series Presented by Little Debbie Breakfast Pastries.

2006-06-26T00:00:00-07:00

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning until Gateway Cup, 9am at the Muny. Fun for all. Come out and ride with your favorite washed up local cat 2 racer, Joe Williams. Some of you may be wondering "How fast are these rides, I mean didn't you race in Belgium or Slovakia or something?" My answer to you is, slow. I plan to use my Power Tap wheel, Polar HRM with Infra-red sensor, SRM Pro and a laptop on each ride to plan rides that are the wattage output equivalent to doing a crossword puzzle while chewing gum. In other words, everyone should be able to hang on. I hope to see you there.

The Cat's Out of the Bag.

2006-06-24T00:00:00-07:00

So, I've been missing from the cycling scene for a while now mostly due to my lack of training. Which has been caused by my life change and work schedule. But during the time I used to spend cycling for the past two months I have been working on a a project. The project is called Fusik (pronouced like music). Fusik is a website and desktop application that will scan you hard drive for MP3's and then upload a list of them to the website. The website is an online community that will allow you to login and have your playlist online and meet others that listen to similar music and find new music to listen to. Currently, I am probably half way to having something that people could actually use. I had planned to work on this until it was finished and could roll it out to the public. Sadly, I was beat to the punch. A site called Mog has opened its doors and according to this article at MTV they have a service almost identical to the one I had planned to roll out. Although on the bright side their site is not all that popular yet, by no shape or form the size of something like MySpace. I suppose I was a few months too late but I am still have a chance. Needless to say I am a little sad and disappointed. While I will probably continue to work on Fusik, I can't see myself working on it with the furor that I have been the last couple months. Back to the drawing board.

Any Ideas?

2006-06-22T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_0961 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

So, I came home from work this evening and my cat has a small wound on the side of his face. He is playing and acting as he would on any other night. If I touch it he doesn't get cheeky or anything. So this leads me to believe that he isn't in any pain. Anyone have any ideas of what he may of did?

TdF Odds. Bets. Top Picks.

2006-06-21T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, so the Tour will be here in a few weeks. Who does everyone have? With Lance gone it is wide open as far as I am concerned. And in light of the recently concluded Tour de Suisse it seems that Jan is still a possibility. Based of recent race performance alone, it seems Basso, Levi and Jan are the men to beat with Valeverde being a long shot. But of course there will be the guys we haven't heard from in a while that will change things up, the Floyd Landis' and Alexandre Vinokourov's of the world will surely have a say in the GC. So if I were a betting man here are my picks: Top 3 Overall GC (in no specific order): -- Jan Ullrich -- Levi Leipheimer -- Ivan Basso Mountains Classification: -- Michael Rasmussen Sprint Classification: -- Tom Booen Young Rider Classication -- Andrei Kashechkin I think that is fairly realistic. But it is always the case of who you want to win and who you think can win. Personally I would like to see other riders fill these spots. I would like to see a Basso, Menchov, Valeverde podium with Levi in a 4th. With McEwen taking the sprints, Rasmussen taking the moutains and Saul Rasin taking the young riders jersey. As open as the tour is this year my "wish" picks may not be too fair off either. At any rate, it's going to be a great tour. Let me know what you think. Who does your bookie have you down for? Did I leave out anyone? Any upsets or unknowns? Horner? Mayo?

DRM, follow-up.

2006-06-20T00:00:00-07:00

Here is something from today's Wall Street Journal (internet version) dicussing exactly what my prior post is about. It's a little online debate between an executive at the MPAA (Motion Picture Assoc of America) and a prof at Brooklyn Law School that used to work for the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation). Check it out here. Here's an excerpt, from the prof's view point: We're both talking about balance, but our equilibrium points are very different. You seem content if we can pay in lots of different ways to see the same movies on a constrained set of devices. I see balance in an ecosystem of big and small media and independent innovation of technologies around them. I want to see what iPod for movies and TiVo for radio look like, and not just from companies who can strike deals with the major movie studios and record labels before they start. DMCA-backed DRM lets the majors dictate the terms, well beyond price, on which we can use and interact with media. It makes copyright's limited monopoly into a technology regulation, a gate on hardware and software development through which only "approved" devices can pass. More sophisticated DRM will not improve that problem, just make the approvals more onerous and the range of consumer electronics smaller. Nobody wants a door lock that locks its homeowner out too often. The law can support DRM in the short term, but as more and more honest people trip against its restrictions on their noninfringing activities, I predict they'll press Congress to change the law to allow for creativity in media and technology again.

DRM, for those of you who don't know.

2006-06-16T00:00:00-07:00

So, lately and in recent years there have been growing sentiment with in the music, movie and TV industries to cut down on piracy, rightfully so. One of the big solutions that they have been attempting to use is what is called DRM, digital rights management. This "feature" is used to protect media, such as mp3's from being copied and dispersed throughout the world freely. On the surface this notion of protection seems all fair and good, the artists and the companies that promote them need to be protected from people who steal, just as they are in a record stores by security alarms. Why I bring this topic up is not that I want to lose all protection for artists and their producers but because the "protection" does not stop and just eliminating sharing. A good example is iTunes. This is a great store, a huge selection of music in all genres and if you don't want to buy the whole album, just buy a song. This is a record store that many have been wanting for a long time. No more buying the whole album for that one song you love. Well done Apple. Something that you may not know is that each song you buy from iTunes contains DRM, this DRM not only protects the artist as stated above but also does the following: first, it locks you in. It locks you into the iTunes music player and into Apple branded music devices such as an iPod. "What's so bad about that?", you might say. There's nothing wrong with that if you only want to use their software and devices. But what happened to the days when you have a dozen choices on what CD player to buy? This locking also locks out competition, that in turn locks out innovation that leads to better products. In the end you have music you can play in only a couple of ways, in an iPod or in iTunes. Think of it like buying a car that you can only drive on one road. If that road is ever neglected or found to be obsolete, you have a car that can't go anywhere. Second, the music also has another lock, a lock on the location you can play it. If you attempt to play music on another computer or etc, you will be asked to authorize the computer you are playing it on, with a limit of five computers that can be authorized at once (you can later de-authorize computers). So, get back into the car I spoke of, put in the CD you just bought. Wait a second, it's not playing and won't let you authorize it because you played it on your stereo at home, your computer and etc, hopefully you see my point. iTunes and the like have made great progress in marketing and sales of music but in some ways have taken a step back, back to the days of illegal mix tapes and so on. But I digress, the issue here is not a specific company or industry it is interoperability and fair use of the products we buy. These two topics have close ties in this day of technological innovation. Interoperability is the means by which you can use a standardized product on different devices, a CD is an excellent example. Burn it, play it and use it where ever and whatever. It works on PC, Mac your DVD player and portable CD players, all of which are manufactured by different companies. My iTunes example above is exactly what interoperability is all about. Fair use is a notion that if you buy something there are uses for it that are intended and are "fair" to the producer. For example, when you buy a car you expect to be able to open the hood and change the oil yourself, not take the vehicle home to find the hood welded shut and look in the manual to find that only the manufacturer can make repairs to the car. Fair use is what you can do with a product that does not infringe on what it is intended usage is for. In the last month or two I have noticed more attempts at the media industry at large to encroach on our fair use of their products. A recent case has the music industry going up against the site youtube.com and its users. This site hosts videos ranging from video blogs, TV clips and home videos, all for free. They are not asking them (the creators of the videos) to take down music videos ripped from MTV or bootlegged videos from concerts but asking them to remove videos of kids lip-syncing there favorite songs. This seems a bit far fetched but true. The next logical step seems to be not permitting music listeners to hum their favorite song or to sing along with a song while driving. I cannot help but to think this is coming to close to home, if the music industry wants to stop piracy, great, make it happen the economy and artists will be better off. If they want to squash my rights as a consumer, stop, and let me do with my music and other goods as I please. This all leads back to DRM, DRM is a way corporations can exercise control over something they produce without needing a physical way of enforcing it i.e. people. For instance, you purchase music on iTunes by clicking "buy" you are actually signing a license agreement to each song that you will abide by the rules that Apple sets. Apple is not the only culprit, as you probably have noticed, DVDs have warnings at the beginning, when you purchase that DVD you are doing the same. Another is the operating system on your computer, products like Microsoft Windows, Office, Nortons Anti-Virus and Apple OSX all have user agreements that when you purchase and install the software you agree to their terms. These are called End User Licensing Agreements (EULA). In the end these limit your fair use of the product like you anti-virus software in the same way that a car with the hood welded shut does. Finally, I do not want this to come off as a rant, bashing large corporations and industries. It's not, they make products we all use and most of them are very good products indeed. But I want everyone to think about what they purchase and what they sign, it may not be as hip as the Apple commercials lead you to believe.

The FBC Ride

2006-06-13T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_0935 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Sunday night Dan and I joined up with the F*$king Bike Club at the High Pointe. Starting at 23:00 we rode to the Hideaway at Aresnal and Hampton (pic right), then downtown (pic below) to a pizza place (Muricino's ?). The Full Moon Fiasco was a blast. Suprisingly enough about 60 riders showed up, including racing scene celeb Brain Shoemaker. Everyone was there for a good time, a low stress and speed ride through the dark streets of STL, bar hopping from one watering hole to the next.

A Few Things.

2006-06-10T00:00:00-07:00

First, Iban Mayo won a stage at Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré today! Thats huge after getting second yesterday. It's good to see this guy back to his old ways. Second, watch this video from Joe Martin Stage Race. Thrid, I am stealing an idea from Dan Bischoff's Blog, here's the car I saw today...or rather a couple days ago. Thats all have a nice weekend!

World Food Market

2006-06-04T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_0932 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

On my way home from Castlewood this afternoon I made a stop at the international supermarket in Kirkwood. I had plans on some Mexican cheese for homemade burritos. While combing the joint for items I came across this....drink. It's Grass Jelly Drink from Taiwan. Looked interesting enough, so I got one. To my surprise it was pretty good. Also to my surprise it has Grass Jelly chunks in it! In general I'm not one for floaters in my beverages, but other than that it's good stuff. As far as what it tastes like....the closest thing I can think of is sweet iced tea but with translucent chunks of jelly. Give it a try if you are at the world supermarket in K'Wood.

Where is Dan Bruns?

2006-05-30T00:00:00-07:00

Just because you have a house and a girl now doesn't mean you can't blog anymore. Come on bro where you been the last month(s)?!?

Comic Books Adapted for Film.

2006-05-26T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, so as you probably already know there have been a lot of movies that have come out in recent years based on comic books. Here's a list of the ones I can think of (post if you have more): X-Men Spiderman The Hulk Daredevil Batman Fantastic Four Catwoman Hellboy Sin City Punisher I also hear there will be a Ghost Rider movie coming out soon as well as the ever present Superman franchise. While making Batman and Superman movies is nothing new, what is with this trend? Is it easy to make a movie where the story line and scenes are already drawn out for you? Is it an attempt just to make action movies with tons of special effects? What gives? When is the Green Lantern coming out?

Weekend.

2006-05-22T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_0909 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This past wekend I went home for my little brothers Junior High graduation. I was enjoyable spending time with the fam. I also got some time to watch my dad work on my car. We found that it needs a CV joint boot, which we couldn't find at the numerous auto parts shops in Carbondale, IL. At any rate, I hope the dealerships limited warranty will cover it. To the right is Daniel while we stole some internet a Chillians Cafe, a new joint in the 'boro. Below is a delightfull burrito from Labamb's. Their burrito's are simple, authentic and absolutely delicious.

IMG_0904 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

IMG_0910 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Lately.

2006-05-18T00:00:00-07:00

Work has been fairly consuming lately. Work both as in where I am employed and at home. I recent purchased a vehicle and no doubt it is indeed work. More hoops to jump through than the Ringling Brothers Cirus and more bending over backwards than Cirque du Soleil. At any rate, I think I have everything done, insurance and plates are covered. Moreover, I have been working on a few projects. And have found that I seem to write code between midnight and 2am better than anyother time during the day. Works for me... While I am at it here are a few things that have been on my mind lately: 1) NSA wiretaps, which are much more than mere wiretaps regardless what CNN tells you. They are monitoring all internet traffic too, with stations at sigificant points on the internet. One of these monitoring stations is rumored to be in an A&TT NOC (Network Operations Center) in Bridgeton, Mo. The system they use to monitor traffic is very impressive and is commercially available. It's made by a company named Narus. It can reconstruct email, VOIP (voice over IP) and just about anything in real time as it traverses the net. So it's likely if you live in Western parts of STL you have been "listened" to and had your emails read by the NSA. 2) The Da Vinci Code, is just a movie regardless what anyone tells you. I'm not sure if people realize this or not but the Da Vinci Code was a book before it was a movie (why the debate wasn't started long, long ago when this book hit the New York bestsellers list is unknown to me). If you go to your local bookstore you can find the Da Vinci Code in the fiction section. When I think fiction I am thinking not real, not fact, a story thats not true. I understand that the premise of a movie can be regiliously testing or blastfamous, many are. But that doesn't make what they say in the movie true or the intent of the movie to sway an individuals religious beliefs. To that extent people should have been equally upset about the movie Encino Man. In this movie two high school students (one of which happens to be the great Pauly Shore) are digging a hole for a pool in their backyard. Eventually they find a frozen caveman. A caveman! That insinuates that evolution is true! If that doesn't have a religious impact I'm not sure what does. So regardless if you think the Bible belongs in the fiction or non-fiction stacks, everyone should be able to agree that the Da Vinci Code is fiction. Here is one piece of non-fiction from the movie: Audrey Tautou is refreshingly attractive.

Old School.

2006-05-10T00:00:00-07:00

True story: Today I went to Rag-o-Rama in the Loop to sell some old clothes that I don't wear anymore. I figure its better than sitting in my closet gathering dust. I wait in line for a bit to have them check my clothes out. I notice those River Front Times "Best of ..." awards on the wall, one for best vitage clothing short another for best place to buy used clothes from various years. It's my turn and I walk up and they begin to inspect. None of my clothes pass! The lady at the counter tells me "We look to purchase new, more recent styles and your items are too old." I take my clothes and leave before I make a scene. Don't get me wrong but I really like Rag-o-Rama and will continue to shop there. But it is a V-I-N-T-A-G-E clothing store, the clothes are suppose to be old. Not a big deal, but if I take these clothes to Good Will and they don't accept them someone is going to hear about it. Thats all. I'm done. Some days I feel like Andy Rooney.

Kristian House Wins Lincoln GP

2006-05-07T00:00:00-07:00

gmclincolngp2006p09a Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This is a teammate of mine while racing in Belgium, Kristian House. He's a Brit and now races for Recycling.co.uk. This is him winning Lincoln GP this weekend! Nice go of it Kristian!

Celeb or Cyclist?

2006-05-05T00:00:00-07:00

The answer to this weeks celebrity or cyclist quiz is..... Jake Gyllenhaal Please note he is riding SPDs and the reflectors on his ksyriums, these are tall tell sign of a celebrity. Mike Lanyon has got more speed sense than that. Mike Lanyon 1 Donnie Darko 0

Jake Gyllenhaal or Mike Lanyon?

2006-05-02T00:00:00-07:00

You be the judge.

K-Ron and FoPo Race Weekend

2006-05-01T00:00:00-07:00

Another Race Weekend Down the Tubes. Yeah, I raced like crap...Both days OTB. I suppose I am doing ok for four weeks of training. It is after all the Pro/1/2's. Back to training.

PUTS - Stepfather

2006-04-24T00:00:00-07:00

One of my favorites, People Under the Stairs has just laid another sweet album called Stepfather. It has been four years since their last and it's welcome. If any of you like smooth, funky fresh hip-hop check it. If you are wondering what they sound like think of a west coast version of A Tribe Called Quest, mixed with old school funk like Commadores or Earth, Wind and Fire, while smoking a bowl. I think that description is about right....At any rate check it out for youself. Here's a demo track: Tuxedo Rap

Back on the Bike.

2006-04-20T00:00:00-07:00

Well folks, this is my third straight week back on the bike. I feel good and it feels good. Most of my time has been on the fixed gear. I think I have only ridden my road bike 3 or 4 times. My amount of riding hasn't been crazy or anything usually around 10-12hrs per week. Hopefully I will be ready to roll at McMinnville next month. The road race course there is crazy hard. Good stuff.

Just a Pic.

2006-04-19T00:00:00-07:00

IMG_0866 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This a picture I took in my apartment during the storm last night around midnight. The lightning made for some cool clouds and the prolonged exposure made it look like day time. Oh, my cat moved his head. Dig it.

Get Joe and Dan Some Chicks Party.

2006-04-17T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, so as many of you know I live alone and work funky hours. Needless to say outside of cycling my social life is rather dull. Dan Bischoff and I were talking about this and he is in a similar situation. So, we thought it to be a good idea to throw a party. But, and this is a BIG but, it has one rule. If you are a guy and show up with your girl friend, she must bring at least one (preferably available) friend! So Josh, Bruns, Breslin and all you other guys out there that I would hope show up, inform your girls and have them choose wisely. This Saturday, after dark at my place, which is behind the Hi-Pointe. Just south of the big Amaco sign. If you don't know where the Amaco sign is ask someone. This is a BYOB event. Be there.

Tilles Park.

2006-04-09T00:00:00-07:00

The race went suprisingly good for me today. The weather was great, I felt relaxed and had my family there for support. I ended up almost finishing with the group. With about 3 laps to go my legs felt like they went in to slow-mo, the pace increased so I hit another gear and apparently it was one to many, I simply couldn't push the pedals as hard as the speed of the group demanded. I think my lack of training and the speed (avg roughly 28mph) had something to do with it. But all in all a success in what is my first season as a non-student. Also in cool news one of my teammates from cycling center (Belgium program) raced today as well. Pretty cool.

Lance is a Playa!

2006-04-05T00:00:00-07:00

I don't know where he gets all the women, I suppose I would need to win the Tour to find out. But I have to say Sheryl looked a bit better than his latest: Maybe he wants to learn to play the bongos?

Check This Out.

2006-03-28T00:00:00-08:00

Check out the new server at: MUNG. It's pretty dope.

Strange Spam.

2006-03-25T00:00:00-08:00

This could go on my tech blog but I it fits in here under the "weird shit" category. Here is what I got: "mauve umbrella. The vile Faggot, who was none other than Koroviev, shouted : 'There, ladies and gentlemen, is your revelation for you, as requested so insistently by Arkady Apollonich!' 'How dare you hit Arkady Apollonich, you little baggage? ' said the wife grimly, rising in the box to her full gigantic height. The young girl was seized with another outburst of Satanic laughter. 'I've as much right,' she replied laughing, ' to hit him as you have! ' A second dull crack was heard as another umbrella bounced off Arkady Apollonich's head. 'Police! Arrest her! ' roared Madame Sempleyarov in a terrifying voice. Here the cat bounded up to the footlights and announced in a human voice : 'That concludes the evening! Maestro! Finale, please! ' The dazed conductor, scarcely aware of what he was doing, waved his baton and the orchestra struck up, or rather murdered a disorganised excuse for a march, normally sung to obscene but very funny words. However, it was quickly gskok tkrksjgk sjjmgkg krk p jg kikfkg j ggjknkik f sdjksdfsdfsdlgkj sdflkjsdf lksdjfsdfsdf" I don't have a clue. Quiet possibly the funniest email I have gotten in a while.

Motorboat Rampage.

2006-03-25T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_0834 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

While not as devistating as in the past this one left me trying to figure out how he got up there. Nothing but trouble.

The Hiltons.

2006-03-22T00:00:00-08:00

I never thought I would talk about the Hiltons on my blog but this was too good to pass up. Apparently they are starting their own Saturday morning cartoon. Good for them and the entrepreneurial spirit I suppose, but I figure the last thing kids need today is more materialistic influences. Seriousness aside here are some humorous preliminary drawings I found:

Sad to say.

2006-03-21T00:00:00-08:00

Life has been noneventful as far as the blog goes. That is nothing much to post about, just work, some riding, some running and attempts at getting pleanty of sleep. Disclaimer: If you decide to read it, this sudo-review shouldn't spoil it for you. Other than that, I just finished reading book called Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins. It was quite good. It basically gives an overview of his career as a cheif economist at a large engineering firm. His job was to basically analyize LDCs (lesser developed countries) that may hold significance to the US government. He would then pitch an overblown infrastructure package to the country that they would pay for using US government loans. The country would eventually be so far in debt that the US would then have enormous pull regarding policy and laws in that country. All the while he was employed by an engineering firm that reaps the benefits of these programs because they are hired to do the work for the US government. Sound outlandish? Sound confusing? He makes a pretty good case for himself (as this non-fiction) and makes it an easy read. I give it 4 out of 5 gold stars, he loses one star because he gets a little whinny near the end feeling bad about what he had done. [Reading Rainbow Music, Geordi LaForge, LeVar Burton] "But don't take my word for it..."

New Story.

2006-03-08T00:00:00-08:00

This is my latest story entitled "I See Dead People." Eventually I'll have a book I tell ya! Going to a private Catholic grade school around 4th grade I was taught how to be an alter boy. Soon I was introduced to the hidden world of being an alter boy. No, I never was molested, not that kind of world. This was a world of commerce, competition and rank. As a new server, I was at the bottom of the totem pole. I was only chose to do the weekly school Masses and played only minor roles in the duties. Even on the bottom I received some of the benefits of being an alter boy. For instance, getting out of class early to prepare for Mass. Soon I was serving at Sunday Mass in front of the everyone. As I moved up the ranks I found out more about the system. One tip is that even if you screw up, stay calm. Rarely anyone notices, especially at the 8am Sunday Mass. Also, the priest will always forgive you. Thats kind of their job. I found this out while preparing and dressing for Mass on a Wednesday morning. In the back vestibule decided it would be a good time to show some of the alter boys a science experiment. I took one of the wicks to light the alter candles and a can of WD40 and proceeded to use the two to create a flame thrower. Of course I got caught, I figure God told on me. Oh and try some of the communion wafers, they're delicious. As long as they are not consecrated yet you are theologically in the clear. The main thing is to be reliable, show up and you'll move up. One of big benefits of bring a top end alter boy was that you could be recruited to serve at a funeral. That means if the funeral was during the week you would get out of an hour of class. But thats not all, you would get paid. Upon finding this out I thought to myself "Wow, not only do I earn my spot in heaven, I get paid to do it!" Only the most reliable and experienced alter boys were drafted. After about two years of being in the lower ranks of alter boys I started breaking on to the scene. Soon I was starting to play the lower roles in funerals. Around 7th grade was a part of the top echelon of alter boys in the parish. On a good week I was doing two funeral gigs a week, taking only the most active roles during the ceremony. As a result I could make $10-15 per funeral. Sometimes more if both the family and funeral home would pay you. Alas, by the start of high school my career as an alter boy was finished. I was put out to pasture, replaced by new up and comers. Other than the occasional fill-in, I didn't serve another Mass.

Management.

2006-03-02T00:00:00-08:00

When I started my job as a systems engineer I didn't realize that I would be working in management. Mind you, my job is not a management position. This is personal management. Arranging all my daily tasks in an order that I can fit everything in and attempt to get home at a decent hour. This is much more difficult than it was in college. More free time allowed me to fudge here and there. Now it's a little different. I work 2pm to 10:30pm. I like the hours. In college I could decide to sleep in instead of riding before class and just ride after. This doesn't work anymore. If I don't ride in the morning, I don't get to ride. No fudge factor. This may sound simple but in reality it is not. You see I work for a small company. This is something that I have always wanted. It probably stems from growing up with two parents that own their own business. I am coming to know the small company life style better than when I was growing up. The hard and fast truth of it is, is that when shit hits the fan you are one of a hand full of people that can deal with it. No fudge factor. Lately here at Contegix business has been really good. So good in fact that I rarely get off on time. I really don't see this as a problem, I like what I do. But I am using it to point out my situation of learning how to manage what I have going on. For instance, I stay at work late, it makes it much harder to wake up to ride. At any rate, like I said...I like what I do and this is not a complaint. By no means would I want to change my situtation, other than maybe racing pro in Europe. It is just a new type of life I am learning to live. I guess growing pains of starting a career.

Whoa, Slow.

2006-02-27T00:00:00-08:00

Yea, Froze Toes. Regardless of any excusses, I'm slow. Period. It's too bad but true. I lasted almost a lap, roughly 25 miles. I talked to my boss about it at work, he said that "the real world is catching up to me." I suppose thats true, I am slower than I used to be. My next hurdle is Hillsboro Roubaix. I would like to be in at least decent shape for that and finish, hopefully with a group (since the main group usually shatters). After that it's all about McMinnville and getting over the big climb there...twice. Ok, time to sleep, ride, work all over again.

Feed Me!

2006-02-24T00:00:00-08:00

I love my cat and I would never let him get like this. 33 pounds and has a larger waist than I do! If anything this cat needs to have surgery, not to remove fat or reduce its stomach size but to remove it's fat brained owner. At any rate, what an oddity! More Pics

New Dish.

2006-02-18T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_0816 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I came up with this today. It's kind of a twist on lasagna. I replaced the noddles with slices of Italian bread. Each layer is bread, sauce, parmesan, a little olive oil and chopped baby spinich. With the middle layer having three cloves of crushed garlic. Pretty tasty!

My $365 Million.

2006-02-18T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_0829 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Here is my (hopefully winning) ticket. The crazy part about this drawing isn't the money, it's the people. I got to Schnucks around 6:30pm and there was a line of about 25 people waiting to buy tickets. The lady infront had all of her little scantron sheets numbered and collated like an old pro. The cashier told her the total, in all she bought $220 dollars worth!!! I can't help but to think that too many people have a false sense of hope when playing the lottery. I just hope they don't plan on the money. Dreaming is fun though.
After paying back my student loans and taking care of friends and family, here is what I would spend my money on: I found this island real estate website. Even without winning maybe someday I could buy a speck of land somewhere in the Pacific. Who knows?!

New Bling.

2006-02-16T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_0792 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Here are my new dubs for this season. Zipp 404 rims, Hugi 240 hubs and Sapim CX-Ray spokes. They weigh about 1400 grams for the set. I am stoked that I finally got them built up and can't wait to ride them! There are more pics on my Flickr site if you are interested. (They are super hi-res, so attempting to look at them on dialup might suck horribly, sorry) Also a big thanks goes out to Alex (and everyone else) at The Hub Bicycle Company for building these bad boys up!

New Blog Layout.

2006-02-13T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_0770 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I hope you like the new layout. I figured I would change it up. I also took a couple pics of the well known Amoco sign at Clayton and Skinner. Just a few short steps from my apartment.

A Couple Things You Should Read.

2006-02-11T00:00:00-08:00

First, head over to Dan 'Asian Sensation' Bischoff's blog. Read his in-depth interview of me and Rusty P. Then go to my tech blog. Learn how you convert your vinyl to MP3 or CD!

Don't Play Solitare at Work.

2006-02-10T00:00:00-08:00

Seems a bit harsh but when you have billions you can do whatever the hell you want. Poor guy. Get Fired!

Badass Octopus.

2006-02-02T00:00:00-08:00

One of the coolest videos I have ever seen! This is must see TV folks! LINK

Nothing Exciting.

2006-02-01T00:00:00-08:00

"I lead a pretty boring life. I once met an editor from the National Enquirer who said to me, almost apologetically, 'I'm sorry, but we're really not interested in you.' I'm afraid that's true." --John Lithgow I hear that...That's why I have my own blog. But like I stated in the title, nothing exciting is going on. I just ride in the morning, work in the evening and read for a bit, then go to bed. As far as what I am reading it is titledAnother Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn. It's a memoir about a guy growing up with a dad that doesn't show up and a mom that tries but doesn't get it right, working for the mob and other interesting tales. You should check it out. "But don't take my word for it...." (cue Reading Rainbow theme) In other news, it looks like I may head home for the weekend for a visit. Hopefully do some riding too, maybe some fire roads if I am lucky. Everyone should visit Dan Bischoff's blog (link over there --->) and post a happy birthday message! He is 32 today, well on his way to never working again in retirement.

My Nutty Cat.

2006-01-25T00:00:00-08:00

IMG_0752 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This is him after a bath.

IMG_0762 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This his him sleeping while I am on the trainer. He stays up most of the night keeping a look out for noises and just about anything.

Not So Secret Training.

2006-01-24T00:00:00-08:00

This is the new on the bike weight training I have been doing: Credit: The Cobra Snake

The Lance Vacuum.

2006-01-18T00:00:00-08:00

I don't think much talk of this has happened yet but... Do you guys think there will be a vacuum now that Armstrong is gone? I don't mean in racing, more like in the sport as far as spectators and attendence at pro events. Events like the Tour of Georgia. I have a feeling that many of the spectators that showed up this past season was to watch Lance kick ass for the last time, etc etc. What do you think? Post, let me know.

Training, Racing, Life.

2006-01-16T00:00:00-08:00

The race season is nearing, so it's time for me to start gearing up for racing. My training this fall/winter had a very slow start. I started my new job, dealt with a massive bout of post Belguim burn out and general life stuff that just kept me focused on other things than the bike. Saddly enough, I bascially started training for the '06 season about three weeks ago. Not all that great, but I'm not racing collegaite any more so the season doesn't get underway nearly as early. Even with the late start I am hopefull of a promising season. What makes this season exciting is how "new" it is. I have a new coach, Tosh Yoshino, who stepped up after John Erhardt my coach of 4 years moved and started a new job in Oklahoma City. I am looking forward to working with Tosh, as he has been a mentor and friend of mine for a few years. I also have a new set of race wheels being built which I am stoked about. Zipp 404 rims on Hugi 240s and Sapim spokes. Alex at The Hub will have these done in the coming weeks. Thanks to my little bro for the big discount on the rims. This is also my first season as a non-student, in the real world so to speak. I am sure I will have to find a new balance to my life, work and cycling. Hopefully favoring cycling. Another exciting tid bit is that was invited back to Cycling Center in Belguim. While I am unsure if this would be possible, my employer has ok'ed me going. So we will see. I would be going until the summer so, I have a long time to try to figure it all out. Thats about it for now. Not much else going on, just me and Motorboat (my cat) hanging out watching PBS.

John Sinibaldi Passes Away.

2006-01-12T00:00:00-08:00

John passed away on Jan. 10th. I rode with him a few times in Florida during the past couple Christmas vactions. Though quiet he was spoken highly of by fellow riders that knew him. I remember someone mentioning "He has more gold medals than you can shake a stick at." More on VeloNews

A Confirmation for the Naysayers.

2006-01-12T00:00:00-08:00

The cyclops kitten story I posted earlier is not a hoax! Here is an article saying such: Link

Ride Saturday.

2006-01-11T00:00:00-08:00

If you are interested: 10am Meet at the Muny in Forest Park Clayton Rd, Valley Rd Loop Roughly 3-3.5 hrs. Easy pace, possibly city limit sprints (little ring only)

My New Cat.

2006-01-09T00:00:00-08:00

Well not really. I wish it was though because I bet I could teach it to shoot laser beams from its single eyeball or at least be really good at staring contests. Article Link

I Love Bikes.

2006-01-08T00:00:00-08:00

img_0744 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I crashed by the zoo in Forest Park. I was on the fixie and one of those sets of speed bumps bucked me like a bull. More pics on Flickr. Companion video. It's 21MB sorry if it takes bit to download.

The Chronic...les of Narnia.

2005-12-28T00:00:00-08:00

If you haven't seen this, it's too bad. Drop what you are doing and watch it now!! Seriously! Watch it now: Video While you are at it watch this classic from SNL: More Cowbell Double True!!

Bloom on Christmas Day.

2005-12-27T00:00:00-08:00

img_0711 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This guy welcomed Christmas with showing his full colors. Thanks mom.

Another Quote.

2005-12-20T00:00:00-08:00

This is another that should help bring the other two together: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -- Benjamin Franklin November 11, 1755

A couple quotes.

2005-12-20T00:00:00-08:00

"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the biding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the peacemakers for a lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." -- Herman Goering, Hilter's designated successor, before being sentenced to death at the Nuremberg trials. "We cannot simply suspend or restrict civil liberties until the War of Terror is over, becuase the War on Terror is unlikely ever to be truely over." -- Judge Gerald Tjoflat of the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals Oct 15, 2004 Marinate.

Th Ball Park.

2005-12-18T00:00:00-08:00

img_0682 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This is the view from my parking garage at work. It's unblievable how fast the old stadium came down, it seemed like just a couple days. They seem to be just cleaning the mess up now. Nuts.

Kinda like Monopoly.

2005-12-15T00:00:00-08:00

If you like Monopoly you may like this: llor It's a "simple huge" game, where one buys hotels and can build them to different heights, charge rent and stop by a quicky mart. It's a great time waster. Check it.

Another Story.

2005-12-12T00:00:00-08:00

I couldn't help but to write another one this weekend. This is another one about a girl, it's called The Robot. Sarah has a quality, she can use her stature and personality to blend in, avoid contact and go unnoticed. At 5'2", skinny, with pasty skin and a red bowl cut, like the one you had when you were a kid, she was easily over looked and if you did notice her you would think she's a boy. But no bother to her, she survived high school in south city and college at SLU relatively unscathed. As I soon learned, her skill had been honed by years of being ignored by her parents at first, followed by peers and teachers at school. She learned at an early age that get through life easily is not to stick your neck out. The smart vocal kids, aren't correct all the time and look stupid when they are wrong. The loud stupid kids are just that, loud and stupid. If you are average in as many possible ways as you can you get through this social obstacles under the radar and without dealing with the bullshit. "Not to mention they are f*&king robots anyway" she would say. We began our so called relationship in college, although I'm not sure you could call it that. We never dated, never kissed, never held hands, would usually just watch TV and talk about the outside world like it was light years away not just on the other side of the dormitory wall. Each time we would hang out, usually once a week, usually on the weekend when we would blow off homework and weren't partying. Not that we would party, because we wouldn't get invited. At least she wouldn't get invited, then that would make my invite null and void. "They are all f&%king robots. Why would you want to go with them?" After a couple semesters and returning to school in the Fall we fell back into the same routine, just like the year before. My summer was filled with activity, mowing grass for the state, riding and racing all the time. At least thats how I would describe it, "the short version" is what I would call it. As expected she would take her turn depicting her summer as best she could, "You want my short version? I would spent most days in my dark bed room contemplating suicide." I would take this with a grain of salt, knowing or at least thinking that I know she was being melodramatic. Any time she would talk like this I would try to turn it positive, some how. I would ask her things like "What about a job? Money is a nice thing to have around." Her usual reply would be along these lines "Why so I can go by clothes in the little girls section at JC Penny? Oh yea, and while I am at the mall I'll have the benefit of walking by Abercrombie and Fitch so I can see what girls that are built anatomically correct look like and go home feeling inadequate. " It was hard to reply to this with anything but "I'm not sure what to tell you then." While after a while we did not hang out nearly as much, mostly because our personalities diverged but we remained friends throughout college. We both graduated and went on to bigger things. She ended up finding a job in a lab on the east coast. The last time I saw her was during Thanksgiving she was home for the holiday. Why, I'm not sure. It's not like she enjoyed spending time with her parents anyway. I called her a week or so prior to see if she would like to get together and catch up, she obliged. She came over to my place on Friday night to hang out, talk, whatever. As strange as it sounds, it was good to see her old same bowl cut. Although I do think she gained a little weight. I figured she was making good money and ended up eating more. I guess that means she will have to buy those clothes anyway. But, I didn't say that to her. We talked like old times and she hadn't changed much mentally or socially. At the end of the night I asked her to go out with some friends and I on Saturday night. This made me feel better about her mental disposition going forward. She replied "I realized something while living by myself in Richmond [VA], when you get out of college you are really by yourself. No one is around unless you allow them to be." I agreed and told her that I had been trying to help her figure this out for a while now. She continued "I realized that it's better to be a robot than sitting at home and seeing that f#&king Ty Pennington on TV every night." We laughed and she went home. The next night I assume she left for home, because she didn't show and didn't return my calls.

Story Time.

2005-12-09T00:00:00-08:00

Occasionally I like to write short stories about things that have happend to me, others or just stuff I made up. Here is the newest installment. It's called "Headphones." I hope you enjoy it, please excuse any spelling or grammer errors as it was written at 2 am. At my friend Gwen's Christmas party I was mingling, drinking, eating. Late into the party a small group was left and we sat together talking. There are only three topics people like to talk to me about, computers, if they need help, cycling, because they heard about that "cancer bike rider" and vegetarianism, because they eat meat. On this occasion we discuss my vegetarianism and how most of them tried it but couldn't continue for one reason or another. One of the girls in attendance mentions she, Molly, is in the nutrition and culinary department and offers to cook me dinner. I don't think much of it and leave the party soon after. A week or two after the party, for some reason I thought of having dinner Molly. I gave Gwen a call and got her phone number, called her and arranged a date. We get dinner in The Loop and it goes well as any first date can be expected to go. Nothing great, but good enough for a second. So as a result, we begin to hang out on a semi-regular basis. This is when things get a little strange. When I go to her apartment it takes her minutes to answer the door. Not, "I'm coming" and she shows up 45 seconds later, this is full minutes, usually 5-10. Yes, on average longer than 5 minutes of waiting and knocking before she answers the door, even if she knows I am coming because I called minutes before I walked across campus. Once inside we watched TV and had good conversations, I would go far enough to say we enjoyed each others company. I over look the door answering issue, although it continues. We go on another date, this time her cooking dinner and then heading to the SLU soccer game. The dinner was good and the game was enjoyable until about 15 minutes in. Not because the home team was loosing but because she had brought her AM/FM radio and headphones. She proceeded to block out the rest of the world including me listening to the Cardinals playoff game. For the rest of the game I sit in silence. At the end of the game she puts the radio away acts as if nothing happened and I walk her home. Then I walk home, completely confused. The following week, we do a similar date. I walk over wait for 8 minutes at the door, she cooks dinner, I eat it, we hang out for a bit, then head to the game. The difference this time I explain the situation and in hopes of subtly curing the issue invite my friend Gwen and her boyfriend Riley (also a good friend). This doesn't stop her, shortly after the Star Spangled Banner she places the headphones on her head and zones out. The three of us look at each other and scratch our heads and try to make the best of this uncomfortable situation. Just before half time she removes the headphones and complains of being tired. Trying to be considerate she suggests I walk her home during the break, so I don't have to miss a minute. I do this and say goodnight, we kiss and I walk back. Upon my return we can't help but to query each other, coming to no conclusions. We laugh and enjoy the rest of the evening. Even after all this I still attempt to hang out with her once or twice a week, more of like friends than anything else. But unbeknownst to her I initiate a policy, three knocks and I'm out. It works great, I don't have to stand outside for longer than a couple minutes before I use up my three knocks. Interestingly enough most of the time she never calls to see where I'm at or if I am going to show up. Great, this is easy! A few weeks pass and Riley invites me to go to the City Museum. My first notion is to ask the girl I am "dating" to join us. She is reluctant. Before leaving I get a call from Mike a friend in town from Mizzou. He wants to go out too, "No problem, come on over." On the way to Riley's apartment we stop by Molly's. Having an impartial observer present I decide to suspend my three knock policy and for the first time someone else observed possibly the longest duration of waiting the door be answered on record. It must have been at least 10 minutes. In the end she does indeed answer, we walk inside and ask if she wants to go. She's "tired", so Mike and I try to convince her to go, to no avail. We meet the others and have an awesome night. Later that week I decide to confront her about my issues, the waiting, the headphones and seeming uninterested when around other people. I begin my questioning and she immediately tries to hamstring me with the normal girlfriend guilt trip. You know the one, it feels similar to the one your mom used to use when she thought you weren't giving 100%. "I thought I raised you better..." sort of thing, but only with a girlfriend. Once I explained my side and she laid it on thick, she told me "I need to take a shower, Goodbye!" So, I left. At this point I didn't care, with good reason. Two weeks pass I don't call, she doesn't call, we don't see each other on campus, nothing. Then on a random weeknight, my phone rings. She is on the other end acting as if nothing had happened. She complained that I hadn't called or came by. I responded, stating the obvious, the earlier issues, the guilt trip seemed like good reasons not to continue. She thought they "weren't anything to get in a fuss about." I didn't respond. She asks "So where are we at?" I tell her "I'm ready to deal with your issues." She explains that this is not the first time someone has told her that. I was thinking "No shit?!" Once finished with her soliloquy I tell her I will see her around and hang up. I haven't talked with her for longer than 5 minutes since, thank God.

Scrabble.

2005-12-08T00:00:00-08:00

img_0668 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I lost again, but not to worry, I still scored over 200 for the 3 or 4th time. Which solidifies me in what the instructions consider their highest level of achievement called...."expert". Yes, both Dan and I are now experts at Scrabble. So if you have any questions or need to be slaughtered like a lamb come find us.

Not what I expected.

2005-12-08T00:00:00-08:00

img_0671 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This is not what I expected to see looking out my door this morning. I suppose I don't have much of a choice in the matter.

Instead of Cycling.

2005-12-06T00:00:00-08:00

So, lately, as you may know, I haven't been riding much. Instead, I have been playing Scrabble with Dan Bischoff. Yes, that family game you last played with your 'grammy' five years ago when she was in the hospital getting colonoscopy. The past two nights we have played til 4 AM. Sounds stupid you say? Oh, on the contrary it is quite the game, competition is fierce and no holds are barred. Last night with the word "tenors" I took control of the final game. Needless to say I needed the win, considering Dan beat me the five games prior. Contrary to popular belief I am indeed literate and some would say intelligent. My skills are no match, Dan is indeed the man. Dan Bischoff, king of all word nerds, the Scrabble master. We salute you! Click on the picture for his blog.

Training to Train.

2005-11-30T00:00:00-08:00

Lately I have had a hard time getting myself to ride. Although I still end up riding 5-6 days a week, it feels like a struggle every time I go out. This is especially true when I go alone. I am not sure if it is the job, life style change, weather, burn out, sleeping habits, a combination of everything or something else. I still love riding and once I am dressed and out the door I am fine. It seems that I am lacking the catalyst to push me out on to the road. If anyone has any insights or experiences that would be helpfull.

Going Pro.

2005-11-30T00:00:00-08:00

Two of my CyclingCenter Teammates have signed pro contracts for the coming season. Corey Steinbrecher (Jelly Belly) Austin King (Jittery Joes) Congrats guys!!

Mr Miyagi passes away.

2005-11-26T00:00:00-08:00

From Happy Days to Karate Kid. Noriyuki "Pat" Morita will be missed.

One down the rest of the peloton to go.

2005-11-25T00:00:00-08:00

Heras was confrimed positive for EPO. Let me geuss... he has a twin?! Positive at CyclingNews Positive at VeloNews Positive at L'Equipe Positive at EuroSport Positive at Joe's Blog

Thanksgiving Feast.

2005-11-24T00:00:00-08:00

img_0663 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

If it hasn't been apparent by now, my cat is insane. I went home to Murphysboro, IL for Thanksgiving with the parents today. Thinking my cat might run a rampage through my apartment I gave him a huge bowl of food and water and locked him in the bathroom. Not to much surprise when I arrived home he ate all the food, had a feast on a roll of toliet paper and created an unbelievable stench. I have never seen so much cat shit before in my life. And it was "shit" too, it's the only word properly describing poop that smells like that. Luckily, all the poop and pee was in the litter box and not on the floor, wall or sink. My cat is bonkers.

Training.

2005-11-23T00:00:00-08:00

I almost forgot, I do ride a bike occasionally. As far as that goes, the only major change is my coach of 4 years moved and thus will not be coaching me this season. Thanks for all your help John, I hope the new job and city work well for you and your family. So, as a result I have brought in talent from the far east. Mr. Tosh Yoshino will be working with me this season. He promised to make me a star, I think he's got what it takes. Lets hope I do! I started on his plan about 3 weeks ago. Here's what the current training looks like (if you care): Monday: Off Tuesday: 1.5 Wednesday: 2 Thrusday: 2.5 Friday: 1.5 (active rest) Saturday: 2-4 Sunday: 2-4 All of the time done at a fast candence (100+), low HR (130-) and no more than a couple days a week on the fixed gear. Thats about it. Ride my bike. Pedal fast. Eat. Go to work. Go to bed. Do it all over again. Kick ass in the spring. Simple.

News Anchors.

2005-11-21T00:00:00-08:00

The female news anchors nowadays are much more attractive than they were even 5 years ago. I suppose the networks have figured out a way to make guys tune in... Here are a couple I like: This one is on French TV, Melissa Theuriau: CNN Headline news, Rudy Bakhtiar:

My Film Premise.

2005-11-21T00:00:00-08:00

So here is my idea. During the Cold War the Russians put "spy children" up for adoption in the US. They have been planted with tracking and mind control devices. At the end of the Cold War the project is abandonded and the kids are left unmonitored yet the mind contol is left in place. [Cut to the present] During construction of a new goverment building the underground control center for the project is uncovered in Moscow. Upon finding it the goverment does a formal investigation and locates each of the now adult children. They have led otherwise "normal" lives but they have huge, warehouse amounts of data on everything from everyday life as a US citizen to nuclear missle silo locations. The Russian government then takes all the data back to Russia to process, during the trip many of the documents are stolen and sold to North Korea. North Korea then enters into war with the US and gives them an ultamatum, relinquish all nuclear arms or prepare for nuclear holocast and complete goverment take over. To save the US, two CIA workers (think Matt Damon and Ben Afleck) have to use their unique skills and teamwork to uncover the knowledge to bring down North Korea. This is copyrighted material. I reserve all rights to this premise and supporting ideas. (C) Joseph A. Williams 2005.

Midnight Adventure.

2005-11-21T00:00:00-08:00

[This is my attempt at a post as fruity as Dan Bruns] [The names and places have been changed to protect the innocent] [This is the boring part] Ban Dischoff. [This part is kinda good] Ban came over tonight, little did he know about what he was getting himself into. I played PS2, while he borrowed my internet. Then we went and got food from Zchnucks. Afterwards, we destroyed my old hard drive on the street out front. After a few blows it sounded like a maraca. Eventually it was in two pieces. [This is the good part] So then Ban and I went again to the nearby Zchnucks at around midnight tonight, this morning or something. The reason? "We were bored as hell and wanted to get ill." We first noticed that it is a local law that one cannot sell achohol after 12am on Sundays. Upon inqury we were told by the pudgy sister that happend to be the security guard on shift dropped this tid bit of knowledge on us, "they jus' don' do it." We we then informed to go to the east side by the "titty bars, they gots all sorts of beer over there." So I got a Nutragous and a Mountian Dew. Ban got a orange Vess. [This is my plea to my mother] No mom I am not drunk and no I didn't drink tonight. We were just bored and decided to go do something and the Zchnucks was open. [This is my arguement] I am by no means a "drinker" but this law is stupid. What is the purpose? If someone plans on getting wasted on a Sunday night they will most likely start before midnight. I just don't see the point in such an ordiance.

My Cat.

2005-11-17T00:00:00-08:00

img_0660 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I suppose Motorboats belong in the water.

Williams Family Fun!

2005-11-13T00:00:00-08:00

img_0658 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

So, most of the Williams Clan got together for the weekend. Too bad Christine couldn't make it. All in all it was a really good weekend and it was nice to see everyone. It was also nice to get my Zipp 404 rims from my brother, but thats not the matter at hand. Apparently, Daniel and Dad have been at work fabricating a "bottle rocket". This thing is pretty sweet, it sounds like a gun shot (proven by my neighbor yelling explatives at us after a few shots) and the bottles come off at what seem to be lethal speeds. An awesome contraption indeed.

New Blog.

2005-11-11T00:00:00-08:00

I started a tech blog. Check it out: MUNG

Replacing the Lemond.

2005-11-07T00:00:00-08:00

Here's what I hope to replace the Lemond this winter with: BIKE! I haven't decided on a color yet, but im thinking pearlescent white with black decals. Should look sweet. As for the Lemond... she needs a good home. Are you a short adult? Are you in 5th grade? If so this bike will probably fit you. Here are the specs: 2003 lemond alpe d heuz frame 49 cm full dura ace 9sp group, rear der. and shifters less than a year old 3 extra 9sp cassettes (11-21,12-23,12-23) bontrager select wheels w/ 12-25 cassette and conti GP3000 tires chris king headset ritchey comp stem oval handlebar easton carbon seatpost easton SLX full carbon fork (really light) fizik arione saddle *recently re-cabled and taped *no bottle cages *no pedals *tons o' fun EMail me for pics. asking $1200

Tired.

2005-11-06T00:00:00-08:00

4.5hrs on the fixed gear today...I'm beat.

Workin' Away

2005-11-05T00:00:00-08:00

The new job is going really well. I think I found the right job, all of the people are great and I like what I do. I don't think I could have asked for more. I also work 2-10:30pm, which helps with riding. I've been getting out around 5 days a week, sometimes running too. I am really looking forward to next season, I hope to make some good improvements and maybe go back to Belgium for a bit. But, I'll have to talk to Bernard (CyclingCenter Director Sportif) about that. Hooray for good weather!!!! Stands are still for sale!! Put your order in now!! Check out our AD in the newest issue of Point to Point Cycling News!!

Moved and in the groove.

2005-10-25T00:00:00-07:00

I moved into my new apartment this weekend (with the help of my family and Mr. Yoshino). I am living behind the Hi-Pointe theater. I also start work tomorrow at Contegix. Winter training has started too. Lots done, pleanty more to do.

Job!

2005-10-18T00:00:00-07:00

Well folks, it's official. I have a job! I start next week at Contegix. They are a linux based managed hosting and colocation company in downtown STL. If you don't know what that last phrase means, it's ok. Think, behind the scenes computer technician. I will be moving in to my apartment this weekend. You should come by and meet Motorboat!

Stands For Sale.

2005-10-14T00:00:00-07:00

img_0595 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

We are officially taking orders for repair stands. You choose the color (not just black anymore) and the sticker color (white, black, silver, pink). They are $125. First come, first served. Allow roughly a week for delivery. If you need something custom (height, length and etc) add $25. You can email orders at joe@621.org or call 1.877.438.6499.

New Williams Metal Works Tool.

2005-10-12T00:00:00-07:00

img_0588 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This is the latest addition, a lock ring wrench. Completely over built and very simple. Right now as far as I know our design only works with Paul Lock Rings. If you are interested in the work stands, I will have them on display at both CX races this weekend.

My new cat.

2005-10-12T00:00:00-07:00

img_0590 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

His name is Motorboat. He is pretty cool and eats a lot.

I Need A Job!

2005-10-05T00:00:00-07:00

Currently, I am seeking employment. If anyone out there in blog-land is needing a system administrator, database administrator or java developer, I might be your man. Interested? Email me at joseph.a.williams@gmail.com.

New Ride.

2005-09-28T00:00:00-07:00

img_0570 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Here is my new ride. Olmo steel track frame, FSA cranks, Velocity Deep-V rims laced up with Paul High-Flange hubs. Pretty sweet.

New Features.

2005-09-28T00:00:00-07:00

img_0574 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

The repair stand is still under development. We have added a few new features of late. First, the stand is now reversable using spacers. (Pic) The fork mount can now also hold your rear dropouts for headset and fork work. Also, the BB peg is movable to accomidate the reversable fork mount. Lastly, we added a wheel holder for which ever wheel is currently off the bike. All the photos can be found HERE.

The Rockies.

2005-09-27T00:00:00-07:00

img_0526 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Just got back from a trip to see Rhea in Colorado. Simply awesome. I have never had such an up close look at the mountains. We camped out in Estes Park for most of the weekend and hiked all day Sunday to Chasm Lake (11,200 feet) which is below Long's Peak. Wooo, great weekend.

Mark Williams Fabrications - Bike Stand.

2005-09-19T00:00:00-07:00

img_0477 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Yesterday my dad and I decided to work on the bike repair stand we have been brainstorming since I saw the "euro" type stands in Belgium. Here are some pics of what we came up with. The folding action was inspired by a ironing board. It's probably a quarter of the weight of a Park Tool Stand and folds up smaller. Check out the rubber feet, MTB grips! Pretty sweet.

Back.

2005-09-17T00:00:00-07:00

I'm back! It's good to be home, I got over the jet lag pretty quick and went for a ride with good ol' dad today. Right now I am just trying to get everything organized and ready to go, so when I find a job it will be an easy move and etc. I hope to ride with everyone soon, I will be in STL Wednesday and I'm doing the SLU cycling group ride that evening. You should come out!

The End.

2005-09-15T00:00:00-07:00

img_0332 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Well folks, I am headed home! This time for real. Tonight I fly to Brussels to catch my flight to the US Friday morning. Rome has been amazing, I saw the Papal Audience yesterday and wandered around most of the day. It was great. This whole experience has been amazing, from Cycling Center and racing in Belgium to London, to Rome, it has been unbeleivable. A huge thanks goes to everyone that supported me! You are the ones that made this all possible and it is greatly apperiated! See all of you soon!

Rome.

2005-09-13T00:00:00-07:00

img_0366 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

My first day in Rome! I toured the Vatican today. The Sistine Chappel and Saint Peter's Basillica are amazing. Josh and I also went to a few sites last night. Enjoy the pics! As for riding, it is the exact opposite of Belgium, there is not a flat length of road anywhere.

Change of Plans.

2005-09-11T00:00:00-07:00

I have a friend from SLU studying in Rome. I decided I would go see him once I leave CyclingCenter on Monday morning. So I changed flights and will be heading there and coming back to the states on Friday. I'm pretty excited, should be really cool! I think I might try to see if I can go for a ride with the Pope.

Goodbye.

2005-09-09T00:00:00-07:00

img_0330 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

My roommate Yordan leaves Saturday morning to visit a friend in the Netherlands and then head home to Israel, where he is on the National Team. As soon as he gets back he must continue his military service as a bike mechanic.

Bike Fit and etc.

2005-09-09T00:00:00-07:00

img_0323 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

The bike fit was really cool. The old man does it in a little shed behind his house retro-fitted with all his tools and stands. He spoke very little English, in fact I think I could speak more Dutch. He started by measuring me (arms, torso, legs etc). Then he worked on the numbers using a calculator. I have no idea what he did, then presto he has all the numbers in the photo. Next, he started changing my bike to fit like the numbers he came up with. In the end my saddle height was right on but I needed to move forward by about 2-3cm and level my saddle angle out. I also needed a longer stem by 1cm. He also removed about 3cm of spacers from under my stem. Once done he rotated my bars down just a bit. Lastly, he adjusted my cleats. From what I gather I was sitting too far back and upright. My new position will pull me forward and over the front of the bike. He said that I should be able to put more power to the pedals and have better handling with this setup. We will see how it works tomorrow in the race. I'm sure it will take some getting used to. I also got my hair cut today. Nothing special...but I was looking through the tabliods and saw pro cyclists! There were articles about Robbie McEwen and Tom Boonen. Anyway, I found this humorous.

Wingene Kermis.

2005-09-07T00:00:00-07:00

img_0319 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Fast race today. There were a few pros here today too, I saw at least one rider from Chocolade Jacques and a couple from a few smaller teams. I've been feeling pretty tired, this being something like my 10-11th race since coming over I'm not surprised. I suppose it's good timing though, I will be heading home on Monday. This was probably my last race in Belgium, although I may race Saturday. We will see how I feel. In other news, I am getting a bike fit done on Friday. Our bike fit guy fits many of the pros here in Belgium (Axel Merckx and etc). The last guy that went had Nico Mattan (2005 Gent-Wevelgem winner) walk in while he was being fit. Pretty cool. Edit: Mattan won the 2005 Gent-Wevelgem not 2005 Flanders, thanks finding the typo poster.

Gilligan dies at 70.

2005-09-06T00:00:00-07:00

Wednesday mornings while I was in grade school consisted of eating breakfast at my grandma's while watching Gilligan's Island. So it's a sad day when Bob Denver passes away. So long little buddy.

Chocolate Breasts.

2005-09-01T00:00:00-07:00

brugge 015 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Belgium is known for its chocolate but I didn't know about chocolate like this...

GP Beuvry la Foret.

2005-08-29T00:00:00-07:00

GP Beuvry la Foret Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Holy moly. You have never seen cobbles like this. As expected this was the deciding section of the race. The section as probably 2km long. It felt like miles. By the second lap selections had been made. I believe one of our guys (Kristian) ended up finishing in the top 20 or so. As for me first time through the cobble section my right shifter shook loose and slid down tighening my rear brake. Once through the cobble section I ended up having to get off and fix it. I chased but to no avail and spent 5 laps by myself. I am disappointed because I know that I could have lasted longer but that's the way it goes. Another race tomorrow. Rock 'n roll.

Phone Number.

2005-08-27T00:00:00-07:00

I got a phone number today. If you want to reach me here in Belgium you can call 314-714-JOEW. It's a St Louis number so if that is long distance for you then it will cost you money. Other than that it should work like every other phone. I better not get any late night prank calls from Jay Thomas.

Finally, a UCI.

2005-08-26T00:00:00-07:00

Looks like I will be racing a UCI in France on Monday. Hopefully this one happens. From what I hear it includes some cobbles from the Paris-Roubiax. Pretty cool.

Trappist of Westvleteren.

2005-08-25T00:00:00-07:00

img_0283 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

All the good beer in Belgium is made by monks. According to many that I have talked to and a few websites Westvleteren 12 (shown here) is the best beer in the world. Today some of the guys and I went to the abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren where it is made. They make very little (something like 500,000 liters a year) and were sold out soon after we got ours. For this reason they only alow one case (24 bottles) per car. I haven't tried any yet but I'm sure it's good stuff. An interesting note, the bottles don't even have a label. The only identifying mark is the cap. They make three types, yellow (the 12, dark), blue (the 8, dark) and green (blonde). The 12 and 8 are least common, like I said earlier they sell out of these quickly. The green is more common and can be bought at the abbey most of the time. They also say that you should let the 12 and 8 sit vertically for at least 6 months for the best taste. Apprently it makes it much more potent too, reaching around 12% alcohol. The Belgians must take their beer seiously when we showed up the military was present. I geuss they were protecting the monks from crazy drunks.

Ruiselede Kermis.

2005-08-24T00:00:00-07:00

ruiselede kermis Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Tough race today. It was windy and lightly raining the entire time. The front part of the course was full of corners and had a really tough chicane. The back side wasn't nearly as bad but had hard cross-head winds. I lasted around 30 minutes. We had a few guys finish but none in the money. I took a few pictures, but they are kind of blurry. Sorry.

No Race...

2005-08-23T00:00:00-07:00

I'm kinda disappointed. We were told we will not be racing the UCI today. Apparently the race organizers were having issues putting it on and Bernard (our team director) did want to put up with it nor get to the race and have it be a complete mess or cancelled. From what I gather he has had problems with this promoter before. I geuss thats the way things go. I am doing a kermis tomorrow instead. I am sure I will get to do a UCI soon, so no worries.

Locals.

2005-08-22T00:00:00-07:00

img_0267 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Apparently there are "locals" just like in the US. This is our sign, it was tagged for the fourth time this summer early this morning. We fix it and they always come back. A few of the guys have pulled all nighters staking out but they continue to allude us. My geuss is that it's some teenager prank sort of thing.

Helkijn Kermis Pics.

2005-08-22T00:00:00-07:00

helkijn kermis Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

I posted a couple pics from the race yesterday. Nothing too exciting really.

Helkijn Kermis.

2005-08-21T00:00:00-07:00

Wow,that was a crappy race. It was flat pretty fast course but with a few major headwind sections. Those sections are what drilled the race into the ground. I had good legs but made too many stupid mistakes early and blew up. But I think the rest paid off, the body felt surprisingly good. Hopefully I will be ready to go Tuesday for the UCI. I better bring my 'A' game.

Normal Stuff, Rainy Days.

2005-08-20T00:00:00-07:00

img_0256 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Not a whole lot going on this week here in Belgium. The past couple days have been dreary at best and usually raining. But the weather is nice and cool, mid 60s. We went to the grocery store today, I got these really good ravioli and this tasty andalouse sauce for potatos or whatever. I'm pretty excited. In racing news, I get to do my first UCI race. It's a 1.2 (rated) race in France called PRIX DES MARBIERS. It is pretty long, 165km (102miles). Hopefully I will last. I will let you know how things go. Also, I heard that some of the Swedish National Team will be staying here at the house for a bit. Pretty cool. To bad it's not the female squad. :)

More Racing.

2005-08-20T00:00:00-07:00

Looks like I am doing a kermis in Helkijn tomorrow too. Race til ya drop here in Flanders.

Theme.

2005-08-18T00:00:00-07:00

New theme. I got tired of seeing the old one. I hope you like it.

London and Brussels.

2005-08-17T00:00:00-07:00

img_0145 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Welp folks, I got back last night from my Brussels/London expedition. I ended up going by myself (the other guy on the team cancelled last minute). Nevertheless, it was a great trip. I left Monday morning and spent a few hours in Brussels checking out a few of the sights. The pics can be found:Brussels. Then I hopped on the train, went thru the chunnel and landed in London in about 2.5hrs time. Pretty fast. I wasn't sure where to go when I arrived so I just started walking. This proved to be a good method. I found some fairly significant sights just wandering around. I saw Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and took the subway to the Oxford Circus the first day. While I walked I got a good feel for the city. I really liked it, I could see myself living there. It's really clean and everyone I talked to was very friendly. By the end of the day I was beat and my feet hurt. The second day I ended up seeing Buckingham Palace (mostly by chance) and Picadilly Cicrus. Something I noticed though is that the Britsh are very snappy dressers. Especially the men. I have never seen so many awesome suits and cool, flashy ties in my life. There wasn't anything wrong with the women either, much better than Hertsberg, Belguim... By this point I was pretty tired of walking. So I took the subway to the train station to head home. The highlight of my trip was the subway (they call it "the tube"). I think I could have just rode it around all day and been as happy as a clam. My London pics are here:London. But back to training and racing. Good times.

Schuifferskapelle U23 Kermis.

2005-08-14T00:00:00-07:00

img_0107 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Yes, that is the name of the town. No, I do not know how to pronounce it. Todays race was very hard, the course wasn't bad for me but the winds were. The head wind sections tore the field apart and before the half way point most of the field was out of contention. I lasted about 30 minutes and fell off with a few other guys. When we left to ride home there were two groups of 10-15 left out of a field of around 80. Completely shredded. Looks like I am headed to London for the next two days! I'm looking forward to the R&R and chance to be a tourist. I will post some pics and a report when I return.

Beernem Kermis.

2005-08-10T00:00:00-07:00

img_0089 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Almost a hometown race today in Beernem. It's just 20 minutes riding from Hertsberg. The race was huge tonight, 140 racers on a weeknight! It was also as expected very fast. The course was good for me, one small power climb, wide open and flat, one really long flat and straight section (around 4km) with a couple 180 degree turns (see pics) and 4 or 5 sweeping turns. On the straight section of the course I was geared out in my 53-12 a handfull of times. The big accelerations happend on that part of the course. Around mile 35 I bridged a gap during an attack and looked down and saw 36mph on my speedometer. I sat in for a while after that...it hurt. All in all the race averaged 30mph for about 70 miles. Lukily, I had my best finish so far, I lasted about 50 miles into it. I am pretty stoked, hopefully this continues. The team also had four finishers which is really good too.

img_0083 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

As you can see here I also got bet on by some crazy Belgians. I geuss my odds were 30-10 tonight? (Is that the same as 3 to 1? Post if you know.) I think my next race is on Sunday. Talk to you then.

Check it out.

2005-08-09T00:00:00-07:00

Something cool, but completely unrealated to cycling. American Apparel They make really nice, unbranded, sweatshop free clothes in LA. Most of their items are directed at youth but there is something for everyone. Their mission: "American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer of T-shirts and related products. All of our garments are cut and sewn at our 800,000-square-foot facility in downtown Los Angeles. We are trying to rediscover the essence of classic products like the basic T-shirt, once an icon of Western culture and freedom. Our goal is to make garments that people love to wear without having to rely on cheap labor. Every aspect of the production of our garments, from the knitting of the fabric to the photography of the product, is done in-house. By consolidating this entire process, we are able to pursue efficiencies that other companies cannot because of their overreliance on outsourcing. Our downtown Los Angeles factory, now considered the largest sewn-products facility in the United States, is a design lab where creative ideas, efficient manufacturing techniques, and concepts for designing and selling T-shirts are developed and put to the test. The challenge for companies like American Apparel is to establish new ways of doing business that are efficient and profitable without exploiting workers. While apparel is a universal necessity that transcends almost all cultural and socioeconomic boundaries, most garments are made in exploitative settings. We hope to break this paradigm." FYI: this isn't an advertisment or anything. I just thought it was interesting and worth checking out. Get cool stuff without having a heavy conscience.

Ardooie Kermis.

2005-08-07T00:00:00-07:00

The race was tough, it was a very windy course. The entire team felt it and it showed. But things for me keep getting better. I lasted a bit longer today than in the previous races. I was a bit more patient and anticipated the corners better and it worked. I am starting to better identify my problem spots in the races and adjusting. So I think I am getting used to racing here, hopefully I will be doing well soon. The ride home sucked more than the race. Nothing but cold and rain. My next race in Wed. Talk to you then!

Oostkamp Kermis.

2005-08-04T00:00:00-07:00

img_0054 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Another kermis today, this time just 5km away in Oostkamp. The course was completely flat but with a bunch of corners. Each lap was 5km and we had 20 laps. The race went about like the last one for me. But I am learning a lot on how to hang on. Bernard (the team director) says I am doing fine, I just have a lot to learn and get used to. A big differnce from racing in the states is that they try to go as hard as possible here. Basically, they try to break the field up as many times as possible. Eventually most of the field gets pulled and the strongest and most combative racers win. This makes even sitting in is a difficult task. Corey was our best finisher today coming in 10th place. Everyone agreed it was a fast, hard race today.

Group Ride.

2005-08-02T00:00:00-07:00

img_0047 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

A few of us went on a group ride today. From Hertsberge we rode through Brugge to Oostende and then up to De Haan. Oostende seems like a big harbor town, lots of boats and industry. De Haan is very tourist oriented, much like some of the cities in Florida. Gimmick shops and etc. aren't uncommon. The beaches here seem really nice and natural. Belgians must be tough, swimming today would have been cold. The high was around 75F.

Brugge.

2005-08-01T00:00:00-07:00

img_0035 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Today was a day off for many of the Cycling Center riders. A few of us hitched a ride on the bus to Brugge for a few hours. This is a pic of the plaza at the center of town.

Inglemunster Kermis.

2005-07-31T00:00:00-07:00

Wow, that was fast. First lap I looked down and we were going 33mph. I lasted about what the guys projected for your first kermis, 15 minutes. I learned quite a bit though. You CANNOT let gaps go. They are really hard to close. Plus the other racers get really pissed, luckily I didn't do that. Also, some of you may have heard about taking the corners slow in European racing. This is definately true. I would be going 30 on a straight, 15 in the corner and back up to 30, 200 meters from the corner. It makes finding a rhythm really hard, much harder than in the US. The Soulard crit course is the closest thing I can think of that feels like what we did today, but there were only 5 or so corners and it was a 7.5km loop. The accelerations and stung out racing feels a lot like Soulard, maybe even The Loop during Gateway Cup. Todays race was really large too, around 130 racers. I was also surprised to see Webcor, Endeavor, Snow Valley, TIAA/CREF and Great Britain National team racers out there today. From what I hear most of them are staying at the US U23 National team house. All in all it was a hard race. All of the guys on the team got pulled at some point today. Our last guy went with about 3 laps to go. It was a hard race for all, 120km in under 3hrs. In the end these races are definately rigged. Passing notes on water bottles seems to be a common practice. Paying of other racers is not out of the question either apparently.Lastly, possibly most humorously, some Belgian man came up to me as I lining up on the startline and grabbed my sideburns, rubs them saying something in Flemish then he and his buddy give a big belly laugh. I have no idea what they said but I geuss they enjoyed them...even Belgians like the burns! Some new pics from today have been posted!

Warm Up.

2005-07-30T00:00:00-07:00

Just got back from a warm up ride for tomorrows race. The legs feel good but not really sharp. After a couple weeks of racing I'm sure a bit of that sharpness Tosh and I built motor pacing will come back. I learned a few things on the ride today from fellow CC racer Josh Tarrant. The kermis races are run by the local pubs and are betting races. Most of the time they are rigged too! Sounds a lot like the kerin track races in Japan. On the brightside they are only 8 euros to race and if you turn in your race number after the race you get 5 euros back. Racing for 3 euros (about $4 USD)!!!! Thats great, who cares if it's rigged. Also, apparently each town has their own bike routes. There are painted markers on the roads for routes of varying length that all loop back to the same town. So for me I can follow the "H's" back to Hertsberge. There are also different colors for different routes. Each route may also have a long or short versions too. Today I did the Silver H 35k loop. Pretty neat. The rest of the day I will be hanging out resting up for the race tomorrow. Most of the guys say that if you last 20 minutes in your first kermis you're doing 'ok'. I hope to better than that but we will see. The race is 120k, 16 laps at 7.5k per lap. If you end up 3 minutes behind the leading group they will pull you, much like the crits in the US. But if you are pulled here you still place. So it is possible to be in the money and be pulled, kinda strange. One last thing. It seems Belgains are really into lawn care. It's amazing every yard looks like a putting green or the STL Botanical Gardens. They take very good care of their lawns, hedges are trimmed to perfection and everything well manicured. The average lawn here looks like some of the best I've seen in STL. More to come tomorrow.

An Example.

2005-07-30T00:00:00-07:00

img_0019 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This is one of the better backyards in Hertsberg. This is an average house on an average street. Mind you Hertsberg probably has a population of no more than 1500. We aren't talking the burbs or the Ritz here. Maybe I am easily amused. But, I think it's simply amazing.

First Race.

2005-07-29T00:00:00-07:00

I found out today my first race will be Sunday. It is a 120k kermis in Inglemunster. The race isn't too far away so we will be riding there. So far so good, I am still getting used to it over here. My jet lag is still making me tired and wide awake at strange times. But I am sure that will pass.

Dusk.

2005-07-28T00:00:00-07:00

It is 10pm and it is still light out. It makes me think it's earlier in the day and I should be doing something. That is all. Goodbye.

Day Two.

2005-07-28T00:00:00-07:00

img_0215 Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Here are some of my pics from the ride I did today. I went to Brugge and checked out some of the sights down town. I also found some good looking pave sections on the way home through Beernem. Enjoy. Click here for the entire set.

Finally!

2005-07-27T00:00:00-07:00

Well folks I have finally arrived. After 2hrs on a plane to New Jersey and some motion sickness, a 6hr flight to Brussels, a 1.5hr long train ride to Tielt and a 20min drive, I am finally here!!! I have already met most of the of the guys, the rest are doing a stage race this week out of town. After getting moved in I went on a short ride, the roads are nice. Most are nicely paved and even have bike paths. It's also really moist here, it has been acting like it's going to rain since I got of the plane. But, the cloud just continue to lightly spit rain down. Thats all I have for now, talk to you soon.

State TT

2005-07-18T00:00:00-07:00

WOW! That sucked. Lets just say I got completely rocked! I geuss doing 65 miles of hills the day before wasn't a good idea. Next year I need aerobars and stuff too. Oh well, its all in the name of training anyway. I leave in 8 days! I need a massage...

This is my bike.

2005-07-15T00:00:00-07:00

bike-mwood Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Just figured I would post a pic of my ride. Isn't it just wonderfull?! Wheels brought to us by Jay Thomas.

Speaking of training.

2005-07-15T00:00:00-07:00

Over the 4th of July weekend Rhea (the GF), my family and I went camping near Pinckneyville, IL at my uncle's farm. It was a good time and we got some good riding in. Here are some pics. Rhea working hard: The farm and cabin: Apparently hicks own everything in Southern Illinois: We are headed back down to Murphysboro next week for a visit with the family and some training. More pics will be posted on Flickr

Training....

2005-07-14T00:00:00-07:00

Apparently someone wants training reports and stuff. So here it goes. Lately, racing has sucked. I have been training well but just not racing well. Crits have been kicking my ass. The past two weeks I have been motor-pacing with my good friend Tosh Yoshino. Last night we averaged around 27 for roughly an hour and fifteen minutes. I felt good all evening. Hopefully this bodes well for the the state ITT this weekend and the MTB race next week (my last race in the states). I leave in 12 days! Insane!

1974 Weight Watchers Cards

2005-07-14T00:00:00-07:00

I thought these were fairly entertaining.... click here My favorite: or maybe the:

Viagra Causes Blindness.

2005-07-08T00:00:00-07:00

...I knew this a long time ago...Better aim is key... CNN Article

Lots of Sleep.

2005-07-08T00:00:00-07:00

I got home from work yesterday and decided to take a quick power nap before my ride. I slept from about 5 to 6:15. Woke up. Laid down for a second. Woke up. Looked at the clock, it read "10:30". Then I said "Holy bejeezus". I went upstairs to make sure it wasn't a trick, indeed it was dark outside. Went pee. Washed my face. Went back to bed. Woke up when my clock read "6:18". Laid back down. Woke up when my clock read "6:30" and the alarm was going off. Showered and went to work. Thats roughly 13hrs of sleep in a 13.5hr period. Insane. I guess I needed it.

Holy haberdashery, Batman!

2005-07-07T00:00:00-07:00

Lots of stuff going down lately and lots more to do. Heres the run down: Training: Motor pacing with Tosh. Crits and State ITT coming up. 4-5 hour rides on the weekends. Tuesday night crits. Life: Went camping at the family farm/lake with my family and GF. (Good riding near Pinckneyville, IL) GF left for a wedding and apartment shopping in Denver, CO. Last day of work is July 15th. My sister is moving to Louisville, KY for culinary school. Hoping to make my way home (Murphysboro, IL) and to my brothers place (Indianapolis, IN) to visit soon. Gadgets: My new (used) laptop (IBM T23) should be in Monday (July 11th), replacing my 7 yr old Pentium 2 333MHz IBM 600e. The new digital camera is fun. Music: Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake Illinois by Sufjan Stevens Wake the Dead by Comeback Kid Books I am currently sludging through: Me Talk Pretty Some Day by David Sedaris Silence on the Wire: a Field Guide to Passive Reconnaissance and Indirect Attacks by Michal Zalewski Unix Network Programming, Vol. 1: The Sockets Networking API by W. Richard Stevens Belgium: Sent my last payment. I LEAVE IN 19 DAYS!!!!!

Finally some fotos.

2005-07-01T00:00:00-07:00

Here are some pics from the last couple weeks that I took with the new digital camera. More to come soon! My Flickr Foto Sets

gcc error : "warning: implicit declaration of function"

2005-06-30T00:00:00-07:00

When I compile using the '-Wall' option I recieve this error for many of the functions I am using such as fork(). Is there a reason for this or is it nothing to worry about? Here is the exact I/O: zeusfaber@der-dieb:~/code/spacket-cmdr$ gcc -g -O3 -Wall -o scmdrd spacket-cmdr-server.c spacket-cmdr-server.c: In function `main': spacket-cmdr-server.c:66: warning: implicit declaration of function `fork' spacket-cmdr-server.c:67: warning: implicit declaration of function `close' spacket-cmdr-server.c:76: warning: implicit declaration of function `system' spacket-cmdr-server.c:79: warning: implicit declaration of function `exit' spacket-cmdr-server.c:96: warning: implicit declaration of function `inet_ntoa' spacket-cmdr-server.c:96: warning: format argument is not a pointer (arg 3) If you have any ideas please post!! Thanks.

Zombie Dogs.

2005-06-27T00:00:00-07:00

This is nuts! "Boffins create zombie dogs" Next thing you know every street corner will look like the music video "Thriller".

Scientology is F'ing Weird.

2005-06-24T00:00:00-07:00

One of my favorite sites The Superficial is running an article about Tom Cruise and Matt Lauer discussing Scientology. Link Here are some other articles: More More... More... Drudge Report Article If nothing else these are fairly humorus. But, after reading the Wikipedia entry for Scientology I have come to the conclusion that these people are cracked out. Case and point: "Those that reach the higher teachings (OT III) within the Church of Scientology will learn all about Xenu, the evil intergalactic ruler who implanted "thetans" or alien spirits, in earth's volcanoes 75 million years ago, after which they escaped and invaded human bodies. The ultimate belief of Scientology is that you are possessed by the spirits of aliens murdered 75 million years ago by "Xenu" and you have to exorcise these spirits. The cost of reaching OT III approaches $360,000." Not to mention that it was created by a sci-fi author from Nebraska (L. Ron Hubbard) in 1952...because he has expert knowledge of what happend within "volcanos 75 million years ago." Are you serious?!?! This is for real? You guys are getting duped. This almost as good as the Time Cube and its Florida retiree and senile creator Gene Ray. Let me know what you guys think.

New Camera.

2005-06-24T00:00:00-07:00

I finally bellied up to the bar and dropped a ghetto roll of cash on a digital camera. I got a Canon SD500. It's pretty sweet, 7.1 MP in a compact form factor. Here's a random pic. I will post some pics as soon as I have some that don't suck. In the mean time check out Flickr. They do image hosting and have lots of cool features.

Saddam Loves Cheeto's but Likes Doritos Better.

2005-06-20T00:00:00-07:00

Fairly humorus article about Saddam in custody. Click Here. "For a time his favorite food was Cheetos, and when those ran out, Saddam would 'get grumpy,' the story says. One day the guards substituted Doritos corn chips, and Saddam forgot about Cheetos. 'He'd eat a family size bag of Doritos in 10 minutes,'"

Instead of noodles...

2005-06-15T00:00:00-07:00

So yea, instead of cooking noodles and making dinner, Rhea and I along with some of the Trek Store employees and friends went to the Tap Room downtown STL. Little did I know but the band that was performing was a KISS cover band. Their gimmick...they were all midgets, small people, whatever. It was unreal, all of them were in complete costume with tounges and blood. Completely F'ing Bonkers. Meet Mini Kiss!!!!

Another Day at Work.

2005-06-14T00:00:00-07:00

Tuesday's Exciting Plan: AM 6:15 : Hit snooze 6:25 : Turn off the alarm 6:35 : Get up 6:45 : Shit, shower, shave 7:00 : Load bike and leave 7:05 : Stop for some caffeine 7:25 : Park 7:30 : Check messages and etc 7:35 : Put food in the fridge 7:45 : Eat breakfast bar 7:55 : Start actual work 11:30 : Lunch with my mom PM 12:30 : Sit at desk 12:45 : Write on blog 1:00 : Start real work again 4:30 : Leave 4:45 : Change into riding clothes 5:00 : Ride to Tuesday Night WC's 6:00 : Race 7:00 : Sneak into a race 7:45 : Ride back to work 8:45 : Drive home 9:10 : Shit, shower 9:30 : Eat 9:45 : Cook noodles with Rhea! 10:30 : Read 11:00 : Fool around 12:00 : Sleep

Some Articles.

2005-06-13T00:00:00-07:00

CHRISTINA AGUILERA MUSIC USED AS TORTURE IN GITMO http://drudgereport.com/flash2ti.htm Retirement plan for prostitutes http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1719841,00.html Meth freak mom gives 12- and 6-year children $5 each and tells them to move out http://www.ky3.com/newsdetailed.asp?id=8227 (Springfield, MO)

Unix Shell Scripting.

2005-06-09T00:00:00-07:00

I have been working on a script the past few days and I am sort of stuck. If anyone knows anything about the 'join' command for combining two text files let me know because this thing is being a bitch and a half. There is probably a better way to do it but here's what I got: /usr/sbin/vgdisplay -v | grep '[P-V][G-V] Name' > volumelist0 awk '{print $3, $4, $5}' volumelist0 > volumelist1 ioscan -fn | awk '{print $1, $3, $4}' > diskaddr0 awk '{print $1, $2, $4}' diskaddr0 | grep 'disk' > diskaddr1 awk '{print $1, $2, $4}' diskaddr0 | grep '/dev/dsk/' > diskdir0 paste diskaddr1 diskdir0 | awk '{print $2, $3}' > diskaddr2 grep 'Active' autopath.04 | awk '{print $1}' > altlinks0 cat altlinks0 | awk -f awkcolumns > altlinks1 #split into two columns join -j1 1 -j2 2 altinks1 diskaddr2 > altlinks2 The 'join' at the end cuts the list off early and I cannot figure out why. 'altlinks2' should be a *complete list of the physical volumes, alternate links and hardware addresses. Again, if you have half a clue speak up or I may resort to Excel and Access...

Lately...

2005-06-04T00:00:00-07:00

Despite rumors of my death, kidnapping, and other assorted stories, I am still alive, I have not been kidnapped and I was not and have never been to the Neverland Ranch... The last month has been pretty crazy. Graduation, Nationals, McMinnville Stage Race, my brothers wedding, my sisters graduation, moving into a new house and starting a new job, not to mention riding a bike too, have all been eating up my time. The dust has pretty much settled and I am finally getting back into my old habits, I should be a Tuesday Night Champs and a few races here and there. I head to Belgium in two short months. My departure date is July 26th. My training is mainly endurance with a couple hard days each week just to keep the legs sharp with a taper just before I head out. Pretty simple really, just maintaince. Enjoy the weekend.

What if...?

2005-05-24T00:00:00-07:00

This is an interesting article on if Mc Donalds changed to veggie burgers instead of the normal beef patties. LINK "The study compares the McVeggie burger with McDonald's beef burger and asks what if the next 100 billion burgers were McVeggie patties instead of beef? McDonald's customers would benefit from an estimated 1 billion more pounds of fiber, 550 million fewer pounds of saturated fat, 1.2 billion fewer total pounds of fat and even 660 million more pounds of protein, the authors say."

Hitched!

2005-05-21T00:00:00-07:00

My brother got married today! Congrats to John and Marie Williams!!

It has happend again!

2005-05-15T00:00:00-07:00

Ok, so you guys know "The Law School Girl" story I posted a while back. Well...Change the "law school" to "english major" and you got what happend to me this past weekend. Much of it was exactly the same, even the fact that it was when I was going to nationals. Which is really strange. Really the only difference is that this girl told me over the phone, but it was pretty much the same shit. I am not sure what the deal is, I suppose I just attract women that are in relationships and make them forget for brief amounts of time. Or maybe I have the ability to use the Jedi mind trick, except it is always on and only works on girls that are currently dating someone. At any rate, it's damn funny and I hope you laugh at me.

Collegiate Nats Day 3 and 4 : The Races

2005-05-14T00:00:00-07:00

Day 3: The crit was insane. Soaking wet roads and fast speeds made this race unreal. As for me, I woke up to a snot filled head, a cough and a body that ached. I ended up lasting about half the race, which I thought was good considering. I got some Nyquil and dinner and went to bed. Day 4: Feeling much better I went into the road race ready to make something happen. I got a good spot on the starting grid in the second row. I had great positioning the entire race and was even in a break away attempt. About half way through the race (mile 40ish) I notice the wheel truck flying past the entire feild. Not two minutes later I get a flat, with no wheel truck behind me. Completely stupid. I end up riding back part of the way and hitch a ride with a medic truck. Once they get me back to the parking lot I go to unload my bike and they drive off. Leaving me to walk down the gravel road to the car. Eventually I did get my bike back but it was a great topper to the rest of the day. Oh well.

Collegiate Nats Day 2 : The Ride

2005-05-12T00:00:00-07:00

9 am : Woke Up 10 am : Head to the RR course for a pre-ride 1 pm : T Bell lunch 5 pm : Pre-registration 8 pm : Dinner at 75th Street Brewery 10 pm : Movie "Primer" (Highly Recommended)

Collegiate Nats Day 1 : The Drive

2005-05-12T00:00:00-07:00

5 pm : Left STL (Lots of traffic). 7:30 pm : Chipotle in Columbia. 10 pm : Got into KC, dropped by the grocery and liquor stores. -Nick : Guinness -Josh : Labat Blue -Joe : Newcastle 10:45 pm : Moved into Nick (He's got me sprung) Coil's house. 11 pm : Caught up on all the new news. 12:46 am : Write blog crap (Technically this counts as Day 2 but whatever).

Stuff.

2005-05-09T00:00:00-07:00

Well, I am done with school and waiting for grades to be posted. It's a great feeling knowing that I don't have to do homework any more. A weight has been lifted. On Friday I had more good news, I was offered a job at Centene Corp. in Clayton. They want to bring me on as a Unix System Admin and are willing to work around me going to Belguim. I was really surprised and lucky I found someone that was willing to do that. I will be calling them and accepting today. Later this week I am headed to Collegaite Nationals in KC. It should be a hard but fun race weekend. Next weekend is the big time though. My brothers wedding! I am proud of the kid, I think he will make a great husband.

Busy Week.

2005-05-03T00:00:00-07:00

Yesterday: End of semester presentation and project (50% of grade). DONE! Today: Database final. DONE! Wednesday: Globalism Take-Home Final. Partially done. Thursday: Move into new house. Partially packed. Date with Kelly? Waiting for call back. Friday: Leave for McMinnville Stage Race. Saturday: 110 Mile Road Race and 2.5 Mile up hill TT. Sunday: Criterium Monday: Start work at Trek Store. Oh and this is my last week as a student!!! Wooohoooo!

Orthodox Liberalism through Corporate Realism, Part 2: Example

2005-04-30T00:00:00-07:00

Wal-Mart, Always...Lobbying

Lobbying and Political Action Committees are the middlemen between MNCs and the state. Wal-Mart executives know this and take full advantage of this and is of the “top 20 PAC contributors to federal candidates in 2004” contributing 1.6 million (Wal-Mart in Washington). Additionally, according to Wal-Mart they only support pro-business candidates and usually lean Republican. Evidence of this is the relationship of Wal-Mart stores to the voting patterns in the 2000 election. According to Bloomberg News, two thirds of all Wal-Mart stores are located in “red-states.” Wal-Mart has little power in “blue-states” due to its labor and union stance. (Costco, Wal-Mart duel in political arena) Controlling the minimum wage, tarriffs and unions has been a mainstay of Wal-Marts political strategy.

Free-trade is a big part of their agenda. Accordingly, Wal-Mart supports “Bush's expansion of free-trade agreements and its bid to curtail the number of workers eligible for overtime pay.” (Costco, Wal-Mart duel in political arena) Wal-Marts connections with China are well known. When parts of a US-China trade agreement were cut, Wal-Mart knew it had to up their political presence. Thus, they hired their first lobbyist in 1998. Currently, Wal-Mart negotiates directly with Chinese government on the installation of new stores. (Wal-Mart asserts itself) Wal-Marts power is heard loud an clear by NGOs as well. An example of this is their influence on Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) where they lobby changes to allow “Central American manufacturers to use some less-expensive cloth, including denim, from Mexico.” (Joining the PAC: Wal-Mart Opens for Business In a Tough Market: Washington) This results in cheaper manufacturing for Wal-Mart and loss of business for US textiles companies.

The State of Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart makes a great example of “Orthodox Liberalism through Corporate Realism.” This is a corporation that realized the political gain of lobbying and the use of government influence both domestically and internationally. They use every advantage they possible to reduce costs and reduce their restrictions. Neither states nor NGOs have the ability to resist Wal-Mart and their lobbying power and it shows. CAFTA minimum wage restrictions and etc are perfect examples of how Wal-Mart is gaining power through the government. Moreover, Wal-Mart dealing directly with China on store placement and unions are examples of how they are becoming more powerful than states.

SLU Cycling End of School and Season Party.

2005-04-28T00:00:00-07:00

slu cycling team party saturday night! bring your friends, especially your lady friends. it will be at josh's apartment in cornado. give me (314-749-9817) a call when you get there so someone can come down and get you beyond the cornado barracades and electronic security systems. if you dont know, cornado is an apartment building at the corner of lindell blvd and spring ave in mid-town. oh yea, this is a BYOB event so plan and buy your inebriation ahead of time. see you there!

Orthodox Liberalism through Corporate Realism, Part 1: Definition

2005-04-27T00:00:00-07:00

This is something I have been working on the past week or two. I hope you enjoy it.

Overview

Globalism is a economic phenomenon. Markets are merging and borders are blurring. Corporations and multinationals are the driving force behind it. States take a back seat as Multinational Corporations (MNC) push for the integration of markets and circumvent government restrictions and regulations. While states take a implementation role for polices regarding economics, the corporations are in the drivers seat. Doing what they can to favor them and their position. Currently, the result is the spread Orthodox Liberal policies, at the state or international level. What I will call “corporate realism” sets all of this in motion.

Corporate Realism

Just like traditional realism, corporate realism is entirely about security. In this case security is about securing and expanding market position, not military or government might. Multinationals will use whatever means possible to do this. This includes, but is not limited to influencing and lobbying NGO or state officials and creating a media bias. MNCs can influence states in a few ways such as through a corporation owned lobby or outright payoffs. MNCs also can create a media bias through spin, advertising or simply owning the new company. A good example of this is how tobacco companies are changing their image with advertising campaigns. Additionally, there are hegemonic powers in corporate realism. The largest multinationals, the Wal-Mart's and Nike's, play the largest most active role in actively making changes to policies effecting them. As the largest they take the reigns as the hegemonic powers and use that power to implement polices favorable to them. As a result they control the direction the rest of multinationals take. The “open” policies they initiate are used by secondary corporation's thus they are dependent on the hegemon for opening the door to foreign markets and reduced state interaction. The secondary corporations then in return use these policies to increase their power and further diminish the power of states. In a way their lobbying power becomes a “corporate good” serving all multinationals that desire openness but without the power to do something about it.

Orthodox Liberalism through Corporate Realism

Corporations are here to make money, their only responsibility is to the shareholders. Having an open economy increases their power. The free flow of money, labor, goods and limited government interaction, regulations and etc lends itself to corporations. Thus, multinationals desire liberal policies. Doing business is easier and cheaper in a liberal world. As a result, in attempts to secure and expand position in the world market, an Orthodox Liberal world is ideal. The corporate hegemon will lead the way in creating this world for itself, its shareholders and inadvertently secondary corporations.

Winners, Losers and the Forgotten

The winners are quite obvious, multinationals, the wealthy and shareholders. Multinationals are winners simply because they get what they want. They get the open, free markets they desire. The wealthy are also in line to benefit from this. The wealthy are the shareholders and can also be running these corporations. They win because they are educated, have money to invest and can run these corporations receiving large salaries.

The losers are the states and citizens in states. States engaging in liberal policies lose autonomy and power. Once these Orthodox Liberal policies are in place corporations gain power that the governments once had. The government loses power to regulate business and markets. Additionally, the more power the corporations have the easier it is for them to change policies. It is a “snowball” effect of governments relinquishing power to corporations. The second loser is the citizens in these states. The governments they trust in are run by corporations that have no interest but their own and their shareholders. Those who do not own a piece of the company have no say in what happens. As a result, the wealthy have control of both the corporations and the direction of the government. Additionally, globalization could eventually be beyond the control of the states. Possibly to the extent where the actions of corporations is irreconcilable and uncontrollable by states.

Forgotten are the laborers, domestically and abroad. Domestically, the workers are left in to the cold for cheap labor in lesser developed countries (LDC). Laborers in LDCs are forgotten by their governments. Officials in LDCs swoon for the promise of progress that corporations bring to their countries. While these corporations bring jobs, they do not bring worker rights or equality.

Costs, Benefits and Balance

While there are some benefits to globalization, the cost inherently outweigh the benefits. Many of the costs of liberalism are at the states expense. State autonomy suffers because borders are blurred and become porous. State power in general wanes to the power of markets. When corporate hegemons flex their political muscle, the state listens. When this happens, the vote of each citizen is worth less and the owners of corporate shares are heard instead. A wealthy bias is immediately seen in the policies enacted.

There are benefits to the liberal system too. The largest of which is job availability in LDCs. Through increased world trade and use of foreign labor more jobs are exported to LDCs. These jobs are not nearly as good as the ones they replaced and in many cases these jobs are borderline exploitation and only the most struggling people will take them. But they are indeed jobs for those in impoverished parts of the world, and may improve life for some.

Globalism also tilts the global balance into the MNCs favor. The checks and balances once had under closed markets or even embedded liberalism are now gone. The power of states to implement policies for and protect the rights of their citizens is conceding to corporate influence and brute force. Additionally, cultural balance is going awry. Indeginous cultures and traditions are being replaced and disseminated into a global corporate culture. Home cooked meals are now BigMac's, leather moccasins now have a “swoosh” and movies are played only in English regardless of their country of origin. National identity and cultures are being sacrificed for openness. An equilibrium of economic and political openness and national culture and identity has not been reached.

Two stories, one night.

2005-04-25T00:00:00-07:00

The Boss Another trip to El Rancherito in Effingham, IL. We sat down and I ordered the usual, bean burritos with nacho cheese sauce, a side of rice and a Coke. About half way through I went to the restroom to take care of some business. Little did I know but I will also be taking care of real business too. As I sat my phone rings, after seeing the number I panic and answer. It is my boss, he has run into a problem with a students laptop and begins to rack my brain. So...I am sitting on the toilet and my boss is asking me computer questions. Oh and the student is in the office with him with the speaker phone on! I continue to answer his barrage of question about Windows Recovery Console. Eventually he finishes, then I do and go back to dinner. The Dirty On the way to Champaign we stop to get gas at Pesotum, IL. A speck of a town and a very shady gas station. We stop and Carleton (a teammate of mine) opens his door, the wind catches it and slams it into the 4-Runner drivers side door sitting parallel to us. Not two seconds pass and the driver begins to scream. "What is your f&$king problem?" "Watch what the f&$k are you doing!?" Before getting out he turns around and gives his son some money and tells him to go inside and get a snack. Waiting in line the boy tells Will (another teammate of mine) he should be happy his daddy is in a good mood tonight. Meanwhile outside, the angry man opens the door and without even checking out the damage begins to interrogate Carl about how much money he has in his wallet. Carl doesn't have much and gives the guy a 20 spot to pacify him and mutters "The wind just caught it, it was an accident.” The redneck replies "Next time watch what the f&$k you are doing! I know my car is a piece of shit, but damn! You should be glad I am in a good mood. Damn it!" The hillbilly returns to his car and settles down. About 30 seconds later he yells at me to give him the insurance info, after watching me look for it for a few minutes he drives off and we go on our way. Luckily we got out of it with our heads still attached and without any damage to our car.

Collegiate Road Nationals.

2005-04-25T00:00:00-07:00

Good news, I qualified for nationals! I got lucky, U of Chicago is only sending one rider and donated the 3 left over spots to the conference to give to individuals and I was one of the selected few. Everyone should come out to Kansas U for the race!

A bit of tooting...my own horn.

2005-04-21T00:00:00-07:00

Training is quite different this year, the biggest difference by far is the amount of miles I have put in. I have talked about this before but I just did comparing to previous years, it's pretty staggering. My "training" season usually starts roughly Dec. 1st. Dec. 1 thru Apr. 19, 2002-03 : 2591 miles Dec. 1 thru Apr. 19, 2003-04 : 3664 miles Dec. 1 thru Apr. 19, 2004-05 : 4478 miles I knew I was doing more miles but, I didn't think it was that much more. I'm surprised. Anyway, I'll stop talking about myself. Bye.

Marian Crit.

2005-04-19T00:00:00-07:00

After racing like poo at Miami on Saturday I was in need of a decent race. Marian's annual collegaite crit is one of the toughest of the season. Sunday was slated to be no different, 40 laps of the technical 1 mile course. After spending the first quater of the race near the front and attempting a few primes I was still feeling good and sat in and ended up watching the winning break go up the road. With 10 or 15 to go we were lapped and then in good form passed by both riders. With 2 to go I was in great position riding about 5th or 6th wheel. Going into the last lap I got swarmed and got stuck in the pack with about 20 riders ahead of me. Going through corner 3, to my dismay, a huge pile up. I slowed and didn't go down but I did ride over a guys bike. I did everything thing I could to bridge up to the lead group to no avail. I finished up with 14th on the day.

The Law School Girl.

2005-04-12T00:00:00-07:00

We began to build a relationship at work. I had fixed her laptop a few times and we got to talking when she would come by. She seemed nice enough and was attractive. As with most girls that show any sort of interest I return that interest with flirtation. But that's beside the point. Making my rounds one day, I had to stop by a secretary office to fix the printer. On the way I noticed her studying and wandered over to say "hi." By the end of the conversation I had mustered the guts to ask her out. To my surprise she obliged, and I put her number in my cell phone and went back to work. A few days later I found out that I was headed to New Mexico for Collegiate MTB Nationals. I happened to run into her again and asked for a rain check, which wasn't a problem. Later that day before I left, I found her to wish her a good weekend and tell her I was headed out and would be leaving the following day. I did a last minute check of the email prior to leaving my apartment and received one from her. I got excited, thinking it was something nice. Here is was it said: "Hi Joe, I hope I wasn't leading you on or anything but I have A boyfriend and we live together. Good luck racing!"

Hillsboro-Roubaix

2005-04-10T00:00:00-07:00

This is always one of the toughest but most fun races of the season. It seems that the weather is always great and the course is fun too. This year I hoped to improve on my DNF last year. Although, I had to be realistic. I have been fighting a cold all week, which had gotten better but I still had a hacking cough and fluorescent snot. In the end it seems it was my back that gave out first. I have been having issues with since last season, especially when I have to do efforts in a big gear. But it was not all lost, I made it about a half lap further than last year and I think it was faster than previous years. I ended up doing a couple more laps and got some good training in too. Not a bad day but it could have been better.

This one is not as scary.

2005-04-07T00:00:00-07:00

Meet Tricia Helfer.

The Model.

2005-04-03T00:00:00-08:00

As usual we made our stop in Effingham to get dinner at El Rancherito. It is a small local Mexican restaurant and it seems like the are always busy. After waiting for our table we sat down and ordered drinks. Waiting for our meal I mentioned that we must go through Champaign, IL to reach our destination of Lafayette, IN. A woman sitting near us who's boyfriend had just left to pay the bill turns and said "you're going to Champaign?" I said we were headed through Champaign on our way to Lafayette. Assuming they were travelers I asked "Are you headed to the game?" (the game being the final four). She replies "no" then I ask if she goes to school at U of I, again she replies "no". Adding "we go to on line college but he owns a business and I model." She turns around and waits for a couple seconds then gets up to meet her partner that just completed paying for the bill. As she began to scooch out of the booth it became more and more obvious she was indeed a model. She kept getting taller and taller reaching a height of 6ft (with heels). The two meet and exit. Climbing into the canary yellow Corvette parked outside our window and they speed off leaving us unfulfilled and thinking “WTF.”.

Cool Background Image Trick.

2005-03-30T00:00:00-08:00

Check this out, pretty neato! http://www.flickr.com/photos/w00kie/sets/180637/

Spring Season Schedule.

2005-03-28T00:00:00-08:00

This is my racing plan for the next couple months. Apr 2 and 3 - Purdue RR (68mi) and Crit (70min) Apr 9 - Hillsboro Roubaix RR (88mi) Apr 16 and 17 - Miami RR (?mi) and Marian Crit (?min) Apr 23 and 24 - U of I RR (50mi) and Crit (60min) *Collegiate Regionals Apr 30 and May 1 - Apple Pie RR (63mi) and Michelob Ultra Grand Prix Crit (65min) May 7 and 8 - McMinnville Stage Race, RR (110mi) crit (60min) TT (2.5) May 13-15 - Collegiate Road Nationals RR (85mi) crit (70min) or Joe Martin Stage Race RR (113mi) RR (92mi) TT (2.5mi) Crit (85min) May 28-30 - Quad Cities Criteriums

March Training.

2005-03-28T00:00:00-08:00

The past month has been pretty crazy, I've done more training than just about ever. The only time even close was while I was in Florida during Christmas. Here is what the last few weeks of training looked like: March 7-13 18 hours - 263 miles March 14-20 20 hours - 310 miles March 21-27 21 hours - 317 miles This past week I got to go motor pacing with my dad. It was hard! I think things are coming together well (endurance, speed work and etc) for the season. If training keeps going well I should be kicking butt in no time.

Ride in the rain.

2005-03-24T00:00:00-08:00

Dan Bischoff and I went for my weekly 5hr Thursday ride. Everything is grand until it begins to sprinkle near Castlewood. No problem, we waited for a little bit under one of the shelters. After about 10 minutes it looked a bit better and we headed out to St. Paul road. We had a good ride until about Wild Horse Creek. Pretty much the entire way home was in the cold rain. My hands and feet began to numb and they got tingley, spikey feeling. By the time we reached Frontenac I could hardly squeeze the brakes. Once we got to Clayton we decided to find a ride home. As wet as the roads and as cold, stiff and painfull as my hands were it was probably the best. I would rather not risk it. Even with the ride home from Alex Bischoff, it was an epic ride.

Belgium Fundraiser.

2005-03-21T00:00:00-08:00

Thanks to all those who came to the group ride and dinner. It was a great time and the weather couldn't have been better! Your donations will go far to help me afford the trip.

Fundraiser.

2005-03-19T00:00:00-08:00

Don't forget about my fundraiser group ride and dinner this weekend. More info: http://stlbiking.com/jwilliams.htm

Spring Break Training Recap.

2005-03-14T00:00:00-08:00

This past week I spent my time training at home in Murphysboro, IL. I love riding at home, the roads are very quiet and there is some great terrain. Here's how it went. Saturday: Webster Starbucks ride with my Maplewood teammates and the guys from Gateway. We did a hilly ride on the south side. All in all about 65 miles worth. Sunday: Faner Noon-30 ride with the Carbondale guys. Pretty fast 2 hour ride, we did about 40 miles. Monday: Easy day. Tuesday: I did 65 miles by myself. It was fun, on my way home I ended up doing a gravel road that turned into a fire road that turned into a four-wheeler path. Good times. Wednesday: Dan Bischoff decided to come down and we did a long ride with some Team Mack guys. It was a tough, windy ride and ended up with 82 miles on the day. Thursday: We decided to check out my fundraiser group ride course, Dan, my brother and I got in a good 50 miles in. (A couple changes were made and now its 60 miles) Friday: Easy day. Saturday: I attempted to race at Sylvan Springs. My legs were pretty toasted. Sunday: I felt lazy all day (probably from being out till 2am) and did 2 hours on the trainer. All in all it was a pretty good week of training, it was really nice being able to come home and do nothing after riding.

Humphrey's Bar.

2005-03-13T00:00:00-08:00

Ok, it is 1:45am and I just got back from the SLU perineal favorite, Humphrey's. This place is entirely humorous. I most of the night I sat with my good friend Riley and people watched. In doing so I have the following observations. #1) People talk, but have nothing to say. And in most cases guys just nod and let the girl talk. I saw many examples of this tonight. #2) In my opinion, 99.99% of the women in attendence are undateable, reason: see #1. #3) Everything is a show. It's like peacock mating season and everyone wants to see plumage. With guys it's more vocal or noise related. With women it is more subdued and subtle. But in both cases it is very physical. Interesting time and place. There is nothing quite like the quintessential college bar.

Belguim Group Ride Course.

2005-03-11T00:00:00-08:00

Dan Bischoff, my brother and I did the rough draft course for the group ride yesterday. I think it will be a great ride for everyone, although maybe not for the faint of heart. There are a couple tough climbs and very fast decents. Not to mention a 400 meter gravel section and a few old bridges. It may sound kind of nasty and hard but on the bright side there are some great views and absolutely no traffic. Now all we have to do is pray for good weather.

Spring Break.

2005-03-09T00:00:00-08:00

So far, so good. I have gotten out for some great rides so far this week. I did 4.25 Hrs Tuesday by myself. Today I did 4.75 of mostly flats with some of the Carbondale guys. Tomorrow we are planning to do the group ride course for my benefit ride. Hopefully all the roads are in good shape and such.

First Collegaite Weekend.

2005-02-28T00:00:00-08:00

This past weekend was the first collegaite weekend of the year. Six of us traveled to DePauw (near Indianapolis) for the road race and criterium. The road race went well for me I felt strong all day and put in some good attacks and were in a couple short lived breaks. Although I did not place well I finished with the group and was pleased. On Sunday, after trouble trying to find the event, we did the crit. It was a parking lot crit with a 180 degree turn. I did not fair as well in this race, my legs were not ready for the 0 to 30 MPH accelerations. All weekend Marian College dominated. They always had a man in the break and were in the front patroling and controling. It was pretty impressive.

Cycling Center Teammates.

2005-02-24T00:00:00-08:00

Some of the CC team was at Valley of the Sun this weekend and performed very well. Here is a run down. Pro/1: Austin King 12th - GC Austin King 3rd - ITT Austin King 3rd - RR Cory Stienbrecher 23rd - ITT Steve Van Vooren 23rd -Crit Cat 2: Kyle Barnaby 1st - GC Kyle Barnaby 1st - RR Evan Hepner 1st - Crit Ronald Jensen 19th - GC Ronald Jensen 11th - RR Ronald Jensen 10th - Crit There are probably more that I missed but needless to say it was a good weekend.

Training.

2005-02-23T00:00:00-08:00

It's the last week of the current phase, it will be about 275 miles and 17 hours. I will be headed to DePauw this weekend for two collegaite races. A road race on Saturday and crit on Sunday. Looking forward to next week it is a transition/rest week, well deserved I might add. Lukily, it is also mid-term week so the reduced miles should help me allot more time to work on school stuff. As far as school goes, things are pretty easy. My toughest class is physics. The difficulty is more with the teacher than the subject matter and the fact that the tests are much more about speed than knowledge or comprehension. The following week (March 7-11) is spring break! I am having a "training camp" in my home town of Murphysboro, IL. It should be a good time and there should be a good group of guys coming down. It looks like we will be doing about 19 hours that week. Lets just pray for good weather and good legs.

New Look.

2005-02-17T00:00:00-08:00

Sorry for the change, more than a few people were having problems posting with the last one. Hopefully this one works better. Let me know if you like this one.

A few things...

2005-02-14T00:00:00-08:00

Training: Things are going well. I am in the middle of my first "race prep" stage. I am putting in 16-17 hours a week right now with some varying length and intensity LT intervals. After doing mine today I was toast, I don't think it has ever taken me that long to ride home from FoPo. At the weight room I am currently maintaining what I have built, twice a week. Mid next month the hours will increased (18-22hrs) and the intervals will be intensified. Racing: My first race should be this weekend. A small local race near Cinncinati. Apartently it has a 25% climb in it, sounds sort of dreadfull. The following weekend the Mid West Collegaite races start at DePauw with a road race and crit. School: Had my first test of the semester today. All I got to say is 50 minutes is not enough time to complete 25 physics word problems. Tomorrow I have a Oracle Database test which should be a breeze. Got to love it when your last major-related course is easy. Misc: I have a job interview tomorrow in Belleville. The swap meet went well for me I sold all my old parts except for my headset. So if you want a almost new Cane Creek S2, let me know. Thanks go out to Ralph Pfremmer for the Belgium donation! Belgium benefit group ride and dinner info page: http://stlbiking.com/jwilliams.htm Thanks John for putting it up! I'm out, trainer time for a bit.

New McDonalds Ad!

2005-02-11T00:00:00-08:00

Does the new McDonalds ad campaign suggest their burgers are so good grown men would have sex with them? You be the judge. As seen on ESPN.com: I mean it looks kinda tasty but sex worthy, I doubt it. On the contrary, if you like the "special sauce" it may be right up your alley. More Info: http://i-mockery.com/shorts/mcsex/default.php http://andrewteman.org/blog/index.php?p=39

New Parts!

2005-02-10T00:00:00-08:00

Welp folks, today was my first ride on the new components. Here's what I got: -Easton EC90 SLX Fork -Shimano Dura-Ace Rear Derailleur (10sp) -Shimano Dura-Ace Shifters (9sp) -Chris King Headset -Bontrager Buzzkill Bar Plugs The low down: This afternoon the first thing I noticed was the smooth ride. I was completely surprised how buttery soft my bike floated over chatter in the road. I am not sure if it was the full carbon fork, the Buzzkill plugs or both, but I like it. Second, I noticed how crisp but smooth shifting felt. New cables, housing (sorry, no more fluorescent green), shifters and rear derailleur do a bike good. I suppose almost three years of wear and tear really does a number. Lastly, the King headset. What can I say, tried and true, ten year warranty and obviously sexy. The only thing that would make it more arousing is it to come in pink. Thanks to Dan Tille for staying late and helping with the installation. I've never had someone like you work on my bike before. Thanks to Maplewood Bicycle for the discounts and facilities.

Windows Updates.

2005-02-05T00:00:00-08:00

Those of you that run Microsoft Windows take heed. There will be nothing short of security 13 updates available Monday! So make sure you visit: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/advance.mspx

More Belgium Stuff.

2005-02-05T00:00:00-08:00

Here is the Cycling Center racing schedule (while I will be attending). I am not sure what races I will be doing but these are the races the team will be attending. Seeing these distances, all I can say is ouch! 9/18/2005 Doylestown Doylestown crit (USA) 9/18/2005 Hotton UCI (1.12) GP HOTTON (Belgium) 9/17/2005 Souderton | 162 km UCI (1.2) UNIVEST GRAND PRIX (USA) 9/4/2005 Dunkerque | 145 km UCI (1.12) GP JEAN BART (France) 8/31/2005 Oudenburg | 146 km UCI (1.12) MEMORIAL JONCKHEERE (Belgium) 8/27/2005 Zeebrugge | 190 km UCI (1.2) VLAAMSE HAVENPIJL (Belgium) 8/23/2005 Marbiers | 165 km UCI (1.2) PRIX DES MARBIERS (France) 8/23/2005 Wervik | 168 km UCI (1.12) OMLOOP VAN DE GRENSSTREEK (Belgium) 8/22/2005 Beuvry | 159 km UCI (1.2) GP DE BEUVRY LA FORET (France) 8/21/2005 Bavay | 144 km UCI (1.12) GP DE BAVAY (France) 8/15/2005 Gommegnies | 158 km UCI (1.12) PRIX DE LA MUNICIPALITE (France) 8/14/2005 Antwerpen UCI (2.12) RONDE VAN ANTWERPEN (Belgium) 8/13/2005 Antwerpen UCI (2.12) RONDE VAN ANTWERPEN (Belgium) 8/13/2005 Kranten | 193 km UCI (1.2) KETTLER CLASSIC SUDKRAMTEN (Austria) 8/12/2005 Antwerpen UCI (2.12) RONDE VAN ANTWERPEN (Belgium) 8/11/2005 Antwerpen | 165 km UCI (2.12) RONDE VAN ANTWERPEN (Beglium) 8/10/2005 Namur UCI (2.2) TOUR DE NAMUR (Belgium) 8/9/2005 Namur UCI (2.2) TOUR DE NAMUR (Belgium) 8/8/2005 Namur UCI (2.2) TOUR DE NAMUR (Belgium) 8/7/2005 Namur UCI (2.2) TOUR DE NAMUR (Belgium) 8/6/2005 Namur UCI (2.2) TOUR DE NAMUR (Belgium) 8/3/2005 Zillebeke | 145 km UCI (1.12) ZILLEBEKE-WESTOUTER-ZILLEBEKE (Belgium) 7/31/2005 Hollain | 172 km (UCI 1.6) GP DU HAUT-ESCAUT (Belgium) 7/30/2005 UCI (2.12) RONDE VAN VLAAMS BRABANT (Belgium) 7/30/2005 Pevele | 158 km UCI (1.12) CIRCUIT DU PEVELE (France) 7/29/2005 UCI (2.12) RONDE VAN VLAAMS BRABANT (Belgium) 7/28/2005 UCI (2.12) RONDE VAN VLAAMS BRABANT (Belgium) 7/28/2005 UCI (2.12) RONDE VAN VLAAMS BRABANT (Belgium) 7/27/2005 UCI (2.12) RONDE VAN VLAAMS BRABANT (Belgium)

Citizenship and Responsibility.

2005-01-31T00:00:00-08:00

It has been a while since my last rant and having Iraqi elections this past weekend it seems timely to discuss the requirements of us as humans and as citizens of a democracy. We must be active in order for it to work and work for us. Because in reality it is our democracy, 'our' meaning every person that declares them self a part of it. By declaring (legally, naturalization, etc.) you are a citizen of the US you are in affect saying "I want to be a part of this system." If you do not want to be a part of it, you are welcome to leave. Being a part of a democratic system is not without its hardships and struggles. There are responsibilities for each of us, these responsibilities go much further than voting every two or four years. We each have responsibilities as consumers, humans, and as stated above citizens. First, as consumers we are responsible for essentially the who, what, when, where and why of our purchases. Who and Where: We must know where our goods and services come from. Are your socks made using exploited labor in the terminally ill 3rd world? The people, corporations and nations we buy from is perhaps one of the most important factors we deal with today. Globalism has taken hold and has sunk its teeth in since the collapse of the Brenton-Woods System and there is no end in sight. Free markets and neoclassical liberalism are driving corporations and the policies they support at the government level. Making not only governments but also the people that participate in them less powerful. Remember in most cases corporations are not held accountable for the well being of the consumer, governments are! What: The items we buy are also important. Are the items organic, tested on animals, toxic for plants and animals or child safe? Additionally, being able to afford the things we buy is a big part of being responsible. Which leads into my next topic, when. When: At a global level we are all affected by the choices others make. For instance, credit cards, a great tool for some and a bane for others. By not paying your bill every month and massing large amounts of debt, going into bankruptcy and leaving debt for your children to pay is putting a strain on all of us. Making it more expensive to support ourselves and communally supporting you. So when you have the money buy the goods, otherwise do not. Why: This may seem strange but why do you buy the items you do? Is there a reason or though process behind your purchases other than the monetary costs? Do you check labels? Also, do you really need what you are buying? Next, we all have responsibilities as human beings. We should be considerate of the well being of others and the environment. Social justice, civil rights, animal rights and pollution controls are large pieces of this puzzle. We should all be aware of what is happening around the world. Labor conditions in Indonesia, the AIDS crisis in Africa and the nuclear programs in North Korea are all things we must be aware of. For example A large problem in the US is the distribution of wealth. When 10% of the population has 90% of the wealth we all have an issue to deal with. This discrepancy has its roots in the furthering of globalism and the mismanagement of money (credit card example). Globalism furthers this because much of the blue collar labor that once made our economy thrive is now going overseas to China and elsewhere in an effort to cut costs. This leaves the machinist, assemblers and general laborers jobless and in many cases uneducated. With all the manufacturing jobs gone our economy is becoming more service based and white collar dominate. Thus the gap between white and blue collar workers widens. What prolongs this trend is the fact that once the blue collar work force is laid off their children then have a harder time getting a college education and the cycle continues. But, it is not only the system causing this. It is also the mismanagement of the wealth by the middle class that is a source of the problem. 90% of all bankruptcies are committed by the middle class. Debt is a huge problem, student loans, credit cards and over spending are the largest strains. I see the problem here being the fact that the middle class has never been taught fiscal responsibility. I do not believe that everyone should suffer for the mistakes of others but something does need to be done about these issues. I think a mix of education and social welfare and/or policy change are the key to addressing these issues. Additionally, we must devote ourselves to the enviroment. If we do not respect the earth and its creatures there will be nothing left for future generations. Regardless of ones religion or beliefs, I think we can all agree that we have been bestowed this planet and must make it the best place it can be for ourselves, others and those we will be leaving it to. Lastly, we must also be good citizens. Much of what decides how the outcome of all the items above hinge on whether we are active in the political process. This goes beyond voting. This means writing letters, starting petitions and generally promoting the things you believe in. Playing an active role in democracy will allow you to have the power to make this world a better place and to right the wrongs that we all deal with. The fact of the matter is that we can make the policies and laws change. We control the goverment. So take back the power that corporations and corrupt politicians have taken from us. Get out, be active and make it happen.

All systems go!

2005-01-31T00:00:00-08:00

You might say I flip-flop more than John Kerry but I am willing to take a chance. Becuase of a few great sponsors I will be attending Cycling Center in Belguim. I cannot not thank them enough for their support of making a dream come true for me. I hope that I can make every dollar they spent supporting me have huge returns in training and racing. THANK YOU! Additionally, the team roster was posted on cyclingnews.com yesterday. Here's the link (bottom of page): http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/jan05/jan30news

Good day for a good ride.

2005-01-30T00:00:00-08:00

Like most Sundays I went long. Today the group was, up and coming SLU superstar Josh Mueller, another SLU phenom Ryan Wilson, soon to be pro Mike Lanyon and yours truly. What made this ride interesting all the bad timing and random-ness. Coming up St. Paul Rd. Ryan made a wrong turn and and I asked some crazy hillbillies if they had saw him, they did, so I went to find him. The same country folk had also talked to him. The imagination runs wild with the possiblities of what they had in mind for us. Later, Ryan bonked on Wood Rd. and decided it was best to head home. Not 100 meters after leaving Ryan, Josh flats. We get rolling again and head down by Babler and Wild Horse Creek. After topping and decending Orville Rd. my cell phone rings. Josh had flatted again this time without tube. He decides to call his aunt (who lives near by) to hitch a ride home. The 50% heads on to Khers Mill. As we are climbing into Clarkson Valley this woman lays on the horn for what seems a least a minute or more and then proceds to tell me "have fun riding with your little f#%k buddy" while throwing a snotty tissue at me. I think she was having a bad day. After stopping for a soda and snickers we to Forest Park and home. All in all it was a great ride. Good miles with good people (except for the nutty lady). I got almost 6hrs in the saddle and about 90 miles in my legs. I'm ready for some Qdoba and to do it all over again.

Web Hosting

2005-01-29T00:00:00-08:00

Welp, it looks like no more hotties, riding pics or anything else hosted on my site logicaljoe.com. It seems that SLU has started to block outgoing traffic on port 80, which is the port used to transfer http/www traffic. If you can see the images on this blog, after refreshing your browser, let me know! Hopefully I will soon find someone to host the page.

Hump Day Comics.

2005-01-26T00:00:00-08:00

If you are having a rough hump day these should make it a bit better. Red Meat is the greatest. Comic 1 Comic 2 Comic 3 Source: http://www.redmeat.com

16 year-old positive for EPO

2005-01-26T00:00:00-08:00

WTF, I am completely stunned: "A 16 year-old South African cyclist has tested positive for EPO, becoming the youngest rider ever to test positive for the banned blood boosting substance. The rider in question was Michael van Staden (ACIZ CPPA), who was tested during the South African U16 tour in Ermelo in September 2004, where he finished fifth. Both his A and B samples were positive. Van Staden's case was heard last December by the national governing body, Cycling South Africa, which banned him for a year. However, his sentence was suspended for two years as CSA accepted Van Staden's defence that he did not take EPO intentionally. Rather, he believed that a doctor or a team manager could have injected him with the substance without him knowing what it was. There is a possibility that the World Anti-Doping Agency and the UCI will appeal CSA's decision in order to determine who was actually responsible." Source: http://www.cyclingnews.com

DeCanio Canned for Anti-doping Propaganda.

2005-01-24T00:00:00-08:00

In an interesting turn of events Matt DeCanio (planning to return to cycling for 2005) was released from Ofoto. Article: http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/7451.0.html "'The main thing that I think is important to understand is that the reason we've asked Matt to leave the team is not because of his views, or his admission of doping,' Kadis said. 'In the time since he's been a member of the team there have been specific violations of team policies that Matt voluntarily made with team management. The First Amendment protects censorship from the government, but it doesn't protect employees, or independent contractors in this case, from abiding by a contractual agreement'" I found this quote funny. This quote makes them sound as if they do not have a problem with doping as long as Matt keeps his mouth shut. Additionally, if it wasn't either of those things why are you firing him? I figure he his getting fired because instead of being passive and using his website to say "Just Say No" he used it to name names and come clean about everything. The controversial websites: http://www.stolenunderground.com/ http://www.mattdecanio.com/journal Good luck Matt, fight the good fight.

Post Party Ramblings.

2005-01-23T00:00:00-08:00

I just got back from a party at my good friend Riley's apartment. As usual I had a great time. Now that I am a single man again I figured I would try my luck with some of the ladies. Being the suave exhibitionist I am, I spot a cute girl in the kitchen. We trade glances and I start an investigation. Luckily, I found out she is single, of rearing age and a friend of mine, John, had been introduced to her and her friends earlier. Soon, I was introduced and I was talking to her about my adventures as a semi-professional cyclist. When I let her talk I found out she was a sophomore at Webster University and is majoring in music theater. While I am conversing, I notice an intoxicated John talking to the guy that walked in with her. The only thing I hear are the inebriated words "I just introduced him..." Apparently, this guy had already laid claim to this land and I was invading his country or this is West Side Story and I was on his turf. After about ten minutes of conversation, John had moved on and this guy was alone, standing against the wall with what seemed to be steam coming out his ears. Needless to say he seemed pissed, so for good measure I continued to talk to her for another five minutes. Soon I came to realize that I intimidated this chap. For the first time in my life I actually intimidated another person and it's a good feeling. Although entertaining, my operation was a failure. I left the party alone and without a new entry in my cell phone and he left with her...

Some Definitions.

2005-01-22T00:00:00-08:00

Neoconservatism - "a somewhat controversial term referring to the political goals and ideology of the "new conservatives" in the United States. The "newness" refers either to being new to American conservatism (often coming from liberal or socialist backgrounds) or to being part of a "new wave" of conservative thought and political organization."

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism_(United_States))

__________

Neoliberalism - "used to describe a political-economic philosophy that had major implications for government policies beginning in the 1970s – and increasingly prominent since 1980 – that de-emphasizes or rejects positive government intervention in the economy, focusing instead on achieving progress and even social justice by encouraging free-market methods and less restricted operations of business and "development". Its supporters argue that the net gains for all under free trade and capitalism will outweigh the costs in all, or almost all, cases."

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoliberalism)

__________

Conservativism - "1. Classical conservatism or institutional conservatism - Opposition to rapid change in governmental and societal institutions. This kind of conservatism is anti-ideological insofar as it emphasizes means (slow change) over ends (any particular form of government). To the classical conservative, whether one arrives at a right- or left-leaning government is less important than whether change is effected through rule of law rather than through revolution and sudden innovation.

2. Ideological conservatism or right conservatism - In contrast to the anti-ideological classical conservatism, right conservatism is, as its name implies, ideological. It is typified by three distinct subideologies: social conservatism, fiscal conservatism, and economic conservatism. Together, these subideologies comprise the conservative ideology in most English-speaking countries: separately, these subideologies are incorporated into other political positions.

* Social conservatism is generally dominated by defence of existing social norms and values, of local customs and of societal evolution, rather than social upheaval, though the distinction is not absolute. Applied to foreign policy, a mild social conservatism manifests itself in Rudyard Kipling's defence of the Indian natives against British imperialism and in American opposition to the "forced democratization" of post-war Iraq, but conversely, betraying the complexity of ideology, the vast majority of American conservatives in keeping with their accepted values fully support the current effort at democratization (which many conservatives claim as a liberation, in the sense that liberty increases dramatically). In its more extreme foreign-policy manifestations, social conservatism breeds nationalism, tending towards isolationism, on the order of Pat Buchanan's anti-immigration, anti-internationalist stance.

* Fiscal conservatism is the stance that the government must "live within its means". Above all, fiscal conservatives oppose excessive government debt; this belief in balanced budgets tends to be coupled with a belief that government welfare programs should be narrowly tailored and that tax rates should be low, which implies relatively small government institutions.

* This belief in small government combines with fiscal conservatism to produce a broader economic conservatism, which wishes to minimize government intervention in the economy. This amounts to support for laissez-faire economics. This economic conservatism borrows from two schools of thought: the classical conservative's pragmatism and the libertarian's notion of "rights." The classical conservative maintains that free markets work best, while the libertarian contends that free markets are the only ethical markets."

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism)

__________

Liberalism - "a political current embracing several historical and present-day ideologies that claim defense of individual liberty as the purpose of government. It typically favors the right to dissent from orthodox tenets or established authorities in political or religious matters. In this respect, it is sometimes held in contrast to conservatism. Since liberalism also focuses on the ability of individuals to structure a society, it is almost always opposed to totalitarianism, and often to collectivist ideologies, particularly communism and, in some cases, socialism."

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism)

__________

I hope this helps clear things up for everyone. It has helped me get everything straightened out.

Want to read more? Check out Orthodox Liberalism through Corporate Realism Part 1 and Part 2

Training.

2005-01-19T00:00:00-08:00

I rode my bike today and then went to the gym and lifted. Also I was thinking about being coached by SoProJones. Tell me what you think of his plan: http://soprojones.com/archives/Daily/01-08-05.html

Cycling Center is a no go.

2005-01-16T00:00:00-08:00

I am sorry to say that I will not be going to Cycling Center. I simply will not be able to make nor fundraise the money to go. All I have to say is, shit happens.

Bored...

2005-01-15T00:00:00-08:00

Wow, cold days are boring as hell. I did 4hrs of trainer time today and I need something to stimulate my brain. If you want to do something tonight let me know.

Hot or Not.

2005-01-14T00:00:00-08:00

Hot: -The new Discovery Cycling Team bike paint job. -My girl Rachael. Not: -St Louis temperatures, it was 9 degress fahrenheit when I woke up. -This semesters book prices, $200 in books for one class. Come on folks. -Fundraising for CyclingCenter. For Sale: If anyone is interested I am selling my Independent Fabrications MTB. Email me or post for details.

I NEED YOUR HELP NOW!!!!!!

2005-01-12T00:00:00-08:00

It's do or die time and I need donations. If you have money and would like to support me going to Cycling Center send checks to: Joe Williams 216 Jonesboro Rd. Murphysboro, IL 62966 The sooner the better, because I owe the first deposit on January 15th. Thank You!

More on Belgium.

2005-01-10T00:00:00-08:00

I just figured I would post a pic of the area I will be living in when I go over. I will be living in the town of Hertsberg, which is sounth of Brugge. In other news, I hope you enjoy the new design. I was getting tired of the old one.

Bike ride.

2005-01-09T00:00:00-08:00

Went out for a ride today, it was great. 50 miles in the warm, sunny weather was welcomed. If you are not in the mid-west you are lucky, the past week (basically since I came home from FLA) the weather has sucked. All we have had is rain and snow. Although I did get a trainer for Christmas I would rather not use it if I do not have to. Also, I start a new phase in my training plan this week. The workouts I begin doing this week are more intense than the last period. This should be getting me more ready to race. Speaking of which the collegiate race schedule for the mid-west conference is available. Sat 26th Feb DePauw Sun 27th Feb DePauw Sat 5th Mar Ohio Univ Sun 6th Mar Ohio State Univ Sat 12 Mar Lindsey Wilson Sun 13 Mar Lindsey Wilson Sat 26th March Marian Sat 2nd Apr Purdue Sun 3rd Apr Purdue Sat 9th Apr W Michigan Univ Sun 10th Apr W Michigan Univ Sat 16th Apr Miami Sun 17th Apr Marian Sat 23rd Apr Univ of Illinois Sun 24th Apr Univ of Illinois Sat 13th May Kansas University *Collegiate Nationals Sun 14th May Kansas University *Collegiate Nationals Should be a good, tough season. Hopefully we can qualify for nationals. Welp, my last semester starts tomorrow, wish me luck.

Help send me to Cycling Center in Belgium.

2005-01-08T00:00:00-08:00

Hello everyone, Recently I was accepted to the Cycling Center program in Belgium for the summer session. I am currently looking for individuals and business support to help fund this venture. Below are links to my support information, which includes a coverletter, support letter, race highlights and the Cycling Center program description. Thank you for your time and consideration. http://logicaljoe.com/stuff/cyclingcenter/CCcoverletter.pdf http://logicaljoe.com/stuff/cyclingcenter/CCsupportletter.pdf http://logicaljoe.com/stuff/cyclingcenter/CCresume.pdf http://logicaljoe.com/stuff/cyclingcenter/CCprogram-2005.pdf

The trip.

2004-12-31T00:00:00-08:00

Welp, my 12 days in Florida are over. The training was great, I got a bunch of good hours in on the bike. To my surprise my dad and younger brother Daniel were right there with me for most of time. All in all I got in about 40 hours (just over 600 miles) of riding. Here are some pics from the trip. **There are many images, sorry if they take a while to load. Sam and I on Christmas morning. Here is the Dutchmen, my base camp. Here is what the ride into Fort Desoto County Park (where we were staying) looks like. One of the nice places to ride is on the main drag along the beach. Here with the historic Don Cesar Hotel in the background. Another good ride is up the 34 mile Pinellas Trail. Some of the older parts of town are great too. The best pizza/pasta place in town, Fortunatos. Pass-a-grille is nice neighborhood with a short riding loop and beaches. Here are some of the stranger things I saw.

I'm Back and with good news...

2004-12-31T00:00:00-08:00

Hey folks, I have just retruned from Florida and I must say I enjoyed myself. I put in some mega miles, got some sweet tan lines and spent some good time with my family. I will be posting pics and more details in the coming days. But, for the good news, acutally it is "gooder" than good it is possibly "gooder" than goodest. I recieved email confirmation that I was accepted to the CyclingCenter program in Belguim next summer!!! The hard work and money grubbing can now commence.

One Step Closer!

2004-12-16T00:00:00-08:00

Well guys I am one step closer to heading to Belguim and the Cycling Center program (http://www.cyclingcenter.com/). I recieved an email today saying that I had made the "pre-selection" cut. So that means that I am in the group that they choose the final team from. Pretty exciting. I am doing the final questionaire right now, five pages down three more to go.

Heading Home.

2004-12-14T00:00:00-08:00

Welp, folks I am heading home for the break and holidays today. I will try to let you know how the training is going from Florida, that is if I can find a coffee shop with free internet. If not, I'll be back soon. Later, I'm out.

Winter Training.

2004-12-09T00:00:00-08:00

Well, winter training is in full swing. So far training has been going well. Doing long base miles and weight training is the name of the game. The mild winter so far has been mighty helpful. I will be heading to St. Petersburg, Florida next week for a bit of vacation and personal training camp. Hopefully the weather coincides with my plans for training. I am hoping to put in 16-20 hours a week while I am there.

Blue Light Special.

2004-11-05T00:00:00-08:00

For sale: Cisco PIX 6.3.1-release source code $24,000 Enterasys network and host IDS source code and design documentation $19,200 Napster source code repository $12,000 More Info: http://logicaljoe.com/stuff/sccnewsletter%232.txt http://logicaljoe.com/stuff/sccfilelisting.txt Pretty interesting. These SCC guys have some real brass balls for going public and trying to sell this stuff. If they don't get caught they should stand to make some good money, although the sale price is way below what it actually cost to produce the code.

Whats Happening?!

2004-10-23T00:00:00-07:00

I just got done with mid-terms and currently have more work to do than during mid-term week. Needless to say I am going for a ride. Tosh (back from the JPN), Nick "He's got me sprung" Coil and Dan "I'm not a douche bag but my initials are DB" Bischoff are headed out for a spin today. I hope Nick doesn't want to do Marshall Rd. 30 times, I started running this week and my legs are sore as hell. Regardless of what we do on the bike, it is 81 degrees currently. I will enjoy it while it lasts. In other news, I sent my application for the Belguim cycling program (http://www.cyclingcenter.com/) in this week. Hopefully they accept me! Something interesting, my mom called. I was baptized today 21 years ago. She sang a song to me over the phone about it.

Fixed Gearin' It

2004-09-24T00:00:00-07:00

Today was the first day on the new-old fixed gear bike. I picked it up yesterday, it's a lovely old school Trek frame, puke brown in color. It's great! The feeling of constant pedaling and no brakes is something to get used to, but it's worth it. If you haven't rode a track bike or a fixie, it's something you must try out. I plan to train on it this winter and hopefully my legs will get really BIG. Good Times.

So yea, Gateway Cup...

2004-09-06T00:00:00-07:00

I raced in the gateway cup this weekend (http://stlbiking.com/Gatewaycup.htm). It is four days of racing in a row. This being my first year in the Pro, Category 1/2 group, I was damn excited. Needless to say after Fridays race, the luster of the sticker on my license wore off. Post race I could not bend over, my lower back was as tight as a high school girl on ... well you get the point. But I finished the race that's the main thing. I was very pleased, it was by far the fastest race I have ever completed. We averaged 30MPH for about an hour and a half. The next three days did not go nearly as well. But on the bright side I did learn a few things. (Aspiring racers, take note.) Pro's are no joke, regardless if they are in Europe, the US, or in Uzbekistan. I don't care, they are fast. Second, Tiger Balm works. When you can't bend over and you lower back sucks, it does a great job. Thrid, going off the front first lap of the race is really cool for about one lap or until you get caught. Once you get caught it's unreal trying to reintegrate yourself in the group. I found out the hard way. It's also a great photo op so have your friends ready with a camera. Finally, TUCK YOUR ASS IN AND HOLD ON! That lesson was taguht to me over and over again this weekend.

Cool names that I wish I had.

2004-09-03T00:00:00-07:00

Tom A. Hawk Max Power Levi Eugene Pantalon That is all.

Frist Post!

2004-08-08T00:00:00-07:00

Frist Post!

Joe's Blog

A Simple Streaming Video Server

Best Music of 2012

Best Music of 2011

Best Music of 2010

Watching Hulu in the Cayman Islands (or any non-US location).

SurgeCon 2010

Adding Health Checks to Deckard from Chef.

Just Opensourced: Gaff and Deckard

Beyond BigData.

Availability, the Cloud and Everything

Still Alive.

Fun with the CouchDB _changes feed and RabbitMQ.

Best Music of 2009.

Biodynamic Agriculture Applied to Datacenters.

Baracus.

Daedelus : LA Nocturn

Red Black Trees.

Compiling Nginx with Syslog Support.

HAProxy Stats Socket and fun with socat.

tens3 : dead simple s3 backups

Boston Meet-up.

Introducing haproxy_join, and how to use it with Chef.

The Specials.

Sending CouchDB Update Notifications to RabbitMQ.

Claws Mail.

New Sunset Rubdown Next Month.

Nginx and Passenger, Gateway Timeout Fix

Best Photo Evar.

Missing.

Erlang Factory.

Erlang Queue and Merle.

People Under the Stairs - The Whiz

Animal Collective - My Girls

Röyksopp - Happy Up Here

Het Volk.

Fixie Photo By Request.

Working and Back on the Bike.

New Stuff for merle.

New Theme.

Using Chef Server with RabbitMQ and STOMP.

fermal: a last.fm API library for Erlang.

CouchDB Load Balancing and Replication using HAProxy.

merle 0.2 released.

Woodhands - I Wasn't Made for Fighting.

Weekend Links.

merle 0.1 release.

Chef and ohai.

Seattle Erlounge.

Merle Updates.

megaman vs all the bosses at once.

Introducing merle : an Erlang memcached client.

A Simple Web App using Nitrogen.

Another Erlang XML Project, Part 2 - Converted to gen_server

Nginx vs Yaws vs MochiWeb : Web Server Performance Deathmatch, Part 2 [Update x 2]

Prefuse 73 w/ School of Seven Bells.

Motorboat's New House.

gedit and Erlang.

Talking to Executables in Erlang.

Road Trip Photo's.

Code Release.

Best Music of 2008.

Officially offical.

Erlang, Apartment Hunting and the Job Search.

A Simple Concurrent Erlang TCP Server.

Erlang R12B-5 is out.

More Music Videos.

Message Passing in Erlang.

Too Much.

Efterklang is Awesome.

SSH and Ruby

More For Sale.

It's Official.

New Ratatat Video : Shempi

Moving Sale.

Playing With Erlectricity.

Ubuntu Ibex Alpha 6 Intel GigE Adapter Bug.

Another Erlang XML Project.

Twitter.

More Erlang Stuff.