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July 28, 2006
Where the Web happens
Most people don't think of it this way, but the Information Age is being built on an infrastructure as imposing as the factories and mills of yore. Think of all the things people have been using the Internet for - all the e-mails, blogs, photos, videogames, movies, TV shows.
None of those bits and bytes simply float off into the ether, magically arriving at their assigned destinations. Storing, processing, and moving them all is heavy, heavy lifting. And the work is performed by tens of millions of computers known as servers, all packed into data centers around the world.
The industry term for the vast rooms full of humming, blinking computers inside each of these complexes is "server farms," but "work camps" would be more accurate.
Consider that every time you conduct a Web search on one of Yahoo's sites, for example, you activate roughly 7,000 or more computers - and that doesn't count at least 15,000 others that support every query by constantly poking around the Net for updates. - Behold the server farm! Glorious temple of the Information Age! - FORTUNE
Also from the same story, this quote:
"I'm a woman who loves data centers. I love how you walk near a rack of servers and it's really hot,
and how it's cool in other spots." (She's actually part of a lively sorority: As I traveled the country
checking out data centers, I found a surprising number of women in charge...)
Heh. Me too! :-)
Posted by me, of course!
Friday Feathers
The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is a slate gray bird with a white chest and belly. It has a pointed crest and its flanks are washed in a rusty brown.
Well known for its quickly repeated "peter-peter-peter" call. Prefix "Tit" comes from a Scandinavian word meaning "little." Suffix "mouse" is derived from the Old English word mase, meaning "bird." Simply translated, it is a "small bird." Notorious for pulling hair from sleeping dogs, cats and squirrels to line their nests.
Posted by me, of course!
July 26, 2006
This and That
"Breakfast at Tiffany's" dress for sale
The iconic black dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" will go on sale in December with an
estimated price tag of 50-70,000 pounds ($90-$130,000).
The dress, designed by Givenchy and worn by Hepburn in the memorable opening scene of the classic romantic comedy,
is being auctioned on behalf of the City of Joy Aid charity which helps underprivileged children in India.
It is the star lot of the annual film and entertainment sale at Christie's, in London's upmarket South Kensington, held this year on December 5.
McConaughey Corvette auction
Actor Matthew McConaughey's 1971 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible is being auctioned off
on ebay.
Hendrix never-released song to be sold at auction
A never-released song that legendary U.S. rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix recorded 40 years ago is to be sold at auction in New York in October.
Ocean Tomo LLC, a merchant bank that specializes in intellectual property, said the song, "Station Break," was recorded during a session early in Hendrix's career.
"Station Break" was composed by Hendrix and Jerry Simon, president of R.S.V.P. Music, with whom Hendrix signed a publishing contract in 1966.
Posted by me, of course!
Audacious Bravery
Yup, that's me. *wink*
Please take this certificate as a symbolization of your audacious bravery on July 18, 2006 at 12:07 AM EST at North Latitude 28° 29' 23'' and West Longitude 80° 35' 08'' at a frequency of 5945 Mhz. This mission will not falter. - Blog in Space
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July 25, 2006
scheisse, der chef!
translation: Shit! It's the boss!
DaimlerChysler CEO Dieter Zetsche went unannounced to a German Mercedes-Benz dealership only to have the receptionist have him cool his heels for 45 minutes. He eventually asked to speak to the manager and was told he was busy.
- Consumerist
Fulll story (in German) from auto motor und sport
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July 22, 2006
Winkie Should be Whacked
Winkie, an elephant with a reputation for being dangerous, killed a handler and injured a trainer at The Elephant Sanctuary in southern Tennessee. Winkie also hurt several staffers and visitors at its previous home in Wisconsin. It is obvious that Winkie has issues. Winkie doesn't play nice with other beings. I think it's time for Winkie to go to pachyderm heaven (or hell, where all elephants that behave badly should go.)
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Thoughts of Moi from the Left Coast
Mike MacGirvin sent me the following photograph. He writes: "Saw this booth at the Watsonville horse show and immediately thought of you..."
Mike was around in the days when my Web site was titled "Off the Beaten Path." I had planned to use OTBP for the name of my blog but at the time it was already being used by someone else. Pfft. Anyhoo, thanks for the photo, Mike!
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July 21, 2006
In Hawaii...
Ron"dubya" has been posting lots of great photos over at Hotel Waikiki.
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Chuckle
John Hodgman, who plays the "I'm a PC" guy in the Apple commercials, talks about Net neutrality with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. Watch the video at TUAW
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Friday Feathers
The American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) is a perky yellow bird with a black patch on its forehead. It has a black tail with a 'conspicuous' white rump, black wings with white wing bars. Dramatic change in color during winter, similar to female.
This one is male. Male birds, no matter what type, are more attractive and females are dull in comparison.
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July 20, 2006
Meanwhile, Al's in jail...
We all know people who, for whatever reason, seem to experience more than their share of bad breaks. My good friend Al, who has come to my aid on more than one occasion on tech-related matters, has landed himself in jail for ninety days. Due to circumstances involving Family Court, Al's life suddenly took a sharp turn and he's been in a jail in upstate New York since July 1. He writes:
There are bars in the windows, the jailer carries a ring of keys and when we get hot we open the door. There are no fences, no Crips, no Bloods, no guns, no fights and no problems. We like it just fine that way.
It helps that the entire population of this jail has one thing in common: relationships gone bad. Out of a total population of six, four of us are here on civil charges and the other two are being held for domestic issues (one silly and one well-deserved.)
Prior to his joining 5 others in the small and antiquated jail, Al and I exchanged email after someone suggested he write about his predicament. I offered to blog and post whatever was on his mind and he agreed. Al would send his blog posts to me via snail mail and I'd put them up for him. Last week he sent me a letter that included 2 posts for his blog. You can read them here.
I can't begin to imagine what it's like being in jail, let alone one where you can't go outside for ninety days. I'll guess that Al is passing the time doing a tremendous amount of reading and writing. I know that the receipt of letters is a welcome distraction for him. In fact, he asked that I put the address of the jail on his blog to encourage folks to drop him a line. If you're so inclined and would like to bring a bit of sunshine to someone I consider a good friend, send him a letter. The address is in the sidebar of his blog. I know he'd be surprised and would greatly appreciate it.
Posted by me, of course!
July 14, 2006
Friday Feathers
The Northern Mockingbird is very animated and performs an elaborate mating dance. Facing each other with heads and tails erect, pairs run toward each other, flashing white wing patches, and then retreat to cover nearby.
Sits for long periods of time on top of a shrub, and imitates other birds (vocal mimicry), hence the common name. Young males often sing at night. Often unafraid of people, allowing for close observation.
Posted by me, of course! | Comments (3)
July 12, 2006
Brain Fodder
Since I seem to be suffering from a bad case of nothing much to say here, I thought I'd sift through the fodder sitting in the file folder of my brain.
While out of town the last couple of weeks, I didn't have much time for blogging but did manage to catch snippets here and there of others' musings. During my stroll through cyberspace, I couldn't help but notice that the big news was about Rocketboom and all the hoo-hah surrounding it. Well I'll be dipped. And here I thought the big news was North Korea testing its missiles. That's a projectile with a potential boom you'd think more people would be concerned about. I guess it was something they may have pondered but didn't feel newsworthy enough.
Meanwhile back at the funny farm, this week seems to be exploding all over the place. To date:
On Monday morning in New York City, an explosion ripped through a building, causing it to collapse and catch fire. It was later discovered that the building's explosion had been fueled by a divorce and eviction proceeding.
Also on Monday night but in Boston, 12 tons of concrete ceiling panels from a section of a highway tunnel collapsed on a newlywed couple's car, killing the woman.
On Tuesday evening in Mumbai, India, seven explosions hit packed commuter trains during rush hour, killing scores of people. Authorities said the bombs all appeared to have been planted on trains that left the Churchgate station in Mumbai, formerly named Bombay. The blasts hit trains at Khar, Mahim, Matunga, Jogeshwari, Borivili and Bhayander stations, in that order. The seventh explosion hit a train between the Khar and Santacruz stations.
Also on Tuesday night but in Chicago, an eight-car train derailed and sparked a tunnel fire that injured more than 150 people in one of the city's few underground stretches of subway line. As many as 1,000 people were aboard when the train heading to O'Hare Airport derailed shortly after 5 p.m. and material under the train caught fire.
Today: Tornado hits north of Manhattan -- A truck was thrown onto gasoline pumps, a commercial building partially collapsed and the roof was ripped off a hotel when a tornado struck in Westchester County Wednesday afternoon.
And, if that's not enough, I also came across these two pieces of riveting fodder for you:
Joey Buttafuoco gets a year in jail AND Christie Brinkley separates from 4th husband.
Needless to say, it's only Wednesday and it's not been a good week.
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July 7, 2006
Friday Feathers
A mere six inches in size, the Downy Woodpecker is almost identical to the Hairy Woodpecker, but smaller. The Downy also has a shorter, thinner bill.
This one is a female; the males have a red mark on the back of their heads.
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July 4, 2006
Independence Day
"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer."
God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
God Bless America
Words and music by Irving Berlin
Copyright 1938, 1939 by Irving Berlin
Copyright Renewed 1965, 1966 by Irving Berlin
Copyright Assigned to the Trustees of the God Bless America Fund
International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.
For those of you celebrating, have a great Fourth of July!
Posted by me, of course!