Random Thoughts tag:blog.jds2001.org,2009-11-14:/random_thoughts//1 2012-05-11T23:34:29Z Movable Type 4.37 A rather large annoyance of mine tag:blog.jds2001.org,2012:/random_thoughts//1.389 2012-05-11T23:13:41Z 2012-05-11T23:34:29Z As a lot of people know, I'm a huge baseball fan, in particular the St. Louis Cardinals. Since I'm out of market for the Cardinals, I subscribe to a wonderful service that lets me see the Redbirds here in NYC... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts wonderful service that lets me see the Redbirds here in NYC - every game, except if it's blacked out for some reason (Saturday afternoon games - don't get me started on those, games against the Mets where I have local coverage available, etc). They do this in Flash, which is all well and good - I can install Adobe's Flash on Fedora without a problem. The problem comes in that I have a great three monitor setup. I can dedicate one of them to watching the game full screen, and the other two to doing something useful. Oh wait - that feature only works in Windows!

It seems that the Linux version of Flash grew multi-monitor support, so that I can indeed use one screen to watch the Cardinals. The problem is that if that window loses focus for any reason (like I go do some web browsing or whatever), I go back to the windowed view (which is quite small on a 24" display). In Windows 7, this doesn't happen.

So what does this mean? For the majority of baseball season, I'm relegated to Windows on my main workstation. This makes me a sad panda.
]]> All good things must come to an end.... tag:blog.jds2001.org,2012:/random_thoughts//1.388 2012-05-10T04:17:12Z 2012-05-10T04:19:40Z As the election period opens for the Fedora Board, I'd just like to quickly post that I will not be seeking re-election to the Board. I informed the Board about this during our meeting today, and I figured that I'd... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts As the election period opens for the Fedora Board, I'd just like to quickly post that I will not be seeking re-election to the Board. I informed the Board about this during our meeting today, and I figured that I'd do a quick (much overdue) blog post to let people know. There are a few reasons for this, none of them related to the work that the Board is doing, which I think is absolutely fantastic.

The Board demands a significant amount of time from its members, not just in the attendance of the weekly meetings, but keeping up on mail, taking care of action items that come up in meetings, and other such things. In these areas, I feel that I've been failing pretty badly, and failing there is not only a disservice to the Board, but to the Fedora community in general. Lots of this has to do with demands that come up from $DAYJOB. As most people know, Fedora is not my $DAYJOB, however they have been incredibly supportive of my involvement, and I know that will continue.

Secondly, I've been on the Board for 2 years. While I don't think that the Board should have term limits per se, I do believe that there's a time, and 2 years seems about right to me, where someone should step aside and allow new blood to come into leadership positions in the project. Too long with the same people there, and you get the metality of "we've always done it this way, so let's continue doing it this way" 

So exactly what am I going to do with the time that not being on the Board will give me? I plan to do two things:

1) Get more (re)-involved with Infrastructure, where I'm already established, but have taken something of an unofficial "leave of absence" :) When my phone goes bonkers as it sometimes does, I hope to be able to respond appropriately.
2) Actually get time to work on what was my Board member goal - to improve documentation for various packages on how to debug and write effective bug reports for them.

I've had a wonderful time serving the Fedora community on the Board, and wouldn't step aside if I didn't think that there were many other people that I trust and believe would be an excellent "next generation", if you will, of leaders in the Fedora Project.
]]> FUDCon Blacksburg, day 0+1 tag:blog.jds2001.org,2012:/random_thoughts//1.387 2012-01-14T03:45:41Z 2012-01-14T05:31:04Z FUDCon Blacksburg is getting off to a great start! I got in yesterday, and by some stroke of luck, two other FUDCon participants were on my flight to Roanoke - Justin O'Brien and Dan Walsh. Dan was at the back... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts
Then I checked into the Inn, and met several other Fedora folks - Robyn Bergeron, Spot, Matt Domsch, Ben Boeckel, Jon Steffan, and lots of other folks were at the hotel. Stayed up til about 1AM hacking on the sysadmin study group stuff with Clint Savage trying to get a boxgrinder appliance up and running. I wound up not being able to boot the appliance for some unknown reason. I eventually figured out (just now) that you can't build a boxgrinder appliance with SELinux in enforcing mode - it won't be able to execute any %post scripts, and everything will be broken. Clint insists that he can build with SELinux in enforcing mode, but I question the veracity of this :)

Then today, I went to the Fedora Infrastructure hackfest, where we were going over the current and future state of the staging environment and trying to make it useful for things. Then I went for more boxgrinder hacking, and working with upstream in Europe to figure out why my appliances weren't working, but as mentioned above, I just figured it out now - but it took the majority of my day sadly. Once I figured out how to turn on debug logging in boxgrinder it became very obvious what the problem is.

We also had a board meeting, but there will be another post forthcoming on that.
]]> On living in NYC - the greatest city in the world - except! tag:blog.jds2001.org,2011:/random_thoughts//1.386 2011-11-01T01:49:17Z 2011-11-01T02:09:29Z So generally I love living in New York City. Except when I don't. And this may seem nitpicking or trivial to some, but I think it's a big deal. NYC is one of those major American cities where people from... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts New York City. Except when I don't. And this may seem nitpicking or trivial to some, but I think it's a big deal. NYC is one of those major American cities where people from all over the country come to take jobs, go to school, or for any variety of other reasons. That being said, you would think that major businesses would make exceptional efforts to cater to this demographic. A lot of the small local businesses do, so why not the major, national ones?

You see, I'm a huge baseball fan. Specifically, I root for the team from my hometown, the 2011 World Series champions St. Louis Cardinals. However, there is no place in the entire city of New York that I know of that will let me buy Cardinals gear. I have to order it direct from mlb.com.

So at this point, I'm sure that you're saying "well, you can't buy out of market gear for ANY sport, so what are you complaining about?". Well, you'd be wrong on that point - there used to be a very large NBA Store (with the NBA lockout, it "did not make economic sense" to retain that store, and they've moved to a smaller one - but there is STILL one), and currently has a large NHL store, selling gear from teams across the country. What's notably missing from this lineup? The NBA and MLB. So what gives?
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]]> I'm at wits end tag:blog.jds2001.org,2011:/random_thoughts//1.385 2011-09-04T22:00:00Z 2011-09-04T21:59:38Z I'm trying to be a bit better about blogging and what's going on in Fedora and my life. Right now, though, my nerves are getting frayed. Let me explain why.I have this nice new triple display setup. Works great in... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts
I have this nice new triple display setup. Works great in Windows. In Fedora, it's functional when it works...which gets me to why I'm annoyed. In order to make my system remotely usable in Fedora, I have to use the fglrx driver. There's this bug which has gotten no traction regarding why the opensource driver won't work for me. Now fglrx is misbehaving on me (it works for a few hours, then the X server just goes off to la-la land with fglrx messages in /var/log/messages), and I have no recourse but to not use Fedora on my main workstation when I want to do serious work, which makes me a sad panda.

So there's what I've been battling with for the last few weeks :(
]]> Hello not-so-lazyweb: PulseAudio and DLNA or AirPlay tag:blog.jds2001.org,2011:/random_thoughts//1.384 2011-07-10T19:23:45Z 2011-07-10T19:42:21Z I've been battling with this for awhile now, using every possible peferences/control program and tweak that I could find on the Intertubez, but I still can't seem to make it work.So here's what I'm trying to do:I have this fancy... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts
I have this fancy receiver that supports DLNA (and now, via a free firmware upgrade that I got, AirPlay). I know that it works via both of these protocols, as Windows Media Player and my HTC Thunderbolt can stream to it without an issue. Once I got and applied the firmware upgrade, iTunes can use it as well (I'm sad to admit I actually have all these things to try, but this isn't a confessional.... :) ).

The problem is that I can't seem to make PulseAudio work to stream my Fedora audio output to it. Being that Fedora is what I use most of the time, I see this as something of a limitation :). I've mucked around with the PulseAudio configuration for days, and can't seem to make it work for anything (and now, I don't even have working sound through my locally attached speakers for some reason...)

I've got a "pactl list" up if anyone wants to peruse it to see what I've done wrong. Clearly, this appears to be supported in PulseAudio, so I'm sure that I'm just Holding It Wrong(TM). I'd be happy for it to work either via DLNA or AirPlay.
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]]> Upgraded Movable Type tag:blog.jds2001.org,2011:/random_thoughts//1.383 2011-07-05T00:46:39Z 2011-07-05T00:53:36Z Have blog software with security vulnerabilities just isn't cool, mmmkkkaayyy? So I upgraded MT to 4.37 (yes, I know 5.1 is out, and I fully intend to upgrade, but I wanted the path of least risk right now). Let me... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts Enhanced by Zemanta]]> Thoughts on Google+ tag:blog.jds2001.org,2011:/random_thoughts//1.382 2011-07-03T20:07:00Z 2011-07-03T20:07:59Z Figured I'd jot down a few thoughts on Google+ since I've been playing with it for a few days now. The first problem with it is that it's invite-only for now. With a "ordinary" Google product (say when GMail was... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts Google+ since I've been playing with it for a few days now. The first problem with it is that it's invite-only for now. With a "ordinary" Google product (say when GMail was invite-only, or Music is right now) that's not too much of an issue - the usefulness of the product doesn't depend on how many people are using it. With a social network, the usefulness of the product is DIRECTLY related to how many people use it.

Very often on Google+, I feel like I can hear the echoes in the valley walls. As for the actual product, once it gains traction it will be awesome, I think. The concept of circles is, I think, revolutionary. Yes, you can do the same thing with Facebook groups. But how many people do you know that have actually done so? Google just makes this so easy, and front and center to the entire user experience, that it forces you to do it and think about what you're doing (though I do have to admit to dropping most everyone in the "Friends" circle, and I think lots of other people probably do the same). You can define as many circles as you

There's also the concept (that I haven't tried yet for lack of equipment - but I might go buy a webcam after posting this) of a "hangout" which I think is basically enhanced group video conferencing, but not having used it, I really can't comment on how good or bad it is.

For all of you Android phone users, there is a native Google+ app, which is very well integrated into the Android user interface - you'll see Google+ show up as an intent provider all over the place (i.e. when you share stuff, Google+ shows up as a place that you can do that). Also, optionally, all video and camera operations on the device will be automatically uploaded to a private Picasa album (which I think is pretty cool).

I'm not sure how the invite situation is working out, but if you're not on Google+ and want to be, let me know and I'll see what I can do!

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]]> Rap Guide to Evolution tag:blog.jds2001.org,2011:/random_thoughts//1.381 2011-06-29T01:00:00Z 2011-06-29T00:59:16Z When a friend recommended to me to go see "The Rap Guide to Evolution", I have to admit that I was slightly skeptical about combining theater and rap. I must say, I walked away from the show absolutely blown away... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts
We start the proceedings with a reading from Charles Darwin's "On the origin of species" and wind up in a scientifically accurate, fun, and thoroughly entertaining evening of rap and education (yes, the two can co-exist!). I can't really do this show justice, so let me link to a few places that I think have.

Darwin Got It Going On - NYTimes
Gothamist

From the Gothamist article, I consider myself pretty high on the "openness to experience" front, so when I was presented with the opportunity to get tickets to this show, I jumped all over it (especially having the recommendation of a friend), and I'm glad that I did. At the end of the show, he takes three questions from the audience which he'll work into future revisions of the show (as the rap following this section states, the only way to get better is via Performance, Feedback, Revision).

Playing for a minimum 2 month run at the Soho Playhouse, 15 Vandam St. $55, premium seats $75. I've even included a convenient link here to get tickets online, but if you'd rather not do that, run, do not walk, to the Soho Playhouse and grab yours!
]]> Dear Google: tag:blog.jds2001.org,2011:/random_thoughts//1.380 2011-05-30T20:56:39Z 2011-05-30T20:58:53Z When a user that has Google Voice clicks on a phone number in GMail, don't you think that they may want to use GV instead of their computer to talk to the person? Especially if the computer in question doesn't... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts
That is all.
kthxbai

]]> Threw my name in tag:blog.jds2001.org,2011:/random_thoughts//1.379 2011-05-12T23:51:32Z 2011-05-12T23:51:49Z I'm running for the Fedora Board this election cycle. My appointed seat expires this cycle, and I figured that I'd put it to the vote of the community whether or not I've done an acceptable job that they wish me... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts
Note that as I mentioned in my nomination, it is an anti-goal of mine to use my Board position to drive technical or other changes in the project, simply by the nature of being on the Board. In my vision, the Board's job is to set strategic direction for the project (you'll notice that I use the word "project" alot - there is much more to the Fedora project than putting out a shiny new distro every 6 months).

The Board's job is distinctly not to take an activist role for or against anything in particular, but rather to enable groups that want to do something to do it.

If you want to have a say in the future direction of Fedora, I urge you to go put your name on the nomination page now!

]]> I voted tag:blog.jds2001.org,2011:/random_thoughts//1.378 2011-04-05T00:03:04Z 2011-04-05T00:24:54Z Voting for the Fedora 16 Release Name is now open. And I ask you, how could anyone vote for anything other than "Beefy Miracle"???Go forth and vote, but make sure it's a beefy one!Oh, and if you're in NYC sometime,... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts
Go forth and vote, but make sure it's a beefy one!

Oh, and if you're in NYC sometime, go check out the ultimate shrine to the Beefy Miracle!
]]> I have the one with the bigger G's :) tag:blog.jds2001.org,2011:/random_thoughts//1.377 2011-04-04T03:08:00Z 2011-04-04T03:12:48Z Well, I broke down and bought the HTC Thunderbolt today - Verizon's first 4G LTE phone. The rep also sold me (I'm a sucker for these things) on upgrading my trusty MiFi 2200 to a 4G LTE model from Samsung.Somehow... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts HTC Thunderbolt today - Verizon's first 4G LTE phone. The rep also sold me (I'm a sucker for these things) on upgrading my trusty MiFi 2200 to a 4G LTE model from Samsung.Somehow getting a better device for the MiFi saves me $10/month, exactly how that works I'm not sure.

The experience of switching phones couldn't have been easier. Since I was going from Android to Android, of course all of my contacts, app purchases, etc were in the Google mothership once I signed in. By the time that I got home, it had downloaded all 63 apps that I had on my old phone to my new one. It seems to remember what versions of the apps that you have as well, not all of the apps that I got were the newest versions, they  were what I had on my old phone. A simple 'update all' was all it took to get the latest version.

How's the speed on this thing? Incredible is the only word to describe it. I downloaded the speed test app for the phone, and it clocked in a healthy 12Mbps download speed. Considering that some people don't get that with their cable modem or DSL, that seems pretty good to me. Of course, not very many people are on the LTE network right now, how it does with time, we'll see.

The one app that I care about the 4G experience on is MLB At Bat '11, and that seems to be working out fairly well, it's nice and snappy. I've tried streaming a game on MLB.TV with it though, and that's less than stellar, but acceptable (I mean, really, what do you expect out of streaming video on a phone?)

On to the complaints that I have about this phone - there's a nifty kickstand on it to prop it in a horizontal (landscape) orientation. Great. What's not so great is that whoever designed this phone clearly wasn't thinking that day - the USB port for charging is on the BOTTOM of the phone when in this orientation, so that you can't have it propped up and charge it at the same time.

Also, I found a nifty HopStop application (lets you plan subway trips in various citites, etc). The problem is that it doesn't work AT ALL on this phone. It will either crash or never return any data. Oh well, uninstalled. I'll stick to Google Maps for my transit directions.

I also just setup my Samsung SCH-LC11 hotspot (with the appropriate SSID 'The bigger G's'). Speed testing that on my iPad that I used to set it up seemed exceptionally abysmal, but to figure out if it was the iPad or the hotspot, I connected it to my home network and got even WORSE results., which I did a speed test from a (admittedly wired) computer and got my full 60/6. So there's something wrong with the wifi on the iPad that it seems incapable of decent speeds. I'll see how it works with a real computer on Tuesday.
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]]> AWESOME game! tag:blog.jds2001.org,2010:/random_thoughts//1.375 2010-11-10T13:42:01Z 2010-11-10T13:47:41Z WARNING: Do not try this on a system that you care in any way if it crashes, because IT WILL! This introduces intentional memory corruption to a running system.I just read over on the bash.org QDB an awesome game to... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts
I just read over on the bash.org QDB an awesome game to play, sounds like fun for FUDCon. It's called 'kmem russian roulette' and the gameplay is fairly simple:

1) # dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/kmem count=1 bs=1 seek=$RANDOM
2) Repeat until system crashes
3) Person to crash system must buy beer for all players
]]> Fedora Board seats tag:blog.jds2001.org,2010:/random_thoughts//1.374 2010-10-31T19:31:31Z 2010-10-31T19:31:45Z I just figured that I'd mention that nominations are now open for the 2 seats on the Fedora Board currently occupied by Matt Domsch and Chris Tyler (two folks who I've really enjoyed working with over the past 5 months... Jon Stanley http://blog.jds2001.org/random_thoughts wiki page for doing that (and only two nominations on the page for FESCo). So go forth and nominate yourself or someone else, but just make sure that "someone else" is actually willing to serve first! :)

FAmSCo is looking slightly better, but they could use more candidates as well (they only have 8 for 7 seats).

If you want to become involved in the leadership of Fedora, these are really good ways to do it. Note that for FAmSCo and the Board you don't really need to be a rockstar C coder, and these are great ways for people who might not have that skillset to contribute to the leadership of Fedora. The Board actively eschews technical issues, preferring to leave those to FESCo.

Anyhow, get to nominating!
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