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More aurora?
If you have a clear sky, and are located at a fairly high magnetic latitude, it may be worth checking for aurora around your local midnight. The activity index is climbing as a result of the CME that took place on Saturday. That one was a much stronger flare than the physically large one of a week ago, but it wasn't pointed directly at the earth.
It's amazing how much dust can collect on conventional monitor screens. I cleaned mine this morning and I can't believe how much brighter they look, not to mention sharper. Duh.
Over the weekend I received the official letter stating that my pension is fully vested. And, today the occasion arose for me to have to tell the new director that "I don't do Windows." She was a bit surprised, I think, but seems to have taken it in stride for the moment. I meant it too. I hate all the fiddly, poorly documented twiddling required to keep a Windows network running. And I really hate what it takes to keep Windows running reliably on public workstations. I've done it, of course, and for a good many years, but it has been a terrific relief not to be doing it any more over the past five years, and I'm not about to return to the stress of it. Especially not at my present payscale, which is about half what a Windows network administrator makes even in this area. I've been providing minimal support for staff members who are helplessly dependent on Windows, but I am not going to maintain public Windows stations. Life is too short.
Attempt to clean a couple of non-functioning keys on the VT220 keyboard did not succeed. They remain non-functioning. I did, however, get a Linux-based terminal session script that provides most of the functionality of VT220 emulation. It's clunky trying to duplicate all 25 or so of the extra keys on the VT220 keyboard with SHIFT-this and ALT-that, but it does work. I gave in and bought another keyboard, this one guaranteed to work or it can be returned. So it's just a matter of waiting for it to arrive. I did finally receive today a graphics interface for the DS10 at work, so I'll have full windowed access to that Alpha just as I do here at home. At least, should have. The board looks shiny and little used, and is supposed to work.
We had terrific thunder and lightning early this morning, between about 3 and 4:30 am. It just kept rolling along. Very little actual rain, only a quarter inch, but there sure was a lot of pyrotechnic display. Looks like we may get something similar again tomorrow morning, judging by tonight's forecast.
It's amazing how much dust can collect on conventional monitor screens. I cleaned mine this morning and I can't believe how much brighter they look, not to mention sharper. Duh.
Over the weekend I received the official letter stating that my pension is fully vested. And, today the occasion arose for me to have to tell the new director that "I don't do Windows." She was a bit surprised, I think, but seems to have taken it in stride for the moment. I meant it too. I hate all the fiddly, poorly documented twiddling required to keep a Windows network running. And I really hate what it takes to keep Windows running reliably on public workstations. I've done it, of course, and for a good many years, but it has been a terrific relief not to be doing it any more over the past five years, and I'm not about to return to the stress of it. Especially not at my present payscale, which is about half what a Windows network administrator makes even in this area. I've been providing minimal support for staff members who are helplessly dependent on Windows, but I am not going to maintain public Windows stations. Life is too short.
Attempt to clean a couple of non-functioning keys on the VT220 keyboard did not succeed. They remain non-functioning. I did, however, get a Linux-based terminal session script that provides most of the functionality of VT220 emulation. It's clunky trying to duplicate all 25 or so of the extra keys on the VT220 keyboard with SHIFT-this and ALT-that, but it does work. I gave in and bought another keyboard, this one guaranteed to work or it can be returned. So it's just a matter of waiting for it to arrive. I did finally receive today a graphics interface for the DS10 at work, so I'll have full windowed access to that Alpha just as I do here at home. At least, should have. The board looks shiny and little used, and is supposed to work.
We had terrific thunder and lightning early this morning, between about 3 and 4:30 am. It just kept rolling along. Very little actual rain, only a quarter inch, but there sure was a lot of pyrotechnic display. Looks like we may get something similar again tomorrow morning, judging by tonight's forecast.