Griggz Blog

Checking out Flock, a browser for social networking

2008-09-27T18:08:00.001-06:00

I am checking out Flock, a browser for social networking. It is organized to allow you easy access to your social networking tools, such as Facebook; webmail; photo sharing; and more.

I am posting with it now....

Blogged with the Flock Browser

I'm Walking for Brain Tumor Research

2008-08-05T19:42:00.002-06:00

I am walking in the Brain Tumor Walk and Angel Adventure to raise money to support the fight against brain tumors.

You can support the fight by visiting my fundraising page on firstgiving.com.

Checking out Mozilla Prism

2008-05-11T18:09:00.004-06:00

Mozilla Prism allows you to run a web application outside of a browser.

This is an example of Facebook running in prism.

Plaxo does not run so well. The new Plaxo beta interface complains about unsupported browsers when accessing the address book. This is too bad. However, Plaxo Classic allows you to get to Contacts. Strange.

Mozilla Prism allows you to install add-ons to the web applications. I'll try that out.

Google App Engine

2008-05-10T18:56:00.004-06:00

I am checking out the Google App Engine SDK. A friend of mine is developing a personal blog application using GAE, so I downloaded it and fired it up on my linux box. It looks good!

You can learn more about this application at http://aaronspotlatch.appspot.com/.

Ubuntu 6.10 - Virtual Desktop

2007-01-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

Got the bug to create my own Ubuntu 6.10 virtual appliance using VMware Server. I selected a pre-allocated 8 Gbyte file system and then proceeded to install Ubuntu 6.10. By the way, I prefer to install Ubuntu from the alternative CD.

I put the CD into the host machine and hit the Start button.

The install is running along it's merry way...

Ubuntu booting up.

The Ubuntu desktop running in the VMware Server Console.

Install the VMware Tools. There are great instructions for this on the VMware documentation site.

Install additional software using Synaptic Package Manager.

Add automatix2 to facilitate installation of additional packages not in the Ubuntu sources, e.g., Java. See the automatix installation page for instructions.

Also use automatix2 to install Clam Anti-Virus and Firestater Firewall.

Typical Friday Night

2007-01-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

Hanging out in my study listening to the my favorite news programs:
the News Hour, Horizon, Washington Week, and the McLaughlin Group.
Even threw in some C-SPAN for good measure. Very nice.

This post is via mail2blogger, my first try. Cleaned it up a little with blogger. I think I'll use it again.

California Lager is Fermenting in My Study

2006-12-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

"Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. May I take your order?"

This season's brewing adventure got off to a good start last night. My new 24 qt brew pot performed exceptionally well -- no hot spots, no puckers. I did experience pilot error; while bringing the wort up to boil I took my eye off the pot. We were watching Good Burger and I was not paying attention to what I was supposed to. I had a boil-over... Nothing too serious, but it did rattle me a little.

The wort was too hot to pitch yeast last night, so I let it cool off in my study over night. I pitched the yeast this morning and am left to let nature take it's course.

The liquid yeast pack is ready!

My new 24 quart brew pot ready for action with a little "inspiration" on the side.

Eighteen minutes into the boil.

My siphonless fermenter, where all the magic happens.

WRT54GX2, My Solution

2006-12-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

In the previous post, I shared Linksys support's plan to resolve the issue with Permit Only. Like most things in life, acceptable solutions are often compromises. So, I decided to forego the rather lengthy set of instructions provided by Linksys and instead use an abbreviated set of steps that I am comfortable with. If this plan did not work, then I would simply take the router back to CompUSA and pick up an older model Linksys -- it will save me 30 bucks and further heartache.

To spare you any suspense, my plan worked. The router is behaving, so perhaps the re-load of the firmware did the trick. However, it did not resolve the issue with displaying the time and current uptime.

My simplified plan:

Use the built-in firmware upgrade panel on the router interface to upgrade the firmware.
Ignore any and all network re-configuration suggestions (half-duplex, etc.).
Return the router promptly upon failure.

Steps.

Download the firmware binary *.bix from linksys.com.
Download tftp.exe from linksys.com just in case.
Download the current router configuration (see screen shot below) using the the router management interface.
Reset the router and power off/on.
Upload the the firmware to the router using the router management interface (see screenshot below).
Reset the router and power off/on.
Upload the previous router configuration from step #3.
Enable the Permit Only option (see screenshot below).
Test.

Save/Restore the current configuration -- WEP settings, SSID, etc. Steps #3 and #7.

Upload the firmware. Step # 5.

Enable Permit Only. Step #8.

WRT54GX2, Linksys Support Weighs In

2006-12-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

I hope that I am up to this task today. This new router has been a real time and energy waster. See for yourself what Linksys Support wants me to do.

We may need to re-flash the firmware of your router by using the TFTP utility since there may be corrupted software on your router.

Please download the TFTP.exe file from ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/network. This utility will utilize the .bin file extracted from the downloaded firmware file of your router.

Before doing the upgrade, we’ll test first if we are still communicating with the router. If we are, we’ll proceed with the upgrade. Before and after the upgrade, performing reset is a must. This is to reload the factory default settings of the device. Reconfiguration will then follow according to your Internet connection type, and finally do power cycle for the new settings to take effect.

To download the firmware of your router, please indicate the exact model number and version of your router on our download site and make sure to unzip the file should it be a zipped folder that you are downloading.

To upgrade the router’s firmware using TFTP, we need to do the following:

A. Unplug the router from the modem.
B. Reset the router.
C. Wire a computer to one of the Ethernet/numbered ports of the router and check if LED’s are turned on.
D. Turn off firewall and anti-virus software on the PC.
E. Assign static IP address to the PC.
F. Force the speed of the NIC (Network Interface Card) to 10Mbps half duplex.
G. Ping the router. If we get four replies, we’ll upgrade the router’s firmware. If not, I believe it’s already a hardware failure.
H. Download the TFTP.exe file from ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/network.
I. Perform the upgrade without interruption by closing all other windows.
J. Reset the router.
K. Reconfigure it according to your Internet connection type.
L. Perform power cycle to refresh the devices of the new settings.
M. Set the computer’s IP address back to obtain automatically.
N. Launch an Internet browser and get online.

To reset the router, please push and hold down the reset button for 30 seconds, release the reset button, power off the router for 15 seconds and then power it back on.

Checking the lights:

1. Make sure that the power is lit. If there is no light, try a different power source and check if the power adapter is plugged securely.
2. The port that corresponds to your computer should be lit on the router’s front panel; if not, try another cable, or another port and ensure that the RJ-45 cable is connected properly.

If you do not know how to disable your anti-virus or firewall (e.g. Norton anti-virus, Norton Internet Security, Zone-Alarm, etc.), refer to the documentation of the software or call the software’s support number.

To assign static IP:

1. Click on Start, Control Panel, and open up Network Connections.
2. Right click on the Local Area Network Connection that you are using, and click on Properties.
3. Click Internet Protocol TCP/IP, and hit Properties.
4. On the General tab, click the radio button beside Use the following IP address:

IP Address: 192.168.1.5
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

5. Click OK all the way out.

If we need to force the speed of the card to 10Mbps half duplex, do the following:

1. Go to Start and click on Control Panel. Double click on Network and Internet Connections then Network Connections.
2. Right click the Local Area Connection that you are using then click Properties.
3. Click the Configure button then go to the Advanced tab.
4. Look under the Property section for Connection Type, Media Type, Connection Speed, Link Speed/Duplex Mode, or something similar.
5. Change the Value from Auto to 10 Base-T, 10 half mode, 10 no duplex, or something similar.
6. Click OK and then close.

How to ping the router:

1. Click on the Start menu, and click on Run.
2. On the box, please type cmd, and then hit OK.
3. On the black screen, type ping 192.168.1.1 and press Enter.

If we can no longer communicate with the router by pinging it, we may ask for a replacement from the store if it’s within the warranty period.

Use the following information in the TFTP utility:

Server : 192.168.1.1
Password : admin
File : browse the .bin file

To properly do the power cycle, please follow these:

1. Shut down your PC, the router, then the modem.
2. Wait for 30 seconds.
3. Turn on the modem first and wait for the lights to stop blinking.
4. Power up the router, and finally the computer.

If the problem persists even after the upgrade process, please create a Deny policy as well as the Permit only and check if the connection steadies.

For frequently asked questions, you may visit our knowledgebase at http://kb.linksys.com.

Today's the Day to Brew Beer

2006-12-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

Well the liquid yeast pack is swollen to capacity, so it's time to get on with the brewing. I am going for the California Lager -- I'm off to the Basha's supermarket to pick up some bottled water and some inspiration (aka, beer).

My New Linksys WRT54GX2 Wireless Router

2006-12-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, December 23rd, the Internet was unreachable from my house. This unfortunate circumstance also happened during the Thanksgiving holiday, and I was determined not to let this ruin Christmas too. After tinkering with the router, PCs, cabling all day I was resigned to call Cox on Sunday morning to get this fixed. After working with two support techs I had my answer: the Cox Internet support techs helped me "prove" that Cox as was accessible from my home, but only if a PC was connected directly to the cable modem, bypassing my router. All signs pointed to my old Linksys BEFW11S4, v.2 wireless router, my trusty 4-year old warrior, having finally calling it quits. The old guy had finally given up and died, or so it seemed. This was Sunday morning, December 24th, Christmas Eve. My wife's laptop is wireless to the Internet via this router, so the urgency level was fairly high. There was nothing to be done except to head on over to CompUSA, to pick up a new router.

I have been contemplating a router upgrade for sometime. Pre-N, Draft-N routers and network cards are quite pricey, and there's no guarantee that Pre-N and/or Draft-N will be compatible with the final standard. I'm exactly where I was with my TV about 18 months ago -- my 18 year old Sony Trinitron was on it's last legs, so I had to get a new TV. I went for a 32" LCD that now costs about half what I paid for it. And 1080p is now available for what I paid for 720p/1080i. Dang!

I decided that I'd like a wireless-G router -- the standard is final since the Taft Administration, the technologies supporting it are mature and the prices are a lot lower than the Pre-N, Draft-N products. Good enough, CompUSA had a Linksys WRT54GX2 on sale for 79.99 so I went for it.

Got it home and plugged it in. The setup disk would not run on my son's Windows XP box, so I went on over to my Ubuntu Linux machine and navigated to the web interface via standard IP address.

The configuration is really easy, very much like the old BEF11s4, but with many more choices. I had blinkey, blinkey on the router and the PCs on the wireless network. Life was good and I was ready for Old Saint Nick to come by with the goodies.

Ah, but life is good when you've come to the rescue on Christmas Eve, like some some kind of techno-elf.

The day after Christmas when the house started to refocus on business and Internet fun, I started to get complaints from the the family about dropping network connections. I turned to my router logs -- much improved over the old one -- and what do I see but errors flooding in from one or more of the wireless PCs. It turns out that two machines needed upgrades to network drivers because we had upgraded them from Win 2K to Win XP. I downloaded the drivers and installed them, And lo and behold, the network errors stopped and life is good again.

And then I realized that my old BEFW11S4 is probably just fine.

Oh well. I couldn't have resolved this problem as easily with the old router, and the new router's security features and increased speed will be an asset to the network. The clincher came when I while googling for help with my router prblems, i found out that unbeknownst to me my new WRT54GX2 router is running embedded Linux. You can even download the GPL code from the Linksys support site. There's also a non-profit group dedicated to building an open source software package for routers http://openwrt.org -- you essentially turn your router into a PC that can be customized to your own requirements.

The network ran smoothly until I changed the wireless network access list which requires you to enter a list of MAC addresses for the PCs that you want to allow to access the network. The network performed well for a short time -- half a day -- and then the wireless connections started dropping after being connected for only a few minutes.

I was forced to disable the permit only option and report the problem to Linksys. Performance is fine now
.

The last bit of fun occurred when my son started up World of Warcraft, a gift from his brother, and started downloading the 450 megabyte patch. It ran for a couple of hours and timed out. So I hopped out to the WOW support site. which lists a number of ports that need to be opened and forwarded to my son's PC. The router setup is easy, and while I was at it I went ahead and assigned a static IP address to my son's son's PC.

I'm almost done with the network maintenance, I think. There is a minor problem with the router not displaying the current time. I know, it's not affecting anything, but it should display the time. I reported that to Linksys as well.

I do not believe that I'll be installing OpenWRT on my new WRT54GX2, but I am looking at the code and thinking about it. I'm waiting for a new firmware patch; it could happen.

Happy New Year!

My Ubuntu Linux Desktop

2006-12-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I am a Linux user? Applications that I use daily are:

OpenOffice
Firefox
Evolution
VMWare Server Console
FireStarter Firewall

It's Brew Time

2006-12-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

I'm preparing to brew beer in a few days; kit brewing, so it's not as hard as it sounds. I have on hand two kits from William's Brewing: a Porter, and a California Lager. Just got them yesterday along with a new, shiny, stainless steel, 24 quart stock pot.

I did not brew last year and I've missed having my own beer to drink.

My Name is (NOT) Griggz!

2006-08-12T22:15:00.000-06:00

With all due respect to Robert Fulghum, I learned important stuff all throughout my schooling. One such item: when addressing someone, use their name, as in "Mr. Jones, please explain the importance of the Teapot Dome scandal" ; and it's at least twice as important to address someone by their correct name, especially when it's been pointed out that you're using the wrong name. (Okay, that's at least two things.)

My 9th grade social studies teacher addressed us all by the wrong names, all the time. What's odd about it is that she didn't mix up our names with other students, rather the names were derived from our actual names. For instance, Payne became Paul, Jenkins became Jenks, Jimmy became Tom (because Thomas was his middle name), and Greg became Griggz. I don't think we were the first group to get that treatment and it was never malicious.

The other thing I learned is that when you're handed really great nicknames for your pals, use them. And so, I am using my nickname for this blog.

Comparing Violence in Iraq to American Cities

2006-08-10T20:00:00.000-06:00

I've heard on more than one occasion that the level of violence in Iraq is no worse than an American city such as Washington, DC or Los Angeles. So I decided to look into the matter.

According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, the number of murders committed in the United States in 2004, was 16,137 or a murder rate of 5.5 for every 100,000 people.

As reported in an AP news report in today's Arizona Republic, there were 1,500 violent deaths in the Baghdad area last month, for an annualized number of 18,000 violent deaths. According to wikipedia, the estimated population in the entire country of Iraq is 26,783,383. That leaves Iraq's murder (violent death) rate at about 67.21, or about 12 times as high as the overall murder rate of the United States.

But hey, maybe I don't know something about LA or DC so I checked them out on infoplease. The most current year is from 2003.

Interestingly enough, there are cities in the United States where the murder rates are very high. New Orleans (57.7), Washington DC (44.0), Detroit (39.4), and Baltimore (41.9). LA comes in at a relatively peaceful rate of 13.4 as compared to Phoenix, my hometown, at 17.2.

To be fair to the these fine metropolitan areas, I have calculated Baghdad's murder (violent death) rate using the 2005 estimated population of 7,400,000 for a rate of 243.24 murders per 100,000 residents. That's over four times as murderous as our most murder-rific city.

I think there be a little exaggeration going on.

First Post

2006-08-05T19:50:00.000-06:00

I'm a blogger newbie trying out the post. Well, here I go!