I got a new phone... Actually I got a new pocket computer (with Windows CE) that came with a built in phone. The thing has more horse power than my workstation back in 2000. So my first thought is, being the geek that I am: What can I get this thing to do?

What should I try first? Hmmmmm... Wouldn't it be cool if I could get it to serve up web pages. HEY!!! It *is* connected to the internet. Huh? I wonder if I get it to run Apache?

Then the rational part of my brain kicked in: WHOA!!! STOP right there.. I have so much OTHER stuff I need to learn. My to do list could keep me occupied for the next ten years... easy.

Then I saw this article in my in my inbox and it made me feel better: Installing Linux on the PlayStation 3.

Seriously... is there some sort of 12 step program for this sorta stuff? I am going to end up like this some day (again).

The confessions would be funny:

"Hi, my name is Gerald."

"Hi Gerald."

"I tried to turn my phone into a web server...."

Today I loaded up some old video games (Battle Zone 2 and Half Life) on my new Lappy (running Vista). It has shared video memory on a fairly low end 17" home laptop so I wasn't expecting much. I thought that they would run like crap if they even ran at all. I used to game a lot so I know that it used to take a bit of messaging/patching/finagling to get some games to work. I have not played a video game in at least 3 years so I did not know what to expect.

Much to my surprise they worked.... In fact they worked GREAT.

Gordon Freeman... long time no see!!

Yesterday was another story.

I was trying to set up a *nix based Jboss/Java Dev Environment using a VM.

First RedHat.

I am a RedHat guy from WAY back... So I saw that they had an evaluation version of their JBoss Server stack for VMware and I thought: Sweet!!!

So I signed up for an evaluation of the RedHat Enterprise server w/the JBoss AS via the Vmware site. I download everything and get the VM set up, and I have to run through a hoop after hoop trying to figure out how to get entitled so I can patch the RedHat VM.

After an hour I just give up.

I go to the VMware site again so I can get a Linux based VM to run Jboss and I D/L this one.

http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/362

I try to unzip it and I get the "Unexpected end of Archive" error. So I think... OK it got corrupt. It happens.

So I try again......and......FAIL!!!

Then DL the both of the OpenSolaris VMs from the VMware site.

I can't get either of those to work.

Nice.

Then I go to SUN so I can get a Solaris VM right from the source. 5 minutes verifying my account and getting user/pass. Now I have to wait until it downloads... approx 3 hours from now (it is now 10 pm).

I have a 6 meg connection and SUN's download manager only DL's one file at a time.

Then I find out I cannot run the Solaris VM on VMware player on a 64 bit system... Another 20-30 min to DL and uninstall VMware player then install VMware server.

THEN the VMware tools install hangs.

Fark it. I give up.

12 hours later.. No Linux. No Solaris. No Jboss.

I D/L Jboss for Windows. It works the first time.

How is it I can get a ten year old Video Game to work but not the latest "Enterprise grade" Software?

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

Bash MS all you want but most of the time it Just Works.

If you spend money for the sole reason of impressing someone (other that a potential mate) you are an idiot. You are putting other peoples needs and opinions above your own.

IF their opinion matters more than your own.. you are making yourself their bitch.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

This reminds me of debugging PERL back in the 90's.

Someone I respect, I mean really, really respect, told me that they were intimidated by me.

Huh, Me? No. Wait. What? WTF?

I was flabbergasted. I never knew (or even suspected) I had that sort of sway over people. I just thought I was being me. Happy go lucky, "DUDE! OMFG this freaking ROCKS", "let's go kick some muthafukin ass" me.

Very interesting. Kinda explains a lot....

I was in a situation where I told two people that I had done something related to a technology. i.e. I made this technology do such and such. It was a nifty little trick, but nothing more than a little JavaScript 101.

One person said:

"Cool, show me how you did that."

The other person said:

"*This* I have to see".

Say what?

Attitude is everything.

I have done so much with so little for so long, that I can do anything with nothing.

This is copy righted by Gerald Guido 01/07/07. Google gives ZERO results.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.