So this morning I was in a bind, I’m sitting at work and wanted to listen to my music collection at home but my player was telling my that the share didn’t exist, to fix it I needed to reboot the box. Since the collection is served up by Media Jukebox it is housed on a Windows box which further complicates matters because I have no real command line tools at my disposal, the only way I can interact with the box is through TightVNC. Now, TightVNC is running on all the boxes but when I installed the new router I made the conscious decision not to punch the ports for it so I’m back to square one. Enter PuTTY and SSH.
While at work I use PuTTY to connect to my server at home, it is all command line which is fine for nearly 99.9% of the tasks I perform but when I have to administer that one lone Windows PC I’m out of luck. So to work on that box I’ll either need to punch holes or set up a tunnel using SSH and PuTTY. I opted for the latter which proved to be so easy I was surprised. The University of Stockholm has a well written tutorial on it that I used to get things rolling in under five minutes.
The key point to remember is that the tunnel needs to be configured from the perspective of the host machine so the default TightVNC settings would be localhost:5900.
Then all you need to do is setup the session like you normally would, connect, log in, then launch TightVNC and point it towards localhost and viola! Now I just need to think of other applications where tunneling would be handy–secure surfing at Internet cafes come to mind.
My lust list continues to grow, mostly because I’m better at list making than actually breaking down and purchasing anything on them. However, since the time that Management and I first broached the topic of having a kid I always tacked on a DSLR as a required contingency. Honestly, how could I call myself a good parent if I were not documenting my child’s formative years with the best digital photography equipment that I could afford.
To torture myself I’ve begun researching cameras and think that I have settled on the Nikon D50, the D70s is too rich for my blood and the Canon EOS Rebel XT feels a might bit janky. Ritz seems to have a good price on it with a bundled Quantaray 28-90mm F/3.3-5.6 Lens for $549.99. Now, I’m not a photography professional–I occasionally play one on the Internet but only when trolling–and it is possible that a DSLR is overkill but I want features, customizability, and the flexibility that one offers. Plus they look damn cool.
Anyone out there among my meager readership have any suggestions on DSLR cameras? Is the D50 the best in its group?
Samson The Regal
Originally uploaded by elwoodicious.
Theron Parlin, a gentleman, scholar, and Internet philanthropist, paid for a year’s subscription to Flickr for Management and I. To which I say, “Many thanks and when you least expect it, sir, you shall be gifted back.”
North Korea, photos by Artemii Lebedev (original post in Russian). The first things I noticed was how run down the infrastructure looks, how empty the streets are, and how blasted the countryside appears. Very sad and very humbling.
via MonkeyFilter
I feel a that I have been a little whiny and going about my day with a perspective askew. Last night I had the chance to catch up with one of our neighbors, she is a friendly and warm woman who is always there to lend a hand or offer a smile. She is a single mother with a three year old daughter who works hard to give her daughter a home with a backyard she can run around in.
She isn’t much older than Management and I but last night she looked like a lifetime of struggle and worry had worn her down. Her soft yet full voice was raspy and faint and her eyes dull and half-lidded. I tentatively asked if she was feeling ok, if she needed anything, particularly since we haven’t seen her about the house in a good month my thought was maybe life was washing up over her mouth and nose. She replied that she isn’t feeling very well, “Sick really. I have breast cancer.” She started her chemo last week and three weeks prior had a radical mastectomy. She has applied for long-term disability under the FMLA as when the chemo ends in September she is slated to have a biopsy on her thyroid. She had battled Hodgkin’s in her early twenties and the doctors fear that the chemo might cause it to return.
We talked for a little bit longer about her daughter, how the pregnancy was progressing but soon she was ready to lay down and rest for a spell. Sitting down heavily in my chair I could help but think about my insignificant fears and worries. In the end whatever turmoil I think I am feeling is nothing compared to the storms she has weather and continuing to ride out. Much of life is nothing more than a series of random events strung together; some people are favored by chance while others are not. My wife asked me what was on my mind and all I could offer was a hug, a kiss, and a simple “I love you.” It was all the explanation I could give.
“Snacksby is a different, easier kind of recipe site. You tell us what you’ve got in your fridge, in your pantry, or just what you’re looking to find in a recipe, even how much of each ingredient and wham!, we let you know what your options are.” Freakin’ Awesome!
