Archive for July, 2008

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Outside the box…

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

I have been playing with my MPLS lab again, and looking at a number of layer 2/3 approaches for what I will call the ‘new world’ (don’t ask – then I don’t have to lie). Topics for my betime reading at the moment, are UDLD and Etherchannel running LACP in Hot-Standby high-avilability using stacked switches!

Today has been, well….very wet! It has rained nearly non-stop since yesterday evening, and I am really hoping my digs are still above ground by the time I get home, since I am in a flood plane – interesting location I live in actually, apart from the obvious environmental risk of earthquake (living on top of 5 major faults), I also have to live in fear of flood, tsunami and since the land I am on is sedimentary in an earthquake I could potentially sink like in water – oh AND by the way, a lab near where I live houses a nuclear reactor underground….part of a scientific particle accelerator or some such….? Other than all that I’m safe as houses!

Speaking of houses, mine in the UK ‘STILL’ hasn’t budged…..really fed up with it now. I wish I could just give the keys to the mortgage company and be done with it, coz I ain’t gonna make any money from a sale…..it’s getting to the point where I only really have one option; which cannot be uttered out loud since it’s so far beyond last resort for me.

Oh and I watched ‘The Dark Knight’ film a couple of days ago, and it ROK’D! Although sadly Heath Ledgers final performance it’s certainly one of his finest; a great portrail of the Joker indeed! One for my DVD collection when the time comes for sure!

In other news….? Meh!

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Breaking Point…

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

I find it fascinating the number of people that tell me not to worry. There’s more to life etc… On the surface I am open minded and take it all in. However, deep down on a subconscious level the worry wort in me lurks, and maybe forever will.

From time to time, he bubbles up inside of me like a tiny Vesuvius – an emotion of Plinian proportions. I am fortunate – in my state of mind. Since I am in touch with my emotions and they do not rule my life; they guide my life – and the message I am getting right now? ‘Something’s gotta give’ so….time for me to have a long sit down and have a heart-to-heart with my inner child.

Since moving to New Zealand, I have been a little frivolous (spelling?) in my entranced glamour of this brave new world. This approach, this care-free abandon which I have embraced comes with its consequences. For all that has happened, and for all that is about to happen, I truly have no regrets :)

…As they say. You only live once – right?

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The Causality Paradox?

Friday, July 25th, 2008

Well?! I got your attention didn’t I?…For all the moaning, and bleeting I ‘could’ be doing right now, considering….um….’stuff’ I am remarkably chilled out. It’s a great testiment to the people I have around me – that in a similar situation back in ‘Old Blighty’ I’d be sourcing a very tall building or a bridge, or ringing the Samaritons for advice on the nearest railway track….

Nothing’s ever quite ‘that’ end-of-the-line for me though these days, so rest assured; all is good :)

Also – Joss Whedon is a god with his amazingly funny, musical blog – Dr Horrible’s Sing-a-long blog! total awesomess that quite frankly you couldn’t buy in a can anywhere else on the planet even if they put a sticker on it saying ‘Dr Horribles Sing-a-long Blog’! Put together during a time of writers throwing there dummies out of their penthouse apartments and condo’s this ‘new’ business model for entertainment holds some interesting promise!

Targetting the internet directly, Joss is embracing the new world – just goes to show, you really can’t stop the signal! I’m holding out for this model to work and pray that this breathes new life into the Firefly ‘verse’…let’s face it – I’d pay per episode to see Firefly continue! So, Joss?? Fingers crossed for ya mate!

In other news? The world still exists; for the most part people have their health. It seems to me the largest thing dying in the world of late is the economy… simple solution! Abolish all currency, and go back to bartering skills! I’m sure accountants the world over are multiskilled enough, to move to something else like couting sheep for example? Alas when it comes to all stuff ‘global’ there never is a simple answer. If anyone thinks they have the answer, please feel free to comment it on here.

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For all its plus’s (my 601st post by the way!)

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

I still love being in New Zealand, and more so recently since I’ve been able to get my teeth into networking a lot more! However enlightening, forward thinking and ahead of it’s time this place is, it still is laking in many areas…

There’s little telecom competition, which keeps choices limited for net access. As most options are simply white labelled from one of a couple of vendors/incumbants. Perhaps the most notable thing I have noticed in my geeky way since getting here, is the approach of worldwide developers particularly with games and their lack of vision towards NZ….for instance, there are a number of FREE MMORPGS doing the Beta rounds at the moment on the net, and so far I have downloaded three ALL of which don’t or won’t work from within the New Zealand internet cloud…

…I mean I know we’re an island group but still!!! Poor show!

So I have to make do with reverse engineering flash into video and building a fully authored DVD for the band instead….coz I can…

Geek to the end, that’s me!

In other news…? Hmmmm…..I’ll get back to you….

edit – corrected my obvious mistake…

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Statistically Speaking….Things are GOOD

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

According to ‘Clustermaps’ information (look for link on the left hand side of my blog) – I have had over 10,000 visitors to my site, since January; beating my usual 6-7,000 and there are still another 5 months of the year to go. This could well be my most popular year to date since starting my blog 3 odd years ago!

This calls for something special… if anyone has any ideas of what I can do to mark this momentous occasion then please comment your suggestions below!!

If you have nothing constructive to say, then please go post it here > I have nothing constructive to say so….

In other news, I now have to practice three times as hard, as I am now in an A Grade band, and I want to at least get placed at the next contest! Oh and by the way, I’ll be attempting my first ever solo next year, and if I can polish the piece sufficiently I’ll be going with Arban’s Carnival of Venice. It’s still sinking in that the band have entered and won THREE major contests in the last 12 months – I joined shortly after their NZ win. Sometimes I wonder to myself if this was the real reason I was supposed to come to New Zealand? Since the caliber of people I am playing music with right now, is extremely humbling. It’s certainly given me my five minutes of fame that’s for sure!

I’ll never forget my roots however, with good ol’ Frodsham Silver!! If I ever head back, I’ll be up the bandroom like a shot!

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Oh The FAME!!?!

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to present – Pelorus Trust Wellington Brass Band. Performing Mambo Caliente at the 2008 Band of the Year Contest, in Christchurch!!

THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME!

I hope this remains online for a while, cos it ROK’D

Edit to track back to related post… > A Grade

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back in work mode…

Monday, July 14th, 2008

Monday has arrived, I’m still on a high from the long weekend of music, settling back into the work flow – I have decided to change the configuration of my little lab at work, so that I can play around with some very specific ‘layer 2′ scenarios based around traffic/load sharing and high availability….to ‘bespoke’ end user site running 2 IP instances (one for backup); it’s all really technical and really boring so I won’t pollute my blog any further than this.

In other news….? Wellington Pelorus Trust Brass Band = Grade A (yeah!!!)

Whilst I played my part, it’s largely down to all the fine soloists in the band to have got us where we are today. It certainly humbles me each time I hear them play. Meanwhile my own playing is slowly coming along.

A few shameful skating pictures will follow soon, along with some of the rather English looking architecture of Christchurch!! Loads of Christopher Wren influence abounds…

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Wellington has an A Grade Band again!

Monday, July 14th, 2008

Yup we went, and we did it again, and to be fair it was an extremly CLOSE contest, we only won by 2 points! However, this now means that we can compete in the A Grade next year, which means Wellington once again has an A-Grade band – which hasn’t been the case since around 2001 I believe?

Also – I managed to learn to ice-skate (cringe) …uh… kinda…. fell over like thirty plus times, got extremley sore, but after an hour and a half managed to stay away from the wall, with some semblance of forward movement for about 20 seconds!! Which I think is amazing for my first try, plus the fact I have no sense of balance.

To round of the last week of Brass Banding we competed in the Band of the Year contest which along with our section contests were streamed live over the internet! Alas I think they weren’t stored for retrospective viewing, unless they come later? I’ll keep my eye out, anyways unspurisingly Woolston Brass won; and I am told we came joint Second with Cantebury Brass. Woolston were even kind enough to loan us use of their bandroom whilst we were in Christchurch and this was quite a humbling exprience for me, as the bandroom has a museum dedicated to this bands illustrious history, I’m gutted I didn’t think to take any pictures of the hall, but hey ho….I’ll upload some of my Christchurch piccies when I get the time, as I have work in the morning, and need to grab some sleep….

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