Robert Penn

Last night I went to see a guy called Robert Penn at the ShakeDown Blues event out in Castor Village Hall. I was expecting a good evening, but this guy was just something else. It's hard to describe just how awesomely good he was.

The event started a little late at 8:15 and he started the first of three sets. I'm far from a blues connoisseur so I can't really comment on the technical side of things, but this was fairly standard blues fare (insofar as anything this evening could be referred to as 'standard'). The second set had a lot of Motown stuff in (some of which I recognised...) and ended with a rendition of Shaft. The third set was just incredible, even if I can't remember any of the actual songs within it.

I'm not really sure how else to describe the evening as I don't really have any other live (or, really, otherwise) blues experiences to compare it to, but I'm assured that this guy was something special (not that I needed much assurance). He spent a lot of the evening conducting the 6-piece band behind him and it just sounded incredible.

If anyone has the chance to see him, I would heartily recommend it and, for those of you remaining in Peterborough, I'd take a look at the other ShakeDown Blues events happening (the next one is on the weekend of the 21st of October).

Server Situation Summary

OK, I currently have two servers:
tuxbert: Dual Katmai PIII 500MHz, 1GB ECC RAM, 40GB drive
lilobert: AthlonXP 2000+ (1667MHz), 512MB non-ECC RAM, 40GB drive

You will notice that tuxbert now has a new drive in, which is working nicely and is twice the size. I'm currently in the process of testing another 256MB of RAM in lilobert (a sister of the stuff I sent back to China).

As far as OddJoth set-up goes, tuxbert is the web server and lilobert is the Subversion repository server. I haven't set up the web server as yet, but the Subversion repository is functioning fine (though not for the outside world as yet). I've also set up a hack (which I'm very pleased with) which uses the post-commit Subversion script on lilobert to SSH into tuxbert and run 'svn update'. This means that whenever something is committed to the Subversion repository, the web server will almost immediately have the updated version.

As far as non-OddJoth uses are concerned, I'm going to set up a personal backup system (using rsync) and I'm looking into an FTP server (although there are bandwidth concerns, so I may need to consider setting up restrictions on the times the server is running). I've also set up tuxbert as a local Portage mirror (although for some reason the cron job that should be updating it every night isn't working ATM).

As for expansion, I'm still on the look-out for a case as well as any whole computers people have going. I'm hoping I might be able to nab Andrena's old computer (as she now has a shiny new laptop)...

C(XX)FLAGS

I've just started recompiling world (following a recompile of system) using the flags recommended by Duncan on the gentoo-amd64 mailing list (appended at the end of the post). I know there'll be a problem with one of the packages in system but other than that I'm curious to know what will happen with the other 734 packages I have in world (up to '7' thus far with no problem (though that's hardly surprising as it'll still be doing system packages)).


CFLAGS="-march=k8 -Os -pipe -frename-registers -fweb -freorder-blocks -freorder-blocks-and-partition -combine -funit-at-a-time -ftree-pre -fgcse-sm -fgcse-las -fgcse-after-reload -fmerge-all-constants"
CXXFLAGS="-march=k8 -Os -pipe -frename-registers -fweb -freorder-blocks -funit-at-a-time -ftree-pre -fgcse-sm -fgcse-las -fgcse-after-reload -fmerge-all-constants"

Book Swapping

Recently, I've been really getting into swapping books. There are two sites that I've been using to do this, both of which function in slightly different manners.

The first of these, which I have been a member of for longer, is BookMooch. BookMooch functions using a points system. You gain points by adding books to your inventory (1/10th of a point per book), sending books (1 point per domestic book, 3 points per international book) and by acknowledging the receipt of books being sent to you (1/10th of a point per acknowledgement). You spend points to receive books (1 point per domestic book, 2 points per international book).

So far I have received 3 books: "HMS Surprise" by Patrick O'Brian (domestically), "Structured Computer Organization" by Andrew Tanenbaum (from Brazil, a book on the Warwick CompSci recommended reading list), and "Silence of the Lambs/Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris (domestically again). I have sent "Codebreakers: The Inside Story of Bletchley Park" by F.H. Hinsley (to Spain). I should also be receiving "Introduction to Java Programming" by Y. Daniel Liang (from the US, another recommmended book) and "Hannibal" by Thomas Harris (domestically, completing the Hannibal trilogy)

The main advantage of BookMooch is that the sender does not have to be interested in the receiver's books for a movement of literature to take place, as the points from the transaction can be spent elsewhere. The main disadvantage is that it is a site centred around the US and, as such, there are fewer books available at the lower, domestic 'price' for those outside of the US (although the UK is, unsurprisingly, the second most prolific country).

The second of these bookswapping sites is Read It Swap It, which does not use points but instead sets up direct swaps between members. If I'm interested in a book someone else has then I request a swap for it. They look at the books I have in my inventory and if there's something there that they are interested in, the swap goes ahead. If there's nothing then I have to find someone else with a book I want.

I have yet to send or receive anything through Read It Swap It but I have set up two swaps over the weekend which I'll be sending off tomorrow: "The Last Juror" by John Grisham (mine) for "The Nizam's Daughters" by Allan Mallinson, and "Matter Of Honour" by Jeffrey Archer (mine) for "Sharpe's Devil" by Bernard Cornwell. I have had a number of requests for books in my inventory but I was not interested in anything they had to offer.

You will notice that I have not specified where these requests and books are coming from. This leads me on to the biggest advantage that Read It Swap It has: it is a UK-only site. This means that the average paperback can be sent for £1.40 (which is a pretty good price for a book you want). The swap mechanism used by Read It Swap It also means that when I send off a book I know that I'm getting one that I want (as I've already selected it) rather than having to hope that there's something I like for me to spend points on.

This is also Read It Swap It's biggest drawback (not that this is a particularly big one). If there's no interest in the other's books from one party, then the swap immediately falls through. There's no possibility of carrying over swaps to a different user (as there is with BookMooch, say).


I've found both of these sites exceedingly good for getting books I want to have. You may have noticed that the books I have requested have revolved around either the Napoleonic period ("HMS Surprise", "The Nizam's Daughters"), Hannibal or my uni course ("Structured Computer Organisation"). At the moment I'm trying to build up my library in these areas (though I'm just awaiting "Hannibal" to complete the trilogy) which means I often struggle to find books I want both when other people request swaps and when I'm looking to spend points domestically rather than internationally.

If I were simply looking for books I want to read and then pass on, I'd be able to make even more use of these already excellent services.

I Hate Thomas Harris Books

I hate "Hannibal", "Silence of the Lambs" and "Red Dragon". Don't get me wrong, they're excellent books but they mislead and lie to you, before you even pick them up. You look at the 300-400 pages of any of them and think, 'That should keep me going for a few days.' You read the first two or three chapters and then go to bed at around 9, 'cause you're ridiculously tired.


Four hours later, you finally put down the book having finished it! I'm tired and now without a handy book to read! Bah!

Yet More Computer Stuff

It turns out that the hard drive in the first server (tuxbert, dual PIII-500s) is faulty and gradually failing. I've got a few potential replacements, so I'm gonna go through those until I find one that definitely works. First I need to remove everything to amdbert using rsync. I'm currently trying again as the first time I not only did it using a non-root user but I also failed to tell rsync to retain permissions correctly which resulted in the restored contents all belonging to a non-root user. This broke stuff.

I also decided to send that memory back, but not to the US office. It is currently winging its way to the CEO of Winbond in Taiwan, RoC.

More Computer Stuff

After a little difficulty with my first server earlier (one of the processors became dislodged and everything was going wrong for about 15 minutes) I can now report that I have my second server up and running! Hurrah! Named 'lilobert' as an homage to lilo, whom I never had the privilege to meet, it boasts an Athlon XP 2000+ with 512MB of DDR333 (PC2700) RAM and a 40GB HDD.

I was hoping to have an Athlon XP 2400+ in the second server but it turned out (at least according to the BIOS) to be only an Athlon 1400+ (with less than a gig of power). I've decided to take a leaf out of Lifehacker's book and post it back to AMD with a covering letter in the hopes it'll be replaced. The letter I (hand) wrote is below (as I decided to type it up, to make sure they can read it once they receive it).

I'm also considering returning some failing RAM but it's non-descript stuff. I have, however, traced it to Winbond who seem to manufacture a lot of this sort of stuff. Unfortunately the nearest office they have is on the West Coast of the USA. It should still cost less than £2 to send but I certainly won't have the loyal customer angle... :P

I've been trying to get distcc running between the first server and my desktop to no avail, and I'm trying to work out what my problem is there. Once (or possibly before, if I can't be bothered to work it out) that is done, I'm going to try and work out how to boot these computers with only a network connection, so I'll never have to look at them again once they are hidden away in the loft.

And finally, I'll repeat again my request for any old computer stuff, most especially ATX cases (if you don't know what that means, that's the sort of case you have), as I have a whole motherboard going to waste ATM, and Socket A/462 cases, for the 1800+ mentioned in the letter below (and possibly the 2000+ if AMD are being nice).

83 Granville St.
Peterborough.
PE1 2QL.

To Whom It May Concern,

Enclosed you will find an AMD chip the identity of which is unknown to myself.

I have recently been attempting to build myself a server from all of the discarded bits of computers lying around my house. I found myself a Socket A/462 motherboard (well, several, but just the one working one) and had three AMD processors that would fit said board: an Athlon XP 1800+, an Athlon XP 2000+ and the enclosed. Not recognising the latter of these chips, I poked around on the Internet and found 2 sites. The first listed the product codes of various chips and the latter had pictures of various processors.

Imagine my delight upon discovering that both websites confirmed that I was holding an Athlon XP 2400+! Prising off the heatsink (a real pig BTW, could use a redesign) I removed the resident 1800+ and inserted my 2400+.

Imagine my dismay when the BIOS insisted that it had only a lowly Athlon 1400 (with a clock speed of less, even, than 1GHz). Refusing to believe the BIOS, I once again prised off the heatsink (narrowly avoiding totalling the RAM) and re-examined the unknown processor. Quite clearly on the label was the code AXDA2400DKV3C, which should mean, as I thought previously, a 2400+. Returning the chip to the motherboard in one last hopeful attempt, I was once again disappointed.

The server is now chugging along with the 2000+ powering it. However, compiling all my software as I do, the extra power I was hoping for is sorely missed.

I am not writing to you in the expectation of a replacement but in the hope. I am a great fan of AMD products (as the presence of 3 chips would suggest) and my current desktop set-up has an Athlon XP64 3000+ in and I am planning for my next machine also to have an AMD processor (and possibly an AMD/ATI graphics card?). I have never, thanks to the quality of your products, had to even call let-alone return anything to your Technical Support and, really, I am not doing so now. All I’m asking is that you do something cool for a loyal customer who will sing your praises for evermore if you do so.

Yours hopefully,
Daniel Watkins

email: [removed]
home phone: [removed]

P.S. The two sites, for reference, are:
a Wikipedia one
and:
a CPU World one

P.P.S. My handwriting isn’t great so find enclosed a typed version of this letter.

New Kitchen

The work on installing a new kitchen started today. Thus far they've removed the wall that separated an (ex-) outside toilet from the rest of the kitchen as well as pulling up half of the badly-laid white tiling. The room is a huge amount bigger with the outside space added, and even the concrete under the tiles looks better than they did...

Computers, As Promised

And it's still technically tomorrow.

The good news is that I've managed to scrounge together one fairly respectable dual 500MHz PIII machine with a gig of ECC RAM (an ex-server of my dad's). Only a 20GB drive in but that can change later (and I've got it all free, so who am I to complain?) and will certainly do for Subversion and OddJoth hosting (at least for the time being).

The bad news is that it's not quite ready to run headless. I'm guessing that this is due to the lack of a keyboard (No keyboard detected, press F1 to continue) which I should really have tested out previously. However, as I'm network socket limited in my room, I wanted my brother to plug it in in his room (and he had to get up in the morning, meaning he was going to bed a lot earlier than this). I was hoping to be able to set off the execrably slow process of emerging new versions of everything that is on there to begin with (as I could do with that being completed in time for me to transfer the various doodads across without having to do it entirely via the Internet) but 12 hours is unlikely to have made much of a dent in it...

Having started with so much potential stuff this evening (4 motherboards, 4 processors, 2 cases, 2 PSUs, 3 sticks of RAM), it has been somewhat disappointing how much stuff I've had to get rid of. 1 motherboard was known bad, 1 case turned out to be bad, 1 PSU turned out to be bad, 1 motherboard turned out to be bad, 1 mobo is looking to be bad (though I decided to call it a night before I could check a number of things, so there's hope). The latter motherboard is a Socket 462 for which I have 2 CPUs, both Athlon XPs, 2400+ and 1800+ so I'm hoping I was doing something stupid/hooking something up wrong in my tiredness, because it would be a shame to lose it.

The machine showing the most potential is using the motherboard originally in the bad case (hence its lack of testing thus far) which is a PIII 450MHz with a hodgepodge of RAM, up to a maximum of 256MB of PC133 stuff (though with a bus frequency of 100MHz, that'll be somewhat wasted).

Nonetheless, I have the server I wanted and, hopefully, the beginnings of distributed computing cluster of some sort. If anyone lives in the Peterborough area and is getting rid of computer stuff (even if it's because it's broken) old or new, I would be more than interested in taking it off your hands (though get in quick or wait until December, as I'll be at uni).

Sarah's

Went to Sarah and co.'s house for dinner this evening. We had a lovely chickpea curry (with some superb rice) as well as some fresh parahtas. The food was great, shame about the younger two members of my family...

Since then I've been searching through various combinations of my dad's unwanted computer parts in the hopes that a machine I can use as a server once I'm at uni will emerge. As yet nothing, more tomorrow.

Blogger Beta

I'm writing this blog using Blogger Beta. Now, it has been a while since I used the non-beta version, but I can't say that I've noticed a huge amount of difference. Of course, this could just be because the Blogger people have added features/functionality that just works (or just because I have poor long term memory) but I'd love it if someone could enlighten me as to the actual differences.

A feature that (as far as I can tell) doesn't seem to have been added (and the lack of which I have blogged about previously, in another blog somewhere) is a counter mechanism. It'd be nice if I could actually confirm that no-one but myself is reading this, rather than just assuming that that's the case...

Rye Flour

Believe it or not (I barely can), another bagel post. I don't normally spend this much time thinking about them but they were (presumably) just on special offer and, as such, the household is inundated with them. So, once more into the bagel, my friends:

Cinnamon and raisin bagels really, really suck. You can smell the cinnamon on them (just barely) but there is absolutely no taste of it once you're eating them. You're lucky if you get a raisin every other bite (and even then they taste weird, presumably because they've sucked up all the cinnamon taste). How can it be called a cinnamon and raisin bagel if you can't taste cinnamon or raisin half the time? Added to this, cinnamon and raisin bagels have a firmer texture to them (for reasons best known to the New York Bagel Co.).

Plain bagels, on the other hand, are great. You don't get any great disappointment because they don't taste plain. They do. They also have a much nicer texture and they don't mess up the taste of anything you put on them.

So I decided to do a bit of investigation and, comparing the ingredients, while both types contain wheat flour, only plain bagels also have rye flour. Why can't they just put rye flour in the cinnamon and raisin ones?! And, in fact, while they're at it, why not throw in some cinnamon and raisins, just for kicks!

What did the Christians ever do for us?

Mark Greene writes in Christianity (Oct' 06) at the start of his article, 'Can Christianity stop the rot?':

Whilst there are of course many factors in the rise and rise of the West, the single most distinguishing factor is Christianity. It was the Christian belief in a rational benevolent God who had created a rational universe that gave scientists the confidence to believe that its secrets could be unravelled, that there were answers. Similarly, the vast potential in the populations of Europe was released by the doctrine of the essential equality of all human beings. This belief that every 'ordinary' individual was created in the image of God and therefore equally and infinitely valuable to Him - whether slave or master, male or female, adult or child - is absent in Islam, Hinduism and Confucianism and served to undermine the feudal system.

This combined not only with the realisation that any individial could know the truth for themselves but with the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. No one is inherently superior before God so why should I not be able to advance, make a little profit for myself and my family? And why should the Lord of the Manor simply be able to take it away from me if he feels like it? Christianity changed the intellectual climate, which in turn provided a different basis for economic activity. While China and India and the African kingdoms were all richer than Britain in the 13th century they certainly weren't by the 19th.

Obviously, the West, distinctively shaped as it has been by Christianity, has nevertheless done and continues to do terrible things not only to those outside the West, but to its own. Nevertheless, look around the world and ask yourself this - despite the patriarchal history of the church, in which societies is there more opportunity for the flourishing of women? China - where girl children are still killed? The Muslim bloc - where women are essentially second-class citizens? Or societies influenced by Christian doctrines? Christian-influenced societies may not always have been great new for their citizens, but on the whole they have been better news than the alternatives.

This is what Christianity is about. Very few of us are the George W. Bushes, Jerry Falwells and Fred Phelpses of this world.

Permission not asked for the use of the Christianity material.

Street Pastors

I just read about Street Pastors in this months' Christianity magazine. To quote the website:

A Street Pastor is a Church leader/minister or member with a concern for society - in particular young people who feel themselves to be excluded and marginalised - and who is willing to engage people where they are, in terms of their thinking (i.e. their perspective of life) and location (i.e. where they hang out - be it on the streets, in the pubs and clubs or at parties etc).

It sounds like a pretty cool thing to do, and has some amazing results. To take an example from the article, the Met Police Disorder Data is quoted as saying there has a reduction in crime of 74% in Camberwell since the Street Pastors started their operations there.

This is the sort of thing that I think it is absolutely vital for Christians to do. It's all very well telling people about Christ and what he's done for me, but that doesn't actually mean anything to them. They haven't experienced him the way I have. Being a Street Pastor (or doing something in the same sort of vein) gives us the opportunity to demonstrate God's love, not just to talk about it.


It's hard to say how much scope there would be for this on-campus but perhaps something could be set up in Coventry city centre...

G.W. Bush Sings 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'

I just browsed through to this from the CAD blog and thought it was pretty cool. It's a number of GWB quotes edited together so he sings/says the lyrics to U2's 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'.