So long, Barney Fife

Don Knotts, the actor best known for portraying Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show, has died at the age of 71. I was saddened to read the blip on the news, and grateful for the respectful analysis and tribute Danny Carlton put together.

And thus the real Americans, the Don Knotts, were quietly pushed to out of view and the incestuous bubble of the Hollywood culture took on a life of its own, and began redefining who we are.

When Don Knotts was cast as Ralph Furley in Three's Company, he became the same character, but was portrayed as someone to avoid, to shun, to laugh at when he wasn't looking. The reality that Don Knotts still portrayed the average American was truth the Hollywood glitterati didn't want to face, and we went along with them. We still do to this day.

And now Barney is gone. The man we loved so much because in him we saw a glimpse of ourselves, but would never dare mention that to anyone. In him we saw the truth that one could like, admire and enjoy someone regardless of their flaws, simply because of who they were down deep. Don Knotts gave us hope that no matter how we felt we were the Barney Fifes of the world, there was always an Andy Taylor or two there to like us and stand by us, even though those same Andy Taylors more likely than not saw themselves as Barney Fifes as well. Hollywood may have tossed him aside as a relic of an age they wanted to forget, but I'm thankful for what he gave us, and will continue to give us in the reruns we can watch. Maybe one day we'll return to the honesty that Don Knotts portrayed and represented. Until then...

Thank you Don, you're already missed.

[via JackLewis.net]

College decides Wi-Fi: too dangerous!

The Register reports the president of Canada's Lakehead University is putting a limit on Wi-Fi networks around campus because of the potential long-term effects.

"All I’m saying is while the jury’s out on this one, I’m not going to put in place what is potential chronic exposure for our students. Admittedly that’s highest around the locations of the antenna sites and the wireless hot spots, but those are the places people tend to gravitate to because they get the best reception," Gilbert said, Canadian technology website IT Business reports.

I suppose next, he'll be limiting the use of bright lights. After all, people tend to sit near enough to be able to read, which may increase their exposure to potentially deadly 60Hz electromagnetic radiation.

As the subtitle of the article says, "Tin-foil hats all round".

[via Drudge Report]

Quick hit: Democratic infighting

Very interesting article at Mother Jones about how Paul Hackett, ex-Marine, veteran in Iraq, and Democratic candidate for US Senate, was (or perhaps may have been) drummed out of the race by his fellow Democrats. Watch for some harsh language -- Hackett isn't known for his tactful speech.

As word spread about the intra-party intrigue that helped bring down Hackett, supporters have reacted angrily. “If the Democratic Party continues with these suicidal decisions, we will continue to defeat ourselves,” declared Yolanda Parker, who recently attended a California fundraiser for Hackett. “The only strategy the Republicans need to stay in power is patience. They just need to wait while our party self-implodes through idiotic decisions such as the one to pressure an articulate Iraqi war veteran to pull out of the race.”

[via Drudge Report]

Progress!

I haven't been idle. That Work Thing keeps intruding, but I have actually made some progress on my list:

• Install Bacula on Progeny, configure it to backup Tricia's machine and the other servers on schedule. (Installed, not configured)
• Pull all my O'Reilly books together on one shelf, take a picture, bragblog about it. (organized, just need a picture)
• Get the Saturn into the dealership and have them reset my radio. (Locked out after a jump start.) (Done)
• Call T-Mobile and see what deals they can offer me to switch. (Left message, they haven't called me back)
• Call Verizon Wireless and see what deals they can offer me to stay. (They can't offer me bluetooth sync to my laptop: points off for that!)
• Move the script backing up my Bugzilla site from Athos back to Progeny. (Done)
• Get some lumber and start putting walls in my basement. (Starting to get a plan)
• Rearrange my office so the servers are outside the curtain to cut down noise on phone calls. (Nope, but moved the noisy switch to where it's farther from my phone)
• Buy a new battery for the digital camera so Trish can use it to take more pictures. (Trish did this)
• Get a newish computer to run Unix and X-windows the way they were meant to be run. (May have a line on some old servers from work)
• Figure out why my "sitemonitor" script notifies me about a particular site every night, even though I had programmed it to ignore that change. (Solved it by just not monitoring the site anymore)
• Exchange the fullscreen Indiana Jones DVD set I received for Christmas for the widescreen edition (thanks, Mom). (Trish took care of it)
• Get back with the Lindens to update the TongShan site I helped them set up. (Talked, but they had to go adopt yet another!)
• Write the Great American Application, make millions, retire early. (Still in progress!)

Things I've been meaning to do

Now presenting a random list of things which have been cluttering up my mental "todo" list.

• Install Bacula on Progeny, configure it to backup Tricia's machine and the other servers on schedule.
• Find a quiet time for reading the Bible and praying.
• Pull all my O'Reilly books together on one shelf, take a picture, bragblog about it.
• Get the Saturn into the dealership and have them reset my radio. (Locked out after a jump start.)
• Buy the bike Ethan "gave" me on my birthday in 2003 (2002?), go riding with the kids.
• Call T-Mobile and see what deals they can offer me to switch.
• Call Verizon Wireless and see what deals they can offer me to stay.
• Move the script backing up my Bugzilla site from Athos back to Progeny.
• Get some lumber and start putting walls in my basement.
• Rearrange my office so the servers are outside the curtain to cut down noise on phone calls.
• For that matter, just cleaning up my office would be really nice.
• Redesign my website, using Drupal to manage content and setting myself free from FrontPage.
• Buy a new battery for the digital camera so Trish can use it to take more pictures.
• Get a newish computer to run Unix and X-windows the way they were meant to be run.
• Release a new version of Customer Service Alerts on my own time, since I can't seem to find time at work to get it done.
• Get over to Victory Christian Academy and see if some of the less pleasant popups can be blocked.
• Figure out why my "sitemonitor" script notifies me about a particular site every night, even though I had programmed it to ignore that change.
• Exchange the fullscreen Indiana Jones DVD set I received for Christmas for the widescreen edition (thanks, Mom).
• Migrate my Bugzilla install to the new server purchased two months ago for that purpose.
• Inventory the various unused computers in my basement and get rid of the ones I have no use for. (I mean really, how many 200Mhz PC's can one person use?) I guess I could work up a simple install image and set up my whole family up with FreeBSD firewalls. Gotta be low-maintenance, though, otherwise I'll never see my family again.
• Get to the doctor and see about this finger that's been giving me trouble.
• Configure Tricia's old computer as a games (ahem, "educational software") computer for the kids; find a good home for it where they can play supervised. Hmm, maybe the landing?
• Get to a different doctor and get screened for adult ADD (which, if it comes back positive, could explain much of this list).
• Write the Great American Application, make millions, retire early.
• Get back with the Lindens to update the TongShan site I helped them set up. (Guess I won't be done with FrontPage very soon.)