So here's a bunch of images.

guys I wrote the most useful kernel driver in the world today
pichu:/home/paul/build/pika# modinfo pika.ko
filename: pika.ko
license: GPL
description: Pikachu /proc/pokemon/pikachu driver
author: Pikachu, pikachu@pokemon.com
depends:
vermagic: 2.6.22-3-686 SMP mod_unload 686
pichu:/home/paul/build/pika# cat /proc/pokemon/pikachu
pika
pichu:/home/paul/build/pika#

I also wrote a back office conversion/accounts receivable conversion script so I can electronically deposit checks sent to me for consulting gigs. Hooray? I had to modify a perl library, and I sent in diffs for my changes to the author.

also I cracked open my mac mini, upgrading it to 2gb of ram and a 200gb hdd for about $200. Pretty good deal!

I think the stuff amazon recommends for me is pretty descriptive of my weird interests:

1. A book on ancient gnosticism
2. Aqua Teen Hunger Force
3. A book on Yiddish
4. Optical Network Design and Implementation
5. A book on BGP
6. Far Beyond Driven by Pantera
7. A book about the RTP protocol (which is the underlying protocol that carries the voice part of most VoIP calls.)
8. A book about Asperger's Syndrome
9. 3G wireless networks
10. A book about hypoglycemia
11. A law book
12. A book on SONET

1. ATI's binary drivers seem to suck lots of cock. I understand they have a really refined development process and a commitment to making useful drivers for linux, but commitments don't make the 3D accelerator work right under the binary drivers.

2. The open source ATI drivers lack support for composite extensions and a few other things that I'd really like, like GPU power management. I liked that under the binary drivers, even though they looked pretty fucked every time they rendered 3d, it at least saved more power. Meh. I just wanted to use google earth so I went back to the open source ones despite the loss of a useful feature.

3. I made some really cool telcodata stuff for google earth that shows tandem homing arrangements graphically. It's really cool. If you have the KML stuff keep it to yourself because it's still very much a work in progress and I don't want a bunch of people pounding on it until I have it *just so*.

4. A majority of services provided as part of my clark kent duties are now used by my personal stuff. I now finally eat my own dog food which has been a personal goal of mine since I've had the necessary parts.
If you use my (defined as "voip service provided by timmins technologies") E911 and rely on it, please test it to make sure it works the way you expect. Please note that only people in the detroit area are loaded at this time. If you have a number from me, and are not in detroit, and would like E911, let me know in a formal manner. It's not a matter of it only working in detroit, but all the users I've loaded are in the detroit area because I don't know of anyone else using my 911.

"Hi, this is XXYY, I am making a test call. Can you verify the information on your screen matches? My number is xxxx and address is xxxyyy. Okay, thanks!".

This is actually a useful script for those who need to rely on their E911 for some sort of critical purpose. If you are going to be housing an ailing relative, or see yourself needing to make a life or death 911 call, there's nothing wrong with making a test call like that, especially if you use VoIP. Of course, avoid busy hours, which are rush hour, hours when people eat food (breakfast/lunch/dinner) and between 12a-6a when there is a lot of car accidents, and domestic incidents, and not a lot of people on staff to answer. Remember to identify immediately that it is a test call. If the dispatcher asks you to free up the line at that time, do so. Ask when a better time is.to perform a test. And never, ever, make a hangup call to 911 or hang up before the dispatcher is done with you. Most (if not all) municipalities have a must dispatch policy on hangup calls!. But I digress.

5. 6 months ago I had 3 grandfathers and 4 grandmothers. Today, I have 1 grandfather and 3 grandmothers. My grandfather on my dad's side lost his battle with emphysema either last night or today, I was unclear. I'm sure he would object to the use of the word "lost", though. 🙂 My dad managed to rush down to texas and get to spend some time by his side before he died though which is really good. I am worried for my aunt though. She didn't handle grandma's death well a few months ago (she had to be drugged (she has developmental issues, she's not a drama queen or anything)), and with grandpa dying this close I hope she'll be able to even cope.

6. My sister gets married in 8 days.

7. I do not, in fact, want to enlarge my penis. Spammers, are you reading this? I just wanted to make sure you knew you could stop sending me stuff now.

8. I don't care what my friends might think, but I think an apple air would be cool to have. I don't have the budget for it, but having a lightweight laptop that runs for hours that could remain in my laptop bag so I always have intarwebs when I needs em would be excellent. Expect to see me with one if I win the lottery. That and an ipod touch.

9. Got a new computer at work. It pleases me.

10. If you post something and are thinking "I wonder why Paul didn't comment on it" consider the idea that I haven't seen it. I've been, as usual, incredibly busy at work and rarely at home for anything more than tv/eating/sleeping. Sorry! And I have absolutely no plans on abandoning livejournal for any reason whatsoever so don't think I've left because I'm not posting.

Sometimes dealing with Ameritech can be pretty frustrating…
Originally uploaded by Paul Timmins.

I'm alive.

I have my head down, I'm doing things. Lots of things.

We're fully multihomed now at work. I spent today tweaking our bgp so the traffic is mostly in balance, and our routing is (mostly) symmetrical. Hooray for BGP communities and stupid carriers like internap that fuck with them, forcing me to have an arms war with my peers so I can route traffic how *I* want to. I may do a selective no export to them tomorrow to the upstream I have that uses them if they keep doing this shit. (why should I have to tell UUnet to set me as localpref 120 just to get my announcements to leave UUnet? It's ridiculous.).

Anyway….

I'm enjoying my house. I'm enjoying my life. I'm enjoying my work. I'm enjoying my wife.

Hopefully later this month or next I'll have stories to tell. This month is just too fucking busy so far, not that I really mind that.

Just noticed it's been like 15 days since my last post, and I wanted to let you all know I'm alive.

Bedtime!

PS: This is the first presidential primary I have not participated in since I have been registered to vote. Fuck you very much, Democratic National Committee, for what you did here. If it weren't that I detest (almost) everything the republican party stands for, I'd vote for their ass.

The switch called me to wish me a happy new year. Happy new year, your redundant link to wayne, mi, is down.
Hooray.

Seems like it finds a way to say hi on the holidays.

my house nye 5.1 surround and video projector. If you have been to my house (or any of my previous ones) before, here's the time to come again.

Christmas was good. A lot of good times were had (we had our christmas on the 24th here at the Timmins house. We all do things a little differently)

Why the hell am I writing about it right now?

My switch decided to call and say merry christmas. Hooray.

One of my SS7 links bounced for 8 minutes. Good times, good times.

Now to sleep.

MERRY CHRISTMAS YALL