Koozie Notes

How NOT to Run IT as a Business

I really enjoyed Bob Lewis's article from InfoWorld titled, "Run IT as a business -- why that's a train wreck waiting to happen."  Some of my favorites quotes include:

1. Fawaz also sees the damage that comes from limiting IT's role to delivering software to internal
   customers. "I've spent so much time arbitrating between 'business,' which won't put anything in
   writing as a requirement, and my IT team, which have been slammed so often for not delivering
   'exactly what is needed' that they insist on receiving complete requirements before they make a
   move."
2. "Relationships matter. A lot. I've seen it a lot in my daily work. When people have built a good relationship there is trust and it's easy to get things done. And it's very difficult to get things done when there is not a relationship built, with the lack of trust that causes."
3. Nobody in IT should ever say, "You're my customer and my job is to make sure you're satisfied," or ask, "What do you want me to do?"  Instead, they should say, "My job is to help you and the company succeed," followed by "Show me how you do things now," and "Let's figure out a better way of getting this done."
4. Instead of asking what the software should do, they start by asking how their business
   counterparts run their operations now, what are their biggest problems, and how they want to
   run things differently and better in the future.  IT's job is to recommend better ways to operate, using technical capabilities business managers might not even know are possible.
5. These enlightened companies don't have IT projects -- they have business change projects that aren't done until the planned business change has been accomplished, and users are trained, not in how to operate software, but in how to do their redesigned jobs using the new software.

--Chris

Let Me Google That For You: URL Builder

Ever google something for someone because it was easier to do it yourself.  No longer. 

Now you can use LetMeGoogleThatForYou, which should build a URL showing a user how to use Google. :-)

Question: Where can I download Ubuntu?
 

Answer: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=ubuntu+download

--Chris

Books Read in 2010

For 2010, I have finished reading reading the following books on my Kindle, which I received on 29 APR 2008. (Not including tech book, manuals)

1. Under the Dome by Stephen King (2 JAN 2010)
2. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton (15 JAN 2010)
3. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (19 JAN 2010)
4. White Night (Book 9) by Jim Butcher (31 JAN 2010)
5. Foundation by Isaac Asimov (5 FEB 2010)

-Chris

Books 2009

Books 2008

Send To --> Mail Recipient on WinXP and Thunderbird Stopped Working

I really don't remember when it happened, but for the last week I have not been able to right click on a file and select "Send To" --> "Mail Recipient." My work computer runs Windows XP SP3 and I use Mozilla's Thunderbird as my email client.

I did find a good thread describing this problem, but none of the workaround seem to work for me.

Mozilla team has this issue as a known bug.  It seems to be related to running the Thunderbird update as opposed to reinstalling a new version.  Another link can be found here describing this problem.

- Chris

Update:

To fix this problem on my machine, I had to change a registry setting.  In one of the links above, they state: "to make a registry setting a path to:"

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird\mozMapi32_InUse.dll

which did not work for me because I did not have a file labeled mozMapi32_InUse.dll on my computer, but I did have one labled "mozMapi32.dll".  So I modified this registry setting use the DLL installed on my computer.  Send To now works for me.

Windows Registry Workaround

This is a better workaround, it will work if you installed Thunderbird with
default settings and you use a English Windows version. Just save the file to
disk and then execute it. If you prefer to apply the workaround manually, you
have to set in the registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\Mozilla
Thunderbird the DLLPath key to "C:\Program Files\Mozilla
Thunderbird\mozMapi32_InUse.dll" (without the quotes).
Another workaround is to set another mail client as default mail client (for
example Outlook Express) and then Thunderbird as default mail client again. But
I would not recommend this as this might cause the same problems as in Bug 452162 again.

--Chris

iPhone App: Deposit Checks with Camera

USAA is planning on updating their iPhone application, which will allow users to make a check deposit using only their iPhone.  I even saw a video demonstration of their new app.

Sweet.

--Chris

Partial File Attachment Issue: IMAP on Thunderbird

After working my email hosting provider, they found a solution to a recurring problem I have with getting full email attachments.  In my setup, I use an IMAP connection on Thunderbird (version 2.0.0.22 (20090605) ) with my email hosting provider.  And sometimes, I cannot pull down full attachments, especially when the attachments are standard ASCII text files.

After working with tech support, they requested that I make two (2) configuration changes, which after restarting Thunderbird, cleared up the problem.

In Thunderbird, navigate to Tools > Options > Advanced >
Config Editor.  Look for the "mail.imap.fetch_by_chunks" and "
mail.server.default.fetch_by_chunks" values and set them to "False".  
Restart Thunderbird.

--Chris

Breaking a Two Hundred Year Old Code

In today's WSJ, Rachel Silverman authored an article title, "Two Centuries On, a Cryptologist Cracks a Presidential Code Unlocking This Cipher Wasn't Self-Evident; Algorithms and Educated Guesses."  A 36 year-old mathmatician breaks this code in a letter written to Thomas Jefferson.

PDF version of letter  (11 MB)

-Chris

Issues Converting from SQL 7 to SQL 2005: 6.5 Compatibility

Yesterday evening, I was working on moving an old database from MS SQL Server 7.0 to a new server running MS SQL Server 2005.  Using SQL 2005 Management Studio, the moved database just stated "Database Name" (6.5 Compatibility).

After a few google searches, I found this site describing the same problem.  To correct the problem and convert the old database to SQL Server 2005 format, you would issue the following SQL command:

EXEC sp_dbcmptlevel 'MyDBName', '90';

I learned another fact last night about SQL 2005. SQL Enterprise manager, which was in SQL 2000 and SQL 7.0, is now called Management Studio. And the query analyzer, which used to be a separate application, is now incorporated inside SQL 2005 Management Studio.

--Chris

Old School Programing: Basic-256

While listening the Leo and Steve on the "Security Now!" podcast, they mentioned BASIC-256, a version of BASIC used to teach computer programming.  This evening, I downloaded and ran it.  Pretty cool. 

It reminds me of childhood programming on my Sinclair 1000, typing out programs, and saving them to cassette tape.

BASIC-256 web site.

You might also want to take a look at a Salon article title, "Why Johny Can't Code."

--Chris

Funky Error Code Using Perl and Win32::ODBC

While working on a perl script today, I came accross a strange error message from Win32::ODBC.

[Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] Too few parameters. Expected 1.

Now in the SQL statement, I was passing in the following VBA function:
    DateDiff( interval, date1, date2, [firstdayofweek], [firstweekofyear] )

When I passed in  DateDiff( "d", date1, date2), I received an error.  So I left off the double quotes and passed in DateDiff( d, date1, date2), which still failed.

Solution:  Pass it in with single quotes.

DateDiff( 'd', date1, date2)

--Chris

Making Audio CD Copies on Mac OS

On Windows, I'm a big fan of Nero burning software for duplicating audio CDs.  Tonight I tried using the Mac Disk Utility that comes with OSX to make a copy of an audio CD, but failed.  After googling for answers, I found some comments praising a free application called Simply Burns.

http://simplyburns.berlios.de

This application worked as advertised.

--Chris

Online Picture Editor: Pixlr

  Via the Windows Weekly podcast with Leo and Paul, they mentioned a new online web service, pixlr, that allows you to edit digital photos, similar to programs such as Photoshop Elements.

-Chris

They also mentioned Quake Live.

How to setup ssh tunnel: Cups Redirection

Today, I needed to configure cups on a server and used ssh tunneling to accomplish my task.

ssh -L 8888:localhost:631 [enter username of cups server here]@[enter ip address on name of cups server here]

--Chris

---------

CUPS provides a web interface (which is sometimes called a GUI, although we rely on the web browser to provide the graphical part) that allows you to view print jobs, printers, and the online help, as well as manage your printers.

The CUPS web interface is available on your machine at the following URL:

    http://localhost:8888

Books Read in 2009

For 2009, I have finished reading reading the following books on my Kindle, which I received on 29 APR 2008. (Not including tech book, manuals)

1. The Chimes by Charles Dickens (5 JAN 2009)
2. Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Defend, and Explain the Catholic Faith by Scott Hahn (11 JAN 2009)
3. 1632 by Eric Flint  (23 JAN 2009)
4. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (3 FEB 2009)
5. OH BOY! The Life and Music of Rock 'n' Roll Pioneer Buddy Holly by Staton Rabin (4 FEB 2009)
6. 1633 by David Weber and Eric Flint (12 FEB 2009)
7. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll (12 FEB 2009)
8. Orphanage by Robert Buettner (21 FEB 2009)
9. Anathem by Neal Stephenson (19 MAR 2009)
10. Death Masks by Jim Butcher (28 MAR 2009)
11. Sunborn by Jeffrey Carver (11 APR 2009)
12. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (12 APR 2009)
13. Orphan's Destiny by Robert Buettner (15 APR 2009)
14. Battlefield Earth by L Ron Hubbard (12 MAY 2009)
15. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (23 MAY 2009)
16. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher (26 MAY 2009)
17. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (21 JUN 2009)
18. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (11 JUL 2009)
19. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (20 JUL 2009)
20. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (27 JUL 2009)
21. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (10 SEP 2009)
22. Orphan's Journey by Robert Buettner (16 SEP 2009)
23. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (7 OCT 2009)
24. Gibraltar Earth by Michael McCollum (20 OCT 2009)
25. Gibraltar Sun by Michael McCollum (25 OCT 2009)
26. Gibraltar Stars by Michael McCollum (28 OCT 2009)
27. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher (9 NOV 2009)
28. Cancel Your Own Goddam Subscription by William F Buckley Jr. (20 NOV 2009)
29. The Last Colony by John Scalzi (22 NOV 2009)
30. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (26 NOV 2009)
31. Tommyknockers by Stephen King (21 DEC 2009)

-Chris

Kindle 2.0

Sweet.  Amazon just came out with Kindle 2.0, which looks cleaner and thin than my version 1.0.  Reviews can be found on sites like Engadet and Kindleboards.

--Chris

Boxee for the Mac

Take a look at some free software called Boxee, which provides an easy interface, to stream free video content from the Internet to your computer.

They have versions for Apple Macs and Linux.

--Chris

Huge Photo of President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address

Via Gigapan, a cool photo of President Obama's Inagugural Address.  Image size is around 2 gigabytes.

--Chris

MP3Tunes CEO Says Capitol Record Distributes Free MP3s

While reading Slashdot on New Year's day, I found this post and legal brief where the CEO of MP3Tunes make a case that Capitol Records is already distributing MP3 songs without DRM for free over the Internet.

--Chris

Trial Transcripts: Capitol Records vs. Thomas [RIAA]

As posted on Slashdot,  the court transcript of Capitol Records vs. Thomas is now available to peruse online.

Transcript, October 2, 2007, pp. 1-278
Transcript, October 3, 2007, pp. 280-543
Transcript, October 4, 2007, pp. 544-643

--Chris

2008 Book List: Read

For 2008, I have finished reading the following books on my Kindle, which I received on 29 APR 2008. (Not including tech book, manuals)

1. Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
2. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
3. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
4. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
5. The Confusion by Neal Stephenson (4 JUL 2008)
6. The Hacker Crackdown by Bruce Sterling (7 JUL 2008)
7. Final Report on Jack Thompson by Florida State Bar (13 JUL 2008)
8. My Own Kind of Freedom by Steve Brust (16 JUL 2008)
9. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (18 JUL 2008)
10. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (29 JUL 2008)
11. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (31 JUL 2008)
12. The System of the World by Neal Stephenson (23 SEP 2008)
13. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi (1 OCT 2008)
14. Spin by Robert Charles Wilson (9 OCT 2008)
15. Neptune Crossing by Jeffrey A. Carver (13 OCT 2008)
16. Dauntless (The Lost Fleet) by Jack Campbell (19 OCT 2008)
17. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (22 OCT 2008)
18. Strange Attractors by Jeffrey A Carver (3 NOV 2008)
19. The FairTax Book  by Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder (9 NOV 2008)
20. Animal Farm by George Orwell (10 NOV 2008)
21. Fearless (The Lost Fleet Book 2) by Jack Campbell (14 NOV 2008)
22. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (16 NOV 2008)
23. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (24 NOV 2008)
24. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher (29 NOV 2008)
25. Infinite Sea by Jeffrey A Carver (11 DEC 2008)
26. Briefer History of Time by Leonard Mlodinow and Stephen Hawking (15 DEC 2008)
27. Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (25 DEC 2008)
28. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K.Rowling (25 DEC 2008) [Dead Tree Version]

-Chris

$50 Discount for Amazon Kindle

Last Friday Oprah Winfrey unveiled her new favorite gadget, Amazon's new ebook reader, Kindle.

According to her web site, if you use the Code OPRAHWINFREY, you will receive a $50 discount on a new Amazon Kindle.  This discount offer is good through Saturday, November 1st.

--Chris