If you are unplugging your KVM switch from the desktop to try and reset it, and if you plug the USB back in without looking and if you are in a hurry and not paying much attention, then it is possible to shove a USB plug into an ethernet port in such a way that it feels like a pretty good fit.

If you do this, your KVM will not work.

That is all.  Thank you

After a recent URL typo I got to thinking.  Where is Farce Book?  Well, as always it was only one Google away and viola!

farcebook is an anti-social network for people looking to keep track of their enemies, remind their enemies that they’re still out there, and to generally annoy their “friends.” It has many features that you’d expect in a modern web application. We’ve whipped up this bad boy in just a handful of hours and can’t wait until we get our share of that $15 billion!

Even better for me is the fact that you can download the source and run your own anti-social site.  This may have to go on the home server tonight. In the meantime I am now going to invite all my foes to join the site.

So after some brief conversations with my personal life coach and all around fellow nerd-ite hess I have determined that I need to jot down my wish list for enhancing my geek life this holiday season.  So without further ado, Santa would you please bring me:

• Bluetooth GPS Receiver – With the Nokia N800 filling more and more interesting roles for me its time to take the next step.  I already have a couple mapping applications.  What I am missing is a little blue dot to show me the way to Grandma’s house.  And speaking of expanding the role of the N800…
• Bluetooth OBD II Dongle – Every car made today has an OBD plug on it which gives you access to all kinds of interesting data from the engine.  Recently, I downloaded some new software for the N800 called Carman that will use bluetooth and GPS to give you a ridiculous amount of information about your journey.  Average speed, rpm, distance and (I hope) something about fuel efficiency.  This is the next step in turning the Honda into a true geek-mobile.
• 8 Port GigaBit Router/Switch – For years I have been very happy with the little 4 port D-Link or Linksys routers with built in WiFi.  But these days I need more.  More ports. More speed. More everything.  With the adition of an HP 8100 network printer and my insatiable need to add more processors to the home network, this is becoming a bottleneck.  The new router is the first step to wiring the house for home entertainment purposes. Of course this means I will also need to upgrade the NICs in all the computers to handle gigabit speeds.
• Dedicated Web/Media Server – The current Linux Franken-box sitting under my desk is doing a lot of jobs right now and perhaps it may just get this assignment while I build something new for a desktop PC.  But having my primary machine also act as an FTP/Web/Media server seems to be a recipe for disaster.  I’ve got enough hardware laying around to make a lightweight box to do server duty.  Just need to get it up and running.
• Terabyte NAS – What good is a gigabit network without some dedicated storage to hook to it?  The current backup arrangements for household data are pretty sparse.  Everything is replicated but not in a nice tight package that can be grabbed quickly as I flee a burning house.
• TV Tuner Card – I keep inching closer to all the working pieces to run MythTv for real.  I am still a little short in the hardware department.  The most notable abscence is a tuner/video capture card.  Need to find one that plays well with Ubuntu.
• Linux on the iMac – I have a first generation iMac laying around doing nothing.  I know it is a solid little machine but it lacks an OS and despite all my efforts with Yellow Dog and old versions of PPC Ubuntu I can’t get it to breathe again.  This would be a fabulous little workstation and/or media kiosk if I could just get it to boot something other than the sad Mac icon.
• New Desks for All – This project is already underway with one 8 foot section installed a few weeks ago.  By the time I’m done I expect the whole front room to be comfortably outfitted with enough deskspace to run my own temp agency.  This also includes some new shelving and some creative tricks to hide exposed wires.  The end result will be work stations for four people with good lighting, an excess of outlets and a couple of spare ethernet cables for random messing about and/or LAN wars.

Couple of things on the theme of marriage, both the beginning (or lack thereof) and the end.

First, a blog post from a pre-teen that shows how much the end of a marriage affects people other than the spouses involved:

Are your parents divorced? If they are how do you react? If they are not what do you recommend? I am asking this because my parents are divorcing. I feel king of scared. I also feel like not talking.

My comment and many others all echo the same sentiments.  Mostly, it sucks when things happen that are out of your control.

Second, an impassioned editorial from Keith Olberman on the passage of Prop 8 in California.  He gets it exactly right.

Looks like I get to play keeper in our indoor soccer game Sunday.  I really enjoy being in goal.  You get to play the whole game, everyone is in front of you so you can follow all the action, and best of all you get to be the agressor in a lot of situations.

I’m not a natural keeper. Never played it in high school and only sparingly in my 20s but the indoor game is a little better suited to me I think.  The goal is small enough that angles matter less.  Its actually a lot closer to a hockey goalie than an outdoor soccer goalie.

Every time I put on the puffy gloves all I can think about is the hockey goalie from the early Nintendo NHL games.  It was literally impossible to knock him over or push him aside.  So that’s how I try to play.  I tend to rush the ball alot even outside the box.  I’m basically playing as a defender who happens to use his hands sometimes.  None of this makes me a great keeper, but it all makes it fun.

Unfortunately, we are going up against team that is guarenteed to send a lot of action my way.  We were rolled into another division this season and the teams are younger, faster, more aggressive and frankly more skilled players.  After six games, we have a goal differential of -18 while our upcoming opponents have a GD of +32.

I can’t wait