A Thought About Efficient IT Administration
I'm kind of calling out St. Kate's Enterprise Computing Services department in a way, because I want to know why they would schedule a restart-required software deployment an hour before the computer lab is to close.
Can anyone with experience in Information Technology and management of company/school computer networks tell me why the times chosen to deploy new software are chosen? My experience last night of a new software deploy completely disrupting my very limited time on the computer happened at Saint Catherine University, which has a generally great library (unlike Concordia University in Saint Paul, though Concordia used to be greater).
Plenty of people were using the computers, and all got interrupted. Why? Why not schedule the deploy for after-hours and save everyone the hassle? When logging in, the computers at St. Kate's even display a message encouraging users to log off their computers at night so updates and new software can be deployed during off hours. I would define off hours as the times when labs are closed, not an arbitrary time like 21:00 (as was chosen a few days ago for a non-restart-required installation) or 23:00 (as was chosen for last night's disruptive reboot-required deploy).
Maybe the IT staff go home at the usual lab closing time and they don't want to stick around after closing to monitor the deploy. Perhaps they want to have extra time to debug any problems that might crop up before the morning rush. Admittedly, the labs are rather underutilized late at night, but those users there are generally working on something very important that really shouldn't be interrupted. It adds to their stress. Having to wait five minutes for the computer to finish "Applying computer settings..." and "Running startup scripts..." doesn't help frayed nerves.
Having no information on which to base any conclusions, I can only speculate wildly as to why the installation time was chosen. But I know that I was not the only user in that lab that was very frustrated at all the computers being forcibly taken offline for five minutes to install a software package.
I also wonder if it wouldn't be possible to have idle computers install the package immediately, but allow in-use workstations to delay installation and restart until the current user logs off. It seems like that would be much more efficient than having everyone in the room sit and stare at a Windows status dialog for five minutes.
Well, at least St. Kate's and Concordia haven't moved to Windows Vista. 
Augsburg College, when I have occasion to go there, has and their systems are a royal PITA, not to mention slow as molasses ("Designed for Windows XP" — the front of every PC tower at Augsburg).
Oh, and even if you're not in IT, I'd still love to hear your opinion. 
Google Voice App Rejections: Catalyst for Cellular Openness?
If you haven't heard, Apple rejected Google's official Google Voice application several weeks ago (article from this week). However, I (at least) didn't hear the news until recently, when it became known that Apple also began pulling other Google Voice apps from its iPhone/iPod Touch App Store. TechCrunch's sources say that AT&T was behind the bans, and I'll believe it.
Now, I'm not an Apple fanboy, but I've been considering getting an iPod Touch lately. One of my roommates here at Emerson's summer program (yes I know I need to blog about that too; soon, I promise) has one, and he's graciously let me use it occasionally. It's been the perfect opportunity to figure out if I really want one, and try it out with some of my normal online activities. I do want one, though I'll wait until the new version comes out, supposedly in September, with (I hear) a microphone and maybe even a camera.
But back to Google Voice.
One good reason to get an iPod Touch would be a mobile interface to Google Voice that uses Wi-Fi instead of cell phone minutes (for checking voicemail) or text messages. Cost-saving: Check. But the mobile interface for Voice is pretty sparse, so an app would be awesome.
My plans were put in jeopardy when I got wind of the news that Apple had begun pulling apps that worked with the service from the App Store. I checked with my roommate's Touch and confirmed that they no longer appeared. For a while, I considered just skipping it. I was angered by Apple's ridiculous actions, and annoyed that my target device — the iPod Touch — could have its functionality limited by a company that didn't have anything to do with it. The iPhone and Touch might use the same operating system and App Store, but just because AT&T doesn't want an app on the iPhone doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to run it on my iPod.
Today comes news that the FCC sent letters to Apple, AT&T, and Google, beginning an investigation into this high-profile rejection. See, the FCC has a policy agenda here, one that was probably catalyzed by Google's letter to them two years ago. And in June, the FCC confirmed that it would be starting a review of exclusive contracts between handset manufacturers and cellular carriers.
The letters sent today are probably intended to use this heavily reported situation as an example, and to set a precedent. I hope that this investigation will find fault with the way Apple and AT&T conduct their business together, and will result in the FCC's restricting the kinds of apps that can be rejected, barring AT&T's involvement in the application approval process, and possibly even result in a completely open App Store (in the long term) or an unlocked iPhone (also in the long term, though the exclusive contract between AT&T and Apple ends soon enough).
Google went to bat for all of us consumers two years ago with that letter. Maybe it will turn out that they've inadvertently done so again, just by letting Apple do what it wants with the App Store. My fingers and toes are totally crossed on this one; I want an App Store that's more along the lines of the Android Marketplace or a Linux package manager.
Who's with me?
I Never Thought I’d See This Happen…
Fires show up on the news all the time, right? Right.
Fires happen in one's neighborhood all the time, right? Uh, no...
I never thought I'd see it happen in my neighborhood. But today, it happened. It got me out of the shower, too. (Yes, my schedule is weird, and late. Don't bother me. 
)
My mother just happened to look out the window. It was really a luck thing; otherwise, I would have missed the beginning part of it. I heard the sirens as I was getting into the shower, but sirens are common enough in this city that it wasn't anything remarkable. The smoke (that I couldn't see), however, was. I quickly cut my shower short and rushed to get dressed, grabbing my camera on the way outside.
Having my camera paid off, too; I got about two hundred shots of the scene, 132 of which I uploaded (after my mother helped de-duplicate and de-crappy-shot the set) a few hours ago. If you're interested, have a look at my fire photos. I went through a battery-and-a-half in the approximately three hours that I was shooting.
As you can see from the photo at right, the middle unit was practically gone. That tangled mass below the center fireman's yellow helmet is the roof, which is covering a burned-out car. (The car's gasoline tank — or it might have just been a tire, I'm not sure — actually exploded.
It was a pretty lucky fire, really. Nobody was home, and the two cats that lived in the fourth unit (I believe, though I'm not entirely clear) were rescued with no injuries.
Anyway, I don't have to re-hash the whole thing; KARE-11 and the Star Tribune both have decent write-ups. It's too soon to know very many details, so there are a lot of unanswered questions — like the cause. I'll watch the news for more information.
What I'm Doing
Above all else, I feel like the fact that I was there taking pictures means I have an obligation to help those involved in any way I can. In the case of the owners, it means I'm offering the use of my photos for insurance claims and such. (Lia Peterson's brother seemed appreciative of my offer, and I'll ask him to pass on the link to his sister's neighbors in my email to him. The cats rescued were Lia's.) I've also emailed the City of Minneapolis offering my photos for use in the investigation that will be taking place.
Obviously I had no place trying to help fight the fire — I wouldn't know what to do, and might end up getting myself or others hurt — so I ran around the three accessible sides of the property photographing all kinds of things, doing my best to stay out of the way of the firefighters and other officials. (Since nobody said anything, I'm guessing I succeeded.)
My mother also engaged a woman from Fire Station 17 in conversation, and I joined in. I gave this firefighter my photo gallery address, and also mentioned her in my missive to the City. She expressed interest in seeing my photos, but couldn't give me her email address, so I'm doing my best to get them to her. (If I don't get any indication that she's gotten them, I'll swing by the station at some point and ask.)
What Others Did
Those who weren't involved with the FD did their best to stay out of the way, as I did. There were one or two instances where I saw neighbors helping out, though. The most shining example was when a new supply hose was being run from a hydrant on the next block. By-standers pitched in to drag the hose up to the engine in front of the building so it could pump water on the fire from above using its ladder. I would have done it in a heartbeat, if I'd been close enough, but it was good to see people helping out.
Where Now?
The fire is out, nobody got hurt, and the cats were rescued. But the work is really just starting. The light-weight construction of this relatively new complex meant that the fire spread a lot faster than it would have in the older buildings that are common in the neighborhood. In turn, that means there are several insurance claims to be filed, rather than one, and a full investigation will be made.
Lots of things need to be done. The residents need to recover what belongings they can and find shelter. The site needs to be cleaned up and (most likely) redeveloped. But the important thing is, nothing truly irreplaceable (such as life) was lost.
Theatre Experience Q&A [via Facebook]
Facebook is teeming with chain notes like this. Usually I ignore them, but this one was actually interesting. So, I'm filling it out. Facebookers, I'm giving you guys a link to this post; Facebook is still not getting any content from me, besides statuses and comments.
Without further ado, the "survey":
- What was the first play you ever did?
- I believe it was The Wizard of Oz. I was a munchkin. (I was also seven years old.)
- What was your most recent show?
- Interesting question. The last show I was really "in" was Romeo & Juliet at Children's Theatre Company (part of their educational division, not the production that just closed—which was awesome). It was actually just a series of five scenes from the show, not the whole thing.I've been involved in a couple other shows since then, including Imaginary Invalid (as a musician in the lobby, pre-show) and a selection of scenes, songs, and dance that really can't be called a "show" (it was a "revue").
- What was your favorite show/role?
- My favorite show would have to be Alice In Wonderland at Temple of Aaron.My favorite role was Martin in "Canker Sores and Other Distractions" from Performance Company last Spring.
- What was your most challenging show/role?
- So far, my most challenging show was Tristan & Yseult at Cherubs last summer. (Yes, I'll eventually get a post done. I hope.) The whole show was just so different from what I'd done in the past, it took some adjusting. Not to mention my character (Morholt, an evil Irish ruler) was actually a shadow version of another actress's part, so that was a challenging role for the same reason.
- What is the most bizarre show or role you've ever done?
- Morholt's "shadow", as mentioned above, was probably the most bizarre role.In some ways, TY was also the most bizarre show, but I think last Spring's collection of Christopher Durang short plays takes the cake.
- Has anyone ever written a show for you?
- Nope. I'm not that good/lucky/both.
- Have you ever quit a show to accept a better one?
- I haven't had the opportunity. I know people that have, though.
- Have you ever completely blown character on stage?
- Not that I can recall, but I can think of a few roles where I wasn't doing much acting in the first place.
- What show(s) are you just dying to do?
- I can only think of one, but it's not on the list any more. (Grease used to be on this list, but I'm now convinced I couldn't pull off any of the parts.)
- Have you ever done one of your "dream" shows?
- No.
- Who was your favorite director?
- I'm torn between Simon McAllister and David Chapman.
- Who was your least favorite director?
- Liebo! He's not even a theatre person; he's a temple youth director.
- What is the most surprising role you have ever been offered?
- King Duncan in the Scottish play. Me, kingly? No way.
- Have you ever injured yourself onstage or offstage?
- Once. It was last summer (dang I have to write the post!). We were in tech rehearsal and were practicing with blood packs. I had to get one on my face, because my character's eye was supposedly stabbed out. Laundry detergent sucks. (Since both of us eye-pack actors ended up with soap in our respective eyes, the packs were cut the following day.)
- What show(s) have you done multiple times?
- Aladdin (the British pantomime) and Nutcracker. Update (23:20): I forgot about The Wizard of Oz. Did that twice, too; the second time, I was the Lion.
- Have you ever had an onstage kiss?
- Nope. Don't want one. It's not that I'd be embarassed; I just don't want to kiss random people. That, I want to save for someone special.
- What was your scariest moment in a show?
- My monologue in Working (at StageCoach) as Rex Winship. Or maybe Tom Patrick. Both parts were kind of a stretch for me. No, wait. The tornado sirens going off during Working were worse.
- What is your best show memory?
- Pulling off my first real stage combat in the aforementioned production of Romeo & Juliet. (Hey, I never blogged about that one! Crap. Oh, I know why... Duh. Don't ask.)
- What is your worst show memory?
- I totally left a fellow actor in the lurch during a scene change in A Village Fable. (I never blogged about that one either? Double crap. I don't know why, this time.)
- What is your saddest show memory?
- Strike at Cherubs. That meant the shows were all over. All ten of them.
- Do you have any theatrical superstitions?
- Besides the obvious Scottish Play stuff? Three-night runs will always have a bad night... on day two.
Auto-Flush: Self-Reinforcing?
Image by ancawonka via FlickrI was at a rather spiffy library today with automatic everything in the restrooms. It wasn't to the extent of some places (airports and mondo shopping malls are worse), but there were a lot of sensors in there. When someone else came, did his thing, and just walked to the sink without doing anything, it got me thinking.
What if automatic flush valves are a self-reinforcing product? Think about it. It used to be that one had to be very meticulous to always flush before leaving. Now, with all the automation, some people just ignore the whole valve and trust it to do its job.
If people ignore the valve, they might start assuming that every toilet has automatic flush and just walk away without checking to make sure it actually does (and if it has, checking to make sure it worked). So that could mean more unflushed toilets (yuck), which would spur the installation of yet more automatic flush devices.
With my reasoning, the very fact that automatic flush devices exist and are installed in restrooms across the country creates a demand for them as society becomes less aware of the existence of manual flushes. Granted it's far-fetched — there's no way people will really forget until auto-flush becomes a household fixture — but we could be on the way there.
Or am I just reading all kinds of stuff into a situation for no reason?
Update (04/06): Hmm. Today, I found one auto-flush that missed, and twice had it flush on me while I was just in there getting a piece of tissue paper for my nose. If nothing else, the sensors are a tad unreliable.
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