The return of Kensha

Well, I’ll be damned, Kensha (Τάσος) has dropped by Thessaloníki and payed me a visit. Hell, I haven’t seen that soul for must have been at least 4 years.

Me and Kensha go way back to my Kali and Quake 2 times. Damn, just thinking about them makes them sound so long ago! Phew, how time has passed.
I still remember the Quake 2 training we had with one of us setting a dial-up server on his pc and the other connecting to it in order to play Quake 2 through lan. Or the times we played super intense Duke Nukem games using modems and a 4×4 stage 🙂

Good times

Anyway, It seems he came around for site seeing. Originally he called me at 3pm, waking me up in the process, and he didn’t expect me to recognize him. Of course, what he didn’t know was that I had kept his cell phone number all those years. I just didn’t really have any need to delete it and I though it could come in handy eventually.

After some communication problems, because my cell phone has crappy reception in my house, we set up a meeting at the Kamara which is a great Ark in the middle of the town. What I didn’t expect was him having brought his girlfriend along, I heard someone on the phone and I thought it was a friend of his, but it turns out it was her. She just has a bass voice.
We met in 20 minutes and after a short stroll we settled down at the Bolivar cafe.

tasos-kwstas-1.JPGMost of the time we talked either IT (he is a programmer and I am a sysadmin what did you expect) or made fun of powerfool. Powerfool (originally powerfull. Yes with the extra ‘l’) is a common friend that continuously gets into crazy schemes or develops plans to either score chicks or make money. This time he decided to perform a full body hair removal in order to play in music videos of μπουζουκοpop. This is obviously a scheme of the former category. This of course was just reason to start reciting his

older schemes 🙂

tasos-kwstas-2.JPG

Now that I think of it, I haven’t seen Powerfool for at least 4 years as well. I just talk to him now and then through ICQ.

After the, quite expensive, coffee we decided to head out to eat some souvlakia and then split up. They’ll go to a movie afaik and then meet me at the X club that has a birthday party.

And the saga continues

The Network at my company is still down. We’ve been trying like mad to bring it up but with not success. In the end it was decided to set up the Active Directory from scratch. Problem of course is how to migrate our old schema in order to save time from having to create user entries once again.

Unfortunately the big problem is creating the exchange server again because the old database is basically fried. We can still access it but there is no chance to do a normal backup-export and then import again. We’ll have to do it through manual import of .pst files.

So I started setting up Windows 2000 servers and before I could even install the first update exploits have been exploited and holes have been opened. The first thing I have to do after setting up a new server is open the hosts file and remove the loopback addresses some worm has entered. Only then can I access the network.

Right now I’ve managed to have one server ready to become the new Domain Controller and another one ready to set up the new exchange server to test how it will work.

The IT director seems to think it was a malicious attack. I on the other hand believe it was some kind of virus using an exploit to destroy the AD infrastructure. Just a thing to cause mayhem. Unfortunately it seems to have worked excellently. Now I have to work 12 hours shifts to bring this whole thing under control again 🙁

Long time coming

For the last few days I have been living most of the day in the office. Just today I closed 13 hours inside. The Active Directory has b0rked and I have been trying to fix it with the help of Microsoft and various other so called experts. Unfortunately nothing has worked and today things took a turn for the worse.
In a try to restore our previous configuration we decided to restore a previous version of the system using the Legato Networker program. In hindsight, it was a big mistake, especially the part where we started it at 6pm. At around 9:15pm and after reinstalling the 2000 Server for the second time we decided to call it a night.
This was the third day I had stayed at work late and it’s getting ridiculous. I’ve been trying to go to the post office for two days now and I can’t find the time.
Tomorrow promises to be even better. We’ll go to the office at 6:30am which means I need to get up at 5:45 and there’s no promise at all that I’m going to leave early enough to manage to GM the Evernight campaign.

At least I know it’s not my fault and even if it were, all traces have been wiped out by now 🙂

Sigh Going to sleep any time now. Military wake-up tomorrow…

Τζαμπέ

I met with Panos today after leaving work. He was at a Διαχρονικό having a cup of cofee with a friend of his. I had informed him earlier that I had his free PC ready as he was about to leave for his home town, Αγρίνιο but he decided to stay to set up a meeting in order to get the PC.

We worked out the logistic details but I got the impression that he wasn’t all that happy with the choice. The computer is one of the older ones we have for donations at my workplace and its graphics card and cpu power leave something to be desired. The important thing however, the thing that should make any such defect unimportant, is that the damn thing is completely free for him. I mean, FFS, I had to convince my supervisor on the worthiness of donating such a machine to a pennyless student and we had to lie and tell it was for my sister in order to approve it and I was waiting for more enthusiasm.
I did tell him that I may not be able to secure a monitor for him but, heck, a CRT 15” monitor can be found dirt cheap.
We also had the necessary talk about upgrades for DVD playback (Not easy) and gaming (where I mentioned that the new system would be linux equipped, heh) and the discussions went on to other matters.

After we left Panos kept pressuring me to go after a monitor as well. It was a bit irritating. I mean, come on, you get a P3 for free, keyboard/mouse and everything.

At least be a little more excited damnit! I had to call in favors (however small) for this shit.

Still Migrating

The migration process on my workplace is continuing. I am still writing down things as I go here. I’m still not doing much so it doesn’t have much activity but there are some worthwhile things to check out, mainly the guides.

As I said, I write things as I go and when I set-up something new from the ground up, I take the time to create a step-by-step guide of how I did it. This way for log may actually be useful to anyone who cares to read it. Until now I’ve written two guides, one to set up a [tag]jabber[/tag] server on SuSe ES with AD authentication and an related one on how to set up conferencing on that server.
After being asked permission, by the guys of ejabbber, to copy the text of the second guide on their servers, I decided to release all of them under a creative commons license.
This is a great way to save time for anyone who wants to copy and modify them. They won’t need to contact me to get permission anymore.

3 Days of twirling

Since my new [tag]firestaff[/tag] arrived I haven’t had time to really try it out. Only once when I initially got it did I attempt it but it was a failure due to weather.

Well the last two days I’ve been going out to Navarinou square to remember my skills. I stopped going to Alexander’s statue because the port gets kind of windy and throws my aim off.
Anyway, while at Navarinou I see lots of familiar faces and a lot of people come to talk to me. Others want to try out the staff while others just chat with me. It is a new experience for me (being this popular) and I can’t say I don’t like it. The attention I am getting is invigorating. For my part I don’t act (and I hope I don’t in the future either) like a self-important egomaniac and strike up conversations with the ones that approach, especially if they are cute girls grin, but I’ve been talking to the occasional junkie as well.

Sunday was my first afternoon (or rather night) out, I saw a girl, Δήμητρα, that possibly likes me and I also met some new people, like a young girl just now getting into staffs, her cousin and a fat girl that challenged my skills vs her chains. I, unfortunately, also saw Αννα and her boyfriend as they came around to see the rest of the group that was around at the time. I met her boyfriend’s friend who seems a nice enough chap but her boyfriend seems reluctant to acknowledge me, even if we’re in the same group of people. Αννα of course pretends she doesn’t see me at all :/

I didn’t get to do much of training of Sunday because people kept talking to me, but I did do some serious mingling and meeting. I can’t say it came out badly.

On Monday I once again went to Navarinou square, this time a little earlier so as to have some time to practice alone. Later some acquaintances showed up and once again I couldn’t focus (what with them constantly wanting to grab my staff). The new girl was also there and she seemed extremely “friendly” as well. Δήμητρα also appeared after a while but she was waiting to go for a date with a guy she met over the internet. After a while she left to meet him and later came back with him and was wondering how to get rid of him (“he just doesn’t click”), at around 23:00 people dispersed and I learned that some had gone to Carpe Diem (A Cafeteria/Live Stage) and I decided to head over there as well. I was lucky and I bumped into Μαρία and Αναστασία, two girls I met at the X Club one time and I decided to hang out with them.

We chatted for a while until the Live begun (A progressive violin/guitar duet with very strange and loud sound) and we had to shout. Later Δημητρα arrived as well, she had decided to bring the dude to Carpe Diem where her friends were in order to make him uncomfortable enough to leave. He found an excuse to leave (obviously getting the hint) and she was happy.
After a while she, quite unexpectedly, came to our table, introduced herself and sat down because she was bored with the other guys.

The night went on wand at some point the girls left and Δημητρα pressured me to take her for a walk at Navarinou. There we found the guy that initially showed me the Fire Staff and he had taken some leaps in his skills. I know I need to get in touch with him at some point to learn some new stuff. Obviously he is training at the fokas park.
We hanged around for half an hour or so where I met Χρήστος (a guy I saw all the time at the X Club but never got around to meeting him) and had to endure Δημητρα’s attempts to play with the staff or the flower stick of some other guys. In the end we went to get her bag from Carpe Diem only to find the others had left. Fortunately her bag was still there.

Yesterday was more interesting. I had set up with the young girl to gather at Navarinou again but this time use live fire. I went over there at around 7:45 pm (after buying a long-sleeved shirt I really liked, one with claw like rips in the middle) and started warming up. Βιολετιά apparently had come downtown to see me and she sent me an SMS to go and see her. I had already told her I was indisposed at this time and did so again. I told her to come see me instead, and she did eventually.
Another friend also passed by on his way to private lessons and he decided to stick around for a while to play with chains and also another girl (The fat one that challenged me) came around. So we all lighted our things and had a three person show 😉

After the show, I saw that Βιολετιά had appeared along with a friend and we chatted a bit. I also did a small show for her but she didn’t seem impressed.
Me and Βιολετιά have a habit of teasing each other with mild insults and I think I may have gone too far this time. A while after the show ended I told her to “Bugger off because I was bored of you”. Now obviously I was joking but it seems she took it a bit too seriously. She left immediately and although the obvious choice at that point would be to run after her and apologize, I didn’t realize how she took it and so I left her leave. Later I settled it through SMS and cell phone but it was another chance to hang out together lost.

Anyway, the rest of the night proved interesting as well. I ended up making out with a girl and agreeing to keep tings light, and I also went to the supposed “Nevermore night” at Silver Dollar with Μαρία (The last and only person that could come with me). The music sucked however and after 1.5 beers and no winning lottery tickets we left. Apparently the DJ thought that Nevermore is a hard as Slayer, Sepultura and Cradle of Filth groan.

There is just one small sour thing in this whole story, the replacement staff had bended way too much. I tried to bring it back but first I am afraid of stressing it too much and secondly it never works right. Damnit, I’m seriously let down by this purchase. Although I like the fact that its flame lasts for a long time, this bending and breaking business is very annoying. I’m thinking of taking it to an Iron Worker shop to see if he can straighten it.
I swear to Bob, if this one breaks as well there will be hell to pay!

Doomtown

W00t! I'm playing doomtown once more.
In the past few days I've been converting some of my other gaming buddies, Σιδέρης and Αργύρης mainly, to play Doomtown.

Doomtown is my favorite CCG of all time and I was very disappointed when it was canceled due to lack of sales. This story is outside the scope of this journal so I won't re-iterate it but you can get the gist of it here.

Anyway, the guys are excited with the game and really like the great mechanics. I've searched eBay for stuff and found some Ashes to Ashes starters for them, one took the Agency and the other the Texas rangers and even though the decks are not very strong we managed to have some good games. The other day we had a five player games. It didn't finish but it was fun and the two new players were interested in playing as well.
Now I've just bought a box of Ashes to Ashes starters to split with the gaming buddies (and unfortunately the shipping cost were much more than the actual cost) and I'm going to buy 6 more starters to give to anyone that is interested in playing.

Sweet.
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Finally

My replacement [tag]firestaff[/tag] arrived yesterday. I was a bit disappointed by the silicon grip however. Where the old one fit snugly and had nice ends, this one seems to have space between it and the shaft and its ends are fixed with fed duct tape. The whole item seems a bit hastily done but I guess I can’t complain. Things could have been a lot worse (namely not getting my staff back). At least now I have the old shaft as well and can at least try to fix it someway.

Anyway, after I received it my first order of business was to go out and practice some because I have almost a month to touch the skill. Unfortunately it was raining lightly but I hoped it would abate until I reached my training grounds. On the way I bumped into an old friend of mine, Χρύσα (Translates as Goldie) who was taking a walk. After the necessary greetings I told her to come with me and we went towards the Alexander statue.

I always had a soft spot for her, I always hopes something happened between us at some point but I don’t hold much hope for it nowadays. She seems so preoccupied with other stuff all the time and does not seem to be interested the same way. Pity.

Anyway, on the road we talked about the summer and stuff like that and after I mentioned my Poseidi experiences she was dying to find out more. I ended up storytelling the entire trip to her mounting joy. Glad to be of help 🙂

She also caught me by surprise by telling me that my current haircut was the best she’s seen on me. I did not expect that comment from her and that says a lot.

I did not manage to do any serious practice unfortunately. The port area was even more windy and rainy than downtown and I could barely practice my moves between chatting and the constant wind. In the end I took her to the bus stop where she decided to walk (!) so we said goodbye (without kisses) and parted ways. I headed for home and saw some Samurai Champloo before going to sleep.
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This I had to post

This is just precious:

—-
HEAVY METAL: The protagonist arrives on a Harley
Davidson, kills the dragon, drinks some beers and
fucks the princess.

GRIND METAL: The protagonist arrives, screams
something completely undecipherable for about 2
minutes and then leaves…

POWER METAL: The protagonist arrives riding a white
unicorn, escapes from the dragon, saves the princess
and they make love in an enchanted forest.

TRASH METAL: The protagonist arrives, fights the
dragon, saves the princess and fucks her……. easy
and quick.

FOLK METAL: The protagonist arrives with some friends
playing accordions, violins, flutes and many more
weird instruments, the dragon falls asleep (from all
the dancing) protagonist leaves without the princess.

VIKING METAL: The protagonist arrives in a ship, kills
the dragon with his mighty mighty axe, cooks and eats
it, rapes the princess to death, loots the castle and
burns it down before he leaves.

DEATH METAL: The protagonist arrives, kills the
dragon, fucks the princess and kills her, then leaves.

BLACK METAL: The protagonist arrives at midnight,
kills the dragon and impales it in the front of the
castle… then sodomizes the princess, drinks her
blood in a ritual before killing her… then he
impales the deflowered princess.

GORE METAL: The protagonist arrives, kills the dragon
and spreads his guts in front of the castle, fucks the
princess and kills her….then he fucks her dead body,
slashes her belly open and eats her guts, fucks the
carcass for the third time, burns the corpse and fucks
it for the last time.

DOOM METAL: The protagonist arrives, sees the size of
the dragon and thinks that he never could beat him,
gets depressed and commits suicide… the dragon eats
his body and the princess as well.

PROGRESSIVE METAL: The protagonist arrives with a
guitar and plays a solo for 26 minutes, the dragon
kills himself out of boredom, the protagonist goes to
the princess’ bedroom, plays another solo with all the
techniques learned in the last year of the
conservatory… the princess escapes, and is now
looking for the “HEAVY METAL” protagonist.

GLAM METAL: The protagonist arrives, the dragon laughs
at the guy’s appearance and lets him enter, he steals
the princess’ make-up and tries to paint the castle in
a beautiful pink color.

INDUSTRIAL METAL: The protagonist arrives wearing
greasy overcoat, makes obscene gestures towards the
dragon, and gets escorted out of fairy tale land by
security guards.

CHRISTIAN METAL: The protagonist rides in on his way
home from church and sings a mushy power ballad to the
dragon about how much Jesus loves him and that the
dragon should turn to Him. The Dragon is immediately
converted, and when the princess wants to “thank” the
protagonist he replies, “sorry, but I don’t believe in
having sex before marriage.”

TECH METAL: The protagonist plays a whole tone riff
switching between 11/16 and 23/16 with his left hand,
while he taps a descending chromatic pattern with his
right hand. The dragon suffers a massive brain aneurysm
and dies, and the princess runs off to music school so
she can understand what the protagonist was playing.

Monkeysphere

Recently I read a short article on the concept of the Monkeysphere. You can read it yourself if you wish. Anyway, despite the deceptive title and humorous attitude, the article does indeed make sense.

All of us have our own monkey sphere, it is built into our brains and there isn’t much we can do about it. It explains why and how people can withstand the sheer amount of suffering around them. We just don’t care. They are outside our monkeysphere. It is a defense mechanism to prevent us from becoming depressively catatonic and it is also the reason why worldwide suffering persists.

The factory manager does not care for the people his heavy pollution affects. They are outside his monkeysphere. The oil-grabbing capitalist does not care for the millions of people his schemes have uprooted and made miserable. The religious fanatic does not see the heathen he is killing as a human being but rather as an object.

Let me make an example. Most people have some minority or archetype that they tend to dislike. Be that another country, nationality, skin color, religion or whatever. Think about what yours is; Even if you think you are open minded enough, chances are that due to various factors (personal or external) you have some faction you wouldn’t miss as much. Maybe black persons have robbed your apartment three times and now you secretly think that they are all thieving bastard or maybe you were raised with the belief that all Jews are worldwide evil scheming conspirators.
Whatever it may be, think that you meet such a person and get to know him, his interests, his hopes and dreams, do you think you could feel that same way about him? Maybe you continue to feel the same way as the rest of his “kind” but not for him. You mistakenly think that he is different, some kind of exception. But he is not. He has just entered your monkeysphere.

So what can we do about it? This is not something that can be changed, except maybe by science fiction-like genetic engineering. It is hardwired into our brains.
What I want to know however is if there is a way to curb it, keep the good parts (denial, blissful ignorance) and soften the bad ones.

First order of business is to spread the knowledge of the monkeysphere and then find ways to lessen its impact.