It’s been a few months since I last posted an entry to my blog. Life has been busy. This blog has been busy, in terms of web traffic to my Anonymous Letters and Starbucks posts below.

Time for a tech post. I had the privilege of upgrading an ancient Red Hat 9 Linux box to CentOS 4.5. Red Hat Linux has been EOL for a very long time, and was superceded by Fedora, which has had seven major releases. That’s the equivalent of running Windows 3.1 Well, not quite Anyhow, the box at hand appeared to be a custom web server. I will outline the steps I used to successfully upgrade it to CentOS 4.5.

1. Download the CentOS 4.5 CD set or DVD image from www.centos.org.
2. Put in CD 1 or the DVD image.
3. Reboot the old Red Hat 9 box and ensure that the BIOS allows booting from the CD/DVD drive.
4. Enter the following at the linux boot prompt and press Enter: linux upgradeany
5. The system will happily hum along while Red Hat 9 is upgraded to CentOS 4.5.
6. If ‘yum’ wasn’t installed, you will need to install it:
rpm -ivh http://centos.arcticnetwork.ca/4.5/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/python-elementtree-1.2.6-5.el4.centos.i386.rpm
rpm -ivh http://centos.arcticnetwork.ca/4.5/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/sqlite-3.3.6-2.i386.rpm
rpm -ivh http://centos.arcticnetwork.ca/4.5/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/python-sqlite-1.1.7-1.2.1.i386.rpm
rpm -ivh http://centos.arcticnetwork.ca/4.5/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/python-urlgrabber-2.9.8-2.noarch.rpm
rpm -ivh http://centos.arcticnetwork.ca/4.5/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/yum-2.4.3-3.el4.centos.noarch.rpm
7. Now, run the following command and press Enter: yum update
8. Allow yum to run and update the required packages. Reboot if yum downloads and installs a new kernel.
9. Since the box in question had a custom Apache and PHP configuration, I reinstalled them manually:
yum install httpd
yum install php
yum install mysql
yum install mysql-server
yum install php-mysql
10. I had to update the MySQL configuration to point to the correct socket:
Update my.cnf:
socket=/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
instead of
socket=/tmp/mysql.sock
and add the following to use your existing database passwords
old_passwords=1
11. Copy any required PHP extensions to new system path:
cp -R /usr/local/lib/php/extensions/* /usr/lib/php4
12. Edit /etc/php.ini:
error_reporting = E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE
extension=mysql.so
13. Finally, set services to start up automatically:
chkconfig –level 345 httpd on
chkconfig –level 345 mysqld on
chkconfig –level 345 sendmail on
14. There you have it. The server should be happily running CentOS 4.5 now. Remember to keep it up-to-date by running yum update regularly.

I had a decaf, non-fat, no whip mocha from Starbucks this morning.

It did nothing for me. I didn’t expect it to. It’s the only way I can enjoy the taste of coffee without inducing a headache.

So, I did a quick Google search to determine the caffeine content in a ‘decaf’ coffee. No, it’s not 0 mg. US FDA standards state that 97% of the caffeine in a coffee bean must be removed to be denoted as ‘decaf’. That amounts to 15 mg or more in some Starbucks drinks. That’s far from being caffeine-free.

Shortly thereafter, it occurred to me that I should check to see how safe the decaffeination method used by major coffee vendors is. I asked myself, “Is decaffeinated coffee safe to consume?” I set out to find the answer by doing a couple of quick Google searches.

I discovered the following:

Starbucks uses two methods of decaffeination: the direct contact method and the Swiss water process. With direct contact, a solvent (methylene chloride) is introduced to the green coffee beans as they soak. The solvent bonds with the caffeine in the beans and removes it. The solvent is then taken away from the beans and the coffee is roasted at over 400*F. Since the solvent has a much lower boiling point (114*F) the coffee bean that come from this process produce a cup of coffee that has no detectable trace of methylene chloride.

The Swiss water process involves using hot water and steam to remove caffeine from the coffee. Then the solution is run through charcoal filters (similar to a giant water filter) to remove the caffeine. Currently our retail stores offer one coffee that is processed using the Swiss water method. It is called the Decaffeinated Komodo Dragon Blend.

The thought of using chemicals to remove caffeine from coffee beans disgusts me. You’d think a premium coffee vendor would use the safer ‘Swiss Water’ method for all of their blends. I mean, we already pay a premium relative to other brands, don’t we?

Let’s look at Tim Hortons:

Swiss Water?* Decaffeinated Coffee … . This patented Swiss Water method of 100% chemical-free coffee decaffeination provides a natural way to deliver that same great Tim Hortons quality without the caffeine.

A cup of decaf coffee from Tim Hortons uses the chemical-free, Swiss Water method to extract caffeine from coffee beans.

That says a lot. At a fraction of the cost of Starbucks, Tim Hortons decaf coffee is safer to consume. Starbucks, are you listening?

Sources: http://www.thatsfit.com/2007/01/29/starbucks-response-to-decaf-question/ (a little difficult to find otherwise) and http://www.timhortons.com/en/menu/coffe-beverages.html

Update (11/19/2008):

I discovered that Tim Horton’s decaffeinated coffees contain SOME caffeine. Check out this hyperlink. A small decaf coffee contains about 5 mg of caffeine and an extra large coffee contains about 12 mg of caffeine.

I got a little ahead of myself today and decided to upgrade to the latest release of Ubuntu. On the release date, no less.

I shelled into my server remotely and executed the required upgrade command (one-liner: sudo apt-get install update-manager-core && sudo do-release-upgrade). The new installer detects if you are running it via a SSH session and automatically spawns a “backup” SSH session on port 9004. The reason for this is if the main SSH connection disconnects, you can continue by using the backup session on port 9004. A very good move, in my opinion. Someone must have been reading my blog

The download process took a little over 2.5 hours, at a pathetic 22 KB/s. An overloaded US Ubuntu server was to blame, but was expected. I normally receive updates from the Ubuntu server at over 600 KB/s. That tells you how overloaded their server was.

The installation itself went smoothly, but for some odd reason ntp was removed upon installation. A quick Google search proved that there were problems with the ntp daemon and client. Again, a recompile of eAccelerator was necessary due to the new PHP version included with Ubuntu 7.10: PHP 5.3.2.

I’ll update this blog post once the ntp issue has been resolved.

Update:

Running sudo apt-get install ntp installs the ntp daemon again.

For the first time in 31 years, the Canadian dollar hit parity with the US dollar today (at 10:59 AM). No longer do Canadians have to put up with mockery (well, for now) .

The funny thing is, I went to ebay.ca today to check some hardware prices and the number one search term was… Canada! That says something, and it’s good.

Consumers have taken advantage of the strong Canadian dollar to purchase goods from the US without much of a premium (well, maybe a little bit). As I work near US customs, I can attest that there has been a surge of Canadian traffic to the US over the past two-and-a-half months. My co-workers and I have put up with long border lineups, nearly two kilometers long, on a daily basis for the aforementioned time period. On the contrary, there’s no longer an incentive for Canadians to sell goods in US dollars, especially with the Canadian dollar likely exceeding the US dollar in the near future.

I received an anonymous letter in the mail today.

This is second letter I’ve received… spooky!

I received the first letter over a year ago. Both letters contain promotional literature. The first one promoted a public speaking product and this one is promoting martial arts or so. They are all personalized with the text, “Avinesh, Check this out! -J”, written in blue ink and block letters. My address is written neatly on the front of each envelope in the same manner. The first promotional piece was taken from a computer magazine and the second piece was from a newspaper advertisement.

The originating postal code on the envelope appears to be: M4L 3T0. The ’0′ almost looks like a ‘D’ on the envelope, but using a ‘D’ for the last character doesn’t follow Canadian postal code standards. A quick Google search shows that ‘M4L’ is Toronto, Ontario. It was mailed out at 8:11 AM on August 21. I never realized letters from Ontario get to BC so quickly — regular mail, no less.

Further research indicates that I’m not the only one that’s received an anonymous letter from the same postal code. I don’t think I know anyone in Ontario with a name starting with ‘J’.

Well, on to other things. I’ll update this post if I discover anything else.

Update (09/02/2007):

It appears several individuals received similarly addressed letters in the mail. Please read the comments to this blog post for details. Someone sure has lots of free time (and money) on their hands.

I attempted to use Canada Post’s Post Office Locator to determine the address of the post office, to no avail: “Postal code M4L3T0 was not found.” Very strange, considering the envelope was postmarked from that postal code.

This almost leads me to wonder if this is an inside job, by a disgruntled Canada Post worker. Perhaps, we can collectively contact Canada Post to help identify the culprit.

Update (09/04/2007):

I contacted Canada Post directly regarding the matter. I am awaiting a response.

Update (09/07/2007):

Canada Post indicated that as long as there’s a stamp on it, they will process it like any other piece of mail. They haven’t contacted me for more information.

Update (10/01/2009):

This Google query should answer most of your questions about this mysterious “J”:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=Hand+Addressed+Direct+Mail

As you can see, there are marketing companies that deliver hand-addressed envelopes with notes. Their reason for doing so? It increases the likelihood of someone opening a piece of mail. So, there you have it — an answer to this mystery.

I was driving home from work today at about 7 PM, when I suddenly heard a siren behind me.

I looked all around. No emergency vehicles in sight.

I checked my rearview mirror a moment later and suddenly noticed a black, Nissan Altima with flashing headlights. The driver appeared to be a casually dressed, undercover police officer. I was puzzled and confused, as were plenty of other drivers around me. The car should have been equipped with brighter emergency lights. I didn’t notice the ghost car until it was literally right behind me. Anyways, as per normal procedure for an incoming or passing emergency vehicle, I swerved off the road so that the police officer could pass. A little further ahead I heard screeching tires from (probably) another startled driver.

Since when do they use imports for ghost cars in BC? I’ve seen a few domestic ghost cars over the years, but never an import. A quick Google search turned up the answer to my question. Apparently, what I thought to be an anomaly appears to be common, at least in BC.

Another week, another post.

I’m going to dedicate this post to saving money in Vegas, getting around and other tips.

Water. Bottled water is a rare commodity in the desert, more so than gasoline, which retails for $3 USD a gallon. How about $3.50 USD for a half-liter of bottled water? That wasn’t a typo. So, where to go? There’s a Walgreens conveniently located on the Strip, albeit closer to the southern end near the MGM Grand. Walgreens sells bottled water for about $1.50 USD a liter, plus plenty of other merchandise (including food) at a discounted price. Hey, it’s even open 24 hours.

Food. If you love food, there’s plenty of buffets to choose from at nearly every hotel. Expect to pay upwards of $18 USD per person. That said, you get nearly unlimited portions. Have some pasta, a salad, chow mein, some more pasta and follow-up with some dessert. We found that Treasure Island and the Monte Carlo had fairly decent buffets for the prices we paid. We weren’t impressed with the buffet at the MGM Grand, which was lacking in variety and was overpriced (nearly $32 USD per person) as well. There are plenty of fast food restaurants on the Strip as well, including McDonald’s and Subway. Our favorite restaurant for dinner was Tamba (Indian food).

Commuting. As indicated in my previous post, expect to do a lot of walking. A Vegas block is not the same as a typical city block. One way to save time and commute to other hotels quickly is to use the Las Vegas Monorail. We paid $8 USD for a day pass. It’s one of the best alternatives to a taxi — no extra surcharges and no traffic congestion. Hey, there’s no gratuity fee/tip either! Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Shows. All of the Cirque Du Soleil shows are really good. Definitely check them out. We saw Mystere and O. I love how they entertain the audience before the show starts. Remember to wear a cap if you’re bald! Otherwise, someone might decide to come up and wax your bald spot. Watch out for flying popcorn, too. The Variety show at the V Theatre in the Miracle Mile Shops (Planet Hollywood) was entertaining as well. It’s got a bit of everything — comedy, talented performers and more. The theatre itself is a bit small compared to the other venues. If you purchase the Expedia Entertainment pack ($30) with your trip, there’s a buy-one-get-one-free coupon that will pay for one V ticket ($75).

Shopping. There are plenty of places to shop in Vegas: the Forum Shops in Caesar’s Palace, the Miracle Mile Shops (Planet Hollywood), the Fashion Show Mall, exclusive shops inside various hotels and a couple of Premium Outlets. The Forum Shops in Caesar’s Palace and the Las Vegas Premium Outlets were our favorite shopping experiences. At the Premium Outlets, designer fashions (eg. Armani Exchange, Banana Republic, etc) can be had for nearly 50% of their retail prices.