Journal Entries
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McGaugh's
Posted Nov 16, 2008
I feel like I've had one of my childhood memories violated.
There used to be a store in downtown Flagstaff called McGaugh's News Stand. I understand it had been a Flagstaff institution since my father attended college here, though it had previously been at a different location. During my time at NAU the store closed, and I have always missed it. I can remember dad taking my brother and I there when we were little. It was a book store + newsstand + tobacconists. And they served freshly popped popcorn! Yum! The smell of the popcorn mixing with the aroma of the pipe tobacco is something I can still recall, and miss terribly.
The other day I was driving around and saw a store that had recently opened. It was near downtown, but on the south side of the tracks. It was calling itself McGaugh's. Walking it it became clear immediately that it was definitely focused more on the tobacco side of things as there were no books or anything else to read in the. In fact, it bordered on being (but was not quite) a head shop.
I asked about the name and was told that they had gotten the McGaugh family's permission to use it, but that that was the only relation to the old store. No other connection. And no freaking popcorn.
Discuss this Journal entry [2]
Latest reply: Nov 16, 2008
1937-2008
Posted Jun 23, 2008
May George Carlin rest in peace. He would have liked to know that, upon learning of his passing, I uttered seven dirty words.
Discuss this Journal entry [1]
Latest reply: Jun 23, 2008
Life, the Universe, and Everything
Posted Feb 14, 2008
Can anyone tell me why, oh why a science fiction convention called "Life, the Universe, and Everything" (http://www.ltue.org/LTUE_home.htm) would be held at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah? (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/blog/index.php/2008/02/13/ltue-xxvi-this-thursday-friday-and-saturday/)
Last time I checked (which, I admit, was before he passed away) Douglas Adams was responsible for the phrase "Life, the Universe, and Everything," especially as it concerns science fiction. And I'm pretty sure he referred to himself as a "radical atheist" on occasion. So why would they be holding this convention at a private Mormon school?
Discuss this Journal entry [7]
Latest reply: Feb 14, 2008
Technical Support
Posted Jan 16, 2008
So I brought the whole office to a screetching halt today. We've got a very good technical system here, which involves keeping our IT people a 2 hour drive away in Window Rock, calling them out every once in a while, and then using anyone in the office under 40 as tech support at all other times. Our IT guy was here yesterday, so of course we discovered a new problem this morning, with him back in Window Rock.
"William," our paralegal says, "I'm trying to talk to Dave* in Window Rock, and he's tried everything to get my printer to work, but it won't print. He wants me to check whether all the cables are in right."
Wiggling around a Cat-5 is certainly within the realm of my talents, so I check to make sure the printer is connected to that data port properly. It is. We try printing, nothing.
"Dave says he tried everything else from his end."
A thought occurs to me. I wheel the printer into another room, plug it into another data port and sure enough, every test page we had attempted to print comes right through. But we can't keep the printer there, a computer is supposed to plug into that port. That's when I get my worst idea of the day.
"When Steve* [the other IT guy] was here yesterday, he fixed a dead data port like this. He said it was 'relatively simple.' Ask Dave if this is so simple a cave man- er, attorney coudl do it."
Five minutes later, an email from Steve: the cables marked M-1 and M-2 need to be plugged into the switch that's up on the shelf. I know which switch he means, so I go rooting around for the cables. Apparently marking on a Cat-5 is a tricky business. I choose M-1 and, apparently, N-2, instead of M-2. For a moment the printer seems to be about to work. Then it doesn't. Then the phones and the internet shut off in the entire office. I undo what I did, and the phones come back up, but the internet stays down. I try talking to Window Rock again, and he says to try plugging the cable back in. I plug N-2 back in, the phones go down again. I then realize that it says N and not M, and try M-2. The phones come back up, the internet stays down, the printer stays down.
Finally, after re-booting the server (which I now know how to do) and plugging M-1 back in, everything works. So if I'd done it right the first time, there would probably not have been a problem.
My question is this: Why does the N-2 cable exist? It's only function, so far as I can tell, is to cause the phone system to die. There should be no cable that, when plugged in, disconnects all of our phones. Also? What the hell did I do to trip the server in the first place?
*sigh*
*All names besides mine have been changed to protect yadda yadda yadda
Discuss this Journal entry [3]
Latest reply: Jan 16, 2008
Good Mexican Food in Flagstaff, Az
Posted Aug 30, 2007
I'm thinking of starting a Guide Entry about "Where to Find Good Mexican Food in Flagstaff, AZ". There's only one problem... I have yet to find good Mexican food here.
Discuss this Journal entry [11]
Latest reply: Aug 30, 2007
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Irving Washington
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