Wrapping Up

I like Sundays, but they go too fast.

Updates on the dangling issues:
* The custom machine finds a PS/2 keyboard, and will find USB devices, but doesn't find the USB keyboard on boot. I think it needs drivers.
* The machine that runs fine for me, but not for the client, was hanging on his USB hub. He had connected the desktop, a laptop, and a laser printer into a USB hub, so the two PCs could share the printer. Um, fail. That's not how to share a printer.
* The laptop that had the wireless issue was more of a pilot error issue.

Now I have an additional laptop to upgrade, and the threat from some folks to drop off their PCs to me during the week. Could be as many as four. This week will be rather busy anyway, with several networking events on tap.

New Circuses

The busy, busy week, in review:
* A custom built machine stopped booting when it couldn't find a keyboard. I think the owner's habit of shutting it down by yanking the power cord has something to do with it. Its all better now.
* A clients machine that only works here. It runs fine here, but won't boot up at his home. I'm going there Saturday (Pinkney!) to figure it out.
* A client's laptop that won't connect to any wireless networks outside his home. Well, it connected to mine just fine, and when I've shown him how to do it, I think the mystery will disappear.
* A client lost his Comcast business connection, so he called them to fix it. Fix it they did, by sending, among other things, a reset signal to his gateway. All his network settings went away, and he called me in a panic.
* Got a new local business client, also from Comcast. They had a few network issues and a new laser printer to install. Laser - Hey, I know where they can get toner! How convenient.
* A client who would like to access some files from either of his two laptops, have them backed up, prevent out-of-date revisions, and not have to buy any hardware. His docs reside out on GoogleDocs now and he is happy.

So its been pretty busy, and cartridge sales keep inching up. I'm ready for the pace to increase.

Sudden Sickness Madlibs

I'm absolutely [pretentious adjective that means full, but is more Dennis Miller exotic] of [noun that more or less refers to mucus, but is much less attractive] and feel very [another adjective, this time meaning 'like crap', but pithier. You get the idea.]. If only I could [verb - keep it clean] with my [body part - you've been warned] I could have appreciated the Bears [descriptive intransitive adverb, keep it simple] of the Lions. At least I don't feel like Marinelli; I'll get better tomorrow.

That was fun.

Now, I'll need a good lie down. My strength needs conservation.

Moving right along

I've added a link to this blog from Linked In; that is, the latest blog posts (given that I update it sometime) should show up in the home page of anyone linked to me, and who uses the BlogLink applet.

We'll see.

Anyway, I have been WTF-ally busy these last few days, and so there's been scarce time for blogginess. Tomorrow, for those keeping score at home, I'll go to WRN, then to a service call, then catch lunch with A2B3, and follow it up with a WRN after-hours at Sandler Training. Yeah, social butterfly, me. In the quiet moments, I still have a half-dozen toner quotes to get finished, a few follow-up calls, and that wireless-allergic laptop.

I think the laptop will take a number and wait its turn. The client is in no hurry, and neither am I.

A nasty bit of work

A client claimed an infection of AntiVirus2009, so I took the PC back to the lair to remove the malware. Turns out it was worse than that. They had TDSSserv.sys, a very nasty little rootkit that prohibits booting into safe mode and contacting a selection of legitimate security sites.

What to do? Have all your tools on portable media - no Internet necessary. I loaded gmer and SDfix on the machine and they cut out the tumors. All better now. Of course, to get to that point took four hours of trying other remedies first. I do this so you don't have to.

I also have a laptop from another client. This little beast apparently won't hook up with wireless networks outside the home. When we booted it at their house, the keyboard and touch pad buttons were unresponsive. I think that wireless may be the least of the machines problems.

Weekly Scribe

Or, weakly; take your pick.

So what did I do this week? Allow me to indulge myself:
* I attended a Cub Scouts meeting - we're setting them up with cartridge recycling as a fund raiser.
* It was youth air rifle class day Wednesday at Tri County.
* Thursday was really busy. WRN in the morning, followed by the A2B3 lunch at Eastern Accents, followed by a reception at Washtenaw Woodwrights, then to Stonebridge for the Saline Business Enterprise Awards. A2B3 is a group I learned of through LinkedIn. They gather every Thursday and just have lunch. Its an eclectic group that just chats about whatever is on their minds. Kind of cool. The reception went very well; meaning that I enjoyed seeing their business and learning about it. And the awards are always a good time.
* Friday, we had our irrigation system winterized, I met an associate for lunch, and then we saw a friend over at the 4 Points for her birthday beer-a-rama. The conversation, as it will do, turned to politics, as drunks are wont to do. My two cents: We all have opinions but, as it is with religion, we don't have enough details. We hear and see what others tell us, and we cannot see all ends. Its best not to get too worked up over it. What will happen, will happen, with or without my getting all frothy over it.

Of course, in the meantime, we sold ink and toner, and I exhaled the warm breath of life into the PCs of others. We hired another part-time employee at the store; now we have two. Our empire expands slowly but surely.

There are five networking events this coming week, and some computer work. It all plods along, a heaping helping of same ol, same ol. Which isn't a complaint.

How Many is Enough?

I've got accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Plaxo. How many is too many?

Further, what are the relative strength/weakness of each? LinkedIn is better for business, Facebook is more social, and Plaxo is, well, I'm not sure. I'm seeing the twitters on Plaxo, so I think its more social. That begs a question: Can I link (RSS, or whatever) this blog to Plaxo? Or any other platform?

I mentioned that LinkedIn is more business-oriented, and I think it is. You keep occupational data on it, and make connections to others in your field or company, but what then? I haven't found anyone yet who can answer that, and I've asked a few. I'm linked, in one way or another, to over two million people. What do I do with them? Would they send me a quarter each?

It takes a lot of time to keep it all up to date, and I'm not sure they offer sufficient return to keep investing. It would be nice to know what others think.... since no one comments here (besides Keith) I suppose I'll have to ask on another channel. Maybe I need a MySpace page....