Never again!, Well… next time in Moderation….

Note to self, never eat a zillion Riesen chocolates!!!

I found out the hard way that they use both Sugar and Sorbitol….. And in large enough quanities that means laxative city.

If this doesn’t get ride of the excess phlegm, I ain’t eating any more in the future !!! LOL.

Flock

Testing a new web browser…..

Dang this thing is interesting ! Now if it could hold up better then Firefox 3.0a on my laptop… We’ve got a nice match hehehe.

Blogged with Flock

Quickie

Well, I finally got some game time this mid-week.

3 Rounds, 2 maps COTT and QFCS in TG#3.

The first round on the Childern of Tarrone map went very nice until I got in the basement. I had taken a stealth to first contact kit with the intent to stay out of site. My MP5+SD with FMJ and a Glock 17 with JHP in case it got thick. Plus a tripple package of Flash bangs, one wedge, and a mirror with C2 charges.

I had a Civi on the insertion (top of stairs) and had to deal with it. So I checked the top, had a tango up there. I couldn’t return fire without injuring the civilian near me (her hand was in the way). But luckily I didn’t have to, he was threatening a Civil. So I side stepped and put a 3rd burst into his upper body. No effect but a stagger, he turned as if to ifre. So I put two in his head on semi-auto. It didn’t kill him but the Fuel Tank behind him blowing up did. The hostage flee’d unscratched some how… lol. Since the position of the body made it look plasuable that it was an ‘accident’, I got out of the area and continued in Stealth.

Got to clear one of the lower side rooms, couldn’t see any one on the first PoE, mirrored the 2nd and saw a Red Head facing the window. So I worked my way back to the first door. I figured if she heard the door, there would be a SG shell for my face when I leaned out to shoot. I was in luck,she didn’t hear it so I got to creep closer. To my suprise theres a second girl (civilian), I got close and gave the Red head a tap on the back with the punch and compliance keys. That ensured a safe and clean arrest, did the same to the very nasty civi and snatched the shotty away from them before cuffing.

The problem is, when I hit the basement on my optiwand I could see one sentry with an AKS-74 and Tarrone walking by, I stacked quick to pop open the door and roll a back in between them. As usual, it was locked so I figured I man as well mirror again. The sentry saw the mirror slide under the door and tried to push it open. I planted C2 hoping not to get shot threw the door (thank you very stupid suspect AI). Blew it and charged in button hooking left. If I had to take on multiple suspects I’d rather not leave any one at my back.

I came round the back pillar to a tango about to surrender. He was just to slow and ended up with a 3rd Burst of FMJ in his shoulder/neck. I cicled around him since he was surrendering, I shouted (I should’ve punched). Then BAM all of the sudden he stands up as I click on my light to see better. And before I can squeese off another burst he shoots me point blank. The 9x19mm FMJ just didn’t cut it…

On Quik Fuel, I tried a stealth to first contact round with the same kit but with JHP for my primary, 1 gas in place of a bang, and M1911 /w FMJ instead of the glock. Went well other then taking a SG shell to the leg at spawn, plan went to heck fast but I managed to clear it ok. Next round I tried Dynamic, 3 bangs, stinger, and opti just in case. P90 with JHP and same as the last round. It went ok, rounded the first corner to a tango, he ran. I sliced the corner more to find two tangos, almost perfect Line of Fire to drop them both if I had FMJ. It’s a good thing I didn’t use FMJ, because a Civi ean between them. I pumped out 25 rounds downing tow suspects and tried not to hit the girl running around like a headless chicken.

Made a clean insertion into the break room and went for the store front with a flash bang. Charged in, I figured I would hook right and use the Cash Register as a foot hold. If there was a tnago there, I’d meet him first, it was only a civilian who dropped to his knees and surrendered. Shotgun shells flew my way, I turned left to return fire only to suck a shotgun shell. I kept moving to my side as I tried to pin point where the shots came from. I got tunnle vision on the barrow and let’er rip with the P90. Unfortinitly that stupid civialian stuck his head up like a moron and got half a dozen rounds passed through it.

Once the smoke cleared I saw that I had 3 suspects close by in the aisles. They had been so close I was able to rake them with gunfire. If it had been real life I would probably been able to push the hostage down to the ground while my #2 took care of the shooters. Since I was alone and it’s a game… SWAT4 has a little issue. That pawns are solid until they surrender. Then you can walk through them until you cuff them or they ‘unsurrender’ in TSS. So I basically walked through the hostage and he jumped up with me standing sort of ‘in’ him… Funky game really. Moved on to coninue the map and clear it. Only loss of score was putting the hostage out with a headshot for jumping in front of my line of fire lol.

*sighs* back to the training.

The journey

While making my huge post in the members forum, it’s given me good time to think. even if it’s taken me about an hour and a half to respond to Noer, survey the NCO Forum, and write that post.

I remember, there was once a time when I considered leaving the [SAS]. I was bored, I was tired of training, for what? I asked. Well, I continued on that road. Because I knew it was going to be awesome and I wanted to help other people find the little joyful group I did.

I guess, it was the tactics and the people that drew me to [SAS]. I had often played on TG#1, because I wanted a place I could play — un molested by rambunctious pests. Where I could play and work on doing the missions in a realistic manor. Eventually, I realised that the [SAS] Members were not only very skilled. But also a great team, one that employed tactics and team work to solve problems. Rather then the Let’s run in there, blow every thing up, and rescue the hostages if they’re still alive. Kind of approach found on many other serves.

I trained my self as hard as I could. While I don’t like to think that way, I may have been one of the best troopers in terms of skill/training time after Python was promoted. I didn’t do any thing other then what I was asked and expected to do. But I did it and gave it my all.

My friend Python was always a good example of a Trooper when I was a Recruit. He trained hard and played hard. Even to become a member of the Elite Sabre Squad, if [SAS] was the tip of the spear in terms of skill and tactics. Sabre was the very sharp point of that. Because I was a Trp and had time to learn. I worked, I learned to use every weapon in the game,w ell almost… I admit I did kind of skip a lot of practicing with the AP Army and WA-2000 for a lot of time lol. I have Never been as strong on core skills as when I was a Trp… I miss those 40-45hr a week gaming sessions.

I got so bored after awhile, I nearly quit. Because I had nothing more to do, and little else to learn. I tried to help out Rand with his Training Sessions but was probably more work for him then help. (Yes I am annoying). I also attended as many Continuation Trainings as I could, even if I didn’t always agree with some of the things James did to make them ‘Film’ ready. I was there to train, not make a movie! lol.

I desided I would remian and serve. Why? Because I wanted to help others find what I did. It’s never really been about me. The things I do, I do because I want to see [SAS] prosper and because it is my joy to help do that.

When I was LCpl, I’d say I was probably a failure. The only good thing to happen is probably being a part of Hexen and Miles training. As a Cpl, I think I was a little more successful. The old ‘Bad ass’ skill levels I had as a Trp were waining but I was gaining experience and I got to teach people. Some thing I really wanted to do. Although it was not my place to do so, nor was I asked to. I tried to help out with the SOP Rewrites.

When I was promoted to Squadron Sergeant Major, I soon found that I had so much more room for improvement. Not just my skills but my thinking. My concepts of room clearing had changed very little between Rct->Cpl, but as SSM they changed a lot. I was able to do more with the SOP work, yet I got to do a lot else. As SSM I spent a lot of time training and gaming. It was very fun. As RSM, well I’ve gotten more work done. What I like about being RSM, I can get stuff done. Without the rest of [SAS], it would never get done. The least I can do, is do my fair share. I don’t always get to play as much as I would like, another 10 hours a week would be fun. But I know with the time I spend on [SAS] that is not in server. That it’s time spent well. All in all, I think my favorite thing about being RSM. Has been the SOP Rewrites. I could now take more initiative, not as much as the only smoe. But as a builder. Most of the SOP Rewrites we’ve done. Has been done by me and Rasa and Miles.

I did a lot of initial work and when Rasa came on board it was like hell fire. Together we did a lot of work and thanks to Rasa’s participation the SOP Rewrites have come out a thousand times better then if I had done it all. Not as fast but so much better that it is worth it. When we got permission to get Miles on board in limited capacity we got even more productive. When he became Sgt, he was essentially fully cleared to work on it. I know Noer regrets not being as involved in the task as we have been, but it’s not his fault.

Why did I want to do stuff with the SOP Rewrites? Well aside from the fact that I’ve been expecting them since I was a LCpl… They needed to be done, and done right. I took a look at the [SAS] Membership as a whole. And there was no one else who was current on both games, RvS and SWAT4. Rasa eventually got current on RvS again and Miles and Lazko have tried to be and stay so. Random, well tbh I wonder if SOP has any effect on how he plays some times. But he arguable has so much experience he is a walking SOP lol.

I wanted to see the SOP Rewrites do justice to both games, be some thing that we could maintain for future generations. And I wanted it to be consistent. So maybe it is great that they are basically the work of 3 people. Well, I can’t forget Moe, all but one PDF (the weapons thing) of the SOP’s on the web site. Were done by Moe when he was active. A lot of it was so good we kept it, hacked it into wording that fitted our needs, and expanded upon it in spots.

What I do in the [SAS], is not for me. It is for the [SAS] — I serve because I want to help make it better. Not because what it can do for me, it is what I can do for it that matters.

I’m not one to stick my neck out. But I am a loyal person. There is some thing about [SAS] that for some reason. I’ve come to consider it as more important then myself. I might not *always* like some things. but I remember, it’s not about ME, it’s about [SAS].

I’ve never asked other people to be like I am in that regard. But that is how it is for me, plain and simple. What’s good for [SAS] is more important then what I want.

A while back, Yuke asked me some thing. Some thing I have thought about and fear some what should it happen… Some thing I would prefer not to do but will do if I am asked. Not because I want to, but because it may allow me to better serve my team. I’d much rather stay where I am but it’s not my choice.

Bollocks! It’s 0225…. Time to get in server. I’ve been itching for some game time since Wednesday and spent all day working. It was Midnight when I got on and I’m stilln ot done with the Forums yet.

Time to hit the servers !!!!!!!!!!

Cleaning home

A little reorganization of my most used directory (/home/Terry/Programming/)…

Terry@Dixie$ ls ~/code                                                     7:24
Ada/ D/ PHP/ Shell/
Assembly/ EmacsLisp/ Perl/ Vimscript/
C/ HTML/ Python/ license/
C++/ Java/ Ruby/ view_man_page.sh
CSS/ Javascript/ Scheme/
Terry@Dixie$ ls ~/code/C/ 7:25
doc/ include/ lib/ makefiles/ man/ src/ templates/
Terry@Dixie$ ls ~/code/C/doc 7:25
Beej's_Guide_to_Network_Programming_Using_Internet_Sockets.html
Beejs_Guide_to_C_Programming.html
C99_Standard.pdf
NCURSES/
c-refcard-fullpage.pdf
compiler-flags
downey05semaphores.pdf
gdb-refcard-fullpage.pdf
gdb.ps
gtk-tutorial.20021027/
how_to_make_a_lib/
hulubei95thix.pdf
indent.pro
lions_book.lastpage
lions_book.pdf
lions_book_src_listings.pdf
Terry@Dixie$ ls ~/code/Ruby 7:25
QT/ lib/ man/ src/
doc/ makefiles/ modules/ templates/
Terry@Dixie$ ls ~/code/Ruby/src 7:26
Count_Down.rb* filescan.rb* myfile.rb* quickref.rb*
Platform.rb* foo.m3u mymethod.rb* rbeautify.rb*
RubyShell.rb* grep.rb* nav/ readwrite.rb*
arg_parser.rb* hashes.rb* optparse.rb* ri20min.rb*
bitmask.rb* hashglob.rb* phase2.rb* rubynumbers.rb*
blgrep.rb* hello.rb* phase3.rb* rubystrings.rb*
dog.rb* lj.rb* phase4.rb* stringusage.rb*
edit_file.rb* md5toy.rb playlist.rb* swat.rb*
exit.rb* methods.rb* popmailcheck.rb
Terry@Dixie$ 7:26

Bare in mind that I have the ls (list) command aliased to include the -FGH switches on FreeBSD (basically use colours and append a symbol to the end of each file, e.g. dir/ and exe* instead of dir and exe).

~/code is basically made up of a directory per language with room for a little growth. The only languages I actively use are C, Ruby, and BourneShell. But I’m familiar with most in the directory and have made room for some of my ‘to learn’ list. Each directory essentially consists of a simple pattern.

doc/
Documentation, as seen in ~/code/C/doc/ I have a few old tutorials saved, references, an indent(1) profile in case I need it, and a copy of the Lions Book and Code listings amon the PDF’s.
include/modules/whatever
A place to put common bits of code

lib
A spot for ready to use code in library form
makefiles
Ready made makefile templates for feeding through the make program and similar tools
man
Where to stuff manual pages for now
src
The source directory contains source code files, in ~/code/C/src/ resides a copy in HTML and Source form of the UNIX Version 6 Kernels Source Code for reference and reading pleasure. In ~/code/Ruby/src/ it shows that I’ve made directories in the src folders for various libraries and toolkits where necessary. If it’s not some thing I wrote when I started learning the language or a quickie I usually use a directory per program.
templates
A spot to put them when I feel like writing them, I find it most useful for HTML/XHTML

The content various by language but it’s the style I’ve tried to arrange.

The rest of my home directory is also nicely organised for the most part.

Terry@Dixie$ ls ~/|grep '/' | sed 's////g'                                7:45
Desktop
Documents
Music
Pictures
Videos
code
logs
sh
Terry@Dixie$ ls ~/Documents 7:45
Computers/ Personal/ Work/
Games/ School/ [SAS]/
Lyrics of Dixie.txt Shakespeare/ misc_dot_files.tar.gz
Terry@Dixie$ 7:46

I’m glad to have a copy of R^5RS (PDF & PS) on hand so I can work on learning Scheme if I get some vacation time next week.

I like

Well, I’ve developed a new profanity of sorts (for me).

Dang fucking gum it !

Haha, I like that balance for some reason =/

Dang gum it — Dad’s style

Fuck — My Moms favorite word lol.

I generally try not to curse…. And almost never when in [SAS] Tags. But when I’m tired it works well when I’m ’round the rest of the world and in private.

Needless to say, I’m prone to muttering “For !@#$s sake” at work often enough. I think I like the sound of Dang !@#%ing Gum It! Better +S.

Ok, so I’m weird =/

I spent almost 16-17 years without cursing actually. I don’t care much for profanity but, I’ve been like the only one in my family that doesn’t curse for mmaaaaaannnnyyyyy years lol.

To Do

Play with xemacs

Check out Desktopoperations.txt

Install some MS Windows tools

Reorganize home directory (fun!)

find time to test some synchronization software

work on finding a new standard web browser (firefox 3.0a != fast enough on laptop)

clean up Desktop…. I hate icons !!!

test setting up a mic on desk

copy my ippimail address book to my sasclan[dot]org one

continue ‘special’ operation planing….

finish R^5RS and get a PDF/PS copy of it

Get a PDFPS copy of UNIX V6 source code

Get my ass in TG#1 before I go crazy !!!!

E-Mail Noer about that Report Form idea and talk about it before taking it up with GCHQ.

The rest of my TODO list, well can wait.. til I remember it.

Since my unconventional training ideas been approved. I’m planning on letting it rip for Saturday in TG#1 (RvS). Since Scouts Live Op may go green light on Sunday. I’m probably going to try and get a training session done in SWAT4 before or after the live op. I expect that I’ll probably have to do it another day though.

Because what I have planned for with SWAT4, I can really do any day I can get a training session going. But it will take the better part of my day to do it, so I’ll probably end up doing it another day of the week :-(. But I’d much rather see Scouts Live Op be a success.

It would also be nice if I could manage NOT getting shot in the tookus this time… I think most live ops I’ve been in I’ve managed to get shot, even when I lived. I remember the operation on that Mogadishu Mile map. Me and Lazko finished it, last men standing. Including me with a SD Sniper rifle and a Glock 17 both critically low on Ammo and thankful you can’t bleed to death from injuries in SWAT4 like in AAO lolol.

My top secret project is doing good. Most of the doc written last night. I hope to have a chance to talk with Noer about what he thinks. I’m also some what hesitent to suggest employing the doc I’ve written when I consider the potentional ramifications of it being put into practice. Should it get into wild spread usage throughout [SAS]. But I still would like to do it, even if only on a small scale… One dedicated team even.

I still have a few things to work on but I’m mostly cought up with the important stuff. Next weekend if the boss doesn’t have any huge todo lists. It might turn into a semi-vacation for me. Good thing I didn’t find time to clean my laptop yet… It means being around 6 dogs for 3 days. And my Laptops never recovered from last time!!!

It also might interfere with a little rendezvous…. but can’t help that. I’d rather have the time to rest any way then.. Well I’m not saying any details ^_^.

Secret Dreams

There is a project that has been weighing on my mind a lot for a while now. I think soon the time may be right to launch it.

The problem is, I need a 2nd who I can trust to carry it on to fruition, even without me if necessary. Yet who is active and able to contribute to the project well as part of a team.

For what I have in mind, I had always figured me and Rasa would split the job. So his retirement right now is a bit of a misfortune.

Rasa I would say is my equal in experience, maybe greater (he was Rct before me). While we have never really agreed over every little detail. I’d like to think we have often balanced each other out when it comes to Tactics and business in the [SAS]. My time as an SNCO and working on the SOP Rewrites and what not. Has shown that. I think the SOP Rewrites have benefited greatly by our working together.

Theres no saying that the project will ever be approved…. But I will begin work on its early documentation.

The issue of who to second me (i.e. be in charge of the project when I’m not around and serve as a fellow EL). What I have in mind requires a dedicated, active, and senior tactical member… Those who could do it in my place don’t have time for it. I don’t really need another thing on my plate… But I don’t know any one else I could trust to take the lead on it.

My best candidates for a 2IC of the project are all less then optimal, even I am not an optimal choice lol.. But it’s the situation I have to work in if I am to prepare for this possible project.

I’ll ready the files and worry about the rest later.

What will happen, if the tip of the spear get sharper? 🙂

PC-BSD v1.4 da Vinci released !

I was pleased to see the brain new website this afternoon and 1.4 released. I’m also very happy to see that the new website is LYNX COMPATIBLE !!!! It works and looks nice in modern browsers like Firefox. Yet it still presents a nice clean page to Lynx users.

I downloaded both CD-ROM’s, checked the MD5 Checksums, burned them and got a Quick & Dirty backup of my home directory and config files while I waited.

I think I did some thing like:

tar -czf backups.tgz /boot /etc /root
cd /home
tar -cf - Terry | gzip -9 > /usr/Terry_Home_Backup.tgz

Basically, I made a gzip’d tarball of my old kernel, drivers, and boot-config (/boot), system configuration (/etc) and roots home directory (/root). Then I tar’d and compressed my home directory with gzip. I also made a tarball afterwards of my vim installation in case there was any custom files in it.

Normally when I want to archive a file in a hurry, I use tar’s -z option to archive it (tar, tape archive) and compress it gzip (-z). But since I don’t know how if there is even a way to change the gzip/bzip2 compression level with bsd’s tar implementation. When I want to store some thing big in a hurry however. I usually make use of a pipe and redirection, namely tar -cf – archives the list of files to the standard output rather then a normal file. Which is in turn piped | into gzip who is instructed to use maximum compression on it’s input. And the final data, is redirected > to a file of my choice. Some times I will use bzip2 (higher compression) but I generally favor gzip. As normal, I keep a copy of the backup on this machine and my file server just in case.

My laptop was running PC-BSD v1.4BETA so I was not sure if the upgrade would work correct but it seems to have. The update went smoothly and I was allowed to reselect optional packages from disk 2. I elected for kdeedu, kdesdk, koffice, kdegames, and the FreeBSD source code. All installed fine except for the Source Code !!! My /usr/src is empty, as it was each time I installed 1.4BETA. Oh well, csup will get me newer sources…

Before logging in as my normal user, I had to drop to the console and log in as root in order to change my user accounts log in shell from zsh to one installed (sh, csh, tcsh, bash – I chose sh). Other wise it is impossible to log in from KDM. Of course once I made sure my laptop booted into KDE. I went and installed zsh and changed it back. — I never change roots shell but I do change mine unless I’m sticky. My OpenBSD server still only uses the default (hacked pd)korn shell it came with.

I found 1.4 Release to be much like the Beta but with a new loading screen. I noted that most of the (many) screen savers were removed and one could now specify the rates of the monitor when asked to set up the Xorg config file. It was also nice to see my rc.conf.local file preserved well enough. Although the onboard Winmodem and Winfi don’t work, the ethernet card is now detected by the msk driver as mskc0; I don’t know if it works since I use a Atheros based Wifi card now. It was very nice to see MPlayer back in the install. It was removed from 1.4BETA along with the GTK GUI, in 1.4 Release we have MPlayer and the KMPlayer front end. Although Flash7 seems to have been lost now. Oh well, I’d rather skip compling MPlayer then use Flash ^_^

Since the upgrade process basically nukes all installed software. I had to reinstall most every thing I’ve added. Since I’ve stopped using PBI, that has made this take a little lower. I tend to use ports and a few packages.

My hit list

 codecs   # Hand installed from MPlayerHQ
cscope # code browser, I've been meaning to learn how to use it.
elinks # Web Browser, text/gui
exuberant ctags # What I use to generate my system tags file in ~/.vim/tags
gmake # Needed for GTK/QT development and building Vim with GTK support
konversation # The worlds greatest IRC Client
kscope # GUI front end for cscope, might be worth toying with.
lynx-current # Web brower, text; If it supported decent html layout it'd be my default.
mg # Micro GNU Emacs based editor maintained by OpenBSD people.
portaudit # Was in 1.3 but removed in PC-BSD v1.4
portupgrade # Was in 1.3 but removed in PC-BSD
prboom and files # Doom I/II updated to *RUN* on modern hardware.
psearch # port searching, I wonder why no one wrote a GUI for this dandy script.
rtags # CTags like program for Ruby written in Ruby file, works with vi/emacs
ruby-doc-stdlib # Docs of Rubies standard library
ruby-gems # Ruby package manager for extra Ruby code
ruby-usersguide # Duh
rubygem-rake # make done Ruby style
scheme48 # Scheme, a Lisp like language.
supertux # Hey Super Mario, ehhh Super Tux !
vim # Compiled from source as per my norm
xemacs # Last time I used GNU Emacs, now I'll return to my old emacsen (I prefer Vim)
xpdf # Useful tool

I also need to install a decent web browser (gui) and JRE/JDK. I might bite it and use PBI’s for the JRE/JDK but not for any thing else. I’ve found Firefox 3.0 Alpha and Netscape 9 to slow for my tastes (my laptop is only a sempron-m 3300+ and 512mb ddr). Konqueror I’ve found tends to lock up on some websites, maybe it’s the Javascript engine I can’t really tell.

Ether way, I need to find a decent browser I can *live* with that works on most OSes I’m likely to use. Or one that uses the same bookmark format as Konqueror any way xD. Lynx is still the best browser I’ve ever used though, even if it lays out web pages in Text Only and crappy.

My laptop is basically my workstation. So it has a lot of stuff in it, paramount in it is my current home directory. Most important being ~/{Documents,Pictures,Music,.vim,vimrc} and

Terry@Dixie$ /bin/ls -1 ~/Programming                                      6:53
Ada
Assembly
C
C++
GTK
HTML
Java
NCURSES
PHP
Perl
Python
QT
Ruby
Scheme
Shell
Style
templets

I should probably restructure that directory, make it neater.

Future todos, clean my home directory up again.

reorganise files.

clean up my bookmarks file in prep for a new browser.

Make new XMMS and Blackbox PBI’s.

Pass out… Work in 6 hours…