SUCCINCT: –adjective
1. expressed in few words; concise; terse.
2. characterized by conciseness or verbal brevity.
3. compressed into a small area, scope, or compass.
I love this word! It was uttered in one of my meetings this morning, ironically as a long-winded solution to the wordy error messages generated by one of the web services our team supports.
20 February 2007
Record with a Bullet
New locomotive speed record
Railway history was written in Germany on September 2, 2006. A series-manufactured Siemens' type-ES64U4 ("Taurus 3") locomotive reached a speed of 357 km/h for the first time ever and thereby established a new world speed record for locomotives. The fastest locomotive up until then had chaulked up 331 km/h.
(Railway Technical Review v.46 no. 4 2006)
Holy crap.
19 February 2007
Sucking Juice through a Net
Demand grows, but data centers don't hog power
Benjamin Pimentel, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Data centers are sucking up more electricity as more people and organizations log on to the Internet. But there's been some disagreement over how power-hungry the servers running the nation's network are.
Take the previously accepted belief -- now dismissed as inaccurate -- that the Internet and all the computer equipment in the nation requires 13 percent of total electricity use in the United States.
A study released Wednesday says that energy consumption at data centers is growing rapidly, doubling from 2000 to 2005, according to a report by Jonathan Koomey, a staff scientist of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a consulting professor at Stanford University.
But overall, the amount energy servers consume is only about 1.2 percent of the electricity used in the country, although the rate at which it has grown might still be cause for worry.
The study was commissioned by chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices partly in response to growing concern over corporate customers' rising energy bills.
"If you see that there might be a problem, you have to ask how big is the problem," Koomey said. "The purpose of the study is to give a reasonable estimate of how much electricity is used. From that, you can then figure out whether there are actions that industry can take or that government can take."
According to the study, servers and the infrastructure used to maintain these machines use about 45 billion kilowatt hours a year. That's equivalent to the amount of power used by the state of Mississippi in 2005, Koomey said.
The United States consumed 3,661 billion kilowatt hours, or nearly $300 billion, in 2005, Koomey said.
Data centers in the United States spent $2.7 billion on electricity in 2005, the report said. Worldwide, the total cost was $7.2 billion.
The AMD report is based on comprehensive data collected by International Data Corp. on the existing, historical and projected installed base and shipments of servers from 1996 to 2009.
It underscores what many experts and government agencies have come to realize: Many of the projections of how much power network computing consumes were overstated.
Claudia Chandler, assistant executive director at the California Energy Commission, said some sectors even blamed the energy crisis about six years ago on the growth of the Internet.
"It was exactly that -- an urban myth," she said.
James Bushnell, research director of the UC Energy Institute, said the AMD report offers a more realistic view of the Internet's impact on energy.
"In the end, the bottom line is it's not their fault and we shouldn't be looking toward high-tech as either the cause or the cure of our electricity problem," he said.
In fact, AMD's study is based on concerns over the bottom line.
John Fruehe, a development manager at AMD, said the chip company commissioned the study because its customers are increasingly worried about the power consumed at data centers.
"They are starting to max out their power budgets," he said. "Everything that's involved in this is looking at the bottom line."
Koomey said the growing need for power at data centers, with the rapid expansion of the Web, has prompted government and businesses to come up with more energy-efficient networks.
Chandrakant Patel, a research scientist at Hewlett-Packard Labs, said tech companies need to focus on every aspect of the data center, from the microprocessor to the air-conditioning system.
"You really must look at the stack," he said. "It has to be addressed holistically."
Of course, this power usage estimate doesn't include the millions upon millions of PCs around the globe that stay on 24/7 downloading movies, music, and porn...
So true...
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule it."
- H. L. Mencken
Happy Family Day!
"That's a family, all right..."I'm the only one working in the entire province of Alberta today, so here's my contribution to the protection of the institution of the family for you to appreciate while having your day off!
16 February 2007
Thar's treasure in them thar hills, Billy!
More fuel for my arguments to screw my principles, cross 9th Ave. and join the Dark Side....
EnCana shatters profit record
The new champion of Canadian corporate profits is EnCana, after the energy firm on Thursday reported a $6.5-billion profit for 2006. Canada's largest independent energy company overcame a fourth-quarter slump to eclipse the previous best full-year performance in Canadian history - $5.46B - set by industrial conglomerate BCE at the height of the tech boom in 1999. "We achieved all this in a tough operating environment for the industry marked by record-breaking activity levels," ceo Randy Eresman said. Eresman described 2006 as a "challenging year" in which the company's results were "mixed." Even so, the company's profits are noteworthy. Laid end to end, it's enough dollar bills to circle the Earth 22 times or make three one-way trips to the moon. EnCana's profits exceeded the gross domestic product of countries such as Fiji and Mongolia. The record results come at an awkward time, with the provincial government poised to announce a royalty review panel today meant to ensure Albertans are getting their full share of resource revenues. EnCana's stunning results could spark a backlash of public perception of rich oil companies - especially in light of the fact that Canada's five large integrated oil companies earlier reported profits topping $12B for 2006. But EnCana spokesman Alan Boras said the reality isn't as "sexy" as many might assume. Excluding hedging gains, the company made about the same as it did in 2005, he explained. Gerry Protti, EnCana's vp of corporate relations, said the province's proposed royalty review is an appropriate way to set the record straight. "We think it's important to have this review to clear the air," Protti said. EnCana credited one-time items, including some US$1.37B in after-tax hedging gains, for fuelling the positive results. In addition, it doubled its quarterly dividend to 20 cents a share. In stark contrast to the full year, fourth-quarter profits fell about 72% to $663 million, or 82 cents a share, from $2.36B the year before, reflecting lower natural gas prices in the latter part of the year. Analysts said the results generally met or exceeded expectations.
(Calgary Herald 070216)
Mmmm....fat oil and gas profit coffer bonuses....yum....
EnCana shatters profit record
The new champion of Canadian corporate profits is EnCana, after the energy firm on Thursday reported a $6.5-billion profit for 2006. Canada's largest independent energy company overcame a fourth-quarter slump to eclipse the previous best full-year performance in Canadian history - $5.46B - set by industrial conglomerate BCE at the height of the tech boom in 1999. "We achieved all this in a tough operating environment for the industry marked by record-breaking activity levels," ceo Randy Eresman said. Eresman described 2006 as a "challenging year" in which the company's results were "mixed." Even so, the company's profits are noteworthy. Laid end to end, it's enough dollar bills to circle the Earth 22 times or make three one-way trips to the moon. EnCana's profits exceeded the gross domestic product of countries such as Fiji and Mongolia. The record results come at an awkward time, with the provincial government poised to announce a royalty review panel today meant to ensure Albertans are getting their full share of resource revenues. EnCana's stunning results could spark a backlash of public perception of rich oil companies - especially in light of the fact that Canada's five large integrated oil companies earlier reported profits topping $12B for 2006. But EnCana spokesman Alan Boras said the reality isn't as "sexy" as many might assume. Excluding hedging gains, the company made about the same as it did in 2005, he explained. Gerry Protti, EnCana's vp of corporate relations, said the province's proposed royalty review is an appropriate way to set the record straight. "We think it's important to have this review to clear the air," Protti said. EnCana credited one-time items, including some US$1.37B in after-tax hedging gains, for fuelling the positive results. In addition, it doubled its quarterly dividend to 20 cents a share. In stark contrast to the full year, fourth-quarter profits fell about 72% to $663 million, or 82 cents a share, from $2.36B the year before, reflecting lower natural gas prices in the latter part of the year. Analysts said the results generally met or exceeded expectations.
(Calgary Herald 070216)
Mmmm....fat oil and gas profit coffer bonuses....yum....
14 February 2007
To The Man I Love
After all this time together,
you still know how to surprise me -
you can still make me laugh.
And whatever you do,
I realize again that you've become
more and more of what my life is about.
It's not that I'm less myself -
you've never tried to change me.
In fact, I'm more myself -
because you and your love
bring out the best FOR me.
That's what real love means.
Your voice on the phone
makes me feel embraced.
Your hand reaching for mine
makes me feel positively cherished.
Many times when I merely glance your way,
I feel the thrill of falling in love with you
all over again.
And that's why, on Valentine's Day
I'm celebrating the special love we share.
- Barbara Loots
Yes, Hallmark sappy, but it conveys what I feel about my man. This is the card I gave him today.
Yipe! This is coming sooner than I thought
Ahh...good to be back....
Oilpatch on alert over terror threat
Alberta's energy sector is on heightened alert after an al-Qaeda Internet posting called for terrorist strikes against Canadian oil and natural gas facilities to "choke the US economy." An online message, posted last Thursday by the al-Qaeda Organization in the Arabian Peninsula, declares "we should strike petroleum interests in all areas which supply the United States . . . like Canada," the largest exporter of oil and gas to the US. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said Tuesday it was aware of the posting, as is Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. Alberta Energy and Utilities Board spokesman Darin Barter said oil and gas companies are on "heightened alert," but added the warning wasn't specific enough to warrant raising the threat level. "There was no evidence that pointed to any imminent or direct threat to Alberta infrastructure," he said. Although it declines to list specific sites, Alberta has designated some oilsands mines, power plants, refineries and pipelines among "critical infrastructure" as potential terrorist targets.
The threat comes from the same terrorist group, the Saudi arm of Osama bin Laden's network, that claimed responsibility for last February's attack on the world's largest oil processing facility at Abqaiq in Saudi Arabia's eastern province. The attack was foiled when guards at the site opened fire on the terrorists, blowing up their vehicles filled with explosives before they could get through the gates. In this latest message three western countries are mentioned in the call-to-arms -- Canada first, followed by Mexico and Venezuela. Would-be attackers are instructed to specifically target oilfields, pipelines, loading platforms and carriers. Greg Stringham, vp of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said the threat is similar to a posting made about a year ago, when an al-Qaeda-affiliated Internet blog called on Canadian and US jihadists to attack an Alaskan oil pipeline. "We are taking it very seriously and making sure that people are aware and vigilant even, though we've been told there is no new threat or additional threat at this point in time," he said, "but every time Canada gets mentioned in this, it really does make sure that we are well-prepared."
(Calgary Herald 070214)
Oilpatch on alert over terror threat
Alberta's energy sector is on heightened alert after an al-Qaeda Internet posting called for terrorist strikes against Canadian oil and natural gas facilities to "choke the US economy." An online message, posted last Thursday by the al-Qaeda Organization in the Arabian Peninsula, declares "we should strike petroleum interests in all areas which supply the United States . . . like Canada," the largest exporter of oil and gas to the US. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said Tuesday it was aware of the posting, as is Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. Alberta Energy and Utilities Board spokesman Darin Barter said oil and gas companies are on "heightened alert," but added the warning wasn't specific enough to warrant raising the threat level. "There was no evidence that pointed to any imminent or direct threat to Alberta infrastructure," he said. Although it declines to list specific sites, Alberta has designated some oilsands mines, power plants, refineries and pipelines among "critical infrastructure" as potential terrorist targets.
The threat comes from the same terrorist group, the Saudi arm of Osama bin Laden's network, that claimed responsibility for last February's attack on the world's largest oil processing facility at Abqaiq in Saudi Arabia's eastern province. The attack was foiled when guards at the site opened fire on the terrorists, blowing up their vehicles filled with explosives before they could get through the gates. In this latest message three western countries are mentioned in the call-to-arms -- Canada first, followed by Mexico and Venezuela. Would-be attackers are instructed to specifically target oilfields, pipelines, loading platforms and carriers. Greg Stringham, vp of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said the threat is similar to a posting made about a year ago, when an al-Qaeda-affiliated Internet blog called on Canadian and US jihadists to attack an Alaskan oil pipeline. "We are taking it very seriously and making sure that people are aware and vigilant even, though we've been told there is no new threat or additional threat at this point in time," he said, "but every time Canada gets mentioned in this, it really does make sure that we are well-prepared."
(Calgary Herald 070214)
13 February 2007
Happy Get A Different Name Day!
(Open the picture to get the GIF to work.)February 13 is Get A Different Name Day. I wonder if the fact Valentine's Day is tomorrow is just a coincidence????
Well, at any rate, if you didn't' know, I'm otherwise known as Matthew James Bauer. I'd like to think that all the Jaydons and Austins out there feel all warm and fuzzy on February 13th every year!
12 February 2007
South Padre Island, San Antonio and such
The room of birds (4.99 each) at El Disco SuperCentre in Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Foggy morning on South Padre
View from the Main Beach, SPI
Hottie surfer, SPI
Riverwalk by Day, San Antonio
Ma and Pa on the Riverwalk
The Alamo, San Antonio
Riverwalk at Night, San Antonio
La Villita, San Antonio
11 February 2007
Curling hotties
As I've been hanging out with the Manitobans all week, attention post-Superbowl has turned to the Provincial curling championships on satellite TV as you would expect. But what I didn't expect was how freaking hot some of these curling men were! Holy toledo, but how hot was Jeff Stoughton in his younger days (and the rest of his Provincial team...Ryan Fry and Rob Fowler...Yowsa!)? Reid Carruthers? Brad Gushue? Okay, truthfully a lot of the old boys have mugs that only a mother could love, but the young up-and-comers are hopefully going to provide some eye-candy for an otherwise questionable 'sport'. Why otherwise would a gay man watch sports anyways?
Still deep in the heart
So, my folks roll me into Harlingen Valley International at 6am only to discover that my flight to Houston this morning was cancelled due to fog. I've been rescheduled on an earlier morning flight tomorrow from Brownsville that is supposed to get me into Calgary around 12:30pm. Since Brownsville is an hour's drive from Weslaco, I'm probably getting dropped off tonight since the flight is at 6:15am. This is all quite unfortunate as I had already mentally prepared to leave here and return to the wintry north.
I am supposed to be in the office tomorrow and was planning on taking another flex day because of the delay, but just now checking my email I have a mandatory meeting tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 so I guess I won't be taking the day off after all.
The weather here has been less than stellar to say the least. We had only one day of sun and it has been downright shitty since Wednesday. I went up to San Antonio with my folks on Thursday and it was so cold there I had to buy another jacket since I had only brought light clothes for the trip and left my winter jacket in Weslaco!
Despite the cold, San Antonio was still a great place to check out. S.A is about the same size as Calgary but doesn't appear to have the same level of downtown activity. It actually seemed quite weird that while the weather was cold, there was no one around. People were even walking around Thursday night and Friday morning with toques and gloves! I mean, really. It was still 10C out! While there, we checked out the Alamo, RiverCentre, Hemisfair, La Villita, and of course, the Riverwalk.
The Riverwalk is a fantastic development. I only wish I could have experienced it on a warm evening and day when there would have been a lot of people out and about. I did manage to run the entire thing on Friday morning (when it was only about 6C), and the full walk system goes far to the north and south along the San Antonio River than the main walk areas. I ran the whole system north to south and it took about 50 minutes. The entire system is completely built-up and landscaped which makes it very beautiful with lots of fountains, greenery, trees and lighting. The main section is lined with restaurants, retail and lounges all on a level below street level. This is all in stark contrast to Calgary's river pathway system which is largely undeveloped and wild. I'm not sure which look I appreciate more, but San Antonio certainly has something good going for it with this setup!
The rest of the week has just been hanging out. I've been to McAllen to do some shopping with dad, done a lot of running and gym workouts, and went across the Rio Grande to Mexico on Tuesday while dad was getting some dental work done. All I brought back from Mexico this time was a bottle of duty-free vodka!
In my typical brainless fashion, I overcompensated for the lack of sunlight by spending all day Wednesday on the South Padre Island beaches sans sunblock while my mom and dad and their friends were at a Winter Texan Snowbird Extravaganza appreciation thingy at the SPI Convention Centre. I ended up with a wicked killer sunburn. The pain is tolerable today and it is starting to nicely peel on my face, chest and shoulders. I walked ten miles (ten!) up and down the beach. The mist was slow to lift during the morning so I figured I was getting some natural sunblock, but it was the early afternoon when most of the damage was done. I was wearing my backpack while traipsing up and down the miles of beach which left a couple of really cool distinctive lines on my shoulder to add to the effect, sort of like a candy cane if you will. It all screams 'LOSER' in my books. I can't believe I did that and I'm certainly getting what I deserved. It certainly made the cleans and squats in the gym yesterday a little timid!
It has been rainy and foggy since Friday night, so since I'm spending an additional day here with no chance of a pooldeck chair afternoon, I'm heading back to the outlet mall in Mercedes. What a wicked place! Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Perry Ellis, Gap, Burberry, Banana Republic, Skechers, Adidas, Puma, Nike...lots of great deals.
We did a traditional over-the-top Tex-Mex style dinner at a locally-owned restaurant last night lovingly called Fat Daddy's. I'm still full today while the fat globules slowly move closer to my lining of the walls of my heart. There's more than a few good reasons why everyone here is disgustingly fat, and one of the is the insane number of all-you-can-eat buffets and Texas-style restaurants all over the place. Oh yeah, and the complete lack of sidewalks, public transit, or taxis. Being a pedestrian here is an act of madness as any venture against traffic on the main roads is putting your life into your own hands. And the vehicle congestion in these small cities like McAllen look like they belong in a city five times the size. The 83 Expressway is a traffic jam. How soul-crushing is all that? Oh well, as long as the little white Texan women in their Hummers don't lose the signal on their cellphones while going through the Starbucks drive-thru, I guess everything is alright in the world for now.
Sorry - bit of digression there. It's been a nice week, but I can't say I'm coming back all that more relaxed. I've been able to stop thinking about work for a week, but that's all come to an abrupt end today. Screw it - I've got 18 more hours - time to go shopping. When in Rome....
Talk to y'all when I get back!
01 February 2007
Damage control
Harper puts green machine in motion
Stephen Harper moved yesterday to mend his government's frayed international reputation on climate change by dispatching his Environment Minister to Paris for a key conference and promising to join an emergency UN summit on the issue. The decisions came as the Prime Minister was battered for a second day in the House of Commons over a letter he wrote five years ago in which he called the Kyoto accord a “socialist scheme” aimed at sucking money from wealth-producing nations. While in Paris, Environment Minister John Baird will be briefed by the group of leading scientists whose work on global warming inspired Kyoto. The scientists will release a major report tomorrow concluding there is “unequivocal” evidence that climate change is real and is happening faster than expected. French President Jacques Chirac is expected to ask Baird for Canada's support for a new United Nations environment organization. Baird's spokesman, Mike Van Soelen, confirmed the Paris meeting, but would not say whether Canada would support the creation of the agency. Also yesterday, the Prime Minister said he is willing to take part in a summit on global warming being called for by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “I have not received an invitation from the United Nations Secretary-General,” Harper told the Commons. “However, if we did, we would accept . . . we all realize this is a serious environmental problem that needs immediate action.”
Within the scientific community, there is widespread dismay that, even after years of compelling evidence, some still dispute the temperature readings showing the exceptional warming over the past 50 years, and dismiss the models that predict the warming will intensify if more fossil fuels are burned. Gordon McBean, former head of the Meteorological Service of Canada and a professor at the University of Western Ontario, says the view that humans are causing the planet to warm by altering the gases in the atmosphere “is the consensus view of 80 to 90% of the climate scientists in the world.” He says about 5% don't accept the idea, but an equal number believe climate change is likely to be far more devastating than most scientists are forecasting. “Whenever you hear from the skeptics, think consciously that there are at least as many credible scientists who would go beyond on the other side of the issue.” (Globe and Mail 070201)
Drivers steer clear of climate concerns
The notion that fretful Canadians concerned about global warming are racing out to buy more environmentally friendly vehicles is overblown, according to a survey of new vehicle buyers by Maritz Research. Buying an environmentally friendly vehicle ranked just 23rd among 26 reasons for purchase, the Maritz New Vehicle Customer Study of 38,500 buyers showed. Protecting the environment ranked well behind value for money, fuel economy and reliability - the top three reasons for buying a certain vehicle - and was also less important to those surveyed than towing capability and interior styling. Even buyers of subcompact cars were more interested in storage and cargo capacity than environmental friendliness. “In actual buying behaviour, it's not manifesting itself in the purchase-decision process,” said Chris Travell, vp of Maritz's automotive research group. “It doesn't hold a candle to these other issues.” While the issue of fuel economy ranked near the top of the survey list, Canadian buyers appeared to shrug off that concern last year. They bought more luxury and large sport utility vehicles, the lightning rod for environmentalists who criticize the auto industry. Sales of large SUVs jumped 17% last year from 2005 levels, while luxury SUV sales jumped 6%, according to data compiled by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants. (Globe and Mail 070201)
Sigh...I doubt we're ever going to get it.
Stephen Harper moved yesterday to mend his government's frayed international reputation on climate change by dispatching his Environment Minister to Paris for a key conference and promising to join an emergency UN summit on the issue. The decisions came as the Prime Minister was battered for a second day in the House of Commons over a letter he wrote five years ago in which he called the Kyoto accord a “socialist scheme” aimed at sucking money from wealth-producing nations. While in Paris, Environment Minister John Baird will be briefed by the group of leading scientists whose work on global warming inspired Kyoto. The scientists will release a major report tomorrow concluding there is “unequivocal” evidence that climate change is real and is happening faster than expected. French President Jacques Chirac is expected to ask Baird for Canada's support for a new United Nations environment organization. Baird's spokesman, Mike Van Soelen, confirmed the Paris meeting, but would not say whether Canada would support the creation of the agency. Also yesterday, the Prime Minister said he is willing to take part in a summit on global warming being called for by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “I have not received an invitation from the United Nations Secretary-General,” Harper told the Commons. “However, if we did, we would accept . . . we all realize this is a serious environmental problem that needs immediate action.”
Within the scientific community, there is widespread dismay that, even after years of compelling evidence, some still dispute the temperature readings showing the exceptional warming over the past 50 years, and dismiss the models that predict the warming will intensify if more fossil fuels are burned. Gordon McBean, former head of the Meteorological Service of Canada and a professor at the University of Western Ontario, says the view that humans are causing the planet to warm by altering the gases in the atmosphere “is the consensus view of 80 to 90% of the climate scientists in the world.” He says about 5% don't accept the idea, but an equal number believe climate change is likely to be far more devastating than most scientists are forecasting. “Whenever you hear from the skeptics, think consciously that there are at least as many credible scientists who would go beyond on the other side of the issue.” (Globe and Mail 070201)
Drivers steer clear of climate concerns
The notion that fretful Canadians concerned about global warming are racing out to buy more environmentally friendly vehicles is overblown, according to a survey of new vehicle buyers by Maritz Research. Buying an environmentally friendly vehicle ranked just 23rd among 26 reasons for purchase, the Maritz New Vehicle Customer Study of 38,500 buyers showed. Protecting the environment ranked well behind value for money, fuel economy and reliability - the top three reasons for buying a certain vehicle - and was also less important to those surveyed than towing capability and interior styling. Even buyers of subcompact cars were more interested in storage and cargo capacity than environmental friendliness. “In actual buying behaviour, it's not manifesting itself in the purchase-decision process,” said Chris Travell, vp of Maritz's automotive research group. “It doesn't hold a candle to these other issues.” While the issue of fuel economy ranked near the top of the survey list, Canadian buyers appeared to shrug off that concern last year. They bought more luxury and large sport utility vehicles, the lightning rod for environmentalists who criticize the auto industry. Sales of large SUVs jumped 17% last year from 2005 levels, while luxury SUV sales jumped 6%, according to data compiled by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants. (Globe and Mail 070201)
Sigh...I doubt we're ever going to get it.
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