My boss went to Japan last week to meet with Otsuka-Shokai and to observe the workings of the datacenter they have over there. What he brought back was extraordinary- a box of cookies from a maid cafe.

Labeled "@Maid Cookies", the box is a product of the @home Cafe, a maid cafe in Tokyo and other parts in Japan. Apparantly one of the Otsuka-Shokai guys (who has visited us stateside in the past) treated him to @home Cafe, and even got me a membership card there for kicks. (!!)

If I ever visit Tokyo, I will definitely have to put it to use.

Akibanana.com had written an @home Cafe review just a couple of weeks before my boss went. It really does look fun to go to.

I recently realized that I am taking care of not only the company's backups, but of our clients as well. Before this job I haven't done serious backup work, especially on my own home machine. So I ended up making up my own little way of doing backups at work.

Of course, this isn't a matter of buying an external hard drive. I built a dedicated Linux system to take care of the different kinds of servers we have, like the webservers, the MTAs, and SQL servers for my company and its clients. The heart of the backup are a couple of scripts run by cron everyday.

One is specially made by me and the other is modified from another backup script for our biggest client, who we call Otsuka. The first script runs rsync on important directories, like postfix directories for MTAs or the webroot for webservers. Then once a week it takes a tar archive of those directories and holds them for a week. Since this type of data does not change very much I hold the data for a week to not prematurely fill up the server.

The second script is an SQL backup script. SQL database contents change frequently, and this script takes an archive of database contents each day for seven days.

All in all, we have a single Dell PowerEdge 2850 with around 700Gb capacity taking backups of our Linux systems. Which is great for us, since this machine is replacing an older system with much less capacity.

But our client Otsuka has invested heavily in backups, so we get to play with much more complex machines than a 2850, which get to be pushed into production pretty soon. They purchased three PowerEdge 2950s, each to be paired up with their own Dell MD3000. So that's 3 servers and 3 storage arrays. Fortunately, the backup methods will be entirely similar- so I won't have to create new scripts or use different programs. The main difference is that one pair of these systems will have a capacity of 5 terabytes, and we need every bit of it considering how many servers Otsuka has with us (which I'd estimate at about 100).

I wouldn't say that a 2950 is overkill for a backup system either. Compression of SQL databases are done on the backup side, and of course the tar archives. Having extra horsepower to do the file crunching and then getting backups done more quickly is always a good thing, imo.

And with these new systems, we'll finally be able to fulfill the golden rule of backups- Always have an offsite backup~

Oh ho, a new year and so long without a blog entry.

I figure I haven't been keeping my friends updated on my antics lately (apart from Facebook but that isn't really active either) so I thought I should go back to doing that. I have usually excluded work from here but I think I'll break from that personal policy. So here's a briefing on what happened these past few months.

So I'm working IT now. Love it. I'm a system admin for a small web- and email hosting company in downtown Seattle. Even though it's a Japanese company, my college minor credentials did not factor in getting the job. (My Japanese still sucks anyway)

Soon after I got kicked out of my apartment (or rather, I had to leave because they were converting to condominiums). The ordeal left a bad taste so I decided to get a condo in north Seattle. I do have the extra income anyhoo. It's a 1 bed, 1 bath and I like it.

A couple of weeks ago I flew back home to attend my bro's graduation. I saw a few old friends, played games, and managed to see a couple frat brothers in a stopover in Charlotte on my flight back. What a coincidence. It was a good slap in the face though; I realized that I really haven't been communicating what I have been doing. I kinda had dropped out of contact.

Well, most of my updates should be more or less work-related from now on, as that's all that's keeping me busy.

Except for manga. Holy crap I have suddenly started reading a whole bunch of it. I guess it started with Genshiken. It ended with volume 9 so I started reading Welcome to the NHK. So far it's up to vol 5 and I finish these pretty quickly (about 1/2 volume on one trip to work by bus). I also picked up the massive 600+ page Azumanga Daioh "Omnibus" collection. I was getting a kick out of the Scrapped Princess novel series so I also picked up the novel version of NHK as well as Kino no Tabi. Even though I've seen some of the anime and the OVA of Kino no Tabi before, I had decided to buy the anime series after finishing the novel.

Anyway, I'm almost done with that "Omnibus" and I don't really want to keep it waiting.

I bought a new keyboard today, the wonderful metal ultraslim Apple keyboard. It is really nice. The edge closest to you has practically zero clearance and typing on it is quiet and still has the tactile feel of typing on a notebook. But since I'm a Linux user, some keys have changed (or disappeared) and I set out to fix that.

I'm not a regular Mac user, so I quickly noticed that the Insert key was replaced by a "fn" key. I would assume it's there to double-up on various function keys like volume, Expose and Dashboard made popular by notebooks nowadays. fn does not replace Insert, however, as Command replaces Win or Option replaces Alt. Clear replaces NumLock. Other keys do not have a replacement, as I depict with a list:

Keys Without a Substitution on the new Apple Keyboard (#a1243)
-- Insert
-- Print Screen/SysRq
-- Scroll Lock
-- Pause/Break

Using the command "xev" I could find out which keys were free so I could reassign Insert to a different key. Unfortunately, fn does not generate a keypress so I couldn't replace fn with Insert. If there's a way to detect a fn keypress I will update this page.

So pressing keys within the xev window will produce output in the terminal like this:

KeyRelease event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x4c00001,

    root 0x1a5, subw 0x0, time 1551098171, (77,-11), root:(794,556),

    state 0x10, keycode 157 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol), same_screen YES,

    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:

    XFilterEvent returns: False

NoSymbol means there is no keymap. And under my distribution (openSuse) F16 is mapped to something called Mode_Switch, which I'll just leave alone. So I end up with keys that do nothing:

Keys With No Function
-- Eject, keycode 204 (next to F12)
-- F13, keycode 182
-- F14, keycode 183
-- F15, keycode 184
-- F17, keycode 131
-- F18, keycode 247
-- F19, keycode 132
-- =, keycode 157 (on the keypad)

Using xmodmap -e, I can take those keycodes gathered from xev and assign them to unused keys. I chose F13 to become my new Insert, F17-19 as my Print Screen, Scroll Lock, and Pause keys.

$ xmodmap -e "keycode 182 = Insert"

$ xmodmap -e "keycode 131 = Print Sys_Req"

$ xmodmap -e "keycode 132 = Pause Break"

$ xmodmap -e "keycode 247 = Scroll_Lock"

Changes take effect immediately. Now if I need to work outside X, that might be a different story.

So since I haven't written anything since the Wii launch I suppose I could follow up on it. Since it's obviously too late for impressions I will say that I like the console and my only regret is not having more people come and play it with me.

To date I've purchased two Wii games: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Sonic and the Secret Rings. I consider the average Wii game price of $50 a little steep for me so I try to get the ones that really interest me. Mostly I have no regret in buying these games after playing them, especially Zelda, but with Sonic I find it a little frustrating at times.

Overall these two games have gotten a lot of use from me. So far I’ve clocked in 83 hours in Zelda, and I have yet to find all those pesky Poes and bugs! I still managed to have found all heart pieces, but that was the easy part.

In Sonic I’ve played for 5 hours and have collected 3 World Rings. I think I’m going through a little slow since I’m stubborn and need to complete a level after starting one.

I also bought 3 games for the Virtual Console: Ice Hockey (NES), Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES), and Super Mario World (SNES). It was probably a mistake getting these games because after replaying them from the old days, I realized I really suck at them. I died within 5 minutes in starting Zelda (I could not kill those green soldiers! Haha) and could not (and still can’t) get my jumping straight in Super Mario World.

So all in all, all’s good in the Wii world. I plan to get more games, but I don’t have any “must-gets” at the moment. Although I am considering these:

• Super Paper Mario (Nintendo) – April
• Heatseeker (Codemasters)
• Sadness (Nibris)
• MySims (EA)

Looks like I've spent a modest (or measly) amount of income on games so far since launch. Not counting the Wii itself, I spent $90 on Wii games (I bought Sonic with a $10 Best Buy gift card) and $21 on VC games- bringing me a total of $111 in software.

And I am not going to go into accessories, controllers, or DS purchases... yet.

Thanks to all the positive reactions people have been getting from playing the Wii and partly because of GoNintendo's very nice review of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, I decided very late to purchase a Wii, probably a week before launch.

My only gaming system (apart from a PC) is a Nintendo DS, thanks to my brother for introducing me to it over a year ago. My last console I considered I played was the SNES. =o

Details about the Wii launch were popping up increasingly as the weeks neared to today, particularly a leak of Target Wii allocation numbers for every store in the country. My store at Northgate was getting 60. To me back then that was a big number. The kind of number that makes one think: I don't really need to camp out. I could just walk in close to opening and just get one. Others shared my thoughts as even managers said they didn't expect them to sell out day one, as well as forum-goers on gaming websites. I particularly thought that game systems would be plentiful but to watch out for games shortages.

Boy did that turn out to be big understatements.

I made a plan Saturday plotting my events that would take no longer than 9 hours between Target and Best Buy. I would get a Wii plus Zelda at Target and proceed to the Best Buy campout lines for the component cables. (I not-so-recently purchased an LCD monitor capable of displaying Wii's video output of 480p.) I caught 6 people waiting in line already at 12pm so I decided to campout slightly earlier. By just an hour.

Saturday night hits and I take the last 41 route to Northgate, arriving at 12am. I creep up the stairs and take a glimpse of the massive crowd for Best Buy a level below. A couple of levels further I see a long line for Target, stretching from the entrance into the parking garage- and a white van just dropping off three teenagers at the end of the line. I meet up with them and the last person already in line mentions to the four of us: Hey, we're #57 and 58.

That makes the two of the three teenagers 59 and 60 and the third 61 and then me at 62. My mind just went WTF. 62 for 60 total units. I took the last bus running for the night, and I have no idea how many units Best Buy is getting below. Great planning indeed.

Number 57 tries to assure us and says that people might drop out, or that people's credit cards might not go through. I thought: Yeah right. Either way I still don't know for sure if I'm getting a launch system and tickets would be given out in 7 hours. That's a long time to wait... but then again, I don't really have a choice. I can't ride the metro until 6:20. So, uncertainly, I sat down in line.

The three teenagers were pretty cool, humorous. One had a DS and we played Mario Kart for a bit and I'd get served... Later they busted out Monopoly and I tried to take a nap. Every now and then I'd play Elite Beat Agents trying to get a better score for the "Without a Fight" song. Along the 5th to 6th hour in line I challenged them to Tetris, and I got cries of dispair from constant tetrises. We kept ourselves occupied thouroughly.

Every now and then a person would sit down joining the line, only to quickly remove themselves learning they were not effectively guaranteed a spot. About 5am one did stay, and he was a coworker I knew. When 7:00 rolled around one of the managers made a preliminary head count, and I was #59! Sweet.

The store opened at 8 and they started handing out tickets. Someone must have cut into the line at some point, as I became the last ticket holder for the Wii, #60. I was relieved- emerging victorious. My coworker was destroyed.

We walked inside and perhaps after 30 minutes, I got my system. Only without the Zelda game I wanted. The last copy was picked up by #59! Curses!

$244.79 later thanks to my discount card, I put the Wii box into a brown paper bag. I didn't want to get mugged riding the metro back home. I had brought a small corkscrew/knife combo and the bag to hopefully ensure that I didn't wind up like some PS3 buyers. After coming home it became game time.

Or not. I still really wanted Zelda, so I leave the system home and pop back on the metro for a more throurough look at the shopping district. However, after two hours searching for a single copy of Zelda or a pack of component cables, they were either all sold out or pre-ordered. Nothing from Best Buy, Gamestop, EB Games or Toys 'R Us brought anything. All these stores I went to had sold out of Wii systems in mere moments. They were all camped out. Just as I was leaving Toys 'R Us at 11:30, possibly the last Wii in Northgate was just passing through the register.

It was a fun day. I am just finishing setting up my Wii and it's time to give it and WiiSports a whirl.


Target handing out free drinks and popcorn


A mural along the parking garage wall


Holder of the last Wii in Northgate Target


Victory pose


The line finally gets their systems


My Wii system disguised as Dong Ming's box of produce


Setting things up!

I've been out here for nearly seven months. My reason for coming here has left me, so things here have seen better days. But it does bring me to a nice ole decision point: to stay or to pack and leave. Frankly, I'll say I'd like to stay here. The weather gets frakkin cold and/or rainy, but the few people I know here make up for it. Outside the people at work, I know practically no one. That's okay I guess, probably until the holidays when I'm sure it'd hit me hard.

So if I do stay, there's no way I'd be able to pay the rent in this mess of a house. Especially when the one occupant has left already and the other is planning to find his own place. The rents around here are pretty high already. I'm thinking this place a few miles due west with a nice affordable 1-bedroom apartment setup is good for me.

I would still take the metro to work, and the new route would still take me to work, although not as close, I think. I do have a new bike that I nicked off a pawn shop a few blocks away, and so far it has been pretty trustworthy, even in the rain. I could start riding that to work, too.

This lifestyle- I wonder if I really want to live like this. I'd be living by a thread, but it's freedom, heh. The parents are looking for jobs for me back home, which is nice, but those jobs aren't out here. I don't know, maybe I'm just fed up with South Carolina. Or maybe I'm just too stubborn to return home.

So maybe for a month now I've been in the market for a bicycle. I figure it would be much cheaper (and better) for me to get one instead of taking the Metro every day. Here, it's $1.50 to and from work each day. That makes me spending approximately $60 - $74 per month on transportation. Obviously, a bike, which I could ride every day, would pay for itself in just over two months.

But choosing one is something I am stuck on. I've considered buying a cheaper bike from Target- pretty much the same thing I did back home, buying one from Wal-Mart for college. A few candidates:

A Schwinn Ranger

A Schwinn S-25

A Schwinn S-40

As a person that's not too involved with bikes but easily enticed by technical goodies, like disc brakes and trigger gear shifters, I'm leaning toward the S-40.

I'm also considering some unpopular alternatives, like a single speed bicycle, which might be cheaper and lighter. I hope I choose soon. Jess says the rainy season is near, and these Metro expenses aren't going away.

Ah, so I have finally gotten back to posting after a few months' retreat. There were quite a bit of things that happened, including

• Jess's graduation: Masters in Education
• E3
• Death of E3
• My buddy Jamie got married
• New job: Planogram team at Target
• Upgrades to my web account

I chose to upgrade my web account for more space and bandwidth. Since I got a job I thought I could fix some quirks relating to my webspace. So now I've got the following goodies:

• 50Gb webspace
• 500Gb bandwidth

Curse me for not checking if I had SSH access. Which I don't.

And Nucleus CMS concluded a skins contest last month and I thought I'd change the layout once again, and bring the blog to the front page. I'll be adding the old front page links soon, too.

I know I told people that I'd be home on April 1st, but it happens so that I'm not coming back to South Carolina just yet. I've extended my stay in Seattle indefinitely, and will continue to for jobs here and back home.

Besides the cooler weather, Seattle has been great. I've been out here since March 6 visiting Jess and then later attending Sakura-con 2006. There are a bit if pictures from that, and also of the sakura trees at the University of Washington.