Strategies - 8/29/2007

Today we finished up the last little bit of our Strategies class with a couple of units from Uncle Lou, tying everything up that we've learned so far. We've seen how we need to visualize what we want, how to ignore others' and our own negative self talk and how to set goals and write daily affirmations in order to make those goals happen.

Next week will be our last week of class, where you'll turn in your portfolios, resumes and cover letters.

Pro/Server - 8/28/2007

More checkpoints!

Homework:

• Study for your final!!!!

Designing AD/NI - 8/28/2007

The checkpoint exam was the only thing on today's agenda as well. We got our final grades and indication on whether or not we needed to come to the final next week. You know who you are! See you then! :)

Homework:

• I said study, fool!

Managing a Network Environment - 8/28/2007

We're reaching the end of the road: today was the second checkpoint and we all found out our current grades and whether or not we'll have to come back next Tuesday for the final. Remember, if you have a red star on your grade sheet, you need to take the final.

Homework

• No homework!
• STUDY FOR YOUR FINALS!

Last Minute Xtra Credit!

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/datacenter/?p=164

Check out this blog entry and write up a one page, doublespaced summary of it for a whopping 10 points extra credit!

Don't say I never do anything for ya!

All extra credit must be turned into me by the start of the next class I have with you (from now, 12:31 pm, 8/28/2007).

Free Office!

A couple of people have approached me this semester with similar problems: they have nice, shiny new computers, but not the right software to do anything with (no Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.). My advice to them was to simply try to carve some time out where they could use the computers here at school.

I don't know why it didn't occur to me at the time, but there is a free alternative that's out there that is pretty good: OpenOffice.org 2.2. I used it for a while before I got Office 2007.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Office 2007, but if Office 2003 is your only alternative (here at Draughons, it is) OpenOffice is a really good program to use instead -- and you can't beat the price. Plus, it will save in all of your favorite Office 2003 formats, like .doc and .xls. Nice.

One really cool thing about this particular program is that it's "open source", meaning that developers all over the world collectively work on the program. Got some programming skills? Sign up to work on the program. How cool is that?

Pro/Server - 8/27/2007

Tonight we simply took tests -- two tests over the four chapters we covered last week. I also gave the final to anyone who needed to take it and wanted to. Otherwise, I'll need you to take it Tuesday, August 28.

Homework:

• No homework -- get rest and get ready for Fall 2007!
  

MS Excel - 8/27/2007

Today was simply a test day, and we found out if we need to take the final. Remember, if you see a star on your grade sheet (or I have otherwise let you know), I need to see you on the day of the final, Monday, September 10 (no class next week due to Labor Day).

Homework:

• No homework!
  

Strategies - 8/22/2007

Today we did the combo units of 16, 17, 18 and 19. These units are important because they start building us up to the all-important affirmations which help us set the realities of our days and ultimately our lives. Next week, we will be working on the affirmation workshop, which will help us write the affirmations that we need -- I will be participating too!

In order to make this workshop go as smoothly as possible, I really need everyone to make sure they do the groundwork for the workshop, and that groundwork is the homework assignments below. Failing to do them will result in a few negative consequences, including not getting out of class as early as possible. So, do them!!! :)

Homework:

• pg 164: Write down at least one goal under each of the ten headings. More than one goal is encouraged and would be helpful to us in the workshop
• Pg 165: Complete the Affirmation Wheel on pg 165. Each line, or "spoke" of the wheel represents on of the life areas that are bulleted below the wheel. What you'll be doing is looking at each area and then charting on the wheel how much of your life is vested in that area. For example, if you find yourself with lots of "me" time, you will place a dot on one spoke (any spoke) near the outer limit of the wheel. If you have no time for family, or are simply not interested in it, put a dot on your family spoke close to the center. After you have completed all twelve spokes, connect the dots, and you will have an image of what your life balance looks like right now. This will be essential in working on our affirmations next week.
• pg 166, 167: Look at the thirty affirmations listed on these pages. These affirmations are all written correctly, but not all of them will resonate with you. With a highlighter, go through and indicate which affirmations you really like.

PORTFOLIOS, RESUMES and COVER LETTERS WILL BE DUE ON SEPTEMBER 5!!

Pro/Server - 8/21/2007

We too celebrated the last night of lecture/lab by completeing Chapters 11 and 12 which dealt with maintenance tasks like how to handle unsigned drivers (ignore, warn, block) and Last Known Good Configuration, etc. Then we like totally rawked out.

Homework:

• Chapter 11 - Review Questions
• Chapter 12 - Review Questions

Designing AD/NI - 8/21/2007

It was the last day of class, and things were extremely relaxed (probably more than they needed to be). We ended up simply exploring the Internet a little and talking briefly about Chapter 9, which you are responsible for on your own.

Homework:

• Chapter Nine - Review Questions

Managing a Network Environment - 8/21/2007

It's the last full day of lecture/lab! To celebrate, we did the last two chapters in the book -- Chapters 12 and 13 which dealt with file backups and AD backups and restoration. Remember the important difference between authoritative restores and non-authoritative restores. Also remember, you will be having the 2nd checkpoint exam next week. Afterwards, I'll be able to tell you what your final grade is and whether or not I'll need to see you on the week of the final.

Homework:

• Chapter 12 - Review Questions
• Chapter 13 - Review Questions

Pro/Server - 8/20/2007

Tonight we covered Chapters 9 and 10 covering sharing (sharing is caring, remember that grasshopper) and printing, respectively.

Homework:

• Chapter 9: Review Questions
• Chapter 10: Review Questions

MS Excel - 8/20/2007

It's almost the end of the quarter -- can you believe it?

Today we did the 6th and last chapter in our Excel book. This one is arguably the hardest chapter in the book, but it is extremely useful. This gives us just a taste of some of the power that Excel has (I especially like Goal Seek). Next week, we will have the third and final "regular" test, which will be over Chapters 5 and 6. Afterwards, I'll be able to give you your grades and let you know if you will need to come in for the final, which will be the Monday after that.

Homework:

• Chapter Six: Matching, Review Questions; Project 6E

Distributed Computing

I spoke briefly Monday night about blogging about using some fun server technologies to install a distributed computing application to several computers I'm in charge of at another job. Judging by the blank looks I got, I realized it would be important to first explain what distributed computing is and why it's so important. THEN, I could talk about how I got (and how you can get) these programs installed on several computers at once.

So anyway, imagine a huge problem. Like AIDS, or cancer or even finding prime numbers. A problem so huge that lots of statistical research must be disseminated through. So huge that our contemporary home/office computers can't even begin -- even with their modern dual/quad core power -- to knock a dent in the problem. A computer with several, no, several hundred processors might be nice, but still. AIDS is a big problem, yo.

What distributed computing does is ally a group of computer users together in order to donate their CPU's idle time -- in effect making a huge supercomputer. A centralized server is in constant contact with thousands of clients (you and me, who download client software). That server sends in a manageable packet of information that needs "crunching". The client receives that packet, crunches it, and sends it back to the server. Then, the server sends another packet that needs crunching. The process repeats for each client as long as the client's owner allows the process to run. Imagine that process times 1,000 or 10,000 or 250,000 or even a million clients. Each client has a processor! It's like having a supercomputer with a million processors. You can't buy that kind of computing power -- and it's basically FREE for the research institute, so they have money they can spend on more noble needs. Like, AIDS or cancer or prime number research.

There are all kinds of different distributed computing projects out there you can participate in -- many are found at http://www.distributedcomputing.info/. My personal favorite is one from Stanford University called http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/folding/ (folding refers to the behavior of proteins in certain situations). Part of their research involves Alzheimer's disease -- the disease my grandfather died from at age 66 after a 12 year battle. So, of course, I would like to see this disease eradicated and am willing to donate my already-running PC's idle time to fighting it.

I urge anyone reading this to, seriously, download some sort of distributed computing project designed for the betterment of society. The word is still out about whether or not you can deduct the CPU time on your taxes.

Later, I'll detail how I used Remote Desktop and various command-line utilities to install the Folding@Home client on the machines in my lab without leaving my desk.

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Kudos to Jamarcus Alexander and David Chute for this video. I came back from lunch on Tuesday afternoon to find this jewel playing on one of my classroom computers. Hilarious.

Strategies - 8/15/2007

Liz Heller visited our class today and talked with us about resumes and cover letters. We will be talking over the next remaining weeks about these and be working on them briefly as well. I will be taking them up, along with your portfolios on September 5.

Today we did units 13, 14, and 15 and also saw some more collages. Remember, if you haven't shown us your collage, you have only next week to do so, and then it will be too late to turn in! Don't forget or choose not to do one -- it will negatively impact your grade. Immensely!!!

Pro/Server - 8/14/2007

It's freakin' hot in here!

Ok, yeah, tonight we did Chapter 8, which was on Computer Accounts. The chapter was a little thin, so we had some time to do some additional hands on kind of stuff, which I think I'll implement next quarter. I also showed you how to use some of the command line stuff we've been using, like dsadd, in conjunction with a batch file to speed up and automate some mundane tasks.

I really do think I'm going to switch the computers at Holy Trinity over to some sort of cool naming system. I don't think I'll use rock stars, since I think I'll have the computers physically labeled (you know, to help me remember which computer is what) and I think parents might frown on sending their kids to a Christian school only to find out that their kid learned how to download music on a computer named "Axl Rose". I don't know, it's just me maybe. But maybe using city names, or presidents, or something like that would be cool. Or! I could use Bible characters. Yeah, that's the ticket. Bible characters.

All I'm saying is, my computer will be called "God". :)

Ok, so no homework since I forgot to assign it before I left. Nice job guys.

Homework:

• No homework!
  

Designing NI/AD Infrastructure - 8/14/2007

Today's class covered Chapters 7 and 8, dealing with OUs and Firewalls.

Homework:

• Chapter 7: Review Questions
• Chapter 8: Review Questions
  

Managing a Windows Network - 8/14/2007

Today we did security templates, and explored the aspects of their creation and how to use them with group policy to lock down groups of computers all at once. All of the policy editing was tedius, but it allowed us to see the impact of adding all of the policies on top of each other (RSOP).

Homework:

• Chapter 11: Review Questions

Pro/Server - 8/13/2007

Tonight we talked about users and groups again, this time getting a bit into the command line aspect of it.

Homework:

• Chapter Six: Lab Challenge 6-1 -- we'll work on this in class on 8/14.
• Chapter Seven: Review Questions; Scenario 7-1.

MS Excel - 8/13/2007

Today we learned how to make Excel make chartsengrafs, (charts and graphs) -- visual tools that take mundane numbers and bring them to life: making our eyes actually "see" the differences in the data.

Homework:

• Chapter Five - Matching/Fill in the Blank; Project 5D.

Strategies - 8/8/2007

Today we got to see everyone's collages -- everyone's were great (and some were just AWESOME). Nice job on these, and I mean that.

We did units 10, 11, and 12 and sometime during that the air conditioning quit. Yuck.

Make sure you're in class next week to hear Liz Heller give some great advice on resumes and cover letters. These will be in your portfolios that you'll be turning in at the end of the quarter -- very important stuff.

Pro/Server - 8/7/2007

Man oh man, how do I even begin to describe what we did tonight? The official discussion of the night was Chapter Five, which dealt with the maintenance of Server: MBSA, and SUS. We also talked about the maintenance of biological hard drives, if you will. There are apparently programs available (some on the net) that will help with the routine maitenance of these drives, and it's also apparently recommended that this maintenance happen as much as possible (at least daily, sometimes more Clay)

Here's your homework...

Homework:

• Chapter Five: Review Questions

Designing AD/NI - 8/7/2007

Checkpoint 2!!!

Homework:

• No homework!

Managing a Network Environment - 8/7/2007

Today we talked up DNS, working with its installation and discussing types of zones we could install (such as Primary, Secondary and Stub).

Homework:

• Chapter Nine: Review Questions
• Chapter Ten: Review Questions

Pro/Server - 8/6/2007

Server looks good, won't cha back 'em filez up...

Ok, I promise to never rap in a blog again.

But yeah, tonight we covered Chapter Four in the Server book, which is about data backups. Backups are arguably the most important thing you'll do as an admin/peon and it's imperative (for the MS tests, if nothing else) that you know what the different types of backups are and what they are used for. Just as a recap:

• Normal - Backs everything up and clears the archive bit.
• Copy - Backs everything up and ignores the archive bit.
• Incremental - Backs up everything since the last backup. Clears any archive bits.
• Differential - Backs up everything since the last normal backup. As such, it ignores any archive bits.
• Daily - Backs up stuff that's changed today. Ignores archive bits.

Homework:

• Chapter 4: Review Questions 1-9; Scenario

MS Excel - 8/6/2007

It was a nice, beautiful day of test. Nice job on them, guys.

Homework

• No homework!

Strategies - 8/1/2007

Today we listened to Uncle Lou tell us about our self-talk and how having too many negative thoughts can actually steer us into negative attitudes, sending us into a downward spiral if we're not careful. Fortunately, the same is true for positive thoughts, so an important first step is to have more positive thoughts about yourself than negative.

Remember, all of this power-of-positive-thinking stuff will not guarantee your life will go smoothly -- I can almost guarantee that it won't. But what having positive self talk will do is help you have a better attitude to better navigate any bad things that come your way.

Afterwards, we worked on our collages, and man, they look great! Most of you got just about finished so we will be presenting them next week, August 8th. Make sure you have them ready! Don't sweat it, the presentation will be easy, just 10-15 minutes (just kidding!) of you describing your collage.