After installing Fedora 16 on it, I was a little disappointed in how its video worked with my HP 25″ display. It was kind of slow and I noticed the mouse could move off the left edge near the top. Huh? There is only one video output from this motherboard, but it was acting like there were dual displays. A quick review of xrandr revealed an output LVDS1 which is for a laptop panel and does not exist of course.

So that led me to review the i915 kernel module parameters using modinfo. It suggested to me I could instruct the module to ignore the laptop panel display and also enforce modesetting on the VGA port only. I attempted this by editing /etc/grub2.cfg and appending these two kernel options:

i915.modeset=-1 i915.panel_ignore_lid=-1

After a re-boot, I was instantly gratified by the super-fast boot (5-seconds for Linux and another 10-seconds for automatic login to GnomeShell to complete). For $69, the speed and versatility of this motherboard/CPU is outstanding. I will have to contemplate ordering more, heh.

It has been widely popularized by Boston fans that without Belichick, Parcells would not be known as a head coach football icon… hopefully, that is from more of a knock against the NY media than the accomplishments by the man.  But I am just as certain that NY fans say the converse against the Boston media, too.

Personally, I think Crennel (and Weis) were the real enablers of that media-hyped dynamic duo, because where would both of them be without Crennel?  I throw (and Weis) in there, because it’s not his fault he was missing prior to the 1990 campaign, but he certainly has a strong NFL resume when Weis is joined with Crennel.

Here are my points to support this claim:

1)  Playoff record of Parcells and Belichick, with Crennel (and Weis):

… as World Champions:

1986: Parcells, Belichick, Crennel (NYG, 17-2)
1990: Parcells, Belichick, Crennel, Weis (NYG, 16-3)
2001: Belichick, Crennel, Weis (NE, 14-5)
2003: Belichick, Crennel, Weis (NE, 17-2)
2004: Belichick, Crennel, Weis (NE, 17-2)

… reached the Super Bowl:

1996: Parcells, Belichick, Crennel, Weis (NE, 13-6)

… reached the Playoffs:

1984: Parcells, Belichick, Crennel (NYG, 10-8)
1985: Parcells, Belichick, Crennel (NYG, 11-7)
1998: Parcells, Belichick, Crennel, Weis (NYJ, 13-5)

The duo is 20-4 in the playoffs and 5 rings, because they had Crennel (and Weis); with Weis, 15-2 and 4 rings.

Now, the above alone does not make my point complete, unless you combine it with Belichick and Parcells resumes, which are replete with mediocrity:

2)  Parcells and Belichick as head coaches, but without Crennel (and Weis):

1983: Parcells (NYG, 3-12-1), inherited 17-24 (4-5, 9-7, 4-12) team, 1-1 playoffs

1991: Belichick (CLE, 3-13), inherited 22-25 (3-13, 9-6, 10-6) team, 1-2 playoffs

1992: Belichick (CLE, 7-9)

1993: Belichick (CLE, 7-9); and Parcells (NE, 5-11), inherited 9-39 (2-14, 6-10, 1-15) team, no playoffs

1994: Belichick (CLE, 11-5), 1-1 playoffs; and Parcells (NE, 10-6), 0-1 playoffs

1995: Belichick (CLE, 5-11); and Parcells (NE, 6-10)

1999: Belichick (NE, 8-8), inherited 30-18 (9-7, 10-6, 11-5) team, 3-3 playoffs

2000: Belichick (NE, 5-11); hires Weis

2003: Parcells (DAL, 10-6), 0-1 playoffs, inherited 15-33 (5-11, 5-11, 5-11) team, no playoffs

2004: Parcells (DAL, 6-10)

2005: Belichick (NE, 10-6), 1-1 playoffs; and Parcells (DAL, 9-7)

2006: Belichick (NE, 12-4), 2-1 playoffs; and Parcells (DAL, 9-7), 0-1 playoffs

2007: Belichick (NE, 16-*), 2-1 playoffs

2008: Belichick (NE, 10-6)

2009: Belichick (NE, 10-6), 0-1 playoffs

2010: Belichick (NE, 14-2), 0-1 playoffs

2011: Belichick (NE, 5-3), playoffs?

… Playoff record without each other, AND WITHOUT CRENNEL (and WEIS):

Belichick (5-5), 0 rings
Parcells (0-3), 0 rings

It can be noted here that Belichick alone has had a lot more opportunity, but he also inherited successful teams, whereas Parcells inherited dismal teams.  But those teams did not become legendary until Crennel (and Weis) joined them.

It is curious to me to hear from the average fans that Brady had this perception of being “dissed” throughout the Patriots’ winning ways; especially back when he led them (completely) to back-to-back championships (2003, 2004) and took credit for the first one (2001) provided by Drew Bledsoe’s off-the-bench winning performance in his second AFC Championship game while “The Team of Destiny” brought home the improbable win against the heavily-favored, 2000 champion St. Louis Rams. But what did the average fan expect, all the while Genius and Terrific were (selflessly?) promoting “The Team” above “individual stars”? Did you want it _both_ ways? Do you believe that without QB Tom Brady performing at the helm, “The Team” had no chance? If that is so, then what exactly was the Coach-QB tandem selling to the team, the media, and its fans?

But after pedestrian 2005 and 2006 playoff appearances (Terrific was not so with the two losses coming from 3 interceptions thrown, and despite “The Team” and referees bailing his ass out with another improbable win when he delivered 3-interceptions to San Diego’s defense), the 2007 perfect* regular season finally brought Terrific some personal recognition: both the NFL MVP and Offensive Player awards. Sure, he got two Super Bowl MVP awards (with the highly debatable first one), but not too many non-QB players get those game honors to begin with, so not of his cause. No, despite the addition of an elite game-breaker in Randy Moss, who was apparently the lucky recipient of a record-breaking 23 TD tosses from Terrific, the personal glory was squarely Brady’s own. I wonder just how many of the other 52 “professional athletes” were genuinely agreeable and supportive?

I am guessing it fell short of consensus. The wave of media love that has followed Terrific since has swelled proportionately with the NFL Golden Boy’s head since 2007. I think Genius and Terrific are believing the hype, which usually spells doom for those who follow them. Is that justified? After all, Tom Brady’s career regular season wins he is credited for (.776) is untouchable by his peers: #1 “statistical QB” Peyton Manning (.678) and #1 “clutch QB” Ben Roethlisberger (.704).

And yet, this current losing streak of historical importance started after that national personal validation that Terrific _is_ an elite QB. But what followed was a marked dropoff in personal performance, which really began with another improbable win against San Diego in the AFC Championship game. MVP Tom Terrific came up small with a 66.4 rating from another 3-interception game. But that got him another handed opportunity to the 2007 Superbowl against the New York Football Giants, whereas Tom Terrific blew a perfect* season and a chance to sit alongside QB titans #1 Joe Montana and #2 Terry Bradshaw — not only did both lead their teams to all four world championship opportunities, but they also individually performed at a high level recording 101+ passer ratings in each game. Terrific did record an efficient 86.2 rating in his first appearance/win, just perhaps not worthy of the MVP honor endowed; as well as an acceptable 82.5 rating in his loss against the New York Giants championship defense:

Follow up that haunting nightmare of one epic loss with missing the 2008 season with an injury. Wow, Terrific must have worked his butt off in rehab, because he came back in 2009 listed as an inch shorter down to 6’4″ and 13 pounds lighter down to 225. Terrific has to give some credit to the world-class trainers and rehab facilities, because he was listed as a 6’5″ 205-lb rookie and got 33 pounds “bigger” at the 2001 training camp. That is pretty amazing stuff — Tom is a terrific human being.

But “The Team” somehow went on without Terrific and played to a very respectable 11-5 season, and only to miss the playoffs because they were bested by a pivotal NFL Thursday night pay-per-view overtime loss to the legendary QB Brett Favre and his NY Jets. We can only wonder what Terrific might have done in 2008. In the offseason, I suggested “The Team” keep the younger and now game experienced Matt Cassel and trade away Brady to Buffalo. Think of the TV ratings we could have gotten with the “Brady Bowls”? Instead, we kept an older and now gimpy Tom Brady and lost our star GM Scott Pioli, who obviously took notice of Kraft’s reluctance to let go of the past who allowed both Cassel and Vrabel to follow Pioli to the Kansas City Chiefs.

2009 was yet another lackluster regular season, just a one-win dropoff to 10-6, probably because of Terrific’s accelerated comeback from West Coast medicine with under-the-radar rehab. Of course, that got Terrific another gaudy accolade for being a Comback Player of the Year award — it validates his New England branding of being a tough guy (really?). But it was enough to once again go to the postseason AND with home-field advantage where Terrific can convince the referees to throw a flag after an unsuccessful 3rd down. I can almost here Terrific cry, “Do over! Do over!”. D-O-O-M was never spelled more prominently than when the Ravens ripped off an opening 83yd TD run. Oh, wait, that one is on the Genius’ complex defense schemes, not Terrific — instead, the Golden boy proved himself just as good as his predecessor by standing tall in the pocket like a statue, getting stripped of the football inside their own 17 to lead to another Raven’s TD:

But the 2010 Patriot postseason personal stat line looked acceptable enough to win, except that most of Terrific’s passing contributions came late in a game when it clearly did not have any relevance to its outcome. The critical error on their opening drive — overthrowing a screen pass — for a huge interception return was enough to put Terrific and Genius into a spotlight they are not accustomed to and cannot hide from — scrutiny:

Scrutiny for benching Welker on violating Genius’ edicts; scrutiny on Terrific’s personal shrinking act on the big stage: an average 10-point drop in postseason passer rating over the regular season and now three playoff loses in a row, one on a neutral field and the other two on their own turf. WTF??!? Will it really be over 1450-days when the Patriots MIGHT get a chance to win another playoff game?

2011 may yet bring an NFL season to our homes, as they continue to bicker over the unaccounted for billions at their disposal. I don’t see the Brady lawsuit really accomplishing much, since Brees is covering up for Terrific’s absence and doing all of the talking. But if it’s a complete season, then I must chant “go STEELERS!!” If it is shortened, I must rant “comeback Favre!!” and “go BILLS!!” That rant alone should get the talks moving, eh?

The most obvious change, of course, is the introduction to Gnome 3.0 with Gnome-Shell.  Wow, has it come a long way in usability from my preview of it about a year ago.  After an hour of self-discovery of this shiny new user interface to the Gnome window manager, I am pleased to say I have adapted to it quite readily — and that’s a good indicator.

The UI is intuitive enough to me.  I like the ease of managing its favorites menu and I especially like the window management with the dynamic workspaces to the right.  I do miss some of Compiz features, such as wheel zoom and mouse selecting any area to snapshot to a graphic image, but I am confident such niceties will arrive eventually.  It is a must to install gnome-tweak-tool, simply to increase the font rendering scale and use preferred fonts — as nice as the default liberation fonts look, I have grown accustomed to my preferred combo of Arial, Lucida Console, and Trebuchet.

Firefox 4 is also a welcome change.  It starts up faster and it renders faster — I was starting to warm up to Google Chrome as a replacement, because of Firefox’s prior performance.  I had to first install an extension NoSquint that manages page zooming to leverage my high definition monitor and accommodate my aging eyes.  Next came the usual suspects from Adobe, except they now offer a 64-bit flash player, which means nspluginwrapper is no longer needed; OpenJDK and IcedTea have proven to be capable enough for my Java-enabled web needs; and mozplugger with mplayer and timidity++ (removing totem-mozplugin of course) allows HTML embedded media to play without fuss.  Finally, CUPS with system-config-printer continue to not disappoint with its auto-detection of our networked HP Color LaserJet 2605dn printer.

As a long-time end user of OpenOffice (I still got my boxed copy of Sun’s StarOffice), I am happy to see a parallel fork of it as Liberation Office.  Remember what happened when XFree86 messed with its licensing and became Xorg?  It is a reminder that open source projects like these in danger of getting strangled by commercial interests can quickly become a non-issue when its development community takes charge over those few that would seek to exploit the masses with their shortsightedness goals.

Ok, enough applications and usability talk — time to fire up MAME and other classic emulators and do some retrogaming — woot!

JETS defeat PATS, 28-21

And the last two playoff games were at home where the NFL’s Golden Boy was hyped as being untouchable and unbeatable. Statistically, Tommy had a good year at his skilled position. But he looked none of that in tonight’s game. His poise evaporated from the early interception, the 5 sacks, a fumble (team recovered it for him), and a LOT of throw aways even when standing like a statue in the pocket.

So what have WE learned? It’s a TEAM sport, not the Nerds Fantasy League. It’s not about a 16-* regular season. It’s not about running up 50 TDs. They discarded their scapegoat in Randy Moss and picked up a reject from an NFC 7-9 team as a pathetic attempt to re-capture the Glory Days.

Gone is the TEAM that had TEAM players like Troy Brown, Ty Law, Adam Vinatieri, Tedi Bruschi, Lawyer Milloy, Corey Dillon, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel and, yes, even Drew Bledsoe.

Tommy alone can NOT win a big game. Tom Brady is a systems QB that relies upon orchestrated, cerebral play, not unlike Troy Aikman. Last year’s loss to Baltimore, Tommy was quoted, “Coach says this team does not have enough mental toughness.” So did you get any this year, or is Tommy part of the problem? Where does this team go from here? It will be a very interesting Free Agent signing and 2011 Draft, because that is the only place they are headed, now that the New York Football JETS have taken the AFC Championship game away from Kraft’s Palace.

For the “stat” idiots out there, the game was in serious jeopardy from the first half:

1st Half AFC Division Playoffs
==============================
Brady: 10/17, 99, 0td, int
Sanchez: 10/16, 101, 2td

Branch: 0, 0yd, 0td
Edwards: 2, 52yd, 1td

Woodhead: 6 rushes for 19yd
Tomlinson: 7 rushes for 48yd

… and it got no better at the end, even with the JETS allowing Brady his garbage-time TD:

FINAL GAME STATS
================
Brady: 29/45, 299, 2td, int, 5 sacks for 40yd
Sanchez: 16/25, 194, 3td, 0 sacks

Brady Average Gain per Passing Play (includes Sacks): 5.2yd
Sanchez Average Gain per Passing Play (includes Sacks): 7.8yd

Belichick’s Team: 2tds, 26 first downs, 5/14 3rd downs
Ryan’s Team: 4tds, 14 first downs, 6/13 3rd downs

After reading that opinion, I am amazed how the old guys still insist on putting Joe Namath’s Jets upset of the Colts at #1.  Certainly it belongs in the top five, if there is such a thing, but the payback for the 2001 Patriots’ colossal upset over the Rams that was dished out by the 2007 lowest-seeded Giants upset over the (then) undefeated(*) Patriots is clearly (or as the media put it, “no doubter”) the biggest upset in NFL playoff history.  Factor in the AFC dominance over the NFC this past decade, it makes that Giant win even more statistically improbable.  Or does it just prove Wilbon’s point?

But where is New England’s magical run through the playoffs from 1985-1986?  Certainly Seattle’s home playoff win against last year’s Super Bowl champs (and an NFC matchup nonetheless where anything is possible) cannot be construed as an upset, especially when that 1985 Patsy team was the NFL’s first to go on the road for each of their games and make a Superbowl appearance.  Given the criteria, it makes no sense to me, but then again, I guess the NFL media needed something new to “feed the frenzy”.

I am going to stray off the beaten path of technology and rants a bit by sharing a recently emerged concept in my consciousness: driven by now.  Ironically, this started by dissecting recent “social” events with my father that ended in often-too-typical disappointment.  And as of late, my apathy towards loved ones has grown over the years, because the many “things” that come with family have become more and more out of my control.  I have learned (slowly) to just ‘let it go’, and I have been mostly better for it.  But with each release comes an unsettling urge to repeat past patterns of trying.  After all, my discipline in information technology has conditioned me to hold to the logic that doing the same thing only results in the same — and “believing” it to result differently is naive, and worse, “expecting” different results is the basis for insanity.

I am reminded by a colleague that I am bothered by my concentrated effort to “stay away” comes from being a middle child.  My upbringing squeezed after my two older brothers and before my younger brother and sister placed me in a diplomatic role: one who makes the peace and often works to appease both sides with reason, trickery, and on occasion, even bribes.  Reviewing past events of how I handled conflicting events and crisis moments, I think a lot of that rings true with me.

But should my persona of “allow me to help you because I can” extend into every encounter with family, work, and the occasional opportunities life offers outside those primaries?  The dilemma it poses me is weighing the consequences of my short-term actions against long-term results (which is getting shorter as I get older) and how it competes with my own priorities: health, wealth, and happiness.  Why am I so driven by now?

Examining my past, I start with my father.  Over the decades, I observed how he is personally motivated by the now and centered around the manner in which he operates to make for a self-gratification result.  I do not mean that in a total bad sense, but plainly, if it has any benefit for him, then it must be ‘a good thing’ to do.  And he will either graciously allow or charm you into participating the augmenting of or supplying him with that he pursues to feed his appetite.   On some rare occasions long ago, I was led to believe there were moments my father was “putting out for the good of someone else”.  But upon closer examination of those past events, and like many others touched by his life, there was an underlying cause that somehow rolled back to just him.

The result of his constant feeding off others is probably not all bad.  I do owe my father my strong sense of self-worth, that I am someone special, endowed with gifts.  I just choose to share them as selflessly as my modesty allows, because I am confident in my abilities to execute and I am personally gratified when I can enrich someone or improve upon a situation from what I have to offer.  But is my approach really any better?

My mother was mostly opposite of my father, in that most of what she did was motivated for the welfare of her family.  Throughout long years of selflessly doing what she believed was necessary, she also understood she could not help her family whenever her feeble condition got the better of her — but after all, self-preservation is not a sin, it is the basic of instincts.  Her daily motivations were focused on present situations and needs, while she constantly and quietly worried about the future.  She reminded us to take care of our provisions: clothing, food, education and to be mindful of each other.  They were our tools to grow and were mostly short in supply.  There was no such thing as a free lunch and everyone had to pull their own weight to avoid placing that expense onto others.  I can see how those realities only fueled more animosity over the years towards a father that held himself exempt of such duty and loyalty.

My mother’s lessons formed the basis for which I have attached what love means to me; and something I have appreciated many long years with my wife, Lois.  That understanding and conviction in those beliefs allows an abundance of joy to fill my days without any want.  It tempers my drive to take on the now.  And I am better for it.

Caché: it's a fun ride!

As an anniversary gift (18-years), my wife bought me this vanity plate: CACHE.  It was a little peeve of mine to have a Rhode Island plate that started with NY, so I secretly wished to replace it for the longest of time.

Well, after an online order that took 8-weeks to fill AND spending 4-hours waiting at the DMV, it was home waiting for me to replace.  I must admit, like the car, the label stands out.

Over the years, I mentioned some labels I would find acceptable:

1. DEBUG, really cool, unfortunately, it was already taken.
2. EXEMPT, because I’d like to believe the rules apply to everyone but me.  Too many letters, though.
3. HURST, taken.
4. LINA, a pet name and perhaps too cute for a male driver.
5. LINUX, taken and also does not quite reflect what I am about.
6. VIC20, the computer that got me started in computer programming, but does not reflect who I am today.

So Caché it is!  I was tempted to use a red Sharpie or some red tape to put the acute accent in place over the E, but the thought of a state trooper busting my chops made me quickly dismiss that idea.

Caché: normal view most drivers will see.

A 19-yard screenplay (which counts as an individual passing statistic in the NFL) was the longest play in the second half by The Golden Boy. The longer passes he completed that does not count toward his passing yards were the two picks he was forcing to Moss. What did he get paid by the Kraft’s the other week? Over 50-million dollars? I hope most of that wasn’t guaranteed, Bobby …

New England had a couple of drives “continued” with some great theatrics. Welker with the shoulder pad to shoulder pad hit with his hands on the ball. He would ham it up with a bogus concussion test on the sideline, then score a touchdown and head-butt all the 300+ pound linemen. And a bogus pass interference called in the last 5-minutes to add “drama” to a rather one-sided contest, er, game.

Too bad Jim Nance is still in the booth with his same pathetic self throughout the game. At least he has Phil Simms to cover his bias suck-ups for Tommy “Gun”.  Phil is the real deal.

I loved Rex Ryan’s call to go for it on 4th down to keep the ball — and running the ball to get it. Billy Belichick should take note that you can use your running backs to make 1st downs for you, instead of relying on an aging QB with declining skills.  And Billy needs to retire, too, or become a team consultant, perhaps to Buffalo — his 2nd half adjustments resulting in being outscored 18-0.

I really feel for Randy Moss, the team’s best talent since his acquisition. Overlooked by everyone because his QB got too much credit and media hype over “the team”‘s success in the early half of last decade. Moss should have realized he was not going to get any love after Tommy’s early departure in 2008 and he rallied behind a nobody’s QB, Matt Cassel, for an 11-5 season. He should have demanded a trade and followed Pioli to Kansas City.

It’s only week Two, but Tommy is not getting any younger either.