Archive for the ‘Random’ Category

Jul
22
2010

CPU Stress Test Scripts

As I sit here stress-testing one of my Linux boxes I figured I would share with you guys the two scripts I have written to accomplish this. These two scripts simply peg one CPU/core. You will have to execute 1 instance of the script for each CPU/core on your machine to truly put it through it’s paces.

WARNING: THESE SCRIPTS CAN AND WILL PUSH YOUR MACHINE TO ITS LIMITS! IF YOU HAVE EVEN A SLIGHT ISSUE WITH THE COOLING/HARDWARE IN YOU MACHINE IT’S STRONGLY ADVISED THAT YOU DO NOT RUN THESE! THESE SCRIPTS CAN DAMAGE HARDWARE IF USED INCORRECTLY!!!!

Alright, now that we have that out of the way, here ya go:

Windows VBScript:
1) Copy and paste this into notepad:
i=0
while 1<2
i = i + 1
wend
2) Save as ‘max_cpu.vbs’ in a location that’s convenient for you.
3) OPEN TASK MANAGER NOW (If you don’t do it now you will never get it open)!!!!!
4) Run the script (by double clicking) for each CPU/core you have on your machine. In task manager you should see a wscript.exe for each time you double click it.
5) When you have completed the testing kill all the wscript.exe processes you see in task manager.

Linux bash script:
1) Copy and paste this into gedit:
#!/bin/bash
let count=0
while :
do
echo “Count is: $count”
((count++))
done
2) Save as ‘max_cpu.sh’ in a location that’s convenient for you.
3) Make the script executable (‘chmod a+x max_cpu.sh’ usually works).
4) Run the script, ‘./max_cpu.sh’ will do it. Repeat this for every CPU/core on your machine. You will have to have a separate terminal for each one.
5) When you have completed your testing do a ‘CTRL + C’ in each of the terminal windows that you executed the script in to kill the process.

While not really required, it’s strongly advised that you reboot after these ‘tests’ to make sure things get cleaned up. These don’t make any change to the OS but sometimes (especially with Windows) it will not fully release the resources used after the process(es) is(are) terminated.

Posted in IT Stuff, Off Topic, Random | No Comments »

Jun
24
2010

3 Doors Down – Citizen/Soldier

Beyond the boundaries of your city’s lights.
Stand the heroes waiting for your cries.
So many times you did not bring this on yourself.
When the moment finally comes, I’ll be there to help.

And on that day, when you need your brothers and sisters to care.
I’ll be right here.

Citizen soldiers.
Holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.
Standing on guard for the ones that we’ve sheltered.
We’ll always be ready because we will always be there.

When there’re people crying in the streets.
When they’re starving for a meal to eat.
When they simply need a place to make their beds.
Right here underneath my wing, you can rest your head.

On that day, when you need your brothers and sisters to care.
I’ll be right here.

Citizen soldiers.
Holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.
Standing on guard for the ones that we’ve sheltered.
We’ll always be ready because we will always be there.

Hope and pray, that you never need me.
The rest assured I will not let you down.
I walk beside you, but you may not see me.
The strongest among you may not wear a crown.

On the day when you need your brothers and sisters to care.
I’ll be right here.
On that day when you don’t have strength for the burden you bear.
I’ll be right here.

Citizen soldiers.
Holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.
Standing on guard for the ones that we’ve sheltered.
We’ll always be ready because we will always be there.

Posted in Life, Lyrics, Random | No Comments »

Jul
27
2009

Reflections….

As I drove home, I took a route I don’t usually take. I headed down SR-315 for a reason unknown. Anyway, at a point just north of SR-161, is where I had my accident some 2 and a half years ago.  I realize it was worse than I would like to admit, but I will say that if you know where it is, you can clearly still see the path I cut through the brush and trees.

I haven’t been past here in some time, and it really gave me a chance to reflect.  Having known the record of the cars I choose to drive (cop cars for all intensive purposes) it’s not surprising that I emerged from it nearly unharmed.  Looking at it though, I realize that there are very few, maybe no other cars that would have protected me the way my vic did.

Crown Victories, Grand Marquis, Lincoln Town Cars, etc. have always been built pretty well.  The police don’t just choose them randomly.  They have beefy engines, strong suspensions, and really do hold up rather well in a collision.  Well….the car doesn’t, but it does a VERY good job protecting the driver.

Anyway, I digress.  I don’t believe that there are many cars that would have left their drivers in as good shape as I was.  What it is, I don’t know, but I know there is a reason I am still here today.  There is a reason I choose a Crown Vic as my car.  A reason I walked away from that crash nearly unharmed.  It’s something I have thought about many times over the past couple of years.  Something that I will never be able to shake, something I will never be able to forget, something I will never be able to deny.

I know that I won’t usually admit it, nor will I usually acknowledge it, but the truth is, I fucked up, really bad.  Whether it was for better or worse, I really don’t know, but I cannot change the past.  I don’t usually dwell on it, or really even think about it, but it has been at the front of my mind this evening.

What it means, I haven’t a clue.  I have never claimed to understand the way that my mind works, but I know this.  Something caused me to drive past that point tonight.  Something caused me to dwell on it for so long.  What, I don’t know, but something.

Anyway, I have gone on long enough, I’m headed to bed.  It’s still a bit early, but I’m tired and not in a very good mood….

Posted in Life, Random | No Comments »

Jul
01
2009

I Fought the Ceiling Fan (And The Ceiling Fan Won)

So I learned a valuable lesson the other day.  What you are in a room with low ceilings, and a running ceiling fan, don’t reach up.  Yes, I know that should have been a given, but when you wake up all groggy, and in the dark, it’s not the first thing on your mind.  At this point though, it’s most certainly something I will think about.

It happened late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.  I’m not really sure which since my clock’s wrong.  I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.  On my way there, I was walking through my dark room and stretched my arms up in the air to stretch.  Instead of cracking a few joints and stretching out my arms though, my left-hand pinky was hit with the blade of a ceiling fan.  At first it wasn’t really all that bad.  It was dark and I was tired so I didn’t really think much of it.  After I got to the bathroom though and turned on the light, it was a bit worse.  I got cut in three places.

So that’s my story.  Don’t fight the ceiling fan, you won’t win, especially when it’s on high speed.

Posted in Life, Random | No Comments »

May
26
2009

All jumbled up….

So it seems like I have been starting, but not finishing, a number of entries both for here and my journal on my site.  I have decided (for better or worse) that I will at least post what I have written.  None of these are completed, nor will they be.  It was just me starting things at random points in time but never finishing them.  So here you are:

08-23-2008
So I’m in kinda a weird Dan mood right now.  I don’t really know how to describe it, or really what it is, it’s just weird.  It’s not happy or sad…..mad or calm….just weird.  I don’t really know what else to say, so I suppose that this won’t be real long.  I just wanted to post at least something.

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10-22-2008 – A note for my Shelley
I thought that perhaps I would start out my posting here with a “small” note to my dear Shelley.  Alright, so it won’t be small, but still.

After what can only be described as yet another wonderful weekend, I still continue to fall more and more in love with her.  It would be hard to describe the weekend as perfect, but arguably any time spent with her is perfect.  If you want to read all the details, you can check out our joint blog Dan and Shelley.

But anyway, back on track here.  Shelley, my dear Shelley, I love you.  I know that those words don’t even begin to convey what I feel for you, but they are the best that I have found so far.  Just when I think that I can’t possibly love you any more, I am proven wrong.  Simply thinking about you makes me fall deeper and deeper in love with you.  I cherish every moment that we spend together, and long for when we shall meet again.

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01-07-2009 – A new year, new love, a clean slate….
So this is a hard post for me to make.  I have made many a painful posts before in my journal in the past but it never gets any easier.  I know that this post is WAY overdue but as I always say, better late than never…..

So for those who don’t know, I am now dating the most wonderful woman in the world.  Her name is Shelley and I can not even begin to describe my feelings for her.  We have been together some 9ish months at this point and I can honestly say that I have never been happier in my life.  I suppose, that along with this, I should at least mention my ex.  She who shall not be named is, last I knew, living with a “friend” in MO.  I’m not going to go into details but calling her a bitch would be a compliment I do believe.  I truly hate looking down on people like that but honestly I don’t know what else to say.

The final thing I should probably note is my job.  I love me job, I really do.  I am never doing the same thing for days on end, I get to work with some cutting edge technology, and I my opinion is respected and always heard if I have something that needs said.  We had training today for our new phone system and while I really don’t enjoy meetings, I know that it’s something I have to do sometimes.  We have been working VERY hard to get things ready for this new system along with some other major projects.  Honestly, I really do enjoy working hard, the end result ALWAYS makes it worth while.

Anyway, moving right along.  I am, at this point, coming up upon the 2nd anniversary of my accident.  I can’t honestly believe that it’s been that long but it has.  I try not to think about it….try to push it from my mind but I never strays far.  It’s something that hangs over my head day in and day out.  Very rarely does a day go by that I still don’t think about it.  My friends know that I am talking about, for those who don’t, I’m not planning to go into it here.

Well back to Shelley.  The short of it is that I love her.  Not in a love that can be defined, explained, or expressed.  I love her so deeply I don’t even fully understand it.  So much that no matter how hard I try I will never be able to describe it.  I have spent countless hours….countless sleepless nights trying to put into words what I feel.  I have concluded that it’s really just not possible.  I can not, and will not, ever be able to describe it.

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So that’s it, what I have half-written over the past 8 months.  Maybe some of it’s interesting, but most likely not.  Enjoy!

Posted in Life, Love, Random | No Comments »