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Funny letter to a would-be mugger

This came to me by forwarded email, so I do not have a source. Funny, nonetheless.

AN ACTUAL PERSONAL AD

To the Guy Who Tried to Mug Me In Downtown  Savannah   night before last.

Date: 2009-05-27, 1 :43 a.m. E.S.T.

I was the guy wearing the black Burberry jacket that you demanded that I hand over, shortly after you pulled the knife on me and my girlfriend, threatening our lives. You also asked for my girlfriend’s purse and earrings. I can only hope that you somehow come across this rather important message.

First, I’d like to apologize for your embarrassment; I didn’t expect you to actually crap in your pants when I drew my pistol after you took my jacket. The evening was not that cold, and I was wearing the jacket for a reason.. My girlfriend had just bought me that Kimber Model 1911 .45 ACP pistol for my birthday, and we had picked up a shoulder holster for it that very evening. Obviously you agree that it is a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head … isn’t it?!

I know it probably wasn’t fun walking back to wherever you’d come from with that brown sludge in your pants. I’m sure it was even worse walking bare-footed since I made you leave your shoes, cell phone, and wallet with me. [That prevented you from calling or running to your buddies to come help mug us again].

After I called your mother or “Momma” as you had her listed in your cell, I explained the entire episode of what you’d done. Then I went and filled up my gas tank as well as those of four other people in the gas station, — on your credit card. The guy with the big motor home took 150 gallons and was extremely grateful!

I gave your shoes to a homeless guy outside Vinnie Van Go Go’s, along with all the cash in your wallet. [That made his day!]

I then threw your wallet into the big pink “pimp mobile” that was parked at the curb … after I broke the windshield and side window and keyed the entire driver’s side of the car.

Later, I called a bunch of phone sex numbers from your cell phone. Ma Bell just now shut down the line, although I only used the phone for a little over a day now, so what ‘s going on with that? Earlier, I managed to get in two threatening phone calls to the DA’s office and one to the FBI, while mentioning President Obama as my possible target.

The FBI guy seemed really intense and we had a nice long chat (I guess while he traced your number etc.).

;In a way, perhaps I should apologize for not killing you . but I feel this type of retribution is a far more appropriate punishment for your threatened crime.. I wish you well as you try to sort through some of these rather immediate pressing issues, and can only hope that you have the opportunity to reflect upon, and perhaps reconsider, the career path you’ve chosen to pursue in life. Remember, next time you might not be so lucky.Have a good day!

Thoughtfully yours,

Alex
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U.S. Student Loan Amounts

There is an estimated $730 billion in outstanding federal and private student-loan debt, says Mark Kantrowitz of FinAid, a Web site that tracks financial-aid issues — and only 40% of that debt is actively being repaid. The rest is in default, or in deferment, which means payments and interest are halted, or in forbearance, which means payments are stopped while interest accrues.

(referenced from http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/CutCollegeCosts/the-555000-dollar-student-loan-debt.aspx)

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How to checkout and track a remote git branch

One of those really handy things to remember…  When git “tracks” a branch, it basically sets up an entry in .git/config which tells git what to do with push and pull.  For example:

I had a remote branch called Task/Round3.3.

I wanted to work on it locally, but have push and pull work right.

So I ran this:

git checkout -b Task/Round3.3 --track origin/Task/Round3.3

To which git said:

Branch Task/Round3.3 set up to track remote branch refs/remotes/origin/Task/Round3.3.
Switched to a new branch "Task/Round3.3"

And in .git/config, these lines were added:

[branch "Task/Round3.3"]
remote = origin
merge = refs/heads/Task/Round3.3

Now, when I checkout Task/Round3.3, I am able to say `git pull` and `git push`, and it will do the “right thing”…

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Ubuntu Post-Install tips…

I received this from a friend, and thought I would post it here in case anyone would find it useful.

After Installing Ubuntu, basically I do this:

Go to:
System -> Administration -> Software Sources -> Other Sofware, and enable partner repository.

After that, we can this on a Terminal:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras
sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

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git add -u

Here is a nice little tidbit I ran across some time ago…  Ever delete a bunch of files from a git working copy, and then had to go in and tell git that you meant to delete them?  For example:

[jason@dc40 AppStruct]$ git status
# On branch master
# Changed but not updated:
#   (use "git add/rm ..." to update what will be committed)
#
#       deleted:    Python/AppStruct/Application.py
#       modified:   Python/AppStruct/Database/PostgreSQL.py
#       deleted:    Python/AppStruct/Date.py
#       deleted:    Python/AppStruct/JSON.py
#       deleted:    Python/AppStruct/Util.py
#       deleted:    Python/AppStruct/__init__.py
#
# Untracked files:
#   (use "git add ..." to include in what will be committed)
#
#       Python/AppStruct/NewFile.txt
no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")

Previously, the way to handle this would be:

   git rm ...
   git rm ...
   git rm ...
   git rm ...
   git rm ...
   git add ...
   git add ...

Rather, isn’t this easier?

   git add -u
   git add .

From the man page for git-add:

–update | -u
Only match against already tracked files in the index rather than the working tree. That means that it will never stage new files, but that it will stage modified new contents of tracked files and that it will remove files from the index if the corresponding files in the working tree have been removed.

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PostgreSQL Dump and Restore Notes

The pg_dump and pg_restore commands provide excellent flexibility in storing a compressed dump file, and selectively restoring any part of it.

I’ve found that dropping and re-creating the target database is the cleanest way to restore a dumpfile — no stray relations left to cause trouble.

Unless you own all of the objects being restored, you may need to be SUPERUSER in order to have a successful restore.

The custom dump format is quite useful.  Unlike the normal sequence of SQL statements you may be used to from mysqldump (and pg_dump as well), the –format=custom option will create a compressed archive file (internally a tar file) that can be selectivly read with pg_restore.  That flexibility could come in handy if you *just* need the schema from 1 table, or *just* the data from another table.

Dump:
pg_dump –format=custom -U jason_super MyDatabase > MyDatabase.pgdump

Restore
pg_restore –exit-on-error –clean –dbname=MyDatabase MyDatabase.pgdump

Get all of the SQL
pg_restore TMTManage_2.pgdump | more

Get some of the SQL
pg_restore –schema=ACRM –table=Admin TMTManage_2.pgdump | more