9.3.09

Linux in the SMB space

Lately,  I've been working on another website, quite a bit.  Trying to get some google money from advertising, etc.  But primarily, I have been trying to develop content for a Linux site focused on supporting small business.

For several years, I have been a strong proponent of Linux.  The Open Source 'movement' has come a very long way in recent years.  As applications such as Samba continue to progress, every day Linux is narrowing the Microsoft dominance in the IT industry.

In the IT industry there are five primary arenas.  The most profitable arena is the 'Enterprise'.  Followed by Government (or Public), Client, then SMB and finally Consumer.

The Consumer Market is home PC like what is available in most 'BigBox Stores' such as WalMart and BestBuy.

Enterprise is the large company with many computers, massive server farms, and the like.  WalMart, Ford Motor Co, JPL, NYT, and similar companies would be considered Enterprise customers.

The Government or Public channel includes such as NASA, the federal, state and local governments, schools and so on. 

Client is more like a joint sub-division of both Enterprise and Government.  Client is usually alrge. high number sales orders for machines with all the same specs.

And finally, we come to SMB (Small/Medium Business).  SMB is usually defined as 100 or fewer PCs.  Microsoft has a product out call Small Business Server which has a set of restrictions limiting the system to support no more the 75 users.

The Linux environment is in use in all these markets.  Many very large organizations may not even be aware they are using Linux systems outside of the IT department.  Few people are using Linux as their primary home desktop primarily because of learning curves.  Linux is not difficult ot learn, it is just ... different. 

However, one issue I have seen that is holding Linux 'back' in the SMB space is the lack of support and easy integration of all these various tools.  So, my website, L4SMB.net, is focused on bringing that information together.  It is also a site for those persons who have an interest if supporting Linux in teh SMB space to share ideas and hopefully insight.

If you have an interest in Linux, or are in business, take a look at my site.  http://www.l4smb.net

P. Blacksmith

5.3.09

One idea on 'How to Fix Our Government'

Ok, I had this truly evil idea.  At least many in our government (mostly the elected officials) would consider it evil, yet they are the one's who gave me the idea.

Here are my thoughts on several things that are broken and how we can fix them.

  • Problem - Social Security - I'm paying a lot into it and doubt I will ever get anything back out of it.
  • Fix - get rid of ALL the special federal employee retirement programs and have them use Social Security
  • Problem - Medicare/Medicade/National Healthcare - If National Healthcare is so good, why do the English and the Canadians come to our country for major medial, like multip-by-pass surgeries?
  • Fix - Put ALL State and Federal Employees and Elected persons on Medicare/Medicade/National Healthcare.  Within 3 years, the 'unrepairable' will be fixed.
  • Problem - 2nd Amendment Rights - The politicians say we have no reason to want or need firearms.
  • Fix - If we don't need or have a right to firearms, then they don't need armed body guards, neither do their kids, their wives, mothers-in-law, etc.  They want us 'dis-armed' then they should demonstrate how safe this land is.
  • Problem - Pork Spending - Every single one of those politicians is spending our money for their next election.
  • Fix - Mandatory term limits, salary capped at 2x national minimum wage, Social Security instead of their pension plan, Government run medical for them and their families.  After all, if it's good enough for me and mine, it's good enough for them.
  • Problem - Sex Scandals while in Office -
  • Fix - "Hey! America!  Give it up, already!  The Emperor of Japan laughed at us, LAUGHED, because there was so much hooplah over Clinton getting a blow job from an ugly woman!"  Yes, the man lied, but he lied only becuase there was so much BS being put on him for these actions.  I am dead certain that Lewinski was intelligent enough and 'experienced' enough to know the difference between sexual harrasment and consentual sex between adults.
  • Problem - Gay Marriage/Rights - Many don't like the idea of it and want federal laws banning it.
  • Fix - Read your Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclimation and Bible with all with the same level of enthusiasm.  Then shut up and sit down when I DON'T read YOUR Bible but some other belief.  All four of these documents grants us the freedoms and makes us responsible for the freedoms of others to seek happiness.  It does not gurantee us the right TO happiness, just the freedom to seek it out.
  • Problem - Abortion
  • Fix - See above
  • Problem - Loss of Jobs in America - 'Good paying jobs are getting harder and harder to find'
  • Fix - Stop sending OUR jobs out of country.  Stop giving companies that outsource work to foreign lands federal tax credits and breaks for breaking the working spirit of our nation.
  • Problem - 'The War on Drugs' - Stopping the trafficing, produciton, sale and use of illicit drugs
  • Fix - Legalize drugs.  Make them available to people who want them, tax the crap out of them, and persons who use drugs get ONE and ONLY ONE shot at state covered drug treatment.  After that, they forfeit ALL rights to citizenship and the benefits there of.
  • Problem - The Growing Anti-American Sentiment around the world
  • Fix - Stop meddling.  Bring ALL of our troops home.  Call all debts to our nation by other nations 'due'.  Some country gets hit with a natural disaster?  Leave them alone to solve it themselves.  After all, how many of them came forward to help with Hurricane Katrina?
  • Problem - Illegal Aliens 
  • Fix - All those troops that just came home?  Put them on the borders, two armed soldiers ever 100 meters.  A second 'line' of soldiers 1/2 mile back from the border, again, spaced two every 50 meters.  Give them all live amunition, the best night vision equipment and ORDER them to defend themselves and their nation agianst intruders.  The first line is to attempt to turn back or capture 'those trying to break and enter into our nation.  The second line is to have orders to shoot to kill anyone NOT in specific avenues of travel and not identified by radio communications.  Make it even easier on these soldiers, anyone attempting to cross the borders (north and south) after dark is shot on sight.  Period.  NO questions asked.  If you are out there in the dark, you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Any soldier found guilty of colluding with the 'enemy infiltrators' are found guilty of high treason and executed, loudly, if not publically.
  • Problem - Complicated, Unreasonable Taxation
  • Fix - Flat tax of a given percentage.  Say 10%.  Flat.  If you recieve money for ANYTHING or ANY SERVICE performed, you pay a flat tax on it.  If people want to 'avoid' paying taxes, they are free to use the barter system for physical items.  Anything not physically represented, care, repair services, rent, etc has to be paid for with currency.  Only physical items can be 'bartered'.  If you are a hunter and barter a 7 point buck for a three story house in the middle of Manhattan, congratulations.  Damned good deal.  Do you have a copy of the license used for bagging that buck, please?  And did you pay, in cash, and taxed accrodingly, the notary for the transfer of deed and ownership services?

Will this make America a utopia?  NO.
Will this make America a Libertarian Paradise?  NO.
Will this make America anything?  NO.
Will you actually be able to again taste freedom?  As an American, YES.