Update: Well it seems like this was a bit premature. It appeared that there was a DHCP issue, but the real problem turned out to be a Cisco 2960 switch behind the GS108 that had the specific port configured to "Desktop" mode. A change to "Switch" mode fixed the problem, so if you have an issue like this, check your other hardware!

If I had to summarize it in one quick phrase it would have to be "Action-packed, Hollywood-style spy novel."

In more depth, this story is about Ridley Fox, a CIA agent with a troubled past of loss and regret who is out for revenge. Ridley is approached by a scientist working for The Arms of Ares, a weapons consortium that plays on the wrong side, who wishes to defect. This drags him deeper and deeper into a crazy-evil-scientist-style plot to wipe out most of the Earth's population with a terrible new bio-weapon called Pandora.

Now let me preface the remainder of this review by saying I'm excited about today's publishing technology. Newer, up-and-coming writers that have a tough time "breaking in" to the market due to overloaded publishing houses and plain-old rejection have more options than ever before. And we're starting to see the results of that change. Fiction podcasts, webzines, and other non-traditional methods of publication are available to both new and established writers. But what does this mean to us, the readers?

A lot more choice in our reading pile!

Brooks has done what I have always wanted to do, write a story and, by hook or crook, get it published and available to the masses. Now let me tell you what's great about his writing. Brooks writes action and he writes it well. Pandora's Succession was very well-paced, a difficulty for many writers. There was a definite build of tension as we approach the climax of the story. Brooks, to me, seems like an expert with modern weapons, so he either has a huge gun collection or he did great research. His characters are believable people, too. And he's good at writing dialog, too.

The one thing I think the story could have used would be a good run-through by an editor. Not that there were plot problems or sections that need to be cut, but a few times in the story I was distracted by a repetitive sentence or word that popped up too frequently. That aside, I've read books by recognized authors who've published many books that have more problems than Pandora's Succession. My complaint here is only what kept me from being totally immersed in the story. Be aware though that what I read was an early copy, and is not the verbatim manuscript that will make it to final publishing.

All-in-all, if you like spy novels you should read Pandora's Succession, and keep an eye on Russell Brooks, because he's only going to get better!

The ETA bounced around 30 to 120+ hours. After I got home, I started digging in to the download client settings, and found the peer-to-peer info page, which showed me that I was getting a whopping 6Kb/s from three different peers, each at 2.0Kb/s.

So I figure the Mac version wouldn't be as popular as the Windows version, but seriously—this was horrible! So I shut down the peer-to-peer functionality (not recommended by Blizzard), and immediately jumped to around 600Kb/s download rate. It finished in two hours.

Starcraft 2 is, however, gorgeous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nMXV4NG4gQ

So check it out, you might like it. Eh.

First off, can I say that in my years of IT work, this is by far the easiest installation I've ever had. All I did was slide the drives in and plug in the network and power and turned it on. Then I walked away. Sheer brilliance.

I installed their software, the Drobo Dashboard, so I could configure the device (from a Windows machine). A few minutes after power-up, there it was in the window showing drives ready to go:

The only complaint I have is interoperability with backup software (I use Symantec's BackupExec), which appears to be available only with the Drobo Pro and Drobo Elite models. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I can pull data off via the share, but a backup client does a better job of streaming data out than Windows SMB.

Overall, I'm excited to have an appliance to store our data without having to maintain an operating system and all its related hardware. Depending on how things go, we may be switching more of our storage over to Drobo later.

Having been a long-time fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, this is an instant classic. While I don't think I enjoy the live versions quite as much as the normal DVD releases, it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the jokes. And I can tell you, there were a lot of them!

The story is (roughly) about a scientist and his wife investigating an island after nearby nuclear testing. Accompanying them is a peace corps guy that wants to improve the quality of life of the native population. But a monster is loose on the island, and the natives have reverted to virgin sacrifices on a near-nightly basis. Exactly how they could sustain this level of commitment I can't say.

Did I mention the trees have grabbing tentacles? And the monster suit was ridiculous? Of course I don't need to. Plus, there is a bonus documentary feature.

Don't be afraid to rush out and get the latest installment from Joel, Trace, J. Elvis, Mary Jo, and TV's Frank!

The upgrade was a piece of cake, as usual. They make it simple and easy. I always back up my database and files before the upgrade, and I've never had to go back. And let me tell you, I've been using WordPress for a very long time, since the early days. I upgraded from bb to WordPress on November 18, 2003.

Even with reservations, it took us over an hour to get a table. Be ye warned. But there are barrels of peanuts from which you may graze. They also encourage you to throw the shells on the floor so the busboys have more work. So even where you sit, there may be a layer of peanut shells crunching underfoot. If you have a nut allergy, this is not the place for you.

The bread is great: fresh, hot, and sweet. And it comes with cinnamon butter. Between that and the peanuts, you could probably order a side salad and leave full. I took half of my dinner home in a box. The pulled pork wasn't pulled so much as largely chunked. And the "fall-off-the-bone" ribs did come apart easily, but I've had better. The service was okay, but nothing stellar. They stop every now and then to dance, too. Some kind of weird, kick-the-peanut-shell and clap-your-hands shuffle.

To top it off, they blast country music into your ears the whole time you're there. Overall, it's not a place I'll be going back to, but if you're a beer swilling, truck driving, country music-loving redneck you'll probably love it. I'm none of those and left with a headache.

The movie was all right. I went in with certain expectations (it is Robin Hood, after all) that were never met. The Sheriff of Nottingham had a very small part. Think of it more like a Robin Hood prequel and you won't be disappointed.

Keep your eyes out for Alan. He's the archer that sings all the time

Coleman Francis almost out-Ed-Woods-es Ed Woods himself. This movie was all over the place. The narrator mentions flags on the moon and flying saucers, which have absolutely nothing to do with this movie, neither its plot nor dialog. In it, Tor Johnson plays a scientist from behind the Iron Curtain that accidentally absorbs radiation at a missile test site and turns in to a fiendish beast that kills people for fun. Wait, that makes it sound exciting, and it really wasn't. Tor ambles around the desert, and a sheriff hunts him down. But the sheriff spots a stranded motorist and mistakes him for the Beast and shoots at him a bunch of times. He gets back to his car and high-tails it out of there, leaving his wife behind to wait for the kids. He never returns, although his kids do. Tor eventually gets killed when the sheriff finally finds him and that's pretty much it.

This movie had two short films to go with it, since it was mercifully brief itself. The first was a short about budgeting money for high school kids, where the silhouette of Benjamin Franklin instructs a boy on the fine art of not blowing all your money. The second was about "Progress Island," a.k.a. Puerto Rico. It almost convinced me that I should think about Puerto Rico.

I give this movie three empty seats, one for each of the Coleman Francis movies I hope I never have to see again.