Getting to the Point of Point Solutions

I attended a presentation at this fall's VON discussing the road from Quality of Service (QoS) to Quality of Experience (QoE). As I was expecting, it was fluff designed to justify a layer of management above yet another perfectly sound technical concept that does not need managers who fundamentally don't understand the underlying technology making policy decisions that influence the deployment of said technology.

Last year's big topic at VON was IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). This is another perfect example of adding a management layer to an already existing technology concept - convergence. Of course, we can't use the word "convergence" anymore. It lacks pizazz. We need to call it "unified communications". We need to implement a framework. We need IMS. In reality, we don't, but pundits and managers alike need it because some smart technical people were getting too much recognition inventing new concepts and getting work done. They needed to be stopped - or at least slowed down.

And now it's everywhere. You need Unified Threat Management - which of course is an overarching concept that covers vulnerability asessment, intrusion detection/prevention and firewall functionality. We have Enterprise Management, which is a layer on top of the classics (like HPOV) to provide dashboards and metrics. And why are the metrics needed? To justify the existence of all the managers who took the place of all the IT people whose jobs were outsourced to save money.

When I first starting consulting, a client would give us a business requirement - "I need to connect my two remote sites to share data." We would give them (what is now called a point solution) a router. Configured, tested, job done.

A few years later, a client would have the same requirement, but now we needed - and for some reason the client wanted - a Plan, Design, Implement and Operate lifecycle. This of course involved planning why they needed the router, designing the deployment of the router, configuring and implementing the router and providing knowledge transfer to their staff for ongoing support of the router.

A year or two later, the same requirement demanded a "solution". A strategic relationship with a router vendor needed to be formed. A strategic relationship with a carrier to provide the circuit needed to be executed. A strategic relationship with the implementation resource had to be established. A holistic solution was provided that included a router and a complete industry standards based, best practices configuration for said router.

And now clients want services - so integrators offer that. They own the router. They manage the router. If the client wants a tiny new function supported, they charge large amounts of cash to type a few configuration commands into the router. Pundits and integrators have done a great job convincing enterprises that the original router they needed (and that worked fine 10 years ago) is no longer adequate. It must be bundled with services and business justifications that deliver value adds.

I'm not down on the whole services thing. Unified communications is a wonderful new suite of collaboration tools that will enable distributed users to communicate seamlessly and effectively. However, no one can tell anyone what "unified communications" actually is. Cisco has their idea. Microsoft theirs. Some interoperate. Some don't. Some promise the world, but deliver nothing more than beta products with a vague "roadmap" to panacea. So outsourcers base their delivery on the visions (or lack thereof) offered by the vendors. <sarcasm>And enterprises reap the wonderful benefits of outsourcing.</sarcasm>

Reduced to it's most common denominator, if the enterprise needs a router, give them a router. The managed service router is great for the outsourcer who reaps the monthly charges from the enterprise. The enterprise is now paying a monthly recurring charge for something that could have been done as a two week one-time cost. And if done correctly, still be working 10 years later.

Fat Chance

I just saw a commercial about a revolutionary new breakthrough. It reported the "cure" to body fat. Skeptical, since body fat isn't a "disease" and thus, doesn't require a "cure", I listened. It reported that the main causes of body fat were stress at work, poor diet and lack of exercise. I immediately new the "cure". Or so I thought I did.

It went on to say the Obesity Research Center has worked with drug companies to develop the cure to body fat: a drug (whose name I won't mention so as to not create anymore unneeded publicity).

This is the problem with classifying obesity as a disease. It then doesn't need to be addressed with self discipline and hard work, but can be treated with drugs as a cure to the disease.

In case your "fat head" hasn't figured it out yet, the "cure" is to reduce stressful situations at work, eat a balanced diet and get some exercise.

The Adventures of Rich and Vince

Characters courtesy of Planearium

Pink Panther 2 Filming

During our trip to a wedding in Ipswich at the lovely Crane Estate, we captured the Pink Panther 2 filming crew.

Reach the Beach Relay - 2007

As an ultra team in the 2007, 9th Annual Reach the Beach Relay my experience was quite different than past RTB Relays. In many ways, it was worse – lack of sleep, longer runs and pain, and in many ways it was far more rewarding – lack of sleep, longer runs and PAIN. However, there was so much more support this year with half as many team members. Competing teams learn you are part of an ultra team and you are suddenly elevated to an entirely different level.

We decided to run 2 legs together. This allowed us to complete our six legs apiece with only three (long) runs like in previous RTB Relays we finished. Each run would be twice as long; however, we thought the trade off would work best. On the first half of my double first leg, I passed a runner as he was getting a water break from his team. No more than a few hundred feet later, I ran past my van and grabbed some water on the go. His support team must have noticed the "Ultra" placards in our van’s window as they passed because the next time I passed their van waiting for their teammate, they asked, "you an ultra right? Do you need some water?"

Midway through the first half of his last double leg, John told me during his water pickup that he was going to make a quick stop at the transition to get a bathroom break. After ending his 17.1 mile distance by climbing brutal non-stop hills in the pouring rain completing his 44.5 mile total he told us the story. "I ran through the transition and told them I was an ultra running through. I stopped at the Port-o-Potty line with about 50 people in it. I ran to the front and yelled – 'I'm part of an ultra team and I'm in the middle of my run, I still have the next leg. Does anyone mind if I cut in front?'" Needless to say, no one objected and he was in and out like a NASCAR pit stop. The kicker: he finished that 17.1 mile run climbing brutal non-stop hills in the pouring rain completing his 44.5 mile total with a 7:43 pace on that last run – including the bathroom break!

The amount of unsolicited support from other teams and volunteers truly was amazing. I passed a woman early into the first half of my last leg. We chatted for 30 seconds and I was off. I was pacing myself, I still had 6.8 miles on Leg 32 to accomplish and I was running with folks who at this point had about 1.5 miles to go to finish their final run. As I approached the transition, the young volunteers smiled and yelled encouragement – "You’re almost there, only 100 feet left". I shot back, "I wish". She replied, "No really, the transition is right there," pointing to the cones and other runners gathered waiting for their teammates. I answered back, "I'm an ultra. I’m running through the next leg." She just said, "Whoa!" As I passed through the transition, I looked to the officials and said, "370, Ultra, running through." Everyone at the transition started yelling and clapping as I crossed the street and continued on. About 2 miles into the second half of my final leg, I saw the woman I had passed earlier. She was with her team van waiting for their runner to offer support. I made a quick joke, "Didn’t I pass you? How did you catch up?" She smiled and then dropped her jaw when she recognized me. "Oh my god, you did. You’re the ultra". Her teammates must have told her about the guy that ran through the transition where she had handed off. For the rest of that 6.8 mile leg, every time that van passed to hopscotch their runner, they honked, yelled and cheered.

But perhaps the best story – or rather anecdote – for this past year's RTB Relay came during the second half of my first 10.8 mile run. As I was passing a Conway Public Works depot, a man in a pickup in the lot leaned out his window and noticing me, the runner in front and in back of me all wearing race bibs; he asked, "how long is the race?" I replied, "200 miles", without further clarification. I was tired, going uphill and running with a bunch of fresh legged runners on their first (short 3.5 miler) after I had already run the previous leg. About 30 seconds later, I noticed the pick up truck had pulled up to me, slowed and the driver leaned out his window. With a rather amazed look, he asked, "how long do you have to finish it?" I just smiled and gave him the RTB Relay tag line ... "24 hours". His eyes popped, jaw dropped and he quite incredulously exclaimed, "good luck", as he drove off. It occurred to me 10 seconds later that he must have assumed I was running all 200 miles myself and the good laugh helped me finish off the remaining miles quite happily.

And that about sums up the RTB Relay. You may feel alone with a 200 mile task in front of you – especially at night, during the rain, slogging uphill, with no runners in sight both in front or in back of you. But inevitably, you come upon your support van, you hear their cheers, get some water and Gu and you’re on your way again. Running is a team sport. Reach the Beach Relay - 200 miles in 24 hours!

Ultra Genetically Challenged - Men's Ultra

97/351 - 7/12

From left: Ted (Position 6: leg 11, 12), Vince [Me] (Position 4: leg 7, 8), Jason (Position 3: leg 5, 6), Gabriel (Position 2: leg 3, 4), John (Position 1: leg 1, 2), Rick (Position 5: leg 9, 10)

NOTE: This year, the course started at Cannon Mountain and took us over the Kancamagus Highway.

	Distance	Difficulty	Time	Pace
Leg 7 Leg 8	7.3 3.5	Moderate Easy	1:21:30	7:33
Leg 19 Leg 20	7.2 4.5	Very Hard Moderate	1:41:30	8:41
Leg 31 Leg 32	2.5 6.8	Easy Moderate/Hard	1:10:30	7:35
	31.8		4:13:30	7:58

Silent Reflections

I understand that you can't say "A Moment of Prayer" at a town meeting for fear of inciting a mob of crazy "separation of church and state" radicals. However, the traditional replacement - "A Moment of Silence" is equally offensive. It is offensive to deaf people who hear nothing but silence all the time. Noting that they can't even hear the phrase "A Moment of Silence" is little consolation; for if the meeting were completely politically correct, someone up front would be signing the words "A Moment of Silence" and thus, deaf people would "hear" the phrase with their eyes.

Thus, the "A Moment of Silence" phrase should be changed to "A Moment of Reflection". This would only be offensive to blind people and vampires. Blind people obviously cannot see their reflection and vampires don't have reflections. It is questionable whether this would pertain to a blind vampire who not only couldn't see his reflection if he had one, but wouldn't be able to not see that he in fact does not have a reflection in the first place. However, both of these objections can be easily dismissed.

The word "reflection" in the context, "A Moment of Reflection" does not refer to a visible-type reflection such as one would actually see with eyes in a mirror or other similar "reflective" surface. Thus, blind people can not be offended by this usage. And as far as vampires go, I'm pretty sure they don't exist.

At Trilogy's End?

I keep hearing that "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is the final installment in the Pirates trilogy; however, after seeing the movie, it's quite clear that much is left open for a possible next installment.

I didn't see "Brokeback Mountain" so I can't say "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is THE worst movie ever made; however, it is one of the top two worst movies ever made.