iPods/iPads/iPhones Not Good About Playing Nicely on Wireless Networks

Princeton University has a nice article on their Network Systems website that, in plain language, explains why an iPod does not play nicely on their network (or other networks too).  I'm disappointed that Apple has not fixed this, because it really is not good behavior.
In the process, they also explain how a typical wireless network (and often a wired network) works.  It's good reading, and helps to explain why one sometimes encounters wireless networks that just don't seem to work properly.  Often, I'm suspicious it is because the wireless network has run out of "leases" (connections) for new users.
Besides explaining this, it is useful for anyone with a wireless network to understand the principles of how it works for troubleshooting.
See:
http://bit.ly/ejy0hw

Hiking with a Random Dog

Random dog that followed us hiking.

Right now I am TDY* to Huntsville and have been for about a month.  Sunday, after the torrential rains we had Saturday, I decided to go on a hike with a colleague at Monte Sano State Park.  The park was really nice, it has a lot of buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps back before World War II.  The neatest thing was how a dog decided that my colleague and I made for more interesting hiking companions than its owners, and took off with us for about three quarters of a mile as we started to hike around the mile.  Eventually, its owner came over and retrieved it, but I was beginning to wonder what would happen if the owner was not there when we got back to the car, and whether I was going to have to figure out how to smuggle a dog into the University of Alabama in Huntsville's housing.   It was a nice hike, though, even if it was a bit muddy and cut short because of time.
* TDY, for non-Army readers of this blog, means temporary duty (or, in normal English, a business trip).  It is sometimes used like a verb.

Danu (Irish Music Group) to Perform at GMU

One of my favorite Irish music groups, Danu, is going to be performing at George Mason University on 18 March.  I'm not sure if I'm going to go, but the video that they have up is really good.  Right about 1:16 is where they get awesome.
See the link below:
http://bit.ly/hhSDwb