Friedman's idea, basically, is to help finance new and innovative business instead of propping up dinosaurs like the existing car companies. He says:

You want to spend $20 billion of taxpayer money creating jobs? Fine. Call up the top 20 venture capital firms in America, which are short of cash today because their partners -- university endowments and pension funds -- are tapped out, and make them this offer: The U.S. Treasury will give you each up to $1 billion to fund the best venture capital ideas that have come your way. If they go bust, we all lose. If any of them turns out to be the next Microsoft or Intel, taxpayers will give you 20 percent of the investors' upside and keep 80 percent for themselves.

Unions, richies with money invested in failing companies, and lots of other pressure groups will scream and cry and mobilize hordes of lobbyists to prevent anything like this from happening on a large enough scale to matter. But it makes far more sense to invest in America's future than to hold on to our past. I don't see this as a "left vs. right" argument, but as a "well, duh" piece that almost everyone who believes in American ingenuity and inventiveness ought to support.

Please read the whole article and let me know what you think.

(This piece can also be read and commented on at roblimo.com.)

We're going to have a huge economic stimulus bill, full of wasteful items that may stimulate the economy and may not. Some of the funding baked into it -- for infrastructure, research and education -- will have long-term benefits for all of us. There's a bunch of pander-level tax cuts tossed in, too, presumably as a sop to Republicans who didn't vote for it, anyway, and couldn't be bothered coming up with a detailed counterproposal. I was hoping for some principled Republican opposition, not yammer about yet more tax cuts for the richies and a stupid attempt (that backfired) to make public employees' unions look nasty. But nooooo. Instead of acting sensible, Congressional Republicans decided to paint themselves even further into the right-wing corner than they already were.

I personally prefer not to have the same political party occupying the White House and dominating Congress. When you have opposition between the two, any action that gets taken is likely to have broad public support. When one party dominates both the legislative and executive branches, it can do whatever it wants, even write two decades' worth of dreamed-about social legislation into a financial stimulus bill.

Then again, the Republican Party has drifted so far into "Rush and farther right" territory that I half-expect it to start doctor-shopping so it can get a whole bunch of prescriptions for the institutional version of Oxycontin. We can call this "being true to Republican principles" or we can call it "falling into the hands of nuts." Either way, the Republican Party has drifted so far away from what most Americans want from their government that it might as well disband at the national level and concentrate on state and local politics.

The funny thing is, here in Florida, Obama and the Congressional Democrats are busy saving Republicans. The main purpose of the state Republican Party here is to protect our richest and greediest citizens' wallets, even if that means shutting down all programs that help poor people and ordinary workers, which is extra-nasty when so many workers are getting laid off and the poor are becoming poorer than ever. But Florida Republicans can get away with their despicable behavior because (TA! DA!) those evil Washington Democrats are going to pump billions worth of stimulus funds into the state.

Isn't that wonderful? Because of Obama and his crowd, our Republicans won't need to cut as much as they planned, and won't need to raise taxes on the Palm Beach bunch to keep Medicaid (marginally) solvent.

The only high-profile Florida Republican who isn't angry at Obama for saving Florida Republicans' butts is governor Charlie Crist, who has publically and literally embraced Obama. Crist apparently enjoys being in office, unlike the rest of the them. Who knows? He may even decide to give up the Governor schtick, with its two-term limit, and run for Senate, where you can stay in office for life.

Naturally, many of the wrong-wing... excuse me, I meant to type "right-wing" crowd here are howling mad at Crist, just as they are howling mad at anyone who doesn't agree with them about everything from (un)intelligent design to forbidding abortions for gun-carrying pregnant teenagers.

Nationally, Republican office-holders seem to be only slightly less crazy than the ones we have in Florida. This is too bad. I rather enjoy a two-party system where we have rational debates about different ways of running our government and end up with workable compromises that keep things cranking one way or another.

Maybe one day rational people will recapture the Republican Party. And maybe a new party will come along. I would be happy with either alternative, since I truly believe the U.S. is best served by having competitive politics instead of letting a bunch of one-notes run everything.

Also published at roblimo.com

Dear Senator Martinez:

I'm not 100% happy with the Democrat-backed stimulus bill, either, but just saying "no, no, no" to it is not going to help solve our country's problems. Neither will more tax cuts and "fewer regulations" that benefit your greediest constituents, who have already gotten plenty of tax cuts and have been deregulated to the point where they can commit all kinds of white collar crimes (and even sell tainted peanuts) without fear of prosecution.

It's time for you to be a patriot and work for the majority of American citizens, not just the richest ones.

My personal concerns:

1) COBRA subsidies - Since we seem unable to do national health insurance, I must respectfully ask you to support (or at least not oppose) help for those of us who have been laid off and have no choice but COBRA to continue our health insurance without exclusions for pre-existing conditions. My unemployment payments in Florida, after taxes, are barely over $1000 per month, and my COBRA cost is $848 per month. I expect to eventually scare up enough freelance writing and video work to support my (sick) wife and myself, but a 65% federal COBRA subsidy would be a great help. Even 50% would be a big deal.

Of course, comprehensive national health coverage that isn't tied to employment would be best, but I understand that you would incur the Wrath of Rush and the other right-wing loonies if you supported this, so I don't expect you to. At least, I beg you, please try to open your heart to help with COBRA.

2) Income taxes on unemployment - I don't know who came up with this "kick them when they're down" idea, but it is evil. I am -- not kidding -- paying a higher tax rate on my unemployment pittance than famous Republican whore Paris Hilton pays on her inheritance millions. I didn't mind paying substantial income taxes when I was earning $100K+ per year, but hitting me now? Pure sadism. Please stop it.

3) Credit card usery, mortgage foreclosure, and bankruptcy - Since I'm now out of work and will soon lose my house to foreclosure, I expect the credit card thieves to raise the interest rate on my (average for my previous income) credit card debt to the point where I will not be able to pay it off without resorting to some sort of credit plan or, possibly, bankruptcy.

Since either Wachovia or the private mortgage insurance company can (hard to believe, but it is so) come after me for a default judgment after selling the house we are losing to foreclosure if -- as is virtually certain -- they can't auction it for enough to cover the outstanding loan balance, this is another possible reason for bankruptcy.

I basically see bankruptcy as inevitable for us. And bankruptcy laws were changed by Republicans (including you, I believe) to be very, very hard on those of us who are down and out, and much more favorable to your richest corporate constituents.

That was a huge evil, and one I hope you help reverse, along with the deregulation (AKA "crime facilitation) you helped engineer, and legalizing sudden "gotcha" usery by credit card lenders.

Bottom line: You have been a very bad man. Many of your legislative actions, from the standpoint of a working (and now laid-off) American, could easily be viewed as either treason or economic terrorism.

But I am basically a nice person, and I prefer to see goodness in all people, so instead of excoriating you as a devil-spawned rat bastard, I am respectfully asking you to let your better nature take over, and for you to right some of the wrongs you have helped promulgate over the years.

Repectfully yours,

Robin Miller
Bradenton, FL

Sent via email to Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Florida Rich People) on Feb. 9, 2009; also posted at roblimo.com

To: Rep. Vern Buchanan - 1 page; none to follow -
via fax: (202) ___ ____

From: Robin Miller
Bradenton FL 34207

Subject: Economic stimulus

Dear Congressman Buchanan:

I didn't like the pork-laden economic stimulus bill you voted against much more than you did. But I also dislike the idea of more tax cuts - or extending current ones - for our greediest citizens as the basis of an alternative stimulus bill.

I got laid off on Dec. 31, 2008. I get $275 per week in unemployment, and even this little bit is taxed at a higher rate than Paris Hilton's inheritance income. When I was earning over $100,000 a year, I didn't mind paying a stiff income tax rate, although it was sickening that you and the other getovers typically paid a lower percentage on your much larger (unearned) incomes. Now I feel I am being double-punished for the crime of sudden poverty. Isn't losing my house enough?

It's time for you and your fellow richies to give a little back to those of us who have paid for the stable government and capitalist system that helped you accumulate your wealth. I'm not advocating socialism, but temporary help to get back on our feet. I'd strongly suggest some serious infrastructure and science/tech/engineering research funding, because in addition to creating jobs, this kind of spending helps improve our country for generations to come. Remember all those parks our parents took us to when we were kids in the 50s and 60s? A lot of them were built by Roosevelt's WPA, and we were happily using them 30 years later. Sure, the WPA's main purpose was to create jobs, but it also did plenty to make America a better place to live. This is the best kind of economic stimulus.

Another note: when we working people have money coming in again, you and your crowd will make money from us that you don't get now, so by helping us you will be helping yourself in the long run.

Call this idea "trickle up economics." I know it's the opposite of the traditional Republican approach, but it just might work. Please give it a try.

Thanks for caring,

Robin 'Roblimo' Miller
Bradenton, FL

(also posted at www.roblimo.com)

Washington Post headline: To Combat Obama, Al-Qaeda Hurls Insults. It seems the hard-core Muslim fundies aren't fooled by the hard-core American nut-cases who portray the man they often call "B. Hussein Obama" as a Muslim sympathizer. Al Qaeda knows better. They see Obama as a sympathetic figure to people of color -- including most Muslims -- who is still a patriotic American. They see the Obama-approved missile strikes on their people and compounds in Pakistan as a continuation of Bush-style toughness. And they're right. There is no evidence, beyond loonie right-wing name-calling, that Barack Obama will be any less tough on terrorists then George W. Bush or even Dick Cheney.

One thing we can expect, though, is that Obama will remain true to American Values, including due process of law and avoiding illegal torture. This is as scary to Al Qaeda as it is to the American kooks. It means they will no longer be able to use threats of "American atrocities" as a recruiting tool. In fact, it's starting to look like the only new allies Al Qaeda will have in its hatred of Obama are America's own racists and nuttiest conservatives. These are the same people who once talked about how we should all stand behind our president, but apparently meant what they said only when the president was a right-wing Republican.

So, Rush Limbaugh and fellow travelers, how does it feel to be allied with Al Queda? How are you and your new friends getting along? And where you do plan to hold your first international We Hate Obama festival? Inquiring minds want to know...

This article is also available at Roblimo.com

 

Obviously, cleaning up the Bush mess is going to be one heck of a job. But let's forget the work side of the presidency for a moment and talk about Barack Obama as husband, father, and regular guy, because no matter how hard the Republicans try to portray Obama as an out-of-touch elitist, he is more in touch with ordinary Americans than any Bush has been for generations. Let's start with the mother in law thing.

You may or may not have heard that Barack Obama's mother in law has moved into the White House. To me, this is more momentous than having the first black president. I mean, president or no president, I expect Marian Robinson to keep him from getting too swell-headed. She was a secretary for many years, and her late husband, Fraser, had a blue-collar job with the city of Chicago. They lived non-prosperously on the city's south side and raised not only Michelle but also her brother Craig Robinson, who Marian can repeatedly remind Barack is a better basketball player and coach than he'll ever be.

I have a vision of "First Granny" Marian charging into a meeting room at 9 p.m. and telling Barack, "I don't care if you're in the middle of negotiations that will bring peace to the Middle East. It's time for you to read your daughters a bedtime story and tuck them in."

And Michelle may be First Lady and a high-powered lawyer with ivy league degrees, but I have never met an adult who wasn't viewed, at least some of the time, as a baby by his or her mother. If we were flies on the wall in the White House family quarters, I'll bet we'd hear, more than once, "Baby, there is no way you're going to wear that dress in public. You look like you're going to bounce out of it any second."

Plus, every time Barack complains about the rigors of the job, First Granny will be there to remind him not only that she had to show up at work at a crappy job even when it was snowing, without any servants to help, but that her ancestors were slaves, and that Barack has relatives in Kenya who live in dirt-floored huts, so he should be grateful for what he has, even on days when the presidency seems overwhelming.

Cut off from the people

Barack Obama was apparently well-known and well-liked in Chicago. He hung out at the local barber shop, trading gossip and jokes while he waited for his turn in the chair. He and Michelle ate out often, not necessarily at the fanciest places in town but at family-priced, mid-scale restaurants where they were well-known (and good-tipping) regulars. Then there's the Blackberry. Yes, Barack is going to keep it. Good. He's always had a lot of friends and, president or no, is determined to stay in touch with them.

The Ben's Chili Bowl excursion Barack made with D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty soon after he arrived in the city was perfect. Yeah, Ben's is a necessary stop for black celebs in D.C. ever since Bill Cosby (not a celeb at the time) courted his future wife there. But Ben's is not fancy, and far more ordinary people than celebrities sit at the tables and counter, and customers are not necessarily black. As a limo driver, I sat and ate at Ben's more than once while waiting on charter parties who were at the nearby 9:30 Club and other U Street night spots. I met all kinds of people there, from cops to Howard University professors. Ben's is the kind of place that encourages conversation and discussion. And this video shows that, aside from secret service all over the place and lots of cameras and hand-shaking, Barack is right at home in a Ben's-type place, right down to the inevitable sports banter. And that he picked up the check. And posed for a snapshot with some of the cops guarding the front of the place, and gave Mayor Fenty a nice little hug before he left.

It's going to be hard for Barack and Michelle to slip out for the evening on a whim, even if they have First Granny and lots of staff to watch he kids. Secret service... lots of attention.... not exactly conducive to going out dancing or for a romantic dinner or meeting a few friends for a drink somewhere. And taking the kids to the park or the zoo is going to be a motorcade event that will tie up traffic, not a simple family thing, no matter how hard the Obamas try to stay normal and do normal things.

Bush and Clinton not only lived in the bubble of White House security, but seemed to like it because it set them apart from the peasants. Barack and Michelle seem totally comfortable with ordinary working people, as well they should since they have so many of them as friends and family.

This gives me more hope for the Obama presidency than political leanings or almost anything else. Barack's Blackberry dealings may now be limited, but I bet First Granny Marian will be on the phone plenty with relatives and old friends in Chicago, who will give her a streets-eye view of the country's economy that may be more accurate than all the economists' predictions Barack will be forced to wade through as part of his job.

I just hope Obama can stay comparatively normal in the White House, not only for our sake but for his -- and his wife's and daughters'. And I feel sorry for him, because the demands of the job won't let him be a regular, hang-out-at-the-barber-shop kind of guy ever again, no matter how much he wants to be.

This article is also available at Roblimo.com

I totally love both mountains and snow. On postcards, where they belong.

I believe God intended me to live somewhere I can pick oranges from my own tree and eat them immediately, while they're still fresh; where I can go sailing on a "wet" boat (like a kayak, canoe or Sunfish), wearing nothing but swim trunks, at least eight months out of the year.

And Article 149, section 2146, of the U.S. Constitution guarantees our right to free parking at all beaches unless they have special camping facilities and conveniences, a la Ft. DeSoto. If our Founding Dads didn't think going to the beach was important, free beach parking wouldn't be in the Constitution, would it?

Where and when I grew up (Orange, California, 50s and 60s), it was a child's *right* to go to the beach a minimum of once every week during the school year, and up to five times a week during summer vacation. As an adult, I believe I still have that right, even if sometimes I just sit on the sand and watch the sunset instead of going in the water.

If I want cold I eat a sno-cone.

I'm losing my house because I lost my job, but instead of leaving the area my wife and I are rehabbing a tiny mobile home just a few miles down the road. Friday I was at the new place with Tony-the-carpenter, and our new neighbor Ralph came over with fresh-squeezed pink grapefruit juice from his tree, to which we have "picking rights" in exchange for him getting ditto from our orange tree. Great juice. I can still taste it.

Snow people don't have fresh citrus.

Cold and rainy climates produce suicidal musicians like Kurt Cobain. Florida has Jimmy Buffet. Jimmy gets older and richer every year. Kurt doesn't.

Remember where, in the Bible/Torah, God promises Joshua and his people "a land of milk and honey and citrus and year-round fresh produce" and says nothing about Maple syrup? God knew Maple syrup was only grown in cold climates -- but could easily be shipped without losing its flavor. Milk, citrus, and produce are best eaten fresh. (Honey keeps pretty well, but it's nice to get fresh orange blossom honey from local beekepers. God probably mentioned this but His editors cut it because they were paying by the published word and wanted to hold their budget down.)

Also, if God hadn't wanted us to live in Florida, with its basically crappy-tasting tap water, he wouldn't have given us mount-on-the-tap water filters. Or bottled water.

I am a Godly man. I live by His plans. I am so conservative I don't necessarily hold with this modern marriage nonsense but believe the traditional ways, as followed by Abraham, David, and Solomon, should be good enough for anyone. More on that topic here: http://www.roblimo.com/node/571

And for you heretics and pagans who believe in the False Doctrine of Evolution, there is plenty of (no doubt false) evidence that we humans evolved in tropical and sub-tropical climates.

George W. Bush may claim Texan-hood but was born in chilly Connecticut, went to high school -- excuse me, I meant to say "prep school" -- in even colder Massachusetts, went to college in Connecticut, and attended grad school in Massachusetts.

Barack Obama grew up in sunny Hawaii, with some of his childhood time spent in sunny Indonesia. He is an accomplished body surfer. We don't even know if George Bush has ever *tried* surfing.

But if you want to deny God and live in a cold climate, fine. Don't let me stop you.

I believe in the freedom to make all the mistakes you want, which is also part of the U.S. Constitution.

Originally posted @ http://roblimo.com

Today I join the ranks of laid-off over-50 men who will probably never find a job as good as their last one. Let's face it: the demand for journalists has been going down every year for the last decade. Worse, the demand for senior-level editors has never been huge, and is dropping faster than the need for young college graduates who will work for next to nothing. Sure, in addition to being a competent writer and editor with a good grasp of technology and science, I am also skilled in the art of building viable (and profitable) online communities, but does that mean anything in today's horrible economy? Will I be able to find another job? Failing that, will I be able to get enough freelance work to survive? I have no idea.

In any case, I'm preparing to give up my mortgaged house. Without a job I can't afford the payments. Luckily, my wife and I have already bought a small (and very cheap) house trailer we hope to have fixed up and ready for occupancy around the middle of January, so we'll be out of here long before Wachovia forecloses on us.

I always did well as a freelance writer, and since I last freelanced 10 years ago I have become a competent video shooter and editor, too, so I probably can build enough freelance trade to produce a decent living before my small savings account runs dry, especially if I can collect some unemployment (I'm eligible) while I scrounge up enough freelance work to live on.

My biggest problem -- and biggest fear -- is health insurance. My wife and I are both 56, and we have pre-existing conditions that no private health insurance plan will cover for at least two years. My only choice is to continue my current employer-paid health plan through COBRA, and that's going to cost $848 per month. Meanwhile, Florida's maximum employment payment is $275 per week -- which means my wife and I will have a total of about $300 per month to cover all other expenses.

There's no point in complaining. I've voted for more than a few Republicans over the years, and this is my payback for that mistake. I've voted (mostly) for Democrats since 2000, and hopefully the Democrats now in office will realize that people like me need as much help as bank and Wall Street executives.

That's enough for now. I need to get some employment applications and freelance story proposals out. I don't know what you're doing this New Year's Day, but that's what *I'm* doing. :)

We need to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana. This would make Florida a more attractive place to live for many young, creative people who could help us move the state's economy from its current dependence on 19th century-style "exploit and ruin the land" businesses to a sustainable, technology-based economy. This move would also save billions in law enforcement and prison spending.

Legal marijuana would also make Florida an attractive retirement destination for people who suffer from chronic pain, whether as a result of cancer, diabetes-related neuralgia or any other cause.

And then there's tourism... imagine how many tourists we'd get if, after a day of gambling or hanging out at the beach or at a Mickey park, visitors could go to a little Tiki Hut and light up a relaxing joint before going back to their hotel rooms -- with each one of said joints generating $1 or so in tax revenue.

Not only that, we could run a "Buy American" campaign that would encourage residents and tourists alike to smoke or ingest "Ocala Oh!" or "Manatee Marvel" or "Sarasota Supreme," all evocative brand names that would make it clear that "Florida Cannabis is the BEST Cannabis," no doubt with a state-funded marketing campaign to help get the word out. (Note to self: see if Anita Bryant is available.)

So: lower police/prison costs, a new and lucrative agriculture-based industry, attract both tourists and permanent residents, and an additional source of tax revenue, all in one.

Why aren't we considering this? Sure sounds logical to me...

PS - This was originally a response to a local newspaper article.

CNN (CRANK NEWS NETWORK) -- A Dayton, Ohio company that once made seat cushions for the automobile industry but recently switched to manufacturing urine-proof liners for birdcages and kitty litter boxes says that, despite large companies all over the U.S. laying off thousands and tens of thousands of workers, it is "in hiring mode."

"But please don't print our name or contact information," said the harassed human resource manager. "We already have over 40,000 application in, and we don't need any more."

According to a source close to the company's C.E.O., "One of the main impetuses behind our growth is the shrinkage of daily newspapers. That's what people used to use to line birdcages and kitty litter boxes and also to wrap fresh fish purchases. But today's newspapers are so thin that millions are turning to our product instead."

While the company would not reveal specifics of the job opening, which reportedly has drawn applications from former stockbrokers, former investment bankers, and former hedge fund managers, we spoke with several applicants who described the salary as "minimum wage," and noted that the successful applicant was expected to have a post-graduate education, 20+ years as a Perl or Python programmer, knowledge of MS office and carburetor rebuilding, and to be able to lift 50 pounds or more.

"But please," the HR director asked once again, "do not use our company's name in your story. Times are so tough out there that we already have many highly-qualified applicants. Aren't there any other companies out there that are also hiring?

Sadly, the HR director answered his own question: "No."

And then he terminated the interview, because that was the moment his boss walked in and told him to pack his personal belongings because he was being laid off, effective immediately.

An identical version of this story was also posted at Roblimo.com

Pudge made a cool change in discussions- if you link to a comment deep inside a thread and click 'More' the sytem is much more intelligent about crawling down and retrieving children, and then parents and grandparents and so forth up the ancestry. So odds are you'll get more related comments sooner.

We now abbreviate journals in the firehose... so they are more like slashdot stories with a Read More link to the full text.

The big user facing change this week was structural: historically we had 2 different "skeletons" on Slashdot, but with this refresh we unified to a single one. This change simplifies maintenance for us quite a bit (maintaining the idle section and the firehose views of the same data was a royal pain).

You also will see some changes to the firehose.pl layout. We're playing with the tab layout a bit, moving some menus around and better integrating the core functions into the site chrome. It's a bit buggy atm, so feel free to email me if you see something wonky. We're extinguishing a few minor brush fires but there's no forest fires that we're aware of.

Zach knows the wind now. I saw him look at the window and see the leaves rustle. He then started making blowing noises. We blow the mobile over his crib whenever we change his diaper, so he knows the blowing noises move objects. But he's translated that to leaves hundreds of feet away through a window. Now I'm not saying he's a genius, but he's pretty awesome.

This won't significantly affect most of you, but we have been working on some meta mod changes. The most user visible change is that the UI we used to use was thrown out, and instead we are using one based on the firehose. Subscribers will see it when they go to the old metamod link although users can see it by going to this version of those hose

The first real change is that we've changed the meanings of the UI around. The old system is 'Fair' and 'Unfair' and the new system is '+' and '-'. The meanings are subtly different. You are no longer rating individual 'Insightful' or 'Troll' or whatever... you are now stating basically "Is this comment good or bad for you". Personally, since I find very few Score:5 funny comments to be actually really funny (and not just cliche memes) I '-' most of them. You are encouraged to be harsh if you don't actually think something is insightful or funny, call it such. The system encourages more of what you + and less of what you -.

You are also welcome now to do more than 10 m2 per day... however we internally have diminishing returns after 10, so you can do more, but they start to matter less and less.

There will undoubtedly be bugs so feel free to email me or vroom at slashdot if you find them. Probably next week or so we'll move this out to everyone, so your assistance is appreciated.

Well, for subscribers only this week at least. We have a half dozen minor bugs left in the TODO list, but if you are a paying subscriber you can test it out. It works best if you are using the keybindings to navigate. Pressing 'f' takes you to the next unread comment respecting thread order... so you can press that over and over again.

We also added a thing to 'collapse comments after reading' which I think I might turn of as a default setting soon. This is only usable for subscribers atm as well. But basically, as you navigate through a discussion, it collapses the comments you've read after you move on. This makes it really easy to navigate large discussions without having to scroll over 150 comments you've already read.

we're aware of a number of annoying bugs, but hopefully most of them will be squashed by Pudge for this weeks code refresh. If things are stable, we hope to roll this out for everyone rsn.

also my baby cut his first tooth yesterday. My furniture will never be ungnawed upon again.

Well the http://beta.slashdot.org/ test seems to have gone smoothly from where I'm sitting in Netops. The machines were more than happy with all the people runing ab against the site. Behind the scene the slashdot programmers made some tweaks here and there plus some upped connection to the DB. The Mobile section still pointed to the original site plus so did Old Polls under Stories. They did noticed a 10G log file created by the image server(s) that wasn't setup in cronolog yet. Overall a good test, shaped the bandwidth down and up, turned services off then on. I think my favorite thing has been the comments and some of the guessing of what OS the site is running.