The day of the Wireless Wonderland is here at Hyper Coffee in Arcadia. After all of the “Trouble” I have been in getting the wireless network to be functional here at the desk of the Extremist, it has been a less than daunting task to do so on the road. Thankfully the IBM setup and ability to connect to the internet at public places has been a smooth process.

Two days ago I went up to Sierra Madre to check out Bean Town, SM’s famous coffee house. Their wireless free access was less than ideal for me running on my laptop at a mere 11 Mpbs. Maybe it was all of the wireless traffic that had me by the neck but I could not do any real work there due to the slow access times. Hyper Coffee in Arcadia is a different story altogether. First off, I can walk to the little cafe in five minutes, which is really great for starters. Second, their coffee is really terrific and lastly, the place is relatively quiet compared with other high profile coffee houses. This place is cozy and the access times are at 54 Mpbs which is really quick for a public place.

Down town Arcadia is not what you would describe as a thriving business climate for small entrepreneur’s. Arcadia has the Race Track and a Huge mall just a mile out of the down town area. Arcadia’s vision for its community has been upscale housing and focusing all of its business in the mall and race track area. First Street, which runs through the main down-town area is if I may say so, modest. If I were in an investing frame of mind, I would buy a couple of the businesses along this piece of road. In a couple of years this place is going to be booming. However, right now it is just wallowing compared to the down town area of Monrovia and Sierra Madre which are lower income residential townships. Back to the wireless thing.

Hyper Coffee is really a sweet little place. It has computer access for its customers and of course wireless capability at 54 Mpbs. I was able to connect using the IBM’s access software rather quickly. The signal strength here is terrific and the web sites refresh very quickly. All in all I give Hyper Coffee in Arcadia a 10+ in my book. As a matter of fact Jwire reviewed Hyper Coffee under its free wireless web access centers. You can read their review here at Jwire.com.

Another thing that I would like to pass along. Today I had to visit the Best Buy down the road. It is another story for another day but suffice it to say that I had to return a graphic calculator and had the chance to visit the “peripherals”. While I was there I picked up a Logitech MX wireless keyboard and mouse combo for the Dell Beast under the desk. Now this is sweet stuff here. I don’t know why I waited so long to upgrade my desk but this tech stuff is really cool-Oh-Mundo. It is really nice to not have all of the wires pulling on the mouse and now the keyboard is mobile. Great. I will keep you informed on the progress that I make. Remember that school starts in three weeks and I will not have time to fool around too much later so I have to get this stuff done now. For now Ciao.

So, how does that song go anyway. You know the one I mean. The song from The Music Man which goes something like this, “There’s trouble here in River City, trouble with a capital T which rhymes with P which stands for Pool. Yes I tell ye we got trouble right in in River City.”  The little melody goes something like that anyway.  I was thinking about that song today as it relates to my wireless problems.

Well I got trouble too and it does not rhyme with Pool. Just in case you are wondering about the lyrics of the song, here is a link to Trouble in River City.

So here goes with a preview of the longer version.

People:
Trouble, oh we got trouble,
Right here in River City!
With a capital “T”
That rhymes with “P”
And that stands for Pool,
That stands for pool.
We’ve surely got trouble!
Right here in River City,
Right here!
got figure out a way
To keep the young ones moral after school!
Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble…

Those were the simple days, back then when all we had to worry about was whether or not the children’s morals would be corrupted by the Pool hall they passed by on their way home from school. Today’s troubles seem so much more complicated with gang violence in our streets, terrorism looming large on our future as an ever present threat. Hey wait a minute, this is not about any of this stuff. Lets get back to our subject, the subject of the Trouble, the Wireless Trouble in River City. Actually its not River City but the desk of the Extremist that has the trouble.

After working on my wireless network here for a couple of days, I finally got everything configured and the wireless network working. The funny thing is about these projects, the tinkering never stops. When I turned on my laptop for the first time I noticed that I had several open networks that I could connect to just for the asking. My neighbors wireless networks were not secure and any body with a WiFi could start downloading all kinds of stuff through their networks. Cool, but not for the neighbors. Needless to say, I did not want that kind of situation going on around here. To secure my wireless network was a top priority.

Here comes the trouble part. It always goes like that. You take a perfectly good working system and mess around with it trying to improve things and what happens? I did a little searching to find the best way to secure my wireless network and figured out how to really mess things up good. Research is like that, it really is.

An article by John McCormick in TechRepublic titled The latest on Wi-Fi dangers and standards, speaks about the dangers and possible solutions to these real problems of wireless security. John McCormick touts the standard of “The new Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)” claiming it “is also being pushed by Microsoft, Cisco, and members of the Wi-Fi Alliance.” This WPA thing is where I got into trouble. Oh, if you want the latest version you can download a WPA upgrade for Windows XP from Microsoft. I highly recommend it. Really, I do.

This is what happened, I locked up my entire system and could not log on to my router with the encryption enabled. After a couple of days a struggling with this problem, I deleted my connection and figured out how to reestablish a new one curtsey of IBM’s wizard. Isn’t that a marvelous thing. There is nothing bad about the WPA security system just the way I implemented it. I will try again after I down load the latest upgrade for XP. It should work after that.

Just to reinforce how wide spread the open WiFi problem is, a quote from the same article follows, “I decided to write this article after I spoke at the Summercon hacker convention in Pittsburgh recently. There were probably 30 open networks within a single square mile around the conference site, and other cities have similar WLAN-rich areas around universities and high-tech businesses. I saw people logging onto three and four wireless networks from PDAs right in the hotel lobby, and only one of the networks was owned by the hotel.

Everyone from the overt FBI agent to a former NSA staff member to the average hacker was logging onto wireless networks, and I bet even in that elite group, no more than half realized that merely by connecting to an open network they were potentially opening up their computers to anyone else on the same wireless network.”

“Even worse, only a few of those networks were intended for general public use. Most were private networks with so little security that anyone could log on, almost by accident.”

Now that is what I call progress. Free internet just for the asking.

With that, I will wish you happy Wireless Nights and for your listening pleasure I have included the entire monologue of “Trouble”. Enjoy.

Ya Got Trouble Lyrics

Harold:
Well, either you’re closing your eyes
To a situation you do now wish to acknowledge
Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated
By the presence of a pool table in your community.
Ya got trouble, my friend, right here,
I say, trouble right here in River City.
Why sure I’m a billiard player,
Certainly mighty proud I say
I’m always mighty proud to say it.
I consider that the hours I spend
With a cue in my hand are golden.
Help you cultivate horse sense
And a cool head and a keen eye.
Never take and try to give
An iron-clad leave to yourself
From a three-reail billiard shot?
But just as I say,
It takes judgment, brains, and maturity to score
In a balkline game,
I say that any boob kin take
And shove a ball in a pocket.
And they call that sloth.
The first big step on the road
To the depths of deg-ra-Day–
I say, first, medicinal wine from a teaspoon,
Then beer from a bottle.
An’ the next thing ya know,
Your son is playin’ for money
In a pinch-back suit.
And list’nin to some big out-a-town Jasper
Hearin’ him tell about horse-race gamblin’.
Not a wholesome trottin’ race, no!
But a race where they set down right on the horse!
Like to see some stuck-up jockey’boy
Sittin’ on Dan Patch? Make your blood boil?
Well, I should say.
Friends, lemme tell you what I mean.
Ya got one, two, three, four, five, six pockets in a table.
Pockets that mark the diff’rence
Between a gentlemen and a bum,
With a capital “B,”
And that rhymes with “P” and that stands for pool!
And all week long your River City
Youth’ll be frittern away,
I say your young men’ll be frittern!
Frittern away their noontime, suppertime, choretime too!
Get the ball in the pocket,
Never mind gittin’ Dandelions pulled
Or the screen door patched or the beefsteak pounded.
Never mind pumpin’ any water
‘Til your parents are caught with the Cistern empty
On a Saturday night and that’s trouble,
Oh, yes we got lots and lots a’ trouble.
I’m thinkin’ of the kids in the knickerbockers,
Shirt-tail young ones, peekin’ in the pool
Hall window after school, look, folks!
Right here in River City.
Trouble with a capital “T”
And that rhymes with “P” and that stands for pool!
Now, I know all you folks are the right kinda parents.
I’m gonna be perfectly frank.
Would ya like to know what kinda conversation goes
On while they’re loafin’ around that Hall?
They’re tryin’ out Bevo, tryin’ out cubebs,
Tryin’ out Tailor Mades like Cigarette Feends!
And braggin’ all about
How they’re gonna cover up a tell-tale breath with Sen-Sen.
One fine night, they leave the pool hall,
Headin’ for the dance at the Arm’ry!
Libertine men and Scarlet women!
And Rag-time, shameless music
That’ll grab your son and your daughter
With the arms of a jungle animal instink!
Mass-staria!
Friends, the idle brain is the devil’s playground!

People:
Trouble, oh we got trouble,
Right here in River City!
With a capital “T”
That rhymes with “P”
And that stands for Pool,
That stands for pool.
We’ve surely got trouble!
Right here in River City,
Right here!
Gotta figger out a way
To keep the young ones moral after school!
Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble…

Harold:
Mothers of River City!
Heed the warning before it’s too late!
Watch for the tell-tale sign of corruption!
The moment your son leaves the house,
Does he rebuckle his knickerbockers below the knee?
Is there a nicotine stain on his index finger?
A dime novel hidden in the corn crib?
Is he starting to memorize jokes from Capt.
Billy’s Whiz Bang?
Are certain words creeping into his conversation?
Words like ’swell?”
And ’so’s your old man?”
Well, if so my friends,
Ya got trouble,
Right here in River city!
With a capital “T”
And that rhymes with “P”
And that stands for Pool.
We’ve surely got trouble!
Right here in River City!
Remember the Maine, Plymouth Rock and the Golden Rule!
Oh, we’ve got trouble.
We’re in terrible, terrible trouble.
That game with the fifteen numbered balls is a devil’s tool!
Oh yes we got trouble, trouble, trouble!
With a “T”! Gotta rhyme it with “P”!
And that stands for Pool!!!

More wireless news from the desk of “The Extremist”. Shopping at Best Buys is never a pleasant experience and during the heat wave that we are experiencing here in Los Angeles it makes it even worse. Just going outside after noon is painful. Ever stick your head inside a bakers pizza oven just for kicks. You don’t have to do that any more, just come to LA this week and all of your heat fantasies will be answered. Back to the wireless thing.

The IBM T42 laptop has a very nice mouse system as well as a delicious feel to the keypad. This is one of the reasons that I chose IBM. The idea of getting an optical mouse replacement for the larger Dell that sits under the desk is something that I have thought about for a while now and the opportunity came up to visit Best Buy. While at BB looking at all of the “goodies”, I spotted a little critter that I had to bring home, my very own Mini optical wireless mouse for the paltry sum of 39 dollars and change. Kensingon is a brand that I am not familiar with but the total package with optical and wireless in a mini sold me. The way this little guy works is through the use of a radio signal generated by an adaptor the plugs into the USB port. Once the adaptor is plugged in you have to activate the mouse by pushing a little button on the side of the plug and then a corresponding button under the Mini mouse. Very cool technology there! Viola, the Kensington mouse works like a champ. I have to admit that this mouse works better for me than any other pointing device no matter how slick the laptop is. This will definitely go in my bag when taking the laptop to school or Starbucks.

JumpDrive

While in the Best Buy computer section I noticed another little thing that I had to have. It always goes like that doesn’t it? I have been contemplating different ways to move files from the Beast under the table to the portable. I could burn a floppy of all these files but the laptop does not have a floppy dirive and would be of no use. Maybe I could burn a CD and transfer the data that way or even Email the files to myself in an attachment. No, this all seemed too much trouble. JumpDrive 128 meg USB media from Lexar fits the bill. I have seen these little things before but never used one. It all makes sense now that I have the laptop. The JumpDrive, it fits on to a key chain if you want, just plugs into the USB port on the back of your computer and you can download files to it easily. Unplug the little sucker and stick it into the USB port of the laptop and retrieve all of the files to a safe place. This is really portable memory and works like a charm. Another thing that these devices are good for is safely transporting presentations, files or whatever from place to place. Pictures too can be saved on the little thing as well. The next time I go to China this is definitely going in the bag with us.

That’s about it for today. In another few minutes Jennifer and I have a diner engagement with Stan and his wife from Velo Monrovia Bicycle.

American beats second-placed Ullrich by 1:01 in final TT

by Graham Watson

Armstrong powers to another stage win and virtually cinches a sixth straight Tour

Victory for Lance Armstrong in Saturday’s stage 19 time trial at Besançon was a fait accompli. So much so, that at his press conference afterward, the man behind what has been dubbed by at least one media outlet as the “Texas Chainring Massacre” was not asked one question about his terrific ride in the 55km time trial.

There was really no explanation needed about Armstrong’s winning ride over the T-Mobile pairing of Germans Jan Ullrich and Andreas Kloden, who placed second and third on the stage at 1:01 and 1:27 respectively.

It was expected. It was provided. And it was so very conclusive. And it extended Armstrong’s total of wins in the final time trial of a Tour he has won from four to five.

by Graham Watson

Ullrich finished second to Armstrong, but will miss the podium

It most probably would be six of six had the heavens not opened over Nantes last year when Armstrong – again in yellow and assured of victory – eased up the pace after hearing that his nearest challenger, Ullrich, had crashed on a slippery traffic circle.

Arguably the most interesting bit of trivia to take away from Saturday’s time trial also involved Armstrong and Ullrich – the 1:01 margin Armstrong had over Ullrich in the time trial at Besancon was exactly the same gap he had on the German in the stage 16 time trial to L’Alpe d’Huez and in last year’s general classification!

On a course whose difficulties included many rises, dips and turns, the stage was made even harder to conquer by a blanket of humidity and heat that swept over the France Comte region, especially in the late afternoon.

by Graham Watson

Basso gave it his all, but slipped back a spot on GC

Armstrong’s winning time of 1:06.49 on the circular course came at an average speed of 49.389kmh, and with the fastest split times at each of two intervals before the finish line.

At the 18km mark, Armstrong clocked 22:47, which was an astounding 43 seconds faster than Ullrich and 47 better than Kloden. At the 40km mark, Armstrong’s 49:20 was still 51 seconds faster than Ullrich and 1:06 better than Kloden.

He used the same bike he rode in the prologue at Liege on July 3. And Armstrong again paid credit to those in the “Formula 1″ program that U.S. Postal set up a year ago, after the Tour, to devise a bike that would give him a more aerodynamic position.

by Graham Watson

Landis had the best time before the big dogs started barking

Armstrong’s stage win left no doubt that he will ride into Paris Sunday to claim a record sixth Tour win – that is, if any doubters remained.

“To be on the verge of breaking history is incredibly special,” Armstrong told The Associated Press after winning in 1:06:49. “I’m always careful to say that we have another day to go, and if you crash on the Champs-Elysees and don’t finish tomorrow, then you don’t win. So I have to be careful and hope it works out.”

For the Texan, his victory Saturday also secures his place in the record books as the winningest champion since Frenchman Bernard Hinault in 1981, when the fiery five-Tour-winning Breton also won five stages.

Armstrong, flanked by his Belgian directeur sportif Johan Bruyneel at his press conference, was clearly a happy man after he clinched his fifth individual stage win Saturday. But there was a lot of relief there, too.

When asked if five stage wins – and victory in the team time trial – led him to feel that he dominated the Tour, Armstrong replied, “No.”

“Johan and I were talking the other night,” he said. “And I hardly ever, if ever, attacked in this Tour – I usually found myself in groups and only had to sprint, or in the time trials. I didn’t intend to dominate the race. I wouldn’t be so bold to call it domination.”

The most significant outcome of Saturday’s stage was the change in the order of those who will join him on the podium Sunday in Paris. Italian Ivan Basso (CSC) dropped from second to third, while Kloden rose to second spot, eliminating Basso’s 1:02 lead on the German.

The switch in podium places was due in part to Kloden’s power and impressive third place that nullified the impact of Basso’s “best ever Tour time trial,” which saw him place sixth, 2:40 behind Armstrong.

Basso was level with Kloden at 18km, but was unable to match the 29-year-old German over the remaining kilometers. He had dropped to sixth by the second split at 40km when he was 52 seconds behind the German, who is one of the revelations of the Tour.

“I’m disappointed for my team and for myself, but I’m still happy to finish on the Tour podium,” Basso told Reuters. “Being able to climb on the podium in Paris is the most important thing.

“I tried to do the time trial at 100 percent, without making any calculations and about thinking how well Kloden was doing. It turned out that I lost second place but there was nothing I could do about it. He did a good time trial, I did a good time trial, but it wasn’t enough.”

Another revelation has been Armstrong’s Postal team rider Floyd Landis, whose wife followed him in the team car Saturday and saw him take an astounding fourth place. CSC’s Bobby Julich also had a great ride, to place fifth, at the end of a Tour that has seen him overcoming a series of injuries.

Meanwhile, American Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank) is now set to clinch the second top-10 Tour finish of his career after finishing 12th at 4:06 Saturday. Leipheimer will start the 163km 20th stage from Montereau to Paris in ninth overall, at 20:31.

There was one just one other change in the top-10. Spaniard Oscar Pereiro (Phonak) moved from 11th to 10th overall at 23:13 after he placed 21st at 5:21, following the 61st-place finish at 8:07 by Italian Pietro Caucchioli (Alessio), which saw him drop to 11th overall at 24:40.

Meanwhile, France was shedding tears for the inevitable but so unwanted loss by Thomas Voeckler (Brioches la Boulangère) of his white jersey as the best young rider to Russian Vladimir Karpets (Illes Balears). The plucky Voeckler, who rode brilliantly to enjoy a 10-day spell in the yellow jersey until Armstrong took it back on stage 15, finally ran out of gas to place 85th in the time trial at 9:41.

Karpets, who started the day 45 seconds down on Voeckler in the white-jersey competition, placed eighth at 3:33 to Armstrong, to simply floor the weary Voeckler.

On to Paris
Now on the eve of his sixth trip to Paris in the yellow jersey, Armstrong was asked what it meant to win six Tours.

“It’s very difficult to say,” he replied. “You’ll have to ask me in a couple weeks, I think. When I won the first one, I thought I could die and go away a happy man. To win six is very hard to put into words.”

“I’m happy, because it’s finished,” he added. “I’m tired mentally, have tired legs.”

As to whether he will return next year, Armstrong wouldn’t say for certain. There have been reports in The New York Times and elsewhere that Armstrong will not race the 2005 Tour. On Saturday, however, he conceded that it would be hard to turn his back on his favorite race.

“I can’t imagine skipping the Tour, and if I do come, I would only come with the perfect condition,” he said. “For me it’s a special, special event, and I can’t imagine not being here.”

Results are posted.