flashinthepan

The HylaFAX fax server is an open source, enterprise-class system for sending and receiving facsimiles. It’s one I have been using and setting up for clients on Linux boxes with great success for a number of years.

My Linux distribution of choice is Gentoo Linux. I really like to be able to customize things and set them up the way I like them: Gentoo is after-all, all about choice. One choice I always make when setting up a new Gentoo box is to use the Paludis package manager for software management.

Paludis is great. It does have a tendency to expose broken or carelessly written ebuilds however. One such program I haven’t been able to install with Paludis is HylaFAX (thus the reason for this article).

If you try to install HylaFAX using Paludis from the Gentoo Portage tree, you will end up with an error like this toward the end of the build:

!!! Cannot write ‘/var/tmp/paludis/net-misc-hylafax-4.4.4/image/var/spool/fax/FIFO’ to ‘/var/spool/fax’ because it is not a recognised file type

When the package builds, it makes a FIFO which Paludis doesn’t support. My previous solution to this problem, which wasn’t a very good one, was to use Portage to install this one problem ebuild. With the 4.4.4 version of HylaFAX hitting the tree, I finally got fed up with this method. I did a lot of searching and finally came across a patch which I have now incorporated into the ebuild. The HylaFAX 4.4.4 ebuild patched for installation with Paludis can be found on my overlay here:

Stormfront Overlay

Instructions for adding the overlay can be found here:

Adding the Stormfront Overlay using Layman

There was really very little information out there on this issue. Hopefully this will be helpful to someone else who is experiencing this problem.

A few weeks ago my wife and I noticed that our 3 month old son had an inguinal hernia. We knew we’d have to have something done about it eventually, but since it didn’t seem to be causing any problems, we were in no particular hurry to subject him to surgery. We took our son to see his GP, and she wasn’t concerned about it at all. She did refer us to a pediatrician for an unrelated issue that turned out to be nothing.

When we saw the pediatrician, she said something would have to be done about the hernia and started the procedure of referring us to a surgeon at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. The hospital would phone us when they were ready for us to bring in our son for a consult.

On Thursday afternoon however, things became a little more urgent and my wife ended up taking him to the emergency room at the Alberta Children’s Hospital here in Calgary. Now, I’m not a big fan of the medical system. I think as a society we tend to intervene a little too much in the body’s God given ability to heal itself. That being said however, it definitely has its place and I’m quite thankful that it’s there for those times that it’s really needed.

My wife stayed at the hospital with our son from the time he was admitted on Thursday afternoon, until he was discharged late Saturday morning. The doctors and nurses at the Alberta Children’s Hospital were very supportive and you could tell that they really care about the children and the families under their care.

Dr. Mary Brindle and her team who performed our son’s surgery were very good. They made sure that we understood what was going to happen and the associated risks involved. When the surgery was complete, Dr. Brindle came to talk to us to let us know that it went very well and that there were no complications.

Our son is back to his normal, happy self and we are quite glad. I would like to offer a great big kudos to all the doctors and nurses at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Thank you so much for being there and for the caring work that you do.

I have been watching the commentary following the US Presidential Election with some interest. My wife is an American and the US is afterall Canada’s biggest trading partner. Being involved in the business world, I also realize that the US economy has quite an effect on economies around the globe.

The one thing that seems to be at the forefront of all the post-election media coverage is the fact that President Elect Obama happens to be of African American descent. I haven’t travelled throughout the US very much so I don’t really have a first-hand view. This coverage leads me to believe that racism must still be a really big issue in American society however, more so than in Canada where slavery never developed to the extent it did in the US.

It would be difficult to tell how much of a role ethnicity played in the vote itself, but it sure is getting a lot of press now. With the election finished, the other issues seem to have been put to bed.

Personally, I believe President Elect Obama ran a much better campaign than Senator McCain. I would hope the American people were able to get past the issue of race or ethnicity and vote on the issues at hand.

Regardless of the effect race or ethnicity had on the vote, I really believe that the candidate with the strongest campaign won in this case. No matter which candidate came out victorious in this election, the top man in the Whitehouse has quite an uphill battle over the next few years with issues such as the economy and the “War on Terror” to contend with.

It’s going to be an interesting four years.

If you’re a fan of theatre and the arts and you’re looking for a family-friendly activity in Calgary that is enjoyable for children and adults alike, StoryBook Theatre may be exactly what you are looking for.

Being the parents of five small children ranging in ages from 3 months through 9 years, my wife and I are always on the lookout for things we can do as a family. We found out about StoryBook Theatre from a friend who emailed us a copy of a poster for the Cookie Cabaret presentation of “The Fisherman & His Wife.”

The Cookie Cabaret performances are held at the Community Arts Centre on the Old Currie Barracks in StoryBook Theatre’s Easterbrook Theatre. These presentations are geared toward ages 3 through 6, but if the one we went to see is any indication, they are always fun for all ages. The “Fisherman & His Wife” was a very interactive production and was very professionally done. The set was painted very tastefully in bright colours that would appeal the the kid in any of us.

More recently we took in the Adventure Theatre production of “Harriet’s Halloween Candy.” The Adventure Theatre presentations are held at the Pumphouse Theatre and are for ages 6 through 12 years. We found that both our younger children and we ourselves enjoyed this one as well. Like the Cookie Cabaret, the set was bright and colourful, and was quite tastefully decorated. The performance was top-notch and included live song and some choreography.

StoryBook Theatre is definitely a family-friendly, fun-filled time and is worth checking out.

You can find more information on the StoryBook Theatre Web site here: http://www.storybooktheatre.org/

Two weeks ago, my wife and I visited Emerald Lake Lodge, one of the hidden gems of Yoho National Park. Located about 20 minutes West of Lake Louise near Field, BC, the historic Lodge graces the edge of beautiful Emerald Lake.

We had stayed at the Lodge in the winter time close to ten years ago as young married’s and since then, it hasn’t lost any of its almost magical qualities or charm. The main lodge, built in 1902 from hand-hewn timbers is surrounded by romantic cabins complete with balconies, wood-burning fireplaces and beds more comfortable than any I’ve ever experienced at a hotel. Whether looking out from your room, the dining room at the main lodge or the lake-view outdoor hot tub, the breathtaking views over the lake are second to none with the majestic Rocky Mountains as a backdrop.

The cuisine offered from the dining room is nicely presented and very tastefully prepared. Dinner selections are based largely on various types of game and the next morning’s breakfast buffet offers a wide selection with something for every taste.

A pathway around the lake makes for a nice walk at around 5 km with additional trails branching off from it for the more avid hiker. Various wildlife can be seen throughout the area and the natural beauty of the area abounds everywhere.

One of the nicest things about staying at the Lodge is that the rooms do not have televisions and there is no cell phone service in the area whatsoever. I left my Blackberry in my suitcase and was very shortly glad to forget all about it. We spent our stay with no distractions, enjoying each other, the great service of the Lodge’s staff and the beauty around us.

The Emerald Lake Lodge is definitely a place that we’ll visit again and again throughout the years to come.