How to build your own CDN using BIND, GeoIP, Nginx, and Varnish

Update (2010-Nov-08): Many folks have shown interest in this solution. UNIXy will gladly provide consulting on building this CDN for your business or your client. We can also deliver the whole project using a network of nodes that we dedicated and manage for you. Feel free to contact us today using this link and we’ll get the ball rolling: https://www.unixy.net/secure/contact.php

In this article, we shall outline the steps required to build a private Content Delivery or Distribution Network (CDN) using a VPS with Varnish Cache and Nginx. The goal is to build a CDN using free, readily available software but most importantly spend the least amount of funds possible. To this end, all nodes participating in this network are going to be virtual machines (Xen, Virtuozzo, OpenVZ, etc). Should you have any questions or comments on the configuration of this CDN, please post them in this forum: http://www.varnish-cache.info/

The Doors Not Satisfied With Morrison Pardon, Want Formal Apology

The surviving members of The Doors have rejected an official pardon granted to their late frontman Jim Morrison by the State of Florida earlier this month, insisting that the singer is owed a full apology by the State as well as the City of Miami.

The pardon, for a lewd and lascivious behavior charge levied after a performance in Miami in 1969, was the result of a unanimous vote by Florida's clemency board, who took into account testimony by witnesses who said that they did not see Morrison expose himself and that the singer was arrested four days after the concert.

Jim Morrison's Indecency Arrest: Rolling Stone's Original Coverage

Watch: Coldplay Perform 'Christmas Lights' to Benefit Homeless Shelter

Coldplay performed their new single "Christmas Lights" live for the first time over the weekend. The gig probably spread a lot of holiday cheer: It was a benefit to raise funds for a new homeless center in the British city of Liverpool. Watch above as the group is joined at the end of the song by Gary Barlow from Take That and Chris Martin's dad dressed as Elvis.

Sufjan Stevens also has a new holiday release — the latest in a series of annual Christmas albums that he makes for friends. Stevens joined The National's Aaron and Bryce Dessner and Arcade Fire's Richard Reed Perry for two songs from the album during their set on BBC Radio over the weekend. [Via Pitchfork]

A much more misanthropic holiday spirit can be found on "Fuck This Christmas" from the Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All collective. It is undoubtedly one of the few holiday songs in existence that features the words "Fuck Santa!" in the chorus. [Via Prefix]

Source:  http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-coldplay-perform-new-song-christmas-lights-20101222

Foo Fighters Reunite, Play New Songs at Secret Show

Fans got the next best thing to a Nirvana reunion Tuesday night when the band’s three surviving members performed together for the first time since Kurt Cobain passed away. The occasion was the encore for a barely announced, impromptu Foo Fighters concert at Paladino’s, a Tarzana, California dive bar better known for "Live Band Karaoke Every Tuesday" than historic rock events.

The only thing more unlikely than seeing the Foo Fighters play outside an arena was the sight of Krist Novoselic joining former Nirvana tour guitarist/current Foo Fighter Pat Smear and head Foo Dave Grohl onstage. The trio played one song — "Marigold," the non-album b-side of Nirvana’s "Heart-Shaped Box," with Grohl both singing lead and reverting to his Nirvana role behind the drums — to an audience which included Amanda Seyfried, Juliette Lewis, Ryan Phillippe and No Doubt’s Tony Kanal alongside hardcore fans pulled in from the band’s Facebook page. (The full set list appears below.)

OpenBTS - Field Test The Unofficial Non-Carrier of Burning Man 2008

UPDATE: There was a second Black Rock field test in Sept 2009. Read about it here.

Back in the Summer of 2007, when we first started working on a hybrid GSM-SIP basestation, one of our advisors suggested that Burning Man might make a good place for an alpha test. The short explanation of Burning Man is that 50,000 people gather on a dry lake bed in Nevada and build a city ("Black Rock City" or "BRC") that exists for just one week. Whatever you may have heard about Burning Man, the festival would be impossible on this scale without the cooperation of a lot of competent people. Whatever may happen there, Black Rock City is (in its odd way) an orderly, functioning community brought into existence by careful planning and hard work on the part of all of the participants. 

OpenBTS - Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Steil

Introduction

The OpenBTS project is an effort to provide an open-source Unix application that offers a completely regular GSM air interface (Um) to standard GSM handsets and connects calls using the Asterisk VoIP PBX. This 'flat' system architecture completely differs from the conventional GSM hierarchical architecture. Therefore, OpenBTS should better be refered to as 'GSM access point'. Within the scope of our research activities, we operate an OpenBTS access point in the 1800 MHz band.

Coastguard cuts will not put lives at risk says MP David Jones Coastguard cuts will not put lives at risk says MP David Jones

Dec 18 2010 by Dan Beavan, Daily Post

Holyhead Coastguard

COASTGUARD cuts will not put lives at risk says Wales Minister David Jones.
The Government yesterday announced the closure of Holyhead Coastguard Station as part of proposals to shut 11 of 19 UK stations.
Clwyd West MP Mr Jones said: “This is about putting in place a modernised, nationally networked Coastguard service which embraces new technology and is flexible enough to meet increasing demands.
“It is simply wrong to suggest the proposals will put lives at risk. Day to day working arrangements with frontline search and rescue services, such as the RNLI, will not be affected.

“This is about reorganising how Coastguard officers work.
“While there will be fewer Coastguard watch officers nationally, the new structure means we will be able to deploy more Coastguard resources on any major incident. Our existing station network already requires co-ordination centres to manage rescues over hundreds of miles of coastline.”

Heavy snow causes massive disruption in North Wales

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2010/12/18/heavy-snow-causes-massive-disruption-in-north-wales-55578-27846513/
HEAVY snowfall caused massive disruption in North Wales yesterday – with more on the way over the weekend. 

Up to 25cm (10 inches) fell overnight in Gwynedd and Anglesey, making driving conditions treacherous, with a lighter icy covering in north east Wales.

Some roads, particularly on higher ground, were closed, as gritting crews worked around the clock to keep traffic moving.

Hospital operations and outpatient clinics were cancelled at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, and the North Wales Air Ambulance was grounded.

The snow also caused schools and libraries to close and refuse collections to be suspended. Council offices also closed early.