Tag Archives: rpl

Command of the Day

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One of my Fedora feeds had an announcement of the Rawhide version of a nifty little utility called rpl. Here’s its help screen:

Usage: rpl [options] old_string new_string target_file(s)

Options:
--version show program's version number and exit
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-L, --license show the software license
-x SUFFIX specify file suffix to match
-i, --ignore-case do a case insensitive match
-w, --whole-words whole words (old_string matches on word boundaries only)
-b, --backup make a backup before overwriting files
-q, --quiet quiet mode
-v, --verbose verbose mode
-s, --dry-run simulation mode
-R, --recursive recurse into subdirectories
-e, --escape expand escapes in old_string and new_string
-p, --prompt prompt before modifying each file
-f, --force ignore errors when trying to preserve permissions
-d, --keep-times keep the modification times on modified files
-t, --use-tmpdir use $TMPDIR for storing temporary files
-a, --all do not ignore files and directories starting with .
So, basically rpl is a sed-like tool that can optionally recurse directories. I quickly did a yum install rpl on my Fedora laptop. rpl is a python script, so it should work anyplace that has python installed.

This is what I like about Linux and Unix; I’ve been using both for years, and there are still neat little discoveries like this to be made. This beats the tar out of doing a find and exec’ing sed for each file of interest.

-k-

NASCAR HotPass Line up on DirecTV

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THe drivers line up thusly, for the running of the Samsung 500 from the Texas Motorplex:

  1. 795 – Tony Stewart (#20)
  2. 796 – Jimmie Johnson (#48)
  3. 797 – Juan Pablo Montoya (#42)
  4. 798 – Clint Bowyer (#07)
  5. 799 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr (#8)

Clint from Kansas, and is on my fantasy race team. Channel 799 is all-Earnhardt-all-the-time for sure.

-k-
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Proper Transportation

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Speaker in the House Nancy Pelosi has apparently requested a larger, more opulent taxpayer-funded airplane to rocket her to the left coast, to “keep in touch with constituents.”

Aside from being an egregious waste of money, it amazes me that these people are even deserving of free rides on a military plane to their home district and back . The Republicans are predictably making whatever hay they can from the controversy. I have to admit, that a plane capable of carrying 175-190 people is a little bit of overkill to transport one person. The larger plane can fly non-stop to California, and is needed for “security.”

In a true bipartisan spirit, I proffer a solution, which meets all the objectives: it’s cheap, long range, and perfectly suited to its passenger. My solution is pictured to the right.

-k-

Update: Irony of ironies, from the article:

The California Democrat went before the House Science Committee in the morning to champion her commitment to do something about global warming, a rare appearance for a leader of the House.

Update 2: The plane was purportedly requested by the House Sergeant-at-Arms. But still.

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Podless

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On arriving home from work tonight, I observed SWMBO’s green Saturn occupying its regular parking spot. The spot that used to be the PODS’. As utilitarian a device as it was, I’m glad to see it gone. Another step on the road back to normalcy.

I’ve lavishly praised PODS’ service and online account management tools. This morning, my cell phone rang at 9:08; it was the PODS guy, confirming the address, and state of the POD. It shouldn’t be necessary to rave about good service, but in these times it’s a rarity.

As much as I’m glad to see the container gone, I will definitely do business with PODS again. Next time, we’re redoing the upper level of our place, and we’ll be able to take advantage of the PODS’ built in clothes rods to hold some surplus stuff from closets. Hopefully, when we’re ready again, the AAA discount (about 50 or 60 bucks) will still apply. Even without that discount, it’s a good value.

So, if/when you have a need, and if PODS are available in your area, by all means check them out. A 5-star rating from the tbbs-land real world test labs.

Good job, PODS!

-k-

Watching Pod-Zilla load the pod off the flatbed truck is worth a bunch of the price of admission. But I’m old, and easily amused.

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Only One Poll Matters

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After the NBC Evening News tonight, our local affiliate switched to MSNBC, where Chris “Hardball” Matthews was holding forth with a Democrat mucky-muck, and a Republican mucky-muck. The topic of discussion was current poll numbers. When the USA Today numbers were put on the screen, each mucky-muck took pride in citing at least two other polls showing that their guy was in the lead. This is TV at its worst.

I guess these asshelmets don’t realize that the only poll that matters takes place tomorrow across America, where votes will be accurately tabulated by gazillions of dollars worth of electronic voting machines, all of which are bulletproof in their integrity and accuracy. Yeah, right.

If we really wanted to instill democracy in all the puppet regimes we’ve knocked over, we should send Chris, his talking head buddies, and the Diebolds over there. Then we could have some peace and quiet.

Seriously, here in Virginia, Sen. George Allen and his opponent, James Webb, were getting their lawyers stationed in strategic places around the state, “in case of irregularities.” It makes that purple “I voted” dye look damn attractive. I wonder if voters get the choice of which digit to dip? If so, I know which one I’d choose.

-k-