SPARTA News November 2003
November 2003
SPARTA Chapter President’s Corner
- by Brad Carson
Our October Meeting allowed us to visit SAS Institute for a presentation on what’s new in Version 9.1 of SAS. Ed Webb was our host for the night and gave us a great presentation on how SAS 9.1 will be using Unix System Services (USS) threads to perform some multitasking work when working with your data. If you haven’t had a chance to learn about USS on OS/390 or z/OS, you had better take the time and get familiar with it. More and more functions are using USS, things like TCPIP (of course), IP/Printway, RMF, and now SAS. Like it or not, UNIX has entered the MVS world and is becoming part of it.
Well I’ve spent the last month looking for work now that LabCorp has let me go. I have learned to use the network quite a bit. It has definitely changed since I last was out of work in 1986. Some of the web sites that have come in handy are: www.monster.com, www.ncesc.com, and the www.news-observer.com. These sites have been a treasure trove of information and leads. Of course some of the best information has come from friends like all of you. I’ll keep you all posted on how the job hunt proceeds.
Being able to work part time for Data Design Associates has been a big help when it comes to paying bills. It has also given me exposure to z/OS 1.4 and 64-bit support. So I can say there is always something out there for us to learn.
This month we will be having a presentation from Cisco Systems about IPv6. I look forward to seeing you all on the 25th at LabCorp RTP. Be sure to ask for Tommy Thomas. Chicken, drinks, and dessert will be provided.
2003-2004 SPARTA
Board of Directors
Brad Carson - President
Data Design Associates 919-376-1165
Western Blvd.
Raleigh, NC 276nn
Duane Reaugh - Vice President
DTS Software 919-833-8426
2913 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, NC 27609-7841
Mike Lockey - Secretary
Guilford Co. Information Services 336-641-6235
201 N. Eugene St. 336-227-2021 (Home)
Greensboro, NC 27401
Tommy Thomas - Treasurer
LabCorp 336-436-4178
231 Maple Ave, Koury Ctr 3rd Fl. 919-361-7267
Burlington, NC 27215
Ed Webb - Communications Director
SAS Institute 919-531-4162
SAS Campus Drive 919-362-0232 (Home)
Cary, NC 27513
Meetings
Meetings are scheduled for the last Tuesday evening of each month (except no meeting in December), with optional dinner at 6:15 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m.
These monthly meetings usually are held at LabCorp’s Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology (CMBP) near the Research Triangle Park (see last page). Take I-40 to Miami Boulevard and go north. Turn right onto Alexander Drive. Go about a mile or so. Then turn right into LabCorp complex and turn Left to the CMBP Building. In the lobby, sign in as a visitor to see Tommy Thomas. Tommy will escort you to the conference room.
Call for Articles
If you have any ideas for speakers, presentations, newsletter articles, or are interested in taking part in a presentation, PLEASE contact one of the Board of Directors with your suggestions.
Newsletter Mailings
The SPARTA chapter policy is to mail a copy of the monthly chapter newsletter to each SPARTA member, NaSPA national, each advertiser, persons who have requested a copy, and to other chapters who send us a copy of their newsletter. The newsletter is mailed about the 20th of each month so you can prepare for the meeting. The mailing list is maintained by Mike Lockey at (336) 412-6235; if you have corrections or problems receiving your newsletter, call Mike.
September 2003 CBT Tape Online
The directory and files from the latest CBT tape V462 (dated September 15, 2003) are available from www.cbttape.org.
If you need a complete tape, contact Brad Carson at LabCorp or Ed Webb at SAS (see Board of Director’s list for contact info).
Minutes of the October 28th, 2003 Meeting
•Meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by Brad Carson, the Chapter President.
•Twelve (12) people were present; all were members.
•Everyone in the room introduced themselves, told where they worked, and briefly described their job function.
•Minutes of the September 2003 meeting were accepted as published in the October 2003 newsletter.
•Tommy Thomas, the Chapter Treasurer, gave the Treasurer’s report. As of October 28, 2003, the balance is $1165.72. A motion was made and approved to accept the Treasurer’s report.
OLD BUSINESS
•Articles are needed for this newsletter. If you would like to write an article for this newsletter, please contact Ed Webb. Keep in mind that you don’t really need to write the article, it can be an article that you read that you would like to share with the membership.
•You can access the SPARTA Web site, just point your Web browser to this URL: http://www.spartanc.org. Please send any comments or suggestions about the SPARTA web site to Mike Lockey. Be sure to check our web site every once in a while to see any new or changed information.
•Brad Carson reminded everyone to continue to make sure the conference room is clean before we leave the meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
•Future Speakers and Topics:
November 2003 - IP v6 by speaker from Cisco
Other ideas:
- New release of IOF - Triangle Systems
- CMG Conference - Jim Horne of Lowe's
If you have suggestions about speakers and topics, contact Duane Reaugh.
•Food for the November 2003 meeting will be fried chicken, sodas, and dessert.
•The November SPARTA meeting will be held at LabCorp in RTP. Be sure to ask for Tommy Thomas.
•Thanks to Ed Webb of SAS for hosting the October meeting.
•The business portion of the meeting ended at 7:55 p.m.
•Ed Webb of SAS Institute gave a presentation on SAS 9.1 and the mainframe. Topics that Ed discussed:
SAS 9.1 goals
SAS 9.1 Threaded Kernel
Implementation on z/OS
Implemented via Unix System Services
Requires OMVS RACF segment
Threads run in the same address space
Spawned processes run in new address spaces
Special UTILLIB for threaded procedures
Accounting information USS services and UNIX file
I/O found in OMVS segments of Type 30 records
SAS Threaded Procedures
SAS/ACCESS Scalability Features
Other TK exploitation in SAS Foundation
Scalable Input/Output
SAS SPDE implementation on z/OS
USS thread services
USS directory-based file systems
Exploitation
SAS Scalable Architecture in SAS Foundation
Upward Compatibility
Data Step and Procedure Performance
Base SAS - New Features
Data Step hash Table Support
ARM Support Extended
SAS Information Delivery Portal
SAS/GRAPH - New Components
SAS Foundation Servers
Open Metadata Server
Workspace Server
Stored Process Server
OLAP Server
z/OS Strengths
Future SAS 9 mainframe support
Summary
•The meeting ended at 9:05 p.m.
Treasurer’s Report for November 2003
contributed by Tommy Thomas
The balance in the account is $ 1165.72 as of November 13, 2003.
Financial Report
2/01/2003 through 10/19/2003
INCOME
Opening Balance 672.90
Dues 860.00
Misc. 0.00
TOTAL INCOME $1532.90
EXPENSES
Food 549.78
Petty Cash 0.00
Bank Service Fees 0.00
P.O. Box 0.00
Web Site 38.70
TOTAL EXPENSE $ 588.48
BANK BALANCE 944.42
PETTY CASH($160) 160.00
TOTAL CASH $1104.42
Items of Interest
SPARTA Food Menu for 2003
contributed by Chris Blackshire
November - Chicken
Humor
New Words
contributed by Duane Reaugh
The Washington Post's Style Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners:
1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
2. Reintardation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
3. Bozone: The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, fortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
5. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease.
11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido: All talk and no action.
14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.
Definitions
contributed by Chris Blackshire
ROMANCE MATHEMATICS
Smart man + smart woman = romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy
OFFICE ARITHMETIC
Smart boss + smart employee = profit
Smart boss + dumb employee = production
Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion
Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime
SHOPPING MATH
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need.
GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
HAPPINESS
To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little.
To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.
LONGEVITY
Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more willing to die.
PROPENSITY TO CHANGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.
DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED
Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs
and cackling, telling me, "You're next."
They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.
Truly Tricky Terrific Tongue Twisters
contributed by Chris Blackshire
Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks.
A three-toed tree toad loved a two-toed he-toad that lived
in a too-tall tree.
Mrs. Smith's fish sauce shop.
There was a minimum of cinnamon in the aluminum pan.
Sure the ship's shipshape, sir.
The butter Betty bought could make her batter bitter, so she
thought she'd better buy some better butter.
Betty and Bob brought back blue balloons from the big bazar.
They both, though, have thirty-three thick thimbles to thaw.
Try to learn a new word each day:
contributed by Chris Blackshire
Arbitrator \ar'-bi-tray-ter\: A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonald's.
Avoidable \uh-voy'-duh-buhl\: What a bullfighter tries to do.
Baloney \buh-lo'-nee\: Where some hemlines fall.
Bernadette \burn'-a-det\: The act of torching a mortgage.
Burglarize \bur'-gler-ize\: What a crook sees with.
Control \kon-trol'\: A short, ugly inmate.
Counterfeiters \kown-ter-fit-ers: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets.
Eclipse \i-klips'\: What an English barber does for a living.
Eyedropper \i'-drop-ur\: A clumsy ophthalmologist.
Heroes \hee'-rhos\: What a guy in a boat does.
Left Bank: What the robber did when his bag was full of loot.
Misty \mis'-tee\: How golfers create divots.
Paradox \par'-u-doks\: Two physicians.
Parasites \par'-uh-sites\: What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Pharmacist \farm'-uh-sist\: A helper on the farm.
Polarize \po'-lur-ize\: What penguins see with.
Relief \ree-leef'\: What trees do in the spring.
Rubberneck \rub'-er-nek\: What you do to relax your wife.
Seamstress \seem'-stres\: Describes 200 pounds in a size two.
Selfish \sel'-fish\: What the owner of a seafood store does.
Subdued \sub-dood'\: A guy that works on one of those submarines.
Sudafed \sood'-a-fed\: Bringing litigation against a government official
Don’t Forget the Next SPARTA Meeting
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Location: LabCorp in the RTP
Take I-40 to Miami Boulevard and go north. Turn right onto Alexander Drive. Go about a mile or so. Then turn right into LabCorp complex and turn left to the CMBP Building. In the lobby, sign in as a visitor to see Tommy Thomas. Tommy will escort you to the conference room.
Free Food: Chicken, Drinks, Dessert
Program:
IPv6
Speaker:
A Network Expert of Cisco Systems
SPARTA News
P.O. Box 13194
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3194
First Class Postage
Phillips Software
