Installing OpenBSD on OVHcloud VPS

I have used OpenBSD in numerous core capacities since the late 90s. I appreciate the OpenBSD Project Goals. The documentation is top notch. The software almost always works as expected, and it gets fixed immediately by the project developers when problems are discovered.

OpenBSD
Free - Functional - Secure

OpenBSD has also remained very niche over my 2+ decades of usage. OpenBSD is rarely offered as an install option by virtual private server (VPS) providers. Unfortunately this includes OVHcloud, my current choice for most of my server hosting needs.

Fortunately, the lack of an OpenBSD install image is not an absolute bar to running it as a guest OS on the OVHcloud VPS service.

Keep reading to learn how to install OpenBSD on the OVHcloud VPS service!

Every Child Matters in Vancouver Centre this Election

Election Day is here, and Vancouver Centre is at a crossroads on one vital issue:

Protecting all children.

Nothing is more sacred than our little ones. Children are our precious hope for the future.

Children count on us to speak up for them when they cannot.
 

Vancouver Art Gallery community memorial to the 215 children

For years, it has been the worst-kept secret of Vancouver Centre that Liberal MP Dr. Hedy Fry ignores many issues that don’t affect the majority in our riding. But since the last election, Dr. Fry is ignoring harm to children.

My First Shot of the COVID-19 Vaccine

I'm making it public: earlier today I received my first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19.

I am eligible for vaccination against COVID-19 because I am a "priority person".

 

 

What makes me a priority person?

 

I am Métis. Indigenous people have been identified by the government as a priority group for vaccination.

 

Archive: Commission Counsel of Record Transcripts

Yesterday was National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls in the United States. Given my work as Commission Counsel in Canada's National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (and Two Spirit People), I began reflecting on the testimony of witnesses I assisted as Commission Counsel at the National Inquiry. My reflections turned to a desire to track down and personally archive all of the official transcripts documenting my examination work as Commission Counsel. I have decided to link to copies of those transcripts here on the blog. These transcripts include testimony from survivors of violence as well as family and friends of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two spirit people.

Jamie Lee Hamilton (right) giving testimony in Metro Vancouver, April 4, 2018.
Jamie Lee passed away on December 23, 2019. 

The Harm Perpetuated by the Myth of "Cultural Genocide" in Canada

Updated August 16, 2018: added examples to show that Canada engaged in the common understanding of genocide in the government's pursuit of "the final solution to the Indian problem"; also reformatted and made minor corrections and clarifications.

Canadian journalists are reporting today that the federal government is consulting with Indigenous peoples about the creation of a national holiday to acknowledge the damage caused by the residential schools system. Examples include The Globe and Mail and CTV News articles. This national holiday nonsense boils my blood.

Resize Windows XP NTFS Partitions Using the Windows 7 Installer

I needed to resize an NTFS partition on a system running Windows XP. Rather than download GParted, I decided to attempt the resize using a Windows 7 installer. Fortunately, it works! Read all about it after the break.

Windows XP NTFS partitions compatible with the Windows 7 diskpart command.
Who'da thunk it?

Recipe: Chinese Sleeping Tea

I often experience mild insomnia on hot summer days (no A/C in our home) or during times of increased stress, but fortunately I've found some relief in the form of this Chinese sleeping tea. My wife discovered this herbal remedy earlier this year and it helped me get the sleep I needed during final exams in law school. Since then, we've shared this recipe with a number of people who have also found that it helps. As a bonus, it is easy to make and most people find it to be very pleasant tasting. I've decided it is time to share it with my friends on the Internet. Bon appétit et bonne nuit!

Clockwise from the top: dried dates; dried goji berries; and dried longan.
All should be easily found at a decent Chinese grocery store or herbalist.