Twenty years ago the first edition of The Practice of System and Network Administration shipped! Since then there has been a 2nd and 3rd edition (2006 and 2014), plus a sequel book The Practice of Cloud System Administration, and many printings. (see the timeline here)

When we started the project we had no idea if it would be a success. There was a real chance it could be a flop. Many people told us that our proposal was illogical: How could you have a book about system administration that is vendor agnostic and talks about process and people instead of specific tools and operating systems? Well, to be honest, we took a deep breath and started writing anyway. It took 2+ years but in Sept/Oct 2001 the book finally shipped!

Instead of a flop, the reaction we got was very positive! It has sold tens of thousands of copies. Many universities have used the book and its future editions as text books. It received the Usenix LISA Outstanding Achievement Award. One DevOps pundit told me she considers it to be "the first devops book" which was quite humbling.

When I visited Google in 2004 (a year before I considered joining) I was told everyone in the "systems operations" team was given a copy on their first day. The person giving me a tour then took me to a supply closet with 30 copies awaiting to be distributed to new hires.

However the real satisfaction comes from how it has helped others. Fans have related many heartwarming stories. Many fans have told us they felt like reading the book was a turning point in their life, that the book "turned me into a professional system administrator".

To thank our readers, our publisher is offering a special deal: 45% off the latest editions now until Oct 31, 2021 What? You still have the 2nd edition and haven't seen the dozens of chapters of new material in the 3rd edition? Or maybe you haven't heard of our Cloud book? Now is your chance to get the 3rd edition or the cloud sequel!

• Use this link: https://informit.com/tposa
• Use this coupon code: TPOSA

Thank you to everyone that gave us feedback on the early drafts! Thank you to all our readers! This book changed our lives and we hope it changed yours too!

P.S. We would love to hear from you! Please post a comment with reflections on the book.

1. RSF verurteilt israelische Nachrichtenblockade (reporter-ohne-grenzen.de) Die Organisation Reporter ohne Grenzen (RSF) verurteilt den Umgang der israelischen Armee mit Medienschaffenden. “Aus dem Norden des Gazastreifens dringen immer weniger Informationen heraus, und gerade deshalb wird Journalismus immer wichtiger”, so RSF-Geschäftsführerin Anja Osterhaus: “Die israelischen Streitkräfte verhindern zunehmend Bilder und Stimmen von der Realität des Krieges und […]

This is the second round of Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research (PACRI) projects partnering HBCU and Princeton researchers.

Modern humans and Neanderthals interacted over a 200,000-year period, says geneticist Joshua Akey.

Princeton's first alumni affinity conference since 2019 welcomed more than 600 alumni and guests to campus Sept. 19-21, for “Every Voice: Honoring and Celebrating Princeton’s LGBTQ+ Alumni.” 

Craig B. Arnold has been named Princeton’s first University Innovation Officer and heads the new office.

The conference has been scheduled for Oct. 9-11, 2025. All Princeton alumni are invited back to campus for the gathering. 

I learned to create decorative painted papers from Paulus Berensohn, Albie Smith, Lynne Perrella, Anne Bagby, and others by taking wonderful workshops from them in the 1990s, and soon adapted their techniques to making books with beadwork inserted into the covers, like the one below. I use my painted papers on the book covers and for signature covers, which look great with this type of binding.

But after moving to the island where I've lived for 20 years now, I gradually got into quilting and textile arts, kept the beadwork going, and cut way back on painting. Until now!

Inspired, cajoled, and arm-twisted by one of the Textile Guild members, who wants to learn how to paint papers and make books like mine, I agreed to teach a workshop (2 days of painting and 2 days of bookmaking) for the guild members. Of course, since I hadn't painted for many years, I first had to get back into practice. Yay! What fun I've been having, painting in my shed (thankfully heated). The paper below is my favorite of about 20 painted in the last two weeks. The size is 18 x 24 inches. (Please click to see the details!)

And below are two more to go with it.  The paper above will be used for a book cover, even though it will be hard for me to cut it up. The two papers below will be cut (horizontally) into thirds, and used as signature covers. For those unfamiliar with bookmaking, a signature is a section of papers within a book. Each of the six signatures in my book will be covered with this decorative paper.


It's a fun, playful, and experimental process to paint like this, easier for me than it would be to paint figuratively (landscape, still life, or people). With this type of painting, I just mix matte medium with a color or two of acrylic paint, and apply it by rolling, stamping, stenciling in layers. I keep adding layers until I like it, at which point it's a finished paper. There is always at least part of each paper that pleases me enough to use it for bookmaking and paper arts.

These are the basic supplies and tools I use to paint the papers:

1.) Although acrylic paints and this method can be used to paint on almost any surface or paper, I usually paint on 80-90# drawing paper to make decorative papers.

2.) I prefer using a roller to apply background colors or glazes, rather than a brush. My favorite, purchased online from Dick Blick Art Supplies, is a 2.2"  dense foam roller.

3.) Assorted stamps and stencils. I carve a lot of my own stamps, as you will see below, but sometimes also use commercial stamps. Note that commercial rubber stamps with fine detail for stamping with inks do not work well with acrylics, as the paint clogs the fine lines, ruining the stamp.

4.) Assorted materials, such as a notched adhesive-spreader, coarse sea-sponge, webbed food packaging materials, and bubble wrap are useful to print, texture, and stencil.

5.) Acrylic paints. I use heavy-body paint (rather than fluid acrylics) of student-grade or better quality.

6.) Matte medium and glazing medium (slow drying) are added to extend the paint.

I know, maybe you're thinking I should do a video tutorial. OK. You set it up, and I'll do it. In the meantime, I'd rather be painting...  Here are three more recently painted papers for your viewing pleasure (I hope).



The one directly above is my attempt to emulate batik fabric from India. I had a bedspread back in the hippy 60s with a burgundy design on a mustard yellow background, the memory of which was the inspiration for this paper. I carved all of the stamps used to make it.

I love to carve my own stamps, and sometimes cut my own stencils as well. Let's take a look at that process. It's quite easy really, requiring only a block of Speedy-Carve (or other high-density rubber carving block), and a Speed-Ball Carving tool. Designs can be free cut, drawn right on the carving block, or transferred from a tracing. Here's a fairly decent tutorial on the stamp carving process.

Designs? Well, everywhere I look I see possibilities for carving more stamps! Recently, visiting a fabric store with my quilting buddies, I spied a fat quarter of batik fabric with a luscious design. Here is the fabric:

And here is the stamp I carved from a tracing I made of the central flower. The stamp is the same size as on the fabric, about 3" in diameter.

I also cut a stencil, which you can see below. A friend had a commercial stencil of these three leaves, which I really liked. After borrowing her stencil to use on one of my papers, I traced the painted image, and cut out my own stencil. The tool in this image is a Speed-Ball cutter, which I use to carve the rubber to make stamps.

You've already seen (way above) the whole sheet of paper I painted using just this stamp and stencil, but here's a detail. If you click to enlarge, you can see more about how I paint in layers, first the background colors, next the leaves, then a different color over-stencil on the leaves, and last the flowers.

If you like to play with paint, you might want to give it a try! Here are just a few more of my recently painted papers to tempt you...





I'll be teaching a 2-day bookmaking workshop in mid-May using papers like these to create three different books. There may still be a spot or two available in the class. If you are interested, you can contact me for more information.

You may want to visit my website to see more about my handmade books and painted papers. And there are several earlier posts here on Beadlust with pictures of books made with painted decorative papers and beading by my students, as well as other related topics. Here are a few of them:

1. Wedding book
2. Lisa's book (from a workshop I taught in Wisconsin); her fabulous website is here.
3. Susan's book (from a workshop I taught in Wisconsin)
4. painting papers for making Christmas cards
5. Using symbols in our art and symbols in acrylic painting  
6. Using these techniques to paint with dyes on fabric and more fabric paint/dye examples

Susan Anderson took my bookmaking/painting/beading workshop twice at the Coupeville Art Center. These are the papers for her first book, and if you click to enlarge, you can also see her finished book.

And, to close this post, here is a photo of some of the handmade books I've created over the years... most of them utilize decorative painted papers and bead embroidery.

Thanks for sticking with me to the end of this long post :)!

The new producing artistic director of the theater and music theater season at the arts center sat for an interview for our ‘What I think’ series.

CSDP brings voices from across the political spectrum into conversation with Princeton social scientists and students. 

Young Democratic Socialists of America - General Meeting

Young Democratic Socialists of America - General Meeting

eLab Accelerator Info Table

Young Democratic Socialists of America - General Meeting

We are glad to announce a new tool added to RSS Ground collection - Instagram Feeds.

The post New Instagram Feeds Generator! appeared first on RSSground.com.

After a recent release of a bunch of some new popular content sources, we are glad to announce a renovated and improved Twitter Feeds generator.

The post Upgraded Twitter Feeds Generator Is On The Fly! appeared first on RSSground.com.

Some of you might have noticed that our Facebook Feeds generator can right now generate only RSS feeds of your own Facebook pages..

The post Facebook Feeds Generator Is Experiencing Problems appeared first on RSSground.com.

Now you are be able to generate self-updating content feeds of your own Shopify store or any other Shopify store you like.

The post New Shopify Feeds Generator Just Released! appeared first on RSSground.com.

We are glad to introduce our new tool – Best Buy Feeds generator! Best Buy is an American consumer electronics retailer with hundreds of stores in the USA and other countries. Somewhere around 200,000 different items can be found on the shelves of Best Buy stores. Don’t be confused that Best Buy is known as […]

The post Meet Best Buy Affiliate Feeds Generator appeared first on RSSground.com.

With continuation of our development process we are glad to introduce several updates for one of our most popular affiliate feeds generators – Amazon Feeds. Here is what’s new: New Amazon local stores Now we have a full list of Amazon local stores. You can find it in Advanced settings of Amazon Feeds generator. Each […]

The post Amazon Feeds Generator Updates appeared first on RSSground.com.

We are glad to introduce another brand new affiliate feeds tool – Gearbest Feeds generator!

The post Meet Gearbest Affiliate Feeds Generator appeared first on RSSground.com.

According to recent announcements from eBay, its Dynamic Feeds Generator (eBay RSS Feeds Generator) will be deprecated very soon. Moreover, all affiliate links from the old eBay RSS feeds won’t be tracked and commissions won’t be calculated  beginning August, 2020. To ensure our users’ uninterrupted experience with eBay, we have updated our  eBay Feeds generator […]

The post New eBay Feeds Generator appeared first on RSSground.com.

eBay Partner Network has moved from rover-based tracking links to a new tracking link format, which complies with industry standards. All former rover-based tracking links have to be replaced with the new tracking links by Wednesday, March 31.  Read more.   We are ready for these changes and have released update for our eBay Feeds […]

The post Important Changes In eBay Feeds Generator appeared first on RSSground.com.

After the recent changes at the Shopify platform we had to make some updates to our Shopify Feeds generator.  Shopify has deprecated its private apps. They were not completely removed, they were replaced by custom apps.   Read more about Shopify custom apps  You can still continue using your existing private apps and its credentials with […]

The post Important Changes in Shopify Feeds Generator appeared first on RSSground.com.

IFTTT (If This Then That) – is a platform that helps millions of users to connect and automate various services.  You create applets where one service acts as a trigger (If This) and another service acts as an action (Then That).  If you have never heard of them, you should definitely give them a try. […]

The post IFTTT integration is finally here! appeared first on RSSground.com.

One of our recent major updates was integration with IFTTT platform that connects hundreds of businesses and millions of users. You can create special IFTTT posting campaigns and send content posts to IFTTT applets. Read more about IFTTT integration in RSS Ground. However, now we took it a step further and implemented IFTTT integration option […]

The post IFTTT Integration With Posting Campaigns appeared first on RSSground.com.

Dear RSS Ground Family, As the golden leaves of autumn usher in a season of warmth and gratitude, we pause to reflect on the journey we’ve shared. Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday—it’s a heartfelt reminder of the importance of connection, community, and the spirit of giving thanks. Today, we extend our deepest appreciation to you, […]

The post A Time for Gratitude: Wishing Our Beloved RSS Ground Community a Happy Thanksgiving! appeared first on RSSground.com.

We’re thrilled to announce that RSS Ground has been officially approved as a Zapier app! What does this mean for you, our valuable users? Get ready to turbocharge your personal feeds with near-limitless content sourcing possibilities. For those who’ve been waiting this moment, let’s explore the new doors that have just swung wide open: Introducing […]

The post Elevate Your Content Game: How Zapier Integration Can Boost Your Personal Feeds! appeared first on RSSground.com.

We know that you are still playing with Zapier integration but we have some more exciting news for you. RSS Ground app was just approved by the Pabbly team. Now RSS Ground is fully integrated with Pabbly Connect automation platform. Those of you who’s been waiting for this, can start creating your Pabbly Connect workflows […]

The post Pabbly Connect Integration With RSS Ground appeared first on RSSground.com.

Engage your students with science journalism about issues in their communities with the NOVA Science Studio program!

We have added presentation sample design ideas for you to use in businesses and corporate offices including display graphs for a e-commerce warehouse distribution and electrical distribution companies.

Ratcliffe previously served as the director of national intelligence during Trump's first term, where he oversaw all 18 of the nation's intelligence agencies.

If you’re like most business owners, you probably think of your website as an online brochure. It’s a...

The post How to Make Your Website a Lead-Generating Machine appeared first on Ignition Media.

From the horror of the Holocaust to the struggles that the cousins face in the modern day, the movie is about the overall pains of life, film star Jennifer Grey iterated.

The festival’s opening-night gala will feature the West Coast Premiere of Tom Nesher’s Come Closer at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

"No início da minha carreira, coisas como boas maneiras importavam e havia um nível esperado de decoro", disse Susan ao site Politico, descrevendo o partido Republicano como significativamente diferente do de várias décadas atrás.

The following article, Democrats Preparing for Massive Losses, was first published on The Black Sphere.

Trump goes into Alvin Braggs' and Letitia James' backyard, and takes a piss. And Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton, Kirsten Hillebrand...

Continue reading Democrats Preparing for Massive Losses ...

The following article, Will Black Men Tolerate This Insult from Kamala Harris?, was first published on The Black Sphere.

Who is running the Harris-Walz campaign? Because if I had to guess, I'd say a 13 year-old white girl. Kamala Harris' campaign is watching voters jump ship reminiscent of the Titanic.

Continue reading Will Black Men Tolerate This Insult from Kamala Harris? ...

The following article, Not Looking Good for Kamala Harris or Democrats in General, was first published on The Black Sphere.

Republicans have picked up a Senate seat, and will likely add 2 more. But the best news will come in just a few hours...

Continue reading Not Looking Good for Kamala Harris or Democrats in General ...

The following article, 7 Bad Signs for Democrats: A Satirical Take on America’s Return to Normalcy, was first published on The Black Sphere.

Yes, the Democrats got shellacked in the last election. And while that’s a breath of fresh air, it’s hardly the only sign that the political winds are changing.

Continue reading 7 Bad Signs for Democrats: A Satirical Take on America’s Return to Normalcy ...

The following article, Election Post-Mortem and Democrat Despair Part I, was first published on The Black Sphere.

Donald Trump went John Wyck on Democrats, like they killed his dog. And Trump’s decimation of the Party of Lynching has major implications for Democrats. At this point, if establishment Republicans don’t jump on the Trump train, then they deserve to get steamrolled with the Democrats. Because, Trump signaled without a doubt that he and …

Continue reading Election Post-Mortem and Democrat Despair Part I ...

The following article, Election Post-Mortem and Democrat Despair Part II, was first published on The Black Sphere.

Donald Trump made it clear in no uncertain terms that he plans to dismantle the Deep State. And it’s rants like this from Joe Scarborough that explain the new and improved version of Trump. Watch as Scarborough goes on a tirade about Trump right after learning of Trump’s victory. In his defense, almost every Leftist …

Continue reading Election Post-Mortem and Democrat Despair Part II ...

The following article, The Democrats’ Enormous Mistake, was first published on The Black Sphere.

In the continuing search for blame for what may forever be known by me as Democrats' Most Awesome 2024 Ass-Kicking...

Continue reading The Democrats’ Enormous Mistake ...

The following article, Democrats May Soon Need Another Beatdown, was first published on The Black Sphere.

If you think Democrats are soul-searching the bona fide ass-kicking they took in the 2024 election, then you don't know Democrats.

Continue reading Democrats May Soon Need Another Beatdown ...

By Julianna Frieman Republican senators competing for the majority leader position vowed Sunday to address President-elect Donald Trump’s demands ahead of his inauguration. Trump revealed Sunday that the Senate leader of his GOP majority must support recess appointments to assure his Cabinet positions be confirmed expeditiously and unobstructed. The three senators contending for the leadership […]

The post GOP Senate Majority Leader-Hopefuls Scramble To Address Trump Demands Ahead Of Inauguration appeared first on Liberty Unyielding.