Erin likes to shop at Aldi, while Victoria prefers to go to a more expensive store. Erin is frugal.<|endoftext|> was trying to frame Agnes Haugen the stepmother with a salacious if not controversial past. Solhlberg sighed and said:

“I’m not surprised about her lies to get this man Gunnar Haugen since. . as you can imagine. . I’ve come across far worse marriages in my more than twenty years of investigations. . but my head is still spinning from all these crazy family relationships.”

“They are complicated.”

“What bothers me the most Constable Wangelin. . is that these adults meet twice a month to trade kids as if they were collectors who meet to trade Pokemon or baseball cards or some other collectible. So. . who picks up Agnes Haugen’s son Thor?”

“Her third husband’s parents. . the paternal grandfather is retired Navy. . they live near Trondheim.”

“Alright. Do this today. . since I doubt Nilsen ordered this. I want to find out what happened at the gas station where the parents met to trade the children. Call whoever’s in charge of policing Otta. . get whatever constables are necessary out there today or tomorrow at the latest. . have them find any witness who may’ve come into contact with this sad bunch of parents. Also. . have them check out all of the closed circuit cameras at or near the gasoline station. . maybe a camera filmed something interesting on the Friday of Karl Haugen’s disappearance. . or the Saturday after.”

“But it’s more than a year later.”

“I know. . I doubt if they’ll find anything. . but it’s worth the long shot that someone saw something suspicious. . or that some camera captured a picture of someone else with Karl Haugen. At least see if they can get any video. Look for bank ATMs nearby. They usually keep their video much longer. We need to focus on the parents before we look at anyone else.”

“Ja Chief Inspector. . it’s not good that we turned a blind eye on these parents. . and grandparents. You should have heard Nilsen praising Maya and Arvid Engen as solid members of the courts and the police. He heaped even more praise on Maya’s first husband the goat farmer for raising their son alone while making great cheese.

“I almost puked when Nilsen about got on his knees to worship the two retired university professors in Stavanger who are the parents of Agnes Haugen. As you can imagine. . Nilsen couldn’t say enough nice things about Thor’s paternal grandparents as honorable citizens and a Navy captain.”

“We’ll see how honorable all these citizens are in reality. Also. . did the team bother checking out the activities and whereabouts of Maya Engen’s first husband the goat farmer on June four?”

“What about the paternal grandparents of the stepmother’s first son Thor. . who live up in Trondheim?”

“What about the stepmother’s parents. . the retired university professors in Stavanger?”

“I want their homes searched top to bottom and their whereabouts for Friday June fourth and Saturday June fifth thoroughly examined. Call headquarters right now and let them know that we need this done immediately.”

“Ja. Chief Inspector.”

While Constable Wangelin placed the call to Oslo on her cell phone Sohlberg thought about the infinite possibilities that existed for mischief — and murder — as a result of the messy relationships of the adults around little Karl Haugen.

The minutes passed by slowly as Wangelin made several more phone calls to launch the re-invigorated investigation. When the calls finally ended Sohlberg let out another exasperated sigh. He shook his head and said:

“Did the team check the phone and computer records of Maya and Inspector Arvid Engen?”

“I don’t think so. . let me think. . Actually no.”

“What? That’s outrageous.”

“Nilsen said it was ridiculous to even think that a police officer or a goat farmer or a retired Navy captain or retired university professors would kidnap Karl or help someone do that.”

“Get the records for all of them. . six months before June fourth and six months after. . ”

“Did Nilsen get the phone and computer records for Karl’s father and the stepmother?”

“No. Again Nilsen said it was a waste of time to think that the mother or father or stepmother would take or harm the child. According to Nilsen, ‘These are good people. Not the criminal element.’

“Get me the phone and computer records for the father and the stepmother. . six months before and after June fourth.”

“Not that I mind Chief Inspector but. . that’s a lot of stuff for me to look into. . ”

“Just look for frequently called phone numbers. . or e-mail addresses that show up a lot. I’m sure that KRIPOS has some software to do that in minutes. If they don’t then just go on the Internet. I’m sure you’ll find some company somewhere selling that software.”

“Of course. I’ll call or go to a company called Alta Soft. . I think they’re still up on Adolph Tidemandsgt in Lillestrom. . about twenty minutes northeast of downtown Oslo. They have very good stuff.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Steen and Strom sells software next to linens and housewares. Everything is available nowadays on the Internet. . especially software.”

“Ja Chief Inspector. I’ll look at altasoft dot no and see what they carry. Then I’ll call them to find out if their software can help us.”

“Good,” said Sohlberg. He started to frown. “There’s something else.”

“I’m really bothered by Karl’s mother. . so this Maya Engen woman gave birth to two sons and then she abandons the two boys to her two husbands?. . Maybe she wanted back what she had so carelessly given away.”

“That’s a thought. . we never considered that angle Chief Inspector. Everyone saw her more as a pitiful victim.”

“Could be she’s a pitiful victim. . as you call her. It could also be that she arranged for Karl’s kidnaping.”

“Ja. . could be.”

“Alright then. . after you get the phone and computer records I want you to give me a list of every single one of the friends and family of Karl’s mother. . of Karl’s father. . and of Karl’s stepmother. . who had frequent phone or computer contact with these three people.”

“The three people closest to Karl Haugen.”

“Exactly Constable Wangelin.”

“Chief Inspector. . I think we’re getting closer to solving this.”

“Actually we’ll be much closer after the Smiley Face Killer tells us who is his Number One suspect.”

“Why did they take me?. . Where’s my Daddy?”

No answer. He looked but could not see his father at all.

He was hurt and bewildered beyond measure as to why his mother and father had not come for him. Maybe just maybe he was going to have to live without his parents. He remembered the woman who had recently come to visit him. She said:

“Sometimes we have to do things on our own. Like when we go to school alone without Mommy and Daddy. That’s kind of what you’re doing here right now. . ”

No. He would keep waiting for his mother and father. Surely they would come for him.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“I think we’re almost at the exit,” said Constable Wangelin excitedly. “Is that it?”

“I can’t believe we’re about to visit the Smiley Face Killer.”

Sohlberg checked his map one more time and read aloud the instructions on how to get to the maximum security prison. A few minutes later they got off the E-6 at the exit for Highway 21 east to Halden. Less than a mile later they turned left and went north until they reached Road 104 and headed east on Torpumveienen.

“Are we on the right road?”

“Ja. . this is it,” said Sohlberg who felt a stressful tension he had not felt in a long time.

They turned left to the ironically named Justice Road.

Despite his growing tension Sohlberg looked forward to visiting Halden Fengsel. He wanted confirmation that his investigation was on the right track.

Who better than a serial killer and a child predator to let Sohlberg know if he had narrowed down the list of suspects to the most likely culprit?

Sohlberg desperately wanted to solve the Karl Haugen case and not make any mistakes. His investigation had to be flawless or close to flawless or he would probably never be able to leave Norway and get back to Interpol. But the main motivation in solving the Karl Haugen case was the little boy himself. Innocent. Defenseless. Taken and gone. Whoever took Karl Haugen had so far made no mistakes or at least no discernable mistakes. That

was trying to frame Agnes Haugen the stepmother with a salacious if not controversial past. Solhlberg sighed and said:

“I’m not surprised about her lies to get this man Gunnar Haugen since. . as you can imagine. . I’ve come across far worse marriages in my more than twenty years of investigations. . but my head is still spinning from all these crazy family relationships.”

“They are complicated.”

“What bothers me the most Constable Wangelin. . is that these adults meet twice a month to trade kids as if they were collectors who meet to trade Pokemon or baseball cards or some other collectible. So. . who picks up Agnes Haugen’s son Thor?”

“Her third husband’s parents. . the paternal grandfather is retired Navy. . they live near Trondheim.”

“Alright. Do this today. . since I doubt Nilsen ordered this. I want to find out what happened at the gas station where the parents met to trade the children. Call whoever’s in charge of policing Otta. . get whatever constables are necessary out there today or tomorrow at the latest. . have them find any witness who may’ve come into contact with this sad bunch of parents. Also. . have them check out all of the closed circuit cameras at or near the gasoline station. . maybe a camera filmed something interesting on the Friday of Karl Haugen’s disappearance. . or the Saturday after.”

“But it’s more than a year later.”

“I know. . I doubt if they’ll find anything. . but it’s worth the long shot that someone saw something suspicious. . or that some camera captured a picture of someone else with Karl Haugen. At least see if they can get any video. Look for bank ATMs nearby. They usually keep their video much longer. We need to focus on the parents before we look at anyone else.”

“Ja Chief Inspector. . it’s not good that we turned a blind eye on these parents. . and grandparents. You should have heard Nilsen praising Maya and Arvid Engen as solid members of the courts and the police. He heaped even more praise on Maya’s first husband the goat farmer for raising their son alone while making great cheese.

“I almost puked when Nilsen about got on his knees to worship the two retired university professors in Stavanger who are the parents of Agnes Haugen. As you can imagine. . Nilsen couldn’t say enough nice things about Thor’s paternal grandparents as honorable citizens and a Navy captain.”

“We’ll see how honorable all these citizens are in reality. Also. . did the team bother checking out the activities and whereabouts of Maya Engen’s first husband the goat farmer on June four?”

“What about the paternal grandparents of the stepmother’s first son Thor. . who live up in Trondheim?”

“What about the stepmother’s parents. . the retired university professors in Stavanger?”

“I want their homes searched top to bottom and their whereabouts for Friday June fourth and Saturday June fifth thoroughly examined. Call headquarters right now and let them know that we need this done immediately.”

“Ja. Chief Inspector.”

While Constable Wangelin placed the call to Oslo on her cell phone Sohlberg thought about the infinite possibilities that existed for mischief — and murder — as a result of the messy relationships of the adults around little Karl Haugen.

The minutes passed by slowly as Wangelin made several more phone calls to launch the re-invigorated investigation. When the calls finally ended Sohlberg let out another exasperated sigh. He shook his head and said:

“Did the team check the phone and computer records of Maya and Inspector Arvid Engen?”

“I don’t think so. . let me think. . Actually no.”

“What? That’s outrageous.”

“Nilsen said it was ridiculous to even think that a police officer or a goat farmer or a retired Navy captain or retired university professors would kidnap Karl or help someone do that.”

“Get the records for all of them. . six months before June fourth and six months after. . ”

“Did Nilsen get the phone and computer records for Karl’s father and the stepmother?”

“No. Again Nilsen said it was a waste of time to think that the mother or father or stepmother would take or harm the child. According to Nilsen, ‘These are good people. Not the criminal element.’

“Get me the phone and computer records for the father and the stepmother. . six months before and after June fourth.”

“Not that I mind Chief Inspector but. . that’s a lot of stuff for me to look into. . ”

“Just look for frequently called phone numbers. . or e-mail addresses that show up a lot. I’m sure that KRIPOS has some software to do that in minutes. If they don’t then just go on the Internet. I’m sure you’ll find some company somewhere selling that software.”

“Of course. I’ll call or go to a company called Alta Soft. . I think they’re still up on Adolph Tidemandsgt in Lillestrom. . about twenty minutes northeast of downtown Oslo. They have very good stuff.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Steen and Strom sells software next to linens and housewares. Everything is available nowadays on the Internet. . especially software.”

“Ja Chief Inspector. I’ll look at altasoft dot no and see what they carry. Then I’ll call them to find out if their software can help us.”

“Good,” said Sohlberg. He started to frown. “There’s something else.”

“I’m really bothered by Karl’s mother. . so this Maya Engen woman gave birth to two sons and then she abandons the two boys to her two husbands?. . Maybe she wanted back what she had so carelessly given away.”

“That’s a thought. . we never considered that angle Chief Inspector. Everyone saw her more as a pitiful victim.”

“Could be she’s a pitiful victim. . as you call her. It could also be that she arranged for Karl’s kidnaping.”

“Ja. . could be.”

“Alright then. . after you get the phone and computer records I want you to give me a list of every single one of the friends and family of Karl’s mother. . of Karl’s father. . and of Karl’s stepmother. . who had frequent phone or computer contact with these three people.”

“The three people closest to Karl Haugen.”

“Exactly Constable Wangelin.”

“Chief Inspector. . I think we’re getting closer to solving this.”

“Actually we’ll be much closer after the Smiley Face Killer tells us who is his Number One suspect.”

“Why did they take me?. . Where’s my Daddy?”

No answer. He looked but could not see his father at all.

He was hurt and bewildered beyond measure as to why his mother and father had not come for him. Maybe just maybe he was going to have to live without his parents. He remembered the woman who had recently come to visit him. She said:

“Sometimes we have to do things on our own. Like when we go to school alone without Mommy and Daddy. That’s kind of what you’re doing here right now. . ”

No. He would keep waiting for his mother and father. Surely they would come for him.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“I think we’re almost at the exit,” said Constable Wangelin excitedly. “Is that it?”

“I can’t believe we’re about to visit the Smiley Face Killer.”

Sohlberg checked his map one more time and read aloud the instructions on how to get to the maximum security prison. A few minutes later they got off the E-6 at the exit for Highway 21 east to Halden. Less than a mile later they turned left and went north until they reached Road 104 and headed east on Torpumveienen.

“Are we on the right road?”

“Ja. . this is it,” said Sohlberg who felt a stressful tension he had not felt in a long time.

They turned left to the ironically named Justice Road.

Despite his growing tension Sohlberg looked forward to visiting Halden Fengsel. He wanted confirmation that his investigation was on the right track.

Who better than a serial killer and a child predator to let Sohlberg know if he had narrowed down the list of suspects to the most likely culprit?

Sohlberg desperately wanted to solve the Karl Haugen case and not make any mistakes. His investigation had to be flawless or close to flawless or he would probably never be able to leave Norway and get back to Interpol. But the main motivation in solving the Karl Haugen case was the little boy himself. Innocent. Defenseless. Taken and gone. Whoever took Karl Haugen had so far made no mistakes or at least no discernable mistakes. That meant that Sohlberg could make no mistakes.

He thought aloud and almost started shouting as a result of his excitement over the


Tanya didn't want to be friends with Cynthia because Cynthia was a bit of a bummer.<|endoftext|> bites which looked like the ones from KFC, but were much cheaper and a lot tastier. At the wharf I managed to get the last seat on an overcrowded public boat and shortly after I arrived at Sipaway Island. In Dap Dap there was already a bunch of people waiting for the boat to land. Some of them began waving in my direction, calling “Whispering, Whispering”. I went with one of them to his motorbike, hopped on the back and off we roared towards the Resort.

Fifth Week

The hours are flying, the days are passing by, week after week. Sleep, Dive, Eat, Repeat. A bunch of new guests just arrived. A real fun group, mostly divers. Finally there is something happening, not only in the dive center, but also in the resort. In the daytime, during diving, and when the sun goes down at the bar. Consequently there is also lots to do. Carrying tanks, preparing the dive equipment, loading the boat, diving, diving, diving. And even though all of this can be quite exhausting, it is also a lot of fun. Especially with the divers we have now. They are full of cheerfulness. And they are singing every day. After diving “Ging Gang Goolie“, and in the evening, when someone rings the bell and everyone has a shot in front of them, you can hear them singing, requesting another round. I wouldn’t want any other guests. Additionally, there is also a new diver joining the ranks. As a result I was able to assist an Open Water Diver Course, and gather a lot of experience. The other day we took the whole group to the city. The Multicab drove two times to Dap Dap, there we took two public boats to San Carlos. After we arrived, we had to organize half a dozen tricycles. Shortly after we roared, beeping and singing through the streets of San Carlos. First we had to stop at the bank. Once everyone filled they pockets, we continued to the public market. While Oli tried to manoeuvre the group through the narrow alleys, I went my own way to get my shoe repaired. Then I bought one kilo of lanzones. Another exotic fruit on my list, it looks like a small potato, and tastes really good. Quickly rejoined with the group. While I was gone they had a look at the church of San Carlos. Shortly after we again squeezed ourselves into the tricycles and drove to Gaisano to buy Halloween costumes for the upcoming Halloween party. Then we had dinner in a restaurant called 10/9. Oli then ordered a bit of everything, and we made ourselves a little buffet so everyone was able to try all the dishes. After we finished eating, we went back to the port where the two public boats were waiting for us. It was dark already, and there was a storm coming, from time to time there was bright lightning illuminating the black water which was rushing along the outriggers of our banca. In Dap Dap we tried to get the guests back to the resort as quickly as possible. Oli and me were the last standing on the wharf when it started raining pitchforks. When we finally arrived at the resort, the guest where already waiting at the bar.

Sixth Week

Today we had a christening feast and an engagement party at the resort. And everyone was invited. When I woke up in the morning I was already looking forward to the evening. The whole thing was happening in the restaurant. The day before they already started to decorate everything. At first the christening was announced, then there was a bunch of young dancers coming up to the “stage” to perform a couple of Filipino folk dances. The audience was impressed, thus there was a lot of clapping of hands going on. Suddenly, to the future wife’s surprise, the christening was transformed into an engagement party. Shortly after the big buffet was declared open. We had pigling (lechon), and many other yummy dishes. But believe me, the pigling here is much more tasty then the one I once ate in Germany. So at the end everyone was full and rather satisfied. But the show wasn’t over yet. After dinner everyone went outside, in front of the gate there were fire dancers waiting for us, flames were thrown through the air, flashing through the night, twisting and turning. The whole spectacle was accompanied by a booming drum roll, that kept going even after the last flames went out. At the end there was a firework, painting colourful flowers at the nightly sky. Back at the restaurant we played some music and I mingled with the guests. Next thing on the list was Halloween. Costumes were already close at hand. The day before Halloween I got myself a wig and some make-up. Now I was standing in my room in front of the mirror, trying make myself look like the Joker. However, when I went down to the resort I had the feeling that I had more resemblance with a sleazy drag queen than with Heath Ledgers Joker. Down in the bar I encountered a skeleton, a bunch of witches, monster masks, scar faces, and a costume that had more than just resemblance with a she-male. So I easily passed as the Joker. Then, during the last minutes of Happy Hour a mummy came stumbling up the stairs. I have to admit, Oli really put some effort in his costume. One group picture, and off we went to the grill house, where we had BBQ plus spare ribs. As a dessert the guest were able to try some durian, a fruit that emits a stinky, penetrating smell. In my opinion it doesn’t taste much better than it smells, and I think most the guests thought so to. Eventually the fun was over, and I went up to fall into my bed.

Seventh Week

Yesterday was the 5th of November. And like ever November 5th, the City of San Carlos celebrated its annual Pintaflores Festival. We took our dive boat, going down to San Carlos at around 5pm, together with some of the staff and a couple of guests. The city was buzzing like crazy. The streets were full of tricycles, swarming around, carrying passengers to the festival ground. After Oli, me and the guests had some dinner, we also made our way to the main event. We were just walking around, watching, drifting with the crowd. To our sides there were tents. In some you could get yourself painted with the some Henna colour, or even tattoo yourself with permanent ink. Further behind they sold heaps of clothes, and the people swooped down on them like vultures. On every corner there was a guy selling air balloons. The price ranging from 25 up to 85 peso. Loud music was blasting away on the distant stage. You could see little push cards, selling beer, snacks, fried chicken, and also balut. These push carts could be recognized by the bright light bulb which was hovering above a pile of brown and white eggs. If you would choose the white egg, you quickly realized, that it wasn’t your normal chicken egg down from the supermarket. But something that most people wouldn’t dare putting into their mouths. Balut is indeed a kind of egg, however instead of egg yolk you would find a developing bird embryo (usually a duck or a chicken) inside the shell. The eggs are fertilized, usually incubated for around 17 days, boiled and the contents eaten directly from the shell. They are supposed to make you strong, and to increase your potency. Since its not a very pleasant thing to watch yourself eat an unborn baby chicken, balut is normally served during night time. However, even then you shouldn’t look to closely what you are actually putting in your mouth, because you can often see eyes, feathers and pecker quite clearly. Since I am not like most people, I couldn’t miss the chance to try this special dish myself. First you remove a bit of the shell, then you add some vinegar and a pinch of salt, after that its “cheers”. When you are finished slurping the liquid, which some people actually say is the pee, you eat the main dish. And I am able to tell that it doesn’t even taste that bad. Quite spicy, and it goes really well with a sip of San Miguel Light. I would definitely eat it again.

Eighth Week

On Thursday I decided to do a little exploring around the island. We only had one dive, so I had the rest of the day off. I hopped on one of the silver ladies bikes belonging to the resort, shouldered my camera and started pedalling. First I went to San Juan. There you were able to have a look at the giant, century old balete tree. This kind of tree, belonging to the family of fig trees, can be recognized by the network of downward-growing and increasingly widening, tentacle-like aerial roots pushing down and integrating themselves with the main trunk. Shortly after, I arrived at a small, white beach. Pulled onto the beach there was a little fisher boat. A wall of mangroves blocked the view, only behind the boat there was a narrow waterway leading to the open sea. Facing the shore there was a cobbled basketball hoop nailed to a palm tree. A hen and her chicken were dabbing in the sand, looking for something to eat. From time to time a motorbike passed by. From the other side of the road you could hear the brawling of

 bites which looked like the ones from KFC, but were much cheaper and a lot tastier. At the wharf I managed to get the last seat on an overcrowded public boat and shortly after I arrived at Sipaway Island. In Dap Dap there was already a bunch of people waiting for the boat to land. Some of them began waving in my direction, calling “Whispering, Whispering”. I went with one of them to his motorbike, hopped on the back and off we roared towards the Resort.

Fifth Week

The hours are flying, the days are passing by, week after week. Sleep, Dive, Eat, Repeat. A bunch of new guests just arrived. A real fun group, mostly divers. Finally there is something happening, not only in the dive center, but also in the resort. In the daytime, during diving, and when the sun goes down at the bar. Consequently there is also lots to do. Carrying tanks, preparing the dive equipment, loading the boat, diving, diving, diving. And even though all of this can be quite exhausting, it is also a lot of fun. Especially with the divers we have now. They are full of cheerfulness. And they are singing every day. After diving “Ging Gang Goolie“, and in the evening, when someone rings the bell and everyone has a shot in front of them, you can hear them singing, requesting another round. I wouldn’t want any other guests. Additionally, there is also a new diver joining the ranks. As a result I was able to assist an Open Water Diver Course, and gather a lot of experience. The other day we took the whole group to the city. The Multicab drove two times to Dap Dap, there we took two public boats to San Carlos. After we arrived, we had to organize half a dozen tricycles. Shortly after we roared, beeping and singing through the streets of San Carlos. First we had to stop at the bank. Once everyone filled they pockets, we continued to the public market. While Oli tried to manoeuvre the group through the narrow alleys, I went my own way to get my shoe repaired. Then I bought one kilo of lanzones. Another exotic fruit on my list, it looks like a small potato, and tastes really good. Quickly rejoined with the group. While I was gone they had a look at the church of San Carlos. Shortly after we again squeezed ourselves into the tricycles and drove to Gaisano to buy Halloween costumes for the upcoming Halloween party. Then we had dinner in a restaurant called 10/9. Oli then ordered a bit of everything, and we made ourselves a little buffet so everyone was able to try all the dishes. After we finished eating, we went back to the port where the two public boats were waiting for us. It was dark already, and there was a storm coming, from time to time there was bright lightning illuminating the black water which was rushing along the outriggers of our banca. In Dap Dap we tried to get the guests back to the resort as quickly as possible. Oli and me were the last standing on the wharf when it started raining pitchforks. When we finally arrived at the resort, the guest where already waiting at the bar.

Sixth Week

Today we had a christening feast and an engagement party at the resort. And everyone was invited. When I woke up in the morning I was already looking forward to the evening. The whole thing was happening in the restaurant. The day before they already started to decorate everything. At first the christening was announced, then there was a bunch of young dancers coming up to the “stage” to perform a couple of Filipino folk dances. The audience was impressed, thus there was a lot of clapping of hands going on. Suddenly, to the future wife’s surprise, the christening was transformed into an engagement party. Shortly after the big buffet was declared open. We had pigling (lechon), and many other yummy dishes. But believe me, the pigling here is much more tasty then the one I once ate in Germany. So at the end everyone was full and rather satisfied. But the show wasn’t over yet. After dinner everyone went outside, in front of the gate there were fire dancers waiting for us, flames were thrown through the air, flashing through the night, twisting and turning. The whole spectacle was accompanied by a booming drum roll, that kept going even after the last flames went out. At the end there was a firework, painting colourful flowers at the nightly sky. Back at the restaurant we played some music and I mingled with the guests. Next thing on the list was Halloween. Costumes were already close at hand. The day before Halloween I got myself a wig and some make-up. Now I was standing in my room in front of the mirror, trying make myself look like the Joker. However, when I went down to the resort I had the feeling that I had more resemblance with a sleazy drag queen than with Heath Ledgers Joker. Down in the bar I encountered a skeleton, a bunch of witches, monster masks, scar faces, and a costume that had more than just resemblance with a she-male. So I easily passed as the Joker. Then, during the last minutes of Happy Hour a mummy came stumbling up the stairs. I have to admit, Oli really put some effort in his costume. One group picture, and off we went to the grill house, where we had BBQ plus spare ribs. As a dessert the guest were able to try some durian, a fruit that emits a stinky, penetrating smell. In my opinion it doesn’t taste much better than it smells, and I think most the guests thought so to. Eventually the fun was over, and I went up to fall into my bed.

Seventh Week

Yesterday was the 5th of November. And like ever November 5th, the City of San Carlos celebrated its annual Pintaflores Festival. We took our dive boat, going down to San Carlos at around 5pm, together with some of the staff and a couple of guests. The city was buzzing like crazy. The streets were full of tricycles, swarming around, carrying passengers to the festival ground. After Oli, me and the guests had some dinner, we also made our way to the main event. We were just walking around, watching, drifting with the crowd. To our sides there were tents. In some you could get yourself painted with the some Henna colour, or even tattoo yourself with permanent ink. Further behind they sold heaps of clothes, and the people swooped down on them like vultures. On every corner there was a guy selling air balloons. The price ranging from 25 up to 85 peso. Loud music was blasting away on the distant stage. You could see little push cards, selling beer, snacks, fried chicken, and also balut. These push carts could be recognized by the bright light bulb which was hovering above a pile of brown and white eggs. If you would choose the white egg, you quickly realized, that it wasn’t your normal chicken egg down from the supermarket. But something that most people wouldn’t dare putting into their mouths. Balut is indeed a kind of egg, however instead of egg yolk you would find a developing bird embryo (usually a duck or a chicken) inside the shell. The eggs are fertilized, usually incubated for around 17 days, boiled and the contents eaten directly from the shell. They are supposed to make you strong, and to increase your potency. Since its not a very pleasant thing to watch yourself eat an unborn baby chicken, balut is normally served during night time. However, even then you shouldn’t look to closely what you are actually putting in your mouth, because you can often see eyes, feathers and pecker quite clearly. Since I am not like most people, I couldn’t miss the chance to try this special dish myself. First you remove a bit of the shell, then you add some vinegar and a pinch of salt, after that its “cheers”. When you are finished slurping the liquid, which some people actually say is the pee, you eat the main dish. And I am able to tell that it doesn’t even taste that bad. Quite spicy, and it goes really well with a sip of San Miguel Light. I would definitely eat it again.

Eighth Week

On Thursday I decided to do a little exploring around the island. We only had one dive, so I had the rest of the day off. I hopped on one of the silver ladies bikes belonging to the resort, shouldered my camera and started pedalling. First I went to San Juan. There you were able to have a look at the giant, century old balete tree. This kind of tree, belonging to the family of fig trees, can be recognized by the network of downward-growing and increasingly widening, tentacle-like aerial roots pushing down and integrating themselves with the main trunk. Shortly after, I arrived at a small, white beach. Pulled onto the beach there was a little fisher boat. A wall of mangroves blocked the view, only behind the boat there was a narrow waterway leading to the open sea. Facing the shore there was a cobbled basketball hoop nailed to a palm tree. A hen and her chicken were dabbing in the sand, looking for something to eat. From time to time a motorbike passed by. From the other side of the road you could hear the brawling of a dozen, puffed up cocks, sitting on tires which were mounted on long poles. Colourful feather


 a good opinion of you. If you complain about the people in your lab, they inevitably WILL hear about it. I know someone who had the best grades in her class and was told that her dream lab wasn't taking students that year, mainly because when she inquired about a rotation the PI heard she was a difficult know-it-all and decided to hire another post-doc instead.

    - Find out where other grad students live. This is mainly for social reasons, but it really sucks to be the person who never goes out because you live in another part of the city.

    Hopefully I don't sound too pessimistic, quite honestly I have no regrets about grad school. It's tough, but I love it.

  17. Way to go Jen. You will only be 3 hours from my home town Victoria, British Columbia! I have visited Seattle quite a bit and find it a really great place with lots of stuff to do.

    Do you like rain? The big trick is not to fret about it and go outside as much as you can. You are not made of sugar and will not melt. Also, one of those SAD lights may help to get you through the long grey periods (e.g. October thru March).

    Grad school was a blast when I was there ~10 years ago but I am glad that it is over. Enjoy it thoroughly while you are there. It is really great to be surrounded by smart people that share your interests.

  18. As far as I'm concerned, the pacific northwest is the closest us atheists will ever find to heaven. Nothing makes you stand out faster than being overtly religious around there. I'm sure you'll love it. Once you're a millionaire due to your perpetuation of that crazy evolution conspiracy and you're in the market for a kickass personal chef, lemme know. :P

    atheists deny their own life element...

    add comment moderation to your blasphemy blog, you fool...

  20. As Nick said, be prepared for politics. The level of politics amazes me, and if you're not careful they can very much affect you and your success during graduate school.

    Also, like I've said before, make sure you're saving as much of that stipend as you can. Being broke right now at 22 sucks, right? Imagine being equally broke in 5 years. With no retirement savings or no nest egg. Make sure you're graduating with at least a good chunk of money and some beginnings of a retirement fund, even if it's a Roth IRA or something, and even if you still have deferred undergrad loans.

  21. Be sure to try to visit Pike's market, lots of good deals and fresh food, plus the experience music project.

  22. I don't know anything about Seattle, but good luck!

    Just watch out for vampires (I think I remember someone telling me that the Twilight vampires went to Seattle at one point. I might be mistaken, but you always look out for vampires anyway).

  23. Congrats on making your own natural selection.

    Seattle = Great place w/ great airfare deals to Hawai`i!!

    We get a lot of people from both Alaska & Washington/Oregon over here in Paradise.

  24. As a Northwest native, here's what to expect: rain. :-) Congrats!

  25. Congratulations! From what you've written about your interests, UW Genome Science sounds like a program that will be a great fit-- and it's also just a really excellent, well respected program with top-notch faculty. I'm sure you're going to love it, and love living in Seattle. Have an incredible time. And don't stress too much in grad school- everybody has lots of ups and downs, and they're all totally normal. Remember why you're there, that everybody has a hard time sometimes, and how cool the work you're doing is, and you'll be set.

  26. So what will a phd get you that couldn't be learned from the Manga Guide to Molecular Biology? Just saying. :)

  27. Godspeed!!

    (in its totally secular meaning of course!)

  28. Congratulations. I'm not sure what else needs to be said...

  29. Congratulations!

    Concur. The citizens of your sister city over here are always saying the same thing. "There's no such thing as bad weather", they say, "only bad clothes" (it rhymes in the original). Weeell, IMHO both exist, but you get the point. Unlike you I'm ancient and rheumaticky, but the muscles nevertheless appreciate the warmth of exercise.

    Black humour helps. Other Bergen proverb, jokes and so forth:
    Q. "What do Bergenites do when it rains?" A. "They let it rain".

    "I saw the sun yesterday, ghod it made me jump".

    Tourist: "Tell me, young man, does it ever stop raining here?"
    Native: "I don't know, I'm only six."

  30. Seattle has a great public transit system and really bad road signs. The drivers here are really nice for a big city. If you're going to pay to go to the top a a building, the Space Needle is a waste of money, go to the Columbia Tower instead. Pike Place is pretty cool, but super touristy. Check out our ferry system, Seattle is beautiful from the water, and it's really cheep if you're on foot. Uwajimaya, the Japanese grocery store has great novelty foods. Pagliacchi's has great pizza. It's hard to find bad food at a restaurant in Seattle, as long as you stick to local places and avoid national chains. The Seattle Art Museum is nice, but the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum are a lot more experience for your dollar. The weather really isn't as bad as everyone says. If it rains for five minutes in the morning, and clears up in the afternoon, it still counts as a rainy day, so the numbers are kinda inflated. There are so many awesome parks all throughout this city: Woodland, Gasworks, the Sculpture Garden downtown, Seattle also has both a Japanese and Chinese garden. It's less than twenty dollars on public transit to the Pacific Coast. Oh, and there's a huge Atheist community out here, if you didn't know already!

    Then we should really stop comparing ourselves with Seattle. Our problem is not so much the presence of rain as the absence of sun; endless drizzle from a lid of cloud resting on the mountains. We can go for months without seeing the sun, and the winter is even worse.

  32. \o/

    We'll be happy to have you! You should totally come visit me. I swear this time I won't be an ax murderer. >.>

  33. Congrats! Seattle is great and so is Bellingham! I suggest you start reading the SLOG for fun and enlightenment about Seattle culture, arts and politics - the zeitgeist.<|endoftext|>The man didn't want to get his rearview mirror replaced before the windshield, since the windshield was dirtier.<|endoftext|>So long, pencil sharpener

  1. Mrs. Fred says:

    Your parents still HAVE the pencil sharpener you grew up with! It’s still on the wall, in the garage next to the kitchen door. Yes, it still works. It doesn’t get much use any more, but it’s comforting to know it’s there when we need it.

  2. Aerospace Genius says:

    The electric pencil sharpener/letter opener that Grandma gave me served me well for many years, but the gears in it were really loud. I had to stop using it when I sharpened a pencil in a quiet engineering office and one of my co-workers said “Are you all right?”

  3. Steve Lucas says:

    My wife and I have just had two manual typewriters repaired and I dug out some old tractor feed address labels. She is involved in a group and is arranging speakers for the coming year and needs to send an information form to the speakers. Since these are one off’s this system works great.

    The only person who gave her any problems was a government speaker who wanted everything done electronically, even though an envelope and stamp was the quick and easy way to accomplish the task.

    This seems to speak to all of our problems with government, if there is a complicated way to accomplish a task, that uses the greatest amount of resources, while generating the greatest amount of paper; this is the preferred way to do it.

    Heaven forbid someone use a pencil and paper to write something down.

    Steve Lucas

  4. RWMondak says:

    I have had my manual pencil sharpener (at home) since 1978 when it was “surveyed” along with some other equipment being replaced at an overseas Naval Hospital . In our large building there is one person (in the business office, none in the clinical area) who has a pencil sharpener. The others who use pencils purchase mechanical pencils which are supposedly refillable. They’ll get me as many as I want, but NOT approve purchase of a REAL (crank handle) pencil sharpener.
    I like my “government issued” (sort of) pencil sharpener but there is no way I’ll get permission to bring it from home.<|endoftext|>Popular wisdom holds that caffeine enhances learning, alertness and retention, leading millions to consume coffee or caffeinated drinks

 to leave them with a good opinion of you. If you complain about the people in your lab, they inevitably WILL hear about it. I know someone who had the best grades in her class and was told that her dream lab wasn't taking students that year, mainly because when she inquired about a rotation the PI heard she was a difficult know-it-all and decided to hire another post-doc instead.

    - Find out where other grad students live. This is mainly for social reasons, but it really sucks to be the person who never goes out because you live in another part of the city.

    Hopefully I don't sound too pessimistic, quite honestly I have no regrets about grad school. It's tough, but I love it.

  17. Way to go Jen. You will only be 3 hours from my home town Victoria, British Columbia! I have visited Seattle quite a bit and find it a really great place with lots of stuff to do.

    Do you like rain? The big trick is not to fret about it and go outside as much as you can. You are not made of sugar and will not melt. Also, one of those SAD lights may help to get you through the long grey periods (e.g. October thru March).

    Grad school was a blast when I was there ~10 years ago but I am glad that it is over. Enjoy it thoroughly while you are there. It is really great to be surrounded by smart people that share your interests.

  18. As far as I'm concerned, the pacific northwest is the closest us atheists will ever find to heaven. Nothing makes you stand out faster than being overtly religious around there. I'm sure you'll love it. Once you're a millionaire due to your perpetuation of that crazy evolution conspiracy and you're in the market for a kickass personal chef, lemme know. :P

    atheists deny their own life element...

    add comment moderation to your blasphemy blog, you fool...

  20. As Nick said, be prepared for politics. The level of politics amazes me, and if you're not careful they can very much affect you and your success during graduate school.

    Also, like I've said before, make sure you're saving as much of that stipend as you can. Being broke right now at 22 sucks, right? Imagine being equally broke in 5 years. With no retirement savings or no nest egg. Make sure you're graduating with at least a good chunk of money and some beginnings of a retirement fund, even if it's a Roth IRA or something, and even if you still have deferred undergrad loans.

  21. Be sure to try to visit Pike's market, lots of good deals and fresh food, plus the experience music project.

  22. I don't know anything about Seattle, but good luck!

    Just watch out for vampires (I think I remember someone telling me that the Twilight vampires went to Seattle at one point. I might be mistaken, but you always look out for vampires anyway).

  23. Congrats on making your own natural selection.

    Seattle = Great place w/ great airfare deals to Hawai`i!!

    We get a lot of people from both Alaska & Washington/Oregon over here in Paradise.

  24. As a Northwest native, here's what to expect: rain. :-) Congrats!

  25. Congratulations! From what you've written about your interests, UW Genome Science sounds like a program that will be a great fit-- and it's also just a really excellent, well respected program with top-notch faculty. I'm sure you're going to love it, and love living in Seattle. Have an incredible time. And don't stress too much in grad school- everybody has lots of ups and downs, and they're all totally normal. Remember why you're there, that everybody has a hard time sometimes, and how cool the work you're doing is, and you'll be set.

  26. So what will a phd get you that couldn't be learned from the Manga Guide to Molecular Biology? Just saying. :)

  27. Godspeed!!

    (in its totally secular meaning of course!)

  28. Congratulations. I'm not sure what else needs to be said...

  29. Congratulations!

    Concur. The citizens of your sister city over here are always saying the same thing. "There's no such thing as bad weather", they say, "only bad clothes" (it rhymes in the original). Weeell, IMHO both exist, but you get the point. Unlike you I'm ancient and rheumaticky, but the muscles nevertheless appreciate the warmth of exercise.

    Black humour helps. Other Bergen proverb, jokes and so forth:
    Q. "What do Bergenites do when it rains?" A. "They let it rain".

    "I saw the sun yesterday, ghod it made me jump".

    Tourist: "Tell me, young man, does it ever stop raining here?"
    Native: "I don't know, I'm only six."

  30. Seattle has a great public transit system and really bad road signs. The drivers here are really nice for a big city. If you're going to pay to go to the top a a building, the Space Needle is a waste of money, go to the Columbia Tower instead. Pike Place is pretty cool, but super touristy. Check out our ferry system, Seattle is beautiful from the water, and it's really cheep if you're on foot. Uwajimaya, the Japanese grocery store has great novelty foods. Pagliacchi's has great pizza. It's hard to find bad food at a restaurant in Seattle, as long as you stick to local places and avoid national chains. The Seattle Art Museum is nice, but the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum are a lot more experience for your dollar. The weather really isn't as bad as everyone says. If it rains for five minutes in the morning, and clears up in the afternoon, it still counts as a rainy day, so the numbers are kinda inflated. There are so many awesome parks all throughout this city: Woodland, Gasworks, the Sculpture Garden downtown, Seattle also has both a Japanese and Chinese garden. It's less than twenty dollars on public transit to the Pacific Coast. Oh, and there's a huge Atheist community out here, if you didn't know already!

    Then we should really stop comparing ourselves with Seattle. Our problem is not so much the presence of rain as the absence of sun; endless drizzle from a lid of cloud resting on the mountains. We can go for months without seeing the sun, and the winter is even worse.

  32. \o/

    We'll be happy to have you! You should totally come visit me. I swear this time I won't be an ax murderer. >.>

  33. Congrats! Seattle is great and so is Bellingham! I suggest you start reading the SLOG for fun and enlightenment about Seattle culture, arts and politics - the zeitgeist.<|endoftext|>So long, pencil sharpener

  1. Mrs. Fred says:

    Your parents still HAVE the pencil sharpener you grew up with! It’s still on the wall, in the garage next to the kitchen door. Yes, it still works. It doesn’t get much use any more, but it’s comforting to know it’s there when we need it.

  2. Aerospace Genius says:

    The electric pencil sharpener/letter opener that Grandma gave me served me well for many years, but the gears in it were really loud. I had to stop using it when I sharpened a pencil in a quiet engineering office and one of my co-workers said “Are you all right?”

  3. Steve Lucas says:

    My wife and I have just had two manual typewriters repaired and I dug out some old tractor feed address labels. She is involved in a group and is arranging speakers for the coming year and needs to send an information form to the speakers. Since these are one off’s this system works great.

    The only person who gave her any problems was a government speaker who wanted everything done electronically, even though an envelope and stamp was the quick and easy way to accomplish the task.

    This seems to speak to all of our problems with government, if there is a complicated way to accomplish a task, that uses the greatest amount of resources, while generating the greatest amount of paper; this is the preferred way to do it.

    Heaven forbid someone use a pencil and paper to write something down.

    Steve Lucas

  4. RWMondak says:

    I have had my manual pencil sharpener (at home) since 1978 when it was “surveyed” along with some other equipment being replaced at an overseas Naval Hospital . In our large building there is one person (in the business office, none in the clinical area) who has a pencil sharpener. The others who use pencils purchase mechanical pencils which are supposedly refillable. They’ll get me as many as I want, but NOT approve purchase of a REAL (crank handle) pencil sharpener.
    I like my “government issued” (sort of) pencil sharpener but there is no way I’ll get permission to bring it from home.<|endoftext|>Popular wisdom holds that caffeine enhances learning, alertness and retention, leading millions to consume coffee or caffeinated drinks before a challenging learning task such as attending a business strategy meeting or a demanding scientific presentation. However a new study


Katrina loaned their jacket to Carrie during the cold night, although Katrina was feeling cold themselves.<|endoftext|> following error message -- "The specified domain does not exist or could not be contacted".
    I did ipconfig /all and saw the workstation received an IP address from DHCP and that the workstation does point to the DNS server on the DC.
    Is there something specific I can check to look for the problem...

  54. Mark,

    I just recently started working for a company that uses their external domain name for their internal AD domain as well. My first job is to do a major revamp of their network to help them become HIPAA compliant, and this domain name is one of the big compliance issues they're encountering, as it is a security risk.

    We're getting all new servers, and will be migrating to a new domain name to move away from this. However, I'm curious if it's possible for me to use best practice here given the situation. We have Exchange 2010, and will be moving to Exchange 2016, so we're doing a cross-forest migration of that anyway.

    My issue is whether or not I can create a sub-domain (for example, we are company.org and I want to use internal.company.org) and set up the necessary forest trust for this transfer, or if a forest trust will fail because the new domain would technically be seen as part of the existing domain.

    I'd like to resolve that question before setting up the new domain, so that I can avoid this issue if possible. Any suggestions?

  55. Mark,

    I have an existing domain I've inherited using its public domain name for the internal domain as well. (For this example, say company.org)

    We will be migrating to a new domain name to ensure HIPAA compliance, as this practice can cause security issues. However, because we need to migrate e-mail across the domain, I need to ensure I can set up a forest trust.

    Will making the new domain internal.company.org cause forest trusts to fail, or will they work as intended even though that's technically a sub-domain of the current domain name? (I've not run into this particular situation before, thankfully.)

  56. I've used domain.local on several domains across a few companies over the past 15 years now and never have I run into the issues described in this article.

    1. SSL not a problem, I run my own CA so why would I need to ever or want to ever spend money on a certificate that is for internal resources.

    2. Exchange, not a problem if you understand split DNS and how to create additional forward lookup zones if needed.

    3. I never have to worry about a domain name existing as mine since I use companyname.local.

    4. look at all the posts where people followed other guidance and now have to cleanup since they used the wrong domain name.

    5. I never have issues with domain name resolution, just setup the forwarders on the dc, .local resolves internally, everything else is external... simple.

    I will continue to use .local and it will continue to work for me. Have fun folks.

  57. DONT

    Linux also reserves .local for mDNS. The way some distributions are configured by the operating system does not even try to call the DNS resolver for .local domains. I'm ripping my hairs off trying to disable and/or uninstall the mDNS resolver from 900+ POS machines. Please don't.

    1. Use dhcp for DNS server setup or use "search" with correct DNS suffix and use "dns files" in /etc/nsswitch.conf for "hosts:"

  58. ಠ╭╮ಠ

    I've been doing this all my life. Thanks for making me feel stupid. I mean, JEEZERS!!! I just realized that I've also made dozens of other people who listen to my advice stupid as well. I should have realized it sooner. Think about anybody who works in a Microsoft environment. Sure, you see "contoso" all over help documents and whatnot, but have you ever, I mean EVER seen a Microsoft document or internal memo or anything at all with "microsoft.local" on it? That should have tipped me off, but I'm stupid. So stupid.

  59. Hi Mark

    Good article, I have set up a complete AD and exchange environment using your advice.
    e.g. abc.companyname.com

    This is a Server 2012/Exchange 2013 environment

    its still pre-production and all seems to wok OK.

    My only concern is external users of Outlook that use Outlook anywhere or Outlook HTTPS over RPC

    I cannot get my head around how the certificate will work and if indeed it will
    The accepted domain for exchange is companyname.com, without the subdomain prefix
    I know this will accept email

    I am a fan of self-signed certificates and these have worked well for me in the past. If I change my Certificate in Exchange to the published remote.domain.com internal users stop working.

    Can you offer any guidance please?

    Thanks PaulS

  60. Hi Mark, i think you're missing a few things. I don't see any reasons why I can't simply use .local .corp as a internal root ad top level domain name. What If I have a single forest single domain architecture and dividing AD based on location via OUs. It does make sense to have something like comapny.corp for the root ad domain and internal dns records like cz.company.corp, at.company.corp, com.company.corp instead of com.company.com. ??? And internal users are usually visiting company websites through internal dns records, that's what split dns is about. I think this post is completely useless, if somebody use .local tld it's for a reason !!!

    1. It seems you've missed almost the entire point of everything I've said.

      1. I'm talking about single domain forests, which is the preferred architecture in almost all cases. Empty forest roots were. A bad idea of the past.

      2. If you don't use split DNS, you don't need to maintain internal DNS records for internal sites. If your public DNS is company.com, but your AD is ad.company.com, you don't need to keep records for company.com internally and externally. It's fewer DNS records to curate, which is a win for everyone.

      3. If someone uses .local, it's because they think there is a reason, but they don't actually know what it is. I have yet to hear a single good reason to do it other than "I always have" which is never a good reason to do anything.

      If you disagree, I'd love to here specific technical points. As it is, your current post adds very little to the conversation.

  61. Great post. I inherited an SBS 2003 server many years ago and even back then the sys admin had the sense not to use .local

  62. Hi Mark, I have named my AD ad.company.com and now I try to configure Exchange 2016 and my host is named mta.ad.company.com Now I will have two addresses that will point to autodiscover servicess mail.company.com for external and mta.ad.company.com for internal users. I would like to users only have to know a single namespace (e.g., mail.company.com) to access their data, regardless of where they are connecting. Naming my domain this way will enable me to avoid split brain DNS, but the exchange team states : "Since the release of Exchange 2007, the recommendation is to deploy a split-brain DNS infrastructure for the Internet-based client namespaces." http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2014/02/28/namespace-planning-in-exchange-2013.aspx. My issue is how to keep configuration simple for my users.

    Thanks !

    1. If you want, you can split-brain by creating a company.com zone in your AD DNS. You don't have to name your AD "company.com" to do this. Or you can just have the users use the public "company.com" zone to connect to the mail infrastructure.

  63. This comment has been removed by the author.

  64. Hi Mark ,

    we are going to install new domain .
    we have site internally and public site and email that hosted locally .
    we also need to have SSO ,
    and our email is linux base server .
    do you suggest use best practice ?
    if yes please suggest the plan .

    thanks .

  65. Hello Mark,
    First thanks for the article and you should be commended on your points and its clarity. I have to admit I implemented several SBS environments and have used the .local as suggested by the wizards. Each of them are SBS 2003, 2008, or 2011 with using Exchange and SharePoint's companyweb which made the SBS model very cost effective (even it is not recommended) but Microsoft provide the suggestion of the .local so I thought it made sense (at the time) and also Microsoft throttled down the SBS implementation so it could all reside on the same box/server.

    So, now SBS is no longer available or at least not worth purchasing due to its duration for support.

    Only recently has it caused a complication when getting certificates. Which caused

 following error message -- "The specified domain does not exist or could not be contacted".
    I did ipconfig /all and saw the workstation received an IP address from DHCP and that the workstation does point to the DNS server on the DC.
    Is there something specific I can check to look for the problem...

  54. Mark,

    I just recently started working for a company that uses their external domain name for their internal AD domain as well. My first job is to do a major revamp of their network to help them become HIPAA compliant, and this domain name is one of the big compliance issues they're encountering, as it is a security risk.

    We're getting all new servers, and will be migrating to a new domain name to move away from this. However, I'm curious if it's possible for me to use best practice here given the situation. We have Exchange 2010, and will be moving to Exchange 2016, so we're doing a cross-forest migration of that anyway.

    My issue is whether or not I can create a sub-domain (for example, we are company.org and I want to use internal.company.org) and set up the necessary forest trust for this transfer, or if a forest trust will fail because the new domain would technically be seen as part of the existing domain.

    I'd like to resolve that question before setting up the new domain, so that I can avoid this issue if possible. Any suggestions?

  55. Mark,

    I have an existing domain I've inherited using its public domain name for the internal domain as well. (For this example, say company.org)

    We will be migrating to a new domain name to ensure HIPAA compliance, as this practice can cause security issues. However, because we need to migrate e-mail across the domain, I need to ensure I can set up a forest trust.

    Will making the new domain internal.company.org cause forest trusts to fail, or will they work as intended even though that's technically a sub-domain of the current domain name? (I've not run into this particular situation before, thankfully.)

  56. I've used domain.local on several domains across a few companies over the past 15 years now and never have I run into the issues described in this article.

    1. SSL not a problem, I run my own CA so why would I need to ever or want to ever spend money on a certificate that is for internal resources.

    2. Exchange, not a problem if you understand split DNS and how to create additional forward lookup zones if needed.

    3. I never have to worry about a domain name existing as mine since I use companyname.local.

    4. look at all the posts where people followed other guidance and now have to cleanup since they used the wrong domain name.

    5. I never have issues with domain name resolution, just setup the forwarders on the dc, .local resolves internally, everything else is external... simple.

    I will continue to use .local and it will continue to work for me. Have fun folks.

  57. DONT

    Linux also reserves .local for mDNS. The way some distributions are configured by the operating system does not even try to call the DNS resolver for .local domains. I'm ripping my hairs off trying to disable and/or uninstall the mDNS resolver from 900+ POS machines. Please don't.

    1. Use dhcp for DNS server setup or use "search" with correct DNS suffix and use "dns files" in /etc/nsswitch.conf for "hosts:"

  58. ಠ╭╮ಠ

    I've been doing this all my life. Thanks for making me feel stupid. I mean, JEEZERS!!! I just realized that I've also made dozens of other people who listen to my advice stupid as well. I should have realized it sooner. Think about anybody who works in a Microsoft environment. Sure, you see "contoso" all over help documents and whatnot, but have you ever, I mean EVER seen a Microsoft document or internal memo or anything at all with "microsoft.local" on it? That should have tipped me off, but I'm stupid. So stupid.

  59. Hi Mark

    Good article, I have set up a complete AD and exchange environment using your advice.
    e.g. abc.companyname.com

    This is a Server 2012/Exchange 2013 environment

    its still pre-production and all seems to wok OK.

    My only concern is external users of Outlook that use Outlook anywhere or Outlook HTTPS over RPC

    I cannot get my head around how the certificate will work and if indeed it will
    The accepted domain for exchange is companyname.com, without the subdomain prefix
    I know this will accept email

    I am a fan of self-signed certificates and these have worked well for me in the past. If I change my Certificate in Exchange to the published remote.domain.com internal users stop working.

    Can you offer any guidance please?

    Thanks PaulS

  60. Hi Mark, i think you're missing a few things. I don't see any reasons why I can't simply use .local .corp as a internal root ad top level domain name. What If I have a single forest single domain architecture and dividing AD based on location via OUs. It does make sense to have something like comapny.corp for the root ad domain and internal dns records like cz.company.corp, at.company.corp, com.company.corp instead of com.company.com. ??? And internal users are usually visiting company websites through internal dns records, that's what split dns is about. I think this post is completely useless, if somebody use .local tld it's for a reason !!!

    1. It seems you've missed almost the entire point of everything I've said.

      1. I'm talking about single domain forests, which is the preferred architecture in almost all cases. Empty forest roots were. A bad idea of the past.

      2. If you don't use split DNS, you don't need to maintain internal DNS records for internal sites. If your public DNS is company.com, but your AD is ad.company.com, you don't need to keep records for company.com internally and externally. It's fewer DNS records to curate, which is a win for everyone.

      3. If someone uses .local, it's because they think there is a reason, but they don't actually know what it is. I have yet to hear a single good reason to do it other than "I always have" which is never a good reason to do anything.

      If you disagree, I'd love to here specific technical points. As it is, your current post adds very little to the conversation.

  61. Great post. I inherited an SBS 2003 server many years ago and even back then the sys admin had the sense not to use .local

  62. Hi Mark, I have named my AD ad.company.com and now I try to configure Exchange 2016 and my host is named mta.ad.company.com Now I will have two addresses that will point to autodiscover servicess mail.company.com for external and mta.ad.company.com for internal users. I would like to users only have to know a single namespace (e.g., mail.company.com) to access their data, regardless of where they are connecting. Naming my domain this way will enable me to avoid split brain DNS, but the exchange team states : "Since the release of Exchange 2007, the recommendation is to deploy a split-brain DNS infrastructure for the Internet-based client namespaces." http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2014/02/28/namespace-planning-in-exchange-2013.aspx. My issue is how to keep configuration simple for my users.

    Thanks !

    1. If you want, you can split-brain by creating a company.com zone in your AD DNS. You don't have to name your AD "company.com" to do this. Or you can just have the users use the public "company.com" zone to connect to the mail infrastructure.

  63. This comment has been removed by the author.

  64. Hi Mark ,

    we are going to install new domain .
    we have site internally and public site and email that hosted locally .
    we also need to have SSO ,
    and our email is linux base server .
    do you suggest use best practice ?
    if yes please suggest the plan .

    thanks .

  65. Hello Mark,
    First thanks for the article and you should be commended on your points and its clarity. I have to admit I implemented several SBS environments and have used the .local as suggested by the wizards. Each of them are SBS 2003, 2008, or 2011 with using Exchange and SharePoint's companyweb which made the SBS model very cost effective (even it is not recommended) but Microsoft provide the suggestion of the .local so I thought it made sense (at the time) and also Microsoft throttled down the SBS implementation so it could all reside on the same box/server.

    So, now SBS is no longer available or at least not worth purchasing due to its duration for support.

    Only recently has it caused a complication when getting certificates. Which caused me to do some reach and I found your article and I think that I have painted myself and the server in


Mary refused to pay attention to Emily's romantic interest in them, because Emily had zero personality.<|endoftext|>erty stage in that she has stopped being quite so volatile or at least is managing to control (or hide) it a little better. She once tried to explain the way she felt just before a meltdown and she used the metaphor of a bird beating its wings inside her and throwing itself violently against her internal organs. It made me cry. I know now not to try to hug her or comfort her when she is going through this ‘process’ – she takes herself off to her room and emerges sometime later a calmer, happier person and we don’t refer to it. Whatever works!

    1. It sounds like you and your daughter have found the perfect way of managing her meltdowns. I know it’s hard to watch and sounds scary but for me, it’s a part of life and one that I’ve learned to accept as necessary (or at least unavoidable). It really did improve quite a bit once adolescence was past, though you’re right about there being a fine line between learning to manage the meltdowns vs. learning to hide them.

  3. I always dread the questions,”Is there anything I can do?” and “Do you want to talk?” No and No! I fight the headbanging impulse. I see myself doing it in my mind and it brings some relief. I feel when meltdowns are imminent. The pressure in my head continuely builds. Sometimes it feels like there is some creature trying to claw its way out of my brain. I can’t seem to focus and my memory is for garbage. When I get like this, I hide and go into shut down mode. I think of it as rebooting myself. One day is not always enough, but I can only take what I can get.

    I know exactly what you mean when you wrote about implosions. I just want to be left alone, but someone sitting quietly next to me is fine. If I am not left alone, the explosions happen (normally in front of family members) and I get the question, “Why are you so mad at me?” Why can’t people read my nonverbal cues? The answer is the same reason why I have trouble reading theirs. Not only do I speak a different language (aspie), I also have different nonverbal cues.

    After I get control of myself, I then feel that I have to explain my behavior, especially to my kids. Trying to find the words is not always easy and I feel so guilty and embarassed for coming unglued in front of people. I wish I could just hold up a sign that warned people of imminent danger and they would know not to ask questions and give me quiet time.

    1. Oh yes, I’ve used the imagined headbanging trick to keep myself from actually doing it. It’s amazing that it works so well. I also really feel your pain about being embarrassed when you meltdown in front of your family. It’s rough to share something so painful and traumatizing.

      It’s interesting that you sometimes need more than a day to recover. If I shutdown (withdraw/dissociate from the world around me), sometimes one day isn’t enough to work it through but a full-on meltdown usually works itself out pretty quickly for me.

      Thank you for sharing your experiences here. It’s very reassuring to see that others experience and feel something similar.

  4. I don’t find that my meltdowns have a trigger either. I feel that they are usually the end product of a series of frustrations – typically happening during an argument when I have to explain things I can’t explain. For me it’s like tsunami of fury and hurt; I don’t want to injure myself but I do throw things, bang doors etc. and once I’m calmer I am a skin picker and that really calms me the rest of the way down. Argh, just talking about it knowing that this is what my kids see feels awful. I think the worst thing is that people often think that if you talk it out it, it will resolve itself. We are a nation of talkers. I remember reading in a linguistic anthropology class about a Native American tribe where the care for someone who was suffering from some extreme emotion such as grief or rage was to just be there but not talk. To have them feel like they aren’t alone, but not to ever impose your presence on them. An awesome way of dealing with things, I thought.

    1. Wow, the idea of being with someone without talking during an emotional crisis sounds perfect. My need for talking during or after a meltdown is slim to none. I wonder if talking is actually a way for the person doing the comforting to feel better? Sitting silently by has to be harder for most people (though it’s my first and often only instinct when someone else is upset). Also, I’ve been a skin picker on and off since childhood. I was shocked to discover that it’s a form of stimming.

      1. Skin picking…stimming??? ha! Well that explains it! I’ve moved on to picking the skin on my scalp–not good, it bleeds. I knew I started doing it more when I began to get stressed, but hadn’t thought about it as stimming until now. But–yes you are right, it certainly is, isn’t it?

          1. I was just wondering if skin picking was considered a stim! I tend to pick at the skin of my neck. I feel like it’s such a bad habit, but I’ve done it since I was a kid. Also, picking at eyebrows, eyelashes, face.

            1. I started skin picking in adolescence, which seems to be the case for a lot of people on the spectrum. I’ve been able to break the habit at times but it’ll come back under severe stress and I find it really really hard to stop.

              1. Would a somewhat compulsive cracking of knickles and joints be a form of stimming too? My mom always gets mad at me when I do it but I can’t really stop and it’s only very occasionally when I’m not stressed, but every minute or so when I am in a stressful situation. Fingers, neck, back, elbows, knees, wrists, sternum, shoulders, whatever joint it is that I can crack will do fine. My right wrist can almost always be cracked, even many times in a row, so that’s nice.

        1. Me too!!! I make my poor head bleed someone’s! I’ve never heard anyone else admit this and never knew it was a “thing” until just recently as I’ve been learning about my diagnosis.

  5. I really, really struggle to believe that I didn’t do it and that I shouldn’t try to make it better… I know I’m a needy bitch but I feel abandoned when my partner shuts down.
    Note to self: Shut up!!

    1. Aw, I know it must be hard to wait it out. My husband often tries to make it better, with little success. In some way, the more he tries the worse I feel because it’s as if I’m letting him down with my inability to respond to his effort to help me. We aspies are not an easy lot to live with. 🙂

  6. I would have to agree with you, Terra, about how that Native American tribe you mentioned cared for someone experiencing extreme emotions. Just having someone sit there with you, but having no pressure to talk would be awesome. When a person is ready to talk, then they should feel free to talk, but on there own terms.

  7. That is a really, really good description – as drafty as it is. A systematic overview over something that is messy, chaotic, and wordless and it beautifully describes the other side of it – That it isn’t ONLY bad, but also a relief and necessary in order to move on. (I also love your timeline-graph btw:-)

    That is very accurate… The trigger is usually a relatively minor event (although not always) that brings me over a tipping point and into a ‘red zone’ where everything erupts & all stability comes crashing down. It happens to me very seldom at my current age, and I have never used the term ‘meltdowns’. I’ve called it ‘break downs’ (although I never talk about it) and did wonder if it is the same as ‘meltdowns’. Based on your description, it sounds very similar. I’ll withdraw urgently to as far & invisible away from people as possible. If I am home typically to my room, curl up along the wall, may rock and wriggle just trying to contain & bear the unbearable sensations of intense emotional & physical stress & chaos. I tend to bite my hand or finger very hard (head banging has also happened, but that’s something I try really hard to not do due to risk of damaging the brain) to distract myself and because it helps. It gives a sense of short term relief that enables me to breathe & stay sane under it all. I know self harm is bad. I had serious self harm behaviour problems when I was young, leaving scars I still have and am embarrassed about. However, I don’t think self harm behaviour is totally avoidable, because the sense of relief is necessary in some situations (an act of self-preservation). Biting one’s hand or fingers doesn’t leave any permanent marks, in fact marks disappear within a few minutes, which is

erty stage in that she has stopped being quite so volatile or at least is managing to control (or hide) it a little better. She once tried to explain the way she felt just before a meltdown and she used the metaphor of a bird beating its wings inside her and throwing itself violently against her internal organs. It made me cry. I know now not to try to hug her or comfort her when she is going through this ‘process’ – she takes herself off to her room and emerges sometime later a calmer, happier person and we don’t refer to it. Whatever works!

    1. It sounds like you and your daughter have found the perfect way of managing her meltdowns. I know it’s hard to watch and sounds scary but for me, it’s a part of life and one that I’ve learned to accept as necessary (or at least unavoidable). It really did improve quite a bit once adolescence was past, though you’re right about there being a fine line between learning to manage the meltdowns vs. learning to hide them.

  3. I always dread the questions,”Is there anything I can do?” and “Do you want to talk?” No and No! I fight the headbanging impulse. I see myself doing it in my mind and it brings some relief. I feel when meltdowns are imminent. The pressure in my head continuely builds. Sometimes it feels like there is some creature trying to claw its way out of my brain. I can’t seem to focus and my memory is for garbage. When I get like this, I hide and go into shut down mode. I think of it as rebooting myself. One day is not always enough, but I can only take what I can get.

    I know exactly what you mean when you wrote about implosions. I just want to be left alone, but someone sitting quietly next to me is fine. If I am not left alone, the explosions happen (normally in front of family members) and I get the question, “Why are you so mad at me?” Why can’t people read my nonverbal cues? The answer is the same reason why I have trouble reading theirs. Not only do I speak a different language (aspie), I also have different nonverbal cues.

    After I get control of myself, I then feel that I have to explain my behavior, especially to my kids. Trying to find the words is not always easy and I feel so guilty and embarassed for coming unglued in front of people. I wish I could just hold up a sign that warned people of imminent danger and they would know not to ask questions and give me quiet time.

    1. Oh yes, I’ve used the imagined headbanging trick to keep myself from actually doing it. It’s amazing that it works so well. I also really feel your pain about being embarrassed when you meltdown in front of your family. It’s rough to share something so painful and traumatizing.

      It’s interesting that you sometimes need more than a day to recover. If I shutdown (withdraw/dissociate from the world around me), sometimes one day isn’t enough to work it through but a full-on meltdown usually works itself out pretty quickly for me.

      Thank you for sharing your experiences here. It’s very reassuring to see that others experience and feel something similar.

  4. I don’t find that my meltdowns have a trigger either. I feel that they are usually the end product of a series of frustrations – typically happening during an argument when I have to explain things I can’t explain. For me it’s like tsunami of fury and hurt; I don’t want to injure myself but I do throw things, bang doors etc. and once I’m calmer I am a skin picker and that really calms me the rest of the way down. Argh, just talking about it knowing that this is what my kids see feels awful. I think the worst thing is that people often think that if you talk it out it, it will resolve itself. We are a nation of talkers. I remember reading in a linguistic anthropology class about a Native American tribe where the care for someone who was suffering from some extreme emotion such as grief or rage was to just be there but not talk. To have them feel like they aren’t alone, but not to ever impose your presence on them. An awesome way of dealing with things, I thought.

    1. Wow, the idea of being with someone without talking during an emotional crisis sounds perfect. My need for talking during or after a meltdown is slim to none. I wonder if talking is actually a way for the person doing the comforting to feel better? Sitting silently by has to be harder for most people (though it’s my first and often only instinct when someone else is upset). Also, I’ve been a skin picker on and off since childhood. I was shocked to discover that it’s a form of stimming.

      1. Skin picking…stimming??? ha! Well that explains it! I’ve moved on to picking the skin on my scalp–not good, it bleeds. I knew I started doing it more when I began to get stressed, but hadn’t thought about it as stimming until now. But–yes you are right, it certainly is, isn’t it?

          1. I was just wondering if skin picking was considered a stim! I tend to pick at the skin of my neck. I feel like it’s such a bad habit, but I’ve done it since I was a kid. Also, picking at eyebrows, eyelashes, face.

            1. I started skin picking in adolescence, which seems to be the case for a lot of people on the spectrum. I’ve been able to break the habit at times but it’ll come back under severe stress and I find it really really hard to stop.

              1. Would a somewhat compulsive cracking of knickles and joints be a form of stimming too? My mom always gets mad at me when I do it but I can’t really stop and it’s only very occasionally when I’m not stressed, but every minute or so when I am in a stressful situation. Fingers, neck, back, elbows, knees, wrists, sternum, shoulders, whatever joint it is that I can crack will do fine. My right wrist can almost always be cracked, even many times in a row, so that’s nice.

        1. Me too!!! I make my poor head bleed someone’s! I’ve never heard anyone else admit this and never knew it was a “thing” until just recently as I’ve been learning about my diagnosis.

  5. I really, really struggle to believe that I didn’t do it and that I shouldn’t try to make it better… I know I’m a needy bitch but I feel abandoned when my partner shuts down.
    Note to self: Shut up!!

    1. Aw, I know it must be hard to wait it out. My husband often tries to make it better, with little success. In some way, the more he tries the worse I feel because it’s as if I’m letting him down with my inability to respond to his effort to help me. We aspies are not an easy lot to live with. 🙂

  6. I would have to agree with you, Terra, about how that Native American tribe you mentioned cared for someone experiencing extreme emotions. Just having someone sit there with you, but having no pressure to talk would be awesome. When a person is ready to talk, then they should feel free to talk, but on there own terms.

  7. That is a really, really good description – as drafty as it is. A systematic overview over something that is messy, chaotic, and wordless and it beautifully describes the other side of it – That it isn’t ONLY bad, but also a relief and necessary in order to move on. (I also love your timeline-graph btw:-)

    That is very accurate… The trigger is usually a relatively minor event (although not always) that brings me over a tipping point and into a ‘red zone’ where everything erupts & all stability comes crashing down. It happens to me very seldom at my current age, and I have never used the term ‘meltdowns’. I’ve called it ‘break downs’ (although I never talk about it) and did wonder if it is the same as ‘meltdowns’. Based on your description, it sounds very similar. I’ll withdraw urgently to as far & invisible away from people as possible. If I am home typically to my room, curl up along the wall, may rock and wriggle just trying to contain & bear the unbearable sensations of intense emotional & physical stress & chaos. I tend to bite my hand or finger very hard (head banging has also happened, but that’s something I try really hard to not do due to risk of damaging the brain) to distract myself and because it helps. It gives a sense of short term relief that enables me to breathe & stay sane under it all. I know self harm is bad. I had serious self harm behaviour problems when I was young, leaving scars I still have and am embarrassed about. However, I don’t think self harm behaviour is totally avoidable, because the sense of relief is necessary in some situations (an act of self-preservation). Biting one’s hand or fingers doesn’t leave any permanent marks, in fact marks disappear within a few minutes, which is long before I come out and face anyone, anyway. I never talk about this. I don’