Thursday, January 27, 2005
No matter how many times I hear it...
Jimi Hendrix' "Castles Made of Sand" almost reduces me to tears with its beauty. Love that song.
Dear god help me...
I'm actually enjoying Metallica's "St Anger". !. !!!!!.
I hated the album when it came out, but I've had "Some Kind of Monster" stuck in my head for the week, and now that I've got it spooled up on the Karma, I'm enjoying it a lot. Very angry stuff.
Working:
Very productive today. Lots of ideas flowing. I put it down to taking up listening to music as I work. I can just tune stuff out.
Reading:
Started "CRM at the speed of light" last night, which is rather a dry treatment of the evolution of Customer Relationship Management. Not a bad read, but I keep telling myself I need to get through Hirohito first.
Listening:
Metallica on my Karma.
Thinking:
Got to get to the library tonight, and then also need to work on the garage. The weather is going to get mildly worse this weekend and I want to be able to move the cars into the garage to protect them.
I hated the album when it came out, but I've had "Some Kind of Monster" stuck in my head for the week, and now that I've got it spooled up on the Karma, I'm enjoying it a lot. Very angry stuff.
Working:
Very productive today. Lots of ideas flowing. I put it down to taking up listening to music as I work. I can just tune stuff out.
Reading:
Started "CRM at the speed of light" last night, which is rather a dry treatment of the evolution of Customer Relationship Management. Not a bad read, but I keep telling myself I need to get through Hirohito first.
Listening:
Metallica on my Karma.
Thinking:
Got to get to the library tonight, and then also need to work on the garage. The weather is going to get mildly worse this weekend and I want to be able to move the cars into the garage to protect them.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Aural goodness
recompiled XMMS and spent the evening randomly flipping through my MP3 collection. Much goodness. A lot of stuff I love but just never hear. The peril of having such a large MP3 collection. Currently playing: PropellerHeads: OHMS. Most excellent.
Four meetings down...
Two to go! IBM and then our Linux systems administrators are coming up to discuss 64bit certification of platforms.
Back at the salt mines
Uneventful day at $ORK yesterday. Made it home to find SWMBO asleep on the couch. We really have to get her sleep patterns back on something normal. Made dinner and then vegged out on the couch. Watched VH1's "100 Most Metal Moments", and discovered that Metallica's movie "Some Kind Of Monster" was released on DVD yesterday. We saw it in a CityWalk movie theater in Orlando, and it was interesting.
Working:
At work. I'm an early riser and so am in before 7 most days. I get a lot of email read and catch up on my websites of the day.
Reading:
Working on Hirohito, started "CRM at the speed of light" and more Cisco books.
Listening:
Metallica's St Anger.
Thinking:
Got to get some time on the garage tonight. It's going to get colder and being able to pull the cars into the garage is important. Also need to find a box to run Orrible on. I have this weird compunction to dust off my DBA skills.
Working:
At work. I'm an early riser and so am in before 7 most days. I get a lot of email read and catch up on my websites of the day.
Reading:
Working on Hirohito, started "CRM at the speed of light" and more Cisco books.
Listening:
Metallica's St Anger.
Thinking:
Got to get some time on the garage tonight. It's going to get colder and being able to pull the cars into the garage is important. Also need to find a box to run Orrible on. I have this weird compunction to dust off my DBA skills.
I hope you've all seen...
The Mastercard ad with Peyton Manning. A reprise of the Brett Favre ad of last year, it's just got more relatable humor in it.
"Let's go insurance adjuster let's go!"
"Cut that meat! Cut that meat!"
"Annnnnnd... it's full! *TOOT*"
"You're on my fantasy team.. you're my favorite accountant!"
Priceless.
"Let's go insurance adjuster let's go!"
"Cut that meat! Cut that meat!"
"Annnnnnd... it's full! *TOOT*"
"You're on my fantasy team.. you're my favorite accountant!"
Priceless.
Alright!
Grocery store becomes scene for shootout. Good on 'em I say. If the idiots want to start something by taking a shot at your husband, you bet they were surprised as all hell when the lady capped their asses.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Aaaah, a day off
But we did not rest. We attacked the garage with a great deal of gusto. From 10 until 4, we opened boxes, screwed things into the walls, assembled shelves, loaded cardboard and pressboard into the back of SWMBO's Explorer for recycling, sweeping, screwing things into walls, mounting shelves, hanging hoses and ladders. All the effort and the lack of caffeine contributed to a headache that took me down hard from 1630 until 1830.
Working:
Caught up on my email, only 95 in the inbox. Killed a couple of meetings.
Reading:
Still working on Hirohito. Very interesting stuff.
Listening:
I love the 90's - part deux, on VH1.
Thinking:
Back to work tomorrow!
Working:
Caught up on my email, only 95 in the inbox. Killed a couple of meetings.
Reading:
Still working on Hirohito. Very interesting stuff.
Listening:
I love the 90's - part deux, on VH1.
Thinking:
Back to work tomorrow!
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Yet more productivity
Very productive morning. Got up earlier than yesterday, made SWMBO and I breakfast (waffles, bacon, juice, hot chocolate), and then took the newly-returned Focus out to the grocery store that's over on North Oak to give it a good burn in. Shopped for groceries, returned home without a hiccup in the hoopie, put the groceries away, then started the laundry and cleaned out my trunk. Now I'm waiting for the FOOTBALL to start, and trying to figure out what to do for lunch.
Working:
Will be working while watching ball. Need to put together the target state view for my group, finish a couple of position papers and sort through my inbox. Will probably take tomorrow off if we can get the priority list made up for work on the garage tomorrow.
Reading:
Finished "Street Without Joy" last night, and remain amazed that US strategists in the 60's never read it to find out what they were going to be facing with the Viet Minh/Cong in the 60's. Now started "Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan".
Listening:
The Fox NFL pre-game show. But it was satellite radio this morning - gawd how I missed it.
Thinking:
I think I'm out of my depressive area at work, and now I can make some headway and feel better. Still looking for new opportunities.
Working:
Will be working while watching ball. Need to put together the target state view for my group, finish a couple of position papers and sort through my inbox. Will probably take tomorrow off if we can get the priority list made up for work on the garage tomorrow.
Reading:
Finished "Street Without Joy" last night, and remain amazed that US strategists in the 60's never read it to find out what they were going to be facing with the Viet Minh/Cong in the 60's. Now started "Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan".
Listening:
The Fox NFL pre-game show. But it was satellite radio this morning - gawd how I missed it.
Thinking:
I think I'm out of my depressive area at work, and now I can make some headway and feel better. Still looking for new opportunities.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Second coat!
Second coat on the furniture and 2 out of 5 discs of the Simpson's 5th season watched! Definitely a good Saturday!
Productive morning!
Very productive morning. Slept from about 10:30 through 10am, very refreshed when I woke up. Weighed in and have lost 10lbs in 3 weeks. Very happy about that, just another 70 to go!
SWMBO is still unwell, but she's at least able to breathe through her nose. I made a run to Target last night to pick up a nasal decongestant for her, and this made the difference. Watched the latest "American HotRod" and was intrigued to find out that Chip Foose and Boyd Coddington had a history together. Seems that Foose and Coddington were very close, Foose even being President of Coddingtons company for a while. Then something went wrong and now Boyd considers him an enemy, which is all of interest when you know that his Paint Shop supervisor left on the show to go work for Foose. Anyhow.
When SWMBO awoke I made her breakfast (pancakes and bacon), forced her to drink juice and take her vitamins, then emptied the dishwasher, washed and froze grapes, and then put the pot roast on for dinner tonight. She's upstairs sleeping now, so once I zip to the library and back again, I'll have lunch and then finish the painting.
My car is back and in one piece!!!!
Working:
Getting somewhere at $ORK now. It's been a frustrating set of steps forward and back over the last 3 months, but we seem to be getting some momentum going.
Reading:
Finishing "Street Without Joy" and starting "Fault Tolerant IP and MPLS Networks".
Listening:
I had my Karma churning out tracks all day at work yesterday, and it was good. I remarked to my friend Lynn that it was something I missed a lot!
Thinking:
Very productive. Need to keep the energy level up and start exercising more. Having parked away from the elevators a couple of floors up has done me the world of good in terms of getting more exercise. The treadmill is downstairs waiting to be used once I get some motivation up and running, but it's all in the positive direction.
SWMBO is still unwell, but she's at least able to breathe through her nose. I made a run to Target last night to pick up a nasal decongestant for her, and this made the difference. Watched the latest "American HotRod" and was intrigued to find out that Chip Foose and Boyd Coddington had a history together. Seems that Foose and Coddington were very close, Foose even being President of Coddingtons company for a while. Then something went wrong and now Boyd considers him an enemy, which is all of interest when you know that his Paint Shop supervisor left on the show to go work for Foose. Anyhow.
When SWMBO awoke I made her breakfast (pancakes and bacon), forced her to drink juice and take her vitamins, then emptied the dishwasher, washed and froze grapes, and then put the pot roast on for dinner tonight. She's upstairs sleeping now, so once I zip to the library and back again, I'll have lunch and then finish the painting.
My car is back and in one piece!!!!
Working:
Getting somewhere at $ORK now. It's been a frustrating set of steps forward and back over the last 3 months, but we seem to be getting some momentum going.
Reading:
Finishing "Street Without Joy" and starting "Fault Tolerant IP and MPLS Networks".
Listening:
I had my Karma churning out tracks all day at work yesterday, and it was good. I remarked to my friend Lynn that it was something I missed a lot!
Thinking:
Very productive. Need to keep the energy level up and start exercising more. Having parked away from the elevators a couple of floors up has done me the world of good in terms of getting more exercise. The treadmill is downstairs waiting to be used once I get some motivation up and running, but it's all in the positive direction.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Woohoo!
Battlestar Galactica recaps on TWoP!
Working:
Long week. Ended up about 60hrs, which is 20hrs than I am paid to work. It's not bad, as SWMBO has been sick, but we've been working hard on a few interesting ideas.
Reading:
Got to make it through "Street Without Joy" this weekend, or else I won't be making it to the other books I have. Also need to run by the library tomorrow to pick up a few more books.
Listening:
"American Chopper". Good show.
Thinking:
Need to sleep soon, but need to make a run to Target first for SWMBO. She needs congestion medicine to clear up her head.
Working:
Long week. Ended up about 60hrs, which is 20hrs than I am paid to work. It's not bad, as SWMBO has been sick, but we've been working hard on a few interesting ideas.
Reading:
Got to make it through "Street Without Joy" this weekend, or else I won't be making it to the other books I have. Also need to run by the library tomorrow to pick up a few more books.
Listening:
"American Chopper". Good show.
Thinking:
Need to sleep soon, but need to make a run to Target first for SWMBO. She needs congestion medicine to clear up her head.
Stress
SWMBO, through her procrastination, created a minor crisis. Her Virtual PC crashed and committed suicide at the same time. She is not a happy camper, I'm not either. Not because she woke me up to tell me this, I can always go back to sleep. No I'm ticked because Microsoft's own ability to recover from this kind of lunacy is incomprehensible. Recovery console? No good! Trying to expand an archive to get that one file that the boot complains about? Still won't work. I spent from 0600 to 0830 working on it and had to break the bad news to her that it was probably hosed. Now I'm thinking that I'll shell out the extra $$ for her to have Office.X on her machine to solve these problems.
Working:
As you can imagine, not much has been done today, but more will be.
Thinking:
Fuck Microsoft.
Working:
As you can imagine, not much has been done today, but more will be.
Thinking:
Fuck Microsoft.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Random update
Working:
Very productive day yesterday. Got all of my Visios out to the team at around 11 last night.
Reading:
Nothing lately other than product documentation and industry guff.
Listening:
Presentation on Web Services. Good stuff from the team.
Thinking:
Lunch was going to be a lunch and learn from QLogic, but I'm blowing that off for lunch with a friend.
Very productive day yesterday. Got all of my Visios out to the team at around 11 last night.
Reading:
Nothing lately other than product documentation and industry guff.
Listening:
Presentation on Web Services. Good stuff from the team.
Thinking:
Lunch was going to be a lunch and learn from QLogic, but I'm blowing that off for lunch with a friend.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
And everywhere, geek right arms fall inactive in memory of a hot redhead...
Gillian Anderson marries. Guess the X-Files turned into the X-Bachelorette files.
Fewp
At home. SWMBO is still ill, but appears to be getting better. I won't be able to take Friday off, but will likely take Monday off.
I LOVE my DVR. I'm watching Mythbusters and recording 2 shows for SMWBO. Awesome!
I LOVE my DVR. I'm watching Mythbusters and recording 2 shows for SMWBO. Awesome!
Interesting quote
From Peter King's column.:
2. I think one NFL coach spoke for many when he told me last night: "New England's by far the tougher team than Indianapolis, mentally and physically. It showed in their game. The Patriots have about five guys who will take you by the throat, throttle you and absolutely not accept losing. I don't think the Colts have one. They better find a few of those, or they'll always lose those kind of games."
I heard the same discussion about the Red Sox before winning the World Series. For some teams, it's NEVER ok to lose. Those teams tend to be more successful than teams that have a mentatility that it's sometimes ok to lose.
For the record, I personally believe that it's never acceptable to lose important battles.
2. I think one NFL coach spoke for many when he told me last night: "New England's by far the tougher team than Indianapolis, mentally and physically. It showed in their game. The Patriots have about five guys who will take you by the throat, throttle you and absolutely not accept losing. I don't think the Colts have one. They better find a few of those, or they'll always lose those kind of games."
I heard the same discussion about the Red Sox before winning the World Series. For some teams, it's NEVER ok to lose. Those teams tend to be more successful than teams that have a mentatility that it's sometimes ok to lose.
For the record, I personally believe that it's never acceptable to lose important battles.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Oh, and an update
Alternator is out of the Focus and being rebuilt. Now it all has to go back together again!
Peaches, Bass and Jelly
As much as it pains me to say, Sonic commercials make me laugh.
"Awwwww, Ma."
Hee.
"Awwwww, Ma."
Hee.
USAF seeks Space Router
Looks like the USAF is doing interesting things to transform their comms over to IP based protocols.
Not good juju
So the battery light came on in the Focus on the way into work, so SWMBO and Father-In-Law trekked out to Overland Park to swap the battery out as the first step. The light came on almost immediately, which on further review at his house, indicates that there is something wrong with the alternator.
After 4 hours of messing with it, we still don't have the alternator out, but the pulley/bracket assembly is. I'm pessimistic because I saw what it took to get the pieces out, and I'm not sure the Focus will survive them being put back in :-(
After 4 hours of messing with it, we still don't have the alternator out, but the pulley/bracket assembly is. I'm pessimistic because I saw what it took to get the pieces out, and I'm not sure the Focus will survive them being put back in :-(
Monday, January 17, 2005
Airbus A380 article
Interesting as it confirms something that I always suspected. The cost model for the 747 is about 292 people making it break-even on operating costs.
Interesting as it confirms something that I always suspected. The cost model for the 747 is about 292 people making it break-even on operating costs.
Just can't catch a break
My battery light came on during the drive into work, and now I'm concerned I won't make it home tonight :-( Friday night my father-in-law and I worked on it to remove the corrosion, and it was fine over the weekend, but now it's not. Blah.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Divisional Playoff Sunday
I love this part of the season. It's the time of the football season when all the games mean something.
Very productive day yesterday. Much grocery shopping, much activity. It's disgustingly domestic by my standards. Made a run to Sam's Club and the grocery store and basically got all of our food shopping for the next month taken care of. My parents-in-law happened by around 3 so we fed them and then spent the afternoon visiting. My niece Lauren arrived for dinner so we fed her and spent the evening visiting until I crashed out at 10:30 or so. SWMBO was up and around until 2am, at which point she made it to bed and There Was Cuddling.
Woke up around 0830, made pancakes, bacon and juice by 0930, and then messed around on the net until 11. Just finished sanding down the chest of drawers and table for the guest bedroom so that SWMBO can paint them. Now it's Football Time!
Working:
Clarity comes slowly. I'll spend some time to put together some stuff that is going to be the backbone of our contribution to the IT world.
Reading:
Random blogs. Interesting stuff. Gratifying to see that there are so many people of non-English speaking backgrounds making use of the Internet.
Listening:
Philidelphia/Minnesota in surround. Drool. Love my surround sound!
Thinking:
Must make the appointment to have my left contact lens fitted. I've noticed that my headaches seem to be coming from the left side of my head which is indicative of the eye strain that the deterioration in my left eye is causing.
Signed the check, need to make sure that I get the outstanding $$ from the work crowd, need to reboot the nameserver after I patched it and really need to think about getting Fedora Core 3 installed. Also need to look for a low-cost box that I can run Orrible on to keep my certification dreams alive.
Very productive day yesterday. Much grocery shopping, much activity. It's disgustingly domestic by my standards. Made a run to Sam's Club and the grocery store and basically got all of our food shopping for the next month taken care of. My parents-in-law happened by around 3 so we fed them and then spent the afternoon visiting. My niece Lauren arrived for dinner so we fed her and spent the evening visiting until I crashed out at 10:30 or so. SWMBO was up and around until 2am, at which point she made it to bed and There Was Cuddling.
Woke up around 0830, made pancakes, bacon and juice by 0930, and then messed around on the net until 11. Just finished sanding down the chest of drawers and table for the guest bedroom so that SWMBO can paint them. Now it's Football Time!
Working:
Clarity comes slowly. I'll spend some time to put together some stuff that is going to be the backbone of our contribution to the IT world.
Reading:
Random blogs. Interesting stuff. Gratifying to see that there are so many people of non-English speaking backgrounds making use of the Internet.
Listening:
Philidelphia/Minnesota in surround. Drool. Love my surround sound!
Thinking:
Must make the appointment to have my left contact lens fitted. I've noticed that my headaches seem to be coming from the left side of my head which is indicative of the eye strain that the deterioration in my left eye is causing.
Signed the check, need to make sure that I get the outstanding $$ from the work crowd, need to reboot the nameserver after I patched it and really need to think about getting Fedora Core 3 installed. Also need to look for a low-cost box that I can run Orrible on to keep my certification dreams alive.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Mmmm, headachey
Nice to wake up in the morning with a headache, not.
Working:
Made it through the day, to be hit with a dead battery on my commute home. Coldest hour of my life, $65 in towing and an extra 4 hours to my day. Apart from that, the day was ok.
Reading:
Not a lot. /.
Listening:
Construction going on around us.
Thinking:
Where's the Advil?
Working:
Made it through the day, to be hit with a dead battery on my commute home. Coldest hour of my life, $65 in towing and an extra 4 hours to my day. Apart from that, the day was ok.
Reading:
Not a lot. /.
Listening:
Construction going on around us.
Thinking:
Where's the Advil?
Friday, January 14, 2005
It's just not going to be enough...
Until I have a neural interface into my head so I can just think a thought and have it captured. Anything else is just too kludgy, and frustrating.
Working:
Light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train... yet.
Reading:
Virtual Strategy magazine.
Listening:
Heard a great story on the challenges that "intelligent employees" face in today's corporation on the Beeb today. Spent some time looking for it and couldn't find it, but will check over the weekend. Seemed to sum up all the problems that I'm experiencing at work in 2004/2005.
Thinking:
Should probably take some time off soon. No time off over Christmas has let me stew too long, and 6 months without more than 1 day off is never good.
Working:
Light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train... yet.
Reading:
Virtual Strategy magazine.
Listening:
Heard a great story on the challenges that "intelligent employees" face in today's corporation on the Beeb today. Spent some time looking for it and couldn't find it, but will check over the weekend. Seemed to sum up all the problems that I'm experiencing at work in 2004/2005.
Thinking:
Should probably take some time off soon. No time off over Christmas has let me stew too long, and 6 months without more than 1 day off is never good.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Mmmmmmmmm
Got the DVR replaced and then I spent time getting the surround hooked up.
Oh. My. God.
CSI in surround. It's joyous. It's marvellous. It only needs HD and I'm in hog heaven.
Working:
Work continues to take its toll. There's a general mood of "down" right now, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
Reading:
Still going on "Street Without Joy". About halfway through now.
Listening:
CSI on the TV in surround. Yay!
Thinking:
Must get some traction at work. I started using my IPaq to capture thoughts using the voice recorder. Working out pretty well. Means I get to talk on my way to work and I have to listen to myself!
Oh. My. God.
CSI in surround. It's joyous. It's marvellous. It only needs HD and I'm in hog heaven.
Working:
Work continues to take its toll. There's a general mood of "down" right now, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
Reading:
Still going on "Street Without Joy". About halfway through now.
Listening:
CSI on the TV in surround. Yay!
Thinking:
Must get some traction at work. I started using my IPaq to capture thoughts using the voice recorder. Working out pretty well. Means I get to talk on my way to work and I have to listen to myself!
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
spooooky!
|
You Are 33 Years Old |
|
33 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax. |
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Grrr
Working:
Single most frustrating day ever working at $VB_TELCO. It's farcical how this part of the company runs and who gets to make what decision.
Single most frustrating day ever working at $VB_TELCO. It's farcical how this part of the company runs and who gets to make what decision.
snigger
Best SSID's
It's geeky.
Working:
At work now, about to review my year's performance. It's not the money discussion, more a procedural thing.
Reading:
Made it through a couple of chapters of "Street Without Joy" last night, but was too tired to make it through more.
Listening:
Different type of entry. I woke up this morning hearing a high pitched tone, wondering if the fire alarms were going off. Nope, test pattern on one of the cable channels. Weird. Woke me up at 4:40am, and I mistakenly went back to bed. 6am later.. oops.
Thinking:
Co-worker is IMing me to find out how my drive was. Apparently the freezing drizzle 15 miles west of me was enough to put a solid glaze on the roads around him, and he wanted to know if I had problems getting in. No problems for me other than a patch of ice on a side street. Whee.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Oh yeah, (football geekery)
Last season, it was "Vinny and the Jets".
This season, it's been "Penny and Jets", and if the backup is in, "Quincy and the Jets".
I suck.
This season, it's been "Penny and Jets", and if the backup is in, "Quincy and the Jets".
I suck.
Another day, another $NUM/hr
Nice relaxing weekend. We received the day bed and SWMBO+niece have it all set up. I just need to hang pictures and assist with the painting of the furniture and we're done in that room.
Working:
At the salt mines today. I've got some ideas bubbling away that I need to get down on paper.
Reading:
Started "Street Without Joy" last night. I read it when I was in my bookworm phase around 17 or so, and so I'm re-reading it. I may have to break out my Art of War and brush up on it to fight the battles of the day.
Listening:
The sounds of people working away around me.
Thinking:
I need a new job, really. I'm grinding away doing important stuff, but it's got to change.
Working:
At the salt mines today. I've got some ideas bubbling away that I need to get down on paper.
Reading:
Started "Street Without Joy" last night. I read it when I was in my bookworm phase around 17 or so, and so I'm re-reading it. I may have to break out my Art of War and brush up on it to fight the battles of the day.
Listening:
The sounds of people working away around me.
Thinking:
I need a new job, really. I'm grinding away doing important stuff, but it's got to change.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Yawning now
Carb overload - went out and procured Chinese fud as a reward for how well we've done this week. Hanging out watching TV. Watched my beloved Broncos humbled by the Colts in the afternoon, and then Green Bay get their asses handed to them by Minnesota. I wasn't surprised.
Working:
Nothing special. Ideas, lots of ideas.
Reading:
About to start on 'Hirohito - the making of Modern Japan'.
Listening:
The Travel Channel and its Vegas Week!
Thinking:
Need to get moving on my certifications, and also planning on the backyard.
Working:
Nothing special. Ideas, lots of ideas.
Reading:
About to start on 'Hirohito - the making of Modern Japan'.
Listening:
The Travel Channel and its Vegas Week!
Thinking:
Need to get moving on my certifications, and also planning on the backyard.
Sunday, the day of ...
rest? Watched the Jets knock the Chargers out of the Superbowl hunt last night. It was a crazy game. Looked like the Jets were going to win it, then NYJ's Barton gets called for a personal foul for hitting Brees' helmet with his arm during the incomplete pass, and then the Chargers kicker missed a gimme kick that would have won it for them in OT, and the Jets won! Not to mention the first time I've ever seen a coach flagged for being on the field. Go Marty!
Working:
Different kind of working. SWMBO has pictures to hang and we'll end up moving furniture around. Also have to find my allen keys to finish reassembling the treadmill.
Reading:
Productive trip to the library. The following books are now in a pile waiting to be read:
Bloody Sunday - Inside the dazzling, rough and tumble world of the NFL
Street without Joy - Bernard Fall
Hirohito - the Making of Modern Japan
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
MacOS X - the Black Book
Listening:
Spinning SCSI disks and the TV in the background.
Thinking:
Coffee is a wonderful substance. It is the method by which I put my mind in motion, which probably isn't that far from the truth given how it interacts with the dopamine receptors in our brains.
Working:
Different kind of working. SWMBO has pictures to hang and we'll end up moving furniture around. Also have to find my allen keys to finish reassembling the treadmill.
Reading:
Productive trip to the library. The following books are now in a pile waiting to be read:
Bloody Sunday - Inside the dazzling, rough and tumble world of the NFL
Street without Joy - Bernard Fall
Hirohito - the Making of Modern Japan
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
MacOS X - the Black Book
Listening:
Spinning SCSI disks and the TV in the background.
Thinking:
Coffee is a wonderful substance. It is the method by which I put my mind in motion, which probably isn't that far from the truth given how it interacts with the dopamine receptors in our brains.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
So I tried..
Working:
I tried to shovel the driveway, but it's not going to happen. It's a weird concoction out there - partly ice (underneath it all), sleet and then snow. I got the snow off half of it and then started to... shave is the best word I can think of to describe it... the area I'd cleared, and then gave up. Too much work when by Monday we'll have 50degF weather.
Listening:
Softly playing TV in the background. SWMBO is off running errands and I'm goofing off.
Thinking:
Instead of shovelling snow, I'll reassemble the treadmill. SWMBO is down 6.5lbs, I'm down 4.5lbs.
I tried to shovel the driveway, but it's not going to happen. It's a weird concoction out there - partly ice (underneath it all), sleet and then snow. I got the snow off half of it and then started to... shave is the best word I can think of to describe it... the area I'd cleared, and then gave up. Too much work when by Monday we'll have 50degF weather.
Listening:
Softly playing TV in the background. SWMBO is off running errands and I'm goofing off.
Thinking:
Instead of shovelling snow, I'll reassemble the treadmill. SWMBO is down 6.5lbs, I'm down 4.5lbs.
Saturday!
In a Monster House voice!
Working:
Hell no. It's Saturday.
Reading:
Slashdot.org's link to the genetic kernel tuning algorithm. It's an interesting idea, if it can be implemented in small enough incremements on a subset of parameters. Otherwise I think it'll end up like the [C|O|M|P|A|Q] EVA - optimizing itself out of performance.
Listening:
I was listening to the weather this morning. It's obviously a slow weather day as all the weatherweasel could say is that north of I-70 will be sunny. WTF? How is that an important weather event?
Thinking:
I need to get out and shovel the drive and the steps in order to facilitate the delivery of furniture. But it's still under 20degF.
I have to hit the library to continue my quest to return to a sentient, thinking state of mind. The last 12 months have really sucked it out of me. I feel that my brain has just been on autopilot, and I really need to jolt it into a more "me" kind of mode.
Football! It's playoff time, and I'm loving it. The networks have served us football fans well in showing us all of the games. Denver and Indy is tomorrow, so I'll be hunkered down watching it until it goes horribly wrong and I'm left to ponder why Mike Shanahan torments me so.
Working:
Hell no. It's Saturday.
Reading:
Slashdot.org's link to the genetic kernel tuning algorithm. It's an interesting idea, if it can be implemented in small enough incremements on a subset of parameters. Otherwise I think it'll end up like the [C|O|M|P|A|Q] EVA - optimizing itself out of performance.
Listening:
I was listening to the weather this morning. It's obviously a slow weather day as all the weatherweasel could say is that north of I-70 will be sunny. WTF? How is that an important weather event?
Thinking:
I need to get out and shovel the drive and the steps in order to facilitate the delivery of furniture. But it's still under 20degF.
I have to hit the library to continue my quest to return to a sentient, thinking state of mind. The last 12 months have really sucked it out of me. I feel that my brain has just been on autopilot, and I really need to jolt it into a more "me" kind of mode.
Football! It's playoff time, and I'm loving it. The networks have served us football fans well in showing us all of the games. Denver and Indy is tomorrow, so I'll be hunkered down watching it until it goes horribly wrong and I'm left to ponder why Mike Shanahan torments me so.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Working:
Working on some templates around the storage infrastructure we have in place. It's pretty block-and-tackle stuff, and I'm considering going crazy-ape-bonkers and knocking it out this afternoon.
Reading:
Some dreck from an "analyst" that is talking about Blade servers as being all singing all dancing. Well, having wrestled with Blades for almost 3 years now, no technology survives first contact with your existing application base.
Listening:
Sounds of an office and tinnitus in my ears. I do have The Swingers "Counting the Beat" in my head, which makes a change from The Imperial March from SW:ESB.
Thinking:
Mmmm, pot roast for dinner. And "ooh, aren't I late for a meeting?"
Working on some templates around the storage infrastructure we have in place. It's pretty block-and-tackle stuff, and I'm considering going crazy-ape-bonkers and knocking it out this afternoon.
Reading:
Some dreck from an "analyst" that is talking about Blade servers as being all singing all dancing. Well, having wrestled with Blades for almost 3 years now, no technology survives first contact with your existing application base.
Listening:
Sounds of an office and tinnitus in my ears. I do have The Swingers "Counting the Beat" in my head, which makes a change from The Imperial March from SW:ESB.
Thinking:
Mmmm, pot roast for dinner. And "ooh, aren't I late for a meeting?"
Ah yes, a word of explanation
SWMBO. While it would be fun to have you decide for yourselves what that particular acronym means, I shall assist you by expanding it myself!
As a young man, I enjoyed late nights on the ABC watching 'Rumpole of the Bailey'. It was a TV adaption of a great set of books regarding a lawyer in England whose gruff and literary manner made him eccentric and lovable. Horace Rumpole, superbly played by Leo McKern, was wonderful to watch and enjoy.
SWMBO is a geeky rendition of "She Who Must Be Obeyed", an affectionate term applied to his lovely wife, Hilda. I apply that term with affection to my lovely wife, with a tongue firmly in cheek!
As a young man, I enjoyed late nights on the ABC watching 'Rumpole of the Bailey'. It was a TV adaption of a great set of books regarding a lawyer in England whose gruff and literary manner made him eccentric and lovable. Horace Rumpole, superbly played by Leo McKern, was wonderful to watch and enjoy.
SWMBO is a geeky rendition of "She Who Must Be Obeyed", an affectionate term applied to his lovely wife, Hilda. I apply that term with affection to my lovely wife, with a tongue firmly in cheek!
Mmmmmm
lunch was great. Got to catch up with 3 co-workers that I rarely get to see any more due to the reorg. A lot of information trading and more than a few laughs.
Good for the soul, catching up with people. Reminds me, I have some emails to send out tonight to friends. It's something akin to the Christmas letter of old.
Good for the soul, catching up with people. Reminds me, I have some emails to send out tonight to friends. It's something akin to the Christmas letter of old.
I do some good every day..
Me: it's just that based on our experience, 90% will be on porting, 90% will be on currency, and the other 90% will be on TLM
He: since our current LOES are 600% of expected, U need to bump yours up a little
Me: fine
porting: 1 kabillion %
currency: 1 kabillion %
TLM, the other kabillion %
He:
LOL - first time i've laughed today
He: since our current LOES are 600% of expected, U need to bump yours up a little
Me: fine
porting: 1 kabillion %
currency: 1 kabillion %
TLM, the other kabillion %
He:
LOL - first time i've laughed today
And so it goes...
Another novel-esque moment. I opened my eyes this morning and went "Not as dark as it should be. Urghlenyah?" Clock radio that I thought had been reset to AM apparently had not been reset to AM. It was only 6:15am, and I probably needed the extra hour anyway. Rationalizations-R-Us!
Commute wasn't bad. Slow from I-35 to I-435 due to an accident, but clear sailing from there on.
SI.com writers are picking Denver to lose to Indianapolis. They're probably right, but at the same time, it's time for Indy to have their bad game for the season. Hey, I can hope. Irrational-Beliefs-R-Us!
VMWare. Solaris 10. It's all good.
Commute wasn't bad. Slow from I-35 to I-435 due to an accident, but clear sailing from there on.
SI.com writers are picking Denver to lose to Indianapolis. They're probably right, but at the same time, it's time for Indy to have their bad game for the season. Hey, I can hope. Irrational-Beliefs-R-Us!
VMWare. Solaris 10. It's all good.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Fnargle!
Bitterly cold this morning, bitterly cold in the evening, and it'll be cold tomorrow morning!
Decent day at the salt mines. My boss is a great guy who I love to work with, and I appear to be making headway with some of the strategic initiatives we're pushing. Like using VMWare to virtualize properly instead of the Other Platform Wot Doesn't Really Do It. Good stuff.
Now, if I could just get some motivation to actually get off my duff and crank through the grunt work to get to the really interesting stuff. We're doing a lot of work in the business continuity and disaster recovery, and also in relation to stability. Some of it's interesting, some of it is just wacky.
Decent drive home. SWMBO reported trouble with the garage door opener, but I made it in and closed it just fine. Weird. The roads were fine, the traffic was backed up a little, which I didn't mind all that much. It shows that people are paying attention and slowing down in the face of the aftermath of bad weather.
Decent day at the salt mines. My boss is a great guy who I love to work with, and I appear to be making headway with some of the strategic initiatives we're pushing. Like using VMWare to virtualize properly instead of the Other Platform Wot Doesn't Really Do It. Good stuff.
Now, if I could just get some motivation to actually get off my duff and crank through the grunt work to get to the really interesting stuff. We're doing a lot of work in the business continuity and disaster recovery, and also in relation to stability. Some of it's interesting, some of it is just wacky.
Decent drive home. SWMBO reported trouble with the garage door opener, but I made it in and closed it just fine. Weird. The roads were fine, the traffic was backed up a little, which I didn't mind all that much. It shows that people are paying attention and slowing down in the face of the aftermath of bad weather.
reflections
I spent most of the last week installing and configuring Fedora Core on SWMBO's old Intel based laptop. Having been a Linux guy since '94, I was more than happy to blast WinXP off the disk and install it. Worked out pretty well, just need to get the external soundcard to work properly. This is more of a "I'm too lazy to figure it out" than something is broken.
What I did find was a great set of tools for managing wireless access points. Like most geeks, I have a 802.11b network in the house, which will shortly become 802.11g to support the g cards we seem to have around. It's here, and works great with my D-Link 1000APs. I may just pick up a wireless router and create a subnet off of it for the g clients, because it appears that Best Buy (tm) and Circuit City (tm) don't get a lot of demand for simply an access point.
What I did find was a great set of tools for managing wireless access points. Like most geeks, I have a 802.11b network in the house, which will shortly become 802.11g to support the g cards we seem to have around. It's here, and works great with my D-Link 1000APs. I may just pick up a wireless router and create a subnet off of it for the g clients, because it appears that Best Buy (tm) and Circuit City (tm) don't get a lot of demand for simply an access point.
Lord Football's feast
Make sure you read Don Banks' columns at SI.com on the upcoming playoffs.
AFC scout report
NFC Scout report
I love football season. Just love it. There's something about the NFL that I don't get the rest of the year. Take your basketball (oversized freaks playing with a ball between two baskets), your baseball (if the national pasttime is watching overpaid boys steroiding themselves to records and charging fans for the privilege), your soccer (don't get me started) and put them to one side. Lord Football reigns supreme for the fall/winter.
What's even better is that I get a double football dose. Just as football is winding down in .US, .AU has its season starting!
AFC scout report
NFC Scout report
I love football season. Just love it. There's something about the NFL that I don't get the rest of the year. Take your basketball (oversized freaks playing with a ball between two baskets), your baseball (if the national pasttime is watching overpaid boys steroiding themselves to records and charging fans for the privilege), your soccer (don't get me started) and put them to one side. Lord Football reigns supreme for the fall/winter.
What's even better is that I get a double football dose. Just as football is winding down in .US, .AU has its season starting!
Morning
So I wake up this morning at my now normal 4am. This is bad because it means that I am toast by 4pm, but that's a different story.
It was like a novel. I stuck my nose out from under the pillow... cold. Too cold. Too cold by half for normal. I listened intently. No TV. But she can't fall asleep without the TV. There is no TV. Where is the TV? Did she turn it off? Why did she turn it off? I peer out in my contactless state. There should be big red numbers on the clock radio on my night stand. There are no numbers taunting me. Bad. Very Bad. Bad in unbelievably bad ways. Ooog.
Long story short, I guess Aquila was doing some work to repair the power after the ice storm and took us out for 2hrs. The UPS did its thing until the battery died, though I need to look more closely at it because I don't think the battery is still good :-/ Everything recovered though, including the firewall and cable modem, which is all goodness.
The drive in was pretty good. There appeared to be some sanity coming back into my road co-habitants, as there were no big wrecks or insane driving randomness. I need to pick up wiper fluid!
It was like a novel. I stuck my nose out from under the pillow... cold. Too cold. Too cold by half for normal. I listened intently. No TV. But she can't fall asleep without the TV. There is no TV. Where is the TV? Did she turn it off? Why did she turn it off? I peer out in my contactless state. There should be big red numbers on the clock radio on my night stand. There are no numbers taunting me. Bad. Very Bad. Bad in unbelievably bad ways. Ooog.
Long story short, I guess Aquila was doing some work to repair the power after the ice storm and took us out for 2hrs. The UPS did its thing until the battery died, though I need to look more closely at it because I don't think the battery is still good :-/ Everything recovered though, including the firewall and cable modem, which is all goodness.
The drive in was pretty good. There appeared to be some sanity coming back into my road co-habitants, as there were no big wrecks or insane driving randomness. I need to pick up wiper fluid!
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