Harry's Ruminations

Simply put, this regulation will be the end of the automobile industry (and possibly the automobile itself). They want 42mpg fleet AVERAGE? Given current regulations, the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid gets 42mpg average. Nearly EVERY OTHER CAR on the road will underperform.

They want these regulations by 2016…understand, that’s ONE GENERATION in automotive terms, given the 5-year product lifecycles the carmakers deal with. The 2011 and 2012 cars are already done and in the pipeline at this point.

This is total crap.... (Comments)

Tue, 19 May 2009 08:05:00 -0400

We have a socialist gov’t now. whatdya expect?

Whitney - May 2, 2009

We have a socialist gov’t now. whatdya expect?

I strip away the old debris
That hides a shining car:
A brilliant red Barchetta
From a better vanished time.
We fire up the willing engine
Responding with a roar.
Tires spitting gravel,
I commit my weekly crime.

The solution...well...or not :-)

Mon, 18 May 2009 21:13:00 -0400

So, as anyone who’s followed my blog for a year or more knows, I got motorcycle fever last spring and summer.

It all started innocently enough. I got a ride on my father in law’s scooter (hey, I had the helmet already thanks to autocross, right?) It was something of a disaster–maneuvering the 600cc scooter at low speed wasn’t *quite* as easy as I thought.

Long boring story later, I had full-blown fever. I took the MSF course and REALLY learned how to ride, FINE-C, the whole deal.

Bizarro Dream of the weekend....

Mon, 18 May 2009 13:15:00 -0400

So, Sunday, I decided to do something completely out of character–I took a nap.

My wife took one look at my cranky-pants self after church and said, “You need a Nap for Jesus.”

Which is a polite way of saying, “Jesus, Harold…take a nap!”

Anyway, my bizarro dream went like this:

[Interior. Lab environment. Soft lighting, muted hum of machinery]

Serge: Hello, Harold. I’m Sergey Brin. This is Larry Page. You might know us…we founded Google.

Bizarro Dream of the weekend.... (Comments)

Mon, 18 May 2009 13:15:00 -0400

Naptime for Jesus is appropriately sung to Springt…

Whitney - May 1, 2009

Naptime for Jesus is appropriately sung to Springtime for Hitler and does not encapsulate taking the Lord’s name in vain but rather means,“It is not humanly possibly for you to be able to approach being civil at this point much less Jesus’s standards for us thus I think it would be in everyone’s best interest if you napped”. :D

My Day, these days.

Wed, 13 May 2009 08:47:00 -0400

I haven’t blogged in forever…I guess it’s just the omnipresence of Twitter and Facebook that have me being “unfaithful” to my blog.

Over the years, I’ve liked to record the way my day goes, just so I can look back and say, WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

A rundown of a typical day for me:

5am – wake up, hit snooze button
5:09 – wake up
5:18 – NO REALLY, WAKE UP.

My Day, these days. (Comments)

Wed, 13 May 2009 08:47:00 -0400

funny….I’ve recently discovered that my exercise…

Whitney - May 3, 2009

funny….I’ve recently discovered that my exercise time is my fun time too. Yes, I’m turning into one of THOSE people (gasp). Yes, it has alot to do some with particular music involved. yes I am getting bored with said music thus mandating purchase of various albums. darn :D GO EXERCISE!

Man, the real world sure is different that I expected

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:42:00 -0400

You know, growing-up I had three examples of “real life” to go by: My mom, my Dad, and my Aunt Norie. Each led vastly different lives: Mom was a schoolteacher; Dad was a travelling salesman; and Norie did payroll for the local office of the D.O.T.

Like most schoolteachers, Mom’s life existed on two levels–the “regular” hours that looked so attractive, and the reality. On paper, it was a sweet enough deal: Work 7 to 2, 5 days a week, get Summer Vacation and lots of “snow days”. Reality wasn’t so rosy, with Mom doing lesson plans in her off time, grading papers ’til the wee hours of the morning, and running extracurriculars all the time.

Review: Yes Man

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:34:00 -0400

Oh, Jim Carrey, how far and hard you’ve fallen.

Last night, Whitney and I RedBox’d Yes Man, a movie completely devoid of plot. Plot: A progression of a story through introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution (denoument).

Yeah, this story has none. It has a terrific *premise*, that of a man who is stuck in a rut until he magically transforms into a guy who can’t lie and hilarity ensues (wait, that’s that other movie by the same guy). No, this time, he’s a guy who can’t say ‘Yes,’ until he goes to a life-changing “Say Yes” seminar taught by General Zod.

Review: Yes Man (Comments)

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:34:00 -0400

yeah he has to say that to get away with the crush…

Whitney - Apr 5, 2009

yeah he has to say that to get away with the crush. which is why the tyra crush stopped talking so much. so how many ppl out there really think ZD and I are similar….in….anything? ;)

Rant: Thirty Five Million Dollars???

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:15:00 -0400

Perhaps Cal’s a bargain at that price.

However, when I look at the budget presentation here, I see a $2.2 Billion budget for the University of Kentucky (slide 5). Calipari’s $4,375,000 per year is right at 0.2% of the total budget. A pittance? Again, perhaps.

However, when we flip over to slide 11, notice a budget slashed to meet declining revenue projections, with 188 positions eliminated.

It makes me sick to my stomach to read the last slide, Dr. Todd’s valediction to those whose education become unaffordable, and those staff who lost their jobs:

Rant: Thirty Five Million Dollars??? (Comments)

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:15:00 -0400

I’ve been informed that these are not my tax dolla…

HarryC - Apr 3, 2009

I’ve been informed that these are not my tax dollars, and that the athletics budget is completely separate from the rest of the university.

Admittedly, both Football and Basketball are net revenue generation sports. I welcome being wrong, if someone can spell it out for me.

i initially thought and felt the same as you, but was informed the same thing, that the athletics budget is separate, and that the profit from basketball and football is essentially needed to fund other sports and areas of the university. Here’s a link to an article someone sent me:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/29992697/

A few updates

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:14:00 -0400

Too long for a tweet, to short for proper blog. Here goes:

On Gillespie
Yes, you woke up the next day, and Billy Clyde Gillespie is really gone. He’s trying to “win” the breakup, showing the world his smiling public face, but make no mistake–you hurt him. You took him right off the turnip truck, threw him in front of the most rabid fan base this side of Notre Dame football, and now he’ll be laughing all the way to the bank as he deposits $6 million. I’m no lawyer, but I think that’s what that “Memorandum of Understanding” implies.

A few updates (Comments)

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:14:00 -0400

For a brain-dead rube, Gillespie sure did make out…

Organic Meatbag - Mar 1, 2009

For a brain-dead rube, Gillespie sure did make out like a bandit…

I had a dream last night. . .

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:18:00 -0400

It was a hot Friday evening, the pavement sizzling though the sun was just about to clock out for the day.

Work stank today, in that “Where else you gonna get a job, loser?” sort of way. Fear and loathing in Lexington, yup. But, she waited.

She was hundreds of horsepower, rear wheel drive, and leather interior. She didn’t run, she purred. Red–I’ve NEVER had a red car, but nothing else seemed to fit. Those 4 50-series tMIGHT last 10,000 miles, if I never drove hard.

On politics: Why Revolution in America is a REALLY bad idea...

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:10:00 -0400

Ah, Revolution.

Romantic thought, isn’t it? Taking an untenable social and political situation and hitting the big ‘Reset’ button on the old Nintendo. Start fresh. Start clean. Do it RIGHT this time. Certainly, it worked for our Founding Fathers.

You see, I’ve been hearing the ‘R’ word bandied about quite a bit in the last few weeks. Casually, as if people were trying it on for size, or as a rhetorical caper: “Do __________, and you’ll have revolution in the streets, Mr. Chairman!”

Convalescence, in brief--and a 'Twilight' review.

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:16:00 -0400

As I sit here at 5:15 am, drinking coffee and eating Raisin Bran, this is pretty much the first time in 2 weeks I’ve felt like myself. A head cold turned into bronchitis, then back into a severe head cold. I had fever & chills 3 out of 4 days last week. Finally, the doctor prescribed a course of antibiotics and two days later I couldn’t hear out of my right ear.

Maria loads another 16....rolls?

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:08:00 -0400

Maria loads another 16....rolls? (Comments)

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:08:00 -0400

Cheaper than legos…doesn’t hurt if you bounce th…

Jeff Roberts - Mar 6, 2009

Cheaper than legos…doesn’t hurt if you bounce them off your brother’s head…genius!

Meme: "25 Movies you cannot live without"

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:18:00 -0400

Once you have been tagged, you are supposed to write down 25 movies you cannot live without. You know, the ones you can watch over and over and never get tired of. They don’t have to be in any particular order. These are the movies that make you laugh, cry, think of an old friend, whatever the reason.

Please note that these are not in any particular order, these are just the 25 films I feel are my favorites, and ones I return to often.

Review: City of Ember

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:11:00 -0500

City of Ember is a gripping, family-friendly tale of perserverence and survival. It stars some no-name child actors amid a cast of recognizable adult faces (Bill Murray, Tim Robbins) as the residents of an underground city called “Ember”.

As the story opens, we see a group of scientists in a “doomsday” scenario: Huddled around a time capsule device, they discern that 200 years is “enough” time to wait for…something. Life to be sustainable on Earth again? The planet to give itself an enema? Memories of “Hannah Montana” to fade? Who knows.

Cutie-pie

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:03:00 -0500

Cutie-pie (Comments)

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:03:00 -0500

Definitely - and properly attired to boot!

Jeff Roberts - Feb 2, 2009

Definitely - and properly attired to boot!

America, the Oligarchy

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:16:00 -0500

Oligarchy

This country is an oligarchy–a country ruled by a narrow, incestuous, elite class bent on maintaining their tenuous grip on power. Where once we had a broad spectrum of representative government and limited federal powers, we now have an all-encompassing federal government, controlled by two parties that look suspiciously like one another.

Where’s the healthy disagreement? Where are the extremist whackos (Libertarians, Greenies, Communists, Socialists, and…heck…Whigs) that are the hallmark of a functioning democracy? They don’t exist in this country. What we have instead are two centrist parties bent on maintaining the status quo, keeping the constituents fat, dumb, and happy.

America, the Oligarchy (Comments)

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:16:00 -0500

When do we “call in fed up” or start the march, du…

Jeff Roberts - Feb 1, 2009

When do we “call in fed up” or start the march, dude? I’m ready.

Having another Bi-polar day.

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:21:00 -0500

I’ve been keeping up with twitter, but no so much on my blog. It just seems like such a futile time to be writing much of anything.

The world economy is dying. We have (er…had) a super-optimized consumption machine going, with a supply-line stretching from the third world (where stuff was made) through the first world, where stuff got consumed and thrown away. The consumers bought the stuff with their white-collar paychecks funded by the 100,000+ people per year who became finance majors, because only suckers become engineers or scientists (too hard, involves math, can’t BS your way to the top).

Maria's 2nd

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:39:00 -0500

Maria’s second birthday was yesterday, at 10:40pm.

At that point, everyone else was asleep and I was at the computer working on our taxes for the year.

We’re having her party this weekend on Sunday.

An Open Letter to Southeast Christian Church

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:56:00 -0500

As Easter grows near, this particular blog is going to haunt me again, it would seem.

In hopes of staving off another storm of firey, hurt emails, here’s my open letter those whose ire I’ve inspired.

First, I am sorry if I upset you.

If you reread my post, you’ll see that I pointed out good and bad points about the particular night I attended a performance. And I stand by those opinions from one year ago.

Something completely different--Music

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:01:00 -0500

Been a pretty stressful time lately–co-teaching a class at church, layoffs at work, and kids bored OUT OF THEIR MINDS because of the Snowpocalypse.

My iPod’s been my one refuge. Listening to it today, I’ve learned something about my (new) self–I hate lots of music.

Basically, I hate atonic noise, overwrought compositions, and LOUD stuff. That’s ALOT of what people listen to–and alot of what’s on my ipod.

About the only thing that gives me peace these days is Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue

This is getting comical...

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:15:00 -0500

So, most of Kentucky is shut down because of this snow/ice mess we have currently, and my august company has decided to go forward with their yearly kickoff meeting, despite 50% absentee rate at the moment.

On Stopping

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:47:00 -0500

Stopping means bringing a moving object or system to a halt. Things naturally get slower as they get colder, down to absolute zero, when all motion (even molecular vibration) ceases.

I was talking to Whitney last night before bed about it…it just feels like everything’s stopping–the economy, politics, people’s attitudes. Just grinding to a halt.

Yay, we have a new president. Yay, he signals an end to the basic racial divide in American history. So…what now? That seems to be the gut reaction–flowery rhetoric fails when cold reality frosts its dewy petals. I’m sure the last Byzantine emperor made many great speeches before the Turks battered down the walls with a cannon.

On Stopping (Comments)

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:47:00 -0500

Chuck’s Responses:

“Welcome to capitalism, … HarryC - Jan 1, 2009

Chuck’s Responses:

“Welcome to capitalism, baby!”

“The Baby Boomers have had their moment in power. The most spoilt generation in history has handled affairs with its characteristic hedonism. The results are coming in. The blithering idiots.”

On "Norah Jones"

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:47:00 -0500

Every time I hear Norah Jones, I’m hear Joey snoring softly in the back on my MINI, dusk falling around us as we drive back from Somernites Cruise on US 127 from Danville.

The sun’s gone down on a perfect day, and Whitney’s looking at me every so often with so much love in her eyes, I just want to cry. She doesn’t know I see her looking. And that’s okay.

Where my temper comes from

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:41:00 -0500

You know, I think I finally figured out where my temper comes from: My Mom’s side of the family.

I sat here 2 minutes ago and had a full-blown Aunt Norie incredulous rant. At one point, I took a step back and heard myself speaking and it was like, “That sounds an awful lot like Norie at full tilt.”

Yep. Dad’s family is placid. Mom’s is a tad more assertive.

Contemptuous image of the day

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:01:00 -0500

I miss my family

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:35:00 -0500

Been a hectic couple of weeks around the Combs household. Whitney got a crash assignment from our pastor to develop a devotional handbook from scratch in a week. 50 days of devotional thoughts, on 7 different themes.

Joey cut his hand trying to close his pocket knife on Saturday, requiring 3 stitches in the back of his hand (they come out in 8 more days).

They turned off our FSA (thank you, Humana), so we’re paying our medical copays out-of-pocket. Honestly, for all the trouble we go through with that frickin’ thing, I’m tempted to set the amount to zero next year and just pay it with after-tax dollars.

On Prayer

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:15:00 -0500

So, last night our small group topic was prayer. Not surprisingly, we used Matthew 6 as our text:

9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

Nerd: Copy windows command line STDOUT to clipboard, directly

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:15:00 -0500

Need to send somebody an svn link to the code you’re working on?

svn info . | grep URL | clip

Then, just Ctrl-C and paste it into your email.

Rant On getting smacked down...

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:09:00 -0500

So, you live in an organization for 10 years, and you acquire a certain rep. A reputation as a maverick, a guy who’s not too wrapped-up in procedure, kowtow’ing, and career. You’ve said some things in meetings that were career-limiting, but damn it, they were the RIGHT THINGS.

Sure, you broke into someones computer once to get their hard drive so you could deliver the code she REFUSED TO CHECK IN before going on vacation. Sure, you telnet’d in to a running test server to see if your hack worked and could save everyone working the weekend (it didn’t, you hosed the test run, and you worked round the clock that weekend). Sure, you’ve slapped your head at stupidity (both in others and your own), and welcome anyone who’ll do the same.

Rant On getting smacked down... (Comments)

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:09:00 -0500

I totally understand it all.

Susan - Jan 5, 2009

I totally understand it all.

I totally understand that blog.

Comment: Web 2.0 is over?

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:07:00 -0500

In hindsight, certain things look foolish: Jewel-encrusted buggywhips, Pets.com, and GM’s interest in Hummer. I’m sure after enough time, this Web 2.0 foolishness will look just as silly. I loved some of the apps that resulted: RescueTime, Mint.com, etc. They’re neat.

Still, eventually, you’ve got to have a business model. Something that doesn’t begin and end in “ad-supported”. Something people will pay for, that they NEED, and that has some complexity and barrier-to-entry. Government protection or an outright monopoly wouldn’t hurt, either.

Maria overcomes vacu-phobia

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:46:00 -0500

It’s been a long journey from terror, to disdain, to abidance, to curiousity, but now, HERE IT IS:

The Break, Summarized

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:38:00 -0500

School’s back in session, the teacher’s hungover, the class is catatonic, and the assignment is “Essay on what you did over Christmas Break”.

* * *

Over my Christmas break, I enjoyed my family and relaxed. This was a novelty; usually by the 3rd day I feel cooped-up and restless and turn into a complete asshole. During this week-and-a-half, I really had no desire to put my fist through a wall, run away to Mexico, or otherwise dig a hole in the back yard and jump in it.

Year in Review

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:18:00 -0500

Stolen from Susan

* * *

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Traveled to both coasts–New England and Kalifournia.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn’t make any, so yep.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
One of the founders of our church died, but no one too close, no.

On Finding it Impossible to relax...

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:03:00 -0500

I don’t know if this is common or not, but when I have prolonged time off work, I find it nearly impossible to relax. I always feel like I should be doing something or working towards something, even if it’s at home.

Take right now, for instance. Whitney and I are granting one another some alone time today. Joey’s in Louisville until tomorrow night, and Maria’s enjoying her post-Christmas toys. She’s taking the morning shift watching Maria, and I’m taking the afternoon.

Quote of the Day: On Lawyers

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:17:00 -0500

Don’t get me wrong, lawyers serve an important function, but like e. coli in the body politic, too many will kill you.

Whimsy from the Great White North

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:55:00 -0500

How do you know you’re a wuss? When 5" of snow shuts down the state for a week.

I particularly like:

Area Roads: In light of the continuing snowfall and icy road conditions, most local roads are snow-covered and slippery and will remain that way until March. For information on current road conditions, please look out the window.

Whimsy from the Great White North (Comments)

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:55:00 -0500

rofl

Whitney - Dec 2, 2008

rofl

Sci-Fi: Recruitment via Dreams

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:42:00 -0500

What follows is a little tinfoil-hat, I admit…

Okay, so the other night, I had a dream about working at the NSA or some other government agency where “We’re smarter than you can imagine…” No doubt, this came from two things:

I just read Dan Brown’s turdly book Digital Fortress
I had a really great discussion about my industry with my #1 consultant–my wife. Whitney observed that programmers are paid an obscene amount of money, and that I should expect a downward trend. Pointedly, I said at the time–well yeah, I didn’t exactly graduate from M I T

Great love story from a local fellow...

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:09:00 -0500

Story about my uncle and his three sons

Never forget to say goodbye.

Beautiful stuff.

Great love story from a local fellow... (Comments)

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:09:00 -0500

Very nice - thanks for linking that.

Jeff Roberts - Dec 5, 2008

Very nice - thanks for linking that.

Joining the 21st century

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 08:13:00 -0500

Ah December, the time to give, receive, and splurge on a really neat wireless plan.

For the last 3 years, in true Dave Ramsey fashion, Whitney and I have been prepaid Virgin Mobile users. I’d say subscribers, but there’s no subscription–you pay-as-you-go, and pay only for the calls and text messages (“TXTs”) you use.

On the whole, it wasn’t a bad system. The phones were chintzy and low-tech, but they worked reliably for voice and text. Between the two of us, we were averaging $42 / month. Thing was, Whitney wouldn’t carry her phone–she didn’t like it, and wouldn’t have it around for emergencies.

Joining the 21st century (Comments)

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 08:13:00 -0500

yeah we’ve totally fallen off the Dave wagon….bu…

Whitney - Dec 2, 2008

yeah we’ve totally fallen off the Dave wagon….but I have a cool new phone! lol. I REALLY like Harold’s orange phone. If mine came in orange I would SO be there! His has actual keys and they are backlit which is awesome! The ONLY thing I really hate about the iphone is how I have to, to quote CR, “keep eyes glued to the screen” as it’s all a touch screen - including the keyboard. I prefer the QWERTY boards on the blackberry curve and samsung blackjack…..and wish the iPhone took video like the blackjack. but other than that it is INCREDIBLY cool.

GO BOBCATS!!!

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:49:00 -0500

(Yes, they whipped Belfrey. Again. On the Road. Muhahaha)

Once again, the Breathitt County Bobcats find themselves in the championship game, this time with All-State running back Channing Fugate.

I don’t think they have any shot of winning, since they’re essentially one-dimensional (GIVE CHANNING THE BALL!)

GO BOBCATS!!! (Comments)

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:49:00 -0500

Pretty cool!

Jeff Roberts - Dec 5, 2008

Pretty cool!

Meme: Transformed corporate logos

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:56:00 -0500

New England Vacation Album

Quickies... (Comments)

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:08:00 -0500

I’ve kinda “lost that bloggin’ feelin’” myself. I …

Jeff Roberts - Dec 3, 2008

I’ve kinda “lost that bloggin’ feelin’” myself. I think mine used to be more “Look at the hole I dug!!!” and thanks to drought and being busy at everything BUT the yard, I’m not sure I could find the back 4 acres right now.

Review: "The Secret Marriage" at Georgetown College

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:27:00 -0500

WOW!

Whitney and I attended the Georgetown College’s production of Cimarosa’s The Secret Marriage last night, and I was blown away.

Understand, this is a college of ~1500 persons. The curriculum’s “Opera” class hasn’t been taught in recent memory. The college has no orchestra, only a concert band.

So here, amid the rolling bluegrass, they staged a full, 2-Act Italian opera.

Was it perfect? Of course not…all performers could sing, but only two stood out operatically: The rich-voiced Count, and the delicate soprano playing Carolina. I could’ve listened to Carolina sing all night long–her arias delighted, and her acting was properly melodramatic.

Death knell?

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:39:00 -0500

linky

Given the budget numbers, the United States has already chosen a path of far bigger government. The trap has been set. It’s unlikely America can escape without a VAT.

- Replace income tax with a national sales tax? I’m all for it.

- AUGMENT the multi-tiered “simple” income tax with a VAT? HUH?!!!

If this passes, turn out the lights–we’re a socialist nation.

* * *

(FINALLY) New England Photos

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:07:00 -0500

Yeah, lots of pics of hotels and airplanes, I know…

Random: QOTD, weather, T-Giving

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:56:00 -0500

Quick hits on a few things:

* Quote of the Day: “We have two speeds of development: Fast, and Scalded Dog. Which is appropriate here” (no, that was NOT LXK ;-) )

* It’s a fabulous day outside, if you’re a duck. And, it’s supposed to snow tonight. What month is this, again?

* Thanksgiving: Looks like we’re doing the Combs/Brentzel shuffle again this year. Thursday at the Combs family. Friday at the Brentzel clan.

Random: QOTD, weather, T-Giving (Comments)

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:56:00 -0500

Did you say distraction? Here I am!

Was kin… Jeff Roberts - Nov 1, 2008

Did you say distraction? Here I am!

Was kinda jazzed that everyone’s coming to us for Thanksgiving this year until I realized that meant a couple of nights of housecleaning!

Now, this is a bit scary...

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:30:00 -0500

Haven’t snoped this yet, but this seems a bit troubling.

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up in case you tend to give gift cards around the holidays. Stores that are planning to close after Christmas are still selling the cards through the holidays even though they will be worthless as of January 1. There is no law preventing them from doing this. On the contrary, it is actually referred to as “Bankruptcy Planning.” below is a partial list of stores you should be cautious about.

Now, this is a bit scary... (Comments)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:30:00 -0500

yeah no that’s true. it’s been all over the news …

Whitney - Nov 5, 2008

yeah no that’s true. it’s been all over the news this morning.

They gave it a “Partly true”, but it does make you think. The cards might still be honored, but will the store near the person you gifted still be open after Christmas?

Pics from MAX 2008

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:56:00 -0500

Adobe Max 2008

Adobe Max: It's a wrap

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:40:00 -0500

Well, my abbreviated trip (Sunday->Wednesday instead of Saturday->Thursday) comes to an end today. Some highlights:

- I saw a guy in a kilt & cod-piece yesterday. Yes, he looked alot like Henry VIII, jowls and all.

- Had a nice dinner with Mark at Sam’s Seafood Grille. Pretty good, overall.

- The breeze shifted to a sea-breeze yesterday, and the temps plummeted. Imagine it being 72 and warm in the morning and 50, damp, and chilly by the end of the day. Lots of folks in shorts & t-shirts weren’t happy.

Max Session Notes, Day 1

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:17:00 -0500

Notes writeup:

-——————–

“Top Performing Mobile Applications”

Panel:
- Allesandro Pace
- Darren Osadchuck
- Dale Rankin -> Moket
- Scott Janousek

Alessandro (BORING)

Keep UI simple
Keep memory below 70%
Use name/value pairs in lieu of XML where possible
XMLSocket where possible

Daren (very low-key and monotone but obviously competent):

Optimize loops
Prefer the deprecated function calls ( in lieu of Math.* ) functions
Remap your keypad
Record Keystrokes on CS4 using Device Central’s device set

Scott (seemed nervous):

Found out what 'TL' is

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:19:00 -0500

Turns out, it’s The Tenderloin

Savory, and only a few blocks from here.

I particularly liked the stuff about it being resistant to gentrification…

Adobe Max 2008: Keynote blogging

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:17:00 -0500

8:47am – Moscone center, West

Well, public WiFi seems to be a pipedream. I sit here on the 3rd floor…it’s wall-to-wall people, seems like a mix of folks–guys in french blue business shirts, Bohemian guys with messenger bags, and lots of fat guys with ponytails.

Male to female ratio: 5:1. Better than I expected, but we’ll see how things turn out in my sessions.

Somehow my Adobe Login got hosed, and I can’t log-in to my account on Adobe.com to change it (again, no WiFi out here)

Adobe Max 2008: Keynote blogging (Comments)

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:17:00 -0500

WTF? Thought:

Me have logistic/organizatio… Whitney - Nov 2, 2008

WTF? Thought:

Me have logistic/organizational charts in head
all times
overlapping
flowing
haiku much

Charlotte have nonsensical
bullet
point
ammunition
Dad Christmas
Adobe house
Adobe MAX = whacked house in
skeletal Maria California
sunny
PEETS

Snow here, ice
go boom boom floor
Maria
word verification
pitcher

CHARLOTTE GO HOME!

Wow, your summary hurts my head. I’m definitely too old to survive one of those!

Review: Quantum of Solace

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:45:00 -0500

Ah, Bond is back!

Whitney and I watched this at the Stoneybrook Cinemas de Lux (in assigned seats no less!) last night. Some thoughts:

* I now have epilepsy from watching 27 cuts per seconds during each action scene
* Like the other good Bond, Daniel Craig is going bald.
* The “Bond Girl” is awesome.
* The homage to Goldfinger (dead girl, prone on the bed)
* Judi Dench reprises as M, and she’s fabulous.

Adobe Max: Trip out on the 767-300

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:34:00 -0500

9:15 am
Nervous. I’m nervous…I get chatty when I’m nervous, but I don’t have anyone to talk to. I’m in seat 46A, which is the last window seat, port side of the plane. At the moment, I don’t have anyone to talk with.

The 767 I’m on is NICE. Seems very much like the one I flew on to Zurich, Switzerland 3 years ago. Minus the smelly Eurotrash, of course.

Adobe Max: The trip out--report from ATL

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:00:00 -0500

Off to Adobe Max 2008, I guess. Left Whitney asleep (or, groggy, at least) at the Airport Courtyard by Mariott. Flight from Louisville was cramped and cold on an MD-88 that sounded like a cuisinart from takeoff to landing. Glad Whitney wasn’t there…wasn’t quite so bad as the Embraer we suffered on from Philly to SDF, but bad enough.

The Transcontinental leg has me on a767, seat 46A. I can’t seem to get free WiFi at either airport; guess those innocent, available days are long gone…perhaps at Frisco.

Fun times...show cancellations

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:45:00 -0500

TV Cancellations thrill me. Stinker shows go circling the drain, and we all get to cheer.

First big one to go: My Own Worst Enemy. Terrible show, poorly executed–just painful to watch, really.

Sad thing is, most things on network TV these days aren’t that much better. Grey’s Anatomy jumped the shark years ago, as has every single reality show.

Overall, TV’s just ceasing to exist for me–I like House, though its formulaic nature and current shark sighting (House and Cuddy?! Hello Moonlighting!)

Fun times...show cancellations (Comments)

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:45:00 -0500

TV? I think I got a vaccination for that in school…

Jeff Roberts - Nov 4, 2008

TV? I think I got a vaccination for that in school.

Rarely turn the thing on anymore.

Armistice Day, and Citi cries UNCLE!

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:11:00 -0500

linky

Banks helping out borrowers…

…dogs and cats living together. Mass Hysteria!

Armistice Day, and Citi cries UNCLE! (Comments)

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:11:00 -0500

I can’t quite articulate the point, but I was thin…

Jeff Roberts - Nov 2, 2008

I can’t quite articulate the point, but I was thinking this morning that all the bailing out is analogous to preventing even the small fires in the forest.

Without some sort of “controlled burn” on these bad loans, it feels like we’re leaving dead timber around to make the next crisis even more severe.

LOVING the new iPod

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:46:00 -0500

:-) NANO!!!!

Every time I hear Paradise City, I’m apexing a curve in my old SE-R, Goodyears howling, somewhere just south of 6800 rpm in 2nd gear.

The moonroof’s back, it’s 85 degrees outside as the sun sets in the West, and I’m headed to Louisville to see Whitney. Speed limit be damned, that car loved to MOOVE.

Going viral: A Cogent Look at Chrysler/GM Merger

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:28:00 -0500

Cerberus should acknowledge the financial reality and either file a Chapter 11 case for Chrysler or have a federal receiver appointed so that the value of the Chrysler assets can be maximized in an orderly sale procedure.

Obligatory snarky comment: “Where’s the *reality* in finance, buddy?!”

Sleep is a good thing...

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:11:00 -0500

I drove home last night and plopped on the couch around sunset. I mumbled something to Whitney about not wanting to go to church, so she grabbed the kids and went. Then I went to bed around 6:00.

I got up around 6:15 this morning. I’m still exhausted and this cold just won’t leave me alone.

Memoir: 21 Months and loving it

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:54:00 -0500

Wanted to snapshot this so I remember it when Maria’s 30, has kids of her own, and they keep her up all night.

So, Whitney and I watched Mr. Holland’s Opus, then tuned-in the election coverage at 10:20 pm to get some returns (at the time Obama only had 200+ of the 270 needed). Maria was a bit fussy, but fell back to sleep around the same time.

Then, the fun began.

Repocalypse, the Morning After

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:51:00 -0500

Two decent things came out of last night:

1. McConnell’s still our Senator. Yay, Kentucky!
2. There’s not a Democrat supermajority in the Senate. At least there’s a *little* checks-and-balances remaining :-)

* * *

Congrats to John McCain on a solid campaign.

Repocalypse, the Morning After (Comments)

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:51:00 -0500

And I figure if things go well, so be it. But if …

Jeff Roberts - Nov 3, 2008

And I figure if things go well, so be it. But if we’re worse off in 4 years it’s all on the Dems.

Meanwhile, shame on us if we don’t find a coherent voice in the next 2 and 4 years.

And although I have concerns about the endgame, if they get us out of Iraq, that will be a non-issue for 2012.

VOTE!!!

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:29:00 -0500

Well, today’s the day. Either way it goes, we make history–the first African-American president, or the first female vice-president.

Whitney got up and voted a little after 6, and faced a long line at our polling station. I went a little after 7; while there were lots of folks, I was done in 10 minutes. Everyone was chatty and “up”–we know this is a big deal today.

I guess that ever-present barrage of advertising (particularly in the vitriolic McConnell/Lunsford Senate race) is good for something!

401(k) watch

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:02:00 -0400

As of today, down 30% YTD.

:: sigh ::

401(k) watch (Comments)

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:02:00 -0400

40.6

::gulp::

(stop looking) Jeff Roberts - Oct 1, 2008

40.6
::gulp::

(stop looking)

Oh - I heard a stat (Dave Ramsey?) that after crashes like this one the market usually surges by about 30% the very next year.

man, I sure hope so!

Great open letter by Orson Scott Card

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:51:00 -0400

GM Loses $15.5 Billion in 2Q

If you do not tell the truth about the Democrats — including Barack Obama — and do so with the same energy you would use if the miscreants were Republicans — then you are not journalists by any standard.

Meeting Chaos -- 10,000 foot view

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:44:00 -0400

So, here I sit, amid a meeting with 14 people, trying to achieve a consensus on a topic with two sides…

…and no one here can make this decision. And no one will. What remains is for Daddy to berate the misbehaving children back into line.

Atop all that, there’s 14 people talking OVER one another, emotionally.

::sigh::

Quickie: "Quid pro quo" is dumb

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:14:00 -0400

Quid Pro Quo

On the surface, it looks so innocent. “Something for something.” Equality. Fairness. “I got my share.” “S/He owes me that.” “It’s my due.” “I know my rights.”

Yes, friend: You can know your rights and your due right back into your cave, where no one will lament your passing into eternity. If every action you take is ticking off a chit on your list, it means nothing. If you love someone only enough to do up to your responsibility, you love them not at all. Love may not keep a record of wrongs, but it ought not keep a record of “rights,” either.

Weekend--moving bedrooms

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:43:00 -0400

No, for those of you scoring at home, this isn’t about me moving out of the bedroom; this is about Whitney and I moving our bedroom upstairs.

Since I moved into the house in June of 2005, my bedroom’s been in the suite, on the Northeast corner of the 1st floor. Yes…the dreaded (or desired!) first-floor master. Atop our story-and-a-half house are 3 bedrooms: One for Joey, the nursery for Maria, and what had previously been the playroom/guest bedroom.

Review: Fireproof

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:52:00 -0400

IMDB Link

My father-in-law surprised Whitney and I last night by offering to watch the kids while we went to the 6:30 showing of Fireproof in Lexington. Fireproof is another Christian-centered offering from Sherwood pictures, the same folks who made Facing the Giants.

In this film, Kirk Cameron stars as Caleb Holt, a fireman in Albany, Georgia with a darling house, a very attractive young wife, and aspirations of buying a boat. He seems to have the perfect life until you peel back the surface–underneath it all, he and his wife are virtual strangers, with enough resentment and hurt feelings to split apart Minneapolis and St. Paul. He’s hurt (yet unsurprised) when she starts talking of a divorce.

Some days, you just feel like this...

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:26:00 -0400

article

Zero fell into the same moat 15 years ago and stayed there for nine days.

Yep.

Requiem: Now two cars at home

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:40:00 -0400

The Beamer that Vicki never got to drive is no more, sent on to its new owner Grady from Indianapolis.

Overall, it was a tremendous selling experience, with a detailed ad via craigslist (for free) and the buyer contacting me via email asking intelligent questions throughout the following week.

This has been on my heart for some time now; glad I finally manned-up and did it.

Requiem: Now two cars at home (Comments)

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:40:00 -0400

Duuuuuuuuuuuude!

Jeff Roberts - Oct 3, 2008

Duuuuuuuuuuuude!

Maybe selling the BMW today...

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:16:00 -0400

I’ve got a guy driving in from Indianapolis this afternoon; perhaps this is the BMW’s last day with me.

Part of me’s not taking this so well…I got up nauseated and I was very cranky, right down to being very mean to Joey at the breakfast table. Which caused Whitney to get really mad at me (rightly so). I apologized to him on the way to school for it, but still…I’m just OFF today.

Armchair Sociology

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:33:00 -0400

While musing on the inevitable decay of our debt-ridden society, Chuck and I happened upon an hypothesis today: Entrepreneurs aren’t first-born children.

Think about it…first-born kids in families are dedicated, responsible, typically over-parented. They live quite well within rules. They’re not interested in rebellion or “changing the game”. Instability scares them.

Yes, those are broad generalizations based upon no hard data. But, if you’ll let me assume these as true, the consequence is:

Armchair Sociology (Comments)

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:33:00 -0400

Fits Sandra and I anyway. Kate must have more of t…

Jeff Roberts - Sep 2, 2008

Fits Sandra and I anyway. Kate must have more of the last-born-ness of the only child, as she’s more like Sandra.

I like it. I’m a huge fan of order-of-birth explanations and probably try to apply them way more than is appropriate - so, again, love it. Maybe you have seen something like this about the effects of China’s imposed only child family structure. Of course, halfway through they assure that order-of-birth stereotypes are shaky, but we know better!

Depressing article on the Depression

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:42:00 -0400

….or “This is what Susan’s Been Saying since High school”

Nice personal interest piece in the Herald-Leader about what an economic depression might be like.

Point taken–in our relativistic society, if people get down on their luck, they’re not going to just sit and starve to death. They’re going to start stealing and causing anarchy to survive.

That’s the joy of living in a “globalized” economy–global points of failure. We don’t MAKE ANYTHING in this country anymore. Ugh.

Depressing article on the Depression (Comments)

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:42:00 -0400

Yeah, there I sit on 6 acres and I can barely grow…

Jeff Roberts - Sep 1, 2008

Yeah, there I sit on 6 acres and I can barely grow grass :-)

We would probably hunker down at Grandmother’s. Old school know-how, plenty of acreage, and armed to the teeth. :-)

Yeah, in hindsight, this MIGHT NOT have been the best time to piss-off my parents, though their house isn’t what I’d call defensible.

Review: Grey's Anatomy "Dream a Little Dream"

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:45:00 -0400

To paraphrase a wise imaginary character:

Last night’s “Grey’s Anatomy” was, without a doubt, the worst episode ever! Rest assured I was on the internet within minutes voicing my disgust throughout the world.

Yeah, yeah…Comic Book Guy FTW.

* * *

Well, that was special. Two hours of shoddy camera work, confusing storylines and bad acting later, I yearn for season two and three. As this episode opens, we find our favorite band of 237 interns gathered around Miranda Bailey, awaiting their new rankings as a teaching hospital. Apparently, their ratings have fallen significantly since their glory days…

Quote of the day

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:51:00 -0400

GO SARCAMS!!

(sic)

I believe she meant “sarcasm”

My baby's up for sale...

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:23:00 -0400

Taking a leap out there today.

Listing for the BMW

I don’t need to carry 3 cars through the winter, particularly since I have my eye on getting a 5-series come Spring.

Pray for me guys…this is really hard for me, but it’s what needs to happen.

Amen, brother....

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:48:00 -0400

Jeff’s Post

Seven-hundred billion dollars.

Seven hundred thousand million. (edit: math > me)

Give or take, that’s $2333 for every man, woman, and child in America.

* * *

Per my understanding, absent this package, we’d be heading for breadlines, soup kitchens, and anarchy. Viewed through that lens, it’s a bargain at any price. However, it sets a dangerous precedent for the silent majority who go to work and actually pay their mortgage they signed-up for.

Amen, brother.... (Comments)

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:48:00 -0400

Seven HUNDRED thousand million.

Jeff Roberts - Sep 1, 2008

Seven HUNDRED thousand million.

Yeah well not that I’ve got a fight here but SERIOUSLY!! I mean I get where they’re coming from but…..what if we just reimburse the government in cash…..can we get a foreclosed home in a vacation state that doesnt get hit by hurricanes or mudslides? Can we get a foreclosure in cherry blossom or lake forest? maybe something with a full finished basement and no radon….

Funny after-the-fact...

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:13:00 -0400

Q: How do you know you’re nuts?

A: When your insurance broker drags his feet getting a quote for you on motorcycle insurance, hoping you’ll come to your senses.

To Maria: A Father's Prayer

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:07:00 -0400

Beneath the walnut trees
I sit amid the grass.
I stare aloft, and gape
At those confined in glass.

The hum refused to cease.
The din goes on each morn.
Oh whom shall break away?
That bairn might now be born.

To find a place of peace,
Reprieve from cage and mark.
Discover life’s true course!
Ignite her Holy spark.

Maria, art thou mine?
I know thy path is wide.
God, grant me skill to give
You compass deep inside.

How to predict a massive market decline...

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:42:00 -0400

How can you predict a massive market decline?

A: It will occur 1 day after I rebalance my 401(k).

Ouch.

How to predict a massive market decline... (Comments)

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:42:00 -0400

How does one miss an impending market decline the …

Whitney - Sep 1, 2008

How does one miss an impending market decline the size of texas? Neglect to look UP. Ike. Big sucker screaming HERE I COME MERRILL LYNCH!!

What happens when you get what you want...

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:39:00 -0400

…or “Whitney gets car fever”

So Saturday, before Ike started tearing through our area, our intrepid family went a-Cincinatti’ing. Yep, swimming pools, movie stars, and the best MINI dealership in the world.

I hadn’t been to Cincy MINI since last August, when a mishap with my radiator drain plug had me driving 120 miles roundtrip for a $2 part. Whitney hadn’t been there since spring of 05, when we had the Pup in for its last dealer service.

Quote of the Day

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:42:00 -0400

…A well-managed organization in a “dull” organization. The “dramatic” things in such an organization are basic decisions that make the future, rather than heroics in mopping-up yesterday.

Drucker, Peter. The Effective Executive, p. 42

I couldn’t agree more.

Movie Night...the REAL Italian Job

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 07:13:00 -0400

Now this is a movie.

It’s 1968; hipster counter-culture is ablaze in Europe. Somewhere, Austin Powers is out there in his Shag-u-ar telling the birds, “Oh Behave.” And, as our story opens, Charlie Croker (Michael Caine), the world’s best thief, has just been let of of prison….

Actually, as our story opens, a Lamborghini Miura is tearing up the Alps out of Turin on its way to Switzerland, driving up roads that look 2 feet wide at something like 120 mph. I got car-sick just watching it.

Take that, Yegge!!

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:14:00 -0400

From here: Stevey’s Blog Rants

Just took a typing test 106 wpm, 99% accuracy.

w000t!!!

Well, on the bright side...

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:08:00 -0400

On the bright side, after nearly 7 months and 8.5 gallons of stain, I finally completed staining the last section of our fence yesterday, while waiting for the tow truck to arrive and cart off Beamer.

sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:58:00 -0400

Come on down to the Combs household, folks, where you can witness (very) amateur mechanic Harold working on the old iron, attempting an amazing feat–an OIL CHANGE. That’s right…for the first few minutes, we’ll warm-up with the draining of the oil. Then we get to the feature presentation–the Two hour slog of…TRYING TO REMOVE THE OIL FILTER HE OVERTIGHTENED IN March!. You’ll gasp as you see him try the end-cap socket, followed by the Strapwrench. You’ll cry as you see him pound a screwdriver through the filter six separate times praying he’ll get it to loosen. You’ll sigh in relief as he the filter finally comes of, and swim in nausea to witness its mangled carcase.

sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY (Comments)

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:58:00 -0400

well i worked in a ship for a while and it really …

Gas4Free - Sep 1, 2008

well i worked in a ship for a while and it really pisses me off when sumthing like that happens. Even in the ship there were some guys who were really good at overtightening things.. but this ones kinda funny an overtightened filter. A pipe wrench might have helped.

Quickies: The weekend that was...

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:39:00 -0400

Quite a busy weekend…I’m expecting to crash sometime today around 10am, actually.

High & Lowlights:

Friday, Whitney tore a ligament in her right arm. Best quote from that belongs to her doctor: “I can either tell you you’ve got a torn ligament, or I can take X-Rays and tell you you’ve got a torn ligament.” So, she’s on restricted duty for a couple of weeks.
Praise report: Mom’s CT scan came back clean…the doctor said she was doing fine and had no indications of cancer almost a year after her surgery. Woohoo!!

And Charlie said...

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:48:00 -0400

“You need a hobby…that you can WALK to.”

Yep.

And Charlie said... (Comments)

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:48:00 -0400

Is that a bus factor statement? Don’t ride or auto…

Jeff Roberts - Sep 2, 2008

Is that a bus factor statement? Don’t ride or auto-x or you could get hurt and we lose all your know-how?

Hmm, I may not have that much know-how but I guess the odds of ME being hit by a bus are pretty good. Church bus that is.

Anatomy of my week

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:51:00 -0400

These days, my weeks look like this:

Monday: No meetings…WHEE!!!
Tuesdays: One meeting at 3pm. Impending sense of doom for Wednesday approaches.
Wednesdays: Meetings all day. Meetings to discuss the outcome of other meetings.
Thursdays: Meetings to discuss the outcome of those other meetings from Wednesday. Find project-killing roadblock. Sit and ponder roadblock. Send email to vendor asking why roadblock exists in the first place.
Friday: Managers nowhere to be found. PM takes half-day. WHEE!!!

Labor Day from Hell

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:25:00 -0400

Hoo boy, September is off to a great start.

Miserable, utterly miserable.

The “Net-net” (that execrable phrase our PM’s and managers use at work):

When I’m tired, hungry, and fed-up, I need to SHUT THE FUCK UP (STFU).

I didn’t do that. I didn’t do that TIMES 10. I “tore my ass” (lovely phrase my Mom taught me) 3 times for no good reason. I didn’t sleep well. I relaxed nary a moment, twisted up in knots for 15 separate reasons.

To A Microwave

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:07:00 -0400

Once there was a microwave
Who served his family well.
Three long years he toiled
Forgotten, giving, serving

He showed some cracks along the way;
They patched him best they could.
But then one day, he broke.
They knew that he was done.

To fix it? Five hundred.
To buy anew? The same.
The decision was made right then:
It was time for him to go.

Now unplugged, now unlatched,
Daddy lowered him to the floor.
How grimy, greasy the underside!
How dusty the parts behind!

Quickie: "Frugal" is...

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:54:00 -0400

…going into Williams-Sonoma expecting there to be free food, just like Saturday afternoon at Sam’s Club.

Alas, it was not to be.

We did get out of the mall with a brisk walk, some family time, and $4 under budget. w00t!

Quickie: "Frugal" is... (Comments)

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:54:00 -0400

Actually they did have samples - a greek salad com…

Whitney - Aug 1, 2008

Actually they did have samples - a greek salad composed of coloured peppers, vinaigrette, and goat cheees. Unfortunately I’m allergic to two of those three things and you were rubbing the maximum mini by found on road dead by that point so I didn’t bother pointing it out. S’ok. usually they have nut bread when we walk so I wasn’t expecting much anyway.

Quickie: One Family, under Allergies, with sniffles and Kleenex for All

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:51:00 -0400

Among Joey, Maria, Whitney, and myself, we must have every allergy going. Nuts, milk, pet dander, pollen, mold, cigarette smoke, dust. If it’s a biggie, we have it.

And we live in the allergy capital of the world. Arizona keeps looking like a good second option.

Trying out 'Jott'

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:45:00 -0400

Something caught my eye on TechCrunch the other day: Jott

Jott is a free voice-to-text transcription service. You sign-up, confirm your email address, then pair it to your cell phone. After that, you can dial the Jott Number (1-866-JOTT-321) then dictate an up to 15 second note. It then emails that note to you (well, a link to it in the free version). You can also schedule that note to be forwarded via SMS as a reminder to you.

Quote of the day

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:10:00 -0400

“Geeze…I can barely walk.”

Quote of the day (Comments)

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:10:00 -0400

You might be a baptist and just not know it :-) D…

Jeff Roberts - Aug 0, 2008

You might be a baptist and just not know it :-) Did this involve a casserole?

ROFL!!

I Can't....be a Troll anymore

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:50:00 -0400

“I can’t” is the hardest phrase for me to deal with.

“You can’t” is much easier; it’s someone else telling me what’s not possible or not allowed. You heart it from infancy onwards. You become accustomed to its boundaries and its structure.

“I can’t,” though, is the phrase of capitulation, self-limitation, and self-doubt. It is at once the hallmark of maturity and wisdom and the harbinger of mediocrity and decline.

Bucket List

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:35:00 -0400

Watched the morbid, buddy-comedy The Bucket List last night. I enjoyed it…literally one of those “I laughed, I cried” kinda films, but for weird reasons. There are some genuinely good one-liners in the film, particularly the running gag about “The world’s most expensive coffee. Worth watching, but not if you’re in a bad mood. This movie is DEPRESSING.

I was sad much of the time I watched this film, for lots of personal reasons. My family’s on intimate terms with cancer. I hate hospitals. I haven’t travelled and seen as much as I’d like in my life. I’ve got alot of broken relationships and estranged friends in my past. The memory of Maria’s dramatic birth via C-Section is still with me, so any scene where a couple says “goodbye” and operating room doors close is tough for me to watch.

Guest Editorial -- Enter Pampered Chef

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:58:00 -0400

Welcome back to school! Time to start the process of turning impressionable youngsters into marketing machines. Thankfully, we don’t participate in that as I COMPLETELY disagree with it.

But wait! This year marks a first. The legislature slashed the budget for public schools so THIS year even tho Joey’s attending a public school, there are classroom fees, art fees, etc that have to be paid.

Enter Pampered Chef. Everybody LOVES pampered chef (tho I’m personally sick of it - mostly because I lust after it badly and can’t afford most of it). However, if you happen to have disposable income:

Guest Editorial -- Enter Pampered Chev (Comments)

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:58:00 -0400

Disposable Income…I bet Pampered Chef sells a ni…

Jeff Roberts - Aug 5, 2008

Disposable Income…I bet Pampered Chef sells a nice container to store that in.

Not so Jazzed--135i Convertible

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:18:00 -0400

First things first, let me say–my wife’s Skyline Chili recipie is DELICIOUS.

* * *

I got Jeff to come with me to the event (“I need an adult. I NEED AN ADULT!!”) to …ahem…keep me grounded. Plus I figured he’d enjoy it.

So we headed down there, and I got right into a 135i convertible, including iDrive. We tooled around Lexington on the prescribed course for a half-hour, then returned.

Not so Jazzed--135i Convertible (Comments)

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:18:00 -0400

And I did enjoy it. But you’re too kind - we were …

Jeff Roberts - Aug 5, 2008

And I did enjoy it. But you’re too kind - we were briefly off course when I had you make a left instead of a right down by the airport.

Cool car, but after seeing the stickers over there, it’s great to climb back into (or onto) the paid-for vehicle.

Dave Ramsey: Down in the Valley

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:57:00 -0400

Anyone who’s known me for more than a week knows I’m a Dave Ramsey fan. In 2001, I discovered Dave’s book Financial Peace in the bargain bin of a remaindered-book store and bought it for $4. (Appropriate, given Dave says “Never pay retail”!)

At the time, I had an awesome job right out of college and no student loan debt. I had a 2 year note on my yuppie-mobile Volkswagen (but hey, I *deserved* that car, right?) I did pretty much anything I wanted, anytime, by simply swiping a credit card. However, I kept wondering where all my money went. I didn’t have a budget, and I had nary a wisp of a financial plan. Money just flowed like water into, then out of, my hands.

Jazzed

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:55:00 -0400

Well, today’s the day. At 11am, I have an appointment to drive a BMW 135i in the Susan Komen Drive for the Cure at Don Jacobs BMW.

Let’s hope for my sake it doesn’t turn out like last year

I’ve never even *sat* in a 1-series, but it’s supposedly the reincarnation of the E30…

…though, no E30 came from the factory with a twin-turbo 300hp engine. Tee-hee.

* * *

Jazzed (Comments)

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:55:00 -0400

Wow, hope you can control yourself in the bimmer ;…

Jeff Roberts - Aug 5, 2008

Wow, hope you can control yourself in the bimmer ;-)

Lunch Hour

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:34:00 -0400

I sit beside Toner Creek on a bench, regarding building 082, or as I call it, The Crystal Palace. It’s chilly (!) in the shade today. A light Northerly breeze combined with a persistent cold front–we had a record low of 53 degrees this morning.

Lunch today is a banana and some ABC-123’s…yep I’m on the Dave Ramsey diet again.

Decided last night to plow some more money into the E30. As Whitney said, “It’s something you love. Enjoy it!” So, I’ve planned:

Reflections: Second Grade

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:00:00 -0400

Today, Whitney and I await reports from Joey’s new school and his new teacher. He’s moving into the 2nd grade at his new school, and we’re hoping this is a new beginning. Joe didn’t have a banner 1st grade year–by Christmas break, he’d been branded a troublemaker by his teacher, and by Spring Break, he was living up to that moniker. He seemed bored, unengaged, and lethargic.

In other words, it sounded just like me when I was in 1st grade. My teacher, Mrs. Moore was a stern woman with a round face, a rounder body, and a beat-the-drum teaching style. We sat for 2 hours straight everyday learning phonics. Mrs. Moore had this peculiar style of using a white and red piece of chalk in the same hand. I can still see her writing on the (green) board, showing us how the ’e’ on the ends of words like ‘pale’ and ‘sale’ made the vowel a long sound.

Reflections: Second Grade (Comments)

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:00:00 -0400

Very nicely done!

Jeff Roberts - Aug 5, 2008

Very nicely done!

:-) Joyous day

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:48:00 -0400

10:45 am: Remark that things look like vaporware, and that functionality and scope has been cut enough that HALF THE ROOM questions the usefulness of the thing we’re discussing.

But hey, so long as we’re on time and under budget, right?

Thank Heaven I only have 1 of these turdly meetings today.

Quote of the Day--Harold Repellant

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:31:00 -0400

Mark: Hey if you guys need me to get rid of Harold, I can do it in 3 minutes flat. Just let me show up and start talking.

Quote of the Day--Harold Repellant (Comments)

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:31:00 -0400

That can’t be right - I wasn’t even at work today!…

Jeff Roberts - Aug 1, 2008

That can’t be right - I wasn’t even at work today! :-)

Well, that was special....

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:39:00 -0400

[Life] is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

(Macbeth V:5)

I’m not buying a motorcycle.

Those of you who had “He Comes to His Senses” and “Aug 4th” in the pool, congratulations.

Well, that was special.... (Comments)

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:39:00 -0400

Dude!

Jeff Roberts - Aug 1, 2008

Dude!

On Responsibility

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:20:00 -0400

This is not a rant. This is simply a question:

Aside from Jeff, and my Mom & Dad, people hate the idea of me getting a motorcycle:

“Do you know how stupid you’d look on a motorcycle. Poooooo-ser!”
“You don’t strike me as the motorcycle type.”
“You really ought to let this motorcycle thing slide.”
“What does your WIFE think of all this?”
“Harold, I really think a man should do what he wants, but I really hope you don’t get a motorcycle. We like you an awful lot.”

Three hundred miles, 3 dealers, 1 awesome tiring day

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:10:00 -0400

I was up at 7 at Dad’s house with one mission for the day–Bike shopping. So, Joey, Dad, and I piled into his 2008 GMC truck and headed for Gateway Cycles in Mt. Sterling.

As I’d learned earlier in the week, Dealers just don’t give Test rides. Well, pish-tosh–Gateway DOES. Worked with Robert and he set me up with three very interesting cycles that I tooled around the parking lot for the better part of an hour.

GM: Functionally bankrupt?

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:05:00 -0400

…or “What does it look like to lose about $2000 per second?”

Alfred P. Sloan is rolling in his grave somewhere. GM has the financial equivalent of flesh-eating bacteria, cannibalizing its own funds to stay afloat, mortgaging its own brands and capital to operate.

The estimates I saw yesterday were in the $7 Billion to $9 Billion range. Wow.

We need some moniker besides “The Perfect Storm” for this automotive maelstrom…this is more like that 200 ft Tsunami at the end of Deep Impact

Cyclefever '08: Finally went to a dealership

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:29:00 -0400

Finally cowboy’d-up and headed to a dealership to sit on some bikes.

Went with Joey to Bell’s Honda here in Georgetown, and it was a pretty decent experience.

I didn’t have salesmen climbing all over me or pressuring me. I did find out that they do NOT give test-rides until they’re sure you’re capable of buying the bike, and in fact that if you wreck the bike on the test-ride, you’ve bought it automatically.

Cyclefever '08: Finally went to a dealership (Comments)

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:29:00 -0400

I don’t know of a really good used bike place in t…

Jeff Roberts - Jul 4, 2008

I don’t know of a really good used bike place in town, either. Huntsville, AL was better for that - there were several good sources.

Yeah, Jeff Kees pointed me at Recycles LLC in Danville. They seem to have a pretty good selection of old and new stuff.

Some handsome bikes

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:29:00 -0400

Kawasaki Versys:

Suzuki SV650:

Like both of these because they’re ‘Naked’ and seem like capable all-around bikes–more comfortable than a sport bike, more sporty than a cruiser, can carry a passenger if desired.

They’re both pricey (relative to what I’d like to spend) and they’re > 600cc’s so that probably means higher insurance rates. Yay.

Some handsome bikes (Comments)

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:29:00 -0400

Whitney - Jul 3, 2008

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

We’re one sold car away from Disn… HarryC - Jul 3, 2008

Meh ;-)

We’re one sold car away from Disneyworld AND a used motorcycle for daddy.

It’s just a matter of manning-up and doing that rather painful (E30) or rather stupid (Camry) step.

Sermon response: "Killing yourself"

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:32:00 -0400

Heard a wonderful sermon from Warren French, our missionary-in-residence at Northside on Sunday. It was about how to deal with the relationship you have (or don’t have) with God–this was a sermon aimed at “comfortable” Christians, who’ve let Satan come against them without realizing it.

Full Disclosure: I believe in divine (and infernal) intervention–that God and Satan are in a tug-of-war for people’s soul, and that it’s a battle that continues all one’s life. I understand little of the ‘why’; I just know what I’ve seen with my own eyes.

MSF Day 2: The lighbulb

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:35:00 -0400

Somewhere among the repetition, self-deprecation, and muscle-memory, I “got” slow speed handling yesterday. We started the day doing the dreaded “U-turn” excercise, where you have to take the bike into a box that’s 10 feet x 20 feet (roughly) and do a U-turn left AND a U turn right, exiting at the opposite corner. Maintaining momentum and engine RPM while remaining in the clutch friction zone was the key.

Of course, on the bike, that cold academic paragraph requires a coordination of head, body, hands and feet that requires every part of your neuro-muscular system. In other words, “IT’S HARD”

MSF Course: First day on the range

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:02:00 -0400

Home, home on the range…
Where the Viragos and Nighthawks play.
Where seldom is heard
A discouraging word.
And you practice FINE-C all day.

Well, not all day, just before and after EACH of the 9 exercises we went through in the 6 hours of July heat. I got a Honda Nighthawk 250cc, pretty much like this:

Black-on-black, with 5000 miles showing on the odo, and a darling sweetheart of a clutch. So, fact #1–I look like a clown on a Nighthawk. I know because Whitney and Maria arrived at 6pm to spectate, and confirmed it.

MSF Course: First day on the range (Comments)

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:02:00 -0400

You’re bringing back memories. Sadly those 2nd ge…

Jeff Roberts - Jul 0, 2008

You’re bringing back memories. Sadly those 2nd gear skills are necessary for the last few moments of the ride when you’re working your way through the parking lot, and that’s when you have to have some concentration left for people who are backing into you :-)

Motorcycle training this week...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:56:00 -0400

Well, this is the week.

I’m taking my MSF training course this Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. I’m excited and a little scared–my total experience on motorcycle is < 1 hour, and I’ve never operated a hand clutch or anything like that.

I’ve read over the manual and tried to absorb what I can, learning many interesting things:

Seventy percent of the braking on a motorcycle is done by the front wheel, but you should use both front and rear brakes all the time so you’re ready for a “maximum braking” situation.

Motorcycle training this week... (Comments)

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:56:00 -0400

Woohoo! I’m in driving-around-in-a-loaner limbo wh…

Jeff Roberts - Jul 1, 2008

Woohoo! I’m in driving-around-in-a-loaner limbo while my car’s being serviced, but I guess that’s a good excuse not to ride on a hot day. Looks like the latter part of the week will be a bit cooler.

Bad year to be in taxable stock mutual funds...

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:16:00 -0400

Ah, money. The thing to be talking about when the economy’s receding, the stock market lost 20% of its value, and inflation’s through the roof.

Many find themselves in another sort of double-whammy: The taxable stock mutual fund. I was in one of these turds back when the tech bubble popped, and it taught me some tough lessons.

First, I sunk thousands of dollars into an American Funds portfolio (yeah, I got sold a bunch of Class-B, back-load shares!). Then I watched that money tank over the next 3 years. Each year, come ~February I got a lovely 1099 form from Ye Olde Mutual Funde for capital gains distributions.

Wonderful night last night...

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:37:00 -0400

Man, I had a good time last night. Yesterday as a whole, actually.

I enjoyed some Hawaiian pizza and frosty beverages at Lexington’s Mellow Mushroom with Todd, Serge, Varma, Vinnie, Narron, Ildy, and Patrick.

Good times, good times.

Then I came home and Bella wanted to watch the Whedon masterpiece, Once More, With Feeling.

Hehe

So, if Satan wrote the sermon on the mount....

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:02:00 -0400

How to glorify the self and acquire power…

The 48 Laws of Power

Though ugly, it’s good to read these in a Defence Against the Dark Arts fashion, just to know when they’re in use against you.

I will absolutely agree with Law 39, having been on the wrong end of it so many times. I allow myself to get so worked-up and emotional, ceding control to my opposition.

As for the rest…IMHO, most make me want to vomit, and they’re quite possibly a one way ticket to Hell. Practices such as these are lifehacks against the fabric of society–using base human frailty to one’s advantage. Demagogues, Caesars, and Courtiers may practice them, but their power is only for a season. The true way is one of authenticity, truth, virtue, altruism, and love.

w00000t---Bus from G'town?

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:08:00 -0400

Richard Feynman and The Connection Machine

This would be awesome…give me a chance to catch-up on my reading to and from work, while paying < 1/2 tank of fuel per month for a bus pass.

The tradeoff, of course, would be time: Probably 2 hours on a bus each day, compared to ~40 minutes now. Still…interesting that this is being considered.

w00000t---Bus from G'town? (Comments)

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:08:00 -0400

We have one on Sunday :-D

Jeff Roberts - Jul 2, 2008

We have one on Sunday :-D

Yeah, I know, and I know I’m being… HarryC - Jul 2, 2008

:-P~

Yeah, I know, and I know I’m being ridiculous considering riding a bus for a 22-mile commute.

I’d have to walk/bike/hitch a ride to the center of G’town, then hop on the bus down US25, likely, then get from the transit center back up to LXK. Then each evening, reverse the process.

Review--Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:39:00 -0400

Friday night, Whitney and I went on a date. Honest-to-goodness, dinner-and-a-movie evening together. We ate at Friday’s and went to see Hellboy II: The Golden Army. We even went to a theater that didn’t smell like urine this time!

I loved the film. Loved it…it was relentlessly funny, beautiful, and fun.

As the film opens, we watch a younger Hellboy watching Howdy Doodie with his father, who reads the overeager Hellboy a bedtime story about The Golden Army, a warrior race of 4900 indestructible Goblin-forged machines, commanded by the elf-king in his war against mankind. Though the Golden Army triumphs, the Pyrrhic victory fills the king with remorse: He has become the destroyer himself. To atone, he locks the Golden Army away and separates the crown that controls them into three pieces, one of which he gives to man.

Taking the plunge

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:48:00 -0400

:-) Well, we’ll see if like my foray into autocross (lifelong passion) or my obsession with SCUBA diving when I was 12 (yikes…bad memories…)

I’ve signed up for the July 23rd, 26th, and 27th Motorcycle Safety Foundation course through Balance Dynamics. If I pass everything, I can go get my motorcycle license using their endorsement w/o taking the state test. :-)

At least this way, if I ride Stu’s scooter, I won’t get arrested. Should be fun, and maybe a nice new hobby.

Tremendous article that started my day

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:15:00 -0400

Richard Feynman was an intellectual giant that prided himself on solving problems, getting at the heart of things, and making everyone smarter. He was right up there with the giants–Von Neumann, Einstein, Oppenheimer–but he never lost the common touch.

Ugh...did I get up on the wrong side of the bed?

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:33:00 -0400

Feel like I got hit by a truck…no amount of coffee is rousing a single brain cell.

I’m an interesting paradox (or collection of paradoxes): I hate stuff, yet I like stuff. I hate stuff in that it’s all just so much future yardsale junk–the shiny gadget of today quickly becomes the Sony Walkman cassette player marked at $0.50 in somebody’s yard.

And yet…there’s usually some shiny new something that catches my eye that I want. Something I can’t have, or don’t really need, or that’s somehow lower on the priority list than everything else. And I talk myself out of it.

Car cataclysm

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:05:00 -0400

I read stuff like this and I have to admit it: Ford is in much better shape than any of the other domestics.

Look at it:

They’re not the Ivory Tower. GM is, for better or worse, still the face of American automotive industry. They take the flak. They killed the electric car. They build Hummers. Ford is an also-ran…they’re not haulling Mulally in front of Senate panels. They’re hauling-up GM CEO Rick Wagoner. Ford benefits from GM taking all this flack because it can quietly consolidate and grow without too much focus.

How I spent my 4th of July...

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:55:00 -0400

…or, What Theatre People Do in their Spare Time.

Simple curriculum dies:

Thursday night: Worked until 8:30 on spec due that day. Didn’t finish it. Grudgingly resolved to come into work on 4th of July.
Friday: Up before dawn, work until 11am on spec. Finish version 0.2 and email. Return home, resolving to take daughter to Jackson for family fun. Recongize I’m exhausted and will probably crash into tree on return trip. Decide not to go. Take wife and daughter on excursion around Lexington, ending up at Fayette Mall around 6pm when torrential downpour hits. Walk through mall even though all mall stores closed, except JC Penny’s and Dillards. Chase wife through baby clothes section on 3rd floor of Dillards (“But these are so CUTE!”). Watch Romeo Must Die, have chortling good time watching Jet Li parroting English phrases like, ‘Right on!’

How I spent my 4th of July... (Comments)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:55:00 -0400

Insomnia consists of the inability to fall asleep …

Whitney - Jul 1, 2008

Insomnia consists of the inability to fall asleep NOT being consistently awakened by your husband snoring, jumping up and down, rolling on top of and smothering you, and hitting you in the back. Which is why I was pissed when I nudged you and asked you to roll over bc you were snoring and you told me to GET UP AND READ A BOOK bc that helps you when you can’t sleep and then followed me upstairs after I’d halfway fallen asleep and yelled at me. Yeah. I’d say most of America would be pissed.

Ah HA! I'm not insane...

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:53:00 -0400

Nothing like some hard numbers to support one’s anecdotal observations.

More motorcycle licenses, yup. :-)

Gadget freak, table for one...

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:37:00 -0400

Honey, you’re not a monogamous shiny gadget guy; you’re a promiscuous shiny gadget guy. You’d buy it. You’d use it. And then you’d be done.

Segue: I got to ride Stu’s Silverwing for a good half-hour. I LOVED IT. Wow, the wind, the smells, the feeling of oneness with the road. I enjoyed it much more than the last time–felt much more comfortable maneuvering the bike.

Zeitgeist: Engineers' cars amid rising energy prices

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:57:00 -0400

I’ve been noticing some changes here in the Ivory Tower/Crystal Palace parking lots–there are fewer cars, more newer small cars, and more motorcycles.

Though of course the sample size is small and narrow (buncha engineers!), it seems clear that people’s habits are changing where they can, from what they drive to even if they drive.

Some examples:

More people carpool, meaning fewer cars total in the lot
The new cars I’ve noticed in the lot are the new econo-class–Yaris, Fit, Scion, etc.

Quote of the Day (Comments)

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:57:00 -0400

ROFL!!!

hmmmmm…..usually you detest p… Whitney - Jul 2, 2008

ROFL!!!

hmmmmm…..usually you detest people who make you look bad in public…..

Fun "Fuel Sipper" calculator

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:13:00 -0400

Those guys at Edmunds have done it again–made it stupid easy to see how stupid you are:

Try this out: Gas Mileage Savings Calculator.

It’s essentially the same thing I did on my own with a Google Docs spreadsheet. The numbers aren’t pretty. ROI is 8-10 years moving up from my 25mpg Camry to something like a MINI or a TDI VW.

Fun "Fuel Sipper" calculator (Comments)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:13:00 -0400

The calculation I keep trying to make is how high …

Jeff Roberts - Jun 1, 2008

The calculation I keep trying to make is how high gas has to go before I switch from my 550cc motorcycle to Sandra’s dweeby 185 :-)

Quote of the Day

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:02:00 -0400

- “So, don’t you think that’s a requirement for being a software developer: Being detail-oriented?”

- “Perhaps I’m a bad software developer, then.”

Back...

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:38:00 -0400

Well, I’m back.

Whitney has several excellent Posts on our vacation.

I enjoyed it, but I got overtired and fed-up with the whole thing. Sleeping-in doesn’t agree with me. Not working (that is, being aimless) doesn’t agree with me.

Had some time away from computers and blogging, as well, and that’s got me thinking. I’m thinking that my blogging these days is full of crap. What I really think and feel and perceive about this world is frankly unfit for the light of day (any day), much less consumption by people I care about.

Some random insights from the past few days...

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:44:00 -0400

Sometimes, when I find someone insufferable, my wife does, too. Algorithm IS a latin word, but it’s a bastardized version of the original Arabic.
Wood stain is like chickenpox for horizontal or vertical surfaces.
I really like sushi. As in, if I had the money, I’d eat it every day for lunch.
I can tan, much like a rump roast can cook: Eventually.

Some random insights from the past few days... (Comments)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:44:00 -0400

Sushi, eh? I like tuna and salmon, so is it anythi…

Jeff Roberts - Jun 4, 2008

Sushi, eh? I like tuna and salmon, so is it anything at all like that?

Yes and no…there are flavo… HarryC - Jun 4, 2008

@Jeff Roberts:

Yes and no…there are flavors and textures in the sushi that simply aren’t there once the fish is cooked.

On "Relaxing" Vacations

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:44:00 -0400

So, I read somewhere once (citation be damned!) that people with active, physical jobs should enjoy relaxing vacations, and that people with sedentary jobs should try for more active, involved holidays.

Hoo boy. Sign me up for some bricklaying.

So, in the short few days since last Friday, this happened:

Friday: We put together the kids’ swing set: .

Assembly time: 8 hours
Sunday, we did church and Father’s day, including a trip to Malone’s restaurant for a sampling of excellent sushi from the Aqua Sushi bar. Man, it was awesome!

On "Relaxing" Vacations (Comments)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:44:00 -0400

Suddenly I’m feeling vicariously productive and fu…

Jeff Roberts - Jun 3, 2008

Suddenly I’m feeling vicariously productive and fulfilled!

Review: Swingers (Movie)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:11:00 -0400

Wow.

Imagine Vince Vaughn, minus 30 pounds, plus lots of hair, still unable to act. Then imagine a vapid plot, based around hollow, vapid Hollywood people.

At that point, you’ll have Swingers, a picture of the walking id that is maleness in America in the 1970’s…er…I mean, the 1990’s in Hollywood.

From reading the trivia on imdb, it looks like Writer/Director/Star/Gaffer/Wardrobe-Mistress Favreau based the plot on his own life when coming out to L.A.

AWESOME weekend!

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:41:00 -0400

What an awesome, awesome weekend it was! Productive, surprising, exhausting, with both family time and some time to myself.

Friday night Whitney and I watched Juno the indie hit from last year that made Ellen Page an ingenue phenomenon. A nuanced film, it has the same deep characters and self-deprecating humor as Little Miss Sunshine. We both liked it.

Saturday was busy, as most Saturdays before Autocross are for me. But man, was I motivated–up at 6:30, TODO list in hand, ticking-off chores. It freaked-out Bella just a tad: “I get freaked out when you’re…organized.” We were the snack-bringers at the final Coach-pitch game of the regular season at 4, but we decided to head into Lexington to buy Bella some new running shoes and head to Sams.

AWESOME weekend! (Comments)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:41:00 -0400

Sounds like a full and fun weekend. I’m trying to…

Jeff Roberts - Jun 1, 2008

Sounds like a full and fun weekend. I’m trying to decide if my class will go feral if I leave it next weekend and go with Sandra to pick up Kate from camp.

Inexpensive sports car, whither thou?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:22:00 -0400

I had a thought today, a shining inkling of something spectacular, something different, something…red.

That is a Porsche 356 spyder.

Yeah, the thought goes like this: I’m commuting in the automotive novacaine known as my 2000 Toyota Camry. It’s smooth, quiet, and reliable. On the weekends, I’d like to have something to drive and autox.

I love my E30, but it’s far from a classic sportscar–it has body roll and understeer like the sedan it actually is. So, does it make more sense to get something less compromised and more focused. (And, more classic?)

Inexpensive sports car, whither thou? (Comments)

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:22:00 -0400

Saw an ‘87 Porsche 924S on craigslist available fo…

Jeff Roberts - Jun 5, 2008

Saw an ‘87 Porsche 924S on craigslist available for trade…

:-)

(Later that night, Jeff’s front door slams open and there stands Whitney, fuming…)

okay, and here’s a list of some things i want:

`new running shoes
`pants that fit
`clothes that fit that arent a size Large
`to lose weight instead of gain it when I spend two hours a day working out
`not to be used as a human napkin
`dyson
`new washer/dryer
`new dishwasher
`new refrigerator
`cabinets that arent taller than i am
`new cabinets
`tilework
`in-wall double oven
`gas cooktop
`hardwood
`new paint
`wood blinds
`solar panel
`compost pile
`locally sold Allen’s Naturally
`Local Whole Foods or similar
`no fireplace
`basement

Review: Kung-Fu Panda

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:20:00 -0400

So, Kung Fu Panda

This 92-minute computer-animated extravaganza has all the elements of a great kids-and-adults flick: Slick looks, top voice talent (Jack Black, Angie Jolie, Dustin Hoffman), a fat-kid-makes-good plot, and merchandise-friendly anthropomorphic animals for characters.

The plot centers around a vision of the sage in residence (a Galapagos tortoise, natch!) who has a vision that the big bad, Tai Lung will escape from his prison to once again ravage the Peaceful Valley. In response, he thinks it time to choose the Dragon Warrior, who will gain cosmic power to defeat evil–and Tai Lung, the leopard on steroids.

Review: Kung-Fu Panda (Comments)

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:20:00 -0400

You did not just review “Kung-Fu Panda”.

Chuck Fouts - Jun 1, 2008

You did not just review “Kung-Fu Panda”.

Yep. Tomorrow, “The Rainbow Brite Movie”

Weekend: Placido und Fugue in H-Major.

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:05:00 -0400

Every summer, my step-son Joey leaves us to go live with his Dad in Louisville. We get to see him alternate weekends, and we get 1 week of “vacation” during that time. To give him a send-off this year, we took a mini vacation down to my Mom & Dad’s Friday through Sunday.

I had a very good time, though I did eat nonstop. Mom’s house is a little like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory–lots of omnipresent chocolate goodness. What’s not chocolate is sugary or sugar-free (Dad’s Type 2 diabetic).

Memorable quotes from yesterday...

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:28:00 -0400

- “Your situation reminds me of that Spaceballs line, ‘…evil will always triumph because good is dumb.’”

- “You’ll work yourself to death by being a nice guy”

(Upon being told there was a purpose in life)
- “Yes, there is: Helping people, and this has nothing to do with that.”

- “Did you forget your Teflon suit in that last meeting?”

* * *

I wonder: Am I equipped to handle this amount of B.S.?

Memorable quotes from yesterday... (Comments)

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:28:00 -0400

I like #3, that’s classic. Has a bit of an Airpla…

Jeff Roberts - Jun 3, 2008

I like #3, that’s classic. Has a bit of an Airplane-ish “but that’s not important right now” flavor.

Quickies

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:58:00 -0400

The weekend was a blur–running Joey up to Louisville, taking Maria down to Mom & Dad’s Saturday, and lunching with the church at the Cane Ridge Shrine Sunday afternoon. The weather powers-that-be missed the forecast–each day was beautiful in Georgetown.

Today, I’ve too many meetings, and much too much to do…yep, must be back in 082.

* * *

Coolest part of the weekend? Working on a New Holland Hay Baler with my Dad. Just like old times…grease everywhere, gears, chains, clutches. I’m just a tad more mechanically capable than I used to be. That was my Father’s Day present…hanging out with my Dad.

New office...new assignment...whew...

Fri, 30 May 2008 10:35:00 -0400

Well, after 10 months, I’m right back on the same floor in the same building I was in for 6 years. I’m sharing a 12’x12’ office with a boisterous guy, Patrick, and have a terrific view out the window onto “downtown” Lexington (such as it is).

This building also shares a parking lot with Del’s building, so we don’t have to drive to pick one another up. Good all around, though I’m now much farther away from the other guys on the printer I need to be working with.

New office...new assignment...whew... (Comments)

Fri, 30 May 2008 10:35:00 -0400

Welcome back. Now we’ll see if I get sent to the …

Jeff Roberts - May 5, 2008

Welcome back. Now we’ll see if I get sent to the 4th floor or what.

muhahaha

Payback: Whitney's 10-year reunion

Tue, 27 May 2008 14:36:00 -0400

So, last Fall, I drug my beautiful wife to my 10 year high-school reunion to her great amusement, disgust, indifference, and consternation. This past Memorial Day, it was my turn.

Ten year reunions are pretty egotistical things, everyone showing-up in their best (rented) sports-car, displaying the hot wife/husband they caught, and boasting about the great job they’re using to climb that ladder of success. Old flames are to be properly derided like a decade-old divorce proceeding. Old social pecking-order is to be re-established, if only for one shining moment of decoration and falsity.

Payback: Whitney's 10-year reunion (Comments)

Tue, 27 May 2008 14:36:00 -0400

Ah, yes. They’re talking about a 25-year reunion t…

Jeff Roberts - May 3, 2008

Ah, yes. They’re talking about a 25-year reunion this year, and one friend is trying to arrange an alternative reunion…I just. Don’t. Care. Anymore.

There I was, at the top of second gear....

Tue, 27 May 2008 14:22:00 -0400

or “Man, do I need a swaybar”

Six runs on a ~70 second course where you hit 60mph before a 10mph right-hand hairpin. YEEEEEEHAW.

It was a good day, except: I came in second, I forgot to pack lunch, and I forgot to pack sunscreen. I’ve a nice beet-red thing going on on my arms, legs, and face.

I think a front swaybar (at minimum) is in my future, if not a full STX-compliant wheel & tire package. I’m a tad tired of playing on (and destroying) my all-seasons.

Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Tue, 27 May 2008 14:12:00 -0400

Let’s get this out of the way first: This is an unnecessary movie made solely to bilk folks out of their hard-earned money. It stars an over-the-hill actor (Harrison Ford) and features a contrived plot line with holes like Swiss Cheese.

It’s also great fun, laugh-out-loud funny in places, well-paced, and genuinely exciting. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, since the whole thing feels like National Treasure 2 and 1/2, right down to the treasure map and the hokey history references.

Evil Plolyglot programmer ploy

Fri, 23 May 2008 21:43:00 -0400

We had a share-session on Polyglot programming the other day, after Mark returned from SDWest 2008.

Tonight, I had an evil thought:

Half of these languages are ones most in the audience have neither seen nor played with–what if you added some “trick” language names to the slides to see how full of crap your audience was. It’s a play on the same allegory from “The Emperor’s New Clothes”:

“…yes, and so your application logic should be components written in a systems language like java [sic], with the higher-level being in a dynamic language like JavaScript, Ruby, or Dimebag.”

Ah, memories... (Comments)

Tue, 20 May 2008 07:23:00 -0400

Too funny. I helped a few with CS101 homework, to …

Jeff Roberts - May 2, 2008

Too funny. I helped a few with CS101 homework, to no avail. But then, what did I expect for counting open and close braces in their Pascal that wouldn’t compile?

Monday Rambles

Mon, 19 May 2008 07:33:00 -0400

Pretty awesome (if mundane) weekend:

Saturday, we went to Sam’s Club and filled two carts in supplies for our new Chest Freezer (thank you, Tax Rebate!) Then, I mowed & trimmed the yard while doing an oil change on the Odyssey. Pretty quiet, stress-free day.

Sunday was just…perfect. Church was great–our pastor preached a message on how unbiblical debt is (unless for urgent necessities), complete with a “come forward and shred your credit card” alter call. (only 1 person did). Then, Maria and I cruised down (at 55mph!) to Mom & Dad’s in the Camry.

Programming: Ever wonder if...?

Fri, 16 May 2008 07:44:00 -0400

…it’s all just smoke and mirrors?

Ultimately, any program running in 99% of the computers out there today is running the old fetch-execute cycle on a Von Neuman architecture: A processor fetches the next instruction, executes it, stores the result, and goes to the next instruction.

Atop that, we’ve layered: Subroutines, Modules, Functional Programming, Structured Programming, Object-Orientation (Objects, Inheritance, Polymorphism, Composition/Aggregation), Closures, Atoms, Processes, Multithreading, Semaphores, etc.

We’re desperately trying to make the digital computer be more than the sum of its parts, just as a living human brain is somehow more than a collection of neurons and synapses. We *desperately* want abstractions…need them, in fact.

Programming: Ever wonder if...? (Comments)

Fri, 16 May 2008 07:44:00 -0400

the word “lossy” in scrabble?

Whitney - May 5, 2008

the word “lossy” in scrabble?

No, it’s the antonym of a(nother) jarg… HarryC - May 5, 2008

LOL!

No, it’s the antonym of a(nother) jargon word–lossless, which comes to us from the world of compression.

“Lossless” compression (like the Huffman coding algorithm in WinZip/Gzip) remove reduntant sections to make data smaller, but they can decompress back to a bit-by-bit replica of the original.

The other day while in the lab...

Thu, 15 May 2008 07:33:00 -0400

…so, they’ve put together an “Innovation” lab over here, populated with all sorts of cool gadgets, gizmos, and decorations, everything from a Magic 8-Ball to the latest iMac and Nintendo Wii. There’s remote-controlled this, electronic that, and lots of “so, what’s THAT good for?”

One thing I was really salivating over showed-up the other day:

Yep, it’s a Kindle Amazon’s eBook reader.

VERY neat.

It uses an ’electronic paper’ display…instead of being the normal LCD screen on, say, an iPhone, it’s a contrasty, easy to read display that looks like a super-duper Etch-a-Sketch. It looks like, well, a printed page. After a few minutes, the device disappears, and it’s just like you’re reading a book. Controls exist for flipping forwards and backwards through the book. Even the form-factor is pleasant and intuitive–like a big paperback or a small hardcover.

The other day while in the lab... (Comments)

Thu, 15 May 2008 07:33:00 -0400

Ooooh, have been wanting to get my hands on one of…

Jeff Roberts - May 4, 2008

Ooooh, have been wanting to get my hands on one of those…

The great irony...

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:03:00 -0400

…so, in 2001, I started working on our top-notch java app, avoiding working on Drivers & Printing, and a surefire job in Inkjet Firmware.

Fast forward:
2007: Working on the Printing stuff.
2008: Working embedded with the Inkjet Firmware.

Still waiting for the guys in this meeting tomorrow to go, “Say, aren’t you that fat kid with glasses and the bad haircut?” :D

The great irony... (Comments)

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:03:00 -0400

Well, at least you’ve still got the bad haircut……

Whitney - May 3, 2008

Well, at least you’ve still got the bad haircut…. Still haven’t gotten my tip from last month’s “Stylist Appreciation Day”….

:-)

Random and RFP: Commuter car 2010

Wed, 14 May 2008 07:29:00 -0400

* After talking to Jeff, looks like there’s a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) class just across the street from me. Don’t know if it’s something I’d like to do or not, but seems like a good way to learn. Bit pricey, though. Though, as my in-laws commented the other day, it’s not so good to announce you’re riding a 600cc motorcycle in a residential neighborhood w/o a license (or even a learner’s permit). Have been researching, and sounds like most 250cc entry-touring bikes get like 66 mpg and don’t have a problem cruising down the interstate. (Put the phone down, Mom…)

WTF: Surviving on Credit Cards?

Fri, 09 May 2008 08:25:00 -0400

![](http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/images/movie/small/Elizabeth_golden_age_02(200.gif)

Finding themselves strapped for cash and unable to use their home as an ATM, Americans are increasingly turning to credit cards to cover gas, groceries and other living expenses.

Huh? “Using their home as an ATM”..why do you want to do that?

For many people, racking up credit card debt is not a choice they want to make, experts say. Not too long ago, they could have tapped into the equity in their homes through loans or lines of credit or refinancing. But this debt, which usually carries lower interest rates, is no longer as widely available with the collapse of the housing market.

WTF: Surviving on Credit Cards? (Comments)

Fri, 09 May 2008 08:25:00 -0400

Amen, brother! Heck, we’ve been blessed to have en…

Jeff Roberts - May 5, 2008

Amen, brother! Heck, we’ve been blessed to have enough coming in to pay the builds but there are times when those unexpected expenses come in [like $4 gas :-)]
and we declare a moratorium on eating out, eat up whatever is in the pantry at the house, don’t buy anthing that’s not crucial, etc. We keep cars a looong time.

Who's that chicken-leg guy on the scooter?

Mon, 05 May 2008 13:23:00 -0400

Yep, me holding Maria (Mom: Put the phone down…They only sat her on there with me for the picture!)

Who's that chicken-leg guy on the scooter? (Comments)

Mon, 05 May 2008 13:23:00 -0400

I have a very similar picture of me and Kate. Tak…

Jeff Roberts - May 2, 2008

I have a very similar picture of me and Kate. Taken in front of my Mom, and similarly explained to Sandra’s mom :-)

Review: Ironman

Mon, 05 May 2008 08:06:00 -0400

W-O-W. WOW. WOOHOO!

This was an absolutely fun move. Great (not overwhelming) SFX, tight editing, and excellent performances from Downey, Paltrow, and Jeff Bridges.

This movie made me appreciate:

How dull the Superman movies are
How overwrought the X-Men franchise is
How truly BAD DareDevil and Electra were
How much of a genius the Batman series was (Burton’s two and “Batman Begins”, only!)

Look, I’m no comic-book geek (I know, I know, surprise!). I had no preconceptions going into Ironman but it’s a frickin’ feast–action everywhere, neat “gee whiz” gadgetry delights, and the quips and one-liners from the top-level actors remain punchy throughout. Robert Downey, Jr., is a revelation–Smart, self-deprecating, and yet utterly human. Gwyneth Paltrow plays the demure wallflower, Pepper Potts, and the stunner proves her acting chops by making us believe she IS unsure of herself.

w00t -- AutoExtremist on TTAC

Mon, 05 May 2008 07:48:00 -0400

First there was Car and Driver, the irreverant magazine full of gearheads who told the truth. But, that was before the internet era. Then, there was a little-known beacon of truth, Bob Bowden’s The Car Place (now defunct), where a guy told even more truth.

Then came the grand poobah, Peter DeLorenzo’s AutoExtemist, from an insider who ranted and raved about how uncompetitive and doomed Detroit was. Selling Chevy’s is nothing like selling Tide detergent. And it was very good.

w00t -- AutoExtremist on TTAC (Comments)

Mon, 05 May 2008 07:48:00 -0400

Nevermind. Peter DeLorenzo got his panties in a w…

HarryC - May 1, 2008

Nevermind. Peter DeLorenzo got his panties in a wad over TTAC’s announcement and proclaimed the deal dead.

Whatever, Pete.

Review: Kubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron)

Fri, 02 May 2008 08:59:00 -0400

It’s been a few years since I tried out a new version of my favorite Linux Distribution (ubuntu), so I downloaded the 64-bit ISO and put it on my 3GHz AMD64 Dell box here at work.

The short version? It’s sick. Good sick. SIIIIICK, yo!

In prior lives (back when I ran Redhat 6 on my 866Mhz PIII in college), I was a KDE fan, so I grabbed Kubuntu (KDE + Ubuntu, get it?) instead of the Gnome-based Ubuntu this time. It’s flashy and fast, and includes the new KDE 4 GUI. Nice *enough*, I suppose. Having programmed in Qt once upon a time, I have lots of respect for the GUI paradigm that Qt & KDE enforces.

Review: Kubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) (Comments)

Fri, 02 May 2008 08:59:00 -0400

Nice review! I may just try KDE sometime, but unti…

Ryan - May 5, 2008

Nice review! I may just try KDE sometime, but until then, GNOME’s just fine.

Rant: Miley Cyrus

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:30:00 -0400

Won’t someone PLEASE think of the children?!

The hue and cry surrounding Miley Cyrus’s recent photos in Vanity Fair disgusts me. NOT the photos themselves. Certainly not the photographer, Annie Leibovitz, whose work stands on its own.

We should be ashamed.

We’re a country addicted to drugs, gossip, and pornography. We’re so in debt, we’re destitute, yet we spend like there’s no tomorrow. We care little except for how other people PERCEIVE us. Substance matters not.

Rant: Miley Cyrus (Comments)

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:30:00 -0400

Being shocked by this is about like watching Reven…

Jeff Roberts - Apr 3, 2008

Being shocked by this is about like watching Revenge of the Sith over and over and being surprised each time Anakin turns to the dark side.

Wednesday Randomness

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:12:00 -0400

* From the “not worth reviewing” file: Beowulf was awful. How do you take a blood-soaked elegiac epic and turn it into, essentially, The Devil and Tom Walker. Plus, the CGI was good, but not quite there.

* A cold snap has hit, with frosty mornings and cool, windy days.

* I’ve *got* to stop staying up late to watch bad movies on DVD. A netflix queue reordering is…er…in order.

* Everyone’s doing well. Whitney’s recovered from her stomach virus last week. Maria’s managed to no maim herself lately, and seems ready to break-out running any day now (with injuries to follow, no doubt). Joey’s school year is winding down, and he’s enjoying baseball on his very good coach-pitch team, the Reds. (“Communism was a red herring”)

Review: Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:53:00 -0400

You win your first event in 2 years

In lieu of going skating with Joey and Whitney yesterday, I put Maria down for a nap and watched Cate Blanchett reprise her role as Good Queen Bess in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. As the story opens, it’s 1585, and Elizabeth has been on the throne 27 years. Still, intrigues surround her throne, as the Catholic Spain seeks to remove “the bastard whore” from the throne and put Mary Stuart (“Queen of Scots”) in her place, or so it seems.

Review: Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Comments)

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:53:00 -0400

I liked the movie…lol.

Susan - Apr 2, 2008

I liked the movie…lol.

Harebrained idea of the day: "Preloved" efficiency dealerships

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:54:00 -0400

There’s a market out there for old, efficient cars. And somebody is going to figure-out how to fill it.

Let’s face it, cars used to be more efficient: The Honda CRX HF from 1990 was rated at 50mpg, and was a simple, dead-reliable transportation appliance. Cars also used to be less expensive and less complicated.

Here’s the secret–new cars can’t be made like cars from 20 years ago. Regulations won’t allow it. Today, you must have airbags, side impact beams, stability control, etc.

Tremendous Weekend...

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:11:00 -0400

There’s something awesome about going to a real city, staying in a great old hotel and eating at a darn good restaurant

Bella really outdid herself this weekend…first class stuff all the way from the room and its appointments, through the champagne and fruit tray. I particularly enjoyed the Art Deco throughout the great old building, which served as a model for the Empire State Building (same architectural firm).

Through it all, I enjoyed my darling’s company…that was the best part.

Review: 21

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:44:00 -0400

21 was great, if you like ill-paced movies with recycled plotlines.

After enjoying other such pictures about genius kids (Real Genius) and breaking the bank at Las Vegas casinos (Ocean’s 11), I hoped for a tight, enjoyable romp, with a good “nerd + hot chick” love story and lots of nerd-rific references–sort of like War Games in Vegas.

Yeah, not so much.

The elevator pitch is dynamite: MIT students act as a team to count cards at Vegas blackjack tables, facing opposition from the latest technology (biometric scanners) and old-school Vegas security men, as well as internal turmoil. Somewhere between there and adapting the bestselling fact-cum-fiction book Bringing Down the House, this movie becomes a mess of recycled ideas and predictability. By the end, I was rooting for security guards to nab the lot of them. They’re just annoying people we’re given no reason to care about.

Birthday wishes

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:29:00 -0400

My wife just turned her permanent age: 29. That’s a good number. It think she’ll stay there awhile.

It’s been a big year for her, and it’s been gratifying to be her husband and watch her grow. This year she saw Maria through infancy, and planned + executed our first family vacation. She dealt with her first summer without Joey, and Maria’s burn and recovery. She dealt all the issues I had this past year–changing jobs, frustrations, dependency, Mom’s cancer. I was horrid through most of that. She supported me, and kicked my butt when necessary.

Anatomy of Software Applications

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:24:00 -0400

This is kinda “duh” stuff, but here goes: What does all professional software have in common? What attributes do all non-trivial programs share?

When you’re in school and you write assignment programs, often, they’re command-line, single-execution processes. These toy programs exist as drivers for some concept you’re trying to grasp–string operations, numercal calculations, or Object-Oriented programming. An example might be: “Read a file that contains a maze and print out the steps to find the exit as coordinates.”

Randomness... (Comments)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:32:00 -0400

empty printer boxes to get for bart and bridgette….

Whitney - Apr 2, 2008

empty printer boxes to get for bart and bridgette……

I vote for VI++, except that sounds like a hopped-up text editor.

Review: Vanishing Point (1971)

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:55:00 -0400

How is it that I’ve lived 29 years (21 of those a gearhead) and not seen Vanishing Point?

This film is hard to pin down. It’s like:

Easy Rider, in a car
Smokey and the Bandit, but no midget and it’s not funny
Cannonball run…no Dom DeLouise, and it’s not funny.
Apocalypse now/Heart of Darkness but no jungle
Homer’s Odyssey but no boat

More precisely, this film has the same overall theme as “Cool Hand Luke”–an ordinary man comes back from war (in the case, Vietnam), knocks around awhile and gets into trouble, and pays the price. As the audience, we’re supposed to identify with the main character, and see how “the man” and “the squares” are hell-bent on destroying the utopian hippie vision of freedom and love.

Autocross: It's a good day when...

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:57:00 -0400

In the cold, in the rain, the Beamer was awesome. I set the tires at 35psi front and 40psi rear, and let ’er tailslide around the 4 on-course sweepers.

This was CKR’s first points event of the year, and it was an inspired and safe course design, using the small dump-truck training pad to the utmost. Braindump of me out there:

_
First gear, rev to 4k…sidestep the clutch. Okay, wheelhop, wheelhop…HOOK! Pick-up your slalom cone, now BANG second. Both hands on the wheel. Floor it into the braking zone for the first left hand sweeper. Brake, okay now crank your neck left to pick-up the second cone on the slalom. WOOOO…feel that rear come around.

Autocross: It's a good day when...(Comment) (Comments)

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:57:00 -0400

Wow, I understood like 25% of that, but the happy …

Jeff Roberts - Apr 1, 2008

Wow, I understood like 25% of that, but the happy happy joy joy I got :-)

In lust...

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:59:00 -0400

Mmmmm…

15x7. Correct offset (+25mm). Correct hubcentric diameter (57.1 mm)

Shine-y.

White car w/black rims…SHINE-Y!

In lust... (Comments)

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:59:00 -0400

R-r-r!

Jeff Roberts - Apr 5, 2008

R-r-r!

Synchronization, Windows style (overview)

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:43:00 -0400

Professor Djikstra–Mister Syncronization!

So, I’ve been doing some heavy work with multithreading on windows lately, and I must say I’m impressed. Win32 went whole-hog for the multithreaded model, and has great Kernel support for some very useful primitives:

If you want to work within your process exclusively, you have Critical Sections, which give are ways to ensure only one thread is executing in a code block at any one time. Nice, but nothing too exciting.

Lexington Legends Opening Day

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:23:00 -0400

Brrrrrrrrring

“This is Harold”

“Hey, Honey! Listen, where would you and Joey like to sit at the Legends Opening Day Game tonight?”

Blink. Blink.

“WHaaa…?”

“I’m getting you guys tickets to the game. Where would you like sit?”

* * *

Yes, I have the best wife in the world. Don’t know how she knew, but it was great.

The team this year is so-so. Well, so-so…so far. The starting pitcher made it into the 5th inning, but the middle relief guy (Koons) got tagged early and often, including a classic “throw it to first but brain some guy in the stands” error that lead to a score 1 play later. Fielding was uneven, with two more errors leading to scores or extra bases.

Mini-review: Flags of our Fathers

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:55:00 -0400

Watched Clint Eastwood’s Flags of our Fathers, and don’t quite know what to make of it. Told as a series of flashbacks about the American assault on Iwo Jima, the film follows the novelist son of one of the flagraisers on Mt. Surabaci from this famous picture taken in 1945.

The film is a fine piece of work, and the acting in it is tremendous–Ryan Phillippe shines–but I didn’t like it at first. It’s not the deep immersion of Saving Private Ryan. Where Ryan was a gritty, sweeping story about a platoon amid the massive invasion of Normandy, Flags feels very small, almost claustrophobic. We’re rarely in fire-fights; mostly, we see the fearful anticipation or the horrific aftermath. A few days after watching it, I realized: The hardest part of surviving WWII was living with what you’d seen and done.

On Asbestos, GCAT, Dates, and Pasta...

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:32:00 -0400

Lots of randomness from an awesome weekend:

Saturday was the Georgetown College Academic Team (GCAT) tournament at my Alma Mater. I served as scorer in the Division I room, alongside my old pal Joe Guillory and the delightful freshman, R. (Did I see R. making eyes at Joe? Perhaps!) Georgetown’s dominance and capability stunned me–this was a team of depth and quiet competence, obviously playing a level above their competition. They’re going to Nationals (College Bowl?) and I expect they’ll do well.

Carmry spring spruce up

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:02:00 -0400

a.k.a. Nothing like brake fluid that’s so old it’s green….

Installed the new Brembo rotors and Akebono ceramic pads from the Tire Rack yesterday on our 2000 Camry, and for once I did it right.

- I jacked the car up one night.
- I disassembled everything another night
- I did the install, brake bleed, tire rotation, and power steering belt adjustment yesterday.

Nice having zero pressure to get the Daily Driver back on the road before morning. I took my time, read through the Haynes procedure 3 or 4 times, and did each piece meticulously. I regreased the pins the caliper slides on, and made sure I put plenty of Moly-Lube on everything as it went back together.

Diagnosis: Rotavirus

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:35:00 -0400

Well, we got the final diagnosis of Maria’s 9 days of diarrhea today: Rotavirus. She’s been one sick girl, admitted to the ER twice for fluids.

She seems to be over the worst of it; no diarrhea today, she’s just really sleepy and wanting fluids but not much solid.

Took the day off work so I could do a few jobs around the house and finish the brake job on the Camry. Got a sweet set of Brembo rotors and Ceramic pads, and things are going famously so far–everything disassembled without any WD40 or torch application :D

Diagnosis: Rotavirus (Comments)

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:35:00 -0400

Nasty stuff

Jeff Roberts - Apr 5, 2008

Nasty stuff

Me

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:55:00 -0400

I’m cross-wired.

I intuitively perceive what must happen in a situation, yet I delude myself into carrying-on as if I didn’t know.

I’m optimistic about people (despite all advice), yet am unsurprised when the worst comes out in them.

The only thing I can reconcile about it is the two sides of my personality, one of which is recent. I grew up a pessimist; selfish, I kept account of people’s sins. On the average, people seemed pretty crappy–ruled by their emotions, rationalizing bad choices, hurting others for their own gain. What’s there to be optimistic about? Society was one big, entropic system that’d eventually devolve into chaos.

April Fools' -- Google style.

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:07:00 -0400

GMail custom time

Hehe…

Google's now doing '411'

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:48:00 -0400

Link to their research blog

1-800-GOOG-411

Just tried it and it’s pretty slick, and free. :-)

Review: Enchanted

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:40:00 -0400

Yes, it’s over-the-top. Yes, it has plot holes you could drive a pumpkin carriage through. Yes, it’s not IMPORTANT CINEMA.

So what?

This is a fun romp through fairy tale land (and into modern-day New York), complete with a wayward princess, overblown prince, and evil stepmother/witch. It’s a mashup of every cliche from the Golden Age of Dinsey, right down to the poison apples. The premise is…er…complicated: Giselle is about to have her happily-ever-after in Fairy Tale Land (Andalasia), but the Prince’s evil mother casts her down a well, delivering her to Times Square in New York.

Startling article on Wall Street's Chaos

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:17:00 -0400

Those of us who have been prudent, lived within our means, and didn’t overborrow are paying a huge price for this. Income on our Treasury bills, money market funds, and CDs has dropped sharply, thanks to the Fed’s rate cuts, and our wealth has eroded relative to foreign currencies and commodities

Sloan’s article (or commentary, take your pick) is clear, concise, and scary as hell. My intiuition tells me there’s another Bear Stearns out there, and that the Fed can’t bail out everyone–trillions upon trillions of dollars of “bad money”. Hoo boy.

He's BAAAAA-AAAACK!!

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:46:00 -0400

Jeff’s back.

Update your RSS Readers accordingly.

Mom update -- GOOD NEWS!!

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:47:00 -0400

In October, my Mom had nearly inoperable Liver Cancer throughout her torso–liver, right lung, and diaphragm.

As of Friday, March 7th, after radical resection surgery and 2 months of treatment, her PET scan showed she was fine.

To the prayer warriors from Ashland to Louisville, for the thousands who heard mom’s story on WLJC TV from Beattyville, and to those who sent encouragement through this blog, email, and in person, my thanks.

Mom update -- GOOD NEWS!! (Comments)

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:47:00 -0400

That is great news I am happy for you all.

Susan - Mar 2, 2008

That is great news I am happy for you all.

Absolutely fantastic. A brave, tough lady for sure.

Review: The Southeast Christian Church Easter Pageant

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:25:00 -0400

Easter Pageant?!

What is this, amateur hour? Who cares about some piddly church passion play? What’s next, “Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever”?

How’s this for Piddly: Two professional composers, a 9000 seat auditorium, 75,000 tickets over a month-long run, a 300 person chorous, two IMAX-size video screens.

Traditionally, Southeast’s Easter Pageant has been the biggest theatrical production in Louisville. They took a year off to retool and rework it, comissioning a rework from the ground up. Whereas the previous iteration had been a “cast of thousands” broadway-style production, they wanted something…different.

Review: The Southeast Christian Church Easter Pageant (Comments)

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:25:00 -0400

I second the review completely. This all punctuat…

Whitney - Mar 1, 2008

I second the review completely. This all punctuated by a preacher who spent tens of thouseands of dollars to change the carpeting throughout the massive facility because he thought it’s mauve overcast was too feminine, eradicated the library completely to put in a starbucks, and banned the sunday school class communal coffee machines and bringing of donuts bc it would detract from the profits reaped by the coffee shop. Can we say Jesus angrily turning over tables and whipping the baristas for defiling his house? I get more angry every time I enter that building. We will not be returning, EVER probably.

Review: "Chinatown"

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:14:00 -0400

So, Chinatown.

“Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown.”

Iconic stuff. Nicholson back when was an awesome actor, not just paid to play himself (see “Witches of Eastwick”, et al.). Faye Dunnaway’s cheekbones. John Huston as the creepy dad.

Umm…I hated it.

Lined-up against L.A. Confidential, Chinatown is darker, more mysterious, but at the same time, distant. We learn about the characters bit-by-bit, but once we learn everything, we just want to forget them.

Carpooling

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:42:00 -0400

No, not that awful sitcom, I mean I’m carpooling.

Apparently, a 4-cylinder Camry has more uses than sucking the joy out of the driving experience. It’s also an efficient appliance for transporting up to 4 adults on the twice-daily jaunt to and from work.

Currently, we’re leaving ~6:45am and heading home around 4:30ish; Whitney’s now taken over drill sargeant duties for getting Joey to school.

Sunny day...time for a NEW FENCE!!!

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:05:00 -0500

The Fence fairy showed up at my house this weekend:

New Fence

We’re pretty pumped about it, because it’ll let us send the inmates…er…children to the back yard. :-)

Sunny day...time for a NEW FENCE!!! (Comments)

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:05:00 -0500

That’s really nice!

Jeff Roberts - Mar 6, 2008

That’s really nice!

Review: Quarterlife

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:02:00 -0500

So, I pretty much spent this afternoon watching all 33 extant webisodes of Quarterlife, a melodrama about 5-7 late-20somethings who aren’t really going anywhere with their lives, but who have plenty of spiffy dialog.

The central plot vehicle is Dylan, aspiring writer who’s turned to blogging (really video-blogging, but who’s counting) to express herself and her opinions, particularly on her friends’ lives.

(Aside: This is the central tension in blogging–how honest do you want to be? What if someone reads what you wrote about them. That lead to the downfall–and deletion–of my “private” blog. Anyway, Dylan doesn’t pull any punches good for her.)

Update: Whitney's Tonsilectomy

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:54:00 -0500

Whitney’s surgery went just fine…she was in and out into recover in ~20 minutes. She’s resting comfortably at home now.

Update: Whitney's Tonsilectomy (Comments)

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:54:00 -0500

Fantastic!

Jeff Roberts - Feb 4, 2008

Fantastic!

I am glad that Whitney is feeling better. One of my co-workers had the same surgery and it was rough on her. I will pray for a speedy recovery.

Off work for a couple days + quote of the day.

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:26:00 -0500

“Nipples” – Maria Combs, age 1 yr.

(Yep, Whitney proclaimed that baby girl said that the other day.)

* * *

Whitney’s getting her tonsils out today at 11:30am. It’s an outpatient procedure, but she’s scared to death nonetheless.

Anyway, I’m off work taking care of her today & tomorrow, and the kids are going to Louisville with Stu & Cathy.

For those so inclined, prayers are appreciated. I’m sure everything will go well, but you know our luck…

Off work for a couple days + quote of the day. (Comments)

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:26:00 -0500

We’ll pray all goes well and it helps her health l…

Jeff Roberts - Feb 4, 2008

We’ll pray all goes well and it helps her health long term.

We’ll pray for maria’s mouth, tho with her father’s mouth (and aforementioned lullabies including “B double-E double-R U N beer run), there’s probably no hope. Thanks to Harold Joey thinks burping is hilarious. :-) Men. Watcha gonna do?

Hyundai Elantra Touring mini-site

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:17:00 -0500

More info on that cool, euro Elantra Touring from the auto show:

Touring Mini-site

Just checking out the specs:

- 24mm front & 21 mm rear swaybars
- Factory B&M Short throw shifter
- 140hp (yeah, it’s a Hyundai Beta engine…)
- Stiffer springs & dampers (EURO, BABY!!)

Might have to go drive these when they hit the dealers…sounds like a redux of the Protege5 (or the Plymouth Colt Vista for the 21st century)

Casinos in KY? Dead?!

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:55:00 -0500

Cincinnati Auto Show 2008

After the committee meeting broke up, several expressed doubt that a compromise could be reached this session. Stumbo, for instance, said the horse industry may have asked for too much and doomed any casino proposal.

“What you saw today was an industry that cut off its nose to spite its face,” Stumbo said. “I think the bill’s probably dead.”

w0000000000000000000t!

Maybe this isn’t a fait accompli, afterall!

AUTO SHOW!!!

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:08:00 -0500

Made a pilgrimage to the Cincy Auto Show on Saturday:

Impressions, briefly:

VERY impressed with the offerings from Hyundai. They seem to fill every niche (aside from Hybrid), and the interior materials and fit/finish are great, for a good price. Particularly loving the Elantra Touring, which is a proper hatchback version of the elantra. Eminently practical, getting 30mpg.
The rebirth of the car. Interest in Trucks & SUVs was nil…the crowds were all around the cars and some crossovers. “What’s the MPG?” seemed to be the question of the afternoon

Anti-Xerox HP video

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:13:00 -0500

Ah, when nerds make viral videos (SFW): Link

Anti-Xerox HP video (Comments)

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:13:00 -0500

Cute. Lags a bit near the end but worth hanging ou…

Jeff Roberts - Feb 2, 2008

Cute. Lags a bit near the end but worth hanging out to see the last bit.

Maria's First Birthday

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:52:00 -0500

Maria’s First Birthday

Check it out!! My gal’s One!

Maria's First Birthday (Comments)

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:52:00 -0500

Ah, yes, the wearing of the cake. Good times!

Jeff Roberts - Feb 1, 2008

Ah, yes, the wearing of the cake. Good times!

V-Day rant

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:36:00 -0500

So, several days ago, I faced that yearly task–picking out the perfect Valentine’s Day card for my wife.

I’ve approached this different ways in the past: One year, I eschewed getting her anything, proclaiming V-Day as “the invented holiday that makes no sense”. Results were predictable, in hindsight. After that, I spent several years executing my usual card-search routine:

Enter Store.
Walk to card aisle
Find appropriately topical card. (That is don’t buy “Granny you’re my valentine” if you dating Daisy Fuentes.)

V-Day rant (Comments)

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:36:00 -0500

It was a perfect one! I love you!! btw, he got m…

Whitney - Feb 4, 2008

It was a perfect one! I love you!! btw, he got me two dozen roses too ;) He’s so wonderful!!

Reviews: "End of the Spear" and "Black Snake Moan"

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 13:35:00 -0500

One the face of it, you’ll find few movies more different than End of the Spear and Black Snake Moan: One is a tale of Missionary zeal, the other a gritty portrait of depravity and betrayal.

Thanks to an accident of Netflix and the sickness that descended upon our family, I got to watch both within a twelve hour span, and the messages of both harmonize – Redemption is available to anyone.

Recommended Blog: "TheTruthAboutCars"

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:29:00 -0500

CompUSA to close all its stores

Brock Yates and some other ex-C&D guys have a new home, and so far, I like it:
- More terse and coherent than autoextremist.com
- Profane. Gotta love some locker-room profanity when talking about cars.
- Not TOO profane.
- Simple, easy visuals, good RSS feeds. Are you listening EDMUNDS!?
- Did I mention terse? Edmunds.com, particularly Karl Brauer, treat the internet medium as a license to blather….forever…
- They review cars people might actually buy and give honest opinions based around the target audience of that car. Is a Ford Ranger awful? Compared to a Lexus, sure. As a small, effective work truck? It’s awesome, and these guys say so.

Meta: On version-control techniques

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 09:19:00 -0500

I’ve been thinking alot about version control lately, because we’re undertaking a big move from Clear Case and it’s Unified Change Management (UCM) process to Subversion, which is the source-control equivalent of the Wild Wild West–anything goes, wheee!!

Meetings were held, proposals submitted, cost advantages debated, and finally the Big Muckety Muck cowboyed-up and made the call–we’re going to subversion and saving a gagillion dollars.

As with many such decisions, this was communicated to the worldwide distributed sites with the utmost care, forethought, and consideration. That’s right–it was 13th out of 15 slides in a Powerpoint deck. Aforementioned plebians reacted with anything from curiosity to outright rebellion.

Still here...

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:18:00 -0500

(Written using IE 7, since Firefox 3b2 is still as unstable as a tween headed to a Hannah Montana concert…)

I was up until 11 checking-in & building code for our 2/15 deadline, and it seemed like 10 seconds afer I closed my eyes, the weather radio started its DEEDLE-DEEDLE-DEEDLE of a warning:

“…has issued a Tornado Warning for…Scott County in Central Kentucky.” Jumped up and checked the radar and, sure enough, God’s own squeege was headed across the state. So, we woke-up the kids (1:15 am…ah, family time!) and huddled in our secure bunker, a.k.a. the 4-foot-wide half-bath in our hallway.

Pimp my ride, Stu edition...

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:46:00 -0500

So, my esteemed father-in-law had a little birthday surprise of his 60th birthday of his own: A Ford 500!

(Not his, obviously…)

He picked-up a 1 year old Limited model (leather, the works…) at Crossroads Ford in Indiana. It had only 10k miles on it, and I got to take a test drive yesterday.

It’s a very well-executed car, and a great replacement for the Crown Victoria: Tremendous interior room, comfort, and driveability. The car stops, turns, and steers like a Euro sedan; driving it, I kept thinking “Volvo” or “Audi”. I found the suspension tuning particularly impressive–not harsh at all, but very well controlled…bumps caused one well-damped motion. There was no float or wallow; the car went where it was pointed and changed directions better than it ought to given its size.

Pimp my ride, Stu edition... (Comments)

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:46:00 -0500

Carriage Ford, honey :)

Whitney - Feb 1, 2008

Carriage Ford, honey :)

17-14...wow...

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:05:00 -0500

- Two Years, two Mannings.
- Wes Welker deserved MVP.
- Give the MVP to the Giants’ D…they kept Brady on his back.
- Was Giselle hired by the NFC?

If it’s possible, I feel BAD for the Patriots? An unblemished season, and then beaten in an ugly, hard-to-watch game that felt like Muhamed Ali’s Ropeadope, played on a football field.

Best commercial: The Bridgestone “Scream”

17-14...wow... (Comments)

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:05:00 -0500

I missed a lot of them (distracted by Euchre and o…

Chris - Feb 0, 2008

I missed a lot of them (distracted by Euchre and other things), but of the ones I saw and remember, I like that one best too.

I still liked the silent Pepsi Commercial best, tho this is an easy second. There weren’t any other ones I liked at all really.

Nevermind...the Saturn Astra's a dud

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 17:52:00 -0500

Wow…I’ve been underwhelmed before, but just…wow.

Okay, so let’s review: I had a bout of unaccountable Car lust starting earlier this week. The Astra was the newest Euro kid on the block, all sexy and angular. So, today, I took a detour on my way to work and drove one.

Walkaround: The car is handsome and substantial…it really doesn’t look like an economy car, but rather an upscale small hatch, a segment the MINI Cooper created. Doors open and close with an assuring thunk. The hatch is pure euro, complete with parcel shelf and a good-sized storage area with the seats up. The rear window is very small (but we’ll get to that…)

Politics: And then there were Four. (okay, Four-ish)

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:48:00 -0500

Looks like we’re down to Obama -v- Clinton, McCain -v- Romney. There are other players, but it’s apparent that Huckabee can’t play on the coasts, and Super Tuesday should seal that.

Probably the best phenomenon of this primary season hasn’t been the campaigns or races themselves, it’s been the “race to decide” among the media. I used to identify this as a Fox News only phenomenon (NEWS DAMNIT!), but it seems to spread to others. Thing is, the networks seek certainty–Who’s the front runner? Who is soon to be out?

Random TV goings-on...

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:42:00 -0500

Joey: “I wish we had cable.”

* * *

LOST why do I care again?

Eli Stone actually made it through a whole episode and found some stuff to like. On the whole, I’d rather sleep, but eh. This one gets the biggest award for “Zero chemistry between main character and his ice queen fiancee.”

Oh, and Sydney’s dad from Alias is a co-star. He pretty-much plays the same character. And ‘Ed’ shows up in flashbacks as his Dad.

Random TV goings-on... (Comments)

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:42:00 -0500

yes but if you add water and reheat it, congealed …

Whitney - Feb 5, 2008

yes but if you add water and reheat it, congealed oatmeal can be pretty good. by the way, you left something on at home. (K)

"Rich Dad, Poor Dad" is a turd

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 08:37:00 -0500

I thought it odd that when I checked-out Rich Dad, Poor Dad as a book-on-tape from the library that the first cassette was not rewound. Nor was it at the end of a side…it seemed as though someone had stopped in the middle of the tape. None of the other tapes were that way.

Then I found out why: This book is complete crap.

I suffered through half the tape, then took the book back. The author kept spouting platitudes like “Poor people work for money, Rich people have money work for them,” wrapped in some saccharine false anectdote format.

"Rich Dad, Poor Dad" is a turd (Comments)

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 08:37:00 -0500

Dave Ramsey has recommended it on several occasion…

Chris - Jan 2, 2008

Dave Ramsey has recommended it on several occasions, so I added it to my “to read” list a few weeks ago. Looking for something to use a Borders’ gift card on, I started going through that list last week to decide which book to get. After reading some reviews on Amazon and elsewhere about the book, I took it off the list. Seems like you’ve confirmed my assumptions from those reviews… Thanks for the warning about it.

Current Object of Lust: Saturn Astra

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:33:00 -0500

Yeah, yeah, I’m a eurosnob. Sue me.

The Camry is getting on my nerves…it sure beats walking, and it gets great mileage on the highway, but I’d really like to get back into a hatchback stick with good steering. I’ve heard good things about the Mazda3, but I don’t like their looks all that much.

The E30 has world-class steering, but it’s only a coupe, it gets 20mpg on a good day, and it’s loud and rides like a brick. And it’s about as safe as a car designed in 1980 with 1st gen high-explosive Airbags can be (that is, not very)

Thoughts: Approaches to encapsulation

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:13:00 -0500

One part of programming I enjoy is the creative process–taking a thing you’ve sketched out on a whiteboard, and making it come alive. Once you’re at this long enough though, you start to see common problems crop-up, no matter what problem you’re solving or what language you’re solving it in. I’d like to think through one of those today (or at least start to…)

The problem is, I can’t really give a snazzy name to the problem itself. When you’re dealing with multithreaded programming, you can say “I have concurrency problems,” and someone in the ether will grok what you mean. When dealing with GUIs, you can talk Model-View-Controller (MVC) all day. As my friend Chuck would say, what I have here is a “meta” problem–a problem about a problem.

Scary thought for the day...

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:46:00 -0500

As a programmer, should it bother me that I’m beginning to think of Windows as a well-documented, flexible system? One that’s not-too-awful to program in?

I beginning to understand why Rana found Java so jarring…documentation varies in quality and it’s all over the place. With Windows, MSDN is your friend :D

(Note: I don’t find windows secure, consistent, or all that well-designed, but after reading Raymond Chen’s excellent “The Old New Thing” it’s easy to see why the sins of Windows 1.0 through 3.11 really affected the designs of Win32, leading to many gaping kludges and security holes.)

Yes, Please!!!

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:57:00 -0500

Skyscapes

Yes, Please!!! (Comments)

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:57:00 -0500

Spiffy.

Jeff Roberts - Jan 4, 2008

Spiffy.

Review: Fantastic Four--the Rise of the Silver Surfer

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 06:18:00 -0500

Really enjoyed this one, in spite of myself. Jessica Alba’s hot, thought her blonde hairdo is jarring at best.

Lots of humor and social commentary here, especially surrounding Alba–she wishes for a normal life, she laments being the hottest woman on the planet, she exclaims after a ‘wardrobe malfunction,’ “Why does this always happen to me?!”

The beginning was very slow, as they try to ease us back into the characters we knew from the punchier 1st installment. The Four have grown very accustomed to their powers and their role as planetary protectors, so much so that they seem bored. Unfortunately, that’s exactly the same feeling I get about the actors here–phoning it in, hitting their marks, but without the snap of the 1st movie. This felt more like a really, really expensive TV show than a summer blockbuster: The actors seem comfortable in their characters, and the scope of the action always centers around them. Some of the lines delivered seem like before-commercial, writers-room fodder, especially the lines from Ben Grim.

Rant: MFC is DLL Hell...

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:55:00 -0500

For my pal Jamie: GUI programming is hard.

So, the big marquee part of Microsoft Visual C++ has been the “Visual” part, where you draw-out your lovely dialog boxes using a GUI creation tool, then the IDE generates the code & and resource files from that.

Okay, so far so good, but I spent most of this morning trying to get this little MFC app I’m upgrading to run as a static EXE instead of a DLL-linked EXE. That would mean the EXE would be a little fatter, but we could ship it without the associated MSVCRT.dll and MFC42.DLL, reducing a point of failure if those files get lost or damaged. It’s a win-win, right? Everyone benefits! Bonuses galore!

How I know I'm a good steward of corporate resources...

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:35:00 -0500

My 6-year-old ID badge is held together by scotch tape and a well-placed paperclip. I’ve worn through 4 plastic snaps to hold it tenously to my waist.

How I know I'm a good steward of corporate resources... (Comments)

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:35:00 -0500

dude - get a new one! :) One to show your new se…

HarryC - Jan 3, 2008

dude - get a new one! :) One to show your new sexy married responsible self to the world!….ok to the door opening thingie. but still! If you were a victim of spontaneous human combustion and the only thing left to identify you were your badge you wouldn’t want THAT old picture flashing on the news would you?!

Frustrations with the Restoration Movement

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 07:05:00 -0500

I’m a member of a Restoratoin Movement Protestant Christian Church. On the face of it the Restoration Movement is a tremendous idea, hearkening to the ideas of both the early Apostolic Churches and the ideas of the Protestant Reformation. Key bullet points of our doctrine are:

We acknowledge only one authority in church matters–the 66 book Protestant Bible. There is no synod, ecclesial council, catechism, or presbyteroi. The Bible says what it says.

Analysis: How to tell if you're having a redneck good time

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:45:00 -0500

I benefit from the polyglot nature of my upbringing. I speak two languages–English and Kentuckian. I can blend into almost anything from a discussion of Platonic philosophy through a rib eating contest at the county fair.

At the Truck Pull tonight at Rupp Arena, I realized that not everyone benefits from this, so I thought I’d prepare this handy guide. Thus:

Easy ways to tell if you’re having a Redneck good time

Wishlist

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Thought about this on the way in today…things I’d like to do before I die (yeah, alot of them are car-related, so I’d better do them before they outlaw the internal combustion engine…)

* Watch the 24 Hours of Daytona
* Attend the Skip Barber Racing school.
* (Re)Build an engine from scratch
* Do the Classical Grand Tour: Rome, Florence, Venice, Athens.
* Visit Paris (France, not Kentucky…)
* Have a ride in an aerobatic airplane/fighter jet.
* Attend the Grand Prix of Monaco
* Go sailing in the Carribean. (No Hurricanes, please!)
* Learn to play piano
* Go to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
* Visit Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Gettysburg.
* Learn Spanish (seems like a must nowadays…)
* Learn Greek.
* Read: St. Augustine, Plato, Martin Luther, John Locke
* Run a 10k
* Write a poem for each of my kids
* Contribute *something* to greater society that has my name on it…

Ah, Kentucky Public Edumacation

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:22:00 -0500

Top headline on the Scott County Public Schools Homepage

R U READY 4 COLLEGE SEMINAR

Attention Parents of All Students Grades 8-12

Ready to send your kid to private school yet?

"Smart" Cars in Louisville

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:43:00 -0500

Sam Swope Smart

We are pleased to announce the opening of smart center Louisville at 11601 Plantside Drive in Louisville.

I think this is a reaction to the “we passed on getting a MINI dealership back in 2001 (d’oh!)”. So, Swope has Smart cars…interesting. Why do I see visions of every hipster on Bardstown road grabbing one of these itty bitty things?

"Smart" Cars in Louisville (Comments)

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:43:00 -0500

Brings back Italy memories. Those things are small…

Jeff Roberts - Jan 1, 2008

Brings back Italy memories. Those things are small enough to perpendicular-park, rather than parallel (don’t try that with your church bus).

I saw one here already - it crossed in front of us as we were entering Newtown from Stone last Sunday morning. (And without really pouring on the gas, I couldn’t catch up to get a closer look - what’s top speed on those things?)

wow...Wow...WOW

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:50:00 -0500

Congrats to the NY Giants for sending the Dallas Cowboys to the sidelines for the NFC championship game. Both the home teams lost today. All-in-all, a tremendous afternoon of football, with two of the “Locks” going down–The Cowboys and the Colts.

We get to see a January championship game in LAMBEAU FIELD, baby!! I can’t wait (won’t really matter, any of the AFC teams could kill any of the NFC teams, including Green Bay)…

Tales from the budget...

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:06:00 -0500

So, I’m looking at my budget today, and I notice that I’m spending ~19% of my take-home pay on housing (yay–well within our means), but 27% on transportation, including: Van payment, gas for 3 cars, registration, repairs + upkeep, and insurance.

:-) I’m thinking of moving to new york!

* * *

On the opposite tack, I came home last night to find that someone had left the passenger-side sliding door open on the van. For 2 hours. In a driving thunderstorm.

Quick hits (Comments)

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:24:00 -0500

Harvid, my mom still reads yr blog. She’s Oba…

Biru - Jan 4, 2008

Harvid, my mom still reads yr blog. She’s Obaming! The market will hit a “true” bottom when its sorrow & woe is on the front page of the NYTimes– not the business section, the front page.

Then you & I will sweep in and buy Vanguard no-load index funds and sit on them until our noses bleed money. Mutual funds have too many fees!

Ruminations while Compiling

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:19:00 -0500

Ah the joys of compiling a large native product from scratch. The time to get a cup of coffee, or blog. Some random musings:

* The stock market is in the crapper, and will probably stay there. The economy is fundamentally flawed, the the recession has already started–no one’s owning up to that yet. I’m reading Alan Greenspan’s “Age of Turbulence”, and I don’t think we’ve seen this sort of market since the 1980’s, though this is sort of a hybrid–recession, but without fundamental strength in finance. Actually, it might be exactly like the early 1980’s, where the banking industry tried to kill itself lending money to Latin America.

Maria's first migraine

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:08:00 -0500

Or…“How I learned to love my own child less than sleep for 10 minutes”.

I’ve been off work since December 21st. During all that time, I got alot of sleep. I didn’t get enough, apparently.

So last night, I went out into what passes for a blizzard in Kentucky to pick-up Joey from his dad’s. I returned to find Whitney had a story for me–Maria had clanged her head on the crib. Hard. In her soft spot. She’d called the Dr., but the Dr. said likely everything would be fine.

And I'll have a Wii Christmas

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:09:00 -0500

Well, a week later, here we are. I’ve gotten and gotten-over a nasty stomach bug, so I managed to miss most of Wednesday through Friday.

In my absence, the Wii has replaced the iMac as the coolest thing in the household. Yes, it’s that good.

Just to give you an idea, we had Stu and Cathy using it within 4 minutes of watching us play it. We’ve played it for at least 5 hours a day since we got it.

Christmas: Leg 1 COMPLETE

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:15:00 -0500

We returned from our 2 day roundtrip to balmy (!) Columbus, Ohio this evening, Joey running a 101.5 fever and Maria dozing contentedly.

Pretty uneventful trip–ate too much, slept too much, saw Whitney’s Uncle Richard’s old…ahem…Ferrari.

Yep, honest-to-goodness Ferrari GT, Brown….V-12 & everything. Not a good looking car, particularly, but DUDE!

So, we’re opening presents tomorrow morning and doing stuff around the house, then going down to my Mom’s for Christmas Eve. We have to turn Joey over to his dad at 7am Christmas Day.

"Flyboys"

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:25:00 -0500

2 hours and 20 minutes of THAT?!!!

This is a pretty-standard war/buddy flick. Some guys wanna go fly, they go through some training, meet an old salt who tells them they’re stupid, and get a rude awakening when they first meet the enemy. They ALL have backstories, and they’re all (poorly) developed. One resembles Porkins from Star Wars and dies similarly. There’s a love interest thrown-in and many long, conceited scenes flying about in a CGI wonderland resembling a decent WWI Video Game.

The weekend... (Comments)

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:19:00 -0500

I am glad that Dottie is feeling better. I hope th…

Susan - Dec 1, 2007

I am glad that Dottie is feeling better. I hope that she keeps up her spirit and her strength as she starts treatment. If you need anything just call.

Golden Compass: Crash'n'Burn

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:22:00 -0500

E! Article

New Line, meanwhile, was the woozy-feeling patient after its would-be franchise starter The Golden Compass (third place, $9 million) fell off a cliff, down 65 percent from a disappointing debut weekend.

So far, the $180 million fantasy film is the unwanted fruitcake of the holiday season, having taken in just $41 million overall. (It has performed stronger overseas; so, perhaps any sequels could be made expressly for Slovakia, et al.)

Golden Compass: Crash'n'Burn (Comments)

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:22:00 -0500

Sweet finish, dude.

Jeff Roberts - Dec 2, 2007

Sweet finish, dude.

Little Miss Sunshine

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:59:00 -0500

Yes, it’s that good.

Just finished watching the Odyssey-in-a-Microbus, Little Miss Sunshine. It’s the type of movie my wife hates, but which I love, where all the characters are shades of gray. They’re intensely real, and flawed, and they love and hate one another. Yet they’re bound together by bonds that bring them together when it counts–death, adversity, and the bald insanity of life.

Steve Carell is a revelation as Frank Hoover, the frustrated homosexual academic who we meet in a hospital fresh off his failed suicide attempt. Out of work, without insurance, he’s kicked out of the pysch ward to the care of his overwrought sister, Sheryl. We meet her blended family next: Her husband Richard the self-help guru, the vow-of-silence goth teen Dwayne, the heroin-snorting profane Grandpa, and the little ingenue Olive.

Little Miss Sunshine (Comments)

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:59:00 -0500

Hey, everyone you know won’t hate Little Miss Suns…

BryanCombs - Dec 3, 2007

Hey, everyone you know won’t hate Little Miss Sunshine. I love it. It’s actually my favorite film from 2006. (Right ahead of The Departed and Borat) Dixie loves it too.

Mom -- looking up :-)

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 10:35:00 -0500

Happily, Mom didn’t have chemo on Friday.

Her oncologist looked at the results of her PET scan and said the surgeon was full of it.

She doesn’t have ASC, she has CCC, Cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer of the bile duct that is fairly rare (1-2 cases / 100,000 ppl), but which is curable through surgery. Mom had surgery, and there’s no evidence the cancer had spread through her lymphatic system.

The short answer: Prognosis is much better than with ASC. Surgical resection allows for a cure, and follow-up radiation shows good results. Mom’s scheduled intensive, local radiation 5 days a week for the next 5 weeks, and an oral chemotherapy tablet after that. Her hair probably won’t fall out.

Mom -- looking up :-) (Comments)

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 10:35:00 -0500

Praise God, what great news!

Jeff Roberts - Dec 1, 2007

Praise God, what great news!

CompUseless is closing

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:31:00 -0500

Meh. I’ll just have to go to Louisville to lust after Macs, I guess.

CompUseless is closing (Comments)

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:31:00 -0500

Bummer…only went there rarely but I’ll have to f…

Jeff Roberts - Dec 1, 2007

Bummer…only went there rarely but I’ll have to find a new source for the one or two things I used to get there. Pay to UPS a UPS? I don’t think so.

Ah, that time of year again...snow, mistletoe, Kirby salesmen

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:15:00 -0500

Yesterday was pretty tough–I was up at 4:30, at work by 6, and home by 2:45 to watch the kids (4 kids now–our two and two from Whitney’s BFF Sarah). While firehosing me with all the TODOs (change this, change that, sippy cup, etc.), Whitney mentioned, “Oh, and a guy from Kirby should be here from 3 to 5 to clean the carpets and shampoo the carpets for free.”

Mom Update -- chemo starting tomorrow

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:43:00 -0500

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers as I’ve shared about Mom’s sickness. I’ve not posted more, out of deference to her, and simply because we didn’t know much.

Mom had surgery on Halloween, but didn’t get any follow-up on pathology results until 2 weeks later, November 16th. That day, we went into the Transplant Clinic at UK Hospital (!) to get some results. I won’t go into it fully here, but it’s a rare hybrid of two cancers of the liver itself. They said to set-up an appointment with Oncologists as soon as she felt better.

Mom Update -- chemo starting tomorrow (Comments)

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:43:00 -0500

Glad to hear Markey’s on the case and being agress…

Jeff Roberts - Dec 4, 2007

Glad to hear Markey’s on the case and being agressive. We’ll keep her and you guys in our prayers.

Heresy...Firefox has jumped the shark?

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:30:00 -0500

I’ve been with Firefox ( originally Phoenix, then Firebird, forked to IceWeasel) for years now. Yes, it was the chip off the old block (Son of Mozilla, rise!), and it was build upon Good Code©, and it bore no hint of That evil corporation that won the browser war by not playing fair

It was the best parts of mozilla, with none of the bloat of the suite (that email program that no one used)

The "Real" Software Development Lifecycle...

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:19:00 -0500

If you ask a student out of college or technical school how software is developed, he’ll say the software development lifecycle (SDLC) is something like:

Gather requirements for a new system
Design the new system’s inputs, outputs, screens, etc.
Develop the system
Test the system
Deliver the system to the customer
Maintain the system

If you’re *really lucky* he’s read enough slashdot to know, it’s more of a spiral or iterative approach–less initial work, more testing, earlier customer involvement.

The "Real" Software Development Lifecycle... (Comments)

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:19:00 -0500

I think you’re right (and I live in the same world…

DavidJarvis - Dec 3, 2007

I think you’re right (and I live in the same world). One question is, how are companies like Microsoft making this sort of thing work? (I guess that presumes you accept that they are, as I do.) How do you “ride the nerd” to success and avoid the bloated remnant product? (Sort of like a lot of TV shows’s second season …)

My Uncle Dan + a funny dialogue

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:21:00 -0500

So, on the 16th, I sat with my Mom at the Transplant clinic of the UK hospital to get the lowdown on her cancer. The room was on the 4th floor, off the ‘B’ elevators, and the atmosphere was grim. The people here had been or would be very sick, and most had a thousand yard stare, wishing they or their loved-one was anywhere but in that waiting room.

Except, that is, for my Uncle Dan.

My Uncle Dan + a funny dialogue (Comments)

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:21:00 -0500

Funny story. I’m praying for your mom. Your Uncl…

Tabitha - Nov 1, 2007

Funny story. I’m praying for your mom. Your Uncle Dan sounds like a good guy to have in a somber place like that. Take care.

Keeping you all in our thoughts & prayers.

quick hit movie reviews

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:50:00 -0500

Watched several movies over the past few days (Thank you, Netflix). Some thoughts on them:

Constantine: Creepy, dark film about a man blessed/cursed to see the interplay between angels and demons in our world. I really liked it, especially for its vivid portrayal of Hell.

The Muppet Show: Wow, this doesn’t age well. It’s about as interesting to the modern eye as the 70’s variety shows upon which it’s based. Plus, without “Pigs…in…space.” Bah!

quick hit movie reviews (Comments)

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:50:00 -0500

Movies I’ve seen lately…

1. Perfect Strangers… DavidJarvis - Dec 3, 2007

Movies I’ve seen lately…
1. Perfect Strangers. A good friend recommend this. I told him afterwards he is no longer allowed to recommend movies to me. Ever. This movie leaves you with the same feeling you might get after finding someone had barfed in your food. After you ate it.
2. Bertie and Elizabeth. Interesting and sympathetic look at the lesser-known brother of Edward VI (and a very unsympathetic look at the woman he dumped the crown for)
3. Beowulf. Some are panning this because it doesn’t follow the original story exactly. Actually it does fairly closely but adds some unifying elements that I thought worked rather well. I liked it a lot, but adaptations don’t have to be authoritative versions for me to enjoy them; I guess I’m not a purist.
4. How Green Was My Valley. Sappy but touching.

My wonderful IT experience this morning

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:03:00 -0500

So, I’m trying to print something to our color printer. I go to our internet site to download a driver, then I find that the site is dog slow. So, I thought I’d report it to our IT operations.

IT Guy: Hello my name is ____. How can I assist you?

Me: The driver download site is very slow.

IT Guy: Let me check. (pause) No it’s not.

Me: Umm…I’ve tried this three times and wasted 20 minutes of my life trying to print something.

Review: Electra

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:57:00 -0500

Ugh. I’ve said it before (“Underworld”), but how do you dress Jennifer Garner up in this outfit and have a boring movie?

Lots of camera effects layered atop a very weak story, that’s how.

Ponderings

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:33:00 -0500

Spoke with Mom this morning…she’s resting at home, and letting Dad and my Aunt Norie take care of her, which makes me smile. She’s taken care of so many people her whole life…thanks to everyone who’s written-in and keep up those prayers. I heard from Stu and Cathy that churches throughout the Louisville area are praying for Mom – neighbors of theirs and their prayer groups. She goes in Friday for the lowdown on where things are and what the next steps are.

Ponderings (Comments)

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:33:00 -0500

You’re just saying all this because you want a new…

Whitney - Nov 2, 2007

You’re just saying all this because you want a new diesel vw. You forget I actually listen when you speak. :)

I’ll just say I think you’re making the assumption that the federal government would actually honestly use the fuel tax to develop alternative energy sources or something else worthwhile, instead of adding to its own bloated bureaucracy … I say this because I admit I’ve had the same thought, but the real problem is that the American public does not perceive this threat as clearly as you and I do. If they did there would be no objection to things like drilling in tiny areas of Alaska for domestic oil. In effect you’re saying because the American people aren’t smart enough to do the right thing, the government has to force it on them. And yes … that would make you a Democrat. :)

Birthday greetings!

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 07:59:00 -0500

Twenty-nine years ago today, I came squalling into the world, pissed-off that my head looked like this:

Mom was similarly disillusioned that my head was the size of this:

So, yeah…birthday. Pretty-much feels like any other day…I got one of these as a present:

As a result, my wife now gets to wake-up every morning at 5:20 on the dot to the sound of whirring blades, grinding coffee beans, and dripping hot water. I think of it as the gift that keeps on giving ;-)

Birthday greetings! (Comments)

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 07:59:00 -0500

Happy birthday, Harvid! I’m thinking of you.

<… Bill Randall - Nov 0, 2007

Happy birthday, Harvid! I’m thinking of you.

Biru

Recent Maria Pics...

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:11:00 -0500

Shameless cross-link here

Reaction...pathology results...

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:34:00 -0500

From Daniel 3 (KJV):

16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

Reaction...pathology results... (Comments)

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:34:00 -0500

Well said.

Jeff Roberts - Nov 3, 2007

Well said.

Mom update + election day

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:44:00 -0500

Mom slept pretty well last night, and is finally cleared for some solid foods. Everything is working in her digestive system, and they seem to be managing her pain well. She was resting comfortably (for the first time in 6 days) last night, according to my aunt.

* * *

Well, today is election day, or “The day the democrats take back the keys to the cesspit.” Getting anything done in this state is akin to the intrigues of Lorenzo de Medici’s Florence…everything is a political game. Fletcher went into the governor’s mansions naively thinking he could undo centuries of entitlements and pork.

Mom update -- recovering, no prognosis yet

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:17:00 -0500

Just got off the phone with Mom. They’ve unhooked the epidural, so she’s in quite a lot of pain in the area of the surgery, which they’re counteracting with oral pain meds, augmenting with injections as needed. She still has a long road to go just recovering from this surgery.

The docs said biopsy/pathology results would be available in 4-5 days, so we’re in that window.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and prayers.

From the "When It Rains, it Pours" file

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:04:00 -0400

Someone broke into my house today, right after Whitney left with Maria to pick-up Joey from school. Our ADT security system detected the intrusion and they called the police immediately. ADT called me and I told Whitney to go home and check-it-out. She said everything was still there, but the three drawers in our kitchen bar table were open wide.

Bizarre things–it was broad daylight, and if they’ve been casing our house they know PEOPLE PICK UP THEIR KIDS BY THAT BUS STOP every day.

From the "When It Rains, it Pours" file (Comments)

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:04:00 -0400

I will complain about nothing today.

I will com… Jeff Roberts - Nov 1, 2007

I will complain about nothing today.
I will complain about nothing today.
I will complain about nothing today.

Can't find the words

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:04:00 -0400

I’m trying to find the words to describe how awful yesterday was…Dad is devestated, we’re all in shock…

First, the good news: When they got in there, they saw what they were dealing with, and the surgeon considered stopping the operation. He didn’t. He did not give up hope on Mom; that’s about the best news I can hold onto right now.

The facts of it: She had a tumor invading the right lobe of her liver, her diaphragm, and the bottom of her right lung. They did an initial analysis on the lymph nodes in her chest and they came back clear, so they went forward, removing 40% of her liver, 20% of that lung, and removing/reconstructing her diaphragm. The surgery took 6 hours, and involved 3 surgeons. They considered stopping the surgery several times, but didn’t.

Mom update

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:25:00 -0400

My mom’s having surgery tomorrow morning. Preliminary indications are the ’thing’ on her liver (they switch from calling it a lesion or a tumor every other time.) isn’t cancer. She still has one more test to undergo tonight, then she is “top of the list” for surgery tomorrow at UK.

I just spoke with her, and she seems a little tired and on some pain meds, but she doesn’t seem scared.

Mom update (Comments)

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:25:00 -0400

Just happened upon your blog. When my mom was sic…

Schottzie03 - Oct 3, 2007

Just happened upon your blog. When my mom was sick I had some strangers let me know they were praying for her, and it made me feel good.

I wanted to pass that feeling along to you, and wish all the best for you, your mom and your family.

Update (sort of)

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:36:00 -0400

Thanks to all of you who’ve written offering prayers and well-wishes for Mom. She’s out of the hospital as of last Friday, but she’s going back tomorrow for further tests. What they think they know isn’t awful, but it will require more surgery.

She’s in pain, but she doesn’t seem too concerned (typical Mom, in other words!)

Please keep her in your prayers.

Mom's in the hospital...

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:55:00 -0400

There are days where I want to rename this blog “Tragedy and trials du jour”

So Mom’s back in the hospital for tests…she has some sort of “lesion” on her liver. She just had her gallbladder out back in July, but had continued pain during her recovery.

I’d really like to list the litany of crap that’s going on in my life right now, but that’s not going to do me much good. I feel like an over-saturated sponge (appropriate, considering), and I’ve lost the ability to internalize anything.

Mom's in the hospital... (Comments)

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:55:00 -0400

Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I w…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 5, 2007

Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn’t happen. – Steven Wright

It is hard I know. If you need anything or just to talk call me or e-mail. I will pray for you all.

Maria Update III

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:17:00 -0400

I know I know…where are freakin’ pics? Well, it’s been crazy at home, and I haven’t had 10 minutes on the computer to upload (insert excuse #2 here….insert excuse #3 here)

Summary: She is amazing. We’re massaging lotion into her new skin over the burns 4 times a day, and the areas are pinking right up. She’s learned to locomotor on all fours the right way, and she can blitz across the living room anytime she sees something shiny. She’s one smiling amazing baby girl.

Maria Update III (Comments)

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:17:00 -0400

Praise God, so glad she’s doing well.

Jeff Roberts - Oct 2, 2007

Praise God, so glad she’s doing well.

Followup -- Religion and politics

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:47:00 -0400

Wow, if I just throw sex in there, we’ll have all three taboo topics in one, n’est-ce pas?

Response to my post yesterday has been overwhelming (well, for me. I’m no Dawn). I think my wife put it best: “Jesus wouldn’t have been [Republican or Democrat]. He was a-political.”

Let me say this right up front–Christianity is tremendous. To me, it is Truth personified, the Creator of the universe reaching out to us as lovingly as He can, trying to reconcile the ultimate divide (sin) between Himself and us.

Followup -- Religion and politics (Comments)

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:47:00 -0400

I was trying to find a way to word something simil…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 2, 2007

I was trying to find a way to word something similar yesterday. Jesus did indeed stand apart from the government - one of the reasons the Jews rejected him was they were looking for a king and that’s not why he came.

He didn’t downplay the fact that there were commandments, rules, laws and consequences, and he didn’t say that right and wrong are in the eye of the beholder, or changing at the whim of the culture.

Jesus was a Democrat ???

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:48:00 -0400

Flash of insight I received during the sermon yesterday: Jesus was a Democrat (or, more appropriately, a ‘Liberal’). More specifically, I don’t see any way I could call Him a Republican or a Conservative.

This all spills out from our current sermon series on the book of Mark. Mark is (probably) the first gospel to be composed, and it was likely written by John Mark, a disciple of Simon Peter, the guy of whom Jesus said “Upon this Rock (literally Petra == Rock) I shall build my church”. Mark is all business–this is what Jesus said, this is what it means. If something seems unclear or too Judean, he explains it in a parenthetical note. Mark’s the Cliffs’ Notes for Christ.

Jesus was a Democrat ??? (Comments)

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:48:00 -0400

Aww, man! And he might have helped the Samaritans…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 1, 2007

Aww, man! And he might have helped the Samaritans sneaking across the border, too!

Certainly, there’s “…if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess 3:10) and other verses that seem Republican-ish. And the far left seems awash in moral relativism at best, whereas God is clearly serious about rules and consequences.

Quote of the day (so far)

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:30:00 -0400

(Blathering description of how a device was probably broken, but if it was I had a magic way to fix it ’temporarily')

My colleague: “You’re into all that nerdly stuff, arencha?”

Yes. Yes I am.

Trying to get back in the swing...

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:18:00 -0400

I had some really bad chili Wednesday night at church and…well, let’s just say I won’t be eating chili again for awhile. Maybe ever. I awoke around midnight and began a 36 hour nausea bender, combined with weakness, muscle aches, and general exhaustion.

Yep, I was sick.

So, Thursday and Friday pretty much didn’t exist, and Saturday. Well, Saturday was hard. No excuses, just…I was not my normal, loving self; I was abnormally self-loving, and that wasn’t cool.

Trying to get back in the swing... (Comments)

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:18:00 -0400

disagree. I think Jesus would be a liberal conser…

Whitney - Oct 1, 2007

disagree. I think Jesus would be a liberal conservative. Saying “democrat” has no meaning for most of the world, and means something different NOW domestically than it did 100 years ago….but go on….

‘Liberal conservative’…is that like a ‘drunken teetotaler’?

Yeah, I debated saying ’liberal’ or ‘Democrat’, but thought Democrat would have more meaning.

RegisterForPrintAsyncNotifications

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:18:00 -0400

I write this in hopes of saving you some time, if you’re looking at MSFT’s new RegisterForPrintAsyncNotifications API (new in Vista and Server 2008).

At first glance (and second, and third) glance, this API doesn’t seem to work. It promises to provide asynchronous notifications of state changes to the print objects in the spooler, but how the $#@^ does it work? Let’s look at it more closely. (It’s defined int he file prnasnot.h, if you’ve got your sdk handy.

RegisterForPrintAsyncNotifications (Comments)

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:18:00 -0400

I am using the AsyncUI sample code provided with t…

Sangeeta - Apr 4, 2008

I am using the AsyncUI sample code provided with the printer samples. The
AsyncUIMessageBox displays correctly on the server when the printer is
installed as the local printer on Vista.
I cannot get the message box to appaer on the client PC though. The
RegisterForPrintAsyncNotifications function on the client PC never returns
when a remote printer name is passed to it. The
documentation(http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa506182.aspx)
suggests that a local/remote printer or server name can be passed to this
function.

Preserved for posterity

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:52:00 -0400

Had to steal this from the whiteboard in my old building.

“Potential Mottos for the family crest”

Why does this keep happening to me?

Again?!

Recidite, plebes!

Duty, honor, payment

We don’t know what’s broke or how to fix it

The next one will be normal, you’ll see!

Fabricati diem

too lazy to work, too nervous to steal

we don’t have clue one

What, me worry?

rex cloaca!

Probably our fault

Maria Update II

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:43:00 -0400

Nearly a week on and no update on my daughter. Sorry!

As is typical with me, no news is good news–Maria’s Aquacell bandages (think big synthetic scabs) have fallen off, and her torso is healing very well. It’s trending more towards a healthy pink away from the angry red that it was.

We’re not so pleased with her leg. Her wound there is still seeping in two places; we’re calling the Dr’s for opinions on that.

Review: "The New Reality" Seminar

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:55:00 -0400

Just sat through Karl Schoemer’s “The New Reality” seminar. Schoemer, an Indiana-Weslyan University grad (Woohoo!), teaches a tough-love seminar on recognizing change, dealing with your responses to it (Shock, Denial, Identity Crisis, and Search for Solutions), and recognizing positive and negative behaviors associated with it.

The overall message is: “Old reality” is dead. The social contract of selling your soul to a company, working there for 30 years and retiring as a good “company man” no longer exists. Each person is responsible for his relative contribution, attitudes, and responses to change. It’s never going back to “the good old days”. Stop having this familial, parent/child attitude towards work. They owe you nothing, aside from a paycheck.

Kevin Bacon

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 11:53:00 -0400

Try this

Leave it to compsci guys to take all the fun out of “Six Degress of Kevin Bacon”

Maria Update

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:51:00 -0400

First of all, let me thank everyone for the outpouring of support we’ve been given! Family, church, friends, and mere acquaintances have all written, emailed, called, and visited. If it takes a village to raise a child, then our real and virtual “village” has closed ranks like I’ve never seen.

Maria seems to be getting better. She remains comfortable during dressing changes, and her outer dressings are no longer “dirty” when we change them. Honestly, I think she’s more concerned with eating and playing with toys than her burn at this point. She’s even gotten up on her hands-and-knees to crawl for short distances.

Near tragedy

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:33:00 -0400

At 11am Saturday, while she was out enjoying breakfast at Cracker Barrel with Whitney and her Grandmother Cathy, my daughter Maria was scalded over 10% of her body by a carafe of boiling water. The waitress sat the water too close to her, and she reached out and pulled it onto herself.

She was seated in a highchair at the time, and the boiling liquid burned her from the center of her chest to her waist, and the upper part of her right thigh. A nurse behind Whitney directed them the administer first aid, and an ambulance took her directly to the University of Kentucky hospital E.R.

Near tragedy... (Comments)

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:33:00 -0400

Poor baby! Give us a yell if you need anything!

Jeff Roberts - Oct 1, 2007

Poor baby! Give us a yell if you need anything!

I am so sorry to hear about Maria being hurt. Let me know if you need anything.

Update: She’s had a pretty good day today. She’s in pain, but she’s eaten a couple of times and we’ve changed her dressings without causing her too much pain.

Courtesy of my mother-in-law

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:22:00 -0400

“Isn’t it awful that he’s so old he only gets the parts of the dead guy?”

Courtesy of my mother-in-law (Comments)

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:22:00 -0400

Wha???

Jeff Roberts - Sep 6, 2007

Wha???

Hoo Boy we need RAIN

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 08:06:00 -0400

From the Herald-Misleader:

Georgetown officials yesterday placed mandatory restrictions on outdoor watering. Among the uses banned are watering established lawns or golf courses, filling fountains or pools, and washing sidewalks. Soaker hoses may be used on sod, vegetable gardens, flowers, trees and shrubs. That should happen only on certain hours and days. The schedule is the same followed by Kentucky American Water customers: 6 to 10 a.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. People with addresses ending in odd numbers water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Those with even numbers water on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Billy Jenkins, manager of the city’s water service, said officials hope to reduce consumption by 15 percent to 30 percent. Royal Spring, which usually supplies most of Georgetown’s water, has been dropping rapidly, Jenkins said. In recent days, Georgetown bought up to 60 percent of its water from Frankfort.

Latest Shot

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:52:00 -0400

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closeup_cropped, originally uploaded by miniharryc.

Daddy with severe 5 o’clock shadow and Maria squinting at the camera :-)

My boss cooing at Maria

Lovely article about Mr. Bose

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:39:00 -0400

They are some awesome (expensive!) components. At the height of my gadget craze, I almost bought an Acoustic Wave, but just couldn’t justify it.

My struggle

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:39:00 -0400

Tired.
Bored.
Lonely.
Bitter.
Angry.
Helpless.
Controlled.
Concealed.
Afraid.
Aggravated.
Imprisoned.
Obligated.

I really don’t have anywhere to hide today. I’ve ALWAYS had somewhere to hide–work, women, racing, ****, friends, school, academics, video games, chat rooms, reading. That’s the comforting thing about being obsessive–you lose yourself in things, easily. You’re not YOU when it’s uncomfortable to be there. Obsession, fantasy, denial–they all go hand-in-hand. They’re my trinity of “not dealing with stuff”.

My struggle (Comments)

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:39:00 -0400

I can identify with trying to remove distractions …

Jeff Roberts - Sep 5, 2007

I can identify with trying to remove distractions and make time to just be still.

We all need to be in our own little bubble sometimes it is what keeps us sane. And yes I think that everyone goes through the same struggles.

"Hercules": AWFUL

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:05:00 -0400

Probably the worst Disney animated film of the modern era. They sanitized the lusty, humanist story of Heracles. Example:

One of Heracles’s challenges was put to him by King Thespius of Thespiae who wished him to kill the Lion of Cithaeron. As a reward, the king offered him the chance to impregnate each of his 50 daughters. Accordingly, Heracles did this in one night (sometimes referred to as his 13th Labour).

ROFL!!...

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 14:42:00 -0400

I was sitting at a red light when they rolled up beside me, the guy riding his Suzuki Do-Me 8000 with his hot female companion on the back, her thongage pouring out of her low-rise jeans. Her blond hair fell from beneath the helmet and fluffed weightlessly in the hot breeze. Her skintight ballistic-armor motorcycle jacket was unzipped down to her navel. It’s a good look, I guess, if you go in for that sort of thing.

Courtesy of Joey...

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:31:00 -0400

Scene: Kitchen table. Joey’s eating his A-B-C’s & 123’s. I’m reading the paper. The contents of my wallet lay spread upon the table, drying from their recent trip through the washer. (“But Honey, I was going to wear those shorts!”/“For the THIRD DAY IN A ROW?!”). Joey regards one card intently.

Joe: “Harold…umm….this doesn’t make sense.”

Me: “Huh?”

Joe: “Well…this says Auto-Zone Re-Wards.”

Me: “Yeah…”

Joe: “There’s nothing rewarding at Autozone.”

Courtesy of Joey... (Comments)

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:31:00 -0400

I believe the answer to “Honey, I was going to wea…

Whitney - Sep 3, 2007

I believe the answer to “Honey, I was going to wear those shorts!” was “I washed them because they were in the laundry pile.” Forget that you were gonna wear them for the third day in a row….the third day in a row out of the hamper? Now that’s gross. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my husband.

TCL quote of the day

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:48:00 -0400

TCL goodness

One girl told me I loved my car more than I loved her.

I replied that I love my car. I don’t love you.

Oy. Make a girl feels special, whydoncha?

TCL quote of the day (Comments)

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:48:00 -0400

She: Your car is a hunk of junk.

Me: At least i… Jeff Roberts - Aug 2, 2007

She: Your car is a hunk of junk.
Me: At least it doesn’t belong to my Daddy.

Yeah, that was the beginning of the end.

Fantasy Football!!!

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 08:18:00 -0400

Yeah, you knew it had to happen…I like football. Why not indulge in that national passion–Fantasy Football.

My team’s called the ‘Madden 09 Wannabees’, and we had our draft at Bufallo Wild Wings on Todd’s road:

View Larger Map

Anywho, Here’s the linueup I got (picked #8 in a serpentine draft):

Starters:

RB - Brian Wetbrook - Philly
RB - Willis McGahee - Balt’more
QB - Vince Young - Ten

Fantasy Football!!! (Comments)

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 08:18:00 -0400

Here is my team:

STARTERS:
QB: Carson P… BryanCombs - Aug 2, 2007

Here is my team:

STARTERS:
QB: Carson Palmer
WR: Chad Johnson
WR: Marvin Harrison
WR: Calvin Johnson
RB: Adrian Peterson
RB: Cedric Benson
TE: Jason Witten
K: Adam Vinatieri
DEF: Green Bay

BENCH:
QB: Tony Romo
RB: DeAngelo Williams
WR: Mushin Muhammad
WR Marty Booker
TE: David Martin
DEF: Cincinnati

One more thing about the circus....

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:32:00 -0400

We had GREAT seats. I’ve never had seats like that for anything…not a High School band concert, even. We were 2 rows back from “center stage”. When they were doing their skits, the performers were maybe 5 feet away from me. I could see the creases in the makeup, that some performers were a LOT older than they wanted to appear.

And then, it hits me. I’ve got highly made-up women on a platform above me dancing in spandex, sequins, and stockings:

Review: Ringling Bros "Blue" Circus

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:17:00 -0400

You’d think the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Baily Circus is unchanging, right?

Wrong.

Two words for you: House Cats.

Yes, there’s an act in the middle of the 1st act of the Circus where a two trainers do an act with trained housecats. I’d pay real money if Letterman would do a walk-on and and make some quip about “Stupid Pet Tricks”.

But, it got better.

I’ve been to the circus in Lexington many times, most recently in 2001, when the “Red” Ringling Bros. circus came to town. This is the circus with Bello, a clown/aerialist/acrobat main character with Vanilla Ice’s haircut. It’s also the traditional, 3-ring “Big Top” show. What we got this time in Lexington is the “Blue” circus, a one-ring circus with a plot (trust me!) that plays like an amalgam of Cirque du Soleil and a broadway show.

Review: Ringling Bros "Blue" Circus (Comments)

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:17:00 -0400

“Gold” is coming to town where I live next month. …

Thomas J. Brown - Aug 5, 2007

“Gold” is coming to town where I live next month. I’ve never been big on the circus, but their female ring leader, Liliana Escobar, is pretty hot. Maybe I’ll go see the circus. -)

Rumination on calling conventions

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 08:32:00 -0400

Back in the dark ages of 1998, I took my first programming class. As was the style of the time, the class was taught in Pascal, a language Nicklaus Wirth designed explicitly to teach structured programming concepts. Think of Pascal like an advanced jet trainer:

They teach you all the cool stuff with it, before they turn you loose in the F-15’s to wax some MiGs.

Anyway, Pascal had some neat concepts and quirks, one of which was the way it made a distinction between ‘functions’ (subroutines that returned data) and ‘procedures’ (subroutines that were passed data and operated on it). So, for example, you might have a function called ‘double’ that took an integer and returned that number times 2:

"The Wifi Guy"

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 08:03:00 -0400

I went to my first meeting with my new division yesterday, and I must say, It sounds pretty good. A particular highpoint was The Wifi Guy. Nice idea for the new media–funny, viral, very over-the-top.

LXK’s making a big foray into wireless consumer printers. Thing that gets me–why aren’t we doing some sort of co-branding with Apple? Apple’s main selling point these days is cordless, wireless, de-cluttered desktops. With this new line, seems like we’d be right there.

Neat little C++, templatized command line parser

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:32:00 -0400

I’m writing some toy apps that integrate with our libraries, and so I was looking for a good, Windows-compliant version of GNU Getopt. Cygwin has a version, but that ties me to the cygwin installation (I think…)

Anyway, Getopt is straight POSIX C, and googling around I found this C++ .h called TCLAP it’s well documented and implemented as inlines in the tclap/CmdLine.h. Seems very similar to the ruby ‘optparse’ module in spirit and implementation.

Neat little C++, templatized command line parser (Comments)

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:32:00 -0400

hello my name is harold and i like to spend my tim…

Whitney - Aug 2, 2007

hello my name is harold and i like to spend my time inventing my own language and pretending other ppl know what I’m talking about….

No! I don’t want to go on the cart!

Bring out yer dead

lollercart

Transporter 2

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:45:00 -0400

Ah, Luc Besson (The man who wrote The Fifth Element) brings us another gem of style-over-substance.

If you could epitomize Eurotrash in a movie, this is it.

But, God, such fun!

Nothing like a man barrel-rolling a W-12 powered Audi A8 to remove a bomb attached to its undercarriage. Frank (Jason Statham), is a very, very bad man, but his schtick great–Always wearing a crisp suit, always in a clean car, always in control.

Getting up-to-speed in the new reality...

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:09:00 -0400

Ah, so two weeks have elapsed of my new job, two weeks that skated between elation, boredom, fear, and frustration. It’s a whole different world over here. Some people like it, some people don’t. Me? I’m withholding judgment for now. I do like my team–they seem like quiet, competent, hardworking folks. They’ve been helpful to a total outsider in all senses of the word–an old unix + java wonk who’s now playing in the world of C/C++ and Windows.

Quote of the Day

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:26:00 -0400

(Scene: Inside a meeting room with my new department, going over survey results)

S: “Well, the results indicate I’m not doing too well with y’allz careers on and individual level. So let me know if you’re aching to do something different..or if you’re bored with what you’ve been doing for 6 years.”

B: “Like…Harold was.”

Yep

Quote of the Day (Comments)

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:26:00 -0400

:-)

I’m pretty content with what I’m doing,… Jeff Roberts - Aug 3, 2007

:-)

I’m pretty content with what I’m doing, although I just started ramping up for this iteration and found that all 3 of the things on my list are gated until NK does some work. Oh, well, another day or so to tie up loose ends before they turn into PTRs.

Win32 in a nutshell

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:16:00 -0400

So, basically:

Create a struct to hold your class.
Create a Window struct.
Enter your event loop and process events

That’s kinda it…The rest is a bunch of nasty #define’s and macros Windows has built-up.

Cups...er, I mean XPS

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 07:05:00 -0400

So, I’m reading through the documentation on Windows printing, trying to learn what this is all about. My team writes stuff that sits between the Windows Spooler (spoolsrv.exe) and the Kernel-model communications pieces.

Anyway, so I come to a great fork in the road: GDI and XPS. GDI (Graphical Device Interface) is the way that earlier windows programs (Win32) talk to the display and printing subsystem. Essentially, everything in GDI is a bitmap. This is “the old way of doing things”.

Black Friday?

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 08:33:00 -0400

Hrm…let’s see. Yesterday:

- A French Bank closed 3 subprime hedge funds because there’s not enough liquidity to value them. I don’t know what that means exactly, but it sounds bad.
- The S&P dropped 3% yesterday.
- The subprime mortgage fiasco is turning into a vortex.

I yanked my 401(k) back into a money market. I’m NOT looking forward to a repeat of the bath I took on my Roth in 2001.

Black Friday? (Comments)

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 08:33:00 -0400

not enough liquidity to value them….the mtg co’s…

Whitney - Aug 5, 2007

not enough liquidity to value them….the mtg co’s are so far upside down on their lending that it’s not even worth the analysts’ time?

well, the hedge funds were invested in the subprime mortgages and mortgage brokers themselves. I used to be invested in Harbor Fund’s Harbor Bond fund and it had a great run investing in mortgages, but it scared me so I got out before 2005.

Why it's imperative to read your mortagage agreement...

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:54:00 -0400

The final type is known simply as the demand clause, and this means that the lender can demand repayment of the loan in full at any time for any reason. This clause gives the lender the same powers as the acceleration and due on sale clauses, but also allows the lender to raise interest rates even if you aren’t selling your property.

Yikes…

Why it's imperative to read your mortagage agreement... (Comments)

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:54:00 -0400

Yeah but that’s typically included in ANY loan ya …

Whitney - Aug 2, 2007

Yeah but that’s typically included in ANY loan ya get. The lender USUALLY reserves the right to demand payment in full at any time for any reason…..every loan I ever did had that as part as the standard loanliner - at both bank and CU.

First Blog from my new office

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:46:00 -0400

The good:

I have an office (yes, my own!) and it’s really sweet–near the door, the printing area, the break area, and the AA desk. I got all my stuff over here in 1 load, and everyone’s been really nice so far.

The bad:

I don’t have a power cord for my phone yet. If you want to contact me, better try email, IM, or cell.

Think I’ll break for lunch and hit some yummy leftovers.

First Blog from my new office (Comments)

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:46:00 -0400

Sounds cool! I keep talking to the empty side of …

Jeff Roberts - Aug 1, 2007

Sounds cool! I keep talking to the empty side of your old office but no one answers :-)

I HATED "THE SIMPSONS MOVIE"

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 23:03:00 -0400

So, I took one 2 hr block to myself. I grabbed my once-a-month blow fund and headed out after a rather trying Saturday of watching the kids, and said, “Damn it, I’m going to see something for me.”

Something with nary a trace of romantic comedy, meaningful plotline, or maybe even sense. I went to watch “The Simpsons Movie”.

Let’s cut to the chase. You get to see Bart’s penis, Homer flips-off the residents of Springfield, Otto hits a bong, and Marge says ‘Goddamn’. That’s why this movie is PG-13.

Holden Beach Sunrise

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 22:03:00 -0400

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Holden Beach Sunrise, originally uploaded by miniharryc.

(Trying out a post from Flickr, so forgive me if this is weird…)

Rest of the set

Holden Beach Sunrise (Comments)

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 22:03:00 -0400

Nice pics!

Jeff Roberts - Aug 5, 2007

Nice pics!

Great, funny read

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:40:00 -0400

Why I hate frameworks

Put in my context: “Here’s a 150MB download with a Java Virtual Machines, a Tomcat webserver, the entire Spring framework, extensions to the spring framework, a firebird database, and two Windows Services you must install.”

“What’s it do?”

“It gets 5 pieces of data from a fleet of widgets. But it’s really fast.”

“How long did it take to develop?”

“2 years”

::sigh::

I also believe a 747 can be used to squash a flea, but YIKES…

Quote for the day (yesterday)

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:37:00 -0400

“Do you go a day without self-reflection?”

“Yes”

(narrowed eyes) “Do you go TWO days without it?”

(long pause) “Yes. To answer your next question: Three days is pushing it.”

...and now, I'm a real homeowner. (Part 687)

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:31:00 -0400

Returning from our jaunt around Georgetown last night around 8, Joey and I entered a house that couldn’t be more tranquil: A load of laundry swished in the washer, the dishwasher was humming, and the pleasant smell of the new Airwick was in the air.

Joey went up to shower, and I sat down to veg-out.

A few minutes later, feeling peaked, I went to the fridge for a cheese stick. As I closed the door, processed cheese in hand I felt something hit my foot. Then I looked up to see A STREAM OF WATER GUSHING FROM THE LIGHT FIXTURE.

Thoughts: C++ (is whacked!)

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 08:01:00 -0400

So, at my time on the beach, I inhaled Lippman’s “C++ Primer (4th Edition)”, attempting to get back up-to-speed on a language I left 6 years ago. At that time, I knew enough to be dangerous, but I didn’t know enough programming theory to “get” half the stuff. My instruction on C++ had been “C using iostream”, and some cursory stuff on classes and templates.

Anyway, I’m both impressed and horrified at C++. After coming through its ISO standardization, the language picked up some heavy-duty container and algorithm libraries, and they’re well thought-out and consistent. However, C++ makes some design decisions that are almost contradictory, and the programmer pays the price for it. It’s a compiled, strongly-typed language that allows multiple inheritance and operator overloading. Put a different way: It’s a language that lets you prove how smart you think you are, while shooting yourself in the foot, ankle, leg…you get the idea.

Short update

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:31:00 -0400

First things first–thanks for the well-wishes! Mom’s doing okay–she had gallbladder surgery July 20th, and sailed through with flying colors.

We embarked on our vacation, and I’ll be writing several updates to go with that, but to summarize: Eight days with no computer, and barely any traveling in the car were awesome. The drive down there and back with two small kids was not so great. Didn’t get too sunburned.

Prayer Requests...

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:13:00 -0400

My mom is in the hospital, awaiting surgery today at 11 am. It’s just a gallbladder removal–simple, laproscopic, and routine. I’m still uneasy–the pain she’s been having doesn’t add-up to just gallbladder problems.

If all goes well with that, I’m headed out on vacation tomorrow, 654 miles to the Atlantic Seaboard, namely Holden Beach, North Carolina. I pray we all stay safe and that all goes well with Mom’s surgery.

Prayer Requests... (Comments)

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:13:00 -0400

I hope and pray that your Mom is fine.

Susan - Jul 5, 2007

I hope and pray that your Mom is fine.

Factoid milestone

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:58:00 -0400

At 11:42 pm this past Saturday, I had a moment: I had a useless piece of information to impart regarding the topic at hand, and I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING.

I’m usually the guy who’s throwing in random facts. This is because I have (or had) a burning desire to appear intelligent.

This marks the only time in recent memory where I had the opportunity and didn’t say anything

The weekend that was...(funny story ahead)

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:28:00 -0400

Idyllic weekend…reading, exercise, and trying to buy a piano in Da Hood.

Friday night: walked around Scott Co Park for 1 1/2 hrs.

Saturday: The Piano Story.

Sunday: Church, hanging out at home.

* * *

The Piano Story:

Whitney wants a piano. She wants the kids to take piano lessons, and she’d like to start playing again herself. I dig pianos, too. Well, I like music in general.

Thing is, in order to afford one, we need to get one used. This isn’t really a problem, because lots of people move cross-country and don’t want to take their thousand pound piano with them.

The weekend that was...(funny story ahead) (Comments)

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:28:00 -0400

yup :)

Whitney - Jul 2, 2007

yup :)

Loving a good rant

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:18:00 -0400

Project management in the software industry seems to suffer from a level of delusion that would get a person heavily medicated and assigned to a padded room for their own safety. One definition of insanity is expecting different results from the same input. And yet project after project gets planned with the same naive assumption that deliverable dates will be met, changes will not be added at the last minute and that senior VPs will not want to mark the project by making a pointless last minute addition just so they can say they had input into the project and justify their salaries.

Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 07:57:00 -0400

A couple of years after the last film came out we have the next installment of the Daniel Radcli…er…Harry Potter movies, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Let’s get this out of the way–I LOVED THIS MOVIE! The trio can really act these days (particularly Emma Watson and Radcliffe), and the movie was a visual and comedic delight. From the first scene on, we’re in the land of tasteful CGI–From the first scene’s dementor attack throught he climactic battle between Voldemort and Dumbledoor, it’s a wizard’s world, and wonder abounds.

Correlation: No pension == no loyalty?

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:17:00 -0400

Had a fascinating conversation with Chuck the other day, where he said:

The best thing that ever happened to me is when they cut out my pension

This got me thinking: Today, if you’re lucky you have some employer-matching, tax-deferred retirement plan, like a 401(k), 403(b), SIMPLE, ABC-XYZ-Dooflatchie. These plans are all portable–quit or get laid-off, and you take the money with you.

From a corporate perspective, this moves legacy costs off the books. once you’ve contributed to the plan, your obligation ends, and the employee and the servicing company (say, Fidelity or Vanguard) handle the rest. This is A Good Thingtm.

Correlation: No pension == no loyalty? (Comments)

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:17:00 -0400

ABSOLUTELY!!

When I started at the credit uni… Whitney - Jul 2, 2007

ABSOLUTELY!!
When I started at the credit union, retirement benefits included 100% pension with 100% healthcare costs covered.

As soon as the first people retired (5 in one year, four years ago), they cut retirement for everyone, changing it to 50% pension from the average of your last 5 years of salary with no healthcare costs covered, including cutting the healthcare coverage for the 5 existing pension recipients. Granted most companies offer no pension (their excuse and main bragging point during transition) but it definitely negated any niggling loyalty I had to the CU. If a company’s not going to offer retirement benefits, in addition to treating you like crap while you’re there, why bother to stay?

Janitorial Spin

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:14:00 -0400

Replying to your earlier email about the quality of my work.

I’d just like to reiterate that while your comments about the bathroom and vending areas are valid (and appreciated), I would remind you that this building has four floors. I agree that your floor is sub-optimal. I think our whole product support organization would join me in echoing your sentiments that toilets that flush are preferable to ‘sewer gas spewing [expletive deleted] holes’.

Janitorial Spin (Comments)

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:14:00 -0400

WTF?

Whitney - Jul 4, 2007

WTF?

Engineers explained

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:27:00 -0400

POWERS OF CONCENTRATION
If there is one trait that best defines an engineer it is the ability to concentrate on one subject to the complete exclusion of everything else in the environment. This sometimes causes engineers to be pronounced dead prematurely. Some funeral homes in high-tech areas have started checking resumes before processing the bodies. Anybody with a degree in electrical engineering or experience in computer programming is propped up in the lounge for a few days just to see if he or she snaps out of it.

The 1-series is coming!!

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:01:00 -0400

I’ll take an E30-size car with 240 hp for under $30k, please, Alex :-)

I think BMW finally figured-out that the 3-series was getting a little too big. Supposedly, there’s plenty of the previous gen 3-series engineering in this car (as there is in the R50/R53 MINIs).

Nummy…now in about 10 years when I can afford a used one :-)

From a beautiful meeting a few days ago...

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 09:20:00 -0400

J-M (with heavy French accent): …and now vee have zee tree per-son who get ze ‘ate wall certification.

J: [raised hand] May I ask a question?

J-M: Cer-tan-lee

J: What’s ’eight wall’.

J-M: It is zee next thing af-tur seven wall.

* * *

Perhaps this was one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments, but dang was it funny! J-M goofing on my old boss. Beautiful.

On "Compilers"

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 07:59:00 -0400

At Georgetown College, I took Compilers, a 400-level capstone course that scared the hell out of everyone. Everyone was like 10 students, because our CS department was that small. However, it was a required course. If you wanted to graduate witha B.S. in CompSci, then you had to have this course.

The prof was Bryan Crawley. Mister Crawley (insert Ozzy reference here). A strange guy, he was without a terminal degree, which made him the bootheel of the Math, Physics, and Computer Science department. The one thing this guy *loved* was compilers–he started introducing compiler-like concepts back in CS 111.

On "Compilers" (Comments)

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 07:59:00 -0400

Our compiler class at UK, taught by Prof. Kubota w…

Jeff Roberts - Jun 6, 2007

Our compiler class at UK, taught by Prof. Kubota was a joke. Lotsa theory scribbled over the board and one project that it took most of the class the whole semester to complete. I wish we HAD done some hands-on with lex and yacc - I get the concepts behind it all but it’s still easier for me to write a strtok() parser for simple stuff. That and so few people know enough to maintain a lex/yacc parser that you’re just asking for trouble. Drives me nuts when someone “shows off” by writing a parser for something nearly as simple as a property file.

Review: Ghost Rider

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:24:00 -0400

Two words: Loved it.

Dumb, enjoyable comic book movie. Not pretentious (a la “Hulk”), nor overlong (Spidey #3).

Any move where a flaming skeleton rides a demonic motorcycle up a skyscraper to defeat an elemental demon is worth at least a look. The CGI looked great, and Cage got to chew the scenery (and co-star Eva Mendes) for a full 112 minutes.

Probably the best part for me is Peter Fonda as Satan, strolling by Cage’s motorcycle offering “Nice Bike.” Cage’s bike is a replica of Fonda’s from “Easy Rider”

Review: Ghost Rider (Comments)

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:24:00 -0400

yeah I liked it too. campy, but I’d hit that.

Whitney - Jun 5, 2007

yeah I liked it too. campy, but I’d hit that.

Father's Day meditation

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 17:06:00 -0400

Happy Father’s day to all the men out there.

As I sat in Church today, I was taken back to February 10th, to a particular moment I’d like to share.

* * *

The operation was over. Maria was fine–pink, healthy, and squalling. Whitney was holding up well; I hated to leave her, but I wanted to stay with the baby in her first minutes of life. I gazed upon her as she got her first examinations; the pediatrician said she was fine, with a nice twinkle in her eyes.

Father's Day meditation (Comments)

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 17:06:00 -0400

Good post, by the way!

Jeff Roberts - Jun 3, 2007

Good post, by the way!

In honor of my pal Susan: Blue people

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 22:35:00 -0400

Blue People

Yes, this is an article in Pravda (the former Soviet newspaper) about the blue Fugates from Troublesome Creek, on the border between Breathitt and Perry counties.

Fun times.

In honor of my pal Susan: Blue people (Comments)

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 22:35:00 -0400

LOL that is great..

Susan - Jun 6, 2007

LOL that is great..

Review: "Of Mice And Men"

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:55:00 -0400

Gary Sinise’s 1992 remake of the John Steinbeck novel Of Mice and Men was long and boring, but strangely compeling. Sinise plays George, a migrant worker in Californa during the Great Depression. George is joined at the hip to a giant named Lennie Smalls, played by John Malkovich.

As the movie opens, we see Lennie and George fleeing from a posse, George has done some very bad thing, and they had to get away, hiding among the reeds in a creek to throw off the bloodhounds. From there, the story revolves around them as they seek work at a Barley farm, doing hard manual labor as they desperately try to stay out of trouble.

Review: "Of Mice And Men" (Comments)

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:55:00 -0400

I enjoyed the book quite a bit and thought it was …

Chuck Fouts - Jun 5, 2007

I enjoyed the book quite a bit and thought it was an excellent window into the life of two generations ago. I hadn’t heard of the movie but your “long and boring” along with the “but one worth watching” has me confused. Is this a good movie for the replication of the original story, for the mind set of watching the vagaries of life, or for the performance of the actors themselves. To be honest Malkovich has worn me thin over the years but I could watch Cool Hand Luke every year or so without getting too tired of it.

Props to EYESUPONUS

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 08:57:00 -0400

From my pal Chris Cool (yes, that is his real name…). His band EYESUPONUS is playing Icthus this weekend

Thanks to all your support and all your votes, we will be playing the
Ichthus Festival in Wilmore, KY this weekend!

The festival is Thursday 14th - Saturday 16th. There are three stages: the
main stage, the Deep End stage, and the Edge stage.

We are scheduled to play Saturday at 3:40 pm on The Edge stage. If you are
at the festival, please come and hang out with us for our 25-minute set. We
wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you all, and EYESUPONUS truly appreciates
the love and support we have gotten throughout this entire process. I hope
to see as many of you there as possible.

Checkin' out 'Safari' on windows

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:03:00 -0400

Just downloaded the public Windows beta of Safari from here, and I must say I’m impressed…

It’s really fast, and it automatically imported my Firefox bookmarks.

Guess this is apple’s plan, eat Windows from the inside out :-)

In other news

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:00:00 -0400

My daughter is now 14 lbs, 10 oz, and 25 inches long, and 4 months old.

Back to your regularly scheduled ranting.

In other news (Comments)

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:00:00 -0400

You forgot “and cute as a button”.

Jeff Roberts - Jun 1, 2007

You forgot “and cute as a button”.

Review: "Making Room for Life" by Randy Frazee

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:02:00 -0400

Our church Wednesday night group is reading Making Room for Life.

The book extols simple living, but not in the systematic, hair-shirted way others have. Instead, it takes some biblical principles as axioms and wraps modern problems around them. The main axiom is the “Hebrew Day”, which you could also rename the “Agrarian Day”. That is, a daily schedule defined, as its name implies, by daylight and darkness–daylight is for productive work, darkness is for rest and individual/communal recuperation.

Review: "Making Room for Life" by Randy Frazee (Comments)

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:02:00 -0400

I’d have to take the “radical” option - move to a …

Jeff Roberts - Jun 2, 2007

I’d have to take the “radical” option - move to a condo where the only chores are indoor ones, and where my neighbors are right in my face, since we’re all going to be so neighborly anyway.

CPI chart: 1978 to now

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 09:35:00 -0400

Interesting Consumer Price Index chart, from 1978 to now

Basically, some items are going up much faster than inflation (Cost of college being #1) and some are flat to declining (cost of cars, televisions).

I’ve got this theory that people are buying more expensive cars because of zero down, 0% interest loans that encourage them to get overextended. This leads to debt-slavery, meaning you become accustomed to always having a car payment, even though that (probably) isn’t necessary.

Review: Night at the Museum

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:33:00 -0400

Yes, it had lots of plot holes, but it was light-hearted, escapist fun. I liked it because it didn’t take itself too seriously, electing to scream at the audience “Sure, WHY NOT?!”

The special effects are very well done, and the acting’s decent, if tounge-in-cheek.

Review: Night at the Museum (Comments)

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:33:00 -0400

We liked it, too.

“Do they look happy?!” Jeff Roberts - Jun 3, 2007

We liked it, too.

“Do they look happy?!”
“Naw, they look saaad.”

How erlang just blew my mind

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:08:00 -0400

qsort([]) -> []; qsort([Pivot|T]) -> qsort([X || X <- T, X < Pivot]) ++ [Pivot] ++ qsort([X || X <- T, X >= Pivot]).

(taken from ‘Programming Erlang’ by the pragmatic programmers).

That’s just…beautiful. Quicksort in 4 lines. Nothing extraneous, just the pure recursive algorithm.

Erlang is bending my mind, but that’s okay…it needs a little kick every so often.

Van shopping

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 07:42:00 -0400

As we’re all a little down about Joey leaving for the summer, I suggested we go test-driving. Whitney’s been jonesing for minivans since Maria arrived, and I thought a test-drive of two of these behemoths would get it out of her system, or redirect her at something smaller like a Mazda5.

Nope.

Her current object d’amour:

That’s a Sienna LE.

Van shopping (Comments)

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 07:42:00 -0400

That was the best rated mini-van when we purchased…

Chuck - Jun 0, 2007

That was the best rated mini-van when we purchased one back in 2003. We ended up buying a Honda Odyssey since was also highly rated but cheaper by a few thousand at the time. Love the Honda except for the fact that there is more road noise than I find acceptable. Friends of mine that didn’t like the stigma associated with a mini-van ended up buying the Honda Pilot.

Dysfunctional Organizations

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:10:00 -0400

There’s a new ‘Pirates’ movie

Teenagers have a wonderful term for this self-deception: “We suck less.” Being less bad is not good. Teens recognize, rightfully, that being better off than terrible is still fairly terrible.

Soylent green is PEOPLE!!!!

Wed, 30 May 2007 10:08:00 -0400

Revelation of the morning:

“Piano Man” by Billy Joel is LIMERICKS!

He says, son, can you play me a memory?
Im not really sure how it goes
But its sad and its sweet
and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger mans clothes

Now john at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And hes quick with a joke
or to light up your smoke
But theres someplace that hed rather be

Dilbertian moment: Office Space (literally!)

Tue, 29 May 2007 11:31:00 -0400

There once was programmer from Kentucky.
In finding an office, he was unlucky.
They cleaned out his bin,
And gave it to Min,
A PM who was much more plucky.

* * *

Wow…just…wow.

Shout-out to Crystal Fields on her Mission Trip

Tue, 29 May 2007 11:28:00 -0400

I just wanted to tell you and remind others that we are leaving Monday,
May 28 for Tanzania, Africa. We will be traveling until May 30th, due to a
14 hour layover in London, England. Please pray for our team of 7 for a
safe flight and time in Africa.

:-) May your journey be blessed from Him above, from Whom all blessings flow.

Today's sign of the apocalypse

Tue, 29 May 2007 10:40:00 -0400

* * *

In other news, Alea iacta est. More to follow.

Review: Pirates of the Caribbean

Sun, 27 May 2007 17:39:00 -0400

Pirates of the Caribbean

In sum: What the hell was that?

It was long: 168 minutes. Trim 30 or 40 minutes, and call me in the morning.

It was confusing. Isn’t there some screenwriter rule against more than 4 double-crosses in the same scene? Everyone betrays everyone else. As you might expect, this makes it tough for the audience to understand their motivations or actions.

The action scenes explode without context. Who’s fighting whom on which ship, and by the way, which way is UP? When you can’t answer any of these questions as a viewer, you’re watching an overwrought mess.

Review: "Good Night, and Good Luck"

Sat, 26 May 2007 07:25:00 -0400

Good Night, and Good Luck reminds us that history isn’t always rosy. Set in that halcyon era after World War Two, but before the Cuban Missile Crisis, Gary Powers’s U-2, or Castro’s revolution in Cuba, the film reveals that all is not right in Utopia.

Communists are everywhere, or so “the junior senator from Wisconsin,” Joseph McCarthy, would have them believe. As the film opens, it’s 1953, the height of McCarthyism, when folks with any prior association with Communists–even decades before–find themselves blacklisted and convicted with hearsay evidence. Accusation assures conviction, especially among intellecutals and entertainers.

(Yet Another) analogy for developing software

Wed, 23 May 2007 08:21:00 -0400

This is a bit of a stretch, but here goes:

Imagine building an airplane not in a factory, but on the runway itself. Let’s say the runway is 5000 feet long, and you have to build the airplane as its accelerating for takeoff.

You’re the only one on the plane, because what kind of fool would tie himself to a plane that might not make it off the ground? :-)

(Yet Another) analogy for developing software (Comments)

Wed, 23 May 2007 08:21:00 -0400

Bourbon instead of jet fuel, LOL. Sort of like pr…

Jeff Roberts - May 3, 2007

Bourbon instead of jet fuel, LOL. Sort of like project decisions being made at Happy Hour instead of in meetings?

Here’s my impression of a Manager:

H, that’s a superb analogy and I totally get what you’re saying - we never have enough runway for these things. So I have a GENIOUS IDEA: From now on we only build HELICOPTERS! Eh? Eh?

Quote for the day (Comments)

Mon, 21 May 2007 16:07:00 -0400

Having passed him on my way out to lunch that day,…

Jeff Roberts - May 3, 2007

Having passed him on my way out to lunch that day, I’m left to wonder if EY inspired her hair gel comment. :-)

Proud of myself

Sun, 20 May 2007 21:47:00 -0400

This is ridiculously mundane.

On our return trip from the Cane Ridge Shrine today, we needed gas and all I had was cash, so I went in at the Shell Station, corner of US460 and US68 an prepaid for $25.

So, I started the 87-octane fueling and checked the oil. By the time I was done, We’d pumped 8 or so gallons, at a bill of $25.08

Crap.

I never considered saying “too bad” and driving off. I fished out a nickel and 3 pennies and paid.

Proud of myself (Comments)

Sun, 20 May 2007 21:47:00 -0400

Here’s an e-pat on the back!

Jeff Roberts - May 1, 2007

Here’s an e-pat on the back!

Ever wonder if Americans are ill-mannered, boring people?

Wed, 16 May 2007 07:57:00 -0400

As title states.

I took one of my India guys to the movies on our team outing two weeks ago, and it was a different sort of experience, just riding in the car with him. His mind seemed alive with questions about America–how we get to work, our various religions, how my family is organized, politics, culture, etc.

Then, when I got him back to his place, he invited me to come in and sit awhile, relax and have something to drink. We then continued our discussion of education, and the various differences between American and Indian public education.

Ever wonder if Americans are ill-mannered, boring people? (Comments)

Wed, 16 May 2007 07:57:00 -0400

They say we’re ignorant and apathetic, but I don’t…

Jeff Roberts - May 3, 2007

They say we’re ignorant and apathetic, but I don’t know and I don’t care. :-)

I have no words of wisdom. I’m sorta balancing right now but only precariously.

I can relate. I was borderline rude the other day to one of my co-workers just because she stopped in to chat for a moment at a moment while I was stressing over various work issues/questions. You have to maintain your humanity … it used to be so much easier for me. I’m not sure what has changed.

Review: "The Rose"

Sat, 12 May 2007 07:20:00 -0400

Watched The Rose last Sunday from 4am to 6am. Yeah, it’s been a weird week.

It was a very compelling story, if difficult to watch. Bette Midler is stunning as Janis Joplin…er…Mary Rose (“The Rose”) Foster. According to IMDB, the original script was the Janis Joplin story, but Midler said it was too soon after her death to portray the story onscreen so it was rewritten. In any case, the highpoints are similar–a tortured woman with an incredible voice whose story ends in an overdose.

Update: It gets worse

Wed, 09 May 2007 10:41:00 -0400

Update from Jeff:

So, apparently, he went by Don Jacobs a couple of hours later, and the police were ESCORTING people in orderly caravans, with one cop car in the lead and another at the rear.

Yeah, I feel like crap.

Driving for the Cure...? (Or, how I got blacklisted...)

Tue, 08 May 2007 19:52:00 -0400

Let me summarize: I got asked to leave and not come back. I was asked to LEAVE A CHARITY EVENT and not return.

This is not a proud story, but I’m learning to deal with it. Here goes:

I got to Don Jacobs BMW around 1:15 and signed my waiver with my information (including my cell phone #). They had all sorts of BMW’s to drive, from Z4 roadsters to 3-, 5-, 6-, and 7-series cars, all with different engines and Rear- and All-wheel-drive configurations. I was in heaven.

Driving for the Cure...? (Or, how I got blacklisted...) (Comments)

Tue, 08 May 2007 19:52:00 -0400

Yeeeouch!

Jeff Roberts - May 2, 2007

Yeeeouch!

Just thought I’d let you know that you fit nicely into this morning’s devotion about how even if you only break a small part of the law, you’ve broken the whole law and thus no matter how “good” you are, we all need Jesus bc even a little sin is a sin and sinners don’t go to heaven…eg, even if the light is only a little pink, it’s still breaking the law and …..

"Spiderman 3"...WHY?!

Fri, 04 May 2007 18:52:00 -0400

Spiderman 3 is a boring mess. The story is a mishmash of plotlines, centering around the three (yes, THREE) villains – Goblin Jr., Sandman, and Venom. Overlong, the film languishes in its many plots, opening with Spidey wounding his friend Harry Osborne, now the reborn Green Goblin, then sauntering to the Sandman, and the Venom super-spidey suit.

There’s no discernible momentum until Mary Jane calls it quits with Peter, who’s been quite an ass, though she herself has been a needy baggage for 4 reels. In any case, this sets off a battle between Harry and Peter, and FINALLY some action. Had the movie begun here and run for a tight 85 minutes, cutting out the Sandman character altogether, it would’ve been awesome. As it stands, this bloated ($300 million) mess has probably killed its franchise.

"Spiderman 3"...WHY?! (Comments)

Fri, 04 May 2007 18:52:00 -0400

Oh, the movie was OK, I guess. I had low expectat…

Jeff Roberts - May 6, 2007

Oh, the movie was OK, I guess. I had low expectations and a free ticket.

Myself, I almost left before the previews were over. I know the movie was PG-13, just like the last Star Wars was, but surely they know there are going to be kids at a super hero movie?! I think I’ve about had it with the theater experience.

Review: "The Day After Tomorrow"

Fri, 04 May 2007 17:45:00 -0400

The Day After Tomorrow is a strangely compelling disaster flick tarring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhal. Quaid plays climatologist Jack Hall, who predicts a nightmarish return of an ice age if the world doesn’t wise up and stop pumping Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere.

Yeah, ‘bout that…looks like when Gaia gets pissed, she doesn’t take gradual measures. Over the course of a week, the weather rakes the Northern Hemisphere with globe-spanning ice hurricanes that flash-freeze everything. Millions die, with the small-scale human story of Hall and his son (Gyllenhall) framing the events.

Idylls of the Combs

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 22:42:00 -0400

I sequestered myself all weekend. It was wonderful! I’m lightly sunburned, but my grass is mowed and I rotated the tires and flushed the brakes on my car, as well as washing both of ’em.

I organized the garage a bit, so I can (once again!) get both cars inside.

Idylls of the Combs (Comments)

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 22:42:00 -0400

Getting both cars in the garage is as satisfying a…

Jeff Roberts - Apr 1, 2007

Getting both cars in the garage is as satisfying as working oneself back into one’s “skinny jeans” :-)

Indeed! Now, if we could just get ri… HarryC - Apr 1, 2007

@Jeff

Indeed! Now, if we could just get rid of 1/2 the stuff in the garage and the attic above it….

Review: Pearl Harbor

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 22:17:00 -0400

(In other news, my life now revolves around Kate Beckinsdale movies)

I loved this movie the first time I watched it. It was called Tora, Tora, Tora and Thirty Seconds over Tokyo.

Many of the supporting cast are an unexpected delight, particularly Cuba Gooding, Jr as Petty Officer Miller, and Jon Voight as President Roosevelt. The main love triangle…meh. Not plausible in the least.

Additionally, yeah, a P-40 outmaneuvering six Zeros? Sure. :-)

Review: Pearl Harbor (Comments)

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 22:17:00 -0400

Why is Jon Voight suddenly the man who must be hir…

DavidJarvis - May 1, 2007

Why is Jon Voight suddenly the man who must be hired to play every historical figure? Roosevelt, Coach Rupp, the Pope … the list goes on and on.

Power bleeding the brakes.

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 22:04:00 -0400

Hrm…so, when using your snazzy power bleeder from bavarian automotive, you note the following:

You’re unable to get the pressure in the bleeder past 10 psi, no matter how hard you pump the cylinder.
You’re hearing a strange hissing, dripping sound
You peer past the master cylinder and reservoir to note the large puddle of brake fluid pooling beneath your car.

Sir, you have two alternatives:

(A) You just asploded your 17-year-old master cylinder by pressurizing the system past the seal tolerance

Power bleeding the brakes. (Comments)

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 22:04:00 -0400

Wow, I’m glad I’m not the only one who makes puddl…

Jeff Roberts - Apr 1, 2007

Wow, I’m glad I’m not the only one who makes puddles on the driveway!

"Code Monkey"

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 20:53:00 -0400

MP3 link

"Code Monkey" (Comments)

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 20:53:00 -0400

YES!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!

Whitney - Apr 0, 2007

YES!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!

Vague ramblings and hope

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 07:29:00 -0400

Sometimes, you just take a step…you don’t know if it’s the right one, and there’s really no way TO know.

Next week should be interesting, to say the least.

Vague ramblings and hope (Comments)

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 07:29:00 -0400

How mysterious…I’ll put you down for an “unspoke…

Jeff Roberts - Apr 0, 2007

How mysterious…I’ll put you down for an “unspoken” on my prayer list.

We goin' Beamer...we goin' beamer

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:02:00 -0400

:-)

Dear __________,

We’re thrilled you’ll be taking part in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure drive.

Your reservation for this worthwhile cause has been confirmed for the following date:

May 8, 2007

Don Jacobs BMW

Hehe…

Review: Daddy Day Care

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 08:52:00 -0400

How is it possible that I adored School Of Rock and liked Cheaper By the Dozen and yet, I hated Daddy Day Care? Some movies even alcohol can’t save.

Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for formulaic “family” comedy…I don’t know. There were many funny moments, but they lay at the periphery–Steve Zahn’s Marvin was a real treat as the Star Trek geek that “gets” kids and their thought patterns, and the scene where Phil’s traumatized by changing diapers was awesome. Also the central theme of the movie is awesome–do work that’s fulfilling, not what’s lucrative.

Meditation: Coffee

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 08:44:00 -0400

_
Black.
Black like my mood.
Black, the absence of color, yet hot, alive.
Liquid black.
It gives awareness, replacing stupor with its flowing life.
It owns my thoughts.
_

Any day involving jackstands, rust, and a ball peen hammer...

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 23:29:00 -0400

…is a good one :-)

There’s a very vocal minority who read my blog just for the “What’s broken on his car today?” aspect. Not to disappoint: I came out of the office last Friday to see not only the usual weird-piece-hanging-down, but a whole buncha things hanging down. Looked under the car and it looked like the whole heat shield was loose.

“Not a problem”, I thought. Bolt probably fell out or rusted through. Should be simple enough to fix.

Any day involving jackstands, rust, and a ball peen hammer... (Comments)

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 23:29:00 -0400

Arr arr arr!

Jeff Roberts - Apr 2, 2007

Arr arr arr!

Review: Thank You for Smoking

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:44:00 -0400

Thank you for smoking is (nearly) pure satire, similar to the Tim Robbins pic Bob Roberts. It pokes fun at Big Tobacco (natch), but mainly, it skewers our victimization culture of poor education and worse parenting.

It’s oddly flat, in the same way I found Bob Roberts flat–the central character is an anti-hero, so as the action ‘rises’, I found myself more depressed–we are that dumb as a nation. Yes, we do fall for straight lines like that. Yes, we’re eager to believe anyone who’ll tell us that the road to Nirvana is smoking a pack of cigarettes per day, chugging Coca-Cola, downing three meals of McDonalds, watching 10 hours of TV, and playing PS3 the remaining 12 hours of our impotent (in both senses) existence.

Mini review: Underworld

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:38:00 -0400

Underworld

Meh.

Take Blade, remove the throbbing soundtrack, satisfying action sequences, suspension of disbelief, and credible (!) backstory, add Kate Beckinsdale in a catsuit.

You have KATE BECKINSDALE in a CATSUIT for TWO HOURS! How the freak do you make a movie this bad?

On Imus

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:52:00 -0400

(That title sounds vaguely Latin…)

Let me be as clear as possible: Imus a curmudgeon, a former coke-fiend who disdains ALL humanity. He’s mean. He’s ugly.

He’s also intelligent, incisive, and provocative, in a way that brain-dead Howard Stern CAN NEVER BE. Not that I’ve not laughed at some random Howard Stern bits that I’m too ashamed of to post on a blog my mother reads. (Google ‘Sybian’ and ‘Howard Stern’ if you’re feeling particularly raunchy)

On Imus (Comments)

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:52:00 -0400

Yeah, mountain out of molehill.

What he sai… Jeff Roberts - Apr 1, 2007

Yeah, mountain out of molehill.

What he said wasn’t good, but:

- If ANY person of color had been a guest on the show and said it instead, no story.

- If I called into the show (is it even a call-in show?) and he called me a bible-thumping republitard, no story. (This is where someone jumps in and says I can change my religion or political affiliation)

Why I'd be a bad housewife

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 21:53:00 -0400

(I’m too tired to sleep, so here goes)

At 2am today, my wife decided to void the contents of her stomach all over the sheet, thanks to some stomach bug. As said contents were large, recognizable quantities of spaghetti, the resulting smell and stain is left to the reader to imagine.

So, from 2 to 5 am, I cleaned that up, did laundry, and supported my wife as she retched uncontrollably, unable to keep even Gatorade down. Then I slept until 7ish, when I had to feed my daughter, who I’d just fed at 2 and 5 am.

Why I'd be a bad housewife (Comments)

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 21:53:00 -0400

Dude, that’s rough. Flu or food? Days like that ma…

Jeff Roberts - Apr 3, 2007

Dude, that’s rough. Flu or food? Days like that make me feel inadequate, too.

Convooooooooooooooy....

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:37:00 -0400

MINIs set record



'Cause we got a mighty convoy 
Rockin' through the night 
Yeah, we got a mighty convoy 
Ain't she a beautiful sight 
C'mon and join our Convoy 
Ain't nothin' gonna get in our way 
We gonna roll this MINI convoy 
'Cross the USA 
Convoy 
Convoy

02 Apr 2007 --> The day the auto died

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:54:00 -0400

The Supreme Court has charged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with protecting us from ourselves, limiting the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions from sources like power plants, cars and trucks, and those methane factories known as cattle.

What does this mean in real terms? More expensive everything. Most of the power produced in this country is from fossil fuels, and cleaning these plants and/or implementing ‘cleaner’ solutions. Energy costs like that will ripple through our economy from top to bottom. Costs of production and OpEx for every company will rise.

The worst meeting ever...

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 07:59:00 -0400

I’ve been through many bad meetings at LXK, but my 3 o’clock yesterday ranks right up there as one of the worst. Ingredients

* Meeting shouldn’t have happened. It’s a meeting that should’ve been a whiteboarding session between me and one other guy.
* Six people, each with a slightly different agenda.
* No common manager, hence no one to make a decision if there’s a conflict.

Anyway, so it’s a meeting past my threshold of exhaustion (I suck at meetings after 3pm…it’s too late in the day and my brain is tapioca.).

Movie: "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:45:00 -0400

Let me sum this up: It’s just like the book. The book makes no sense; neither does the movie. It’s unwatchable nonsense most of the time.

The whole point of the book is to catch Douglas Adams’s quotes and sideline commentary.

Only redeeming part: My favorite Elf (Zoe Deschanel) is trillian:

My wet-dream job

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:47:00 -0400

McClaren Racing

Oh, you know…writing software for F1 racers!

My apologies

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 08:05:00 -0400

I was so exhausted yesterday, I don’t remember much…I think I may have proposed marriage to several people (all hopefully women).

To any of those, my apologies, I’m already taken, and I’m semi-conscious today. But, the morning is still young.

Oh, Hail!

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 08:00:00 -0400

Other titles consider:

- Oh Haiiiiiil, no!
- What the Hail?
- Hail for certain.

* * *

At 3 o’clock this morning, I awoke from a dream where I was apologizing to my dead Uncle Chester for ragging on him my entire life, only to hear what sounded like large pigeons (possibly pelicans…I’m not sure) pounding against my roof. Looking outside, we quickly determined a few things.

- No pigeons.
- There was lightning
- Our windows were all open.
- My Beamer was sitting outside.

Oh, Hail! (Comments)

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 08:00:00 -0400

I believe in some strange way one of those pigeons…

JarvoSpeaks - Mar 5, 2007

I believe in some strange way one of those pigeons may have been your departed Uncle Chester, returned in spirt form just to say, “It’s all right, young Harold, I understand, we all go through these things. However, just to even things up I pooped on your beamer.”

QOTD

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 14:58:00 -0400

“[Because I talk so much] I need to put in 12 to 15 hours per day just to get in 8 hours of work”

Yikes.

QOTD (Comments)

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 14:58:00 -0400

W H O are you getting these from?! :-)

Jeff Roberts - Mar 2, 2007

W H O are you getting these from?! :-)

Various people…sometimes, they just s… HarryC - Mar 3, 2007

:-)

Various people…sometimes, they just stick in my mind.

GA -- they're back.

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:09:00 -0400

Okay, at this point in my life, there’s only one show I watch religiously: Grey’s Anatomy.

The last two episodes have caused me physical pain. You see, the main characters, the swooping eagles of the show–Merideth, Derek, Christina, and Burke–mean nothing to me. They’re interesting in a surreal sort of way.

There are two characters I DO care about–Izzie and George. They seem very real to me…they’re best friends and confidants, and they’re flawed. They don’t soar quite as high as the rest, but they do have a depth of emotion that is the anchor of this show – when George’s dad died, I had to consider what my own response will be to my father’s passing. When Izzie lost Denny, the man for whom she threw away her career, I had to examine just what I would do if my own beloved were dying and there was precious little I could do about it.

QOTD

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 13:14:00 -0400

“Assuming I can get this to work”

My day

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:15:00 -0400

Two powerpoint presentations for my Managers to present.

Kill me now.

Quote for the day

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 18:26:00 -0400

[Scene. Interior. A Conference room with a conference table shaped like a badly-imagined Star Trek insignia contains folks awaiting an early morning call. A dark-skinned Indian fellow, running the meeting sits across from a dark-skinned Brazilian man with curly hair. The Brazilian man’s humor is less infectious than he’d like to believe.]

Brazilian guy: I love languages. I know how to say ‘good morning’ 25 languages.

Indian guy: That’s nice

I don't know what worries me more...

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:19:00 -0400

That I understood this post or that I understood within 3 seconds that it could be better written as:


BOOL IsIpAddressZero( LONG lIpAddress ) 
{ 
 return !lIpAddress; 
}

Review: 300

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 10:14:00 -0400

300

Tagline for the movie posters:
This has to be the best movie involving half-naked [gay] men I’ve seen all year.

Okay, I’m a history buff, and I’ve reviewed Other works about Thermopylae before. In many ways the Pressfield book (and, I’m assuming, Frank Miller’s graphic novels) were better interpretations of Thermopylae, but the movie was interesting.

Some advisories:

- Yes, it’s that gory. It’s about a battle waged hand-to-hand over three days, and it gives you precious little time to forget that. It doesn’t exactly glorify battle, but it does remind us that modern warfare is much more antiseptic than its ancient forebear.

Quote for the day (Comments)

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:25:00 -0400

Oh, to be a fly on THAT wall. Unless, of course, …

Jeff Roberts - Mar 5, 2007

Oh, to be a fly on THAT wall. Unless, of course, I’m the empty shell.

What a night

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 22:03:00 -0400

Duke’s OUT of the tournament

George finally hit that

I had a snappy comeback. For once. Felt good.

I've got this thing for rumps...

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:23:00 -0400

Car rumps, that is :-)

Nissan is famous for screwing-up the back-end of every car they make, producing bulbous, unattractive forms that destroy the tidy lines of the car. Seems to me they’re always trying to add ‘visual excitement’ (a Pontiac term!) to the cars.

Well, I LOVE the new Altima.

The back end had a muscular look, very reminiscent of a G35, skyline, or a 350z. Pictures really don’t do it justice: The curve from the C pillar is organic, down through the tail lights. It reminds me of the way Ferrari finishes-off its great GT cars like the 456GT.

I've got this thing for rumps... (Comments)

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:23:00 -0400

But have you checked out the gluteus on the Maxima…

Jeff Roberts - Mar 3, 2007

But have you checked out the gluteus on the Maximas? :-)

one word: minivan.

Snow Crash

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 08:36:00 -0400

Snow Crash

Consumed this book this weekend, and it was a great mind-F***, similar to the first time you watch “The Matrix”.

Where to begin? The central character, Hiro Protagonist (You have to admire a man with the stones to call his protagonist Mr. Protagonist!), lives in a dystopian future overrun by corporations, in which the world is split in two–Reality is, well, the real world, and the Metaverse is the hipper virtual world where everyone has avatars and can interact via being ‘Goggled-in’.

Meme: How much is your blog worth?

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 13:23:00 -0500

My blog is worth $2,822.70.
How much is your blog worth?

Meme: How much is your blog worth? (Comments)

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 13:23:00 -0500

jjetsam.wordpress.com: $2,258.16

jeffingtown.bl… Jeff Roberts - Mar 6, 2007

jjetsam.wordpress.com: $2,258.16
jeffingtown.blogspot.com: $6,209.94

Tech Head: Rather weak spring critique

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 11:57:00 -0500

Understand, I don’t like Spring all that much. For a ’lightweight’ framework, it’s awfully heavy on the stuff you need to ship to have an ‘app’ (or at least, it seems that way to me). Still, this guy’s critiques are just…weak!

Thoughts:

On Configuration

“Setter injection is bad”. Yeah, it’s bad. It allows you to create objects in an invalid state, and causes all sorts of runtime state checking of what (often) is an immutable or stateless Object. Still, all recent versions of Spring have allowed us to use constructor injection.

Cutest job posting I've ever seen

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:08:00 -0500

Cutest job posting I've ever seen (Comments)

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:08:00 -0500

I KNOW THAT GUY!!! CRAP WHAT IS HIS NAME?! no n…

Whitney - Mar 4, 2007

I KNOW THAT GUY!!! CRAP WHAT IS HIS NAME?! no not him….the other one….in the red shirt….I think I went to Highview with him….or maybe Southeast….crap!

Oh, wait, we’d have to… Jeff Roberts - Mar 4, 2007

Monday thought: Hostages

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 08:24:00 -0500

Only two 10 pound objects can hold a room of adults hostage:

Plastic explosives or a crying baby.

Queering the deal...pt 2

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 07:43:00 -0500

Well, after yesterday’s Miniature global stock market meltdown, looks like my options sale won’t go forward after all.

Something about chickens, counting, and hatcheries. :)

Lesson learned: When God smacks you upside the head and says “SELL AT 70”, listen.

Random thought on pediatrics

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:08:00 -0500

Pediatricians would seem to be just like veterinarians: Their patients can’t communicate with them to tell them where it hurts.

Maria’s developed a new trick–caterwauling between 6 and 8 pm. My impression of her thoughts:

Ah, that was a great feeding…mmmm….look at that twirly thing up there. I’m so hap–WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!

WHAT THE FREAK IS THAT?!!!

WHY IN THE WORLD DOES MY BOTTOM HURT!

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

MAKEITSTOPMAKITSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

(add 10 mins of that)

Random thought on pediatrics (Comments)

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:08:00 -0500

ROFL.

I am so freakin slap happy.

… Whitney - Feb 2, 2007

ROFL.

I am so freakin slap happy.

looks like you are too.

Lie, lies! :-)

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 20:42:00 -0500

If programming languages were women

[Is it wrong…]…….that I have to mention to my husband that “B-double E-double R-U-N, beer run” is NOT an appropriate lullaby?b

:-) Lyrics!

Friday frolick

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 09:03:00 -0500

It’s Friday, I’m a new dad, the coffee has kicked in, I solved an issue for Porsche yesterday, and it’s sunny outside. My Teleconference at 7am was cancelled today. Spring isn’t far away, and the mercury hit 50 yesterday for the first time in 6 weeks of dull winter. My Dad called, and for the first time in awhile, I didn’t vent at him for 15 solid minutes about being tired, fed-up, and depressed.

Slightly disgusting discovery...

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 14:49:00 -0500

After a week of exposure, I can’t get the smell of poopy diapers out of my nostrils.

I think it’s scent memory.

Cat's out of the bag

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:49:00 -0500

Well, looks like most of my team at work has my blog address now.

:-) Oh well.

Cat's out of the bag (Comments)

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:49:00 -0500

Once again, I am sorry. How many hours of free ba…

Jeff Roberts - Feb 1, 2007

Once again, I am sorry. How many hours of free babysitting do I owe you?? :-)

(Off I go to write flattering posts about each member of your team…)

"Free Running"

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 08:17:00 -0500

Maria’s world is expanding a bit, including a preference for being awake with the lights on…

…which is a problem if she sleeps during the day, then wants to be awake last night. We had her up for her 4am feeding, and that was it. Her day started from that point, and she was UP, baby :)

Pics!!! (Comments)

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:21:00 -0500

She is beautiful. I am so happy for you and Whitne…

Susan - Feb 2, 2007

She is beautiful. I am so happy for you and Whitney. Enjoy the baby!!!

Beautiful! And she has your haircut, too!

she is beautiful! congrats to you two! i am so happy for you. enjoy–they grow fast.

thought

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:07:00 -0500

Is it a requirement that a good labor and delivery nurse be a mother?

Man, I’m tired.

thought (Comments)

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:07:00 -0500

I dunno but Sandra once had an OB/GYN who became a…

Jeff Roberts - Feb 2, 2007

I dunno but Sandra once had an OB/GYN who became a lot more caring after having her own first kid :-)

The condensed version: Maria coming into the world

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 17:30:00 -0500

Friday:

5:00 am - Alarm Clock rings
6:00 - arrive at hospital. One contraction in the parking lot
6:30 - Pitocin drip starts 5mL/hr. External fetal and uterine monitoring.
7:30 - Pitocin drip to 10mL/hr. Whitney and I take a 30 min nap.
8:30 - Pitocin drip to 15mL/hr. Mild contractions.
10 - Pitocin drip to 35mL/hr. Interesting contractions. Labor seems to be established. IV removed. Maria has significant heart-rate deceleration (a “decel”)
12 - Contractions slow down.
2pm - Contractions stopped.
4:30 - Water broken by midwife. Better contractions 3-5 mins apart.
6:30 - No change in dilation or station. Pitocin augmentation begun again, at 15mL/hr, upped every 20 minutes.
6:30 - 7:30: Transition 7cm to full dilation. Contractions at 100+, 2 mins apart. Whitney breathes through them like a champ.
7:30 - “Get Melody! I feel like pushing”
7:30 - 9pm: Pushing, in various positions.
9pm - Whitney’s exhausted, Maria transverse at -2 station. Her head is wedged 90 degress from her body. No position (Hands and knees, etc.) has helped. To this point, still no pain meds. Epidural offered, accepted, and the on call anesthesiologist paged.
9:30pm - Epidural placed. (Aside: This guy was GOOD…placed an epidural in a woman having contractions 40 seconds apart, exhausted, and barely cooperative.)
9:45pm - pushing attempted with epidural placed. No change. Signficant heart-rate decels. I decide we’re going for a C-Section. I’m scared to death I’m going to lose both my girls. Whitney’s BP is rising fast, she’s hemorrhaging, she’s exhausted, and Maria’s heartbeat is failing.
10:30 - O.R. team in place. Operation begins.
10:40 - Maria born
10:50 - I follow her with the pediatrician back to the nursery. Whitney goes to recovery.
11:30 - Whitney back in her room

My little "Dude"

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 11:20:00 -0500

Maria Elizabeth Combs (“mec”)

Born via Cesarean Section at 10:40pm February 10
8 lbs 5 oz
19 inches long
APGAR score: 9.9

Mom and baby are doing well.

I have never been more scared, elated, or tired in my life.

Pics to follow

My little "Dude" (Comments)

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 11:20:00 -0500

Dude! I mean, Dad! (and Mom! and big Bro!)

Jeff Roberts - Feb 0, 2007

Dude! I mean, Dad! (and Mom! and big Bro!)

Congratulations!

Congratulations! You are the man … no, wait, Whitney is the man. Congratulations to all three (and Joey) from all of us here at the Jarvis house …

Grey's Anatomy, what happened?!

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 05:54:00 -0500

I love “Grey’s Anatomy”, but they Jumped the Shark many different ways last night.

A very special…: On tonight’s very special introduction to the three-episode story-arc from Hell, we concoct a ferry-boat hitting a container ship, turn thousands of characters you don’t care about into hamburger so that we can beleaguer a metaphor for a central character who feels lost. Yay.
Hair care…: We will have an entire, poorly shot elevator scene of uncomfortable actors trying to do material about an aging, balding black man’s hair. The only female will cluck her hen-like, “Leave him Be!” Four more times that should be allowed by the Screen Actor’s Guild.

Quotable quotes from lunch

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:29:00 -0500

“Man, you look on edge. You haven’t even said anything and you just look totally stressed!”

“My family tree isn’t so much a tree as a climbing, criss-crossing trestle of ivy.”

“You ever wonder if Jesus told a lot of jokes? I have this vision of him telling all these blonde jokes then going, ‘No, really…they’re these people from up North. Scandinavia. Bah, what do you people know from comedy?! Oy Vey!’”

Working from home has lots of surprises

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:30:00 -0500

So, I’m set-up at my kitchen table, laptop open, totally “in the zone”. Birds are singing, pregnant women are speaking, and kids are flying around everywhere (as kids are wont to do…)

Whitney catches my eye and says, “Do you do that at the office, too?”

“Huh?”

W: “Do you randomly yell at your computer?”

Had to think about that for a minute.

“Yeah, I guess I do…” :-)

* * *

No baby yet...

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 17:24:00 -0500

Yeah, about that:

Whitney’s very strong, regular contractions just…stopped…right around 10 today. Then they went back to the irregular, 7-10-12-10 minute pattern they’ve been in for 2 weeks now.

I’ve gone through the gamut today–excitement, concentration, benevolence, resignation, exhaustion, anger, disappointment, and now (post power-nap) resignation.

Labor update

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 09:47:00 -0500

Contracting since last night. Moderate to hard contractions since 4am. Joey at a friends house since 6:30 this morning.

Contractions in the 5-to-3 minute range. Waters intact, and no show yet.

The winter of 77-78

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 05:47:00 -0500

Yeah…February of 78 was pretty bad

That’s when I was conceived. :-)

* * *

We’re under a ‘Heavy Snow Warning’ for tonight. 3-5 inches expected. EVERYBODY PANIC.

Okay, done?

Good.

Yeah, probably gonna pick-up a snow shovel today, somewhere.

The winter of 77-78 (Comments)

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 05:47:00 -0500

Fond, FOND memories of that magical winter. Trudg…

Jeff Roberts - Feb 2, 2007

Fond, FOND memories of that magical winter. Trudging through the snow to Mike Lee’s house where we mixed Campbell’s soups with spices from his mother’s cabinets…and sometimes even ATE our dastardly creation. Walking the length of the frozen creek through Sycamore Estates, almost shooting his sister’s eye out with a needle dart (OK, not so fond there), listening to AM talk radio where they had “snow shark” warnings. Ahhh, childhood.

What this is like

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:33:00 -0500

I can only imagine, but what I’m feeling now is a nervous anticipation, similar to what I’d expect a paratrooper feels making his first jump. I’ve trained for this, but I’ve never done it before. Can I deal with having a daughter born on Groundhog Day? :-) (Short answer–sure…the nicknames they come a-plenty: Shadow, Weathergirl, Punxsutawney.)

We had a bunch of snow this morning (“bunch” in Kentucky-ese is 1 or 2 inches), so I went down to work to grab my laptop and I came back home. Whitney’s had semi-regular contractions last night after her acupuncture, so we’ll see what happens. I’m attempting to stay calm, but I’ve got this dual thing going on–I’m very here in the moment, and I’m also distant from it. Can’t REALLY believe I’m about to be a father.

What this is like (Comments)

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:33:00 -0500

You can ignore this if my previous comment actuall…

Jeff Roberts - Feb 5, 2007

You can ignore this if my previous comment actually took…I guess Groundhog Day beats April Fool’s - we escaped that by less than 7 hours. Poor Katie would only be turning 4 this year!

Kinda messy out there. The bridge over I-75 and the on-ramp were SLICK!

Little slice of Ecuador

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:47:00 -0500

It’s pictures like this that make me want to travel:

Full set here

Little slice of Ecuador (Comments)

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:47:00 -0500

okie….thats an aerial view, prolly taken from a …

Whitney - Jan 3, 2007

okie….thats an aerial view, prolly taken from a helicopter….no thanks. And it’s not cold enough here for you?! brrrrr…. :)

Actually, it was taken from a prop-driven puddle jumper that made me have flashbacks to the Movie ‘Alive’, especially when the guy talks about the approach into Quito, Ecuador.

It's been a good day at The Car Lounge

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 21:47:00 -0500

I swear, the pre-merger Merc diesels are the automotive equivalent of Chuck Norris.

Q of the day: Can you forget how to type?

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:25:00 -0500

I’ve been touch typing ever since I was about 12, though that initial learning curve was steep, and I’m not all l33t like the guys who use the Dvorak layout.

Had a random thought this morning as I was clickety-clacking away on my 12th email…is typing a perishable skill, or is it muscle memory like bicycling? That is, if I stop typing today, how long (if ever) would it take me to forget how to type?

Walmart quote of the day:

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:47:00 -0500

But, Wal mart TLE [Tire/Lube Express] isn’t there for knowledgeable people who care about their vehicles. Wal mart TLE is there for Mama with her Taurus or Trans Sport who runs the tires till they’re bald and the oil till it is so black it has it’s own gravity.

Ah, I love The Car Lounge

Idiocracy, followup...

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 17:32:00 -0500

:) hehe

As one (satisfied) customer said “If I’m going to pay $4 for a cup of coffee, I’m not going to get served by a guy.”

article

Idiocracy

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 17:18:00 -0500

Watched this trainwreck with Whitney last night. Full disclosure: I LOVE Maya Rudolph.

Love her. Don’t know why.

Anyway, the movie’s basically Mike Judge running amok for 90 minutes with Matte paintings, bad SNL actors (sorry, redundant. Should say: “SNL Actors”). The premise is pretty good, actually–that smart people will be squeezed out of existence by dumb people who have LOTS of kids. Think the dumb kids in high school that get all the attention and resources, spread over a planetary scale.

Idiocracy (Comments)

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 17:18:00 -0500

Sounds like a classic science fiction story I read…

JarvoSpeaks - Feb 5, 2007

Sounds like a classic science fiction story I read years ago called “The Marching Morons” … wonder if there’s a connection?

A new sound in the house

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 08:57:00 -0500

No, not the pitter-patter of little feet. Bought Joey and myself a pair of these:

Yep, Yamaha YRN-22B Baroque-fingering recorders. Perfect instrument to teach some musical basics. I still have my tenor sax and a frankenstein clarinet from my days in the Breathitt County High School Band of Pride, but neither is suited to a 6-year-old.

Music was a big part my life, and now I’d like to at least introduce that to Joey and the rest of our children. If he likes it, great. If he doesn’t, that’s fine too, but at least it will broaden his horizons a bit.

A new sound in the house (Comments)

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 08:57:00 -0500

I’ll scratch your inner band geek…..hehe …..u…

Whitney - Jan 5, 2007

I’ll scratch your inner band geek…..hehe

…..unless it’s wearing a onesie that is….

Yeah, I could never master altissimo either (that’s the squealing harmonic notes, right??). That’s when I realized I’d never be the world’s greatest alto saxophone player.

Recorders are cool, if you get two or more going together it sounds like the beginning of Stairway to Heaven …

On why I hope Maria doesn't arrive on a Friday

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 08:45:00 -0500

Short version: Because I’m a zombie on Fridays.

Since my prolonged Christmas break, I’ve shifted my schedule around. And by “shifted”, that means getting to work earlier and leaving at the same time or later. On the whole, this works out great Monday->Wednesday, is passable on Thursday, but by Friday I’m just mental mush.

In fact, I’m writing this blog just to try and get some creative juices flowing.

Typo of the day

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:20:00 -0500

Thanks for bothering you
Bye

Ah, India.

A typical Monday

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:07:00 -0500

:-) Anthropologists love the mundane. They study the way people live day-to-day, the things we take for granted. So, here’s a snapshot of my typical Monday:

4:54 am: Wake up and realize it’s almost time to get up, but fall back asleep anyway, entering the depths of REM just in time for…

5am: Alarm goes off. Hit snooze bar for 9 minutes.

5:06am: Inexplicably wake-up, turn off alarm and arise from bed.

News: INTJ no more

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:25:00 -0500

(nerd factor 5: I see that title and think it’s a variable declaration…yikes…)

Taking this test I found that I’m an now an ISTJ. What’s that mean?

As do other Introverted Thinkers, ISTJs often give the initial impression of being aloof and perhaps somewhat cold. Effusive expression of emotional warmth is not something that ISTJs do without considerable energy loss.

…

ISTJs are easily frustrated by the inconsistencies of others, especially when the second parties don’t keep their commitments. But they usually keep their feelings to themselves unless they are asked. And when asked, they don’t mince words. Truth wins out over tact. The grim determination of the ISTJ vindicates itself in officiation of sports events, judiciary functions, or an other situation which requires making tough calls and sticking to them.

My brain is mush

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 13:52:00 -0500

5 hours sleep Sunday night.
Arose @ 5 for a 12 hour, stressful day at work.
Whitney had some contractions, so we didn’t get to bed until after 11
Arose @ 5 for a 2 hour roundtrip to louisville to get Joe.

Totally blitzed today.

Cable ready? Sure...antenna-ready? Nah...

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 18:47:00 -0500

So, with a little help from my friends I finally got my cable-box open using a highly modified dinner fork. (Cue the MacGyver theme…there’s duct tape and pliers next!)

Inside I found the line from the ground running into two 3-way splitters, swirling around inside this rather small gray box, with one splitter leading to another like this:

 
 |---> Line 1 
 |---> Line 2 
\----> | 
 |-----> |--> Line 3 
 |--> Line 4 
 |--> Line 5

After some experimentation, I found out that I couldn’t make the cable and the antenna co-exist using a combiner. So, I segregated it in the box so that the living room and master ran off the antenna, and the upstairs ran off the cable. This meant I had to move my cable modem upstairs, but that’s no big deal.

Update--the outlying oil theory

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 10:21:00 -0500

Sunday I was all worked-up about Whitney’s car having a catastrophic oil leak somewhere behind the engine. So, this week, I monitored the oil level on the dipstick every morning before going to work, checking it at that time because all the oil drains back to the pan overnight.

Surprise, surprise: No oil loss.

Okay, going theory for now: When I poured-in the oil Sunday, the engine was tilted back at ~30 degree angle from vertical (the engine slants back towards the firewall, and I had the car up on jackstands), so my funnel allowed some oil to spill back off the valvecover.

Thought: Sarcasm

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 13:42:00 -0500

Either:

a) One must be sarcastic to be a programmer.

b) Programming makes one sarcastic.

* * *

I’m really chasing my tail on this one. I’m going for (b).

Thought: Sarcasm (Comments)

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 13:42:00 -0500

I think sarcasm is the brain’s natural defense whe…

Jeff Roberts - Jan 4, 2007

I think sarcasm is the brain’s natural defense when faced with data that doesn’t compute. It searches for humor in the situation with which it can entertain itself, if only briefly…

Funny stuff, by the way :-)

I’ve been reading WAY too much Scott Adams lately.

Programmers versus Managers

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 13:35:00 -0500

If programmers dictated how software worked:

Every piece of software would be 100k on disk, execute at warp speed, run on everything from a stopwatch to a supercomputer.
Said program would take 10 years to develop, because “I’m close to getting it finished.”
Said program would be so obscure and hard-to-use that even its author would create an script file to execute it

If managers dictated how software worked:

Everything would be one big chart or powerpoint slide (less than 3 bullets!).

So, there I was at the Tico...

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 13:32:00 -0500

Jamie graciously floated me some $$$ to buy lunch (It’s payday, but I haven’t been to the bank yet…)

I selected the special: Chili Burrito + drink for $3.99

The guy in front of me in line, patiently waiting with his accounting book said, “Uh, you know you could’ve gotten that cheaper by not ordering the special.”

Well-natured gal behind the counter: “No, the bean burrito is $3.19, and the drink is $1.25.”

Quote of the day, yesterday

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 07:45:00 -0500

On getting rid of cable:

So, are you guys gonna start using kerosene lanterns?

Yes, my next house will be made of sod, with a latrine (outhouses are so gentrified!), and a hand-dug well. We plan to make our own clothing. I’ll be riding a horse to work, stabling it in the 3rd floor NOC, although horses are notoriously difficult to get into elevators.

BOO OSU

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 07:33:00 -0500

After jerry-rigging my 7 1/2 foot antenna atop my entertainment center, I watched the national title game last night.

Wow, did OSU look like a bad team: Flat, underprepared, with no answer to any of Florida’s plays. The game was pretty-much over when Tressel went for it on 4th & 1 FROM HIS OWN 30 YARD LINE! This is boneheaded along the lines of Rick Pitino not guarding Grant Hill’s inbound pass in 1992.

An old fashioned automotive resolution.

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 20:16:00 -0500

WHEREAS Sunday is the LORD’s day, the Sabbath. (If you’re Christian…If you’re a Jew, you wonder why Lazy people won’t work on the first day of the week)

WHEREAS activity on the Sabbath not centered on God is cursed.

WHEREAS I can foul-up any “30 minute job”.

WHEREAS Whitney’s car hates me.

RESOLVED by all members of the Sunday-is-for-football-and-naps club to cease any and all automotive repair activity on Sunday.

An old fashioned automotive resolution. (Comments)

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 20:16:00 -0500

I can’t help but notice you’ve got “diaper” and “h…

Jeff Roberts - Jan 1, 2007

I can’t help but notice you’ve got “diaper” and “hindsight” within a paragraph of each other…

Stop being so “anal” :-)

It was the tavist D talking

Sayonara Cable, welcome back Netflix

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:52:00 -0500

Our cable’s going off on Monday and we’re getting back with Netflix

Our rabbit-ears receptions was awful, so I went to radio shack and brought home this bad boy:

80" grandpa special antenna.

Tried it out today with a line of 75-ohm coax running directly to a single TV, and the reception was spectacular from all the Lexington stations. It’s a directional antenna, but I can point it directly South and get everything I need.

The Tempermental Bimmer of my dreams

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 08:45:00 -0500

4-doors, purring straight-6 with individual throttle bodies and a free-flow exhaust.

This is the e34 BMW M5.
There is one parked in our lot every morning.
I lust after that car.

The Tempermental Bimmer of my dreams (Comments)

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 08:45:00 -0500

funny….you used to lust after the one you have :…

Whitney - Jan 4, 2007

funny….you used to lust after the one you have :)

Doesn’t GH have an M5? I get the bling factor but someday you’ll have to sell me on rear wheel drive - I’ve only ever had it on the truck and it’s only impacted me in that I kept concrete blocks in the back in the winter back when it was a daily driver.

Back to work...

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 08:46:00 -0500

I had nearly two full weeks off, but it drove me rather batty just laying around the house. (Insert joke about weight, Christmas cookies, and “laying AROUND the house” here).

I did do alot of fun things. Played a bazillion games of backgammon, and it was really enjoyable. Stu and Cathy bought Joey a very nice wood backgammon board for Christmas, and we played at least 1-2 games per day. It’s an ancient game, much more congenial and chance-based than chess or checkers…some games you can’t win, others you totally destroy the opposition.

Dumb quiz of the week--what accent do I have?

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 21:03:00 -0500

What American accent do you have?

Your Result: The Midland

“You have a Midland accent” is just another way of saying “you don’t have an accent.” You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.

Repent--Kentucky has a GOOD football program!!

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 21:48:00 -0500

I’m still shaking my head over this one. My quote at 11am today:

Man, I just hope we don’t embarrass ourselves.

After watching a well-coached, well-played game from the UK Wildcats, I still can’t believe that’s the same team that played LSU just a few months ago. They had a stellar opening drive, adjusted their game-plan against the Clemson pass-rush, then just lit-up the stadium for 21 unanswered points. As my pall Jeff says, the game really wasn’t as close as the 28-20 score would indictate–we owned Clemson today.

Grand Prix: "The Godfather" of Racing movies

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 17:36:00 -0500

This shot says it all:

It’s 1966. Real Formula cars. Real formula one drivers (Brabham, Clarke, Rendt…all legends). Filmed on 65mm Panavision at the real racetracks.

In my opinion, they should never make another racing flick. None could be better than John Frankenheimer’s 3-hour epic Grand Prix. I got the DVD for Christmas, putting it on my list purely by reputation–this is the same instinct that I used in buying “Grand Turismo” for Playstation.

That's just...wrong!

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 21:07:00 -0500

Lovely read, if you're looking for a car

Mon, 25 Dec 2006 20:41:00 -0500

Totally contrary to the “Never make a dealer an offer” strategies of Dave Ramsey, This blog is an interesting (if slanted) view from a guy who’s been there, done that.

The march to the mountains

Mon, 25 Dec 2006 12:37:00 -0500

Much like Sherman’s March to the Sea, Team Combs and I are engaged in a Christmas march to the mountains: Today, we’re sacking Louisville, tomorrow Georgetown, and Wednesday afternoon my Mom & Dad’s house. On Christmas today, Joey arrived from his dad’s as we gorged on Cathy’s wonderful breakfast casserole.

We’d already opened presents–I got an assortment of Craftsman tools, Whitney received her Kenmore canister vacuum cleaner, and we opened most of Stu, Cathy, and Rachel’s gifts.

On "Voyager"

Sat, 23 Dec 2006 15:29:00 -0500

I’ve spent the better part of three dull, lifeless days watching a marathon of Star Trek: Voyager and wanted to comment on it.

LAME!

I’ve listened to Jeff complain about the “venting plasma from the port nacelle” problem, and it seems every episode I’ve seen has something to do with time travel or the hollo-deck.

I’ve commented several times watching these episodes how these idea were great–the first time I saw them on “Next Generation”.

On "Voyager" (Comments)

Sat, 23 Dec 2006 15:29:00 -0500

Yeah, pretty lame. The first season, everyone was…

Jeff Roberts - Dec 6, 2006

Yeah, pretty lame. The first season, everyone was especially two-dimensional, but then I thought that of TNG at first. For some reason the girls and I got hooked on Voyager, though and I’ve seen all but one episode…and now that we have NetFlix I’ll have to check for it :-)

Review: Casino Royale

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 23:10:00 -0500

Okay, let me get this out of the way. I’m a heterosexual man, and Daniel Craig is damn sexy. And he can act. He plays Bond in the raw–all power and ego, a “blunt instrument” of death. Marvelous!

Yet, we find Craig’s Bond compelling, even disturbingly human. He’s an orphan, sponsored through the best of Britain’s schools, fresh off his first two kills for MI-6. When we first meet him, he’s found a like for killing, but by the tragic ending of the movie two hours on, he knows how much of his soul he destroyed in acquiring that taste for blood.

Listlessness

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:50:00 -0500

So…I’m at home, totally stir-crazy.

Do like like my couch though…my I’ve been spending lots of quality time on it for the past day or so. Gloomy outside, with a steady rain.

Currently reading “Husband Coached Childbirth” by Dr. Bradley

Listlessness (Comments)

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:50:00 -0500

So…I’m at work, totally stir-crazy. Do like lik…

Jeff Roberts - Dec 5, 2006

So…I’m at work, totally stir-crazy.

Do like like my Tempurpedic Seat Cushion though…

w0000000000000000000t!

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:27:00 -0500

Guess what my PE guy got me for Christmas?!

a Holiday Coffee sampler from Peet’s

I thought I was gonna break-down in tears…

Zeitgeist

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:31:00 -0500

n. The spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time.

This time at LXK is weird, as it is every year…there’s a combination of languor and pressure. Customers will be irate one minute, gone on vacation the next, and managers sway between micromanagement and “Have a Merry Christmas!”

Maddening.

* * *

Thoughts on the way into work:

I love cars, but ultimately, they’re (very breakable) things that don’t last very long.

:-P

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 08:54:00 -0500

Jeff’s in-law wedding adventure, with pics!

Jeff, knifing through the jungle, machete in one hand, blue-steel revolver in another…ready for anything, even a UT-Martin fan!

Ah, geeky gold

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 08:40:00 -0500

posting by proxy...

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 13:02:00 -0500

“Ouch!”

posting by proxy... (Comments)

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 13:02:00 -0500

can we let all the morons who think they can do be…

Whitney - Dec 5, 2006

can we let all the morons who think they can do better have a go at it - and then make them sit through the call in shows where morons who can’t properly speak english slander them voraciously?

Indeed!

There are a few thankless jobs in sports:

Don't know whether to laugh or cry on this one...

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:23:00 -0500

So, I get back from lunch, and someone’s brought an ice cream cake from DQ for the area.

I go down and help myself to a slice, and I ask what the occasion is. Everyone looks around nervously.

“Tell him, Sue.”

“You tell him, Gary”

“_____’s dad died.”

????

“Yeah, they weren’t close.”

Apparently.

Don't know whether to laugh or cry on this one... (Comments)

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:23:00 -0500

what….did it say “Congratulations!” or something…

Whitney - Dec 4, 2006

what….did it say “Congratulations!” or something on it?

No, thankfully it was blank…just an ice-cream cake.

Saddens me, though…estranged relationships father-to-son, estranged for eternity now, maybe.

Go Joe, go Joe!

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:38:00 -0500

:-) Check-out my pal Joe Guillory, the lawyer!

Random thought... (Comments)

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 12:00:00 -0500

I have certainly whipped out my credit card and ap…

Jeff Roberts - Dec 2, 2006

I have certainly whipped out my credit card and approached one before. But then sometimes I point my car key fob at my office door and press Unlock.

some around here take Gcards…..but that’s mommy and daddy’s money so I guess it doesn’t really count….

Quick hit: Say it with me now...

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 07:55:00 -0500

I will not eat popcorn before bed
I will not eat popcorn before bed
I will not eat popcorn before bed
I will not eat popcorn before bed

Yeah…nothing like being groggy and sick-as-a-dog at 4:30am.

Getting acquainted with east lexington...for about 5 hours

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 21:03:00 -0500

As Bella was in Louisville today, nesting and going to a baby shower (not her own…mmm…pregnant women on parade!), I went to get my CD player installed at Car Stereo warehouse.

They thought they could run the outputs through the factory amp, but turns out the factory amp was dead. This took quite awhile.

Click on this link for a map of my sojourn overf the next 5 hours. I went:

The radio saga

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 12:25:00 -0500

Yeah, so I get my new radio, and I follow the easy-to-read step-by step instructions and I end-up with the mess you see above you.

Seems that E30’s all have wonky common-ground stereos, and if you want any sort of quality, they have to be rewired. I’ll be getting this done tomorrow…

Still, it was a priceless moment when Whitney and Joey returned from church Wednesday night to find me wrestling with my car’s wiring in my pj’s :-)

On notebook envy.

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:06:00 -0500

I have a notebook. It’s spiral bound, college ruled paper, with 80 sheets.

I notice others in meetings have graph-paper notebooks, so they can create cool engineering-y diagrams while they doodle.

I envy those people.

Haiku

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:04:00 -0500

Stumble in the dark
Engineers search, people hate.
Satisfying none

Baby Shower

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 20:37:00 -0500

I’m drowning in baby gifts. My old church family was very generous, as were several members of mom’s family.

Got to drive Cathy’s Mazda MPV today, and it handled very well at “interstate speeds” :-) More powerful than Yoda, in any case.

Thanksgiving in review

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 21:29:00 -0500

Tact: noun. a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense; skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations.

After attending the second of two Thankgsivings, I must say, Brentzels don’t have tact. The Combs clan doesn’t either.

* * *

Scorecard

Atmosphere: The Combs homestead (now Janie’s house) versus Papaw Brentzel’s ranch-on-a-basement. Includes creek and hide-and-go-seek.
Advantage: Combs

Attendance: The Combs’s were missing a whole family, while the Brentzels were only missing one cousin (Alan).
Advantage: Brentzel

Thanksgiving in review (Comments)

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 21:29:00 -0500

It’s “smell a gnat fart”….and can it really be a…

Whitney - Nov 0, 2006

It’s “smell a gnat fart”….and can it really be a lack of tact if you know no one in present company will be offended with what you say?! :) Endearing qualities of my family….at least I get it honestly. lack of tact on both sides :)

Coming from someone with permanent OMIF (Open Mouth Insert Foot) syndrome, unless people are completely and utterly offended by the comment you just said out loud, then, no…it’s not tactless…I prefer BLUNT.

The Cam-U-Ry

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 10:55:00 -0500

“Camry” means ‘crown’ in Japanese (“Cam-U-Ree”), so here’s my summation of our Crown so far:

It’s great so far; the only complaint I have is the engine–with 3-4 people + stuff aboard, it can barely get out of its own way. In the flat, it’ll happily cruise at 80-90mph, as it’s geared very tall, but it’s hopeless in the mountains. We averaged 26 mpg on our trips in the past two days, which isn’t bad, but it isn’t the 30mpg I was hoping for. Some new tires and a tuneup should fix this.

Relaxation, day Zero

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 20:57:00 -0500

God help me, I’m taking off this week.

I expect to get the shakes sometime in the next couple days, as I really haven’t decompressed. I’m accustomed to the 7am video conference with India, and until that doesn’t happen, I’m not “on vacation”.

* * *

This weekend was pretty neat–did nothing on Saturday, and little to nothing today, aside from some shopping :-)

In other news, we’ve Christened the Camry “Yoda”, as it’s unattractive, old, and unexciting. Yet, it’s full of time tested wisdom.

It's starting again...

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 08:21:00 -0500

Good old Michael K (aka “Gateway”) is back on the GTO’s are cheap, buy one bandwagon.

Apparently, they’ll be going for under $25k again, since the 06’s are the last year for them, and they’re still piled-up on dealer lots.

400hp
RWD
Clunky 6-speed
no trunk

:) no thanks. Do miss Thor occasionally, when those ever-so-rare patches of open interstate loom, and my 170hp just doesn’t feel adequate.

New inspirational moment

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 10:48:00 -0500

So, I come downstairs from my 10am meeting, to see something very…odd.

A middle-aged lady from our facilities staff had her mop and bucket, much like other days, but she was MOPPING THE CARPET. Not the tile in front of the elevators, the CARPETING!

Clayton came by and we commiserated on this idea, and found it to be a metaphor for our whole frickin’ company. We’re mopping the carpet. Working hard, but mopping the carpet nonetheless.

New inspirational moment (Comments)

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 10:48:00 -0500

Classic! Yeah, I don’t think they have any actual…

Jeff Roberts - Nov 2, 2006

Classic! Yeah, I don’t think they have any actual vacuum cleaners anymore, just one of those push sweeper things for the carpet, and I can’t see us shelling out to have the carpet cleaned.

Was there a faint smell of cedar? Sounds like a scene from first grade where someone didn’t quite make it to the bathroom before hurling.

No, I don't have Connective Tissue Disorder

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 11:33:00 -0500

subtitle: OWWWWWWWWW!

So, Whitney and I were hanging out last night, practicing some of her Bradly exercises, specifically Tailor Sitting. As we sat there, we were discussing flexibility and she said I should lean forward from my 90-degree position as far as I could.

I leaned at about a 45 degree angle and finally felt a little stretch in my behind, so I kept going.

Turns out, I could bend all the way forward, still in the seated position and touch my nose to the carpet. She was suitably impressed…

Fun times...

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 13:08:00 -0500

Something about knowing I share a birthday with Nick Lachey isn’t terribly comforting.

Though, the Berlin Wall did fall on my birthday, which is cool.

Cancelled my C&D subscription...

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 08:47:00 -0500

…sigh…

Been a C&D subscriber for ~20 years, but it was time to vote with my feet–their recent tests have been garbage, the redesign caused my eyes to hurt, and the editorial content has gotten more “frat-boy” by the issue.

It’s still a respectable magazine, and their technical skills are above reproach, but it’s not worth my money.

:-)

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 11:28:00 -0500

I love my wife even if she is a pharisee.

:-) (Comments)

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 11:28:00 -0500

I have to agree with her “line-moving” points - I’…

Jeff Roberts - Nov 3, 2006

I have to agree with her “line-moving” points - I’ve said for some time that all the pedophiles need is a photogenic activist/victim and some money and that’s the next domino to fall. The groundwork is already there with “child rights” crap like kids divorcing their parents. Not a big step to consensual.

Changes in G'town

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 09:55:00 -0500

Pending a recount, looks like Varney is out and Tingle-Sames is in. Also, our guy Marvin Thompson is back in for city council.

I would like them to change to a district-based council structure…voting for 8 folks in the at-large is too hard!

On the election

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 07:26:00 -0500

Today’s the day…

Cast my ballot at 6:15 this morning, and was glad to do so. With all but one exception, I voted Democratic (yes, Dad, you can rejoice.)

Yes, I’m naive. Yes, I’ve started to believe at least some of what I read with respect to Iraq, torture, foreign policy, and the covert operations of our current executive.

Yes, I believe in checks-and-balances, and the blank check Hastert and Frist gave Bush over the past 2-3 years is criminal.

On the election (Comments)

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 07:26:00 -0500

Away from me satan.

Whitney - Nov 2, 2006

Away from me satan.

This morning I voted for a Democratic senator, congressman, and governor. For today, at least, you could call me a Bush Democrat.

Rock on, Josh!

Looks like the Dems may gain control of both houses, if the Senate races in Virginia and Montana hold out.

weekend in reverse: the e34 fiasco

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 07:22:00 -0500

…or “My Dad becomes a BMW brand Ho”

So, after haranguing Dad to be my wingman on the Desperate Friday Car-Search©, replacing my burned-out wife, I developed a list of 5 “likely” cars from the lists I could find online:

- At World Class Autos in Nicholasville: an Infiniti I30, and ‘95 BMW 525i
- At Big Blue Autos: The Camry, the Accord, and another I30.

Upon arriving at World Class Autos (Home of “Kentucky’s largest used car showroom”…yeah right, you could fit their building inside CarMax, but whatever…), we scoured the frosty lot for the e34 I was so keen on.

Weekend in reverse: Buying the blasted car

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 13:18:00 -0500

After the e34 fiasco, buying the Camry was pretty easy: Drove over to Big Blue Autos, and they (conveniently) had the keys to EVERY CAR sticking OUT OF ITS DRIVER’S SIDE DOOR!

Supposedly, this was to simply the detail-guys moving them around the lot. I personally think this was a giant sociological experiment to see who would be the first person to steal a car.

I only did it halfway–I got a dealer plate first.

Weekend in reverse: Camries have crappy lug studs.

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 09:16:00 -0500

So, having bought our new-to-us Camry on Friday, and brought it home Saturday, I noticed some interesting things about it Sunday.

It has THREE brands of tires on it. The front tires look new, but they’re called ‘Road King’ or something like that. The passenger rear was a Dunlop P4000 touring tire, and the driver’s side rear was a BFGoodrich something-or-other.

The BFGoodrich tire was also backwards.

Some tires, particularly rain tires, have V-shaped treads that dissipate water, IF THEY’RE MOUNTED CORRECTLY! If they’re not, they approximate the wet-road traction of a greased pig.

Weekend in reverse: Monday Morning

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 09:10:00 -0500

Yep…this is the Quentin Tarantino version of my weekend…

So, this morning, I arise at ye earlie momente of 5am, make coffee, scour the house for my badge, finally leaving with a backpack full of books, computer, power brick, passport, and other assorted goods.

(And, I just remembered…without lunch…CRAP!)

So, I get to the security room, and notice that the interior of my car reeks of coffee. I unzip my backpack to find the thermos tipped over. Usually, this isn’t a problem, the thermos is watertight and double-sealed at the top…

MY EYES....the goggles, they do NOTHING!!!

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 11:36:00 -0500

MY EYES....the goggles, they do NOTHING!!! (Comments)

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 11:36:00 -0500

there are no words….. big gaping hole gasping w…

Whitney - Nov 4, 2006

there are no words…..

big
gaping
hole
gasping
wretch
vomit

no…..none of them quite say it….

Lou Dobbs gives 'em heck...

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:25:00 -0500

This doesn’t sound much like Lou:

Only 15 percent of eligible voters turned out to cast a ballot in this year’s primary elections, according to an American University study. Never before have so few of us bothered to vote in primary elections. And it’s no wonder. Our middle class is beginning to get the joke.

Most Americans understand that all the major decisions have already been made.

His point on outsourcing is apt: No matter which party is in power, outsourcing manufacturing will continue unabated. The next congress and definitely the next presidency will see the utter collapse of Ford or Chrysler (possibly both), destroying the heart of the middle class.

Lou Dobbs gives 'em heck... (Comments)

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:25:00 -0500

Actually I think that started when it became cheap…

Whitney - Nov 3, 2006

Actually I think that started when it became cheaper to import steal from China than manufacture it domestically - and thus 98% of the steel industry was outsourced to China. America is so stupid in terms of self-sufficiency. And yes, btw, the whole PC global economy, era of the world is a load of crap.

The weekend of car shopping. . .no luck yet.

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 20:28:00 -0500

We spent 12 hours yesterday and ~2 hours today looking over cars, and we found-out several things:

* Old Buicks. Wow…no one can amortize production costs like General Motors. The Buick Century we looked at definitely felt like a quality buick from 1985, manufactured in 2002, right down to the front bench, column shifter, and coarse, powerless engine.

* Mazda 626, a very surprising, well-handling machine, but too small for our needs, we think. Whitney had a ball driving it, but it felt like a ’tween’ car…between a civic/corolla and a decent family sedan. Also, CR doesn’t like them too much

The weekend of car shopping. . .no luck yet. (Comments)

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 20:28:00 -0500

Well, if you run out of rental coverage, you can b…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 1, 2006

Well, if you run out of rental coverage, you can borrow the Elantra for a couple of days. I don’t mind driving the truck (no A/C) in this nice, cool weather.

Interviewing...3.0

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:16:00 -0400

TypingMaster Online Test, Desktop Educational Application

Still, I don’t really care. I want my ER doctor to understand anatomy, even if all she has to do is put the computerized defibrillator nodes on my chest and push the big red button, and I want programmers to know programming down to the CPU level, even if Ruby on Rails does read your mind and build a complete Web 2.0 social collaborative networking site for you with three clicks of the mouse.

Interviewing...3.0 (Comments)

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:16:00 -0400

Good article, the site’s now in my at-work RSS fee…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 5, 2006

Good article, the site’s now in my at-work RSS feed list.

The end of 'Sharkey'

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 08:47:00 -0400

It’s not final yet, but our Intrigue is junkyard bound. Whitney got a call from the ‘State Farm Total Loss’ department, which we assume implies it’s totaled.

I went by this morning, and collected what few things I’d left last week–garage door opener, some CDs, lotion, hair brads/clips/scrunchees. The poor car looked so sad…one year, 25k relatively trouble-free miles, we’re moving on.

Last night was narrowing the list…our requirements:

* Must be < 200" long (has to fit in our garage like Sharkey did).
* Within our budget
* Whitney must be able to drive it
* 4 doors
* Big enough to be a ‘family car’–stroller, car seat, etc.
* Safe
* Reliable
* Low operating costs–regular gas, good mileage, cheap/easy to repair.

Finished a weird paperback...

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:12:00 -0400

Erik suckered me into reading another of his slightly-off books: Gil’s All-Fright Diner

Pretty neat, little book, read over 2 hours in 2 days. The premise is essentially a folksy, redneck buddy tale, but these two buddys Duke and Earl (yeah, ask Erik says, “You gotta know something’s up when the two main characters are named Duke and Earl”), they happen to be a Werewolf and a Vampire. Redneck Werewolf and Vamipire…

ARRRGH!!! And me without a camera...

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 09:20:00 -0400

Further on the I need a small digicam front:

Driving home Monday, what should appear in my rear view mirror…silver with two blue-ish stripes?

Yep. Ford GT, Tailed by a bellicose Fox-bodied mustang with an exhaust, this guy wasn’t having any of it. Right at the Northern I-64/I-75 split the GT driver put his foot down and it was like the Stang had thrown out an anchor. He was GONE, all this on a roll from about 85mph (at which point, the GT was probably only at the top of 2nd gear!)

Blah...

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 12:35:00 -0400

Haven’t slept very well since the excitement last week, and it’s wearing on me…my routine is off and I’m suddenly a very light sleeper. I still go to sleep easily, but I wake up very easily, too, and I’m having bad dreams.

And boy, have I just been a joy to be around–moody, sleepy, and quick tempered.

Everything’s just in limbo at the moment–all 3 projects I’m on, my car’s in the shop, Whitney’s car. Total state of suspended animation.

Disturbing sign of the apocalypse #437

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:58:00 -0400

So, we picked Joey Actually-My-Name-is-Simon, and headed Team Combs over to McDonald’s in Shelbyville. While in McD’s, I noticed the fry assembly line: At one end, close to the drive-thru window is the holding area, where crisp, deep fried potatoes sit under a heat lamp in red McDonald’s packages awaiting customers.

To the right of that is the deep fryer, the heart of America’s burgeoning atherosclerotic crisis, where hyrdogenated vegetable oil at God-knows-how-hot fries the rather-uniform Taters as they sit in baskets. The fryer’s apparently run by a digital timer, set each time a basket lowers into the oil.

Wow :-)

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 12:50:00 -0400

Gotta love a good mechanic’s vise:

Installed my birthday present from Stu on the orkbench today…felt like a crime drilling those 4 half-inch holes in that beautiful workbench, but it went pretty well.

It’s an awesome vise: Two positions, two work anvils, and it swivels through 360 degrees.

Other random photos:

Team Combs will be riding in style, yo

Joey, da ninja!

Wow :-) (Comments)

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 12:50:00 -0400

Nice vise. What I can see of the bench looks great…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 6, 2006

Nice vise. What I can see of the bench looks great, too. And the kid ain’t too shabby either :-)

Unless it turns out to be one of those suddenly-it’s-70-degrees-on-Halloween sort of years, he’s gonna need some lil’ ninja shoes!

Whitney's accident

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 19:21:00 -0400

Not much funny about this one.

Whitney’s fine, the baby’s fine, and the car (at first blush) looks repairable. Joey’s up with his dad in Louisville, so he’s good too.

Whitney was pulling across North Broadway in front of our church, from the Buzz Cafe to the church, and ran the right front of the car into the left side of a northbound Lexus GX470

They bumped at about a 45 degree angle.

Whitney's accident (Comments)

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 19:21:00 -0400

Went to warn Sandra but remembered she had her fen…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 5, 2006

Went to warn Sandra but remembered she had her fender bender already. So I guess things DO come in threes!

New leaves in the fall

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 10:46:00 -0400

Fall is often the time I turn over a new leaf. Surmounting my annual September insanity, October and November are often times of rededication and renewal. Weird, I know, because for everything else in the Northern Hemisphere, these are times of dormancy and decay.

So, yesterday, I did it again: For personal reasons, and after much consideration, I gave-up unbounded use of the internet at home. My wife is my accountability partner, guardian of the (changed) passwords to all accounts on our computer. It’s a pretty drastic step, but the last 10 years of so of my life have left me with little other choice.

New leaves in the fall (Comments)

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 10:46:00 -0400

I like the password idea - Katie’s been having tro…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 4, 2006

I like the password idea - Katie’s been having trouble getting homework done with the internet within reach and we’re about at that point.

Sad, weak people

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 06:57:00 -0400

This guy came and spoke at Georgetown College when I was taking religion classes there.

Sad, sad story, if it’s true.

Sad, weak people (Comments)

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 06:57:00 -0400

How does a former gambling-addicted-embezzler beco…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 3, 2006

How does a former gambling-addicted-embezzler become a pastor in the first place? One of the key requirements is “not greedy of filthy lucre”. I understand the forgiveness angle, but certain actions should disqualify you for certain roles.

Eye candy

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:31:00 -0400

Eye candy (Comments)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:31:00 -0400

?

Whitney - Oct 2, 2006

This is a radio-telescope image of the gas/plasma emmisions of a supermassive blackhole.

The New Cardinal workshop

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 15:34:00 -0400

:-) Making things is fun.

My father-in-law, Stu, is a former shop teacher. He likes making things, and probably likes teaching others how to make things even more. He’s made me a fabulous workbench, and decided it was high time I learned about power tools.

Now, I’ve spent years watching Norm Abrams’s New Yankee Workhop, marveling at the things Norm can do with his keen eye, instincts, and…uh…$100k of power tools.

The New Cardinal workshop (Comments)

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 15:34:00 -0400

Cool - you should post a “measured drawring” :-) …

Jeff Roberts - Oct 1, 2006

Cool - you should post a “measured drawring” :-) Makes me want to get out in the shop and make some sawdust!

Cool!!!

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 09:24:00 -0400

Let’s see…

word-processor: Check.
spreadsheet: Check.

Google’s edging closer to having an Online office suite

Neat, go-anywhere technology.

Dialog

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 09:10:00 -0400

Me: Man, I wish they’d create invisible fence for PEOPLE to keep them out of your dang yard!

E: They have.

Me: Really?

E: It’s just so hard getting people to wear the collars!

Dialog (Comments)

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 09:10:00 -0400

I am so glad you didn’t say “office” instead of “y…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 2, 2006

I am so glad you didn’t say “office” instead of “yard” :-)

Happy unnecessary, decried holiday!

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 07:15:00 -0400

Yep. It’s Columbus Day

Celebrate the greatest conquest & associated genocide in recorded history? No thanks.

Happy unnecessary, decried holiday! (Comments)

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 07:15:00 -0400

Apparently this holiday is for the overtaxed gover…

Whitney - Oct 1, 2006

Apparently this holiday is for the overtaxed government workers…not for actually celebrating. I was told tonight that a certain Goble gets at least three government holidays per month. Egads.

"Fun with Dick and Jane"

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 20:53:00 -0400

This was a waste of time: A premise that can’t sustain a feature-film, combined with Jim Carrey’s hammy performance had Whitney and I surfing the web during the DVD.

Lone bright spot: David Duchovny is one VERY lucky man. Tea Leoni, as in “Spanglish,” was a lift to every scene she was in.

I'm gonna be one of THOSE dads....

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 09:16:00 -0400

So I get an email from Wal-Mart with “This weeks deals” or whatever.

Inside was a little pink doll.

and I’m like, “AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Maria would love that!”

Yikes.

I'm gonna be one of THOSE dads.... (Comments)

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 09:16:00 -0400

ugh.

Whitney - Oct 3, 2006

ugh.

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Nah, it’s a good thing. Much better than my neighbor who thinks his mission in life is to train his sons like attack dogs. “What are you cryin’ about? I don’t see no blood!”

With a daughter there’s no constant fear that something you do might turn her into a sissy. So you can lavish all the love and affection on her you want and it’s OK.

Build...

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 20:46:00 -0400

Got to be really good friends with vimdiff today as I tried to kick-start the build for our “End of Lifed, never need anything else but a plugin” product.

Yeah, well. We need it again, and she’s not so happy to build this time. We played with the build significantly for the last product, pseudo-integrating Ant, while leaving around lots of makefiles, an arcane language of rules, predicates and suffixes

freaky dreams

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 08:34:00 -0400

So, I had a dream last night that I was having an operation on my bad knee, but I was under local anesthesia (or else, I just couldn’t feel the pain…it’s a DREAM!).

So, the docs get in there and I have not one but TWO ligaments on the right side of my knee. One’s cut and the other is so badly cut the doctors cut it and repair it, rather like a Symphysiotomy (in my head thanks to Whitney’s midwife…ugh!)

freaky dreams (Comments)

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 08:34:00 -0400

By any chance was MacGyver the surgeon? I know se…

Jeff Roberts - Oct 2, 2006

By any chance was MacGyver the surgeon?

I know several people who injured their hands and had to have the surgery with just a local, so that the doctor could ask them to move individual fingers to make sure they were hooking everything up right.

As promised...ultrasound!

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 08:33:00 -0400

Told ya…look at that cute nose!

As promised...ultrasound! (Comments)

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 08:33:00 -0400

I am so happy for you guys. A little girl. Hope ev…

Susan - Oct 1, 2006

I am so happy for you guys. A little girl. Hope everything is going well. Cute pic!!!!

OMG–just found out! Congratulations. I am so happy for you guys. I hope she isn’t half the handfull that mine is! I have been so busy that I haven’t slept in about a year! It is still worth every minute!

On why people stay at bad jobs

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:46:00 -0400

These walls are kind of funny. First you hate ’em, then you get used to ’em. Enough time passes, gets so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized. They send you here for life, that’s exactly what they take. The part that counts, anyways.

:-) Yeah, yeah…dramatic. Erik and I discussed why people stay here…We’re a mediocre company (“Our goal is to be the clear #2…”), and our specific group is a study in “too many generals, not enough troops”.

On why people stay at bad jobs (Comments)

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:46:00 -0400

And unless you’re in the group of 5-10 people who …

Jeff Roberts - Sep 5, 2006

And unless you’re in the group of 5-10 people who anyone actually listens to, you start finding fulfillment outside of work, so you’re happy to settle into a routine that allows you to pay the bills and pursue those other interests. It becomes a J.O.B.

It's a girl!!

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:13:00 -0400

About 18 weeks from now (…ish), I’ll be the proud father of a baby girl. Found-out yesterday.

I’m still sort of in shock; I was honestly steeling myself for the prospect of having a boy. . .the demands of being a father, of moulding a young man, Boy Scouts, etc. Joey’s a joy, and I was looking forard to having another.

Still, Maria shows every sign of being a vigorous Combs gal, hopefully in line of her cousins–brunette, brilliant eyes (hope she gets her Mom’s eyes!)

It's a girl!! (Comments)

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:13:00 -0400

I still wish I were a man. Yes, this “vigorous C…

Whitney - Sep 6, 2006

I still wish I were a man. Yes, this “vigorous Combs gal” hasn’t stopped KICKING MOMMY IN THE BLADDER for a freakin weak, thank you very much. And in other news, stock in Kimberly-Clark went up recently as pregnant women everywhere empty grocery shelves of Depends.

Oh my...:-) (Comments)

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 21:05:00 -0400

When is someone (a-hem) going to actualy do the ma…

Whitney - Sep 1, 2006

When is someone (a-hem) going to actualy do the math problem and see if it works?!

KCQRL tourney @ Georgetown College

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 20:36:00 -0400

So, amid the monsoon we’ve had today, one block over from the (possibly cancelled) Festival of the Horse, Georgetown College hosted a Quick-Recall tournament.

It was a fun day; I moderated in my old computer science room (131 in Asher Science Center) for 6 rounds. Top question of the day was:

Q: Doug Stanhope and Snoop Dogg are among the celebrity guest hosts of this video series, whose various titles include America Uncovered, Endless Spring Break, and Sexy Sorority Sweethearts. Name this video series that exchanges tshirts for ﬂashes from young women.
A: GIRLS GONE WILD

From the weatherband this morning

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 12:07:00 -0400

Today’s UV index forcast is…one. One is in the low category.

Ya think? Actually, I’d say outside is somewhere between Transylvania and English Moors.

On "Boundaries"

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 09:17:00 -0400

This book bothers me, but it’s not book’s fault. Yes, like most self-help books, it’s overwritten and it restates the obvious – you have to learn to say ‘No’, even if you’re a Christian. This is similar to other self-help genres: You must live within your means to stay solvent, and eat less while exercising to lose weight.

It’s not like these things are rocket science.

Thing is, I have boundary issues, but for a weird reason: I’m very, very selfish. For most of my life until I became a Christian, if something benefitted me or made my life easier, even if it was WRONG, I could rationalize it. This lead to me being a friendless, fat, whiny, sociopathic, self-righteous sot. Envision Comic book guy, and you’d have me, circa 14 years old:

On "Boundaries" (Comments)

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 09:17:00 -0400

Sounds interesting and I’ve definitely had to conf…

Jeff Roberts - Sep 4, 2006

Sounds interesting and I’ve definitely had to confront that. I went through a long period of doing things that “had to be done” at church but had been dropped by people who left. I wasn’t even saying “no” to myself :-) I let them drop, one by one, and I’ll be danged if the world ain’t still turnin'!

[sings] Sleeptalker...I'm a sleeptalker...[sings] (Comments)

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 08:49:00 -0400

Funny stuff! I say all sorts of nutty stuff in my…

Jeff Roberts - Sep 3, 2006

Funny stuff! I say all sorts of nutty stuff in my sleep. My brothers, who shared a room, used to argue in their sleep.

More Joey quotes...

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 10:04:00 -0400

Hey, if Barbara Bush’s dog can have a book, I think I could collect enough Joey quotes to fill a paperback, at least.

Joey: You guys don’t have to buy me anything for Christmas…

Me (to self): Awww….

Joey: …As long as you buy me EVERYTHING.

* * *

:-)

2007 Mazdaspeed3

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:04:00 -0400

2007 Mazdaspeed3 - The Car Connection: “They could ship it over here available only in taupe paint and genuine rust and it would still be one of the most exhilarating cars Mazda has ever sold in the United States . In the history of sport compacts, this car is an immediate icon.”

Looks like the Mini Cooper ‘S’ finally has some competition, though it’s sorta like the Corvette -v- Porsche comparison: Interesting on paper, but few people will cross-shop both brands.

2007 Mazdaspeed3 (Comments)

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:04:00 -0400

Not to fuel the lust or anything but (depending on…

Whitney - Sep 1, 2006

Not to fuel the lust or anything but (depending on the interior size) I could def see me driving that….does it come in a 5 body instead of the 3?

Nope…Mazda3 only. The Mazda5 is based off the same platform, but makes-do with the 2.3 Naturally-aspirated motor.

Weekend ruminations...

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 21:28:00 -0400

Friday, I had S&S rebalance all the tires on the BMW, hopefully ending that particular lesson in trying to save a coupla bucks.
I overseeded the lawn Friday, cutting the lawn down to stubble, seeding, rolling (thanks Jeff!) and watering. My water bill this month should be interesting :-)
Saturday, Whitney and I slept-in late and went to the Spoonbread festival in Berea. Whitney was very impressed with the town. I was not very impressed with the spoonbread.

Body pillow, airbag, Harold-defense mechanism

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 21:22:00 -0400

So, Whitney ordered this bizarre (yet very comfy) pillow last month. Just thought I’d post-up a pic to show the scale of the thing.

News...Joey was 'star of the week' in his class!

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 21:19:00 -0400

Joey got to be the star (or super-star, or all-star, or something), so Whitney and I helped him create this neat poster. (Okay…I helped joey paste-up everything onto the poster-board…)

Happy Anniversary!

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 21:18:00 -0400

Today, I surprised Bella with flowers and a card, and we ate the topper from our wedding cake last year. Hard to believe a full year has gone by, but it sure has – we’re established in our new church, Joey’s in school, and we have another baby on the way :-)

Happy Anniversary! (Comments)

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 21:18:00 -0400

Many happy returns! I’m diggin’ the photography -…

Jeff Roberts - Sep 1, 2006

Many happy returns! I’m diggin’ the photography - did someone get a new camera?

Nah, that’s the same Fuji 4MP I got… HarryC - Sep 1, 2006

Thanks!

Nah, that’s the same Fuji 4MP I got for my b-day last year.

Quoted from my household

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 07:22:00 -0400

Bella: Why are you tiptoeing through the house with your shoes on?

Me: I don’t want to get the carpet dirty

Bella: So, you want to look ridiculous AND get smaller footprints on the carpet?

As the thunder rolls...SPORTS predictions!!

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 22:16:00 -0400

I’m sports-obsessed this weekend…namely because football’s back!! Yep, the 22-man skirmish played out on an artificial battlefield is back, and it’s great.

So, some predictions:

Eli’s Giants will beat Peyton’s Colts. On the Giants’ home field, they’re showing defense and a RUNNING GAME. Is Peyton the better QB? Yes. Does it matter? No.
Kentucky football sucks. What else is new?
Brett Favre will be benched by midseason. Home opener shutout? Yikes. Retire and let us remember your 90’s glory!

Enjoyable (surprise!) picnic

Sat, 09 Sep 2006 21:04:00 -0400

Friday was the annual area picnic, and for once, I had a total blast–10:30am to 4pm, including a great disc golf game, horse shoes, football, and some cool manager-sponsored games: Slingshot paintball (!) and Charlie’s Left/Center/Right.

I’m sore, sunburnt and dehydrated. Loved it!

* * *

Bonus, headed to Wally-World and got my tires mounted, no waiting (!)

Enjoyable (surprise!) picnic (Comments)

Sat, 09 Sep 2006 21:04:00 -0400

Alas, I succumbed to the temptation to make an ear…

Jeff Roberts - Sep 6, 2006

Alas, I succumbed to the temptation to make an early exit and start on the yard. As a result I got the weedy patch all filled in with topsoil and seeded. One of these picnics I’m going to stay and have fun. The food was good anyway :-)

TypingMaster Online Test, Desktop Educational Application

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 10:34:00 -0400

82 WPM…w00t!

Dad says he’s never seen anyone type as fast as me. I told him he’s seen very few typists, then.

Rant

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 12:53:00 -0400

I’m a full-time regular developer that the company flew to Switzerland. I’ve been onsite at a large banking firm for 3 days. Things are not going well. Our “solution” is as bad or worse than the original problem, and the $90 million PER YEAR customer is frustrated. I’ve provided one substantial update in three days, and have followed no reproducible baseline procedures.

What’s my natural next email?

BTW, tomorrow is my last day here on official business. I’ll be sightseeing Friday and Saturday.

Rant (Comments)

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 12:53:00 -0400

BTW, I decided I don’t want a job…but I’m gonna …

Whitney - Sep 3, 2006

BTW, I decided I don’t want a job…but I’m gonna screw you while I can - on your dime.

OK, you win. Much worse than badly-parked Camrys :-)

Maybe he’s actually Jason Bourne?

Sad … dark pain …

Class warfare? Inflation?

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 17:19:00 -0400

I think this post by Delerium sums it up pretty well

I’m in the top 10%, but not by much and I DEFY you to find anyone near this point who can:

Afford to send 2 kids to a decent college
Take expensive vacations
Pay the mortgage, car loan and credit card loans
Maintain cars and house
Heat, electric for house and gas for cars
Feed the family well
Pay for your multiple insurances

Class warfare? Inflation? (Comments)

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 17:19:00 -0400

That “maintain cars and house” is a big one. Ther…

Jeff Roberts - Sep 2, 2006

That “maintain cars and house” is a big one. There’s always something falling apart. Not only are you left with squat financially, your time gets frittered away fighting back moth and rust.

There’s a lot of truth in it. Esp. with the outrageous cost of not just health insurance but health costs (Sidebar: I went to the doctor for an exam today and spent $80. $30 copay and two prescriptions at $25 each. And that’s WITH insurance?? at least I got a laugh when my doctor, after I told him my company had switched us to Humana, said, “Sorry about your luck.”).

Yeah, he'll regret this later

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 16:55:00 -0400

Yeah, I can just see pulling-out THIS picture whenever joey brings home a gal, gets married, etc.

Yeah, he'll regret this later (Comments)

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 16:55:00 -0400

Well, you’ve taken one step to prepare him for Bet…

Jeff Roberts - Sep 1, 2006

Well, you’ve taken one step to prepare him for Beta Club. At least that’s what they did to us at our initiation. I never quite got that one - let’s humiliate the kids getting good grades!

Oldie but a goodie

Sat, 02 Sep 2006 11:15:00 -0400

LOVE this:

This mini-movie is the #1 reason I continue to lust after an E39 M5

Oldie but a goodie (Comments)

Sat, 02 Sep 2006 11:15:00 -0400

That’s too funny. Gotta love that last slide.

Jeff Roberts - Sep 6, 2006

That’s too funny. Gotta love that last slide.

So...why can't we get a cool Corolla in this country?

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 12:25:00 -0400

Yeah, we get a rather stodgy, jellybean corolla, and the rest of the world gets this nice, useful 4-door hatch.

Like the treatment on the grille/hood better, as well.

So...why can't we get a cool Corolla in this country? (Comments)

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 12:25:00 -0400

it looks like an overgrown plymouth omni.

Whitney - Sep 5, 2006

it looks like an overgrown plymouth omni.

You say that like it’s a bad thing =)

Sore on Saturday

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 15:57:00 -0400

I’m hopped-up on a combination of butter-cream, butter-mints, and mixed nuts…that’s right kids–it’s Baby Shower time.

Wait a tick…no, not a shower for OUR forthcoming baby, one for someone ELSE. Whitney’s coordinated the whole thing, and it’s (hopefully) winding down as I write this.

From the sound of the games–something about clothespins & toilet paper–I didn’t want anything to do with it. :-)

Fear and self-loathing in La Bluegrass

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 08:04:00 -0400

Ever have a day where you woke-up and just wished you weren’t yourself? That’s pretty-much me today.

Fell off the wagon this morning, very hard. I won’t go into the details, but there’s at least one person who reads this blog knows what I’m talking about. No rhyme or reason to it, just happened. I’ve had a very good week, and last night visiting with some of our Church friends was awesome, but for some reason, I took a step I shouldn’t have taken and only a few minutes later jumped right off the wagon.

Software by Rob : Personality Traits of the Best Software Developers

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 11:02:00 -0400

Software by Rob : Personality Traits of the Best Software Developers: “I have never, ever, ever seen a great software developer who does not have amazing attention to detail.”

Let me just say it: I’m screwed.

Anyone know of a remedial course for Type-B programmers?

Software by Rob : Personality Traits of the Best Software Developers (Comments)

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 11:02:00 -0400

Tony Robbins - reservation for one.

Whitney - Aug 1, 2006

Tony Robbins - reservation for one.

See, I’ve done that–7 habits of hi… HarryC - Aug 1, 2006

@Bella:

See, I’ve done that–7 habits of highly effective people, etc.–and still I have to make lists in order to stay on task. :-)

Ford Cutting N.A. Production

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 12:34:00 -0400

RELEASE: Ford Cutting N.A. Production - The Car Connection: “The new production plan will result in downtime at several assembly plants between now and the end of the year, including: …Louisville, Ky. (Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer)…and all F-Series truck plants (Kansas City, Mo.; Norfolk, Va., Dearborn and Kentucky Truck in Louisville).”

Looks like a rough Christmas in Da Ville. :(

So, this whole "God is Jesus, Jesus is God" concept

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 09:34:00 -0400

From a conversation I had with my pastor:

So, in explaining the concept of Jesus and God being one in the same, and Jesus being a “manifestation” of God. God is the “author of the universe” and Jesus is his embodiment. One of my fellow parishoners said to Scott:

So, it’s kinda like Stephen King doing a cameo in movies based on his book?

Yep.

So, this whole "God is Jesus, Jesus is God" concept (Comments)

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 09:34:00 -0400

Stephen King actually shows up as a character in t…

Bryan - Aug 5, 2006

Stephen King actually shows up as a character in the last two books of ‘The Dark Tower’ Series. (If you haven’t read these you should, they are really good!)

The Age of the Essay

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:52:00 -0400

The Age of the Essay: “You don’t know yet. And so you can’t begin with a thesis, because you don’t have one, and may never have one. An essay doesn’t begin with a statement, but with a question. In a real essay, you don’t take a position and defend it. You notice a door that’s ajar, and you open it and walk in to see what’s inside.”

Paul Graham is a hero of mine, not for his hacker-hero-worship, but because he’s a THINKER first, and a programmer second. His “essay on essays” should be given to every freshman in college.

Zonked...

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 09:03:00 -0400

Prediction for the day: Lots of people driving convertibles, motorcycles, etc. It’s BEAUTIFUL outside…65 degrees, no humidity. Really feels like Fall.

* * *

One cup of coffee, and I’m still totally zonked. I know I slept, but it feels like I didn’t sleep at all.

Bummed that Katerina is leaving the company, but I’m kinda glad for her, too.

"Suburbia"

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 22:48:00 -0400

I guess my point is that I don’t like suburbia. I want to move back to a town where everybody has at least an acre or two of land. Good fences don’t make good neighbors. Good acreage makes good neighbors. And beer. Beer always helps.

Agreed, on both counts.

Annoyances.org - Top 10 things likely to be overheard from a Klingon Programmer

Yep…this guy’s going on the RSS reader…

On being jealous

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 11:36:00 -0400

I’m jealous. Straight-up, seeing red jealous. There was something that was mine that someone else is doing a bang-up job on after it got taken away from me. So, hard thing is, are my misgivings about it real, or are they just a manifestation of that jealousy?

On being jealous (Comments)

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 11:36:00 -0400

I thought jealousy was the green-eyed monster….n…

Whitney - Aug 1, 2006

I thought jealousy was the green-eyed monster….not the red-eyed…..unless he’s jealous about all the ppl out there who DON’T have allergies - while clawing his own eyes out….

The Bag of Holding

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:49:00 -0400

The Bag of Holding: “Got your top 5? Good. Now find out who made each of them. Send the creator a letter of thanks, and make it sincere. If appropriate, send a small cash donation, anything you can afford.”

My list:

BMW
Timex
Sage
Firefox
Ruby

Yup…nothing like the proper tool.

The next family truckster....

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:42:00 -0400

Bella’s car won’t last forever, and I keep wondering what we’ll look at next. Things that matter to me:

Small-sized person compatibility: Some cars (including my E30!), Bella just can’t drive. She needs power-adjusting seats (and pedals, preferably!) and a tilt/telescoping steering column.
Safety: I don’t want my family in a death trap. In this I include active safety: A vehicle must be stable and maneuverable enough to avoid problems, with positive driver feedback. It must also have enough power to get out of its own way.

The next family truckster.... (Comments)

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:42:00 -0400

It CANT be any GM?! I LOVE BUICK!! I LOVE OLDS!!…

Whitney - Aug 5, 2006

It CANT be any GM?! I LOVE BUICK!! I LOVE OLDS!!! WHY CANT IT BE A FREAKIN GM??? except chevy? Kick me in the crotch and spit on my neck - UGH!! We are SOOOOOOOOOO not having a chevy. ugh.

My bad: Typo…should’ve said it CAN be any GM except Chevy.

Mooching pics from others...

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 09:24:00 -0400

Joey passes into an icing-induced sugar coma.

* * *

After the non-practice Soccer practice (lightning, thunder, oh my!), we were able to make it to David’s surprise party, which was awesome for me in many ways:

- Got to introduce Whitney + Joey to most of my ‘work family’
- Took whitney to a GOOD thai restaurant, for a change.
- It counted as date night. (j/k, dear!)

Keeping a lower profile

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 12:15:00 -0400

At Bella’s request, I removed all geographic and visual references to where I now abide.

For all those crazies out there on the ’net: I live alone atop a high, craggy mountain surrounded by piles of gas-inducing bean burritos and buckets of ammunition for my many sub-machine guns. The approximate location of my hermitage is East of Noah’s Ark, and north of Shangri-La.

Please feel free to not drop by.

Keeping a lower profile (Comments)

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 12:15:00 -0400

Would you say you have a plethora of gas-inducing …

JarvoSpeaks - Aug 4, 2006

Would you say you have a plethora of gas-inducing bean burritos?

Funny, that sounds like the town where I grew up!

Nice try, but STILL I will hunt you down and force you to accept a baby gift!

Biggest "duh" thought...

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:39:00 -0400

So, on the news today this story:

BP said that it would have to shut down a segment of the pipeline for a period of up to six months to replace 16 miles of the structure.

Okay, why does BRITISH PETROLEUM own the Alaska pipeline? Why doesn’t an American company (or better yet, the federal gov’t!) own it?

Biggest "duh" thought... (Comments)

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:39:00 -0400

Shhhh….Mayor Isaacs may be listening…

Jeff Roberts - Aug 2, 2006

Shhhh….Mayor Isaacs may be listening…

Maybe it’s part of a plot to take back the colonies?

I also heard that they hadn’t run the “pig” (not Arnold, some kind of device) through the pipeline to do routine testing for over a decade. (And here’s a prediction the pundits will seize “pig” as a metaphor soon.)

7 Reasons the 21st Century is Making You Miserable

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 09:27:00 -0400

7 Reasons the 21st Century is Making You Miserable: “It doesn’t matter what you tell yourself, or what slogans you memorize about how everyone is special. You’ll think of yourself as special when you do something special. If you think of yourself as special prior to actually doing something special, you’re not healthy and well-balanced. You’re a narcissist, disconnected from reality. "

Okay, this is a LITTLE over the top, but taken as a whole, this article describes why post-modernist Cyberspace and human beings don’t mesh, past a point. We need people. (By extension, I’d assert we need God, too!)

7 Reasons the 21st Century is Making You Miserable (Comments)

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 09:27:00 -0400

“No, thank you.” (Kidding.)

Interesting sit… JarvoSpeaks - Aug 4, 2006

“No, thank you.” (Kidding.)

Interesting site. I always enjoy reading others who are saying what I have since I was, oh, 10: that our society is going to Dante’s favorite vacation spot, in a small purse.

The (exhausting) weekend that was...

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 21:55:00 -0400

Yeah, so this was supposed to be the weekend where I relaxed all Saturday, staying in bed all day if I wished…

…so, naturally, we reorganized the house and Rug Doctor’d the carpets. In between doing that, I found time to change the oil in the Beamer. All this, while Joey lived la dolce vita down at Dale Hollow Lake.

The lowpoint was probably when the Purolator filter in the E30 decided to get stuck, at the same time my left shoulder had a heat cramp. I finally crawled under the car and got it unstuck with my StrapWrench from beneath.

May you be cursed to live in interesting times...

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 12:44:00 -0400

Washington Post Article

Rarely has our system produced a more naked exercise in opportunism than this measure. Most conservatives oppose the minimum wage on principle as a form of government meddling in the marketplace. But moderate Republicans in jeopardy this fall desperately wanted an increase in the minimum wage.

So the seemingly ingenious Republican leadership, which dearly wants deep cuts in the estate tax, proposed offering nickels and dimes to the working class to secure billions for the rich. Fortunately, though not surprisingly, the bill failed.

May you be cursed to live in interesting times... (Comments)

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 12:44:00 -0400

The Republicans in congress don’t feel that it is …

Bryan - Aug 5, 2006

The Republicans in congress don’t feel that it is necessary to raise minimum wage, however they do feel it’s OK to give themselves a $30,000 a year “cost of living” raise. What a joke!

Dagen då larverna kom till Flogsta

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 09:39:00 -0400

Caterpillars run amok

Dagen då larverna kom till Flogsta (Comments)

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 09:39:00 -0400

“HEEELLLP ……. MMMMMEEEEEEEEE”

JarvoSpeaks - Aug 4, 2006

“HEEELLLP ……. MMMMMEEEEEEEEE”

There are bad days, then there are days when you fall down the stairs

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:56:00 -0400

[Interior: Postmodern tech-company building with central spiral staircase]

Harold, our intrepid protagonist walks down one flight of stairs, three individual 90-degree spiralled segments, to the floor below. He carries a sheet of paper containing the candidate’s resumé in one hand, a water-filled tupperware cup in the other. He looks off the the right, then suddenly finds himself falling down the stairs, landing on his left side, most of the impact on his left shin & ankle. His left hand is numb.

There are bad days, then there are days when you fall down the stairs (Comments)

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:56:00 -0400

Owwwwwwww! Is there somewhere I can vote for “Fun…

Jeff Roberts - Aug 2, 2006

Owwwwwwww! Is there somewhere I can vote for “Funniest 2 blog items I’ve seen in a while?”

(The string I have to type in to verify that I’m not an ad-spam-bot is “shjss”, which might be close to what you said as you fell.)

Well, I seriously began to wonder if blogspot.com was sending me coded messages in the verification words, because mine earlier today was something like “websxy”. (And the letters were slanted in a very suggestive way.)

"Mac Ad spoof"

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 08:51:00 -0400

As a growing Ubuntu acolyte, this is just hilarious:

Reports from the frontlines--DATELINE BEATTYVILLE

Sat, 29 Jul 2006 21:49:00 -0400

After a morning of sleeping-in, procuring some coffee at Kroger, and gassing-up the Intrigue, we headed to Beattyville, leaving at 2 and arriving around 5 (!)

The news:

- Dad bought a truck. It’s the same truck as his last truck, but it has the advantage of 97k fewer miles and a higher differential ratio (3.43 v 3.73)

- Used the air tools to rotate the tires on the intrigue.

Not entirely booted today...

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 12:45:00 -0400

Nothing like having the Hershey Squirts all morning combined with too little sleep to make one perky on a Friday.

* * *

Thought: I must stop caring what people at work think of me. I’ve got folks like David, Jeff, and Patrick, who are just awesome, supportive, and real. And, they’re all alot older than me. Then, I have people my own age who are just not nice. Ugh.

* * *

In case we doubted Joey's self-image...

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 15:54:00 -0400

(On exiting the tennis court this morning)

Me: Man, you were hittin’ that ball pretty well? Your dad been workin’ with you?

Joey: No. I’m just good!

hehe

Annoyances.org - Top 10 things likely to be overheard from a Klingon Programmer

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:01:00 -0400

OH YEAH!!!!

Annoyances.org - Top 10 things likely to be overheard from a Klingon Programmer (Comments)

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:01:00 -0400

Wow, and I thought Scott Adams worked in the next …

Jeff Roberts - Jul 5, 2006

Wow, and I thought Scott Adams worked in the next cubicle. Little did I know Warf was on the other side!

A morning prayer... (Comments)

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 08:46:00 -0400

Pardon my interrupting your prayer and feel free n…

Jeff Roberts - Jul 3, 2006

Pardon my interrupting your prayer and feel free not to accept this comment but “despair” ? I’m sure my “don’t sweat the small stuff…or even the medium-sized stuff” attitude of late isn’t optimal (although it aligns pretty well with my raise amount!) but don’t let stuff get to ya dude. Wife, kid, another kid on the way…life is *good*.

Promise Keepers

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 21:03:00 -0400

Spent Friday night and Saturday up in Columbus, Ohio at a Promise Keepers event, held at the 20,000-seat Nationwide arena.

It was a great experience, as 7 of us from Northside Christian Church (Pastor Scott, Ryan, Me, Rick, Chuck, Tim, and Jason) headed out at 2:30pm in the rental 15-passenger van. On the whole, it was great to just be myself, not worried about talking sports, or computers, or whatever else. I could be comfortable and enjoy just laughing and being myself.

Promise Keepers (Comments)

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 21:03:00 -0400

We’re looking forward to Atlanta this weekend

Kerry Woo - Jul 2, 2006

We’re looking forward to Atlanta this weekend

Intel to ax 1,000 managers | CNET News.com

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 16:51:00 -0400

Intel to ax 1,000 managers | CNET News.com

Ah, if only….

A wonderful day...

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 21:29:00 -0400

I sit basking in the glow of my citronella candle as the last pink of day turns to gray. Relaxed. Sated.

Today was a study in contrasts–my relaxation now versus me taking a DeWalt cordless drill to the remains of my powerbook as I salvaged the Hard Drive. Bella wanted the pictures off it. I got through 16 little screws, but the final two holding the hard drive to the case itself stripped out. I was a little frustrated and thought “Well, if this were a car, I’d just grab a metal bit and drill-out the screws.”

A wonderful day... (Comments)

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 21:29:00 -0400

I hear you on the touch-up paint. I washed the El…

Jeff Roberts - Jul 1, 2006

I hear you on the touch-up paint. I washed the Elantra and there’s a pea-sized chip along the outside of one of the wheel wells. I also need a big can of TRUCK-nuba for the green machine. And a chamois. And a hydraulic lift.

Just overheard at our house

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 21:28:00 -0400

Um…mommy…

I wanna wear spidey and my football pijamas, but I can’t ‘cuz they don’t match

Yike.

Gotta love Ruby!

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 11:17:00 -0400

Ruby is an awesome, powerful little language.

I needed a ’time’ command for windows to measure the execution time (in seconds) of a command. Should be trivial, but I’m not Windows API savvy. Here’s the full script in Ruby:


t1 = Time.new 
IO.popen(ARGV.join(' ')) { |pipe| puts pipe.gets } 
t2 = Time.new 

puts "Execution time: #{t2 - t1} seconds"

Simple, direct, and obvious. LOVE IT!

Let it rain!!

Wed, 05 Jul 2006 12:20:00 -0400

The Lord granted us a respite last night just long enough for a clear sky for the awesome Scott County fireworks show, but this morning has been a steady, slow rain, up to 1" on my rain gauge.

We need it desperately.

* * *

In other news, the new baby Combs is actually at 10 weeks instead of 9, putting his or her delivery date at February 5th. New ultrasound scans coming soon.

Making Hay on Independence Day...

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 21:52:00 -0400

In church yesterday, out of the blue, my inclination was “You need to go visit your parents.” Sans Joey this weekend, I told Whitney we needed to go and she thought it was a great idea.

Had a wonderful time with Mom, Dad, Norie, and Mike getting in about 248 bales of hay off some land just around-the-corner from their farm. Hot, dry day in the 90’s, but it turned out for the best: I helped with the hay, got some exercise, and got some “quality time” with Dad. Whitney was bored to tears, but at least she got to stay cool.

Superman Returns Review

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 21:11:00 -0400

The powers that be bought the whole regular employee cadre tix to the matinee of Superman Returns. I hated it, but then I didn’t care for the first 4.

The movie comes (in the dc comics reality) after the events in Superman II, but prior to those of Superman III. Superman left 5 years ago to investigate the last-known position of Krypton, his homeworld, only to find the world has all but forgotten him and that his former love has a new live-in man and a 5-year old kid.

On the logic of female promiscuity

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:23:00 -0400

Okay, my brain is off-the-wall sometimes. I was watching some sort a show about Bradd Pitt and Angelina Jolie and thought. “Dang, guys are just pigs. All we think about is sex. Our nature is to be promiscuous.” Brad had left Jennifer Aniston to be with a “better” (?) woman, Angelina.

Something, though, made me think that wasn’t quite right: WOMEN should tend to be more promiscuous than men. Here’s my thoughts, ignorning the obvious moral concerns and thinking anthropologically:

Mechanic’s Tale: Junkyard Dogs - The Car Connection

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 08:36:00 -0400

Mechanic’s Tale: Junkyard Dogs - The Car Connection: “In the crazy Jac Nasser years at Ford I kept hearing rumors of Ford attempting to buy up large numbers of junkyards. He chased every unprofitable business strategy that came down the pike, so I guess he could have taken the profit out of junkyards too.”

(to the tune of “Oh, how I love Jesus”)
_
Oh, how I hate Fo-ords,
Oh, how I hate Fo-ords,
Yes, Oh, how I hate Fo-ords,
Because they first hated me.
_

700 posts + the weekend

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 08:49:00 -0400

:-) Can’t believe I have 700 posts on here…wow.

* * *

Ah, the weekend: Joey, Whitney, and I went up to da Ville to attend a wedding. Small, neat affair off Peterson St in the Highlands. For a simple wedding-on-the-porch, it had lots of mishaps–Firetruck went by during the special music, flower-girl pancaked on the dancefloor (with exciting bleeding!), and the photographer’s assistant passed-out.

Whitney felt faint and my persistent hamstring injury kept us off the dancefloor :-(

Quote from Sue

Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:58:00 -0400

Republicans: People who will stay out of your business, but dictate your personal life
Democrats: People who will dictate your business, but stay out of your personal life.

Woohoo!

Gag from last night's parenting class...

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:14:00 -0400

Whitney: [describing the our if-then chart from Doorposts]

Pastor: That sounds great could you bring those in?

W: Sure.

Pastor (joking): Bring in the one for Harold as well.

Me: That one takes up the whole outside wall of the house.

Happy Father's Day!

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 13:53:00 -0400

I am SOOOOO happy today: Whitney is 7 weeks along with our first child!!!

She gave me the news only a few weeks ago, and I couldn’t be happier. Her first OB appointment was today, and they did bloodwork and gave her brand-name neo-natal vitamins to take.

I thank God for blessing us with a new soul to bring into this world, and pray that he give us the guidance in raising him or her. (Whitney think’s it’s a girl, BTW…terrible morning sickness!)

Happy Father's Day! (Comments)

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 13:53:00 -0400

Awesome! Congratulations! Let the name games begi…

Jeff Roberts - Jun 4, 2006

Awesome! Congratulations! Let the name games begin…

Cat A. Combs
Fine Toothed Combs
Honey Combs

Hmm, not quite as fun as when my friend, Mr. Bean, had his first kid.

Congrats :-)

Hardik Tank's Weblog : Weblog

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 09:14:00 -0400

Hardik Tank’s Weblog : Weblog

That’s just bizarre

Announcement: Ppl @ LXK do stuff besides code

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:58:00 -0400

Neat “Battle of the Bands” type thing tomorrow night, courtesy of Sam Rhodus, my former team lead and all-around cool guy:

This Wednesday night (6/21/06) my band D-Sul will be competing in WKQQ’s Decent Exposure at the Blue Moon. This contest is based entirely on fan votes so I’d love for you guys to get out and vote for D-Sul. The prize money would be enough to get our EP out the door. We’re on late (Midnight), but you don’t have to stick around late to vote for us. You can come, hangout with us, vote (as often as you’d like for $5 each) and leave. I would encourage you all to watch the show as it’s pretty good, but your vote really counts here and it IS a school night : )
Show starts at 9pm, we’re on at 12.

Quickie: Israeli history explained.

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:43:00 -0400

Just read Nehemiah this morning, the account of the Persian governor of Judah, rebuilder of Jerusalem’s walls after the Chaldeans destroyed them under Nebuchadnezzar.

Alright, from Joshua through Nehemiah, I can pretty much boil it down to this:



Nation israel = new Nation(); 
for ( ;; ) 
{ 
 israel.forgetAbout( GOD ); 
 israel.getPunishedBy( GOD ); 
 israel = new Nation( israel.getRemnant() ) 
}

GOD, of course, is a global constant, visible to everyone.

A nice walk from the mechanic's

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:25:00 -0400

Dropped the beamer at Paul’s foreign auto (2nd street & MLK ) and then walked the 2.5 miles back to Lexmark in about 30 minutes. Good exercise for my pulled hamstring and just good “me” time.

Read John Eldridge’s Wild At Heart over the weekend

I must say, REALLY challenging book, written like a bad Freshman Composition paper. How shall we convince our audience to get off the couch and be real men? Let’s quote a bazillion “Real men” and make constant appeals to emotion. Let’s move from that to some Dave Ramsey-esque personal anecdotes that (obviously) apply to everyone out there. Let’s speak of broad vistas, of mountain climbing, kayaking, and other rather extreme sports. Did some of John’s buddies die doing those sports? Yep…but hey, that’s the point right? Life’s an adventure, not a burden.

VBS -- a retrospective

Sun, 18 Jun 2006 16:35:00 -0400

_
Yooooooooooooooooooooo…tengo un amigo que me ama
me ama
me ama
Yo tengo un amigo que me ama
su nombre es Jesus! :clap: :clap: :clap:
_

Welcome to VBS at Northside Christian church. We’ll happily take your kids off your hands, 2 hrs/day for 5 nights (6-8 pm).

We had a class of up to to 7: Drew, Jamie, Faith, Brooklyn, Shelby, Sierra, and that gal I can’t remember. From the 2nd night on, we were lucky to have 5. Pretty awesome week, but it wasn’t too spiritual, just rather practical. Really liked all the yummy snacks we had had from the Church women, and interacting with the kids was neat.

"Cars" review

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 22:04:00 -0400

Cars

Cars is, possibly, the best pure movie about cars ever made: It celebrates all that is wonderful about automobiles–freedom, exploration, and competition, all the while ignoring environmentalism, urban sprawl, and the disconnectedness that the automobile has imbued.

Cars is the latest effort from John Lassiter, renegade 3D animation pioneer and partner of Steve Jobs in Pixar. It follows 3D monuments like Toy Story, a Bugs Life, Monsters Inc., Nemo, and the Incredibles, and like them it’s a character-driven story. This time the protagonist is Lightning McQueen, a “Piston Cup” (wink, NASCAR!) rookie car who ditches his team in his quest to win the title himself. Surprise, he blows a tire on the last lap, forcing him into a 3-way runoff with King, played by Richard Petty, and Chick Hicks, the antagonist.

Amazon Groceries!? WTF?

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 08:53:00 -0400

Overall it looks like Amazon Groceries may earn a few pennies of some family dollars, and it does make a never-outdoors life slightly easier to achieve. If the feature finds some traction in the market, it’s not hard to imagine a nationwide Webvan 2.0 operation in the future, riding on Amazon’s infrastructure and pushing the old-fashioned country store concept further into Hades.

Greaaaaaaaaat.

On random things

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 08:28:00 -0400

On Father’s Day. This is a new “day” for me, and I must say, I like it. I got some cools gifts and Joey, Whitney, and I really liked it.

Whitney got me some neat cologne + aftershave (“Truth” from Calvin Klein), which I’ve been wearing for the past week, and Joey got me a baseball glove.

Joe-man and I played catch for the first time, and it was AWESOME! :-)

On random things (Comments)

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 08:28:00 -0400

Bob Roberts is a favorite of mine. It ranks right …

Bryan - Jun 5, 2006

Bob Roberts is a favorite of mine. It ranks right up there with Bulworth and Wag the Dog, as far as political satires go.

Dr. Bud's latest column

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 13:14:00 -0400

Bud

The third stage is when things get a little difficult. There are too many new cars out, too many magazine covers taunting you with “NEW!” and “BEST EVER!” and “THE NEW BENCHMARK!” Too many cool cars coming out and showing up in your town, on your streets, and all of a sudden, you’re drivin’ yesterday’s news. At this point, you either stay the course and don’t waver from your original plan, or you start to get edgy and you start distancing yourself from your choice. You like it okay and all, but you’re looking around and starting to spend far too much time reading car reviews again. You don’t quite have The Fever, but you can feel it coming in about six months or so.

A blog for my car

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 20:58:00 -0400

My old “private” blog is no more. It went to the scary delete button purgatory of Blogger, complete with its so-not-me-anymore sentiments.

In its place, I have a new public blog: Bimmer Whoa’s, to document my time with my 1990 325iS.

Should be interesting.

"Modern cars" or "Why I'm glad I have an E30"

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:59:00 -0400

TCL thread

Okay, I take several things from this thread:

Just as cars used to be designed to rust/break, they’re now designed to run forever, but require dealer visits for all maintenance.
Old cars rock. Engineered by rules-of-thumb and experience, not by CAD tolerances down to 1 mm / part. Understressed, overbuilt engines that were evolutionary.
Wow, I don’t want to own a new VW. Oh yeah, I knew that already.

220...need to lose ~20 lbs. Yike...

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 09:02:00 -0400

Haven’t been under 200lbs since I was in like 6th-7th grade.

But that’s where I need to be, BMI-wise.

"Bugs" in the auto world

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 09:39:00 -0400

Car lounge link

Coupla thoughts here:

Since cars have more computers, does this imply they’ll have bugs, by definition?
Will any inside engineer even admit to “defective” products, especially given the legal ramifications?

Interested to see where my CL thread goes, if it goes anywhere.

The shortest PKI trip ever

Sun, 04 Jun 2006 20:11:00 -0400

One ride.

Yep, one trip from the park entrance directly to The Beast killed our day. Me with a bruised ribcage, Whitney with debilitating feminine issues. Tip for those headed to PKI: Put your arms DOWN if you’re a big guy through the turns, I got racked back-and-forth between the 1st hill & the helix (after the braking run) and seriously couldn’t breathe for the rest of the ride. They’ve built the seat bolsters up so much that it’s just PAINFUL.

On being a moody S.O.B.

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 08:46:00 -0400

_I been up, I been down.

Take my word, my way around.

I ain’t askin’ for much.

I said, lord, take me downtown,

I’m just lookin’ for some tush._

* * *

Yike, it’s been an uneven few days. I’m totally pumped today, and I was a wreck yesterday. I’m having some integrity questions, and I don’t think this next management cycle’s going to be very good for me or my team.

On being a moody S.O.B. (Comments)

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 08:46:00 -0400

Jeff Roberts - Jun 5, 2006

I recommend some amusement park therapy!

Hey, Ray. I finally found your blog! Hope all is well in G-town.

Amusement parks…PAH! :-)

Good start to the day

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 07:45:00 -0400

Beat all 8 levels on Tower blaster, with a score of 40523.

fun times!

Stevey's my hero

Tue, 30 May 2006 08:48:00 -0400

You can go far just by being nice.

Not at this company, bub. But then again, reading through the top section, looks like we’re on our way out, anyway.

Great article by a great engineer. If his code’s half as good as his insightful blogs, he’s awesome.

The film camera is dead?

Fri, 26 May 2006 10:45:00 -0400

Ars Technica Article

Still, as occasional hobby photographer myself, I find myself wistful in saying goodbye to the film era. I won’t miss the lousy enlargements I get when I break down and go to the drug store for processing, but film has a feel, or maybe a look, that I still can’t quite capture with a digital camera. There’s also something to be said for the beginner who learns to carefully compose a quality shot, knowing he can’t just take a dozen photos, throw ten away, and fix the remaining two in Photoshop.

On programmer productivity...

Thu, 25 May 2006 09:01:00 -0400

article

My fav quote in the trackback:

I read an article before about a guy who worked when he felt like it, e.g. if its raining outside then he’d stay at work longer and get some more stuff done, but if the next afternoon as sunny, he’d take off knowing that it would be a waste trying to write code when his head wasn’t in it.

Hmm…Microsoft is in Washington…it rains ALOT in Washington. M$ churns-out lots of code…connection? :-)

Coupla gags from today

Mon, 22 May 2006 12:50:00 -0400

Q: What’s the shortest distance between two jokes?

A: A straight line.

* * *

Signs that you’ve been programming too long…

Jamie walks in and remarks that one of our compadres just got promoted, saying “What’d Tom do, port the ‘C’”

Me: “Yeah, I think he’s done alot of stuff with 64-bit drivers and stuff like that. He’s an awesome coder.”

Jamie: “No, man, I said, ‘Did he part the sea?’ You know, like Moses.”

What stank about having a MINI

Sun, 21 May 2006 22:01:00 -0400

Now that I’m a whole month removed from having one of the coolest cars of the last decade, I have some downsides for all those of you considering a MINI purchase.

The 02-04’s are garbage. BMW came to Oxford, England and converted a plant with…ahem…“sufficient” build quality to build a 21st century automobile. They simplified the mechanicals and did constant improvements, even amid model years. Get an 05 or 06, especially if you’re getting an ‘S’.

Local Political commentary

Thu, 18 May 2006 09:19:00 -0400

Herald-Leader

Harvey Jason Richardson stunned Breathitt County political observers by beating veteran incumbent Judge-Executive Lewis Warrix by 666 votes in the Democratic primary. Richardson has no fall opponent, so at age 27 will become what is thought to be the youngest judge-executive in Kentucky, though not the youngest ever elected.

So, the punk defeated the decent, honest fellow by 666 votes? Coincidence? And it gets BETTER!

But in Breathitt County, former Sheriff Ray Clemons, removed from office in 1997 after being convicted of failing to report drug activity within his family, defeated incumbent Sheriff John L. Turner in the Democratic primary.

Local Political commentary (Comments)

Thu, 18 May 2006 09:19:00 -0400

I cannot believe that they elected Harvy Richardso…

Elesha - May 0, 2006

I cannot believe that they elected Harvy Richardson to hold any sort of office in Jackson–makes me glad that I don’t live there anymore.

Shutting down development in G'town

Thu, 18 May 2006 09:15:00 -0400

Interesting statistic: Georgetown has grown 20% since 2000.

Other interesting thought: No new homes for awhile == “WOOHOO! Property values skyrocket”

Shutting down development in G'town (Comments)

Thu, 18 May 2006 09:15:00 -0400

I have too many friends in the new home industry t…

Jeff Roberts - May 4, 2006

I have too many friends in the new home industry to wish for that, but I do wonder how long before Newtown gets its first strip mall.

Why the PDA is dead

Wed, 17 May 2006 08:07:00 -0400

Remember these things?

You know, those quirk handheld personal digital assistants from the late 90’s that EVERYONE had to have to keep their lives in order. More memory, power, and capability than a full desktop computer of 5 years earlier, but ultra-portable.

Sounds killer, doesn’t it? So…where are they now? The PDA market is ever-shrinking, and I think I know why:

First, they evolved. Like most scientists believed dinosaurs evolved into birds, these single-trick PDAs evolved into today’s smartphones.

Why the PDA is dead (Comments)

Wed, 17 May 2006 08:07:00 -0400

Smartphones are a godsend for anyone who used to c…

Jeff Roberts - May 3, 2006

Smartphones are a godsend for anyone who used to carry/wear a PDA and a phone.

Now if the phone companies would loosen up and allow wireless support on more devices - they order phones without it so you have to use their data plans, but I drool a little when D.T. remotes in to his desktop at work with his Dell Axiom.

Weekend in review

Mon, 15 May 2006 11:28:00 -0400

Happy Mother’s Day to all…yes, my 2nd favorite made-up gifting opportunity holiday (after V-is-for-Vendetta Valentine’s Day Chocolate Massacre) is Mother’s Day. This one’s actually nice, and it makes one feel good to treat the mom’s of the world special today.

Whitney thought Joey and I had nothing up our sleeves, but was she wrong. She got THREE DAYS of gifts – Flowers and a locket on Friday, a “Son in Law” DVD on Saturday, and some pearl earrings & cards on the day itself. We love her dearly and it made us happy to surprise her 3 times over.

The anti-enthusiast, pimp-my-ride thread

Sat, 13 May 2006 22:07:00 -0400

Okay, so you know you’re on the wagon when you’re considering swapping out your 3.73 Limited-slip differential ( 3k RPM @ 70 mph ) for a 2.93 diff from a 325e. If my autocross days are over, then switching-over to a diff less mechanical advantage would cause immediate gains in fuel economy.

*** nerd factor 4 time ***

Using the calculator found Here

gear

rpm

3.73 (stock)

3025

3.25

2636

2.93

Comments are enabled.

Thu, 11 May 2006 16:43:00 -0400

I know, I know…hypocrite! Still, I have some readers, and you never know who might drop-in.

Comments are enabled. (Comments)

Thu, 11 May 2006 16:43:00 -0400

Cool! We’ll try to keep the comments G-rated. At…

Jeff Roberts - May 5, 2006

Cool! We’ll try to keep the comments G-rated. At least, we’ll try our !@#$%^-est

so is this an invitation to spam?
spam
spam
spam

funny. kinda sounds like ranch.

ranch
ranch
ranch

OOF to the door...

Thu, 11 May 2006 12:34:00 -0400

Out of Office anecdote

I used to do that very thing, but I took it a step further: When I first hired on full-time, I’d put a “be right back” sticker on my door when I went to the bathroom.

Ah yes, in those heady times, I thought as a junior, java-ignorant programmer working in a group of hardcore Java developers, that I’d better let everyone know every SECOND just where I was.

OOF to the door... (Comments)

Thu, 11 May 2006 12:34:00 -0400

testing the comments

HarryC - May 4, 2006

testing the comments

I think HC has heard this one, but I once asked a mailing list whether there was a version of their product that fixed a particular bug which was KILLING our product.

I received one answer, in Polish, containing a string of digits that I HOPED and PRAYED was a version number.

Q: How to kill a hobby??

Thu, 11 May 2006 10:30:00 -0400

A: Cold turkey.

First you realize that you have no spiritual, familial, or financial ability to do said hobby. Realize that it’s costing you money you don’t have, destroying the only car you have to get your butt to work. Moreover, understand that you don’t have the time or funds to compete at the (obsessive) level to which you’re accustomed. Realize there are more important things in this life and what comes after it to occupy your (limited) time. You have a son to raise and food to put on the table, and the coming years will likely be harder than even your history-savvy brain can imagine.

Stuck @ work musings...

Mon, 08 May 2006 17:18:00 -0400

We have a Product Engineer (1 step above a Technical Support guy) in the field today in San Diego, so I get to be the on-call guy here in Lexington for any problems he encounters. Given that I got here at 7, looks like 13 hours today, minimum. Ahh…timezones.

S’ok…I’m feeling creative.

* * *

I got scared last night, mainly because I had double-strength coffee around 4ish and couldn’t sleep, my mind racing to every corner of the house (literally) thinking of what needs to be done and what could be fixed.

Lethargy and Friday. . .

Fri, 05 May 2006 10:36:00 -0400

Long time, no blog. Well, for me in any case

Took two Benadryl last night and it had me glued to the mattress until 7:30 this morning (I’m usually at work before 8), and I didn’t get to work til after 9.

Lots of changes and rearranges on my team as we try to get a new project started: New manager, new (old) second line, a new contractor, and a guy from Kolkata bowing out.

first autocross in the BMW

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 22:12:00 -0400

It felt so weird not typing ‘…in the MINI’ just now. My old car’s gone, and my old ways of autocross are gone.

Well, 55 more horsepower and rear wheel drive do NOT make for a faster car, at least not without magical, R-compound race tires. There were some great moments though:

- Being second in class, despite having 100 fewer hp than one of the cars (Mazadaspeed 6) and no race tires (E36 323i w/Kumho Victoracers)

137k miles and still ticking. . .

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 10:16:00 -0400

The Bimmer just turned-over 137,000 miles on my way to work this morning, and it’s running just like a top. I’d put up some pictures, but I lack a camera-phone anymore (sold on Ebay 6 months ago) and my powerbook’s dead and we haven’t figured-out how to do pics via PC.

Proof there are flowers in hell...

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 20:30:00 -0400

Well, the Frickin’ Dandelion exists, doesn’t it?

I’ve seen these things grow into SOLID ROCK at Natural Bridge State Park. They grow overnight. They reproduce without having to be fertilized. They exist in all temperate zones on the planet.

I’ve pulled at least a bucket of thistle and dandelion from the lawn for the last 4 days. Joy!

I've had too many frickin' cars...

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 08:35:00 -0400

Post over at The Car Lounge asks how many cars you’ve owned since you started reading TCL. My count:

1995 200SX SE-R - gone
2001 VW Jetta Wolfsburg - gone
2003 MINI Cooper - gone
2001 Chevy Silverado 4.8L - gone
2004 Pontiac GTO - gone
2001 Olds intrigue
1990 BMW 325is

7 cars…geeze.

Kinda profound

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 21:22:00 -0400

So, I’m in chruch today and the sermon is on achieving a personal relationship with Christ…then it hits me.

God made people.

WHY!? I mean, think about it. . .You’re the most powerful being in the universe. Omnipotent, omniscient, everywhere simultaneously. You ARE reality. You DEFINE everything we only have equations and intuition for–time, space, probability.

What do you need people for?

You’re lonely.

I used to ask myself if God was bored. After all omniscent & omnipotent means you know all that’s going to happen, right? Also, I used to get hung-up on the whole ‘can God make an object that even he can’t move?’

From the frontlines...

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 13:02:00 -0400

A few key phrases that I’ve heard regarding software development:

“Ring” code: Software so bad that if you even LOOK at the code, you’re dead, like with that darn video in The Ring
Coyote project: A project so bad, you’d gnaw through your own leg to escape.
Guy1: “Bob is so bad, whenever he’s informed he’s wrong, he complains that they changed it from the way it used to work without telling him. "
Guy2: “I’ve had days like that”
Guy1: “Bob’s had a life like that.”

Update...RIP one powerbook

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 16:25:00 -0400

Yep…just got the call from the fellow down @ CompUSA: More than $850 just to replace the logic board on the powerbook, and that’s just for parts. Yikes.

Well, I guess I’m back in the Windows world for the forseeable future.

:: sigh ::

Just a standard Thursday

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 15:44:00 -0400

Up at 0-dark-thirty: check
Long breakfast with Joey: check
Beautiful, cool ride to work in the Bimmer: Check
Dead Powerbook: check

* * *

:: sigh :: Well, my beloved laptop is in for repairs after 2 great years of service. Tea and laptops apparently don’t go well together. Paid the (up front) $140 labor cost for diagnosis, but if it’s overcostly to repair, I’ll just suck it up and use Whitney’s trusty (if slightly bruised) Thinkpad R40.

Airset -- the greatest software that no one will use.

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 08:34:00 -0400

If you need: Todo lists, calendars, collaboration, or just to view the state-of-the-art in Web 2.0 apps, look no further: AirSet. This is the first calendaring app that’s a pleasure to use, and I’ve been there/done that: Outlook, Lotus Notes 4/5/6, iCal, Thunderbird, Palm Desktop.

Thing is, I HATE schedules and being scheduled and scheduling, mainly because it turns me into an asshole, and I don’t like being an asshole. I don’t like being disappointed in myself, my teammates, and the people I love because they didn’t fulfill some arbitrary schedule.

Scary Stuff

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 08:31:00 -0400

At my second startup we had to keep track of how many hours we worked each week. The justification was vague: something to do with a client contract. The numbers each week were public so things got competitive. Developers began working even crazier hours – noone wanted to be thought of as a slacker. As anyone who has tried to sustain ultra-long work hours knows, things got bad over time: more mistakes were made, people lived in their offices, the place started to smell, external relationships were strained, people got sick easily and still came into the office infecting co-workers, etc. The sad thing was that management didn’t recognize that there was a problem. People wanted someone to say “hey, it’s okay, you can ease up!” but they didn’t. By the time burn-out set in, the level of resentment of the managment team was huge.

The Cat in the Programmer's Hat

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 12:45:00 -0400

Once there was a Cat.
She was an old, wise Cat.

Cat came to the department.
The programmers didn’t like Cat.
Cat made them work and be honest.

“Tell me the Truth!” said Cat.
So they told her the truth.
The managers didn’t like Cat, either.

“Don’t tell us the truth!” said the managers.
The managers were sad.
They needed to be done.
“Done, done, done by Christmas!” they said.

Negotiations

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 07:57:00 -0400

Talked to Phil last night about that 1990 325is…got within $150 of buying the car, but I’m at the high end of my price range. After Tax, Title, License, and the “VIN Inspection” at the sheriff’s ofice, it’ll be an extra $350.

More bad news: Insurance on E30’s is just as bad as the MINI, while insuring a vehicle for a whopping $2500. Yike.

Bummed & excited

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 08:34:00 -0400

Didn’t get the Knoxville E30, but the Lord had pretty much prep’d me for that…had a strong feeling in church that wasn’t going to fly. Feeling a VERY strong tug towards the 325is up in Cincy; I called the local BMW experts here in Lex and they said they’d never heard of 1990 M20 needed a headgasket repair.

Taking a hard look at the car budget and trying to figure out what I could offer the guy / what I could afford.

Sweet E30 in Cincy

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 21:22:00 -0400

With only hours until the end of our Ebay auction, Bella and I went up to look at a BMW in Cincy:

Awesome little car…mint condition (almost), owned by a former autocrosser + racer. It’s his wife’s car, and you can tell she really doesn’t want to part with it.

Negatives:
- Hasn’t had the head-gasket done, though I’m researching prices on it right now…
- “smells like an old car”
- wheel + tire combo isn’t as nice as the one in Knoxville.
- price is pretty high for what it is.

Getting out of debt...

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 10:28:00 -0400

Today was the first big milestone on our path to being debt free: We paid off all our credit cards, and we paid-off the Olds Intrigue. Our 5-year-old car is now officially paid for!

W0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000T!

Excitement...

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 09:14:00 -0400

:-) I’m currently the highest bidder on a 1990 325is down in Maryville, TN (outside Knoxville).

Whitney and I have been drooling over this car for days now, and we finally decided to bid on it this morning. I bid it up enough to get rid of the “Buy it now,” so it’s just a waiting game at this point. I think we’ll head down there and inspect it Saturday.

I’m excited, and a bit frightened. This is what I’ve wanted, but the price is rather high.

Serendipity...

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 10:49:00 -0400

Hmm…I’ve been to a German-speaking country, I’d like to learn a bit of the language, and there’s a Free German language series on the internet.

Niiiice.

Map from LOST last night

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 08:35:00 -0500

Just in case you wanted another gander:

Here it is..

Such a blessed morning!

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 08:38:00 -0500

Typically, when you see a title like that, I’m being sarcastic. Not today…yesterday was tiring but awesome with me spending two hours splashing around in the pool w/Joey, then enjoying a great dinner casserole from Whitney, then getting TWO people very interested in buying the MINI!

Then this morning…crisp and beautiful, with the rising sun lighting the drowsy world, and AirOne on 95.3 blasting dcTalk’s “Jesusfreak” on the radio. Ah, to feel alive again!

more offers on the MINI

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:08:00 -0500

at least two more interested parties in the MINI. :-) Should have it sold by the weekend, hopefully! One guy’s from Louisville, the other from Williamson, WV.

Work habits in Zurich

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:08:00 -0500

So, around 4:30 Friday, busily trying to make the UBS server work as advertised, I heard something go ’tink-tink'.

Now, UBS’s tech building is a huge cube-farm, arrayed around a central stack of elevators. “Conference rooms” in such an environment are just a big cube with a conference table. So, I swivelled my head left and saw the WHOLE AREA around a table, two cubes over.

Okay, I figured…birthday party or something.

Sunday March 26th, 9:48 am EST

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 09:56:00 -0500

Were the last few days a dream? I collapsed last night at 9:45 and woke-up 12 hours later sore everywhere and feeling hung-over. Charlie and I calculated that we got 7 hours of sleep in 3 days, and I think it just caught up with me. Had some awful dreams, too: Something about Whitney & I owning one of those 100-year-old turret houses downtown G’town, and then 25 or so kids coming to stay with us from Hurricane Katrina, then her spending all our money while I was in Zurich on a new refridgerator.?.?

10:30 am, EST 34,000 feet above Newfoundland. Delta Flight 67, departed Zurich 10 am local time.

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 09:55:00 -0500

Mushing along at only 486 MPH, headwinds blocking us all the way. As restful and serene as our last trip was, this is a cattle-car. Seems like every coach seat is taken, and I’m seated in the middle of the 767 off the left Aisle. Turbulence has people getting airsick and the ‘fasten seatbelts sign’ constantly illuminated. Ugh.

At least we ARE going home today. For most of yesterday’s marathon, 8am to 1:30am session, it looked like we hade no end of problems and that we’d have to stay through monday or deep into next week to solve their problems. However, we caught some breaks in the afternoon, and again in the evening, culminating in a successful test at 1:30. If we did the same procedures 10 times, probably 9 out of those 10 times, UBS would’ve demanded us to stay.

7:15 am, Friday March 24

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 09:54:00 -0500

Hungry and frustrated. The bed was comfortable (it was a BED, not an airplane seat…yay!), but Im still jet-lagged. Need…coffee…

India didn’t come through for me (at least, not yet). We’re due @ UBS around 8am, and we haven’t eaten yet.

Met some interesting people yesterday…Kurt, the guy w/cool blue eyes and a quick smile who seems to be under a great deal of pressure, Yvonne the 6-foot-tall middle aged gal who’s our main contact. All were nice, and UBS seems much like any other large corporation, when you get down to it–cubes and politics and processes to follow for everything.

Travelogue: Switzerland-> UBS

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 14:46:00 -0500

Midnight Thursday, Zurich time, 30k feet above the earth, in a 767 going 500 mph

6400 miles…that’s what it is roughly from Atlanta to Zurich, and this ultra-mobile cylinder is eating them up smothly so far. They’ve just done first food service, announcing we’re to be in the air long enough (8+ hours) that we’ll be having dinner AND breakfast on this flight. Yikes.

What has me here? Stupidity, mostly…the customer saved their mission-critical issues for last, and their rollout of Lexmark printers is due Friday, one way or another. So, $6k worth of last-minute tickets has C and I headed over to Switzerland.

Quoted from The Car Lounge

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 07:47:00 -0500

Guy1: Hey, I’m buying an engagement ring! I just paid cash for a Mazda Miata, and I won’t be able to do all the car stuff I want to do in the coming year, but at least I will be getting laid more often, for a while anyway.

Guy2: Do you have that in writing?

* * *

:-)

Quick hits....

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 07:56:00 -0500

Randomness:

- Kentucky lost in a worthy effort. Joey woke-up from his nap in time to half-watch the game w/10 mins to go in the 2nd. Not a great game, but a great performance from a mediocre team. Once Morris fouled-out, I knew we were done, but Sparks almost pulled it out.

- Yesterday was yard-work day, as Joey and I went out and honey-did: Put down pre-emergent, fertilizer, covered Whitney’s flowers against the frost, pruned the rat’s-nest of our pear trees, and swept the front porch. Not warm enough to do much else, but Spring is a-coming.

Why I hated shaking hands in church...

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 07:44:00 -0500

One of the hallmarks of my experience in Christianity is my response to the ‘Peace be with you’ ‘How you doing’ moment. In the Catholic mass, there’s a portion where you turn to your neighbor(s) and say ‘Peace be with you’. In many Protestant services (such as ours at Northside Christian), we have a ‘Greet your neighbor’ portion of the service.

Until very recently, these moments scared the hell out of me.

Various and sundry things

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 09:50:00 -0500

Read this thread and then tell me you want to finance a car ever again…

* * *

There are more things in MarkVision than are dreamed of in your philosophy

-- David Jarvis

Well, fewer things in 11.0 than in 10.2 ::grin::, but still a bazillion neat little features.

Death, dying, and interviews...

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 08:54:00 -0500

I feel like death today…exhausted, used-up, and I have meetings and interviews all day from 9-4 (minus lunch @ 12)

Somebody kill me.

You know it's bad when...

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 16:08:00 -0500

…when people pass you in the hallway and they don’t ask you “how are you” because you look so frigging miserable that they’re afraid of your answer.

…when you have the guy whose job’s on the line look at you and say “has anything NOT gone wrong when you’re a team lead?”

Yes, actually, one thing hasn’t gone wrong: My project hasn’t gotten cancelled.

Today, in true LXK fashion, it did.

On automotive consolidation

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 06:37:00 -0500

It occurred to me yesterday that there are way too many automobile brands and companies, relative to other industries. Cars are bucking the trend, and I predict the comind 5 years will see them fall back in line:

Cases in point:

There are only TWO major commerical airline manufacturers–Boeing and Airbus.
The banking/financials industry is clumping together like bad gravy
We have only 3 telcos left in this country…

Honestly, there’s not enough room in the market for all the sucky cars made on the periphery of the industry. Ford, GM, Chrysler, I’m talking to you.

The weekend...

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 07:45:00 -0500

I think this pissed-off malaise I’m in boils down to being antsy. Whitney, Joey, and I weathered the non-winter, and now things are beginning that I can’t do to my satisfaction–work outside on the house, go autocrossing, be home to play with Joey.

Doesn’t help that our church didn’t make its goal for paying off debt on the new property, despite all our efforts. Very frustrating, though Scott did a great job of playing-it-off last night at our “celebration” dessert social. Kinda thought it was a bad sign when only ~45 ppl showed at the 6pm service.

Why my wife rocks

Sat, 11 Mar 2006 07:17:00 -0500

Still sitting here in the kitchen, committing most of the EB White decries in “Elements of Style” (“Omit needless words”, “have something to say”, “make definite assertions”), I thought about how much of a wonderful help-mate my wife has become for me.

I thought I functioned rather well as a bachelor. Minus cars, I was financially conservative, ate well, cleaned…umm…occasionally. However, with the new eyes of a husband and dad, I realize how much I was missing.

Morning randomness

Sat, 11 Mar 2006 06:51:00 -0500

Stark awake at 5 this morning, as though it were a normal weekday, sitting here sipping coffee.

I love coffee. I grew up with two Folgers addicts and never could stomach the stuff, for a couple of reasons–Folgers is made from high caffeine, low-flavor Robusta beans and they make WEAK coffee. Not to rant or anything, but I can almost look at a cup and watch the darkness and opacity of the liquid and tell how the coffee will taste. Down at their house last weekend, I could SEE THROUGH THE WHOLE POT!

We may have a deal...

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 19:58:00 -0500

Couple from Jackson, Tennessee (Irony…) have an offer in on the mini @ $15k. I’ve accepted, but they’ve yet to provide cash.

Kind of an interesting story. Gal named Tina calls-up around 4pm EST and says she wants to buy the MINI for her birthday on Monday, and asks if we’ll take a personal check.

…umm, no.

So then her HUSBAND calls and says they have the loan and everything, they just can’t get a certified check by close of business friday…

Self flaggelation

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 15:51:00 -0500

Why can’t I be like the guy I interviewed today? He’s a super-well-spoken tech head, 35, great personality and technical aptitudes, with a mind for design and a jones to learn new things. I felt smarter just being in the room with the guy. I wanted to hire him on the spot.

EDIT: The big thing is, here was a guy who was 35, been through the .com boom/bust worked crazy hours cranking out code, and he’s NOT BURNED OUT.

Lots of exciting stuff today...

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 16:27:00 -0500

Interesting article on Scott Adams’s rare condition that makes him unable to speak.

Pretty cool, affirming story, actually.

* * *

Kentucky is presently down 31-26 to Mississippi in the 2nd, and the office is a ghosttown.

Haven’t been moved to blog much lately. MINI still sits unsold, after offers from Carmax ($13k) and Frank Shoop ($12.5k), Whitney and I are trying to be patient. Seen some E30’s that’ve caught my eye, as well as some Chevy Prizms (don’t laugh…)

Happiness is the sound of your CC's being shredded...

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 12:32:00 -0500

Whitney and I took a big step on the Dave Ramsey bandwagon last night: We cut up and then shredded our Credit Cards. We had everything from Shell, to discover, to MasterCard, to JC Penny’s. All gone :-)

I’ve never been more proud of her.

We’re looking for a new (used) couch, so we’re heading up to a furniture store liquidation auction tomorrow morning in Cynthiana. The stars have perfectly aligned: We just got a windfall from my huge LXK bonus ( coupla hundred $$), and Jeff’s graciously allowed us to drive his newly tuned-up truck up there (for the price of a tank of gas). Awesomeness.

New Schwag at office...

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 13:25:00 -0500

I’m typing this on my new, ultra-portable 3.8lb Dell D410. The company isn’t shy about providing us with computers, particularly those from our closest parter.

I like it so far; it has no drive bays, but a full compliment of ports and the biggest battery I’ve ever seen…9-cell lithium-ION.

Basically, this is the machine that’s to replace all my paper, etc. Probably the best thing is it has integrated 802.11g wireless, freeing me from popping a PCMCIA card in and out of the chassis to put it in the bag.

Some things just make the day brighter

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 11:14:00 -0500

Fruit Loops are an uber-filling, puffed-sugar time bomb. I can eat bowl after bowl of ‘Total’, but what has me utterly full 3 hours later? Fruit Loops. Perhaps its the coffee I layerd atop it, but I’m not too hungry even going into lunchtime.

* * *

Ah, snuggling with my darling with this morning was awesome! :-)

* * *

Just to show you how much poison is going on at work: A guy quit BEFORE they could reassign him to my team.

Quote of the year

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 08:01:00 -0500

Character is doing the right thing when nobody is watching.

-- Stu Brentzel

On why the Olympics is dead

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 23:21:00 -0500

Lindsey Jacobellis’ fall

Yes, it was risky. Yes, it was youthful exhuberance. Yes, she fell within walking distance of the finish witha 140 foot lead on her nearest competitor.

But FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT’S HOLY, she didn’t deserve the vitriolic montage on NBC’s coverage after her fall. “Dewey defeats Truman”? It’s a sport, and a new one at that! Sport is about competition, yes, but when it comes right down to it, it’s about showing that you’re better than someone at something, for your own glory.

On "I never get to!"

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 08:46:00 -0500

Joey’s new wheedling technique is “I NEVER get to ______”

“I never get to watch a movie anymore”
“I never get to go outside!”
“Why won’t you play with me…you never play with me anymore!” or the corollary, “My Daddy plays with me all the time.”

* * *

Scene: Interior, our house. Harold sits int the kitchen eating breakfast, Joey’s wrapped up in his blanket on the living room floor in the Anne Geddes position:

Working through the Dave Ramsey plan

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:42:00 -0500

Glorious rant by my pal Josh

Pretty straightforward:

Get a $1000 emergency fund saved up
Pay-off debts from smallest to largest (Debt snowball principle)
Save 3-6 months of expenses
Save for college
Pay-off house early
Build wealth

He has co-opted good ideas from others (the envelope system, etc.), but I like the focus on intensity.

See more progress on: get out of debt

Bottom-of-the-barrel $$$

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 13:06:00 -0500

The Pup’s down to $16,500 and that’s about where I’m willing to go on the price. Hopefully, that’ll get us some hits in the next month.

Other than that, I’m taking her to the slaughterhouse (i.e. Carmax). We have things we need to do with this money.

back to two cars...for now...

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 07:48:00 -0500

Whitney and I are back to having 2 cars, as the MINI hasn’t sold yet and we got it dirty the other day during the snow we had.

Ran an ad in the Lex Herald-Leader last week and got no nibbles except from a fella wanting a good $500-$600 car. Uhh…

Looks like the resale on these is waning quickly, and we may have to look at dropping the price again.

Superbowl...::yawn::

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 06:25:00 -0500

So, on last night’s Monday Night Football…er…Superbowl telecast we saw:

A boring 1st half
A broadcast team who phoned-in their performance
A sectegenarian rock band who phoned-in their performance
A network so scared of controversy it rejected any commercial hinting at sex (i.e. the good ones

Just on the football, we saw a game that Seattle lost more than Pittsburgh won. If they hadn’t mismanaged the clock, Seattle could’ve easily had 14 more points. The Steelers weren’t THAT stellar, especially with Big Ben was nervous in the 1st half.

Why women hate men who love cars.

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 11:04:00 -0500

Read This thread and you’ll get it.

Guy streeted his girl for a GTO.

Proof that you're having a bad coupla days...

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 09:22:00 -0500

…you look down at work two days in a row and notice that your pants aren’t zipped.

* * *

Drove the MINI to work today; I’m rather tired of having only one car, and certain expediencies require separate vehicles. So, what did I notice about my garage queen (king?) when I got out to put the floormats in it?

Two burned-out bulbs in the front lights: one lowbeam headlight (driver’s side), and one driving light on the passenger side. My baby misses me. :-)

Is the car dying along with the baby boomers?

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 08:25:00 -0500

Is the car dying?

Is the automobile, the symbol of American freedom and excess ceasing to be an object of status & lust for the populace?

I’m not writing to persuade you of this fact, but rather to pose the question that occurs to me. Are cars just necessary appliances that no longer inspire their owners? After 4 generations of automobilers (Great Generation, Boomers, Gen X, and the latest unnamed gaggle), is the automobile so taken for granted?

The MINI remains the same...

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 12:51:00 -0500

May Zep forgive me for a pun…

* * *

The Pup’s still glorying as our garage queen of January, awaiting his next playful buyer with more money, affection, and less debt. We’ve lowered the price from our original $18,500 to $17,500 and we’ve yet to have one serious interested buyer. We’ve advertised on autotrader, cars.com, roadfly.org, NorthAmericanMotoring.com (MINI club site), and in the Lexington Herald-Leader (regular classified ad), but no bites yet.

On "out of body"

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 12:45:00 -0500

I had an out-of-body experience at church last night, right in the middle of “Shout to the Lord”. I was happy, sad, sweaty, crying and not-quite-there all at the same time. I lost all consciousness of my surroundings and the other people singing, as though the sound enveloped me with waves of tactile velvet.

My senses lost all meaning, much like that passage in “A Wrinkle in Time” where they land on the planet whose inhabitants have no eyes: “No, don’t describe what it looks like, dear. Describe what it *is*.”

What really annoys me...

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:20:00 -0500

…men who wear ballcaps indoors…

I agree hathead sucks, but it’s just…disrespectful.

Quality

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 11:31:00 -0500

Quality must be considered as embracing all factors which contribute to reliable and safe operation. What is needed is an atmosphere, a subtle attitude, an uncompromising insistence on excellence, as well as a healthy pessimism in technical matters, a pessimism which offsets the normal human tendency to expect that everything will come out right and that no accident can be foreseen – and forestalled – before it happens.

-- Hyman Rickover, founder of the US Navy Nuclear fleet.

Found the perfect E30...

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 10:41:00 -0500

I WANT THIS CAR

- under 200k miles
- it’s an iS model with all the sport goodies (Limited Slip Diff, etc.)
- it’s from Napierville, Illinois, which is the ultra-posh part of chicago (A BMW is like a Honda Accord there…)

Only thing would be underbody rust. Thing should sell for ~$5k in that condition.

Cool site..

Sun, 22 Jan 2006 22:48:00 -0500

Okay, so I decried myspace and Hi5, but 43Things is just, well…neat.

Here’s my page

Software introspection, Part Deux

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 12:50:00 -0500

Okay, here’s the scary reality of writing software: It’s like building a railroad from Chicago to Los Angeles. Everything’s hunkey-dorey until you get to Denver and go: “Who put a MOUNTAIN RANGE here?”.

Sad part: A project manager would look at the above and say, ‘well, we’re halfway there, and it only took us 6 months so far, so you should be able to surmount…um…whatever’s in the way from here on out…in 8 months. Work overtime. Think outside the box.’

Computers as 'applicances' reaching critical mass

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 08:47:00 -0500

I’m not much for prophesy, but I believe we’ll see the death of the personal computer in the next 5 years, at least in its current form. Reason? Virtualization, the ability to be at one terminal, but feel like you’re on a completely different machine.

Case in point: Here at LXK, we go to meetings. Alot. However, in each of those over-attended, useless meetings, 80% of the people have some form of laptop open multitasking–IM to their team or answering email. This ’laptop’ culture has gone through several distinct phases:

Rally results

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 12:27:00 -0500

Place

Score

Driver & Navigator

Club

211

Ginny Eager & Robin Murphey

SCCA

240

Lo Arnold & Phil Schneider

SCCA

495

Ken Partymiller & Lee Wegner

PCA

690

Whitney & Harold Combs

SCCA

801

George & Deanne Luxbacher

PCA

Not DFL, but pretty close. However, the more I think about it, this was my first “real” TSD rally as a navigator, and Whitney was driving an unfamiliar, non-performance car (hard to make turns on a dime, plus you can’t maintain speed in an automatic as easily)

Church, a bad rally, and a long winter's nap

Sun, 15 Jan 2006 23:15:00 -0500

Church was amazing today, with the music, atmosphere, message, and Sunday school coming together perfectly. I was very glad to be there.

Gary had a rally today, and I stank it up horribly. It was a straight TSD, without all mileages, so I had to navigate using mileages and times AFTER each offset. I was irritable, intense, and it turned out, I did it for nothing–we came in 4th out of 5 cars, beaten by two novices. Along the way, I managed to act like a baby, screw-up my calculations, and forget to feed Whitney the next instruction (we got lost in Stamping Ground…)

:) read the last two sentences as Al Sharpton

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:47:00 -0500

Know any big guys that want a leather jacket?

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:04:00 -0500

Shameless Ebay link

:) I’m selling everything that’s not nailed down.

Bad movie: Tristan and Isolde

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 10:48:00 -0500

This godawful tripe, shot in location in Ireland, is slow, pointless, and invents ways to make love, battle, and death boring. Don’t see it, even on netflix. You’ve been warned.

Ode to subversion

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 08:29:00 -0500

This isn’t normally a tech blog because:

there are enough of those
I generally don’t think about computers outside of work

However, I wanted to write a quick blurb about subversion. Subversion is a “version control system”, which is a computer program that lets you store incremental versions of things. Back in the old days, when computer programs were on punch cards or tape, there were jobs for people who kept the cards or tapes, catalogued them, and lent them out to programmers who were working on them. Today, that job is fully automated by systems like RCS, CVS, subversion, Clear CASE, PVCS, etc.

Hardcore programming topic of the day: Java sucks

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 07:36:00 -0500

Today’s wonderful Joel Spolsky article.

My comments: Amen. I was taught CS at a very small, liberal arts college, but it was REAL Computer Science, damnit, including sections on Data Structures, pointers, linked lists, compiler design, operating systems concepts, etc. This was from 1997-2001, and even then the shift from “harder languages” and platforms like C, LISP, and pascal to java was already underway.

In essence, Joel’s argument in the article is that some people just won’t ‘get it’ enough to survive interesting computer applications in the hardest areas. That is, you can be pretty dim–and I’ve had such people on my team–and stil get by in the Java/J2EE world. Java hides enough ugliness from you that you can be mediocre and get by.

It's ME!

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 12:22:00 -0500

Nerd factor 6...engage

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 14:38:00 -0500

Not only did I get this, I converted the hex in my head and almost had the ASCII offsets memorized.

Thank you, Bryan Crawley.

No more excuses, you want an Apple

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 14:00:00 -0500

Daddy wants one of THESE BABIES

Dual-core intel chips, 4x faster than my powerbook….15.4" high-contrast display…YEAH!

Next time, ask for a "Short"

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 19:02:00 -0500

Starbucks info

Yeah, if you ask for a “regular,” you’re nuts, but if you ask for a “short” they have to stand and deliver.

Grand!…er…Grande!

On "March of the Penguins"

Sat, 07 Jan 2006 18:20:00 -0500

March of the Pengins does many things for you:

Makes you thankful for being human
Impresses you with the stark beauty of Antarctica
Reminds you how fragile life is

This is a wonderful film to share with the family, and became the centerpiece of a warm evening with Whitney, Joey, and I in front of the fire.

On cascading failure...(or murphy's law)

Sat, 07 Jan 2006 16:34:00 -0500

As I sit at my desk on a sunny day, I’m contemplating Murphy’s law, which states that whatever can go wrong will, at the worst possible time. :-) today, would seem like that day.

I came in this morning to merge and commit some changes to the library, and then do about 3 hours of administrative/clerical stuff that needed to be done, helping out my programmers as needed.

Yeah, about that…

Bella pulls a "me"

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 08:21:00 -0500

I talk in my sleep. I didn’t know this until I went to college & I got a roommate. Up to this point, I didn’t think Whitney did, until…

[interior]
[my bedroom, 6am]

Bella: mphrfhfhfhfhfh…chicken

Me: Huh?

B [mumbly]: did you take the chicken out of the oven?

Me: Huh?

B [annoyed, distinct]: Did you take the chicken out of the OVEN?! It’ll burn..

[I go to the kitchen and verify that the only think in the cold oven is the breadstone, then return]

:-) Marital bliss.

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 08:31:00 -0500

With the MINI washed, detailed and snug in the garage, we’re now a one car family, and I can tell this is going to be fun :-) Getting me to work involves getting everyone out of bed, loading the car, driving me to work and them going back home. And, I’m not the best passenger in traffic. (Sorry, honey!)

But the day did start off very well (); let’s hope it’s better than yesterday. I was in a real funk yesterday, thanks to my Mom, who’s convinced a used car is always “somebody else’s problem” in all circumstances. Since every car on the road is a “used” car, I disagree. Granted, some people take care of their cars, and some don’t but keeping things in perspective, no one needs more than a $4k-$8k car. Our Intrigue was in that range, and it’s a marvelous car so far. I’ve had AAA for three years now through work and it works.

here's what I'm talking about

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 22:16:00 -0500

Fark Link

In 1984, the savings rate in this country was 10.9%, but last year that declined to just %0.9. If/when the economy hits the skids…yikes.

It's a fur suhl

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 20:04:00 -0500

The rather depressing link

The Pup, my one and only, my truest automotive love, my daily driver, my autocross mount, my introduction to all things BMW, is up for sale.

Rationale
I’m trying to cash-out the equity I have in it, pay off CC’s and Whitney’s Intrigue (“Sharkey”) and get something fun, but lots less pricey. Full coverage insurance + $600/year in property taxes suck. I really don’t want to begin the new year living AT my means the way I have been. When you’re a Dave Ramsey follower, and a Christian in general, there comes a time where you have to make hard decisions–decisions about following God and securing the lives of your family.

"Everything must go...I'm CRAZY!!!!"

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 12:20:00 -0500

On the block today:

One set of Mini wheels + race tires

One highly over-functional cell phone

:-) The race tires got interest within 10 minutes of being posted….

Vent, Chapter 1

Fri, 30 Dec 2005 10:41:00 -0500

As I look out towards the new year, I just want to vent. I want to give voice to the few doubts and fears I have…

I’m working at a company that doesn’t have much of a reason to exist, making mediocre products that my customers dislike more with each passing iteration, working on a new product that will either fail outright or never be used.

Despite the above, I have a rough time relaxing this week…this car fever has me in its grip for two reasons–I’ve always wanted a BMW, but I love my MINI. I don’t love it more than I’d love being out of debt and in secure financial shape.

Buffy, tonails, a new cell phone

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 23:00:00 -0500

At my darling’s insistence, I went over to our doctor today to get my toe looked at; over Christmas, I noticed my middle toe on my left foot was ingrown on the right side. Today I got it removed, feeling very little pain thanks to some lidocaine.

The rest of the day, I convalesced watching season 5 of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” my most excellent Christmas gift from Bella:

On buying a car...phase 1

Tue, 27 Dec 2005 23:18:00 -0500

So, 9am this morning found me at Beechmont Toyota, looking at a 1984 318i with 173,000 miles on it. Yes, this car was made when I was in Kindergarten, here I was, trying to decide how much rust was acceptable on my new “project car” / Daily driver.

Answer: Not this much. No way.

The 1984/1985 318i has the same engine (BMW’s M10) as the previous 3-series and the 1970’s BMW 2002 (yes, it’s alot of numerical designations…please try to keep up). Anyway, this lump of iron produces a bulletproof 101 hp and likes to rev, despite its lumpy cam.

My new plan to take over the world....

Fri, 23 Dec 2005 13:21:00 -0500

Sell the mini, keep the change, and buy one of these babies:

On sleep, sickness.

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 12:33:00 -0500

Sleep: Haven’t gotten much lately. Whitney’s gotten even less. I require ~6hrs / night to function…she requires more :-)

Sickness: Apparently, I’ve given whatever I had to everyone in my area. Germs 1, Humans nil.

* * *

Thought…a nice used 5-speed toyota pickup would fill my current needs quite well :-)

something to commute in
reliable as dirt
good for going to Lowes, getting firewood, etc.
runs on regular gas

I'd take the $1000.

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 12:25:00 -0500

Does this make me a thief? A cheat? Immoral?

…Or just a guy pretty deep in debt?

Sometimes I wish I could juggle...

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 12:17:00 -0500

…that way I could get through meetings where I want to throttle my PM, keeping both hands as busy as possible.

convalescence...and why not to buy an 02-04 MINI

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 15:12:00 -0500

Ah, the glorious cold virus…it’s been with us for millenia and for the last 3 or 4 days, it’s been with me. For the past couple of days, I haven’t been able to talk (and all the people rejoiced…)

* * *

Biggest, bombshell news of the past week is the revelation that the 5-speed British Midlands transmission in the 2002-2004 Minis is a ticking timebomb–after a certain amount of time the gearbox will fail, resulting in a $3-4k repair. The problem seems to be the gearbox was engineered for England, where it’s never much below 20 degrees F. In America we routinely see 0 degrees F and below.

All I ever needed to know I learned during a corporate meeting

Fri, 16 Dec 2005 08:58:00 -0500

Managers are like gamecocks: More than two in a room at once, and somebody dies.
Be sure to begin each lie with the adverb: “Truthfully”.
Arrive whenever you want, then derail the meeting by asking for an update
Accountability? Hell, I’d settle for competence…

On (almost) making a fire

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 22:18:00 -0500

Let me give you the conclusion: The logs never caught, the kindling ashes litter the bottom of the wet fireplace, and the house reeks of smoke.

Yes, I tried to make a fire tonight, and I failed.

My house has what’s known as a ‘built-in,’ a fireplace that is basically an afterthought. Lacking a chimney, it’s a triangular wart, occupying the place my Lay-Z-Boy should rightfully go.

Whitney has a cold, so I thought I’d build a fire and tend to her as she reposed on the couch. Lacking anything to use for firewood aside from our dining room set, I bought kindling at Lowe’s and wood at Kroger, for a total of $10.

On blogging, comments, and a cool site for air travellers

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 11:05:00 -0500

Ah, I yearn for my firebrand, idealogue days, when being a Republican didn’t mean you parrotted everything that Ernie Fletcher & George Bush said. The days when I could hold my head high and say how much the democrats were ruining my state and my country.

Ooops. The Republicans are doing just as badly. Amazing how the view from the top isn’t as clear-cut as the view from beneath.

I ask myself why this is, and I return to what I thought in 2004: Conservatives can stomach a Liberal leader, but Liberals can’t stand a conservative, especially one as hapless as Bush. Why oh why didn’t we elect John McCain?

"The Gold Collar" generation

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 12:55:00 -0500

I made a resolution that I wouldn’t blog about my complaints about work, but that meant I stopped blogging altogether.

Check out This thread on thecarlounge.net

Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 07:38:00 -0500

Whitney and I ran out to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire matinee at Georgetown Theatres yesterday, and I’m of two minds about it: On one hand the acting, individual scenes, effects, and “wizard world” are all stunning, but on the other, the movie is unsatisfying. I attribute that dissatisfied feeling to the underlying book itself. “Goblet of Fire” transitioned the series from the Harry story-arc to the rise of Voldemort, and the movie makes a briefer trail through the same ground.

The Rally that was...

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 07:30:00 -0500

Last weekend, Whitney, Joey, and I ran in Phil Schneider’s 60+ mile TSD rally south of Lexington. Whitney tried her hand at driving, I navigated, and Joey held court in the back of the Pup.

It was a very intense rally, but Whitney and Joey were both magnificent. We ended-up with an aggregate score of only 230 after 60 miles, which was good enough for second place. But for an error on my part, we would’ve won :-)

Why VW sucks...

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 12:09:00 -0500

The new Golf and Jetta weren’t just late to the U.S. they were several model years late. And to make matters even worse, VW dealers were fending-off irate customers who were saddled with quality problems from the get-go. And those customers rewarded VW for their callousness by abandoning the brand in droves - never to come back.

taken from: Peter’s latest Rant

I am Volkswagen’s ideal customer. Or, at least, I used to be. I really wanted a BMW, but I couldn’t afford one. (I argue no one can really afford a new one, but that’s another topic for another day!) The VW Jetta Mk.IV was like a baby 3-series, solid, serene, teutonic, and just snobby enough to be above the rice-burners from Honda and Nissan.

Busy morning...

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 10:15:00 -0500

Waking up at 7 is early for most folks, but when you’re due to pick-up a pal at 7 and you wake-up @ 7 on the dot, it’s dead late…

I was supposed to get Gary at Nolan Ford this morning, but I ended-up 20 minutes late after a panicked, flight-of-the-bumblebee race around my house.

Didn’t shave, and that just feels icky…

* * *

News: I’ve got my own office. Sort of. My perennial office-mate, Patrick, moved up to the 3rd floor, leaving his side of the office empty. I soldiered-on in the old furniture configuration for a couple days:

I expect better than this from 'Nature'

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 08:30:00 -0500

Article on why small cars rock

The whole process confirms that the laws of nuclear physics worked just the same 2 billion years ago as they do today.

So, you mean things like Gravity, Electromagnetism, the Strong Nuclear Force, and the Weak Nuclear Force existed before people?!!

Fascinating article, but that conclusion is LAME…

Jumping the Shark: ER

Sat, 12 Nov 2005 20:12:00 -0500

“Jumping the Shark” v. To achieve a moment where people realize “it’s all downhill from here”.

On ER two weeks ago, they treated a chimp. A CHIMP. ugh. John Leguizamo’s character is awful, and Kristen Johnson is trying hard, but her character makes the show suck. Luca and Abbey are the only decent characters remaining.

For more details Jump The Shark

First good writing from edmunds.com

Thu, 10 Nov 2005 08:56:00 -0500

I hate edmunds.com…they’re verbose, unprofessional, and they don’t know passive voice from active voice (a particular annoyance of mine, thanks to Dr. Barbara Burch).

27. Yay, me!

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 08:35:00 -0500

Today is my birthday, and I feel like crap.

I don’t know if this is the yang to my normal yin, the depressive to my normal mania, but I’m pissed off.

Thoughts/Rant:

* Money does actually suck. After trying to convince Whitney for 3 years that it’s neat, fun, green stuff that you convert into food, hobbies, etc., I’ve given up. It’s the stuff you pay other people to leave you alone. It’s the stuff you hemorrhage because cars break, people get sick, and houses leak…um…everything. Eighty percent of personal finance is behavior, and the remaining 20 is accounting. Unfortunately, the ‘behavior’ part of me is really reaching for that ‘blow’ part of the budget that just isn’t there. Don’t get me wrong–my family and I are fine, but we’re not going to get to have any fun for the next decade or so. How the hell do people maintain the lifestyles they do these days?

My morning on Lextran

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 11:55:00 -0500

After dropping-off Whitney’s Intrigue at the Don Jacobs body shop at 6:30, I didn’t have a ride. I could have waited until 7:45 for the Don Jacobs shuttle van, but why do that, when I have Lexington’s fabulous Lextran

After hoofing it about 1 mile towards downtown, I boarded the bus for the transfer station and met a nice lady who worked at the UK College of Pharmacy. At the transfer station, waiting 1/2 hour for my next bus, I met Serge Steshenko, my co-worker on my team who rides the bus everyday. He made sure I got on the right bus (#2 North) and we kept one another company until we go to the Northside Walmart, right beside Lexmark.

Our trip to hubers

Sun, 06 Nov 2005 21:38:00 -0500

http://www.typingtest.com/

New Tires for Sharkey

Thu, 03 Nov 2005 09:06:00 -0500

I love buying tires. I imagine I feel the same way about buying tires that women feel about buying shoes. Each tire has its own engineering qualities, balancing wear, noise, cornering, bad weather, and price.

After consulting ConsumerReports, I chose the Yokohama AVID TRZ, 225/60R16, with an 80,000 mile warranty and good ride, noise, and bad weather characteristics. Not a performance tire, but why do you want one on a regular sedan?

Dr. Bud, his former self...

Thu, 03 Nov 2005 06:51:00 -0500

Before being emasculated by Miss Jolene, Dr. Bud had a firecracker named Nadine whose Dad was a Texas oil tycoon.

Read here for a little escapism, and plain fun about about Gulfstream IV’s, UT Longhorns fans, and the redhead’s new Mustang Cobra.

Cuteness

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 21:37:00 -0500

Mini Gorge 05

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 21:13:00 -0500

Images

Halloween 05...

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 20:42:00 -0500

Trying out a new Image hosting site…

Album

Quick theory on the 'apex' person...

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 12:05:00 -0500

Random thought I had in church yesterday: Lawyers and their derivatives (Judges, etc.) are the apex people of our society. There is no one more powerful, ultimately, than a lawyer in American society, because these are the people who mediate disputes between two or more equal parties. Without lawyers and a judiciary, democracy couldn’t exist with our current code of laws–people would get frustrated and start killing one another, and society would break down.

Bleary-eyed, and hopped-up on coffee...

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 08:04:00 -0500

There’s something unamerican about being at work at 6am. Whitney and I heard a great sermon yesterday about how to balance work, God, and home, and one suggestion from a guy who worked 45-50 hours/week (like me…) was to go in to work early, so that he could come home at a decent hour. Mondays are traditionally my longest days, so we set our alarm for 5 am and I was in to work by 6:08.

Biru

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 21:29:00 -0400

Bill Randall has a Website. Not a blog, for he disdains these unstructured musings, a WEBSITE.

:-) good stuff, especially the lists of films he o’ersaw at GSP for the past 4 summers.

Trip to the Gorge pics

Sun, 23 Oct 2005 22:13:00 -0400

"Elizabethtown"...really doesn't suck.

Sun, 23 Oct 2005 21:40:00 -0400

Setting the stage, I write this blog as my darling Bella exclaims, “And by the way, it’s NOTHING like ‘Garden State’”.

Yes, this Cameron Crowe written/directed opus is long, unconventional, and dialog heavy, but Whitney and I both loved it, and any Kentuckian is sure to love it as well.

Nominally, “Elizabethtown” is the story of a wayward shoe designer (Orlando Bloom) who lost his benefactor corporation “roughly one billion dollars”. At the very moment he’s going to ginsu himself, he learns his father, favorite son of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, has died. His mom’s thrown into overdrive, his sister is a mess, and he–as oldest–must fly from Oregon to Kentucky to bring his corpse home. What follows is a non-conventional fish-out-of-water tale, shot in and around Central Kentucky, as our wayward designer finds life and love.

People from work...

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:39:00 -0400

Left: Patrick & MarkG

Dad got a new tractor this weekend...

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:38:00 -0400

…and joey got to drive it

Early Birthday present!

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:06:00 -0400

My sweetie and Joey gave me a new Fuji FinePix S3100, 4 Megapixel digital camera!!

this is what I looked like when they gave it to me:

The end of 'Snitch'

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 10:13:00 -0400

Sordid details here

Lesson? Some business models don’t work…a free, muckraking newspaper in an apathetic town without identity, for example.

Tim Woodburn is a hockey hooligan who blew into town in 1995 along with the Kentucky Thoroughblades, insinuating himself into our sports-radio scene when the team left. From there he started “Snitch,” and apparently couldn’t keep his mouth shut to investors, etc.

A paper that I won’t miss.

Well, at least he's already circumsized

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 21:48:00 -0400

There’s little in life that compares to coming out of the shower to find you wife, clippers in hand, having utterly destroyed one side of her son’s head, and realizing that she must ’even it up'.

It’s a simple story really: Best of intentions (“Just a trim around his ears”), worst of possible outcomes (at this she says, “well, at least he’s not bald”…never blog aloud…:-) ). Kid’s a little short to starboard now. Port is well tapered, but that’s because I seized the WWMD (Wahl weapon of mass destruction) before she could attack.

Bloggers are nothing if not sheep, so...

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 21:44:00 -0400

Harold needs a picture on his wall
Harold needs a Christmas tree
Harold needs to explore in order to learn and grow
Harold needs a Chrismas tree, damnit
Harold needs to come out of his shell and enjoy life
Harold needs to know his true feelings
Harold needs a frickin’ CHRISTMAS TREE
Harold needs a Christmas tree
Harold needs a career
Harold needs no one

Courtesy Josh

Tech war--at home

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 10:30:00 -0400

Unlike This guy, I think my home has a new Mac convert. Whitney really likes my powerbook, especially its ease-of-use and its ability to ‘instant on’ from closed to open in 1 second.

That’s very interesting, because her machine is a top-notch Thinkpad R40, a total tank workhorse that I bought for her Christmas of 03.

Last night she asked me to show her how to hook-up our digital camera and import + edit pictures…muhaha.

On IT "Careers"

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 10:12:00 -0400

I get a free subscription to “Information Week,” the softcore executive-digested version of “Software Developer” magazine. In this week’s issue there’s an article by Chris Murphy entitled “Speak Up for the IT Career,” whose thesis is there’s a huge market for talent in IT, but few young people wish to go into IT/Programming in college, so companies are forced to outsource.

Telling quote from the article:

One of the first IT courses is a beginning programming class, which involves hours on end alone at the computer. “It’s a turn-off because people think that’s all there is to IT, and there’s a lot more than programming…I’d rather be in a team diagnosing problems, not in front of a computer all day.”

The weekend that was...painting.

Sun, 09 Oct 2005 23:28:00 -0400

What do you get when you cross two newlyweds with a 48 hours of uninterrupted together time?

Sex?

Nah…painting.

The Devine Mrs. C hated her kitchen color, so I brought her flowers on Friday, made us some drinks, looked longingly into her blue eyes and said, “Honey, let’s paint the kitchen.”

Trips to Lowes ensued, exhausting our last gift card and about $200 more, buying paint, painting paraphernalia, and painter’s tape. After disembowling our kitchen/dining room, we set out binding it with strips of blue tape at each sensitive edge. Then we assaulted it with Kilz Primer, then another coat. Saturday came and went, and our kitchen was white, with a murky tinge of brown beneath. We awaited the morn, ripe for our final victory.

On Aaron.

Wed, 05 Oct 2005 09:08:00 -0400

In my readings through Exodus and Leviticus, Aaron fascinates me. Brother of Moses, spokesman for the Lord, father of four sons, first high-priest of the Israelite nation, this guy (basically) had more power and importance than any other man of Israel, yet he’s a footnote. What was he like? How did he weather being a perennial second?

The Torah doesn’t give us much to go on for Aaron. So much of rich biblical history passes him by–the plagues of Egypt, the Exodus, the golden calf, the construction of the Tabernacle, Moses’s law–and yet we don’t see any of his motivation. WHY did he construct the golden calf when he knew it was wicked? HOW did he survive two of his sons being “consumed by the fire of God” (Leviticus 10:1-4)?

Quote of the day

Mon, 03 Oct 2005 10:21:00 -0400

The difference between great people and everyone else is
that great people create their lives actively, while
everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting
to see where life takes them next. The difference between
the two is the difference between living fully and just
existing.
-- Michael E. Gerber

Indeed.

The wedding summation

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 13:03:00 -0400

The New Mrs. Combs’s summary found here

Basically, it went off without a hitch, or so the bride saw. I got to see the labor unrest with the caterer, my family arriving 2 hours (!) too early and crowding the foyer of the church, my cousin the usher arrive after having spilt coffee all over his white shirt and gotten a new one.

It was a great day, one I will cherish for many reasons:

How dare things be slow one day?

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 16:20:00 -0400

Ah, life in the land of feast or famine…

I bowed my head this morning and said, “Lord, if it be in Your will, please make the way straight for me this day” And it has been.

* * *

Fun test

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:39:00 -0400

79 WPM…ugh…used to be over 100

I'm back, and I'm MARRIED!

Wed, 28 Sep 2005 17:48:00 -0400

Yes, yes, all the women of the world may now weep, I’m off the market.

</End egotism> Doesn’t suit me.

I’m married to the most wonderful, spastic, loving, tender woman on the face of the earth, and I have been for going on two weeks!! I was off work from the 16th through the 26th and didn’t miss it much, but then who does? Spent lots of money, had a great wedding, reception, and honeymoon.

On becoming a curmudgeon

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:42:00 -0400

Curmudgeon: n.

An ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions.

I’m getting there. Whitney and I ate our pizza and swilled our Pepsi before the morass of cable TV before us, and VH1 ran a spot promoting DAVE MATHEWS BAND: Storytellers, premiering tonight at 11pm

Me: “Good LORD! 11pm? Who’s going to be up on a weeknight watching THAT?!”

Yup, how do you spell old fart? H-A-R-O-L-D.

I’m a morning person. Yeah, that must be it.

On Cable

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:29:00 -0400

I now have 72 channels, ranging from news, sports, human interest, travel, cooking, learning, and not-too-recent movies. It takes me 20 minutes to flip through them all, comprehend which channel I’m watching, and discern why I really don’t want to watch that channel at that second. I just spent the last two hours trying to reaclimate myself to cable.

I have a headache.

I can feel my attention span shortening, my life wasting away, and a strange desire to buy airwick air freshener. Things have changed somewhat in the time I’ve been away from cable. News is now NEWS, DAMNIT! “News” is the presentation of current goings-on, possibly with human interest stories and some weird stuff to give flavor. NEWS, DAMNIT involves 3-4 blonde anchorpersons, a crawl going across the bottom of the screen, a rotating “FOX NEWS” banner in the lower corner, and snazzy graphics proclaiming the latest UPDATE regarding the president’s digestion or Alan Greenspan’s incontinence.

So much good, so much bad...

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 23:26:00 -0400

My powerbook’s been held hostage in Louisville for the past week, so no blogging from home, and (as we’ll soon see) I can’t blog from work. My apologies.

This is, at once, the best and most chaotic time in my life. Work is sucking unbelievably, but my personal and spiritual life has been blessed. Maybe God is trying to tell me something.

First, the facts: They fired 300 employees, then re-organized our department (no impact to me), and slipped in a not-so-subtle warning…

Ahh, corporate america...

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 18:41:00 -0400

You enter in the morning whistling a happy tune and by the end of the day you desperately don’t want to work there anymore.

New extended MINI and other news...

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 12:31:00 -0400

As reported over on Gabe’s Blog, here’s a snap of the new, extended wheelbase mini:

* * *

Had insomnia last night so I finally decided to watch Sin City

This stylized movie version of Frank Miller’s graphic novels by the same name stars nearly everyone in hollywood who’s under 40 and who’ll work for under $2 million: Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Jessica Alba, Josh Hartnett, etc. Dark and surreal, the “plot” is actually 5-6 vignettes that occur in “Sin” (short for Basin) City, a land of angels, demons, murderers, and corruption, with the normal Film Noir inversion of sympathentic/antagonistic chracters–the “officials” are mostly evil, and the ex-cons and prositutes are the “good guys”.

mmm...dustless brake pads...

Mon, 05 Sep 2005 18:47:00 -0400

$94…Santa, I’ve been oh so good this year.

"I got 20 years and 20 gears on ya"

Sun, 04 Sep 2005 14:26:00 -0400

My family’s napping, so here goes…

I’m so HAPPY :D These past two days have been heaven…relaxing, fulfilling, and just neat. Drove Whitney & Joey down here in the MINI, and the first thing Joey said as we pulled into the garage is, “Harold, is that your BIKE? Why don’t you every ride your BIKE?”

…good question…

The saga of my lovelorn Cannondale: I bought it in the spring of 2002, when I was on a biking kick. I’d had a crappy Giant mountainbike when I was in college, and since I was out in cosmopolitan South Lexington, I thought…hmm…maybe a road bike of some sort. Then my father goes, “Son, I’ll buy you whatever kinda bike you want”.

Randomness. . .

Fri, 02 Sep 2005 12:24:00 -0400

It’s the day before Labor Day weekend, and it’s all falling apart here…

Okay, good stuff first: I got the yard mowed (after 4 inches of rain thanks to Katrina, it was a jungle), the trimming accomplished, and the car washed in the past couple of days, but I’m horribly behind on all things wedding.

I just ordered cable. I’m tired of having fuzzy broadcast reception…just basic, no digital/TiVo/etc. Whitney and I are both newshounds, so maybe that will assuage our yen to be plugged-in. Plus, hey, Cartoon network :D

Yes, it rained that much...

Mon, 29 Aug 2005 17:07:00 -0400

Feelings, musings, and what's wrong with rumors...

Mon, 29 Aug 2005 10:50:00 -0400

I call this blog Harry’s Ruminations, because I think alot, and right now, I’m obsessed with how much things suck and how little I can do to stop them from sucking.

First, let’s get it out of the way: I lost yesterday. I had a good, fun day, but I lost, finishing 3rd out of 6 drivers. Interestingly, all of us were on r-compound tires, so this isn’t a bad showing, and I actually lead the class for most of the runs, but I never improved on my 63.7 time, so I got beat by a 62.4 on the last round, then knocked out of 2nd by a 63.4.

At least it's a girl name

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 22:43:00 -0400

In 1969, Camille came to Louisiana and killed 250 people. For the last 10 years, they’ve said the next category 5 hurricane to hit Louisiana will obliterate New Orleans. Tomorrow will likely be that day.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS…PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL…LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

I still have a job!

Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:40:00 -0400

Well, morale took a hit,
and some managers were somber
but I still have a job,
and will wonder no longer.

My obsessive personality

Thu, 25 Aug 2005 14:26:00 -0400

In pre-marital counseling yesterday, I got to face it: I have an obsessive personality. Whether it’s grades, music, photography, work, women, autocross, I GET OBSESSED.

As with most things, the human fallacy is believing everyone is just like yourself. I realize that most folks are not obsessive, but I am. I not only don’t get balance, I barely comprehend how most people achieve it.

The closest I can come is imagining most other people have a schedule in their mind of what they’re doing at any given moment, and whenever they is over, they drop it (complete or not) and move on the next thing. That would drive me batty, but then, that’s the standard workaholic foible: “I’ll quit when the work’s done” Thing is, the work NEVER gets done.

Hatchet day

Thu, 25 Aug 2005 13:03:00 -0400

Today is the day LXK rids itself of 275 people, and at least one of those was my friend. We have a meeting to discuss things @ 3pm. I think me just being here after lunch is a good sign; they were supposed to tell you by noon.

‘Course, I was in meetings until 12…

>>sigh<< my next MINI, if I was rich....

Thu, 25 Aug 2005 10:22:00 -0400

220 hp
Super tight suspension
Limited slip transmission
Weighs 2200 lbs (400lbs LESS than the Pup)
Carbon-fiber body panels
2000 of ’em worldwide

Of course, it’d be difficult to drive a CF car with acrylic windows as a daily driver, but what a MACHINE…would prolly run with a Lotus Elise or a C6 Corvette on a Road Course; just crank in some negative camber. :-)

News...

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 13:12:00 -0400

Buffalo crossing pics

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 07:59:00 -0400

Adlphia is been a poop, so I’m hosting these on imageshack (click on each thumbnail for a larger pic)

Little Lauren, daughter of David + Anne

Car love...and other.

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 08:53:00 -0400

…

More fun dreams last night. Something about the wedding going wrong and me getting arrested for marrying my cousin…? I mean, I know Bella and I are close, but I’m pretty sure the family tree converges around Adam and Eve, but not before. :-)

Anywho…lots of excitement going on: Twenty-six days to the wedding, the MINI’s been in the shop for diagnosis and it goes back as soon as parts arrive (burnt-out power-window on driver’s side + bad idler pulley + serpentine belt), and work’s, well, bananas (as ever).

lovely sunset

Mon, 22 Aug 2005 22:14:00 -0400

Compliments of Fark.com

Ahh...I have proof!

Mon, 22 Aug 2005 13:27:00 -0400

Yes, Jackson is hell

I now have proof.

Latest Harry Potter: Done!

Sun, 21 Aug 2005 22:12:00 -0400

went on a book-reading bender from 3-8 today and read all of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

600+ pages at a sitting can cause brain warpage, so forgive me if this rambles. Also, this probably has SPOILERS, so don’t read on if you want to read the book for yourself.

Now in his 6th year at Hogwart’s, Harry’s moved past pissy adolescence into likeable pre-adulthood. Ron, Hermione, and the other Gryffindors are learning about life and love, all while the wizarding world explodes with death and intrigue as Lord Voldemort reigns again.

Freaky, lucid dream...

Fri, 19 Aug 2005 08:02:00 -0400

Woke-up to the gentle tapping of rain against my window and thought: My Car’s outside and the sunroof is up.

…Yup…great…

Anyway, I had this freaky dream that I can’t quite shake. For some reason, my coworker D flew up to New York City, and I followed him, going to a museum that I couldn’t get it because I didn’t have any money but “You can get in for free with a ticket to Seattle”. It ended up that we hung out in a restaurant in the airport by the subway. I don’t remember what we talked about.

Ouch

Thu, 18 Aug 2005 10:11:00 -0400

I filled-up the MINI for $36.63 this morning…yike

On the bright side, my MPG indicator is reading 37.9 currently :D

Rally results + Pics

Tue, 16 Aug 2005 07:32:00 -0400

Results: (lower scores are better)


Car# Score Entrants(Driver,Navigator) 
4 179 Lo Arnold, Phil Schneider 
3 466 Ginny Eager, Robin Murphey 
10 780 Judd Campbell, Kelly Campbell 
7 1030 ??? 
9 1119 Jim Lamb, Lynn Lamb 
2 1282 Mark Thomas, Betty Thomas 
8 1354 Ken Hold, Ed Howell 
6 1362 Chris Davis, Kurt Clayton 
1 1532 Grant Goodin, Mark Goodin 
5 1800 DNF--Subaru

Pics:

top: line of porsches: a 914, Gary’s 968, and a beautiful 930.
bottom: Closeup of the 930

Lexington Gas Prices - Find Cheap Gas Prices in Kentucky

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 18:28:00 -0400

Lexington Gas Prices

Muhahaha….website for finding cheap gas.

w00t....mechanix R Us

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 07:18:00 -0400

7 hours, 3 beers, 4 Sprites, 2 rounds of Gojo, 1 large pizza, and no busted knuckles later, Joes’ maxima has 2 new front struts and a fresh oil change.

I think we could do it now in under 3 hours if we had to do it all over again.

Joe’s upper suspension mount + bushing was making some extreme noises, and since his car has 138k miles on it, he decided he wanted to get some Monroe Sensa-Trac struts, and he asked, “Harold, do you think you want to tackle this?”

Neat!

Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:38:00 -0400

If you use Firefox + Gmail, here’s a cool extension that adds the ‘Delete’ button to the gmail interface.

MINI UK Announce Factory JCW Option

Hehe

Wed, 10 Aug 2005 12:24:00 -0400

Stupid quiz of the week:

WARNING: There’s some VERY obscure stuff on there….

Oops...where's my function?

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 20:13:00 -0400

There are few experiences to equal being at work at 8 o’clock at night replying to email from your boss’s boss, explaining why your crack team of developers didn’t deliver on the function your reported was “done” two days earlier.

You know what? I take it back. I’m GLAD I got her fired; we’ll be lucky if she’s the last, given how cavalier everyone’s working these days.

So yeah, here we are, knee deep in code, with my normal unitized team, decomposed into two halves, each working on a significant chunk of work. I had a meeting, told them deliver me three things in 4 weeks: Code, Running unit tests @ 80% coverage, and Documentation.

Updates..

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 19:23:00 -0400

I came in #3 overall indexed time at today’s event. Unfortunately, Mike took #1. :)

Still, a GREAT day autocrossing.

On firing people

Fri, 05 Aug 2005 13:43:00 -0400

Fired my first person today.

Well, I didn’t do the firing; my manager did, but she was on my team and I could’ve made it go either way. If I’d insisted she remain, she’d have still been here, but I didn’t. Hence, I fired her.

I feel bad about the finality of it, but it needed to happen. She was unprofessional, and a drag on the morale of other members of the team. Still, the associated sob story is rough: Two small kids, her husband is a lout, and she was a very personable likable woman.

MINI UK Announce Factory JCW Option

Wed, 03 Aug 2005 09:06:00 -0400

Daddy Like! However, this close to the model changeover, I might wait for the 07 and the factory changes….I’d really like to try that 4-door (rear suicide doors) version

Another one down...

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 21:54:00 -0400

Muhahaha….A new blogger in town.

Welcome to the blogosphere, Marshall.

Finally...sane pricing from GM

Mon, 01 Aug 2005 13:52:00 -0400

From the GM Fastlane Blog

Therefore, we are introducing the 2006 lineup this month with an emphasis on value. We have cut prices on 30 of our 76 models. For instance, the Chevy Silverado Crew Cab was $31,045 in 2005, but the 2006 is priced at $27,990. We are launching new models at prices that are aggressively competitive, such as the Pontiac Solstice at $19,995, when we could sell them all at twice that much this year. Also, we are extending our warranties on certain models and adding former options as standard equipment.

Some fresh pics

Sun, 31 Jul 2005 20:55:00 -0400

After some not-so-subtle hints from my sweetie:

Our new house, and Sharkey:

Joey’s room (2 views)

Awesome radio drama

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 15:15:00 -0400

The Apotheosis Saga

New organizational tool

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 14:46:00 -0400

Check this out:

TadaList Lets you maintain a very cool web todo list/lists and edit it inline in your browser just like in an app like Lotus Notes, Outlook, or others.

:-) Type C personality, here I come.

The old addage is true...

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 09:13:00 -0400

…no amount of money can make you enjoy a job you don’t like.

I’ve bellyached to everyone that will listen, and they’re (apparently) very tired of it. Everybody has problems, and whining about a job that pays you an obscene amount of money to (literally) twiddle your fingers all day doesn’t get much traction with most people.

I don’t blame them. It is getting kinda sad that no one sympathizes with me in the least…doesn’t help the crushing loneliness I feel every night when I go home to my empty house, that’s for sure.

On being a PL Slut

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 10:08:00 -0400

I confess. I’m a parking lot slut.

Most people park in the same parking place every single day, without fail. Makes them feel comfortable and safe. Not me.

Oh no, some days I’m in the mood to park in the very front, where everyone can see my shiny MINI; other days, I find a spot in the very back of the lot, away from those who would ding the Pup.

Nine Princes in Amber

Wed, 27 Jul 2005 08:15:00 -0400

A book on loan from my friend the Mac fiend, this is the first in a series by Roger Zelazny, and it’s a quick involving read at only 176 pages. The guy’s terse and vivid and the action never stops, but I found the basic premise to be so much Fantasy that the characters were hard to get into.

Basically, the idea is that there’s one “true” city (Amber) and that all the other universes and dimensions are “shadows” of that one. Amber’s ruled by a central monarchy, and that monarch has died (or…something…). Anyway, the remaining 9 boys and 6 girls of his brood all fight it out to see who can recapture the throne.

#2 Part Deux

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 12:34:00 -0400

Well, they’re going to get rid of 275 of us over the next month. Regular employees only (we’re the ones that are ongoing legacy risks–401(k)’s, pensions, healthcare costs) have the option of taking a 4-26 week pay package (based up # of years of service) plus 3 months of health care coverage…

…or you can just wait until Aug 25th and find out if you get the Involuntary Exit Program (i.e. “You’re FIRED”). It’s unknown if you get the severance package with eh IEP

Shit

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 10:11:00 -0400

As part of the company’s ongoing optimization of its expense structure, Lexmark also announced today that it will reduce its workforce by approximately 275 employees through the first half of 2006 with a majority of the affected employees exiting in the third quarter of 2005. A majority of the reductions are expected to occur at the Lexington site. However, the number of people employed at the site will remain about the same on a year-over-year basis as a result of R&D hiring this year.

Kings Island.

Sun, 24 Jul 2005 23:20:00 -0400

It sucks to be 36.5" tall. That’s what I learned taking Joey and Whitney up to Kings Island on Friday in Sharkey.

Sharkey’s our Olds Intrigue. I name my cars…sue me.

Digression…The names of all my cars and those I’ve been in contact with:

Li’l Green My 1995 Nissan 200SX SE-R. It was Teal, a tint of green, and it saw me through every stupid thing a 16-20 year old can do with a car, including a bad accident with a deer.

Invitations are done!

Sun, 24 Jul 2005 23:16:00 -0400

Shout out to the unloved Lexmark X5150 All-in-One (Scan/Print/Copy/Fax)

Did all 31 sets of invitations, reply cards, reply envelopes, and a mail-merge of different envelopes and everything came out perfectly. We took several days of calligraphy down to 2 hours of Microsoft Word.

Coolest part had to be doing a mail merge from an CSV Excel spreadsheet with the guest list into the envelope screen in Word. I’ve never done this, and it was a snap. The M$ guys should be proud of how reassuring and robust this process was

summary of events...

Sat, 23 Jul 2005 16:51:00 -0400

i bought a car, a 2001 Olds Intrigue. It’s sweet and navy blue.

I went to Kings Island with Joey and Whitney. It was fun. I laughed, I cried, i got mad.

I bought some tires for the MINI yesterday before we went to PKI, Bridgestone Potenza G009’s

195/60R15, mounted on my regular MINI wheels. The budget didn’t quite allow for the 15x7 Kosei’s that I wanted, but this is a decent compromise.

Google map of my parents' farm

Wed, 20 Jul 2005 10:10:00 -0400