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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Chuck’s Responses:

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

Chuck’s Responses:

“Welcome to capitalism, baby!”

or

“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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.’

Linky

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.

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.

I totally understand it all.

Susan - Jan 5, 2009

I totally understand it all.

I totally understand that blog.

Linky

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.

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

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.

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.

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.