News: INTJ no more

Harold Combs

(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

Harold Combs

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...

Harold Combs

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

Harold Combs

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

Harold Combs

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)

Harold Combs

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

Harold Combs

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...

Harold Combs

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

Harold Combs

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

Harold Combs

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.

Harold Combs

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)

Harold Combs

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

Harold Combs

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

Harold Combs

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)

Harold Combs

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...

Harold Combs

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?

Harold Combs

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!!

Harold Combs

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

Harold Combs

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.