Yes!
I finally got my hair chopped off! No more unruly mop. He did a good job, too. Second shortest haircut I've had.
Now that it's actually decided to be acceptably warm as many days as not, short hair is a good thing.
Unfortunately, it was a big day for kids getting haircuts. There was a cute year or so old who wanted to play with my cell phone. His mother gave him hers, which was identical to mine, so then he kept deciding the imaginary caller was asking for me, and handing me the phone. Then after the phone was put away, he still kept wanting to lean on me and be friendly.
Sometimes I'm a kid magnet like that. My older brother thinks the wrong one of us had kids. Fortunately I've gotten past the ticking urge to marry and have kids. Which is good, since it'll surely never happen.
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
For What It's Worth...
I posted to my Slutertarian page last night. I thought I might actually start posting education-related items there as I stumble upon them periodically.
Here's the overall Slutertarian page.
Here's my department page.
I posted to my Slutertarian page last night. I thought I might actually start posting education-related items there as I stumble upon them periodically.
Here's the overall Slutertarian page.
Here's my department page.
Dating Advice
Steve is looking for dating advice. Or dating avoidance advice, as the case may be.
I'm no help in that department, being an utterly hopeless non-dater, but maybe you have ideas for him? At least you can read all the amusing comments (and the amusing post), even if you have nothing to add.
Steve is looking for dating advice. Or dating avoidance advice, as the case may be.
I'm no help in that department, being an utterly hopeless non-dater, but maybe you have ideas for him? At least you can read all the amusing comments (and the amusing post), even if you have nothing to add.
I Have Strange Dreams
Out of the blue I was buying, or perhaps inheriting, a big, run down old house in a rural area. The area imaged looked like a combination of Plympton, MA and Holland, VT. The occupant had been one old woman. There were at least 11 rooms, but I knew the place was only about half usable, because it was filled with accumulated old stuff. How I was getting it was unclear, but it was both completely unexpected and welcome.
The house itself is a recurring one I have dreams about, seemingly an archetype based on various places I have seen. For instance, I once had a dream about the same house, different location, being on fire, but burning so slowly nobody was in much hurry to get out of it. I've also dreamed about moving onto a section of the second floor of the same house, and discovering unexpected rooms.
Anyway, I was rather preoccupied with mailing people my new address, especially a selected few people I was apparently irritated with. For some reason, I was going to mail each person a single old glove. I stood next to a stretch of road that had no houses on it, looking at the gloves I had collected to send. They were all my size, but some of them were so worn they had big holes in the palm. Then for some reason I realized I should limit the number of people I notified right away.
During part of this, I was actually talking with someone unidentified who was standing there, telling them about the house. I pictured some other, small, blocky house I lived in, and how much I wanted to move. I commented that it would take me all summer, maybe the whole rest of the year, to go through all the stuff in the house to identify what was good and dispose of what wasn't, then fix the place up. I thought it would make me too busy to blog, then realized I could still do some blogging, telling people about the cool things I found in the house.
We talked about the fact it was so huge, and what I might be able to do with it, like running a business out of the house. The last thing suggested before I woke up was a candy business.
Out of the blue I was buying, or perhaps inheriting, a big, run down old house in a rural area. The area imaged looked like a combination of Plympton, MA and Holland, VT. The occupant had been one old woman. There were at least 11 rooms, but I knew the place was only about half usable, because it was filled with accumulated old stuff. How I was getting it was unclear, but it was both completely unexpected and welcome.
The house itself is a recurring one I have dreams about, seemingly an archetype based on various places I have seen. For instance, I once had a dream about the same house, different location, being on fire, but burning so slowly nobody was in much hurry to get out of it. I've also dreamed about moving onto a section of the second floor of the same house, and discovering unexpected rooms.
Anyway, I was rather preoccupied with mailing people my new address, especially a selected few people I was apparently irritated with. For some reason, I was going to mail each person a single old glove. I stood next to a stretch of road that had no houses on it, looking at the gloves I had collected to send. They were all my size, but some of them were so worn they had big holes in the palm. Then for some reason I realized I should limit the number of people I notified right away.
During part of this, I was actually talking with someone unidentified who was standing there, telling them about the house. I pictured some other, small, blocky house I lived in, and how much I wanted to move. I commented that it would take me all summer, maybe the whole rest of the year, to go through all the stuff in the house to identify what was good and dispose of what wasn't, then fix the place up. I thought it would make me too busy to blog, then realized I could still do some blogging, telling people about the cool things I found in the house.
We talked about the fact it was so huge, and what I might be able to do with it, like running a business out of the house. The last thing suggested before I woke up was a candy business.
Space Commercialization
Yet Another Weird SF Fan posts about space commercialization, which is always a topic dear to my heart, and proves my impulse to put this blog in the "Prometheans" category made sense. That is where it will go when I continue sorting.
Yet Another Weird SF Fan posts about space commercialization, which is always a topic dear to my heart, and proves my impulse to put this blog in the "Prometheans" category made sense. That is where it will go when I continue sorting.
8000
For what it's worth, my 8000th hit was someone on Comcast in the eastern time zone, running XP and IE6, with no referrer. Subsequently I've been mini-bloggerlanched.
That's one thing about Blogger. They display a small number of recently updated Blogger blogs on their main page. It's not actually reliable or continuously update (so the "most recent" might sit there for a few hours before the list changes). Once in a while I get on the list if I make a few back to back posts, and people actually do click and show up as brand new visitors (Welcome!) One of the things that made my traffic increase dramatically was one weekend when I stayed on blogger.com as a recently updated blog link for as much as 12 hours. At least half my (record number of) visitors that weekend came from there. It was as significant as a Gut Rumbles link that stays near the top for a while, or as a link from Blogs of War like the one I got when I was almost brand new.
For what it's worth, my 8000th hit was someone on Comcast in the eastern time zone, running XP and IE6, with no referrer. Subsequently I've been mini-bloggerlanched.
That's one thing about Blogger. They display a small number of recently updated Blogger blogs on their main page. It's not actually reliable or continuously update (so the "most recent" might sit there for a few hours before the list changes). Once in a while I get on the list if I make a few back to back posts, and people actually do click and show up as brand new visitors (Welcome!) One of the things that made my traffic increase dramatically was one weekend when I stayed on blogger.com as a recently updated blog link for as much as 12 hours. At least half my (record number of) visitors that weekend came from there. It was as significant as a Gut Rumbles link that stays near the top for a while, or as a link from Blogs of War like the one I got when I was almost brand new.
And Another...
Viking Pundit says that Between The Coasts has fled Blogspot. I hope I didn't already know this and post it, because I am not scrolling back to see. I need to update 5-6 links at this point, just from the past couple days or so.
Viking Pundit says that Between The Coasts has fled Blogspot. I hope I didn't already know this and post it, because I am not scrolling back to see. I need to update 5-6 links at this point, just from the past couple days or so.
Subversive Monkeywrenching
What made me go read this amusing page was the discussion of grocery store discount cards, which I have been extremely resistant to.
I don't shop at Stop & Shop because of them, except maybe in a pinch to run in and buy something that's not on sale anyway. I always liked Shaw's in part because they weren't Stop & Shop, but it seems their business objective is to become more like Stop & Shop every year until there is no difference. So of course they adopted the discount card scheme, which is why I was boycotting them and going to Victory, until I got sick of Victory selling meat that was either already spoiled or would spoil far more quickly than that from other stores. That left Trucchi's and Market Basket, both a little less convenient than any of the others. Or the Hilltop Steakhouse market, which is relatively convenient but a little limited. And weirdly, the meat there isn't necessarily spectacular, at least for what I'd buy most. I can buy hamburger from Trucchi's or Market Basket, and after sitting in the refrigerator for two days, it is approximately at the freshness level Victory's is the day you buy it.
Anyway, my brother had an extra Shaw's card, so I go there again. I also started going to Victory again if I need things other than meat and it's the convenient option.
That subversive link was via Wendy McElroy.
What made me go read this amusing page was the discussion of grocery store discount cards, which I have been extremely resistant to.
I don't shop at Stop & Shop because of them, except maybe in a pinch to run in and buy something that's not on sale anyway. I always liked Shaw's in part because they weren't Stop & Shop, but it seems their business objective is to become more like Stop & Shop every year until there is no difference. So of course they adopted the discount card scheme, which is why I was boycotting them and going to Victory, until I got sick of Victory selling meat that was either already spoiled or would spoil far more quickly than that from other stores. That left Trucchi's and Market Basket, both a little less convenient than any of the others. Or the Hilltop Steakhouse market, which is relatively convenient but a little limited. And weirdly, the meat there isn't necessarily spectacular, at least for what I'd buy most. I can buy hamburger from Trucchi's or Market Basket, and after sitting in the refrigerator for two days, it is approximately at the freshness level Victory's is the day you buy it.
Anyway, my brother had an extra Shaw's card, so I go there again. I also started going to Victory again if I need things other than meat and it's the convenient option.
That subversive link was via Wendy McElroy.
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Silly Dell Tricks
Okay, so you order a computer. After ordering you verify with your computer guy that it ought have been XP Pro, not Home, so within a day of placing the order, you call Dell to see if you can change the OS spec. They have already shipped the computer, being efficient, but they agree to send you XP Pro and you send them back the copy of XP Home.
So you get the copy of XP Pro, computer guy starts the setup, and it asks for the CD key...
As many of you know, an OEM computer builder is supposed to remove the shiny sticker with the CD key from the shrinkwrapped package containing the CD and manual, and stick it to the computer. This proves you are legal, and Microsoft did in fact receive their tithing obeisance on the transaction. If you have to reinstall and need the CD key, that is where it is located, unless you have written it elsewhere for your records. The package with the software has no indication of the CD key anywhere.
Okay, all well and good. Except the replacement software, the copy of XP Pro swapped for XP Home, arrived with no shiny sticker, as if it had been removed and placed on the computer. But obviously it could not have been. But hey, Dell, huge vendor, special arrangements with Microsoft... maybe the CD key on the sticker on the computer was somehow generic and would work.
Nope.
So now they have to call Dell and try to get a CD key that works with the otherwise useless copy of XP Pro. Fortunately, I need to go back there anyway, to replace their hub with a more reliable one.
How foolish is that, sending out a copy of Window that can't be installed? They ought to be better than that. Then again, special circumstance; they function efficiently through rote and routine. We had to go and be different on them.
Okay, so you order a computer. After ordering you verify with your computer guy that it ought have been XP Pro, not Home, so within a day of placing the order, you call Dell to see if you can change the OS spec. They have already shipped the computer, being efficient, but they agree to send you XP Pro and you send them back the copy of XP Home.
So you get the copy of XP Pro, computer guy starts the setup, and it asks for the CD key...
As many of you know, an OEM computer builder is supposed to remove the shiny sticker with the CD key from the shrinkwrapped package containing the CD and manual, and stick it to the computer. This proves you are legal, and Microsoft did in fact receive their tithing obeisance on the transaction. If you have to reinstall and need the CD key, that is where it is located, unless you have written it elsewhere for your records. The package with the software has no indication of the CD key anywhere.
Okay, all well and good. Except the replacement software, the copy of XP Pro swapped for XP Home, arrived with no shiny sticker, as if it had been removed and placed on the computer. But obviously it could not have been. But hey, Dell, huge vendor, special arrangements with Microsoft... maybe the CD key on the sticker on the computer was somehow generic and would work.
Nope.
So now they have to call Dell and try to get a CD key that works with the otherwise useless copy of XP Pro. Fortunately, I need to go back there anyway, to replace their hub with a more reliable one.
How foolish is that, sending out a copy of Window that can't be installed? They ought to be better than that. Then again, special circumstance; they function efficiently through rote and routine. We had to go and be different on them.
Progress
Minor progress, anyway. I have comments almost the way I want them, apart from making them load in a new window. However, there's a default "location" textbox that I have never seen anyone use. I commented all references to it, as far as I could see, but it's still there. Silly thing. Maripat ditched it, so there has to be a way.
I also ditched a lot of the crap that's on the main page by default, and have a good idea how things flow in the various PHP and CSS files.
So now that I'm a couple hours late getting to other things, enough of this for now.
Minor progress, anyway. I have comments almost the way I want them, apart from making them load in a new window. However, there's a default "location" textbox that I have never seen anyone use. I commented all references to it, as far as I could see, but it's still there. Silly thing. Maripat ditched it, so there has to be a way.
I also ditched a lot of the crap that's on the main page by default, and have a good idea how things flow in the various PHP and CSS files.
So now that I'm a couple hours late getting to other things, enough of this for now.
So Far So Good
Well, I have the absolute default pMachine weblog established in a ridiculously convoluted path. Obviously that's going to have to change or be virtualized.
The default example blog is so not remotely how I will want it to be. Getting it established to this point is clearly the least of the work. Now that I know what I'm doing, I'd probably have done some of it a little differently, but oh well. I could also do it again in far less time.
This should be interesting.
Well, I have the absolute default pMachine weblog established in a ridiculously convoluted path. Obviously that's going to have to change or be virtualized.
The default example blog is so not remotely how I will want it to be. Getting it established to this point is clearly the least of the work. Now that I know what I'm doing, I'd probably have done some of it a little differently, but oh well. I could also do it again in far less time.
This should be interesting.
This is Annoying
It's midnight.
I got to the office at 9:30 AM and just got home maybe an hour ago. One of my partners decided he wanted to pop in at "6:30 or 7 o'clock" to show me where his code stood and get some input. I don't think it was too much past 8:00 when he arrived, and I did accomplish some cleaning in the meantime. Also talked with the client in Fall River, with whom I'd arranged to visit "sometime early this week" but not made specific plans. So that's tomorrow.
But first I must get a haircut. So I need to be up at a reasonable time, get out of here, go to the barber and make a retail stop or two. Then stop at the office for a little while, make sure nobody is too frantic, put in an order for the parts and OS to build a new computer, tweak some old code and distribute a replacement EXE, try to remember to e-mail Westlaw support a question I have, and finally go on down to Fall River, where things should not get as out of hand as last time. I believe I neglected to rant about goofy network cabling people.
If you run a cable through the wall and install a female jack for a computer to plug into, and the closet the cables go to has a hub in it, and obviously no patch panel, what do you do? You put a male end on such that the end in the closet can plug into the hub, right? Oh no. You survey the situation, have no idea what's going on, leave the cable raw, and have to be called back in to put the male end on while the computer guy - who could have run the cable at least as competently as you - waits, and is horrified hearing your confusion as to how exactly to connect the male end to the raw cable. Which the computer guy would have done had he known there was the slightest reason to bring the handy toolbag, which includes a handful of male connectors and the crimping tool. But hey, let's leave cabling to the people who pretend to do it for a living! (Actually, that's exactly right... when it's people like my amazingly competent brother.)
I'd love to plow into working with pMachine, but I am going to have to limit myself. After all, sleep is good. The earlier I can get to the barber, the less of a wait there will be. Anyway, let's see how much I can accomplish in, say, the next half hour or so...
It's midnight.
I got to the office at 9:30 AM and just got home maybe an hour ago. One of my partners decided he wanted to pop in at "6:30 or 7 o'clock" to show me where his code stood and get some input. I don't think it was too much past 8:00 when he arrived, and I did accomplish some cleaning in the meantime. Also talked with the client in Fall River, with whom I'd arranged to visit "sometime early this week" but not made specific plans. So that's tomorrow.
But first I must get a haircut. So I need to be up at a reasonable time, get out of here, go to the barber and make a retail stop or two. Then stop at the office for a little while, make sure nobody is too frantic, put in an order for the parts and OS to build a new computer, tweak some old code and distribute a replacement EXE, try to remember to e-mail Westlaw support a question I have, and finally go on down to Fall River, where things should not get as out of hand as last time. I believe I neglected to rant about goofy network cabling people.
If you run a cable through the wall and install a female jack for a computer to plug into, and the closet the cables go to has a hub in it, and obviously no patch panel, what do you do? You put a male end on such that the end in the closet can plug into the hub, right? Oh no. You survey the situation, have no idea what's going on, leave the cable raw, and have to be called back in to put the male end on while the computer guy - who could have run the cable at least as competently as you - waits, and is horrified hearing your confusion as to how exactly to connect the male end to the raw cable. Which the computer guy would have done had he known there was the slightest reason to bring the handy toolbag, which includes a handful of male connectors and the crimping tool. But hey, let's leave cabling to the people who pretend to do it for a living! (Actually, that's exactly right... when it's people like my amazingly competent brother.)
I'd love to plow into working with pMachine, but I am going to have to limit myself. After all, sleep is good. The earlier I can get to the barber, the less of a wait there will be. Anyway, let's see how much I can accomplish in, say, the next half hour or so...
Monday, June 09, 2003
Comments Disabled
Since I would rather have no comments than have to click an error about 50 times as my blog loads (which translates into slooooooow loading if you are set not to see the script errors), and since it didn't simply go away promptly as it usually does, I have disabled comments. I have to assume Enetation is broken for an extended time, and presumably I will have an alternative once I have moved.
Since I would rather have no comments than have to click an error about 50 times as my blog loads (which translates into slooooooow loading if you are set not to see the script errors), and since it didn't simply go away promptly as it usually does, I have disabled comments. I have to assume Enetation is broken for an extended time, and presumably I will have an alternative once I have moved.
Pathetic Earthlings
Another one bites the dust. Pathetic Earthlings has left Blogspot. This should remind me to fix my links.
If you haven't checked out this site in the past, it's worth keeping an eye on. As the subtitle says, "space, politics, and single malt whisky."
Another one bites the dust. Pathetic Earthlings has left Blogspot. This should remind me to fix my links.
If you haven't checked out this site in the past, it's worth keeping an eye on. As the subtitle says, "space, politics, and single malt whisky."
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