Gravity

Hydrodynamics. Tax codes. One of these was invented by God, the other by a Java programmer.

All you weary

Why do I have 9 followers, and I only can I identify 3 of them? Who are the 6 random people from all over the world that follow me, and why is 5% of my traffic from Russia? Oh, right, on that one.

Anyway, I have learned a lot in the last few weeks. Eventually I may be able to even tell you.

Hubble.

When I am sick, I snuggle with my wife and look at Hubble pictures. My life is pretty great right now.

Dragonfly

Well, we had a crazy day at work, 4 clients down before 9. And then it got a little better.

D and I took a nice long wall and processed through some things. Then as we were starting back home, it started to snow. Great timing!

Check for nonsensicality

I should go to sleep.

My co-worker's 2 year old broke her collarbone last week and now her other arm this week. Sad.

I wish I could hack faster.

I guess that I think this is cool just shows my immaturity.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40195501@N06/sets/

Also, Discovery is done. I think when Atlantis lands for the last
time, I might cry. The X-37 is robotic. Where's the joy in that?

Impressionism

It seems that I now want an iPad 2. But I'm not really sure what for. I guess I just want the new gear, new stuff. I might be getting a new iPhone for work, so that might sate my desires for the time being. I also want a Macbook air, and a pony.

We've been going through books in our small group that, while good, I just think are simplistic. Maybe I'm too egotistical, but I feel like I was hoping our group would be really challenging, and it's not for us. So then the question is, where does our role in the group lie?

I somedays wish I could join a mid-stage start up as an apprentice, and become a powerful hacker. But then, I don't want software development to become my life, which is why I've never become a real hacker.

I have a wonderful wife who makes me great food. I'm really happy I married a rice and chicken girl instead of a meat and potatoes one.

I think we might get a tax refund.

In a couple weeks, I will have the potential opportunity to fleece small children out of ultra-local currency. That, my friends, may be cool.

Finished David Edward's Before Taliban. Next I will probably read some fiction, then some deep stuff, interspersed with Programmers at Work and maybe some data structures (to refresh myself). And still read articles, also try to write code for hobby projects, and maybe, just maybe, start writing a book that no one will probably ever read.

And there goes another blog post.

Supranumerary

If you use an ATM in a major city, please be careful. I came across this while looking up some other stuff today : http://krebsonsecurity.com/all-about-skimmers/

At least it seems like they are staying only in major cities so far, but situational awareness is always good.

How disappointing

My dreams are crushed.

That is all.

Acronis and Powershell, I feel like a trailblazer

I think I'm going to start peppering my blog here with occasional bursts of stuff I am working on, for my own reference, and to help the internets at large. If this means not much to you, I'm sorry. I couldn't find any existing Google citations on this issue, and I thought I could be the first for this rather specific query.


If you are trying to use PowerShell to mount and browse Acronis .TIB files, you may run into a situation where you run the TrueImageCMD command (via PowerShell) to mount the drive, but then your set-location $drive fails. This is apparently because when you start an instance of PowerShell it populates all the available PSDrives, and only allows you to use those. I can't find a command to just refresh that list, but you can explicitly tell PowerShell to start using the backup drive you mounted using TrueImageCMD. And don't forget to remove the drive when you are finished!


Example code:

new-psdrive "RSTmount" -PSProvider filesystem -Root $drive
set-location RSTmount:\
#DO STUFF
set-location c:\
remove-psdrive -name RSTmount


Satellite

We have been there.  And now some have brought death there.

I can't now count the number of times that I've read a news article and think, "Wow, that could have been me."

Does it really matter, though, that it could have been me?

I don't know.

But imagine that up to 9 people now have family who are asking, "Why was it them?"

We have got to give them a reason to have a good answer.

Not a lot of people hanging round

I want to be more than a thousand suns.

I want to be better than this terminal world.

And no more pushing ice around.

Standing ovation

I'm a little disappointed in myself and in America at times.

My wife is slowly eroding my resistance to reality tv. First it was "say yes to the dress" Next was Big Brother, slowly followed by cooking shows. Ok, Big Brother was dumb trash, but amusing. But now, she is slowly dragging me into the bachelor.

And every night, I weep inside for myself and for America. Because this is what gets presented to young men and women as the ideal of romantic love. What? Hyperreality at the worst possible time, the date. Is it any wonder that only one of the numerous couples on this show has had a relationship that has made it to a wedding? Is it any wonder that the women on the show go away a mess when they don't get picked? When love becomes reduced to a series of totally unrealistic dates and snatches of accelerated physical intimacy, and hearts are given away for ratings on tv... Is it any wonder divorce rates are so high? Is it any wonder that people from other cultures look at us and are repulsed?

Sigh. There but for grace go I. And all of this a molehill a mile high.

Is it a bear or a rabbit?

Yesterday, my wife signed us up to be phone spammed.

We were looking at insurance, and she signed up for an online insurance quoter. Within two minutes, she got called by three insurance agents. I was slightly upset by this, and chastised her a little bit. When she called about an hour later, we had figured out what we were wanting to do, so she told the agent that was unceremoniously hung up on.

So we hatched a plan to have fun with the next caller.

This afternoon, New Years Day, we were called by another insurance agent.

I answered the phone. After the initial greetings, the agent asked what we were looking for, insurance for just Diane or our family.

"Actually, we're looking for insurance for our entire family." I replied.

"So by entire family, that's you and your wife?" She asked.

"For me, my wife, and our stuffed animal." I said, in as straight of a voice as I could.

There was silence for about five seconds, and then she asked, "Is it a bear or a rabbit?"

"She's a bear."

The agent laughed and then said, "Happy New Year! Ok, so insurance for you and your wife?"

Stifling back laughter, I said, "Well, we really are looking for health insurance for our stuffed aninmal."

"Well, our insurance is for people who are animate, and your bear is inanimate. So, unfortunately, we won't be able to offer insurance for you."

I couldn't get out telling her that Ronden does talk to us regularly, so that I did think she could qualify as animate. Instead, I just wished her Happy New Year and thanked her for her call.

We are pretty awesome, I think.

High Fidelity

And the first of the year is almost here.

We had a pretty up and down and good year. I have been engaged, married, moved across the ocean to a new town, new job, new friends.

I have a great house, wonderful wife, and a great future that I have no real idea what it is.

We may try to make decisions, but there are plenty more decisions that we can't make.

Fwd: Élan

Sadly, I think I have read my last Gibson novel. Zero History just... wandered. I liked parts but skipped large sections. I read PatternRecognition a number of times and Spook Country twice but feel no draw to re-reading ZH. I saw the designer 'twist' coming a mile away but do have to say I was pleased with all the ambiguity in the characters but not the plot. I've read worse, believe me, but left the book unexcited to read Gibson again.

Another fact...

Bruce Schneier can crack a one-time pad before it's used.

It's a fact.

Bruce Schneier doesn't use an IDE, or even a text editor, he uses an AK47 and a punch card.

Victorious One

My job is going well, some days better than others. I have to learn to record billable time better.

My wife is wonderful and just recently made me Dark Chocolate muffins which have caused me to swoon in her presence regularly.

I want to read and grow but I'm not doing the best job of that. Mail me some good sites with longform content that I can save on Instapaper that will Be interesting and challenging.

I love my wife. Did I mention how awesome her muffins are?

Naught be all else

Wow. I haven't posted recently.

Life is proceeding apace. We are doing pretty good in the Big O. My job is going well most of the time. I haven't been fired, so I guess that's good. Our Fellowship is good, we found a place we really enjoy, and we have a small group we are getting into. We've made some other friends and are slowly starting to get into the swing of things.

I'm having occasional difficulties being in the U.S., but we're getting past them.

Our apartment is looking pretty good. I have a smart and fun wife.