tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51019172011-04-21T17:37:10.874-04:00random rants and opinions of an average american on a world gone mad.Timnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-45638648980277640712008-01-09T10:07:00.000-05:002008-01-09T10:25:25.547-05:00

Updates: Battles won and lostSo it's been a really long time between posts, death knell fora blog but I've never been great at it. Loss: Figured I'd speed past the loss so I could talk about the victories. So I didn't keep up with the gym like I wanted. I did get myself back onto some rec teams (Softball, Flag football and dodgeball) which was fun and gave me some exercise but I'm building

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-18862635463899783152007-06-04T08:58:00.000-04:002007-06-04T09:10:14.767-04:00

Today is a new day.I finally got out of bed "early" (and if you know me you know that's a pretty large feat in and of itself), got into a gym and, albeit just for 30 minutes, worked out before going into work. I haven't been to a gym since college . . .I'm fairly self-conscious so I don't like the crowded popular gyms which in northern Virginia it seems from talking to folks all the gyms are busy

Timnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-3197142797452127912007-05-11T09:04:00.000-04:002007-05-11T09:09:11.268-04:00

Just got the word yesterday that I passed the CISSP exam! Still don't have a role at work but I'm not sweating that too much, I've got a couple leads and a couple weeks on the bench is almost a mini vacation. The new credentials won't mean too much with my company but it was something I wanted to do since I've been doing IT security type roles the last 4 years. I do get to put it on my business

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-87461546102863322132007-05-01T13:09:00.000-04:002007-05-01T13:19:58.242-04:00

Feeling for the last month - Limbo Rollar-coasterSo basically almost every facet of my life is in or has been in limbo the last month.Personal life: Expecting baby, six days late. When he's finally born he spends seven days in NICU not knowing when we're able to get him home or even what was wrong. (still don't know what was wrong, just that the numbers improved). Grandfather goes in for a

Timnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-75132725692925608872007-04-27T10:34:00.000-04:002007-04-27T10:41:23.500-04:00

Ugh. So I just finished a week of cramming 10+ hours a day for my CISSP exam. I'm definitely taking a bit of a break tomorrow.I keep bouncing between feeling really ready and panicing about the networking security, the subject I feel is my weakest. I took a full practice exam last night with a study group and felt like I was getting all but a handful of answers right but how close are any

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-50050585908005268142007-04-20T17:48:00.000-04:002007-04-20T17:52:36.522-04:00

It's a boy. So we had our first boy earlier this month after our two precious girls. Nine pounds and is now safely home. He spent a week in NICU but thankfully the numbers from his blood tests finally cleared up. Because I never do anything halfway, I'm currently also changing projects at work and am readying myself for a 6 hour CISSP exam . . . It's almost always feast or famine around here, I

Timnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-38627526330691484202007-03-29T16:41:00.000-04:002007-03-29T17:12:16.447-04:00

Tomorrow's the wife's due date so one would imagine that this weekend we'd have our new arrival. :) Its exciting but with all the craziness at work and the other two little ones I feel like I'm not as involved as I've been in the past. For the other two I was at almost every appointment by my wife's side, in for the ultrasound, etc. This go round I've been at home watching the kids (which has

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-21814156083148943202007-03-19T10:00:00.000-04:002007-03-19T10:15:20.637-04:00

So with the new baby due any day now I've been doing a lot of things to spruce up the condo to sell it and make a move to a bigger place sometime this summer.What we've done so far...- I mentioned the chandelier my brother-in-law and I hung.- I put some closet doors in front of the washer/dryer unit which had just been open.- Replaced the closet door for the coat closet. The track was all messed

Timnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-32558120649308282672007-03-15T13:46:00.001-04:002007-03-15T15:02:08.333-04:00

Archives seem to be down. I'll poke around and see if I can't get them back into the picture.Edit: Ugh - nothing yet . . . it looks like I may have even lost the archives I could hit directly . . . hmmmEdit: I at least got the link working again, but still no archive list, have to look at it later.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-59949982962854194712007-03-14T14:52:00.000-04:002007-03-14T15:04:48.032-04:00

"He's our oldest, you know." That's the best excuse the guy could come up with for his 12 year old son allegedly commiting over 100 felonies? You've got to be kidding me . . . I'm afraid I DON'T KNOW. I have to assume this child has had some aweful trauma but attributing it to being a first child, as if that's any rougher than any other spot in the line-up. And heck, how many oldest children

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-20825730063605046552007-03-13T12:05:00.000-04:002007-03-13T12:10:11.783-04:00

Cleaned Up a few of my side-bar links. I was sad to see some of the old sites that are no longer up, I couldn't quite bear to take down the names but I took out the broken links. Some of the blogs are still up but haven't been posted to in quite some time, it seems like I wasn't the only one who broke off from blogging when I did.BTW - If you happen to have updated links for sugarmamma or how

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-46320854320043183332007-03-12T15:09:00.000-04:002007-03-12T15:19:30.380-04:00

Why not1. What time is it where you are right now? (Include time zone, especially our overseas visitors) : 3:09pm EST 2. What is your earliest memory? Walking home from kindergarten. (who'd let their kids do that now-a-days?) 3. What are you most afraid of? growing old and missing out. 4. What is the most recent movie that you have seen in a theater? James Bond - Casino Royale 5. Where were

Timnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-79736934233573149402007-03-12T11:34:00.000-04:002007-03-12T11:47:38.750-04:00

Lesson LearnedSo I've been doing small projects every weekend to make our condo in Northern Virginia a little more appealing. New light fixtures in the bathrooms, we did the faucets a long time ago, new doors to close off our washer/dryer. This weekend I took on what I thought would be a nice easy task and would lead nicely into a couple others that I wanted to take on - a new chandelier in the

Timnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-70375402266039106122007-03-06T16:51:00.000-05:002007-03-06T16:55:53.616-05:00

w00t.comOver Christmas I happened upon this awesome site. One item a day for much less than you can find it almost anywhere else, even eBay. (Unless it's a woot-off at the end of the month where they have a sell-off of items for cheaper than even they've done before.)Go take a look, it's worth it.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-75308187993085221362007-03-06T16:38:00.000-05:002007-03-06T16:48:51.754-05:00

Tom and Jerry and the last plateSome days/weeks/months feel like that common cartoon scene. You know the one I'm sure, the chase scene through the house which inevitably goes through the kitchen and the huge stack of plates get knocked over.I see those plates as problems (or challenges as one of my mentors used to say right before making me say "I love a challenge") . Each plate being a separate

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-29626492688945497502007-03-02T12:56:00.000-05:002007-03-02T12:58:20.628-05:00

Just when you thought it was safe to live in a small country the size of DC with a neighbor known as non-violent and neutral . . . They mock you by invading with no ammunition knowing you have no army to defend yourself.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-72564122053600700492007-03-02T10:38:00.000-05:002007-03-02T10:49:24.529-05:00

Not going to help productivitybut I'm sure loving the 60 degree weather, sunshine and birds singing outside right now. Especially after all the snow and ice we've had here in the DC area recently.Having newly acquired a window cube after having spend a number of years in a windowless converted conference room with no circulation only to be followed by a move to a windowless trailor ... I feel

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-18880860266590053002007-03-02T10:22:00.000-05:002007-03-02T10:26:08.786-05:00

What kind of coder are you?http://www.doolwind.com/index.php?page=11I'm a PHTBYou're a Planner.You may be slow, but you'll usually find the best solution. If something's worth doing, it's worth doing right.You like coding at a High level.The world is made up of objects and components, you should create your programs in the same way.You work best in a Team.A good group is better than the sum of

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1172697392745278282007-02-28T15:40:00.000-05:002007-02-28T16:16:32.766-05:00

An update - Hey there, not promising a bug return with a flurry of posts but I am going to see if I can't get back into posting again. A little update:- Still working too hard and not sleeping enough . . .- Making time for fun though - Warcraft, reading, a (very) occasional movie.- Wife's expecting our third child in about four week's time- Did I mention working too hard. !)- Trying to find a

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1126033459470546312005-09-06T15:04:00.000-04:002005-09-06T15:04:19.526-04:00

"I will miss him" We had to tell our almost three year old daughter last night that her two year old best friend died in an accident at home over the weekend. I wasn't sure how she would react. We found out the news on our drive home from our Labor Day weekend trip to see my parents. We waited until we made it home so we could sit down and be ready to answer any questions she may have. To

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1124476568956248652005-08-19T14:36:00.000-04:002005-08-19T14:36:08.956-04:00

Coming back soon . . . It's been a long while. I appreciate those who have checked in. I'll be back soon.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1113798130078303892005-04-18T00:22:00.000-04:002005-04-18T00:29:05.266-04:00

Currently Listening to - Ma Vlast: The MoldauSo another late night of coding is upon me finally.  I've had a couple but at home they've been unsuccessful due to my second child being born just shy of one month ago.  It's certainly been interesting having two little ones around (one is 2 and a half, the other is as I said just shy of one month).  Tired . . .  I'll be glad to have a little break

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1109868175287952492005-03-03T12:03:00.000-05:002005-03-03T11:46:43.890-05:00

A lot of readingI was never a big reader growing up. I was in a family of four(#3) and 3 out of the four ended up getting English degrees in college, two of them teachers and the other tried the teaching thing but went into journalism. I say all this because I am not one of those three. I was the only science major (Computer Science) in the lot. So I had my fill of English class growing up.Since

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1109866534988395092005-03-03T11:06:00.000-05:002005-03-03T11:45:26.703-05:00

"Down time" is for the weak . . . My manager once told us a saying one of the partners in the firm told her. "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon." This was speaking to our careers within the company, about not killing yourself in the short term, etc. My team updated it to say that "it's not a sprint, it's a marathon with a lot of little sprints spread about." But now I'm beginning to believe

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1105319685266891182005-01-09T20:11:00.000-05:002005-01-09T20:14:45.266-05:00

Working too much Alright, so over the past week I worked an average of 14 hours a day and now I've worked both Saturday and Sunday. Today hasn't been as bad in part because of the recent Google search results all over the web/news/blogs. (search for the term inurl:"ViewerFrame?Mode=") So far my favorite webcam has been this one of a Japanese Zoo Penguin exhibit. Watch the Penguin. Be the

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1105019917134154682005-01-06T07:43:00.000-05:002005-01-06T08:58:37.133-05:00

Here's to unexpected surprises So for Christmas my mom got me the soundtrack to Mona Lisa Smile. I didn't see the movie so I had no clue as to the type of music but I see some contemporary artists listed on the back and a song or two that I recognized. I got into work this morning, having brought it with me, and started to listen to it, not expecting too much. At this point let me tell you

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1104924285264018952005-01-05T06:19:00.000-05:002005-01-05T06:26:12.376-05:00

Yeah, the critics will miss this I'm sure This article on the NJ guy who used a laser pointer had this to say about being charged with the US PATRIOT Act The FBI acknowledged the incident had no connection to terrorism but called David Banach's actions "foolhardy and negligent." Not that I think what he did was right, or that you should go unpunished for putting other people's lives at risk but

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1104923106120147082005-01-05T06:02:00.000-05:002005-01-05T06:05:06.120-05:00

I knew this would be an exhausting week and that I'd be working some 14 or 16 hour days so I've been getting in to work between 4 and 5am so that I can get home in time to see the family before heading to bed. Sooooo tired, but the deadlines are quickly "slip sliding away." I think today I'll listen to my Simon and Garfunkle cd . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1104749791022492002005-01-03T05:12:00.000-05:002005-01-03T05:56:31.023-05:00

A reintroduction So much has changed in the last three years . . . I graduated college, got married, got a job, started this blog, fathered a child, with family abroad I've gotten to visit Europe at least five times, lost my job, became self employed, found a career with a company known around the world, moved and bought a home, lost a grandmother, got promoted, bought a new van then cleaned out

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1104747153596328142004-12-25T17:11:00.000-05:002005-01-03T05:58:07.333-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year I get a feeling that 2005 will be like no other.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1102177684741946372004-12-04T11:28:00.000-05:002005-01-05T06:28:55.370-05:00

A fun weekend post So I saw this article and thought it had a great mix of cute and science.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1102114097989647822004-12-03T17:47:00.000-05:002004-12-03T17:48:17.990-05:00

Friday Thank goodness . . . now for the weekend.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1102038755492655722004-12-02T20:44:00.001-05:002004-12-02T20:52:35.493-05:00

Thanks Bogie So I've avoided quizes for a long time . . . but apparently I'm most like What Classic Movie Are You?personality tests by similarminds.com

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1102038290133561282004-12-02T20:44:00.000-05:002004-12-02T20:45:41.926-05:00

Wow, and I thought I knew nothing about art . . . I can think of many pieces of art that I would put above the peice that won here: a signed urinal.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1101920372272930492004-12-01T11:27:00.000-05:002004-12-01T11:59:32.273-05:00

Beautiful Today I sat in a meeting. The conference room has the best view but this morning in DC the sky was stormy with gray clouds crowding one another and occasionally dropping a slight mist here and there. During the meeting today, along with listening attentively of course, I watched the clouds flow by, the geese flying south and the calm waters of the Potomac turn choppy as the front

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1101849572397351422004-11-30T16:17:00.000-05:002004-11-30T16:19:32.396-05:00

This scares me The Neatherlands are apparently euthanizing babies and discussing the topic now. (Kill now, ask questions later I suppose) But, not from the Neatherlands but from North Carolina, a professor of medical ethics at Davidson College and staff ethicist at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.Lance Stell was quoted as saying: "More than half of all deaths occur under medical

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100893301761204322004-11-19T14:25:00.000-05:002004-11-19T14:41:41.760-05:00

Dis-heartened . . . So it's Friday and my mind wanders. I remember a story similar to this one describing the new way to pick bike locks with a Bic pen. While thinking about this story I looked down at my company provided Kensington computer lock and noticed it was a circular design, similar to what I had read about a few months ago. Low and behold, 30 seconds later (my bic pen was a little snug

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100873387248666162004-11-19T09:03:00.000-05:002004-11-19T09:09:47.250-05:00

IT'S FRIDAY! And next week is Thanksgiving so it'll definently be a three day work week without having to take any PTO. Check this out. I wonder if he knows any martial arts. He reminds me of the stereotypical asian karate master. Did I mention that I also signed up for fencing? It'll start in January and is something I always wanted to do. Assuming the class isn't full, that'll be one more

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100800175405223202004-11-18T13:44:00.000-05:002004-11-18T12:49:35.406-05:00

Homeland Security: An interview with Eric Stang on USVISIT Eric Stang is heading up the USVISIT program, the virtual border technology/process project put on by the DHS. Here's an interesting interview with the gentleman heading the effort which certainly is both controversial and immense.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100790232244753542004-11-18T10:00:00.000-05:002004-11-18T10:03:52.243-05:00

NASA rocks. Although the money for future research is diverted to the Moon/Mars vision, I think this technology will certainly make the rounds again.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100625774004621402004-11-16T13:19:00.000-05:002004-11-16T12:22:54.003-05:00

And China says: Um, yeah, we fixed the glitch. China quietly fesses up.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100625339493276212004-11-16T13:14:00.000-05:002004-11-16T12:15:39.493-05:00

Maybe today

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100541415370056642004-11-15T13:54:00.000-05:002004-11-15T13:02:18.833-05:00

Today's the day: X-43A Now this is the kind of thing I get excited about. Wish I had the time this afternoon to watch. I suppose I can catch on the nightly news though. Pre-flight checks of the X-43A and the booster are occurring Friday and Saturday, with final closeouts and fueling slated for Sunday, Nov. 14th. Takeoff on Nov. 15 is tentatively scheduled for about 1 p.m. Pacific time, with

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100544129491733212004-11-15T13:07:00.000-05:002004-11-15T13:42:09.493-05:00

Oh good, they're "investigating" the claim Japan, on Friday, asked for a formal apology from China after, what Japan claimed was a Chinese, sub submerged in Japanese waters, threatening their sovereignty. Wonder if China will fess up? It's been three days now, I'm thinking no. Here's the news from around the world.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100201654349686422004-11-11T14:34:00.000-05:002004-11-11T14:34:14.350-05:00

Sino-Japanese news An article today discussed the recent submarine incident along with a series of events that have shown how the relationship between China and Japan has worsened in the recent past. An update to my post from yesterday, they're still shadowing the sub and it still hasn't surfaced. It has to come up sometime . . . One of the comments from the article on "China remaining

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100113155187290172004-11-10T13:55:00.000-05:002004-11-10T13:59:15.186-05:00

My imagination runs away with me when I read articles like this one on a mysterious unidentified military submarine going into Japan's territory and then heading out and running around to nowhere. The fact that noone has made a quick apology to quiet any question of intent tells me there was indeed an intent. Wonder what it was . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1100112178770442392004-11-10T13:42:00.000-05:002004-11-10T13:59:47.946-05:00

SCRAMjet test coming soon! After over 40 years a Supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) is going for the big (mach)10. Researchers from around the world, including my hometown at the NASA Langley Research Center are running a test of the X-43A. The Wasington Post has done a very informative (read: easy to understand) article. Unfortunetly this is the end of the program. The research and

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1099406226376282542004-11-02T08:59:00.000-05:002004-11-02T09:37:06.376-05:00

I voted So my (20 wks pregnant) wife, my 2 yr old and I went out to vote at 6am this morning. I good time overall but the lines were incredibly long. We got to the polls shortly after they opened but it took almost an hour to get through and finish up. (Except for my wife, who took five minutes because she got to cut in front of everyone else. It would have been alright except for the bragging

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1098211359006288182004-10-19T14:41:00.000-04:002004-10-19T14:42:39.006-04:00

What am I listening to? Since taking on the new role at work (read: more work, less free time) I've had to start listening to something a little more soothing. I still catch the usual Sinatra, Big Band, etc. but from 7-7 this is now my staple . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1097172015416577402004-10-07T13:51:00.000-04:002004-10-07T14:00:15.416-04:00

Back from an exciting vacation I was in the land of castles, keeps and palaces. I studied English, Scottish and Welsh history, art and culture. Took a cab to a production in the West End theatre district of London. I took a boat past the London Eye and Millennium Dome to view the house and observatories used to solve the Longitude problem and stood with a foot in both the east and western

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1095280627938948702004-09-15T15:17:00.000-04:002004-09-16T10:05:34.813-04:00

Ol' Virginia So I've caught up on a lot of movies recently being home alone for a while. Since when my wife is home I'm able to watch the classics and perhaps a sappy "chick flick" here and there. (my wife isn't much of a movie fan) I went a different route: action, adventure, suspense. Over the weekend I happened to pick up "Gods and Generals." I knew they had filmed some of it close to where I

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1095027583193542022004-09-12T18:14:00.000-04:002004-09-12T18:25:06.690-04:00

Things I'm quickly learning . . . So our carpet on our balcony from when we moved in a year ago (almost) was fading, moldy, had dirt and mildew. Not the kind of place I could let me daughter go and look at birds, squirrels and other children at or read a book on a sunny saturday without worrying about it. So since my wife is out of town, amoung other things, I bought new outdoor carpet from

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1095024147143290352004-09-12T16:57:00.000-04:002004-09-12T17:47:50.416-04:00

Intoxicating I love the smell of baking bread. (Not uncommon I know . . .) I've really taken to baking my own bread. Most of the time using a bread machine, the Breadman, but occasionally doing it by hand. My favorite to make is buttermilk bread and coming in second is cinnamon-raisin. The reason I mention it is that I decided to make plain white bread, which I haven't done. (sometimes I

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1095024698734205572004-09-11T16:29:00.000-04:002004-09-12T18:01:33.516-04:00

Missing her . . . So my wife has been in Europe traveling with our daughter to visit her parents for two weeks now. It'll be a week before I fly out to join them still. I've discovered that I don't care for a quiet house. This weekend I'm finding myself, only partially out of necessity, doing a lot of laundry because the sound of the washer and dryer remind me of my wife being home. To explain

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1094085604689123312004-09-01T20:35:00.000-04:002004-09-01T20:40:04.690-04:00

I feel like I'm living the commercial So Wendy's has a commercial out for those that are working late in the office using their "Eat Great, Even Late" slogan. I'm still working and have just finished off my spicy chicken, frosty and fries, no doubt. Being the only one in the office I've got the tunes up, the sleeves rolled up and the code/server configuring out the wazoo. !) At least I'm

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1093383207933319292004-08-24T17:27:00.000-04:002004-08-24T19:14:50.016-04:00

Must . . . keep . . . patience . . . I'm not a pushy guy. I know that things will happen in their time and generally people don't like to be pushed. So I know there's an email on the laptop of a guy down the hall that has my name in it and whether or not I will be getting that promotion and the nice raise or if I get no promotion and small/no raise . . . I doubt there'll be nothing but other

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1093373516458944742004-08-24T14:49:00.000-04:002004-08-24T14:51:56.456-04:00

There's more than just the terror threat to this article from The Sun. It discussed the undercover reporter's entry into the airports secure area after telling lies and half-truths. I found what the other baggage handlers said to be truly appalling as well . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1092857765177056662004-08-18T15:29:00.000-04:002004-08-18T15:36:05.176-04:00

It's true, I seen it! Well, I have seen it but never really understood . . . but now it's happened to me . . . I was stretching and heard a ripping sound. There are now two interesting parallel rips at the elbow of my shirt that I'm wearing. That, on top of having to do documentation on a floor that currently has no air conditioning. Benny Goodman, et al, will most certainly make things better.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1092690027308268042004-08-16T16:57:00.000-04:002004-08-16T17:00:27.306-04:00

Problem? Ahhh, I took friday off and finally got to some housework/chores like bills, taxes, picking up the in-laws from the airport, you know, the little things. I happened to notice on Saturday that I've worn a hole in my month old Night-Guard. [A little history, I went to the dentist for the first time since I moved up to the DC area and they said I grind my teeth. I got the suggested

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1091037034147234832004-07-28T13:41:00.000-04:002004-07-28T13:51:45.553-04:00

Interesting Logs With our project currently in System Test and quickly approaching our Go-Live date I haven't had much time to post but taking a look at my logs there has been a jump in foreign traffic lately. Saudi Arabia, et al from the Russian Federation Zone 1 and 3 and a few from Western Australia (WAST) which I thought was neat. The winner for coolest, though not foreign, was from

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1090258952036345062004-07-19T13:41:00.000-04:002004-07-19T13:42:32.036-04:00

Melts my heartWork has been good, but there isn't a day go by that tops the feeling in the afternoon when my 21 month old little girl is on the phone saying, "Love you, mi moo, see soon"

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1088452910703612332004-06-28T16:00:00.000-04:002004-06-28T16:01:50.703-04:00

Yeah right . . . So let's all be frank here . . . is the owner of Harrods really looking at the necklace in this picture? I'm not convinced.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1087910302698941782004-06-22T09:17:00.000-04:002004-06-22T09:18:22.700-04:00

Annoying office habits Alright, I've been tempted to post about this a couple of times. What are the most annoying things you've had people make a habit of in the office? Use the comment links below to let me know. Here are a few of mine . . . There's this guy in my office that has an annoying habit of slurping. It started about a month after he joined our team. The first week it was just

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1087570362819702512004-06-18T10:48:00.000-04:002004-06-18T10:52:42.820-04:00

Interesting Article, Catchy Title Encryption, spying, identity and access management is very interesting to me. (Been to the International Spy Museum in DC? If not and you're in the area, you should take the time, never a dull moment!) This article talks in very non-techinical terms about encryption today. Interesting quote, "I believe that organised crime and terrorist organisations are more

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1086614484412480472004-06-07T09:19:00.000-04:002004-06-07T09:21:24.413-04:00

Hero So this weekend I felt like a hero. I've wanted to go out and do it for a long time and for the longest time my daughter has pined for the big red ball. It's bigger than she is, but now she has it. Five minutes from now she'll be on to something else and the ball will be collecting dust if it even survives, but for now, I'm on top of the world. :)

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1086115512992556972004-06-01T14:44:00.000-04:002004-06-01T14:45:12.993-04:00

Warning: Personal View Expressed Abortion stops a beating heart, members of the federal court unfortunately disagree . . . at the moment.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1085516908221097682004-05-25T16:27:00.000-04:002004-05-25T16:28:28.220-04:00

Relief Today was one of those days. For no apparent reason a case of the munchies hit strong. I checked my pocket . . . no change for the machine, but I had a number of singles in the wallet. I walked down the hallway to the break room only to find . . . the "exact change only" light blinking, almost mocking me . . . no luck. I walk back to my seat, in complete panic because

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1085428082675495412004-05-24T15:45:00.000-04:002004-05-24T15:48:02.676-04:00

Currently Listening to: Gabriel Faure's Sicilienne. It's beautiful and short. Take a moment and listen sometime. :) (From Pelleas et Melisande, Op. 80)

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1085409613548554932004-05-24T10:32:00.000-04:002004-05-24T10:40:13.546-04:00

Breaks my heart So here I am, sitting in front of my laptops, working on documentation when I have a little girl at home going potty. !) You hear the jokes about parenthood but you never quite believe that you'll have to go through things like that. Thankfully her mother has her call my at work to say things (at 18 months mind you) "Love you, see ya soon."

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1084888839449135312004-05-18T10:00:00.000-04:002004-05-18T10:00:39.450-04:00

Time for a little sharing Alright, I haven't shared this on the blog before but I have a story that's too cute not to. I have a daughter, a little over a 18 months old. (she was born about 4 months before I started blogging) I was home this morning when she woke up, which doesn't happen often as she likes sleep as much as I do. First she smiled, looking up at me as I had quickly walked over and

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1084820655427127342004-05-17T12:42:00.000-04:002004-05-17T15:04:15.426-04:00

My lessons . . . So, lesson number one by a financial person in the company I interned with was that yesterday was the day to start my 401K. I wasn't legally old enough to drink, but I started my 401K with company matching on the day I was able. Now that I'm older, wiser (or is it that I'm more foolish) and have the tools to watch it I keep track of how my investments are doing along with all

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1084821226008152962004-05-15T15:12:00.000-04:002004-05-17T15:13:46.006-04:00

My insurance rates just dropped I turned 25 today. :) . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1083763027097124492004-05-05T09:17:00.000-04:002004-05-05T09:21:25.310-04:00

Turning a mellow day into a smile Lots of things going on. The one that's currently on my mind is a wedding I was in the other weekend. I was the best man and among my duties, since it was my brother's wedding, was walking my grandmother down to be seated. As we walked my mind kept going back to my other grandmother who passed away just over a month ago. How originally I would have been walking

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1082998849157961532004-04-26T13:00:00.000-04:002004-04-26T13:06:02.390-04:00

Too good to pass up So apparently the Little League in Northern VA is now able to recruit any and all players from MARS that it wants, and it's all in their Charter . . . The news release also discusses a few of the kinks involved with players from Mars like the gravity difference, World Series vs Interplanetary Series, etc.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1082644436623731412004-04-22T10:33:00.000-04:002004-04-22T10:41:41.140-04:00

Step Two: Check Alrighty, first one in once more. Being able to do it again was tough . . . I am definitely NOT a morning person. I'm not in a bad humor, I just have trouble with that first leap out of bed, then that first step out the door, then . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1082552152294627992004-04-21T08:55:00.000-04:002004-04-21T08:59:52.200-04:00

Step One: Check I beat my manager into the office by half an hour today. I had to wake up and drive into work about an hour and a half earlier than the past 6 months, but it's a step. I'm finally transitioning from a functional role to a development role on my team so I'll get a much better taste of what I always thought my CS degree was about. [Although now that I've done a strictly functional

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1082495195465644162004-04-20T17:06:00.000-04:002004-04-20T17:10:34.390-04:00

Refreshing even now . . . A sunny afternoon filled with Vivaldi (Concerto) and JC Bach (Symphony E-flat Major) Now if only I felt productive and/or motivated . . . any suggestions?

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1082477145098965422004-04-20T12:05:00.000-04:002004-04-20T14:43:02.623-04:00

Content sensitive ads? Interesting. And it's not Gmail, but Blogger! I pulled my blog up today and found Blogger had posted an ad for the Dark Tower series . . . I wonder if Blogger is doing content sensitive ads and I'm just slow to catch it or if this was just a random act of stars being aligned at the right moment . . . I'm on the fith novel, reading's been slow lately though.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1082407926635107792004-04-19T16:52:00.000-04:002004-04-19T16:56:03.590-04:00

Mmmmm, sugar . . . I just ate a "Giant Bunny" Peep . . . I eat a peep maybe every other year or so . . . my body doesn't quite know what to do with this sugar boost . . . perfect for a lazy, warm Monday afternoon . . . :)

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1082403620073751272004-04-19T15:40:00.000-04:002004-04-19T15:45:21.436-04:00

So where is it? Positive news isn't a seller I guess. But this is the kind of thing I would like to see more of . . . (link from InstaPundit)

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1082079725021632432004-04-15T21:42:00.000-04:002004-04-15T21:45:57.060-04:00

I can see clearly now The rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. It's gunna be a bright, bright, sun shiny day! We've now had a total of 4 dry days out of the 15 days this month . . . Should be a beautiful weekend . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1081276130728869202004-04-06T14:28:00.000-04:002004-04-06T14:55:02.810-04:00

Childe Roland, the Dark Tower awaits: A new obsession After receiving most of the series over the course of a number of years I have finally started to read Steven King's Dark Tower series. It's quite embarrassing since I've been given all of these books, some hardback, from friends and family and unfortunately it's not limited to this series, this is just the most recent. Over the last month

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1080755633371271852004-03-31T12:53:00.000-05:002004-03-31T12:57:24.983-05:00

She was beautiful . . . My grandfather woke up Saturday morning alone for the first time in over 50 years. I got a call Thursday morning, by Thursday evening I was by her side, holding her hand. She would leave us less than a full day later. The last few years were definitely a gift and I cherished every day of them. . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1080076118057365502004-03-23T16:08:00.000-05:002004-03-23T16:11:59.890-05:00

So wrong . . . The Sun is out. . . . but it's so darn cold! I look forward to summer's long days and warm nights. I love winter and fall, don't get me wrong, but spring and summer win hands down.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1079978473312778842004-03-22T13:01:00.000-05:002004-03-22T13:04:33.763-05:00

Time well spent . . . Brought to you by sugarmama Take the What type of blahblah are you? quiz at sugarmama.org!

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1079976108132915652004-03-22T12:21:00.000-05:002004-03-22T12:25:25.483-05:00

Dreaming Of cooler things than my current work . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1079374069139677492004-03-15T13:07:00.000-05:002004-03-15T13:12:47.263-05:00

Almost as good as prime time So we were suppposed to go-live today. We had completed everything we were supposed to, gotten the sign offs and even started collecting requirements for the next release when, 2 days before we shut the books we're told we can't do it for another couple weeks. To be continued ... thankfully the hold ups aren't things that my team controls so we're waiting on the

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1079374035508854622004-03-12T12:54:00.000-05:002004-03-15T13:10:26.653-05:00

Beautiful . . . So today I went home before the sun was down, what a great feeling. Sunset was beautiful. Of course my plans of doing oh so much since I'd get home early were quickly trampled under the tires of bumper to bumper cars on the Capital Beltway . . . Did I mention I watched that sunset through my windshield sitting in traffic?

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1077932262259783842004-02-27T20:37:00.000-05:002004-02-27T20:40:31.076-05:00

Zzzzzz Work satisfaction: Higher than normal Hours working: Much more than usual Sleep: Less than usual . . . we go-live in a few weeks, the break will be nice . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1074277219901659402004-01-16T13:20:00.000-05:002004-01-16T13:22:12.826-05:00

Oh yeah . . . It being Friday afternoon, laptops running with Simon and Garfunkel may just be better ...

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1074266488090099542004-01-16T10:21:00.000-05:002004-01-16T10:23:20.843-05:00

A good way to start the day off Me, my laptops, and Sinatra . . . how can it get any better?

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1074098108473314762004-01-14T11:35:00.000-05:002004-01-14T11:36:58.483-05:00

Heh . . . Latest CNN poll askes, Should we send someone to mars . . . yes, and I have a few suggestions . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1074094619468622502004-01-14T10:36:00.000-05:002004-01-14T10:39:42.590-05:00

Ooops Now this is a typo that I'm glad I didn't make . . . "...Asian automakers plan to carve out a nigger piece of the lucrative truck segment" (emphasis my own) Jeff Haynes at the AFP must be feeling a little bit of heat . . .

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1073677210995898702004-01-09T14:40:00.000-05:002004-01-09T14:41:54.546-05:00

Being a Geek and a Boy Scout . . . The Foo geek camp appeals to me greatly. Not to mention how cool it would be to brainstorm with the minds that were there.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1073430509288357012004-01-06T18:08:00.000-05:002004-01-06T18:10:09.500-05:00

Tick . . . tock . . . Tick . . . Ever had one of those can't-stop-watching-the-clock-until-quittin-time-get-me-outta-here kind of days? I'm having one of those weeks it seems and it's only Tuesday! I can't concentrate at all. Every little thing distracts me. I have a few tasks, nothing big until tomorrow, but I really can't concentrate at all. Thank God Steve Jobs had his keynote during my lunch

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1073059900746985432004-01-02T11:11:00.000-05:002004-01-02T11:13:15.263-05:00

Merry Christmas Season and Happy New Year Wow, after being out of town over the holiday, and getting over being sick, I'm back in the world of the living. Christmas and New Years were both very low key this year. I don't remember having a more uneventful, but not really boring, holiday season. It was relaxing enough, but I would have enjoyed being in good health. I managed to have my

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-107099804021309772003-12-09T14:27:00.000-05:002003-12-09T14:28:23.043-05:00

Good for them My current commute into work takes my by the Pentagon where, since the terrorist attacks, military hum-v's stand guard. Usually it's a pretty un-interesting site, but the other day I was driving by and saw what looked like a sign hanging behind the windshield. As I got closer I squinted to read what a sign in the hum-v might say . . . Dunkin' Donuts. It was an open Dunkin'

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1070997615753105762003-12-09T14:20:00.000-05:002003-12-09T14:21:18.670-05:00

Beautiful Beutiful is driving down the historic parkways of our nations capital with the snow on the trees on my way to work listening to the Christmas music of the Nutcracker . . . Of course then I'm rudely stirred by the brake lights in front of me. But it was really nice for a few miles. !)

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1070380484834338412003-12-02T10:54:00.000-05:002003-12-02T10:55:38.716-05:00

10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1 Counting down is supposed to release frustration, right? I sent my manager a document yesterday, which she approved with some additional information. The frustration comes in that in the email I explained that there was some information in the document just not visible to the customer but formatted and ready to go if she needed, which covered everything she

Timnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101917.post-1070052712048755182003-11-28T15:51:00.000-05:002003-11-28T15:52:40.170-05:00

Home for the holiday I played the piano for my grandfather today. It's been too long.

Timnoreply@blogger.com0