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June 2009
Time Flies
My son’s been out of school for two days now . . . “Summer’s going by so fast,” he moans. “Is that supposed to be funny?” I ask him. “It’s almost July already,” he says. Read more →
Twitter: 2009-06-20
@Lileks If there's ever a Pulitzer Prize for Twitter, you should get it. Great medium for you. in reply to Lileks # Read more →
Pug Photos on Flickr
Originally uploaded by sommjet Originally uploaded by ♥ellie♥ Originally uploaded by markcosy Originally uploaded by kerbear4u2001 Originally uploaded by ♥ellie♥ Read more →
School’s Out
Today was the last day of school here in Irvine . . . “Can I get a ride to Orchard Park?” my son asks. He has friends that he meets there to play basketball. “Did you check with Mom?” I ask. “I don’t have to check with Mom,” he says. “I’m out of school now.” “So you don’t have to check with Mom?” “No. Not any more.” After he checks with his mom, I drive him over to the park. Actually, he drives to the park and I ride along. As we’re approaching a red light at Jeffrey and Trabuco, he says, “I’ll stop the car so you can’t even feel it.” This is something I showed him how to do. I’m pretty good at it, but he goes through so many slow-motion false stops and starts that by the time he’s done, the car is almost entirely in… Read more →
We’ve Fallen Behind France in Moral Fortitude
The President yesterday denounced the “extent of the fraud” and the “shocking” and “brutal” response of the Iranian regime to public demonstrations in Tehran these past four days. “These elections are an atrocity,” he said. “If [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad had made such progress since the last elections, if he won two-thirds of the vote, why such violence?” The statement named the regime as the cause of the outrage in Iran and, without meddling or picking favorites, stood up for Iranian democracy. The President who spoke those words was France’s Nicolas Sarkozy. — WSJ.com Read more →
Twitter: 2009-06-17
RT @PeteCarroll: cool panoramic photo from the coliseum today (taken by @USCRipsIt): http://bit.ly/bdjLM # Read more →
Halfway Through High School
Tomorrow’s the last day of school here in Irvine. I walk by my son’s room . . . he’s studying for his last finals and listening to bebop piano music, which is not on his normal playlist. “What you listening to, Mr. Noodling Jazz Musician?” I ask. “Thelonious Monk,” he says. “Is that part of an assignment?” I know he’s been studying the Harlem Renaissance in English. “No, it just helps me study.” He’s in 10th grade now . . . he continues to improve his study habits and time management so I pretty much let him do things the way he wants to. “OK. Let me know if you need anything.” By this time tomorrow, my little boy will be halfway done with high school . . . Read more →
I Love LA!
Twelve-Minute Breaks
Twitter: 2009-06-16
RT @presentationzen: 6 Easy Steps to Make Your Graph (Really) Ugly http://snipurl.com/k8c99 # Not every child is secretly a genius: http://bit.ly/Ksk8O # Read more →
Doomsday Cometh
Credit: Paula Wirth I saw my brother for the first time in years this past weekend. He’s been living in Utah but he’s now on his way to Alaska to escape the coming Armageddon. Canada and Mexico will be invading the United States from the top and bottom . . . I’ve forgotten the details, but it’s going to be bad. I don’t know why he was informed about this and I wasn’t. I’m not moving to Alaska though. I’m not a cold-weather person. They can kill me right here in a pair of shorts . . . Read more →
The Streets of Irvine Were Deserted
It was like a ghost town yesterday. The Lakers were playing a close-out game. It’s Finals Week at the local high schools. Everyone young and old had something to do. My own 10th-grade boy spent 12 hours Saturday studying at the Barnes and Noble cafe at the Marketplace, followed by an Extreme English Breakdown session yesterday at Starbucks on Culver . . . Good luck, students! Read more →
Another Reason I Like to Just Stay Home
More People I’m Sick Unto Death Of
Adventurers Jonny Copp, a well-known mountain climber and adventurer who grew up in Fullerton, has been found dead on the side of Mount Edgar, China, the apparent victim of an avalanche, according to a variety of websites, including his own. — Orange County Register Three words that come to mind when I hear someone introduced as an “adventurer”: Die, die, die . . . Read more →
Twitter: 2009-06-09
RT @postsecret: A creative pool of photos on flickr that combines the past with the present in a ghostly way. http://ad.vu/nsee # RT @HeyTammyBruce: Adam doesn’t look gay, he looks one step away from a Marilyn Monroe wig, a boa and a name change to Eve. # Read more →
The V Model
The graphic on the right came up for discussion at the office today. The V Model is a traditional model, still widely used, but (IMO) bad for at least a couple of reasons. Look where User Requirements and UAT are — the first and last items in the V. This ensures that the maximum amount of time goes by between users saying what they want and being able to test out the implementation. The more time that goes by between users saying what they want and being able to try it out, the more likely it is that they’re going to change their minds, for any number of reasons. That’s bad. If our testing is honest, there’s always some non-zero probablilty that the system will fail, again for any number of reasons — too slow, too buggy, not what I asked for, etc. By putting testing last, we don’t find… Read more →
Shell or Chevron?
I gotta get some gas. I pull off the freeway — Shell or Chevron? They’re right next to each other. I check the price for regular — $2.93 either way. It’s a tossup. Then my son notices on a sign that the Shell gasoline is “nitrogen enriched.” “Nitrogen enriched!?” I say. “Are you kidding me?! Fuck Chevron . . . what is nitrogen, anyway?” “It’s an element.” “Yeah I know, but who can tell me why it’s a good idea to put it in gasoline? What are we, chemistry professors?” “It seeks out and destroys engine gunk.” “What? How do you know that?” “I read it on the sign.” “Oh . . . OK then, we’re going Shell!” Read more →
Twitter: 2009-06-08
RT @diablocody: Re: people using the word “robust” when describing technology. It’s a phone, not Bolognese sauce. # Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when it’s the only one you have. — Emile-Auguste Chartier # Oxymoron of the day: optional requirements # Read more →
My Son Gets His Braces Off Today
It’s kind of sad. The orthodontist has been almost like a member of the family the last few years and I’m going to miss him . . . Read more →