100% AI-free half-assed writing hand crafted by Kevin Lawver about programming, life, cooking and random nonsense.
Web developer, Software Engineer @ Gusto, Co-founder @ TechSAV, husband, father, aspiring social capitalist and troublemaker.
Some genius from Zeldman’s latest Glamorous Life:
Faith is a feeling that tells you it’s okay to trust a feeling.
Hope is a feeling that some day you’ll find faith.
Sometimes I see everyone I’ve ever loved filling the rooms of a great house. And me sneaking out the back.
The man’s a genius, really he is.
I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying the current storyline over @ The Norm. It’s just classic, and very well done. I can’t get over how much it reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes. Norm is Calvin grown up, and I think that’s perfect.
So, I got my annual review this morning at work, and I must say, I’m very happy. I’ve worked for some pretty good managers in my career (yeah, I’m 26 and I have a ‘career’), but my current one is the best yet. He gets it. He knows what it’s like to write code, and knows when someone does it well. You can’t BS him, and that’s cool. You don’t see people on the team who slack or try to get away with writing crap code getting recognized, and I love it.
Oh, so you want to know what I did yesterday on my second sanity day? Oh, it was exciting! I cleaned the rust stains off the stairs leading up to the house. I used CLR, which if you’ve never seen it, is amazing stuff. It bubbles like hydrogen peroxide and takes that rust right off. And if you call now… oh, wait. Then, on top of that, I painted the railings on the stairs a nice flat black enamel. It all went well, and wore me out. I think I need to start working out or something.
I think that’s it for today – no big thoughts, just back at work working – now for more money than before! Woo-hoo!
So, day one of my two-day sanity check:
My mom’s into genealogy (I know I spelled that wrong – don’t care – you’ll see why later). Through contacts in the family, and lots of research, she’s traced our ancestors back to the 1600s on her side, and to the 1700s on my dad’s.
I hate to shock anyone who knows me, but I’m a blue blood! On mom’s side, there are three family lines that show up in America in the 1600s, from Great Britain (Wales, Scotland, etc)!! On my dad’s side, they’re here in the 1700s, from Switzerland. So, that means I should be much snobbier than I am. I mean, come on!! I’m a WASP with some raging neutrality thrown in. It’s funny that four hundred years of people living and dying has culminated in me. How scary is that?
Hey kiddies and welcome to Monday here at LawverLand. Today, in an effort to combat boredom and the residual anger of layoffs, I’m wearing an amazing Hawaiian shirt. It’s leaves and tropical flowers in four or five outrageous shades of blue. I can’t take myself seriously in it, and I hope no one else does.
If we’re not actually going to do any work, why not pretend we’re on vacation? If my sister weren’t borrowing the camera, I’d post a picture, honest I would.
On a serious note, there was a fantastic article in the Washington Post Magazine this weekend. It’s funny that ~25 miles from where I live, there exists a world that’s completely foreign to me. I’ve been to downtown DC before, but it was many years ago, and it scared the crap out of me. I hear it’s better, and that good things are happening, but hey, I just don’t have a reason to go. The story is about Redemption Ministries, a non-denominational church in Southeast that is doing great things for people who have no other hope.
I envy the call that Reverend Motley has. He’s felt something, and continues to draw on a passion to help people. It must be so rewarding to see his people grow and make more of themselves than they would have. Great story…
Yeah, baby, it’s Saturday! We’re taking it easy, watching bad made-for-TV movies and eating fast food. I did get something done: I went to Burlington Coat Factory and found some sweeeet Hawaiian shirts on sale. Yum-may.
I’m taking a couple days off next week to recharge. After the past few weeks of edge-of-the-seat sitting and the eventual conclusion of the layoffs, it’s time to regroup.
I have all of these ideas, and as of right now, I don’t have the energy to do it all. I need a break. We’re going to work on the house, clean up, play around… have fun. Yeah, it’s time to have some fun. So, if next week is slow, it’s because I’m either out doing something or working. You all remember what that was like, right?
So, everything’s in disarray. Yup, you said it. I have no idea who I’m working with anymore outside of my own group. So, until that’s all settled you’ll be hearing a lot more from me. I plan on doing some playing, some upgrading, some code-writing on pet projects and taking it easy until everyone gets their collective act together.
You know, I wish I lived in an open source world where I could show you all the cool stuff I’m doing. But, alas, I can’t. Just imagine the application you’ve always wanted on the web… that’s how cool what I’m doing is. Yep, I’m a genius. No, really. You don’t believe me?
I think I’ll start an open-source project. I’ll call it Gnutz. No idea what it will do, but hey, it’s got a cool name, and that’s all that matters. Ok, I’ve been procrastinating long enough. Time to install PostgreSQL 7.1.3 on the intranet and see what I break.
OpenBrackets has an excellent explanation of tu vs. vous for the wannabe Francophiles out there (I tried explaining this exact thing to my wife the other day and failed miserably – this is much better).
I have no idea why this came to me last night while I was trying to go to sleep, but it did:
scene: A late-night talk show hosted by a non-descript white guy with nice hair and perfect teeth.
Host: Everyone, please put your hands together for the Prince of Darkness himself, Satan!!
<applause>
A short man with a pasted down combover enters the stage wearing a red smoking jacket, a black ascot and boxer shorts. His hair is black, and his skin is pale and slighty sweaty through the makeup. He sits.
Satan: Thanks for having on your show, Chuck.
Chuck: It’s out pleasure completely, Mr. Satan. How have you been? I hear you’ve been busy in the Holy Land.
Satan: Oh please, Mr. Satan is so formal. I’ve decided it’s time to become hip and keep up with the times, so from now on, please call me S’tan. If we can have JLo, JCap and P. Diddy, why no S’tan? It has a ring to it, like I’ve heard it before. I love it. Or, if you prefer, you can use my new rap name, P. Dark.
Chuck: You heard it hear first tonight from my guest, the Great S’tan.
Like I said… no idea. Just happened.