Engineering witicism
Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in the mud;
after a while you realize you are muddy and the pig is enjoying it.
after a while you realize you are muddy and the pig is enjoying it.
Mercurial - a good SCM?
FOSS projects abound
- This entry is about, in particular, a SCM (sourcecode control management) system and in general this is about a FOSS (so-called Free Open Source Software).
- I was in the mood to flame this software and the author but once I had gotten the hang of the Mercurial (hg) command set and I was able to initialize and clone the c_icap source code my original fears dissipated.
- I followed the Mercurial doco very closely and I read all of the doco that I could find. A lot of the doco reading was redundant and found at different locations but it was worth it because it saved me from installing the svn daemon and wrestling with that software.
- The concept of a truly distributed SCM is really growing on me. And, as a novice Mercurial (hg) user I found that it was easy to make mistakes and fix them too which is not something that can be said about: svn and cvs.
- The fact that I have my own local repository that was cloned from the parent repository is very much a unique idea and the overall mainenance of the repositories seems much easier that with Subversion and CVS.
- Though I followed the doco as stated in a couple of bullets up I was able to clone a repository from my remote machine using the Netbeans Mercurial plugin. Simply, I just cut and pasted the URL generated in the browser using the Mercurial hgwebdir.cgi python script of my repository (browse button output).
- The clone repository was easily set-up by the Netbeans/Mercurial plugin as a Netbeans project. The source does not build correctly on cygwin but I'm still better off than when I was using VIM. At least now I can use the call stack to see what functions call other functions.
Jobsearch #12
TGIF!
- Yes it is TGIF and now real job leads yet!
- Notwithstanding, I plan to hit the job-boards very hard today right after I solve my Netbeans/Mercurial problem.
- I got a very good call from a recruiter in Maryland for a gig in Greenbelt MD.
- She was impressed enough to get me a phone interview this Sunday!
- Now, I have to hit the BPM/CRM stuff before tomorrow.
Jobsearch #11
Little Friday again
- I got started today with some emails to WORKINTEXAS
- I updated my reuters insight prompted from an email from the same. I suspect business is really bad and now they are scraping the bottom of the barrel.
- I don't mind though because it is now another avenue for possible employment.
- I got called from a gal named: Sherry concerning an email about a Java Job. This conversation led to emailing back Carolyn at Accenture to request a discussion about my interview.
- I got a call from some California Dude recruiter. He wanted my to: fly-out to SF-on-the-bay for a little chat-visit. I told him as a compromise if you calls me with what he believes to be an exceptionally very tight-close-fit gig opportunity then I would certainly spend a few days looking for a very cheap fare for a 1 day turn-around trip to talk to this guy and back again.
- I don't want to say the day's jobsearch was lackluster but not getting a reply from Accenture was a real let down. I must have really upset the folks over there at Accenture.
Jobsearch #'s 8, 9, 10
Backsliding on blogging my jobsearch
- Backsliding on my jobsearch.
- I'm combining the last 3 days.
- Somethng about the weekends that gets you to backslide.
- The past two days have been just slogging through the submission of a bunch of emails to potential employers.
- This has been a testing period for my new CRAIGSLIST reader (which is working great by-the-way).
- I have the CRAIGSLIST reader tuned to a 1-day reading against the saved settings: Texas, Virgina and California.
- My plans are to create reader settings for Florida tomorrow.
- Today was not spectacular but I did make some local submissions using a new Delicious link I found: http://mashable.com/2009/02/24/top-10-social-sites-for-finding-a-job/.
- I surprised myself when I studied the link posted in the previous bullet as I am already working some of these so-called Top-Ten job-search web-sites: Linkedin, Facebook but I have also re-introduced myself to Twitter via the so-called: tweetforjobs.com.
- I found quite a few of the CRAIGSLIST posting that were over-posted SPAM and I nailed them!
God knows...
God Knows what would be left of great men, rulers and warriors if all of their actions were translated into ordinary, everyday language.
Leo Tolstoy - War and Peace.
Leo Tolstoy - War and Peace.
Karl's new car gets rear-ended
What to do with NitWit tail-gaters?
- Today, I happily left home in my Son's new (used) car: a 2003 KIA Optima. My Son had his operators drivers license for one whole day when an: imbecilic idiotic numbskull brainless unthinking Nit-Wit rear-ends me while slowing down for a left turn off the main thoroughfare.
- To add insult to injury my insurance company announces that I only have Liability and therefore it will be up to the Insurance Adjuster to determine fault which may not necessarily get my Son's car repaired.
- What does this mean? This means I am at the mercy of the idiot driver that rear-ended me and his idiotic insurance company and whether or not the idiot's insurance company decides to pay for fixing the vehicle or not. It will be entirely to their discretion (the insurance company) whether we get our car back in the same condition it was in before the idiot ran into us.
- People like this idiot that ran into us is what is wrong with this world. If the public school systems where not a shambles this guy would not have made it out of the fifth grade. I understand why school systems promote idiots like this guy that can't drive is because it is not legal for them to tatoo in very large letters the word: IDIOT across his forehead. In this way when the police show up to do the traffic report they will have a lot less to do to complete the traffic report. The police will immediately see they are dealing with an IDIOT and proceed accordingly.
- My Son asked me what happens to the guy that ran into me and sadly I had to say: mostly nothing or a traffic ticket that mumbles something about failure to control speed. What does this mean? This means the IDIOT gets to get back into his IDIOTIC vehicle and ruin another persons day.
Karl get's his new glasses today
Maybe the DPS will pass him on his eye-exam
- Another milestone today with our kiddo. Karl got some new eyeglasses today from Eyemasters. It was fairly painless.
- The doctor that saw Karl was very pleasant. And, the folks next door at the frames factory where equally pleasant as well. Karl and I were done about 3:00 PM (1500 hours) but we had to drive back at 6:00 PM (1800 hours) to pick up the frames with the new lenses.
Karl's new car
A teenage milestone
- Karl got his new used car this week (a KIA Optima of 2004 vintage). Unfortunately, he did not pass the eye-exam down at the DPS this week. And, as a result, he has not been able to drive the shiny new machine to school.
- The new car is silver/grey (not the best color) but it has all the appointments: sun-roof, leather, dual-tranny, all-digital electronic everything.
- My hope is he will be safe with his new car.
- The car was a very good deal. We paid $200.00 over the KBB price but in the Final Analysis I think it was well worth the money because the car was (for-real) a single owner vehicle and the owner was a little-old-lady in the same small town we live in.
- This car has to last Karl thru his College career.
Jobsearch #7
During the jobsearch even Friday comes...
- I spent most of the afternoon entering info for various jobsearch sites. Some of these sites have easy to navigate links and interface and some of these jobsearch sites really suck.
- Some of the sites I applied to or with today: JuJu.com, MyPerfectGig.com and DJangoGigs.com ( only for DJangGigs api developers). Another site: jobkabob.com failed as there was something odd about the WS. And so, I dumped jobkabob.com.
- Today (Friday) was particularly lackluster. The phone did not ring even once (not even the debt. collectors). What's-up-with-that?.
Jobsearch #6
CACI, NASA jobs
- I will be continuing with DEVBISTRO today. And, I think I will give the freelance/odesk another shot.
- I only got a couple of emails off from DEVBISTRO. My Firefox browser claims navigating odesk after login cannot be completed. And, if the condition persists after allowing cookies then the site is unreachable. I am not familiar with this web error condition but I suppose no hugh loss concerning odesk.
- Got a call today from an ad answered yesterday. A short screening from: Abhik. He claims I will get a call today or tomorrow for an interview. (we'll see...)
- I finally got a reply back from Connie Sale and now I was able to apply the gig at CACI. I need to find the jobshop that had several CACI jobs.
- I applied to a Glenn Rothe (TWC) for some type of NASA contract position.
Jobsearch Day #5
- Sent a few emails today but not much feedback.
- I sent one to a guy looking for someone with TSC but I had overlooked this before I wasted the money calling about the position (doh!).
- I can't login to CACI at all. Attempts to retrieve my password via email are failing and I don't see anything in the logs. Maybe the logwatch will turn up something tomorrow.
- One employer wants a very aggressive employment history with cover and answers to several very hokey questions. So, I capitulated and wrote a cover letter that was a border-line 19th century romance novel.
Another visit to the Waller drivers license bureau
Karl fails the eye examination.
- Another blow to Karl's 6 months of trying to get a drivers license. He apparently failed the eye examination.
- This was a big surprise to me and his Mom and even to Karl because he says he does not need glasses.
- This is nothing but a big hardship on Karl and us. Moreover, Karl is getting his new car today: a Kia with only 70K miles and very clean. This car passed CARMAX with flying colurs. We will be paying about $200.00 over the KBB but I think it is worth the extra.
- The irony is: Karl won't be able to drive his new car because now he does not have a license.
- The hardship worsens as we don't have the money for eye exams and eyeglasses.
Jobsearch day #4
Quite a few rejections so far
- I submitted my resume to Sungard for a J2EE job in response to their rejection letter.
- I sent an email to a potential employer after a failed attempt to submit me resume on the careers website portal. I have seen this many times where a jobsearch portal rejects my email address as: Incorrect format. I just do not understand this type of website construction. They have highschool kids building their web apps for them.
- I sent an email to Kyle on Linkedin (somehow connected) for a Java dev in California. He replied back with a request for my updated resume to discuss further on the phone but I have not heard anything as of yet.
- Between Java being reduced to knowledge of Spring/Hibernat and companies exercising India offshoring there's not much for an American Java developer to do. I saw a roadside sign today advertising for: CDL drivers wanted. Hmm......!?
Historical Events
Or what do labels have to do with anything?
- In historical events, great people are the labels that give a name to an event, but just like labels, they have least of all to do with the actual event itself. Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace.
Texas DPS model 101 parent taught driver instruction
A Bureaucrats Heaven and Fri. 13th nightmare!
- I will have to admit when it comes to state government bureaucracy I am totally biased. Never-the-less what happend today on Paraskavedekatriaphobia day (Fri. 13th) is more than I can stand without a good rant! (afterwards I'm going for a lap swim).
- 6 months prior to today my Son and I elected to obtain his drivers license by completing the DPS Model 101 parent taught drivers instructional course.
- We went online and got the forms. Next: we sachet down to the local Driver License Bureau and are then told we will need a so-called VOE form (verification of enrollment). This means enrollment in a public or private school. Since my Son is a Junior at the local High School we sachet down to the H.S. front office and request the form stated in the previous sentence. Little did we know that this form was a paper bomb just waiting to go off in our faces 6 months later when we sachet(ed) back down to the Drivers License Bureau with form-in-hand only to be told the form is invalid.
- You should have seen the look on the bitches' face when she told us the good news. She just did not stick it in us and give us a good screwing. No, No, that would have been too much work. She just stuck it in us and broke-it-off at the hilt. What fun!
- The extent of the incompetence at both our public schools and our very supportive state institutions like the: Drivers License Bureau is astounding!
The 1234567890th second in Unix time today
locally for me: Fri Feb 13 17:31:30 2009 (Paraskavedekatriaphobia)
- I'm not superstitious but from the way I have seen people react in the past (O2K?) I am curious about what I stumbled-upon at: isc2.sans.org.
- Today is the 1234567890th second of Unix time on 13 Fri. Feb. 2009!
- For you Unix/Linux types out there the command-line to see what your local Unix ticks are: perl -e 'print scalar localtime(1234567890),"\n";'
- Good luck!
Irate DSL subscriber
Why do ISP/DSLAMS suck?
- Approximately 48 hours+ and counting we lost power in our little locale. How widespread the power outage was is unknown. The cause of the power outage was a so-called, good ol', Texas Blue Norther.
- Based on the previous bullet you may suspect I have more to say here. And, I do: upon restoration of power (it took about 5 hours overnight) I noticed a marked reduction if not outright loss of the ability to navigate the internet.
- Once I was well aware of the: lack-of-connectivity to the outside world I began immediately to investigate using my usual plethora of network tools to diagnose the problem. Without a long boring list of what I did to uncover the culprit it will just suffice to say: my upstream ISP sucks.
- The previous bullet ends with very harsh words for my ISP. This is unfortunate but necessary. I have very good documented evidence that the connectivity issue is completely on their side of the gateway. I have repeatedly pinged the gateway with a severe loss of packet data. Hence, the cause of my network connection woes. I feel they think I am locked-out and cannot get the word out about how much they suck. Little do they know that as soon as I publish this blog entry on my local machine blog it gets updated to: Facebook! And, the entire world will know how deep my disdain is for how argolink.net/net1.net is handling my connectivity problems.
Today's jobsearch #3
Accenture et. al.
- I had a very pleasant phone interview with a Carolyn from Accenture. The gig is for SA and is a government gig. The entire conversation was very pleasant and informative. I feel I have a solid shot at this job if I get past the Java gauntlet.
- She ended the interview with a promise of sending me an additional email with a link or a form attached such that I begin the employment process right away. The form has not arrived yet but I hope it will be here in the morning. I plan not to publish until the morning when I get the Accenture form.
- Almost the whole day was used up accompanying the phone guy (ATT) his name is Dwayne and is somebody's brother-in-law here in CCF 12. The phone line is now better but the speed is still affected by dropped packets ( 1 to 30%).
- I got a reply from Accenture with the form I was expecting. I need to complete the form and fax it back to Accenture for the exciting Government gig in SA.
Henry David Thoreau
Walden Pond well pondered phrase
- Yet some, not wise, go to the other side of the globe, to barbarous and unhealthy regions, and devote ten or twenty years, in that they may live,-that is, keep comfortably warm,- and die in New England at last.
Henry David Thoreau - Walden - 1845
Saying from: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Found: part I first page.
- Nothing provokes disdain like inequality and its reverse, firmness.
Woes of Cobra
The evils of health care insurance
- I know that evil is very real. And, I am amazed at how evil gets control of folks and makes them do and say things that is not really in their hearts.
- I would like to believe the previous bullet but when your wife calls you from the oncology clinic to get you to <look-into> the lack of health insurance (Cobra) coverage and then when she gets home and yells at you: Fuck-you, then it is difficult to absorb that amount of abuse and stay in the same house with her.
- I lived in Austin, TX working at FirstAmerican Flooddata Services and living in a semi-rundown apartment at exorbitant rates with heat in the Winter and without A/C in the Summer only to get told: Fuck-you.
- My wife is very ill with Cancer but never-the-less or marriage if not on the Rocks is at-an-end.
- I suspect I need to read the latest from GH and let him know I am at the end of my rope.
Today's Jobsearch #2
- Actually, this is not jobsearch #2 as I got RIF'd on Jan 16th. But, this entry is #2 since I restored my blog. Pebble is the hands down best blog around just because of the feature that allows you to back-up the entire Blog: content, config and properties and restore your Blog from the .zip.
- I sent quite a few emails out today. Targets: JOELONSOFTWARE and WORKINTEXAS (what a joke) which included email to Pasadena and Dallas (onenetwork.net) and probably MA., maybe Boston.
Today's jobsearch
My first jobsearch category entry (sucked).
- My first jobsearch category entry sucks: the recruiter emailed me qualifying the job ad requirements.
- Obviously, the potential employer has so many local candidates to choose from that they are not going to consider someone from Texas as this distance is prohibitive from Boston.
- I spent the rest of the day fixing all the broken links on the home HTML page. The old https with port: 8543 is gone and a much more reasonably configured blog is installed.
- I also worked on the text content a lot and had to re-Gimp/re-PhotoShop one .png image of Text.
- Now, when I send out resumes there won't be any doubts in case I get some visitors to my website.
Pebble blog restored
life renewal
- A place holder to get me started for today's first entry for February after restoring my blog from the .zip file. It works!
- Yes, i restored my lost entry content today with on a Pebble trunk installation.