Bobby Fischer Really Is Nuts!
At one time I was really into chess. And I am interested in the cult of celebrity around Bobby Fischer—the article Bobby Fischer’s Pathetic Endgame shows him to be paranoid, deluded, and nuts. Reading it is the same feeling as looking at unpleasant photos of an accident. You want to look away, but you can’t.
You are currently browsing the monthly archive for December 2002.
Fresh Air Featuring Comix
Robert Mankoff (editor of New Yorker toons) from November 27th and Frank Miller (Dark Knight, Dark Knight Returns, Give Me Liberty) from November 14th. Worth a listen!
Strong Bad! (or to a lesser extent, Z’Nuf)
Strong Bad makes me laugh out loud. Here are his tips on how to build a website!
Pittsburgh Adventures (written in the Pittsburgh AirPort, from December 5th)
So as I write this, the flight crew for my flight back to San Diego is circling the Pittsburgh Airport. So we’re delayed as my ready-to-go plane awaits a pilot.
Yesterday was harrowing. The snow came down in buckets starting at about 12 noon Eastern time in Roanoke. My flight out was scheduled for 6:30pm. The drive to the airport, normally a 20-25 minute affair, took an hour and a half. Why? Snow. Snow. More snow. I drove my Mom’s CRV, four-wheel drive, and we still did some slipping and sliding. We took off for the airport very early, about 5 hours before my departure time. My flight out was delayed also, owing to the snow. The upshot of all of this was that I left Roanoke much later than my scheduled departure time, missed my connecting flight to San Diego. In Pittsburgh I stayed at the Holiday Inn. The way it works now is that the airlines no longer pay for your place to stay if you are stranded due to weather (“Act of God” in insurance company parlance), but they will get you a cheaper rate. In the hotel the broadband worked fine (2.95 on my bill this morning) but the outbound calling on the telephone simply didn’t work. I could take calls though. I was able to call my folks, Erin (my new roommate, she moved in whilst I was away), and my girlfriend Leah. Leah was quite disappointed to hear that I would not be in last night. I was too, as a matter of fact. Now, weather-wise, Pittsburgh was cold (25°F) last night, but not snowy. When I got up this morning at 6:15 and looked out my window, what did I see? Snow. Snow. More snow.
I joked last night with Leah that she should go ahead and talk to this God guy – I was interested in recouping my $55 for the room. After all, my layover was due to “act of God,” and since USAirways wasn’t paying, perhaps I could idemnify this God fellow. Unfortunately since I don’t particularly believe in God (agnosticism, doncha know (see this and this), I thought I could perhaps get my girlfriend to intervene.
Yes, to some of you I’m aware this is a bit sacreligious sounding. I assure you I mean no harm.
In any case, one of the better moves I made yesterday was asking my Mom to pick me up some Tiger’s Milk Bars (peanut butter flavor please). She got me these Powerbars (my reaction at the time was disappointment), and I ended up having them as dinner. And as a nice surprise, they were not as odious as my previous experiences with Powerbars have been. In fact, they were pretty good. Thanks Mom!
Leah was to pick me up last night, but she can’t do a daytime (work and all) pickup, so I’m having another friend, Liz pick me up. I’m eternally grateful for this favor. I’m trying to be in maximum frugality mode these days, and a taxicab would be efficient, but 20 dollars better spent elsewhere.
While I’m in typing mode, I’ll note that my clamshell iBook only retains about an hour and a half of charge. This is a 266Mhz model, running Mac OS X.2. I think I used to get about 4 hours on this thing. I wonder why it gets less now? Is it the OSX? Or do I need a new battery? I never really put this machine through its’ paces when it was running OS 9 —it mostly stayed plugged i in the living room, a machine to check email, do minor work, check news and movie times via 802.11b. But now, I use it much more.
Fun Fact About Mac OS X
I’m no sure, but I think that the below indicates that if you hit the precise turning of the hour and you have the time in your shell config, you get to see “DING!” on the command line.
[4:58pm][artlung@The-iBook:~]:I wonder if this is common to all unices? And I wonder if my interpretation is correct?
[DING!][artlung@The-iBook:~]:
Archeology and Nostalgia (This was written on my Virginia/Thanksgiving Vacation)
I’m still in Virginia and have utterly failed to maintain my correspondence properly whilst here. One of the things I’ve been up to is some archeology. I found some old photos, or rather my sister found some old photos. The photo at left is of me in my UVa Medical Center uniform. It must be from 1991 or 1992. I think I look so strange, hamming it up with my stethoscope and my Dad and his then top-of-the-line Mac IIci.
Last night I actually dreamt about some medical procedures I used to do as an RT (and may do again sometime soon)—specifically I remember doing an ABG (arterial blood gas). I don’t ascribe much meaning to dreams, but this was vivid. It was not so much like a dream as like a runthrough of the entire procedure. I remember checking for collateral circulation with the Allen’s Test, instructed the patient, palpated for a good radial artery pulse, inserted the needle cautiously, saw the flash of blood, and allowed it to fill with 1cc of blood. Then I removed the needle, held pressure, and put it on ice for processing.
Again, doesn’t mean much, but I think Virginia makes me think of medicine.
I got a job offer too. My buddy Vinnie offered me a job in the company he works with as a Respiratory Therapist. Salary is not so hot, but there’s a healthy sign-on bonus. But I don’t see myself here in Virginia. As much as it would be wonderful to be nearer my parents and sister, I’m a City Mouse. More, my place is out west. I’m a California animal. It’s funny though, I always feel like an expatriate, almost anywhere I go. Another factor is my girlfriend, who I dote on verily. I am exercising caution of course, but she means a great deal to me.
My Mom has gone on a Goodwill binge and I had about 10 boxes of old stuff. Books, textbooks, magazines, toys, whatnot—old things. I’ve grabbed out old report cards and a hat and kerchief from my Cub Scout days. Plus a few other notions. I got rid of a pile of Amiga and TI-99/4a magazines which are of no value anymore. I also had a pile of old textbooks from high school and junior college. I kept some of my old term papers and class notes. Some journal things I will want to revisit someday. Mostly I’ve been a packrat and keep everything with me. This means that 99% of what I own is back home in San Diego.
Synopsis Collected From Some Mailing List
Basic business is material, process, product, and sales.
Back In The Saddle Again
I’m back in California after a long respite and several crises of various proportions. Luckily none of these have been fatal or long-lasting. However, I have had a good time recovering and am currently feeling pretty darn good. And now, the news:
Roommate
I have taken on a roommate here on the homestead. I live in a two-bedroom, one bath apartment, and was using the second bedroom as an office. Before I went to Virginia for Thanksgiving I vacated that whole office (depicted here from a few months ago) and moved the computers to my bedroom and the living room. I’ve also Goodwilled more things. I’m amazed that things fit in there as well as they did.
Divorce
Last night Jenny and I met and went over the terms for Summary Dissolution. We agree to file within this month. I’m in the process of preparing the Statement of Property and the necessary paperwork to file with San Diego County. By the time we file it will be the end of 2002. If all goes well, Jennifer and I will be entirely divorced by the end of June 2003. We continue to be on good terms, and in our own way, friends. The ill will and discomfort that were a hallmark of this summer are all but gone, and I am moving forward, as is she.
Girlfriend
My girlfriend and I missed each other terribly while we were away from each other. We feel so strongly for each other, and are trying to be both true and cautious. the rapport and comfort we feel for each other is wonderful. Both of us are once bitten, twice shy about the future—but for now we have a good time together.
Virginia
Spending two weeks in Virginia was great. I’ll likely post more about this later. My parents are doing well, and it was great to see them!
I enjoyed many games of racquetball with my father—we are pretty evenly matched, which is nice. My father is in the best shape I’ve seen him in in perhaps 20 years, and he is a fierce competitor. Thus, the games were quite good. My Dad has gotten way into Macintosh computers. I set up a home WiFi network using AirPort and several computers – Macs, laptops, and a Windows box. It all worked flawlessly. I also helped him out with some minor tips on scanning and filesharing. He was off all week which was a nice change: usually he works non-stop.
My Mom is great as usual too. She has been so supportive this year, both of them have been. We had time to talk and shop and have lunch. I also got to learn to make her salsa and her Spanish rice. She took the time to dry clean my black coat and make sure my “working” coat (a military coat I got surplus here in San Diego) got washed as well. My Mom’s great.
Thanksgiving
I ate well in Virginia. My Mom cooked often – always healthy. For Thanksgiving my sister made wonderful grilled Ahi tuna and wasabi mashed potatoes. Unconventional and delicious. Other highlights of my stay include lots of that salsa as well as fresh tortillas, pico de gallo, and great salads.
Work
I’m backtracking on freelancing. I may take on some more small projects, but I am now interested in full-time employment. I’m hungry like the wolf for full-time work here in San Diego.
And that’s the update. Thanks for reading, and for your patience. I hope to be posting here regularly, as much has been happening in the past few weeks. If you’re looking for a laugh, you can read Is there a Santa? (from an engineering standpoint).
And…... onward.
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