Well, FINALLY, the rest of the world has caught on to something we’ve known for a long time: the American Dream is an illusion.
While half of the country – the “Red” half – still seems to be asleep, most of us have woken up a long time ago, around the time of the Reagan presidency in fact.
A thoughtful article from Newsweek does a very good job of describing the House of Cards that used to be the US.
The Meaning of Team, Part 2
So, what is a “programming team” exactly? It almost seems a contradiction in terms: programming is, by its nature, a solitary occupation.
It’s sort of like an “electrician team” – do you as a homeowner want your electrician to obtain consensus so s/he doesn’t cross the wires the wrong way and incinerate your house?
As I’ve Been Saying All Along…
People have given me sanctimonious advice my whole life about how looks don’t matter, it’s what’s inside that counts, etc.
As anyone who had the misfortune to grow up homely knows, that’s a pantload.
And telling people who weren’t born lucky in looks that if they would only change their at-ti-tude, they would be happy/rich/successful – well, it just adds insult to injury.
Clear Today, Snow Tomorrow
Misery, thy name is Mashpee.
Only kidding.
Yesterday, my neighbors and I dug out of the 36 inch+ Blizzard of 2005, the worst in 100 years of recorded history on Cape Cod.
I guess there’s comfort in assuming that we won’t get another one like this for another 100 years.
The Meaning of Team
I cringe when I read job descriptions for technology positions that mention the word “team”.
I’ve worked in a couple of environments in which this word was bandied about by clones of Jack from “Lord of the Flies”. These people had no idea, no clue in heaven or hell, of what it means to lead a team.
And I think I know why.
The Blizzard of 2005
They showed hurricane warning flags in Chatham last night, and from the sound of the wind here, they were right to do so.
Day 4
It’s the start of Day 4 with no furnace. Right now, it’s about 3 degrees outside and 51 in the house.
Fortunately, the water pipes still seem to be okay.
The computers are happy: my PC, which had been making a regular groaning noise for months, is humming pleasantly, whether due to the temperature in the office or the fixes I made earlier this week.
Bubble Wrap
Sealed Air, the company that invented bubble wrap, invites us to join them in celebrating the 5th annual National Bubble Wrap
No Furnace, Day 3
I live in a house with a forced hot air heating system by natural gas, and at 4 AM three days ago, the circuit board that controls the fan died.
It’s a semi-old system, we think it was installed around 1990, so getting parts is a challenge because the circuit board manufacturer has changed the design.
Thus, it’s a guessing game which new version is compatible with my system.
George Bush Has Made the World More Dangerous
So what makes those Europeans so much smarter than half the voting public in the US?