Well around here, it is feeling like we’re getting hit with the joke that just won’t go away. After hitting the 60’s over the weekend, we’re not getting out of the 40s, and last night there was snow, lighting, and thunder. All rolled in to one.
This was my front yard this morning. Whee.
With our luck, next week it will be in the 80s, humid, and we’ll be swarming with mosquitoes.
I live in Maplewood, a suburb on the north side of Saint Paul. I work in the Uptown section of Minneapolis (I still haven’t figured out why Uptown is south of Downtown). My usual route for getting home from work was to to get on 94 east, take the 35W north out of downtown and across the Mississippi river, and depending on the traffic exit to some residential streets or continue on to Hwy36 east to get home.
Last summer, they started doing some work on the bridge across the Mississippi, resurfacing and such The usual four lanes were down to two, so I would often exit before the bridge, cutting through the U of MN campus. August 1, 2007 I was heading home from work 5:30-5:40ish, and figured traffic might be letting up and I would take the bridge to see how the construction was going. I don’t build bridges, but I am in construction so that sort of thing is interesting to me.
Some of you may recognize the name “35W Bridge”, it is the one that collapsed in to the Mississippi River, killing 13, injuring about 100 others.
Have you ever had a problem, one of those situations where you need to get something done… or find something out… or track something down… and all of a sudden the solution just appears for you?
Sometimes it is as major as finding as new job, or a new car. Other times it is as simple as suddenly finding that scrap of paper with a phone number you thought you lost.
I had one of those situations this week. As part of my work, I help manage the pay parking lot for our building. It is a fairly automated system, but we still need to have an attendant in the evenings, it’s a customer service thing. We’ve never had uniforms or anything for the couple part-time workers. This winter we popped for some nice jackets in “tow- truck yellow”, that bright safety wear color with reflectors and such. They are actually rather nice jackets… lots of pockets… very warm… but I digress. With spring (maybe) coming, followed (hopefully) by summer, we are looking for other options for these guys. T-Shirts have always been something we have looked at, but to get them silk-screened, we need to order at least a couple dozen, pay for set up, and what if we get all XLs and the next guy we have to hire is a XXL, or a Medium?
Welp yesterday I came across a link for SonicShack - it’s a slick site where you can design your own t-shirts design your own t-shirts and have them custom printed. They also offer a few other products, like sweatshirts and jerseys.
I’ve been a bit too serious around here lately, so time for a break.
CrunchGear has a video up of a very well done skit about the old Duck Hunt video game. They then linked to the following video of a skit about Super Mario Bros. asking which was better.
Personally, it’s a toss-up for me, but the ending of the Duck Hunt one may give it a slight edge.
And if after watching these, you get a bit nostalgic, you can go play some Duck Hunt or Super Mario yourself.
There is a lot of bantering going on, from smaller blogs on up to the biggies, about how Ubuntu is the becoming generic name for Linux in much the same way all facial tissues are Kleenix, and all those peel and stick bandages are a Band-Aid.
One blog, recently opened up with the following…
Linux is small enough. Let’s face it, most computer users don’t even know about Linux, let alone know what Ubuntu is. However, among new Linux users, Ubuntu is quickly becoming synonymous with Linux. And that is a shame.
I would disagree with that statement, and the author was even nice enough to give me a reason why in his next statement.
Linux has a breadth and depth to it that is hard to fathom for new users.
“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.” - Winston Smith (1984 by George Orwell)
I am finally getting around to reading 1984. I remember hearing about it when in high school. I was a junior in 1984. For some reason though, I never read it. Last week I installed Mobipocket on my Centro and in browsing feedbooks.com for something to read, this one jumped out at me so I decided it was time.
I am just past chapter seven at this point, but with each passing chaper I am finding how more and more of what Winston is experiencing is reflected in what I see happening now… in general and in some ways specifically with the current Presidential campaigning.
If you have not read the book, then I doubt I could summarize it concisely enough to post here, besides, if you have not, you probably should. What I will do for now is try to touch upon a few things that have struck a chord with me as I have been reading.
I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there’s purpose and worth to each and every life. — Ronald Reagan
Welp yesterday I came across a link for SonicShack - it’s a slick site where you can 
