Asymptomatic

There must be intelligent life down here

Fallback Profession
May 16, 2013
job bread work farming

I have joked with co-workers about giving up programming and going into a profession that doesn't involve technology at all.  Usually, the profession is farming, selected because it's so far removed from technology, and obviously - literally - fruitful.  

But the reality is that I would not make a good farmer. The hours are long and bad.  The money is not good.  I'm actually not good at growing things, in general.  So while saying "I'm giving up all this web insanity and becoming a farmer" makes the point easily, it's not really practical.

A Tyrology In Learning
May 07, 2013
beginner guide learning tyrology practice

An automated domain name renewal tripped today, reminding me of yet another project I had intended to work on, but haven't had the time to start abandoned.

program_a_problem.jpgThe idea started - and forgive me if I've written about this before, but I can't find it in the archives - when thinking about my old Bytes Brothers books.  The Bytes Brothers mysteries were a series of books with short "mysteries" that the brothers solve using the family computer and some BASIC programming.  The stories present a problem (usually quite fabricated) and usually a short program listing as part of the solution.  By following along with the story, readers get interested in solving the mystery and can try to solve them on their own by writing their own versions of the programs, or expanding on the ones provided.

Back to WinAmp
May 06, 2013
music winamp Zune

Microsoft killed Zune, and now I'm using WinAmp... again.  I'm not surprised.  I suppose that somewhere deep in their accounting department they were showing losses, or maybe not enough gains, and word worked its way out of Accounting and up to Management and eventually down to the users.  Canceled.

It's not really canceled.  You can still use it.  You can still pay them.  But they're not bothering to update the Zune software, which is what made paying them worthwhile.  I should explain.

Our 2013 Veggie Garden
April 29, 2013
vegetables hops garden plants

This years gardenA couple of years ago, we assembled a raised-bed garden in the back yard, and we've been planting in it with varying levels of commitment year-to-year.  Last year, we planted a bunch of interesting items, but most of our crop was eaten by deer.  Hopefully we won't have the same problem this year.

We stopped by Pickering Valley Feed and Farm Store to select our plants.  They tend to have a better selection and variety of vegetables than you can usually This years gardenfind  at big stores like Lowes.  Our selection of veggies included corn, string beans, broccoli, tomatoes, and green bell peppers.

Abby's Second Soccer Game
April 20, 2013
Abby soccer

Today was Abby's second soccer game. Ever. She's almost 12 (her next soccer game is next week, on her birthday) and she's not played any organized team sports before this year.

The league is organized through Glenmoore Eagle Youth Association (GEYA) which offers a bunch of sports in our area, similar to LYA when I was a kid.  The league is for girls in grades 6-8, at which Abby is in the lower end.  The coaches are very friendly, and they've been very supportive of Abby and all the girls playing on her team who are not as experienced as some of the other players.