Posted on

open source as a consumer product attribute

Should "open source" be a consumer product attribute? It would apply to Firefox, Thunderbird, Linux desktop, other software on the Linux desktop like Evolution.

What would "open source" imply? How about:
– quality/stability (tested by hundred of thousands of people)
– secure (still dependent on management of security issues)
– innovative (collective brain-power tackling new concepts)
– collaboration
– standards
– community based AND commercial support options

I feel like "open source" already means all of the above so let's get it to stick!

What should "open source" not imply? How about:
– free (as in the software is free, lots of confusion here)
– anti-business or capitalism
– IP nightmare
– "volunteers" (people who are unpaid), this essentially becomes unreliable, unsustainable

Well, given that quick little exercise it sounds like "open source" is something we do want to use as an attribute. Other companies like Yahoo and Google and such who do use open source products/solutions on the server-side should do it too. Just about everyone uses bugzilla and lots of companies are on the LAMP server-stack. That screams we're spending money on the right things.

Also, speaking more about the testing community and that process, will hopefully establish "open source" as the more reliable solution.

Posted on

healthy again

Well my foot feels like it's back. If you bike for four hours one day and run for 2 hours the next day, then one can assume your foot's healthy. I had stubbed my toe in the pool plus ran in some new shoes a little too long. That screwed me up for a bit and I haven't been running.

Anyhow, last Saturday's bike ride was pretty brutal. Up Claremont ave, a 40-45 minute climb, over to 3 Bears (1.5 hours), up Wildcat Canyon (25 minute climb), and up the nasty South Park Drive (20 minute climb). My 2 hour run on Sunday wasn't all that except that I almost wimped out in doing it at all. Ironman Canada is five months away (in August) so still plenty of time.

Posted on

Shopping Spree

I've been on a little shopping tear lately. Here's what I(we) have bought:

– ordered (not yet bought) a new car
– cast iron dutch oven for camping (on sale! @Amazon)
– GoldTouch keyboard (ergonomically sound)
– Humanscale keyboard tray
– Tom Bihn cafe bag (it's NOT a purse!)
– iCurve laptop stand

Our home office is coming together and becoming ergonomically correct. Already have Steelcase Leap chair that's pretty awesome and our furniture is nice too. I have some more kitchen stuff to buy and then get some more shirts to wear to work. It's getting to be pretty bad when I have Firefox and Mozilla polo shirts as shirts I wear on the weekend (not that I mind, but just shows I need more clothes).

Posted on

under 180lbs. finally

I guess it took a half Ironman on Saturday and eating smart this week to get me down under 180lbs. I was hovering around 185-188lbs the last several months and trying to break under 180lbs. I should get to 175lbs in a couple weeks, and *maybe* 165lbs by Ironman time in August.

Curiously, I was 185lbs at Ironman Canada last year, felt great but that was way too much weight and it showed.

My metabolism is going nuts. I love it.

Posted on

Snowboarding @Kirkwood, or how many times am I going to fall on my ass

I'm back from the snowboarding trip @Kirkwood. My wife and I left with the "firm" on Friday afternoon to go up to Kirkwood. We went snowboarding pretty much all day Saturday (I'm really sore today), kicked back on Sunday morning and left in the afternoon and now back to doing some work.

The snowboarding trip was fun, just did the bunny slopes and got the hang of it after a couple runs down the slope. Nothing too exciting though it was definitely fun and exhausting.

Some more thoughts:

– Snowboarding in the Spring is fun, not too busy, sunny and hot, and the snow isn't too slushy or hard just yet.

– This is a great time of the year to buy snow gear.

– I finally did get a chance to hear Mitchell on NPR Science Friday. She did a *great* job.

– I also downloaded the lastest Thunderbird and was pleasantly surprised to see inline spell checking when composing email. Very happy! Apparently it got checked-in last January but turned on by default recently.

– Noticed there was more talk about the Seamonkey plans. Ack.

– And this is going to be just a very busy week at work capped off by a Half Ironman this Saturday @Lake San Antonio aka the Wildflower course.

Hmm…this week is going to be fun.

Posted on

Luz on Queer Eye for the Straight Girl

luz.gif Our (Katina and me) friend Luz Herrera will be on TV. Luz is very, very cool, and I think still single. Anyhow, I'm very happy for her and maybe she can go on and do some sort of tv career – she's cute enough for it.

Everyone is getting on tv this year it's amazing, Blake on ABC News, I got on German TV somehow, my friend Christine was dancing with her team on the Letterman show, and now Luz.

Posted on

Is our house too blue?

Here are some more photos.

We need some help here. We just painted our house a "post card perfect" blue. We need a second opinion.

– Is the house too blue and repaint, or should we keep this color?

The reason we ask is that it seems to be a very bright blue and it doesn't really match the neighborhood, it stands out a bit.

But we have gotten some compliments from neighbors, but they could also be trying to be nice.

Posted on

Ode to a Cool Sister

Ode to a Cool Sister

Cezanne and his workshop,
two sunny eggs pierced with a fork,
at Pugsleys and "there" killer blueberry muffins
served in a red basket with a large pat of butter.

Across the country and back three many times
I knew I shouldn't have had that pork cutlet
and that cheddar cheese ice cream with corn bits.

An educated fool with money on my mind.
It didn't work out with me an your mom.
Bonjour tous le monde, bonjour. Wait,
I don't speak French. Or do I.
To the East Fabrice. To the tire swings we'll meet.

Those coupons are expired. Fuck, shit,
why don't you go read a book. And while "your"
at it, get me some pudding. And a pair of Doc Martens
with some clotted cream. Is it soft? Peut-etre.

Victoria Falls, Turkey, Israel, Thailand,
well I've been to South Carolina, Myrtle Beach
Damn it, I need to rest. Can you wait?
I'm scared. There are no handrails at the steps
of Rome. Suck it up 'ol man. So how many toes
do you have?

Some birds aren't meant to be caged while some birds
vanish like a fart in the wind. Get busy living. Wish
I could come with you. You're only 34. I think.

Posted on

sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes things don't go, after all,
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel faces down frost;
green thrives; the crops don't fail.
Sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.

A people sometimes will step back from war,
elect an honest man, decide they care
enough, that they can't leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.

Sometimes our best intentions do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen; may it happen to you.

–Sheenagh Pugh