What a week....first, there was an Eathquake (cue Carol King's "I Feel The Earth Move")... then the Gavin DeGraw/Maroon 5/Train concert (OMG! I channelled my inner 21 year old!), then we had "Meet Your Teacher Day" at the Elementary and Middle School (I was exhausted afterwards), and now we have Hurricane Irene to prepare for....oh, and who knows if we'll have school on Monday....I'm ready to crawl under the bed and not come out for a week!
The worst part about knowing that a major storm is coming is that you don't always know how much you should prepare. Over-prepare, and you end up with a life time supply of "C" and "D" batteries. Under-prepare, and you run the risk of not having enough citronella for the Tiki torches. Trust me, there is nothing worse than not having enough citronella for the Tiki torches.
What's even harder is that the weather forecasters can't tell you exactly how bad it's going to be. It's not their fault. There are a lot of factors to consider. A few miles either way can make a storm a mild annoyance or a catastrophe.
Of course, it doesn't help that very few people actually prepares for eventualities until the last minute. At the moment, you can't find a "C" or "D" battery to save your soul. Generators sold out in record time. Grocery stores have bare shelves where the milk, bread and toilet paper used to be. I haven't seen people fighting for the *last* of anything, but I'm sure somewhere it'll happen.
Currently, Baltimore County is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning (Friday afternoon). The worst of the storm is supposed to be Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning.
Don't worry.... I have a USB to cigarette lighter converter....I'll let you know just how bad it is, even if I have to hide in the car......
Stay dry and aMused.....
Princess Muse
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Musings on Hurricane Isabel....
I know, it seems like I'm just the Muse of Doom and Gloom, with Hurricane Kate memories and Earthquake postings for the past few days, but my neighbor Kim was a little surprised that I didn't blog about Hurricane Isabel, which was much more of a comedy of errors in a lot of ways.... but I didn't want a blog that went on forever, and since Kate was prompted by a posting on the FSU Facebook page, it didn't seem appropriate....and since we're about to attacked by another "I" Hurricane.....
Now, the true story of Hurricane Isabel can be told.....
In September, 2003, Isabel was a Category 2 Hurricane when she came ashore in North Carolina (much like Irene is supposed to be), but by the time she got to the Baltimore area, she had been downgraded to a Tropical Storm. While we were extremely lucky, we still had a lot of damage and trouble.
It all started in the late afternoon. I remember hearing a loud "pop" from the backyard. One of the trees in the field right behind our next door neighbor's yard had fallen and taken out the electrical pole in my backyard. I called BGE (Baltimore Gas and Electric) to report the damage. Not long after, the Fire Department came to assess the damage.
Fortunately, the tree fell between our houses, but the Fire Department recommended that we find someplace else to sleep that night. Thankfully, our neighbors Hal and Kim offered us floor space in their living room.
So, with that settled, we headed down to our other neighbor's home for a Hurricane Party. The grown-ups stayed upstairs, talking and eating potluck. The kids went downstairs into the basement and played games. Nick was almost 3 1/2 at this point, and Christopher not even 1, so they stayed mostly with us, although Nick would go downstairs and play for a little while.
Mostly, we got high winds and rain. It rained so much that Hal and Kim's basement flooded a bit and they had to ask neighbors who face Frederick Road (and therefore still had power), if the could run some extension cords to keep the back-up sump pump going all night.
After the night that we spent at Hal and Kim's, Ken and I went back to our house to assess damage. We decided that it didn't seem like there was any water damage (other than a little dampness in the basement, I think), we would spend the rest of the Hurricane Recovery time in our own home.
Our street was blocked by a downed Bartlet Pear tree, for which reason I have vowed never to plant one of those suckers. If it's not hurricane proof, I want no part of it.....Road crews, luckily, cleared it out quickly so that we could get out, although with much of Catonsville without power for the first few days, there wasn't anyplace to really go to....
With no power, we were forced to amuse ourselves the old fashioned way, by hanging out. We would have nightly Tiki parties. The kids would run around while we grown-ups sat around and talked about everything and nothing.....
There were so many lines down that it took almost all of a week for BGE to finally get around to repairing our downed line. In Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia, there were 1,416,000 residences without power (Dept of Commerce Service Assesment) When the crews finally got to us, we were so happy!
Now, the true story of Hurricane Isabel can be told.....
In September, 2003, Isabel was a Category 2 Hurricane when she came ashore in North Carolina (much like Irene is supposed to be), but by the time she got to the Baltimore area, she had been downgraded to a Tropical Storm. While we were extremely lucky, we still had a lot of damage and trouble.
It all started in the late afternoon. I remember hearing a loud "pop" from the backyard. One of the trees in the field right behind our next door neighbor's yard had fallen and taken out the electrical pole in my backyard. I called BGE (Baltimore Gas and Electric) to report the damage. Not long after, the Fire Department came to assess the damage.
 |
| View from Younger Son's room of the downed electrical pole |
Fortunately, the tree fell between our houses, but the Fire Department recommended that we find someplace else to sleep that night. Thankfully, our neighbors Hal and Kim offered us floor space in their living room.
So, with that settled, we headed down to our other neighbor's home for a Hurricane Party. The grown-ups stayed upstairs, talking and eating potluck. The kids went downstairs into the basement and played games. Nick was almost 3 1/2 at this point, and Christopher not even 1, so they stayed mostly with us, although Nick would go downstairs and play for a little while.
Mostly, we got high winds and rain. It rained so much that Hal and Kim's basement flooded a bit and they had to ask neighbors who face Frederick Road (and therefore still had power), if the could run some extension cords to keep the back-up sump pump going all night.
After the night that we spent at Hal and Kim's, Ken and I went back to our house to assess damage. We decided that it didn't seem like there was any water damage (other than a little dampness in the basement, I think), we would spend the rest of the Hurricane Recovery time in our own home.
Our street was blocked by a downed Bartlet Pear tree, for which reason I have vowed never to plant one of those suckers. If it's not hurricane proof, I want no part of it.....Road crews, luckily, cleared it out quickly so that we could get out, although with much of Catonsville without power for the first few days, there wasn't anyplace to really go to....
With no power, we were forced to amuse ourselves the old fashioned way, by hanging out. We would have nightly Tiki parties. The kids would run around while we grown-ups sat around and talked about everything and nothing.....
There were so many lines down that it took almost all of a week for BGE to finally get around to repairing our downed line. In Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia, there were 1,416,000 residences without power (Dept of Commerce Service Assesment) When the crews finally got to us, we were so happy!
 |
| Out of state electrical crew comes to the rescue! |
 |
| Older Son watching the crew |
 |
| Watching the electrical crew was the big entertainment of the day |
Hopefully, Hurricane Irene will be kinder to us. She's expected to have an impact on our area on Saturday or Sunday. School is supposed to start Monday. Rest assured, I'll let you know how it all happens.
A few more Hurricane tips, courtesy of my friend Arlyn, who still lives in Florida:
With the loss of power, comes the loss of access to ATMs. Pumps at the gas stations can't work without power, so it's vital that you get money and a full tank of gas before the storm hits.
Make sure you have food for your pets as well as yourself.
Don't forget to stock up on batteries and flashlights.
A few that I remember:
If you are sheltering in place, make sure you fill those tubs and anything else with water before the storm hits. Any water that you get from the tap after the storm should probably be boiled--just for safety's sake.
If you have to evacuate, it may be a long time before you get someplace where you'll be able to find available lodgings--remember, everybody in your area will be leaving, too.
Cell phones may not be working. If the towers go down, it will cause disruptions
Even if you think the power company should've been able to repair your lines faster, don't take out your frustrations on the repair crews. Yes, they're getting paid well, but some of them are coming from out of state to help out. Be nice. Thank them for their hard work. They're doing the best they can.
Ocean City, Md is facing mandatory evacuations now.....oh, let the fun begin!
Time to go be aMused.....
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Musings on Earthquakes
About a half hour I posted yesterday's blog on Hurricane Kate, we had an earthquake. Not a very big one, but considering I live on the East Coast of the US, it doesn't have to be very big to become a Big Story. Heck, even Wolf Blitzer devoted some of his show to it.
Now I know that everybody's experience was a little different, and depending on the kind of building you were in, this quake may have seemed pretty scary. I lived in Europe while the Red Brigade and the Bader-Meinhoff Gangs were pretty active, so I don't scare easily. If I seem a little flippant, sorry.
So, what was my first conscious earthquake experience like? Kinda felt like someone had dropped a quarter into the Magic Fingers machine at a motel. Really. By the time I realized that it wasn't one of my kids jumping on the bed next to me, it was almost over. I didn't even lose a drop of Coke from the can on my nightstand. Now that would've upset me. Really.
To put things in a little bit of perspective, the quake yesterday (epicenter in Mineral, Va, which is about 41 miles NW of Richmond) was a 5.8. The World Series Earthquake (more properly known as the Loma Pietra Earthquake) of 1989 was a 6.9. (I'm sure you can find video on YouTube.) The Tokyo Earthquake that hit earlier this year was a 9.0. A friend of a friend on Facebook linked to an Earthquake Energy Converter, which is pretty cool. You can check out the amount of joules released and the TNT equivalent.
Here's one thing I love about people... as long as the situation isn't too serious, the jokes start flying. A friend posted a link to the "13 Best Tweets". Personal favorite: "Earthquake made me spill my tea...I'm available for interviews."
Someone else has posted this picture:
I'm not sure who took the picture, or added the words, but I thought it was pretty funny.
Another friend of a friend posted this as her status update on Facebook:
tonight for dinner: tossed salad, shake-n-bake chicken, mixed veggies, and pineapple upside down cake...
(Thanks, Duey)
Another friend found this YouTube video. I'm not sure what all it means, but it looks cool.
So, here's more information on what to do Before, During and After an Earthquake.
Remember, even in an emergency or a natural disaster, keep a sense of humor and stay aMused. It really will help make everything a little more bearable.
Now I know that everybody's experience was a little different, and depending on the kind of building you were in, this quake may have seemed pretty scary. I lived in Europe while the Red Brigade and the Bader-Meinhoff Gangs were pretty active, so I don't scare easily. If I seem a little flippant, sorry.
So, what was my first conscious earthquake experience like? Kinda felt like someone had dropped a quarter into the Magic Fingers machine at a motel. Really. By the time I realized that it wasn't one of my kids jumping on the bed next to me, it was almost over. I didn't even lose a drop of Coke from the can on my nightstand. Now that would've upset me. Really.
To put things in a little bit of perspective, the quake yesterday (epicenter in Mineral, Va, which is about 41 miles NW of Richmond) was a 5.8. The World Series Earthquake (more properly known as the Loma Pietra Earthquake) of 1989 was a 6.9. (I'm sure you can find video on YouTube.) The Tokyo Earthquake that hit earlier this year was a 9.0. A friend of a friend on Facebook linked to an Earthquake Energy Converter, which is pretty cool. You can check out the amount of joules released and the TNT equivalent.
Here's one thing I love about people... as long as the situation isn't too serious, the jokes start flying. A friend posted a link to the "13 Best Tweets". Personal favorite: "Earthquake made me spill my tea...I'm available for interviews."
Someone else has posted this picture:
I'm not sure who took the picture, or added the words, but I thought it was pretty funny.
Another friend of a friend posted this as her status update on Facebook:
tonight for dinner: tossed salad, shake-n-bake chicken, mixed veggies, and pineapple upside down cake...
(Thanks, Duey)
Another friend found this YouTube video. I'm not sure what all it means, but it looks cool.
So, here's more information on what to do Before, During and After an Earthquake.
Remember, even in an emergency or a natural disaster, keep a sense of humor and stay aMused. It really will help make everything a little more bearable.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Musings on Hurricane Season.....
Naturally, being the loyal alum that I am, I have "liked" FSU on Facebook. Today, there was a posting about someone asking if the University was doing anything (like shutting down) because of Hurricane Irene. (At the moment, no...Irene is threatening the East Coast and the track of the Hurricane isn't likely to come near Tally.... which is 3+ hours away from the East Coast of Fla.)
Now, the first thing I want to say is: If the Authorities are telling you to get out of Dodge....GET OUT OF DODGE. Load up what you can and get out. There's not a thing in your house that is worth risking your neck over....and I'd sure rather help you re-build than have to come to your funeral.
Now, having said that, let me tell you about the time Hurricane Kate came through Tallahassee. It was the Fall of '85, the Friday before Thanksgiving. My room-mates (Kim, Carol and Meryl) and I, plus Meryl's boyfriend, Steve, were all over at our house. We were busy getting all the hanging plants taken down and making sure we had enough nonperishable food and water before the storm hit. We were actually pretty lucky, because Kate was only a Cat 1 Hurricane and she was going to have to travel overland for about an hour before she'd hit Tally.... but still, you don't mess around with Hurricanes (unless they come in tall, frosty glasses....and even then, you gotta be careful!).
We had just gotten all the plants down and in the house (high winds--we didn't want to risk them flying around, ya know?) when Kim and I looked out and realized.... there were more plants hanging from the tree in the front yard. So, with the winds starting to pick up, the two of us hurried back out to get the 4 or 5 plants still hanging. Just as we got up to the porch (and almost in the house), the wind tore a branch off the tree and smacked me across the back of the head. Good thing I'm such a hard head, because it could've hurt pretty bad. I was able to hop in the shower to get the debris out of my hair.
We lost power about then, but we had flashlights, batteries and candles. We had a radio going, but soon we lost most of the radio stations. I don't remember which station we were listening to, but in between the news bulletins and weather updates, they played only one song. Starship's (I think they had dropped the Jefferson by this point) "We Built This City." By dawn, I came to loathe that song. I still can't listen to it without wanting to smash something. Even thinking about it makes me ill.
We heard several tornadoes and scampered into the hallway, just in case. Again, we were lucky. We figured that there must've been about 4 tornadoes that ripped around our street, but even with all the trees around us, none of them fell on our house.
But, mostly I remember the fun we had. Sure, there was an element of danger, and there was no power, but there were 5 of us sharing the experience. We played flashlight games with the guys across the street, and cards in the house (probably either Shanghai or Uno), ate and drank whatever we could find in the kitchen, dragged mattresses out to the living room and generally behaved like 20-something year olds generally do.
The other thing I remember is thinking that Meryl had found her special guy.
I don't think we even got a day off from classes, because Kate hit on a Friday and by Monday, roads were cleared enough for classes to be held. Man....
Just a few safety tips about hurricanes, tornado and floods.
Rules for playing Shanghai.
If you're more interested in the facts about Hurricane Kate in Tallahassee, google "hurricane Kate tallahassee" Photo slide shows, articles, stuff like that....
Interested in Hurricane Irene? If you're reading this near the date this was written, you can go to the Weather Channel. If you're reading this months or even years later, just google "hurricane Irene 2011." I'm sure there'll be pages and pages of stuff....
And for my college age friends who are away from home for the first time...make sure you know how your university will let you know about emergencies.....
Stay safe and be aMused....
Now, the first thing I want to say is: If the Authorities are telling you to get out of Dodge....GET OUT OF DODGE. Load up what you can and get out. There's not a thing in your house that is worth risking your neck over....and I'd sure rather help you re-build than have to come to your funeral.
Now, having said that, let me tell you about the time Hurricane Kate came through Tallahassee. It was the Fall of '85, the Friday before Thanksgiving. My room-mates (Kim, Carol and Meryl) and I, plus Meryl's boyfriend, Steve, were all over at our house. We were busy getting all the hanging plants taken down and making sure we had enough nonperishable food and water before the storm hit. We were actually pretty lucky, because Kate was only a Cat 1 Hurricane and she was going to have to travel overland for about an hour before she'd hit Tally.... but still, you don't mess around with Hurricanes (unless they come in tall, frosty glasses....and even then, you gotta be careful!).
We had just gotten all the plants down and in the house (high winds--we didn't want to risk them flying around, ya know?) when Kim and I looked out and realized.... there were more plants hanging from the tree in the front yard. So, with the winds starting to pick up, the two of us hurried back out to get the 4 or 5 plants still hanging. Just as we got up to the porch (and almost in the house), the wind tore a branch off the tree and smacked me across the back of the head. Good thing I'm such a hard head, because it could've hurt pretty bad. I was able to hop in the shower to get the debris out of my hair.
We lost power about then, but we had flashlights, batteries and candles. We had a radio going, but soon we lost most of the radio stations. I don't remember which station we were listening to, but in between the news bulletins and weather updates, they played only one song. Starship's (I think they had dropped the Jefferson by this point) "We Built This City." By dawn, I came to loathe that song. I still can't listen to it without wanting to smash something. Even thinking about it makes me ill.
We heard several tornadoes and scampered into the hallway, just in case. Again, we were lucky. We figured that there must've been about 4 tornadoes that ripped around our street, but even with all the trees around us, none of them fell on our house.
But, mostly I remember the fun we had. Sure, there was an element of danger, and there was no power, but there were 5 of us sharing the experience. We played flashlight games with the guys across the street, and cards in the house (probably either Shanghai or Uno), ate and drank whatever we could find in the kitchen, dragged mattresses out to the living room and generally behaved like 20-something year olds generally do.
The other thing I remember is thinking that Meryl had found her special guy.
I don't think we even got a day off from classes, because Kate hit on a Friday and by Monday, roads were cleared enough for classes to be held. Man....
Just a few safety tips about hurricanes, tornado and floods.
Rules for playing Shanghai.
If you're more interested in the facts about Hurricane Kate in Tallahassee, google "hurricane Kate tallahassee" Photo slide shows, articles, stuff like that....
Interested in Hurricane Irene? If you're reading this near the date this was written, you can go to the Weather Channel. If you're reading this months or even years later, just google "hurricane Irene 2011." I'm sure there'll be pages and pages of stuff....
And for my college age friends who are away from home for the first time...make sure you know how your university will let you know about emergencies.....
Stay safe and be aMused....
Monday, August 22, 2011
Musings on Being a Tech Goddess
At least, that's what Ken calls me...
It all began (as almost everything good does) at FSU. Back in the Days Before Internet, there was PLATO. PLATO was actually developed at the University of Illinois, but there was a PLATO system in Tallahassee. Somehow, one of my roommates got involved and the next thing I knew, I was an Author. There were 3 or 4 levels of logins for PLATO: Student, Author, (*something*--I think Admin or something like that) and SysOps. Most of the people I knew were Authors. Really, they were the ones writing the programs for the Student levels to use. Most of the Students were Math (*ugh*) Students (*double ugh*).
The PLATO keyboards were pretty much like all keyboards are, with one exception: there was a blue button with the word "next" on it. On the screen, there was a command that said "Press NEXT to begin."
Oh, how we used to laugh at the students who would come into the library to do the module. They'd sit down next to us, stare at the screen, glance at the keyboard, look desperately at us and say, "What?1?" We'd lean over, point out the BIG BLUE BUTTON and say, "That's the NEXT button." Then we'd snigger at them for a good five minutes or so.
PLATO was really the precursor for the Internet. We had logins (mine was elf/crest (which is read as "elf of group crest"), and pennypriddy/banzai (in honor of Buckaroo Banzai), finally, melissa/shelter), "notes" (bulletin boards), and "p-notes" (aka personal notes, or what's known today as email). In addition we could *term/talk* which was instant messaging. Did I mention that I had all this in 1984? Remember when AOL came out with instant messaging? I was excited until I realized it was just *term/talk*. Pah...
Every morning, I would sign on and send out a p-note just to wish my friends a good morning. I started with just 3 or 4, but by the time I was graduated from FSU, I was up to at least 20, including the SysOp, Pete Schow. (I didn't meet him til '87, but word got to me that his feelings were hurt that he wasn't getting a 'good morning' message. sometime in '86.)
Arlyn and I started a "notes" section....we turned into Story Time. It was called "Chance" and we had all sorts of people writing a wild story about the Pirates of Plato....I managed to get a print out before I was graduated, Ar....I'll have to see if I can dig it up....
Every now and then, I'd get to meet some of my online friends. There were some guys who worked in 'Bama on our PLATO system and they came out to Tally. I came in, signed on and started term/talking with one of them ... Jan (who is a guy, by the way), "said" "Turn to the right and say, 'hi'" I almost fell out of my chair.....and how he laughed at me.....
Once, the Admins were desperate. They needed someone to run a group for one of the Chemistry classes. They were so desperate, they were going to bump me up a level and run the group. I'd been taking the tutorials on TUTOR (the programming language PLATO used). I couldn't do much, but I could write little programs. Luckily, somebody came to their senses and someone who knew Chemistry and TUTOR was able to run the group. But, I was ready.
And, I took a class in PASCAL, which no one uses anymore. I learned a lot about programming. I also improved my French. The instructor was a grad student from some Arab nation. He spoke pretty good English, but I discovered that I understood him better in French. Go figure. My French is now non-existent, and I couldn't program in PASCAL if you put a gun to my head, but I did learn that being a programmer would've make me crazy....
It all began (as almost everything good does) at FSU. Back in the Days Before Internet, there was PLATO. PLATO was actually developed at the University of Illinois, but there was a PLATO system in Tallahassee. Somehow, one of my roommates got involved and the next thing I knew, I was an Author. There were 3 or 4 levels of logins for PLATO: Student, Author, (*something*--I think Admin or something like that) and SysOps. Most of the people I knew were Authors. Really, they were the ones writing the programs for the Student levels to use. Most of the Students were Math (*ugh*) Students (*double ugh*).
The PLATO keyboards were pretty much like all keyboards are, with one exception: there was a blue button with the word "next" on it. On the screen, there was a command that said "Press NEXT to begin."
Oh, how we used to laugh at the students who would come into the library to do the module. They'd sit down next to us, stare at the screen, glance at the keyboard, look desperately at us and say, "What?1?" We'd lean over, point out the BIG BLUE BUTTON and say, "That's the NEXT button." Then we'd snigger at them for a good five minutes or so.
PLATO was really the precursor for the Internet. We had logins (mine was elf/crest (which is read as "elf of group crest"), and pennypriddy/banzai (in honor of Buckaroo Banzai), finally, melissa/shelter), "notes" (bulletin boards), and "p-notes" (aka personal notes, or what's known today as email). In addition we could *term/talk* which was instant messaging. Did I mention that I had all this in 1984? Remember when AOL came out with instant messaging? I was excited until I realized it was just *term/talk*. Pah...
Every morning, I would sign on and send out a p-note just to wish my friends a good morning. I started with just 3 or 4, but by the time I was graduated from FSU, I was up to at least 20, including the SysOp, Pete Schow. (I didn't meet him til '87, but word got to me that his feelings were hurt that he wasn't getting a 'good morning' message. sometime in '86.)
Arlyn and I started a "notes" section....we turned into Story Time. It was called "Chance" and we had all sorts of people writing a wild story about the Pirates of Plato....I managed to get a print out before I was graduated, Ar....I'll have to see if I can dig it up....
Every now and then, I'd get to meet some of my online friends. There were some guys who worked in 'Bama on our PLATO system and they came out to Tally. I came in, signed on and started term/talking with one of them ... Jan (who is a guy, by the way), "said" "Turn to the right and say, 'hi'" I almost fell out of my chair.....and how he laughed at me.....
Once, the Admins were desperate. They needed someone to run a group for one of the Chemistry classes. They were so desperate, they were going to bump me up a level and run the group. I'd been taking the tutorials on TUTOR (the programming language PLATO used). I couldn't do much, but I could write little programs. Luckily, somebody came to their senses and someone who knew Chemistry and TUTOR was able to run the group. But, I was ready.
And, I took a class in PASCAL, which no one uses anymore. I learned a lot about programming. I also improved my French. The instructor was a grad student from some Arab nation. He spoke pretty good English, but I discovered that I understood him better in French. Go figure. My French is now non-existent, and I couldn't program in PASCAL if you put a gun to my head, but I did learn that being a programmer would've make me crazy....
The Programmer’s Blues
by Robert J. Woodhead
(Cleaned up by Dr. Megabyte)
with apologies to Glenn Frye
(found on Computersongs - Programmers Blues)
There’s trouble in the data now, I can feel it in my bones
I had a premonition that I shouldn’t code alone
I had the new DOS loaded but I didn’t think it’d fry
Then everything exploded and 2 weeks work blew sky-high
So, baby, here’s a printout and a keyboard for your hand
And here’s a little floppy, now do it just the way we planned
You debug for 20 days and I’ll pay you 20 grand!
I’m sorry it went down like this, but some chip had to fuse,
It’s the typing of the language
It’s the Programmer’s Blues…
Programmer’s Blues….
Coder’s and the Analyst’s, Hackers and Sysops,
Bad comments and strange bomboffs, and the bugs nobody copped,
No matter if it’s Pascal, Basic or Cobol
You’ve got to carry manuals, there’s no online help at all!
It’s lots of rotten coffee, and lots of lousy food,
Every variable name is dangerous, it might have been pre-used,
It’s the lure of relaxed typing, it’s so easy to be crude!
Perhaps you’ll understand it better when you see my tools,
It’s the ultimate enhancement, it’s the Programmer’s Blues!
Programmer’s Blues…..
You see it in their memos, you read them every day,
They say you have to fix those bugs, but they just don’t go away,
No matter how hard you work, it just won’t run OK,
You bury them in the subroutines, but you know they’re here to stay!
You hope that no one’ll notice them, but they always seem to do,
You beg for Beta testing, maybe one will give a clue,
Down from the office of your manager, you learn the heat’s on you….
Heat’s on you….
It’s a losing proposition, but one you can’t refuse,
It’s the policies of debugging, it’s the Programmer’s Blues….
Programmer’s Blues….
Well, it's getting a little late....go find some way to aMuse yourself....
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Musing on a Little Knowledge
You know the old saying, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing?"....well, sometimes a little knowledge is a funny thing, too.
Cait is going to college today, but this isn't going to be more reminisces about how great college is (we'll save those for another day), but because she's going to MIT, it reminded me of another trip to Boston that I took, and a funny moment in class when I was working on my Master's at Loyola (then College, but now University) in Maryland.
To start in order, there is a little bit of background information I have to give you: I am of Welsh descent. Now, my family hasn't been in Wales for many generations (the United States were still just the English Colonies), so we don't speak Welsh, or celebrate St. David's Day (although David is a common name in my family), or really identify as Welsh, but because of the connection, I've always been interested in Wales. Part of my honeymoon was spent in Wales.
The Welsh language was suppressed for a long time--to the point of near extinction. It was more often spoken in the northern part of the country, partially, I suspect it's not as populated and is more rural than the southern part. Today, there is a movement to encourage the Welsh to speak Welsh again, so you can find signs written in Welsh and in English. So, I've seen Welsh written and I've had enough interest to try to figure out a few things. (Bear with me, this all becomes relevant in a little bit....)
Flash forward to 1995. I'm taking a Reading class--not a methods class on how to teach Reading, but the point of the class is to remind us about what it was like to not be able to read. My professor wrote on the board the word "cwm" and asked if there was anyone who knew what that word was. There was silence and then I raised my hand. My professor got that look on his face that said, "Yeah, smart ass, you think you know this word, but I know no one does." But he called on me and said, "So, how do you think it's pronounced?"
"Coomb, " I replied.
His jaw dropped. "How did you know that?"
I shrugged. "I'm of Welsh descent and went to Wales on my honeymoon. I learned that "w" is pronounced like a "double o" in English."
"So, do you know what it means?" he challenged.
"It's a mountain valley," I replied.
Turns out, that in all the years he'd been teaching this class, no one had ever known what "cwm" was. A little knowledge.
So, here's where it becomes funny......
Flash forward to 1997 or 8.....I've been teaching for a few years and have become a co-advisor for the National Junior Honor Society chapter in my school. There's a conference in Boston for advisors, so my co-advisor and I decide to attend. We decided to drive, because it's only a six hour drive up and it'd be a lot cheaper than flying. So, we're driving through New Jersey and we see a lot of signs for towns like "Buena Twp" and "East Vineland Twp." Now, I've never been to NJ before, never drove through or anything, and I don't think my co-advisor had either. So, we're passing these signs and wondering what the heck "twp" stands for. Knowing that "w" can be the "double o" sound, I speculate that maybe there were a lot of Welsh who settled in the area, the word is pronounced "toop" and it means 'town' or 'city'. (I never actually studied Welsh, you realize.)
Oh no, It wasn't until we stopped for lunch somewhere in Jersey that I realized that "twp" was just an abbreviation for "township."
Yeah, sometimes a little knowledge is an aMusing thing....
Cait is going to college today, but this isn't going to be more reminisces about how great college is (we'll save those for another day), but because she's going to MIT, it reminded me of another trip to Boston that I took, and a funny moment in class when I was working on my Master's at Loyola (then College, but now University) in Maryland.
To start in order, there is a little bit of background information I have to give you: I am of Welsh descent. Now, my family hasn't been in Wales for many generations (the United States were still just the English Colonies), so we don't speak Welsh, or celebrate St. David's Day (although David is a common name in my family), or really identify as Welsh, but because of the connection, I've always been interested in Wales. Part of my honeymoon was spent in Wales.
The Welsh language was suppressed for a long time--to the point of near extinction. It was more often spoken in the northern part of the country, partially, I suspect it's not as populated and is more rural than the southern part. Today, there is a movement to encourage the Welsh to speak Welsh again, so you can find signs written in Welsh and in English. So, I've seen Welsh written and I've had enough interest to try to figure out a few things. (Bear with me, this all becomes relevant in a little bit....)
Flash forward to 1995. I'm taking a Reading class--not a methods class on how to teach Reading, but the point of the class is to remind us about what it was like to not be able to read. My professor wrote on the board the word "cwm" and asked if there was anyone who knew what that word was. There was silence and then I raised my hand. My professor got that look on his face that said, "Yeah, smart ass, you think you know this word, but I know no one does." But he called on me and said, "So, how do you think it's pronounced?"
"Coomb, " I replied.
His jaw dropped. "How did you know that?"
I shrugged. "I'm of Welsh descent and went to Wales on my honeymoon. I learned that "w" is pronounced like a "double o" in English."
"So, do you know what it means?" he challenged.
"It's a mountain valley," I replied.
Turns out, that in all the years he'd been teaching this class, no one had ever known what "cwm" was. A little knowledge.
So, here's where it becomes funny......
Flash forward to 1997 or 8.....I've been teaching for a few years and have become a co-advisor for the National Junior Honor Society chapter in my school. There's a conference in Boston for advisors, so my co-advisor and I decide to attend. We decided to drive, because it's only a six hour drive up and it'd be a lot cheaper than flying. So, we're driving through New Jersey and we see a lot of signs for towns like "Buena Twp" and "East Vineland Twp." Now, I've never been to NJ before, never drove through or anything, and I don't think my co-advisor had either. So, we're passing these signs and wondering what the heck "twp" stands for. Knowing that "w" can be the "double o" sound, I speculate that maybe there were a lot of Welsh who settled in the area, the word is pronounced "toop" and it means 'town' or 'city'. (I never actually studied Welsh, you realize.)
Oh no, It wasn't until we stopped for lunch somewhere in Jersey that I realized that "twp" was just an abbreviation for "township."
Yeah, sometimes a little knowledge is an aMusing thing....
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Musings about Cars
Sadly, I'm not getting a new one anytime soon....but I'm thinking about them....
When I was in high school, I took the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. Despite not understanding the wonder of the combustion engine, I scored in the 95 percentile on the Trade Technical portion--the portion about mechanics. The only question I remember is "The carburetor is located next to what part of the engine?" I only got that question right because I was currently taking Driver's Ed. Now, it's all on computer and I have no idea what is next to what, or even how to change the oil. All I really know is that you stick the key in the ignition, turn it and the engine comes on. Gas pedal is for going and brake pedal is for stopping. I don't even drive a stick-- I had a boyfriend who tried to teach me once, but it was on his new car. I was petrified of stripping the gears, so after one lesson, I refused to learn anymore.
When I worked for GMAC in Glen Burnie (later, Linthicum), Md., cars were not the topic of discussion in the Break Room. The Orioles, new finance packages Detroit came up with, yes.... cars, not so much. (This was in the Dark Days, after the Colts had been stolen away by Bob Irsay and before Art Modell brought his team) When I transferred down to the GMAC office in Raleigh, NC, I learned to be concerned with how GM cars were faring in the various NASCAR races. First thing the guys would do upon entering the office was head for the Break Room and find a copy of the News & Observer and check the Sports Pages. If more GM cars were in the standings than Ford, it was a good day. It was a really good day if a GM was ranked higher than a Ford.
One of my favorite shows is BBC America's Top Gear. I don't get to watch very much right now, and I haven't seen the History Channel's American version. I love the goofy races they set up: the race across Sub-Saharan Africa in junkers.... the race from Miami to New Orleans in junkers.... the Demolition Derby in junker RVs... the "who-can-get-there-fastest" races between sports cars, bullet trains, or anything else. It's such a guy show, if you know what I mean, but it's fun.
My dream car is a Ford Mustang convertible. Odd, I know, since I'm a Chevy girl at heart (despite driving a Toyota now and a Mazda Protege in the immediate past), but I think that the whole Mustang mystique overshadows the whole Ford thing. When we went to Oahu a couple of years ago, we only rented a car for one day. I told Ken I didn't care what kind of car it was, as long as it was a convertible. When we went down to the parking garage to pick up our car, Christopher (aka Younger Boy) took one look at it and said, "Oh, Mommy, that car's not our style at all." I laughed and replied, "Oh yes it is, baby. You just have no idea." By the end of the day, he was converted.
When I was younger, my dad had a Triumph Spitfire convertible. Baby blue. I loved that car. Daddy didn't drive it very often--not really a practicable car for a family, but when he did, he always took me and my brother out in it. Sadly, he had to sell it when we got back from Germany. My aunt didn't drive stick, so it hadn't been driven in three years and was going to need a lot of work. I almost cried when the father and son he sold it to came to pick it up... the quintessential Father and Son bonding experience. My only consolation was that it was going to be loved. Of course, I almost cried again when my dad told me that if he hadn't had to sell it, I would've been able to drive it when I learned how to drive.
When I was in college, I wanted to get a Jeep Renegade. Garnet, with gold pin striping.... cliché, I know, but it would've been like driving around in a little bit of FSU all the time.... sadly, I didn't have a car until I was a Senior, and it was my mom's old Chevy Cavalier hatchback. With no air conditioning. You don't know what misery is until you've driven around in Tallahassee, FLA in the summer with no air conditioning.
If I have to get a practical car, my next car will at least have a sun roof. Or a moon roof. I'm not sure what the distinction is, but I want one. And a really good sound system. Yeah, I'm not real clear on the term practical. As long as it doesn't break down every five miles, I'm good. And a compass. So I know what direction I'm going in. And air conditioning.
Time to go aMuse myself on the car sites. Zoom zoom.....
When I was in high school, I took the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. Despite not understanding the wonder of the combustion engine, I scored in the 95 percentile on the Trade Technical portion--the portion about mechanics. The only question I remember is "The carburetor is located next to what part of the engine?" I only got that question right because I was currently taking Driver's Ed. Now, it's all on computer and I have no idea what is next to what, or even how to change the oil. All I really know is that you stick the key in the ignition, turn it and the engine comes on. Gas pedal is for going and brake pedal is for stopping. I don't even drive a stick-- I had a boyfriend who tried to teach me once, but it was on his new car. I was petrified of stripping the gears, so after one lesson, I refused to learn anymore.
When I worked for GMAC in Glen Burnie (later, Linthicum), Md., cars were not the topic of discussion in the Break Room. The Orioles, new finance packages Detroit came up with, yes.... cars, not so much. (This was in the Dark Days, after the Colts had been stolen away by Bob Irsay and before Art Modell brought his team) When I transferred down to the GMAC office in Raleigh, NC, I learned to be concerned with how GM cars were faring in the various NASCAR races. First thing the guys would do upon entering the office was head for the Break Room and find a copy of the News & Observer and check the Sports Pages. If more GM cars were in the standings than Ford, it was a good day. It was a really good day if a GM was ranked higher than a Ford.
One of my favorite shows is BBC America's Top Gear. I don't get to watch very much right now, and I haven't seen the History Channel's American version. I love the goofy races they set up: the race across Sub-Saharan Africa in junkers.... the race from Miami to New Orleans in junkers.... the Demolition Derby in junker RVs... the "who-can-get-there-fastest" races between sports cars, bullet trains, or anything else. It's such a guy show, if you know what I mean, but it's fun.
My dream car is a Ford Mustang convertible. Odd, I know, since I'm a Chevy girl at heart (despite driving a Toyota now and a Mazda Protege in the immediate past), but I think that the whole Mustang mystique overshadows the whole Ford thing. When we went to Oahu a couple of years ago, we only rented a car for one day. I told Ken I didn't care what kind of car it was, as long as it was a convertible. When we went down to the parking garage to pick up our car, Christopher (aka Younger Boy) took one look at it and said, "Oh, Mommy, that car's not our style at all." I laughed and replied, "Oh yes it is, baby. You just have no idea." By the end of the day, he was converted.
When I was younger, my dad had a Triumph Spitfire convertible. Baby blue. I loved that car. Daddy didn't drive it very often--not really a practicable car for a family, but when he did, he always took me and my brother out in it. Sadly, he had to sell it when we got back from Germany. My aunt didn't drive stick, so it hadn't been driven in three years and was going to need a lot of work. I almost cried when the father and son he sold it to came to pick it up... the quintessential Father and Son bonding experience. My only consolation was that it was going to be loved. Of course, I almost cried again when my dad told me that if he hadn't had to sell it, I would've been able to drive it when I learned how to drive.
When I was in college, I wanted to get a Jeep Renegade. Garnet, with gold pin striping.... cliché, I know, but it would've been like driving around in a little bit of FSU all the time.... sadly, I didn't have a car until I was a Senior, and it was my mom's old Chevy Cavalier hatchback. With no air conditioning. You don't know what misery is until you've driven around in Tallahassee, FLA in the summer with no air conditioning.
If I have to get a practical car, my next car will at least have a sun roof. Or a moon roof. I'm not sure what the distinction is, but I want one. And a really good sound system. Yeah, I'm not real clear on the term practical. As long as it doesn't break down every five miles, I'm good. And a compass. So I know what direction I'm going in. And air conditioning.
Time to go aMuse myself on the car sites. Zoom zoom.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)