|
HOME > JOURNAL
> JANUARY 2003
Journal (The Ember Update)
Sunday, January 26
Yosemite National Park
More pictures, since we spent Rash's birthday at Yosemite.
I've updated my travelogue again with the best of my photographs. Here
are a few thumbnails to wet your whistle:
See my complete Yosemite
Travelogue entry.
Monday, January 20
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Saturday Rash and I drove down to Monterey to see the Aquarium. I took
a lot of photos before my batteries died, and I've collected the best
with researched commentary as my latest travelogue entry: Monterey
Bay Aquarium.
Be sure to check out the Leafy Sea Dragon and the neon-like Comb Jellies!
Here are a few of the thumbnails. Clicking on any will take you to the
travelogue page.
   
Saturday, January 18
Japanese Tea Garden
In an attempt to realize my ambition to see a bit more of California
before my pending move, I recently visited the Japanese Tea Garden in
Golden Gate Park. Here are some pictures (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
 |
 |
 |
 |
Entrance
68k |
Roof detail
32k |
Side entrance
80k |
Doorway
56k |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Light cover
40k |
Light cover II
56k |
Red/blue door
56k |
Pathway
68k |
 |
 |
 |
 |
January Azaleas
84k |
Moon shrine
72k |
Zen garden I
52k |
Zen garden II
64k |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Pagoda
68k |
Scenic view
68k |
Gate
64k |
Three worlds
60k |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Crane sculptures
56k |
Waterfall
80k |
Bridge
96k |
Buddha
76k |
Monday, January 13
A Hand-written History
Rash sent me the following in an email. Four years ago in a book store
he picked up "Software Runaways" by Robert Glass* and started
reading. He was so intrigued by this excerpt that he took the time to
write it down. He says it describes the failed attempt to create the "FAA's
next-generation Air Traffic Control system (which replaced single keystrokes
with 12 or more mouse clicks)," just before his time. I hope you
like the excerpt as much as I did:
In "Why Large Software Projects Fail" Robert N. Britcher
says he found this hand-written history in the rubbish left behind a
closed-out AAS office:
A Brief History of the Advanced Automation System
A young man, recently hired, devotes years to a specification written
to the bit level for programs that will never be coded. Another, to
a specification that will be replaced. Programmers marry one another,
then divorce and marry someone in another subsystem. Program designs
are written to severe formats, then forgotten. The formats endure. A
man decides to become a woman and succeeds before system testing starts
As testing approaches, she begins a second career on a local television
channel, hosting a show on witchcraft. An architect chases a new technology,
then another, then changes his mind and goes into management. A veteran
programmer writes the same program a dozen times, then transfers. The
price of money increases eight times. Programmers sleep in the halls.
Committees convene for years to discuss keystroking. An ambitious training
manager builds an encyclopedia of manuals no one will use. Decisions
are scheduled weeks in advance. Workers sit in hallways. Notions about
computing begin in the epoch of A, edge towards B, then come down hard
on A + B. Human factors experts achieve Olympian status. The Berlin
Wall collapses. The map of Europe is redrawn. Everything is counted.
Quality becomes mixed with quantity. Morale is reduced to a quotient,
then counted. Dozens of men and women argue for thousands of hours:
What is a requirement? A generation of workers retire. The very mission
changes and only a few notice. Programming theories come and go. Managers
cling to expectations, like a child to a blanket. Presentations are
polished to create an impression, then curbed to cut costs. Then they
are studied. The work spikes and spikes again. Offices are changed a
dozen times. Management retires and returns. The contractor is sold.
The software is blamed. Executives are promoted. The years rip by with
no end in sight. A company president gets an idea: make large small.
Turn methods over to each programmer. Dress down. Count on the inscrutability
of programming. Promote good news. Turn a leaf away from the sun. Maybe
start over.
*Note: Even though I found the excerpt interesting, be aware that the
book gets pretty mediocre reviews at Amazon.
Wednesday, January 8
Reason
Here's an except from a
conversation (thanks Rash)
between a magazine and three drug war veterans turned opponents. The first
is a retired, 35 year police veteran, whose career included 18 years as
chiefs of police in Kansas and San Jose, CA, and early years in Harlem.
"In 1969, he spent a year as a criminal justice fellow at Harvard
Law School. Eventually, he ended up earning a Ph.D. ..."
Reason: Is this why police rely on informants and
sting operations?
McNamara: Since the police can’t do their job
the way they do it with other crimes, they resort to informants and
to illegal searches. This is a major problem underlying police integrity
throughout the United States.
Last year, state and local police made somewhere around 1.4 million
drug arrests. Almost none of those arrests had search warrants. Sometimes
the guy says, "Sure, officer, go ahead and open the trunk of my
car. I have a kilo of cocaine back there but I don’t want you
to think I don’t cooperate with the local police." Or the
suspect conveniently leaves the dope on the desk or throws it at the
feet of the police officer as he approaches. But often nothing like
that happens.
The fact is that sometimes the officer reaches inside the suspect’s
pocket for the drugs and testifies that the suspect "dropped"
it as the officer approached. It’s so common that it’s called
"dropsy testimony." The lying is called "white perjury."
Otherwise honest cops think it’s legitimate to commit these illegal
searches and to perjure themselves because they are fighting an evil.
In New York it’s called "testilying," and in Los Angeles
it’s called joining the "Liar’s Club." It has
lead some people to say L.A.P.D. stands for Los Angeles Perjury Department.
It has undermined one of the most precious cornerstones of the whole
criminal justice process: the integrity of the police officer on the
witness stand.
Reason: What role do institutional interests play
in the drug war?
McNamara: One year when I was police chief in San
Jose, the city manager sent me a budget that contained no money for
equipment. I politely told him that when you have a police department,
you have to buy police cars, uniforms, and other equipment for the cops.
He laughed, waved his hand, and said, "Last year you guys seized
$4 million dollars. I expect you to do even better this year. In fact,
you will be evaluated on that and you can use that money for equipment."
So law enforcement becomes a revenue-raising agency and that takes,
in too many cases, precedence over law enforcement.
Reason: From the perspective of the working police
officer, how has the War on Drugs changed over the years?
McNamara: It has become the priority of police agencies.
It’s bizarre. We make 700,000 arrests for marijuana a year. The
public is not terrified of marijuana. People are terrified of molesters,
school shootings, and people stalking women and children. The police
are not putting the resources into those crimes where they could be
effective if they gave them top priority.
Read more, it's
good stuff.
Thursday, January 2
Movie Roundup
Saw Chicago on New Year's
Eve. The dance scenes were dazzling to watch (worth seeing on a big screen)
but I didn't develop any sympathy for the characters. Catherine Zeta-Jones
was fabulous, especially in her first number (didn't realize it was her
until later), Richard Gere so-so. Queen Latifah was the most likable character.
Rene Zellweger's husband, played by John
C. Reilly, had probably my favorite performance number (as different
as it was from the rest). I don't think I've seen him before.
Speaking of Queen Latifah, we saw what looked to be a very funny (if
silly) new movie pairing her and the great Steve Martin in Bringing
Down the House. The preview—viewable from the site—seemed
to have the audience spellbound. Even though I don't usually like comedies,
I'll probably see it just for the comedic chemistry between the leads.
Went to see Solaris with
Rash and his friend Tony, and according to them it's pretty faithful to
the original Russian film. Incomprehensible but beautiful, and worth seeing
on the big screen too (some will likely be bored—I wasn't). In an
interesting turning-of-the-table, there was a lot more male nudity than
female (and I have to admit George Clooney has a nice figure). If you
liked 2001 A Space Oddysey, you'll may like this one too.
Wednesday, January 1, 2003
Happy new year!
Opportunities
Despite the fact that I haven't applied for anything, the week prior
to Christmas I was contacted about an open position at a prominent organization
headquartered in DC (they found my resume on-line). I interviewed while
home for the holiday and was told there'd definitely be a follow-up. If
this opportunity pans out, it could be a very good career move.
During that same time I was unexpectedly asked if I'd consider taking
another full-time job working with a couple of good friends. We're thinking
and talking about the possibility—one which I'm very intrigued by—to
see if we can work out the logistics (while I wait to hear about the first
possibility).
Then two days ago I received an inquiry from a third company (again through
my on-line resume), wanting to discuss
possible work. We'll talk today or tomorrow.
All three of these possibilities would be in the DC area, and would naturally
require me to move. I'd have to leave my California paradise after little
more than a year, and even worse, I'd have to move away from Rash. It's
possible that he could get transferred to his company's Rockville, MD
office, but he too would face this major decision.
Once I have more concrete data I may find myself with the unpleasant
task of discussing this with my employer, Rob...
PREVIOUS MONTH |
CURRENT MONTH | JOURNAL
ARCHIVE
|
