I was adding a book to my Amazon wish list. I noticed an indicator noting there as an “A9 Instant Reward Active”. Cool, what’s that? So I clicked and learned users of A9 can get Π / 2 % off their next order. What a goofy number to chose.

A really good place to get lumber in Minneapolis is Siwek’s. Not only do they have a good selection of lumber, they have it in odd sizes. Additionally, they have a lot of odds and ends, like salvage and overstock items from cabinetry to raw material to windows.

They don’t have a web site.

Siwek Lumber & Millwork Inc
2536 NE Marshall St
Minneapolis,  MN 55418 - 3329
(612) 781-3333

I spent some time with a an IT expert who was praising Round Robin Database. It seems very cool. Can’t wait until I have time to check it out. It stores data (like time series data) in such a way that over time the file doesn’t grow but you lose resolution. It’s very interesting, as whom really wants to know about router performance down the 5 minute interval two years from now, but you might want to know about performance for this month versus a year ago.

People I know rarely figure into my dreams. On the rare occasion that someone I know makes an appearance in my dreams, I feel compelled to rush to tell them.

I find it’s hard to strike a balance between sharing your excitement about the dream and who appeared in at and sounding like a weirdo stalker having weirdo “dreams” about the actors in your dreams.

Occasionally, I give live demo’s of software to peers and or customers. It’s always a bit of a balancing act. On one hand you want to put your best foot forward, on the other hand you have software that is pre-release, not ready for prime time. You want quality feedback on what’s wrong, but you need to give an expectation of what is going to be there when it is ready for prime time, which may be subtly different from what people wish it was, at least in the initial go round. It’s a balancing act; one which I still have not yet mastered.

I tip my hat to those people who put demos on for massive crowds like Microsoft and Apple do. I have never do it in front of more than forty people and I sweated bullets.

I wore a dark mock turtleneck as a nod to Steve Jobs. No one noticed.

Check out these Trick of the Trade.

After explaining how birthday clowns have to keep on top of what phrases or words will always get a laugh this year, he goes on to explain software engineering.

That last sentence is very funny to me. There are also lots of really good tricks sprinkled in the rest of the article.

I stopped at my library today to pick up some books I had requested. It was strange as the browse feature of the library interface had been deactivated to allow workmen to install new carpeting. The only thing that was open was the check-out, request pick-up and book returns. At first I was a bit taken aback by this arrangement since I am used to browsing at least a little at the library.

After a few minutes thinking about this new strange experience, I think there ought to be more libraries like this. I think there is a place for browsing and reference libraries, but there is likely also a need for a more kiosk style library service where you just pick-up and drop off books. It could be staffed by someone without a Library Science degree, and could be in a retail setting, like a corner of a local Starbucks. This way there could be more libraries and more access to books. The kiosk could even be portable and have regular stops in large company campuses as well.

One reason why I like this idea is that I have been making such use of the book request system now that it’s available on-line. It’s so convenient to just get an email when the book is ready.

I wandered across this post recently, on September 11th, where some party goers toast Death to the Wahhabbis! A more ambitious explanation of this line of thinking was offered by Monica of th’inkwell.

Monica’s line of thinking is something that I am not entirely opposed to. I support a muscular foreign policy. I don’t need to “understand” why fanatics kill children on purpose.

However, in the back of my mind I hear this jewish fellow saying something like “Love your neighbor, that’s easy to do, try loving your enemy.”

What does that look like in the context of someone who is willing to murder you to make a political point?

I’m not sure. It reminds me a of a prayer I wrote out some time ago as a way of dealing with the uncertainty of living life in the post-September-11 world. The prayer below is targeted specifically at the terrorists and those who support them.

The Terrorist's Blessing
May all your plans be thwarted,
May your comrades, aquaintances, wives,
children, fathers and mothers become informants,
May your luck run out at the worst possible time,
May your opponents hearts, plans, pursuits be pure,
May your banks transfer your money
to the victims of your terror,
May your shoe bombs, suicide belts,
and devices of destruction utterly fail
wounding only the bombmakers,
May the police and intelligence organizations
have the lucky breaks and may they act on them,
May the aim of those hunting you be true,
May your fellow airline, train, and bus passengers
be composed of brave, strong NFL lineman
and angry rugby players,
May you die of old age,
May all your enemies die of natural causes
in extreme old age,
May your minds change,
May your women and children be educated and wiser than you,
May your conspirators be brought to justice,
May you see justice running down like a mighty river,
May your countries be filled with freedom of thought,
conscience, and belief for all,
May your grandchildren's peace and prosperity
eclipse your imagination,
May you shake your white head in disbelief
at the lies you once preached and believed,
May you experience peace both now
and when you meet your maker.

Contradictory? I know.

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
--Walt Whitman

I got this note in my gmail inbox this afternoon from Harper Collins.

It’s unfortunate that Harper Collins doesn’t know the sex of it’s authors.

Anyway, I’m a big Christopher Moore fan and would love the chance to talk to him. Anyone want to start a fake book club with me?

The children and I went to Eagle’s Nest last night. Thankfully there were no incidents. We had a lot of fun. I even managed to pull myself through the tunnels all the way up to the top of the tallest curly slide. It must be twenty-five or thirty feet off the ground and the route is very circuitous. They have changed the venue a bit and the site lines are now much better, so it’s easier to keep track of your children as they explore the place. For those of you who haven’t been there, imagine a large McDonald’s playland, and then multiply it by 10x.

In a tangentially related note, I saw some really cool playground inspired furniture at modernconvenience.com. I like the swings and the teeter totter a lot, but somehow I don’t think they will blend in to our decor.
[Link courtesy of mocoloco.com]