Diary of a Network Geek

Flyer, take warning.

So, I'm about to scramble out the door to make sure I have enough time to get through security this morning.  Why?  Well, if you haven't been watching the news, some damn Limey whack-jobs decided they were going to try and blow up planes headed for the US today. What that means, though, is that for the first time in a very, very long time, we're on a red-fucking travel alert.  They're so serious about this that they've even banned any kind of liquid as part of your carry-on bags.  No water, no drinks, no nothing.  Fucking terrorists.

So, now, I get to scramble the dog into the vet and rush my ass off to the airport so I can get through security and sit and wait for fucking hours before my flight.  You know why the damn terrorists are expecting to find paradise filled with virgins?  Because these fucking damn lame sons-of-bitches have their fundamentalist heads so far up their terrorst asses that they couldn't possibly be smart enough to reproduce!  Pardon my religious intolerance, but I just don't understand the rationale for killing innocent civilians to prove a fucking political point.  Do they really think it gets them any kind of sympathy?  Do I sound fucking sympathetic to their damned cause this morning?

Well, once I'm through security, if I can get a wifi link out, I'll post about how easy or hard it was to get through security.  At least, I know I'll be more or less safe on the plane now.

Fucking, dumb-ass terrorists.

So, last night I baked her cookies.

What? It's not like I'm dating anyone, so I don't have anyone to cook for right now. Okay, so I ran out to the store to get a couple of ingredients that I was missing, but, I'd have done that for a girl, too. I mean, running out at midnight for feminine hygiene products is way more effort than just going to the grocery store for some honey and unsalted peanuts to make cookies for my dog and I did that. Heck, I even had to guess and pick out a yeast infection medication for a woman I hardly knew! And, that was before I married her. So, for my loyal dog? You bet I'll run and get honey. Besides, the cookies are pretty good. And, yes, they're another Three Dog Bakery recipe. This time, though, they're from the Three Dog Bakery Cookbook.

Oh, and I got my iPod back just in time to travel later this week. I've already synced my music to it and updated it successfully, so I'm feeling pretty good about killing time in the airport with my Nano and a couple of books. I did notice that the software update has the stuff for the Nike iPod attachment. If you haven't checked that out, it's worth looking at. They've got the ultimate running accessory there!

Not sure when I'll get more posting done this week, with all the travel and baking and all. Though, I have a Friday Fun Post all queued up and ready for you while I'm away.
Have a great week and I'll "see" you when I get back on Monday!

Yes, I freely admit that I spoil my dog.

I'm going out of town for a couple of days, starting Thursday this week, and instead of asking a friend to watch my dog for me, I'm boarding her at my vet. I'm doing this for a couple of reasons. First, although my friend I usually ask to watch her would be happy to do that for me, I don't want to put him out that much or for that long. I'll only be gone four days, but two of those days, he'd have to drive all the way across town to let her out and check her food and water. Frankly, that just seems like more hassle than is right for me to ask of him. Secondly, if I ever have to travel for an extended period of time for work, I'll want to know that I have a good, long-term arrangement that my poor, spoiled dog will survive. Thirdly, my vet, the Jersey Village Animal Hospital, has about the newest, nicest facility I've seen. Honestly, it will be like sending her to a four day doggie spa.

Hilda will have her own private room with its own door to a private, fenced yard. She's never had a doggie door before, so I'm interested to see how she does with that. If it works well for her, I may just install one at home. But, in addition to having that free access, she'll be walked twice a day to get her exercise. She'll also get a bath before I pick her up Monday morning.
I've been told that I can bring her favorite pillows and toys, but I don't think I can get her couch into the back of my car. What? Doesn't every dog have their own, full-sized couch? Well, I guess we'll just have to settle for a couple of throw pillows off the couch. And, I'll bring a couple of her favorite bones, too, so she'll have something to worry on when I'm not there. (Don't tell her, but I have a giant rawhide bone for her when she gets back!) Still, I'm worried that she won't eat while I'm gone. She gets like that sometimes. When I had to go overnight to our office in Louisiana not too long ago, she didn't touch her food while I was away. So, just to make sure she had something I knew she'd eat, I made her muffins last night.
Yes, I baked my dog apple-cinnamon muffins from a recipe in Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way. It's not as good as what she'd have gotten from the Pink Poodle Gourmet, but, since I'm not dating the nice lady who runs that business anymore, it didn't seem quite "proper" to beg dog cookies from her. Oh, I'm sure she would have been happy to give me enough for the four days and then some, because she's sweet like that, but I'd feel wrong asking. So, I baked my own instead. Actually, they're quite tasty. Hilda and I enjoyed a couple last night, while they were still warm.

Now, not everyone may understand the fuss I make over my dog. But, let me tell you, she's more loyal to me than any single person I know. And, as I'm sure my regular readers are tired of hearing, she was the only reason I came home from work almost two years ago, when I was deep, dark depression and contemplating suicide. It amazes me to think, at one point, I thought I'd lost her because I was willing to listen to a lie. Hilda is my little miracle dog, though, who came back to me from far away to give me that little extra bit of life that I needed to keep me going. So, now, I happily bake her treats to snack on while she's relaxing at her spa.

Now, I just have to convince one of the cute, young girls who works there to pay a little special attention to my Hilda. Maybe, if I play up the whole "separation anxiety" thing we'll both get a little special attention...

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
-Mark Twain

Not quite The Girl Next Door...

First, let me say that I bought this book with one thing in mind: writing research. Creating a hero is relatively easy, but making a good, believable villain is a little more challenging, so when I saw The Sociopath Next Door, it seemed like the perfect research material for me. I was not disappointed. While I find it hard to believe the author's assertion that 4% of the population essentially have no conscience at all, the rest of the book was rather interesting and entertaining.

The book takes us through what a sociopath is, which is a great place to start, but quickly shows us what the mind of a sociopath might look like from the inside. A person with no remorse and few personal boundaries that keep them from doing anything they please to whoever they please, as long as it gets them what they want. It's tempting to say that everyone who has done something nasty to us is a sociopath based on this book, but it's just not so. Oh, to be sure, many of us rationalize some of our worst behavior and may seem guilt-free, but the mere fact that was have to rationalize anything is proof that we have that emotional connection that sociopaths lack. And, interestingly enough, that is what they lack. They feel nothing for their fellow human creatures at all, except in relation to their usefulness as tools for the sociopath to use.
The book does as good a job as possible to show us what that might seem like. Certainly the author does a good job of describing behaviors, both normal and pathological, that a sociopath might engage in. She also presents several composite "characters", or example sociopaths, and how they might be found in the world. For my purposes, of course, this was very useful and well worth the price of the book. In fact, if you're an author looking to create more believable, yet thoroughly nasty, villains, this book is a wonderful resource for you.

However, I do have a few criticisms. I've already mentioned the seemingly inflated percentage of the population the author speculates may be sociopathic. I think her sample was biased and based on her personal, anecdotal observation. At least, I saw no solid references for the figures that she put forth. I assume that it was mainly inflated to sell the book. Fear sells almost as well as sex.
Also, her suggestions that we need to all be watching for these sociopaths who might be out there, lying in wait, seem somewhat overdone as well. Though, certainly, if a reader already believed that they had gotten involved with a sociopath, or user of some other kind, her suggestions would be quite useful. They boil down to "have boundaries", "maintain your boundaries", "don't ignore warning signs of bad behavior", and "trust your instincts". Pretty common-sense advice for anyone, as far as I'm concerned.

Over all, it was a decent book, but a little alarmist. Worth the money for me, but nothing I'd recommend to anyone who reads a lot of pop-psychology already.

Oh, and I started The Empress File by John Sandford as soon as I finished The Sociopath Next Door last week. It's better, and I've already torn through most of it. At this rate, I might even finish it before I hit the plane on Thursday!

For me, at least.

So, I've been helping a friend with her blog, right?  Helping stamp out spam, blah, blah, blah.  Anyway, she uses Movable Type for her blog, which I used to use.  I mean, it wasn't like there were a lot of options out there when I first started this blog, what, six years ago?  MT was it, so that's what I used.  But, a couple years back they started jacking around with the license agreement and what you could legally run with their blog software before you were in violation of the agreement.  When they first released it, before they got big, the promise was that MT would always be free, at least for the personal, home user.  Then, things changed due to pressure from investors and the market.  So I changed systems to WordPress, which I love for a lot of reasons.  For one thing, I find it easier to write additonal components for WP.  It's also easier to use, in my opinion.

But, all that aside, when I was in her blog, clearing out the massive comment spam, I saw an announcement from Six Apart regarding the MT license.  It's free.  Again.  I laughed out loud when I read that.  Sort of closing the barn door after the customer has escaped, don't you think?

I see a trend here...

Okay, you loyal readers know that I am out there in the great, big world of dating again. You also know by now that I'm an observer of human nature and see things from a slightly skewed point of view. So, keeping both those things in mind, go read the two articles I'm about to link to: A Week of Picking Up Men and A Week of Picking Up Women.

Back? Great! Did you notice what I did? There were only two places that these two people both went looking for a potential date: the gym and the park/dog park. And, yes, I think there is a substantial difference between the park and a dog park, but it's close enough for my purposes. Is it any wonder we have trouble meeting people? We go through our single lives, in theory always ready to find "true love", but rarely looking in the same places. Or, is that just very clever strategy?
The woman went searching for places where men could show off for her, or where they're "in their element", so to speak. Of course, some of that assumes the stereotype of men being emotionally closed off and only able to communicate via sports or hardware. Or, maybe, that's just the type of man this particular woman prefers. In any case, she tends toward a setting where she's, basically, on men's theoretical turf.
Notice, in contrast, that the man put himself, generally, in situations where either he was one of the few men available, or where women would have their guard down already. Even at the gym, he sought out a class that was entirely women. Also, notice how he started out hitting on a girl who clearly thought he was too old for her? Does that happen a lot? Somehow, I'm betting it does.
Oh, and did you notice where he had the most trouble? The bookstore! Which, as you might remember, is where my therapist sent me to try and find a date. What did this guy say about that? Basically, that I'd either have to be an idiot or have a lot of chutzpah to pull it off. Okay, that explains my "success rate" at Borders!

So, since most of my readers are of the female variety, do you have any suggestions for a poor schlub like me dangling his bait in shark infested waters?

Please note: I am not now, nor have I ever been, a trained killer.

I mention this right up front because;

• I have been accused of being such a person
• I'm about to write about killing

Now, as you may recall, I have purchased a 4 Gig iPod Nano. I love my little music-maker, even if it's in the shop at the moment. I have been quietly ripping many, many CDs and syncing them to my beloved, precious iPod. But, I had no idea that my little, friendly iPod Nano could turn deadly. Apparently, I don't get out enough because this article over at Gizmodo really woke me up to the deadliness of my adorable, little Nano: 8 Ways to Kill Someone with the Nano. I am not making this up. Hell, I could not make this up.

It's Friday, so don't give me any backtalk. Go, click the link and learn how to be deadly with your iPod Nano in time for the weekend.

Once again, I've agreed to something without realizing it.

Some of my long-time readers and old friends may know that I was a Boy Scout when I was a kid. In fact, I was an Eagle Scout, which is the highest award a boy can earn in Scouting. So was my older brother. We both became Eagles because my father didn't. Much like going to college, it was just an accepted fact that this was something we were going to do. I don't think either one of us even stopped to consider an alternative, honestly. Once Dad made up his mind, well, it was just going to happen. It's a trait his sons learned, too, I'm afraid. Hell, I think his daughters might have picked it up as well. All four of us just tend to drop our heads and charge forward, no matter the odds, once we've made up our minds.
In any case, back when I did it, only one out of one-hundred boys in Scouting earned their Eagle. My troop had a slightly higher than normal ratio, but, mostly that percentage proved true. The Eagle Award Ceremony is a fairly big deal in Scouts, in part because of how few boys get it. My brother presented me my Eagle, which was another big deal, both to the Scouts there and my family. I don't think Dad could have looked prouder. And, I think that event, more than any other, cemented the strange relationship my brother and I have. I admire him not just as a younger brother admires his more accomplished and experienced big brother, but as a man. In many respects, I look up to him as a role-model for the way a modern man should be. Intelligent, caring, concerned with family, loving in his own reserved way, and even funny in a rather unique, cerebral way. My father is from a different era, and I admire him, too, but in an entirely different way. And, I have to admit, there are times that my brother is a hard act to follow. He's an actual genius, holding a PhD. in Physical Chemistry and responsible for the rewriting of quite a few Chemistry textbooks. Still, he's my only brother and I love him. And I was extremely honored when he and his wife made me his oldest child's godfather.

Well, that nephew of mine has finally gotten his Eagle. The award ceremony is coming up Saturday, August 12th. They very much wanted me to be there, but I simply couldn't afford a ticket and all the other expenses right now. So, my brother bought me a ticket up for the weekend. I'll be headed up North, home, for the first time in about three years. I certainly appreciated that, but, until Monday night, I couldn't figure out what the fuss was all about. Then, while on my weekly call to the parental units, my mother enlightened me. Apparently, I'm going to be presenting my godson with his Eagle award! A-ha! Now, finally, the light goes on and I get it. So, I'll need to get a suit cleaned and my good, white shirts cleaned and pressed. I'm afraid I might even be called on to make a small speech, which terrifies me, but which I'll handle just fine, as I always seem to do.

Family is a funny thing. I have fought for years not to be a role-model for my nephews. I was so terrified that they'd make all the same mistakes I have and I couldn't bear that. But, somehow, in fighting to make my own way and in my attempts to teach them not to follow any crazy path I might have taken, I've become someone important to them. That mythical, crazy uncle who took off for Texas in '98. The wild-card. Strangely enough, somehow, the lovable rogue-adventurer who's out there, somewhere, doing things his own way.
So, for a change, I don't mind being Shanghaied into a little public speaking and, if I'm lucky, some admiration from a couple of incredible young men.

I probably should have specified magazine subscriptions that I let lapse for a reason when I put up that poll.

For instance, Writer's Digest. Writer's Digest recycles the same writing articles, or article subjects, about every 18 months. Nothing I haven't read or don't have in a book.
Or, National Geographic. Nice magazine with wonderful pictures, but I hate to throw it away and it takes up a lot of room.
Smithsonian magazine. I stopped that one because my ex-wife insisted we get it, but, after getting me to spend the money, never read a single issue or article. Ever. It's a nice enough magazine, sure, but the articles are so wordy and often not on subjects that interest me and, yet, I feel guilty when I don't read it because the entire magazine is so damn educational.

Oh, and that cutie from Match? Hasn't responded to the last e-mail I sent Saturday morning. And her profile seems to be missing now. Do you think it was something I said? ;)

You know, I should proofread these silly posts more closely.

I've mentioned on this blog before that I tend to queue up posts when I'm in a writerly mood so that I have them ready to go later. In fact, I have a bunch just sitting there, staring at me, waiting for me to be in the right mood to post them. This week, I turned two loose that had been in the queue for varying amounts of time. One was only there for a couple of days, but the other had been sitting there for close to six weeks. As a result, there were some things that hadn't been clear to me when I wrote it that are clear to me now. Yes, I'm talking about where my relationship with LK stands. (We're friends, now, incidentally. We finally both realized that, while we like the other person quite a lot, anything more intimate probably wouldn't work well for either of us in the long-term. Sad, but true.) But, you see, earlier this week, I got an e-mail from a friend in a distant land who was concerned about me because I hadn't been keeping up my regular posting schedule. So, without looking too carefully, I fired two queued posts into the blogosphere. Sadly, I hadn't checked the second one closely enough and it was a slightly more "live round" than I'd intended. Whoops!

Oh, well, at least my loyal readers can learn from my mistake! ;)
Oh, and one more thing, before I forget... Some cute, local gal sent me a message on Match.com last night. Totally out of the blue, completely unexpected and totally cool. Just, you know, FYI, in case anyone was wondering.

Don't forget to vote in the opinion poll in my sidebar!