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Simple Nomad's Blog


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28Dec2005 - Almost Done

The kitchen is almost done. Yes it has been 5 weeks since I updated this blog. Technically they finished about 2 weeks ago, but they fucked up the tile backsplash. We couldn't figure out why it didn't look right, and Kim finally noticed they filled in the texture and roughness in the stone tiles. We bought them specifically for that look. *sigh* So here it is, me waiting for the tile guy to show up. Fortunately they wildly over-estimated on the tile and we have a shitload left over, although they should pay us for what they ruined.

Yule was good, had a nice ritual on the Winter Solstice, even though we didn't decorate this year. We couldn't get a tree this year since my car went in the shop and it is fairly impossible to get a tree in Kim's Miata. I guess its not impossible, but highly improbable. My car in the shop hurt though -- $3300 worth of work, mainly related to the head gasket and timing chain. However it runs like a top now, and all of the various rattling noises are gone.

Work is, well, work. There are moments when it is exciting and fun, but when you are building a new product from the ground up and are handed a list of 4200 "issues" to write IPS signatures for, it can get a little boring. Actually it can get maddening. Fortunately I can distract myself in various ways during the day, like with a home-cooked meal for lunch thanks to the new kitchen, and the various other distractions like "self-reward video game time" after a chunk of IPS signatures are complete. I think "self-reward look-at-the-new-links-on-my-favorite-pr0n-site time" is in fact the best distraction of all, next to home office sex.

I'm getting pumped about ShmooCon, since my talk is actually interesting. It involves me disclosing some stuff that I reported to Microsoft that they aren't real thrilled about. Fortunately for the flying masses, it is an easy workaround, but unfortunately for the flying masses, Microsoft won't patch it until the next Service Pack. Anyway it is edgy enough the description is not on the ShmooCon web site to help ensure I make it to DC and avoid the "no-fly" list. Jennifer got a synopsis of it and thought there wouldn't be a problem, but I'm not taking any chances.

Speaking of Jennifer, she wrote a kick ass article for Wired. So far, the last 4 administrations have managed to REALLY piss me off, but this current regime makes Nixon look like a choir boy. Go Jennifer. This last round of criminal activity is so fucking blatant it is almost beyond belief. Fascism. Fucking fascism. We told King George to suck a fatty in 1776 for this? I think not. Anyway, read Jennifer's article and also keep in mind this gem, which came out a bit afterwards. Jennifer, I hope you don't end up on the no-fly list....