Monthly Archives: January 2006

My First Month on the Job

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Regular readers may notice a full month has already passed since I started my new job. My sole regret is I have not worked as closely with the people from my previous team whom helped me learn and grow as a manager, engineer and person during the past several years. Of course, my main reason for taking on this new role was to learn from and grow with a different set of people to develop and hone a different set of skills. Consequently, this adjustment comes as no surprise. The reality is still a bit disappointing, nonetheless.

To celebrate the occasion I thought I would share a few of my observations thus far. Keep in mind I have not been in my new role long enough to substantiate most of the tidbits below but my hunch is most of my early perceptions/observations are generally applicable within my domain and beyond. Of course, there are always exceptions.

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My Apple iTunes Music Store Prediction

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It is still too early to tell but my prediction that Apple will be forced to adopt à la carte pricing on its iTunes Music & Video store may be well on its way to becoming true. Here is an article posted on MSNBC last week at the Consumer Electronics Show detailing how the competition is heating up.

Keith

Linux/Unix Less Secure Than Windows in 2005

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Linux/Unix Vulnerabilities Outnumber Windows’ 3 To 1

I wonder how many bloggers & news outlets will carry this story. So much for the “Linux/Unix is so much more secure than Windows” fearmongering. This Microsoft-friendly report was created by the US government no less — apparently there was no love lost after they tried, unsuccessfully, to break up the company.

I’m sure someone will spin this story in a way that implicates Microsoft with the creation of this report and continues to impugn the company’s commitment to quality. «yawn»

Postage Increase

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As a reminder the US Postal Service is increasing all domestic & international postage rates effective January 8th. Of course I purchased two sheets of 37-cent stamps a short while ago which means I now need to buy some complementary 2-cent stamps to mail something first-class.

Apparently, this increase is the result of the Board of Governors decision to have the USPS create a $3.2 billion escrow account – yep, it is costing us more money so the US postal system can have an emergency fund. Someone needs to earmark some of this money for updating http://usps.com which is a pain to navigate. You know it is pathetic when you have to search the site to find something as important as an imminent rate increase for the first time since 2002.

Here is the press release which includes some of the new domestic rates.

Why does it feel like the fleecing of America each time postage increases?

Maple Syrup

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“In all honesty, I don’t like real maple syrup. I actually prefer the fake stuff like Log Cabin.”

Sadly, yours truly was the speaker of the above words and I didn’t appreciate the irony/humor/nonsense coming from my mouth until TB started chuckling and shaking her head as she typically does when I say something either really funny or really stupid (or both as in this case).

We were having breakfast at The Original Pancake House in Kirkland, WA and were digging into the buttermilk pancakes, mushroom & cheese omelette and breakfast potatoes we ordered. Disappointed with how the pure maple syrup, in my mind, detracted from the experience of the otherwise perfect pancakes I matter-of-factly uttered the words above.

I’m sure TB already knew my penchant for artificial, corn syrup based “syrups” on pancakes and waffles. However, from her reaction on this occasion, I felt as though I were from a galaxy far far away sharing completely comprehensible yet utterly absurd solecisms.

Where is Mrs. Butterworth when you need her? :ashamed: