Or at least what the fire did, and it fried a bit of my hand too... 

Just got this in the mail yesterday:

THE MARYLAND HOUSE OF DELEGATES

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

April 8, 2008

Mr. David Kearns
Rockville, MD 20850

Dear Mr. Kearns:

Thank you for contacting me in support of the tech tax repeal. I am extremely pleased that we succeeded in removing what would have been an extremely harmful tax – for those in the industry, Montgomery County, and the state.

During the special session's final days, both Del. Sheila Hixson, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and I, as chairman of its Revenue Subcommittee, strongly objected to the adoption of the tech tax during conference committee deliberations. But we were outvoted because other members believed that this was a minor Montgomery County problem.

During session, IT professionals took the time to testify and meet with delegates and senators. They convinced legislators of the serious consequences that would result if the tax was allowed to stand. Once that was accomplished, members of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees were faced with the task of crafting legislation that would allow us to replace the tax. We did this with a combination of cuts and a three-year tax surcharge on those earnings annually more than $1 million. It is not a perfect solution but is a good compromise.

Again, thank you for your support and interest. We could not have repealed this tax without your help. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to call me or email me at kumar[at]kumarbarve[dot]com.

Sincerely,


Kumar P. Barve
Majority Leader

KPB/mfs

I removed my street address (and moved since that address so this was lovingly forwared by the post office), and the email formatting was mine (no need to spam Mr. Barve). I'm certainly pleased. I get paid as a consultant and this would have eaten into my earnings big time, enough that I would have had to think about moving out of the state, and having just moved back to Maryland would have made me sad. Now I can stay put for a while.

And this is the view...

I have two daughters, and hope to have more, but at some point they are no longer little girls, and head off for higher education. Every parent has aspirations for their children, whether it is to follow in their footsteps, or aspire to bigger and better things.

Nate sent me a link today that helps me to know what direction to push my children. A comparison of universities around the world? Nope. A comprehensive breakdown of the best programs by subject? Nope. An article on the earning potential of the top universities? Nope. It was this:

the Cal marching band performed a slew of videogame related songs during the half-time show of this past weekend’s football game, starting with the Tetris theme.

[ Capcom US - The Blog » Blog Archive » Cal (Berkeley) Marching Band Plays Video Game Music ]

Too cool.

You may think me the freak, but today the weather was just perfect:

So I should probably figure out where this type of weather is a regular thing, say 2/3rds of the year, and move there...

Of course it also needs to have all the benefits of where I live now:

• Great restaurants
• Top schools
• Lots of diversity
• Large Muslim community
• Plentiful Internet

And welcome to solid foods.

First Meal - Rice Cereal

Second Meal - Peaches!

Windows is certainly not the platform for doing anything with video. The second video needed some cropping, so I converted the video to something I could edit, and cropped it, but in the process it sped up the video, haven't a clue why. I'm sure there is some program I could buy that would make it all easier, but that seems stupid. Score one for Steve Jobs...

Not just for steaming crabs:

Vinegar is a liquid produced from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid. Ninety percent of American Households buy vinegar. The 4 major uses are for salads, as cooking ingredients, pickling and home canning.

[ 62 Little Known Uses Of Vinegar | because you value your body ]

I've been cleaning the house with vinegar for a while now. Ants seem to hate it, it cleans almost as good as those chemical cleaners, but you know it's got to be better for the environment. I add a bit of flavored oil to mask the vinegar smell a bit, since the wife doesn't much like how vinegar smells. Now I've got a few dozen more things to try my vinegar on.

If you are uncertain of the types of plastic in your toddler's drinkware, check the bottom of the cup, which may state it as a number. 1, 2, 4, and 5 are OK, but 3 and 6 are not, and 7 usually is not, either. If the number is not specified, you can call the company or simply replace unaccounted-for plastics with known safe alternatives.

[ Z Recommends: Sippy Cup Showdown: Safer, BPA-Free Drinkware For Toddlers ]

Toddler's drinkware? How about everyone's everything? Babies and toddlers are known to lick things, and who can keep track of kids 24/7? I need to commit 3, 6, and 7 to memory and make sure I avoid these newly found to be poisonous (and hormonal) plastics. I see aluminium is an alternative, but I thought that could cause alzheimers...

New this week? Rolling over:

That means we're just about to be forced into... Baby Proofing!

Oh yes, I snore. I even have been witnessed having apneas. My sister-in-law recommends going to a sleep lab, but the site I went to says they're all far away, and I really dislike doctors. So, as usual, I'll try hair-brained crackpot ideas first. Last month it was Breath Right sleep strips. I picked up a box of transparent large size, and they seemed to do the trick great (at least Yaty says so, I'm asleep when I sleep, so...). This month went to grab another box and they only had the tan ones. Guess what? Tan don't cut it. The clear ones are more rigid, and apparently for me that matters. Went to another store to buy a box of the clear ones, and saw this:

Snoreclipse contains rare earth magnets that were carefully designed to apply a constant, gentle pressure on the nasal septum. This pressure increases circulation in the nasal area and promotes opening of the nasal passages. The opening of the nasal passages encourages relaxed breathing through the nose, which is very helpful in preventing snoring. Retraining the body to breathe through the nose in a calm, relaxed way is the objective.

[ Snoreclipse from Pureline Oralcare ]

Haven't a clue what "rare earth magnets" are, but at $15 I'm sucker enough. Only tried them one night, I'll have to update you later if these are a solution or not. (Though $15/year vs. $13/month I'm hoping this thingy does the trick)

Summer's here, and the time is right, for... Grillin' and Lunchin'

3 days straight! Love that home office.

I've got ants in the house. The house is old, and a bit porous. And I'm not a fan of poisons, especially around the baby. I've taken to some homeopathic remedies, some of which are working, others not so much. Next up I should try the "boric acid sugar solution cotton ball trick" that I've read about, and I expect it will turn out kind of like this:

Props: rants and ramblings

Apparently a Muslim woman in the UK wore an all-over swimsuit to go swimming in Britain and received a bit of flack for it. I just need someone to explain this logic to me:

I'll tell you why you shouldn't go swimming like this in Britain; it's because women in this country are equal to men and are not obliged to cover themselves up when swimming - or indeed at any other time - because some men somewhere have decided that's how it has to be. Women in Britain fought for and died for the right to be equal. In this country we are able to dress, or undress, exactly as we see fit. If that's not your choice, poor you. But don't be surprised when people mock you and pass comment on your totally inappropriate clothing for swimming.

[ Comment by Linda Allan of Bath - The Guardian ]

This is the problem with "freedom" in the west, and likewise the issue I've always had with women's rights in the west. The freedom and choice were hard fought and won, and if you don't use that freedom to choose exactly the same as everyone else, then you are an affront to that freedom. But how is that freedom?

One of the things I've come to respect the most about my wife's country of Indonesia is their respect and reverence for the different traditions, ways, cultures, and practices of the peoples of their country and ultimately the world. They understand that each people have their own adat, and in order to be civilized there must be respect for each other.

Props to Islamophobia Watch.

Day number two on the new job, working on the porch, wonderful weather, birds chirping.

Wait, what is this on my Vista Desktop?

March winds bring April showers, not April cold freezing temperatures!

I have accepted a position with:

MK Data Services
Denied Parties Screening
Searching the list of restricted and denied parties is now easier than ever.

Product Classifier
An easy-to-use tool that will aid you in specifying the proper Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)

U.S. Laws & Regulations
Current and accurate regulatory information, available twenty-four hours a day

Federal Register Database
An easily accessable catalog, updated daily

[ MK Technology - Trade Controls Management Consulting - Data Services ]

So if you are in the need for these services, please think of me first.

I ran the technical side of this small web development firm. Overseeing development, creative, and network resources. During the years I've worked here I have progressed from Senior Developer, to Solutions Architect, through CTO and lastly CSA.

[ David Kearns: Senior Developer or Technical Executive ]

That quote from my resume sums up so much in such a tiny space, but what will be will be.

Feel free to share my resume with those that have opportunities that I'd enjoy and fit my skills.

originally uploaded by Yaty Yasir Kearns.

So we're trying the gDiapers in an attempt to be good caretakers of the earth and all, but their website has videos that just don't show for me. I'm not sure what is wrong, I upgraded my quicktime, but nothing. So with a tiny bit of hacking, here's the "fit" video directly (without the irritating pop up window jobby):

Now, if you know this lady, and have a kid about the age of this one, perhaps downloading this video and saving it for future total embarassment potential is a good idea. I think, however, his folks will be embarssing him themselves.

The first 2 videos are Flash, so I'm assuming they'll work fine for everyone, there is a flushing video, however, you may want to watch as well.

Zahra Shirley Kearns
Born Feb. 5th 4:08 PM
8 lbs 2.4 oz
21 inches

And that problem is Grocery Stores. How many do you visit on a weekly basis, here's my list:

• Giant - close by, self checkout, has basic traditional American products
• Safeway - sometimes we're in that neighborhood, much like Giant but more Organic selections
• Whole Foods - lots of Organic cruelty free type stuff, and great cheese selection
• Trader Joe's - just has things no one else seems to carry
• Kam Sam - Chinese Grocery right around the corner for basic Asian products
• Asian Market - Farther away but with better Indonesian selection
• Grand Mart - Korean supermarket way up in Gaithertucky, but really great produce
• Shah & Patel - Indopak groceries that no one else carries
• Lezzet - Turkish dry goods, only they have the super awesome sour cherry juice that I'm growing to love
• Rockville Gourmet Halal Meat Market - super butcher even if you aren't Islamic in your leanings

And those are just the regular spots, then sometimes we'll stop into a specialty market like

• Yekta - Persian grocery
• The Italian Store - just found out they carry Illy pods

Where do you shop?

Update: List has grown...

They tell me that babies like the music. Since I expect to have a baby back in my life shortly, I plan to put together some CDs for the baby. I don't particularly like the sort of Barney or Raffi type stuff that is pushed as music for children, but I do understand that small humans prefer simple music to more complicated stuff.

I just started this yesterday, so I don't have much yet, but I have a deadline looming so I'm asking the world at large for assistance. I figure I need 2 discs, one for waking up/car time/play time and one for nap/bed time. So far I have only 4 17 items that I am sure I want:

1. Big Rock Candy Mountain - Burl Ives
2. Goober Peas - Burl Ives
3. 500 Miles - Peter, Paul and Mary
4. Whistling Gypsy - The Clancy Brothers
5. Cotton-Eyed Joe - The Chieftains feat. Ricky Scaggs
6. Que Sera Sera - Dorris Day
7. Tacos, Enchiladas and Beans - Dorris Day
8. Scarborough Fair - Simon & Garfunkel
9. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
10. California Dreamin' - The Mamas & The Papas
11. Hotel California - The Eagles
12. For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
13. Purple People Eater - Sheb Wolley
14. Mother Goose Medley - Spike Jones
15. Istanbul - They Might Be Giants
16. Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver
17. Rainy Days and Mondays - The Carpenters

Yes, so far it's all folk music, but I like folk music so nyah.

I'm hoping I can find some acceptable tunes in some other languages too, no need to limit baby so early.

What would you put on a CD for babies?

I live on the Internets, many of my friends do as well. Some of my friends and family don't. And sometimes I brings things back from the Internets and have to explain them to the people in meatspace.

Exhibit A

How do I explain this one? I ordered a lovely onesie with the baby "Trogdor the Burninator" on it for my future baby (to arrive in early Febuary), but I'm certain I will get questioned about what on earth this is. I think I can explain it here to those who visit the Internets, but don't necessarily live here, or live here but haven't yet experienced some of the odder corners of cyberworld.

Clearly you can find the Wikipedia and look up the entry on Trogdor, but let me sum it up for you:

1. The US government wants to make sure that it can wage war even after a nuclear strike, so they invent the first of many Internets called ARPANET.
2. Some brainy scientific types in Swizertucky who do the Nuclear thing wanted to read each others papers
3. A guy or two in Chicago decided that pictures were nicer than just words
4. Macrodobe used to be more than one company, and one of them decided that we needed their interactive CD product on the Internets, but it was big so they acquired another company and it became Flash
5. Flash is kinda dumb for most everything except Homestar Runner
6. The Homestar Runner is kinda dumb, but his friend/nemisis Strongbad is clever
7. Did I say clever? Perhaps I meant he's kinda Jaka Sembung
8. But funny (funny peculiar that is)
9. He likes to doodle, and doodle, and doodle
10. Geeks like his doodles and go way too far
11. I'm a geek
12. I bought a onesie

And now you are caught up on how it all happened, and what I've gotten myself into.

Oh, and HSR has a wiki dedicated to it (the HSR that is).

Did I mention I love where I live?

Yalda and about 50 other Wootton students were on an unusual field trip that took them to Washington National Cathedral, the Islamic Mosque and Cultural Center and the synagogue. They marveled at stained glass and gothic arches, watched Muslim men perform noon prayers and heard about the history of the Jewish community in Washington, all in an effort become familiar with religious traditions many had never seen up close.

[ A Window On Religion And Tolerance - washingtonpost.com ]

Not just every school system would allow for a field trip like this. Seriously cool, IMHO.

We just moved to the City of Rockville, MD, and the city built us a website:

Dear New Rockville Resident,

On behalf of the more than 57,000 residents of Rockville, we want to welcome you to our City.

You have arrived in Rockville at quite an exciting time. Rockville’s proud history dates back more than 250 years, and its future promises to build upon all of the character that led to Rockville being ranked No. 26 by Money Magazine on its 2006 list of “Best Places to Live in the U.S.”

You will quickly learn that Rockville is second to none when it comes to providing basic services and access to those special things you sought when deciding where to make your next home. Almost every residence in the City is within a five-minute walk of a park. Cultural and recreational opportunities abound in Rockville. Our special events attract notice around the Washington Beltway. And in 2007, Rockville unveils the start of its downtown revitalization as the first phase opens in the new Rockville Town Center.

You likely already have noticed that the City Web site has massive amounts of information, some of which is not traditionally available on local government Web sites. It reflects our mission to promote openness in government. This “Online Welcome Kit” was designed to help our newest residents easily find information they might need.

And whenever you have a concern or question that you cannot find on our Web site, the staff working under City Manager Scott Ullery is there to help. The main number to City Hall is 240-314-5000.

We again welcome you to Rockville. We know you will love living here.

Sincerely,

Mayor Larry Giammo
Councilmember Bob Dorsey
Councilmember Susan Hoffmann
Councilmember Phyllis Marcuccio
Councilmember Anne Robbins

[ New Resident Information ]

Thanks, City of Rockville. Bawk bawk!

Lookee what is just 1.7 miles up the road from me:

Fallsgrove is a mixed-use neighborhood development on the former Thomas Farm, a site approximately 257 acres located east of Shady Grove Road opposite the Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville, (Montgomery County) Maryland.

[ Fallsgrove Village Center ]

Sure, blah blah blah, but what stores could they possibly have that I'd care about? For starters:

• CheeBurger CheeBurger (seems like a Five Guys...)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill
• EB Games
• Häagen Dazs
• Krispy Kreme
• Moby Dick House of Kabob
• Panera Bread
• Ritz Camera
• Smoothie King
• Starbucks

Not bad for the evil side of the Potomac, eh Dari?

Super Saver Shipping applies to Amazon Grocery items:

• More than 14,000 non-perishable items--and growing every day
• All items eligible for free Super Saver Shipping and Amazon Prime
• Great everyday prices on your favorite brands
• Shipped to your door, just like any other Amazon.com purchase

[ Amazon.com - Grocery ]

With a bit of planning that could save a ton of money and time.

...the residents of Rockville.

Residents of the City of Rockville receive many services provided by the City. These services include City of Rockville Police protection, City water, City trash and refuse collections and City street maintenance. The City is governed by its Mayor and Council, whose members are elected only by City residents registered to vote in City elections.

[ Information for Residents ]

Highlights for me include:

• Croydon Creek Nature Center
• Farmers' Market
• Master Street Tree Plan
• Rockville Parks, Facilities and Schools
• Recycling
• Town Center (just around the corner from us)

A guy trades up a red paper clip for a house.

He traded a red paperclip for a pen, which he traded for a doorknob, which he traded for a grill, which he traded for a generator, which he traded for a keg and neon beer sign, which he traded for a snowmobile, which he traded for a trip to Canada, which he traded for a van, which he traded for a recording contract, which he traded for a year's housing in Arizon, which he traded for an afternoon with Alice Cooper, which he traded for a KISS snow globe, which he traded for a role in a movie, which he traded for a house in Saskatchewan.

[ Red Paperclip: Success : Joe Grossberg ]

I'm curious if he actually owned the paper clip or just swiped it from work. Could that potentially mean that his employer could sue him for the house?

I have outgrown my current living space, and I require more. This means moving to a larger place, and it is the ideal time to relocate if I ever plan on doing it, before Iman makes so many friends that it becomes painful to move. After an exhaustive search of what is out there, how much things cost, what kinds of schools there are, etc. etc. I have come to the conclusion that I wish to live in Twinbrook, which is in the southeast corner of Rockville, MD.

I have found some very nice places to live there, and I like the feel of the neighborhoods. The area seems diverse, and the schools are the at the top, nationwide. There are a few requirements that I have, which I have become accustomed to, and do not desire to live without (or at least a suitable replacement). Some I have already located:

• My bank
• Favorite restaurants:
  • Taco Bell
  • Chipotle
  • Pollo Campero
  • Shilla Café
  • Silver Diner
• Plenty of Korean Markets
• The Metro

What we still don't seem to have found are:

• Pho as good as Saigon Citi
• Kabobs as good as Food Corner
• Thai, but it appears there are plenty to try
• Mexican and/or Tex-Mexican, though there is a Guapo's in Bethesda, but I've heard it's not as good as the one in Shirlington.

So any and all suggestions by people in the Rockville area are welcome.

Right in the midst of some work, I lost Internet connectivity again.

Looked to the corner to see if there was another truck gone crazy, nope just the cables on fire. I'm not sure how something like this happens. This morning when I left the house there were 2 trucks working on the repairs with large quantities of cable, and a "fiber optic toolkit". Wonder what else can happen to the wires on my block.

Working from home today, and this is what the "wall" of my "home office" looks like.

'course if it were raining, I think I wouldn't be right next to the railing...

Update: New View

Some truck drove down my block hitting power lines all the way. Big bang, bright light, and no cable. Thus no Internet. So I've relocated to the Panera, I figured I'd try their new pizza-thing. Pizza-thing only available after 4^pm. Crap. Got salad. Also not so impressive. Green tea is pre-sweetened? Crazy. Something about this Panera just doesn't make much sense to me...

 

Ah yes,

pregnant (comparative more pregnant, superlative most pregnant)

1. (not used in the comparative or superlative) Carrying developing offspring within the body.
2. Having many possibilities or implications.

Synonyms

• (carrying developing offspring):
  • (standard): expecting, expecting a baby, gravid (of animals only), with child, fertilized
  • (colloquial/slang): eating for two, having a bun in the oven, in the family way, knocked up, up the duff
  • (euphemistic): in an interesting condition
• (having many possibilities or implications): meaningful, significant

[ pregnant - Wiktionary ]

Up the what? Apparently UK slang. I'm sure there is more ways than this to suggest that someone is preggers.

There are a number of colloquialisms for pregnancy, usually regional. The action of impregnating a woman or girl is called 'knocking (her) up' in Canada and some parts of the U.S., and the state of being pregnant 'knocked-up'. The term 'lady-in-waiting', meaning a pregnant woman, is used broadly in the U.S. The word 'gone' or 'along' is used to represent gestational time, e.g. 'she's really far gone' or 'about 6 weeks gone' or 'six months along'. In the southern U.S. the euphemism of a water well is occasionally used to represent pregnancy (e.g. 'drink out of the well', to become pregnant), and a baby almost ready to be delivered is 'on his/her road'. Eastern Seaboard slang describes the woman as being 'in a fix' or, occasionally, 'preggers'; the Southern U.S. equivalent is 'in the family way'. An alternate term not slang or colloquial is 'with child'. 'Having a bun in the oven' is another frequently used phrase to indicate that a woman is pregnant. In Australia, it is commonly held that a pregnant woman is "up the duff".

[ Wikipedia via Answers.com ]

That cleared that up, espeically that "drink out of the well" bit that makes no sense...

Flickr has a page that you can forever reload and see pics that have been marked "interesting" from the past 7 days. Page after page after page of seriously good photography and interesting views of the world.

This is possibly the proper replacement for Life magazine. I just wish the stories were better...

Four Things Meme:

Four Jobs I've Had
1. library page
2. bakery assistant (not baker's, but more cleaning and greasing)
3. video store assistant manager
4. CTO

Four Movies I Can Watch Over And Over
1. Ladyhawke
2. Crouching Tiger, Hiden Dragon
3. Bladerunner
4. Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Four Places I've Lived
1. Silver Spring, MD
2. Richmond, VA
3. Alexandria, VA
4. Washington, DC

Four TV Shows I Love
1. Good Eats
2. Globe Trekker
3. The Colbert Report
4. Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations

Places I've Vacationed
1. Ireland
2. Indonesia
3. Japan (just for a day)
4. Morocco

Four of My Favorite Dishes
1. Anything Mole Poblano
2. Pizza (Neapolitan style)
3. Fried Rice (preferably Indonesian or Thai)
4. Kebab (preferably Afghani)

Four Sites I Visit Daily
1. bloglines
2. google
3. flickr
4. i love egg (or maybe wikipedia)

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now
1. Mecca, Saudi Arabia
2. Pantai Losari, Makassar, Sulawesi
3. San Francisco Bay Area, California
4. Somewhere in Japan

Four Bloggers I'm Tagging
1. Shiny Donkey
2. KooshMoose
3. My simple life
4. The Swarthy Rants

Personalized plates, in seconds, under $10!

www.dmvnow.com

Methylphenidates have the horrible side effect of a roller coaster ride of a day, but apparently that isn't the worst of it.

Concerned about the risk of sudden death or serious injury associated with Ritalin and other stimulants used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a federal advisory panel says the drugs should carry the most serious type of warning label.

The proposed "black box" warning would inform doctors, patients and parents of the uncertainty regarding the risk the drugs may pose to the cardiovascular system. The warnings could be rescinded if future studies fail to definitely establish any risk, officials said.

[ Feds Recommend Warnings on ADHD Drugs - Yahoo! News ]

Not liking the side effects of Ritalin or Metadate I switched to Strattera a while ago, and except for the fact it hits the stomach hard (bad bad acid), I'm loving it over previous treatments. This article goes on to point out:

The black box warning would not apply to Strattera, manufactured by Eli Lilly and Co. That drug is not a stimulant.

Although U.S. copyright law generally makes it illegal to copy a work without permission, the "fair use" doctrine permits some copying. But, what constitutes "fair use" is often misunderstood, and the rules are not always easy to apply. This article explains the fair use doctrine and how it works.

[ GigaLaw.com: What is "Fair Use" in Copyright Law? ]

After reading this, it's clear that no one does, at least no one who doesn't make $400 a hour to tell you how it works, and they may still be wrong.

Is it April already? Nope, I'm just wicked early this year. It sure feels good to have that out of the way already.

There are consequences for not obeying the law so remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

[1040 Central ]

This year I used TurboTax online. Their system is nice enough to tell you how much you owe or are getting back before you have to spend a dime. They also let you start with their lowest product (Essentials) and then upsell you on their other products if you need them. That way if you have super complicated taxes you don't get 1/2 way through and have to start over again.

Some colleagues work better or feel more comfortable with a task if they can actually talk about it, and it's unwise to force them into an electronic exchange.

[ CareerJournal | Is Emailing Nearby Colleagues A Sign of Office Dysfunction? ]

And some of us appreciate email and IM for what they are, and don't want to be forced into a verbal exchange. Verbal communications are synchronous, and achieving synchronized in the office can be a complete waste of time. 9 times out of 10, IMHO, when I hear "wouldn't this be easier to talk it out" I believe what is really being said is "my time is more valuable than yours, so I want to monopolize you as a resource and force you to synchronize with me".

The worst offenders of this seem to be sales folks. If I send an email to inquire about your product, don't send me an email requesting my phone number to call me because "it would be easier". If it was easier for me, I would have called you. And since it is potentially my money, I would expect the courtesy of choice of method to communicate would be left to me.

Props to Joe G

I have a handy alarm clock that automatically adjusts for daylight savings. Thanks to the US Congress, I get to replace it next year:

Starting in March 2007, daylight time in the United States will begin on the second Sunday in March and end on the first Sunday in November.

[ Daylight Time ]

How on earth could congress make a change to the US policy regarding Daylight Savings and not have it be to get rid of it? Now we're extending it by another month (give or take)?

And, for those of us that write software, we need to think hard if we coded for daylight savings anywhere, and update that code. Perhaps congress is worried that we don't have enough to program, and changing the rules frequently will help to employ programmers...

It's about time that someone stood up for decency.

The Senate defied the White House yesterday and voted to set new limits on interrogating detainees in Iraq and elsewhere, underscoring Congress's growing concerns about reports of abuse of suspected terrorists and others in military custody.

[ Senate Supports Interrogation Limits ]

The only obstacle now is ensuring that the House follows suit.

Despite his victory last night, McCain has two major obstacles remaining: House GOP leaders object to attaching it to a spending bill, and Bush could veto it.

But you can help to mitigate this risk by contacting your representative and letting them know how important this is to you, the American voter.

(Note: Some readers may point out that they are not American voters. Perhaps you could just forward the URL for this article to any American voters that you know...)

There must be some way to work the system...

The District of Columbia will offer a Sales Tax Holiday from Saturday, August 6, 2005, through Sunday, August 14, 2005 – just in time for back-to-school shopping

[ Office of Tax and Revenue: Press Release - July 20, 2005 ]

Granted, in theory, as a resident of Virginia, I am required to track all of my purchases that are not taxed by another state, and pay tax to the state of Virginia at the end of the year. So, technically, this does me no good what-so-ever. Plus Iman is already back in school...

Look for it in future conversations.

In 1995, McArthur Wheeler walked into two Pittsburgh banks and robbed them in broad daylight, with no visible attempt at disguise. He was arrested later that night, less than an hour after videotapes of him taken from surveillance cameras were broadcast on the 11 o'clock news. When police later showed him the surveillance tapes, Mr. Wheeler stared in incredulity. "But I wore the juice," he mumbled. Apparently, Mr. Wheeler was under the impression that rubbing one's face with lemon juice rendered it invisible to videotape cameras ( Fuocco, 1996 ).

[ Unskilled and Unaware of It ]

Props: Gibson.

Arial Unicode MS is one fat font. I'm not sure what program installed it on my XP Box, I assume Office 2003, but it's just stuffed with goodness. Looking through for an empty checkbox I happened across this: . Which reminds me that I'm a black knight.

What are you?

The Department of Homeland Security's Citizenship and Immigration Services has released a guide for new immigrants:

This comprehensive guide contains practical information to help immigrants settle into everyday life in the United States, as well as basic civics information that introduces new immigrants to the U.S. system of government.

[ CIS ]

Though, looking through the guide, there are quite a few Americans who would benefit from a perusal of this life information.

Props go out to whomever left this article in the Mercury News open on the table. (Most likely Mom or Dad)

Tomorrow, God willing, I head out to the sunny San Francisco Bay Area to welcome Yaty, my wife, to the US and to hang out with my folks for a few days. The weather looks perfect, I'm almost done packing, I've remembered to pick up a couple of gifts for her birthday (June 10th), and another little surprise for when she lands in the airport (can't say because she reads my page).

Currently I haven't planned much for the week, but I'm hoping for a short trip to Monterey to see the Aquarium; a trip into the city to see Pier 39, the Golden Gate, and Muir woods; a dinner out with the IUC gang; and something special (map) for her birthday. That right there should take most of the time we have, I guess.

I hope I am remembering everything I need for the trip, but to be honest this should be the easiest packing I've done in a long time. Iman has school and won't be able to come along, so I'm only packing for me. And California, contrary to the belief of some, is a domestic destination and requires little more than a visit inside Virginia.

I am flying America West, but I'm not sure how that happened, I had been planning to try out DC's newest airline, Independence Air, but somehow ended up changing that. It also seems I haven't flown much domestically in a while, as I've been informed that food is available for purchase on the flight. For purchase? How cheap have American airlines gotten? Can I fly JAL to California? I'm very skeptical about this shift in the food policy of airlines, but I've been told that everyone does it that way now.

Just so there are no more surprises, consider this the official announcement.

Yaty has cleared all DHS and DOS hurdles, has purchased her tickets, and should land in San Francisco's International Airport on June 5th at 6:50 PM. And, of course, I plan on meeting her there.

We'll be spending the week in California, visiting family, and maxing and relaxing.

If anyone has any suggestions on what to see and do in the San Francisco Bay Area, feel free to speak up.

I hate taxes. They are needlessly complicated, and cause me much anguish each year. They are difficult to plan for, always more confusing, and seem to favor the super rich who can afford big time accountants and lawyers to do their taxes for them. Enter a crazy plan:

His bill would abolish the Internal Revenue Service and the many billions of tax forms it sends out and receives. He would erase the federal income tax system -- personal and corporate income taxes, the regressive payroll tax and self-employment tax, capital gains, gift and estate taxes, the alternative minimum tax, and the earned-income tax credit -- and replace all that with a 23 percent national sales tax on personal consumption.

[ The Tax Plan To Kill K Street ]

I have no idea if this plan could ever work, or if it is good, or bad, or crazy, or impossible. But the dream of not filling out any personal income tax is just too great to not ignore this. To the best of my knowledge no other country forces this degree of law, accounting, math, and grief on it's population, so why should we?

"What did he do to deserve that?" - Henri after being informed that it was indeed Eisenhower on the dime:

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army.

[ Dwight D. Eisenhower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ]

Odd that keepting the Nazis from taking over the world just isn't enough, in Henri's eyes...

It's tax time. Taxes confuse me. I think my taxes should be very very simple, but the software (TaxCut this year) always asks me so many friggin' questions. Though planning for next year, I noted this:

Hobby Expenses

Enter the amount of any expenses you incurred in 2004 in the course of your not-for-profit activities, but only to the extent you reported income from those activities.

In counting "total expenses" for this purpose, you must include items such as interest that would be deductible in any event.

If you have expenses in excess of income from an activity, your tax benefit would be greater if you could deduct them. To deduct expenses in excess of income, you must prove that you had a profit motive in engaging in the activity.

You will be presumed to have the needed profit motive if the activity actually showed a profit in 3 of the past 5 years (including 2004). (If the activity consists of breeding, training, showing or racing of horses, the reference is 2 of the last 7 years.)

If you can show the needed profit motive, either using this presumption or otherwise, you should report all of your income and expenses for that activity on Schedule C, not here.

So I simply need to win a few video gaming events, enough to profit for 3 years, and then keep it up to an average of 3 out of each 5 years, and all video game purchases could be deductible?!?!?! Sounds good to me. (If near impossible with my schedule.) Though I expect anyone who blogs, and pulls in enough ad revenue to cover expenses with a bit left over, has some healthy deductions here.

My family has a mailing list. I believe it just may be my primary means of communication with most of my family. Is that wrong? Please don't judge, at least not yet:

Iwata announced that the Wi-Fi protocol for Nintendo DS will provide users with a link to other players across the country or around the world. Once the service begins later this year, Nintendo DS users will be able to connect to the service wirelessly at Wi-Fi hot spots, whether they’re at home, in a hotel or at a coffee shop. As one of several Wi-Fi games, Nintendo’s in-house development team is creating a new Animal Crossing game for global Wi-Fi play.

[ News : Article ]

Once Animal Crossing DS over WiFi becomes my primary means of communication with the entire world, then you can pity me. That is if you have Animal Crossing DS and can mail me your ridicule, or a fossil...

And I can't wait to tell the first client, instead of using a conference call, let's all just meet in my Animal Crossing DS town, mind the weeds!

Interesting article by a hijab-wearing American Muslim.

During my senior year of high school, a teacher I had known for four years asked me off-hand where I had learned my English. He was so impressed that I managed to rid myself of all traces of an Arab accent. After an awkward pause, as it slowly dawned on me that no, he was not joking, and yes, he really thought I was an immigrant, I had to explain to him that I had been born 10 minutes away from the school building. The reason my English was so accent-less was because I really was an American, even with my hijab on.

[ The Harvard Crimson Online :: Opinion ]

Reminds me of when I was in Mecca, so many people asked where I was from. I said America. They looked puzzled, and would change the question: "where are your people from?", to which I'd say America. Usually more puzzled looks, sometimes the offering of "you mean Syria?". Basically the thought of an Irish American Muslim was just not conceivable.

Not davidkearns.com, but Doceus:

Developers will work closely with our VP of technology to architect and deliver solutions for DC-area businesses, associations, and non-profit organizations.

[ Doceus - About Doceus - Employment Opportunities ]

And this job description neglected to say that all employees get to work with me!

Whether or not you are a fan of NPR, hopefully you can appreciate a good story:

Our storyteller shares the tale of an animal rescue -- or an attempt at an animal rescue -- involving a beaver, a box, great compassion and perhaps a bit too much beer.

[ NPR : The Great Beaver Rescue Effort ]

I'm always happy to hear of people willing to carry on story telling traditions, especially when they are this entertaining.

Good tips here, I think:

Hiring is all about probabilities. When we evaluate a candidate, we are basically just trying to predict whether that candidate will be a success in the position being filled. We're trying to know the future, but we have no prophets and no Oracle.

[ Hazards of Hiring (The Business of Software) ]

Microsoft is just a wealth of knowledge, eh?

Very interesting Talk of the Nation. I don't think they truly had enough time to explore and appreciate all views here, though.

Many victims of the tsunami are left with tough questions about fate and natural disasters. Often, they're left with few answers, only their faith. We discuss how Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians reconcile religion and disaster.

[ NPR TotN ]

The caller “Fathima” who doesn't identify her religion is clearly a Muslim. Her point is valid, but perhaps too much of a tangent. I felt the Imam did bring up an important point about testing vs. punishment, but left off other important concepts like why it is better to be punished in this life than the next. More importantly, I think, one of the Muslims should have touched on the concept of punishment of a society for societal ills.

As for the non-Muslims, who's opinions I am not as familiar with, I'm not sure the “end of days” scenario of the Jewish gentleman was truly on topic, he seemed to be more concerned with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and to imply that disasters of this proportion didn't occur before that invasion is a bit out there.

I also found the information about Krakatoa to be very intriguing, and may have to purchase his book.

Want to help?

1. Give a few bucks (or your choice)
2. Write your congressman or senator (for more US aid, of course)
3. Pray (Jewish, Christian, or Muslim)
4. Volunteer (I can't find any resources to assist with this one)

So far far away:

Distance between Washington, District of Columbia, United States and Ujung Pandang, Indonesia [ed: now known as Makassar], as the crow flies: 9883 miles (15905 km) (8588 nautical miles) Initial heading from Washington to Ujung Pandang: north-northwest (332.1 degrees) Initial heading from Ujung Pandang to Washington: north-northeast (21.5 degrees)

[ How Far is It ]

Which is just a bit farther than from DC to San Jose, CA, and back — twice.

 

8 days ago I didn't even know I was moving. I just wanted to get my name on the list for available 2 bedroom apartments in my building in preparation of my wife's arrival (date still undetermined). Much to my surprise there was a 2 bedroom on the 6th floor available immediately. This satisfied my “preferably higher up” rule as well as had the nicer (IMHO) northern view toward the city. The only question was would the building for some bizarre reason require 30 days notice to transfer between 2 of their apartments?

Monday came and the answer with it, no 30 days notice required. Now the question was is it possible to prepare for a move in 5 nights during Ramadan? Apparently the answer is just barely and it won't be fun. Everything is now safely in the new digs, but I don't believe I even want to think about unpacking.

Will I ever plan a move in such short time again? And during Ramadan? Not if I can help it. Lesson learned.

Had lunch with Joe Grossberg, so if you know him and doubt my existence he just might vouch for me.

Just had lunch at The Corner Bakery with fellow foodie, geek and blogger...

[ Joe Grossberg ]

In a stunning move (which I am still reeling from) I have canceled my NetFlix subscription. Not because NetFlix is bad in any way, on the contrary, but because I am just not into movies these days. My NetFlix queue was down to 12 items, and I wasn't looking forward to any of them.

On the flip-side, my GameFly queue is up to 32 items, and I'm rather excited about most of them. I even find myself contemplating what life without cable might be like, but I don't think I can do that to my daughter, plus it's nice to watch G4TV every now and then, especially for Cinematech.

Patience, all will be posted in time.

[ davidkearns.com ]

Most of these photos are from the hotel that we stayed in for a few days as a “mini honeymoon”. There are a couple of photos from the reception, and one of a McDonalds menu...

Still to come, photos from the nikah ceremony.

Update: Link straight to September gallery now working.

I'm in Tokyo's Narita airport, headed home after a nice vacation.

This trip has further advanced my theory that one truism transcends all cultures:

Wedding photographers are irritating.

I don't expect that I will have many blog entries for the next few weeks. Computers will be hard to come by as I take a small trip:

• Tokyo (Akihabara)
• Jakarta (US Embassy)
• Makassar (Getting married)
• Makassar (Hanging out with new wife)

And then back by mid September. See you then!

This looks like something right up my alley:

The Question of God, a four-hour series on PBS, explores in accessible and dramatic style issues that preoccupy all thinking people today: What is happiness? How do we find meaning and purpose in our lives? How do we reconcile conflicting claims of love and sexuality? How do we cope with the problem of suffering and the inevitability of death?

[ The Question of God | PBS ]

Unfortunately, my faux-tivo won't let me choose to record something so far in advance. I shall certainly not want to miss this one.