humanity i love you

eefster — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:03:39 GMT

Have made it to the Excel. I expect to be here until 2 and then again starting at 3.

Zzzzz

eefster — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 07:15:36 GMT

You know how, sometimes, you're drinking alcohol but you feel fine until you stand up?

That's how I felt this morning after far too little sleep. I woke up, thought "Hey, this isn't too bad", got ready for work, and started down the stairs to go catch the train. BAM. So ready to claim a quiet room for a 'meeting' and have a nap instead. Too bad they all have glass windows to look in. :p

Obesity thread

eefster — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 11:49:32 GMT

So how long before someone tries to tell me I'm just too emotional to have the discussion? Or that if I'd just try as hard as they do, I wouldn't be obese? (Aside from baxus, who's basically already done that.)

For lady_narcissa and regina_of_york in particular

eefster — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:29:47 GMT

Four little words.

“Gay Cuttlefish Shapeshifter Erotica.”

Sunday

eefster — Tue, 28 May 2013 20:14:38 GMT

I am ready.

Happy 2013!

eefster — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:59:36 GMT

I hope that you are all well, or that if you aren't, it passes quickly.

I had a very nice time in California, despite the storms. Lovely Christmas, less family irritation (on everybody's side) than normal, and two whole weeks not being on call.

Weirdly, AT&T apparently won't let you add a data plan to a pay-as-you-go option if you're using an iPhone, so I was thrown back to the days before mobile internet. More than once I caught myself flipping my phone to the email application, only to remember "Oh yeah, can't do that." I could get online from my parents' house, but chose not to do so as often as normal. We're all a big family of internetworked nerds, but still.

I was also busy studying for the second of Cisco's ICND exams, so I wouldn't have gotten online as much anyway. I'm sorry if I missed anything I should have commented on. In good news, I passed, and both halves were verified, so I am officially CCNA certified now. Woohoo! I am continuing my studies, but we'll see when I take the next exam. I'm working from a site that claims you can get a CCNA Voice in 2 weeks, and a CCNP in another 8 weeks after that, but I think that's a little ambitious.

Other than that, still plodding along with the same stuff, and normal year-end ruminations, but nothing particularly noteworthy. Just making new plans for a new year, and wishing everyone the best in 2013!

Good things

eefster — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:14:24 GMT

I am grumpy again, so time for another round of reminding myself of good things:

1. I passed the ICND1 yesterday, making me a Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician. I have the ICND2 scheduled for later this year, which - assuming I pass - will finally bring me up to CCNA (Networking Associate) level. After failing the combined CCNA exam an embarrassing number of times*, it's good to know that I'm making steps in the right direction.

2. Attended an Anúna concert last Friday, for the first time in 5 years. Actually longer, as an attendee - maybe 10 years? Got to catch up for just the right length of time with people, which was good. (Plus, dude, they took part in the Diablo III soundtrack, though they didn't sing it at the Christmas concert. How cool is that?)

3. Two more days of work and I get to go on vacation! I had 5 days off in August for the opera workshop, but other than that, public holidays, and a couple of sick days, I haven't taken any time off this year. That's actually against company policy, and possibly EU policy, but it's the way things have worked out.

3a. Related to the above, I will have an absurd number of vacation days available to me next year. Now to plan how to use them....

4. Also related to the above, I will not be on call for TWO WEEKS IN A ROW (Dec 19 to Jan 2)! This wouldn't normally be notable, but I have been on as either primary or secondary for the last almost three months. Primary means I have to be able to get my work laptop up and connected to the network within 30 minutes, which puts a real cramp on doing most things, including even just a nice walk. Secondary isn't quite as bad, but you're still technically under the same restrictions, in case either the primary person needs your help or a second emergency comes in at the same time.

5. I saw a poster of Peadar's book covers in the window of a shop yesterday. A shoe shop, I think, but still a very prominent window on a very well-travelled shopping street in Dublin City Centre. A little dose of awesomeness for the day!

*Any number greater than 1.

Monthly catchup

eefster — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:50:05 GMT

I have been reading everyone's posts, just not commenting as much as I probably should. I am absolutely thinking about all of you, though.

Still in Dublin, still on call, still in support, still happy in my apartment (although I desperately need to just set some time aside and deep clean it).

Took up tatting yesterday, which is great for being fiddly with my hands. Eventually I think it won't take too much mental processing either, but right now it needs a little extra focus. I also bought the Pimsleur Mandarin course, so now I need to tape my headphones back together and start listening. (Do I expect to need it? No, but why not?)

And speaking of focus, I had LASIK done last week, so I am still getting used to that! I go in for my first week's checkup on Wednesday, so I'll have a better idea of how corrected everything is. Compared to before, though, it's remarkable.

Hope you are all doing well, or doing better, and that I get to see you all in the not-years-distant future.

Good things

eefster — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:23:15 GMT

Since I know I tend to use LJ as a dumping ground:

1. Three day weekend
2. Time changes back, so an extra hour of sleep
2a. Light in the mornings on the way to work!
3. Home just in time to watch Los Gigantes game 2.
4. Opera-movie tomorrow!
5. Ex-housemate has found a version of a song I've been looking for for so long I can nearly use the word "decades".

Hooray!

I hope that you all have great days too. :)

Vital news from Ireland

eefster — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:27:43 GMT

This is unprecedented: It’s not raining ANYWHERE in Ireland right now

QUICKLY, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND DO SOMETHING BEFORE IT STARTS TO RAIN AGAIN.

(No really, that's the published headline. Of course, we're talking about weather, so apparently they were wrong, but still.)

Timely reminder - postal safety

eefster — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:56:31 GMT

Mail your books home, not yourself.

So adorable.

eefster — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:47:00 GMT

Though I did wonder what kind of name "Trex" was, at first.

http://trextrying.tumblr.com/

A little Friday silliness

eefster — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:32:01 GMT

Careful, this does contain spoilers. It's also possibly not work safe. Or nostalgia-safe, for that matter.

BURD

Lightbulb moment

eefster — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:40:04 GMT

Heyyyyy.

Canadian man.
Creator.
Hates critics.
Seems to hate at least some women, despite protestations.
Thinks anyone who disagrees is just arguing in bad faith, or coming from different first principles, or just wrong.

Are we suuuuuure that Nuk isn't Bakker? The photo could just be misdirection....

Joffrey in German?

eefster — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:55:17 GMT

Backpfeiffengesicht: "a face that is crying out to have a fist in it"

(Poor Jack Gleeson. Other actors get random fans walking up and repeating iconic lines, or making some gesture. He may be doomed to a life where people come up and randomly slap him, as hard as they can.)

By the by - Con or Bust

eefster — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:17:54 GMT

I don't know if you all are already aware, but con_or_bust is running an auction to raise funds for their assistance project, which is now overseen by the Carl Brandon society.

In addition to being a supporter of their goal, I think that they also just have some really nifty stuff on offer, and thought you might be interested. ARCs from publishers, a NYCC guide signed by Stan Lee, some homemade knits and food, jewelry, DVDs, writing critiques and contract reviewing services, books you're unlikely to run across anywhere else (Tamil pulp??)... it's pretty great.

This is the tags page, so you can get an idea of what kinds of things and which authors are covered. It does still contain information for past auctions, but you can always jump to the "2012 auction" tag and start browsing.

Edited: Naturally, as soon as I hit 'post' I remembered something else. Bidding closes at 11:59 EST on Sunday, Feb 25, so you've got just under a week to look around and put your name down if something strikes your fancy.

Well holy shit

eefster — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:16:16 GMT

I am officially a half-marathoner. It was a very close call, but I'm done. Only thanks to my sister, who wouldn't let me quit.

On the road again

eefster — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:01:14 GMT

All packed up and moved out. You'd think this job would enforce a minimalist lifestyle, or I'd learn from experience, but no. Or maybe this *is* minimalist for me. Scary thought.

At least I'm coming back to the same area, even if the new apartment will technically be in a different city. And I hope the 12-hr workdays will let up for a while, too. Unlikely, though - the next labs are already behind and they're taking the rest of the team away again. Of course, that just shows that I'm not the only one who never learns!

Hope you're all doing well, and getting a chance to relax and enjoy yourselves.

mmm condiments

eefster — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:44:10 GMT

Just for regina_of_york, I had ranch dressing with my dinner. I did not abuse any waitstaff, though, so I have a ways to go before reaching true springs1 status.

Ugh. Mah teeth!

eefster — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 23:13:52 GMT

Okay, I have reached the point at which I am looking forward to my root canal.

I was doing mostly fine until the endodontist went poking around last week to see if the nerve was still alive (AND YES OH MY GOD IT IS, SO STOP DOING THAT), but since then there's just been a low level of constant pain, and it's getting worse these last few days.

Anbesol, unfortunately, is great at numbing my lip but really doesn't do much for the gum/tooth. (One of my incisors is basically eating itself from the inside out, so Anbesol or other topical analgesic really isn't meant for that.)

I'm still a little wary, though, because I've never had work like this done before. The only major dental work I've had done (as opposed to orthodontic) is that I had to have one impacted, unerupted wisdom tooth removed. That was okay at the time, but my god my jaw hurt that night.

Naturally, given that experience, not only do I have the root canal Thursday, but I'm having one (erupted) wisdom tooth taken out on Friday. It may be a miserable weekend, but I hope that everything after that will be smooth sailing.

Body mod

eefster — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:57:01 GMT

xraytheenforcer hasn't been able to convince me to get a tattoo yet, but as a concession prize body modification (and because I just really wanted to) I have gone forth and been pierced. Again. And again. They're in the same ear, so I'll see if I can grab a picture when I'm back at the hotel. First, though, a little meal so I can sit and settle for a bit. It wasn't bad, but still a bit rougher than I expected.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.

Edited because I just realised that the picture has been rotated: The new ones are the anterior helix, the only captive bead ring and the one middle bottom in the picture, and one more to fill in the gap between the sequence of lobe piercings, so it's the left-most plain metal ball (not the diamondy one directly across from the tragus). So that brings the total to 14. What I really wanted instead of the single lobe piercing was two, one on either side of the imaginary line, sort of like what you see lower on the lobe in this picture. However, you can see there that that's already having to go through cartilage into the "inside" part of the ear, and the space where I wanted the two was even smaller. Based on that, the piercer said it was a no-go -- the outer one would migrate out right away, and the inner one would be bending and curving so much that it'd be just a pain and a half to heal. Oh well. I'll have to save it for an orbital for when I turn 40, or something.

Friday Fun

eefster — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 02:47:50 GMT

Gor for the rest of us. (May be NSFW, as it's hosted on adultfanfiction.net. I haven't read through to see if the actual content is NSFW, though it'll at least be text-only, I'm pretty sure.)

An excerpt: "I stood now with Blergus, there on the high walls of Er, the greatest city of Gor. Its towers were high, and I saw the tern patrols, which protected the city from marauders from other cities, there being many other cities on Gor that envied Er and its great wealth, as well as the great wealth of its merchants, and who might attack as well in an attempt to capture its women and make them into slaves, this being the right and natural order of things on Gor, so decreed by the Pope-Kings, there hidden in their mountains."

ETA: What's the error message? It's still loading for me, so I can't troubleshoot that way, and I'm having a hard time finding an alternate source for the story. Maybe try the direct link to the first chapter? http://books.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=544176437&chapter=1

and I love SCIENCE!

eefster — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 01:03:42 GMT

How has nobody thought of this before?

You grok the purpose of the internet

eefster — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:15:05 GMT

Read on a different community:

"Isn't it marvelous to know that the internet contains more than porn and cats?"
"There's cats????"

Astronomy/technology geek-out

eefster — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:45:25 GMT

There's a total lunar eclipse going on RIGHT NOW, and Google and Slooh have teamed up to give us all a view. http://www.youtube.com/google has a live mirror of the Slooh SpaceCamera feed, which will be available (well, live, at least) from 11am to 3pm PDT (GMT -7) today, June 15, 2011. Based on my clock, there's a little more than 2 hours left.

(The Youtube comments are still Youtube comments, though. Surprisingly insult and slur-free, for now, but a lot of "EGYPT EGYPT EGYPT" "SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND" and even one "TALKING TO THE MOOOOOON". Oh sorry, I take it back: "Jake go fuck yourself, Canada doesnt have the same issues your shithole country does" I guess they're scrolling by too quickly for me to notice most of them, unlike the static comments on most videos.)