These are my annotated tweets for the week of 19 October 2008. Follow my microblog on Twitter at http://twitter.com/conrad_halling, then come here for the expanded version.
Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
2008-10-19: I finished Anathem after a marathon reading session. Stephenson kept me guessing to the end. It was a very good book.
As I wrote last week, Neal Stephenson did a good job of creating a new world, although I don’t think the result was as complete as Dune, by Frank Herbert. There is a twist near the end of Anathem, where Stephenson goes off in a new direction, that I didn’t find entirely convincing. I’m going to have to reread this book soon.
Database Development Using MySQL and Perl
2008-10-20: I spent the day designing a new database and writing Perl code to fill it. I’m applying Perl Best Practices, by Damian Conway.
2008-10-22: 8 solid hours of coding today. By the end of the day, all test data was loading correctly into my new database. Big data load is tomorrow.
2008-10-22: I stayed up late experimenting with creating an ERD of my MySQL database using Visio Pro 2007. The MySQL 5.1 ODBC driver is necessary.
2008-10-22: Microsoft tools such as Visio Pro are the wrong tools to use with MySQL. Tomorrow, I will experiment with MySQL Workbench.
I’ve been doing what I’m good at, creating a database and getting data into it and out of it.
Republican Party Obtuseness
2008-10-23: The Republican Party thought $150,000 in new clothing would fool us into thinking Sarah Palin is qualified for VP. Nope, still not.
I don’t understand why the Republican Party would destroy the image of an “ordinary hockey mom” by buying her $150,000 of clothes. Of course, Sarah Palin and her husband already have an estimated net worth of $1 million, so they aren’t ordinary people. Sarah Palin is dangerously unqualified for vice president; McCain made a mistake choosing her.
October 26 2008 | Microblog | Comments Off
These are my annotated tweets for the week of 12 October 2008. Follow my microblog on Twitter at http://twitter.com/conrad_halling, then come here for the expanded version.
HONK! Festival
2008-10-12: HONK! festival was a huge success yesterday. Today’s parade from Davis Square to Harvard Square starts at noon. http://www.honkfest.org/
2008-10-12: The HONK! Festival parade today reclaimed the streets for horns, bikes, and feet. A good crowd followed the parade down Mass. Ave.
I wish I knew how to play a musical instrument, so I could participate.
The Rock Rats, by Ben Bova
2008-10-12: Another audio book from audible.com finished: The Rock Rats (The Asteroid Wars, Part 2), by Ben Bova. Excellent production, good story.
Ben Bova’s novels contain lots of interesting ideas and pretty good characters. The audio books make them even better, because they use multiple readers. This gives the listener a better sense of the different characters.
Columbus Day
2008-10-13: Today is Columbus Day in the United States — probably our most stupid holiday — celebrating a man who didn’t know what he’d found.
Code Documentation
2008-10-13: I struggled all day with badly-documented code. I just cannot figure out how some things are done. It might be faster to rewrite the code.
It’s a dilemma whether to use the existing code or write new code. Sometimes there is no good answer, but there is always pain.
New MacBook Pro Models
2008-10-14: I’m disappointed by the new MacBook Pros. I consider the new keyboard and the glossy screen two steps backward. I have no urge to buy.
2008-10-16: We’re going to the Apple store on Boylston tomorrow evening to test the new MacBook Pro. If we don’t like it, we’ll order the old model.
2008-10-17: We’re back from looking at the new MacBook Pros. The keyboard is better than I thought, but we dislike the glossy screen.
The glossy screen becomes an ergonomics issue when the user has to cope with bright reflections. It is disappointing how sometimes Apple makes a bad decision based solely on design and Steve Jobs’s whims.
Group Meeting
2008-10-17: I stayed up until 1:00 am last night working on a presentation I gave at group meeting today. Presentation provoked lots of discussion.
2008-10-17: I was so tired, I fell asleep on the sofa at 8:30 pm while reading Anathem. It wasn’t the book that made me sleepy, it was lack of sleep.
It’s disappointing that sometimes I have to work so hard that I don’t have time for my personal life.
Ringo Starr
2008-10-17: I dreamed last night that Ringo Starr was playing drums brilliantly, dynamically, in a live show. When I woke up, I burst out laughing.
My father plays drums and my brother plays drums, so I know what good drumming sounds like. Ringo plays adequate drums on many early Beatles tunes, but his later work is abysmal.
Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
2008-10-18: I’ve devoted my day to reading Anathem. Stephenson has created a new world — not as rich and complex as, say, Dune, but very good.
I’m really enjoying this book, and I’m so emotionally involved that it brought me to tears in a couple of places.
October 19 2008 | Microblog | Comments Off
These are my annotated tweets for the week of 5 October 2008. Follow my microblog on Twitter at http://twitter.com/conrad_halling, then come here for the expanded version.
Current Bioinformatics Projects
2008-10-05: I spent the morning applying graphical residual analysis to my data. My model isn’t as good as I thought.
2008-10-05: I analyzed some different data this evening. My model is the best of the three I’m testing — w00t!
2008-10-06: I wrote some good Perl code today, but I’m in a hurry and haven’t written the tests yet. I will pay for this later.
2008-10-08: I’m close to finishing another project, but only by working long hours. I won’t be completely caught up by vacation the last week of Oct.
I’ve been working hard and (sometimes) having fun.
The Election
2008-10-07: John McCain, one of the few Republicans I have respected, has lost my respect by making stupid decisions (Palin), lying, going negative.
2008-10-10: Palin’s chief qualification for office: She has experience abusing authority. She is just another conservative hypocrite.
I’m not a Republican.
I’m an Apple Fanboy
2008-10-07: I’m working at home early this morning using my year-old MacBook Pro, which is still an outstanding laptop.
FireFox Doesn’t Support the <nobr> Tag
2008-10-08: A web page at work loaded fine in IE6 but not in Firefox; programmer had used the <nobr> tag, which is not standard HTML. I asked for a fix.
This is what happens when you test only with Internet Explorer 6.
Nobel Prizes
2008-10-08: @easternblot I agree about Nobel prizes. Physics was the premier science of the 20th century; biology is the premier science of the 21st.
In my opinion, the biggest challenges of the 21st century will be solved with biology.
HONK! Festival
2008-10-09: HONK! is coming to Davis Square and Harvard Square this weekend — so fun last year, I watched the parade twice. http://www.honkfest.org/.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
2008-10-11: I finished an audio book today from audible.com: The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, read by Edward Petherbridge. It was excellent.
Listening to audio books has greatly increased my ability to “read”, since I can listen while walking to and from work, 90 minutes a day. I picked the version read by Edward Petherbridge because I have enjoyed him in various television series and audiobooks.
October 12 2008 | Microblog | Comments Off
These are my annotated tweets for the week of 28 September 2008. Follow my microblog on Twitter at http://twitter.com/conrad_halling, then come here for the expanded version.
Safari Books
2008-09-28: I subscribed today to Safari Books. I’ve started with Learning JavaScript and jQuery in Action. I will expand to 10-book limit soon.
2008-09-28: @mndoci I’m paying for Safari Books out of my own pocket, but it’s only $23 a month. I buy ~20 technical books a year, so I’ll save money.
I thought for many months before subscribing, but I think a subscription will save me money in the long run. There are many books that I want to read only a few chapters of, so they’re not worth purchasing.
Learning JavaScript
2008-09-30: I’m reaching the point in my JavaScript reading that I’m about to begin applying jQuery to my project.
Current Bioinformatics Projects
2008-09-30: I had a tedious day of making scatter plots in Excel and transferring them to PowerPoint for a presentation I’m giving. I wish I’d used R.
2008-10-02: Hierarchical data is not easy to store in a relational database. Today I learned a good way to store hierarchical data in MySQL.
2008-10-03: @agbiotec I’m trying to master this approach for storing hierarchical data in a relational database.
I Know Way Too Much About My Neighbors
2008-10-01: I’m listening to a neighbor — a smoker — attempt to cough up a lung. It’s not a pleasant sound.
Houses in my neighborhood (Spring Hill, Somerville, Massachusetts) are very close together.
New MacBook Pro Models Soon?
2008-10-01: Another sign new MacBook Pro models are imminent: latest MacConnection catalog is offering $150 rebate on current models through October 31.
Lots of rumors about when new MacBook Pro models are coming out. This is a clue that it will be soon.
Circus Ponies NoteBook 3.0
2008-10-01: I just upgraded Circus Ponies NoteBook to version 3.0. This is one of my favorite applications, and I use it daily.
I have a notebook file in which I save everything I need to remember. I store it in an encrypted disk image.
Apple’s Software Update
2008-10-03: Is anyone else annoyed by Apple’s Software Update? Once it has installed the new software, it still says there is new software to install.
5k Race in Davis Square
2008-10-03: We’re cleaning house tonight because we’re holding a brunch after tomorrow’s 5k race in Davis Square. The only time we clean is for guests.
2008-10-04: Beautiful day for the 5k this morning. My competitive juices kicked in, and I finished strong. But a 5k is too short; I prefer a marathon.
This was the Somerville Homeless Coalition 5k, held in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts. About eight of us from work ran the race and them came over for brunch. During the race, I was holding back for the first two miles, saving my legs. Then I realized I only had a mile left to run, so I picked up the pace.
October 05 2008 | Microblog | Comments Off
