Random Learnings #19
From the June 1951 National Geographic, Occupied Austria, Outpost of Democracy. Ranked as a liberated nation, not a former enemy, Austria has its own Federal Government and exchanges diplomats with…
Davina and the Dakota
My wife and I spent our Friday night at The Dakota to the excellent music of Davina and the Vagabonds. Davina cut her chops at the Dakota before becoming known…
Return To Office Insanity
March 2020. We anxiously watched COVID spread, first through Asia and then Europe before it really impacted the United States. Second week in March retail businesses started closing and office…
Snow, Snow Days and Football
Minnesota's reputation for brutal winters is not completely unjust: obscenely-cold temperatures (that's actual not windchill), blizzards which stop (almost) everything, winters where new snow fall is constant and the shoveling…
Meandering Thoughts #16
Team Viewer is, for the third season running, Manchester United's kit sponsor, but only today realized how appropriate: Manchester United's poor defensive record and Team Viewer's dubious security track record.…
Ignoring Kotlin’s Null Safety
So hands up: whom among us has ever written code that threw a NullPointerException? And those with your hands down: you are either lying or have never written software! [And,…
Highline 179
While driving through Austria on our way to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, my wife and I drove under a long, narrow bridge high stretching high above us from the valley floor. Gobsmacked…
Corporate Culture Run Amok
This Digg article The Most Egregious Reasons People Quit Their Jobs On The Spot reminded me of the I quite a job without giving notice, without looking back, without being…
Growing Iowa Women’s Basketball
In 1983, I matriculated at the University of Iowa to study computer science. Also in 1983, C. Vivian Stringer was hired as head coach for the University of Iowa women's…
Unwanted Cold Calls
As a technology professional, I'm fairly self-sufficient on all things web: for over 20 years, I hosted personal web sites, email domains, and audio streaming from my basement. I own…