Friday, September 30, 2005

Judith Miller has Balls

Well, not literally. Judith Miller, N.Y. Times reporter that has been in jail for almost 90 days because she chose not to reveal her source for information related to the leaking of Valerie Plame's name as a covert CIA operative. She only relinquished when her source offered his release to do so and the court agreed to limit the questions to the information from this particular source.

Clearly, Judith held her personal principles and her promise to her source paramount. That's integrity! You go Judith! But, I gotta say I hope we never release an agent's name in a context that leads to their death or some other horrible outcome as a result.

Podcast Update

Still catching up on Tech Nation with Dr. Moira Gunn:

  • The interview with Dr. David Stretavan about the knifes that cut axons for the purpose of neural graphs was interesting. I assume I don't need to tell you just how small that is.
  • Daniel Liebowitz talked about Henry Stanley's last expedition to Africa in the 19th century. Daniel got his insight writing his book The Last Expedition: Stanley's Mad Journey Through the Congo. This interview made Henry's experience sound exciting and surprising and I am sure the Daniel's book is equally so. Given time, I will be reading this one.

Not Running Update

Given the multiple sprained ankles I have suffered over the last few months, I met with a podiatrist for the latest injury. I will be going into physical therapy for 6-8 weeks staring in about 2 weeks. The intent is to build up my ankle strength. At the end of the therapy, I will be fit with an orthorotic and will likely run with some form of support specifically for my left ankle. Not running sucks, but at least there is hope.

Meanwhile, I will log my podcast listening and an occasional rant or rave.

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Podcast Update

Well, I guess if I don't run, then I listen to podcasts! Well, I have also traveled a bit lately which offers great opportunities for listening. Here's my latest listening log:
  • Sigmund Solares, CEO of DirectNIC, is interview buy Doc Searls about keeping their operation running in New Orleans during Katrina. This is an extremely interesting story. Sigmund talks about how the internet and helpful technicians helped his team configure and manage software to help manage updates, changes, and such. He talks about what they had to go through to get fuel for their generator. This interview is just packed with interesting experiences and highlights how many aspects of today's openness enables technical operations despite adversity.
  • I listened to a panel discussion (several times actually) while driving around in New Jersey and New York. The panel discussion was titled Distributed Business and was held at Supernova 2005. I highly recommend listening to this information packed podcast. My favorite part was Dick Hardt's discussion of Identity 2.0 and implications for today's identity management (1.0). Particularly, he describes today's notions as site based and more specifically based on what you have said and done on particular sites. In this context, you can't really take your identity with you.
  • Jason Fried, founder of 37signals, talks about his teams creation of Basecamp. This very interesting project (and it sounds like most of 37signals' projects are interesting) brought fresh and insightful perspectives to project management. Some attributes are Extreme Programming like and others are not. I would have to admit that I share many of Jason's views about the false sense of control many traditional development methodology artifacts provide (especially to senior management). Today, agility and comfortably managing change are more important than proving conformance to dictates recorded on paper. Great presentation that I would recommend listening to. It would be interesting to hear Jason and Joel Spolsky discuss methodology.
  • Getting through a bunch of Tech Nation with Dr. Moira Gunn too:
    • Interview with Andrew Fraknoi, Chairman of the Astronomy Program at Foothill College talks with Dr. Gunn about planets. Particularly, he addresses why we are finding so many and the ambiguous label planet. The label is ambiguous now as astronomers are trying to distinguish between objects that may or may not be planets. For example, is a large object that is not round a planet? We have discovered that at least 14 stars have multiple planets! This is a very interesting podcast. He also noted the startling observations that objects in the universe are speeding up not slowing down as we have suspected for a long time.
    • Dr. Gunn interviewed Robert Shelton, Managing Director for Innovation at Navigant Consulting. No surprise, the topic was innovation. He talks at length about 7 characteristics of innovation and it is well worth listening to.
    • I also recommend these from Tech Nation:
      • Doug Kaye interview. Doug Kaye is doing a great service to the IT and podcasting community via ITConversations and this interview is very good.
      • Daniel Imhoff interview. Daniel talked with Dr. Gunn about how we should think about our current use of plastic for shopping bags and product packages. For those of us (includes me), that are and should be concerned about human impact on environment, this is an information packed podcast. Good job Daniel.
      • More to come....

Friday, September 23, 2005

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Podcast Update

  • Nathan Torkington and Tim O'Reilly talked about Trends in the Open Source Marketplace. And, in the process provide lots of good fodder for the rest of us. As a result, I will be checking out GreaseMonkey. They did ask an interesting concept about the impact of software as a service on the open source movement. If you are not actually loading or even seeing the source.... Good presentation.
  • David Rumsey, President, Cartography Associates, talked the Past and Future of Mapping. If you are into maps or history, this is an excellent presentation. It would be greatly enhanced by access to the pictures, charts, and maps he referenced during the presentation. I thought the most interesting bits were those about the differences in the maps from different periods of history and from different perspectives. David points out how the biases and such of the chartographer are evident in his charts.
  • Asa Dotzler talks about why or should Linux find its way to the desktop. Asa builds the case that if Linux is to take significant desktops from Microsoft the time is nigh (before Vista). However, he notes the importance of ensuring a good experience for the user to enable this to occur. Things like making things simple, not moving buttons or changing fast keys from the settings which most users are acquainted. He further says that we should reduce the choices users have to install and use an operating system. Good and interesting presentation.
  • Bob Wyman, PubSub, talks Denise Howell about syndication, RSS and copyright. He builds the case that the law is not a far behind technology as many would have us believe. He goes on to talk about some of the practices (good and bad) that are visible today that are taking advantage of opportunities to respect and use the content of others and those that are violating copyright. A very interesting presentation that I would highly recommend.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Podcast Update

  • Alan Ganek, IBM, talks about Autonomic Computing Systems. This brief, but very interesting presentation outlayes a lot of information about self-healing and such that is made possible using the nervous system metaphor. Very worthwhile listening.
  • Lisa Williams and Ryanne Hodson talk about Audio and Video Blogging at BlogHer 2005. I only listened to part of this podcast before my schedule interrupted me. It sounded like it was going to be interesting, but I am battling a hectic schedule and a lot of podcasts I haven't gotten to yet. Since it is focused on women blogging and such and I am a man, I will get to it later. From the little I heard this podcast will NOT be boring.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Aborted 9 Mile: Shades Creek Greenway

Well, I started off with Lito and a whole host of others on the first training day for the Mercedes Marathon. At the half way point, my damn ankle gave out and I scraped my knee again. I can't believe my poor luck. That makes 2 major sprains and 2 minor sprains this summer. All on the same ankle. Something is WRONG and this SUCKS. Went to the doctor and the xrays don't show anything. She is going to refer me to a specialist and I asked for one that understands sports medicine.

Before the fall, I was cranking and running strong. I just can't believe my bad luck.

Friday, September 16, 2005

3 Mile Run: Myrtle Beach

Well, I did my presentation yesterday and all went well. Interesting since my presentation included a hip-hop number using music I cut from a Beastie Boys, Creative Commons covered song "Now Get Busy?. I saw a guy walk by that looked a little like Emenim. So, I asked him if he would be willing to participate. As it turned out, he is in a band that does rap. Well, he was great and it really added some pow to my presentation.

The run today was good. The weather was dry and in the 70's.

Data:
Distance: 3.173 Miles
Time: 27:38
Heart Rate: Not measured
Pace: @8:42 (Cool, first time under 9:00 in a long while!)

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

5 Mile Run: Myrtle Beach, SC

Hurricane Ophelia is just off shore; it is raining; it is windy;it is dark. But, the run was good. Myrtle Beach is getting prettier and prettier based on my periodic visits. I remember from years ago as old and ugly. But, I never really came here as a tourist and it may have just been related to where I accidentally traveled.

Data:
Distance: 5.029 Miles
Time: 47:26
Heart Rate: Not measured
Pace: @9:25

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

3 Mile Run: Myrtle Beach, SC

I am at a business conference on the east coast during another hurricane. Fortunately, it has stayed off shore and hasn't impacted Myrtle Beach in any large way and appears that it will not. Looks like it will cause some havoc north of here, but hopefully nothing too critical. I did get rained on a little during this run, but not bad.

I skipped my long run on Sunday as I had a sinus headache on Saturday night that just knocked me out. So, I skipped supper and last time I tried to run the day after this, I suffered enormously. A break every now and then is good.

Data:
Distance: 3.056 Miles
Time: 28:02
Heart Rate: Not measured
Pace: @9:10

Friday, September 09, 2005

3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Still running with the "Time and Distance" system since the bridges are broken and I am taking alternate courses. Totally enjoying the new Mp3 player, Creative, Zen Sleek.

Data:
Distance: 3.009 Miles
Time: 29:10
Heart Rate: Not measured
Pace: @9:41

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

No time to smell the roses this week as I am just swamped with work. But, I am getting my runs in. I am a bit distracted by all of this Katrina stuff. I am just so disturbed by so many aspects of this whole disaster including:
  • The sluggish response to get help to New Orleans
  • The disgusting behavior of some of the folks in the Superdome (rapes, murders, and such)
  • The obvious contrast between various groups of our society
  • The thin veil of civilization
  • The notion that perhaps scarce resources will create a situation where people turn to violence on a much larger scale in general
  • The notion that we might be aiding this phenomenon through global warming
I hope I find that this was just a huge mistake from which we learn to behave much better.

Data:
Distance: 5.354 Miles
Time: 51:46
Heart Rate: Not measured
Pace: 9:40

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Back home. A crew is working on the bridges over the coves in our neighborhood lake, so I had to pick an alternate course. I found a very minor modification requiring me to follow a path between 2 of the houses along the lake up to a road that skirts the lake near the bridge.

Data:
Distance: 3.205
Time: 31:09
Heart Rate: Not measured
Pace: 9:43

Sunday, September 04, 2005

10 Miles: Fort Walton Beach, FL

The "Time and Distance" system lost power during the run, so the distance is an estimate based on time. Also, since I don't know exactly when the GPS stopped, I could be off a significant amount. It was a hard run primarily due to the temperature. I felt like I needed more water and I didn't have my usual water stop 1/2 way through the run to top off the my water bottle. I stopped in front of a fire station to see if they had a fountain I could use. The guy out front was not helpful. But, I bumped into a fountain just a few hundred yards along.

Data:
Distance: @10 Miles
Time: 1:30:27
Heart Rate: Not measured
Pace: @9:00

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Don't Confuse Incompetence with Racism

Kayne West apparently believes that George Bush is a racist. I strongly doubt that. George thought Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and was a friend to Osama Bin Laden. Oh yeah, he also thought the Iraqis would be dancing in the street after we took over. So, why would we be surprised that he would under estimate the need for federal government to jump in and help the people in New Orleans? Why we would be surprised that his reaction would not be fast enough with the immediate and massive support required.

Like Kayne (I assume this is his real motivation), it breaks my heart to see so many people suffering and the seemingly incredible slow pace of help. Unlike Kayne, I see people screwing up (not helping quick enough) and people suffering. I don't think playing the race card explains or helps the situation. The New Orleans mayor and the Louisiana Governor are also hugely to blame for such a colossal failure to plan for this. It is not like this scenario was never considered. It was considered.

Are New Orleans Police Officers taught how to introduce order and organization? I mean if you put 30, 000 people in a single location with little contact with the outside world, limited resources, and high duress, you need to help them get organized and manage their situation. You need some folks to focus on sanitation, some to focus on supplies and rationing, some to focus on security, etc. The thing that disgusted me the most in this whole situation is the simple and urgent requests from some of those at the convention center and on the bridges. They simply wanted to know "what is happening, what should I expect, when are people coming, where should I go, etc?". Surely, we could have managed some reasonable answers even if there were to admit that we don't fully know yet and here are some things you need to do (like get organized).

As to the looters, if there were looting for food, water and necessary supplies that they intended to share with all, no problem. However, I have NO patience and would not be bothered by the most extreme punishments for those hauling off merchandise that was just for greed (electronics and such). For the rapists that we heard about, the end of their existence would be a welcome change to the planet.

I sure hope we don't let this horrible experience and the inept response by some in authority, illegal and violent behavior of some in the streets of New Orleans, over shadow the pure enormity of the disaster and the Herculean efforts many are putting in to help.

As for Kayne who I know little about, I assume that his ability to get on national TV to make such statements implies that he has the resources to contribute and do a lot. He should quit his f**king bitching and go do something! If he is so torn to help, he should go help. Anybody stopping him from renting a shitload of buses, buying a shitload of food and water, and organizing a rescue mission. As it is, I think he hurt the cause instead of helping it. Just my opinion, your are welcome to your own. I will be so glad when we can STOP separating each other into color groups. We are all people.

3 Mile Run: Fort Walton Beach, FL

We have been planning this Labor Day trip for a long time. Unfortunately, Katrina has put a huge damper on spirits. It is hard to believe that it took so long to get a signficance presence of help in New Orleans. I don't believe the racist charges that are emerging. I think the problem is simple lack of leadership, under estimation, and a storm and aftermath that was just HUGE.

My run, however, went well. I started out trying to run along the beach and discovered that the sand was too soft, the hard part to narrow and winding. So, I bagged that and went out to the street. My wife asked me to tell her were the 1 mile turn around would be since I was using the "Time and Distance" system. I did. But, when she went out she went the other way and never saw the landmark I told her to look for. Too funny.

Data:
Distance: 3.317 Miles
Time: 28:57
Heart Rate: Not Measured
Pace: 9:23