Out of Egypt

the woes of blog rebuilds

donovan — 2009-06-02T23:49:31-05:00

So I was doing a demo of my blog at work today, and so I posted a test entry. Now apparently, even after I delete the entry and do a full rebuild of the site (which took 9 minutes, 9 seconds), it still shows up on the homepage. And everything else is gone from the homepage. So my blog is sadder than ever. Oh well. Maybe this entry will fix it? UPDATE: It did. But I still have nothing to blog about :) I think I'm just bored with this platform. Maybe if I got a shiny new toy to play with, I might actually use it....

if you still need proof...

donovan — 2009-05-13T00:27:02-05:00

that the Free Software Foundation is run by crazy ideologues, read their FAQ on why you should upgrade your software to the GPL v3 license. Dries' comments on the GPL are insightful....

...

donovan — 2009-05-06T23:46:51-05:00

If you think that backwards compatibility is always a good thing, you should check out Drupal 1.0....

there aren't a lot of things that really make me angry

donovan — 2009-05-01T22:40:50-05:00

But the widespread misrepresentation of the AmeriCorps expansion among Christians and conservatives is one of them. Here's an excellent FAQ that sets the record straight. No, public service is not mandatory. No, it is not re-education. No, it does not mean people are being paid to "volunteer." Unpaid volunteers could never accomplish what AmeriCorps interns do - national service is a full time job. And, finally, AmeriCorps interns aren't restricted from attending church. In fact, as my organization proves, you can serve your country at a faith-based program, as long as you don't participate in sectarian activity on the government's dime. I've gotten used to conservatives opposing government entitlement programs. I've certainly criticized welfare myself. But to go beyond that to criticize the very concept of public service - it starts to make me wonder whether they have any concern for the poor at all....

four years later, this is still true

donovan — 2009-04-11T01:07:55-05:00

"Implicit in the ecstatic visions of Web 2.0 is the hegemony of the amateur. I for one can't imagine anything more frightening." I, too, could never buy into the hype of "wikinomics." Free has its benefits, but it can't replace quality. I will miss the newspapers when they go....

now i don't feel so bad about not blogging anymore

donovan — 2009-04-11T00:42:57-05:00

Apparently I'm part of a broad social trend. I actually don't read other people's blogs much anymore, either. Facebook has really taken over. And Twitter, for many, though not for me. (Yet?)...

intjs gone wild

donovan — 2009-04-09T19:39:42-05:00

This post is self-explanatory....

stupid programmer jokes

donovan — 2009-04-08T10:09:26-05:00

"I did not have relations with that database table." What SQL has JOINed, let no man separate....

...

donovan — 2009-03-28T10:25:04-05:00

In high school I was a "heroine addict." I hoped a girl would come along and save me from myself....

oh my poor blog

donovan — 2009-03-14T17:43:05-05:00

I promise I will write something soon.......

call me contrary

donovan — 2009-03-02T23:24:37-05:00

Strange - when Bush was in office, I found myself becoming more liberal. Now that Obama is in office, I find myself becoming more conservative. Am I a moderate, or do I just like going against the grain?...

worst song in the world?

donovan — 2009-02-16T19:26:19-05:00

Apparently, this is the worst song in the world - at least according to a survey of what people like in music. But, if you're anything like me, you a) won't think it's the worst thing you've ever heard (that would probably be the Shaggs) and b) will find some parts of it oddly catchy (such as the children's choir singing about holidays). Anyway, what do you think? (That is, if there's any of you left out there - I know I've neglected you for some time.)...

a realization

donovan — 2009-01-18T13:52:05-05:00

Secular Americans view me and my faith in much the same light that I view those who go to "Law of Attraction" meetups....

escape

donovan — 2009-01-16T21:46:48-05:00

All of us, I think, believe that there is one place in which we could be perfectly happy. Some of us - Wendell Berry comes to mind - seem to be living our ideal lifestyle, all tension between our principles and our practice having dissolved. Yet I wonder - even he must have times of doubt or discouragement, when the writing is blocked or the milking becomes a chore. At such times, what place does he retreat to in his mind? And where do we go when perfection dissatisfies?...

observational fragment

donovan — 2009-01-16T21:43:39-05:00

A poem develops on the back wall of the subway car - "Lost in Space" next to "Lost in Transition," "Lost in your eyes" scribbled more faintly... I went to my first Boston Poetry Meetup tonight. It was fun doing the critique thing again. Next time I'll have to bring something good and have copies to pass around. Finished off the work week with some good accomplishments. My MySQL skills are improving....