English Major Strikes Again

Having an English degree is fun. Having an English degree when you work in a technical field such as systems/storage/network administration can be even more fun.

Usually I just catch a lot of crap about being qualified to ask "Do you want fries with that?" or to collect garbage, or something along those lines. But it is particularly amusing in my field when people don't know my educational background, have worked with me sometimes for years before finding out, and have come to rely on me for quality technical work. The look on their faces is priceless.

Today was fun. Nearly everyone was in a meeting this morning, but a few stragglers and contract-workers weren't. I was in my cube working away when one of the network architects walked up and said he was looking for "...a computer-science person." I asked what he meant and he said "...someone to help with programming."

So I just smiled and said I'd be happy to help. And I did. Within a half hour or so, I went from knowing nothing about his situation or toolset, to having learned the rudimentary elements of a new scripting language, written a new more function-driven script, and returned it to him. It worked.

As I left today, I asked him if he knew I had a BA in English. He laughed and said "That explains why it doesn't work." After a few more minutes, I think I had pretty well shown it was not the script but the syntax of the request the script was sending externally over the network that was at issue. Basically, the old GIGO problem...the request sent over the network was defined by him...the script just sends it over the net.

So of course, since we left without a solution, my brain wouldn't let it go. Within five minutes of googling once I got home I found the correct syntax for the request. The script and the now corrected request should work just fine now. We should find out tomorrow for certain.

Score one for the English major.

New Camera Goodness

So we invested in a new camera. It was time. Our older digital cameras were just not cutting the mustard anymore, and the new digital SLRs are finally getting down to the prosumer level I like.

So after a lot of shopping, price comparisons, and waiting for a good X-months-same-as-cash zero-interest deal, we now have a Canon EOS 30D.

We've already taken a handful of decent shots with it. It is one heck of a great camera. We'll need to invest in a couple of better lenses, but the kit lens is decent enough to take some beautiful photos.

Well, as soon as we have something to post, and some software to post it with, we'll post the results here.

Crystal-Friends-Sales

So last Friday saw the end of a very busy week, filled with the Louisville Geek Dinner and other business. Friday didn't let up, though. Smacky and I started out the evening with a lovely sushi dinner with Keli and Chili. And then off we all went to see The Crystal Method.

Let me just go on record as saying I LOVE TCM. I've never seen them live before, having only enjoyed their albums one after the other. Incredible. Even with one of them had their hand badly injured by broken beer bottles, which led to a one-man TCM show for most of the set. Amazing.

Smacky and I didn't get home until the wee hours of Saturday morning. We scrapped our plans for massive yard-saling and slept in. We had pretty much written off the whole day until Alan and Anita called out of the blue, and dropped by for a visit. We four topped off the visit with a great dinner at Lemongrass Cafe.

Sunday was slow at least...the usual lunch with the in-laws. And then right back into the busy work-week.

33.53057%

I just took the geek test and rated 33.53057% - Total Geek. DFA's score was much higher. No surprise there. I found out about it because my dad called me at work yesterday to let me know about the Louisville Geek Dinner. It was so important, he had to call me when I was at work. My parents are so funny! My mom called me later for an unrelated reason which I can't rememeber right now. We signed up to go, even though it looks like mostly young'uns will be there, but then I found out Chuch Palaniuk will be here the same evening. I think I have decided which activity I prefer. Sorry Geeks, I'll hafta catch ya later. Besides I think it's all computer geeks and my geekiness is more diversified and my computer knowledge is decidedly less than geek-level. (ex: I have trouble remembering my Blogger sign in info.)

In other news: DFA and I are doing research on the costs of podcasting. Ever since we got our iPods for Christmas I have been obsessed with podcasts and now I want to do my own. It is looking rather expensive and a little complicated, but I am, as yet, undaunted. My biggest fear is that I will get started and like everything else I have gotten started on, I will lose interest almost immediately. Also, like everything else, I am determined to follow through on this. I really mean it this time. This will not be like scrapbooking, walking for exercise, dieting, yoga teacher training (which I have only slowed down, not abandoned completely...), going back to college for a useful degree, painting/decorating the house, cleaning the house, organizing my stuff. This will not be like those things. I will do this. I really will.

On the woo-woo side of things: My Puppy-Cat is stressed. I am looking into a consult with a pet communicator. Yes, I know I am strange. I will post on that later. I haven't told DFA yet. I'd better let him know before he reads it here...