Jim Roepcke's weblog have browser, will travel (est. 1999)

Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving in Canada today. Here's what I'm thankful for... I know I'll miss something, but I'm thankful whoever I forget will forgive me.

• I'm thankful for having a healthy, beautiful daughter and wife who love me.
• I'm thankful that if all goes to plan, I'll have a beautiful son by the end of January. (Yes, Cheryl's pregnant, I just haven't mentioned it here before. We're very quiet about these things because we've had two miscarriages, and nothing is worse than telling people that news)
• I'm thankful my family is healthy and so generous to us.
• I'm thankful my friends are healthy and also so very kind and generous to me and my family.
• I'm thankful I have a job I love, and that I work with great people, great technology, great code, and am given great tasks. I work to live, not the other way around, but it's still great to enjoy my job.
• I'm thankful I have this web site. It's a crucial outlet in my life.
• I'm thankful that people read this site and share their opinions and knowledge with me and my friends. If you only knew how much it truly means to me that you're here. Thank you.
• I'm thankful the attendant didn't leave the parkade when it closed at 6:30 tonight so I could get my car out and not be locked out of my apartment tonight. ;-> I picked up the car at twenty-to-seven. PHEW!
• I'm thankful there is a glorious alternative to using Microsoft Windows and that it comes with great development tools, which are also a crucial outlet in my life.
• I'm thankful, and infinitely grateful that an uncountable number of men and women freely gave their lives so that I and my family might have freedom, liberty, and a long, prosperous life. A blessing that can not be understated.

Thank you.

Today’s Dilbert is interesting

(click image to enlarge)

Today's Dilbert is also interesting. Notice how in this strip, and in the Malcolm in the Middle episode, someone suggests a group of people (metaphorically America in both cases) should be more introspective, but in each case, the idea is dismissed as being unachievable.

Sigh.

Malcolm on Politics

I can't set up my satellite at my new apartment, and I'm not about to waste my money on cable, so I'm relegated to rabbit ears for TV. So, if you notice the intellectual material here go downhill in the weeks to come, you can chalk it up to me watching local network television.

Like tonight... I watched Malcolm in the Middle. One of the better network shows, actually. (See, it's happening already)

In tonight's episode, new neighbours move next door to Malcolm's house, and they're total jerks. Their little girl bites Malcolm's older brother constantly, their boy makes Malcolm's life hell by lying about him in school and to neighbours... the woman treats "her help" (a Mexican gardener/boytoy) like crap and terrorizes Malcolm's mom's hedges, and their garden Gnome reputedly eats small children, much to the dismay of Malcolm's terrified younger brother. However, the two dads get along just fine.

At the dinner table, Malcolm's brother says (and I'm paraphrasing here):

"The word on the block is 'feud'!

Malcolm's dad says something like, "That hardly seems necessary".

Bro says: "No, a feud is just what we need! It would unite us as a family and allow us to hone our skills, make us stronger!"

Dad: "Before we look at how that family lives and acts, we should take a long look at our own..." He surveys the table... "Uhhh, never mind (sigh)"

A later scene... Malcolm and his brother are in a bedroom, his brother is peering out his window, petrified the little girl is out there waiting to bit his bandaged arm again...

Bro: "She's out there, I know it! Where is she?!"

Malcolm: "Hey, you're the one who wanted a feud!"

Bro: "You know I never think things through..."

In a later scene, the boys scheme to discredit the reputation of the neighbours that have sullied their family name, because, in bro's words, "you can't repair your reputation, you can just disgrace your enemy's".

Interesting episode.

PHB to Voice: shut up

via Smeed.org: diveintomark/Assume we have a can opener

A good article about the struggles people are having trying to have a voice (published via internal weblogs) at work.

RE: Sweet 17

My Aunt Shirley told me in an email that 17 (Jari Kurri's #, if you need a reminder ) was my Grandpa's favourite number. I must have known that at one time but I forgot.

My favourite # is 8. And I was sitting in seat #8 of row 2 at the game on Saturday night.

Kursk Raised

Russian Nuclear Sub Kursk Raised