jolma.org

I recently dug up some old pictures including the infamous gallon challenge:

While setting up a new dev machine I reflected on my essential work tools: hardware, software and configuration settings that enhance my productivity and ultimately make Jeff happier.

Two other indispensable tricks of the trade are caffeine and good headphones. (Idea: caffeinated headphones?)

Why do headphones matter? Is it to fully appreciate the intricacies of the new Britney on Broadway CD?

No, it is for noise isolation. Startups commonly have open floor plans, good for collaboration but bad for concentration, especially when you need a couple of uninterrupted hours to crank out a feature.

My favorite pair is the Etymotic ER4 earphones.

Yes, they are expensive, but they sound great and block out 35 dB of external noise. I don’t know what 35 dB is equivalent to, but I wasn’t able to hear the office’s blaring fire alarm a couple of weeks ago. I could have died, but CBass tapped me on the shoulder. And there wasn’t actually a fire.

As an added bonus, they go deep into the ear canal and seem to touch my brain. This makes me feel like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix. Plus they eliminate the yearly ear wax removal trip to the doctor.

A great way to gauge the value of something is to ask what you would do if you lost it. Well, I lost my first pair of ER4s a couple of months ago. I am normally good at bottling up my emotions, but I was on the verge of tears. After a long spooning session with Captain Snuggles (my stuffed unicorn) I immediately ordered a new pair and sprinted home the moment they arrived.

If you use emacs and edit JavaScript, be sure to check out Steve Yegge’s js2-mode. You can find the gory details on his blog post and the download page, but the biggest advantages I see are:

• Good syntax highlighting. It doesn’t barf parsing large, complex files.
• Code folding. Optionally hide function implementations.
• Inline errors and warnings. Forget a semicolon? It will warn you

Programming powder arrived. My, it is definitely pure stuff. 1/4 teaspoon is 450mg. And slightly bitter.

(click for larger images)

I have fun with Photoshop but don’t have a good self portrait. My grandp did, though, during WWII with a buddy. Grandpa is on the right and I’m guessing they fought over who got to wear the tophat:

I dominated the bunny slopes at Crystal Mountain today.

Some say I overused the stiff arm and The Flipper, but I just ride hard. If there’s a five year old tip toe-ing around like she’s in a taffy pull, she’s going to get run over. Simple as that. If you are going to ride, ride on the brink of death.

I’m “slightly” sore now. I’m sure I will feel like a spring chicken in the morning.

When I’m bored or have low self esteem I go moderate this blog’s comments. Some “people” I don’t know — or at least don’t remember — say the nicest things and have excellent advice:

Friend from Cialis:

Wonderful and informative web site.I used information from that site its great. [Helpful links including “Battle of Gettysburg” and “naked woman swimming”]

Another friend from Cialis informs me that my restraint saves children’s lives:

Please, do not delete the given message. Money obtained from spam will go to the help hungry to children Uganda!

Hot tip from another friend (disclaimer: I haven’t tried this out):

If you listen to the Matrix soundtrack on your Ipod, or perhaps a fun song, your life automatically becomes a movie. [links about rugs and hotels]

Snapvine has a new neighbor: Mark Maunder’s Feedjit. If I listen closely, I can hear Mark cussing through the shared wall.

I also added the Feedjit widget to this blog (bottom of right column) to confirm that people other than my mom and me read this.

There is something I have to get off my chest. There is a skeleton in my closet. Actually, it’s in the sea.

Let me continue.

A few years ago just outside Anacortes, Washington, I met a few friends for good times and laughs. Things turned ugly quickly.

A simple discussion about music was abruptly interrupted by the phrase “Cream was overrated.”

I paused. I thought. I couldn’t deal with it any longer. That statement could not stand. I must defend it.

As the perpetrator listened to not-Cream, I stealthily approached him with an all natural assault stick. The picture doesn’t lie. It was ugly. (And, yes, you can click to see the full-size image that demonstrates the incredible torque in the death-rod.)

Success. But there is a body I must dispose of. I flopped the carcass over my shoulder and proudly marched to the sea.

With an awkward kaplunk it was gone, and I returned to shore with my dignity intact.

I sat and reflected upon my accomplishment. I had defended the final remnants of decency in music and had disposed of my compost. But something felt wrong.

Why, God, why? Why did I kill my friend?

That was then. Now I live with my actions. And I challenge you to convince me I did any wrong.

After a long email exchange, I learned that site5 doesn’t allow tunneling. I tried to tunnel HTTP traffic destined for jolma.org to my laptop over ssh (for testing facebook apps) but ran into a bunch of issues. It turns out that they explicitly disallow this.

Is there another inexpensive web host that is less uptight?