Category: Rant

Dear Boss

Three years ago, when I was asked to implement a DocumentCache class in the cinlib, I made a mistake so that first build that had it was actually horribly slower than before it was implemented. Yes, I admit it. But I fixed that problem in the very next build, and it actually did end up being a net gain.

So is it really fucking necessary that every time since then when there the slightest question about cinlib performance, the first words out of your mouth are “can we try disabliing the DocumentCache to see if that fixes it”? I mean, it’s been three years. Give it up, already.

A stupid idea, stupidly done

In amongst my podcasts, iTunes downloaded three “PDFcasts”, two from Make Magazine and one from PilotCast. Of all the ways that people on the Internet have found to re-implement the same basic idea as Usenet, this has got to be the worst. If I wanted content that I had to read on my computer, what’s wrong with a web page? Or better yet, an RSS feed for a web page. Or an email list. Or Usenet.

I should be doing something

It’s a beautiful day. I should be out riding my bike, or kayaking, or clearing out the basement, or putting up screen windows, or getting IFR current again, or something. But I’m not, because my knees hurt worse than they’ve hurt in months, possibly years, and it’s a chore to walk down the stairs to get something to eat, never mind do something that involves using them for anything. And it’s that stabby pain that I get every now and then, as opposed to that diffuse pain that’s part of the constant background, and that pain does not seem to respond to Alieve at all. The diffuse pain doesn’t respond quickly or well to Alieve, but at least if I forget to take it for a couple of days I notice the pain level increasing. This stabby pain comes and goes on its own schedule.

Maybe I’ll use the time to fix the OpenID commenting on this blog (or at least get it back to the point where it works for some people, like when I use it myself from my Powerbook, but not for other people, like when I use it myself from my Linux computer at work). Or fix the long broken loader scripts on my waypoint generator site. Or see if I can get the Gallery upgrade to work this time. But I don’t feel like it – I’d rather just curl up and try to sleep. At least then I wouldn’t be aware of the pain.

META: Don’t use OpenID

OpenId comment authentication seems to be extremely hit-or-miss. It works for some, and for others their posts get flagged as spam, and for others still they get swallowed entirely. I’ve tried to debug it, but I haven’t figured out what’s wrong. I tried to deactivate it, but it just made things worse. So until further notice, please don’t use OpenID or your LiveJournal ID to comment on here.

Update: I just remembered that I had to hack the source in order to make this work before, and I recently installed an update. The update probably over-wrote my hack. Now to dig though the backup to see if I can find the hacked file.

Why I hate dentists

They say “you’re going to feel a slight pinch” when they really mean it’s going to feel like they’re driving an ice pick through the roof of your mouth into your eye socket.

They tell you to sit up so they can take an x-ray while you’ve got a 2 foot long pipe cleaner sticking out of hole in your front tooth. Then they tell you to hold the film in place with your finger.

They keep screwing these things that look about 2 feet long into your mouth, and then pulling it out. I kept closing my eyes when they brought it out because I was sure it was going to be covered in blood.

All during the root canal, you can hear her stomach growling, and afterwards she tells you not to eat for an hour. Yeah, I bet you’re not going to wait an hour.

And after it all, they tell you you’re going to have to come back in a week for more pain.