Mozilla is brain candy
I tend to blog mostly about my random thoughts and my life with the family (and future family). But a something important in my life for years is the open source community.
In late ‘01, I was a junior in college. Like now, I was addicted to fun new software. Finding new software is like brain candy. And that was when I read about mozilla. And I was hooked. The following fall (’02), a small Mozilla group started experimenting with a pared down browser, then called phoenix. Over the following year or so, phoenix went from a side project to being the mozilla browser itself, and it changed names several times in the process (for the record, I liked “phoenix,” and I’m not a huge fan of “firefox,” which I think they chose to completely avoid any chance of trademark disputes). And I was there for all of it. And I was there for the beginning of thunderbird, too. I downloaded the very first build, then called minotaur, and it has been my default email client ever since.
This whole story serves to explain why I so loved this post by Mozilla QA guy Asa Dotzler. For years I have followed Mozilla’s development and read Asa’s blog. In fact, Asa really introduced me to blogging; I have read his blog for nearly six years! And then this morning, out of the blue, I got faces to names I have long known. Just as Asa was writing about finally meeting a longtime Mozilla contributor, I felt similarly, even though the connection wasn’t in person. Mozilla has long been a part of my life, although peripheral; seeing Asa’s post brought back to me how long open source has been a part of my life and how much has changed over the last six years.
I just had to share. Very cool.
Mr. Plumber Guy
Let me tell you, I’m used to being Mr. Tech Guy, but Mr. Tech Guy doesn’t get his pants soaked with nasty toilet water when getting something wrong. Tonight, I got to be Mr. Plumber Guy.
I am the blogger who within one year became a homeowner, a step-father, and a dad.
Or I will become a dad, anyway.
Beat that!
Carseat question
I finally got around to installing Charlott’e car seat in my car. No fun. It turns out that my little car will be consumed by the safety measures that protect a newborn.
I have heard a million times that car seats need to be in the middle seat in the back. But when I do that, I have to tilt my seat up uncomfortably and drive with my knees touching the steering wheel. I don’t think it’d be unsafe (I’ll try it today), but I don’t think it’ll be comfortable, either.
So … how bad of a person would I be if I moved the car seat off to the other side? Any opinions?
Not having kids
Last night, as Katie and I watched a two hour Simpsons marathon, I wondered out loud “is this what it’s like not to have kids?”
Sure, Katie and I got lots of stuff done over the weekend. Katie wrote a lot, prepared a birth bag, and cleaned. I cleaned, cleaned, and cleaned. I’m still amazed at how much we got accomplished yesterday alone.
But then, finished trying to get anything done, we closed the day watching tv. I can’t remember the last time we had a weekend of not going anywhere and not having anybody over. And with the house kid-free for the next week, it’s just quiet.
In short, last night I got to do stuff just for me and watch what I wanted to watch. And it was kind of boring.
Just a year ago, I realized last night, I was still living in my little apartment downtown. But it’s been some year, and I can’t quite figure out what I would’ve been doing last night if I were still Granju-free. I’m not even sure if I want to.
Best news I’ve heard all day
“You have an appt to get a massage for tomorrow morning at 10:45 am.”
Quote of the evening:
“I think this belly is bigger than my other bellies.”
- Katie
Cell phones and leaving work at the office
In this day and age, it seems next to impossible not to give out your cell phone number to clients. Probably once or twice a day, I have clients ask for my boss’s cell phone number. But who wants to be accessible 24-7 to just about everybody?
I’m trying to find the line between who can know cell numbers and who can’t - and how to gently say no. I don’t mind being accessible all of the time to my family and closest friends, but sometimes I get to be off the clock, don’t I?
My dad has a famous story about camping at the beach one year and having a campground employee come running up to him because he had an “important” phone call. He raced to the telephone just to find someone asking him what the standard deduction was for his income taxes. No thanks!
My wife impresses me
I’ve always thought that Katie Granju was one of the coolest people ever born. I mean, she is funny, she is super smart, and she is just one of those people who make life great.
And now she is quite pregnant and still working full-time. I am immeasurably impressed and grateful. Really, at this stage of pregnancy, women should be able to work part-time. But she knows that our family needs her to keep working, and she does.
If anybody has any suggestions for her on how to keep moving, let her know. Or just give her some encouragement.
Personally, I think she’s a super hero, cooler than any Hollywood could come up with in their wildest dreams.
Addicted to technology
Bwa ha ha ha. This quiz says I’m only 13% addicted to technology!
A smoke bomb in the glove box
Yesterday, Katie and I switched cars so I could get the oil changed and tires rotated in our new van.
This morning, I got in my car and discovered a pistol in the driver’s side door pocket, a book of hierogliphics on the floor, and a smoke bomb in the glove box.
Boys will be boys?
More Sicko thoughts
I just ran across this website, run by a friend of mine from college. What a great idea:
The goal of this website is not necessarily to convince those who do not think that the current healthcare system is broken. For those who disagree, I would only suggest that you search YouTube or go see Sicko and hear the voices of the people who gave interviews about their ongoing fights to receive the medical treatment they need. Those first person accounts are the truth in this issue. My own values tell me that another person’s medical problems are not something that should be used for profit.
Despite my horror at the hardships and even deaths that have occurred due to our corporate healthcare system, I also feel hope that the time for change has come. I know that many people must have reached this same determination for change. The goal of this website is to provide a voice for that determination.
In the upcoming elections I hope that the candidates will make strong commitments to improve the lives of all Americans. Although there are other important issues at stake, I have decided that I will not vote for any candidate who does not commit to fight for a non-profit healthcare system for all Americans during their term in office. I have decided that I will no longer accept the claim that universal healthcare is not possible in our country, and that it cannot be provided soon. Americans are sick, Americans are dying, and we need this service from our government.
Go sign the promise to help get universal healthcare supporters in office.
Let’s do something other than talk!
