It’s a busy week for me, so blogging takes a back seat for the time being. Thursday night, I speak about cool open-source virtual machines at the Triangle Linux Users Group‘s meeting. It should be a fun talk!

Friday evening I head to Derm for the start of my weekend-long course in remote viewing taught by Joe McMoneagle. I don’t know what to expect, but I’ve got an open mind and I’m sure I’ll have fun.

Next week will seem positively boring comparatively.

I passed four police cars on the way to work this morning, an unusual number. The one that first got my attention was the Wake deputy parked just inside my neighborhood. His rolled-down window told me he was killing time.

I thought about doubling back to ask what was going on, but then I remembered that two VIPs are in town today: Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton. They’ll be speaking today at NCSU’s Emerging Issues forum on the topic of healthcare.

I’ve met Newt. He seemed like the college professor he once was. I was kind of disappointed that he didn’t breathe fire like I’d been led to believe. On the other hand, Kerry didn’t really blow me away. Edwards was much more fun. Her husband John was okay, too.

But I would love to meet Clinton. He’s got this Nixonesque mystique to him, like him or not. A shame that tickets to his dinner tonight will put you back 250 bucks. A picture with him will cost a mere ten grand. Dare not blink your eyes!

Like healthcare (and politics), the good stuff is only available to those with deep pockets.

I thought it was really cool when I drove home Friday without turning on my headlights. Heck, I even began my trip with my sunglasses on. I can’t remember the last time I did that. Number one, I got home at a decent hour. Number two, the days are getting longer.

I have also enjoyed waking up to the sound of birds chirping outside our window. The dark days are bowing to the light. I can’t wait until its spring!

Today had just about everything you could ask for in Hallie-dom. And Travis had a pretty good day, too!

It was fun having time to spend with the kids and have them so obviously appreciative of it. Travis was full of smiles in spite of his waking up early. And Hallie was her usual fun-loving self.
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This has already made the rounds at Metafilter. Two Colorado girls, in a senseless act of generosity, made cookies one night and delivered them to their neighbors.

Neighbor Wanita Young, apparently shocked that anyone would do anything kind for her, had an anxiety attack and sued the girls for $900.

The girls showed “very poor judgment,” Young said. “I just hope the girls learned a lesson.”

They sure did. They learned what a giant doodyhead you really are.

On the bright side, the girls are now famous. They’ve also collected donations far exceeding their $900 fine.

Its a miracle that no one was killed in the plane crash in Teterboro, New Jersey. Its not often that a jet crashes on takeoff, full of fuel, and doesn’t end up a smoking hulk.

I hope those critically injured pull through. They have quite a story to tell.

I found this on Metafilter, and couldn’t stop reading it. Its a piece by Eliot Weinberger called What I Heard About Iraq. It is a long, long list of what has been said about Iraq, and none of it is pretty.

Reading it overwhelms me with pity for the Iraqi people, whose suffering didn’t end with Saddam’s rule. As a man in a Baghdad market said, “Saddam Hussein’s greatest crime is that he brought the American army to Iraq.”

Apple’s Ipod is apparently wildly popular at Microsoft, which drives the management there crazy.

Hey, a good product speaks for itself. I bet Microsoft wishes it had one.