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April 29, 2005

where i've been

This is neat.



create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

I need to get out more.

Posted by Mark at 08:21 PM | Comments (0)

NIN remixes

I love Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor is certainly a very talented and creative individual, and the more I get into electronica, the more I enjoy his stuff.

Of course, if you're not living under a cyber-rock, you know about the release of the newest NIN single in GarageBand format, which you are encouraged to remix however you like. As of this posting, there are over 294 remixes up at this contest site, where you can listen to 'em all.

I think my favorite so far, however, is this one. Ray Parker Jr., eat your heart out.

Addendum: versions I particularly like:

This reminds me why the Internet is a Good Thing. Here are some kids with talent who are able to get their work in front of a global audience thanks to a famous rock star putting some of his work out there and saying, "here you go, here's some raw information, go crazy and see what you can come up with." This sort of thing is so amazingly empowering, it gives me chills. The next time somebody tells you that globalization is killing individual creativity, send them to this site.

Posted by Mark at 01:45 PM | Comments (0)

lost diamonds

I think the job search is pretty much slowing down for the week. I've got a great book on J2EE that should be here soon, so I'm going to spend some time later on today reading up on that and filling in gaps in my knowledge. It reminds me of my original job search, coming out of college and needing to bone up on databases and SQL. I have some J2EE experience, what with the Websphere project and everything, but the Portal aspects of it really get in the way of the pure Java bits. So I need to focus on that.

I hit Asylum last night and had a good time. Chatted with a guy who was a writer, wrote a book years ago called Lost Diamonds or some such, about baseball stadiums that were torn down. Turns out that the field at Boston University used to be a stadium where the Boston Braves played, way back in the day. Apparently they preserved part of the original ticket booth when they redid the park.

I was surprised by a visit from Pepco this morning; the meter guy brought a new wireless electrical meter that apparently they can access remotely. Neat stuff. Technology is just cool.

I might do a little more packing and cleaning today, but there's just not too much more that I can do. I think instead I'm going to focus on programming work.

Posted by Mark at 12:25 PM | Comments (2)

April 28, 2005

warning: nerd alert

Quote of the day, concerning a question I posted on Slashdot about how the new Bioware RPG, Jade Empire, compares to the classic Planescape: Torment:

"It has less floating skulls and more Asians."

I warned you. Here there be nerds.

Actually, we were making fun of our coworker the other day, who apparently reads computer books for fun. Now, I'm a geek, card-carrying and everything, but even I draw the line at reading LISP for Dummies as an idea of a good time. That's just being a nerd.

In related news, I just realized that MoveableType's text-editing buttons now apparently work with Firefox. So I'm going crazy with the formatting here.

Not much on the job front today. Yesterday was pretty hot, but today is flat. Lots of jobs out there, just nothing that fits perfectly in with my skill set. I need a personal project, something I can do with J2EE as a proof of concept that I actually know what I'm doing...since real work isn't giving me that opportunity right now.

Oh, the code samples section is updated.

Addendum: the house is getting clean. I am rapidly approaching the point of maximum preparedness, which is the point at which I can no longer pack things up in advance, because I am going to need them between now and moving day. I vaccuumed the room, and it is now probably cleaner than it was when I moved in. The last thing I have to do is a bit of spackling, and them I'm pretty much done.

Posted by Mark at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2005

wireless network how-to

Hopefully this entry will get picked up by Google, and will help people out with questions I had about how to get this working. So:

wired network to wireless network bridge repeater extend router wireless access point

That should help.

So here is what I wanted to do:

Basically, internet comes in through a DSL modem or whatever. It then goes to a router. One or more PCs are connected to the router with wired connections.

Then you've got a second cluster of PCs, with wired NICs. I didn't want to buy wireless NICs for every PC. Rather, I wanted to attach those PCs to a wired switch or hub or router, and then somehow bridge the gap without running wires across the apartment.

So, goals are:

The way to do this is to buy a wireless router, and then either a second wireless router, or what's called a wireless access point or wireless range extender. Here's how to do it.

You set up the first wireless router as you would configure any normal router. Set it up with your IP address (if you have a static one), the DNS servers, the gateway, etc. Set up the PCs that connect directly to the RJ45 ethernet jacks on the back of that router as you would connect PCs to any other router. And configure any wireless PCs you've got as you normally would configure them to access that wireless router wirelessly.

Then, you need to configure your wireless access point in what's called "bridge mode." (You can also configure most wireless routers in bridge mode, so if you can get a second wireless router cheaply, you can go that route...no pun intended)

What I had to do with my Belkin router and access point was make sure that they were set to use the same wireless channel, make sure they had the same security settings, and then I simply entered the MAC address of the wireless access point into the router so it would know to allow the WAP to connect to it. Then, just plug your old Linksys wired switch or whatever into the single RJ45 jack in the back of the WAP, and plug your wired PCs into the switch. And you're done. The PCs will go through the switch to the WAP, which will talk to the router and send whatever data through the wireless connection so you can get from one cluster of wired PCs to another cluster without having to string cat-5 across the apartment.

I was able to do this for about $70 shipped with a Belkin 802.11g wireless router and a Belkin 802.11g wireless access point, and a Linksys 5-port switch that I had laying around. This is a great way to avoid the expense of buying wireless NICs for every computer, but still take advantage of wireless. And as a bonus, I now have very strong wireless coverage across the apartment from the WAP and the router acting as an access point.

I wish I had been able to find a clear explanation like this when I was trying to figure out how to do this. :)

Addendum: minor clarification made on the request of my brother. Also, this is my 100th blog entry since I switched the hosting of the blog over to my hosting provider. Yay!

Posted by Mark at 11:36 AM | Comments (1)

April 26, 2005

plans? what plans?

I got a version of my latest app working on the code samples section of this site. I'll put a link up in a little while, after I've cleaned some things up.

I had meetings all day, and I've been frankly kind of moody. When I got home, I took a nap for a few hours. Even though I'd really like to take the wireless router for a spin, I think I'll hold off...unless I get a burst of energy here at some point.

I'm really trying to be cool and not stress out too much, just let things happen as they will. I know I'm too tense when Dad tells me to be less like Senior and more like Junior. A lot of things are really uncertain right now, and the fact of the matter is that I just have to be cool with uncertainty, to really embrace having only a skeleton of a plan. Plans all fall apart when the bullets start flying, to borrow a military aphorism.

That said, I'm not going to try to do too much today. Chock it up to experience. Once the laundry is done, I'm going to bed.

Addendum: I got the wireless setup working. Took about a half-hour...no major problems. Once I actually followed the instructions, that is.

Posted by Mark at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2005

wireless

Spent three hours stocking at REI today. I need to get an REI job in Boston just for the workout alone.

Dad's birthday today. Happy Birthday!

No time to pack tonight, between phone calls, bills and looking at the AAA directions I got for the upcoming trips. I got my sweet new 802.11g wireless setup, though.

I'm going to plug in a wireless router at the DSL entry point, which is in my future roommate's room. She'll just wire her computer into the router. Then, in my room, I'll have a wireless access point set to repeater mode, into which I'll plug a 5-port switch. And from the switch, I'll plug in my regular wired boxen, with the sweet bonus of having a really strong wireless signal all through the apartment. No wires running everywhere, and thanks to a couple of rebates, I can do the whole thing for 60 bucks. I'm happy I waited a few years to go wireless...no real need up until now, and even now, the only thing I'm using the wireless for is to bridge the distance between two bedrooms on opposite sides of the apartment. This way, I don't have to shell out bucks for wireless NICs for every PC.

I'll play around with it tomorrow. I also ordered a good beginner's J2EE book, which I'll spend some time with over the next few weeks. I also have to put up a new code samples page for upcoming interviews and things, which means digging through some old stuff and sanitizing (removing all proprietary info) some recent apps that I can put up. I am definitely going to put up the app I did for Eisner a few years ago, the ad management system for US Airways. And I'll do a cleaned-up version of the app I'm working on right now as another PHP example. I also want to put up some Java stuff, but that involves a) finding out if my hosting provider will let me run Tomcat in my account, and b) actually translating some kind of application into Java. The Java code samples I have from the Websphere debacle are pretty much worthless...IMHO, Websphere Portal = teh sux.

Posted by Mark at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2005

pack it up, pack it in

I usually wait until the last minute to pack, because I don't really like living in an empty room. But this time, I decided to try packing early. So the pictures are off the walls, the shelves are empty, many of the dishes are wrapped in newspaper and packed in boxes, and the foyer is filled with most of my stuff.

We had a 2-hour meeting this morning at REI. I grabbed some boxes from there on my way out. Looks like I'll actually have more than I need, so the rest can be used by Chris and Paul when they move out.

I've decided on a replacement roommate. His name is Zack, and he's 22 and moving to DC after graduating from the University of Rochester. His girlfriend, meanwhile, is heading up to Boston, of all places, to go to grad school. I came to DC fresh out of school, and I'm leaving 5 years later. And my replacement is the same age I was when I came to this area, ready to start a new life. Poetic.

I will probably do some more packing later on tonight, and maybe put spackle over some of the holes in the walls. But for the most part, I'm done. I have to pack up some of the remaining dishes, and my clothes, and the rest is just furniture and computers. As always, the computer will be the last thing to get packed up.

Five years. I'm not sure that I'm exactly where I wanted to be at this point in my life. But at least it's been interesting, and that's more than a lot of people can say.

Posted by Mark at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)

April 23, 2005

surprise!

I am moving to Boston.

I'm sure it was fairly obvious what I was talking about the last few months, but I did want to keep the curtain of plausible deniability drawn until things were more certain. Now, the moving truck is reserved, half my things are in boxes, and I met with 4 different people this afternoon about renting my room. If there were a point of no return, it has clearly been crossed.

I decided a few months ago to at least float my resume out there and see if I got any interest, and from that, I ended up just committing to a May moving date. Although final plans with potential employers have yet to be determined--I don't have any offers as of yet--ISS is playing nice and letting me telework for at least a couple of months while I get established.

Truth be told, I'd be happy teleworking for them for some time, since I do like the job, but we'll see how that goes. Eventually, I suppose that I will have to forge ahead on my own and find a more local place of employment.

So, I put in my notice at REI, although I am going to try to get a job at their Boston store once I get up there. I have moved most of the "easy" stuff into cardboard boxes, and I am slowly transferring my worldly goods from my bedroom to the living room.

The whole moving process is going to be complicated, and I'm going to be down here a number of times before I make the "final" move out...with Matt's graduation and some other stuff, it makes sense for me to leave my car here when we drive the moving truck up to Boston, and I still want to take my big East Coast motorcycle ride, so the bike is staying here for a bit as well.

But I'm finally making the move that I've been talking about for years. So I've got that going for me. Which is nice.

Posted by Mark at 04:07 PM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2005

no pressure

Things are moving but I don't want to jinx anything, so I won't say too much. It smelled like Spring yesterday, on the drive home, with the windows open and that wonderful ozone smell of an impending rainstorm in the air. I'm sad that the weather has turned a bit colder, but it will be summer before long.

REI has been fun. I'm getting some really great life experience in being a salesperson, and learning how to really interact with people. The nice thing, ethically, is that I'm not selling them stuff they don't need...I'm quite militant on that. If I don't think somebody needs something, I'll steer them away from it. I feel that, with an activity like camping, if you enjoy it, you're hooked for life. I don't want to sell somebody on $500 bucks of junk they'll never use again. I'd rather have them spend $100 bucks, enjoy themselves, and get so into the sport that they spend thousands over their lifetime. So when somebody comes in, I do my best to get them not just the best equipment, but the best bang for their buck.

Of course, different people have different budgets and different preferences or needs, and I take that into account too. A couple came in the other night and wanted to set up a tent. They liked one that was more expensive than the one I initially recommended, because it gave them some more room. But they still saved some money because it was on sale. It was a nice thing. And REI is cool with that...I sometimes think that we should have buttons made that say "we're not on commission," since I think that's the first thing that people think when somebody says "can I help you?" At least, that's what I think. But really, I just want to help people find stuff, give them advice, and if they don't want help or don't want to buy anything, hey, window-shop away.

Anyway, more news soon, hopefully.

Posted by Mark at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

April 17, 2005

sore butt

I did a LOT of riding this weekend...about 150 miles yesterday, and a little over 100 miles today. I couldn't feel my butt by the end of it.

The bike is running well. The rides were a mix of highway and backroads riding; yesterday I did some riding around my usual haunt in Maryland near the Potomac, and today I crossed the Potomac at Point of Rocks, near Frederick, and rode down 15 and over through Virginia. There are a lot of fun little twisty back roads where you can have a lot of fun without too much traffic, or without even needing to go very fast. I think I enjoy it most when I can cruise around 30 or 40 miles per hour with my visor open and no other cars in sight, just enjoying the scenery.

I saw a lot of turkeys yesterday, too...a group of hens with a tom, then two toms on two separate occasions after that. Didn't see too much today, but I was on highways a little more, so that's to be expected.

I definitely prefer riding on the Maryland side, although that might be just that I'm more familiar with the area, and thus I can relax and let myself get lost with more comfort. As long as I know where 270 is and where the river is, I'm fine. On the VA side, I'm more nervous about taking a wrong turn and ending up in Kentucky.

That was the bulk of the weekend excitement. I did some laundry, checked the remaining balance on my car (only about 3 months left!), and made some phone calls.

Oh, and the leather pants are doing just fine. Chris mocks me mercilessly, but I yuk it up. They are quite comfortable when I'm out on the road. Now if only they were padded on the behind.

My next bike needs to be longer. I want to be able to stretch my legs out and lean back more when I'm on longer rides. I thought about attaching some highway bars to this bike, but the frame is too small. My knees would be bunched up just like they are now.

I should go to bed, but I'm feeling keyed up and not very sleepy. Not sure if I'm going to ride into the office tomorrow or not. No reason not to, but it'll depend on what time I get going in the morning. I feel too nervous right now to be able to go to bed anytime soon, though. It's a big day tomorrow, or it could be.

Posted by Mark at 10:23 PM | Comments (1)

April 15, 2005

watching and waiting

I'm frustrated and annoyed lately. Some things are not going as well as I'd like them to.

Work is quiet today. I could probably just leave right now and nobody would know the difference. I got a few bugs fixed, and I'm studying up on my J2EE.

This should be a quiet weekend, and will give me a chance to get caught up on laundry and cleaning around the house. I also plan to take the motorcycle out for a long ride.

That's it. Watching and waiting, and trying to figure out what I'm doing.

Posted by Mark at 04:08 PM | Comments (1)

April 11, 2005

pants again

I sold a lot of backpacks this weekend, but thankfully also found time for a short motorcycle ride. I think that having a part-time job is helping me lose some weight. Being on your feet for a few hours when you would normally be sitting on the couch snacking is good for the waistline.

The cycle was running quite well and the leather pants, while snug, were wearable. I like the feeling of having a bit more protection between me and the road, although they are oddly tight across the thighs. I think part of that is getting used to them, and part of it is having them stretch and fit better. Part of it is also, obviously, shrinking myself slightly.

Tonight the old ChangeWave crew is getting together at Bennigan's. It'll be great to see some old faces.

In the meantime, I'm hanging out. Need to finish up my taxes...I owe DC a check. I'll do that probably a little later this afternoon.

Posted by Mark at 03:23 PM | Comments (0)

April 08, 2005

i know kevin bacon

So my friend Lyndsay was in town last night, crashed at my place so she could audition for the Washington Shakespeare Company. Very exciting stuff. I met her years ago in London, and we've kept in touch since then...I last saw her a few years ago when she visited her aunt and uncle in Baltimore.

So it turns out that she knows the guy who plays Brian, the waiter with the 47 pieces of flair in Office Space, whose real name is Todd. And of course Todd was in the movie with Jennifer Aniston. So I have 4 degrees of separation from Jennifer Aniston!

So the next time you play 6 degrees of separation or Kevin Bacon or whatever, you can totally use me as one of your links.

As a matter of fact...

Ok, according to the Oracle of Bacon at UVA, Jennifer was in Picture Perfect in 1997 with Kevin Bacon.

Me -> Lyndsay -> Todd -> Jennifer -> Kevin Bacon

What a small world we live in.

Posted by Mark at 10:28 AM | Comments (0)

April 07, 2005

some songs you should write

Last weekend was good. I saw Mike's musical, and he did a good job. Dad was cool and changed my oil in the rain. Father Ted told us not to read the DaVinci Code and continued his quest to make up homilies completely from Reader's Digest articles and urban legends.

I was briefly not sick, but now I am sick again. Yesterday, my left ear popped and would not pop back, so I couldn't really hear most of the day. Finally it unpopped while I was asleep last night.

I had a great first floor shift at REI. I got a chance to talk to people, help them out with stuff, and start to learn where things go and how to do a retail job. Plus, I have a feeling that 3 hours on my feet is a good substitute for exercise...I was tired by the end of the night. It is basically everything I hoped and expected a retail job would be. It's just nice being able to talk camping and hiking with people, and I am already feeling inspired to try to get out and on my feet as soon as I can.

I'm a little NyQuilled up, so here is a list of songs that somebody should write:

Feel free to submit lyrics and/or recorded MP3s. I'd do it myself, but I'm really more of an idea guy.

Posted by Mark at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)

April 01, 2005

time to blog

I was just reading CliffyB's blog and it reminded me that I haven't blogged in awhile. Hopefully I'll be able to talk about the reasons for that busy-ness soon.

Easter with Kara was great! We ate a lot, we talked to a lot of family members, we had a great time. So that was all quite nice.

I'm heading up to PA tonight to see the musical, which will hopefully be good. It's always weird going back to my old high school. Anyway, that's all for now.

Posted by Mark at 01:30 PM | Comments (1)