Good eats in Paradise... First thing this morning, my lovely bride made bacon and eggs, with pan-fried potatoes and onions to accompany it. World-class eats, those were: fresh eggs from Macey's (our local grocery chain) just four days out of the chicken, Dailey's applewood-smoked bacon, and Idaho potatoes from just up the road. Yum!
But then wait, there's more! We stopped to pick up sandwiches at Logan's Heroes, and they were terrific as always. Fresh torpedo rolls, top-notch meats, friendly service, and all the right condiments and veggies. Dang those sandwiches are good! And of course I washed it down with a big glass of Rosehill Dairy milk.
Now I'm practically comatose, but I'm going to go back out to my shed to do some more work. I'm trying to finish up the four-wheeled trailer project I started last fall...
Monday, March 21, 2016
“My passion was my weak spot.”
“My passion was my weak spot.” That's the title of this interesting piece by Jacques Mattheij. There's much in here that I agree with, and that I might offer as advice to an aspiring technologist myself. There's one part, though, that I strongly disagree with. That's Jacques' advice to never work for free in return for the promise of a future (paying) job.
My reason for disagreeing is quite straightforward: agreeing to work for free in exchange for future paid work was the key to my entrance into the technology workforce. Back in the early '80s, on the tail end of a couple of less-than-successful businesses, I needed a job. I very badly wanted to work with microprocessors (whether that meant hardware or software I didn't much care). I knew that I could do the work, as I had been doing it for six or seven years at that point – as a hobby, as a consultant (where credentials matter less), and in my own businesses.
The biggest challenge for me at that time was that I completely lacked the credentials to be employed as an engineer. I had no college degree. There was no open source movement back then, and no Internet, so there was no obvious way to use the peer recognition I had to help get a job. For instance, most potential employers had never heard of Gary Kildall or MP/M, and the code with my name on it was proprietary.
I needed a way to prove myself to a potential employer. I decided to offer my free services to such a company (Xscribe) for a limited time, with the understanding that after 90 days they'd either boot me out or hire me. I also made it clear that I'd be looking elsewhere while I worked there for free. I figured that if they weren't convinced of my skills after 90 days, they never would be. As things turned out, they made me a (great!) offer less than a month after I started. I never had trouble getting a job after that, as I then possessed a credential of sorts: a referenceable, verifiable track record.
So I'll disagree with Jacques on that point: sometimes working for free is a good idea...
My reason for disagreeing is quite straightforward: agreeing to work for free in exchange for future paid work was the key to my entrance into the technology workforce. Back in the early '80s, on the tail end of a couple of less-than-successful businesses, I needed a job. I very badly wanted to work with microprocessors (whether that meant hardware or software I didn't much care). I knew that I could do the work, as I had been doing it for six or seven years at that point – as a hobby, as a consultant (where credentials matter less), and in my own businesses.
The biggest challenge for me at that time was that I completely lacked the credentials to be employed as an engineer. I had no college degree. There was no open source movement back then, and no Internet, so there was no obvious way to use the peer recognition I had to help get a job. For instance, most potential employers had never heard of Gary Kildall or MP/M, and the code with my name on it was proprietary.
I needed a way to prove myself to a potential employer. I decided to offer my free services to such a company (Xscribe) for a limited time, with the understanding that after 90 days they'd either boot me out or hire me. I also made it clear that I'd be looking elsewhere while I worked there for free. I figured that if they weren't convinced of my skills after 90 days, they never would be. As things turned out, they made me a (great!) offer less than a month after I started. I never had trouble getting a job after that, as I then possessed a credential of sorts: a referenceable, verifiable track record.
So I'll disagree with Jacques on that point: sometimes working for free is a good idea...
My, what interesting rocks...
More rain and snow for Paradise...
More rain and snow for Paradise... That's what's in our forecast for tonight through Wednesday. It's hard to believe at the moment, as we have wall-to-wall blue sky and there's no snow on the ground. Our soil is saturated, though – mud season is in full swing here. You can easily tell that by the grit on our kitchen floor – the inevitable result of letting dogs with hairy feet (field spaniels) go outside :)
We're planning to make a few modifications to our house this year. Those include a “mud room” outside the current front door, and a rear patio that opens onto the enclosed yard our dogs normally play in. We're planning a dog washing station on that patio: a place with a hose and a sprayer, where we can easily wash the dirt and mud off their feet in mud season. The gluey substance known as “Paradise mud” is almost impossible to remove without the assistance of high-pressure water. The dogs won't appreciate this, but we will!
We're planning to make a few modifications to our house this year. Those include a “mud room” outside the current front door, and a rear patio that opens onto the enclosed yard our dogs normally play in. We're planning a dog washing station on that patio: a place with a hose and a sprayer, where we can easily wash the dirt and mud off their feet in mud season. The gluey substance known as “Paradise mud” is almost impossible to remove without the assistance of high-pressure water. The dogs won't appreciate this, but we will!
Will English “destroy” all other languages?
Will English “destroy” all other languages? The trend is certainly in that direction, and there is much hand-wringing and anguish in certain parts of academia (and other places, too). The language generally employed to describe this phenomenon is that other languages are being driven to extinction by the spread of English, and that predisposes people to think it's bad. “Extinction” is bad, isn't it? Always?
I'm not so sure, whether we're discussing critters, plants, or languages. I'd have no problem with the extinction of mosquitoes (and my wife would be ecstatic!). Similarly, if burdock were to disappear forever, I'd shed no tears. Should I be anxious about the impending extinction of Naukan Yupik?
I'm not ready to out-and-out endorse the notion of making English the universal language of mankind. I'm well aware that as a native English speaker, such an outcome would be oh-so-convenient for me. As a veteran world traveler, though, I'm also very well aware of just how much friction the absence of a universal language for mankind introduces into any interaction between people who don't share a common language. From locating a bathroom to ordering a meal to conducting some business, everything is harder if you and the person you're dealing with don't speak the same language. Fluently. Easily. Natively.
I should note that I have a family reason for opposing the obliteration of non-English languages. My sister has a business that's predicated on the idea of teaching English to people for whom it would be a second language. The universal adoption of English would obliterate her business. I've not talked with her about this, but somehow I doubt she'd be in favor of this outcome :)
I haven't made up my mind about this. It's certainly true that language differences are an important part of the cultural differences that add a lot of interest to our world. There are tradeoffs. Most people talking about this topic tend toward overblown rhetoric mourning the disappearance of languages. But is the disappearance of language X intrinsically “tragic”? That's where I depart from the conventional line of thought, because I don't think so. I'd like to hear what the adoption of English means for the welfare of the people in the affected population. For example, if a young woman growing up in (say) eastern Siberia spoke English (natively) instead of the traditional local language spoken by 200 people – how much easier will it be for her to become a doctor? A welder? A programmer? I know the answer – it will be enormously easier, for the simple reason that she can read and understand the texts that are widely available, not to mention what's on the Internet. That's the tradeoff I'm interested in exploring: if the price of losing a language forever is X, what's the benefit? And is it worth it? I'd like to see a more sober weighing of the costs and benefits. I'm no expert in this area, but in terms of what's visible to me, the benefits of a universal language outweigh the costs, and not by a small margin.
What do you think?
I'm not so sure, whether we're discussing critters, plants, or languages. I'd have no problem with the extinction of mosquitoes (and my wife would be ecstatic!). Similarly, if burdock were to disappear forever, I'd shed no tears. Should I be anxious about the impending extinction of Naukan Yupik?
I'm not ready to out-and-out endorse the notion of making English the universal language of mankind. I'm well aware that as a native English speaker, such an outcome would be oh-so-convenient for me. As a veteran world traveler, though, I'm also very well aware of just how much friction the absence of a universal language for mankind introduces into any interaction between people who don't share a common language. From locating a bathroom to ordering a meal to conducting some business, everything is harder if you and the person you're dealing with don't speak the same language. Fluently. Easily. Natively.
I should note that I have a family reason for opposing the obliteration of non-English languages. My sister has a business that's predicated on the idea of teaching English to people for whom it would be a second language. The universal adoption of English would obliterate her business. I've not talked with her about this, but somehow I doubt she'd be in favor of this outcome :)
I haven't made up my mind about this. It's certainly true that language differences are an important part of the cultural differences that add a lot of interest to our world. There are tradeoffs. Most people talking about this topic tend toward overblown rhetoric mourning the disappearance of languages. But is the disappearance of language X intrinsically “tragic”? That's where I depart from the conventional line of thought, because I don't think so. I'd like to hear what the adoption of English means for the welfare of the people in the affected population. For example, if a young woman growing up in (say) eastern Siberia spoke English (natively) instead of the traditional local language spoken by 200 people – how much easier will it be for her to become a doctor? A welder? A programmer? I know the answer – it will be enormously easier, for the simple reason that she can read and understand the texts that are widely available, not to mention what's on the Internet. That's the tradeoff I'm interested in exploring: if the price of losing a language forever is X, what's the benefit? And is it worth it? I'd like to see a more sober weighing of the costs and benefits. I'm no expert in this area, but in terms of what's visible to me, the benefits of a universal language outweigh the costs, and not by a small margin.
What do you think?
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Oh, it's so nice...
We're leaving soon to go join my brother Scott for a Sunday “lupper” at Angie's. Today is chicken soup day, so we'll be having that for sure. I'm feeling like some fish and chips, unless their special is mighty appealing...
If you don't already have ad blockers on your web browsers...
If you don't already have ad blockers on your web browsers ... here's a great discussion of why you should...
Saturday, March 19, 2016
A project finished...
Well, this afternoon I spread the kit, its manual, my 'scope, multimeter, and soldering iron out on the kitchen table and went to work. An hour later, I had it all working, after fixing two more issues. First issue was a broken circuit board trace (for a total of three in the kit). The second (and last!) issue was all my own fault: a cold solder joint. But now it's all running!
Next step on this project: a nice wooden case of some kind. I'll have to ponder exactly what I want that to look like...
Fire in Paradise!
Fire in Paradise! But it's fire we actually wanted :) This year the Hyrum Irrigation Canal folks are sending two separate cleanup crews down the length of the canal. The first crew started today; they're burning weeds and roses along the sides of the canal. They're also burning some ancient brush piles that were left by canal cleanup crews in prior years. The second crew will be along in a couple weeks; they'll be clearing brush and downed trees that are in the canal. We have a little over a quarter mile of that canal that runs through the eastern edge of our property. We did a lot of cleanup ourselves last year, plus had a horde of local Mormons come by on a service project that got even more. Between the canal company's work and what we plan to do ourselves this year, we should have a much better-looking property!
The crew today used a large propane torch powered from a 250 propane tank trailer they hauled behind a pickup. Here's what it looked like while they were working:
The crew today used a large propane torch powered from a 250 propane tank trailer they hauled behind a pickup. Here's what it looked like while they were working:
Quote of the day...
“Reason will never be a satisfying explanation of what you see.”
Paradise ponders...
The photos here are not mine, but I hope to have some bird photos of my own here soon. I've ordered a telescope that can mount my iPhone 6 to. I've seen some photos taken through it with an iPhone, and they're quite good...
An insider's view...
An insider's view ... of why the U.N. is failing. His description does absolutely nothing to my conviction that the only “right” thing to do with the U.N. is to dismantle it...
Friday, March 18, 2016
Paradise ponders...
Paradise ponders... We had another spectacular dinner at the Red Iguana in Salt Lake City yesterday. We also had the pleasure of introducing my brother Scott to its delights. Much food was eaten with gusto, and a good time was had by all. Debbie and I had a special of which the main part was marinated skirt steak; quite possibly the best I've ever had. Especially notable: the meat was nice and rare, just like we prefer it, without our even asking. Scott had a special that involved shrimp swimming in a red sauce of some kind. He also had the mole sampler as an appetizer (all to himself!). I tried the Maria's soup (a standard part of their menu) and it was delicious – I shall have it again! We all had desserts, too: flan for Scott and I, arroz con leche for Debbie. There wasn't a bit left of any of the meal when we got done. No white boxes for our poor neglected mutts :)
We sat next to a couple who was visiting from Las Vegas. We overheard them raving to the waitress about what an unexpected pleasure their meal was – better than anything they could get in Las Vegas. We concur, but we'll note that in our own experience, that's not a particularly high bar :)
We sat next to a couple who was visiting from Las Vegas. We overheard them raving to the waitress about what an unexpected pleasure their meal was – better than anything they could get in Las Vegas. We concur, but we'll note that in our own experience, that's not a particularly high bar :)
This oughtta do it...
Get more people to take buses...
Get more people to take buses ... by making them more dangerous. I love this kind of thinking :)
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Strange mail of the day...
Strange mail of the day... This is something we just received via the U.S. Post Office. It's most definitely not something we solicited. There's no indication on it (at least, none that I can find) of who sent it. There's nothing scary about the advice on it; it's basic “get ready for disaster” sort of things, except that they left out arming yourself (something that is usually part of the “prepper” dogma). I'm left uncertain about the motives of the sender.
All that was surprising enough. What I find even more surprising is that I can't find this text online! It's not often I do a Google search and get zero results!
Anybody recognize this (click to embiggen), and can tell me who sent it and why?
All that was surprising enough. What I find even more surprising is that I can't find this text online! It's not often I do a Google search and get zero results!
Anybody recognize this (click to embiggen), and can tell me who sent it and why?
Where to eat lunch in Logan...
Where to eat lunch in Logan... This is another in a series of posts for the good folks who will be attending the Field Spaniel Society of America Nationals being held at the fairgrounds in Logan in May.
If you've been following this series, then you already know about the map we've made that shows all the places we've been talking about. You might also notice that today's list of lunch places only has one new place on it – we've already talked a bit about all the rest!
Logan's Heroes is the place we haven't mentioned before. It's a local institution, one of those places every local knows, and it's an easy walk from the fairgrounds. At lunch time the small dining area is generally packed with locals – farmers, tradesmen, college students, and people who work nearby. The menu isn't all that large, but we've yet to try a sandwich that wasn't great. The bread is fresh and good, and the owner and his helpers are experts at making great sandwiches. They're happy to accommodate any special things you want (or don't want!). If you're allergic to waiting, it's better to go outside of the lunch rush – and even then you might want to do takeout, as there aren't many tables there. The owner is a funny and interesting fellow, an Iranian immigrant who came here for college and stayed. He has an amazing talent that we envy: he remembers people and their stories, even if it's been many months since he last saw you – greets you by name and picks up the conversation you were having last week or last year!
Angie's has an extensive traditional lunch menu, with all sorts of sandwiches, burgers, salads, and some fare like fried chicken and fish 'n chips. Lots of locals go there for lunch, some (literally!) every day. Nothing fancy, no high prices, but it's all good, solid food, and the people are friendly as can be.
Jack's Wood Fired Oven has great lunch specials, small pizzas with a bowl of soup. Both of them can't be beat anywhere in the area. Great desserts, too. If you'd like a classy lunch that's a little different, Jack's is a great choice.
Herm's Inn is a little further afield, but if you're looking for a hearty sandwich or burger lunch, it's hard to beat. You'll want to be really hungry before going there, though :)
Cafe Sabor has decent American-style Mexican food, with lots of choices for lunch. It's within easy walking distance of the fairgrounds, too. And yes, they have margaritas – though we're not sure it's a good idea to be drinking them at lunchtime if you have to show in the afternoon :)
Elements is the most upscale of the lunch eateries we're listing here, and it's in walking range of the fairgrounds for the swift of foot. They've got all sorts of yummy lunch fare, some of it alcoholic. They're a little pricier than the rest of the eateries here, so if you're watching your pennies you might want to look elsewhere.
The Crepery is within walking range of the fairgrounds, and has all sorts of interesting crepes for lunch. It's often crowded during lunch hour, as it's a favorite haunt of local workers and college students.
And last, but certainly not least, is the Crumb Brothers cafe. It's just a short walk from the fairgrounds, and has lots and lots of delicious pastries, breads, sandwiches, coffee (including espresso) and tea. This is the place to go for a delicious light lunch in a cafe atmosphere!
If you've been following this series, then you already know about the map we've made that shows all the places we've been talking about. You might also notice that today's list of lunch places only has one new place on it – we've already talked a bit about all the rest!
Logan's Heroes is the place we haven't mentioned before. It's a local institution, one of those places every local knows, and it's an easy walk from the fairgrounds. At lunch time the small dining area is generally packed with locals – farmers, tradesmen, college students, and people who work nearby. The menu isn't all that large, but we've yet to try a sandwich that wasn't great. The bread is fresh and good, and the owner and his helpers are experts at making great sandwiches. They're happy to accommodate any special things you want (or don't want!). If you're allergic to waiting, it's better to go outside of the lunch rush – and even then you might want to do takeout, as there aren't many tables there. The owner is a funny and interesting fellow, an Iranian immigrant who came here for college and stayed. He has an amazing talent that we envy: he remembers people and their stories, even if it's been many months since he last saw you – greets you by name and picks up the conversation you were having last week or last year!
Angie's has an extensive traditional lunch menu, with all sorts of sandwiches, burgers, salads, and some fare like fried chicken and fish 'n chips. Lots of locals go there for lunch, some (literally!) every day. Nothing fancy, no high prices, but it's all good, solid food, and the people are friendly as can be.
Jack's Wood Fired Oven has great lunch specials, small pizzas with a bowl of soup. Both of them can't be beat anywhere in the area. Great desserts, too. If you'd like a classy lunch that's a little different, Jack's is a great choice.
Herm's Inn is a little further afield, but if you're looking for a hearty sandwich or burger lunch, it's hard to beat. You'll want to be really hungry before going there, though :)
Cafe Sabor has decent American-style Mexican food, with lots of choices for lunch. It's within easy walking distance of the fairgrounds, too. And yes, they have margaritas – though we're not sure it's a good idea to be drinking them at lunchtime if you have to show in the afternoon :)
Elements is the most upscale of the lunch eateries we're listing here, and it's in walking range of the fairgrounds for the swift of foot. They've got all sorts of yummy lunch fare, some of it alcoholic. They're a little pricier than the rest of the eateries here, so if you're watching your pennies you might want to look elsewhere.
The Crepery is within walking range of the fairgrounds, and has all sorts of interesting crepes for lunch. It's often crowded during lunch hour, as it's a favorite haunt of local workers and college students.
And last, but certainly not least, is the Crumb Brothers cafe. It's just a short walk from the fairgrounds, and has lots and lots of delicious pastries, breads, sandwiches, coffee (including espresso) and tea. This is the place to go for a delicious light lunch in a cafe atmosphere!
Ant Flats Road is open!
Ant Flats Road is open! Yesterday afternoon we made our first drive on the road to Ant Flats, which starts at the end of the road to Hardware Ranch. This (very nice) dirt road was a haunt of ours last summer and fall, because of all the wildlife we routinely saw there. The road is closed to cars all winter (it becomes a groomed snowmobile road), but reopened yesterday – and we were one of the first to drive it.
We had the road to ourselves for about 90 minutes, and we saw a lot of wildlife. The standout was several large groups of deer, numbering well over 100 in total (we really didn't even try to count them, there were so many). We saw one large group of elk, about a half mile south of Hardware Ranch. Best of all: we saw one bald eagle feeding on a ridge top, and a pair of bald eagles wheeling overhead.
The water in the stream (the headwaters for Blacksmith Fork) were fairly high, because of the runoff and melt. The Wasatch Mountain drainages are running well in general; the water forecasts for spring are all looking very good. We were at Porcupine Reservoir twice in the past 10 days, and it had risen at least 6 feet between our two visits. I don't think we're going to have water challenges this year...
We had the road to ourselves for about 90 minutes, and we saw a lot of wildlife. The standout was several large groups of deer, numbering well over 100 in total (we really didn't even try to count them, there were so many). We saw one large group of elk, about a half mile south of Hardware Ranch. Best of all: we saw one bald eagle feeding on a ridge top, and a pair of bald eagles wheeling overhead.
The water in the stream (the headwaters for Blacksmith Fork) were fairly high, because of the runoff and melt. The Wasatch Mountain drainages are running well in general; the water forecasts for spring are all looking very good. We were at Porcupine Reservoir twice in the past 10 days, and it had risen at least 6 feet between our two visits. I don't think we're going to have water challenges this year...
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