Transcript:
NSA Employee #1: So, people don’t want us spying on them, huh?
NSA Employee #2: That’s right, there are some troublemakers who don’t like us doing our job…
NSA Employee #1: We’ve got to find out who they are so we can thwart their efforts.
NSA Employee #2: What are you going to do, ask for their names?
NSA Employee #1: Exactly!
[online stop-spying petition]
NSA Employee #2: Brilliant!
In summary: You don’t want your information in some list? Great, just put your information on this list and we’ll take care of it. Thanks.
But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.
Galatians 2:4
Posted in Current Events | No Comments »
We went to a restaurant on the way home from a book sale. The lot was crowded, but there were two spots available. I saw one spot had a sign in front of it, so I took the other one.
I assumed it was a spot for take-out or pregnant women or something like that. Here is a picture of the spot:
On our way out, my wife read the sign and made a comment like “That’s not good”. In case you couldn’t read the sign in the previous photo, here is a close-up:
And my wife was right – if no employee is the best employee, that must mean that all the employees are equally bad, right?
Or maybe he was just late that day, which would make him not the best employee anymore.
Or maybe part of his perks for being awarded “Best Employee” was that he got an extra vacation day.
Or maybe he happens to live close to the restaurant so he can walk or bike to work.
It doesn’t really matter – our spot was closer to the front door anyway.
When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him,
Luke 14:8
Posted in Ponder | 1 Comment »
During the NHL playoffs, I heard the announcer recite a statistic that went something like this:
The team that scores the first goal in the game goes on to win the game about 80% of the time.
They then went on saying how it was important for their team to score first so they would have the advantage. They were implying that scoring the first goal improves a team’s chances of winning.
I think they were using that statistic backwards.
It’s not that scoring the goal makes you a better team; it’s that the better team usually scores the first goal.
Think about it – the better team usually wins the game. So we know that the better team usually scores more goals. If both teams have an even distribution of goals across time, then the team with more goals is more likely to score the first goal. Also the last goal.
What good is that statistic? How does it help anyone? Should teams concentrate on scoring the first goal because it will mean they’ll win more games?
I can produce a statistic that is equally helpful – the team that scores more points wins 100% of those games.
Don’t worry about scoring first. Worry about scoring more goals. Chances are good that some of those goals will be before the other team’s goals.
In summary, scoring first is not going to win you a game – being a better team is.
But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God,
Romans 15:15
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It’s June, the start of the summer quarter. Time for me to update the theme on this blog.
As is usual, it’s not much of a new theme – all I did was replace the images.
Anyway, here’s a slightly new look. Don’t expect tweaks this time.
They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.
Mark 6:32
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Warning: Engineering / computer science discussion ahead. Proceed with caution. Actually, it’s not that bad. Non-engineers might also appreciate this post, as long as they are familiar with the 80s.
I was given the assignment at work of providing a summary of RTOS (real-time operating system) differences. We use 3 different types of embedded operating systems in our various modules, and management was looking at another one to meet customer requirements.
For this application, there is a regular RTOS and a safety (or safe) RTOS for critical equipment. (If you are unfamiliar with those options, here are search results for safe RTOS so you can get more details.)
My summary is that a normal RTOS runs the expected tasks in one common environment, whereas the safety OS runs different tasks in different threads so they are isolated from each other memory- and context-wise.
If that’s still not making sense, maybe this will:
You can task if you want to
You can leave your threads behind
Because your threads don’t task
And if they don’t task
Well they’re no threads of mine
Safety
OS
I’m hoping management wants me to present my summary at the next department meeting so I can put that on a slide.
He pursues them, passing on in safety,
By a way he had not been traversing with his feet.
Isaiah 41:3
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A day of wrath is that day,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of destruction and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Zephaniah 1:15
Posted in Humor | 3 Comments »
We went to Pokagon State Park in northern Indiana. I like to mispronounce it as Pokemon State Park, hence the blog title. I had to issue a correction though, otherwise my kids would have been very disappointed when we got there and there were no Pokemon.
Weekend Recap, with Photos:
Arrival
If you hadn’t read the introduction to this blog post and you saw this photo
would you have guessed it was a state park?
I wouldn’t have.
I made a 360° panoramic photograph of the inn/lodge. Click on it for a larger photo.
(more…)
Posted in Travel | 2 Comments »
This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
