My Daily Workout

I am doing a presentation on virtualenv for the Jan. 10th, 2008, PyAtl meeting. We are also going to cover virtualenv in Python For Systems Administration.

Labels: python, virtualenv

It turns out a phrase I liked, "Crisis = Opportunity + Danger", is junk philosophy as quoted here by Victor Mair. Here is a quote, "Those who purvey the doctrine that the Chinese word for "crisis" is composed of elements meaning "danger" and "opportunity" are engaging in a type of muddled thinking that is a danger to society, for it lulls people into welcoming crises as unstable situations from which they can benefit."

This is a great example of why it is important to be a scholar and a skeptic. Folk wisdom, common sense, and popular psychology is often dead wrong. Shame on me for falling for this one. I do think there is some truth in the statement, but knowing that it is attributed via an incorrect translation is more than a little funny. I might need to make a list well into the hundreds to clear up this misunderstanding in people I know.

Here is a recent publication I did for IBM.

Labels: net-snmp

Here is a new website I am developing in my spare time, it covers foreign films reviews and only foreign films:

http://foreigncritic.com

Labels: foreign critic, foreign films

It just occurred to me that in terms of marketability and excitement in 2007, Perl is about as sexy as Rush Limbaugh, on vicodin, in a Red Cocktail dress.

Labels: marketing, perl, sex

Isn't the internet great:

Labels: kung fu

A few months ago, I started to get back into running intervals at the track. It is amazing how there are so many psychological issues involved in something as simple as running a few 100 and 150 meter sprints. I have not reached my goal yet of 8 200 meter intervals all under 30 seconds with 1.5 minute breaks. Getting there might take a good 6 months.

Labels: interval training, running trail

It turns out that while I have read a ton of books on philosophy, I have not yet read any Ayn Rand for some reason. I ordered Atlas Shrugged and The Fountianhead, and will probably do some reading this month. Parts of the objectivist philosophy seems to suite my sensibilities quite well. I especially agree with the notion that mysticism in any form is perhaps the most evil curse humanity faces, and in our times, it is more evident than ever.

Of course, as my friend Bruce mentions, there are many "Randroids" lurking around, which, is almost as bad. And of course, almost any philosopher or Guru, has some hidden secret or flaw and Ayn Rand, was no different. I don't put much stalk in after death biographies by jilted lovers, as if they had any guts, they would have published that information while that individual was alive.

One interesting book I read in the last 5 years, was Sorcerers Apprentice which is better understood if you first read The Teaching of Don Juan. Many people take Carlos Castenada's very seriously, which is a bit odd, but the book, by his jilted lover, seems to reveal a less than "shamanistic" man. I would have loved to see Carlos Castendas and Ayn Rand duke it out, in a philosophical death match....the mystic vs the rationalist...

Labels: and objectivisim, Ayn Rand, Carlos Castendas, mysticism