The current free ebook is located at this link:
http://haggishell.com/ridgeproject.pdf

For details about the ebook, click here.

150418. Phenek is dealing with transitions and a project that involves Microsoft:

<Phenek> good night Bob :)
<OldCoder> Move will have annoyances
<OldCoder> It will be over soon
<OldCoder> You'll reduce clutter
<OldCoder> You'll look at options

<Phenek> I will be zenlike
<Phenek> uncluttered
<OldCoder> Do not stress over Microsoft issues

Microsoft I'm leaving
I won't be grieving
For Microsoft users horror awaits
This is their fates
But quick like a bunny
I'll go to Malta sunny
Microsoft I'll put behind me

<Phenek> it would take bunny long time to travel to malta
<OldCoder> Literalist :P
<OldCoder> Good night o/
<Phenek> :D
<Phenek> good night

150418. Vulnerability:

<mrmeow> read this article about the vet who killed a cat with an arrow
<OldCoder> I don't want to read it. Not today.
<mrmeow> probably a good idea
<mrmeow> poor cat

<OldCoder> I'm getting better at writing. Writing about matters like this.
<OldCoder> I have feelings related to the vulnerable

Cats are presumptuous but vulnerable. They assume that they're safe and cared for. It comes as a shock to them when they end up feral.

<OldCoder> It's difficult to meet a feral cat who doesn't understand what's happened
<mrmeow> ya

150418. Babies are interesting:

<Metacognician> I remember having a quite cute little baby that didn't do much
<OldCoder> And now?
<OldCoder> Your memories are delusional

<Metacognician> Now there's this little human with very strong opinions about pretty much everything
<OldCoder> He was a loud baby, wasn't he?
<Metacognician> Six months and he has all these new features
<OldCoder> Of course. He can run apps, by the way.

<Metacognician> He wants to stand, wants to eat our food, etc.
<Metacognician> Oh, he does. But his hands have become more dynamic, he has a soft and a hard grip already...
<OldCoder> Give him an Android. Make sure he doesn't eat it.
<Metacognician> ...can touch my face without hurting me

150418. Copy of a letter to staff at Sequoia High School:

SEQUOIA HIGH SCHOOL
1201 Brewster Avenue
Redwood City, CA 94602
(650) 367-9780

ATTN: Mr. Priest and others at Sequoia High School

Dear Mr. Priest,

I'm the older Brother of Ken Kiraly, the Father of two of your students, Paul Kiraly and James Kiraly.

There is no need for significant communications at this time. However, for reasons that will be clear to anybody who reviews the situation, I take care these days to communicate some things unambiguously and to document communications in some cases.

First, I'm impressed with Paul Kiraly's accomplishments. He strikes me as similar to Akhil Amar, a former classmate of mine. Akhil is not a friend, to be clear. We haven't spoken in decades. But I've been thinking about his role in my life. And Paul is an Akhil-type. He's on a similar trajectory.

I'm more interested in the fact that James Kiraly (your James as opposed to his Grandfather James) has been encouraged to be what he's meant to be. I have some familiarity with related issues.

In the event that you know James Kiraly, the student, and have wondered about the genetics involved, it seems possible that he takes after me as opposed to his Father Ken Kiraly of Amazon Lab126.

I'm the one who taught Ken on the software side, though he was the hardware expert in the family. I don't know James personally so I can't speak authoritatively but he seems to be different than Ken.

One of my hacker kids, about the same age as James, was in the robot competition with James and suggested to me that he walk up and introduce himself. I told him no; the suggestion was premature. But I'm glad to see that geek kids are shown more respect these days.

We had contests too, 45 years ago, but school was less than entirely positive for geek kids. I was beaten unconscious, had one hand placed in a door and the door slammed shut, was struck with objects of different types, and generally not allowed to relax much. One friend, ironically now the head of a school district, had multiple bones broken and needed to leave school for a while.

Some schools and districts have standard things that they say to survivors of physical violence. I think that districts print them on What to Say sheets. The gist of it is “Oh, that's all in the past”. But it isn't in the past.

I read news stories which suggest that some school districts not only condone but support physical violence against children who are different. The South Fayette High School case in 2014 is one example. I trust, though, that your school is more progressive and that you discourage this sort of thing.

The physical violence that I experienced at school is relevant to this correspondence as my life at home, and the life of the Father of two of your students, was also less than completely enjoyable.

Living years with actual physical violence and the constant risk of physical violence both at home and at school can reshape the life of a child. The events of decades ago, in this case, have echoed down the years to a current situation and the echoes will need to be addressed.

The reasons that I'm writing to you are connected to a website that has received visits from Sequoia High School.

The page visited most recently was Page 52, which included a post that discussed Paul and James. The logical conclusion is that Paul, James, or their associates at school are reviewing what I say about the two boys.

The website in question was born during litigation of an unusual nature.

The boys' Grandfather Jim Kiraly, the one who may be listed in school paperwork as residing at 32 La Gaviota, Pismo Beach, California, was a spouse and child abuser. This is not contested. If Kiraly family members are asked, there will be plenty of sound bites and dancing about, but Jim is unlikely to deny specifics under oath.

In 2012, Jim Kiraly the elder (as opposed to your James Kiraly) and the boys' Uncle Tom Kiraly sought to impose a gag order upon me to prevent the writing of a book that they feared would mention past abuse.

In fact, the book was intended to be a positive work related to evolutionary psychiatry and relationships. However, I was not asked about this.

Two related interviews that I conducted, most importantly one with the Pastor of a Church, enraged Paul Kiraly's and James Kiraly's (the robot-maker James as opposed to the abuser James) Grandfather.

It should be noted that the Pastor in question was Grace Kiraly's Pastor, Grace Kiraly being the boys' Grandmother. Grace Kiraly gave me permission to speak with her Pastor, I scheduled the interview in advance, and the interview was positive and productive.

But as I have learned, and as you should teach your students, facts are of little consequence if they are inconvenient for wealthy people.

At the time, Jim Kiraly (the adult psychotic as opposed to the High School student) and Tom Kiraly discussed plans to charge me with “blackmail” though they faced the regrettable barrier that I had not done anything inappropriate. Subsequently, they became involved in prosecutable crimes of multiple types, including but not limited to felonies.

As a result of the legal actions and of the felonies, I lost my home of 25 years, job opportunities, my health, and most of my possessions. Jim and Tom will, of course, face legitimate and reasonable consequences for the rest of their lives. However, I assume that this is sufficient background information.

I had not addressed communications specifically to the boys. However, as they or their friends at Sequoia High School seem to be reading my website, I feel that it is appropriate to offer context.

Accordingly, it is my intention to post a public letter to Paul Kiraly and his Brother James Kiraly (the presumably non-violent teenager opposed to the aging wife beater) at some point this year.

The specific purpose of this letter, the current one addressed to you, is two-fold:

1. If you have questions or comments related to aspects of the matter that may be relevant to the policies or interests of Sequoia High School, you may communicate with me. Or you may visit the websites in question.

The email address on this letter may not work as the Kiralys have been working with a black-hat in Dallas, Texas since mid-2013 to DDOS websites and possibly to shut down email addresses. However, it is easy to locate both the websites and email addresses as explained below.

2. This letter has been posted publicly. So, you may receive requests from Ken Kiraly or his Wife Virginia Chang Kiraly (the political type who was involved in the cellphone theft kerfuffle) to see to it that my website (actually, there are numerous domains involved) is blocked from view at Sequoia High School.

The issue is not of great interest to me. However, it is suggested that your IT people communicate with me prior to the undertaking of such a step. Upon the initiation of such communication, I'll explain to the IT people the legitimate and reasonable steps that I'll take in response.

Ken Kiraly, the boys' Father, and other Kiralys suggested in Court filings that I had unusual abilities in network contexts. Actually, they characterized me as a sort of Insane Satan. I'd like to be clear that this was nonsense.

Whatever Ken Kiraly may tell you, I have no mystic powers. It was based on nothing more than feverish delusions on Jim Kiraly's (the volunteer worker who should not be around young people) part.

And on Ken's speculation that I'd used black magic to leave voicemail in mailboxes at Amazon Lab126. But a bright chimpanzee could have done it.

In your case, it appears that the school may be using a blacklist as opposed to a whitelist. If it's a whitelist, then some of your brighter students have learned about tunnels or similar measures. Not proxies, because the accesses are being routed through your network.

At any rate, if Sequoia High students notify me that I'm being blacklisted, I'll explain some additional technical points to you.

In conclusion, to locate the website (actually, websites), Google for any of the following sets of keywords. Any of these lines should work; just type them into Google. Double quotes should not be used:

1. Jim Kiraly Abuser
2. Tom Kiraly Idiot
3. Ken Kiraly Sociopath
4. Grace Kiraly Harlot
5. Gail Cheda Spittle
6. Maggie Desmond Spousal Abuse
7. Kerechanko (only one word is needed in this case)

For those reading this letter at the websites, these are live links, go ahead and try them out.

To obtain email addresses, go to the websites and visit the Contact page.

Regards, Robert (the Old Coder)

150417. I've been provided with photos of a Hedgehog Brigade. These are the last surviving members of a band of Hedgehogs that in years past engaged in a number of difficult missions of importance to the Free World.

Retired now, the Hedgehogs have no regrets. The cost was high, but they look back with satisfaction on a career filled with duty and honor.

The license for the photos is Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0. For attribution purposes, the rights-holder is Combustion Engine.

150417. We live in our minds and our minds are in our bodies:

<OldCoder> Describe one of these incidents
<CodeTaster> Well, I guess I was walking from classroom to work with my eyes widely open. Then I saw a cube that had to be 100% unreal. When I left and came back, it disappeared.

<OldCoder> You perceived a cube, though
<CodeTaster> I saw it close range
<OldCoder> When did this happen?
<CodeTaster> This one did happen 2010
<OldCoder> Time of day?
<CodeTaster> 12:00 to 14:00

<OldCoder> This was simply a college day, ho hum, walk from class. Then there's a cube.

<OldCoder> What did it look like?
<CodeTaster> There was music on it. It had no color. It was like a soap bubble who keeps changing through the entire rainbow.

<OldCoder> How large was this object?
<CodeTaster> I'd say it was the size of a crouched person.

<OldCoder> Was it simply floating there?
<CodeTaster> It was “parked” near a tree. On the ground. The tree was real.

<OldCoder> Did you walk past it?
<CodeTaster> I stood circa 5 mins looking at that strange object. I walked away. I went up to the end of the street. Came back 30 seconds later. Nothing was there but the tree.

<CodeTaster> I was very, very tired that day. I guess I had overworked.

<OldCoder> A large cube. Translucent with music on it. It did not fade. Eventually, you shrugged and walked away. You came back and it was gone.

<OldCoder> How often has this sort of thing happened?
<CodeTaster> As often as my tiredness. That year, plenty times. Mostly audio hallucinations.

<OldCoder> When these occurrences were happening, were you able to tell, by the nature of the experience, that others would not be able to see or hear what you were seeing or hearing?

<CodeTaster> Well, in the cube case I couldn't tell until I did leave the scene...
<OldCoder> It was that “real”
<CodeTaster> ...then it occurred me that no singing box would be left alone near a tree in an urban area.

<OldCoder> And other occurrences? Indistinguishable from physical reality?
<CodeTaster> Well... some of them clearly looked fake

<OldCoder> Fake?
<CodeTaster> But then, I think they are on the level that everyone has. Optical ilusions. Except that they endure until I rethink what I am seeing.

<OldCoder> So, multiple times you have seen or heard things that are not real...
<CodeTaster> I guess it depends on how much my brain understands what I see

<OldCoder> ...to the point that you can identify them as such only by reason?
<CodeTaster> Yes

<CodeTaster> There is the worst case that I didn't tell
<OldCoder> Tell it

Post continues below the illustration. For a larger version, click here. The license for the illustration is Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. For attribution purposes, the rights-holder is FantasyLost.

<CodeTaster> It was a horrible experience.
<CodeTaster> Here in 2014 I was walking home. It was a slightly sunny day. It seemed it would rain, but only in a hour or two. So, I decided to rush through an open field. Taking too much time would make me catch rain, so I did take this shortcut.

<CodeTaster> That day I had studied hard, and walked long distances. So, I was on the fringes.

<CodeTaster> Then, while on this open field, I walking through a small portion of tall grass. Suddenly I felt I had disturbed a swarm of insects. And they were attacking my face by passing by it. They didn't spike me... They just...

<OldCoder> Buzzed up against you?
<CodeTaster> Yeah... Like a group of butterflies would do
<CodeTaster> Unlike bees, they would spread on your face without spiking it

<OldCoder> This was not real?
<CodeTaster> They were all purple and dotted in black
<CodeTaster> I found it so real that I had to cover my face with my arm

<OldCoder> Did they seem hostile?
<CodeTaster> I tried to shoo them, but it seems as more as I fought, as more of them appeared. I thought that they were going to blind me...

<CodeTaster> You know... If you touch a butterfly with your hands and scratch your eyes, their... pollen, is this word correct? Their pollen can blind you.

<OldCoder> But they were not attacking?
<CodeTaster> Well... I felt attacked
<CodeTaster> They made noise and went on my face... Whether it was accidental or an attack, I couldn't tell. So, I assumed it was an attack.

<OldCoder> The bugs themselves didn't care?
<CodeTaster> They didn't seem to be rational and communicative as a “fake man” would be
<CodeTaster> They were just so many and so numerous that they formed a dense cloud

<OldCoder> You kept walking?
<CodeTaster> I covered my face and charged. I ran forward, thinking that I had to break the path. The type of thing I would do if I was surrounded by a mob, right?

<CodeTaster> I only found out how dumb I was being when I did trip and fell to the ground. Then I looked back and all I saw was my bag lying there. And no insects nearby.

<CodeTaster> It was like nothing happened
<CodeTaster> After two minutes taking my breath I took my bag and continued my path

Post continues below the illustration. For a larger version, click here. The license for the illustration is Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0. For attribution purposes, the rights-holder is julXart.

<OldCoder> You said that such things happened when you were more “tired”
<CodeTaster> Yeah
<CodeTaster> On my own view, I think getting tired makes my brain feeling dificulties to comprehend the world. And then I start “filling the blanks”.

<OldCoder> Yes. You understand that this is how dreams work? This is what a dream is.
<OldCoder> Some people experience these events shortly *before* falling asleep
<CodeTaster> But there is a difference between hallucination and my dreams

<OldCoder> This is a CVH
<CodeTaster> CVH?
<OldCoder> Complex Visual Hallucination as opposed to SVH for Simple
<CodeTaster> So, there is a name for it?

<OldCoder> Any barbituate use, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease?
<CodeTaster> No
<CodeTaster> Does polaramine count? Anti-allergic stuff. Makes a man very sleepy.
<CodeTaster> On the cube's day, I took it. On the butterflies' day, I did not.

<OldCoder> This condition is not one, but dozens. It's not insanity in and of itself...
<CodeTaster> So... It can happen to anyone?

<OldCoder> ...but a symptom of what may be a lesion on a nerve, damaged eyesight, or Parkinson's disease. Or insanity.
<OldCoder> It can happen to people who are not insane at all. And it can happen to those who are. Damaged eyesight... Problems with the nerves...

<CodeTaster> So, technically everyone is vulnerable... As long as [...] happens.

<OldCoder> We're all vulnerable to everything
<OldCoder> You may have a neurological disorder, a mental illness, deteriorating eyesight, Parkinson's Disease.

<OldCoder> This condition may be related to insanity. But insanity is only one possible issue. There other issues that are less serious. In short, I can't tell you that you are “all right”...

<CodeTaster> I'm not sure about Parkinson's of the eyesight, as I am healthy by that. But neurological disorder...

<OldCoder> I *can* tell you, it's premature to be terrified. Go to sleep. Don't talk to normals about this. Seek medical care when you can...
<CodeTaster> When I was a baby (2 year old, 2.5 more precise) I did collide my bike and flew from it

<OldCoder> ...from a doctor that you trust. Get more rest. And driving...
<CodeTaster> People said I would be ok and said “no harm done”

<OldCoder> You must assess whether or not it's safe to drive. But see if the condition can be diagnosed, identified, and improved.
<CodeTaster> I don't like driving...
<OldCoder> All right
<CodeTaster> ...to the point I refused to take license

<OldCoder> You're not “insane”. Possibly at risk of it.
<OldCoder> You see CVHs. The CVHs aren't the insanity. They live in the place where your mind and your body overlap.

<OldCoder> You may have any of several conditions. Rest, don't talk to normals about this, and seek doctors that you trust.

150415. A British artist tells me that the photo below is a “selfie” that was taken from space.

I've done some work on the photo. No noise reduction was needed, but I removed strands of external hair or cloth that were on the camera lens or intermediate physical copies. I also eliminated a number of jaggies. To do so, I used the GIMP and the tools discussed at this link.

The license for the photo is Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0. For attribution purposes, the rights-holder is Infiniti Warrior.

150414. The comic below is well-known and already out there. However, the copies I've seen are faded and damaged due to overcompression. So, here's a version that's a little better. Note: I don't have attribution information.

150413. This Sandman fan comic popped up during a search for Creative Commons illustrations related to illusions. The woman is Death and the man is her younger Brother Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams.

The license for the comic is Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0. For attribution purposes, the rights-holder is Kish-M.

150410. Somebody has posted a Youtube video set in Lord of the Test. Don't expect car chases and special effects. It's simply a tutorial by, I gather, a player named Mason.

The first picture below is a screenshot. The second picture is the video. To play the video, you'll need a fast Internet connection and a modern Web browser.

Skip the first minute or two, Mason needs to edit the slow start.

150409. The image below is a fan modification of a poster for the movie Into Darkness.

Note: The original poster was copyrighted but the fan's work falls under Fair Use and my redistribution of the Fair Use modification is probably protected as well.

I'm entitled to go against public opinion as I've been watching Star Trek for 50 years. The movie isn't as good as current fans say. The 1982 film on which it's based, Wrath of Khan, is superior.

The latest actors are good enough, but Khan's behavior towards the end of the remake isn't consistent with the character that's been established. And, in the new story, Spock hasn't known Kirk long enough to be as moved by Kirk's death as Kirk was moved by Spock's death in the original story.

But the context of Vengeance, which the film compares to Darkness, is of interest.

Khan Noonien Singh is an enraged figure, cast against his will into an unwanted role, who has both the intention to exact vengeance and the ability to do so. In what sense are his “choices” right and in what sense are they wrong?

The question goes beyond the film-maker's desire to create an interesting character. Perhaps it's time, as society evolves, to examine reflexive assumptions related to fictional heroes and villains.

These are painted models put on display, in part, to reinforce artificial standards, standards intended to encourage blind obedience to the established order.

If the established order is false, if it's like Animal Farm and the powers that be mock the abuse of processes that are there to protect the citizen, what loyalty is owed to the order?

Additionally, why should legitimate and reasonable vengeance be compared to darkness? Is it possible that “Vengeance” is a synonym for “Truth”, which is the Way and the Light? Should the Star Trek film have been titled, Into the Light?

For a larger version of the illustration, click here.

150404. This post is for Linux CLI hackers who use GIMP 2.8. GIMP 2.8 is O.K. except for two things:

* Release 2.8 doesn't let you Save As to any format but XCF. This is annoying.

* It can be difficult to get the GIMP 2.8 toolbox into usable shape. The program lets you dock pieces to build toolboxes of different types, but it isn't an intuitive process.

I can't fix the first issue. However, I thought I'd share my GIMP 2.8 sessionrc file to help with the second one.

My toolbox is shown to the right. It's similar to the GIMP 2.6 toolbox, but has more features. If you'd like a similar setup, proceed as follows:

1. Download the text file at this link.

2. Rename the file to: sessionrc

3. If you're in GIMP, close the program.

4. At a CLI prompt, execute commands similar to these:

DIR=$HOME/.gimp-2.8
mkdir -p $DIR
cp -p /tmp/sessionrc $DIR/

Substitute the appropriate path for: /tmp/

5. Restart GIMP.

6. If anything goes wrong, close the program, delete the copy of sessionrc that you created in step 4, and restart the program.

To submit corrections or comments, use the contact information at this link.

150404. This post is for Linux CLI hackers.

In 2014, there was a known issue with clang 3.5 related to gcc 4.9. Specifically, if clang 3.5 was used in conjunction with gcc 4.9, you'd get error messages related to max_align_t.

The issue was supposedly fixed. Metacognician tells me that it isn't an issue in Gentoo. However, it turned up for me with clang 3.6.0 and gcc 4.9.2.

Web searches turned up no fix except for the one that had been made to clang 3.5. So, I'm testing the patch discussed below. If you run into the same issue, let me know if the patch works for you or not. The contact page is here.

1. Locate the cstddef file associated with your copy of gcc.4.X.

2. Apply the following patch:

--- cstddef.old
+++ cstddef
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@
 namespace std
 {
   // We handle size_t, ptrdiff_t, and nullptr_t in c++config.h.
+#ifndef __clang__
   using ::max_align_t;
+#endif
 }
 #endif

The patch file may be downloaded at this link.

150404. I'm distracted.

I've been occupied since 2012 with abuse of process committed by Jim Kiraly of 32 La Gaviota, Pismo Beach, CA; Tom Kiraly, address unknown, but he'll turn up; Michael Bonetto and Maggie Desmond of Hoge Fenton, and others.

Details such as learning how to be a transient have my attention as well.

Time is gone; time that could have been invested in productive endeavours. Well, at least the positive purposes of the rest of my life, and the lives of the others, are defined. For the benefit of attorneys and other interested parties, the purposes are discussed in the legitimate purposes list.

I haven't been able to keep up with developments in the FOSS arena. But I've resumed maintenance of my Linux distro and I'll post tips I've learned in the process. I'm looking at what's going on with old packages and reviewing new ones.

Graphics are improving for some games. Here's a screenshot from legacy TuxKart followed by one from the current Subversion release. Linux isn't intended to compete with Windows in 3D games, but it's clear that Linux is building a decent collection.

<MrMeow> supertuxkart is the best game ever made
<MrMeow> dat gnu
<OldCoder> They have an actual Gnu?
<MrMeow> yes. it gets abducted in story mode.
<OldCoder> Richard Stallman to the rescue?
<MrMeow> no, tux

The license for the screenshots is Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0. For attribution purposes, the rights-holder is OldCoder.

150401. I visited Moontest tonight and found some nice alien plants growing in a lunar greenhouse. Also a building that might be a robot or vice versa. The cow is there because I turned Moontest into MOOntest for April Fools Day.

The license for the screenshots is Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0. For attribution purposes, the rights-holder is OldCoder.

150331. This post is intended for Linux CLI hackers.

Mozilla likes to break things. Such as the toolbar order that God has ordained :P

Firefox and I go back a ways
In the olden daze
Firefox did amaze
But for fixes I often prays
Here's one no shades of grays
Perhaps somedays it you will praise

Recently, after an Iceweasel upgrade, I noticed that my toolbars were no longer in the right order. I tried using Customize Toolbars to move them, and this worked, but the changes couldn't be saved.

I figured this that was a bug. But, no, it was a feature. Mozilla likes to tease you. “We'll let you fix things, but not save the changes. It's funnier that way.”

It turns out that the right way to fix the problem is to edit userChrome.css, which some of you are familiar with. Here's what I did. If your own toolbars insist on rejecting the natural order of things, perhaps this will help.

* I located my Iceweasel profile directory. This was the folder that contained the Iceweasel prefs.js file.

* I created a subdirectory named chrome in the profile directory.

* I created a text file named userChrome.css in the chrome subdirectory and edited it to look as shown below.

* I restarted my browser and enjoyed blissful toolbar sanity.

If you'd like to reorganize your own Firefox or Iceweasel toolbars, similar changes might work for you. However, guarantees are for toasters as opposed to software.

BTW The Real UA dropdown in the screenshot is part of a UA masker. More of the Kiraly Family Proxy Friends who visit these sites ought to use these.

@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul");

/* The following two statements proved not to be needed but  remain */
/* for reference.                                                   */

/* #toolbar-menubar { -moz-box-ordinal-group:    1 !important }     */
/* #nav-bar         { -moz-box-ordinal-group:    1 !important }     */

/* This Firefix (or IceWeasel) userChrome CSS code puts my toolbars */
/* in the order that I prefer them,  Bookmarks  above PrefBar above */
/* Tabs.                                                            */

#PersonalToolbar    { -moz-box-ordinal-group: 1000 !important }
#prefbar            { -moz-box-ordinal-group: 2000 !important }
#TabsToolbar        { -moz-box-ordinal-group: 3000 !important }

150331. Tonight, April Fools Eve, is the seven-year anniversary of a return. A return that was the start of a new journey. No rest, really, in decades.

It's been quite a trip. But there's one more arc to travel. The person traversing the arc is different. It will be interesting to see what's accomplished.

150330. I received the photo below yesterday. It makes a point related to mobile devices.

The photo isn't original; it's appeared elsewhere. I don't have attribution information.

150329. I'll be traveling or otherwise occupied at times. However, Christ Follower posts will be more regular for the next few months.

For a while, now, I've experienced rhythm when I write. It's manifested as doggerel (woof) that simply appears.

The doggerel isn't necessarily good but it often comes out in close to final shape, sometimes in seconds. I assume that this is common for normals, but it's unusual for me.

Here's a few fragments written in the last week or two. I couldn't call them high art, but people seem to like them.

1. I know a data-entry person, Lorelei, who spends hours at a time typing “batches” of data. She was overworked recently. This song was written to cheer her up:

THE BATCHES SONG

Batches are the peak
Of their merits we speak
Batches are our friends
On Batches we depends

Loads of fun
No need to point a gun
Cuddly and cute
Do not Batches shoot

Batch all day
Batch all night
Nothing is astray
In the Lord's mighty sight

Batch all day
For prices we pray
Batch all night
No need for fright

Batches are swell
Profits ring the bell
Batches are our friends
On Batches we depends

2. Earlier this year, the manager of a student residence in Berkeley, California asked me to write about my years at Ridge Project. I'm assembling the story and I've added a few little songs. Here's one that sums things up:

FERAL CODER

For decades, I paid a price
For nothing that I received
In the end, I was deceived

I'm not nice
This needs to be understood
Look under the hood
I'm the Feral Coder now

I won the right to write
To write is to shed the light
Say what one is going to say
I write each night
I write each day

This is what is left to me now
Things to say before final bow

Here is the message to you from me
Those who judge right and true
Based on what people do
As opposed to what they're perceived to be
Who embrace diversity

Who accept the constitutive other
These are the ones to call your Brother
Put aside God above
These are the ones to value and to love

3. std::vector, my Belarus friend, and I discussed the Kiralys and choices today. This is my take on the subject. It simply appeared as I typed.

<OldCoder> Did you arrive safely?
<std::vector> I did
<OldCoder> This is because you made the choice not to be attacked by bandits. It is a sensible choice.
<std::vector> I believe I tried to be in moment
<OldCoder>

DO NOT THEIR CHOICES TAKE

If in the moment means float
float is good for a boat
but do not talk by rote

The world is both us and others
You can choose your brothers
but choices too they must make
even if it is in Hell to bake

You must not from them their choices take
If in the fire lake they wish to bake
do not their choices take
Let them choose and then awake

Their choices are theirs and theirs alone
It's time now to hang up the phone

<std::vector> It is a nice one
<std::vector> I could want to read it again tomorrow
<OldCoder> With it, then, you do not pick a bone :P

4. This is a birthday greeting for an acquaintance who's a Windows IT person:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NICK

Birthday, Nick?
I'll comment, right quick
You're only as old as you feel

Of course, I feel old
Better to feel bold than old
To feel bold has appeal

In the centuries down the road
No need to forbode
You're sure to keep it real

5. This is from the U.C. Berkeley story mentioned above:

In recent years, I've learned that Bob Westrup, a boy I used to play chess with, was gay and others were as well. If my Brother Scott Kiraly or my parents Jim Kiraly or Grace Kiraly were to talk to me again about gays burning in Hell, I'd say this:

GOD DOESN'T REVILE GAYS

God doesn't revile gays, up your ass goes your song
He'd revile you; He doesn't, though, because He can't perceive you
You are the failed crop, the seed that came up wrong
You hate the different, you are not to be treasured or even measured
You are the chaff, the part that does not belong

150329. I won't get to have children or grandchildren now. Jim Kiraly and Grace Kiraly killed my children; their own grandchildren.

I do get to tell funny stories about ancestors who aren't mine to grandchildren who aren't mine.

Fortunately, I like telling stories.

<SirWilson> the weather fascinates me
<SirWilson> and it would be cool to work at the NWS
<SirWilson> I plan on getting my amateur radio license this summer
<SirWilson> as well as taking a storm spotting class
<SirWilson> so I can join skywarn and report tornadoes etc.
<SirWilson> different side of me I guess

<SirWilson> srsly oldcoder I may end up doing this
<SirWilson> of all things

<SirWilson> idk if I ever told you this
<SirWilson> but I have gone storm chasing most of my life
<SirWilson> dad takes me out and we attempt to find a tornado
<SirWilson> never seen one irl ... we were never lucky enough I guess
<SirWilson> oh well

<OldCoder> DNA the Elderly Attorney. Guess what his Father liked to do, back in the 1930s.

Imagine storms rushing across Texas
Coming to smash and kill
What is the logical thing to do
If you'd like a thrill?

<OldCoder> His Father was part-Indian, so he'd listen to static on the radio and say...
<SirWilson> yes

<Father> I'm part-Indian and so I know
<Father> Where the deadly storm will go
<Father> Boys, on now with the show
<Father> Into the truck, a storm I must know

<Boys> Wheeeee
<Father> Let us go and try
<Father> Very hard not to die
<Father> If I guess wrong, into Hell we go
<Boys> Wheeeee
<Mother> Geez, you idiot

<OldCoder> They rode the edge of the storms. The boys loved it. Their Mother, not so much. :P