So back in January, I made some predictions. At mid-year, how am I doing on the ones we can verify?
National Politics
Correct, but Bernie gave her a run, much better than I would have expected
I was one of the few that thought Trump would do well. I am saddened that he did so well. My only hope at this point is that his candidacy brings about the complete collapse of the Republican party as we know it for the next 20 years. We need a Grand New Party at this point
Too early to call, but I’m sticking with this projection.
Ditto, but I think the Dems will take over the Senate
The Orlando massacre will probably have the effect of raising up the racist, homophobic position of Trump and will make it more acceptable among some. Another such attack between now and the election would definitely benefit Trump more. Can you say “internment camp for mid-East Muslims”?
The Republicans will continue to cave to the NRA. There will be no progress until those who are against gun control are voted out of office. The best solution would be a Constitutional Amendment revising/rescinding the 2nd Amendment, but I can’t see it happening
With the passing of Scalia and Republican intransigence on conducting hearings to decide the next, the Court is not it a position to change much of anything. My hope is that Clinton wins, the Dems take the Senate, and that Clinton puts forward a much younger, liberal slate to fashion Court decisions for the next 20 years
Sports
To early to call, but so far on track, sadly
Not this year …
Who the hell would have picked Leister City?? The rest of it pretty much on track.
Too early.
Nope. Not even close.
Still looks good to me, but that’s why they play the game
Pick ’em
Technology
Hard to measure, but I’m stickin’ with it.
At least we now have the ruling on “Internet as a commodity” / Net Neutrality, so that’s something
Dead on target. Listen to anything that Will Patton reads. The Stephen King Mercedes Man series is especially good
So far so good
Ditto
Personal
Correct
I need to get a move on to make this one come true. So far I’ve been awful
Jury is still out.
Now that my two top teams — the Cardinals and Patriots — have made it to the semis, now is the time to think about playoff season party food.
Like Onion Dip. Only not your mother’s onion soup and sour cream dip, but a real one with very intense onion flavor.
So here’s my Very Onion Dip
Ingredients
3 medium onions, 2 unpeeled, one peeled
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
2 c mayonaisse
1/2 c sour cream
1 T vinegar (white wine preferred)
2 t kosher salt
2 scallions, minced
Ground pepper
Hot pepper sauce
Instructions
Enjoy with chips, veggies, whatever!
I would offer the following proposal on gun control. My proposal is based on a system/infrastructure we already have in place: the automobile. The principles around managing the automobile are based on five thoughts: 1) licensing; 2) registration; 3) insurance; 4) high-level policies at the national level, local implementation of policy at the state level; 5) national agency to conduct research and further policy. I propose furthering these to the ownership and use of guns
Licensing
Everyone who wants to own a gun is required to have a license. Requirements based on a minimum age, knowledge about and use of guns testing will be established by testing, as will the procedure for acquiring a license. This license will be issued by states. States will have the ability to set requirements above the minimum. A license in one state should not guarantee a license in another (although states might choose to honor the licenses of other like-minded states) Like automobile licenses, gun licenses will need to be renewed annually. When and how will be left to state legislatures.
Registration
Every gun will be registered. Registration fees will be set by states, but should consider factors about the gun (size, automatic, semi-automatic, hand gun, rifle, for example) in determining the registration price. Each gun registration shall be valid for no more than one year. Failure to have a registration for a gun shall result in its immediate confiscation and potential destruction.
Insurance
Every gun will need to be insured. Proof of insurance will be required to register a gun. Insurance will be offered as insurers see fit, but liability insurance will be required. Insurance will also be offered through Federal agencies, akin to flood insurance from FEMA.
National Policies
A national gun policy agency, akin to the Department of Transportation, shall be established to set national policies on gun ownership and on the social impact of gun ownership. Gun technology, recommendations on the future of guns, “smart” guns, and so on would also be under its purview.
Things I Like Most About This
National Politics
Sports
Technology
Personal
The following letter was sent to the New York Times and Arizona Daily Star in varying forms to suit the paper to which it was sent:
In response to your front-page editorial on gun control, I would like to propose that the Times take a more proactive stance by:
At the end of the day, serious action on gun control will only occur when citizens recognize the extent of the problem, and candidates recognize that they will not be elected if they do not support some form of action.
Jim Coleman
Tucson, AZ
Here he is, my CBAC:
What, you say? That’s American Domestic Short-Haired orange tabby, I hear you saying. Well, yes, but he’s also my CBAC (Carbon-Based Alarm Clock), with his timer set to about 4:30 AM.
If allowed in the bedroom, that’s the hour he begins his tango on my head or arms. If not in the bedroom, then the cries and meowing likewise begins and, with intermittent breaks, does not stop completely until we are up. Job done, he then jumps up on the breakfast table, spreads out on the newspaper I’m reading — or on the laptop, depending — and starts his morning nap.
I’m sure he’s thinking, “Hey, I did my job! They are up, I’m fed, and now it’s time to go back to bed”.
I’ve decided that kitties are little fur-covered bureaucrats: things must happen at more or less the same time in more or less the same order. What, you’re up but Mom isn’t?? We have to express our disapproval. You’ve come home and haven’t topped up my bowl? Stink eye to you. You settled down to do some knitting in my favorite chair? Basta to that, take me in your lap and pet me.
So he has me under control, pretty sure. But it’s not a bad life if I stay under his sway.
I’ve recently been asked to be part of a group looking at optimization, specifically how can the IT parts of the University help both itself and the rest of the University behave more “optimally” / “efficiently”.
We have just begun to meet, but are already struggling, to some degree, to understand what we mean by this. There is a tendency to look at this on the basis of outcomes, e.g., “reduce the number of servers by 300”, or “improve operational time to market”, where presumably the metrics could be gathered to determine success or movement towards the achievement of the goal. Here clarity in defining the purpose, the metric, and the method of measurement are of primary importance.
In the example above, does “server reduction” mean “server consolidation”? Does it mean virtualizing physical servers under a hypervisor? What is the goal intended in the reduction, more virtual, less physical? Fewer database / file servers? Depending on the answer to the “business reason” for achieving the goal, the actual metric for demonstrating success could be quite different.
If one approach is based on desired outcomes, another is looking at improving organizational maturity as a way of bootstrapping the overall effectiveness of the organization.
What do we mean by organizational maturity? For us in the IT space, it speaks to the capabilities of an organization around particular technology and architectural design patterns. While there is no “one best” approach to laying out an infrastructure/architecture, within each area of expertise, one can speak to what comprises a richer/more complex/more adaptable set of capabilities, and set these out as ‘tiers’ in much the same way as the concept of data center capabilities has been formally set forward.
Let me use software application development — one of my niche occupations — as an example (at the risk of being overly technical):
| Tier Level | Requirements |
| 1 | · Single non-redundant application server
· No HA/DR · Minimum control over source code · Minimal, manual end-user testing · Minimal/no automated testing |
| 2 | · Single non-redundant application server
· Source code for application under source code control · Separate staging environment · Manual end-user testing against formally developed test plans · White-box testing · Minimal automation of promotion of code from stage to production |
| 3 | · Multiple application servers configured for high availability / load balancing (configuration dependent on application, but could be hard-ware or soft-ware based)
· Source code for application under source code control · Separate testing and staging environments. Staging environment should be code-identical to production except for configuration details · Manual end-user testing against formally developed test plans · Automated testing for load and other cases as required by the business · Black-box and white-box testing · Scripted automation of deployment of production code from staging environment |
| 4 | · As 3, with
· Staging and production are both code equivalent and data equivalent · Scripted build and deployment of production code/data from staging environment · Production environment locked down to production deployment team · Formal software development life cycle (SDLC) plan |
Whether we are able to formally put forward how we think about tiers, the exercise of drawing them up, especially where we then use them as roadmaps for organizational development, may prove particularly useful.
Where will we end up? The process has just begun. We will see how it evolves, and what appetite we have for definition and change. I’ll report back later.
Meat
Pork is traditional (use a loin roast or chops), but lamb or beef work well. Chicken thighs are also possible, but timing would need to be adjusted downward. This recipe calls for lamb.
1 1/2 lb lamb shoulder or leg, cubed in 1/2 to 1 inch cubes
Spice Mixture
3 T coriander seed
1 T cumin seed
2 in cinnamon stick
1 t black peppercorn
1/2 t fenugreek seed
1/2 t black mustard seed
1/4 t clove if desired (I personally don’t use it)
2-4 dried chiles, soaked in water
1/4 c vinegar (cider or red wine preferred)
Onion Mixture
1 large onion, cut into quarters
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 inch ginger root piece, peeled
2 c beef stock
4 T oil or ghee
Instructions
The vindaloo is better the next day. Feel free to increase the number of red peppers to bring it up to your level of heat.
I am like Eeeyore,
Mulish, despondent, proud.
My badge of honor.
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Marginalia and Aphoristica 