So, just realized:
The stock market keeps kneecapping me, so I’m working on saving up money to buy a second house as a rental, and trying to figure out what needs to happen to make that work well.
So far:
The ducks are in a row. I just need more cash on hand, which will come over the next few months or so. My planning/meeting/setup speed beat my cash stockpiling, which isn’t completely surprising. Looking at cheaper properties in the meantime, but not very impressed by what I’ve seen.
Was working on some woodworking:
Working on a Morris Chair (1880′s recliner), but had a wee accident.
I started posting to Google+… and didn’t crosspost to my WordPress blog, which goes to Livejournal, which then goes to Facebook. Oops.
Here come a few posts in a row, on repeat if you read G+.
Went to a Santarchy event in DC:
Found Procatinator.
And am prepping for Frostburn.
It’s been a year. Time for a work overview. 
Overall; my job is a gravy train riding on biscuit wheels. I’d love to get more friends in the door. I’ve been getting to work with people far smarter than me, on projects that are interesting both from the technical level, and from the impact they have. I’m managed by people who can do my job, which is probably the best part. (I don’t have to explain, argue, and fight process to get a job done; my manager understands and often just says yes, or corrects me where I was actually wrong.)
While I’m encouraged not to say exactly what I’m working on, in general, my team builds more compelling advertisements in the web search results. If we can make the user happier with the way the ad looks, or the data the ad contains, we’ve won. If it’s a loss for the user, it’s not going to happen. Recently, I moved to a new project with a teammate, and that teammate unexpectedly has to take about a month off. The project is keeping me super-busy, but is engaging enough that extra hours aren’t frustrating.
On the side, I coordinate our K-12 Outreach program, and do a fairly significant amount of work on recruiting events. Recently, I got to give a talk to 400 CMU students; “Tips on Interviewing”. I was the followup to Josh Bloch, who is one of the creators of the Java programming language, and also a personable dude who likes Steelers football and Tessaro’s burgers. Best possible way to spend some overtime, I think.
Woo, I say, woo. Looking forward to another year of this, as I’m finally getting the hang of some of it.
Three years ago, I moved back to Pittsburgh. I put my resume in with a bunch of recruiting agencies, trying to find a job as a Senior Java Developer. I found a job around two months later, worked there for just under two years, then moved to my current job.
Since putting my name in, I get calls and emails weekly-or-better asking if I’d be interested in interviewing for a position. Very few companies hire for my job at the entry level… so all of the companies looking for more experienced talent pretty much drain the talent pool entirely.
I’m continually in disbelief how well the software industry is doing in Pittsburgh these days. Either that, or I wrote the world’s most spectacular resume when I handed it to the recruiters, which seems unlikely.
Been getting a lot done at work, a decent amount at home, and relaxing the rest of the time.
Debating on trading my motorcycle next year; I really want a bike to do *two* things, and this one is a compromise on both. I want a commuter bike to run around town, get groceries, etc; something light and fun. I also want a touring bike that wouldn’t be uncomfortable to run from here to Chicago and back. My bike’s heavy enough to not be light around town, but the seat and suspension aren’t designed for long highway rides, and definitely aren’t designed for 2-up highway rides. Before I’d get anything different, though, it’d be awful nice to have someplace to store them so they don’t sit on the street all winter.
Wondering if there’s a U-stor around here somewhere with a reasonable price. (Under $50/month. It’s not a huge bike!)
Actually been buying music, and had a chance to play electro house and some breaks at a few parties and houseparties. A+++. I need to get a mix together, but still don’t think this is a good fit for a sober audience. Really need to find a better source for breaks; not able to find recordings for stuff I know is out there.
The Kindle I got from the family for my birthday is in heavy rotation. I’ve been busting through a couple books; fantasy, self-help, liberal history, and technical. I have no idea why I’m reading much more with the Kindle than before; I wish I knew, but just glad it’s working out that way.
Work’s been less productive than I’d hoped, but that started to turn around this week, which is good.
Exercise and shop-work have been on hold, in general. Fire effect for October is at my brother’s; hoping we finish on time.
So, Intellectual Ventures (IV) is a company that *only* buys and sells patents. It’s part of what’s wrong with the legal system; they buy a patent from an inventor, and usually sell it to a company that only employs lawyers to sue a company that only employs engineers. As the real kicker, IV seems to sometimes own those “other companies” of only lawyers, and/or *certainly* gets paid extra if the lawsuits are successful.
If they were selling it to a company that wanted to *use* it, that’d seem a genius business model that was causing positive change; right now, it’s just enabling lawyers to make stacks and stacks and stacks of money, while slowing down large companies and destroying startup companies.
Large companies tend to trade patent lawsuits; we won’t sue you about X if you don’t sue us about Y. Small companies don’t have that protection, and are fucked on this one. It’s bizarre, and unfortunate, and something we should probably fix.
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In other news, my right knee keeps feeling like there’s glass in it. Spent a few days walking less, and that didn’t help. Ibprophen? That helps. Gave up this weekend and went jogging for the first time in a year or so, and that improved it quite a bit. Hunh.
If anyone’s looking for a Google+1 invite, let me know; glad to invite folks once they reopen the process.
Went to Sree’s funeral, and that just about broke me. He honestly looked like he was sleeping, which is something I can’t often say for the dead.
Went back to work, and promptly got something like stomach flu. Been working from home and napping since then, more work later tonight. Really hoping the stomach problems clear up by the weekend.