16 Feb 2013, 18:01 p.m.

Navel-gazing

There are so many things I ought to be doing, and instead I spent several hours today editing Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, reviewing new articles, and uploading photos or improving captions on Wikimedia Commons. It makes …

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09 Feb 2013, 13:07 p.m.

Recent Books

I know I'm missing some, but here are some books I've read in the last few months. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson. SO GOOD. READ …

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06 Feb 2013, 18:47 p.m.

What Systems Administrators Do

I hope you'll read two blog entries I just wrote, whether you consider yourself a "techie" or not. They're meant to explain why the recent Wikimedia data center migration was difficult and took a long …

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03 Feb 2013, 22:46 p.m.

Roots

As you saw if you follow me on Twitter or Identi.ca, I just finished watching Roots. It's phenomenal, of course, though it's disappointing that so much of it is fictionalized (for instance, the conscience-torn captain …

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30 Jan 2013, 21:37 p.m.

Kids' Jokes

Via Metafilter: some kids' jokes that don't quite work, on inexplicable behavior, vocations, garb, and very explicable behavior.

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13 Jan 2013, 8:53 a.m.

Preventing Suicide

Valerie Aurora sensibly writes: "For many depressed people, telling them 'You should talk to a friend!' is worse than useless advice and may actually make people more suicidal. I argue that we, as as society, …

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13 Jan 2013, 8:16 a.m.

Grieving

I don't know what to say about Aaron. I'm leaving tomorrow night for the funeral. Right after I heard, I put down some memories. I'll miss his silliness. Edited to add: Oh wow ten years …

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30 Dec 2012, 23:06 p.m.

Linkbunch

I'm thoroughly enjoying the webcomic "Strong Female Protagonist": "SFP follows the adventures of a young middle-class American with super-strength, invincibility and a crippling sense of social injustice." Please encourage people you know, especially women, to …

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25 Dec 2012, 16:35 p.m.

A Merry Christmas

Yesterday in my weekly one-on-one with my boss, we talked about matters ranging from recruiting and hiring to Firefox OS to Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning. I got to introduce him to the management …

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12 Dec 2012, 10:48 a.m.

Sick

Just returned from San Francisco. I could feel the tickle in my throat start late Monday afternoon. With zinc, citrusy or chamomile herbal teas, Emergen'C, whiskey, Thai curries, and cough drops, I was able to …

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