I’ve been toying with Micro.blog for years, playing with it (and paying for it) but never really committing to using it. …but then came the buyout / take-over of Twitter (I absolutely refuse to call it “X”) and it seemed like a ton of folks online were looking for alternatives. I’ve always been a fan of supporting software (hence never complaining much about paying for Micro.blog) developers and as I was already paying for it, I decided to give it another go.

As I predicted, it ended up being more a direct Twitter replacement than anything else, becoming a place for rants, observations, etc, but then I saw a post about the September 2023 Photo-blogging Challenge and decided it might be fun to participate.

I was right, it’s been a lot of fun. 😀

The premise behind it is to post a different photo, every day, following the same theme / idea as everyone else. I thought it would be cool to see if I could post a photo each day from my own photo library and with a few exceptions, I’ve succeeded. It’s been a great time, going back in time in my library, looking through old memories, to find something that matches the daily topic.

If you’d like to see my entries for the Challenge, they can be found under a specific tag, in my Micro.blog instance (the tag: “Photo Challenge: Sept 2023”).

I’m looking forward to the rest of the month.

In the end, I think Micro.blog is going to continue to be my Twitter replacement. I thought Mastodon was going to be it but I really enjoy the fact that I control my own subdomain and could migrate away if I wanted down the road. With Mastodon, at least currently, that isn’t really an option for me. So…I’ll continue to use Micro.blog for Twitter-like functionality and keep my existing blog for longer-form posts (like this one).

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

We said goodbye to our boy today. He drifted across the rainbow bridge full of all his favorite foods (ham, meatballs, & pâté), nestled between us on the couch (it was his favorite place to be). I’m going to miss you, my little puppy-rabbit, I’m going to miss you. 💔🐶🐕

I’m reminded of my favorite song from my favorite musical:

I’ve heard it said,
That people come into our lives,
For a reason.
Bringing something we must learn.
And we are lead to those,
Who help us most to grow if we let them.
And we help them in return.
Well I don’t know if I believe that’s true.
But I know I’m who I am today,
Because I knew you.
…..
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better.
I do believe I have been changed for the better.
…..
Because I knew you,
I have been changed
For good.

…Of course, in my head, I’m changing out “people” with “dogs” but you get the idea…

Goodbye my little friend, I’m going to miss you…until we (hopefully) meet again. Thank you for letting me be your Human. 💔🐶

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

Every year part of the local Zoo is decorated with lights and Holiday cheer…and the past few years, my fella and I have made a point to stroll around.

It’s just one of our Holiday traditions, to wander around the lights, see the penguins, and share a hot chocolate.

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

Well, I finally finished it! 🎉 It only took a year (I bought this back in October of 2021) but I finally finished building the Super Mario 64™ Question Mark Block, aka, the "?" block from various Mario games.

I have a notoriously bad memory for my own personal history but two big things I remember playing with as a child: Legos and Nintendo. Not only was it fun to build, but as I was slowly combining piece after piece, attaching set to set, I was remembering all the fun I had playing Super Mario 64 back in the ’90s. 😁 It was quite the nostalgia train for me.

This was one of the most complicated Lego sets I’ve ever built and I had an absolute blast building this but now comes the hard part: finding somewhere to store / place / show-off. 😅

Lazy Supervisor

Of course, Russell supervised most of the construction…in his slipshod and lazy manner. 😁

I think he’s going to be getting a demotion. 🤣

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

It’s been a hot minute since I last said anything here but goodness, it’s been a hot mess on the interwebs, right? Since I last committed anything to pen (or something, you get the idea) here, Twitter was purchased and…well…it’s been an epic disaster ever since (the Verge has been great at covering the drama around Twitter, both before and after the sale). While I’m sure you, dear reader, will likely guess where my political affiliations can be found, I do my best not to talk about that online…so just looking at the epic mess that site has become (not to mention the truly awful way staff was cut from Twitter), it isn’t a surprise Twitter seems to be fragmenting; some users are flocking to Mastodon, some to Instagram (though, with Facebook / Meta controlling and locking that down more and more, is it a viable alternative…?), others to Hive…or some other newfangled social apps / sites…

Even though I jumped on the Twitter bandwagon early (my user ID, back when Twitter showed user IDs, was well within the standard Integer range) back when I was a junior developer at an advertising agency, I’ve always been a bit squeamish about letting some company / organization have sole control over my voice. Granted, I don’t use it that often but it is mine, so I should have ultimate control.

Thus, this fragmentation isn’t new to me, I’ve already done it to myself! I created a more public Twitter account and locked my original one. I created a blog (and then let it lapse…and then started it again), set up a Micro.blog instance (though I rarely used it), and am now on Mastodon (though it’s just a reflection of my micro.blog account). I’m not sure which “social” app / site / service will win out but I think I’m covered for now…at least until the next big thing comes along.

This is where I admit I’m using my Micro.blog account to cross-post to Twitter and Mastodon, it’s one of the lovely features Manton Reece added to his platform.

So, if you’d like a way to find my various profiles, locations, writings, and ramblings online, feel free to take a look at my about page, it will be as up to date as anything…except perhaps the home page. 🤣

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

In an effort to stop throwing out so much food, I jazzed up some leftovers for breakfast this morning. I heated up some stir-fried veggie rice, added some cashews (after pan-roasting them briefly), and an egg; it turned out pretty good!

As my partner’s grandmother’s grandmother used to say: “waste not, want not."

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

As my position with my new employer is fully remote, I haven’t met the bulk of my co-workers in person. Truth be told, I’ve only met five other developers, along with one project owner…and to be completely honest, I knew three of them previously. 😆 Still, even with remote work, it’s good to get out of the house to be social with one’s coworker and that’s what I did today; we went for lunch at a local pub.

Of course, I say new but I’ve been with them since the end of June…but then, time is said to be in the eye of the beholder… 🤷🏼

Side note, if you look up in the upper left corner of the photo, you’ll see that my co-worker has Pokemon Go on his phone…the owner of said phone is rather obsessed with that game. 😄

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

Being rather lazy on a Saturday, snuggling with the puppy, watching The Nanny, and finagling with my new/old computer (a log story for another time)…and realized it’s been a rather long time since I posted anything here…

It’s been an interesting six months since my last last post:

• Turned in my notice to my new-ish position (the one I left my old position for, I lasted just ten months; there is a gigantic backstory there…
• Celebrated my Grandma’s 100th birthday (that women’s memory is truly impressive, she was regaling all of us with stories from her early childhood)
• Started a new position with a consulting firm (I’ve been there for a little over a month and it’s been a fantastic experience thus far)
• Went on vacation to Michigan
• My partner tested positive for Covid-19…and thus we spent a week and a half isolating at home, wearing masks as often as able
• Started with a new client and an a truly massive amount of computer issues (they ended up sending me a second computer, the Help Desk techs couldn’t even remote into the first one)

Of course, each of these could be their own post / entry / page…and perhaps they will be some day…

Side-note: The Nanny was one of my favorite television shows as a child. In fact…and I might be dating myself here…but I would watch Fran in the afternoon whenever I stayed home sick from school. 😁

It’s still is one of my favorite shows. 😆

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

As my Partner hasn’t been feeling well, we didn’t do anything for New Year’s Eve…and that continued into the New Year. As such, we spent most of the day being couch potatoes and finally finished Only Murders in the Building.

I realize I’m wildly behind the times (the show debuted at the end of the summer and finished in the autumn) but good grief, this series was just absolutely amazing!! Each episode was a masterpiece (especially the one featuring a deaf character) and I was guessing up until the very end. I give it five out of five stars. 😃

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

Well, it had to happen…we had to loose just one more person in 2021…goodbye Betty, thank you for being a friend.

Instead of going out to a party, risking Covid and drunk drivers, we just stayed home, watching Betty’s various television shows…at least the ones I had access to view:

• The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970)
• Mama’s Family (1983)
• The Golden Girls (1985)
• Maybe This Time (1995)
• Hot in Cleveland (2010)

She was the last Golden Girl standing…and the world is going to miss her. I’m going to miss her.

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

It isn’t often you’re able to test redundancy in your home set up but today, my power went out. I was in the middle of a meeting, sharing application support information with my current development team, when suddenly the lights went out in the basement (my home office is in the basement). At first, I was completely confused…all the lights had gone out, but my monitor was still on…? I stopped the meeting, interrupting our business analyst, in compete shock and bewilderment, asking if they could still hear me.

It was only then I realized I had batteries for most of my computers…which is when my power supply started beeping at me.

A long time ago (I’m not going to say when because a lady never tells his age), I bought a battery on a lark from newegg.com and used it solely for my modem and router. Back then, the apartment I lived in suffered semi-frequent power outages (the building was over 100 years old) and didn’t want to be slaughtered in the middle of a raid (we can talk about my World of Warcraft addiction another time, dear reader). The battery turned out to be a smashing success and life / gaming went on.

A few years down the road from the first purchase I bought a new battery; I needed a bit more oomph, as I’d acquired more gear and equipment. The old one was still holding up but starting to show its age: where once it could keep the internet connection alive for a couple hours, by then I was lucky to get 45 minutes out of it. So, I bought a new one and put almost all my equipment on it (including the new server I’d acquired…but that is a story for another time). The original battery was kept for my work set up: computer, monitor, etc.

Back to the present…it turns out the local power company was outside my house, switching out my meter. With no notice and just one knock at the door, they took out the old one and put in a new one. I really would have appreciated some advance notice but why would a monopoly care about its customers? Still, it’s nice to know my batteries are still working!

So, the moral of the story: make sure you have your internet equipment and computers on a battery backup…especially if you’re in constant meetings during the last two weeks of your employment.

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

All good things must come to an end…and thus, I’ve just turned in my two weeks' notice to my current employer. I’ve grown so much as both a person and a developer…and I’ve met some incredible people but it’s time to move on. It’s a rather bittersweet feeling, leaving a place where you’ve spent so much time and energy but as I said, all good things must come to an end.

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

We (my employer) recently parted ways with a development vendor and yesterday I was combing through various repositories, cleaning up the nightmare that was their branching strategy (or lack thereof) when I stumbled across this little gem:

Two thought immediately popped into my head:

• Why would you hard-code credentials into your application?
• Why wouldn’t you have stronger credentials right off the bat?

I have to take some of the accountability here; as the Lead at my company, code quality falls within my realm of responsibility. Thankfully, this commit never made it out of the Development branch…but it’s all to easy to imagine this sort of problem making it’s way up the chain, into Production. Honestly, I never thought I’d have to add “do NOT hard-code credentials” into our guidelines for new developers but then, I’ve been wrong about a lot of things in my career… 😄

On a lark, I took my Mac down the hall to our cyber security expert and asked her to spot the problem. It took her all of ten seconds to start laughing. Once she was able to stop giggling, she offered two bits of advice:

1. Stash this sort of issue in your “this is bad code” file to show to junior developers as a teachable moment.
2. Look into something called SonarQube to help automate the detection of potential security issues in source code.

It’s an old, tired stereotype that developers hate interacting with security folks but every time I talk with our cyber security expert, I get homework…and that’s an absolutely wonderful thing; when we stop learning, we start to degrade.

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

It’s rather surreal to think about but tomorrow is officially ten years with my Partner.

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a developer who went by the name of Jon. He decided it would be a grand idea to start a blog after college…and decided on WordPress. It was the thing back then, all the rage…and it seemed like a great idea to start learning PHP. Of course, as is the case with most nonprofessional blogs, new posts were written with less frequency as time went on, until the point where the developer let the hosting lapse and that was the end of it.

Fast-forward a number of years and I decided it would be a jolly good idea (you’ll have to forgive me dear reader, for the British phrase, as I’m currently watching As Time Goes By) to start up writing again; the reasons are unimportant and will likely be covered in a future post but that’s for another time… I thought about going back to WordPress but while I owned a series of domains, I wasn’t all that keen on getting into bed with another hosting provider. However, I’d recently switched to Fastmail and it provides the ability to not only store files but can also be used to host static websites.

After hearing about static site generators over the course of numinous episodes on the Stacktrace podcast, I decided to do a little bit of research. It seemed using a SSG provided the best of both worlds: the speed of statically generated files with the dynamism of a traditional CMS. Given the constraints of Fastmail’s file hosting (static files only), using a SSG seemed to be a perfect fit. I’ve no idea how I settled on Hugo but thus far it seems to be going well.

So there you have it, the backstory for this site and a tiny bit of history.

Note: This post is from my old site and was ported over into Micro.Blog when I consolidated from two sites into one. All of the migrated posts can be found here.