I have a new major frustration – people finding inventive ways to screw up trying to find new solutions to problems that have been solved and understood for years. This happens a lot at work, as the technical nature of my job allows for correct, efficient answers be developed and deployed time and again. Yet people keep trying to reinvent the wheel. For example: deploying networked home directories is a solved problem. Yet we’re going through round and round of stupid, technical problems. I suspect it’s because we’ve purchased the wrong product – but we keep going.

This is not to say that people shouldn’t look at new ways to fix things, or alternative ways to get tasks done. The problem is people need to look at the new solution and answer the question: does this truly solve the problem better than the old solution? Does it give them something no other solution gives them, and does that new thing outweigh everything else? They need to be honest and take a hard look at it. Yes, they’ve spent time and (likely) money coming up with a new solution. However, it does them and their team a disservice if they then adopt an inferior solution, just because it’s new and it’s theirs.

Works for me.

I’ve decided what Qais’s next Halloween costume is going to be: a Knight. This was decided when he discovered some chain mail I made 8 years ago, and was fascinated by it. So, time to start a new project. I’ve ordered 5,000 polished aluminum rings (18 gauge, ¹⁄₂ inch internal diameter), and they should be here in a few weeks. I will probably need to order more at some point, but this will get me started.

A few years ago, a US version of Top Gear was rumored. Shortly after, the rumors died. Last year, the rumors came back. Again, it was shelved. During the summer of 2010, the rumors came back again – and then suddenly the History Channel announced they were going into production. The second episode has now aired (on the iTunes Store), and… it’s actually a decent show.

No. It’s not as good as the UK Top Gear. Clarkson, Hammond and May have a particular rhythm, and the British sense of humor is much better. However, if you remember back to the reboot of Top Gear in 2002, and Jason Dawe… yeah, the British show really took 2 full seasons to find it’s legs.

So, hopefully the US shows get steadily better, and enough other people like the US show to go for more seasons.

I’m trying out a new project – baking my own bread for my lunch sandwiches. I made a loaf over the long weekend, which was good. Today I made two loaves – one white, for me, and one wheat, for Qais. Sadly, we only had one bread loaf pan. So, Qais’s were baked in a muffin tin.

It’s dead simple. 12 oz of hot water, 20 oz of flour, 2 teaspoons of salt and a package of active yeast. Mix everything till it’s smooth and elastic, let it rise till it doubles, and then punch down and put into pans. Let it rise again for an hour, and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. That’s it. 4 ingredients, 3 or 4 hours – mostly of waiting. And it’s really, really good bread.

Just a quick one, before I get back to the turkey – Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Again, I’m late posting a photo. I’ve been doing a lot of other things, and it just slipped my mind. I even had pictures waiting in the queue that I simply hadn’t uploaded yet. Tonight: hammer down and get the next week’s worth ready, as I’m sure with Thanksgiving I’ll be hard pressed to post anything.