Looking for technical writing & editing projects

Just FYI, both I and my talented partner/spouse, Stephanie Sonnleitner, are looking for contract work at this time — technical writing, editing, indexing, proofing, page layout, or even custom Excel spreadsheet work.

My LinkedIn profile is HERE.  Our company, Morn Enterprises is a registered New Mexico LLC, and I've been in technical writing and consulting since…well, forever.  (Okay, mid 1980s.)

We're both aces on networking technology, and if you want to see if I know how to handle XML, take a look at my main website.  Stephanie is a former programmer and systems architect, has written technical documentation for Cisco, Photuris, and Extreme Networks, and has a PhD in theoretical physics.  Me, well, I'm a total technogeek and have been in technical writing and editing for over 25 years now.  We're available in the general Albuquerque NM region, as well as for remote projects.

Not desperate — just looking to expand our business opportunities here, and I did pay for this here soapbox.

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Asteroid discoveries – 1980 to 2010

By the way, I think the soundtrack is what really makes this video work.  The music is 'Transgenic' by the group Trifonic, from their album Emergence.  (There's another version with a Philip Glass track…but I don't think it's as evocative.)

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Hiking risks

Nothing quite like seeing a big thunderstorm boil over the nearby Sandia mountain range to get one's blood pumping.  Fortunately, I made it out of the foothills before the rain hit.

On a positive note, I found a nice black tourmaline cluster, embedded in a feldspar / quartz matrix.

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Seidio battery report

I mentioned on July 20th how I'd installed a 3rd party extended battery from Seidio in my HTC Incredible smartphone, and immediately began seeing huge improvements in battery life.  (Well, I should, given it's nearly 3x the capacity and did add quite a bit of heft and bulk to the phone — but I don't care, as I think it actually fits my hand better now, and I like not having to worry about saving power.)

The last few weeks, I've been dutifully charging and discharging as the battery manual suggested, letting the phone run down until it demanded the charger (<15%).  As of this post, it's been over five days since my last charge, with all functions left turned on (GPS, WiFi, 3G, data synchronization, automatic display brightness), and I still have 30%.

On update: With light use only, the phone lasted another day and a half on that same charge.  I put it on the charger last night just before I went to bed (2am) at which point it was at 17%.  Probably could've made it to morning if I'd left it — which means I'm getting up to a week on each charge.  Very, very happy with this battery.

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Welcome to the big leagues, Apple

Right now, if you visit a web page and load a simple PDF file, you may give total control of your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to a hacker. The security bug affects all iOS4 devices and the iPad.

via Security breach gives complete access to iPhone – Technology & science – Wireless – msnbc.com.

For years, it's been my contention that one of the main reasons Macs and Apple computers of various flavors have not been actively exploited by malware and viruses has been the fact there was a much larger target available: PCs and Windows.  The latter situation was not helped by the oblivious Microsoft leaving so many doors open in their OS, the lack of built-in virus scanning software, initially no firewall at all, and so on.

Apple and many Apple computer owners (including iPhones, for these new smartphones actually are computers) insisted they didn't have a problem with viruses, trojans or malware because their systems were essentially bulletproof.  Others insisted it was impossible to infect Mac OS, and as a consequence there were no viruses, trojans, or Mac-affecting malware out there.

The reality (in my opinion) is they simply were not targeted because they weren't worth the bother, not as compared to the relative ease and numbers of the PC market.

 

Continue reading

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Official Brain-Hamster Position Statement

The Brain-Hamster does not give a rat's patootie about Chelsea Clinton's marriage.A simplified diagram of the hardware running the eponymous Terrible Thing.

That is all.

(On edit: I have included a helpful diagram of the hardware architecture operating the 'Terrible Thing' and its resident rabid Brain Hamster.)

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Jane Austen’s ‘Fight Club’

hat-tip to Digby

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The Circle of Bigotry is Complete

I've been following the Shirley Sherrod case with interest, including the latest developments.  My stab at a sequence of events, as interpreted through my own particular brand of snark:

Breitbart: This woman is a racist!  See!  I have a heavily doctored video!  She used her position as a fed in the USDA to discriminate against white people!

Wingnut Noise Machine:  ALERT!  ALERT!  UPPITY BLACK PERSON ADMITS TO HATING WHITEY!

The Media:  Ooooh!  Quick, let's panic like a pack of four year olds upon seeing their first really big spider.  She is!  She is!  She weally is a wacist!  Fire her ass.

The Administration:  Aaaaaaaaaah!  Fire her!  Fire her now!  Quickly!  She's toxic and Glenn Beck is gonna do a story on her.  Panic!

Responsible people: Like hell.  Look at the rest of the video.  First of all, this was like 30 years ago; secondly, she was working for a non-profit organization, not the government, and thirdly, Sherrod's anecdote was all about her realizing she had the wrong attitude, that she should stand for ALL poor people, regardless of their color or origin.

The Media:  Er, um…  No way we were snookered that badly.  Must be something wrong with her.

The Administration:  Uh oh.  Activate ostrich mode!

Wingnut Noise Machine:  ALERT!  Those white people she helped — they're fakes!  They don't exist!

Responsible people:  Afraid she's not a racist, and those farmers are totally legit.  Oh, and by the way — her father was murdered by racist bigots during the civil rights era.

The Media and the Administration:  Oh crap.  We gotta make this right.

Breitbart:  No no — it wasn't about HER.  I was pointing out the racism of the entire NAACP.  See, they were hooting and hollering at her anecdote like a bunch of… well, you know.

Wingnut Noise Machine:  ALERT!  NAACP — are they total racists?  Also, did they collude with the Obama Administration to destroy this woman's career?  It would be irresponsible not to speculate…for hours and hours.

Responsible people:  Give Sherrod her damned job back.  Better still, make it a promotion.  And we want to hear some apologies.  After this ridiculous lynching, there better be a POTUS call, too.

The Media and the Administration (scuffing the dirt):  All right…  Sorry.

Sherrod is interviewed.  She's kinda p.o'd at having been railroaded like she was and for no good reason than the perfidy of the bigots and the cowardice of her supposed employers and friends.  She rightly calls Breitbart on his shit, correctly identifies him as a racist and as someone who'd probably like to see African Americans reduced to slavery again.

Wingnut Noise Machine:  ALERT!  Sherrod must apologize abjectly to Breitbart!  She's evil again!  Black woman disrespecting white guy who nearly got away with ruining her career!  Release the hounds!

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Weird News

The strongest and most expensive beer ever created sold out within hours Friday, a Scottish brewery said, as they courted controversy by packaging the bottles inside the bodies of stuffed animals.

BrewDog, the self-described maverick brewery, presented the beer — which contains a record 55 percent alcohol — inside the bodies of dead squirrels and stoats.

via AFP: Strongest ever beer served up in dead squirrels.

Okay… no comment I can make would top this.

110 proof beer… sold in dead squirrels and stoats.

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Grilled Stuffed Portobello Burger

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Burger

Ingredients for one:

  • One large portobello mushroom cap
  • Vinegarette salad dressing
  • One roma tomato, small to medium
  • 1/4 tsp crushed garlic (about one clove)
  • 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • A little bit of olive oil
  • Pinch of rosemary
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/8 cup shredded or crumbled cheese, approx.
  • One hamburger bun (any type, amazing on sourdough)

Clean the mushroom cap gently, taking care not to break it.  Remove the stem and use a spoon to carefully scrape away the gills, and discard.  With a barbecue brush, brush both sides of the mushroom generously with the vinegarette dressing; put it in a bowl and let sit in the fridge for about an hour.  (You can use plain store-bought Italian dressing, but it will tend to be more greasy.)

Meanwhile, begin heating the grill (treated with non-stick spray) or well-seasoned cast-iron grill skillet to medium-high.  (I used a grill-bottom skillet.)

Chop the roma tomato, throwing away any of the more liquid/slimy bits and the seeds.   In a small bowl, combine the chopped tomato, garlic, rosemary, sesame oil, and cheese.  I used cheddar/jack because that's what we had on hand, but feel free to substitute mozzarella, parmesan, colby, swiss, blue cheese, goat cheese — whatever you like.  Season with a little fresh ground pepper and salt.  Mix thoroughly.  Set aside.

Apply a very small amount of olive oil to the mushroom cap, mainly on the top-side; an easy way is to dip two fingers in the oil and rub it on gently.  This helps keep it from sticking.  Put the portobello on the grill or in the skillet gill-side down to start with.  Go ahead and use a grill press if you have one and are inclined to do so; it can squeeze out some of the excess moisture and applies the nice grill char marks.  After five minutes, flip the mushroom, put the press back on.  Begin toasting the hamburger bun around now; a dab of butter or olive oil on the facing sides is optional.

Five minutes after that, remove the press and carefully spoon the tomato & cheese mixture onto the mushroom.  Even if you've used a press, it should still retain a little of its concave shape.  Cover and let it cook for about two minutes more or until the cheese is obviously melting.

Serve on the toasted bun, lightly dressed — that is, go ahead and use the condiments of your choice — ketchup, mustard, or mayo — but go easy on them because this portobello burger will be juicy and flavorful without them.  I went with a touch of mayonnaise.  Feel free to add lettuce, sliced onion, pickles, whatever you like.

Serves 1.  Multiply the mixture as needed for additional mushroom caps.

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