September 27, 2004
From DC to Light
I went on a grand voyage with Stevis to visit Dan in his new Reston, VA home. A nice 6 hour drive to DC traffic, Reston and the general DC area is much nicer than I remember it.
We marched around downtown DC catching the sights, including giant concrete barriers designed to prevent cars from getting remotely close to the capitol buildings. Security is tighter in DC than anywhere I've seen. I actually don't mind much -- being my first visit to the area as an adult, I have a bit better appreciation for the history of the place. It has an almost European city feel, attention is actually being paid to the architecture and layout. My fears of working down around that area are all but gone, replaced with a sense of wonder at sights and nightlife.
We met up with some of Dan-o's friends downtown, some very nifty computer/rennasaince nerds that are fortunate to have dinner with Bruce Schneier on occassion. Joe, one of the couple, gave me some advice that I oft-gave to high school pals but had completely forgotten about -- when things are boring where you are, move. It helps more than you'd ever think. Amazing how one night can strengthen my resolve.
There is even enough to do outdoors, thanks to the Potomac river. The hiking again reminded me of travels in Europe -- you don't often see so many people enjoying the sun and heat in the immediate vicinity of Syracuse.
In a word, Dan has it made working for the USGS, doing whatever it is that he does. The suburban sprawl is forgiveable in lieu of fairly closeby outdoor and historical recreation. DC, here I come...
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Further back...
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Previous Trips...
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Hiking Mount Whitney, 2007 
Spring Break in West Virginia, 2005
New Year's in Paris, 2003-2004
Coming to America, 2003
Protesting in Berlin, 2003
Prague Bier-Tour, 2002
Dresden, 2002
Recent Reading
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Stealing the Network
I first bumped into the Stealing the Network series when reading the exploits of Joe Grand, one of the book's many hacker authors.
The 'Stealing the ...' series of books follows a rather disparate group of computer hackers as they help a former NSA spook (many of them unwittingly) gather the money he needs to retire.
The stories themselves are not fantastic fiction. The writing is uneven and choppy, the characters are stereotypical and not very well thought-out. What is fascinating about this book series is the technical accuracy of the exploits (at some points *too* accurate, with screen shots and step-by-step instructions).
It's a great series to read if you're a system administrator, or just getting into the wonderful field of computer security.
Rated 
by reid
on March 06, 2011
by reid
on March 06, 2011
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Close to the Machine
Ellen Ullman is one of those authors that somehow avoided my radar. Until now...
Close to the Machine is less a book than a collection of loosely related personal anecdotes from Ellen's time as a very rare thing -- a successful female bisexual independent computer programming consultant.
In the course of her work and relationship life, she learns hard lessons about programming, running a business, being lonely, and loving the wrong people. I found it particularly poignant being a crypto-nerd with difficult times in relationships and a more-or-less NDA'd, secret work life.
This book is a must-read for anyone into running their own business, programming, or anyone dating a person that is a business-a-holic or programmer.
Rated 
by reid
on November 23, 2009
by reid
on November 23, 2009
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The Long Trip Home
I had the joy of dining with the author in Florida. We went to a little Brazilian BBQ where he spoke with our waitstaff in (what I can only assume was) flawless Portugese.
Brian Wyllie spent 1969-1971 living in Brazil working for the Peace Corps. His recent book outlines his trip back to the United States via Bolivia, Peru, and the Carribean chain, by way of bus, train, and sailboat. The format comes spattered with observations from the modern day, and makes me think, "this must be what John McPhee's journal looks like."
The trip sounded like a fantastic one, but I was left wanting more detail...where did the gun (being snuck through customs in a variety of places, no doubt) come from? And how did Geneve's hair smell? Alas, we'll have to wait for another book to find the answers.
Rated by reid
on April 16, 2009
by reid
on April 16, 2009
DC is a good place to be. I would highly recommend it. It is especially good for jogs and has unbelievable hiking trails.
Posted by: MN on September 28, 2004 07:45 PM