Archives From The Desk of CJD
This website has been relegated as a repository from all of my previous published articles from 2006-2023. I am missing five years worth from 2001-2005 due to the fact that I lost the 3.5″ floppy disk during a move and never copied or backed it up anywhere else. Damn. I need to do better at this.
The new website can be found at chrisdenbow.website
While you are here, take a look around inside the archives. Eventually I will have category and tag searches for finding specific articles.
Or, why I am done traveling for work
Since October 2023, I have been traveling for work at a grand total of fifteen weeks. Fifteen weeks of lonely nights in cheap hotels, a measly per diem that allows for groceries and fast food only and a longing for home. From Cincinnati, Ohio to Houston, Texas and all points in between.
This next week will be my last run before I turn in my truck and equipment back home into an uncertain future.
I say uncertain because eventually, I will be back on the road but this time to move cross country to the gulf coast of Florida and a new life. I do not know where I will be employed, what I will be doing or if this is a smart move. It feels right and I want a new life with new opportunities and a launching point for another location out of the country.
But first, I have five more days to get through.
Happy trails,
The Silver Fox
Chinese dance troupe inside the Houston Galleria
Asia Town/International District/Houston/Texas
Red envelopes filled with small money bills are gifts to signify wealth & prosperity for the new year
Traditional Chinese dancers
street festival sights, sounds and smells
While writing this I was listening to:
HARD RESET: DEBUG LIFE
“Version 2024" type": "node"
"request": "launch 2024.02.02",
"name": "Launch Program",
"skipFiles": ["<node_internals>/**"],
"program": "${workspaceFolder}\\app.js"
Debugging, in computer programming and engineering, is a multi-step process that involves identifying a problem, isolating the source of the problem and then either correcting the problem or determining a way to work around it. The final step of debugging is to test the correction or workaround and make sure it works.
Each month, and the corresponding day, I will run a systems diagnostic and report on either the overall performance or list any bugs that may still need to be addressed. The first diagnostic and reporting will be done on February 2nd or 2/2. The following will be on March 3 or 3/3, etc etc until December 12 (12/12.) Then one year from now on 12/31/2024 I will run more more systems check and prepare for another hard reset.
This is the first diagnostic check of 2024 on the personal operating system.1
There are a few known issues, or bugs in my personal life that I need to identify, isolate and correct the problem.
Bug #1: To maximize system performance, I need to focus on the overall health of the personal operating system and that is to stay physically fit. Sure, the outdoor work that I do does help but there is more I can do. Time to access the walking and yoga sub-routines. These will both be done on a daily basis. Yoga in the morning to stretch out and purposeful walking for cardio.
Bug #1 Performance Analysis: fail. Sure, the weather was too cold everywhere I went to enjoy walking but this is a flimsy excuse. Yoga practice was a total of 2 out of 31 days in the new year so far.
Bug #1 Task prior to 3/3: Walk a minimum of five minutes daily to get the blood flowing. Yoga a minimum of 15 days out of February’s 29 days2
Bug #2: Nutrition is a crucial component to all of this because I have not eaten well the last quarter of 2023. 2024 will be a rocky start since I will be traveling for work but I will be mindful and look for healthier food options.
Bug #2 Performance Analysis: Critical. I am back on the road and do indulge in fast food. But to note, I have consumed a lot of salads, grilled meats and healthier choices.
Bug #2 Task prior to 3/3: Maintain or improve current intake of greens and meats.Limit sugar. I do need to watch the salt intake as it corrupts the personal OS.
Bug #3: Smoking pipe tobacco and drinking alcohol is inserting bad code into my system and so, once again, I will work towards debugging those substances to enhance system performance.
Bug #3 Performance Analysis: Critical. Back on the tobacco pipe while on the road, but also drinking no alcohol.
Bug #3 Task prior to 3/3: …
Other applications will be used to maintain the mental health of my personal operating system such as:
Reading (finished 3 books in January!)
Creative writing ( writing almost daily!)
Journaling (maybe 3 times a week)
Meditation (daily!)
Overall, these benchmarks for analyzing and evaluating overall performance will help maintain my personal operating system for years to come.
Next Systems Diagnostic will be on 3/3.
While writing this I was listening to:
Look, I know what you are thinking, and you’re right. I did say no new gear for the new year. But if I have the ability to read more e-books on a non-Kindle and deny Amazon more money, that’s justified, yeah?
I am slowly building out a separate web page dedicated to writing and I think I have it. The posts on this page is signaling intent on novels, short stories and series. First with tentative titles and an underlying premise. Only four are added with another 25 to go so stay tuned. You can view it by clicking on the WRITING tab in the menu or here.
If you know me at all, you know that I have always been a fan of public art, especially mural or wall art. From early on we’ve been painting in caves, on the ceilings of chapels and now on city streets. Big cities like Houston have art initiatives and institutions that support local artists to come out and create these murals to beautify city streets and create outdoor museums for everyone.
I won’t name the institution here but I do appreciate their work for the community and also discovery of these works with an interactive app that provides a map of installations and allows you to scan the art and it will provide backstory and artistic bios. Love to see it. I wish I could do more with my images of murals. Inspiring.
You can see these images and more on the photography website.
Day 5 of illness and Day 4 stuck in bed all day.
A new year means a fresh start with new goals. In addition to the 365/2024 photo project and 24 books read in 2024, I want to add another resolution: no new technology. I am confident that all of my hardware will not need to be replaced or upgraded. Now, if anything should happen to a device, I’ll have to make an exception. As for now, I am content.
"version": "2023.12.31",
"configurations":
"type": "node",
"request": "launch 2024.01.01",
"name": "Launch Program",
"skipFiles": ["<node_internals>/**"],
"program": "${workspaceFolder}\\app.js"Debugging, in computer programming and engineering, is a multi-step process that involves identifying a problem, isolating the source of the problem and then either correcting the problem or determining a way to work around it. The final step of debugging is to test the correction or workaround and make sure it works.
This is the last day of 2023 and tomorrow begins the hard reset, or rebooting the system for a fresh start. After that I will begin to run some routines to help debug my personal operating system.
There are a few known issues, or bugs in my personal life that I need to identify, isolate and correct the problem.
Bug #1: To maximize system performance, I need to focus on the overall health of the personal operating system and that is to stay physically fit. Sure, the outdoor work that I do does help but there is more I can do. Time to access the walking and yoga sub-routines. These will both be done on a daily basis. Yoga in the morning to stretch out and purposeful walking for cardio.
Bug #2: Nutrition is a crucial component to all of this because I have not eaten well the last quarter of 2023. 2024 will be a rocky start since I will be traveling for work but I will be mindful and look for healthier food options.
Bug #3: Smoking pipe tobacco and drinking alcohol is inserting bad code into my system and so, once again, I will work towards debugging those substances to enhance system performance.
Each month, and the corresponding day, I will run a systems diagnostic and report on either the overall performance or list any bugs that may still need to be addressed. The first diagnostic and reporting will be done on February 2nd or 2/2. The following will be on March 3 or 3/3, etc etc until December 12 (12/12.) Then one year from now on 12/31/2024 I will run more more systems check and prepare for another hard reset.
Inputs
Other applications will be used to maintain the mental health of my personal operating system such as:
Overall, these benchmarks for analyzing and evaluating overall performance will help maintain my personal operating system for years to come.