So it begins

Posted by david on April 2, 2012 0 comments

I seem to be always a bit late but I’ve finally gotten seeds in dirt for this
years garden. I started some sweet bell, poblano and jalapeño peppers along
with a few different tomatoes; yellow pear, cherry big rainbow and brandywine.
The cucumbers and squash don’t take near as long to germinate so ill start
those later.

My neighbor mentioned “three sister’s planting” from some PBS special. I
remember seeing this as well and may try it this year as well. Essentially,
it’s planting corn beans and squash together so they all benefit. For more see
the wikipedia page

God and OSS

Posted by david on February 26, 2012 3 comments

Warning, I am a Christian and the views reflected here show that, but I’m also a huge fan of Open Source and Free software. While they two may seem very different, they have many important aspects in common.

Salvation is a gift from God, likewise Open Source and Free software are gifts. Both these gifts do share a common catch, you must share them. God commands Christians to go and share the good news (Mark 16:15). The GPL also commands users to share their changes with others. Sharing is of huge importance as it allows people to build communities around these gifts which encourage the recipients. Helping them to grow as individuals.

Both salvation and OSS are gifts, given freely and received freely ( 1 Corinthians 2:12). You can’t do anything to make yourself more worthy of a gift. Nothing you can do will make you more deserving of Salvation, just like no one is more deserving of access to OSS. Everyone from great developers to your grandmother, are equally worthy.

God wants to talk and share with you directly, not through some intermediary (James 2:23). Through OSS you have direct access to the code running on your machine. There aren’t any hidden black boxes, where you must simply trust what it’s doing. In a relationship with God through Jesus you also have direct access to the creator of the universe. You can ask him anything, even things you may be embarrassed to ask others about. God wants this kind of unencumbered relationship, it’s what He gave his son for.

Closed software is like a relationship with God through the law. It has a very high cost, and it isn’t very good ( Hebrews 7:18). There is a lot of guessing and relying on third parties that many time fail. Few can afford it, and even if you have it you can’t share it freely. Others must pay for their own, from their own means. If they can’t afford the “enterprise” version, they’re stuck with the shareware version with it’s ads and nag screens.

What at first may seem like a crazy analogy, Christianity and OSS, really makes a lot of sense. The same empowerment that Martin Luther found in a direct, up to date relationship with Jesus also exists with OSS and they both have changed the world.

Apple Rant..

Posted by david on January 26, 2012 0 comments

Traditionally Users don’t seem to care about the walled garden, in fact they
seem to like it. Many of the complaints against Android and Linux are
surrounding the inconstant appearance of apps (personally I find this is mostly
due to bad ports of iOS apps..) and fragmentation of hardware. The lack of
these in the iOS world is directly a result of Apple being in complete control.
They decide what content you are allowed to see and which apps you are allowed
to use. Isn’t this just the kind of control large media companies want, and
hoped to accomplish via laws like SOPA and PIPA?

Thousands of calls, millions of emails and signatures. It’s very clear we
don’t want them messing with the Internet.

How long will it take for users to see Apple as one of these groups seeking to
control them? Apple is more than a hardware or software vendor, they sell a
lifestyle. What happens if suddenly we all discover we don’t want to give up
the freedom required for that lifestyle? Will we all stand up and smash our
iPads with a sledge hammer? Irony of the 1984 commercial is simply overwhelming.

Google Plus and Ohio Linux Fest 2011

Posted by david on September 1, 2011 0 comments

I haven’t posted any updates in a while, mainly because I’ve been side tracked by google plus. It’s just like facebook, but it’s not!

I’m also eagerly awaiting OLF 2011 coming up September 9-11th in Columbus, OH. If you are anywhere near there you should try and make it out. I’ve been going since 2007 and it’s gotten bigger each year.

You can still register for free, but this year there will be a charge for walk-ins so do it now!

First Fruits

Posted by david on June 14, 2011 0 comments

Its been a wet spring but its finally warming up and we’ve got somethings in bloom. The cucumbers are coming steady but the onions are kinda puny. I suspect its do to the heavy rains compacting the soil.
Cucumbers and Onions

We’ve had a few strawberries, but this is their first full year so I don’t expect much.

Tomatoes part Duex

Posted by david on May 9, 2011 0 comments

So the tomatoes from seed I put out earlier didn’t make it :(. I think it was
a combination of it being too early (wait until Derby weekend!) and some
critter getting them. I need to setup a camera or something to watch them and
figure out exactly what it is.

At any rate, my wonder wife saved the day by coming home with some huge store
bought plants today. As she said “we _will_ have tomatoes by the fourth of
July this yet”. I do love that woman…

tomatoes

Tomatoes in the ground and frost tonight..

Posted by david on May 4, 2011 0 comments

I put out the brandywine tomatoes, cucumbers, and Mellons this weekend while the
girls played in the mud. Then on Wednesday I hear it’s suppose to frost
tonight. I knew I should have listened and waited until Derby weekend…

Guess I’ll be covering things up with sheets tonight, but at least the cherry
tomatoes and more cucumbers I’m starting from seeds will be ok.

Squash and Zucchini in the ground

Posted by david on April 21, 2011 0 comments

I am a bit early, but the straight neck squash were already getting flower
buds, so I went ahead and put them out. I’ll need to keep watch for frost for
the next couple of weeks and cover them if need be.

Seedlings

Posted by david on April 11, 2011 0 comments

The seedlings have been growing fast and I wanted to post in order to mark their progress. The squash and cucumbers have taken off. In the future I should probably start them a bit later than the peppers and tomatoes. Here’s a bad cell phone picture:

seedlings April 11

seedlings April 11

Starting from Seeds

Posted by david on March 28, 2011 0 comments

I’m getting started a bit late, but I finally got around to starting some seeds
for the garden this year. I haven’t bought anything new as I had lots left
over from last year.

I planted straight and bent neck squash, zucchini, Brandywine and Early Girl
tomatoes, water melon, cantaloupe, peppers and jalapeño peppers and some
cucumbers. I only had a couple of cucumber seeds left from last year, so I may
need to buy more this year.

I still need to get some onion and garlic bulbs. The corn that I sowed last
year seemed to do better than the transplants, so I’ll just sow it all after
the last frost this year.