from time to time i get a phone call (at work) from a certain person.
what makes it different from other calls, is that this guy actually starts a conversation in the triple-handshake procedure:

he: “hi, this is _____ .”
me: “hello, sir!”
he: “hello.”
he (again): “i’m calling, because…”

 
from the first day, it reminded me of this part of my graduation paper (written in german):

TCP connection esablishment

Host A: SYN seq=”n”
Host A asks Host B to synchronize sequence numbers (n).

Host B: SYN ACK “n+1″ seq=”m”
Host B acknowledges the request with the next sequence number (n+1) and asks for synchronisation of it’s own sequence number (m).

Host A: ACK “m+1″
Host A acknowledges Host B’s SYN. the connection has been established in both directions now.

notice any analogies?

here are a few firefox shortcuts that i find really handy:

everyone (hopefully!) knows that [ctrl*] and [tab] switches between the tabs ([ctrl] [shift] [tab] works through the tabs in the opposite direction). but using [ctrl] and a digit-key [1] - [9] lets you directly access a certain tab without having to go through all the tabs between the active and desired tab.

[f6] isn’t really an insider’s tip, but i’m sure a lot of users don’t know you can jump to the address field. alternatively you can use [ctrl] [L].

you can reach the built-in search field in your navigation bar by pressing [f6] and [tab]. another (easier) option is to use [ctrl] [K].
the search-engine can be changed pressing [ctrl] [Up] and [ctrl] [Down].

* [ctrl] (”control”) is called [strg] (”steuerung”) on german keyboards, just in case you start searching desperately :wink:
 

for a complete list, visit www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/keyboard.

a lot of “googlers” are coming to my site in search of the “i can see clearly now” flash movie - the one with the little gecko/lizard singing out of a front pocket.
well, i happen to know the address, so here’s the link:

go have fun!

it’s interesting (or stupid) how long it takes me to realize that i’m in the middle of suffering from (allergy-caused) migraine.
i could have noticed when i decided to lay down with the notebook on my belly instead of sitting in front of the pc. or when the only source of light i didn’t switch off was a soft lamp that only lightens the ceiling. but the crucial hint was that i had to tilt my notebook’s display so i wouldn’t have to wear sunglasses…

hey, i finally found a thumbnail of the creature mentioned in my post titled “hillbillies all around me”. it’s located here: giant half-chicken half-squirrel!
i also found an entry in the urban dictionary…

[quote of the day]
“Well, Butters, you better stop having nightmares, or else you’re gonna be grounded!”

some time ago, i read about this cool new google feature called “google maps” at eric’s journal.

recently, an even cooler feature has been added to google maps: switching between the maps and the realistic satellite views. this is also possible for the rest of the world (the mapping system only works for northern america), but there’s only a vast overview available.

 
so here are some interesting locations that my brother anton and i have looked up:

• the very large array, new mexico — when zooming in, all the dots you see are giant satellite dishes, resulting in the resolution of a single antenna 36km across)
• arecibo radio telescope, puerto rico — they made a giant satellite dish of a valley (some “eupeptic” information)
• the mauna kea telescope complex, also known as the “heavenly twins” — the two white dots in the middle are the twins, and there are a lot more facilities up there! however, i believe that the white *area* is a cloud…
• area 51, nevada — probably the world’s most famous secret
• mount st. helens, washington state — recently showed a lot of activity again; i was there in september 03!
• steward island, new zealand — i’ll have to get back to that topic sometime…
• denia, spain — our holiday apartment is just above the mainland’s east cape

yeah, we really got lost playing around…

this happens a lot to me, lately:
i’m the “thinker type” of person, and i do think a lot. (the second half sounds so crappy and presumptuous, i had to add it! ;-))
everytime my intense contemplation yields a result - like another landmark decision, or just a little “a-ha” about certain phenomenons interacting - it doesn’t take long until i read about that same topic (with about the same attitude) on somebody else’s blog.
i am reading some blogs regularly, but not too many. and this effect only takes place on a small number of blogs.

this could either mean that we’re all just “thinking in circles”, with the same questions and basic fears rising again and again.
OR there are some people out there who are very very much like me, sharing my thoughts and arriving at the same conclusions as i am.
if so, there’s a lot i can learn about myself by just reading what they’re up to…