Craig Constantine

How’s That Space Program Coming Along? →

Published February 13, 2013 · All posts on Feb 13

A rather large asteroid will be swinging by on Friday. If we were hit by a rock of this size, it would be a regional disaster; Destruction on the scale of a large city, with major regional earthquake and weather side effects.

Our home planet is due for a record setting space encounter on Friday (Feb. 15) of this week, when a space rock roughly half a football field wide skirts very close by Earth at break neck speed and well inside the plethora of hugely expensive communications and weather satellites that ring around us in geosynchronous orbit.
~ Universe Today

The B612 Foundation is working to build a space telescope specifically designed to locate and track asteroids that pose a threat to the Earth:

B612 Foundation

If you knew you could do something to literally save the world, would you? We have taken on the audacious mission of doing just that. Our goal is to hunt asteroids that could hit the Earth and potentially cause human devastation.
~ B612 Foundation, «http://b612foundation.org/why-is-asteroid-2012-da-14-important-to-monitor/»

and…

How long ago did we learn of DA14 and its impending close flyby of Earth? DA14 was discovered on February 13, 2012, just one year in advance of its close flyby of Earth. Had it been on a collision course with Earth on February 15, 2013, there would not have been enough time to prepare a mission to deflect it. While we would have been able to accurately predict its impact location on Earth, our only possible response would have been to evacuate the area and hope for the best.
~ B612 Foundation from, 45 meter Asteroid to Skirt Very Near Earth on Feb 15

slip:4uuime1.

Aikido’s M. Ueshiba →

Published February 12, 2013 · All posts on Feb 12

Black Belt Magazine, from Aikido’s Morihei Ueshiba: Classic Martial Arts Profiles:

Every man, as he grows older, seeks some real or symbolic achievement with which to cap his career. If the calendar years have flown past the 80 mark, pushed upward to 85, you’re going to check your personal record books that much more…

Can machines think? →

Published February 9, 2013 · All posts on Feb 9

My background is not in Computer Science. (My background is in Engineering; More in About.) I happily stumbled, more or less backwards, into network and systems administration. Although I’ve always had the analytic and scientific skills for this work, I’ve had little education, formal or otherwise, on the theoretical side. Recently I was delighted to find a survey-level CS column in the Communications of the ACM.

Reading CS classics widens your perspective by introducing stable, timeless ideas. You escape the popular themes of your times and evaluate the field from a more literal position. You learn about the qualities that make a person a great scientist. You realize those people are delighted to think over problems. By learning the history of computers and studying the lives and works of eminent computer scientists we all recognize the true merit of being part of such a respectful profession and privileged community.
~ Selma Tekir from, Reading CS Classics, Communications of the ACM, Vol. 55 No. 4

slip:4uaoma3.

I dutifully queued the reference list for assimilation, and eventually I arrived at the following. If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool computer scientist, you surely see where this is going, and I encourage you to start laughing at me at this point.

I propose to consider the question, ‘ Can machines think ? ‘ This should begin with definitions of the meaning of the terms ‘machine’ and ‘think’. … Instead of attempting such a definition I shall replace the question by another, which is closely related to it and is expressed in relatively unambiguous words. The new form of the problem can be described in terms of a game which we call the ‘imitation game’.
~ Turing, A. M. I from, Computing machinery and intelligence, MIND LIX, 236 (1950)

I had to hand type a URL to figure out that “MIND” is a “quarterly review of psychology and philosophy”, and “LIX” was the volume number. This quoted article being from volume 59, issue number 236, circa October 1950. That’s a tri-axel dump-truck load of awesome in one citation.

HAH! Clueless me. This is THE article by Alan Turing. <me, stands gawking in awe>

This thou perceiv’st →

Published February 6, 2013 · All posts on Feb 6 · Thought and Philosophy

This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.
~ Shakespeare Sonnet number 72

What happens if you’re in love with a young woman and, with age, her beauty fades? Old love.

My winter diary 1994 →

Published January 27, 2013 · All posts on Jan 27

winter_diary JAN 1 – The New Year dawns to a crisp winter morning. 3 inches of fresh snow adding to the snow that was already on the ground. This was the first “white Christmas” we have had in years. This new addition gives us a good snow cover. We clear the driveway quickly. It’s an easy job with everyone helping.

JAN 2 – 6 more inches of snow fell last night. I awakened to a beautiful winter wonderland. Snow covers everything and Jack Frost has decorated our windows. We clear the driveway again and have a snowball battle with the neighbors – WE WON! We are in awe of nature’s magnificent grandeur. Life is good. Them folks down south don’t know what they’re missing.

JAN 3 – Had to clear the end of the driveway because the snowplow pushed it closed. Also fixed the mailbox he knocked down. We all went for a walk in the snow and built a big snowman.

JAN 4 – 3 more inches of snow. Cleared the driveway again. No sooner finished, the snowplow closed the entrance again. I’l clear it tomorrow.

JAN 5 – Cleared the entrance to the driveway.

JAN 7 – 6 more inches of snow. Spent an hour and a half getting the snowblower started. I think the last time I used it was 1989. Put the mailbox back up. Mail can be delivered again.

JAN 10 – The temperature has not been above freezing in 17 days. Every flake of snow that came down is still here. The weatherman is predicting 14 inches of snow for tomorrow. That can’t be right!

JAN 12 – The weatherman was wrong. It snowed 18 inches. Spent the entire day shoveling and clearing our roads. Got some help for a while but not much. Soon as I finished the snowplow closed by driveway and knocked the mailbox down. No mail today.

JAN 13 – Bitter cold. Opened the end of the driveway again. Searched for a half hour to find the mailbox and then made quick repairs. Snowplow came by as soon as I finished. Near as I can figure, he waits around the corner watching me.

JAN 15 – More snow. I don’t know how much. There’s so much here I can’t keep track anymore. Who cares? The mailbox is down again. The hell with it. Who needs mail.

JAN 17 – Bitter cold – High winds – Dangerous wind chill factor. I cleared the end of the road. The snowplow came by as I lifted the last shovel full. I’ve had enough of this winter!

JAN 18 – Actual temperature -10F degrees. Coldest temperature in this area since the weather bureau has kept records. In the 30 seconds it takes me to walk to the garage my feet get cold, my hands and ears are numb, the hair in my nose is frozen, and I have ice in my mustache. Winter sucks!

JAN 20 – It warmed up to 30F degrees. Just warm enough to rain. 2 inches of rain. Everything is frozen – including me.

JAN 21 – Temperature drops to +10F degrees. The snowplow closed my driveway again and this time the snow mound is an immovable frozen ice mountain. Tried to clear with the snowblower. Hit something terrible and wrecked the snowblower – I think I found the mailbox! Terry says, “What’s the wether for tomorrow?” I say, “I stopped watching the weather channel – Surprise me.”

JAN 22 – SURPRISE! 8 inches of new snow. Managed to get to the hardware store to buy repair parts for the snowblower – they’re all sold out. They don’t have rock salt either. Cleared the end of the driveway again. I’m ready to move to Florida.

JAN 23 – Good News. The heatwave melted the snow on the roof but the gutters are frozen solid. The water is coming in around the front windows inside the house.

JAN 24 – Water started coming in the kitchen ceiling and bathroom window. The frozen bathroom window broke. Went to the hardware store for more buckets. They’re all sold out. Cleared the end of the driveway again. Broke the snow shovel – my back is killing me. The zippers are broken on my snowmobile boots.

JAN 26 – Went shopping for new snowmobile boots. They’re all sold out. They don’t have any snow shovels either. But I did manage to buy a bag of salt out of the back of a rental truck from Florida for $20.00.

JAN 27 – The dog can’t go to the bathroom. The snow is too high. I have to hold him up in the air.

JAN 28 – How many days does this month have? More snow, more bitter cold.

JAN 29 – Good news. There are no storms coming for a couple of days. Finally got the snowblower running. Got the roads and driveway cleared.

JAN 30 – End of driveway plowed shut again.

JAN 31 – It snowed most of the night. If I see one more flake of that white shit… Snowplow closed the end of the driveway again. I swear I heard that snowman laughing at me.

FEB 1, 3:45am – It’s snowing. I’m crouched behind a snow pile with my gun – waiting for the son of bitch that drives the snowplow. Winter sucks, life sucks – I’m moving to Florida!!!

~ Bruce W Constantine

Back in the 80’s and 90’s, my father tinkered with writing. It turns out he wasn’t very good at it. Never the less, as we went through various things in the house, I found a ring binder with a few stories. It pleases me greatly to think that once again my father has told a story, and perhaps even made you laugh.

So Proud →

Published January 14, 2013 · All posts on Jan 14

The Interwebs are a-buzz with the news that our current administration has formally responded to the petition about building a Death Star. (“This Isn’t the Petition Response You’re Looking For” …well played, sir!) It’s a nice response touting NASA and current space exploration. But, uh, I wasn’t expecting the petition response to start off by linking over to a Lehigh article, “So You Want to Build the Death Star?” as a reference.

NSA geekery →

Published January 9, 2013 · All posts on Jan 9 · Internet Tech

Let’s fix that shit and go get beers!

This. Yea verily this!

Here’s what I do know. There are plenty of frustrated system administrators, developers, engineers, “devops” and everything under the sun who don’t want much. All they really want is for shit to work. When shit breaks, they want to be notified. They want pretty graphs. They want to see business metrics along side operational ones. They want to have a 52-inch monitor in the office that everyone can look at and say: See that red dot? That’s bad. Here’s what was going on when we got that red dot. Let’s fix that shit and go get beers.
~ From, Why Monitoring Sucks

slip:4ucowy3.

Hat tip to John E. Vincent. …and what’s network and systems administration (NSA)?

The Customer Is The Product →

Published January 4, 2013 · All posts on Jan 4 · Internet Tech

I have yet to speak to anyone in the big blue room, (that is to say, anyone who does not work deeply within the Internet behind the magic curtain,) who has the slightest idea what is going on in general with “big data”, or specifically with “the customer is the product.” But “We Value Your Opinion” by Neven Mrgan — and that’s not a typo — is pure, sweet, ambrosia. It explains perfectly what is really going on. If you’re not paying for it, then you are the product. Have a cigar. Welcome to the machine. For more enjoyment and greater efficiency, consumption is being standardized.

Glenfarclas →

Published November 21, 2012 · All posts on Nov 21

One down. Two step up to take its place. Oh, there will be much thanks giving tomorrow.

An Audience With Neil Armstrong →

Published November 17, 2012 · All posts on Nov 17

apollo_11_tranquility_base There is a four-part interview series with Neil Armstrong from evoTV’s series, The Bottom Line. Armstrong did not give many interviews, and the show’s producers say this was the first on-camera interview Armstrong had done since 2005.

This is a very special interview series. It includes Armstrong describing, for the first time, the lunar descent side-by-side with Google Moon imagery. He also gives his thoughts on leadership and taking risks to innovate for the future, and speaks candidly on his early life The series also includes previously unseen footage of the lunar descent.