Simple, sour, sweet.

2 ounces whiskey – rye, scotch, bourbon. Whatever you’ve got.
1 ounce lemon juice
1 tsp – 1 tbsp sugar depending on taste

I like to put the sugar in first so it might dissolve more, then ice.

1. Eat 3 square meals a day.
2. Exercise before getting to work.
3. Read a book a month.

Moderate, but achievable and balancing.

So my oldest son was playing with my old Dell Axim “Executive Keyboard” that I had with a X50v a few years back. Hey, idea. Hook it up to my cell phone.

The device on expansys.

Link to the driver from that site

Install to the phone on OSX with the Nokia Multimedia Transfer app.

Run the app on the phone via file manager. Connect via bluetooth.

One tip – if you want a “secure” connection you need to setup a passcode between the two devices. That means a) ensure the green light is blipping on the keyboard (ctrl-fn(blue)-fn(green)). b) on the phone when you’re prompted to enter a passcode enter something like “1234″, hit ok and immediately c) on the keyboard using fn(blue) hit “1234″ and then “enter” to make the pairing.

Shaboom – no longer limited to the cell phone keyboard when I need to respond to an email.

I must have been asleep but while checking the dell site for something, they’re now selling a bunch of phones from nokia, including the n95.

Apparently it started this summer (via engadget). Prices are in line with other sites like Expansys.

Geoff Webb from 2Paths wrote up a quickie on gmail’s new IMAP interface, using it with Thunderbird. I being the CLI junkie that I am did some quick googling for the mutt settings courtesy of John Lawrence. I had already configured mutt-devel so all I had to do was change my .muttrc and I was good to go.

Between my N95 for mobile email access and this for my laptop I’m finally starting to feel like I have adequate access to my email from anywhere (…with cell access….)

The trip is coming to a close. Takehomes so far:

-Geneva – a relaxed lifestyle.
-Some natural beauty
-Great food
-Great transit system
-smoking is still a major part of life here; it’s fine to smoke in a restaurant. You actually smell it as you enter the airport.

I loved how people were walking everywhere. Vancouver has this to large degrees, especially joggers and then activity extends into a ton of sports. But it seems to be a part of everyday life for a greater number of people here. Just going to work involves walking to either the bus or light rail. A short walk from there to their workplace and then the reverse.

Why we don’t have this in Vancouver? It has to be the distance. Geneva seems to have rail and light rail for longer distances and bus for shorter. Geneva itself seems small and lends itself well to this mode. I did end up walking everywhere – from the WHO to the restaurant and ultimately to my hotel. Into the old city, along the waterfront, etc. It’s a small enough place that walking is terrific.

The restaurants have been great (thanks to the people we’re working with for choosing them). I’ve enjoyed a brilliant fondu and a generous fresh made pasta.

The pictures are going up on flickr (link to follow) and I’m still deciding where to put the video.

So the real question – Geneva a top 3 city of the world and would I live here? Yes. I’d definitely spend some time here. I don’t think I’d put down roots but there is a laid backness, culture and lifestyle that is hard to deny.

Nick (above) and I are on our way to Geneva for sign off on a project we’ve been working on for about the last year. Key things to note:

-we have a beautiful view to the north shore mountains
-we have rather comfortable seats
-we have free wifi at YVR international, w00t

In my ongoing efforts to DRY I’ve set this blog to suck in my last facebook update to the sidebar. Wordpress plugin available via here. So facebook *does* have RSS feeds available.

Following in the Grand tradition of my Grandmother, my mother sends along a fair number of jokes.

The Psychiatrist and Proctologist…

Two doctors, a psychiatrist and a proctologist, opened an office in a
small town and put up a sign reading: “Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones:
Hysterias and Posteriors.” The town council was not happy with the
sign, so the doctors changed it to read, “Schizoids and Hemorrhoids.”

This was not acceptable either, so in an effort to satisfy the
council, they changed the sign to “Catatonics and High Colonics.” No
go.

Next, they tried “Manic Depressives and Anal Retentives.” Thumbs down again.

Then came “Minds and Behinds.” Still no good.

Another attempt resulted in “Lost Souls and Butt Holes.” Unacceptable again!

So they tried “Analysis and Anal Cysts.” Not a chance. “Nuts and
Butts?” No way. “Freaks and Cheeks?” Still no go. “Loons and Moons?”
Forget it.

Almost at their wit’s end, the doctors finally came up with: “Dr.
Smith and Dr. Jones, Odds and Ends.”

Everyone loved it.

I picked one of these up from Costco. The price was good and the return policy gave me some breathing room. Turns out they run a version of linux and with newbie level hacking you’ve got a quick and dirty 1 TB box.

-setup a user with the web interface
-install this firmware to get ssh up + follow directions to have ssh on reboot
-turn off the mionet daemon
-profit!

You can now ssh to the user you created and su to root, no password.

Installing screen required a small patch, thanks to the gentoo people.

It’s fans blow too loud for the media room but I’m having a little fun.