Kidz
Most people, have heard of talented individuals who seem to have otherworldly intelligence and skills, who would put the fictional "Neo" from the Matrix to shame..
The shadowy hackers, the people who can get into anything, anywhere without leaving a trace. Often just for fun or for the mental challenge.
I know a few.
The brightest of which us ex-AOL'ers call "The Kid".
AOL hired him at the age of 17.
He's a God among children.
Ever heard of the term "scary smart"? That describes his effect on people.
I like him. He's a truly nice guy.
For some reason, he looks up to me.. ;-)
JPennant: Yo Kid
Blood Rose: hey joe :-)
JPennant: how are ya man
Blood Rose: good, u?
JPennant: very good :-)
Blood Rose: glad to hear it
JPennant: yup yup
JPennant: dirt poor and living in a shelter :-D
JPennant: and Im doing good. ain that a trip?
Blood Rose: just shows ya money isn't everything
JPennant: Then I know ya feel me :-)
JPennant: out here in Berkeley Cali
JPennant: weird place. definitely a head trip.. but wow.
Blood Rose: glad youre enjoying it :-)
JPennant: well, life is good.
JPennant: what are you up to these days?
Blood Rose: as little as possible :-)
Blood Rose: kinda relaxin in my old age
JPennant: LoL
JPennant: oh yeah? ;-)
JPennant: tell me about it :-)
Blood Rose: not alot to tell, I got a job in retail (The Sports Authority). I stand around and talk to people about fishing, camping, and paintball all day.
JPennant: you enjoy it?
Blood Rose: yup. it's relaxing
JPennant: wow
JPennant: and little do they know how Elite you are.
Blood Rose: oh, they know
JPennant: heheheh. They should be scared of you.
(AOL was. After awhile his supervisors would remotely monitor his keystrokes... little knowing that he knew that... )
Blood Rose: took me 1 day to figure out the algorythyms for the AS/400 Ip scheme to connect to other stores
JPennant: heeheehee
JPennant: you know that all of us still look at you with a touch of awe, right?
Blood Rose: no, why would ya do that?
JPennant: youve always had that touch of genius in you pa
JPennant: what takes me a few days to figure out, youve already done in a few hours
Blood Rose: thats called dumb luck :p
(Editors note: Yeah, right. Dont be fooled. Thats his disarming tactic. Modest humility.Then he'll start playing with your head...)
JPennant: I talk about you all the time
JPennant: still do
Blood Rose: thanks man :-)
JPennant: dude, you earned it
Blood Rose: I still say it was dumb luck :p
JPennant: heheheh
JPennant: When I was in Jax last year
JPennant: I stayed with [Magical Ed] for a few days
JPennant: and he was all excited
JPennant: cuz what I was talking about 2 years ago was now written up in some IT magazine he was waving in front of my face
JPennant: as the wave of the future
JPennant: and he wanted in :-)
JPennant: Hee
Blood Rose: amazing how people finaly get interested once something gets popular
JPennant: yup
Blood Rose: we're a part of that rare breed that enjoys finding the innovations before the rest of the world even "gets it"
JPennant: shhh.. dont tell everybody ;-)
Blood Rose: yeah, they might make it the "hip thing" to be
JPennant: feh
JPennant: but thats O.K :-)
Blood Rose: no it's not, I like being able to shock people
JPennant: heheheh. I know you do :-)
JPennant: I remember your projects ;-)
Blood Rose: I'm trying to talk my way into LP
JPennant: LP?
Blood Rose: Loss Prevention :-)
JPennant: whats the attraction?
Blood Rose: catching people doing things they shouldn't :-)
Blood Rose: to tell ya the truth, it's one hell of an adrenalyne rush
JPennant: *cough* Werent you a touch.. ummm.. lassez faire about that concept? ;-)
Blood Rose: same reason hackers eventualy turn into BOHFs
Blood Rose: err s/BOHFs/BOFHs
Blood Rose: helps if I get my abbreviations right
JPennant: helps if you spell out the acronyms too ;-)
Blood Rose: Bastard Operator From Hell
Blood Rose: a.k.a. a really strict system admin
JPennant: Ahhh .. Network Nazi
JPennant: okie
JPennant: hmm.. innaresting
JPennant: I never understand how your mind and motivation works.. but somehow youre always a coupla steps ahead of everybody
JPennant: so, Loss Prevention. Yeah, that works :-)
Blood Rose: hehehe, theres always a method to my madness
JPennant: yup, ive learned as much :-)
Blood Rose: oh, have you read "the joy of linux" yet?
JPennant: nope
JPennant: you recommend it?
Blood Rose: yeah, it's got some really good info, and it has some funny comics
JPennant: <-- writes it on to-do list
JPennant: Ive gotten in the habit of writing shit down
Blood Rose: good habbit
JPennant: yes indeedy, my brain recall isnt as automatic as it used to be
Blood Rose: you'd love some of the comics
Blood Rose: picture a kid sitting at the dinner table with his family
Blood Rose: they're all in the middle of eating
Blood Rose: and he says
Blood Rose: "mom, dad.... I'm coming out of the closet... it's true, I dual boot windows and linux on the same drive"
JPennant: LOL
JPennant: Thats a true geek joke :-)
Blood Rose: well worth the read, and like I said it has more than just comics, but seriously take the time and read them anyway :-)
JPennant: will do :-)
JPennant: one of the things Im learning is how to let go of people and possessions
JPennant: not to accumulate too much
JPennant: keep it light
Blood Rose: good idea
JPennant: its not easy
Blood Rose: oh, youre tellin me
JPennant: yup yup
Blood Rose: I keep a light enough set that I can move everything I own in my car in 1 trip
JPennant: Im down to 3 bags
JPennant: all that I need
Blood Rose: damn dude, you got me beat on that 1
JPennant: heh. its been a helluva learning process
JPennant: seperating yourself from what you need to what you need to function
JPennant: I have a fucked up laptop here
JPennant: literally hanging together with duct tape
JPennant: but, if it dies its not a tragedy
Blood Rose: linux?
JPennant: nah
JPennant: Win2000
Blood Rose: bastage! traitor!
JPennant: heehee
JPennant: I got my own method to my madness ;-)
JPennant: actually, I'd left a partition to put Redhat on
JPennant: and that partition saved my ass the other day
Blood Rose: :-)
JPennant: I got a virus from the phillipines.. a nasty hybrid
JPennant: Norton didnt know what hit it
Blood Rose: linux has a funny way of saving shit when you least expect it (even if it's indirectly, the partition was meant for linux)
JPennant: aint that the truth
Blood Rose: I'm waiting on a replacement MB for my PC
Blood Rose: on a roommates PC atm
JPennant: hm?
Blood Rose: I killed my motherboard
Blood Rose: percussive maintenance only kept it running for so long
JPennant: LOL
JPennant: fuckin wit virii?
Blood Rose: I dont do virii
JPennant: good man
JPennant: I knew my respect wasnt misplaced
Blood Rose: viriis are stupid, script kiddies use them.
Blood Rose: real hackers take a more hands on approach
Blood Rose: if I wanna permanently fuck your computer, I'll be the guy parked across the street with an EMP gun facing your house
JPennant: LoL
JPennant: and there is no law against that (yet)
Blood Rose: nope
Blood Rose: can even disable the highest tech security systems
JPennant: shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Blood Rose: it amazes me how few thieves actualy use them
JPennant: keep it on the downlow papi
Blood Rose: duh
JPennant: as the old joke goes
JPennant: "There are two things you need to know to be successful in life"
JPennant: "1) Dont tell everything you know"
JPennant: :-)
Blood Rose: oh, the button theory :-)
JPennant: meh?
Blood Rose: ok, lets assume you have a job that pays damn well (6 or 7 figures)
JPennant: mmhm
Blood Rose: now lets also assume that all this job entails is you come in, walk up to a wall full of buttons, and push 1 particular button once every day.
JPennant: k
Blood Rose: what happens when someone else finds out which button you're supposed to push?
JPennant: youre out of a job
Blood Rose: precisely
Blood Rose: never tell anyone "everything" you know about anything
JPennant: I never do
Blood Rose: I loved the button theory the first time I heard it
JPennant: eh, its simplistic
JPennant: do you want to be the button pusher?
JPennant: or the man making the buttons?
Blood Rose: the button pusher? shit, I'm the fucked up guy who designed the wall 'o buttons with only 1 useful one
JPennant: zactly :-D
JPennant: in 5 years
JPennant: Ive only had ONE person .. ONE.. understand precisely the concept behind what Im trying to accomplish in this life.
JPennant: which means I have a fair chance of success
Blood Rose: absolutely
JPennant: its nice talking man
JPennant: you tickle my brain :-)
JPennant: I dont always understand, but Im always impressed :-)
Blood Rose: hehehe, I try :-)
Blood Rose: take care joe, good to hear from ya again :-)
JPennant: cool beans Jon.. be good, be safe :-)
Blood Rose: you too
Blood Rose signed off at 10:04:30 AM.
Fast reflections
Back in Chicago, many many years ago, a friend (California native, natch) introduced me to practical fasting. 
He would fast once a week (a thursday or friday), eating just fruit or drinking sweet tea to keep his sugar level up so he wouldnt get disoriented as the day went on.
I tried it back then (and liked the concept), and although I didnt do it regularly, I would do it on occasion.
I didnt do it more because I was afraid of the hunger pangs, really.. actually the *discomfort* of hunger pangs.
Well, when things got tough over the last few years - I remembered the principles and learned to live with not eating. Grew to (and I choose my words carefully) like it. Not love it, but I liked the physical and intangible benefits of lean.
This helped make clear the physical and metaphysical differences between "nourishment", "feeling full" and "sated".
It cleaned me up on many levels, and as long it wasnt TRUE hunger, I realized I was fine.
With the generosity of the Berkeley community.. Ive been eating well. Very well.
Almost too well.
So today, Ive decided to do a fast. A coffee and a donut for the sugar and caffiene, water regularly and .. theres my fast.
Once I get past the hunger pangs, Im good.
julez: you're up early these days :-)
JPennantSF: heh. yeah, nothing like revellie at 5:30 am
julez: eeeek!
JPennantSF: heh
julez: hope you've been resting well
JPennantSF: Im ok
JPennantSF: looking for a bit of internal peace and quiet.
JPennantSF: gonna do a fast today
julez: oooooooo
JPennantSF: clean out my system
JPennantSF: yeah
julez: fasts make me grumpy
JPennantSF: heh, nah.. not one of those strict fasts
julez: hehe
julez: how do you do it?
JPennantSF: coffee and donuts and water
julez: hahaha!!!
julez: ok i can do that :-)
JPennantSF: just keep the sugar level up (fruits or some sort of honeyed liquid)
JPennantSF: so that you dont get disoriented
julez: i see, that's cool
JPennantSF: i dont do sodas though
julez: nod
julez: wrong kinds of ingredients?
JPennantSF: yeah, sodas.. too much sugar, sodium and whatnot
JPennantSF: yeah, Ive been eating regularly, and right now with the drama Im getting the tendency to overeat
JPennantSF: feeling out of sorts
JPennantSF: so, its gonna be a reflective day
julez: sounds like a good plan
JPennantSF: I even liked the simple starvation plan
JPennantSF: all I ate for awhile was garlic rice
JPennantSF: felt good actually
julez: yeah? :-)
JPennantSF: yeah, a little protein for awhile.. and I was fine. felt nourished
julez: nod
julez: :-)
julez: i like your kind of fast
JPennantSF: apart from the physical discomfort of hunger pangs, its actually pretty cool
JPennantSF: and to go into WTMI territory
JPennantSF: ready?
julez: what's WTMI?
JPennantSF: "Way too much Information" :-)
JPennantSF: heheheh
julez: hehe sure
JPennantSF: I kinda liked not going to the toilet as much and when I did, the waste is minimal.
JPennantSF: now, with the regular meals
JPennantSF: eh
JPennantSF: just too much stuff recently
julez: hehe i see
JPennantSF: so, the fast cleans me out
JPennantSF: gives it time to clear out
JPennantSF: There is something to be said for the ascetic viewpoint
julez: nod
Only in *#&@^&# San Francisco is a break in the weather a heat wave.
This morning:
K a t e: howdy
JPennant: hey m'dear
JPennant: hows the weather in NY?
K a t e: dark:-)
K a t e: and gonna rain soon
JPennant: heheh. you say this like its a good thing ;-)
K a t e: well, a break from the heat
JPennant: feel ya
JPennant: send some this way
Heat wave my ass.
This mornin:
(Sarge is a fellow Chicagoan who knows cold when he sees it. He agrees this place is *^&%#@# cold.)
"Hey Sarge, think I should put on a jacket this morning?"
"Nah. I was out this mornin'.. you wont need one until the sun goes down.. and then you shore WILL need it.."
"Okie. I trust you."
As I finish my morning routine, heading out, I ask one of the staff -
"Hmm, think I should take my jacket?"
"Dude. This is Berkeley. Take your jacket."
He was right.
Heat wave my ass.
------------
I ask for advice..
"Why dont you write and take pictures of the homeless here and overseas?"
"I was thinking of hooking up with a non-profit."
"No. Non-profits have no money. Go to the library and look for grants.. Dont let anyone fool you, there are people wanting to GIVE away money for the work you do. Let them pay your way."
"Yeah?"
"Yes! Now Im feeling motherly for once. Go do this so that you can take that trip you NEED to take."
"Thank you."
One of the things I needed to hear to make me smile today.
My counselor explains it all
The real deal on PMS
julez: yeah, it does affect your mood, some women more than others
julez: some women get pretty nuts
JPennant: goodness
julez: hmm, how about this: you know how you don't like to get drunk because you don't like the loss of control?
julez: PMS makes some women lose control of their emotions
JPennant: Ive always wondered how women manage in public when theyre going thru it.
JPennant: How do they function?
julez: drugs, caffeine, go into hiding
julez: put on the "don't fuck with me" face
JPennant: ah
julez: yeah, all those jokes about women PMSing, majority of the time they aren't really jokes
julez: it's no wonder some women think God is punishing them
JPennant: caffiene?
julez: caffeine helps some and makes others worse
julez: mood and with bloating
julez: it's a diuretic
JPennant: okie
julez: hehe other than my husband i don't think i've ever discussed PMS with anyone before, this is funny
julez: once you get to know the cycle its much easier
JPennant: ah good to hear :-)
julez: heck, before hubby told me I didn't even know i had a cycle!
julez: hahaha!
JPennant: oh yeah?
julez: yeah, my symptoms are pretty mild compared to most, so i never noticed that i changed at all
julez: but he noticed the difference
julez: i never have to tell him it was "that time of the month"
JPennant: he just showed you the bruiises :-)
julez: lol!!!
JPennant: It used to be so much easier
JPennant: "Clueless, the Good Ol' Days"
julez: com'on, it's not that hard to remember :-)
julez: the flip side is you start noticing when she's most in the mood
JPennant: ooooh :-)
julez: hahahaha!!!
julez: i knew that would catch your attention
JPennant: hehehehe'
--------
On pregnancy
julez: okay i gotta eat lunch
JPennant: whatcha gettin?
julez: leftovers from dinner, curry on rice
JPennant: mm
julez: then i'm gonna go to the gym, i signed up again
JPennant: *GASP*
julez: hopefully a little bit of exercise will make me feel better at night
JPennant: but.. but .. butbut.. youre PREGNANT!!
JPennant: :-)
julez: hehehehe
julez: i'm thru the worst of the morning sickness, now it's just evening sickness
JPennant: vomiting?
julez: no vomit, just nauseous and unable to think
julez: after 6:30 i'm useless
JPennant: pregnancy brings brain farts?
julez: i've heard some women get very absent-minded, but i passed my master's exams with flying colors while pregnant with my son
julez: so i'm hoping baby #2 will bring me luck with finishing in December
JPennant: So pregnancy helps with cramming? ;-)
julez: who's cramming? :-)
JPennant: heheheh
*grins*
Hrmm.
I thought I had more.
Okie, I need some more coffee and donuts.
THis time its business.
