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Like all good software projects, this one started with a big headache trying to get something done on a computer. The goal is to produce a product with Visio’s feature set in Google Docs’ format. Right now, it’s pretty much a proof of concept, but I’d estimate that it’ll be completely usable and reasonably feature-complete (for basic flow-charting) by Christmas.
We just purchased a PX-720 electric piano from Costco. As it turns out, this model isn’t offered in the U.S. normally (it took me forever to find that link), but Costco got some special concession. And it was about 60% of list price, so I couldn’t pass it up.
The sound it produces is simply amazing. It has the best recorded piano sounds I’ve heard in any keyboard, and it’ll mix up to 128 simultaneous notes. It has your standard 3 piano pedals, so I can finally get to practice some hymns right in the house 
It came with a big book of standard classical songs of varying difficulty. All 60 of them are programmed into the piano, and you can set it to play back one or both hands at any speed, so you can practice along with it.
It’s got a metronome that works great and comes over the same speakers with the actual piano noise, so you can always hear it over your own playing.
It can record your playing and play it back, so you can hear where you messed up after the fact.
And as it turns out, there’s a little piano studio a few miles down the street that offers 30-minute once-weekly lessons for $80/month. I think I’ll go down and check it out. Liliana, too, perhaps.
Anyway, yay!
The English language does not have terminology vulgar enough to describe the atrocity known as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
A month ago, Liliana and I submitted about 100 pages of paperwork to USCIS to request permission for her to work and eventually receive permanent residency in the United States. Today, I received a rejection notice on the I-765 Application for Employment Authorization. The reason it was rejected? “The application/petition was filed on an outdated version of this form.” The date it was rejected? “August 20, 2008.” The expiration date on the form I submitted? “08/31/2008.”
Here’s the best part: “If you have successfully filed the Form I-485 - Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status - on or after July 30, 2007, you can re-file this form with NO fee. You must also submit a copy of the Notice of Action notice for the accepted Form I-485 as evidence of the filing of Form I-485 with new fee(s).” The means that even though the reason our WHOLE stack of paperwork was rejected several months ago was that we had sent the fee for the I-765 when we didn’t have to, we now have to send a fee for the I-765 or WAIT until our I-485 is accepted, which may take months.
I’m incapacitated by the anger I have for the USCIS. I can’t get any work done. I could hardly stomach lunch.
One of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen in my life is the aspen forests of Park City turning colors in the fall. I can’t see the beauty in them right now. In fact, if the USCIS were a tree in that forest, I’d burn the whole forest to the ground to get the little prick.
If the USCIS were a beautiful flower, I’d put it in a Blendtec on Frappe for 2 minutes and feed it to my pet turtle. Then I’d kill the turtle and make soup. Then I’d take my next stool and burn it, and bury the ashes in a cursed Indian graveyard at midnight under a full moon.
If the USCIS were a brand-new 8-core workstation with 32GB of RAM, I’d install Windows ME on it and give it a 13″ CRT monitor. And I’d install McAfee’s antivirus on it.
If the USCIS were an iPod, I’d fill it with boy bands from the ’90s, put it on Repeat All, and bury it alive with speakers blaring and a 150-KWh battery backup.
If the USCIS were a movie I was producing, I’d hire Uwe Boll as director, and cast The Rock as the leading lady.
If the USCIS were a Sesame Street character, I’d grind him up, make cookies, and feed him to the Cookie Monster. Then the Cookie Monster would have a love affair with Bert (come on, you all know Bert’s into that kind of thing).
If the USCIS were a government agency, I’d bring a civil suit against the USCIS for Liliana’s lost wages between August 20th and whenever they decide to finally approve her work permit. Given the rate things are going, we might be able to recover YEARS of lost wages this way.