2023-08-23 19:57
So, I’ve been putting off making this announcement for about a week, but I’ve been laid off from my last job. My very kind Director, who I hadn’t worked with for very long… Read More
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The Diary of a Network Geek! Home of Jim Hoffman and his CNE resume!
2021-05-28 11:30
I’m no stranger to getting things done in spite of being depressed.
Look, even before the pandemic, life could get pretty hard sometimes. I mean, with brutal schedules and lack of staf… Read More
2021-05-21 11:30
Mental health is serious, but we can still have fun with it.
So, I know I tend to be super serious about things like mental health and medication because it can be a huge deal in someone&rsq&hell…Read More
2021-05-14 11:30
If it’s done well, there’s an opportunity to help people.
Of course, Hollywood likes to exaggerate things a bit, but even when that’s the case, there are opportunities for… Read More
2021-05-07 11:30
May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
I’ve talked about mental health on my blogs before, especially in relation to stress and the pandemic. COVID-19 and the attempts to deal with it h… Read More
2021-04-30 11:30
This has been more effective than anything else.
Like a lot of middle-aged men, I’ve put on a few pounds, and the pandemic lock-down, which had me working literally steps from my kitch… Read More
2021-04-23 11:30
Solar power has come to represent hope in science fiction, and climate change.
My wife and I got solar panels in 2018. It was not a decision we made lightly, but we’re quite glad we di… Read More
2021-04-16 11:30
Training for how to deal with stress.
Although it’s meant primarily for COVID-19 pandemic stress, which I think all of us have been feeling to some degree, this course from TalkSpace o… Read More
2021-04-09 11:30
At least, if you’re obsessed with scale modeling as a hobby.
A couple of years ago, I read an article about a man so obsessed with trains that he created a full-size commuter rail car… Read More
2021-04-02 11:30
Do you know those horrible password rules about adding random characters and numbers and stuff?
IT professionals hate them, too. Honest. I can say that because I am, in fact, an IT professio… Read More
2021-03-26 11:30
Thankfully, this is just a fictional scenario. But, it’s damn plausible.
Good science fiction is an extrapolation of current technologies and social and economic conditions into a futu… Read More
2021-03-19 11:21
I feel like the pandemic has made our use of cell phones even ruder than we used to be.
Honestly? I feel like being locked down for the better part of a year, to whatever degree we individua… Read More
2021-03-12 12:30
I’ve always loved the idea of wargaming.
The problem is, the models are expensive, take a lot of time to paint, and then take up a lot of room after painting and between simulated skir… Read More
2021-03-05 12:35
Going green doesn’t have to be an all or nothing thing.
Even doing a little something that’s healthier for the planet can be a big benefit. And, the infographic in this post, bro… Read More
2021-02-26 12:00
Aliens live in our oceans.
I know I’ve been reposting a lot from Boing Boing lately, but this is just too good to not share. As both a fan of science fiction and an eternally hopeful w… Read More
2021-02-19 12:30
Here’s hoping you have a very “Florida Man” birthday!
Okay, so after last week, I feel like I need to share something completely light and without a deeper political messag… Read More
2021-02-12 12:30
I know I’m a little late to this trend, but all these modern folk songs are fun, so I’m sharing it anyway.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you the unusual juxtaposition of m… Read More
2021-02-05 12:30
There’s something terrifying about musty, forgotten, anonymous backrooms.
As someone who’s done a little bit of urban exploration with my camera, I can tell you, there are few th… Read More
2021-01-29 12:30
Improving your photography on the dining table.
What? Did you think I meant taking photos of your dining table? Well, I suppose that’s as valid a subject as any for photography, but wh… Read More
2021-01-22 12:30
No, not poetry written FOR artificial intelligence.
Rather, poetry written BY artificial intelligence. Or at least extrapolated by artificial intelligence. The idea is simple enough; you cho… Read More
2021-01-15 12:30
Modern music with a Medieval twist!
As a guy who aspires to write, among other things, fantasy fiction of the pseudo-Medieval or “swords and sorcery” style, I’m always payi… Read More
2021-01-08 12:15
To be clear, I haven’t been in a fight since high school.
And, I haven’t even been close, really, since college.
That being said, I have been threatened more than once in the pas… Read More
2021-01-01 13:00
Updated random resolutions!
I haven’t made formal New Year’s Resolutions in a long, long time because, honestly, if I’m relying on making myself a promise on a certain day… Read More
2020-12-25 13:00
Normally, I’d share a silly link, but not today.
Today, it’s Christmas. The day that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, also known as Yeshua ben Yeshua, Lamb of God, and Li… Read More
2020-12-18 12:30
I’m just not smart enough to calculate Santa’s trajectory.
Seriously, I love science, but I’m just not good enough at math to keep track of Santa Claus on his flight plan a… Read More
2020-12-12 16:00
Which is better than the alternative!
Considering that I wasn’t entirely sure I’d live past forty, it’s a pleasant surprise to find that I’ve survived to fifty-two. I… Read More
2020-12-11 12:30
Not that ALL new age thinking is goopy nonsense.
I’ve read a LOT of new age philosophy and pseudo-religious texts in my endless search for deeper meaning in life. I’ve read every… Read More
2020-12-04 12:30
I need to get back into some kind of better shape.
I mean, I’m always in some kind of shape, but I really need to get into better shape than I’ve been. I’m weeks away from… Read More
2020-12-01 05:59
At least for this year.
Well, it’s over. Another season of writing and aspiration, or in my case writing and recrimination, is over for the year. On the plus side for me, while I didn… Read More
2020-11-27 13:00
Instead of engaging in conspicuous spending on the biggest sale day of the year, why not give back?
I’m not a huge fan of consumerism, but at the same time, I’m trapped in a cult… Read More
2020-11-20 12:30
This might be helpful if you let people come over for the holidays this year.
Back in 2014, I wrote a little post about sharing your wifi with holiday guests via something called a QR code… Read More
2020-11-13 12:30
About once a year, I get lazy and recycle a post about Friday the Thirteenth.
Mostly, because it’s an easy post to put together, since I’ve written the meat of it already and, fr… Read More
2020-11-06 12:30
After 2020 so far, I feel like we all want to retreat to a fantasy world.
I’m writing this before Election Day, and, I’m sure, well before we know the outcome of the election its… Read More
2020-10-30 11:30
People who call me pessimistic are just not being realistic.
If the past several election cycles and the attendant advertising and attempts to sway voters have shown anything, I think, it&rs&hell…Read More
2020-10-23 11:30
My favorite daydream is more than a vacation.
I’ve mentioned this before on my blog, but when things get really bad, I’ve had the same recurring fantasy; sell everything, buy a t… Read More
2020-10-16 11:30
Or, things I’d want to know before I seriously applied for, or took a new job.
The other day, a recruiter emailed me a super vague job description and we had a brief exchange about it… Read More
2020-10-09 11:30
Not quite DIY DevOps for Office 365, but a good start.
So, it’s been a while since I posted professional geek content on any of my blogs, so I figure I’m overdue. I’ve had… Read More
2020-10-02 11:30
Just a quick share this week.
I know I keep hinting that I’ll review that hot shoe splitting flash cable I got the other day, but I’ve been so busy, I have hardly had the chance… Read More
2020-09-25 11:30
For the next two months, “Don’t feed the troll” should be our mantra.
According to the Urban Dictionary, a “troll” is “…[s]omeone who deliberately… Read More
2020-09-18 11:30
Explore the relationship between focal length, aperture, and depth of field.
Along with some other settings and factors.
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been getting back into photograph… Read More
2020-09-11 11:30
There’s something broken in our culture when we try to make a virtue out of a lack of financial resources. We glamorize it by calling it “hustle”. We talk about everyone ne… Read More
2020-09-04 11:30
After three weeks of pretty heavy contemplation, I thought I’d share something a bit lighter.
In France, there’s a famous 16th-century castle that is also an island named Mont Sa… Read More
2020-08-28 11:30
This year has been pretty rough for everyone.
I don’t know who I’m writing this for, but I’m sure there’s someone out there that’s got the same pain going on as… Read More
2020-08-21 11:30
This is the eulogy I wrote for my father and delivered at his memorial service on August 2, 2020.
Let me start by saying that every one of us will have a different view of Dad, as unique as… Read More
2020-08-14 11:30
William F, Hoffman, Jr., “Bill”, beloved husband, father and grandfather, 91, died Tuesday, July 28, 2020 in Huntley, Illinois. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Dorothy, h… Read More
2020-07-24 11:30
I’m anything but a professional programmer, but occasionally, I make stuff.
Sometimes, in my day job, I have to solve a particular problem and the only way I can manage that is via som… Read More
2020-07-17 11:30
There’s still time to fix some mistakes.
Since the COVID-19 lockdown started, I put on at least fifteen pounds. Working from home, literally steps from my kitchen, combined with a litt… Read More
2020-07-10 11:30
Make no mistake, mental health has always been an important issue for me.
But, with the pandemic lockdown, as loose and unrestrictive as it has really been, I feel all kinds of anxiety and d… Read More
2020-07-03 12:30
Maybe this is a good year to skip fireworks.
The past couple of years, I’ve posted tips for photographing fireworks around this time of year. They’re popular and taking photos of… Read More
2020-06-26 11:30
Yeah, I’m talking about depression.
That metaphor, calling depression the “Black Dog”, is usually attributed to Winston Churchill, but I’ve definitely heard it from a… Read More
2020-06-19 11:30
I always seem to have more expenses than money.
The other day I was working from home and my wife came to get me in a little bit of a panic. There was a considerable amount of standing water… Read More
2020-06-12 11:30
Everyone’s IT budgets are shrinking this year, and probably next year, too.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been through a down-turn in the economy. And, every single time… Read More
2020-06-05 11:30
Buckle up, this might be a bit of a bumpy ride.
I usually work pretty hard to stay non-political on my blog, but it’s too late for that. As my childhood hero, Abraham Lincoln famously… Read More
2020-05-29 11:30
Because, that’s who I really am.
So, this week I was going to write about the error message I’ve seen filling up my logs which is due to some issue in the AuthorWrite theme I use… Read More
2020-05-22 11:30
You know how I keep threatening to write differently here?
You may have noticed that things were starting to change a bit over the past several weeks. Yes, I’ve still been bringing you… Read More
2020-05-15 11:30
Feeling a little trapped? Me, too.
So, I usually have a theme to these Friday posts, but even I have to admit they’ve gotten pretty thin lately. And, while I’ve started working s… Read More
2020-05-08 11:30
In these troubled times, we’re all talking about the same thing in the same way.
I know the isolation is getting rough for all of us and it’s definitely giving me more days where… Read More
2020-05-01 11:30
Or, does anybody really know what time it is?
I know everyone is talking about this, but I have to constantly remind myself of the day and time. And, yes, I know this is a side effect of bei… Read More
2020-04-24 11:30
It just keeps going and going and going.
Honestly, the worst part about all this is that I’ve been so busy I can’t even enjoy the fantastic boredom that everyone keeps complainin… Read More
2020-04-17 11:30
I used to write, and read, poetry, before I stopped fearing death.
That sounds a bit contradictory, but, yes, I’m actually not afraid of death. I am afraid of the pain and discomfort t… Read More
2020-04-10 11:30
I could stand to think about something else for a bit.
For the past several weeks, all we’ve talked about is COVID-19. Not just here on this blog, but, well pretty much everywhere. I m… Read More
2020-04-03 11:30
Or, dinner and a show in the time of the great pandemic.
While things are getting better, it still seems like it’s going to be a little bit before the supply chain evens out. I made a… Read More
2020-03-27 11:30
This may become a theme while we all wait out this COVID-19 virus.
This week, I finally got everyone else at work all set to work from home, if at all possible, and started working from home… Read More
2020-03-20 11:30
Look, it’s been a crazy, chaotic week, which means you’re getting a crazy, chaotic post.
So, like all the rest of the IT pros in small shops all over the world this week, I&rsquo&hell…Read More
2020-03-13 11:30
And, by that I mean escapism by way of space vehicles.
At this point it shouldn’t be a surprise that I love science fiction. Whether it’s literature, movies, television or even c… Read More
2020-03-06 12:30
For dogs.
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks with threats of global pandemics and the primary elections here in the US, not to mention all the other insanity we all deal with on a daily… Read More
2020-02-28 12:30
Mystic martial arts hoaxers.
To be fair, I think these people do at least partially believe that this is real.
If you’re my age, you probably remember the ads in the back of comic book… Read More
2020-02-21 12:30
A little aid for the travellers.
Back in the days that I was one of those “road warriors” who spent countless hours in airports waiting for flights, wifi wasn’t even really… Read More
2020-02-14 12:30
Today is St. Valentine’s Day.
Today, we are told, is the one day we should openly display our love for a partner. I used to be quite bitter about this holiday both as a very single per… Read More
2020-02-07 12:30
Canadians have a delightfully odd sense of humor.
And, I mean that in the best way possible.
CIRA, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, the company responsible for the administratio… Read More
2020-01-31 12:30
I love short-cuts and time-saving templates.
When I was a kid, my mother had a book of example letters for every occasion. I loved that book and the idea behind it. Every page was a pre-writ… Read More
2020-01-24 12:30
Just like at the factory farm.
I was going to just gloss over why I was looking for this and get right to the fun, but, let’s face it; at this point I’m pretty much writing this… Read More
2020-01-17 12:30
Fonts for services without them.
Well, two services without them, at any rate. Now, keep in mind this is far from perfect, but it does, in fact, work. A little bit better for Instagram than… Read More
2020-01-10 12:30
Steve Martin teaching us about art.
I love art. I don’t know much about art, really, in spite of all the things my good friend, and famous art star, Mark Flood has tried to teach me. I… Read More
2020-01-03 12:30
By now, I bet you’ve spent most of your “Christmas money”.
And, if you’re like me, that came in the form of a gift card, not actual cash. Honestly, I kind of prefer i… Read More
2019-12-27 12:30
Another new year and another chance to break promises to yourself!
I haven’t made formal New Year’s Resolutions in a long, long time because, let’s face it, no one ever rea… Read More
2019-12-20 12:30
I cannot calculate the physics of Santa.
Seriously, I love science, but there’s just no way for a guy like me to do the math required to keep track of Santa Claus on his path around th… Read More
2019-12-13 12:30
At least once a year, I try to write about Friday the Thirteenth.
Mostly, because it’s an easy post to make, since I copy a lot of the information from previous posts, but also, while… Read More
2019-12-12 12:30
So, it seems I’ve survived another year.
Considering that I wasn’t entirely sure I’d live past forty, it’s a pleasant surprise to find that I’ve turned fifty-on… Read More
2019-12-06 12:30
The jolly old elf is updating his tech profile.
There are lots of ways to celebrate the Christmas season. I, personally, start listening to Christmas music far too early. I may not decorate… Read More
2019-11-29 13:00
I sort of hate “Black Friday”.
Yes, I have given into the base consumerism of the so-called holiday, even though it goes against so much of what I believe is important in life, a… Read More
2019-11-22 12:30
I like my fun to be automatic, free and semi-random.
Way back in the day, I was ahead of the curve on autogenerated “stuff”. In my case, it was semi-random language generation th… Read More
2019-11-19 16:00
“Managing up” has to be one of my least favorite business buzzword phrases, and the most condescending.
I’m grateful I don’t hear this phrase as much as I used to ear… Read More
2019-11-15 12:30
Hey, that dog can talk!
Okay, so not literally, but pretty close.
I have a friend who has this idea he calls “the talking dog theory”. It goes like this. Dog lovers talk to their… Read More
2019-11-08 12:30
When was that word first used?
When I was in High School, I remember being fascinated by the idea that James Hilton’s book Lost Horizon was so popular that his invented paradise, Shang… Read More
2019-11-06 16:00
Clear goals make for more successful projects.
There is no way to guarantee a successful project, but I can sure tell you the best way to make one fail; don’t set a clear goal.
When I… Read More
2019-11-01 11:30
A sharp knife is a safe knife.
I know that doesn’t seem to follow, but, trust me, it’s true. When I was in Boy Scouts, one of the many things I learned is that a sharp knife is a… Read More
2019-10-25 11:30
Literally, horror rooted in corporate life.
On a bad day or week, the endless, repetitive drudgery of corporate life can seem like an endless horror story. I mean, we’ve all felt that… Read More
2019-10-22 15:00
I work in IT because I didn’t want to do sales.
The only problem is, everything is sales.
Even though my degree is in Marketing and my very early career included a commission sales job… Read More
2019-10-18 11:30
Surrealism at its most tech?
Maybe.
Artificial intelligence is all the rage these days, especially the newish “generative adversarial network” variety. Generative adversarial net… Read More
2019-10-11 11:30
I love free, weird, art-related stuff on the internet.
As you might have guessed since I share it here incessantly. Maybe it’s got to do with the fact that I was always encouraged to b… Read More
2019-10-09 15:00
Sometimes, the raw numbers don’t really tell us how expensive something is.
One of the regular struggles we have in IT is that we are an expense. The bottom line is that, for most busi… Read More
2019-10-04 11:30
Incredible, free photo management and editing software.
Although, lately, I seem too busy to take many photos, I do love it. The problem is, I like the photography and the end result, but no… Read More
2019-09-27 11:30
Yes, that’s humans using echolocation to navigate in the world.
It’s like a superpower, only for real.
When I was in college, I minored in Psychology, which meant that I got to m… Read More
2019-09-26 15:00
It never stops being important.
I think of myself as lucky in many ways. I trained in sales, but fell into IT work early in my career and found that I was good at it. I also was lucky enough… Read More
2019-09-20 11:30
More video shorts in the low-budget scifi vein.
Thanks to technology, low-budget does not mean low-quality.
I learned that when I took the chance and invested in the Ghosts With Shit Jobs fi… Read More
2019-09-13 11:30
Technology has really opened up possibilities for independent film makers.
The great thing about the internet, and technology in general, has opened up a world of opportunity for both creato… Read More
2019-09-10 15:00
The metaphor of “internal customers” is unfortunately falling out of favor.
Lately, I’ve seen articles criticizing the idea of having internal customers. It’s a shame… Read More
2019-09-06 11:30
A semi-visual guide to electronic music history.
I know sometimes when I share things on Friday, I’m a little late to the party. This week is no exception to that, but since this made… Read More
2019-08-30 11:30
Just what is the cost of wasting time on Facebook?
One of the things that really impressed me in my college Economics classes was the idea of “opportunity cost”. Now, thanks to m… Read More
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