Lots going on this Labor Day weekend
Obviously, like most of America, I've been following the various crises of the Katrina aftermath, mostly New Orleans but also those seemingly forgotten parts of Mississippi that are getting less attention. The most interesting coverage I've been consuming is at http://mgno.com/, a blog owned by "Interdictor," an employee of DirectNIC who stayed behind to keep their data center up. Miraculously, he's managed to do it so far, with barrels of diesel to keep their electric generators going.
In other news, trying to make some progress on the possible move to PA. We are going to list the house and try to sell it, new job or not. Worst case, if the house sells, wife and baby will go and I'll find something temporary until a new job comes through.
I've also decided to start studying for the Sun Certified Enterprise Architect exam. I'm doing it less for professional credential, but more for the academic challenge and proof to myself that I know this stuff. There are lots of opinions on whether a vendor provided certification is ever helpful in the job market because, of course, the vendor tends to desire lots of people who have its credential; Microsoft and the shamefullness of the MCSE program, which you hear advertised on radio for anybody in the world is a chief example. (I have the MCSE+I from NT 4.0 days, before all these overnight bootcamps sprung up, and I'll be honest that I now resent that it's meaningless. It is great that it can be a step up for many trying to break into technology, but it does not say much that you do not need real years of experience to pass the exam anymore.) Anyway, so I've ordered some books and hit JavaRanch, JavaQueries and a couple other sites/forums to gear up. I'll try not to get too brainwashed in the process.