Friday Four

1. Rather than getting mad because "LinkedIn has decided that its optimal strategy is to punish registered users" [my bold], one customer gets even. According to him, unless you search for members of the network anonymously, your results will be partially truncated and replaced with a demand to "upgrade" for a fee.

2. A question at Hacker News unearths a resource I will consult for my next computer purchase: Ubuntu Certified Hardware. I had no trouble installing Linux on two of the three machines I currently use, but I did have a minor problem installing it on the netbook I use to make my practice of juggling blogging and household chores/infant care/toddler care possible.

As an idiot check, I just looked for my netbook and found it missing. I am glad to see that the next generation of this line is Ubuntu-certified, as I am quite happy with what I am using now and would like to buy something like it again.

3. Along with Go the Fuck to Sleep, I highly recommend The Boss Baby, by Marla Frazee, to parents and soon-to-be-parents of infants. I agree with one customer's review, which reads in part:

... This is laugh out loud funny, from the sight of the baby in his business suit onesie to the descriptions and illustrations showing baby's business meetings. The humor is spot on and makes this a great choice for story time where it is sure to get laughs from both the kids and parents! It's also a good choice for one on one if you've got an older child who's wondering how come baby all of a sudden gets all the attention. This will be a great way to share a laugh about it together...

Oh, and regarding Samuel L. Jackson's reading of the first book, which I faulted in the post linked above for being too angry-sounding: Boy, am I glad I didn't check back then and learn that he has a daughter! After Pumpkin's numerous sleep-related difficulties, I now know where that comes from! Also, I am really glad that Little Man is usually a log at night, and that we had our kids in the order we did.

And speaking of Little Man: He looks like a CEO, hence his nickname. That's what first caught Mrs. Van Horn's eye when she saw the book at the bookstore. 

4. PandoDaily has an inspirational story about a high-schooler who taught himself how to program and ended up saving his family's home with the proceeds of the iPhone apps he wrote.

No pressure, Little Man!

-- CAV