Yes, I am a geek. May 6, 2008

Today I managed to get PGP encryption working with my gmail account. I had to install WinPT and PGP on my computer and generate a key pair. I have a private key, and a public key. I encrypt things with my private key, and anyone who has my public key can decrypt it. Decrypting it also proves that it was my private key that encrypted it - so if you got encrypted email from me you would know that it was me that sent it.

To get it to work with my gmail I had to install firegpg, which you can get at the link.

This is what a block of PGP encrypted text looks like.

—–BEGIN PGP MESSAGE—–
Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (MingW32)
Comment: http://getfiregpg.org

hQIOA9FJ9FpNoFGwEAgAmtq5XTl04bP

BeFhNBUNhPbx33R30Nvgs3BlOMz/P9VNy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=G3YD
—–END PGP MESSAGE—–

So you can see, it’s not readable. The following text is a decryption from that email.

This is a test of PGP.–
http://jeffandsamplus2.wordpress.com
- The Family Blog
http://runfatboyrun.wordpress.com
- My Fitness Blog

“One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.”
- AA Milne

“The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.” - Douglas Adams

In case anyone is geeky enough to want to exchange encrypted email with me, this is my public key:

pub 1024D/E6707F9E 06/05/2008 Jeff Closs <suprspi@gmail.com>
Primary key fingerprint: C60F 0789 3667 C363 193B EFA7 5CCF 483F E670 7F9E—–BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—–
Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (MingW32) - WinPT 1.2.0

mQGiBEggvhIRBACTz5ef3AU40+0RrDdPCewsiDuHVxxd5FQveTRaIwiwTKekXTCv
dKoXBXQ2MVrmElkleQimAG/yrW6i6jKVHSlSRGp05xDjXKxy9T6lsQfos8U3CZBZ
8CrYFv0u0I9DUxqxda3xh85+k7JYqU/jkhWd+Juz5YyDJxsIzasdNvcMSwCgg0d1
S42Sa33R0g7XjdoO9QhB0FkD/0Olz18KWSClIzvLrLBWhoJt5I+WDqVC76tSC5Dm
7zWzfnOXFD6UnTmM60hzyKjqQWl0Uj1DH9Y973n4gWHgdxMgZK7ygghXYmAG1xIc
lWbboxYv1dgw0NXVTUwjoKWL1lj3iUADD0ok92A96iINk51nRbaLLZTGJLmkAfKW
MckIA/4ncNZY10/AG89WA1XWcDGdaM6tCEm+bDLRTksfoCes2RiVoAKDtkRGi1s6
M2jy7V+UdGL3fass4PIUAOojMvw7lQtVHbNgL6Xqir/D0TP0+ZdoSHaOIRELIqsZ
/xBSBviihJxEUBei0BAo6EoCuqWQ4rCTGeTerFbS+of5QMptArQeSmVmZiBDbG9z
cyA8c3VwcnNwaUBnbWFpbC5jb20+iGAEExECACAFAkggvhICGwMGCwkIBwMCBBUC
CAMEFgIDAQIeAQIXgAAKCRBcz0g/5nB/nntwAJwJzrvRhhQnmxYvesbJK4cgXsYN
LwCfZO8RjCz9jmipF5Yb87lwPN52GI+5Ag0ESCC+EhAIAMHScferwBVscxsImSnO
nM8DSG5/OUcqpd8zXlcEVvKo9V1wyn7Lx6/k6FzR9QEBX2bMAAuMnXaXbipArtn4
MEdQMWwDBLQSxBs/C7mdLO9hTHcoTIKXNQr3N6UPsaRL7dCZjjPZNHZG1JJb7Oxd
zp1A24XCyFQzOMYzdgNrVLiqRtZ9iAqaMns8bLLx9TMTsdCI82geMouj6Yl+Oimi
yQ0Y98gnSEB2E/Um8df31noHmfV0TKZYUfQxntt3oaiIsISGclYZrK4LVpUpS9BM
romRfiMu3S+Ndh0OSJhc8/jnYuKz7HrPUwH3OvSL8iujTE2ZEcrLomcIS8SMugTI
+0sAAwUH/30MU7D6EZCkvcdkFT0OOsW/2qMpZPxKeXx3DNn/aiB7rj2l8Gazu2Us
42yZO13460XMW2mGrKeIhCjCaPehb5SJ7ULkctoTKcPvL6sNirYQN2JrGB+ZGvSP
ei9cafR2GrgU75bpn773VaIxDAdJEQ1svLhP5jD6KrFxdZ9doguCwazahdgnjsm3
fAzaN0d9G8OgDBpTJBottB7Nf0h/NLrpKl5jH8s2ARm3ztYX7Azys2vtOLqVlo6l
2AS0+SkY7o11jXV3ayESrg6xkNE+WsC1FKqvbnjyYaF2RJESEQoPCKqKVgsX5R5h
xSSy9kpF0haCPnOBb9/bHLfzEy1hMZiISQQYEQIACQUCSCC+EgIbDAAKCRBcz0g/
5nB/niWKAKCCopUNNvjewCmh6T/BJw2X9K/MDwCeLhco1itWN0LLkH6gFrdW0NbC
Ehw=
=vEcb
—–END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—–

So, there we go. My geekery for the day. If you have any questions, feel free to comment away.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow May 6, 2008

This is the space that I’ll come back and use to plug Cory Doctorow’s book, Little Brother.  It’s hard to give it a strong enough reccomendation, but I’ll come back and try.

PS.  You can download it for free from his site at the link up above.  You have no excuse not to read this book.

PPS.  Cory Doctorow is Canadian.  For what it’s worth.  To me, that’s a bit.

PPPS.  This is a story about being a geek, and a bit of a social misfit.  If you’re reading this, there’s a pretty solid chance you will connect with the protagonist.

PPPPS.  If you are somehow in charge of getting books into the hands of kids, this might be one to get onto the young adult shelves.  *hint, hint*

PPPPPS.  This is a book I want my kids to read when they’re 13 or older.  I may force it on them, but I know the old horse and water adage.  That’s ok, I’ve got 11 years to figure out how to get them to read it, starting with buying a couple of copies.

Circular Logic. Argh! April 29, 2008

I’m getting there. I’ve got my bike. It’s pretty. I love being on it, and want to be on it more.

To do so I need an instructor, over age 25 and holding a valid motorcycle liscence (class 6). This is hard to come by. I have several contacts at work, but they’re not able to go out every day, in fact, I haven’t been able to yet.

I so badly want to get out and ride, just to get to a parking lot and practice what I’ll have to do for my MST, (motorcycle skills test), which if (when) I pass it I’ll be able to ride and practice on my own.

I can’t do my test until May 12, and still need to line someone up to go with me. But before I can pass it I need to practice. Lots. If only I lived in a parking lot still. Or rather, in a building that had a parking lot.

Conceivably I could push my bike to a parking lot to practice, I wouldn’t be on the road without an instructor. ;)

I also priced out 3M Black Reflective Tape. $9/sq. foot. I want to put some invisible except under bright direct light on my bike, and maybe pants and jacket. 2 feet would probably do. You can go here to see some comparisons of what it looks like under normal light, and direct light like a camera flash or headlight pass.

Anyway, just venting a little bit of frustration.

New Motorcycle! April 28, 2008

I got my bike!  After years of working towards getting a bike Sam helped me get one.  I’ll be using it for day to day transportation to and from work, as well as a little bit of extra solo riding.

I need to get my MST (motorcycle skills test) done so that my liscence will have the 60km/h speed limit and supervisor restrictions removed so that I can commute on it until I do my road test and get my full Class 6 designation.

Until then, a couple of pics.  We’ll start with a pretty girl on a motorcycle, cause that’s pretty cool, then some pics of me on my bike in my gear. (Minus my awesome Alter-Ego armoured pants that I didn’t want to pull on just for a pic.)

*I added more tag so as not to blow up someone’s RSS reader.

Breastfeeding is Bestfeeding. April 15, 2008

Today Ivy was again entranced with Sam’s method of feeding the baby.  She crawled up and asked lots of questions.

“Dylan eating a apple?”

“No honey, Dylan is drinking milk.”

Dylan drinking a milk?”

“Yes honey….”

And on and on over and over.

Sam says “Big mouth Dylan” while she encourages her to latch well, instead of having a lazy mouth.  Ivy of course, starts repeating it.

“Dylan got big mouth?” “Big mouth Dylan?”  “Dylan drinking milk?”

“Yes honey.”

She looks up at Sam suddenly serious and aks “Mom, got juice in there too?”

We both started laughing uncontrollably while we explained that there was not, in fact, any juice in there.  And I just thought I might share that awesome moment of parenthood with the rest of you.

A picture says how many words? April 12, 2008

They say a picture says a thousand words. Well, I don’t know if that’s true or not, but a good photographer can capture things that can’t be expressed in words.

We had a friend from work come over today to take some pictures of the girls. Morgan Turner is a professional photographer, moonlighting as an electrician. And you can certainly tell when you see these.

You’re Invited! March 27, 2008

Jeffrey Closs and Samantha Sinkinson joyfully announce the birth of their baby girl.

Dylan Aubrey Closs was welcomed by her parents and older sister Ivadel on Wednesday 19 March, at twenty minutes after eight o’clock in the evening.

Samantha, Jeffrey, Ivadel and Dylan would like to invite you to an open house to welcome the baby on the 3^rd of April . You will find the event details below. Some refreshments will be provided throughout the evening to better accommodate people with varying schedules.

Details:

Date: April 3

Time: 4pm - 8pm, step in and out as your schedule dictates.

Location: 471 Baker Drive, Quesnel, British Columbia

Contact: Feel free to contact us by email at suprspi@gmail.com or by phone.

Some refreshments will be provided. RSVP not required, but appreciated.

Pictures March 22, 2008

I pulled these photos out of my flickr account.  I need to pay to get a yearly subscription though, as I’ve used up half my alloted amount already.

Dylan Aubrey Closs, with Dad.  Less than one full day old.

Dylan in the hospital bassinet, with Mom’s hand.

Dylan at home, with her blankies.  Sam thought she looked like she was praying, so I snapped a couple of pictures of her like this while she was in her moses basket.

Baby Dylan with Auntie Jen. (I love that bambi blanket. Shhh!)

The earliest picture ever of her.  This is right after delivery on mommy’s chest, still cord attached.  At this point the Dr. was attaching the clamps and whatnot in preperation for me to cut the cord, which I did.  Didn’t know if I would be able to - but it wasn’t so difficult.  The hard part was stopping the waterworks while I did it. ;)

More posts to come with details about the whole adventure, and how things are going now.  For now, the quick update is that Ivy is doing good as a big sister, we’re settling in fine, and Dylan is super cute.  We’re very, very happy.  And we need sleepers with mittens built in! ;)

We’re Baaaaaack! March 20, 2008

We got home today.  I’ve got pics of Dylan uploading into flickr right now, but we have to jet out.  I’ll put a longer post up when I get back, and I’ll put some of those pictures on the front page as well.

So for now, yes, she is beautiful.  She’s a perfect little baby girl, and we’re both really excited.  She’s getting to meet her family and friends, and we are  home.  You can phone us at home and we’ll try to answer.  You can feel free to stop by, and we’ll most likely be home, but no promises!

If you check our most recent flickr uploads on the right hand side you should be able to see the pics as my flickr uploader gets them on there.  I need to buy a flickr account so I can put up more pics and make more albums.

Talk to you later!  Thanks everyone! And thank you especially to Erin for updating our site while things were going on.  We talked to some people who enjoyed it, and we’re very thankful!

It’s A Girl!!! March 19, 2008

Dylan Aubrey was born at 8:20pm on Wednesday, March 19, 2008

She is 7lbs 3oz and I am told she has lots of dark hair!

Congratulations Jeff, Sam, and BIG SISTER Ivy!!!

Way to go Sam! 41 hours of labour — WHAT A TROOPER!!!