Diary of a Network Geek

Let’s not get into a discussion of how to pronounce “GIF”.

All I’ll say is that the creators of the format pronounced it like the peanut butter brand.
Either way, my purpose this week is to share two things from the same source. First, there’s the super cool, trippy animations from Etienne Jacob, aka Necessary-Disorder.

An animated GIF from Etienne Jacob, aka Necessary-Disorder

Just look at that incredible GIF. It repeats, but it seems to just run endlessly. It’s amazing. Hit the linked site for more of them.

But, if you’re feeling a bit more ambitious, head over to his other site necessary-disorder tutorials where the young Frenchman shares his process and tools for making these amazing works of animated art.

Another animated GIF from Etienne Jacob, aka Necessary-Disorder

I’d share more, but it’s been a crazy couple of weeks at work and I’ve been super busy there, and on a little something I’m keeping under wraps for now. Hopefully, though, there will be some good news to share with you, dear blog readers, before the end of the month.

And, yes, that’s pronounced like the peanut butter by all right-minded geeks.

Because that’s how the creator said it! Okay, that’s all a joke, because he didn’t actually care that much about how anyone said it, according to an interview I read. Though, I suspect he might appreciate having gotten royalties on the file format. The really big deal about GIFs, in case you were really bored on a Friday and looking for an internet history lesson, is that the specification included provisions for animation. So, basically, these little guys were the first way we really shared video on the internet, back when the internet was CompuServe and other “walled garden” sites.

Flash forward to today, though, and artists have done some spectacular things with the format, like wavegrower and his amazing animated GIFs. Go take a look and just prepare to waste your entire day being mezmerized by the beauty of his psychadelic moving images.
Stunning. Seriously, just stunning.
And, a pretty fun way to waste time on a Friday when you’re reading blogs instead of working.

This post originally appeared on Use Your Words.

Those are pronounced like the spreadable peanut product, by the way, with a soft “J” sound.

So, you know, don’t be a heathen and pronounce it like “gift” with the “t” left off. The creators intended it the other way.
But, I already digress.  The point isn’t to reinforce the correct way to say it, but rather to give you a link to view some.  And, not just any GIFs, but some very beautiful, creative GIFs based on ancient Japanese woodblock prints….
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That’s pronounced like the peanut butter brand, by the way.

Here’s a fun, free way to get into the holiday spirit; make an animated Christmas tree graphic!
Giphy is a site that collects animated GIFs.  It’s an interesting site, but I honestly am not sure how they make money.  In any case, last year at Christmas, they shared this generator that lets you make and share your own, customized animated GIF of a Christmas tree.
Okay, it’s corny, but it’s still fun and…
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I feel like I’ve been slacking lately, so this week, I’ve got a free game for you.

Well, at least it’s a free alpha version of the game, which is still in development.
But, they do say that they plan on making it free when it’s finally complete.  The game is called, as you may have guessed from the title of this post, Wings of Saint Nazaire.  It’s a pretty retro space shooter inspired by X-Wing and Wing Commander.  You can see some animated…
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That’s pronounced like the peanut butter brand, by the way.

At least, that’s how the original creators pronounced it, back when Compuserve was a thing.  They created the GIF as a compressed graphic format to minimize data usage back in the “Days of Dial-up” for Compuserve when modems ruled the Earth.  But, I bet they never thought that their “little” contribution to computer culture would go so far.  For instance, when the GIF came out, it didn’t have animation as a…
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Well, I just got back from getting my hair cut and my wife told me that the MySQL server on which The Diary of a Network Geek, The BLOG Version depends is back up. So, finally, I’ll be able to make an entry that I should have made Friday.

I got the job.

I got the call very late on Friday from my headhunter telling me that they’d made the decision in my favor. It was welcome news and made my weekend a whole lot more fun. Well, fun except for when I had to shave my beard.
I don’t like not having a beard, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I don’t look like I’m 12, but I do look a lot different. My wife must be getting used to it to because she’s stopped crying. Actually, as I took the beard down to nought in stages, she commented that she thought I looked “cute” with a goatee. And, I have to admit, I didn’t look bad that way. I’ve always secretly wondered what I’d look like with a goatee, but practicality won out over curiosity. A full beard is a lot less work.
In any case, it’s gone now and my pink, shining face is exposed to the world. I made my wife take pictures at each stage of the reduction, so eventually, I’ll get that done into an animated GIF or a Flash “thingee”, or something. I had to do something to make if fun or I would have started crying myself!
Sunday, we went to a store in Rice Village called “The British Isles” which carries products from, you guessed it, the British Isles. I picked up some great after-shave by a company called Geo F. Trumper. I figured, if I have to shave every day, by God, I’m going to get my favorite after-shave to pamper myself!! And, my wife is a bit of a Scot-o-phile (is that a word?), so she can get her fix there, too. She also used to be involved with a Canadian who corrupted her with the evils of English candy, including Smartees, which, to me, are really just big M&M’s. But, it makes her happy.

So, now, I’m just waiting for the headhunter to get the details wrapped up on the contract end of things. After they do, I’ll schedule a time to head into their office to get things signed and take the drug test. Then, I’ll start the new job on Thursday, barring any tragic accidents. So, you can bet there will be updates by the end of the week. It’s going to be strange going into an office and working after a year of looking for a job.

Oh, and the title of this entry? Headhunter, think headhunters. More about them in another entry.

I got the call last night that I’m geing asked back for a second interview at the Place of No Beards. I suppose, considering the economy and the job market, I should be really, really happy to shave my beard. But, I’m not. I’m okay with it, because it’s their rules and all, but I’m not actually happy about it.
So, last night, I went and found my old Braun electric razor. If I’m going to have to keep my face clean, I might as well try to minimize the pain. I figure my face is going to be pale and tender. I’ll be indulging in some tender-loving care for my skin for a little bit, too. Thank God my wife is an escaped make-up artist. She knows all the tricks. To be honest, I expect to bleed a lot the first time I shave. Probably the first week, too.
In any case, I don’t have the job yet, so I haven’t shaved yet. When they give me a start date, I’ll take it off. And, I had been thinking I could take it down to a goatee during the contract, but they need me to take the whole beard off before I start. So, off it will go. Of course, I think I’ll take it down to a goatee along the way, just to see what I look like. And, if I can convince my wife to help me, I’ll make an animated GIF of the beard going, going, gone. That would make it at least a little fun!

I talked to my Mom and Dad last night. Dad, who has a full beard, was telling me how grateful I should be to have a job at all. I reminded him that I didn’t have it yet, but I got his point. He said that he’d been to the barber shop and got an earful from my old barber about how tough things are. Apparently, things are tough enough that regular customers are a lot less regular. Guys, like me, are going longer between haircuts, because they just can’t afford it. That’s when you know times are tough. When regular guys can’t afford to get haircuts. Suddenly, that theoretical $13,000 drop in pay doesn’t seem like so much. After all, I’ll be able to pay the bills. We won’t be able to live extravagantly, but we won’t have to worry about buying steak that costs too much. But, I have to admit, it was nice getting that positive reinforcement from my Dad. I’m glad he thinks of me as a man doing what he has to do for his family. Thanks, Dad.