rust used to mean “big”.

Trust used to also mean “concurring with what other people usually believe.”

As a new year’s resolution I intend to explore the issue of trust more closely, as it became rather apparent that trust had become a somewhat political issue and people’s understanding of their surroundings warped accordingly.

As a broad and general word of advice, ask not what the source (person/channel) has to deliver but ask also where that source derives this information from and what motives are at play. Trust is not a matter of falsehoods and truisms (of which there are few in this world, usually pertaining to physical sciences, not social sciences). Trust can be earned based on many criteria and few sources remain which can be trusted. Each source has its biases, which is why news, for instance, is delivered very differently depending on geographical location. Diversity of sources can sometimes establish trust.

Truth should be absolute, so lacking consistency there is no truth to be found.

JUST over a week ago I wrote about the Harvey and Anita wedding anniversary. This lovely couple had just mailed me a cheque (watch closely).

[Note: removed]

Another wonderful friend of almost the same age made a cartoon for me (which I am also grateful for).

ew people manage to maintain a healthy marriage, let alone do so for 55 years. Harvey and Anita are role models for love and companionship and today they celebrate their 55^th wedding anniversary, which I am very excited about. This couple has shaped part of who I am today, so I am grateful more than they can possibly imagine.

Anita, don’t let Harv pull that forbidden cake from his secret slot in the fridge!

There are hours of good videos from these guys, but here is a good short montage.

Summary: That’s me interrogated by Jono Bacon

Direct link (MP4) (or MP3)

For perspective, also see this feedback. I was very uncomfortable on this show, and it probably shows. I knew it would be rather hostile.

arlier this month, the annual rowing competition ended. This was rather disappointing. For the first time since I began competing (2001) I did not get the first place, but it’s not a total loss. Later this week I will do the 2-mile row for another competition, in which I have performed quite well so far.

As the years go by and we all age (I’m 27), the motivation — not just the ability — to stay in good shape rapidly declines. In the table tennis competition I got knocked out in the quarter finals.

KDE4 does not cease to excite.

have been a user of KDE for about decade, but I did use almost every other desktop environment and window manager, especially in the earlier days of GNU/Linux on the desktop. KDE came naturally to me as a SuSE user (until
Novell’s deal with Microsoft) and its suitability for power user was a great plus. I still use GNOME in other places and I am pleased to say that it’s a pleasant environment too.

My first impression of KDE 4.3 is that it is a lot simpler for newcomers (than KDE 3) and it looks fantastic. I used earlier versions of KDE4 and they didn’t cause me trouble, but this one is almost perfect and I am unable to find noticeable wrinkles or creases. In fact, the new release incorporates so many wonderful changes that it would be irrational to ever step back to KDE3 again.

In the process of setting up this workstation I needed to use GParted, which is another invaluable distribution that does precisely what it says on the tin and does it nicely, too. I am currently on Kubuntu 9.10 (alpha 5), but I did not leave Mandriva behind. In fact, almost every distribution that I try these days leaves me satisfied. They all do, after all, share the same components; integration work is where it all counts.

I thought about doing a review, but that would be time consuming and rather boring to people who read my personal Web site.

So, thumbs up to the KDE team, the Kubuntu team, and the GParted maintainer/s. At this pace, the domination of GNU/Linux on the desktop too seems only like a matter of time.