For the second year in a row, I am attending the Grace Hopper Celebration. This year in Phoenix, AZ.
It never fails to amaze me how people feel that flight crew instructions do not apply to them.
In this trip the amazement began with the guy talking on the phone past when the plane started moving and all the way to when the flight attendant specifically told him to move the device to airplane mode - while she should have been demonstrating how to fasten a seat-belt. This after I heard him telling the phone that he was going to keep talking as long as possible, after hearing the announcement that the door was closed and phones should have the cellular function turned off. Sigh. At least he was not actively showing a kid how to commit a felony by ignoring crew member instructions (or maybe he was, I dont know who was on the other end of the phone). And yes, I have been there, seen that. You do not have to agree with the rules, but have enough respect for the staff if not the ethics to follow the rules.
That was only the first leg. For the long haul flight, I was even more amazed by the people ignoring the fasten seats belt announcement and continuing to get up and stand in the aisle waiting for the restroom. This despite the bumps that could knock a person out or dump them into my lap. Really folks, just sit down. At least figure out a "line" where you stay seated while waiting.
Really not a bad flight or trip overall. Once in Phoenix I opted for the light rail to get downtown. Like I learned in Minneapolis, a simple light rail system which connects the airport and the convention center (among other places) is a great thing for a city. The trains look good inside and out, the bike racks work and are used. The ticket system is honor based but this time I got checked 2 out of 3 rides so far. I really wish my home area would figure out how to put in the first phase of light rail connecting the airport with the convention center and the three city bus systems. They keep talking about it... and talking... and talking...
I got to the hotel easy enough and later went out again to find the Whole Foods Market. Not the easiest place to get to from downtown during off peak hours without a car, but it worked out. There is not much shopping downtown. Lots of museums and a number of restaurants which may or may not know how to deal with my food allergies.
I booked this trip before discovering the dairy allergy and even then I knew it was going to be a challenging week. There is a Chipolte and a Five Guys and a Zpizza all close by and which all have limited options. I have since also found which coffee shop has almond milk and bananas. Hopefully I will find some additional sources of fruit to go with the bag of almonds and collection of kind bars that I picked up at Whole Foods.
As usual, there is a great energy for this conference and it was already apparent at the airport as well as the hotel and the downtown are in general.
-SML
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
More food allergies
Traveling with food allergies is difficult. This is the story of discovering a new food allergy.
I have been intolerant of gluten for years now but I have mostly gotten used to that with travels. Even fast food chains have options. With an intolerance I can survive with a little cross contamination so Chipolte, PF Chang, Pei Wei, Five Guys, and many others become options even if they are not ideal. That said, I still usually just stick to finding a Whole Foods Market within an hour drive and a hotel with a fridge. That has worked out OK.
But this year I have had an increase in travel along with an increase in coming home feeling not so good. It was time to figure out the root cause and I had a few hypothesis:
1. Was I being careful enough about eating gluten free and/or am I becoming more sensitive to cross contamination?
2. Since more of my "not well" feelings are related to breathing and asthma, perhaps I am just becoming more sensitive to the chemical cleaners in hotels and planes. I also find more problems with students and fellow travelers wearing cologne or perfumes. These have always bothered me some individually and when they add up it can be very uncomfortable.
3. Was there another food allergy causing a problem?
At the beginning of July I had a few weeks in a row at home. This was a chance for a "cleanse" and an elimination diet. From my ND, I occasionally follow a fruit/nut/egg diet for three days as jump start back into healthier eating habits (and it works as a cleanse). This time I expanded that so that after the three days, I gradually added other items back into my diet and no more than one category per day. I started with salads and other raw veggies. A few days later I added in plain grilled chicken and pork.
From other sources, I knew that it is common for those with gluten intolerance to also have issues with other grains (corn) or proteins (casein). I decided to focus on dairy as being a possible problem and went an entire 2 weeks without any dairy. But I was also avoiding grains - rice and any of the gluten free breads - for the first week then had fresh corn on the cob and no apparent issues. Finally, after a full 2 weeks and still following my instinct of a casein intolerance, I had some very tasty cheddar cheese. Within 2 hours I was having asthma issues which continued into the next morning. No more cheese for me.
After three months of no dairy I find that locating safe food on the road is harder but I am not having anywhere near the asthma problems I was having earlier in the year. I can even tolerate a fellow traveler with cologne much better - or at least recover much quicker once I can get away from the person. I have also found that I can tolerate small amounts of butter since I have accidentally eaten some veggies cooked in butter when visiting family. Finally, since I refused to miss out on the full experience of a family lobster bake, I discovered that I can also handle a quality ghee that is labeled as lactose and casein free.
Family members are slowly remembering not to offer me cheese and to cook in oil instead of butter when they know I will be around. The Paleo craze has made it easy to find new or alternate recipes for cooking at home. My travels continue to take me to Whole Foods Market but with a lot more raw salads and a lot less hot bar goodies. Many places have gluten free but fewer have dairy free menus. In addition many gluten free options are not dairy free and many dairy free options are not gluten free. I have found variety and success at a few places so far:
MD:
http://www.onedishcuisine.com/
NYC:
http://jenniferswaybakery.com/retail-bakery/
http://www.bluestonelaneny.com/coffee-shops/financial-district/
http://www.babycakesnyc.com/
http://blossomdujour.com/
-SML
I have been intolerant of gluten for years now but I have mostly gotten used to that with travels. Even fast food chains have options. With an intolerance I can survive with a little cross contamination so Chipolte, PF Chang, Pei Wei, Five Guys, and many others become options even if they are not ideal. That said, I still usually just stick to finding a Whole Foods Market within an hour drive and a hotel with a fridge. That has worked out OK.
But this year I have had an increase in travel along with an increase in coming home feeling not so good. It was time to figure out the root cause and I had a few hypothesis:
1. Was I being careful enough about eating gluten free and/or am I becoming more sensitive to cross contamination?
2. Since more of my "not well" feelings are related to breathing and asthma, perhaps I am just becoming more sensitive to the chemical cleaners in hotels and planes. I also find more problems with students and fellow travelers wearing cologne or perfumes. These have always bothered me some individually and when they add up it can be very uncomfortable.
3. Was there another food allergy causing a problem?
At the beginning of July I had a few weeks in a row at home. This was a chance for a "cleanse" and an elimination diet. From my ND, I occasionally follow a fruit/nut/egg diet for three days as jump start back into healthier eating habits (and it works as a cleanse). This time I expanded that so that after the three days, I gradually added other items back into my diet and no more than one category per day. I started with salads and other raw veggies. A few days later I added in plain grilled chicken and pork.
From other sources, I knew that it is common for those with gluten intolerance to also have issues with other grains (corn) or proteins (casein). I decided to focus on dairy as being a possible problem and went an entire 2 weeks without any dairy. But I was also avoiding grains - rice and any of the gluten free breads - for the first week then had fresh corn on the cob and no apparent issues. Finally, after a full 2 weeks and still following my instinct of a casein intolerance, I had some very tasty cheddar cheese. Within 2 hours I was having asthma issues which continued into the next morning. No more cheese for me.
After three months of no dairy I find that locating safe food on the road is harder but I am not having anywhere near the asthma problems I was having earlier in the year. I can even tolerate a fellow traveler with cologne much better - or at least recover much quicker once I can get away from the person. I have also found that I can tolerate small amounts of butter since I have accidentally eaten some veggies cooked in butter when visiting family. Finally, since I refused to miss out on the full experience of a family lobster bake, I discovered that I can also handle a quality ghee that is labeled as lactose and casein free.
Family members are slowly remembering not to offer me cheese and to cook in oil instead of butter when they know I will be around. The Paleo craze has made it easy to find new or alternate recipes for cooking at home. My travels continue to take me to Whole Foods Market but with a lot more raw salads and a lot less hot bar goodies. Many places have gluten free but fewer have dairy free menus. In addition many gluten free options are not dairy free and many dairy free options are not gluten free. I have found variety and success at a few places so far:
MD:
http://www.onedishcuisine.com/
NYC:
http://jenniferswaybakery.com/retail-bakery/
http://www.bluestonelaneny.com/coffee-shops/financial-district/
http://www.babycakesnyc.com/
http://blossomdujour.com/
-SML
Friday, October 4, 2013
GHC: Planes, trains, and pedestrians
This week I attended the Grace Hopper Celebration.
Other than a bit early, the flight up was easy and the Minneapolis light rail system is great. I had heard good things in the past, including a key implementation of including service from the airport to downtown. One thing that struck me though was the honor system. A ticket is required but there are no gates, fences, turnstiles, etc. A ticket has a time stamp and is good for a period of time. Officers may appear at any time and check that each passenger has a ticket and I assume the fine for no ticket is significant. I am so used to the East Coast transit systems and this was a pleasant surprise which is much easier to access and provides a nicer view. It also reminded me of my trips to Helsinki in the 80's. Of course this connection is not surprising considering the Scandinavian influence in MN. That influence also carries over to the bike and pedestrian friendly downtown and greenways. The indoor skyway paths connecting buildings are also great.
Being in a downtown area without a car means that I am getting in some significant steps and good walking exercise. In addition to locating the brand new Whole Foods and exploring the Thursday Farmers Market at Nicollet Mall, I found a great little cafe that has lots of organic items and is gluten free friendly. It is called Peoples Organic Cafe and it is in the lobby of the IDS building. I also took a lunchtime walk to the Sculpture Garden to complete the Fourquare City of the Lakes badge.
So who attends GHC? Well, it sold out a few weeks ago and it was announced that there were 4800 attendees representing over 300 companies and over 400 academic institutions. Also over 50 counties are represented. There are paper and poster sessions, technical presentations, career advancement discussions, and exhibit booths as well as a job fair - and not just for recent graduates. Of course no conference would be complete without some social events.
The few Fedora stickers and remaining window clings that I brought with me went fast at the FOSS booth so there is nothing left for OpenSource Day on Saturday.
-SML
Other than a bit early, the flight up was easy and the Minneapolis light rail system is great. I had heard good things in the past, including a key implementation of including service from the airport to downtown. One thing that struck me though was the honor system. A ticket is required but there are no gates, fences, turnstiles, etc. A ticket has a time stamp and is good for a period of time. Officers may appear at any time and check that each passenger has a ticket and I assume the fine for no ticket is significant. I am so used to the East Coast transit systems and this was a pleasant surprise which is much easier to access and provides a nicer view. It also reminded me of my trips to Helsinki in the 80's. Of course this connection is not surprising considering the Scandinavian influence in MN. That influence also carries over to the bike and pedestrian friendly downtown and greenways. The indoor skyway paths connecting buildings are also great.
Being in a downtown area without a car means that I am getting in some significant steps and good walking exercise. In addition to locating the brand new Whole Foods and exploring the Thursday Farmers Market at Nicollet Mall, I found a great little cafe that has lots of organic items and is gluten free friendly. It is called Peoples Organic Cafe and it is in the lobby of the IDS building. I also took a lunchtime walk to the Sculpture Garden to complete the Fourquare City of the Lakes badge.
So who attends GHC? Well, it sold out a few weeks ago and it was announced that there were 4800 attendees representing over 300 companies and over 400 academic institutions. Also over 50 counties are represented. There are paper and poster sessions, technical presentations, career advancement discussions, and exhibit booths as well as a job fair - and not just for recent graduates. Of course no conference would be complete without some social events.
The few Fedora stickers and remaining window clings that I brought with me went fast at the FOSS booth so there is nothing left for OpenSource Day on Saturday.
-SML
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Red Hat Instructor Awards 2013
Congratulations to my fellow Red Hat Instructors.
http://servicesblog.redhat.com/2013/09/17/red-hat-training-recognizes-its-top-north-america-instructors/#more-1228
I enjoyed the Red Hat Training Partner and Instructor conference this year. I always learn something new and have a great time conversing with the curriculum team, exam team, and my fellow instructors. This year had an added surprise.
-SML
Saturday, August 31, 2013
GHC 2013
At the beginning of October, I will be attending the Grace Hopper Celebration for the first time. Last year I made it to the Saturday Open Source Day but I had work conflicts and was very sorry I missed the main conference and its Security Track. This year has a lot of Big Data topics.
I almost forgot that the Open Source Day requires a separate registration but I made it in time to help out with the OpenStack project.
Want to attend? Check these links:
http://gracehopper.org/2013/
http://gracehopper.org/2013/conference/grace-hopper-open-source-day/
-SML
I almost forgot that the Open Source Day requires a separate registration but I made it in time to help out with the OpenStack project.
Want to attend? Check these links:
http://gracehopper.org/2013/
http://gracehopper.org/2013/conference/grace-hopper-open-source-day/
-SML
Friday, August 16, 2013
Fedora Badges
I just signed into Fedora Badges. Let's see what I can collect!
https://badges.fedoraproject.org (user:laubersm)
-SML
https://badges.fedoraproject.org (user:laubersm)
-SML
Friday, November 2, 2012
Fitbit and Linux
I have had a FitBit Ultra for a couple of months. It is rather addictive to watch the number of steps taken and floors climbed. It is also compelling to get in just one more floor and the next floor badge for the day. There are a few technology challenges for me though...
*It requires Windows or OSX to setup the device and to sync the device. Neither of these generally reside in my house and they definitively do not travel with me.
*The ultra syncs wirelessly to the usb base attached to a machine running the fitbit software - again Windows or OSX - which uploads the data to the server.
*The information can be viewed from any web browser and also from the IOS and Android apps.
The newest FitBit products include bluetooth 4.0 direct syncing support and I cannot wait for mine! But meanwhile...
I want to sync through my Linux box. After some investigation I found a couple of projects to support this. The software cannot yet setup a device but it can sync the data. I have been following the discussion and comments at
http://www.paulburton.eu/2012/07/announcing-fitbitd/#comment-3404
Here are the steps from my adventures with syncing my fitbit using my Fedora 17 system...
1. get the source code
2. try compiling... discover a number of -devel packages that I needed to install
3. hit the wall mentioned in other comments... the need to update mxml to 2.7 when the package is not built for Fedora 17
4. grab the mxml-2.5 SRPM from fedora and the mxml 2.7 source tarball from:
http://www.minixml.org/software.php
5. review the fedora patches to 2.5... concur with other comments that patch1 is already implemented upstream and can be removed from the SPEC file. Recreated the patch0 for no-rpath - trusting there is a reason for this... And, finally, updated the SPEC file (version, release, changelog), build the packages, and install. Easy.
6. Once I had all the -devel packages I needed installed and the mxml updated, the fitbit source compiled and installed easily.
There is a reporting issue though - the basic steps, floors, etc get reported but they are missing timestamps so the graphs no longer work and you cannot record activities including sleep. Apparently it used to work and now it doesn't. There were changes on the FitBit end around the end of August. I was hoping the data would resync the past 7 days when I got home and put the base back on the windows box but no luck.
I have wanted for some time to learn more about Fedora Packaging and this could be a package set I am willing to maintain... if the timestamp issue gets resolved. It is not worth it without that fix. There are several components to the source that I expect to have to split to multiple packages to meet the Fedora guidelines but the only licensing info I see is a GPL3 so that looks good.
The other potential "project" is to use this device as an example in security training. The device needs a udev rule for dbus communication and the sample is very wide open. I have not scanned yet, but among my research for a linux client, i learned the itt apparently sends much data plain text. And what about containing the daemon in its own SELinux context? That would be fun too.
I am looking forward to the "coming soon" android app to go with my "shipping late Oct" FitBit One as a replacement. The only bluetooth 4.0 device I have is an android so I have to wait on that software but then I will finally be able to turn that win box back off. I use the win box only for syncing the fitbit and backing up the ipad.
-SML
*It requires Windows or OSX to setup the device and to sync the device. Neither of these generally reside in my house and they definitively do not travel with me.
*The ultra syncs wirelessly to the usb base attached to a machine running the fitbit software - again Windows or OSX - which uploads the data to the server.
*The information can be viewed from any web browser and also from the IOS and Android apps.
The newest FitBit products include bluetooth 4.0 direct syncing support and I cannot wait for mine! But meanwhile...
I want to sync through my Linux box. After some investigation I found a couple of projects to support this. The software cannot yet setup a device but it can sync the data. I have been following the discussion and comments at
http://www.paulburton.eu/2012/07/announcing-fitbitd/#comment-3404
Here are the steps from my adventures with syncing my fitbit using my Fedora 17 system...
1. get the source code
2. try compiling... discover a number of -devel packages that I needed to install
3. hit the wall mentioned in other comments... the need to update mxml to 2.7 when the package is not built for Fedora 17
4. grab the mxml-2.5 SRPM from fedora and the mxml 2.7 source tarball from:
http://www.minixml.org/software.php
5. review the fedora patches to 2.5... concur with other comments that patch1 is already implemented upstream and can be removed from the SPEC file. Recreated the patch0 for no-rpath - trusting there is a reason for this... And, finally, updated the SPEC file (version, release, changelog), build the packages, and install. Easy.
6. Once I had all the -devel packages I needed installed and the mxml updated, the fitbit source compiled and installed easily.
There is a reporting issue though - the basic steps, floors, etc get reported but they are missing timestamps so the graphs no longer work and you cannot record activities including sleep. Apparently it used to work and now it doesn't. There were changes on the FitBit end around the end of August. I was hoping the data would resync the past 7 days when I got home and put the base back on the windows box but no luck.
I have wanted for some time to learn more about Fedora Packaging and this could be a package set I am willing to maintain... if the timestamp issue gets resolved. It is not worth it without that fix. There are several components to the source that I expect to have to split to multiple packages to meet the Fedora guidelines but the only licensing info I see is a GPL3 so that looks good.
The other potential "project" is to use this device as an example in security training. The device needs a udev rule for dbus communication and the sample is very wide open. I have not scanned yet, but among my research for a linux client, i learned the itt apparently sends much data plain text. And what about containing the daemon in its own SELinux context? That would be fun too.
I am looking forward to the "coming soon" android app to go with my "shipping late Oct" FitBit One as a replacement. The only bluetooth 4.0 device I have is an android so I have to wait on that software but then I will finally be able to turn that win box back off. I use the win box only for syncing the fitbit and backing up the ipad.
-SML
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