Catching up on 9 and Syncs

07/02/2024

A few months back, I worked on testing out how to really do some good security news segments on SDF, primarily, I was just hijacking the open mic slots and reading the headlines, while 
providing commentary.

As you may have read on my first (and only) phlog thread back in 2018, I've been working in this space for a few years.  I can't recall when I got my first SDF account, somehow, I was 
able to reclaim the user name years later - it's at least been 20 or so years back.  In 2018, I left my home in Appalachia to go work for NASA.  On morning, I'm running through the 
mountains, visiting a remote Yoga center in the evening and spending most of my days hiking.  To pay the bills, I worked some odd security contracts for defense contractors - it was 
interesting to say the least. I couldn't have been happier, I was barely keeping the house from sliding off the mountain, but ever day was a bit like bushcraft-techno.  In some way I 
had hit the perfect Zen ( a blend of technology and nature - to riff a bit on the Funky Homo Sapein). 

 What security contracts I worked simply paid to keep the lights on - the rest of my time  
was hiking and rafting; no one lived on the mountain above me and I only had a few neighbors.

I still work in that field, it's just a more permanent position.  So one morning I got up in the mountains - my connection was a shit 4G router some guy 
in California had juiced up the SIM chip on, and I was able to get online that way - I got a call to work on the Artemis Project.  In a few weeks, after the background checks cleared, 
I took the offer and had to leave for Merritt Island.  That little over packed island would be my home for a few years - more than a few.

Florida? I hate Florida.  I still have a house there.  However, once Artemis launched, I did the unthinkable by my friends and family - I left NASA.  Like I said, I was there for one 
rocket 
launch and to finish my contract.  By that time, SpaceX and Blue O were heating up - not to mention ULA's new launch schedule to the ISS were keeping the pad's hot.  When the day 
came, I scanned my PIV, went into the launch room and looked at all the servers I had protected through the launch.  No one got in, the rocket went up - so I did my job.

I'm not good at IT Security, just rigorous and somehow, I still maintained the ability to pay attention to the small stuff - a habit I picked up while being in the combat infantry 
(that's another 
story).

After working at NASA, I figured I had enough street creds in the industry to stay remote - so I headed back home (the other one) and took a position doing what I do.  No more 60 hour 
weeks (the limit now 
for aerospace since people were dying during Shuttle), no more scanning a card a billion times a day and going past guys with guns everyday giving you the stink eye while you work on 
a billion dollar rocket. I like guns. I 
just like to be the one who has is armed. 
... any who.

Things aren't the same, but the amount of free time gave me a chance to get back to being more creative with my time.  Plus, I missed my family and friends (yes the same one's that 
talked me into leaving in the first place).  

I don't recall when I first heard about Plan9 (remember that free time I talked about it), but it sounded almost mythical.  The thought of it reminded me of the first years that LINUX 
became a thing and when we surfed around the net on the most insecure proto of all ... telnet.  I liked those years - not just for the nostalgia - but because it was nice to connect to 
people without all the trappings of the corporate web infecting each interaction.  The idea of a distributed OS that lived anywhere you wanted to mesh it, sounded cool.  So I took 
SMJ's class for boot camp.  20 years after I heard about the thing, I finally had some time to mess with it and run it without looking like a complete idiot.  I pay for my own VPS 
9Front on SDF - plus I donate to the project when I 
can.  

ANSI C ... no idea if I'll ever get much past basic coding, debugging and looking up depends when a mkfile craps out, still, I like the idea of an OS that can keep shit simple.  

I didn't grow up on Windows, I had a Tandy.  My first 'online' experience was in the late 80's and that wasn't really a 'wide' network - just come colleges and government computer nets 
- Plan9, really 9Front, reminds me of those days and later when Perdue opened up the 'coffeeshop' on I think, port 2222.  I was on a AS400 or a VAX depending on when I could get 
terminal time in college.

And that brings me to syncromysticism.  A guy I know by the name of Chris released a book on the subject.  In it, he said life was more like string theory entanglement.  We think we 
are living an ordinary life, but we don't.  Hell, I've not ever lived an 'ordinary' life - it's sucked alot, and I was always jealous of the normies who just seemed to be content with 
the basics of living - but I wouldn't trade my life for anything.  The point of Chris's work is that life is not ordinary, there appears to be an intelligence behind how things 
function and randomness is a myth.  Syncs are more common that coincidences in his work.  I tend to believe that as well.

Life isn't normal - it's down right weird; thank God it is.

Anyway, I'm really wanting to get more in to that work and see where it goes.

Appreciate that you took time to read :)

Cheers,
D