"Back to the working world..." written by Jim on estrip.org

Category: work

11/05/07 02:17 - 46ºF - ID#41986

Back to the working world...

God damn do I have a lot to do this week. All my wonderful plans for trying out some of the new tools and techniques I learned over the weekend have suddenly been crushed by an onslaught of overdue work. Overall it really sucks that I've gotten involved in a ton of small websites, it really kills me to have to do tech support for them - death by a thousand underpaid cuts. Only big projects, with actual budgets and contracts from now on. I swear.

I am looking forward to going to Roswell tomorrow, I finally have an idea of how to create a test harness for my order management system so that I can make changes without causing regression and breakage. It's been sucky to work without the testing tools that I've grown so dependent on. Testing is so awesome, such a confident way to move forward. You end up testing everything anyway, so to do it in an organized fashion actually takes less time then manually verifying that nothing breaks after each change.

Permalink: Back_to_the_working_world_.html
Words: 176
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: ruby

11/04/07 07:11 - 44ºF - ID#41979

Super Happy Weekend

We're on our way back home from my Programming Conference, and it was so awesome, I'm just blown away by all the smart people. The sessions were so good, and I'm sad I had to miss out on some of the ones that I couldn't make because of choosing other talks. I won't bore with the details (I do that enough already), but I can't wait for next year!

Permalink: Super_Happy_Weekend.html
Words: 69
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: ruby

11/03/07 11:13 - 48ºF - ID#41967

Ruby Conf 2007 Keynote

Matz

Getting rid of Matz (MRI at least)

Ryan Davis

Koichi

Chad Fowler

David Allen Black

Permalink: Ruby_Conf_2007_Keynote.html
Words: 28
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: ruby

11/02/07 11:52 - 43ºF - ID#41951

Ruby Conf 2007

Matz's Town Hall Meeting

Agenda

(e:James)

Downtown Charlotte

450 Programmers: 446 Male, 4 Women

WTF vs Clarity, Integrity, Proportion

Permalink: Ruby_Conf_2007.html
Words: 29
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: politics

10/31/07 04:34 - 64ºF - ID#41908

Summary of Presidential Candidates

Mitt Romney - Skeevy say anything salesman. No principles.
John McCain - Past expiration date. Compromised.
Rudy Guiliani - One trick pony. 911. 911. 911. Loony.
Mike Huckabee - God fearin' corporate hatin' no chance in heck.
Fred Thompson - Talks about the Soviet Union. Tired.

Hillary Clinton - Quintessential politician. Blah. Untrustworthy.
Barack Obama - All hat no cattle? Doesn't have enough experience.
John Edwards - Perpetual also-ran. Sad little boy aura.

I'd take any of the Democrats over any of the Republicans though.

jason writes at 11:57:45 11/01/07 - Comment #27327: Oh my lord. You're right, Mahmoud would roll her over.

joshua writes at 11:22:15 11/01/07 - Comment #27324: Democrats "sticking up for the little guy" is a complete and utter fallacy. Union politics in the DNC died along with Dick Gephardt's previous attempt to win the presidency.

Hillary did horrific in last nights debate - check out the fallout. :::link::: Personally, I'm enjoying it. Apparently one of her supporters said on a conference call (with media present, mind you) that Tim Russert "should be shot." Hillary doesn't get beneficial media coverage and is forced to answer a tough question, which she clearly wasn't prepared to do since she's always been handled with white gloves, she proceeds to lay an egg and her campaign go berserk and cry foul. This is why I hate the Clintons with a seething rage at times - who the fuck do they think they are? If you can't answer a tough question when debating fellow liberals, am I really supposed to trust her to make the tough decisions against the likes of Iran? I think not.

museumchick writes at 10:36:44 11/01/07 - Comment #27323: That sums them up perfectly, honestly.

I don't really want to vote for any of them- but I guess I will go with one of the democrats.

jason writes at 10:18:37 11/01/07 - Comment #27319: But Clinton is going to win the nomination! Too many fanboys and fangirls to compete, I'm afraid, not to mention oodles of cash to issue propaganda.

I don't really think any of the (D) candidates have what it takes, and I'm not really 100% confident in what the Republicans have to offer, either. I still think Romney is the best of the bunch on their end. Ron Paul is good in theory (anti-war triggering loving affection from lefties) but he is not at all practical. Wait till you guys get a taste of his stance on Roe, and what role he thinks government should play in our lives.

Really, I think with the media culture being the way it is, and with piss poor journalism, life-ruining and rumor mongering being the theme of the day, I'm not really all that surprised that people might not be willing to give it a go.

jim writes at 09:01:44 10/31/07 - Comment #27305: Kucinich self-admittedly communes with aliens - 'nuff said!

libertad writes at 06:57:44 10/31/07 - Comment #27297: Clinton is atrocious. I like agreeing with people on both sides about that one.

libertad writes at 06:55:15 10/31/07 - Comment #27296: what about Kucinich. what is your summary on him?

dcoffee writes at 05:49:04 10/31/07 - Comment #27286: I grudgingly registered as a Democrat so that I could vote in the Primary. if you know me, you know that I _HATE_ the two party system. I've been a Green since I was 18. Voting almost exclusively 3rd party every election is my protest to say the system is broken. What we NEED is Ranked Choice Voting, aka Instant Runoff Voting, and we need to abolish or subvert the Electoral College. This year, the primary is too important to miss, and if you're not registered you only have this weekend to get in on the primary, unless you've never registered before.

Anyway, I'm glad you know a bit about the conservative candidates, all I know is they're just trying to out neo-con each other. Except Ron Paul, he's the only Republican running. Which brings me back to the 2 party system, do Ron Paul and Rudy Gullianni really belong in the same party? Goldwater and Bush?

as for the Democrats. in my book, Kucinnich and Obama are tied for first, Edwards and Chris Dodd are tied for second. Hillary Clinton scares me, I really hope she doesn't win. She has too many rich friends, she won't be able to stick up for the middle class because it will piss off the people who financed her campaign.

jim writes at 04:53:07 10/31/07 - Comment #27283: Not anymore.

jason writes at 04:45:24 10/31/07 - Comment #27281: Is there anyone in particular you are supporting in the primary?

Permalink: Summary_of_Presidential_Candidates.html
Words: 82
Location: Buffalo, NY

10/31/07 04:07 - 64ºF - ID#41905

On My Way Tomorrow

Heading out for my programming conference. I'll post some photos but will try to restrain my geekish enthusiasm.

I also finished up the WNY Ruby web site and posted it last night. So yay! One thing off my plate.

Permalink: On_My_Way_Tomorrow.html
Words: 41
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: 10 things

10/29/07 10:41 - 53ºF - ID#41874

10 Things I Like About Leopard

Mac OS X Leopard

10. Better Ruby on Rails support.

9. Finally compiled FreeImage just now.

8. Feels smoother / starts up faster.

7. Spotlight works now. (Too slow/wonky before)

6. Got to geek out with Paul installing it.

5. Multi account iChat.

4. New 3rd party apps coming out soon (Delicious Monster, TextMate 2)

3. Spaces.

2. New Terminal with tabs and more.

1. Consistent Polished UI (once dock is moved to the side).

Permalink: 10_Things_I_Like_About_Leopard.html
Words: 64
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: programming

10/29/07 09:51 - 53ºF - ID#41868

RubyConf

3 More days!!! I know I've posted about going before but I'm just really excited and am posting again.

I leave Thursday afternoon to go to RubyConf, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. (e:James) is coming to lounge pool side while I soak in the knowledge.

Permalink: RubyConf.html
Words: 51
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: work

10/29/07 02:09 - 50ºF - ID#41861

New Plan

So, this is what I'm discovering I should do: if my clients don't buy a support contract, then they don't get support.

Right now I get called all the time and people expect me to drop everything for them, but I can't handle half a dozen clients needing fixes every week and still get my new projects done which pay my bills. Plus there's 3 or 4 days a week that I can't do anything at all for them during the day (on-site work somewhere else), so I have to sacrifice my evenings for free.

I should have got an MBA instead of learning how to program, because all the business stuff is hard to manage then the coding. Or maybe I just need a secretary, an accountant, a sales team, and a designer. And as I was telling Paul, a Xanax prescription.

Permalink: New_Plan.html
Words: 141
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: estrip

10/28/07 07:49 - 46ºF - ID#41850

Party

So, I really am craving pumpkin seeds after last night. I need to find more pumpkins to ~~carve~~ gut out. I had a great time otherwise too! It was good to see all of you :) I forgot to bring my camera though, so I have nothing much to post.

I'll be setting up a November (e:strip) dinner or some such thing in a couple weeks, trying to get it earlier in the month so as not to be too close to Thanksgiving. How would you all feel about a pot-luck at 24 Linwood? If the boys there would be willing, that is. Not such a drunken all night affair as last night, but dinner and conversation and slightly less scandal.

carolinian writes at 09:59:56 10/28/07 - Comment #27105: My birthday's on the 17th, if some random excuse for a party is needed.

mrmike writes at 09:42:44 10/28/07 - Comment #27102: Jim, I'd be down with that

drew writes at 09:11:47 10/28/07 - Comment #27096: I have already sung the praises of Google's set of stuff, including presentations.

tinypliny writes at 09:08:38 10/28/07 - Comment #27095: I admit I have correction fluid OCD. That phrase should read: MS wields its POWER to hold you at gunPOINT

tinypliny writes at 09:05:59 10/28/07 - Comment #27094: It drives me crazy that macsters have such cool options, and yet converting to mac is like facing a desert with a few oases of software development.

Powerpoint is more like MS wields it POWER to hold you are gunPOINT. :/ It's detestably clunky, only its newest versions have soft shadows, its animations don't work across different versions. It's hideously out-of-sync with OpenOffice Impress.

I need to give so many presentations in the future, I don't think I deserve this constant wrestling in the mud with clunky monolithic software. So as I was telling you, I am trying to move to Dave Raggett's Slidy :::link:::(1) or perhaps, Operashow, since Opera is my favourite browser. :::link:::

But I fear that my presentation venues might not even have heard of Opera and using HTML for slides might be perceived as uncool. I don't know. I am confused. I don't have the means or the willpower to become a macster overnight, but I don't want to continue with the tyranny of Gunpoint. :(

drew writes at 08:46:04 10/28/07 - Comment #27086: (e:janelle) and I love potluck

jenks writes at 08:40:18 10/28/07 - Comment #27084: I will come only if there is promise of MORE scandal, not less. I needs me some new drama!

jim writes at 08:16:37 10/28/07 - Comment #27078: I've been thinking about your question last night, and unfortunately haven't come up with anything. I have used Keynote just a couple times, and Powerpoint never. I really don't give many presentations. I wish I could help you escape from Powerpoint!

tinypliny writes at 08:14:56 10/28/07 - Comment #27077: Oh, and since even stalkers need to apologize at times, I need to apologize for hounding you with arcane questions when I could clearly see that you were tired! Sorry!! I didn't mean to be so pesky! I just thought the knowledge might be transferred to me via osmosis rather than speech. ;)

james writes at 08:13:49 10/28/07 - Comment #27076: oh, I will bring a dish to the potluck. But I am also bringing a scandal casserole!

tinypliny writes at 08:10:33 10/28/07 - Comment #27074: I missed the pumpkin seeds. :(( Don't you have any left for your No. #1 stalker??!

Would the potluck be a weekday or a weekend? If its a weekend, maybe I can cook on the premises <tiny>(and make another attempt at taking over the gorgeous kitchen)</tiny>. Hehehe