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Paul's Journal

paul
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03/27/2008 23:39 #43809

You know what I hate
Category: computers
I hate programming guides with typos. I am reading Flex Solutions - Essential Techniques for Flex 2 and 3 Developers and there are typos already in one of the first scripts. Not just on typo but several in the code sample. It is so lame that no editor caught this? It appears they changed their mind on the name of some variables but never updated all of the code. I mean I don't care about typos in the text but typos in the code samples is redic.

I never write in books, ever. Like not one book I own, has any marking from me so that I can pass them on to other people, but this one hs a big fat TYPO and corrections on it now. That shoud help other people.
Its so sloppy ;(

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carolinian - 03/28/08 13:35
Rule #11: A piece of programming documentation that is 99% typo-free is 100% useless.

iriesara - 03/28/08 11:43
I could care less, well, no actually I COULDN'T care any less about code books, but I just wanted to say that I miss you my little nerd!!!
zobar - 03/28/08 09:08
Oh nice! I once got code samples for an expensive database server, direct from the manufacturer, that were entirely in French.

- Z
mrdeadlier - 03/27/08 23:43
Atta boy. The 4 of us will appreciate your grafitti I'm sure.

03/26/2008 23:26 #43802

Random photo journal
Category: photos
I took some of these pics with the iphone and some with a real camera. if find that when using the iphone I don't post mobile blogs as much because it is a gimped piece of shit when it comes to mobile blogging. Its also lack of functional bluetooth and wireless sync meaning that I sync the pics with my computer less often. Enough of that.

The Church's of the Ascension's garbage problem (e:paul,43683) is redic. What makes it worse is the amount of cardboard they throw out - have they never heard of recycling?

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I have a thing for dirty snow. I mean I think it looks cool when its all crispy and dirty, not like I want to touch it but it is fun to eat - I mean photograph.
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I had some calamari at Ambrosia on Elmwood the other day. their calamari is really one of the best in town. It beats Panos calamari 1000%
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(e:matthew) and I went up on the roof this evening when I got home from work. It is crazy how high up it is on the top landing. I can't wait to turn it into a functional porch at some point.

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On Easter my mother made wine jello with grapes in it. It looks like frozen grapes. I think it would be really pretty in wine glasses.
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For lunch we at at Zhang's on Union again. I really don't like it very much but somehow, even though no one really likes it - we keep going back. today eight of us went.

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mrdeadlier - 03/27/08 13:27
It's Izzy. He is a lousy influence on us.

03/25/2008 21:31 #43790

The death of the not phone
Category: mobile
It looks like 4 programmers left the maemo team at Nokia . Four key programmers quit at the same time. I wonder what that means for maemo

Seeing as everything is open source it will just carry on I guess. I wonder what it will mean for the supposed Sprint wimax enable not phone that is on the horizon.

It kind of makes me sad.
carolinian - 03/26/08 17:42
IMHO, Symbian's not a very good API, and neither is Gtk which, from my limited understanding of Maemo, Maemo is based on. The only surprising thing about all the other non-Qt departments getting phased out at Nokia was that it has taken as long as it has for this to happen.

Hopefully they'll start making some Qt-based tablets soon.
uncutsaniflush - 03/26/08 06:07
When I first read the subject line, I thought to myself "no oh, something happened to (e:paul) 's not phone."

I would suspect that this has something to do with the Trolltech folks. Over the years, I've heard that they don't play well with others.

03/26/2008 22:07 #43801

This is insane
Category: gangs
One time in 2002, (e:matthew), (e:terry) and I got hate crimed by this gang of central american thugs in a parking lot downtown near chippewa and elmwood. They pretty much blocked off the exit streets with SUVS and came after us with knives. Stupid (e:terry) tried to fight. I got in the car with (e:matthew) and decided it would be better to get in trouble for running them over (I really have no problem killing people trying to kill me) instead of having to get ripped apart by them. Unfortunately, (e:terry) was still out of the car. Eventually, they stabbed out all the tires as they blocked my vehicle in. Their girlfriends were screaming stop and jumping on them, (e:terry) got in the car. I honked to horn a lot.

We managed to get out one of the side exits of the parking lot and started driving into the lower west side ghetto. Of course we made it only a block with the stabbed out tires so we got out and started just running and hid in a driveway. We ended up leaving the car until the next day.

Then I read this in the Buffalo News and it just reminded me what fun that was. Apparently, they are new in the area, I wonder what would bring a gang of central americans here to Buffalo?

Police warn gang may stage rear-end collisions, assault motorists

By T.J. Pignataro - News Staff Reporter

A public alert was issued early this evening by Buffalo Police, warning that a gang could be staging rear-end collisions tonight on area roadways and then attacking drivers as part of an initiation ritual.

Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson called an emergency news conference at police headquarters just before 6:30 p.m. to make the announcement.

He said police received "credible information" late this afternoon suggesting that the initiation ritual could involve gang member recruits intentionally causing rear-end collisions and then robbing or assaulting the other driver.

Gipson suggested motorists be aware of their surroundings. If they do become involved in a rear-end collision, he suggested they drive to a well-lit area and immediately call 9-1-1 from a cellular telephone, if they have one. Gipson also suggested motorists stay in their vehicles and continue moving until police arrive.

The Central American gang involved is considered "very well armed" and dangerous. It has a history of violence in other parts of the country but is new to the Buffalo area, Gipson said.

"This is the first time we've heard of this gang making inroads into the area," Gipson said.

Gipson wouldn't provide the name of the gang so as not to give the gang "notoriety."

The gang is known to the FBI to be involved in violent activities such as murder, robbery, assault and extortion, as well as increasing involvement in retail theft, home invasions, burglaries and narcotics trafficking, according to FBI officials in North Carolina concerning the threat of the gang there in 2006.



There are lots of comments about this on topix.com

There was a link to this article in the fayetteville observer where the same thing happend , so maybe it is all fake.

Police: No truth to gang initiation ruse

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City police were swamped with phone calls Tuesday as word spread about a possible gang initiation ruse.

Word was that those wanting to join gangs would cause a rear-end collision with another car and then attack that driver, said Jamie Smith, Fayetteville police spokeswoman.

The rumor was spread by text messaging and e-mail, Smith said.

Lawmen investigated the claims but found nothing to substantiate them, Smith said.

Police believe it was an urban legend, Smith said.



But then there is this argh

Man shot after vehicle behind him flashes lights

Updated: 03/24/08 6:40 AM

A Buffalo man was shot in the leg after stopping his vehicle when another vehicle flashed its lights at him Sunday morning on West Tupper Street.

Jacob C. Burkhardt, 29, was taken to Buffalo General Hospital, where he was treated and released.

Burkhardt told police a car behind him was flashing his lights at about 5:30 a.m. He stopped and got out of the car when someone in the other vehicle, described as a black Buick with four men inside, fired at him. Police recovered seven shell casings at 291 W. Tupper St.



fellyconnelly - 03/27/08 09:03
WAIT... is this real or not? I have to tell you the first time i started reading this my eyes conveniently skimmed over the 'one time in 2002'...
mrdeadlier - 03/26/08 23:11
I've never understood why some straight men feel such intense xenophobic anger against gay men. Especially to the point of what you described above. (Holy crap, by the way!)
jon - 03/26/08 22:34
Yikes!
fing - 03/26/08 22:30
Holy shit Paul! That is so crazy. I was just reading this on the Channel 2 website.

03/26/2008 21:00 #43799

Linwood Home Tour
Category: linwood
The other day (e:matthew) and I had to come up with a description for our house for the Linwood home tour pamphlet. Here it is. Bear with me it is kind of pretentious but it kind of requires that, you should read Old House journal.

The present owners of twenty-four fell in love with Linwood Avenue after renting an apartment on this historic street back in 2003. Besides having to remove three tons of trash and debris, the house, which differs little from its original form, is a preservationists dream.

This former parish house was constructed by the Church of the Acension in 1898, and housed priests and their families until the late 1980's after which it was used as additional office space by the church. It remained property of the church until 2000, and was bought by the current owners in 2006.

In true late 1890's style, the house boasts an eclectic mixture of architectural features, including elements from shingle style, Queen Anne and colonial revival. The horizontal appeal of the house makes it feel big and important, while the impressive thirty-foot high roof and its six dormers draw the eyes upwards.

The house boasts forty oversized, double-sashed windows, which lets in copious amounts of natural light from sunrise to sunset. The large brick and brownstone porch with intricate wood detailing and formal columns is one of the owner's favorite late afternoon retreats.

Upon entering the large oak door, one passes through the vestibule, with built in boot box, leading into the great hall. While divided by another heavy oak door, the two rooms are visually united with matching oak paneling granting a sense of continuity to the visitor.

Once inside, the first glimpse of the hall is the six foot wooden mantle with original tile and marble surround. Can you believe this entire room and staircase was covered in indoor/outdoor carpeting? To the right, the grand staircase spills out onto the floor leadings to the upper stories with six bedrooms and two bathrooms while passing by the first landing settle.

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When the current owners took possession of the property, the staircase had commonplace modern bathroom installed underneath. Luckily, the previous owners had taken care not to damage the original woodwork too severely during installation.

To the right of the fireplace is the entrance to the side parlor. This room boasts original French doors, two large windows, and its own cozy fireplace, which is currently under restoration.

The dining room and formal parlor, like all formal rooms, are separated from the hall by fully functional, six-inch thick pocket doors - allowing an open feel with the option for privacy. Both rooms are drenched in natural light from the prominent bay windows, giving an unobstructed view of the neighboring courtyard.

The dining room, which has its own fireplace with marble and tile surround, is connected to the kitchen by a swinging server's door that allows easy access between both rooms.

The formal parlor with its 1894 pump organ and antique furniture certainly finish the room with a nostalgic charm.

Besides updating the kitchen most future renovation plans are exterior in nature and include painting the house a period appropriate, natural green color scheme this summer and restoring the front second story and rear porch off the French doors.
fellyconnelly - 03/26/08 21:49
excellant description!