Runester

A brief update …

First, this week has really flew by! I’m not kidding … well, that can only mean good things. When there is a lot to do, time flies as opposed to when I am bored and it drags. This week has, apparently, been pretty busy.

I am falling a little behind in my work related scripting. I got one very large project done but still have three or four more, and some are just complex enough to take me the better part of a week. Anyway, that’s one of the reasons I love my job! I love scripting, and here they are giving me full leave to script my heart out and get even more kick-ass at it as I go.

Some weblinks of note

• Advantive discussion lists, especially the Jown Audette’s Sweet 16

• Karen’s Power Tools, Karen is a long time software developer that shares some of her VB apps for free, and has a very popular newsletter, as well. Check out her apps, they really do kick ass and “free” is the best price of all!
• Interested in a computer / software related blog, itself full of interesting links to related sites all over the web? try Stevland’s Super Fast Computer
• Here’s something I just heard about, and Lisa did the research on, Star Island Day Trips, a scenic island with 19th century hotel up in Newhampshire.

I’d also like to plug some extremely usefull software that I actually use myself.

• Checkout Clipboard Buddy from iQuestoft-Online

• How about the single greatest text editor / programmers tool ever created? That must be UltraEdit 32
• Here’s one of the most useful card-index / outliner type tool ever (I’ve been a huge fan for years), WhizFolders
• And, finally, here’s a little gem of a program that addresses it’s given task with perfection … Kana Reminder from KanaSolution Software

This last Sunday, Lisa & I went to see “The Hulk.”

I have mixed feelings about this movie. The director (Ang Lee) wanted the characters to be fully fleshed out, 3-Dimensional, and complex. So, the first 2/3 of the movie moves slowly with lots of dialog, introspection, flashbacks, etc. The people who were hoping for smash-em-up action find all this boring. The second half of the movie includes the combat and this big chase with the USAF firing rockets and such at a bunny-hopping Hulk. The people who were really getting into the characterization and the plot find the end cartoonish and boring! This really feels like it will piss-off both groups.

I hope the movie does well, it means more comic-2-movie adaptations … But, I’m not going to rush out and see this one again.

Hey! Notice that I’ve posted a picture album of the trip Lisa and I took in Salem, MA. The link is over to the left, but I’ll put one here for you really lazy people … =|8^)

Salem Trip, Picture Album

Why a Blog? (Web Log)

Hmm, well for several good reasons. First, I have maintained a personal website for years, and the greatest problem I’ve always had was keeping it current and making it useful. A Blog addresses the first if not always the last! Second, many, many people are using Blog’s and they seem to be a meaningful and useful tool for millions … who am I to disagree out-of-hand? So, I’ll use this tool as long as it serves it’s purpose.

OK, then why use Blogger.com?

Well, I first looked at client-side software like Metateque, which has lot’s of really nice features. Unfortunately, I use three different computers during any week. My home computer, my work computer (one of several), and my girlfriends computer. I’d like a solution that did not rely on me using one particular computer. I’d also like to be able to update my Blog while traveling or visiting friends. These requirements rule out any client-side software.

Next, I looked at Grey Matter, which is an open source web log tool, written in PERL (my favorite language)! The problem with Grey Matter, is it needs to be loaded onto your website, it runs as a CGI program on the server. I would have been able to do that on my old web host … but, I’ve moved over to Yahoo! Geocities who do not allow server-side scripts (at least for my account level).

Finally, I settled on Blogger.com because it has enough traits from all of the above to make it the most attractive choice. Like Grey Matter, it runs on an easily accessible server and not on one specific computer (like Metateque). Unlike Grey Matter, it runs on Blogger’s server and not on mine! I have no software to load, I just log onto their website and add (or edit) an entry and then publish it to my website (via FTP).

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Here is Amazon.com’s Entry

• Here is a Barnes & Noble Entry
• Here is (what I believe to be) the "Official" Harry Potter Website
• Here is a Harry Potter Blog with a special FAQ on this book.

I’ve been asked why I like the Harry Potter books, and why I would read a book written for children. Hmm, strange questions! First, if the books are good, who cares who they were written for? J. R. R. Tolkien’s "The Hobbit" and the "Lord of the Rings" series were originally positioned as "young adult" fiction. History has, apparently, disagreed.

The truth is, what first drew me to the books was the effect they were having on children and young adults. I kept on seeing them sitting quietly and reading. They wanted to read! In an era of big budget movies, 100+ channels on cable TV, 128 bit video games, and the internet … these kids were avidly reading. That sounds like a good thing, to me, and I wanted to know what was holding their attention. When I realized how imaginative and fantasy filled these books are – I was even happier with the interest they generated.

I stand by my position: Anything that gets kids to read, learn, and use their imagination is a good thing!

Some Movies I am Looking Forward to Seeing

• 28 Days Later ~ I wonder if this is based on Omega Man which is, itself, based on the book I am Legend

• The Hulk ~ Another class comic-made-movie, I really hope it does justice to this piece of my childhood!
• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ~ Not only do I get to see some of my favourite literary characters reinterpretted, but it looks kick-ass too!

… and in other news

I finally got my inspection sticker for my truck. It was no big deal! $30 in 30 minutes. This is my first one, in Michigan they didn’t require inspections or inspection stickers. They used to require auto emissions testing, but even that stopped years ago. Now I regret having put it off for so long.

I’ve finished reading What’s So Great About America? and really liked it! I was all fired up and wanted to rush out and argue with some multiculturists / leftists / liberals. Then I realized that logical arguments based on facts and reason would do me no good at all… they tend to think emotionally. <sigh>

{ Origenally entered on 17-JUNE-2003 }
Today was a good day.

I really wanted to make some progress on this project I’ve been working on, at work. I’m the new guy and feel that I still have something to prove to my team mates and management. They took a bit of a risk on me and I want to prove that I am worth every dollar they spent.

The real break throughs came yesterday evening, I had my head phone on and I was shielded from most of the "grunt work" by my 2nd shift team mates. Concentrating for about six (6) straight hours let me solve three different, hairy, problems and complete the tool I was building. This afternoon when I got to work I showed it to my mgr, he gave me the go-ahead, and then I fired it up and let it run for about four (4) hours. All 2,200 entries got processed, with very little manual introvention.

My mgr was very impressed with the tool, and the rest of the team had a chance to see what I could do. I was well pleased with their reaction.

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I am currently one chapter away from finishing What’s So Great About America? I am looking forward to reading The Power of Full Engagement next.

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I have an opportunity to GM another RPG session with my gaming group this Saturday. It’s been several months, they have probably forgotten a lot and need to be re-introduced to both the rules and the setting. I have been reading articles on how to improve adventure writing and think that I can knock together something really nice by this weekend. It’ll feel good to play again.