Pauls Rants and Revelations

The more I work with the Prototype and Scriptaculous library, the more I like programming. For instance, we have a fairly decent size (for me) project for a client who wants a nifty front end for their project manager. Using the prototype framework made everything so much easier that I was almost ashamed I didnt jump on the bandwagon earlier. And the whole thing is set up so that I wouldn’t even have to submit the forms (the forms are targeted to a JS call)  except for that it has to work with the companies CMS.

Even though I like it a lot it still a learning project. I’m a little peeved that its taken me this long to get the project this far but at least next time it will be easier (and since I can just copy the code, dev time would be a fraction).

OK. Have to finish this stuff now as the project is like a week late.

-Cheers

Well, my wife came back early from her excursion into prospecting with a small rash, slightly smelly, and a few gold flakes that you can only see when you hold the bottle at the right angle. She said it was fun but that she didn’t really want to go camping again any time soon so now I have to think of something else for her birthday.

In other new, we are going to be moving into a larger place in a few weeks which, to those who have seen my current place, is a vast improvement.  I’ll take pictures because its always interesting what you find when you move; like a movie under a couch or, more likely, the source of that smell that started a few weeks ago (those with children know what I mean).

Other than that it started monsooning here so archery practice was canceled. Bummer. At least it didn’t start the moment I got to the range, then I would have been super pissed.

-Cheers

Its confirmed. I married a gold digger.

Some have already asked me “Aren’t you upset that she only wants you for your money?”

To those people I say “What are you talking about???”

Perhaps I should clarify a few things. My wife and 2 of her sisters went up to the mountains this weekend to go prospecting for gold in a creek (Yes, people still do that). At first I was like “Why?”. It sounded interesting, if a bit odd; at which point I remembered that I am in the SCA and routinely engage in “odd” activities. Anyways, she is up there now churning through silt and rock looking for the elusive nugget that will bring in tons of money. For her sake, I hope she finds some. She’ll probably be really pissed if she doesn’t come away with anything. Even dust I think would justify the trip for her.

As for me, I’m taking the kids this weekend and we’re going to go to grandmas house tomorrow and probably have a picnic on Sunday or go visit the folks at archery practice. Who knows.

Oh, on a side note; my son graduated pre-school today. It was a bit weird as he is just going to go back on Monday (as is most of the kids in the class) but I guess good for them as it gives them a feeling of accomplishment. Although I personally think they were more interested in the post-graduation ice cream party part than the accomplishment part.

-Cheers

In case you were living under a rock for the last few years, a somewhat much anticipated movie’s just come out. Reno 911! Miami The Movie is available now.

But if you are looking for a taste of what its about, the site has a synopsis and a few fun games for your enjoyment. The one I liked the best was the shooting range. You get a few seconds to view the scene and try to hit the bad guys blindfolded. I scored pretty well (only mistakenly killed 2 officers, a priest and a clown) but probably could have done better. They start you (yes, start you) with a .44 Magnum and it just goes up from there. I ended up with a rocket launcher at the end and set the whole city ablaze (which was pretty nifty).

I’m a fan of the show and am pretty anxious to see the movie. In the movie, there are a group of terrorists that bother folks at a police convention in Miami, and the Reno 911 gang are called in to save (sorta) the day. As the site says, “They aren’t the best, but they’re all we’ve got”. If you haven’t seen the show, then you should download a few episodes from iTunes before checking the movie. It will make it that much more funny but the movie is good on its own.

If you’ve already seen it, comment and let me know what you thought. You can check out the DVD site for more info, and of course play the other games.

-Cheers

Well, no events for me really. I totally forgot about my wifes plans to go prospecting with her sisters this weekend so I am staying at home (an SCA event is really not a great place for kids, especially at night).

If she finds gold she says she’ll share, but she’ll probably hoard it under the bed or develop gold fever or something. At least it will be something to write about.

-Cheers

No, I’m not announcing I got burned (either literally or figuratively). I am speaking about USA Network’s Burn Notice, a new show airing soon.

The plot is this: a CIA agent is fired from his secret agent man job. I know; sounds a bit out there (and probably is) but really, give it a shot first.

I try to imagine what I would do in that situation. I mean, or course, not get into the situation in the first place. But if it happened, what would I do? Private eye? No, too many cliches. Hitman? Naw, to much working with people. Hmmm…

I have it! I’d be a janitor in an office building. No really, think about it. They are allowed free access throughout the building day or night, can open any door, raid any petty cash box, plant evidence, black mail people for the fun of it, surf the net, whatever. And if anyone blamed me, I could kill them really easily and… you guessed it, frame someone else for it.

Ah well, as fun (or not) as that sounds, USA Network’s Burn Notice does look like it will be a decent show. Check it out if you get a sec. And if you don’t think being a janitor would be groovy, comment about what you would do.

-Cheers

My co-worker is taking a week off from work to go on vacation. He decided to go to Hawaii which is kind of a cop-out, in my opinion. Its like saying you go to Starbucks for coffee. Anyway, in between being annoyed with having to do all the crap work I usually shove his way, I got to thinking about my own vacation (or, at least what I would do if I took a vacation).

Hawaii sounded interesting, so I started looking at the kona vacation rentals to see what’s out there. Some of the rentals are a bit pricey (around $500 per night for the cheap one) but you are getting to live in a really nice house for awhile, so it might be worth it. At least once before you die.

If I was going to Hawaii though I would probably want to go to the big island. Or perhaps Oahu and visit Pearl Harbor (not to mention the surfing in Honolulu). One of the smaller islands I think might be best since Kona is on the west of the big island and probably busy. Vacations are supposed to be relaxing you know.

If anyones been (or lives) in Hawaii please leave a comment about nice places to visit. And if anyone out there says $5000/night is cheap, them please call me as I have a wonderful ramshackle cottage you can rent.

-Cheers

In an age of the “sensitive male” movie character (gag me), it is in the past that we must look to in order to find the brutish, suave, and downright bad ass movie men that are not only entertaining, but idolized by men for their rakish ways.

So here I present, in chronological order, the greatest movie bad-asses of all time (so far, at least). (more…)

I know the motto is “Form follows function” but really this just isn’t the way most clients think about it. I mean, we, as developers have to make the thing work. That is our number one priority.

The client, more often than not, wants it only to be pretty. They want it to be this color and have these design elements and what not and if there is any money left over, make it work.

For instance, I was bidding on a project and the guy seemed fairly intelligent. I asked him questions about what he wanted the application to do and what he expected from the project and he answered them well and completely. He then asked why I hadn’t asked him any questions regarding the design of the app. I told him that “form follows function” and tried to explain that the first step was just making the thing work. Making it pretty was the next step.

He then proceeded to tell me that you dont build a car like that; that they start with sketches of what it will look like. I then told him that I am not building a car; I’m building a web app, and that if he was going to use analogy’s that he should use the correct one. The discussion disolved from there and I ended up turning down the project because I (a) dont need the money that bad and (b) would rather not have to deal with a guy telling me how to do my job.

The problem with web design, or any design, is that it really doesn’t start from sketches. It starts with a list of objectives or features. A car designer has a set or directives before he gets started on the next coupe (i.e. more streamlined, compact, low clearance, etc.). Then, taking these things in mind, starts drawing.

I know that some people will say that a comp is the first step in a new site. Wrong, says I. What if the client comes back 2 days before the site is to go live (and you know they will) and says that they want to take out this or that bit of functionality. Not only do you have to change the application, but the design as well.

The first thing one should do, as the motto goes, is make it work first. After that is locked in, then hand the list of functions, button names, desired colors and what not to the designer. That way they have a solid foundation to work from without fear that the nice bar at the top wont eventually be cut out (an exaggeration, but not far off).

Point being, for those dealing with clients, tell them that you can’t build a skyscraper without a solid foundation. And if they keep pressing the ‘design’ aspects, tell them that it will cost them more their way. If they are fine with that, please send them this way (I have some credit card to pay off )

-Cheers

Not much to report really.

Woke up. Got the kids and wife off to school and work. Worked. Went to archery practice. Did pretty well. I came home to an empty house (surprising)  and took a shower. Made some food and read. Family came home. Put kids to bed. Talked a bit with the wife and am going to bed soon.

The weird thing about today though was that it seemed to go by really quickly. I mean I flew through work and traffic and everything else. But then it stopped during practice. I really thought it was never going to end. Then when it was over it was back to my high speed day.

Maybe there was a time inversion around the archery park? Like I said, weird.

-Cheers