Category: Life

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Development fun Life

The Past Weblog: My First Windows App

The original Rob Fahrni weblogrob.crabapples.net: “Back when I was a young programmer… That seems like the correct way to introduce you to my first ever Windows application. I’ve kept the code for many years, and I’ve only recently moved it from 3.5″ floppies to a CD. I was checking out the code a couple of days ago and boy have I come a VERY LONG way since that project.”

I just happened to stumble upon this post while Googling for something to use in another post. My old weblog served me well and has become a bit crufty over time. The archives still work and the site still gets quite a few hits a day thanks to Google, and a nice nine-year run. (Wow, I forgot to celebrate my 10th year of weblogging, darn.)

My work on iOS based applications reminds me of my time back in my early Windows development days. It was so exciting and new. I had so much to learn and I was excited about learning it. That’s how I feel about iOS today. It’s a very exciting time.

Anywho, the link to the code for Rob’s Tic-Tac-Toe still works.

Maybe I should do an iOS version, just for old times sake?

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Development Life

A Living Resume

Eat your own dog food.James Robertson: “One of the things I got asked about was my technical chops – since I’d been working in software promotion, did I still have any useful skills from a development perspective? Well, the blog is a living, breathing example of the fact that I know at least a few things. The code is in the public repository, so it’s easily accessible as well.”

James is a Smalltalker, and a darned good one. He not only promotes Smalltalk but eats his own dog food. His weblog is a living testament to that.

Not such a bad way to sell yourself.

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Life

Firsthand: Christchurch Quake

Layton Duncan: “From the shelter of the door frame, as the shaking became more violent, I could see the roof structure moving independent of the walls. Daylight streamed into the room as the roof moved off the walls. The noise was immediate, and horrendous. Breaking glass, bricks shifting, splintering wood. You could see out the windows the surrounding buildings rolling and moving side to side unnaturally. The walls then started to fail. First the parapets, followed by the whole east side wall. The room filled with daylight, then seconds later, mortar dust engulfed the whole room. We waited for the shaking to stop, to avoid falling masonry.”

Being a native Californian I’ve been in my share of earthquakes, but to actually watch as walls collapse? Terrifying.

Wishing the fine people of Christchurch all the best. God Bless.

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Life

Christchurch Quake

CNN: “One of New Zealand’s largest cities lay in ruins Tuesday night after a powerful earthquake killed at least 65 people, toppled buildings and left scores trapped beneath chunks of concrete.”

Of course those of us that follow someone from New Zealand heard about it on Twitter long before the news had stories. Layton Duncan lived through the disaster and has been tweeting and posting pictures and video ever since. Including a shot of his destroyed office.

Browse Layton’s pictures:

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Life

Old Fresno Brewing Co.

Historical Perspectives: [hat tip Derek Scharton]“Just as the office is a monument to a different era, the brewery that used to reside at the foot of M Street once was a vast testament to a burgeoning city. Built in 1900, it became the largest brewery in the Valley, employing 1,000 workers and pumping out enough beer to help quench the thirsts within the city’s 50 saloons.”

The Great Valley had some amazing businesses at one time. The article is beautifully written and worth a read. Make sure you check out the collection of pictures at the bottom.

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Life

Fox News makes stuff up? Really?

The Raw Story [hat tip Dusty Trice]: “A former employee of Fox News called the company a “propaganda outfit” that is determined to undermine the Obama administration and Democrats.”

This doesn’t surprise anyone of course. What is alarming is the number of people that actually watch Fox for their daily news.

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Apple iOS Life

Newspaper Publishers warn Apple?

BBC: “Apple is being warned against trying to squeeze cash out of the newspaper industry by controlling subscriptions for iPads and iPhones.”

I don’t get this at all. The newspaper publishers clearly have a choice in the matter. If you don’t like the pricing structure don’t create a native app for iOS, you still have the web. Oh, you can also give it away on Android, right? It’s pretty clear the only successful platform that supports paid applications is Apple and iOS. Android users all expect their applications to be free. Now don’t get your knickers in a twist. I didn’t say the only place to make money was iOS. Clearly some people are making money giving away their applications, but that model doesn’t work for everyone.

The choice is yours.

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Life

Stay on the Ranch

The Raw Story: “Waterboarding is torture, and Bush has admitted, without any sign of remorse, that he approved its use,” Katherine Gallagher, an attorney with the US-based nonprofit Center for Constitutional Rights, said in a media advisory. “The reach of the Convention Against Torture is wide – this case is prepared and will be waiting for him wherever he travels next. Torturers – even if they are former presidents of the United States – must be held to account and prosecuted. Impunity for Bush must end.”

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Life

San Joaquin Valley High Speed Rail

A wonderful boquet of flowers.Good: “On Tuesday, we got word that engineers at California’s High-Speed Rail Authority recommended that the first stretch of track to be laid should be a 54-mile route through the Central Valley, from Borden to Fresno to Corcoran.”

Can you say jobs? I knew you could. The one thing this will do is upset farmers. We obviously need farms and the rail infrastructure. I hope they’re able to work with farmers to get this done.

Categories
Life Social

Facebook? What’s that?

Ribbit52 Weeks of UX: “In the meantime, Facebook is the current social network juggernaut now worth 50 billion dollars and they seem to have all the momentum in the world. The question is…is Facebook bound by the same laws of physics as everyone else?”

You make the call, will Facebook survive? Each big portal before it has become immensely successful only to be replaced by the next big thing. One thing holds true, my weblog is still here and kicking even as other things go away.