Things I would like to do

Learn Spanish
Learn Morse Code
Upgrade to General License
Ham Antenna on roof
Ham radio in truck
Read 1 tech chapter per day

OSX only

Im in the process of migrating from desktop WinXP Pro to OSX Laptop only. I'll have a VM running Win2K on a server for outlook/wireless sync via verizon moto q, but thats it. Fingers crossed...

Moto Q via bluetooth DUN OSX

I am posting this via Moto Q via bluetooth DUN OSX. But you already knew that, since you read the title of this post. 

book of the day? project management. chapter 3. haven't read it yet, but here goes. 7am to 8am then 1.5 hours in the gym. now im home, and going to bed with a project management book. 

the money isn't worth it. when do i get to spend it? lunch? im so busy i eat lunch at my desk.

anyway: time for bed and a chapter as promised.

Book learnin'

I've commited to um, well... a chapter a day every day. One chapter each and every day of any technical manual. Current readings vary from javascript to advanced OSX hacks to C# 2005. I feel productive and learned' when I read a chapter a day, and lazy and slackerish when I do not. 

It would be wise if I actually posted which/what chapter I read on this here interweb blog. So here goes: today I re-read the 6th chapter (OOP) of the Learning C# book. Success.

I am posting this from a Mac OSX widget. cool?

Project Truck PC

Purpose: Fast loading interface which powers on with auto start and ggracefully powers off when auto power is turned off. Serves as navigation, music, video and engine diagnostic application.

Navigation: As the defender is an off road vehicle, USGS maps will be a plus. Google Earth could work as well, assuming I can cache maps to hard drive where internet isn't available.

Music/Video: I will need to find or code a simple interface which works well via touch screen.

Camera: A back up camera is a must. Bonus points for servo mount so I can rotate camera view 360 degrees.

Engine Diagnostic: Ability to read/clear engine codes.

----------

Version 1:
Monitor: 7" Xenarc Touch Screen
CPU: PIII 700Mhz 128 Megs laptop running XP Pro. (Runs it surprisngly well!)
Needed: 4 port USB hub, video camera

Measured Progress

One of the more difficult aspects of boat maintenance is the overwhelming number of projects that need to be dealt with. Oftentimes I'll find myself in the middle of a project and in need of a tool kept in the forward tool locker. On my way to get the tool, I'll get distracted and find myself caught up in yet another task. It's very hard to stay focused on any one thing when everything around you needs maintenance in some way or another. Sometimes, projects don't even get started as Im just too overwhelmed by it all.

Im going to take advantage of this blog to document some projects with before and after shots. Hopefully it will allow me to chart my progress and to better visualize the success of my efforts.

The first documented project involves getting my solar charge controller mounted on the bulkhead. This is a very important piece of electronics: it regulates the charge coming from my Kyocera 120 watt solar panel and charges my battery array. It actually increases the effectiveness of the charge. Details here. Despite how important this device is, I've let it just sit in a jury rigged cardboard enclosure and left it somewhat exposed in the rear port bunk. The charge cables were often in the way and quite honestly Im surprised it hasn't gotten damaged. Here is the before shot: (note that mattress was recently removed from the bunk)

The cardboard enclosure was actually made from the box it shipped in, and was meant as a temporary enclosure. Well, the temporary enclosure lasted almost 3 years. To mount it on the bulkhead, I first used a plastic bag which I cut to fit the circuit board. I used electrical tape to firmly secure the plastic:

Now that the delicate electronics were properly waterproofed, I was able to use two screws to mount it out of the way in the bunk:

The cables were then mounted out of sight along the bulkhead trim. Project finished. I can now better utilize the rear port bunk, and not have to worry about the solar panel charger getting wet or damaged.

Media and Iraq

Interesting video of what the media refuses to air:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3519855663545752103

"People who have time to keep their web pages updated don't do enough stuff to warrant having a web page"-Jon Groves

a gift

C# vs. VB

Well, C# seems to have won.

sigh...

I should have just learned this from the beginning.

Mix06 Hack

Not the fanciest hack, but I noticed that if you enter a reservation ID of '1' in the Venetian Hotel in-room internet access login screen (VHIRIALS) you are identified as a test account. I've been able to avoid the daily $14.95 internet access fee this way. Since I've been here for 5 days now, it's not too bad a savings. Isn't internet access supposed to be free? No? Well, consider it a Vegas comp then.

Future Web

I've spent the past few days at Mix06 and I have to say that I've been pretty impressed. With any new technology roll out (particularly those backed by Microsoft) its somewhat fashionable to find reasons to discount its signifigance. However, I have nothing but good things to say about Microsofts Atlas (a framework for AJAX) and emerging development tools like Expression (which is certain to be a Dreamweaver/Fireworks/Photoshop/GoLive killer)

The real value of this technology will be realized if I can find ways to blur the line between desktop app and web site. My focus continues to be Web to Print, and technologies like what I've seen should allow for some amazing growth in this area.

Another realization is the need to become a project manager almost exclusively, and to help the rest of my team build the applications as quickly and effectively as possible. It's my hope that this will alleviate a lot of the stress I've been feeling as of late. Its really hard to code when the phone rings every 5 seconds, or someone is knocking on my office door, or I need to fly to a sales meeting.

4 Directions of Betterment: v1

Im growing increasingly intrigued with a simple concept of 4 directions. The concept involves both the awareness of and the intentional furthering of 4 areas of growth. I choose 4 because it seems to cover all the bases, and because I like the connotation of 4 winds or 4 cardinal directions. Plus its easy to remember.

The four directions are self, soul, community and physical. There may be some overlap, but thats cool, because they are all directions on the same plane (existence?)

Self: knowledge of the id and ones own personal and immediate concerns and security. Its ok to think of ones self interest; who doesn't think of ones own concerns? This area involves such areas of concentration as career advancement, increasing ones exposure to culture and literature, and identifying what defines you as who you are outside of the herd. Are those qualities good characteristics? What can improve?

Community: what are you doing to better the world for others? We each have an unknown number of years. When its all said and done, what legacy will you have left behind other than a landfill of discarded rubbish and an atmosphere of auto exhaust fumes? What are you doing right now to help those around you? Do your coworkers look forward to your presence at the office? Do you help those less fortunate than you? Do you give more than you take?

Soul: are you doing what you know you should be doing? are you listening to your heart? are you questioning yourself, these directions, and the emotional currents that flow within? what can be done to improve upon the ineffable intangible ebb and flow of your soul? are you moving in a positive or negative direction?

Physical: ones health and physical environment. are you going to the gym? are your workouts improving? is the house in order? are you in order?

This is a title.

This is the content. (Im testing the XLS conversion of an atom feed.)

image test:

1: from my URL:


2: from blogger upload:

Fire

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More ajax

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML

The Ten Best Ajax Links: Tutorials, Examples, and History > My Gadget Bag

Ajax Desktops


Online Ajax "desktops" try to change the rules of the game | Enterprise Web 2.0 | ZDNet.com

Haircut u bastards

Feedburner converts atom feeds to RSS. Which is why my old pinkmonkey blog is now lovingly inserted into my justinWilliams.NET developer/personal site. Im not really down with the whole Atom split off thing. RSS seems to be the standard, and with a few lines of code can be made available in an asp.net site. Big ups to the folks at feedburner for their amazing (and free) conversion service.

Very handy analysis of which web browsers are actually doing the browsing. Is it important to design for standards when IE is in fact the standard? (even though IE isn't standards compliant?)

Market share for browsers, operating systems and search engines

POCKET PC POST

am using pocket blogger to post wirelessly!

Not a lot of posting, but quite a bit of progress moving from classic ASP to ASP.net 2.0. About a month ago I finally acquired some documentation and its really helped my understanding. All new development projects are now written in 2.0

So yes: code behind. data access. master pages (amazing) and user controls. I understand it and am stoked with how easy it is. Visual Studio (at least the web express version) is really slow however. Dreamweaver is much better in terms of layout, and I miss working with split view.

All things said and done, Im feeling really good with the progress I've made.

ePrint 2006 and managed projects are the biggest things on the radar screen.