June 2007 Archives

I spent the majority of the weekend setting the groundwork for the work on my project. In the process I decided to make a decision that will impact the goals I set forth. Instead of using Ruby on Rails to develop the application I am working on, I've decided that I'll use Java instead. I know a lot of RoR fanboys would most likely give me a hard time over this, but in the end I decided it would be much wiser to narrow my focus and work with something I'm more comfortable with.

This decision will enable me to work faster without questioning whether I'm doing something correctly. I know that by stating, "This project is not defined and is very open-ended as to it's purpose." is going to pick up a lot of criticism. For all intents and purposes it is very broadly defined. I know what kind of functionality I intend for it to have, but I do not know the exact context in which it will be used. At this point, however, I don't believe that will be exceptionally limiting. Time will tell.

As with my decision to stick with Java - as more work is done, I expect for more of it to take shape, become more narrowed and better refined. As of today, I'm kind of glad that I have started work on it and I'm looking forward to the day when I'm ready to put it to work. A song I listen to for inspiration . . . Offspring - The Kids Aren't Alright because I don't want the chorus to apply to me

Chances thrown
Nothing's free
Longing for
Used to be
Still it's
hard Hard to see
Fragile lives
shattered dreams

Last week, while my family and I were in North Platte, Nebraska waiting for my wife's mother's memorial service, we threw around the idea of moving back there. Normally I'd have sooner stuck the barrel of a Smith and Wesson in my mouth and pulled the trigger. However I found that idea ( moving back there ) somewhat appealing for a few different reasons.

It's kind of like this post . . . as it has a few different reasons because they all depend on each other. This whole idea of moving back there came about as the wife and I sat beside the pool as the kids swam and enjoyed the sunny, warm weather. On a previous visit the idea had popped up but my wife wasn't particularly interested. I think what solidified the idea in her head this time was the fact that she was able to get a hold of and visit one of her bestest-ever friends and visit for a while.

Afterwards she had expressed her thought that perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

Remember . . . if you're gonna stash your dope . . . don't leave it in your pants for your mom to find when she does the wash.

Need to send a warm and thoughtful message? For virtually any occasion choose Someecards.

Does it really matter if Disney likes to recycle their scenes for use on other animated movies. I don't really care. Do you?

My personal best at Monkey Kick Off is 4392 meters. I bet you can't beat it.

Looking forward to a fun drive this weekend? Aside from the price of gas being a bit of a downer, you might want to avoid the 5 most dangerous roads in the world.

By now I'm quite sure you've all heard of the 11 year-old kid that bagged a huge feral pig. But have you seen how the photos were doctored to expose the claim?

Well I'm back but totally unprepared. We arrived home around 8pm Monday night. Our motel didn't have provided Internet access except for dial-up. Since I don't have any AOL accounts or anything like that ( friends don't let friends do AOL ) I missed a few days. Sorry for that. I'll be back on track by tomorrow after I've sorted through all the bills sitting on my desk at home.

Since we had to leave unexpectedly, a few of them are getting quite ripe. One thing I managed to do after putting the kids to bed is watch the anxiously anticipated finale of The Sopranos. What a let down. Seriously, I am as disappointed as I could possibly be. After being a loyal fan for so many years to be fed a crappy finale like that? I wanted drama. I wanted excitement. Granted, I was surprised . . . surprised in the same way that a sixteen year old kid is surprised when he is given an empty key chain for his birthday without the accompanying keys and car.

The season finale was entirely absent of any real creativity. If the finale was surprising at all, that's where it is . . . the fact that the episode was nothing more than fluff. I must admit, however, that Arnie predicted it right:

Likely Scenario: We have a very poorly written final, leaving many unanswered questions and lots of hope for either the return of the series or a big time movie deal.

Hats off you you, Arnie, because I actually thought there would be something of substance. As far as your justification goes - that The Sopranos has become too much of a franchise to give it up - I must admit that you are probably spot on here. What's more is that it really irritates me that David Chase would do that. I could dwell on what's to come for The Sopranos, but I won't bother with it.

In celebration of the grand finale of The Sopranos this Sunday, I've compiled a short list of Things I Found about predictions for the series outcome.

What's going to happen in the final episode of The Sopranos? Here's a few.

If you're the incredibly inpatient sort who can't possibly wait for Sunday, Shawn Wasson has got a spoiler for you that he says is, in fact, how the season will end. Robert Gillis has his own prediction. To be honest, I think he may be right, but then again most of my predictions have been wrong. So what do I know?

Another prediction of Paulie whacking Tony to be boss. I've seen a number of these predictions. Although I don't think it's that far off the mark. Yet another Paulie prediction - with a little more justification for the theory.

Professor Paul Levinson thinks Tony will survive. He's in the minority at this point. So many people are predicting that Tony isn't going to make it. ( Except me. I think he'll live, but he'll be broke and alone )

John Price has an interesting scenario that brings Tony out on top ( for a short time ) over New York and New Jersey. It's worth a look, but I wonder if one hour is enough for all that takes place.

Here's another common prediction - that Tony will flip as an informant to the FBI. I think Pat Larkin's prediction is a little off primarily for the reason that I really don't see Tony flipping like that. Granted anything can happen, but I just have this feeling that the end will be more sensational.

Sorry no post earlier today. My family and I had to make an unexpected trip back to Nebraska due to a death in the family. Most likely I'll be here for a few days. I'll try to post. We have a room with an Internet connection.

The trip up here was not very fun. Although is was sunny and what not, it was incredibly windy on the interstate making it a very stressful drive. It's late, but I'm putting a post together for tomorrow. Until then . . .

A few years ago an interesting thing happened . . . web applications started to evolve. The funny sounding technology known as AJAX became a lot more mainstream. Before you knew it all kinds of cool-looking and cool-acting web sites started popping up that collected data from here and there and everywhere in between. Interesting businesses came of age like myspace, del.icio.us, flickr, facebook and youtube and people were able to connect like they hadn't previously. People were able to submit their own content and share it with the entire world. These new Internet presences collected, organized and aggregated all that stuff like many others in the past had not. They were heralded as pioneers of a new Web.

This was called "Web 2.0". Why Web 2.0? After 2001 or so it appeared that a change was taking place on the Internet. 2001 is seen by many as when the Web 1.0 bubble burst. It was no longer about sock puppets and dot com ventures that would gobble up millions of dollars only to blow it in a few short months. Many believed the web had evolved into something that would ultimately become a platform much like we have in our desktop ( or laptop ) computer's operating system. We would no longer need proprietary software to write letters to Grandma, or call her on the phone, trade photos of the kids, or publish anything to the Internet. It would all be at our fingers and no farther away than the next .com we could type into our browser's address bar. This was because the browser would become the platform and the whole World Wide Web would be our software library.

Quite a concept. Yes? No? Some really fantastic ideas sprung up and it doesn't take much effort to reveal who the leaders of the Web 2.0 charge came to be. In doing so they have set the standard for what is becoming expected of the Web as we now know it. If your new, latest-and-greatest web idea doesn't have features like user generated content, ranking algorithms, social networking, some type of mashup, a rich user experience, blogs, wikis, and tagging then you're probably still operating at the Web 1.0 level. That's just so yesterday. And if you're not operating at that level you're also missing out on a huge demographic. If you want to attract the new breed of users you'll have to understand and incorporate Web 2.0.

Libraries have caught wind of this Web 2.0 phenomenon. They're no stranger to technology. They've been using it for quite some time to catalog, organize, and help those with low barriers of techno-frustration find what they're looking for. But really, with the Internet at people's fingertips, they don't really need to go down to their local library . . . now do they? Actually, they've come to realize they don't. And libraries realize that the Internet is their biggest competition. Not the internet as in the technology behind it, but that which makes up the Internet . . . those places we go, the websites we use to find book and movie reviews, the businesses where we buy books and music and movies and do research.

But are they really seeing the big picture? Is it just about the technology and bells and whistles or is there more to it? I know I have you all set up for a good discussion about this, but I'm just breaking ground here for my Web 2.0 / Tech Tuesday topic. Next week I'll dig a little deeper into this.

In probably the most eventful episode of The Sopranos ( this season ) I think the end has pretty much been revealed - or at least we have an idea of what's going to happen in the last episode. If you're like me and usually record episodes for your viewing enjoyment later, there are spoilers in this post.

With this episode, I can't say that I've ever been farther from what the end will have in store for us. You may as well forget anything I have ever predicted for this season. At least that's where I stand.

Obviously Phil has a hard-on for Tony's head on a platter - as well as the rest of Tony's crew. In his own words, "Cut the head off the snake." Lucky for Tony he catches word of this from his FBI friend. So naturally he decides to strike with some imported help from Italy. Unfortunately, they screw it all up and off the wrong guy.

Last week we saw Dr. Melfi speaking with Dr. Kupferberg. He told her that there was no benefit to psychotherapy with a sociopath ( namely Tony ). The topic is breached once again at a dinner party with her, Dr. Kupferberg, and a number of other respected psychiatrists. He even goes so far as to out Tony as her patient. Bad form, Dr. Kupferberg . . . bad form. Dr. Melfi reads the study and draws the conclusion that she can no longer see Tony in therapy. Of course, Tony's pissed.

With the word out about the unsuccessful attempt to strike on Phil, Tony decides to spread the word and advise his crew to go underground. They scatter. Poor Bobby. He left his cell phone in the car so he has no way to know that there's a target on him. At least he got whacked dreaming of better days in the era of old railroad times. As he's getting ready to buy a replica of The Blue Comet at a hobby shop, two of Phil's guys empty their handguns into his chest.

As Silvio and Patsy are trying to leave The Bing, two more of Phil's guys block their exit. A gunfight ensues and Silvio is left in the car, either dead or unconscious. Patsy however, gets away on foot. Tony goes home to tell Carmela and AJ ( yes he's home from the hospital, but still pretty depressed and worried about all the injustices in the world ) that they, and the rest of the family, need to go elsewhere. Although they don't have to worry about getting whacked, ( because family is never touched ) they should anyway just to be safe. We are left with the scene of Tony in a safe house, on a bed with a bare mattress, his automatic weapon that Bobby gave him resting against his chest. Aside a few of the guys from his crew like Paulie downstairs, he's alone. From what they were able to gather from the hospital, they don't expect Silvio to regain consciousness.

My prediction

Strike anything I have ever predicted in the past. AJ will never come into the family business . . . he's much too depressed. He'll probably end up in Africa as a member of the Peace Corps trying to promote peace or end world sadness or something.

Meadow will not rise to the head of the family. Who knows what's going to happen with her? I don't believe the end will even tell us anymore to figure that one out. Carmela's worst fears will be realized. She'll probably be broke and destitute for the rest of life.

I'm not sure about the rest of the crew, but Tony will probably manage to stay alive but broke and looking over his shoulder, alone and powerless, for the rest of his life. If you consider this outcome, I think it's the most possible.

Tony's always prided himself on his power. He's always in control. Wouldn't it be fitting that he ends the series at the opposite end of the spectrum?

What do you think? Am I way off base? What do you expect in the final episode?

I've thrown myself in front of the train this weekend. It's just a metaphor . . . I've decided to change the theme of this blog. So, things are going to break and fall apart over the weekend. Hopefully, I'll have it all done by Sunday night. . . . yes, you got it . . . from the random photo series . . .