Thursday, December 8, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Music to Code To - Part 2
If you actually care to read about my background in music, please check out Music to Code To - Part 1, this port is going to be primarily about the songs that I really like to code to and would highly recommend for anyone to try out.
Music to code to has to have a couple of attributes for it to be good for coding:
- It can't be too overbearing
- It has to improve thought processes
- Sometimes it needs to pull you away a little from what you are doing.
It can't be too overbearing
Overbearing music is music that does not let you put it into the background to focus more on other things. There are some caveats to this (see attribute #3), but in general good coding music can sit in the background while still providing value to the coding experience. Really good examples of this attribute are:
Allison Krauss - Maybe
I normally don't like country music, but who can argue with her voice? This is subdued enough that it doesn't get in your way. It's mellow. It has good harmonies. Even the chorus is not overbearing, it just rides along and lets you listen without putting too much though into it.
Dvorak's "From the New World" - Adagio
This just happens to be one of my favorite classical pieces of all time. It's one of the greatest pieces of music I know of to code to. It lays in the background, but peeks out at you a little bit (but not too much). It's also a nice long piece, so it can help you remain focused for a longer period of time (about 12 minutes depending on the group performing it).
Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining
The melody in this song is awesome. It flows very nicely and I even find myself humming along to it, even when I'm not really paying attention to it. It's not complicated at all, which lends itself to being in the background. I contend that strings and other classical instruments improve the minds ability (see attribute #2) and this song has both.
It has to improve thought processes
The three songs mentioned above all fall into this category as well (the last two better than the other); however, in addition, there are some songs that I will put into my playlist more so than other songs to help my mind get working. These songs come into the foreground just a little bit more than the once previous. The idea behind these songs is that they engage the mind to a point of interest, but don't take over the thought process. Trust me, this is a little bit different from attribute #1. Most of the songs in this category end up being classical songs for me.
Basil Poledouris - Hymn to Red October (Main Title)
While "The Hunt for Red October" is one of my favorite movies, that doesn't overshadow how awesome this piece of music is. The male choir at the beginning sets an awesome tone that picks up as the song goes along. A similar piece to this is "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" from the movie "Crimson Tide" (yes, I know it was around before that movie, but it is where I heard it for the first time). Both of these pieces have and ebb and flow to them in terms of intensity, which I find to be very good at getting the juices flowing in my mind.
Boots Randolph - Sleep Walk
You have heard this song a billion times. It is part of pretty much every movie that is about the 50's or 60's almost without fail. The original is by Santo and Johnny, but I prefer this version. The original is a bit more laid back (if possible) and a bit more ballad like. The nice saxophone sound on this one is enough to keep the mind going and get me hopped up a little. Before you poo-poo this song, remember the purpose of songs while coding, don't get in the way, grab interest now and then and improve the thinking. I think the instrumental nature of this song, the upbeat back tempo and the sweet sax do all those things.
Brad Mehldau - Dear Prudence
If you know me at all, you know I love The Beatles. I don't just like The Beatles all by themselves, I love their music, in many of its different forms. This is probably one of my favorite covers of a Beatles song, I think it does the song complete justice. At the same time, it definitely helps improve my train of thought with the nice slow tempo, with the clean piano over the top. It's a simple melody that is very familiar which lends itself coding very nicely.
Sometimes it needs to pull you away a little from what you are doing
This attribute brings out some harder stuff from my collection, because sometimes you need something to pull you away from what you are working on to give you a breather, but also to let you mind get free of the current train of thought.
Buckcherry - For the Movies
This is one of my old favorites, it's not too heavy, but has some spots that pull you out of staring at the computer screen for a short time. That short time of being pulled away can gear you back up for another go at the problem at hand. I find this can be like a little pep talk. Give you a little breather and let you rock out for a minute before getting back to the code.
Camille Saint-Saëns - Air et Danse Bacchanale
This is a classical song with some great parts that pull you away. Once the bells start shaking, this one gets my attention near the end. It builds up to that end very well. Some parts allow you to work through a problem and have it sit in the background, and then when you need it, it grabs you and lets you relax for a minute with some great brass and percussion.
Now, these are just a few examples of the songs I have in my coding playlists. Sometimes, I don't listen to any music at all and sometimes, I can barely function without music playing. For me, the three attributes I mention above are not always the rule either. Sometimes, I need something that will kick me in the pants while I code and pump me up a little.
What are some of the songs you code to?
Music to Code To - Part 1
I go through spurts of time where I almost have to be listening to music for the creative coding juices to flow. A great coding song is one that can sit in the background, but provide a little bump now and then. Generally speaking, classical music is great for me to code to. I received the Classical Thunder CD set when I was back in high school doing a lot of music.
I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself, so let me give you a little background on music in my life.
Music plays an important role for me, I was originally a music education major when I started college (yes, only one semester though). When I was getting ready for junior high, we had the option of taking band, orchestra, choir, or something else that I don't remember. I had done a minimal amount of singing in church stuff, but it didn't really interest me, neither did orchestra and whatever that something else was that I can't remember, it didn't seem like something I would like either. Then there was band. Both of my siblings had done the band thing in junior high. My brother played the clarinet and my sister the trumpet. I don't remember ever going to their concerts or hearing them practice, but something made me feel interested in band. The next decision was what instrument to choose. Clarinet didn't seem interesting and neither did trumpet, but trombone, now there was an instrument! I wouldn't have to worry about pressing keys! So, I put trombone down on my registration form.
I played trombone, with some success, through junior high. I played in the top groups at the school and was the lead chair in those groups. I don't claim to have been great at all. I was probably more confident than the other trombone players in my group, so I put myself out there more and tried more things. My freshman year, I decided to get into marching band. I had a blast doing the summer parade band and decided I wanted to do the fall marching band as well, even though freshmen were at a different school from the sophomore through senior students. The fall marching band was a great time and I was starting to feel like music was what I wanted to do with my life.
High school was a whirlwind of music. I continued playing in the top groups and was invited to play in the full symphony my school had. I learned more about classical music that year than I had ever known before. I had often thought that classical music was just Beethoven and Bach, which I didn't like at the time. My musical world was opened up to Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Offenbach, Sibelius and others. My sophomore year, we played Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony Finale which I still love. We did not play a watered down version of it, it was the same as in that video. I purchased a lot of classical music that year. I was also involved with the top concert band at the school, where I learned about famous march composers such as Sousa, Reed and others. I loved playing.
Fast forward to the end of my senior year. I was completing AP Music theory, playing in the Wind Symphony, Symphonic Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, a second year drum major in the marching band and also the pep band. I was accepted at Utah State University into the Music Education program. I knew what I wanted to do with my life.
My first semester of college was an eye opener, as it is for many people. On the semester system, I had 11 classes at 17 credit hours. I was learning to play piano, clarinet, flute, percussion and playing in the marching band, regular band, jazz band 2 and in the trombone choir. I took private lessons from a great trombone instructor Dr. Todd Fallis. I think that Dr. Fallis knew I was not really cut out for what I had chosen, but he didn't let on, he worked hard with me on getting better.
After my first semester, I was exhausted and was not enjoying music very much. The love of playing was not there anymore and I could see that the other trombone players were a lot better than I was. I got started into my second semester one week and decided I needed to make a decision. I wasn't enjoying the music anymore and didn't want to do it, so I looked back on some of the other classes I had taken in high school to see what else I might be interested in. I had taken only one programming class in high school, which was AP Computer Science. That was the last year they taught the class using C++, so the credit from that would get me out of the first semester of CS classes and I had really enjoyed that class. So, I went in and switched majors from Music Education to Computer Science.
The amazing thing was that I had 18 credit hours, but only 6 classes! I actually had a life. I wasn't constantly practicing or going to rehearsals and more importantly, I was enjoying music again. I continued in the CS major and received a BS with an emphasis in Digital Systems (I took some EE classes as part of the degree). I was really enjoying the classes and I was really enjoying music again. Music was still a big part of my life. My roommate was a big music person too and we shared bands and songs back and forth a lot, but it was no longer a burden.
Now that I've given the background on my history with music, in the next part I'll actually get to some of the songs that I consider essential programming music. You may understand a bit more why I choose what I choose with the background info.
I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself, so let me give you a little background on music in my life.
Music plays an important role for me, I was originally a music education major when I started college (yes, only one semester though). When I was getting ready for junior high, we had the option of taking band, orchestra, choir, or something else that I don't remember. I had done a minimal amount of singing in church stuff, but it didn't really interest me, neither did orchestra and whatever that something else was that I can't remember, it didn't seem like something I would like either. Then there was band. Both of my siblings had done the band thing in junior high. My brother played the clarinet and my sister the trumpet. I don't remember ever going to their concerts or hearing them practice, but something made me feel interested in band. The next decision was what instrument to choose. Clarinet didn't seem interesting and neither did trumpet, but trombone, now there was an instrument! I wouldn't have to worry about pressing keys! So, I put trombone down on my registration form.
I played trombone, with some success, through junior high. I played in the top groups at the school and was the lead chair in those groups. I don't claim to have been great at all. I was probably more confident than the other trombone players in my group, so I put myself out there more and tried more things. My freshman year, I decided to get into marching band. I had a blast doing the summer parade band and decided I wanted to do the fall marching band as well, even though freshmen were at a different school from the sophomore through senior students. The fall marching band was a great time and I was starting to feel like music was what I wanted to do with my life.
High school was a whirlwind of music. I continued playing in the top groups and was invited to play in the full symphony my school had. I learned more about classical music that year than I had ever known before. I had often thought that classical music was just Beethoven and Bach, which I didn't like at the time. My musical world was opened up to Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Offenbach, Sibelius and others. My sophomore year, we played Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony Finale which I still love. We did not play a watered down version of it, it was the same as in that video. I purchased a lot of classical music that year. I was also involved with the top concert band at the school, where I learned about famous march composers such as Sousa, Reed and others. I loved playing.
Fast forward to the end of my senior year. I was completing AP Music theory, playing in the Wind Symphony, Symphonic Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, a second year drum major in the marching band and also the pep band. I was accepted at Utah State University into the Music Education program. I knew what I wanted to do with my life.
My first semester of college was an eye opener, as it is for many people. On the semester system, I had 11 classes at 17 credit hours. I was learning to play piano, clarinet, flute, percussion and playing in the marching band, regular band, jazz band 2 and in the trombone choir. I took private lessons from a great trombone instructor Dr. Todd Fallis. I think that Dr. Fallis knew I was not really cut out for what I had chosen, but he didn't let on, he worked hard with me on getting better.
After my first semester, I was exhausted and was not enjoying music very much. The love of playing was not there anymore and I could see that the other trombone players were a lot better than I was. I got started into my second semester one week and decided I needed to make a decision. I wasn't enjoying the music anymore and didn't want to do it, so I looked back on some of the other classes I had taken in high school to see what else I might be interested in. I had taken only one programming class in high school, which was AP Computer Science. That was the last year they taught the class using C++, so the credit from that would get me out of the first semester of CS classes and I had really enjoyed that class. So, I went in and switched majors from Music Education to Computer Science.
The amazing thing was that I had 18 credit hours, but only 6 classes! I actually had a life. I wasn't constantly practicing or going to rehearsals and more importantly, I was enjoying music again. I continued in the CS major and received a BS with an emphasis in Digital Systems (I took some EE classes as part of the degree). I was really enjoying the classes and I was really enjoying music again. Music was still a big part of my life. My roommate was a big music person too and we shared bands and songs back and forth a lot, but it was no longer a burden.
Now that I've given the background on my history with music, in the next part I'll actually get to some of the songs that I consider essential programming music. You may understand a bit more why I choose what I choose with the background info.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Dart and the Future of Web Development
Recently Google released information about the Dart programming language. Google touts it as the best way to overcome the shortcomings of JavaScript. I agree that there are issues with JavaScript. I've seen and dealt with many issues that I've shaken my head at for the implementation decisions, or things missing from the language (need I mention automatic semi-colons?).
While I agree that there are problems with JavaScript, I disagree that Dart is the best way to solve them. In my opinion, there shouldn't be ONE specific language for the web. A common runtime that other languages could target would be great. I'm not talking things like CoffeeScript, or even Dart that compile to JavaScript. I want to remove JavaScript from the equation completely and introduce something like Mono or the JVM into the browser. I want to use my favorite language to target the web.
I've seen this idea proposed before, it is not new. Miguel de Icaza brought this up on his blog last May. The idea took hold in my head and I haven't been able to forget it since then. I think it's a great idea. No, not just great, genius.
Google is going down a similar route with NaCl, but I think they are missing the point there too.
Web development is hard. I believe it should be easier, we shouldn't have to learn new languages as developers to write for the web. JavaScript is not terrible now, but the future of web development requires something better. That something better should allow developers from all backgrounds to come to the table and contribute in a language they are familiar with. Python on the client? Absolutely. Haskell? Sure. Intercal? Why not? If it can be targeted to the common runtime, it should be available.
Google needs to go one step forward on their idea, Dart is not enough to revolutionize the industry, but allowing developers to write in a language they are familiar with and good at, THAT would revolutionize the web.
While I agree that there are problems with JavaScript, I disagree that Dart is the best way to solve them. In my opinion, there shouldn't be ONE specific language for the web. A common runtime that other languages could target would be great. I'm not talking things like CoffeeScript, or even Dart that compile to JavaScript. I want to remove JavaScript from the equation completely and introduce something like Mono or the JVM into the browser. I want to use my favorite language to target the web.
I've seen this idea proposed before, it is not new. Miguel de Icaza brought this up on his blog last May. The idea took hold in my head and I haven't been able to forget it since then. I think it's a great idea. No, not just great, genius.
Google is going down a similar route with NaCl, but I think they are missing the point there too.
Web development is hard. I believe it should be easier, we shouldn't have to learn new languages as developers to write for the web. JavaScript is not terrible now, but the future of web development requires something better. That something better should allow developers from all backgrounds to come to the table and contribute in a language they are familiar with. Python on the client? Absolutely. Haskell? Sure. Intercal? Why not? If it can be targeted to the common runtime, it should be available.
Google needs to go one step forward on their idea, Dart is not enough to revolutionize the industry, but allowing developers to write in a language they are familiar with and good at, THAT would revolutionize the web.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Developers, developers, developers, developers...
Lately I've been feeling the desire to change the way I do development. I've been using and developing with C# and .NET since pre-1.0 days (beta versions) and have stuck mainly to that set of tools for most of my development. My core development platform is Windows, but I would like to branch out. I've dabbled with Python, and looked at other languages (Go, Vala, etc), but have never made the jump to actually developing something meaningful in them. I haven't even gotten into Python enough to have written a full set of tools. In addition, I've looked at tools like Scons to replace make at work, and would love to do it, but it seems like I never get the chance to sit down and learn it and become proficient enough in it to make the move.
So, the question I pose is, how can I change my development life? I feel like I need something new. Something to keep development exciting. Just another .NET library or tool won't make the difference here. I feel too safe and secure with .NET, I need something that forces me outside my comfort zone a little and keeps me on my toes.
This is why I go through a period every year where I want to rewrite the main suite of tools I develop using C++/boost and friends. It would be something new and something that I haven't done in a while which would make me less comfortable. How do you do XML or JSON processing in C++? I don't know right now. How would I do a plugin architecture? I don't know right now. It would be the thrill of learning something again. The thrill of not knowing the answers to some questions and having to search and discover the way to do it.
I miss that right now. I still enjoy my work. I am writing both Windows apps and doing embedded development, but there isn't a lot of "new" going on there. I'd like to rekindle that by exploring new ways of developing; whether it be tools, languages or platforms.
There are so many cool projects out there, and I wish I could be part of them. I enjoy contributing and have picked up contributing a few things to a couple projects, but I'd like to start something as well. Something that would be useful to people. I guess that's the goal of most developers, providing something that is useful to someone.
So, the question I pose is, how can I change my development life? I feel like I need something new. Something to keep development exciting. Just another .NET library or tool won't make the difference here. I feel too safe and secure with .NET, I need something that forces me outside my comfort zone a little and keeps me on my toes.
This is why I go through a period every year where I want to rewrite the main suite of tools I develop using C++/boost and friends. It would be something new and something that I haven't done in a while which would make me less comfortable. How do you do XML or JSON processing in C++? I don't know right now. How would I do a plugin architecture? I don't know right now. It would be the thrill of learning something again. The thrill of not knowing the answers to some questions and having to search and discover the way to do it.
I miss that right now. I still enjoy my work. I am writing both Windows apps and doing embedded development, but there isn't a lot of "new" going on there. I'd like to rekindle that by exploring new ways of developing; whether it be tools, languages or platforms.
There are so many cool projects out there, and I wish I could be part of them. I enjoy contributing and have picked up contributing a few things to a couple projects, but I'd like to start something as well. Something that would be useful to people. I guess that's the goal of most developers, providing something that is useful to someone.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Monday, October 18, 2010
Mono.CSharp
Back in April, I read this post by Miguel de Icaza about the C# REPL (read-eval-print-loop) feature coming to MS.NET framework (previously it had only run on the Mono framework, for reasons detailed in the blog post). I was pretty excited. The feature looked really awesome when Miguel first blogged about it back in 2008 and I was pretty bummed that it was only available for Mono.
I hadn't had an opportunity to play with it as I had been pretty busy doing other stuff at work and really didn't want to touch the application that I wanted to add it to because it's pretty touchy for some reason. It's a very multithreaded application with networking, database and a bunch of other stuff, so trying to touch it can cause rippling effects. It's something I've really wanted to rewrite for a while anyway. I finally decided to implement a couple new features in the application and brave the problems that would come.
I implemented the features and it seemed like everything was working fine until the day before I went on vacation. Everything went to pot. Right down the drain. I patched up the app as best I could before I left and received some frantic pages from a colleague before I actually hit the road.
Once I got back from my vacation I set about to correct the application correctly. You know, actually implement mutual exclusion and so forth so that it wouldn't die a horrible death every couple days. I switched some of the threadpool stuff over to the new TPL (Task Parallel) that was released in .NET 4.0 and that has had a great improvement in speed, but I still wanted a way to break in and debug stuff at runtime. Enter the Mono.CSharp library.
I wrote a very simple network interface that received commands from a raw connection, would evaluate them and then print back the results to the client machine. I still have a few kinks to work out, but all-in-all the solution is AWESOME. I can now remotely login and run commands to see what is happening internally in the application. I used some of the code from the example csharp.exe that Miguel released in order to have some pretty-printing and other similar features, but nothing real intense.
If you haven't checked out the Mono.Csharp library, I highly recommend you do. It has some potential to be very powerful. MS has promised a similar feature for the next revision of C#, but you can have it now, and very easily by just using the Mono.CSharp library.
If you'd like more information about Mono, check out http://go-mono.com.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The Widow's Mite
This is a booklet that my sister wrote. She is an extremely talented woman and I look up to her. Buy lots of these, it is really good!
This is her blog. http://myamateuradventures.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 4, 2010
Boost.Spirit
I've been looking at replacing an application at work that was original written in C. The application has it's own little language for defining hardware register sets and also takes care of managing slight differences between register sets for different products. I would normally write this application using C#, but it needs to be able to run on systems that may or may not have .NET, and it is not an installed utility, but something that is checked into our source control system.
I thought originally about just updating the application to be C++ because it really is a good candidate for inheritance and polymorphism for the different register types, and having the STL is always a nice bonus for string manipulation. So, I need to write a parser. I've looked at Boost previously for other applications, but never at the Spirit library.
The library sounds really nice in theory, but I the examples for the latest version don't seem to follow the need that I have, or I am not understanding the examples very well.
Has anyone used the Qi library for writing a complete parser for a real life language? I'd like to see something like that.
I thought originally about just updating the application to be C++ because it really is a good candidate for inheritance and polymorphism for the different register types, and having the STL is always a nice bonus for string manipulation. So, I need to write a parser. I've looked at Boost previously for other applications, but never at the Spirit library.
The library sounds really nice in theory, but I the examples for the latest version don't seem to follow the need that I have, or I am not understanding the examples very well.
Has anyone used the Qi library for writing a complete parser for a real life language? I'd like to see something like that.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
I don't read backwards
I really like xkcd, the online comic strip. So, here are a couple of xkcd posts that I like. Each image is a link to the original post, which contains captions.
I feel like this every time I walk into a store and the sign on the automation door says "Automatic Caution Door"
I'm supposed to read it as "Caution: Automatic Door," but that's NOT what it says! You read left to right, top to bottom. Jerks.
I've recently converted my brother to using Python at work. He loves it. He's a pretty hardcore low level C programmer normally, but Python really hits the spot for a lot of the processing tasks that he needs to do. Plus, ANTIGRAVITY!
I like this one because it reminds me that no matter how well I think I've written a piece of software, someone always comes up with a way to break it that I couldn't even dream of.
I was a band geek in high school and I still walk in time to the music when I'm in a store. Sue me.
For all those who are still kids at heart.
I do something like this once or twice a day. Save the world with regular expressions that is.
I had a high school physics teacher who used to harp on this all the time.
So there you have it, a few of my favorite xkcd's. I don't recommend going to the site if you have important, or even semi-important things to do. I usually get sucked in pressing the "Random" link for about thirty minutes at a time. Enjoy.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Hudson
For a while at work, we've been using the Hudson continuous integration server for managing our builds. We use it in a couple different ways.
- We poll ClearCase for changes to the source, and kick off a build if there are any changes. This uses the SCM polling plug-in along with the the cron plug-in to check every hour or so to see if there are any changes. Based on the result from that SCM polling check, we kick off a bunch of other jobs that will do the actual calls to make to build our binaries.
- We have a nightly job that builds all the binaries (even if there haven't been any SCM changes) and then launches a series of sanity tests on the various platforms to make sure that the build is still "healthy."
We used to use a home grown solution that was tied very closely with make and specific options being passed, we quickly grew out of this solution.
There have been a couple of hurdles that we've had to overcome, but Hudson is extensible enough that is hasn't been too hard.
- Our SCM expert didn't like some of the ways the pre-packaged ClearCase plug-in worked, so he wrote some batch script tasks that did things the way he wanted them done.
- We wanted to keep track of the Hudson configuration in ClearCase, so that we could go back to a previous version of a job if need be. This was pretty easy for our SCM guy to implement as well. We just store the config.xml file for each job into ClearCase for each nightly build.
Hudson is one of the first open source projects I have contributed to. I wrote a simple plug-in to publish artifacts (things that are created during the builds) to a CIFS share. CIFS, for those of you who may not know, is the file system that Windows uses for sharing directories. So, to make it simple it allows files to be copied to a Windows share from either another Windows machine, or a Linux machine (or anything that jcifs works on).
Hudson is really nice. It is very configurable, and really easy to extend to implement what you need it to do. My next job at work is to try out SCons to see if it will work well as a replacement for make.
Monday, June 28, 2010
The Streamer Frock Grosgrain Giveaway
The Streamer Frock Grosgrain Giveaway
I'm posting this for my wife, she is in love with this dress. She might even prefer it to me were she given the choice to save one of us from certain death :-)
I'm posting this for my wife, she is in love with this dress. She might even prefer it to me were she given the choice to save one of us from certain death :-)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Rock Band Beatles
My family got me Rock Band Beatles for Father's Day. You may be wondering how I know this the day before Father's Day. Well, it just so happens that we are terrible with dates around here. Back before Mother's Day, I thought I had another week to get things done, but lo and behold, it was the next day. I think things turned out pretty well, considering I had to run out with the kids and find some presents. We got her a "Princess For A Day" thing at a nearby spa. A little cliché, but what you gonna do? She'll enjoy the massage and such, who wouldn't?! So, we come now to Father's Day. We all thought it was last Sunday, so the rest of the family "snuck" out of the house on Saturday of last week and went to the store and purchased some gifts. It wasn't until we went to a BBQ at my brother's house that we found out it wasn't until the 20th. My son was having a really hard time keeping secrets about what the presents were (he told me a couple times what was in a couple of them). So, they let me open some of the presents early. I was really excited about Rock Band Beatles when it came out. I _really_ enjoy the Beatles, they have been my favorite band since middle school. I only got to play it one night last week, because we had something going on every night. I played through about 10 or 12 songs and loved it. The songs are great, the guitar parts are fun to play, and the music is much better for the kids than the normal Rock Band (we really want to get Lego Rock Band for that reason). I'm looking forward to tomorrow, there is still one more present to open, and my wife is making me biscuits and gravy, one of my favorite breakfasts! She is amazing!
It didn't happen
If you remember this post, I was hoping to be back down around my low point by the summer. That didn't happen. Not even close. I am up, up, up. It's been interesting this time going back up, because I've noticed my increase in weight, and I can actually feel the extra weight on this time. Something I had never noticed before when I regained lost weight. I'm not sure what the difference is this time. Perhaps it's because I got lower than I was even in high school so the change was more dramatic, I don't know. I would really like to get back down there, it felt great. I felt the best I have ever felt. My back didn't hurt as much, I slept better, all around just a better feel day in and day out. So, wish me luck as I try again to embark upon the downward path.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
My Mom
Children don't often get the chance to tell their parents that they are proud of them. My mom has always put her heart into her work and showed me what it meant to truly do well at a job. She deserves this and much, much more.
Rolayne Day is Honored With the 2010 ACBSP Teaching Excellence Award
The Association of Business Schools and Programs proudly announces that Rolayne Day, Salt Lake Community College, in Salt Lake City, Utah, has received the 2010 Teaching Excellence Award for Region 7. The award is presented in memory of Lt. Col. Edward Ortowski. As a regional recipient, Day will now be considered for the 2010 ACBSP International Teaching Excellence Award, to be announced in June.
Overland Park, Kansas, 6, March, 2010 ¬¬--- Rolayne Day, Salt Lake Community College, in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been named a regional recipient for the 2010 ACBSP Teaching Excellence Award. The Association of Business Schools and Programs recognizes individuals each year who exemplify teaching excellence in the classroom. The International Teaching Excellence Award is being presented this year in honor of Lt. Col. Edward Ortowski.
Day will be honored, along with other regional recipients, at the 2010 ACBSP Annual Conference, June 25-28 in Los Angeles, www.acbsp.org. She will receive a medallion and a $100 check. Two International Teaching Excellence Award recipients will be announced at a special Salute to Regions luncheon, one from a baccalaureate/graduate degree-granting institution and one from an associate degree-granting institution. As a regional recipient, Day is now a candidate for the international award.
"I have observed first-hand how Rolayne truly makes a difference in her students’ lives," said Lynnette M. Yerbury, C.P.A., M.B.A., division chair, computer systems, marketing and paralegal studies at Salt Lake Community College. "She makes them her first priority. She offers them countless hours of support both in and out of the classroom, helping them reach out and achieve their true potential. Whether the support is in the form of helping with a project, polishing up a presentation, or offering helpful advice, she makes herself available," Yerbury said.
The Associate Degree Commission of ACBSP established the International Teaching Excellence Award in 1995 to recognize outstanding classroom teachers. In 2002, the Baccalaureate Degree Commission created a similar award to recognize excellence in teaching at the baccalaureate degree level. ACBSP is the only specialized accrediting body for business schools that presents an award recognizing excellence in teaching.
"It is more important than ever for business programs to produce graduates who are ready to enter the global marketplace," said Douglas Viehland, ACBSP executive director. "ACBSP has a mission to develop, promote and recognize best practices that contribute to continuous improvement of business education. Recognition of teaching excellence is one way we achieve this goal." he stated.
ACBSP currently has more than 729 members in 32 countries and nine regions. Salt Lake Community College is located in ACBSP Region 7, which represents colleges and universities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Canadian Provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Canadian Territories of Yukon Territory, Nunavut Territory, and the Northwestern Territories.
Rolayne Day is Honored With the 2010 ACBSP Teaching Excellence Award
The Association of Business Schools and Programs proudly announces that Rolayne Day, Salt Lake Community College, in Salt Lake City, Utah, has received the 2010 Teaching Excellence Award for Region 7. The award is presented in memory of Lt. Col. Edward Ortowski. As a regional recipient, Day will now be considered for the 2010 ACBSP International Teaching Excellence Award, to be announced in June.
Overland Park, Kansas, 6, March, 2010 ¬¬--- Rolayne Day, Salt Lake Community College, in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been named a regional recipient for the 2010 ACBSP Teaching Excellence Award. The Association of Business Schools and Programs recognizes individuals each year who exemplify teaching excellence in the classroom. The International Teaching Excellence Award is being presented this year in honor of Lt. Col. Edward Ortowski.
Day will be honored, along with other regional recipients, at the 2010 ACBSP Annual Conference, June 25-28 in Los Angeles, www.acbsp.org. She will receive a medallion and a $100 check. Two International Teaching Excellence Award recipients will be announced at a special Salute to Regions luncheon, one from a baccalaureate/graduate degree-granting institution and one from an associate degree-granting institution. As a regional recipient, Day is now a candidate for the international award.
"I have observed first-hand how Rolayne truly makes a difference in her students’ lives," said Lynnette M. Yerbury, C.P.A., M.B.A., division chair, computer systems, marketing and paralegal studies at Salt Lake Community College. "She makes them her first priority. She offers them countless hours of support both in and out of the classroom, helping them reach out and achieve their true potential. Whether the support is in the form of helping with a project, polishing up a presentation, or offering helpful advice, she makes herself available," Yerbury said.
The Associate Degree Commission of ACBSP established the International Teaching Excellence Award in 1995 to recognize outstanding classroom teachers. In 2002, the Baccalaureate Degree Commission created a similar award to recognize excellence in teaching at the baccalaureate degree level. ACBSP is the only specialized accrediting body for business schools that presents an award recognizing excellence in teaching.
"It is more important than ever for business programs to produce graduates who are ready to enter the global marketplace," said Douglas Viehland, ACBSP executive director. "ACBSP has a mission to develop, promote and recognize best practices that contribute to continuous improvement of business education. Recognition of teaching excellence is one way we achieve this goal." he stated.
ACBSP currently has more than 729 members in 32 countries and nine regions. Salt Lake Community College is located in ACBSP Region 7, which represents colleges and universities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Canadian Provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Canadian Territories of Yukon Territory, Nunavut Territory, and the Northwestern Territories.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
8-bit Wonders of the World
Recently on digg (or maybe it was reddit) there was a link to an 8-bit version of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” What is an 8-bit version of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” you ask? Well, if you have ever played an NES game, the soundtrack to that game is 8-bit music. Here is an example from the 8-bit “Dark Side of the Moon.”
The “Dark Side of the Moon” cover is even replicated in wonderful 8-bit glory as you can see.
Now, I never knew there was a group of people who took songs and remade them in this wonderful format, but apparently there are other people in the world who enjoy this type of music like I do. I don’t know what it is about it; maybe it’s nostalgia. Maybe, I just appreciate the time taken to do such a good job on something like this, or maybe it’s just a passing fancy, but I’ve been searching out more 8-bit musical wonders and there are plenty out there!
My Chemical Romance “Black Parade”? Sure, here you go:
The Used “The Bird and Worm”? Why yes!
Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody”? And how!
Green Day “21 Guns”? Why the heck not!
Some of these remind me a lot of playing games like Tetris and Metroid. I could spend all night looking up songs and posting them here, but I’ll leave that as an exercise for you, the reader.
P.S. If you find a version of “Lass mich nie mehr los” in 8-bit, let me know.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
LDS.org - Support Materials Chapter - “Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction”
This is the lesson I am teaching today in Gospel Doctrine class. I really like the story of Joseph and how he turned his trials into blessings both for himself and his family.
LDS.org - Support Materials Chapter - "Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction"
LDS.org - Support Materials Chapter - "Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction"
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Future of Energy
This talk is awesome. I really hope becomes mass produced.
Dan Nocera: Personalized Energy from PopTech on Vimeo.
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