I first set up this blog when I was moving from Boston to Dallas and I wanted a way to keep my friends and family up to date on what’s going on. It seems appropriate, then, that I start blogging again as I move from one place to another within the Dallas area.
Google Arrogance??
23
Sep
This article from the Wall Street Journal talks about Yahoo!’s new webmail client, comparing it to Google’s Gmail. Now, I don’t care one bit about Yahoo!’s new stuff, because Gmail does what I need it to do. But, I’m struck by this quote: “But I’m not sure Google’s arrogance will ever make room for user preferences.”
What a dork. It’s funny how creating a disruptive technology that everyone loves and growing to be a giant will suddenly make people turn on you. Google has to be just about the coolest company on the planet, cranking out cool toy after cool toy, and turning them over to the Internet at large for free. They’ve been the media darling for ever, and no geek would be caught dead without the add-ins for either Firefox or Internet Explorer installed on their machine. So, why this sudden negativity? Google got where they are by by producing stuff that is simple, easy to use, and just works. That’s arrogance?
Sadler and Carter Summer Shootout
28
Aug
Yesterday I played in the Summer Shootout, hosted by Sadler and Carter Poker, a local poker supplier that also builds custom poker tables. Periodically, they host games at their store to showcase their equipment. We play on their custom tables, with the same chips they sell.
I hadn’t been to S&C for a game in a while, and the first thing I noticed was a decorating change. Several walls are adorned with pictures of Steve Carter from WSOP 2005 event #22 (which also happens to be the PSO Invitational) where he finished 7th. The last time I was in the store, Steve was telling me about Ray Sadler’s success crushing Poker333’s sit-n-go’s. Clearly I’m up against some tough competition.
Winning Travel
10
Jul
Yes… I did it again. I won a prize that includes travel. First it was the Windjammer, then the Waikiki hotel we used for our honeymoon. This time, through a poker tournament, I won … well, if I told you now, you wouldn’t read the rest of the story.
Poker and Programming
22
May
While I’m on this contract, I don’t have much to do at night. So, I play poker. A lot of poker. I’m finally starting to get good at it. The other day I won a small tourney where the 1st place winner got a free entry into a 4-week mentoring program in PSO. I’m excited for that.
Life is still good in Artechaland. (That’s the name of the amusement park we’ll open someday. It’ll have rides with names like “The Non-Deterministic Form_Load Event of Horror”. I expect it to be a real hit with the kids.) The client has rented me an apartment in OKC, so I’m able to bring more clothes/computers/etc up. I’ll drive up tomorrow morning with that stuff, so I’ll even have my own car with me.
Botox
01
May
There are ads on the radio now for Botox injections to control excessive underarm sweating. Apparently, Botox can make something that works “too well” in your body stop. So, here’s my idea… mandatory penile botox injections for sex offenders. Have a patent attorney call me.
Yeah, but it’s VB
14
Apr
Don’t tell anyone, but despite the fact that my current contract is in VB6, I’m actually enjoying myself. While at HV, I would go days, sometimes weeks, without being able to write and code. On this gig, I’ve been nothing but productive, cranking out a TON of code. It’s so nice, I’m almost able to forget it’s VB! (Ok, so not entirely. I had to write a “smart” Collection class because VB’s sucks, and I’m having to jump through the non-deterministic-form-load hoops. ugh.)
Dallas to OKC
12
Apr
Flights from Dallas to Oklahoma city are amusing. It is a whopping 1/2 hour of flight time. It’s like “here’s how you work your seat belt. (pause) You can now use your notebook. (pause) Here’s your Pepsi. (pause) Put your crap away, we’re landing.” You hardly have time to read. Who the hell gets their notebook out for the 6 minutes of usable time, anyway? I spend far more time in the airport waiting for the flight than I do with my butt in the far-too-small-for-normal-humans seat on the plane.
Been A While…
11
Apr
Spring
02
Apr
I’ll be the first to tell you I hated it when I moved to Dallas. But, I must admit it’s not as bad as I thought at first. It’s April 2nd (Dad’s birthday… gotta call him!) and I’m sitting on my deck playing poker and sipping coffee, while watching the birds at the feeder. Life is good.
