timNARDONI

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

2008-01-15T22:13:00.001-05:00

Who needs birthday presents?!? If you love music and haven't discovered Lala.com, well...

Sign up for free, pick CDs you want, pick CDs you're willing to trade, pay $1 for every CD you receive (plus 75� shipping). I've received 88 CDs this way since signing up in August 2006, including classics from Petra, Amy Grant, Smitty, Kim Hill, Fernando Ortega, Pierce Pettis, They Might be Giants, Harry Connick Jr., and many more. Though I primarily use it for filling out missing items from the glory days of ccm, Lala has plenty for modern tastes, too.

The only downside is you sometimes don't get the rear jewel case liner--but I have a solution for that, too: www.eNardoni.com/download/lalaliner.pub (226KB, requires Microsoft Publisher).

Download a poster here (PDF, 146KB), suitable for framing or posting around your community. Spread the word!

Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Launch Party

2007-12-13T22:13:00.000-05:00

Our adoption transition has made it a while since I did anything truly geeky, but I've made up for lost time in the last two weeks.

First, a recap. After five+ years of gardening our AS400, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, and Microsoft SQL Server systems, in March 2007 I inherited no small thing: developing enhancements for our company's business-to-business ordering web site. The project was originally implemented by a third party in ASP.NET and Visual Basic.NET using Visual Studio 2003. Besides cleaning up some database and HTML problems and posting a few new images and links on the public side, since March I have climbed a massive learning curve to add a search feature to the catalog pages, a purchase order number entry field, and the ability for our customers to submit retail price changes through the browser.

My executive sponsor decided mid-November that upgrading to the .NET Framework 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005 was a key priority, opening the promise of a more attractive user experience with technologies like AJAX. Within minutes of researching the cost, I discovered that the bleeding edge release of Visual Studio 2008 and Framework 3.5 was scheduled for the end of November, literally one week away. While hunting for upgrade information, I also re-discovered the Indianapolis .NET Developers Association user group and found they had scheduled an Install Fest for December 13 where Microsoft would give away a free copy of VS2008 Professional to each registered attendee! Thirteen years in I.T. has made me paranoid, so I'm not the early-adopter type, but who can turn down an $800 Christmas present? I watched the downloads page and grabbed the 90-day trial as soon as it hit, spent a few days converting and testing the solution from Framework 1.1 to 3.5, and can successfully compile and view the site just like before. (Note: Using the upgrade wizard to go directly from 1.1 to 3.5 was a mess; when I went from 1.1 to 2.0 then to 3.5, everything worked as expected.)

Since VS2008 is so new, I found zero books -- though as of today Visual Studio 2008 Unleashed is listed on Amazon.com and Stephen Walther's ASP.NET 3.5 Unleashed is imminent. The hunt for online VS2008/3.5-specific resources so far has been futile, though I did find a lot of good videos, tutorials, and books on .NET Framework 2.0. The most accessible resource I've found is Carl Franklin's DotNETRocks podcast; I liked the recent episodes so much that I've started listening from episode one.

Tonight, I attended the IndyNDA user group meeting, primarily to get the free copy of Visual Studio Pro, but with growing confidence that it is exactly the kind of environment I need to build personal momentum. The parking lot was completely full--as was the hallway and the Stahl Conference Room in the beautiful Gene B. Glick Junior Achievement Center. People really came through to contribute a pile of unopened toys toward Toys for Tots. Microsoft footed the bill for a delicious fully-catered dinner of lasagna, and we were never in want. Folks of all shapes and sizes installed their Visual Studio 2008 while I caught up with two friends. A ton of door prizes were given away: books, software, shirts, mugs, X Boxes, and other goodies. (Having won a $50 CircuitCity gift card at my JD Edwards user group meeting earlier the same day, I was content with the Visual Studio tee I got as a reward for successfully installing VS 2008.) Individuals were also invited up to demonstrate their favorite tip, so we were treated to demos of syndication services, unit testing, code metrics, javascript debugging, the HashSet class plus the CTRL+} and CTRL+B shortcuts, the System.AddIn class, and AJAX debugging. The most hilarious aspect of the night was watching grown men play Guitar Hero in the back room, which I explored because of the vast array of chocolate-chip cookies. It was a fun time, but educational and a perfect ice-breaker for my next visit. I have already decided to start attending the monthly ASP.NET special interest group meetings the first Thursday of each month. I extend the warmest thanks to all the sponsors and volunteers who make events like this possible; it's great to be a part of such a generous support system.

There are some key features in Visual Studio 2008 that will be a great help in the next phase of our web ordering system:

JavaScript and CSS Intellisense and debugging
standards-based CSS and XHTML for compatibility with better browsers...er...I mean better compatibility with other browsers
reduced view state bulk (we'll see)
the ability to retrieve Framework source code while debugging
user personalization features
possible uses for the open-source DotNetNuke portal
and heck, it's been over five years since the version I've been using was released; I've only scratched the surface.

So there ya go. If you want to geek out with me, download and install the free Express version of Microsoft Visual Studio, play around with it, and we can talk shop in our spare time. And remember that no matter what you do for work or pleasure, you can probably find a local user group who can help--or who can use your help.

It is Finished

2006-10-19T23:13:00.000-04:00

I dedicate this post to all my dear friends who have nagged me for five years to restart my action research project for AU's Advance program [ad 1][ad 2]. Tonight, after six months of pain, I delivered a 64-page paper and a thirty-minute oral presentation summarizing each of the six stages of research and intervention design. I walked out of the classroom a free man, feeling quite surreal. My transcript will reflect a completed bachelor's degree sometime in December. A serious celebration is in the works; date, time, and location to-be-announced. You're all invited.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, refresh your memory here.

If time permits, someday I'll post the slides for your entertainment. But first, I have season four of 24 to finish. And lots of phone calls, email, and blogging to catch up on. You have blessed me with your patience and support!

I Lived My Dash Watching '24'

2006-07-28T23:13:00.000-04:00

Season Three is in the can. It was a little disappointing: it ended on a good note, so I thought there were more episodes left.

The Gift of Transportation

2006-06-18T11:13:00.000-04:00

Thank you, Larry and Kelly and Sandra! You have propelled me and Ezra into limitless possibilities of riding and exploring.

Dogs for Dummies

2006-05-18T23:13:00.000-04:00

Considering a dog for your household? Here is everything you need to know.

PROs

Dogs wrestle playfully with children, and the children love it.
Dogs will fetch anytime, day or night.
Walking the dog is a great excuse to take a break.

CONs*

Dogs bark.
Dogs drink out of the toilet, but splash in the water bowl.
If you'd rather not go out, too bad: Dogs cannot walk themselves.
Dogs poop twice a day -- more if you take them to the park. You have to clean it up.
Dogs roll in other dogs' poop if they find it in the yard or at the park.
Dogs can learn to hold it for ten hours a day, every weekday, and do this for a whole school year. When you decide to become a stay-at-home Mom, dogs poop and pee everywhere in the house even though you walk them twice more daily than before.
Dogs eat their own poop. They leave just enough so you know they did.
Dogs eat other dogs' poop.
Dogs eat the cat's poop from the litter box.**
Dogs like to watch you poop. If you couldn't flush, they would eat it.
Dogs vomit. Later, they come back and eat it.
Dogs poop all over the house. Oh, I already mentioned that.
Dogs prefer pooping on carpeted areas, especially light-colored carpet.
Dogs drag garbage out of the kitchen wastecan and eat it. They prefer moldy vegetables, decaying meat, old candy, egg shells, and dirty diapers. Anything, really.
Dogs slurp decaying mammals at the park, and then roll in their remains.

Any questions?

(*Does not apply to dogs who are actually human, like Kiddie.)
(**Would be a PRO if it didn't cause gas, diarrhea and hell-itosis.)

Favorite Smells of Spring

2006-04-22T23:13:00.000-04:00

An Appropriate Welcome for Future U.S. President Hu

2006-04-20T22:13:00.000-04:00

Audio of President Jintao's speech translated: "We Will Bury You." (3.5 MB)

Tax Cuts for the Rich, Indeed!

2006-04-17T23:13:00.000-04:00

I did my own taxes this year, by hand, and am getting $14 back from the feds.

Champion Fisherman

2006-04-15T11:13:00.000-04:00

Ezra, after losing his second lure to a cunning fish: "I'm a champion fisherman! Will they hang my picture up like Bob's?"

Tim: "You actually have to catch something before anyone will consider you a champion."

Ezra, incredulous: "There's no way I could catch that fish...It was a whale!"

My Inbox

2006-04-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

Perfect Name: Tim Allen's Home Improvements

2006-04-12T23:13:00.000-04:00

Tim Allen's Home Improvements in Alexandria (Ironically, the Yellow Pages has his phone number wrong; it should be 724-9330).

A suspect database is not the end of the world

2006-04-12T11:13:00.000-04:00

I arrived at work Monday and learned that Saturday night's server crash destroyed my test environment's central objects database. Yes, the one that is supposed to go live in two weeks.

Everyone I know who works with Microsoft SQL Server said this has never happened to them. How reassuring! Every online forum implied these are very extreme circumstances and it's best to call Microsoft and have them help me over the phone. The last time I called was in ... what? ... 1993?

After experimenting with various solutions all afternoon, I found my situation rather simple: The MSSQL Service detected corruption, flagged the database as Suspect, and disabled access so hundreds of users don't log in and try to use it. Before I could view, modify, or otherwise access the objects, I had to reset the status from suspect to emergency mode.

You will not find emergency mode in the help index, and searching help has scant results. But once I had the right steps, it was fairly easy to reset the status, scan for errors, and rescue everything essential. Here are the two most useful articles:

Tibor Karaszi's Recommended Actions for Corrupt or Suspect Databases

A forum post that actually worked for me: http://www.sql.ru/faq/faq_topic.aspx?fid=123

Later, for fun, I called 1-800-MICROSOFT and found that I would have paid a $250 incident fee (credit card only) to resolve the problem. After-business-hours support costs extra.

That's not a bad value under the circumstances, but here's my advice to any budding SQL Server admins: Build a test server and a test database with lots of objects and data; start a lengthy write operation, wait a minute or so, and then unplug the machine. Now you have your very own suspect database to play with! If you fix it, you saved $250 and got a free education.

370 Atlas� Glove: Thin but Strong

2006-04-08T23:13:00.000-04:00

These are definitely my favorite gloves ever.

They're snug. They're thin. They're soft. They have a logic-defying grip, even when wet. The back is a nylon mesh, letting your busy hands breathe under the hot Indiana sun. And I find them quite fashionable.

"From manufacturing and industrial work to gardening, snug fit protection that allows you to feel the smallest level of detail. The 370 Atlas� Glove features a tough nitrile palm coat over a seamless knit nylon liner. Provides excellent puncture and abrasion resistance without compromising grip or dexterity. Great for gardening or choking enemy ninjas! Machine washable."

Ask for them by name at Northgate True Value -- only five ducks!

Love and Affection

2006-04-05T23:13:00.000-04:00

Tim. "Do you need a back rub?"

Sandra. "I need to go to the bathroom."

Beautiful Blues

2006-04-03T11:13:00.000-04:00

Hello, friends. I'm writing today overflowing with joy about recycling...because I love to recycle. I really do. Sandra loves it that I love to recycle. She smiles every time I come home from the office with another bag full of catalogs and old computer manuals to add to the stack on our back porch. She smiles demurely, caresses my shoulder, and whispers how excited she is to watch me save the planet.

I really really love to recycle. It is my favorite hobby. More favorite, even, than blogging.

There are many of you out there who don't love to recycle. I understand this. You don't have to explain. I'm writing because I think you and I can help each other. You see, I love recycling so much that I frequently run out of those charming blue bags that the City allots us each quarter. I was thinking the other day that perhaps you would be willing to give me your unused blue bag coupons! Perhaps even now there are coupons in your filing cabinet, still attached to your utility bill stubs, crying out silently to have a purpose in this world.

Won't you help these starving bags get full of the trash I collect up and down my street?

Please write today if you can do this. I'll send a reminder email once a quarter. I'll even come to your house to get them, to save you the time and energy remembering your special commitment.

Thank you in advance.

>>>

Addendum: 2006 Recycling Schedule

Unfortunate Name: John and Mary Smith

2006-04-02T23:13:00.000-04:00

Yes, they're real. Met them tonight. Well, I met John and one of his kids.

It's Gonna Be a Good Year

2006-04-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

A Boy's Heart

2006-03-31T22:13:00.000-05:00

Music Video at the End of My Street

2006-03-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

Luke Renner filmed scenes for The Elms' "Nothin' to do with Love" video at the end of my street Saturday night.

They blew up a building. And where was I? At a homeschool convention.

Read an article about it here

Unfortunate Name: Melinda Boring

2006-03-24T22:13:00.000-05:00

Thinking aloud, here. Seems like a tough gig to be a public speaker with a name like Melinda Boring.

2006-03-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

Dad called me at work to ask name of the Indianapolis newspaper so he could find it on the Internet.

I love my Dad.

Finally Warm Enough for Biking!

2006-03-11T22:13:00.001-05:00

Some Misunderstanding about Indians

2006-03-10T22:13:00.000-05:00

We finished Ken Thomasma's Soun Tetoken, Nez Perce Boy. Two sad endings in one day is too much.

Ezra was unphased. "I want to be an Indian."

He said at this year's Pow Wow he will ask to go live with one of the Native American families. "I have one arrow already, and I could save up to get more."

"Knowing morning follows evening makes each new day come as a gift."

2006-03-10T18:30:00.000-05:00

Good night, Chad.

I barely knew you, and after all the years of chiding, you never even got to see my real blog.