The Museum Of Modern Thinking

Not existential angst, but wondering where I need to position myself as a developer. I’ve missed out on some technologies, and I’m wondering how far down the rabbit hole I should go with some of them.

I’m still very much a web developer, so I certainly should be looking at ASP.Net MVC and jQuery, as well as upgrading my knowledge in the standard Web Forms, not forgetting the AJAX toolkit as well. Behind the scenes, looking at data storage layers such as LINQ to SQL and their enterprise patter, as well as applicable patterns such as the Repository Pattern and even the Active Record pattern.

That’s where things get, frankly, a bit dull and convoluted. I read a great post recently about how coding these days is how to link one library to another, or just whack some XML together to control a Spring.Net DI solution. I, like the author, can’t find the fun in that. Sure, it may get projects done quicker, and it’s standard, but it can also be a lot of overkill. That’s why I’d prefer a simple approach to projects, nice and lightweight, no navel-gazing about what might be required two years down the line, not coding an interface for every single class because “it’s the right thing to do” although it’ll never be used, adding tests to every single method (even private ones) because “it’s the right thing to do”, etc.

I’m a firm believer in Jeff Attwood’s mantra YAGNI - you ain’t gonna need it. If the customer hasn’t asked for it, and if there’s no chance it will be required within a year or so, don’t code it. Write your code in such a way that things can be replaced easily (and yes, I guess that does mean some interfaces, but surely not on every single bloody class), and keep it simple. I use as many syntactical shortcuts as I can, as I’m lazy, but that’s why they were added to the language.

Anyway, a bit off topic - I’m really writing this as a store for where I should be heading. I am a Microsoft chap, and I enjoy the products they put out and their technoology approaches. I find it amusing when I suggest a Microsoft solution (such as ASP.Net’s Forms Authentication) and am told by a colleague that he’ll write it themselves - how many people does Microsoft employ to work on stuff like this? How much R&D do they do? And one person thinks they can do it better? Heh, it’s another contradiction, I guess - I said I don’t like merely linking up one library with another, but I guess you could say that’s all I’m doing with the Forms Authentication, but hey, it’s sometimes a pain to get right and it’s fun wreslting with it BUT it provides a hell of a lot out of the box…

And don’t get me started on form validation - “oh, we don’t use the validation controls because they don’t work”. Yeah, ok, I’ve used them countless times and they seem just dandy.

Gah, back on topic. I really should be looking at what’s new in Windows Forms and the top best practices in that area as well, and look at Silverlight as well.

Hmmm, lots to cover - I’d better get started…

I’m a bit late to the party here, but seeing as none of the mainstream papers are carrying it, even if a couple of people read it, it’s worth it.

Old Holborn reports that the leaders of the English Defence League were arrested today on the way to a static peaceful protest in Edinburgh. Moreover, some of their homes were raided by armed police and computer equipment was seized - here’s a full report on what happened from the EDL.

I don’t see the police doing any raids on United Against Facism.

Make no mistake, a vote for Labour is a vote for more of this treatment from the virtual police state Labour have built - and mostly towards the indigenous population as they force us to bend over backwards, or more accurately forwards, and take their multiculturalism bullshit, along with their now-leaked policy of mass immigration as a method of changing Britiain irreversibly.

I’m not sure what to make of the EDL, I support what they are trying to do and some may compare them to the BNP, but last time I checked, we still have freedom of speech in this country - just. If some “radical” muslim zealot can hold up a sign saying “Death to those who insult Islam” and not be prosecuted (oddly enough), surely the EDL can march carrying signs that say “Laugh at those who insult freedom” and not be arrested.

A more important point: the EDL has been deemed to be dangerous (or whatever) by Labour / the police - who’s next? I doubt they will crack down on the United Against Fascism fascists (whose slogan should be “It’s not Fascism when we do it!”), but perhaps another small minority group like Fathers 4 Justice, who got unpleasantly shut down. Then maybe something closer to your beliefs - and then you.

Again, I have to break out Pastor Martin Niemöller’s poem “First they Came”:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

In case that’s not clear enough, and as Old Holborn says, what they do to the EDL today, they do to me tomorrow…

I cannot WAIT until the General Election and throw the current shower of shit out, and hopefully begin to reverse the horrendous damage they have done to this once-great sceptred isle of Britain.

Damn you Labour, damn you to Hell.

A quick update on my work situation: I have some. I started at the Electrical Contractors’ Assocation up in Mansfield as a Senior Developer on the 21st July. Can’t comment too much, but suffice to say they’re a great bunch of folks and it’s interesting work.

It’s easy to lose almost a stone in weight! Read on for the secret technique that will have the weight dropping off!!!!

Bit further…

Carry on…

The secret is…

…get yourself made redundant!

Seriously, I’ve lost almost a stone since being made redundant, I guess it’s a mixture of more exercise, less food and stress about not having a job. Still 9lbs to lose until I’m a “normal” weight, but I’ll be happy with losing about 3 - 4lbs. It’s nice to see my abs again

I don’t expect to lose much more weight because a) I like food a lot and b) I’m putting on a bit more muscle (which weighs 18% more than fat, y’know). My body fat percentage is dropping, so that’s the main thing.

Update: Weighed myself after training, and I’m down to 12st 1lb - I celebrated by having a bacon sandwich

As the title states, I’m still looking for work, but I have (I hope) a couple of opportunities that will be developing early next week. Both are very interesting positions, so let’s hope I’ll have the agony of choice soon.

I’ve not been doing much else apart from looking for work, stretching as proscribed by Paul Zaichik’s Elastic Steel program, and copious amounts of housework and some gardening. The garden has gone mad, filling out nicely and the vegetable plot is going well - and not just the weeds. We have onions, potatoes, lettuce (so much lettuce), runner beans, squash, broccoli and kale, all in various stages of growth. The credit is due to my wife, who has put in lots of effort into the garden and it looks great. The strawberry patch under the apple tree is also starting to produce some wonderful strawberries, so we’re looking forward to those.

Not much else to report, apart from SingStar and Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island are amazing games

…courtesy of Simon Jenkins of The Guardian

H/T Burning Our Money

So, total deaths from swine flu: 7 (WHO official figure as of 29/4/2009).

Total number of deaths from normal flu (in the US): 13,000 (news article)

So, stop bloody worrying, and get back to haranguing MPs over their expenses!!!

After a disastrous budget from a disastrous “Government”, a bit of happiness - Happy St. George’s Day to you!

Despite Labour’s god-awful governance, there are still some things that are great about this country:

• Good samaritans
• Church fetes
• The English countryside
• Ice creams on a sunny day
• County fairs (including scrumpy)
• The stiff upper lip (some of us still have one)
• Your garden and care thereof
• Tolerance (but only so far)
• Camaraderie
• The ability to carry on under incredible pressure

We would do well to return to the post-Second World War ethos, of strong resolution and determination, with a concern for our fellow countrymen. Thanks to Labour, we’re already there financially (worst recession since the war, well done!), we just need to come together as a country against all those who seek to destroy us. And yes, I know it’s St. George’s Day, and I’m proud to be English, but don’t lose sight of the fact that we are part of a United Kingdom (and some crappy thing called the EU, but hopefully not much longer).

So, go out and celebrate St. George’s day!

Well, I’m still unemployed but I had an interview on Friday just gone, along with a technical test and a speed and accuracy test. I also had a psychometric test on Monday to see if I was a psycho or not

Needless to say, my fingers are crossed…

Well, a couple of weeks ago I became a statistic - one of the 2.03 million unemployed. After a great couple of years at Northcliffe Electronic Media / Associated Northcliffe Digital, a cost-cutting exercise led to a number of people being made redundant, me being one of those people.

Obviously it gives me more time to blog, but I’d rather get back into work as quickly as possible. In between applying for jobs, I’m working on a new stretching program (Paul Zaichik’s Elastic Steel), decorating the house (well, intending to), walking our son to school and jogging back, keeping my hand in with C# / ASP.Net development, etc.

A fun time, but not really - getting kinda desperate to obtain a new position, and in the current environment, it’s all a bit quiet.

Now I’m off to do the hoovering