Author: patrick

Attention Browncoats! The official movie poster for the Firefly movie, Serenity, has been unveiled!

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On the top of each page you will see a simple little tool written to visually show the keywords used throughout my posts. The bigger the font the more frequently that word was used.

Click on any of those Tags to go to posts containing those words… Then another plugin will highlight all those words in the posts… Cool!

I plan on starting a podcast. Download iTunes 4.9 to enjoy the wonderful world of podcasting…

I’ll be posting my setup and how to get the latest podcast, etc.

Stay tuned…

I’ve been playing Battlefield 2 lately, check out my scores…

edit: site down…

Nothing to brag about, just thought its cool that it updates practically in real time…

My Full Stats

An article on Slashdot had piqued my interest… Should coding or programing be considered art work?

I tend to think so. Yesterday, I had to write a variable data application in which I had to deal with 4 versions, 3 non-english languages including Japanese characters as outlines not a font and place a variable in the middle. I had to get really creative. The code I wrote isn’t pretty, but not all art is pretty, but it was creative. Also, someone else would have done it differently or possibly not at all.

The parallels to art for coding are there. Take a still life painting. 10 artists will paint/draw 10 different interpretations of a still life setting. Sure the end result is the same, a painting/drawing representing the still life, using different styles, techniques, etc. But we should be able to see the still life. Coding is the same way. We approach a task, use our tools, and write code to accomplish the task, test it and then ultimately release it.

What takes coding beyond art is the potential for collaboration and improvement. The fact that I can share my code with another programmer and have them look at it and offer their input to improve it or they could take it and use it in their programs. I don’t think artists have this same luxury. Sure they can take another artist’s process or method and recreate it, but rarely do they take an unfinished or someone else’s work and paint on top of it.

Fundamentally, coding is art. I wish I could fetch good money for some of the coding creations I do, but like most struggling artists, it’ll have to be awhile.

Finally got around to upgrading to WordPress 1.5.1.3 or whatever the latest is…

Happy 4th of July… Sitting here, watching tv, listening to all the fireworks going off around our new house. Funny thing is, fireworks are illegal in Minnesota… But something about celabrating independence day by breaking the law… Hope the houses are still standing, the smell of smoke from all the fireworks is pretty pugnant.

Oh and NASA hit a comet at 23,000 miles an hour… Like a bullet hitting another bullet while a 3rd bullet watches… Guess they remembered to use the metric system this time. Next up, space shuttle launches again July 13th. Did they really schedule a shuttle launch on the 13th? Wow!

Playing Battlefield 2 these days, it is pretty good, lots of servers to play on but only a few don’t lag really bad. Matrix Online just isn’t doing it for me anymore. Probably will cancel in a few weeks if I don’t get tired of playing BF2.

Take care… and enjoy the new look…

More proof that Google has already taken over the world and we just don’t know it…

Google Earth is released and it is utterly amazing. Check it out, PC only, but its ability to map, give directions all using a 3D view of the earth and satellite imaging is simply astounding!

What is next for google? An OS? Word Processor? Office Suite? How about digital video / movie viewing services or music services?

Google has taken over the world, I see dead people… (sixth sense reference)

After turning 30, I’ve spent a few moments thinking about old friends from High School and earlier…

Some I’ve tried to make contact with using a simple google search but others I’ve been unable to locate. We didn’t have a 10 year high school reunion for some strange reason, maybe we’ll have a 15?

One of those people that I fear google can’t help find is Tony Smith. Tony was my best friend in junior high and moved away to South Dakota. About 10 years ago I had an email from him but that’s about it. So if anyone knows a Tony Smith, who is about 5’2″ and about 30 years old, studied law and spent his first 12 years in a house in Minnetonka across from the Tom Thumb next to Excelsior Blvd and 494, let me know…

I thought I had an original word, shinikes. Just a word, an expression of fustration with revelation at the end of a frustrating journey. I figured I made it up, never heard it before. Even came up with a elogated version of it, sh!t kicking Nikes. Then, googled it and found out, its not mine, in fact it exists in many posts and forums as an expression of fustration or surprise.

Maybe this is a pivotable time, no more unique words, they are all in google, its the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine…

I’m in the process of launching a new website VIPPForums.com which will be dedicated to discussing the in’s and out’s of working with VIPP which is a variable data printing language using Postscript. Mainly you see this VIPP language on Xerox based printers but Xerox licenses VIPP through their OpenVIPP licensing to other non-Xerox printers.

It will be a place to discuss, user to user, problems, issues, coding, and helping others learn and excell in the usage of VIPP. Check it out at http://www.vippforums.com!