Silent11 - Whisperings http://www.silent11.com/blog/ a personal blog that touches on a few of the interests of Will Willis en Copyright 2007 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:42:35 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.01 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Final Final I'm preparing for my final final. An event I've been procrastinating for about 9 years now.

my /etc/motd 



Days till...



        ThanksGiving:-15

         MyLastFinal:  1

          MyVacation:  3

          Graduation:  9

           Christmas: 18

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000234.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000234.html School Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:42:35 -0600 Hidvertising Google does a good job of hiding their ads with actual content. Look at the right column. Sponsored Links and Related Pages are formatted exactly the same with only their heading differentiating them.

Click to see the full-sized image

hidevertising.png

Thoughts? Is this misleading, genius, or perfectly reasonable?

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000233.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000233.html Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:59:38 -0600 how much p.c. is too much p.c. Microsoft Word doesn't even want me using the word, "businessman" when referring to a "man" of "business", the word is marked as incorrect, with the suggestion of "businessperson".

Picture 9.png


]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000232.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000232.html Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:36:28 -0600 How to Feel better about yourself in 20 min. Hang out in #php and realize how much you really do know.

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000231.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000231.html Geek Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:41:27 -0600 Radiohead + Marching Band = ? http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000229.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000229.html Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:43:05 -0600 Worst Phisher Ever lamePhisher.png

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000228.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000228.html Geek Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:59:50 -0600 Rails turns 3 DHH announces 3 years of Rails being open to the public.


Is rails only 3? Why does it feel like it's been around forever?

I couldn't remember exactly when I first started dabbling with Ruby, but I first wrote about Ruby back in Nov 2004. The first mention of rails here on the site was back in July of 2005.

It was shortly after my posting in July 2005 that I really ramped up on my rails skills. I have a few client apps floating around the web, along with a few other rails projects running out in the wild, but I really had thought that I would have had done more with Ruby/Rails than I have in the last +2 years.

The sad fact is that the MORE my employment responsibilities have leaned towards that of a full-time programmer (which I currently am) the LESS time I've had to dabble with emerging technologies or just experiment with ones I am familiar with.

It's not that my interest in programming decreases the more I program for a living, the last few years have just been EXTREMELY busy with school, work and freelance.

If I can work next semester's schedule correctly, then yesterday will mark my last day in a college class room. This semester doesn't end until Aug 7th, but our final that day can be taken anywhere (online).

So, with my hardest class out the way, and only 2 courses to go I expect to have much more time to dedicate to doing the tinkering I miss so much as well as post here more frequently.

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000227.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000227.html Geek Thu, 02 Aug 2007 11:51:34 -0600 YAPCNA2007 master's courses. I'll be in Randal's Perl Best Practices and Persistent Perl Data during Thursday and Friday. I'm really excited to get 2 days worth of face time with the merlyn.

The very same merlyn is responsible for documenting my presence there too. I came without a camera this year, However, even if I had of brought it (and I could have, I went home each night) I wouldn't have had 1) time to use it or 2) space in my backpack to store it.

Now that I've been positively identified at YAPC I'll have to come up with a different alibi :)

Both shots are of me checking people in at Sunday's pre-check-in.

Looks like my hand-drawn signage made it online too...

Here's a link to all flickr photos tagged yapcna2007. ]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000224.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000224.html Geek Wed, 27 Jun 2007 08:58:13 -0600 whois Does this ever happen to you?

Someone with a vaguely familiar screen name IM's you, "Is that you, _name_?". You reply, "Yes it is! Who is this?" . You wonder if it's an old friend or a past co-worker, you recognize the name, but can't associate anyone to it. You wait.   ... and wait ...   but never get a response.

Ugh. Not a good feeling. Good thing life goes on :)

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000222.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000222.html Geek Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:13:51 -0600 Pillow Talk Design a pillow for that special somebody for Valentines day or any occasion. Send the pattern over to the talented people at http://www.ninaspillowdesigns.com and they'll create it!

Here's what I designed for my wife for valentines day.

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000220.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000220.html Me Sat, 03 Feb 2007 22:47:24 -0600 Why my new job rocks...
I work for the Houston Chronicle, the main news paper here in Houston Texas. I'm an application developer in the online advertising team and I love it. It's the best job I've ever had. Briefly, here are a few of the reasons why chron is a great place to work.
  • they're a Linux/Perl shop
  • the team is small (chron.com is run by a handful of geniuses)
  • I'm the worst player in the band [read this book for the explanition]
  • everybody's cool, down to earth, and did I mention they're super geniuses!?!
  • They are all about the following:
  • Good Management
  • I'm learning new stuff EVERY day:
  • group outings to BWW, Jillian's, etc...
  • and last but not least, large amounts of weeeeee!

Update: [20070627] I'm doing some link updates and making some minor tweaks 9 Months later and Chron is still as awesome as ever.

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000217.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000217.html Work Thu, 09 Nov 2006 21:20:42 -0600 Electricity 183176268_321f170f09_m.jpg
I just finished a kid's book on electricity, "More Wires & Watts" by Irwin Math. I'm not sure where my recent interest in electronics has come from, but I'm totally hooked! I want to start experimenting, building small projects, and tinker till my hands fall off.

Photo by jeangenie.


]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000216.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000216.html Geek Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:59:58 -0600 Update on life Here's a quick update on what's been going on in my life for the last few months.

Sept 8 => Last day at www.hcpl.net

Sept 29 => First day at www.chorn.com as an application developer

More to come later.

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000215.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000215.html Me Sat, 04 Nov 2006 22:46:04 -0600 YAPC::NA 2007 I can't believe that we actually got it! YAPC will be in Houston next summer. I really thought that the summer heat would work against us, but I guess it's not that big of a deal to everyone else. Part of me wanted an excuse to go to Boston, but instead it looks like we'll be planning a YAPC in stead.

Let the fun begin!

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000214.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000214.html Geek Sun, 03 Sep 2006 21:28:53 -0600 DevBoi Maybe I've been living under a rock, but I've never seen this extension before:

http://www.martincohen.info/products/devboi/

It's a firefox side-bar with css, xhtml, rails, and php documentation right in your browser!

DevBoi++

]]> http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000211.html http://www.silent11.com/blog/archives/000211.html Geek Thu, 22 Jun 2006 23:23:01 -0600