Developers, Developers, Developers…

This is how I felt about threading, C#, and the iTunes API saturday night. Debs showed this to me before I saw it on Chris’s site (since he took is RSS FEED DOWN!!!!). You must watch.

I dunno what it was, but I just couldn’t get the threading to work just the way I wanted to. I do think this is more due to my lack of threading knowledge and concepts though, or a limitation in the iTunes API on windows. Oh well, ill keep on reading. Im stuck at a point now where the main thread of the program is holding up iTunes for a period of time. Id like to put this in the background, so it doesn’t interfere with iTunes like that.

Weekend was very nice and relaxing though. Friday night, debs and I purchased our wedding bands. Mines a 6mm white gold one. I like. a lot. Though, it does feel weird wearing it :). That night, we had a “wine” party and sleepover at our friend Hillary’s. Had a bottle of Williamsburg Gov’rs wine, which I have to say is one of my fav so far. Went to sleep around 4 or so, and then never actual slept.

Sunday after church and errands, we met up with Courtney for a late lunch and then to my moms. We worked with debs mom and my stepdad to create favors for the wedding. I also did some network work for them, as well as picking up some games from Ryan. Afterwards was to the southside to watch “Waiting” and “The Aristocrats”, both which were great.

Im currently working on a few things. Im teaching myself more about threads and the iTunes API. Im looking at some honeymoon stuff. Im starting to plan the actual ceremony. And more!

Listening to: “Somewhat Damaged” (4:31) by Nine Inch Nails

In Charlotte…again

Thanks to the wonderful drunken Nate, i find myself once again down in Charlotte on a trip i wasn’t planning to be on. Dont get me wrong, I really do like it down here. The people are cool, the work is a big learning experience, and getting away for a day or two is nice as well. But I know it tears up deb’s for me to be gone a lot, espc. right now when we are so busy planning for the wedding. Nate went and broke his foot, and wasn’t going to be able to make it down here.

Last night, I didnt get to bed until easily after 4:30, then right back up at 8:30 and into the office. I even walked in from our hotel (which is a little further away, but a really really nice walk, espc. since the weather was nice this morning.

For this trip I have mostly been doing a lot of networking stuff, which is nice, but annoying at times. Also played with some new fibre switches.

Back in Richmond, we had snow before I left. This weekend we also finished the invitations, thanks to the help of Nate, Courtney, and Hillary. Ill post pics from that exciting time when i get back (sometime Wednesday 🙂 ).

Also, im trying a first post with a Dashboard Widget called DashBlog….so we will see how this goes. Its actually really nice, and REALLY simple. I did a little bit of reading the other day on the Blogger API, so I may be writing myself a .net Blogger client one day…..

I never thought I would say it…

But, man am I glad to be back on Windows.

I love macs, dont get me wrong, but my powerbook REALLY showed its age when trying to use it nonstop, as well as using my 21″ display with it. While the graphics card is really nice, it REALLY slowed the machine down when trying to run the external display.

Thursday all the parts came in, sans CDRW. So I sat downstairs and built everything back up, starting from my case all gutted out. I was able to backup a good part of my data to another drive, and then wipe my main one, and start fresh.

I never really found the old PC slow (it was a 2.2 Pentium 4), just a crappy graphics card. Well, this thing FLIES. Things that I was really use to waiting for are done then and there. Im able to run at 1600×2000, which also helps a whole lot when trying to multitask. I am still running a pretty bare system….and I may keep it this way. As long as I have office, web stuff, and my development environment, im fine.

Development should start back up next week so I can FINALLY finish this iTunes plugin I have been working on. Im going to need some beta testers, and also some reviews from friends.

We are supposed to get 3-6″ of snow tonight. I have NEVER wanted it to NOT snow this bad. I turned 23 yesterday, and we are throwing a party tonight at my place. Im really excited about it, but this weather could hold people off. RIght now its looking that stuff wont start sticking until after 12, with most around 4. So far the party is on, but may call it if people complain (none have yet, and as far as I know, everyone is coming). I do plan to take some pics since it has been a while since I put anythnig up in the gallery.

Daytona 500 tomorrow! And we are also doing the Tux fittings for the guys in the wedding!

[Listening to: God Put A Smile Upon Your Face – Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head (4:59)]

New Computer On Its Way!!!

Well, I took this afternoon, with my super nice brother, to price out a buy my new machine. While yes, im the super geek everyone has grown to love, im really not that good with all this hardware stuff. I understand everything fully, all the numbers, and know what I want…but I dont know the details. I dont know who is good, and who is bad. I dont know all the special technologies of each part. While I could go now and pick all the parts you are going to need to build a gaming machine or a cheap quick computer, I still wanted some help. Ryan has build a few PCs, and knows his stuff too.

I totaled out at $430 shipped, including everything. From my old PC, im using the case, my 2 Hard Drives, and my DVD-ROM. I picked up a ASUS nForce3 AMD Motherboard, a AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 1GB of Corsair XMS DDR 400 RAM, a new Antec Power Supply, an ATI 9800SE with 256MB (a small jump from my nvidia gforce2 mx with 32). and a Samsung 52X CDRW. I will be able to make a few bucks back from my old RAM, Mobo (which would be a new replacement), and 2.2 Pentium 4.

Parts should all be here by this weekend. Hopefully Sunday or something, ill be able to take a few moments to put this machine back together, set everything back up, and get going along again.

Ive been using my Mac otherwise for some time now. I love it. But, to use a Mac as an everyday machine, I would need something MUCH faster. It seems to cover everything I need to do at work just fine, but at home, just wont cover all my tasks, including no disk space, 800mhz G4, etc. Though, I have to say, using the Mac OS fully has been SO MUCH FUN ( I use it only at work, all day, but taking it home is different).

Im Listening To: “No, You Don’t” by Nine Inch Nails from the album The Fragile

Foozeball

Yeah I did watch the game. We had a great party down in southside. Had some REALLY good food too. Unf, I was really tired and my head was killing me as the night went on. While im not a big sports fan, the game was good to watch, but again, the ads really sucked (most of them). I just cant wait till next weekend when the Daytona 500 is on 🙂

Also, this friday is my birthday! there will be party festivites at our appartment, more details to come later. Im thinking we may actually do it Saturday night, since debs has to work early that morning.

This week in the meantime, just really busy at work. Also prob. flying back to Charlotte in two weeks or so. Debs also has a photo shoot next wednesday for pictures. We also have finished the invitations, have almost all the invitations, and just need to get them printed now. This should be done by the end of the week too, and then we will have to get an army of friends over to help is pack all the invitations.

Hope to buy parts to the new machine tonight, so we will see how that goes. I still need to send the other Motherboard out for its RMA.

Lastly, please keep the Dobb’s family in your prayers. Michael was the guy shot downtown near carytown the other night, that they aired on the news after the game. I grew up with him, they used to live really close to us.

I am listening to: “Blank” by the Smashing Pumpkins from the album “Tonight, Tonight”

Updates on the computer…

Well, I still need to send the MoBo off. But in the meantime, I have started really looking into my options. They are as follows…

1) Buy a Mac Mini – would love to, and great price, but so close to being outdated.
2) Buy a new iMac – Even better, and still ok on price, but the first run. I remember back in the day when the 68l/PPC change happened…and I do NOT want to be using the first run of ANYTHING.
3) Buy a new, “pre”built PC – Cheap, and nice…but crappy warranty.
4) Rebuild PC again, with better stuff – Get a new PSU, MoBo, and Proc….as well as some other stuff maybe. Use my current case, DVD, floppy, etc.

While 1 and 2 are VERY good looking (oh how I would love to use one as well as my powerbook, and have everything sync beautifully)…they are not the best. Im leaning the most towards #4.

For about $500, I can go with a low end ASUS MoBo, Antec PSU, and then a high end AMD 64, AMD 64 x2, P4, or Pentium D. WIth not going with the fastest of any of those procs, I could get a little bit better of a MoBo, as well as maybe some more RAM and a Graphics Card. Then throw in a CDRW or DVDRW, and really good to go.

What would make me more happy? I really dont know. Id love to have a Mac, really. I could do it too. But to get the Mac I want, its either going to cost mucho dinero, or im going to have to wait another year or more.

When the Dell blew up, i did this (rebiult), but with these cheap parts. I plan on using some better stuff, as well as faster, and stay happy with a PC. Then, once more money is built up, possibly get another computer eventually….but we will see. I could then easily turn this one into a Media Center or something…

Since I am still kinda new with this building thing, my brother is helping me out on what is good, and whats not. Im hoping to get the stuff ASAP, rebuild the machine and get going again. Then just sell the old Proc and Mobo. I also think im going to backup everything on that current 120GB drive I have, and start fresh.

Master of the Obvious

After a really really crappy start to the week, I got a nice little laugh today.

Deborah IM’d me and said “Whats a dialog box, and how do I close it”. I said “just hit an ok button or something. I really dont understand what you are saying though, send me a screen shot…”.

And this is what I got…

Wow.

MORE COWBELL!!!!!!!

Im Listening To:(Don’t Fear) The Reaper by the Blue Oyster Cult