The Lanham Factor

Windows 7 - Already Likin' It

Brian Lanham — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:37:41 GMT

I installed Windows 7 Professional 64-bit on an HP Pavilion Entertainment Laptop with 6 GB RAM on an Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q9000 @ 2.00 GHz processor.

A Little History: I have been a pro-Microsoft guy for a long, long time. However, Vista makes me sad. I have not enjoyed Vista and have resisted using it. Hearing some of the hype and learning about some of the features of W7, however, piqued my interest.

So far I really enjoy it. I love the "Pin to Taskbar", "Jump List", and "Pin to Jump List" features. That is really well thought. I also like the ability to shake a window and have other windows minimize/restore.

I did find a bug, however, in the screen save. I chose the "Bubbles" screen saver. I notice that after about an hour the system locks and the display has alternating white and robin's egg blue vertical lines. This is likely (IMO) a video card driver-related issue.

Anyone else? What do you think of W7?

Thank a Veteran

Brian Lanham — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:12:05 GMT

Thank you veterans and active duty personnel who have sacrificed and served our country in good times and bad. If you haven't thanked a veteran today, please do so. If you don't know a veteran, let me suggest a few:

Kyle Farmer (Bronze Star of Valor, South East Asian Theater, Vietnam War, Honorable Discharge)
Hobart Carder (Silver Star for Gallantry in action, European Theater, World War II, Honorable Discharge)
Donald Paul Taylor (Navy, Honorable Discharge)
All My Dawgz from da Nav...you know who you are!

Chris Williams (Navy, Honorable Discharge)
Brian Johnston (Army, Honorable Discharge)
Tim Gardner (Navy Reserve, SeaBee, Active)
James Dahlgren (Navy, Honorable Discharge)

Darryl Agee (Air Force)
Ed Quirrouette (Navy)
Chuck Byrum (Army)

Thank you gentlemen...and thank all of you ladies and gentlemen who served and continue to serve.

B-Dogg's New Ryde

Brian Lanham — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:57:59 GMT

So a few months ago I broke down and purchased a new-to-me vehicle. The process of obtaining a new car was quite humerous (if it were happening to someone else). So here is the car buying summary and the car.

Summary

I originally set out to get a used BMW 530i. Well, several of my friends suggested I look into other cars. This irritated me, of course, because I had made a decision. One of my friends suggested I look at the Lincoln. That conversation went something like this:

Friend - "You should look at the Lincoln MKZ."

Me - "A Lincoln?!?!? I don't have an AARP card yet!"

Friend - "It has air conditioned seats."

Me - "Where can I test drive one?"

So I did some research (with a lot of help from friends) and test drove a few cars. The Toyota Avalon is the freakiest quietest car I've ever driven (or ridden). The Volvo S60 underhwelmed me but speed-sensitive steering is neat. I was hooked on the Lincoln MKZ with A/C seats and Microsoft Sync (you may recall that I bought a Zune a few months back).

The funny side is that I was starting to work with some dealers and look for one when the transmission in the van died. So I was stuck. Couldn't find a used '08 MKZ that fit what I wanted, didn't want to fix the van, couldn't find a buyer for it. I was about to give up and on a whim called Andy Clark Ford in Princeton, WV at 1:34PM. By about 7:20 that evening I had the car.

The Car

My version is Silver Metallic (darker silver, almost gray) and a charcoal interior with wood trim. It has driver/passenger heated and cooled seats, auto-dimming rear and driver side view mirrors, auto-defrosting mirrors, a 263 HP 3.5L Duratec V6 engine and gets around 28MPG highway (21 city), power moon roof, Microsoft Sync, and, oh yeah, a 600W, 14 speaker THX II Audiophile soundsystem.

I was ready to compromise on color and other features like the THX soundsystem, moon roof, etc. In the end I didn't have to. I got the car I wanted and love it. Sync is way cool and having a Zune makes it soooooo sweeet.

Why the Lincoln? I got more car, for less money and better warranty. It "glides" (to quote a friend who drove it). It has a lot of power yet low road noise. The sound system is amazing and it is generally a pleasure to drive. Here is a link to the '09.

http://www.lincoln.com/mkz/home.asp

Thanks to everyone who helped and gave me advice. I usually have buyer's remorse before I even get the product but this time it's different. I am actually glad that I bought both the Zune and the Z. It's an incredible combination that I do not regret (yet :) ).

Hosted Source Code Control Solution

Brian Lanham — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:49:58 GMT

I understand that CollabNet has a hosted version of Subversion but their site is a tad confusing in this regard. Anyone out there recommend a hosted source code control solution?

Been A While...Playing Catch-Up

Brian Lanham — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:31:16 GMT

So it's been a while since my last post. I've actually had a lot going on. In the month of September I...

Resigned from Foot Levelers full time.
Resumed my own company full time.
Moved to a new rental.
Bought a car.
(Hopefully) selling a car.

One of my previous clients provided an opportunity I simply couldn't pass. I broke the van (transmission) and was in the market anyway so decided to land a new ride. And the rental? Well I had been slowly working on moving for months. First I went to a six month lease, then month-to-month. Now I have no one over my head.

I am working at home today (as I do most days) sitting at a window. It is a beautiful day and no one is over my head making noise.

So who wants to buy a mini-van? :D http://roanoke.craigslist.org/cto/850889665.html

I'll get into more details about each item later.

Error Adding Attachment Programmatically in SharePoint

Brian Lanham — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:26:17 GMT

*** NEVERMIND...I FOUND THE PROBLEM. *** I was ignoring one simple line of code.

I am attempting to programmatically add an attachment to a SharePoint list using the Lists Web services API. Here is the algorithm I am following:

1) Created list item using CAML. The item ID is returned.

2) Using the returned item ID from #1, call the "AddAttachment" method to add an attachment.

3) Receive "401: Unauthorized" error.

I tried adding the same attachment to list manually using the same credentials and it works. What am I missing? Is it a problem with the file upload? Is it a problem with the list item not being in edit mode? Can someone please help? Thanks in advance!

-B

The Dark Knight

Brian Lanham — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:29:17 GMT

I saw The Dark Knight last week. I was anticipating this film for some time and it did not disappoint. For those of you who know me, I can't simply give a "thumbs up/down" review. So if you're in a hurry…

I highly recommend this movie but I must warn you that it is dark, unhappy, disturbing, and emotionally exhausting.

If you're not in a hurry…

My general sense of the movie is that it is dark and disturbing. I equate it to disturbing in the sense of Silence of the Lambs. The story is excellent and superbly told. The dialog is fantastic and the pace is probably perfect, especially considering the length of the movie (just a hair shy of 2.5 hours). The movie is probably a solid 20 minutes too long. An interview with Christopher Nolan revealed that extra footage was added to show more of Ledger's performance as this is truly his swan song. Now for some specifics.

Production, Direction, Script, Setting, Cinematography, and Score
As with Batman Begins, this film is expertly delivered. The production is bordering on flawless. Not only are the sets ideal, the film shows the viewers what they want to see. Christopher Nolan continues to prove himself one of the best storytellers available. The script is excellent in that some limited humor is introduced but not forced. The Nolan/Bale combination truly seem to understand not only Batman but also Bruce Wayne. The story is delivered in such a way that these two characters are truly distinct (and I won't say more to avoid spoiling anything).

The cinematography is great. The camera angles and lighting add to each shot appropriately and produce an overall effect that is consistent throughout the film while at the same time adding to each scene the necessary level of emotion (tension, fear, hate, disgust, etc.). Nolan impressed me with filming in Chicago (the original model setting for Gotham). The score is interesting in that it is excellent but not always used. I recall one scene in particular that was so tense and I remember thinking "This is tense and there is no music." That alone impresses me and gives credence to both the score and the direction.

Story & Acting
The story is excellent and excellently told. It is, of course, not very surprising for Batman aficionados. For those of you who think Tim Burton and Joel Shumacher know Batman, please reconsider and watch Nolan (although Burton knows better than Shumacher). As the stories are relatively well-known, you might think the film would be unsurprising and maybe even boring. However, the story is so well delivered that it is tense and exciting yet time is given to breathe and relax. The dialog is probably as perfect as any and is delivered with the kind of acting that only the greats can deliver.

The movie is stacked with great acting including: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Eric Roberts, Cillian Murphy, and Nestor Carbonell. I am disappointed that Gyllenhaal didn't get more dialog. She is a phenomenal actor. The rest of the cast deliver flawless performances. Oldman is so in character again that it is hard for me to remember who he is under that mustache. Bale is superb in playing both characters (Batman and Wayne) and demonstrating the struggles between them. At one point Batman makes a decision and Bruce Wayne must live with the consequences…and it hurts. Aaron Eckhart continues to impress and his transition feels natural instead of forced.

Regarding Heath Ledger's performance, I want to avoid giving it attention for the sake of attention due to his death. However, I simply cannot overlook how impressive his performance is. Everything about his performance shows his dedication and commitment to delivering, consistently, a difficult and complex character who is a chaotic evil homicidal, maniacal terrorist. His voices, mannerisms, even the way he sits are delivered so well that it is disturbing.

So I recommend you see it…and if you have seen it let me know what you think.

The Cini Mini Syndrome

Brian Lanham — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:40:51 GMT

Many years ago I purchased my first house. One of the first morning's in the house (a Saturday I believe) my (ex) wife fetched breakfast at Burger King while I continued installing child safety devices. She returned with baked, unhealthy yet totally tasty and satisfying treats from the King. Among the choices was a box (or two) of Cini-Mini's.

I stared at the box quickly becoming fascinated with the design. I have always been a curious type. Also, I am a process geek. I am interested in learning about how things are designed and built. Although I was just finishing college, I was already feeling the frustrations of poor / no process. While staring at the box I started pondering the design.

I can't seem to find an image of the box so my textual description will have to do. Things I noticed about the box:

1) Graphics - The graphics on the box (such as the Burger King trademark logo and the name of the product) are printed at an angle with respect to the sides of the box.
2) Size - The container is designed to hold precisely 4 miniature cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls are an unusual size for cinnamon rolls. The icing container holds enough icing for the four cinnamon rolls. (It's actually a little more than I like.)
3) Layout - The container is designed to provide a space to house a single container of icing. As such, the icing containers are not part of the box and, instead, are inserted into the overall container at purchase time.

While standing there observing these aspects of the container a thought occurred to me that has stayed with me over the years.

"More design time went into this box of Cini-Minis than into most software systems."

Does that make anyone else sad? If you think about it for a minute, you can see the Vision document forming in your mind…

1) Sales & Marketing - If we put the graphics at right angles to the container then we can get as many graphics on a single container. Furthermore, angular graphics are more catchy than perpendicular graphics. At what angle shall the graphics be printed?
2) The Food Itself - How many rolls shall we put? This one is great because it drives EVERYTHING. They must have conducted some research into approximately how much food a test group consumes. How much icing is consumed with the number of rolls we've chosen? Do we need to redesign the container for the amount of icing?
3) Preparation - Is the size of the roll conducive to our existing kitchen equipment? How long does it take to prepare this item?
4) Shipping - Let's put the icing in the container at purchase time. This way we can flatten the containers completely for shipping. This also allows us to ship the containers in a non-refrigerated vehicle.
5) ROI - How much will we charge? Is this amount profitable given the manufacturing of the containers, the food, the size, the marketing, etc.?

Many of these items are business and system supplemental requirements but you can easily play a similar scenario to form use cases. So what's my point?

Cini-Mini Syndrome (noun) - A situation wherein less effort is expended sufficiently planning and designing a business software system than a snack.

Think about the business systems you have in your organization. Did anyone consider integration? Reuse? Modularity? Service-Orientation? Or, instead, did someone throw together a system as quickly as possible and now they spend their days maintaining it by quickly adding new functionality or updating records in the database directly?

The next time you are building a software system, use a simple litmus test. "Do I have enough information to implement Cini-Minis?" Have you before or do you now experience The Cini-Mini Syndrome? What advice do you have for combating these situations?

Air Travel

Brian Lanham — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:17:48 GMT

So after years of avoiding it successfully, I have started traveling by air again. The last trip I made by air was in 2005 at which time I traveled to Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States. That was actually a reasonably smooth trip in terms of air travel. These days, however, it's getting increasingly worse.

I am traveling to/from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Of course because of where I live, one can't get anywhere from here. As such, I have to travel through somewhere else. On the way back the plane that was supposed to take us from the midpoint to here was not available until a much later time. The flight was overbooked and the A/C was not functioning at full capacity on the bird.

Last week a friend was traveling on a similar trip and spent over six hours at the airport here trying to get out. Why? No one seems to know.

And all of this is in addition to the complexities associated with going through the check-in process.

I fear that the ever-increasing cost of fuel is an indication that It's only going to get worse.

RPG Emulator for Windows? Visual Studio?

Brian Lanham — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:55:39 GMT

Due to a recent job change I am responsible for some AS/400, RPG development as well as Wintel development. I have often wanted to learn more about RPG development so I see this as an opportunity. I bought a book and would like to practice on the good ol' laptop here. Can any of you recommend an RPG emulator for Windows? What about a plug-in for Visual Studio? Thanks in advance for any direction you can offer.

BSG - Revision

Brian Lanham — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:39:22 GMT

Apparently I just watched the mid-season finale? I guess I will have to revoke my last statement until the "actual" finale. I have been so out of the loop over the last few months that I can't even keep the eps straight...sad!

Battlestar Galactica - Worst Ending Ever?

Brian Lanham — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:39:44 GMT

So I got behind on Battlestar Galactica. Then I decided since I am going to Toronto on business I will treat myself to a Zune and I will buy Season 4 of BSG from Zune Marketplace. This will give me something to do on the planes and in the airports. That was a big success. I was all caught-up and stuff except for the final episode which I watched yesterday.

Wow.

I can't speak negatively enough about the ending.

The pace for the season was strange. The Lee Adama story was strange and, given the timing, unnecessary. I think re-introducing Romo Lampkin was unnecessary. That time could have been spent actually...oh...I dunno....I'm just spit-balling here...TELLING THE STORY?!?!?!

I am actually somewhat speechless about what to write (oxymoron I know). I mean, it was so underwhelming and rushed that I don't even know how to describe my disappointment. I can't even say "That was it?" because it was so anti-climactic that I find myself wondering "okay so where is the explanation?"

Seriously, Ron and David, what were you thinking? I mean, that was really lame. It's like you just decided you were bored with it and wanted it to end.

Rollin' in da To-Ron-To

Brian Lanham — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:04:51 GMT

I am in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this week on business. I've not visited Toronto before and I've only visited Canada at Niagra Falls. Toronto is a nice city. It is big (2.5M people proper) but not overwhelming at all. We are staying close the "heart" of the city (I guess) near the Eaton Center. There are so many big-city features for one to avail themself it makes me wish I could live in a big city.

In addition, there is a great candy bar called "Coffee Crisp". I hope I can find it in the states. It is fantabulous! Check it out...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_Crisp.

I ate at Jack Astor's and The Keg Mansion. The Keg is one of the best (if not the best) steak I have ever eaten.

I am slated to hit the midnight The Dark Knight tonight but I don't think I'll make it. I'm wussing out due to the timing (it's a 2.5 hour movie).

I have to come back to Toronto in a few weeks so any suggestions you have on "to do" are appreciated.

.NET Development is Free

Brian Lanham — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:17:36 GMT

Although I was more-or-less lambasted for my post about free vs. open source software, I want to follow-up with a comment or two about .NET development. There is a common misconception that developing for Windows using .NET is an expensive endeavor. For the record, .NET development is free.

.NET Framework SDK

The .NET framework itself (a.k.a. runtime) is completely free. In fact, if you don't have it, go and download it right now. Check out "Get the Framework" on the right.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/default.aspx

The Software Development Kit (SDK) is also free. The SDK contains the framework (of course) as well as all the utilities you need to build .NET applications. This includes compilers, registration tools, and other utilities that are useful and necessary for .NET development.

All you really need is Notepad and a command-line. However, there are a number of freely available Notepad-esque utilies such as Notepad++ and VI ( :D ).

Development Environments

If you are partial to an integrated development environment (IDE) Visual Studio is free too. Yeah, I know, hard to believe but it's true. Visual Studio is free. Don't believe me? Check it out. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/default.aspx

Need a relational database management system? That's free too. SQL Server Express Edition as well as SQL Management Studio Express are free. They are both available from the link above.

Systems & Productivity Tools

Okay, you Linux guys win here. Windows is not free...usually. There are times when you can get it for free. I do, however, want to point out that if you buy a stock machine it usually comes with Windows. You don't need IIS because Visual Studio can use the File System for Web application development. However, in general, you need to buy the Operating System.

That being said, Microsoft is known to give away operating systems and productivity tools (such as Windows Server 2008 and Microsoft Office 2007). All you have to do is attend a launch event. I'm not joking. I use a fully functional completely legal licensed copy of Microsoft Office 2007 Professional that I received for attending a conference.

The bottom line is that .NET development is free (but not open source). "But Brian, what about the restrictions associated with the Express Editions?" Well, you don't need Visual Studio at all to do .NET development. You can use the command-line. Some would argue that this is the best way to learn anyway.

Toog the Triathlete

Brian Lanham — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:08:51 GMT

Check out my home-dawg's page. Toog (I think his family call him "Paul") is a triathelete, entrepreneur, engineer, technologist, and all around super star.

http://www.familyfanclub.blogspot.com/

Toog started triathlon-ing last year (I think) and now he is like some sick, twisted triaddict (my portmanteau). He is in great shape and really enjoys the health benefits of it.

While at one of his first competitions, his wife (also a superstar) Kim made shirts for their boyz that read "Run Daddy Run! Swim Daddy Swim! Bike Daddy Bike!" Others loved the shirts so much that they started a biz from it and are reaping the rewards of that good idea.

So please take a minute to visit Toog's site and get a shirt.