I recently updated a handy function for our QTP library. It is a handy function that will extract the query string from the URL in a current displayed browser, parse it, and store it in such a way that the user can call for the value by name. It is also pretty smart that it stores and only parses it one time. It remembers what the last browser was, and if the URL changes, it re-parses the string. Pretty handy. So, if you wanted a value out of the query string for say, lnkey, you'd simply call it...

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RealDvD is now available for a 30 day trial and reduced price ($30 compared to $50). This basically makes a licensed copy of your DvD on your hard drive to "protect your DvDs" and allow you to easily take your collection with you. It will rip to portable drives as well as hard drives. However, the ripped copy is locked down to your specific license on your specific machine. This is interesting for many reasons. It won't allow you to burn the DvDs (I don't think), but it doesn't prevent you borrowing...

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Picked up a new toy over the weekend (I love gadgets, the gods helps me). I was going to dinner for a friend's birthday and had to miss my turn. We found the place ok, but I was reminded how much I don't like being lost. As a matter of fact, I hate it. I decided I'd had enough of this (after ending up in what I refer to as "Banjo, South Carolina" the week prior for the mud run), so went a found one. I decided on the 260. It's sweet. It has none of the extra features (like phone bluetooth or MP3 player...stuff...

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CNET has an interesting teaser article describing a "black box" feature for VS2010. As a developer/tester, I can tell you this would be excellent! Imagine having all the details of the application state on a crash or error. As the article describes, it should reduce the "works fine on my box" approach to defect resolution. As a developer, it will reduce my feeling of helplessness when a defect pops up that I can't reproduce. As a tester, I will be able to provide additional information about the...

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Sheri and I have been switching off between BSG and Torchwood. We heard people raving about TW at DragonCon this year, so we figured we'd give it a try. Heck, we started watching Firefly and BSG on recommendation; would TW be as good? Sadly, no. So far (and we are on disc 4 of the first season), we are honestly underwhelmed. I keep hoping that it will improve, so we watching the episodes. It's just not catching me as I had hoped. I don't find the characters particularly compelling and the interactions...

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I don't like TV (if you've read my blog lately you'd probably not believe that) normally. I do like to watch some shows, but I tend to try to avoid the whole TV experience (commercials, etc). I like to rent DvDs from Blockbuster for shows that are several seasons in (BSG, for example). Sheri has been a big fan of Hulu for watching "her shows" (Dancing with the Has-Beens, Project Aufwiedersein, So You Think You Can Faceplant, etc.), but I've never really found a compelling reason to check it out much....

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If you have DRM music from Wal-mart, they are apparently suspending their support (i.e., shutting down the DRM servers) as of Oct 9th. While this is interesting information is very interesting and important, I found the discussion stream for it most interesting as there is some intelligent debate over whether DRM music "renting" is good or bad. I find myself occasionally buying CDs I like even though I have a DRM player for Napster. interesting

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I recently purchased Game Jackal Pro, and frankly, I think it rocks. Basically, I hate carrying tons of CDs or DvDs around with my laptop for my games (my laptop is my main machine); they take up space, they get scratched, and I don't really like operating the internal drives in laptops (they always seem flimsy to me). Game Jackal does a great job of storing game profile information on your machine and creates what amounts to a virtual drive on your machine (it even hijacks your physical drive while...

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I always wondered why there was so little AC/DC available on Napster (I assume their reasoning is similar to that for iTunes), and this article discusses their point of view. Basically, they aren't allowed to "lock" a full CDs worth of tunes that have to be purchased instead allowing for singles...so I want the hit song, I buy the hit and avoid the filler stuff. They feel this sort of cheats them as artists and breaks the integrity of their art. AC/DC's new CD, Black Ice, is due out on the 20th of...

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PC World is providing some great info on changing out your 20 GB hard drive with a 120 GB version on the cheap, doing the work yourself. Pretty slick, and apparently saves about 120 bucks. I've not modded mine (heck, I am considering selling it for all the use it gets), but I think it's pretty cool how many people have found good, cheap hacks to get the most out of their console. I am pretty sure this voids your warranty, though, so best be sure you know that going in. Nice...

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Among other things in this article, the MS CEO discusses Google and states that MS is likely the only company who could give them any competition in the web search arena. There are also some comparisons to Apple, Hp, etc in their respective technologies. I thought it a pretty concise statement of their position. It also got me thinking about Goo. You know, I remember the first time someone asked me if I'd tried Google and then stated that is was a great search engine. At the time, seems like InfoSeek...

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Seems to me I once heard that too much of a good thing can be bad. Does that apply when considering how much connectivity can be achieved on your phone? VISA is apparently trying to get apps that allow for all sort of transactions to be performed on the Android-based phones. This seems like a security nightmare waiting to happen.... Read more here...

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We have finally gotten our BA/SA people putting their FRD/BRD in Sharepoint (since the ex-VP is such a VIP...oops, sorry), but for some reason I cannot fathom, they upload every version of every document. Sharepoint provides great version control with published and non-published versions. It makes sense to have ONE PLACE to get the RIGHT DOC every time rather than run the risk of getting the wrong one. If I get "the" requirements, it makes sense that there is only one doc that is the requirements....

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Adam Baldwin/Jayne Cobb himself has placed the infamous cunning hat up for auction for charity. Pretty sweet. I am not going to pay what it will eventually go for, but it's cool nonetheless. Check it out on eBay

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I picked this up off the CSLA.Net site for the $20 bucks listed. If you are trying to upgrade your knowledge from 2.0 to 3.0, you'll find it invaluable. VERY handy summation of changes and how the 3.0 Framework (WCF, WF, etc.) have been incorporated into CSLA. As previously mentioned, I am going to get some of my game working on 2.0 (to refresh my memory...been almost a year since I worked in CSLA) and then migrate it to 3.0. This document seems to be a great tool for assisting with that...

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I am still working on the GAGame when I get some time, but it's been tight lately. I am indeed working in CSLA, and I am using VB.Net for grins. I have most of the db done, and wanted to get started working on some of the plumbing in CSLA (read as: refresh my memory on how it works). I d/l the most recent version of CSLA, but it is radically different from what I was using previously....so I d/l the version with which I am familiar. I want to get my game working on a CSLA platform to which I am used,...

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I am a huge fan of using PostMessage API calls to avoid problems with QTP recognizing Windows Dialog boxes. All you have to do is set up the call (I use a function library) and pass in the correct params. Poof! No more issues. A prime example is the Print dialog that pops up in IE. QTP will recognize it sometimes, but usually won't. Oh, it'll highlight the window from the OR when asked, but it may tell you that the "Object is Disabled" at runtime. I know how to call the PostMessage function and have...

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Read on CNET news today that Windows Mobile 7 release is delayed. Given the release of the Google Android OS coming out soon, I know this is a major blow. There is talk of improving the browser in WM (thank the gods) such that IE7 rendering engine will be used. We may actually have Flash, etc., in our WM browser. I've thought for a long time that the browser in WM could use a revamp (it's pretty weak, IMO) and perhaps this change will be a significant improvement...

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In a recent article on CNN.com, it is explained that the new push for selling music is put it on microCD cards, such as you might put in a cellphone or whatever. The thought is this will improve the failing music industry. It is said the height of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Whilst the microSD card does allow for some expanded use in more devices and is smaller (this could even be a detriment to some people...easily lost, stolen, etc.), it is still...

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Been playing this game a bit this morning, and I must say it's pretty good. The story line, so far, seems a little predictable, but decent. I was surprised how decent the graphics are. I mean it's not Xbox360 quality, but it certainly looks better than the first generation games do. I like the game dynamics with the controller (still the single greatest asset the Wii has, IMO) as it seems more interactive. 'Course, I could see it wearing your arms out, too. More on this as the game proceeds...

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I am *still* cleaning huge gobs of mud out of my ears. Next year (and yes we all want to run it next year), I'll wear earplugs. More on the earplugs in a sec. The Mud Run is 4.2 miles of running through all kinds of muddy obstacles, including a 12 foot wall. You and your team of 4 or 2 must complete the obstacles together. It is a *tough* course. I am bruised, scraped, scratched, and very, very sore. I am happy because in February I wouldn't have even been able to consider running such a race. I...

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Interesting article from the Chicago Tribune regarding the domain name Chicago2016.com. Turns out some guy bought the name 2 years before the city put in a bid to get the Olympics there in 2016. Now, they want to force him to give up his legally registered domain name because, as they say in a quote "It's our rightful name". I think domain squatting is sort of bottom-feeding activity (just my opinion...yours may and probably does vary), but it's not illegal. The guy bought it 4 years ago and dutifully...

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PCWorld published an article outlining 15 handy cheap (or free) tools to improve MS Office stuff. Especially thought some of the Outlook tools looked handy

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On his blog, Rocky states that we will soon see the VB.Net version of CSLA supported by a purely community effort rather than his own time. He'll continue with C#, but looks like the VB.Net community is on its own to figure it out. Truthfully, I've always suspected this would happen sooner or later given the complexity and time involved in CSLA. Some of people who comment on the blog have some certainty that VB.Net is a passing phase on its way out of scope. Rocky himself, however, indicates that...

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Last night, I d/l the most recent version of CSLA for my game (henceforth codename GAGame), and tried to build it. I got something I wouldn't have expected, an error that read: error creating manifest -- access is denied Wow, that's odd, I thought. I fought with it a little while, but soon gave up and hit Google with it. I found the an article that explained what had happened and how to fix it. Apparently, 3.5 .Net FW SP1 causes permissions to your MachineKeys folder to be jacked up. Once I restored...

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I don't normally post political opinion here (for good reason...believe me I have one), but these pictures are funny regardless of who you support.... 'Specially like this one:...

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Someone recently described Spore as more of a toy than a game. I think this is the best explanation possible. While it is fun, it is something that you play with more than just play. It sort of reminds me of software like Petz but with a bit more to do. Spore isn't hard to understand, although there is a lot of customization and variance (so far) in the critters you can make. I am currently in the Tribal phase with some more to go. Tribal phase is definitely more challenging as there is more to do...

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An interesting post on Chrome and how it makes use of MS technology, although the title of the post is a little misleading... I am still not going to use Chrome as long as they are collecting so much data on my browsing...'course, for all I know, MS is doing it also

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Our hockey team played its second game together tonight. We won 5-3. I love...love games that work out that way. It was real nailbiter all game long, and that's how it should be. I also recently joined a gym just down the road (less than 3 miles) from the house. It's a super nice Anytime Fitness gym, and since it is on the way home from work, I am going to stop there often. Gotta keep that whole stay in shape thing going. :-)

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AC/DC is coming to Charlotte on Dec. 18th, the last date in the US portion of their world tour in support of the new CD coming out on Oct. 28th. The tickets go on sale on the 20th of September. This is my all-time fave band, and I've seen them every time I could over the years. They don't tour much anymore, and every tour I assume is their last. I am going this time, too. Period. :-)

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I had an adventure on my walk at lunch today (I try to walk a coupla times a week...part of the healthy me lifestyle). I was walking and noticed a helicopter flying around low and slow...I didn't hear it as I was listening to my MP3 player (Drive-By Truckers for those who are curious). It was circling my intended path. I didn't pay it much more mind than to note it. Then, I noticed another, and a few minutes later, there were 4. I thought perhaps the thought police had finally decided they'd had...

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Still in mostly design mode here, but I have started building a database for the data. I am actually trying to separate the db design from the object design/coding by a short period of time (days? week?) to hopefully allow me to design the object model without the db structure in mind. If I am too close to the db, I'll never achieve this. Anyway, the db is coming along, and I am building some basic CRUD procs that I will need. All that is coming along smoothly so far...it should it's honestly the...

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On old manager of mine sent me an article that basically confirms the automated testing ideas we put in place when we built out the process (was only the two of us at the time). Nice to get some validation that we knew what we were doing. :-)

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I was asked to find an open source load/performance testing tool we can use at my employer, and I've done some digging. OpenSTA seems to be our best option, although it can be quirky and sometimes unreliable with HTTPS. However, I did find something called WebLOAD which looked promising. However, it says it doesn't support HTTPS at all. Given that this is advertised as "open source", I figured perhaps it could be made to support it (even though this sounded like a strange idea...a web load testing...

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Just watched this episode for the first time (all of them are to me since I've just started catching up). An interesting episode, but sort of silly, really. I enjoyed it the political debate between the "terrorist" and Apollo in the microcosm sense. Two guys talking about the notion of freedom (a term very close and dear to my heart) and government. Pretty interesting. However, in the larger context, it is a stupid thing to be debating. Here you are, the last 47K humans in the universe (as far as...

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I was looking for information on configuring the MMC, and found a great, handy article on how to maximize your usage of the MMC. Pretty cool

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Almost forgot I meant to post this until Sheri reminded me... Nathan Fillion was asked about Mal Reynolds and when he lost his faith in God. She (the questioner) said it must have been during the battle of Serenity Valley. She wanted to know more about that. Fillion seemed to slip into character when he answered this question. Just previously, he was laughing and funny...then he suddenly got very serious. It was almost like watching a transformation.... He said: "Mal Reynolds did not lose his faith...

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I have been directed to "speed up" test development at my employer. Ok, I can do that some. However, it has been decided to abandon the process I've been using for the past few months and I have been directed to use "record and playback". <sigh> This is a nightmare waiting to happen, and it didn't take long. My first test under the new "development" plan won't save anymore. As soon as I add anything else to it, the following pops up: Wow, now that is a helpful message! I just need to remove...

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Ok, who knew trying to get pics on the net could be such an adventure? I was intending to comment/rename these before posting them, but thanks to the lack of internet connectivity in the hotel, I didn't. So, anyway, here they are! Enjoy! IMPORTANT NOTE: SOME ARE DEFINITELY NSFW

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The hotel in which I am staying had some of the worst internet connectivity I've ever seen...oy. As a result, I've not been able to post on the Con. Thought I'd put some up today. I have tons of pics (I think) of all kinds of great costumes. I'll get those up and linked soon. Sheri is very interested in the costuming, so we might work on something for next year in the Steampunk line. The Mal Reynolds outift I have looked great, I think, and was possibly the most accurate one I saw while I was there....

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