So as you can tell from the time stamp of Friday/Saturday's entry, I was having trouble sleeping. Which we all have from time to time. So I figured that I would compile a short list of links for insomniacs. Oddly enough I checked this links out when I wasn't able to sleep Theses, will make you laugh, make you cry, and most will just make you wonder why. Without any further todo or gilding of the lily Links for insomniacs

Vanity pl8
Yes friends someone has brought it upon themselves to photograph every vanity plate they see and bring it to the masses, and I in turn bring it to you.

Origami Boulder
Did you say, Origami Boulders, I sure did, Origami Boulders or even Origami Boulders that have Haikus written on them is what you find at this site. Yes, this is a real site, yes, you can purchase one and if you don't believe me check out the FAQ at the bottom called "Letters from Dumb Dumbs".

Crushed Cans
The concept is simple, you send them 4.95 and they send you an artistically crushed can. If that isn't enough, check out the photo gallery, some of these cans have been to hipper spots then I have.

The French Horn
This last entry, is simply amazing, something only the french would think up. The concept is a simple one, stick bicycle horns all over your body ,and figure out how to play Mozart with them. Too Funny. (a media player is required for this link)

So it's now been a month since I've started this blog. And to quote Captain Jack Sparrow <quote author="Jack Sparrow">I think we've all arrived at a very special place... spiritually... ecumenically... grammatically.</quote> I'd personal would like to thank all four of you who reads this blog. If you read this blog either mistakenly or intentionally, I thank you.

At work we just got through the first step of a VA test. My part was giving strangers access to all of my code. Now for a developer, half of you goes sure here test it, I want you to check out my work, and the other part goes No, NaNaNaNaNa not listening, no, no no! But in the end your brain goes, this is okay, and you get over it.

So last night I stayed at work a little later, and I got to work on my C# project. It was one of those times when things just flowed. What I needed to write was something that displayed files in a directory and I need to be able to specify the directory on the fly. So first thing I did a google search. So I come across this article from 4GuysFromRolla.Com on "Displaying the Files in a Directory using a DataGrid". This is almost what I need, however the examples are in VB.NET not C#, not really that big of a deal, just translate some syntax. So in the end what I wrote was a Datagrid that displays all files in a given directory, and that directory can change on the fly within the scope of my project.

So this is what my code behind looks like:
using System.IO; //very important

namespace secureload
{

public class download : System.Web.UI.Page
{
protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataGrid downloadlist;

private void Page_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{

string dir = Request.QueryString["directory"];

if(dir == "")
{
dir = Session["dir"].ToString();
}
//gets the infomation for the DirectoryInfo Object and Create a string Array
DirectoryInfo dirinfo = new DirectoryInfo(HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath(dir));
//Pass string array with file information to Datagrid's datasource
downloadlist.DataSource = dirinfo.GetFiles("*.*");
//bind datagrid
downloadlist.DataBind();

}
}


And this is what my datagrid code looks like:

<asp:DataGrid id="downloadlist" runat="server" Font-Name="Verdana" AutoGenerateColumns="False" AlternatingItemStyle-BackColor="#eeeeee" HeaderStyle-BackColor="Navy" HeaderStyle-ForeColor="White" HeaderStyle-Font-Size="10pt" HeaderStyle-Font-Bold="True" AllowSorting="True" Font-Names="Verdana">
<AlternatingItemStyle BackColor="#EEEEEE"></AlternatingItemStyle>
<ItemStyle Font-Size="Smaller"></ItemStyle>
<HeaderStyle Font-Size="10pt" Font-Bold="True" ForeColor="White" BackColor="Navy"></HeaderStyle>
<Columns>
<asp:HyperLinkColumn DataNavigateUrlField="Name" DataNavigateUrlFormatString="dltrack.aspx?filename={0:d}" DataTextField="Name" HeaderText="File Name" NavigateUrl="dltrack.aspx?filename="></asp:HyperLinkColumn>
<asp:BoundColumn DataField="LastWriteTime" HeaderText="Last Write Time" DataFormatString="{0:d}">
<ItemStyle HorizontalAlign="Center"></ItemStyle>
</asp:BoundColumn>
<asp:BoundColumn DataField="Length" HeaderText="File Size" DataFormatString="{0:#,### bytes}">
<ItemStyle HorizontalAlign="Right"></ItemStyle>
</asp:BoundColumn>
</Columns>
</asp:DataGrid>



Now the one thing to now of the datagrid configurations is that I wanted my document urls to be dynamic. I want every download to be logged. So I need that url in the HyperlinkColumn. So in the DataNavigateUrlFormatString is where all of the magic happens. I add the url I want "dltrack.aspx" and my parameters, "?filename=" then to dynamically add the file names to the url you add "{0:d}". This adds the "Name" from the DataTextField field of HyperlinkColumn. DataNavigateUrlFormatString="dltrack.aspx?filename={0:d}" This seems to run pretty fast, and took lets time to code up then creating your own dynamic tables. In classic ASP, I would touch datagrids with a ten foot pole, but in ASP.NET they do actually make your life easier!

So last night, we went out and got the new Crystal Method album "Legion of Boom". I have been eagerly anticipating this release/ I really love this album. It keeps with the same groove that you would expect from them, however you can hear them growing as artist. There are some great collabrations on this album. One of them happens to be with Wes Borland. (Gutarist of Limp Bizkit fame) So, yes you are going to hear guitars on a Crystal Method Album. Songs like "Weapons of Mass Distortion" show that Method knows what to do with great guitar tracks, and Wes' playing is solid. Also there are some great vocal tracks on this album. "Born to Slow" and "Wide Open" have good lyrics and feel a little different them most Method songs, but they are really good. It shows the Method growing, and that is a good thing!

Well, I just loaded NewsGator in to my Outlook here at work. It is a really nice RSS reader. It really intgrates in to Outlook very well. Also I love the fact that it has a feature that lets you update your blog from within Outlook. Now it will look like I am workin' when I am bloggin'. I really like the way that it displays feeds. I am going to test it for a couple more days. But the way it looks right now, I am going to have to buy it. I was using clevercactus, and that works really good for me at home, but at work it just isn't powerful enough. Well, I don't know if it's that or, that it just doesn't seem to fit in to my workflow here at work.

Today has been another day of lots of work, but your not sure what you did. I mean I did some graphics work for the marketing department and it was even fun. But as a rule, if you are a web developer, try to hide how good you are at graphic design. You will be asked to pull double duty.

Today was a day that you work hard and long, and don't remember what you worked on. It wasn't one big thing. It was more like lots of little things. It makes the day go by, but you don't have the same sense of accomplishment, that you have when you work through a programming problem.

Ed got his linux web server up and running! (Go Ed!) He is using TikiWiki (written in PHP, PHP rocks), check it out!

I just got off the phone with my brother. It looks like him, and my other brother are going to be taking a job in San Diego. So K and J are going to be living down there. I am a little melancholy over it. My brothers have never lived more then 20 minutes away. 2 hours away is a big jump. I know they are going to be great. And I will make sure that I get to go and see them. It's just not going to be the same. And I won't get to see them as often.

Well it was just another beautiful winters day in L.A. I went into work this morning and got what I need done, done. It actually went pretty well. We were having an issue with one of our Dell Servers. Every time we went to check the network properties it would flicker and close the properties window. So I did the easiest thing first. I uninstalled the NIC driver and reinstalled it. Viola`, back in business.

So I just fixed the intranet web server and saved a bunch of time, what am I going to do now? I'm going to Disneyland! And that is just what we did.(This is where being an Annual Passholder comes in nicely) When I got home, called my Folks and we (My Beautiful Wife and the Little Boy) met them down at the park. It was a beautiful afternoon. 77 degrees and blue sky's. (Now that is what I can winter!) We had great time. When went on the Autopia, which is the Little Boys favorite ride. Somehow, someway, My Dad, The Little Boy and I squeezed in to one car. The Boy steered, I manned the gas pedal, and Dad laughed all the way through the ride.

Next was Pirates of the Caribbean. Now this was my favorite ride when I was a kid and it is become one of the Boy's favorites too! So we scurried aboard. And we were off going through treasure troves, in between pirate ships and forts, and a quick trip to tortuga. By the end of the ride we were all singing "A Pirates Life for Me". Of course, none of us were singing in the same key, and if there was some harmony thrown in there, it was completely accidental.

After that we went to the "Golden Horse Shoe" to see Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. This is such a great show. They are bluegrass musicians with a sense of humor and gobs of talent. There is nothing like the bluegrass version of the Beatles "She's Got a Ticket to Ride" when they are wearing overalls and moptop wigs!

We had dinner at the Plaza Inn, which was very nice. It was great to get to spend an afternoon with Mom and Dad, My Beautiful Wife, and the Little Boy. It's days like today that make you remember why you work so hard during the week.

It was a good Saturday. Battled the fierce bathroom drain monster and was victories. (With Dad's help of course) Spend some time with my Beautiful Wife. And had dinner with Mom and Dad while watching the Dakar Rally. All in all I would say it was a good day. The quote of the day came from Dad. <quote source="Dad">It being cobbled together doesn't bother me</quote> We were talking about the exhaust pipe on my sisters custom quad.

Tomorrow morning I have to go into work. Need to rework something on the intranet web server. And since Sunday is the only day where there aren't people in the building working, it becomes the day for doing server maintenance. Which is okay, I guess. In a way as a developer it is really nice when something you write becomes so useful and needed that it because mission critical and can't be brought down during business hours. However the flipside to that is, you have to administer updates and changes either late or night or on the weekends.

Well, as you can see, I changed the look and feel a little bit. I wanted something that looked like my digital scrapbook or journal. The grey was very techie and all but, I don't know, it needed a change. I also added some other stuff tonight, like my name, a picture of myself and last but certainly not least, comments. The comments aren't beautiful but they work, and I think it is a good thing to have. Okay, about the other stuff. Why, did I put my name and picture on something that started out fairly anonymously?

It all started when My Wife and I where taking the DigitalIQ test. One of the questions are do you do a google search on people you meet? And so I did a goggle search on my name. The first through forth results were a guy in the UK that is an Ethnomethodologist. Now I thought about this, and it kind of bugged me. I mean, I am sure that Russell Kelly in the UK is a very nice guy, but I have been working Internet/New Media since 1997. I've been a Web Developer since 1999.You would of thought that my name would of brought up something, right? Nope, not at all. So I decided, it was time that I made it on to google too!

I am now a Sr. Web Developer, have been for almost a year. I am proud of my work, and always try to share my knowledge with others I work with. I think I want to start sharing it with others in the industry as well.

---

I was looking some pictures of my family tonight. It is interesting the amount of pride and love that can fill your heart just by seeing images on a computer screen. Makes the darn things almost worth having around. You know, when they don't crash.

So I am hammering out the C# project. I am having some issue with Session State not staying active. However got through my issue with using COM objects in a ASP.NET projects. I found this article helpful. Using a COM object in C# or VB.NET. You see, I need to use the ASPUpload COM object for the project to save time and have a user interface that my users know.
My code ended up looking something like this: using System.Reflection; using ASPUPLOADLib; namespace myproject public class myproject : System.Web.UI.Page { private void Page_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { string strPath = ""; strPath = myproject.getPath("test"); ASPUPLOADLib.IUploadManager objUpload; objUpload = (ASPUPLOADLib.IUploadManager)Server.CreateObject("Persits.Upload"); int Count = objUpload.Save(strPath, Missing.Value, Missing.Value); lblLoad.Text = "Success. " + Count + " file(s) uploaded to " + strPath + "."; } }

Well, its thursday again, and of course I still have a weeks worth of work to get done before the end of the week. So what am I doing about it, watching the MacWorld 2004 keynote address. My technolust is growing by leaps and bounds. If project Mono was just a little further along, I would be able to switch to a Mac. But my Sony laptop still does pretty well. It's just not a Mac.

My C# project is going well, I am currently stuck on how to use COM Object inside of ASP.NET. I am so use to the classic ASP. But I am sure with a couple of google searches and it will be figured out. Then I will move on to something else to be stuck on.

I finally got most of the ADO.NET connections through C# figured out. It's just not that bad, especially since, I try to only use Stored Procedures. I am sure that there are those out there that say that inline sql is the way, to go, but I just don't feel it is very secure. Especially since SQL injection attacks are so easy.

---

I got to talk with my Dad today. That was really nice. I am so glad that we have a good relationship and that we get to talk. We used to work together everyday and I miss that very much. Yeah, Yeah, I know, am imagine that, a son that liked working with his Dad. Don't here that too often do you. But being a grown-up means moving on. Taking the more corporate jobs and if you can manage it even getting a job with benefits.(imagine that, huh?)

Being a grownup isn't like the brochure we saw in school. Remember? We would be able to get a job and spend our money on whatever we want and go wherever we wanted. We would have cool cars and a cool apartment with neon everything. Now I know, that my money is spent on whatever a three year olds and I get to go wherever a three year wants to go. The interesting thing about it is, I don't think I would have it any other way.

iPod minis are now here!

Need a G5 server? G5 Xserve

Apple makes all the cool stuff!
Okay, so here are two new items to add to my wishlist.
I am starting to feel better. I went to the doctor today, and he gave me cough syrup with codine and same antibotic they use to treat anthrax. So I am fairly sure I will be on the mend. Went into work after the doctor's visit. Had things that had to be turned in today. It was good to see everyone.

Wow, am so Dizzy today. Can't hardly sit upright in the chair. Hopefully the medicine My Wife gave me will make it better in a bit.

It's been a quiet day. I have slept much of it. Haven't read much. Just an article on XML database for Windows Applications.

So I was sick again today. This flu is the pits. The little boy and I both have it. We are both Mr. Grumpy Gills. Somehow My Darling Wife, can deal with both of us. I mean we are both a mess, an out and out mess. Coughing and Sneezing and crying (mostly the little boy...). And some how she just smiles at us, and gives us our medicine, seperates us if we are fighting over the remote. (If you live with a three year old ,you will fight over the remote, don't kid yourself). I married the perfect woman!

Stayed home from work today sick, still worked three hours from home. I always do that, sick as dog, and I work from home. We'll just call it dedication and leave it at that.

My Wife asked me today if I had an resolutions for the year. I said no, and then I said, to keep my Journal going, and to keep my blog going. I guess my biggest resolution is to just keep me going. To not let life get me down. To be like Dory. Yeah, Dory from Finding Nemo. She has some good advice. (I know what you are thinking take advice from an animated fish? Well it could be worse, you could take advice from Ricki Lake)

Dory: Hey Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you've gotta do?
Marlin: No I don't wanna know.
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.
Marlin: Dory, no singing.
Dory: [continuing] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho! I love so swim. When you want to swim you want to swim!
Marlin: Now I'm stuck with that song!. Now it's in my head!
Dory: Sorry.

Dog as a sick again today. However I did get the server <happydance value="true">back up</happydance>. Which was a big thing. It had really been a fight. I thought hosting company was working on it. So I called last night at 5pm to see how things were, and they hadn't even started. I was suppose to fill out some form, that none of the other 6 people I had talked with over there had even thought of mentioning. So I had to go in this morning and start a fire under the hosting company. Fortunately everything was basicly up and running by Noon. It was kind of nice being in the office today, no one was there and I was able to focus. I got the server back, and while I was waiting on process, I worked on my C# project. I got my stored procedures done, and geek stuff like that. I listened to a stream of KCRW through iTunes this morning.They had this cool program on called "Basement Tracks", it was great, it was all over the place. So I was at work, had the speakers cranked, life was good. Well as good as it gets being sick and having to work on new years day.

I picked up the guitar tonight and played along with some "Third Eye Blind". A lyric from one of there songs got stuck in my head. <quote author="Stephen Jenkins"> when you start talking I need a prozac...this drama is a bore and I don't want to play no more </quote>. What can I say, the resident Drama Queen created some well, Drama. Anyhow it felt good to play a little. Even if it was in between sneezes, coughs and blowing my nose on the socks.(Poor socks, they have to deal with feet and me blowing my nose on them) Now, I know what you are thinking, Eww, he blows his nose on his socks, well, in the first place they are usually, clean (I hoping), Secondly, Lets just consider it a vice. I mean some men gamble, drink, womenize, drugs, drink and gamble, gamble and drink, drink and womanize, drink, drugs and gamble, well you get the idea of the combinations possible. Me, I blow my nose on socks. Doesn't seem nearly as bad as the others now does it.

Well, what a day. I have been sick as a dog. Our external web server in Georgia got a virus and had to be rebuild. It is suppose to be up at 5pm PT. So I am sitting here, while everyone else left at 3pm because it is new years eve. I am going to have to compare all of the files, because the backup the Hosting Company has is from the day before. All in a days work right?

Well, I have got to have a little fun today, in between the stresses of the day I install "LongHorn" (next version if Microsoft Windows) in VMWare. So far it is pretty cool. It seems to be running in VMWare a little slow, but since I don't want to dedicate a machine to it right now, it will have to do. Funny enough, I think it looks like Linux.

So the quote of road trip was from the little boy. <quote source="the little boy">Stop the car, poopy butt </quote>

I thought that was funny. Of course the idea of hearing it every half-hour not so much. It was good trip. There is something so freeing about just hoping in the car and driving through to another place, another state.

Getting to see and experience a slower pace of life was really wonderful. And getting to see my Wife interact and spend time with her Sisters, and Brother was really heartwarming. I know that she had a good time. The little boy got to play with his cousins from Oklahoma, which was so nice for him. Sometimes I think that the open spaces and slower way of life is what I want. I don't really know. I mean I am so use to everything being just around the corner. In two miles from the house we have the grocery stores, wal-mart, home depot, movie theatre, restaurants even a guitar center. In Skull Valley it is a half hour drive into town. There is always the internet, I know, but, it's all what you are use to.

I was a little disappointed, but not entirely surprised that the Sprint Wireless modem didn't connect out there in Skull Valley, AZ. Being that the Phoneix was a good 100 miles away and it was 15 miles through the hills to Prescott. Since the card is completely digital, it couldn't connect to the analog signal out there. But the cellphone worked great, no problems there. Important lesson learned. <lesson_learned>Always take the laptop</lesson_learned>. It's funny how it felt weird not getting online for 4 days. It was probably a good thing though.

Worked on my C# project some more today. Man, I am really getting into C#. Ed said that he couldn't go back to VB after working with it, and I see why. The structure is just so nice.