Did no writing yesterday evening because I was late back from work due to meetings and train problems, and I was tired. I did manage to damage my thumb trying to fix the exploded kettle. If I'd been able to get into the base I could have rewired it. But I couldn't pry it loose. Brute force and ignorance didn't work.
Day job was a bit poo yesterday, didn't really get anything finished, today was better. Thing with programming, which is similar to writing: people don't understand how much work goes into it. They see what's on the surface and never appreciate what's behind the scenes (behind the scenes, geddit?). Do something quick that looks shiny and they say "oooh, that's clever, must have taken you ages". Do something really complicated but isn't showy and they wonder what you've been doing all week.
This evening I did some reading, wrote some e-mails and got an e-mail from a friend containing some of a book he's been writing which he wanted me to comment on. I will but not tonight.
Eventually sat down to work on the revisions for Air. It's all been going nicely and I nearly finished, but the end needs some major work (since both sets of feedback felt they'd been short-changed) so I shall give in for the evening and go to bed.
What's on the turntable? "Amarok" by Mike Oldfield (4 mins in)
Showing posts with label programming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label programming. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Go Go Google Gadget Progress Bar
Look I made a progress bar. This is a proper Google Gadget one which needs some improvement but certainly works.
Trouble is I was getting an attack of the creeping features - I kept thinking how I could make it better. Anyway in its current form you put in the title, the target number and the number you've reached and it displays using a variety of styles and selectable colours.
Cool.
I haven't made it publicly available as yet. But I may...
What's on the turntable? "Hejira" by Joni Mitchell from "Hejira"
Trouble is I was getting an attack of the creeping features - I kept thinking how I could make it better. Anyway in its current form you put in the title, the target number and the number you've reached and it displays using a variety of styles and selectable colours.
Cool.
I haven't made it publicly available as yet. But I may...
What's on the turntable? "Hejira" by Joni Mitchell from "Hejira"
Monday, April 14, 2008
I've been induced
I suppose I should have two, or even three, separate blogs. But I just can't be bothered.
First day in the new job. As I'm working for a big company it has all the things that big companies have, like an "induction course" which is for all new guys and gals. This is very commendable and I thoroughly approve. Unfortunately like most big companies there are problems, like the guy, Moses, who was on the induction course. He's part of our team but he's been there two months and this was his induction...
So there we were, Moses, Lars, David and Me. Sent across to a nearby building for the course. All in jeans except David, but David isn't a programmer so he had to wear a suit.
We sat in the reception of the new building and were issued visitor passes that would take us through the security doors and let us use the lift. So we asked the receptionist where we were to go and she said: "3rd floor, through the main doors, first door on your right". Well you wouldn't think this would cause much of a problem. It did.
But eventually we found ourselves in the stated room, at about 10.ooam, just as the induction course was supposed to start. And we waited, and waited, and waited. Yours truly, acting like the leader he's been employed to be (ahem) zoomed back to reception to ask where our induction chap was. But I didn't wait for the answer, I zoomed back just in case he'd turned up while I'd been gone.
He hadn't.
He didn't.
We were in the wrong room. So 25 minutes late we sheepishly entered the right room with other inductees and the inductor. I made sure that everyone knew it wasn't our fault. I suspect they didn't believe me. But in my defence, David actually arrived after us and got the same instructions.
Oh and Lars is my friend. Oh yes. He didn't believe I was 50 (well, 49 and a half). He is my friend forever. Mind you, I had a phone conversation once where the person at the other end claimed that I didn't sound like someone who was 18 stone in weight.
How can you tell?
(Blog title courtesy of my wife -- who's also a professional writer.)
What's on the turntable? "Dies Irae" by Sky, from the album "Sky"
First day in the new job. As I'm working for a big company it has all the things that big companies have, like an "induction course" which is for all new guys and gals. This is very commendable and I thoroughly approve. Unfortunately like most big companies there are problems, like the guy, Moses, who was on the induction course. He's part of our team but he's been there two months and this was his induction...
So there we were, Moses, Lars, David and Me. Sent across to a nearby building for the course. All in jeans except David, but David isn't a programmer so he had to wear a suit.
We sat in the reception of the new building and were issued visitor passes that would take us through the security doors and let us use the lift. So we asked the receptionist where we were to go and she said: "3rd floor, through the main doors, first door on your right". Well you wouldn't think this would cause much of a problem. It did.
But eventually we found ourselves in the stated room, at about 10.ooam, just as the induction course was supposed to start. And we waited, and waited, and waited. Yours truly, acting like the leader he's been employed to be (ahem) zoomed back to reception to ask where our induction chap was. But I didn't wait for the answer, I zoomed back just in case he'd turned up while I'd been gone.
He hadn't.
He didn't.
We were in the wrong room. So 25 minutes late we sheepishly entered the right room with other inductees and the inductor. I made sure that everyone knew it wasn't our fault. I suspect they didn't believe me. But in my defence, David actually arrived after us and got the same instructions.
Oh and Lars is my friend. Oh yes. He didn't believe I was 50 (well, 49 and a half). He is my friend forever. Mind you, I had a phone conversation once where the person at the other end claimed that I didn't sound like someone who was 18 stone in weight.
How can you tell?
(Blog title courtesy of my wife -- who's also a professional writer.)
What's on the turntable? "Dies Irae" by Sky, from the album "Sky"
Friday, April 04, 2008
Oh dear, I've got a job
Here's a pretty kettle of fish.
This time last year I became familiar with a thing called Drupal ... it's for building websites, it's very clever and it's free.
As a result I've had two contract programming jobs so far, one in Leeds and one in Dundee, and I've been making rather more money that I had been previously. (Editing books and writing web content for websites.)
This is good.
I've just been offered a 6 month contract in Reading (about 20 miles west of London) in a very large organisation, running a major project which will influence the lives of millions. (Actually true.) And I'm prevaricating. (That's why I'm writing this blog instead of doing what I should be doing.)
I've already accepted it but it means that, for at least 6 months, I'm going to be living away from home (home at weekends) and not doing all the thing I should be doing for my kids and wife.
The Dundee job was similar (Dundee being well into Scotland) but was only for a month.
But, frankly, we need the money. And it's a seriously good job.
And I'll be able to write in the evenings.
No choice.
This time last year I became familiar with a thing called Drupal ... it's for building websites, it's very clever and it's free.
As a result I've had two contract programming jobs so far, one in Leeds and one in Dundee, and I've been making rather more money that I had been previously. (Editing books and writing web content for websites.)
This is good.
I've just been offered a 6 month contract in Reading (about 20 miles west of London) in a very large organisation, running a major project which will influence the lives of millions. (Actually true.) And I'm prevaricating. (That's why I'm writing this blog instead of doing what I should be doing.)
I've already accepted it but it means that, for at least 6 months, I'm going to be living away from home (home at weekends) and not doing all the thing I should be doing for my kids and wife.
The Dundee job was similar (Dundee being well into Scotland) but was only for a month.
But, frankly, we need the money. And it's a seriously good job.
And I'll be able to write in the evenings.
No choice.
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