Most Recent Stories & Articles for All Categories
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Spirituality / Religion
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Wife Saves Hell's Angel from Stabbing!
- Posted On: 9/17/2009
No, this isn't a headline from The Onion. My wife, ... my kind sweetheart wife, was driving toward Los Angeles a couple of mornings ago for a school outing and stopped by the gas station for some coffee. A woman ran in screaming "Call 9-1-1. Someone is being stabbed!!!" Of course, the majority of everyone rushes outside to see the action, including my wife. In the seconds of observing that everyone at the gas station, including a stout, young marine were standing there watching a young 30-something year-old man proceed to stab a 60+ year-old biker repeatedly while his elderly wife stood by helplessly, my wife realizes the perfectly logical thing to do is run in between the activity and scream "STOP IT! STOP IT!" Now, I wasn't there, but perhaps everyone at that point was thinking "Oh, yeah. Maybe we should try to stop this." I'm certain of one thing... the 30-year-old was stunned into a moment of paralysis while he decided what the heck to do next. Thank God he didn't decide to proceed stabbing anything in front of him!!! He went for his truck and proceeded to back out. My wife is so incredibly pissed at this guy and amped up on adrenaline, she does the next logical thing... runs over, stands behind the truck, and screams "#@%^#@!!! What are you going to do?!!!! Run me over?!!! #!^$#%!#%@%@!!!!!!!!!" Thank God the police pulled up simultaneously with guns drawn. Turns out the stabbing was over a patch on the biker's leather jacket that had something to do with the Hell's Angels. The young guy had actually followed the biker off the freeway to attack him, yelling "Give me your jacket." My wife explained all of the logic of this behavior to the police that the young guy had an issue with inappropriate use of the Hell's Angel patch on the jacket and had to attack the guy out of duty, since the biker wouldn't allow him to tear it off of his jacket. Makes sense to me! ??? What?! The police of course, questioned my wife, "How do you know this?" while the younger assailant eyeballed her wondering the exact same thing probably quite angry she knew these things. All thanks to her mom's forethought to raise her daughter amongst members of the Hell's Angels, mostly in bars. Oh... Yes, it's perfectly silly and ludicrous behavior. Yes, it's crazy and insane. Wait... or is it because of what we're raised to believe? I mean, to attack and stab a 60-year-old over a stitched patch in a leather jacket out of a symbolic effort to "serve your duty to a membership"? Sounds like gang membership, sounds like terrorism, sounds like Frat hazing, sounds like any group's silly initiation "rites of passage" that members (usually men) invent. Is what you believe worth killing a life over when the life of you or another isn't threatened? What about when your belief involves "saving" a person's life after death based on religious views? Is killing someone with the judgment of causing "eternal" death or damnation right? "Religious war"? Killing over killing? ... After a post like this, I'm so hungry right now, I could share the cost of paying someone else to kill a cow, so I can eat some of it... :P
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My Personality Type
- Posted On: 8/30/2006
Most of my co-workers have posted the results of their personality test on the outside of their cubes. So, being a team-player, I took the test too (results below). After reading much of the content describing the ENTP personality type, I have to say that I do not greatly disagree with my identification as an ENTP. Most of the items apply to me and often pinpoint my daily approach.
Your personality type is ENTP.
Extraverted (E) 57% Introverted (I) 43% Intuitive (N) 82% Sensing (S) 18% Thinking (T) 60% Feeling (F) 40% Perceiving (P) 59% Judging (J) 41% -
Genesis Reborn
- Posted On: 4/24/2006
For some reason, I pulled a Bible off my bookshelves and blew off the dust and decided to begin reading in Gregorian chant (the way monks do). I decided to see what I sounded like and things quickly escalated into a complete melt-down of music. Listen as the first 3 verses of Genesis are reborn in a new light of awakening. (*Requires Windows Media Player - sorry...)
Use caution with your volume controls for them high notes! I warned ya!
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light."
Genesis 1:1-3 The New International Version
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Software Development
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Service Oriented Architecture
- Posted On: 12/26/2008
Great first name! Here goes some rambling... SOA will converge with Business Capability Modeling and Process Modeling built within the scope of business service portfolio management on top of evolving industry and corporate taxonomies through master data management initiatives which will be supported by more targeted technology solutions through "domain driven design" that evolve through the idea of domain-specific languages and the realization of integrated model driven architectures into the software development lifecycle. Software vendors and consulting firms will continue to push proprietary, end-to-end topologies of multiple products as "industry templates" that claim to support open standards. The reality of such solutions claiming support for standards will be that an open standard is selected and extended in an open way, boasting and marketing compatibility with the standard as well as how the solution helped to evolve the standard, but leaving the community with a branched standard that won't play well with others as the primary trunk of the standard continues to grow upward. Ultimately, middle-man software will sit between these products to translate communications and attempt to make enterprise SOA a reality. Everyone will quickly realize (if they haven't already) that enterprise SOA was never about exposing anything and everything across the enterprise in a common format, but completely about streamlining business capabilities/processes across technology solutions to the degree that the supporting technology infrastructure does not "matter", so long as Information Technology exposes the services in a common way (i.e. not necessarily an explicit and exact way, but along a least common denominator). Adaptive industry and business models, evolving technology standards, and the need to sell software as a service will ultimately make "Service Oriented Architecture" a fad of our generation until a new name brings the same light-bulb, "aha" moment of clarity to a new generation and a new maturity of understanding is achieved. Wow do I need a brain break...
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Top 50 Twitterers to Follow for Developers
- Posted On: 12/5/2008
I've been new to Twitter and have only just begun to enjoy their overly simplified method of communication. Jurgen Appelo recently posted a blog entry titled "Top 50 Twitterers to Follow for Developers", ranking each popular developer based on their number of Twitter "Followers".
I updated Jurgen's ranking to include the number of twitter posts per day using the scores from the popular Twitter tool "Follow Cost". I then took a simple average of the three rankings Follower Rank, Twitters per Day Rank, and Last 100 Twitters per Day Rank and then created a final ranking. Fortunate for Jurgen's position (bumped him up a few rankings).
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Microsoft - Platorms to go please!
- Posted On: 10/23/2008
Hear me out: I don't want to install licensed, basic configurations in virtual environments any longer! Think of the productivity gains in a world where... The MSDN premium subscriber downloads one of 10 (20? 50?) ready-to-go virtual images, configured by the pros themselves! Download your image in Hyper-V or VirtualPC format and GO! Trial license keys are used and can be upgraded to valid keys at any time. (Extra benefit that multiple trial configurations are now available.) Example: With the most recent release, I... 1) downloaded 2008 server, 2007 SharePoint, SQL 2008, TFS 2008, 2007 Office, 2007 Visio, 2007 Project, 2008 Visual Studio, and Expression Studio v2. 2) I then boot up a Virtual PC VHD and install and configure Server 2008. 3) Install all patches. 4) backup and compress the image. 5) Install/config SQL 2008 and SharePoint 2007 and repeat steps #3-4. 6) Install/config TFS 2008 and repeat steps #3-4 (because TFS config is painful). 7) Install/activate/config Office, VS2008, Expression Studio and steps #3-4. Now, I can do whatever I want for a while and always fall back to a virtual. I want to try out PerformancePoint? Back to image in step #5. I want to try out just Search 2008 standalone? Back to step #4. ONE ACTIVELY PATCHED Operating System Virtual Image WOULD BE A HUGE TIME SAVER! PLEASE?! *By the pros? :)
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Silverlight Sucks
- Posted On: 7/23/2008
Just compare the system requirements of Microsoft's Silverlight with Adobe's Flash (Macromedia). Now, Flash has traveled the world and taken in all the sites for years and years. But, you'd think with the importance of playing in this space that Microsoft would compete a little harder... Oh wait... you all are still excited about Silverlight no matter what reality dictates. That's right... Let me know how it goes. I'll stick with the basics for a little while longer. (Don't get me wrong, I get just as excited as you do about Silverlight and an embedded light-weight .NET environment, but I don't let emotions control my actions.) Oh, and let me know how well Microsoft acquired Yahoo! and how they competed in the ad space while you're whistling Silverlight tunes. :) For all their efforts, I continue to applaud the developers at Microsoft. I'm certain you've done better than I could have. BTW: I'm loving what I've seen of WCF so far!
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Key Technologies Announcement
- Posted On: 4/2/2008
Announcing the Web 2.0 YUI AJAX-enabled, Adobe RIA driven mashup with Silverlight 2.0 WPF XAML tutorials for social, community tagging and clipping supported by a LINQ backend running on top of Astoria from a geospatial aware SQL 2008 and communicating with JSON! All of this using scalable SOA built in the Cloud via REST APIs managed by an ESB and Grid Computing! You won't even recognize this Ruby Gem! :)
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Internet/Computers/Software
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The Generic Web
- Posted On: 12/18/2008
Website<Twitter> web = new Website<Twitter>();
web.PukeContent("tweet, tweet. Rockin Robin, tweedle-e-deet.");
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Understanding Search Engine Optimization
- Posted On: 7/12/2006
I must admit that after working closely with ZTMC, a firm that prided themselves as search engine experts, I thought I new a little something about optimizing a website for top-notch ranking and placement. However, I'm confused by the decision Google Search has made to continue listing my old MSN Spaces' blog in search results, like "eric swanson". I removed all content and updated all links to point to my new blog website and despite the severely trimmed and lacking content of the current version of the old blog, it continues to be ranked and placed highly.
Industry's concept of "content is king" may cease to apply to established urls. In other words, if you build a content-rich website and establish a high-value link network (lots of focused inbound links from other websites) and then simply remove the value content, it looks like Google will still consider you an ideal resource, despite your web pages consisting of only out-bound links. Now, this theory I've devised may not be entirely precise, since my old blog is really a sub-domain of a single, larger domain (a network of websites under one umbrella). I have not researched how engines like Google have effectively managed the use of sub-domains and if they can accurately identify them as seperate websites, or if they all fall in the same pool of related content. I can say with certainty that my early experiments showed that targeting search engines with content on sub-domains of extremely large domains did help ranking. So, I wouldn't be surpised if the affiliation with other sub-domains is negating the impact of my lack of content on my Google placement. Time will tell...
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Software Configuration
- Posted On: 7/6/2006
I have configured a lot of software in my career and I have learned a great deal that could probably be of some benefit to someone out there... As always, my knowledge will represent that of a programming god to 1 or 2 people, guru to few, an expert to some, average to many, and a novice to my peers. I will attempt to document all of my personal computer settings, including operating systems, internet browsers, development environments, web servers, database servers, etc. *This will be an on-going attempt, so check back if you find it at all helpful.
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Google Trends Released
- Posted On: 5/11/2006
Google recently released "Google Trends", a service that identifies broad regional and lingual search patterns. Check out Google's other products and services and be certain to play in the expirimental Google Labs.
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I'll Never Fully VLog or Pod-cast
- Posted On: 4/18/2006
Indeed, the glamor and glitz of starting up a "blog" on the internet has worn off. In some cases, this is a good thing, since any reduction in internet content production helps making the distinction between good, bad, and pointless content easier. But, those people that simply stopped typing are still there, lurking among us, simply searching for the next fun reason to share. Enter video blogging or "v-log". It's been around since forever, but, as a fad, it still has yet to fully realize its potential. Pod casts certainly got their year or 2 in the spotlight. The trouble I have with these video and audio media blogs is that they are inaccessible. I don't expect that blind or deaf people or flocking to my website, but search engines certainly are and they won't have a clue how to index that content without real contextual stories or transcripts. But, who has the time to type descriptions of what's on video or audio? I certainly don't. So, any entries as v-log or pod-casts will certainly be limited or even avoided.
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Website
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Updating my network of sites...
- Posted On: 3/21/2008
I'm in the process of updating my network of websites. I've been transitioning to "Enterprise Architecture" along with a lot of other life changes. Busy, busy, busy... I've been using del.icio.us a lot lately, so here's what I've been looking at lately:
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Reach Out and Help Someone
- Posted On: 7/7/2006
I actually helped a fellow developer enough that they commented! That feels good. It's like the feeling you get when you volunteer for a good cause. You get the "I should do that more often" idea in your head, but, for the majority of the population, you never get around to it until it's overdue. Hmm... maybe I should be making more donations or feeding the hungry or clothing the poor or giving toys to children in need or visiting the hospitalized or... Or, maybe I should do what I have the time to do and be happy with my life, doing whatever I can extra when I can. I'm completely random at the moment, but I'm a firm believer that much of life is respecting the underprivileged enough to appreciate what you have and to show that appreciation by 1) enjoying it for yourself and 2) sharing it with others (when it can be shared). Of course, this includes things we usually take for granted: health, walking, electricity, food, driving, special talents, love, security, paying to have someone serve you, freedom, life, and people in your life that help you on any level that often go unnoticed or even unackowledged... the list goes on. Tell someone how much you appreciate something they did for you today!
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Officially Unfocused
- Posted On: 7/6/2006
I'm tired of hearing web architects preach about content focus and target audiences. They are preaching the truth, but I'm the choir and I'm tired of hearing the same ol' sermon. Besides, my website is the exception. Perhaps my website's focus is simply me, which would explain why everything is so random and stream-of-consciousness. My target audience? Everyone that might find my website whether they know me or not. My website's goal isn't to capture an audience of regular readers who interact with my content on a daily basis... not even weekly or monthly. Well... maybe monthly. Occasionally family, friends, coworkers, peer developers, my step-son's friends, my wife's extended family and friends, strangers who find their way here, people who read one of my forum posts or saw a bit of my code... These are all drastically different audiences who are coming to this website for different reasons and they will each find 1 or more aspects of my experience (dare I suggest even my personality?) interesting. Or, not. Whether they do or do not, they've hopefully had the opportunity to enjoy something that relates to them. Yes, that includes enjoying being negative about something too (you odd, MySpace SPAM lovers who I think either 1) don't understand what I'm attempting to teach [so, I'm a bad teacher to them] or 2) represent the spamming community and are mad at me).
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Regular Readers (if any)
- Posted On: 6/8/2006
If any of you are regular readers of my blog (yes, wishful thinking), I would like to apologize for the extremely biased posts toward Body-for-LIFE, Music Man, and the new job. Obviously, these 3 are taking up all of my time right now. I am working as the understudy for the lead character, Professor Harold Hill, as well as my role in the quartet as Jacey. Greg (the lead) had to leave this week for family matters, so I have been at 3-hour rehearsals every night. 5 AM - 10:30 PM is a HUGE change for me, but my body is coping really well thanks to the exercise and nutrition program.
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Comment SPAM
- Posted On: 5/26/2006
Getting SPAM comments in a blog is simply to be expected these days, but I'm doing everything I can to help prevent it! You can now only post a maximum of 3 links in a comment (spammers often post a hundred in a single comment). SPAMMERS BE WARNED! I have no reservations of returning the favor, although I respect our laws and, conveniently, I know them well enough to still cause problems on your SPAMILICIOUS website; I'll just eat it up!
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Book Reviews
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How to be a Failure!
- Posted On: 1/15/2008
After starting the lengthy-titled book "How to Be a Complete and Utter Failure in Life, Work & Everything: 44 1/2 Steps to Lasting Underachievement", I had to comment...
Steve,
So far, I have failed to finish your book this morning due to pressing interruptions in business that are causing me great succstress.
I had the need to make a suggestion: "Whether neh accepts the advice, is completely up to ner."
The words "neh" and "ner" refer to he/she and him/her respectively. I started the words with the letter "n" to refer to "nobody in particular".
I saw that you Trademarked "self-unimprovement guide". In the same respect of unwillingness to share great ideas, I now trademark "neh" and "ner" and "succstress" and grant you the right to use these words if they refer to me as the author in respective context. ;D
Eric Swanson
http://iseric.com
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Raymond Chen's "The Old New Thing"
- Posted On: 3/3/2007
Raymond Chen's book titled "The Old New Thing" is the realization of a web blog in print. Parts of the book can be enjoyed by anyone who has dealt with the evolution of the Microsoft Windows operating system and inevitably asked the question "Why?" Why does Windows look like it does? Why are those seemingly quirky things about Windows the way they are? -
Books on CD
- Posted On: 2/5/2007
I finished three books on CD in January; Good to Great, Managing the Dynamics of Change, and Built to Change. I listened to the "Change" CDs first only to hear the author in "Good to Great" scold companies for focusing so much on change management. It was a refreshing reminder how we all get caught up in a single method of management and fail to swim upstream or even question why we're swimming in the stream we're in. However, dealing with change effectively in a business is vital to success. Quite honestly, the books all cover common sense topics, but most of us don't take the time to sit and actually think through some common sense. So, once again, I am recommending that at least read "Good to Great" to take some personal time and get some thinking in the realm of "back to basics".
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The Mens's Health Hard Body Plan
- Posted On: 1/12/2007
- The Mens's Health Hard Body Plan
I bought this book with a Barnes & Noble bookstore gift card after my birthday almost three weeks ago and couldn't be happier. I have been on the 12-week program for 15 days now and I am loving it! I sprinted between the covers trying to get started before the New Year simply because I didn't want it to be just another resolution. Hah! Well, it worked. I started on the beginner's workouts, despite having been in-and-out of the gym all of my life to make certain that I build a foundation before shocking my muscles into a possible injury that would kill my plan immediately. I have been logging each workout (three workouts a week on the beginner plan). I am walking for about 30 minutes during my afternoons every day at work to increase my energy and burn a few extra calories. I am keeping my metabolism roaring by eating proper portions of healthy foods every 2.5-3 hours. Most of all, I am really liking the variety in the workouts and the fun I am having. There is a lot of truth in being mentally ready to really give your fitness plan a solid comittment and my mind is there! I have been celebrating tiny "workout anniversaries" and yesterday was my 2-week party; NO PARTY FOOD INVOLVED! Today's log has the word "YEAH!" next to each set, since I felt particularly satisfied with the weight and repetitions I accomplished. My enthusiasm has increased so much that I am signing up for a 5K run in February. (*I have avoided competition since my major accident at collegiate nationals and the major follow-up rollerblading accident almost 8 years ago! SO PATHETICALLY SAD!!!) Regardless, I'm not exactly doing triathlons again, but running is a "step" in the right direction. I'll be hard-pressed to pull a 7:15 minute mile average, but that is looking like my goal. I have a lot of fitness books and, if your struggling and want to lose weight, tone-up, and/or build muscle mass, I recommend you buy this one!
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C# Design Patterns: A Tutorial
- Posted On: 12/16/2006
- C# Design Patterns: A Tutorial
Outstanding! In 2002, I had attempted to read the original "Gang of Four" design patterns book and found myself quickly confused. To my shagrin, I proceeded to ignore the topic since, until I ran into Microsoft's .NET Enterprise Library, which talked about "patterns and practices". I knew the advancement of my career in computing largely depended on my understanding of this topic as well as fundamental computing algorithms (which I never took in college). So, I picked this design patterns book written for C# programmers up in my local Barnes & Noble bookstore. Wow! Crystal clear! Certainly, I had to re-read a few sections to make them stick, but I quickly bought the eBook version of it and began pouring over the content. After finishing the book, I knew I had to make the topic stick to my brain, so I jotted some notes, summarizing the patterns as best served my memory. If you want to learn design patterns, this may be the book for you! I suppose now I'll have to get back in the bookstore and try out the original "GoF" book again...
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Health & Wellness
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Life Really is Good
- Posted On: 7/24/2007
Today is a really great day (for more reasons than I care to share with the world). I'm writing this entry today simply to share how much gratitude I have for my life.
Following are some highlights of my day (by the end of the day):
- Talked with my wife throughout the day while she is helping my mom on a catering job
- Reflected in my daily journal
- Completed security integration of a Windows Forms CMS tool for the unreleased re-write of www.AzBlue.com
- Helped my security director solve an urgent issue related to a bug in Internet Explorer
- Created an Excel-VBA macro for a friend to find text in a column and select the entire row for every match
- Rehearsed the dance "Tradition" for an upcoming Fiddler on the Roof production (September) by Starlight Community Theatre
- Continued to practice my song for my Arizona Idol audition on July 30
- Attended a daily meeting with friends
- Spent a moment talking to both of my parents
- Spent some time playing with my dogs
- Woke up and went to bed with a personal prayer
- Was so excited by the little things in my day that I felt compelled to write about it on a website for the whole world to see
I am truly grateful and I love the good times and I respect the bad times.
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How's the "Hard Body" plan going you ask?
- Posted On: 1/31/2007
Fantastic! Yesterday was day 34 on the 12-week program and it was the worst feeling. All of my workouts have been going great and I've finished feeling tired, but exhilarated by my progress. Yesterday, however, I ran 4 miles and did my upper-body workout. Ouch... I was at the gym for about an hour-and-a-half and came home using the word "annihilated"; completely drained. But, I was still happy with the progress. The four mile run was in preparation for a 5K race on February 11th. I did a warm-up (10 min/mi for 2:30 and 9 min/mi for 2:30) followed by a 20-minute run at 8 min/mi pace with a kick at the end of 5 minutes at 7 min/mi pace, and finally another .25 miles at 15:00 walking pace. Having run a total of maybe 15 times in the past year, this was great! An average of 7:46 pace for 3.2 miles! (FYI: I have been bicycling and rowing with some short walk/runs this past month.) The following chest, back, and arms workout sapped any remaining energy and left me a physical zombie. It was difficult to keep up the number of repetitions and the weight I've been lifting in previous workouts, but this lack of energy certainly proved my willingness to keep at it. A 7:46 pace for 3.1 miles is a long way off from 7:15, so I'll have to back off on my goal to 7:30 for the race, but that is still outstanding progress (just to be doing it!). My body is looking better than it has for a long time, although I'm not seeing everything I want to be seeing yet. We'll just have to see how I look when my wife and I go to Hawaii in April. BAM! :)
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Weekend Events
- Posted On: 5/1/2006
Weekend events included Red Bull's Flugtag in Tempe, Arizona on Saturday as well as running in the Tribute to the Armed Forces Triathlon on Sunday.
My mom made cool t-shirts for the family (right)!
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Youth Gets Old
- Posted On: 4/17/2006
You know, if I have to listen to one more person question my age by 10 years!!! This year, 2006, I am 27 years old. People usually assume 20-24. Last year I was stopped by a rent-a-cop with my step son (now 17) who was enforcing curfew!!! I was asked only a week ago if I could fill-in for a high-school student to play the part of "Rolphe" in their upcoming theatre production Sound of Music! 
When picking up a young man we were considering adopting, his friends at the group home wondered, "who is the dad?" between my step-son and I. The stories go on... I'll be the first to smile when I'm 40 looking 30, but the same sequence can definately get old quickly. I wonder how I'd do as a once famous child actor... "Hey! Aren't you that kid from that show? You know... the one where you... you know... 'Woah!' Can you do it? 'Woah!'" -
Down to an 8:30 minute mile
- Posted On: 4/17/2006
My latest training log update for this last week includes today's new goal of an average 8:30 minute per mile pace for the 4-mile race at the end of the month. This is a great stride from last week's 8:45 goal. I'll keep adjusting until race day and we'll see how far I've come in a month...
Also, I think I'm going to start an Anthem track club to meet regularly during the week in the early mornings. 6:30 AM so that we can be done before school starts at 7:40. We might push it earlier depending on how the time works out. Fun stuff!
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Family
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In the Navy
- Posted On: 1/31/2007
My wife had been in the service with the US Navy for about 5 years before we ever met and she has wanted to re-join for some time now. Well, she's been gathering information and talking about it for months and finally seized the opportunity to join the Naval reserves. That's right! Last Tuesday, Wendy re-joined the Navy and that makes me a proud husband to a member of our nation's military. Although I am certainly against violence as a means to an end, I definately understand the need to protect the things we feel need protecting (family, country, beliefs/values, etc.) You tell me... what's the alternative when a person has a gun pointed at you? Are you the type that shoots first and asks later? What if a person simply has a gun on them? Do you feel the need to also have a gun? What if they look a certain way or behave a certain way that offends you or makes you wary? Security... a basic need and desire of all living things. -
Happy Mother's Day Mom!
- Posted On: 5/14/2006
I can think of no greater tribute to a mom than to let her know with complete certainty that you love her, appreciate everything she's done for you, and will be there for her when she needs you; and then to publicize that love to the world! So, this one goes out to Debora Swanson! I absolutely love you mom, I appreciate all those years of telling me I was your favorite while having to hide that secret from the rest of the family, and I will certainly be there for you when you need to be tossed into an old folks home. Heh... Thanks for putting up with me and my odd sense of humor. Thank you for teaching me the best things you knew to teach me and trying your best to always do what's right and in the best interests of my future. Besides me, thanks for being such a great mother to my sisters! Don't worry, I never told them all of your stress was from them and them alone. Thank you so much for being such an angelic example of giving and personal sacrifice. Your attitude toward service of others has and always will be a source of inspiration to myself and the many lives you have touched in your life. Rumors are circling in heaven that God has you listed as the official chef and caterer of the annual "Heaven's Gala for the Arts". I'd wait tables for you anyday. Thank you and happy Mother's Day!
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Illinois Real Estate
- Posted On: 3/1/2006
Care to buy a farm in Illinois? Well, we're selling the proverbial family farm. If you're interested... REALLY interested, contact my dad through the website. -
Adoption
- Posted On: 3/1/2006
I thought I'd give you all an update that my wife Wendy and I met with a boy Andrew (age 11) that we are considering adopting yesterday afternoon for the first time. The meeting went very well and he unexpectedly requested some additional time (beyond the meeting with his adoption team) to get to know us better, so we ended up having him for a total of 2.5 hours yesterday before Wendy returned him to his group home. We decided it would be best to drive him up to Anthem to show him where we lived and explain what our community, neighborhood, and home have to offer his possible future with us. The trip was a lot of fun and now the difficulty of communicating this important decision in his life to him is upon everyone involved. Wendy and I explained to him that we all are just getting to know each other and that he needs to think about his school, friends, etc. before jumping into any decisions.
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Goodbye All!
- Posted On: 7/5/2005
Off to Hawaii!I'll be back July 18.
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School
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Five Classes in 5 months
- Posted On: 12/22/2006
It has been 5 months since I returned to school at Western International University and I have completed four courses in that time. The major difficulty has been balancing the responsibilities of a full-time job and family while getting good grades. I have taken MGT340 "Organizational Behavior and Theory", CRT201 "Critical Thinking", ACC301 "Introduction to Accounting", ACC302 "Managerial Accounting", and ETH201 "Cultural Diversity". Read on for a summary...
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11:00 PM and still going...
- Posted On: 8/8/2006
Here I am at 11 PM trying to finish my reading and a case study paper for my 2 classes. Gotta have my paper done by Wednesday and I have to familiarize myself with the Western International University "style guidelines" (a modified APA format). I knew it would be challenging, but didn't expect grueling.
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Classes
- Posted On: 8/2/2006
Tomorrow I start Organizational Behavior and Theory and on Thursdays I will be taking Cultural Diversity. I'm excited about the management class and am attempting to keep positive about the cultural class... sounds dry, but that will depend on the instructor and my perspective.
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THAT'S RIGHT! School!
- Posted On: 7/27/2006
For those of you who know me, you may be pleasantly surprised to read that I am re-investing my time and money into a formal education with Western International University. BIG "props" to my wife for backing my decision and a HUGE thank you to my employer Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Arizona for the partial tuition reimbursement. I will be pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business with a minor in E-Business. My first 2 classes start next week, so I am certain you'll see some moans and groans posts in the coming weeks. ;) In related news, my employer is submitting a budget request for technical training, so I may be taking classes toward a certification in the near future as well. Fun stuff!From WIU's Parent Organization:
"Today, Apollo Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, the University of Phoenix (including University of Phoenix Online), the Institute for Professional Development, the College for Financial Planning, and Western International University, has established itself as a leading provider of higher education programs for working adults by focusing on servicing the needs of the working adult."
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Security & Privacy
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Alright XSS kids...
- Posted On: 9/23/2006
That's quite enough of your XSS toying now, but I will thank you for the reminder. What is it that holds you back from being civil? Don't like my color scheme? Are you a SPAMmer that hates me for getting the word out? I suppose a hacker's legacy sometimes only amounts to cowardice, especially when you're claim to fame is "I XSSed ericis.com for like 2 hours while he was at a movie man! How sweet is that?!" To which you would get the reply... "ericis.com? What's that?" "It's this guy that mentions security a couple of times and is totally anti-SPAM." "oh. Is he big-time?" "um... no, not really." "Weak... totally weak. Step up your game dude and make your skills worth something. You could really change the world with what you're learning, but that's just lame."
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Securing Your .NET and Other Applications
- Posted On: 8/16/2006
I recently discussed the need to effectively authenticate an application's execution context with several members of the development community, including the Open Web Application Security Project and AZGroups.com. Here are some important points to consider when securing your application's execution context (i.e. verifying that your application is executing from trusted installation sites):
*The following points are made from the perspective of a .NET implementation, so please modify them as necessary for other languages, including any examples or references in your comments.- Secure the code itself
- "Strong name" your assemblies
- Use internal declarations and "InternalsVisibleTo" attributes to expose objects to trusted assemblies (make informed decisions about keywords that expose your code)
- Obfuscate your code
- Authenticate the Execution Environment
- Upon installation (even "copy-paste"), generate a unique, encrypted install key for the assembly in the trusted execution environment
- Could be in the registry (can be found and possibly cracked if a weak encryption algorithm was used)
- Could check IP (can be spoofed)
- Could check domain-name (can be spoofed)
- Could reside in memory (requires constant execution)
- Validate the key on execution
*A simple example for an ASP.NET application would be to have the application log itself on start-up (an application signature like a GUID, IP, domain name, etc.) and monitor the log.
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Microsoft: The car salesman of software.
- Posted On: 8/14/2006
I think it's funny that Microsoft is preparing to sell Anti-Virus software. The idea of a company protecting their own software with a separate software product? I mean, who better to write such software, right? What a business concept; sell people software that works, but needs a separate product to work securely!
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I Survived Being Hacked!
- Posted On: 7/13/2006
My website was attacked between the hours of 11 and 12 PM this morning here in Phoenix, AZ by the IP address 85.255.117.222. They quite obviously came across a couple of my pages where I had not properly handled the omission of a query string parameter (the thing in a url that looks like "webpage.aspx?parameter=somevalue"). When you removed the parameter from the query string on the 2 pages ("webpage.aspx"), it puked a nasty .NET error. The "hacker" (not really deserving of the name in this case) attempted to work their way deeper into the error, creating more than 3,500 web page hits on my website in 1 hour. So, I blocked the range of IPs from this host. The website inhoster.com owns these IPs and is directly associated with spyware activity.
In the past 7 days, the attacking IP, in 1 hour, ranks 2nd just below traffic from GoogleBot.
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Securing Atlas Method Calls
- Posted On: 5/3/2006
After seeing the popularity of the AJAX methodology grow and new support technologies popping up left and right, I wondered what the implications on security were. We have discussed this at length at OWASP.org and everyone agrees... There are no new security threats posed by the implementation of AJAX other than possible bugs in the frameworks and implementing web browsers. However, solutions using AJAX are at great risk of falling prey to well known application vulnerabilities by failing to provide adequate security precautions around their exposed methods.
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Other
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Professionalism
- Posted On: 9/20/2006
There's something wonderful about hitting that "Send" button after composing an important e-mail that you've strategically authored and carefully reviewed. How quickly the magic fades and often goes unnoticed by anyone other than the creator. Eventually the messages pile up and, before you know it, your fantastic product's short life has ended and it has been archived beneath the rubble of life's communications.
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Web fads
- Posted On: 9/19/2006
"The web is just a fad. You'll see..."
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BLAH
- Posted On: 8/14/2006
Blah, blah, blah... that's what I feel like.
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A General Update on Life
- Posted On: 5/25/2006
I don't have much time to post today, but I thought I'd at least give my reasons for disappearing over the past week or so...
- SECRET: Yes, I can't tell you one of the biggest reasons for being so busy yet, but I will... just you come back next week and see.
- Acting: The play, Lend Me a Tenor, was fantastic and the whole cast got rave reviews. Thank you all for coming to see me make a fool of myself!
- Acting: A 2nd installment for this topic, I tried out for Starlight Theatre's next production, Music Man. I hope to get the lead for Professor Harold Hill, but there are a lot of talented guys and gals and the casting of each character has proven difficult, even for the incredibly talented and experienced group of directors. I see the results coming down to questions like "Well, if we put Eric in this role, then where will we put so-and-so?" Realistically, I think I'll end up with Marcellus, the comedic relief and shadow of Prof. Hill. Why? 'Cause I think they'll have to, since I don't know who else they can really cast as that guy without leaving a hole somewhere. I should know my role next Wednesday, May 31st.
- Singing: The Anthem, AZ "Music in May" series is coming to an end. The choir I am in, ProMusica, will be performing tonight with the Phoenix Symphony once again for a spectacular concert in the park with TONS of fireworks! We'll be singing general Americana and you'll find me in our a cappella group singing some fun songs too.
- Pets: We are down to 1 bunny. The more aggresive of the 2 died overnight a couple of days ago. From some extensive research, I found Miami University's "H.A.R.E" website to be very helpful. We think the bunny died after quickly developing diarrhea due to complications during the delicate development of its intestinal bacteria balance (just like humans, but apparently more delicate).
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Well, I'm not signing up!
- Posted On: 5/16/2006
My wife has been subtly prodding me to sign-up for the National Guard to take advantage of their college benefits (since I never finished to get my degree). My first reaction was, "I don't want to go to Iraq!" The subject came up again yesterday and even my grandmother was in on the prodding. So, what's the headline news today? "Bush to order up to 6,000 in Guard to border" um... I don't think so, thanks. I'll search for a company to hire me and pay for my tuition.
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Hobbies
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The Music Man
- Posted On: 8/2/2006
The Starlight Community Theater's production of the Music Man premiered with 3 performances this last weekend from Thursday through Saturday. The play is going very well, despite 2 major interruptions/distractions. On Friday night, I was leading the quartet in a song (I play Jacey the high tenor) across the stage for a Lida Rose reprise when the fire alarms in the high school went off. I would like to thank our stage crew for experimenting with the fog machine for the next scene for the 1st time during that quiet interlude! What did I do mid-stage when the alarm went off? Considered walking everyone off and then decided that the show would go on (at least until we slowly sauntered off singing, seeing the scene through to the bitter end). Both the audience and the cast members had to exit the building, so the quartet decided to entertain the audience until we were allowed back in. On Saturday night, the air conditioning went out in the building a couple of times, requiring maintenance. They were able to fix it, but our audience suffered the heat to enjoy our performance. FYI: Anyone in the Phoenix North Valley of Arizona can look forward to ProMusica auditions over the next few weekends, so sign-up! -
The Music Man
- Posted On: 6/2/2006
Starlight Community Theatre
Anthem, Arizona
Yes, I am back at it again. Having had a small taste of success in Lend Me a Tenor, I tried out for Music Man and received the role of Jacey, the high tenor of the barbershop quartet. I will also be doubling in the opening song with the "Traveling Salesmen" and I will be the understudy for the lead Prof. Harold Hill. Yes, of course, I was a little dissappointed when I didn't get the lead. But, in such a large production for a community theatre (which is only their 2nd adult production), cast members are one big puzzle where different pieces can go in different places. "If we put him there, where do we put him?" I am happy with my part, especially since I will be singing with some of the best male singers in the ProMusica choir (Tyler - plays Ewart, Harry - plays Oliver, and Craig (the bass) - plays Olin). Although I have never sung barbershop (the auditions were tough as hell), I'll certainly be able to say I did after this play; yet another notch under my singing repertoire. ;) -
Liquid Love
- Posted On: 5/9/2006
I took this amazing photo of water from a fountain while celebrating my 3rd anniversary with my wife. *Click the picture for the unique story of "Liquid Love".
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Dio, che nell'alma infondere.
- Posted On: 4/28/2006
Alrighty... I felt the need to practice my duet "Dio, che nell'alma infondere" for the upcoming Lend Me a Tenor production. My singing partner is on vacation, so it's just mio. I wrote out an introduction script to read at the beginning, but I hadn't warmed up my voice, nor had I practiced the timing of the background music without the actual singers. I used my laptop's built-in microphone, so the sound isn't that great and my camera's "Sepia" effect seems to put odd lighting on the cabinets. After reviewing the video, I think it was okay and worth sharing. Hopefully it promotes the play instead of deterring you from seeing it! :)
Click here to see the video -
Operatic Wannabe
- Posted On: 4/24/2006
Previously, I posted about having to prepare to sing "Dio, che nell' alma infondere" for the play Lend Me a Tenor. This weekend we performed all 4 scenes of the play and I was instructed to learn and memorize the rest of the songs, including "Toréador en Garde" from Carmen and "Venga la Morte" from Otello. The Toréador song is awe-inspiring. Some of you may have heard the classic line "Toréador, en garde! Toréador! Toréador!" in a Warner Brother's Bugs Bunny cartoon, but the real thing is full of life and energy. Although the song's about stabbing an innocent bull to death for sport, I can see how, with this song, people get so worked up over the ordeal. Personally, I don't understand having respect for something you are about to kill unless 1) it can give you the same respect and there is a mutually agreed upon reason for death being the ultimate solution or 2) the sacrifice is absolutely necessary, being in the best interests of survival of the killer, when the victim cannot be chosen through the means outlined in #1. As a carnivore, I am guilty of extending the death of animals via #2 for the simple pleasure of eating when it is not always necessary. Whoops! Got off-topic... Anyways, enjoy the songs!
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MSN Spaces Archive
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Spy on the Wild
- Posted On: 7/7/2006
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The Path to Enlightened MSN Spaces
- Posted On: 9/8/2005
FYI: If you didn't already know, you can currently specify ANY directory / catalog / folder in your MSN Space URL after the name of your MSN Space...*Note that the trailing forward slash "/" is not required, but it's recommended to avoid confusion with other web items that do not require a file extension.Q: "This is sooooo cool, how is this possible?"A: MSN Spaces uses the technology provided in ASP.NET to "map" all of the information that follows the "/members/" web directory to an MSN Space. In other words, the programmers have written a little bit of code that says:- Does the MSN Space they are asking for in the URL exist? "/members/ThisMemberDoesNotExist/"
- If the space exists, what web page are they requesting with what parameters?
The following example will tell the code that we are asking for the MSN Space "eswanson", that we want the web page "PersonalSpace.aspx", and that we are passing some additional information to that web page... specifically that we want to see the "Blog" tab of this member's space:
http://spaces.msn.com/members/eswanson/PersonalSpace.aspx?_c01_blogpart=blogmgmt&_c=blogpart - The code then passes the work onto this web page, which likely doesn't exist in the member's MSN Space. In other words, the web page "PersonalSpace.aspx" probably doesn't physically exist under the web directory "/eswanson/". The code that handles EVERYTHING in the URL after "/members/" figures out which web page you want and gives it to you.
Pretty nifty. Nothing "incredible", since the concept has been used since the dawn of the web... But interesting.
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AndNBSP.com Updated MSN Spaces List
- Posted On: 8/18/2005
Navigation 
I have updated the "Updated MSN Spaces List" on AndNBSP.com. Check it out...
Update to the update: I added a *TON* of features to the list tonight. I hope you like them. Sorry for all the advertising, but I have to pay for my SQL Disk Space and bandwidth somehow...
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HTML Module Tips
- Posted On: 8/15/2005
I thought that I would point out that if you are having trouble staying under the maximum 512-character limit imposed on the new "HTML Module" in MSN Spaces, try removing all quotes from HTML "attributes" and remove the "www." in front of web addresses and possibly trailing "/" at the end. So, my normal link might look like:
<a href="http://www.andnbsp.com/"> AndNBSP.com</a>
But, I could shorten it to:<a href=http://andnbsp.com> AndNBSP.com</a> -
The Future of MSN Spaces Updates
- Posted On: 8/12/2005
The popularity of my custom MSN Spaces Updates list has definately made a dent in my statistics, but the bump that worries me the most is my SQL disk space usage. The amount of space I use is averaged across each day in the month, so I'm not all that worried yet. However, as the chart shows below, I have come just below my maximum of 350Mb. If the monthly average goes over 350Mb, I get charged $5 for every 50Mb over that amount each month! So, I have removed all of the historical data from other tools I've written and made a significant reduction in total space used today. I have also compacted / shrank the database. But, the size will continue to escalate, likely well above my 350Mb max. I placed Google Ads on the page that will help offset any costs incurred by the additional space, but it won't be enough and won't allow me to build any new things in my database.
Any ideas?
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Body-for-LIFE
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A Quick Update
- Posted On: 6/23/2006
My legs HURT!. My hamstrings are killing me after lower-body lifting on Wednesday and running cardio on Thursday. I decided to up my cardio time to include a 10-minute warm-up at an intensity of 5 (out of 10) to allow my legs to better cope with the run after Wed's workout. I also decided to up the intensity of my run by speeding up my intensity levels 6-10. Well, the run felt great and finishing level 10 at a 7 minute/mile pace was great progress. But, I completely failed to respect my knowledge of controlled progression through workout intensity, frequency, and duration. Since I increased both intensity and duration drastically, I'm feeling the results today and I HURT! I'll have to do a good, looooooonnng walk followed by a lengthy stretching session tonight to help my muscles recover. Every time I stretch my legs out straight it feels like a painful stretch... definately over-worked myself. Ah well, at least I don't have a permanent injury from my stupidity.
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Feeling Great!
- Posted On: 6/7/2006
Oh yeah! Got up right at 5:00 AM this morning and got my 20-minute cardio run in at the gym along with my abdominal workout and about 30 minutes of stretching. My legs hurt so bad from yesterday; from my lower butt down through my hamstrings. I started using the creatine I've had stored in my pantry for a couple of years, which I'll have to take a serving of 5x/day for 5 days (the "loading" phase) and then down to 1-2x/day. Has 5 egg whites mixed with lean turkey and some Cream of Wheat first thing this morning. Took my multi-vitamin and papaya enzyme after eating. I had a protein shake (EAS Whey 100%) after my workout and, of course, more creatine. Plan to eat chicken breast and black beans or a turkey sandwich for lunch along with a ultra-green salad and some light dressing. Then another shake in the afternoon and more chicken and turkey in the evening. I'll probably sneak in a pure protein bar in there to keep things interesting, especially since I'm not getting much fat in my diet.
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5:00 AM, Soooooo tired...
- Posted On: 6/6/2006
I thought I had set my alarm for 5:00 AM, but it was still set at 6. Fortunately, I woke up this morning at 5:24 AM. I ran through my routine this morning as if I would be arriving at work at 8:00 AM. I made some breakfast (5 egg whites and a single palm-sized pancake) and during what would be my 45min alotted "drive time" (I'm still working from home for AGI until Friday) I did some reading. Drove to the community center and worked out my legs in the gym, stretched, and showered. I was ready by 7:50 AM to walk to my cubicle. ... when I have one. Hit the grocery store on the way home for some milk and 2 pounds of sliced turkey. Admit it! You like those small details about my day. ;)
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Getting Started
- Posted On: 6/5/2006
Well, today is the 1st day in my Body-for-LIFE competition and I already started by failing. Since I will be starting my new position with Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Arizona next Monday, I thought that I could get the "beginner's soreness" out of my muscles the week before. So, I wrote out my plans in detail and set my alarm clock for 5 AM (only an hour before what I've been getting up at). This morning, I awoke at 7:24 AM!!! NOT GOOD! I wouldn't have even had time to drive into work on time at 8 this morning... good thing I started this week and work from home. I'll be working out at lunch to make up for the missed morning, but I was really looking forward to starting my day with the competition.
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Body For Life + The TRUTH!
- Posted On: 5/30/2006
Yes, I'm re-attempting the 12-week "get a fantastically healthy body" Body for Life program with more vigilance this time around. I officially start next Monday, June 5th. Wendy, my wife, started yesterday and I hope to support her and follow through (but, I'm doing the program for myself). Wendy had purchased "The TRUTH" by Frank Sepe a couple of weeks ago and she informed me that she would be using his nutrition program and suggested I read it. Well, I did, and I love the book! Yes, the perfect male model body on the front did raise the hairs on my neck (just a normal instictual response I suppose). I've read A LOT of training and nutrition programs and his is fantastic. VERY balanced. Though, we will be sticking to the Body for Life competition rule of purchasing and using an EAS product. The two nutrition programs are very similiar (see: TRUTH Level 3). We'll only be doing 1 cheat meal per week though. I'm more worried about sticking to the eating than working out. I'll keep you posted! 
Read an Excerpt From the Book!
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Work
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Starting a NEW Job!!!
- Posted On: 5/30/2006
After 6 years and 2 months with The Alexander Group, Inc., I have accepted a new position with BlueCross / BlueShield of Arizona. Yes, from Sales and Marketing Management consulting software to the insurance industry. My title as a Sr. Software Engineer will remain and my responsibilities will be similiar, although I'll be working with a 13-person team instead of 5. I'm excited! OH! And, full tuition reimbursement!!! I can finally get that degree of mine. Of course, the medical benefits are good... There's a workout center at the office, which is a bonus. Now, with a weight bench at home, a free community center gym, and the gym at work, there really are absolutely no excuses!
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My Résumé
- Posted On: 4/13/2006
I finally posted my résumé from the old website...
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Workin'
- Posted On: 3/6/2006
Work is alright. Working 50-55 hour weeks, which sucks more than 40, but whatcha gonna do? I need to finalize my SalesTimeMaker.com v2.0 product for release. We did a lot of work on it last year and pretty much abandoned it to work on other projects. I hope to "steal some time" to work on it so that I can have it ready for any new clients.
I am excited for the end of my work week because I FINALLY get to upgrade a development server to ASP.NET 2.0 with SQL Server 2005 + Reporting Services. Then, I'll be able to install Visual Studio 2005 and take advantage of everything I've been reading about this past year.
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Working for the man...
- Posted On: 7/29/2005
What I do
I work for The Alexander Group, Inc. as a "Sr. Software Engineer" developing software solutions that help 1) aggregate and automate the knowledge of my company's consultants and 2) identify patterns in the needs of all of my company's clients, developing flexible software solutions for those patterns (a.k.a. software products).
Although that all came off the top of my head, I think it really describes what I do for my company. 5 years ago, AGI hired me for one reason. Consulting doesn't generate true recurring revenue. Certainly a consultant may sell you their services for a problem that shows its ugly head each year, but a good consultant will leave you with a solution to permantly deal with those problems and possibly, but not necessarily to end them as well.
Software is largely recurring revenue. I write a program once and then multiple people get to use it over and over with very little of my involvement. That frees me up to either make the software better or to find solutions for other needs.
The software I develop is largely web-based, meaning that it must run over the internet; like a website. Most people don't realize that a website really is a software product (or is it?). You can begin to wrap your mind around the idea of an electronic document (like Word or a PDF) being software itself... but, I'll leave that topic alone for now...
Getting Started
In the 5 years of working for AGI, we have released quite a few products. In the beginning, our leadership had a vision to capture the knowledge of their consultants and to automate solutions for their clients. They had ideas for what this looked like in terms of software and even some basic requirements about what the software should do. Remember that this vision... their ideas were floating in space. They had no physical form. There were no competitors, because the software simply didn't exist.
Can you imagine describing the concept of TurboTax to someone before it existed? Success for ideas like these relies on the ears that hear it, the minds that comprehend it, and finally the hands that make it happen. Not only must you hear and comprehend everything they are telling you... you must also hear what they aren't telling you. Leaders don't have the same level of technical knowledge that the workers do. It's not their job. So, as you digest the ideas, you ask question after question after question. You must ask the questions they don't know need to be asked. You must get them to release information that they don't know needs to be given.
So through the long course of trial-and-error we accepted the challenge. As we cultivated the information available to us, we attempted to automate certain "problem domains". We knew people have always struggled with time and money. But, there were unique applications of these 2
Callidus TrueComp Sucks
- Posted On: 7/28/2005
Sorry Callidus, but your TrueComp software really sucks! (my opinion, not my employer's)
I am just venting that at nearly 2:00 AM I am working on these silly custom reports for a client to run on top of their TrueComp implementation; summarizing each employee's sales data. The database is simply a mess of years of upgrade after upgrade. I entirely comprehend the complexity behind the software and what it must accomplish, but GEEZ! Systems within systems that run within systems and everything is dependent on a previous step and any error in one step usually sends you back to the beginning searching for the problem...
On top of the complexity is... boring!
MySpace.com
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MySpace Extras!
- Posted On: 5/30/2006
Don't fall prey to the sneaky hackers stealing your traffic by offering extras on MySpace.com that are supposed to be free anyways! Yes, people like "johnny[x.X.x]" are setting up their own advertising websites with the false pretense that they are the source for a special MySpace feature. NOT SO! They're just re-posting the steps already outlined somewhere on MySpace as their own.
"I see said the blind man." ..... MySpace is quietly offering website extras to members through their advertisers. Have you seen a person with 4-16 friends on their home page yet? Have you seen people with more photos than the minimum? These ad-sponsored "features" are only available if you support the advertisers. For example, X-Men paid for the exclusive support of adding additional friends to your MySpace page by adding them as a friend. The infamous "Tom" posted a message last November that if you added MySpace records as a friend you would get to add additional photos to your profile.
Do you know of MySpace.com extras offered by simply adding a friend? — Post a comment!
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Understanding MySpace Bulletin SPAM!
- Posted On: 5/18/2006
Update Wednesday, August 08, 2006: Great news — MySpace is using temporary "hashes" (random tokens or "keys") within urls to help eliminate automated control of their system. This includes SPAM, hackers, etc. Although this is unfortunate for valid, 3rd-party automation of MySpace features, the result is a much more secure environment. There are still many changes that MySpace needs to make before eliminating the majority of security problems, but this was a step in the right direction!
Update Tuesday, May 30, 2006: Just got 2 more, but unrelated bulletin SPAM posts, one enticing you to view a video you never get to see and a 2nd that actually works, but is posted just to get you to view and hopefully click on advertising.
Join the fight against MySpace.com SPAM! I am going to attempt to explain MySpace.com SPAM to you regardless of your technical expertise, so here we go...
*If you just want to help, you can spread the word.
Yes, there are people who want nothing more than for you to visit their website and to click an ad and generate some revenue or download some software so that they can do whatever they want (more ads, trace your website visits, blah, blah...) Today I received 2 bulletin messages from a friend. The 1st was automatically generated SPAM and the 2nd was his apology. When you read the first message, it contains content enticing you to click on an external link (SPAM WEBSITES: thug444.com, but also includes: http://www.prevalentmedia.com/incredible, http://www.ps3era.com/incredible, and http://www.fhuta.com/incredible). This website appears to be completely dedicated to one thing: Get MySpace.com people to visit the website and either 1) Click on an advertisement and generate revenue or 2) Click the button to generate another bulletin SPAM message to all of your friends. *Note: visiting the site may or may not work, the content and implementation may change, and even if it is all the same it may not even work for you. They are relying on sheer numbers to get visitors to the website...
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I signed up with MySpace.com
- Posted On: 5/15/2006
Although I'll hate myself in the morning for signing up for a MySpace account in a drunken stupor, I did it anyways. Ah, the careless things we do sometimes... The idea, of course, being to see what they offer now and if/how I can make it better. No, I'm not completely done with MSN Spaces, but I'm taking a break to see the if the grass is greener.
Animals & Pets
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WARNING: CUTENESS AHEAD!!!
- Posted On: 5/8/2006
*WARNING: The following content contains cute images that may cause tearing of the eyes, full-face smiles, and an overall sense of well-being and happines.
Pictures will be added regularly as the rabbits develop, so check back!
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Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show
- Posted On: 3/3/2006
I took my wife to the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show as a surprise this last weekend. I knew that Wendy had worked with and even shown Arabians in her past, but never really knew much about it. It was great to see these majestic animals showing their best.
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Puppy Poopies and Piddles
- Posted On: 8/11/2005
Why do they keep pooping and piddling?!
We trained our dogs to do their business outside. We even trained them to tell us when they need to go outside, since they cannot open people doors. They're both adults now. So, what's the problem?! It's almost a guarantee that once every 2-3 days, I'll find a moist little suprise lying around the house or a large puddle of yellow. Anyone else have this problem? Any training ideas? -
Current is dead
- Posted On: 7/22/2005
Current, 1 of my bettas has died.
Watch him forever flourish with his majestic fins that flutter and fly 
... into the night 
... into the wake of life that only exists in our dreams 
. Your radiant colors will always remain as a vivid reminder in our minds eye of what beauty is and what it was. Thank you Current!So... he died 'cause, while we were on vacation
I turned the AC down and the house heated up causing algae to start growing in both betta's fish tanks. 
The algae continued to grow and, by the time I returned, he was too sick to make it. 
I bought algae killer and thoroughly cleaned both tanks. Casper is doing very well. I even bought him some live plants and a pump to keep the water circulating (even though bettas don't need them).I think I'll get another betta once my heart has stopped aching so sorely from missing him.
k... I'm not actually quite so afflicted by his death, but I thought I'd give him a tribute anyways... -
Beta Fish vs. Betta Fish
- Posted On: 1/13/2005
People often misspell the word "Betta Fish" with only one "t". I get about 200 visitors a day from search engine referrals of people looking for the term "Beta Fish".
The Betta Splendens, or Chinese Fighting fish, are both beautiful and fascinating. Because they seem to be so popular, I have created a couple of videos of my two bettas, Casper and Current. If you want more information about your betta fish, including how to care for your fish, how to breed them, how to decipher betta behaviours, etc.
Fix It!
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Toyota Camry 1999 - EGR Valve
- Posted On: 4/23/2006
So, tonight I did my first major repair on a car alone. After being quoted a few hundred dollars to fix a malfunctioning EGR valve on my wife's 1999 Toyota Camry, I decided to do my research and see if I couldn't save a few dollars. I purchased the parts directly from a Toyota dealer and still had more than $100 in my pocket from what we would have spent. So, I bought a Chilton's repair guide for the Camry (ChiltonsOnline.com) and a basic floor jack that actually came bundled with 2 jack stands and a repair cart. To begin...
Holidays, Vacation, and Travel
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Happy Earth Day Everyone!
- Posted On: 4/23/2006
Yes, today is Earth Day! So, what did you do to celebrate our world? How did you show your graciousness toward the bountiful resources that have provided for life on this planet in a universe of endless wonder and uniqueness? Me? I fixed a fossil-fuel burning car and a lawnmower and my wife trimmed the hedges and pulled weeds. Hmphf... not very respectful of us. -
Bend, Oregon
- Posted On: 6/29/2005
My family and I visited Bend, OR for my sister's wedding on June 18 (had to note it so I won't forget it). Oregon is so green! After living in the dry valley of Arizona all my life, it's great to see such lush surroundings.Although the pictures I took of the wedding are stored on my dad's Canon S500 (rockin' camera!!!), I did get some great shots with my A95 and I added them to a new photo gallery titled "Bend, OR", but here are some sample photos:*All original photo quality has been reduced, but should still be considered copyrighted material owned by Eric Swanson. All rights reserved. (thanks for supporting copyrights!) -
Leaving Town
- Posted On: 6/16/2005
I'm out a' here! Gonna go see my sister get married. See you all in a week! -
MY BIRTHDAY!!!
- Posted On: 12/21/2004
Tomorrow is my birthday... I hope to get a mansion on an island paradise, but I may just get a few cards and hopefully someone will donate to a charity or volunteer some of their time in honor of my day. Is tomorrow any one else's day? My mom's was the 19th and my step-son's is the 26th. Crazy.
I have "effectively" communicated to my side of the family that we, as adults, should not be scrambling around every year to buy gifts for each other on Christmas. Send cards in June, buy us that new convertible in September, and help out those in need during the holidays. Get together with us and spend some time playing games and talking! Let's go to the park and barbeque! Let's go skiing or something. Kids, on the other hand, should get a couple of kick-ass presents! And then it should stop when they are "old enough" to realize that holidays are about each other and that we don't need to express that through gift-giving, but should rather express it by enjoying one another's company. Besides, who wants the stress of corporate Christmas? Avoid the store lines, parking spaces, and of course, the dreaded "So-and-so bought me this crazy expensive gift and all I got them was a $5 gift certificate to McDonalds! I feel like such a fool." Get back to celebrating with one another!
Now, back to my b-day! Those are the days where you should get everything you truly need and maybe a couple of things you want. I want a digital camera, but I told everyone not get it for me, 'cause I don't want them spending that much money on me. I got bills to take care of. What do I need to be snapping photos for? (sigh) 'Cause I wanna I suppose...
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Scared of Santa?
- Posted On: 12/21/2004
Steven, the Web Designer of the 21st century, has graciously linked me. But, even better was his post about a site with pics of people scared of Santa!
Science
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Cloning is Okay
- Posted On: 3/28/2006
I've written about cloning before and have had difficulty making the decision if it is right or wrong. Well, for some reason today, I'm feeling that it's right...
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Letters in the middle of words may be transposed
- Posted On: 3/28/2006
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
I have seen the above so many times, I thought I would make a firm record of it.
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Bangladesh Covered in Oil!
- Posted On: 8/29/2005
I read an article in Time magazine a few months back about the living conditions for the poorer regions of Bangladesh... Mothers are worried about their children drowning, because they have to live near and sometimes in the water's tides. Some cannot sleep at night, because they are left standing in a few feet of water. The wealthy often enjoy their waterfront mansions by choice. Can you imagine being forced to live even closer to that waterfront in a shack where tides often rise inside your house?!
100 Years to an Ice-Free Arctic?
The article in Time was actually pointing out areas that would be adversly affected by global warming. My mind revisited the topic due to an article posted today by C|Net's News.com (great domain name C|Net!!!) titled "Arctic could see ice-free summers in 100 years". Now, before everyone freaks out, always remember that scientists use expiriments to determine outcomes. They then plot their results and attempt to identify patterns and trends in the data worth investigating further. After much analysis, they attempt to come up with a likely forecast for the future. If I were to investigate how influential sex was in advertising, the results would speak for themselves. But, throw in ALL of the factors of earth's climate and add in ALL of the factors humans have introduced to the climate, not including what humans might bring to the climate tomorrow or next week, and then try to make educated assumptions about the climate throughout history and add them into the mix, you get a delicious soup recipe for making predictions about future climatic change!
How likely is it?
Using the history of Earth and the relatively recent development of human "dominance" can give us a TON of incredibly interesting scenarios for the future. But, it tells us very little about the realities of tomorrow. Tomorrow will "probably" be like today. I don't wish to downplay anything that we know impacts our opportunities for today and the future. I certainly respect the work of these scientists and their constant desire to explain our universe. I even respect their results that explain ice-free summers in the arctic. But, I don't and will not assume that it will happen. It's a guess and science has been wrong many, many times. Did I mention many?
My Conclusion
After absorbing all of this information, I am drenched in oil! Our use of oil, dependency on oil, and overall consumption of oil needs to change drastically. Regardless of climatic change! The issue regarding oil is known around the world, so I'll simply repeat myself... Our use of oil, dependency on oil, and overall consumption of oil needs to change drastically.
Friends
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High School Alumni
- Posted On: 3/20/2006
I realized my 10-year reunion is only a year away... Mountain Pointe High School Alumni. So many people have posted short summaries of what they've been doing since high school. Let's see, what have I been doing?...
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LOL
- Posted On: 3/20/2006
I had a debate with Tyler, a sophomore at my son's high school, who claimed that "LOL" stood for "lots of laughs". I was quick to correct him that it stood for "laugh out loud". I realized that it could include his suggested 2nd meaning, but that the original was "laugh out loud" and continues to be the popular interpretation. He was rock solid on his stance though and he threatened to prove it to me online... Well Tyler, I beat you to it and here's the proof: LOL - "laugh out loud" ("or less commonly 'lots of laughs'")
BOY — respect your elders! You best recognize!! -
Ode to the Flounder
- Posted On: 12/28/2004
Following is my ode to Flounder, one of my bestest, best friends:
Ode to Flounder
That not-so-flat fish
He walks like a giant
And will grant your every wish.Ode to Jimmy
That oh-so-great guy
He's a computer geek
But, not all the time.Ode to my Friend
Who likes to mountain bike
He'll invite you to Burning Man
Or, out on a hike.SHOCKA BOOYAH JAMES!!!
Tranquillo Jimmy. Esta bien. Yeah baby! Shocka booyah! You know it! Look who's talking now?! Shocka kahn, shocka boob-job, shocka booyah! Who's your daddy? Esta bien... tranquillo. Esta bien James. Esta bien...
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