Rob Fahrni

Movie line of the week

2009-07-02T14:18:00.001-07:00

Sorry folks, got busy with the day job. I've been sitting on some major changes for a while now and needed to get them tested, and checked in. Long story, and I know you're here for a movie line, so here it is!

Clara was one in a million. One in a billion. One in a googolplex!

Ok, quick, what movie! Send your guesses here.

Exeter Office Space

2009-07-01T22:55:00.001-07:00

Based on a Tweet from Christopher Hawkins I decided to go do an office space recon mission for him at lunch. I took some pictures of what I think are the best places to rent office space, that I know of, in our little town. [Read more...]

Mac Development Job

2009-07-01T15:53:00.001-07:00

jobs.joelonsoftware.com: "We are looking for a software engineer who has a passion for creating innovative high quality software using the latest tools and technologies. You must be a self starter who loves solving problems in a logical self-disciplined manner. We are looking for someone who will fit well with our development team and remain courteous and friendly with both staff and customers at all times." - I also love the the following bullet points...

Want to work with the latest tools and a 30 inch screen?

Want to work for a company where innovation and software development is taken seriously?

Want flexible working hours and no silly dress code?

Want a career where what you achieve really matters?

Are you a clever problem solver with an enthusiastic and positive attitude?

Are you a self starter and still able to work in a team?

Can you get things done?

iPhone Dev Camp

2009-07-01T12:23:00.001-07:00

Mike Sax: "Join me at iPhone DevCamp 3, July 31 - August 2 (yes, that's a weekend) on Yahoo Campus in Sunnyvale, CA." - I may have to go to this, since it's on a weekend. Hmmmm...

Developer opportunities in medicine

2009-06-30T16:18:00.001-07:00

Jerry Fahrni: "Our most recent upgrade offers a significant step backward in usability while offering virtually no additional benefits. In addition to the serious lack of functionality, the customer service, programmer support, consulting support, and all around implementation leadership offered by Siemens Healthcare (at a significant cost of course) was the worst I've experienced in my 12 years as a pharmacist." - My brother is a geeky pharmacist that deals with IT issues related to the pharmacy systems at the hospital he works for. He one of the smartest people I know, is a great problem solver, very passionate about what he does, and all around good guy. This problem just about drove him to upgrade to drinking the hard stuff, yes that's right, I'm talking about regular Pepsi vs. Diet. That's saying a LOT, I haven't seen my brother drink regular Pepsi in ages, so you know this must've been frustrating, but I digress.

There is an opportunity here for some really good software development shops to step in and design web, or desktop based, systems that integrate all these disparate systems into a cohesive workflow. I've seen some really GOOD integrations and I've seen some really bad ones. The hospitals seem to always get the bad integrations, which is a real bummer. They really need their systems to work consistently day in and day out.

Wish I knew of a way to help you brosephus, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I think it's time you learn to develop software, I think you'd be really good at it. It's just a bunch of bits, right?

Half-Blood Prince Countdown

2009-06-30T07:25:00.001-07:00

Half-Blood Prince Review

2009-06-30T07:24:00.001-07:00

Hollywood.com [via HPANA]: "However, if Radcliffe is the heart, Michael Gambon is the film's soul as Albus Dumbledore; Gambon gives a powerfully subtle performance as the de-facto father figure to young Mr. Potter." - Either Michael Gambon has figured out Dumbledore or Mr. Dergarabedian has never read the books. I hope it's the former but I'm not going to bet on it. I think Michael Gambon is a fantastic actor but his portrayal of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore has been less than stellar to date, especially in Goblet of Fire. Now, that may not have been entirely his fault, but in the end he's the guy on the screen, so it's easy to blame him.

I really hope he's pulled a rabbit out of the hat this time, it's his final shot at nailing the character, and it would be nice to see him go out on a high note.

I am definitely looking forward to the film, it could be the best Potter yet. In just over 14-days we'll know.

Adobe closes for a week

2009-06-30T06:49:00.001-07:00

San Jose Mercury News: "The San Jose software company, which makes editing, graphic design and Web development tools, said the shutdowns are part of a larger effort to control costs in the face of a global recession. Adobe's sales have declined for the last two quarters, although it still reported $126.1 million in profit on $704.7 million in revenue for the quarter that ended May 29." - Wowzer, that's interesting news. Apparently it's not the first one week closure this year, nor is it the last. In April Adobe closed for one week and later this year they'll do it again. At least the employees can use their vacation. Sounds all too familiar.

Listen to your users

2009-06-28T14:26:00.001-07:00

Nick Bradbury: "If you've never supported your own software, spending just one day doing tech support will be an eye-opening - not to mention humbling - experience. You'll have to keep your ego in check, because most people who contact tech support do so because they're having problems with your software, some of whom will use colorful language to describe the annoyances they're running into." - Nick is right, on all accounts. I did developer support for a couple of years at Visio and most of the time people called because they'd run across some edge case, or wanted something we plain didn't do. On rare occasion the language could become quite, as Nick puts it, colorful. In the end it helps you create a better product and keeps you interested in pleasing the people you really work for, the users of your product.

OmniGraffle + FastScripts + User generated script == goodness

2009-06-27T07:41:00.001-07:00

I've been working on a web page trying to finish up some last minute touches and I needed a Web 2.0 starburst icon. I tried using one that was auto generated by a website, but that didn't really work out liked I'd planned, so I started looking for alternative solutions.

My first attempt was to fire up Acorn, great application, and edit the one I had. In the end I wasn't pleased with the results, due to my lack of skills with an otherwise fine piece of software.

Next I thought, I know I can do this in Visio in about two minutes, but being lazy like I am, decided against it.

Thought number three was the winner. Since I could do this in Visio I'd probably be able to bang it out in OmniGraffle, right? Well, not so fast. My Visio prowess doesn't translate to OmniGraffle. Hmmm....

Enter a Google search for "star shapes for omnigraffle", which produced a link to a script! Ah-ha!

I downloaded Peter McMasters Star Script, created a new folder in my FastScripts Scripts Folder, called OmniGraffle strangely enough, and dropped Star.scpt in place.

Here's where it gets scary. I switched back over to OmniGraffle, selected the FastScripts menu, located Star, and clicked...

It worked as advertised! Woo-hoo!

After I had the shape I was looking for I added a shadow, changed the fill, inserted some text, exported as .PNG, and did a bit of touchup in Acorn, and I had what I was after. A nice cheezy Web 2.0 Starburst!

Movie line of the week answer

2009-06-26T06:53:00.001-07:00

Well, good morning movie liners.

We have a winner, Mr. Chris Ledoux. Congratulations Chris! (Maybe you should let the other kids play once in a while?)

The correct answer was...

Army of Darkness

And for those of you that don't know it, Bruce Campbell is the man!

9 meet X

2009-06-25T22:43:00.001-07:00

Ridiculous Fish: "Mac OS 9 and NEXTSTEP were like two icy comets wandering aimlessly in space. Neither was really going anywhere in particular. And then, BANG! They collide, stick wetly together, spinning wildly! Thus was born Mac OS X - or so the legend goes." - Ahhh, the joys of bringing two complex systems together. Go give it a read, it's quite interesting.

Movie line of the week

2009-06-25T10:27:00.001-07:00

I've used lines from this movie before, in fact I've probably used this very line, but I don't care. It's one of my all time favorites.

Here's the line, good luck!

Clatto Verata N... Necktie... Neckturn... Nickel... It's an "N" word, it's definitely an "N" word! Clatto... Verata... N-

Ok, quick, what movie! Send your guesses here.

Oh, MLOTW tip of the week. Get a FriendFeed account if you don't have one, it refreshes real time, so you'll get MLOTW there first. I'm just sayin'...

How to go Indie

2009-06-25T09:33:00.001-07:00

37signals [via @danielpunkass]: "Yes, you need to find time to do both your side business and your normal gig. But there's always enough time if you spend it right. Instead of watching TV or playing Grand Theft Auto, work on your idea. Instead of going to bed at 10, go to bed at 11. We're not talking about all-nighters or 16 hour days - we're talking about squeezing out a few extra hours a week. That's enough time to get something going and then keep giving it gas." - Solid advice.

Did Jobs get liver because he's wealthy?

2009-06-24T14:01:00.001-07:00

CNN.com: "The truth is more complicated. No one can actually buy an organ in the United States (legally, that is). But getting a liver transplant, it turns out, is a lot like getting into college. Once you're on the waiting list, your chances of getting off it depend largely on your personal circumstances -- how sick you are and whether you are a good donor match. But getting on the list in the first place -- or on more than one list, as the case may be -- requires resources and know-how that most people don't have." - Of course I asked that question when I saw the report. My mother has been on a transplant list for years. She was near death four years ago and still no liver. Now she's doing a lot better but the docs are beginning to hint that she may be bad enough to get one in a years time at her current rate of decline. So, you literally have to be near death to receive the organ, and there are all kinds of crazy rules in the fine print. My mom was unable to get one four years back because she weighed too much, thanks to the meds the doctor put her on to keep her alive. So, it's really hard to get one. Jobs must have been very near death to receive a liver when he did.

So I honestly believe the answer to "Did he get it because he's rich?" is no. He got it because he was about to drop dead.

Pen and Paper vs. Digital

2009-06-24T11:59:00.001-07:00

Jerry Fahrni: "As I got up from my work to get another cup of coffee I felt a little amused at the image in front of me. My days are spent working with various types of pharmacy technology, computers, automated storage devices, barcoding equipment, etc., but there on the table in front of me was a paper notepad and an ink pen." - I love this post, I really, really do. There are just some things that are hard to replace digitally. I worked on an application, for 10-years mind, intended to replace pen and paper for diagramming, but the diagrams always started life on a white board or on paper. It's just easier. Once they needed to become "real" they'd move into digital form, using Visio of course.

I have a super nice iPhone application I've been meaning to evaluate. It's called Instaviz and it could be just what the doctor ordered for banging out "on the spot" diagrams, maybe a replacement for pen and paper?

Watch out for the Steam Engine!

2009-06-24T09:02:00.001-07:00

Mike Sax: "The release of the latest iPhone OS has effectively rendered the original version of EasyWriter obsolete. I've received a few emails from users enquiring if I plan to take or lobby for legal action against Apple for doing this. After all, that's what companies like Netscape and Opera have done when Microsoft integrated some of the capabilities of their products into the operating system. The short answer is: absolutely not." - I think Mike has been around the block a few times, and he understands the problem associated with creating something on a hugely popular platform. The platform vendor may run right over you! He's taking it all in stride.

Mike, it's nice to see you blogging again, it seems like it's bee quite a while.

Iran, the revolution begins?

2009-06-20T11:24:00.001-07:00

NY Times: "TEHRAN - Police officers used sticks and tear gas to force back thousands of demonstrators gathering in the capital on Saturday, a day after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said there would be 'bloodshed' if street protests continued over the disputed presidential election."

CNN: "The regime's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, laid out his special interpretation of political Islam in a series of lectures in 1970. In this interpretation of Shia Islam, Islamic jurists had divinely ordained powers to rule as guardians of the society, supreme arbiters not only on matters of morality but politics as well. When Khomeini established the Islamic Republic of Iran, this idea was at its heart. Last week, that ideology suffered a fatal wound."

Steve Jobs meet new liver

2009-06-19T22:59:00.001-07:00

The Wall Street Journal: "Steve Jobs, who has been on medical leave from Apple Inc. since January to treat an undisclosed medical condition, received a liver transplant in Tennessee about two months ago. The chief executive has been recovering well and is expected to return to work on schedule later this month, though he may work part-time initially." - Here's to a speedy, and complete, recovery! It's a bummer the man had to go all the way to Tennessee to receive his transplant. UCSF, right in his own backyard, has a fantastic liver team.

Movie line of the week answer

2009-06-19T09:58:00.001-07:00

Good morning movie liners! It's our last day in lovely Avila Beach, California! I'm really going to miss this place. Wish I could wake up here every day.

We have a winner, and it's a MLOTW old-timer! Congratulations to Mr. Steven Vore, who correctly guessed...

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

See you next week.

Movie line of the week

2009-06-18T17:55:00.001-07:00

Well, well, well, I'd almost forgotten to publish this! DOH! We'll call this the late edition of MLOTW.

Here she be, good luck!

Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past... one of you succeeded.

Ok, quick, what movie! Send your guesses here.

This is who I am

2009-06-18T17:51:00.001-07:00

NY Times [via @zymurgy]: "Those whose names are not unique may run into problems in trying to manage those brands. Chris Hardwick, a stand-up comedian and host on the tech-focused cable network G4, had no trouble registering chrishardwick.com a few years ago and securing the appropriate Gmail address. But he missed out on claiming his name on MySpace to a Chris Hardwick in Ohio. Last weekend, Mr. Hardwick got home from a performance too late to get his address of choice on Facebook; he said a high school student in England appeared to have grabbed it." - I didn't realize the spigot opened on Friday evening, so I wasn't able to grab Fahrni as my identity on Facebook, a kid in Switzerland got it, I wound up with rob.fahrni, which is ok because to me that's not my real identity, or profile, or whatever you want to call it. For me my real identity begins at a URL most people don't know about, rob.fahrni.ws. This weblog is an extension of that site, but that site is the leaping off point, it's the home to my front porch, but I digress.

All this hubbub over identities got me thinking. I want a way to identify a URL as my "true identity", I don't want Google or Facebook or Twitter or MySpace in charge of that, I'm in charge, and I'd like to tell web services "Hey, this is Rob Fahrni, not that other site over there." Now, if I want to identify Google or Facebook or Twitter or MySpace or some other site as the keeper of my identity that's ok too, or maybe I don't want an identity on the web at all, that would be fine too.

Could this be an extension to some other service? OpenID maybe? Is there a way to embed some metadata in my preferred web location that works today? Maybe someone has already created this service and I'm just not aware of it? If it exists, please, share in the comments. If it doesn't exist, and you'd like to help me create it, please leave a comment. Let's get the ball rolling on this, today.

Not that it was wrong

2009-06-16T17:23:00.001-07:00

CNN: "Sherri Goforth, an administrative assistant to state Sen. Diane Black, R-Gallatin, has admitted she sent the e-mail May 28 with the title 'Historical Keepsake Photo.' She said, without elaborating, that she mistakenly sent it 'to the wrong list of people.'" - Notice she's not sorry she sent it, she's sorry she sent it to the wrong distribution list.

Class act.

Beach Time

2009-06-14T16:35:00.001-07:00

We're at Avila Beach for the rest of the week, posting may be very light. I thought I'd leave ya'll with a nice shot of the beach from our room. Enjoy, I know I will.

Movie line of the week answer

2009-06-12T05:22:00.001-07:00

Good morning movie liners, we have a winner!

Keeping his streak alive is Mr. Chris Ledoux, congratulations Chris! Sorry brother, you were a little late with your answer.

The correct answer was...

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

See you next week.

P.S. - How can I talk someone into sponsoring this contest? Would you like prizes? DVD's, movie passes, or something else? Send me your ideas.