Another Reason I Like to Just Stay Home
More People I’m Sick Unto Death Of
Adventurers
Jonny Copp, a well-known mountain climber and adventurer who grew up in Fullerton, has been found dead on the side of Mount Edgar, China, the apparent victim of an avalanche, according to a variety of websites, including his own.
Three words that come to mind when I hear someone introduced as an “adventurer”: Die, die, die . . .
Twitter: 2009-06-09
- RT @postsecret: A creative pool of photos on flickr that combines the past with the present in a ghostly way. http://ad.vu/nsee #
- RT @HeyTammyBruce: Adam doesn’t look gay, he looks one step away from a Marilyn Monroe wig, a boa and a name change to Eve. #
The V Model
The graphic on the right came up for discussion at the office today.
The V Model is a traditional model, still widely used, but (IMO) bad for at least a couple of reasons.
-
Look where User Requirements and UAT are — the first and last items in the V. This ensures that the maximum amount of time goes by between users saying what they want and being able to test out the implementation. The more time that goes by between users saying what they want and being able to try it out, the more likely it is that they’re going to change their minds, for any number of reasons. That’s bad.
-
If our testing is honest, there’s always some non-zero probablilty that the system will fail, again for any number of reasons — too slow, too buggy, not what I asked for, etc. By putting testing last, we don’t find out that the system is a failure until we’ve already invested the entire cost of building it, thus the rich history of big-ticket IT failures, where huge sums of money were spent and nothing usable was ever delivered.
IMO, you can use a design-code-test V model, but you have to use it iteratively every week or two weeks or at most every month on a project to avoid these problems and make sure users are getting what they want.
Thus spoke The Programmer.
Shell or Chevron?
I gotta get some gas. I pull off the freeway — Shell or Chevron? They’re right next to each other. I check the price for regular — $2.93 either way.
It’s a tossup.
Then my son notices on a sign that the Shell gasoline is “nitrogen enriched.”
“Nitrogen enriched!?” I say. “Are you kidding me?! Fuck Chevron . . . what is nitrogen, anyway?”
“It’s an element.”
“Yeah I know, but who can tell me why it’s a good idea to put it in gasoline? What are we, chemistry professors?”
“It seeks out and destroys engine gunk.”
“What? How do you know that?”
“I read it on the sign.”
“Oh . . . OK then, we’re going Shell!”
Twitter: 2009-06-08
My Son Gets His Braces Off Today
It’s kind of sad. The orthodontist has been almost like a member of the family the last few years and I’m going to miss him . . .
The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes
I’ve got the dog all hooked up for a walk but I don’t have shoes on . . .
Look! Right here by the front door are my son’s prized possession — his red sneakers!
He notices me slipping my feet into them and says, “Hey! What size are your feet? You’re not going to stretch them out, are you?”
“Actually,” I say, “they feel a little loose.”
“OK,” he says grudgingly. “Don’t step in any puddles.”
Keeping the Magic Alive
I went to a 50th wedding anniversary mass today. Normally I wouldn’t be caught dead at such a thing but in this case the husband and wife also happen to be my parents so not only was I there, I was there bright and early to hand out programs.
Fifty years! How do a man and a woman celebrate with each other such longevity and perseverance?
Honey, I want to say something to you tonight that I’ve never said before, although I’ve had it in my heart for many, many years.
Three little words . . .
. . . let’s try anal . . .
Randy Johnson’s 300th Win
Fellow Trojan Randy Johnson won his 300th game last night.
I miss the good old days when starting pitchers actually won games on the mound, not in the dugout after throwing six innings and handing it off to the bullpen . . .
David Carradine, 1936–2009
Alas, poor Carradine! I knew him, Horatio. A couple of years ago I was walking through the international terminal at LAX, picking up my family on a flight from Bangkok, when I heard a voice behind me: “This is David Carradine.”
I turned and it was Carradine, talking on a cell phone! A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy!
The rest is silence . . .
Another Reason I Just Like to Drink on Planet Earth
Nightmares
I’ve been having nightmares the last week or so.
Last night I was stabbed to death by a maniac on a motorcycle.
The night before I was a zombie terrorizing an Old West elementary school . . .
Twitter: 2009-06-01
- RT @nsmithmorgan: The three best visual illusions in the world http://www.aip.org/isns/reports/2009/051309visualillusion.html #
I Like to Manage My Own Time
The dog and I are having a great time this morning playing tug-of-war. My wife is ironing clothes.
“What time is it?” she asks.
“It’s 7:22. Are you trying to tell me to stop playing around and go to work?”
“No, I’m trying to time it so I can stop ironing and make Casey’s breakfast before he has to go to school.”
“Apology accepted.”
Yet Another Reason I Like to Just Stay Home
You Have to Look at the Total Cost
My wife decided to highlight her own hair, which costs five dollars if you do it yourself versus 50 dollars at the hair salon.
Later I noticed, in the master bathroom, a large black carpet stain in front of her sink.
“That can be taken care of,” she said.
I said, “I can’t help noticing that someone, probably you, has already tried to get that stain out without much success.”
“I don’t have the right cleaning product,” she said. “And it’s time to get the carpet cleaned anyway. Carpet cleaners can get that out easily. Easily. Been there, done that.”
“So let’s review,” I said. “We saved 45 dollars on the hair coloring but we’re going to end up spending a thousand to replace the carpet . . .”
Life’s Simple Pleasures
Up late last night, up early this morning . . . my wife and I take Lightning to the dog beach. We get home a little after 10 . . .
Nap time!
When I wake up and look at the (analog) clock over the fireplace, it’s already 3 p.m. My god, I’ve slept the whole day away!
No, wait . . . the big hand is on the 3 and the little hand is on the 12. It’s only 12:15!
Back to sleep . . .
It’s Cold When the Label Turns Blue
What problem is this designed to solve? Are there really people who can’t tell when a beer is cold?
The ones in the fridge are cold. Just like any other beer . . .
The Da Vinci Code
My wife brings home a Da Vinci Code DVD from Blockbuster . . .
“You want to see Da Vinci Code?” I ask.
She says, “That’s what you asked me to get, right?”
“Mmmmm, no. Why would I do that?”
“Dad hates The Da Vinci Code,” the boy chimes in. “He hates everything about it. He hates the book, he hates the movie, he hates Da Vinci . . .”
“No, Da Vinci is the one bright spot in the whole sorry situation. Da Vinci himself was a great man. Everyone else involved in these projects is a shameless hack.”