Recently in Randomness Category

Quite a bit has happened since I've moved from South Carolina to the dying metropolis of Fond du Lac, WI. So much in fact, that I haven't even bothered to write anything. Alright, maybe not really, but still... Here's a quick update on the projects I've been working on and the things I've been up to.

It's with a partially sad demeanor that I'll be leaving South Carolina in just 15 days. It's been a long — very long — three and a half years here. Had some experiences, did a lot of lazing around, but now I'm off back to the frozen north and couldn't be more excited.

There's been a lot of "Top Lists" around the internet lately. And their completely random like "Top 53 new websites for designers", or "Top 18 reasons to dance on your head". Keeping with that, I've composed not one, but two top lists.

Recently I got involved with a volleyball group in Myrtle Beach, SC. It's a bunch of B-level people of all ages getting together 2-3 times a week playing some semi-competitive ball. We play in the sand, on the beach, on the grass, and in the gym. There are even times when we have some tournaments.

A few of us decided that we need a website to communicate when and where to play, links to volleyball equipment, and all around camaraderie. We tossed a quick site up using Weebly and actually got some traffic to it!

I was told not too long ago by someone that the year 2007 brought about a rather large change to the working masses. That change was that the number of service-based jobs out numbered that of production jobs. Now whether this is due to robots from the Robotic Uprising of the Late 90's, or that the majority of the population is too busy or too rich to worry about learning how to do things themselves isn't quite known. But no matter how you answer that question, an even larger one comes up, "Is the customer always right?" I'm sure everyone's heard that expression before — probably from working in retail or for some older gentleman when they were young — "The customer is always right, even when he's not." But in today's society of extreme specialization, can we still opperate productively by that same principle? Can we trust that the consumer (or client) isn't out to just get a superior service for an inferior price? And once we do believe the consumer/client isn't out to just get a deal, do we push for their education through our experience and expertise or simply give them that for which they are asking?

Five years at Michigan Tech means I spent a lot of time mountain biking. From the single track to the technical rides, urban assault to road rides, I've tried to ride it all. Lucky I found some great guys that were just as crazy about biking as I am to go along with me. Unluckily for them, 50% were injured. Here's a few pictures of their injuries and even one of an injuring in the making!

Just driving to work the other day, I got behind a Myrtle Beach police car that was heading to its headquarters -- which just so happens to be only a few short blocks from my office.  The thing that caught my eye this time was not how old the police car was (most of the county and state have gone to 2006+ Chevy Impalas, and this was still an older-style Ford Crown Victory) but what it said on the car.  It had the normal, "we're here to protect, but call us if you're in trouble" stuff.  So I got to thinking about what the city slogan of Myrtle Beach because I didn't know if there was one.  The only other phrase on the police cruiser was "Thanks for visiting."

Soy milk, cottage cheese, bread, and mozzarella cheese. Sure, they have nothing to do with the tobacco belt, but they're where this story begins. Just yesterday after a joyous stop to blockbuster, I ran into the neighboring FoodLion and ran into a not-so-joyous time. Seems the person in charge of scheduling thought it'd be a great idea to only schedule two cashiers on a Friday night at 7.00pm. As I was standing in line, it all happened.

I'd heard around the office that a neighboring city had a bill to ban smoking in public restaurants. Even though it's not news that smoking bans are being passed in many cities, i thought it was interesting that there was one being passed in a city with such a high population so smokers. Moving here from the Midwest and then going back to visit after a year down here, I was astounded by how few people smoke there (or how many smoke here.)

Recently the project manager and a fellow programmer where I work have begun a podcast, old-skool style. No video, just audio. But none the less, they're doing it. So far there's been two episodes which you can download from the is that what you think website. Over there they describe the show as a place where "you will find topics ranging from Web Development, Video Games, TV, Movies and all kinds of geeky stuff." So if you're a hankering to get your geek on and have an hour a week to spare, check it out.