So Ted (The Swimmer) Kennedy is Dead

I see that Ted Kennedy is dead. May justice for Mary Jo Kopechne be served in the afterlife. It sure wasn't served here

Soccer Starts Tonight

Sigh, another soccer season starts with 90 minutes of practice for my Son tonight. Yea!

Working Effectively with Legacy Code

What can be said about Michael Feathers' Working Effectively with Legacy Code that has not already been said?

This book, along with a few others (for example, Code Complete
and Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code
) belong on every programmer's bookshelf.

Michael defines "Legacy Code" as "Code without tests". In this book, he shows you examples of HOW to find the "seams" in your code, so that you can add tests, in order to refactor your code and/or extend your application without breaking your code.

Code refactoring is the process of changing a computer program's internal structure without modifying its external functional behavior or existing functionality.

If you work at ALL with legacy (brownfield) applications, you need to read this book.

Machine Shop Trade Secrets

A couple of years ago, the author of the book Machine Shop Trade Secrets sent me a copy for review, and I've had a quick review on mw web site for a long time, but I thought it was time to expand it a bit.

This book, written by James A Harvey, is a compendium of tips and tricks for use in the machine shop.

It's somewhat in the same vein as Guy Lautard's The Machinist's Bedside Reader, but with a heavier slant towards the professional machinist, for example, there is an entire chapter on Mold Making, which is not normally a Home Shop activity.

The book has 18 chapters, with everything from the aformentioned Mold Making Tips, Tips for Novices, How to make your parts look good, how to work fast, and lots of others.

I DID notice one mistake in my copy of the book that I pointed out to the Author. In the Chapter "Tell Me something I didn't know" he claims that "The 'RS" in RS232 stands for Radio Shack". Nope, it stands for 'Recomended Standard'

Summer Soccer if Over

Ah, Summer soccer is over - Hugh's team (U7-U9 unisex) came in 2nd, Anna's (u12-u15 I think, again Unisex) came in 3rd

Of course, one of Hugh's (and looks Like Anna's too) leagues has their parents meeting Friday - it never ends

"Dissent is patriotic."

Of course, except when you have a Dem as President

What could Possibly go wrong?

Health Care Reform - >What could possibly got wrong?

If Obama has his way, his health care plan will be funded by his treasury chief who did not pay his taxes, overseen by his surgeon general who is obese, signed by a president who smokes, and financed by a country that is just about broke.

Shack Updates

Well, I never have gotten the beam up. Two years later, it's still sitting in the yard. I can't find anyone to install it, because no one waht the liability of bolting it to the roof. I might just have to save up, and out up say a 40 ft crankup in the yard.

One thing I really want to do in the shack is change my desk around. It's a mess. I really think I'm going to make or buy a couple of desktop "turret" racks to mount all the ham gear in, plus put say a 2.5 or 3 ft rack under the desk to mount all the computer stuff and power supplies in.

Anyone have thoughts on this?