Monopoly City Streets

Ok that was fun... but new topic.

Monopoly City Streets [Website]... my newest time-waster. It has a lot of faults as a game, but there's something strangely exciting about "owning" my neighborhood.

Which brings me to my delima: What makes this game cool is that it uses Google Maps, and you "buy" your own streets. Thus, the "coolness" factor is in owning my neighborhood...

The problem is, your ability to make money is limited to the amount of building you can build on your owned streets, and naturally the longer streets allow for more buildings. Well, my neighborhood doesn't have any of the super long streets for purchase. So what do I do? buy up my neighborhood, or start buying "local" streets that are long, but don't have any particular personal connection to me?

Isn't buying those other streets in direct conflict with what makes the game interestingly "cool"? On the other hand, how do I reconcile not doing well in the game if I stick with the "coolness" factor?

Seriously people, this is an important decision!

Music - Pet peeve

Mariah posted this blog. [MUSIC]

You need to read it first before continuing to understand where I'm coming from. I started to comment on her blog, but in true Long-Winded fashion, it became far more than just a comment... so I decided to blog it here instead.

My Opinion/ Pet Peeve

Don’t get me wrong – I love good music, but I just don’t follow this stuff. I’ll buy you can like the music, but as far as I’m concerned these words don’t mean anything. They sound pretty followed after one-another. They are descriptive and creative... but the lyrics just seem to be trying too hard.

I must simply be a cynic. Maybe I’m too rigid, close-minded, or uncreative. Whatever the case, I simply can’t get past lyrics that seem to me to be thrown together because they “sound” deep, yet contain no meaning.

For me, it’s like “Christian-ese speak”… it sounds sincere, but it’s just really words that aren’t followed by any real heart or meaning.

Or, another perfect example…. There’s that one song that goes:

“If I could fall into the sky,
Do you think time would pass me by,
cause you know I’d walk a thousand miles
if I could just see you.”

What does that MEAN???! It is an incoherent jumble of thoughts that “sound” good, but don’t make sense.

Anyway, I only bring this up because Mariah posted those lyrics, and I’m really searching to understand them - but I am falling short.

I believe that art contains no boundries. However, the English language by itself is not art. It's simply a tool to compose art. The words, as a toolset, have meaning, and together can craft pictures, spurn emotion, cause movement, or create rhythm and use cadence (another tool). However, the TOOL must be used properly, and at its very core, words are meant to convey meaning. Purely, and simply. Without meaning, the tool is being used improperly, and ineffectively.

Like I said, I'm trying hard to understand those lyrics. The meaning of the Words don't always need to be clear and concise, but they must still relate meaning, and I've come to the determination that thes words just don't.

Thus my pet peeve:: People who write lyrics that are trying SO HARD to be "outside-the-box" and creative, that they end up actually writing things that have zero comprehension.

Maybe I'm just a snob. Whatever the case, it's just NOT art!

Follow Up:

After posting this blog topic, I decided to see what others thought of Bon Iver's Flume lyrics, so I "Googled". It suprises me that I'm not the only one to which they don't make sense - almost every "write-up" of his album that talks of the opening track, Flume, mentions the opening line with clarity, and then confess to a lack of understanding on the rest of the lyrics - though while I'm not the only one that doesn't get it, I seem to be the only one that carries critisim for it.

It's seems to me that because he's "indy", has a good back-story for the album creation, and a good sound; he's forgiven for his lousy lyrics, and almost "praised" for it!

Grrrr....

When you don't really want what you want

Lately, I've been getting lots of praise from our main Sr. Developer (Rod) in our office. He's not my boss or anything, but his opinion really matters in the office as he is the "right hand" of my real boss, Mike.

Anyway, hes been praising my skills and knowledge progess quite a bit in the last week or two. This has made me quite happy, as his confidence in me will definitely affect Mike's confidence in me.

That's not to say that Mike and Rod don't already have faith in my ability... but there's definitely certain types of work in the office that no one else gets assigned but them. This largely consists of work in our "Base Code". I've done some minor things in the base, but most of it is very "surfacy".

Well, lately I've been working on new functionality for our newest client, JPeterman, but which will be used for all clients. This functionality is Gift Wrap capabilities (i.e. a customer can now choose to pay a bit extra for gift wrap on individual items in the cart, and even write a message per item.) This has taken me much deeper into the Base Code than I've ever previously ventured, and while a bit overwhelming, I've actually have great success!

I'm very good at my job, but my strengths have not been in the .NET C-sharp (C#) code. That's where I'm weakest, but also what I've been most excited to learn since joining this company (it's one of the reasons I chose this company). I'm definitely the strongest in the office at the web-based User Interface (UI) portion, and also the strongest at the database stuff... but most of the "heavy" logic for our application rests in the middle-tier, which is where the Base Code .NET stuff rests. Hence, I'm extremely valuable to the company, but I'm not the answer for most of the larger, new functionality development because of my lack of skills with .NET.

Understanding that about my skills, and therefore my typical role in the office; it's been very challenging, and extremely personally rewarding to do this Gift Wrap thing. It started as intending to be a simple addition to the UI, taking advantage of a Functional Engine we already have called Kits. However, as I've programmed the UI, it became apparent that Kits had some very large insufficiencies. Thus, I began to get into the Base Code to tackle the problem... only to discover the large web of messes in Kits as a result.

So, I successfully navigated Kits, added functionality to them, fixed issues, noted weaknesses which we'll code around for now and tackle another day, and got the Gift Wrap working! Mike was happy, and Rod was impressed. It wasn't their original intent, but with each step they put a little more faith in me, and got positive results.

So, why the topic Title?...

Well, today I commented on one of the weaknesses of Kits (which has become apparent in the Gift Wrap Kit). Currently, we don't have Kit Part dependencies - for example, if you add a Gift Wrap Message kit part, but don't select a type of Gift Wrap (e.g. Wedding paper, or Christmas paper), we have no mechanism to say that the message is dependent on you selecting a wrapping paper.

So I commented on it and offered a suggestion... and Rod went to Mike with it and they came back and asked ME to take a shot at doing it all! This is a very good thing for my career!...

however, this new coding is very rewarding, but also very tiring. It's extremely challenging because while I'm now capable, but my skills aren't very strong.

Do I want this? Absolutely. But the surface part of me is already worn out. I'm extremely excited because I'm being challenged, but part of me likes the creative, fun, relatively easy-going element of simple web-UI coding.

It's like being a photographer, and really wanting to be self-employed, but not "really" wanting to take on running the business, and kinda just liking to take photos.

Anyway, I'm happy and blessed. I'm feeling rewarded. I'm just kinda dreading the actual work. :)

7 days to itch

In 7 days (today being one of those 7) Wendy and I will have been married for 7 years, and the itch will be over.

I'm a totally blessed man... far more blessed than most men, and it's mostly because of Wendy. I dont need much... I have her, and it's all I really need on this earth (I need God, but he's not of this earth, you dig?).

So, in honor of my wife, who I love very very much, I'm going to attempt to ease the last 7 days of her itch, by making her forget she even has an itch.

Today is day 7, and I'm going to let the rest of you in on today's gift. Today will be simple...

a small list of 7's to express to Wendy, how much I love her. (Note: I cheat on the "7" concept, as some of these can easily be multiple items... but give me a break! Wendy is far too special to sum up in 7 items)


7 Things I Love About Wendy

• •    The way she kisses. She has tons of kisses, but my favorite is the lingering, super soft, gentle kiss she gives me, usually to break me from another distraction when she simply wants affection. It is a sudden pause of all life, thought, and needs, aside from this simple kiss. I can't help but literally stop and hum afterward (the way someone who's just eatten something good hums under their breath). It's a breath of freah air, and when it comes, it constitues the single most precious seconds of my day.



• •    She's incredibly talented. Her skills at decorating are amazing, and I'm so proud of her. It's fun to brag about her for this skill, as I know that others are just as amazed as I am about her vision and ability to make our home classy, beautiful and warm. She has amazing cooking skills! I've always enjoyed her food, never once been unhappy with it, and she's never let me go hungry. She's always one of the first people who gets asked to bring food to a party, because others can trust that she'll follow through, and know that what she brings will be perfectly delicious and appropriate for the occasion. She's got amazing photography skills!!! This is also something I love to brag about her, and our house is proof of her talent. I've never been one to take picutres of anything all growing up, and I never realized how much fun in memories that I've missed out on by not capturing the moment... that is, until I met Wendy. Always the first to share this talent with others; she has the perfect eye for beauty, and she's rarely caught empty handed without a camera during a special occasion. I reap the rewards of this talent, as my walls are covered with pictures of the people I love.



• •    She's super compassionate and generous. Wendy's ability to identify with others is astounding, and so many people put their trust in her because they know without a doubt that she has their best interest and needs at heart. She also is incredibly generous... both with her time, and money. This is shown sooooo many ways, but quite often is shown through the act of giving gifts. Wendy spends so much time and effort looking for the perfect gift for others, including even simply the card. This of course, is a double-edged sword, and her generosity (and love for shopping) means that if Wendy loves you (and especially if you have children), you can count on an endless stream of gifts-for-no-reason. :)



• •    Her butt. yes, it is magnificent, and is my favorite part of her body! Don't get me wrong, I love all parts of Wendy's body... but I'm particularly partial to her butt. It's like your children... you love them all for different reasons, but there's always a favorite.



• •    The way her skin smells. It sticks with me for hours... and simply the thought of it can make me smile without meaning to. This played a huge role in my falling for her, as I could smell her skin on my hands simply from touching her hands, after leaving her whenever I visited her at APU. I'd go home (usually very late) and go to sleep still able to smell a faint hint of her skin's scent on my hands. It was, and still is, the best way to go to sleep



• •    She makes me feel special. I don't much care what others think negatively of me, but Wendy always makes me feel very positive of myself, and I never knew how important a role that would play in my adult life. She makes me feel valued, valuable, and special. She brags about me, and quite frankly when she does, I care less about the thoughts of the person she's bragging to, and more simply about the fact that she feels that way about me. She leans on me to get things done, and while I could complain that I'm always "needed" (and thus always have something I must do), deep down inside, I'm happy that she trusts me to look to me for help, and she praises my skills and work. As a result, I always feel like I can accomplish anything. She loves to snuggle, and sit on my lap, and dig her feet under my legs... and while it can at times seem annoying, it's also something that always lets me know that I'm uniquely special in her life.



• •    I'm a better man because of Wendy. She's taught me punctuality - somthing that's not a Wilson family trait - and while I'm not perfect, I'm far more punctual than ever. She encourages my relationship with Christ. She loves me despite my short-comings... and man do I have many. So many couples have allowed the shortcomings of their spouses to consume the make-up of their relationship... but Wendy takes my bad with the good, and loves me anyway. She's always encouraging while I work on my issues, and she's incredibly forgiving when I fail. She praises me for the things I do right, even when the bad is painful. She really is the definition of a wife that loves unconditionally. This in turn, makes me want to only work harder and do better, and as a result, she hasn't allowed me to flounder or slack off in my growth as a man. She's trustworthy with my darkest secrects, and never uses my faults against me. This allows me to look to her for accountability, rather than feel the need to be ashamed and hide my faults from her.

7 Things I Promise (sort of) to Wendy for the next year

• •    I will try to keep my closet clean. (Once I get around to cleaning it, of course!)


• •    I will try to keep my Starbucks habit (addiction) to a minimum.


• •    I will stay physically fit, so that she always think I'm dead-sexy.


• •    I will not leave toothpicks lying around the house or in my pant pockets.


• •    I will try to not leave any lights/fans/ac on when I leave for work


• •    I will not pinch her butt (as much) when she walks up the stairs


• •    I will love her unconditionally and wholly.

Wendy, you're an amazing, special, kind, wonderful wife, and I'm incredibly proud of the woman you are, and the things you accomplish. Thank you for loving me like you do, and I will do my best to honor you as my wife, and love you as much as (and more) than you deserve or could ever dream for - for the year to come, and the rest of my life.

Coffee House

I used to write a lot. Short stories. Love letters. Poems. Songs. It's been awhile since I've indulged in that facet of my persona.

Well, tonight while cleaning our new house, I was going through some stacks of books and papers that were in a box I have yet to unload. Lo and behold, (that's just so fun to utter, isn't it?) I discovered this little gem of a poem/lyrics that I wrote a long time ago... apparently at a coffee house, and apparently during some sort of music set.

It surprises me that I used to write like this. I think it has qualities that are quite good, and that I don't have in my writing any longer. So, I decided to share it with you. It could use some refinement, but then again, it was written on what appears to be a torn piece of table cloth (the paper kind that you can draw on), and it seems to be a first draft... so I'll leave it as-is, knowing it could actually be much better.



Anyway, Here's a little piece of my past:

Coffee House

Sitting by the lights
They're artificial stars
Listening to the tunes
He's playing his guitar

The rhythms tap dance on my brain
The beat vibrates round my soul

The laughter fills the room with noise
The talking makes it's whirlwind song
This jazz-talk is an excellent choice
and we all dive in headlong

To this precious gift God did create
the fabric sensation of musical debate
My only though is "This is great!"

With music, there's no right or wrong

The rhythms tap dance on my brain
The beat vibrates round my soul

This coffee is liquid of bitter taste
but the aroma creates sweet melody
The musician's wrath explodes on the drums
but we trust their peaceful harmony

Then Matt
begins to scat
I like it like that

Musician and poet create ecstasy

The rhythms tap dance on my brain
The beat vibrates round my soul

The shaker shakes
The drummer drums
The guitarist plays
a nylon string hums

The poet speaks with wild grace
as shadows play across his face
His words so powerful draw fragile taste

make toes tap with fingers and thumbs

The rhythms tap dance on my brain
The beat vibrates round my soul

Thickening my senses
while thinning my brain
as rational though
is rinsed by instrumental rain

While musically scaled precision
obscure, but clear with mindful vision
crash splendidly with reckless indecision

And the beauty of the music memory will echo its remains

The rhythms tap dance on my brain
The beat vibrates round my soul

The guitar plays a different tune
than the violin
The drums still bang and boom
The notes awkwardly blend

and musical colors spin in the night
like the pictures hanging on the right
Wear imagination's 3-D glasses, and you'll see this awesome sight

It brightens this musical trend...

... which brings my poem to and end.