Owner: WhirledView URL:http://www.whirledview.com Join Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:43:25 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Personal blog of Jim Robinson, a Washington, DC-area web developer. Site statistics:Click here
Drupal and Site5: An All New WhirledView 2007-02-28 05:59:51
Even though I haven’t been posting much lately, there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes as far as website stuff. The most significant thing I did recently was to get moved off of my Dreamhost dedicated server and get everything set up on a new Site5 shared server. Dreamhost was killing me on the monthly fees, which I kind of resent since I had been a Dreamhost customer for more than five years. I think Dreamhost should have annual account reviews to see that their customers are in the best hosting plan for their needs and that their pricing stays competitive, especially for what they charge for a dedicated server (actually I think they don’t even offer dedicated servers anymore, so maybe they Read more:Drupal
In Her Language 2007-02-24 11:22:01
I don't think I would want to live on an island with people of only one neurological configuration, no matter what it was. - Amanda Baggs
The other day
Spring Is In The Air 2007-02-01 06:00:00 One of those first signs of Spring
will come a little earlier this year when we set our clocks forward on March 11, instead of the first Sunday in April, as we normally do. I’m thrilled. Or at least as thrilled as I can be considering how depressed I get every year as soon as I set my clock back an hour in the Fall. It’s not all because of the early darkness; a lot of my lethargy has to do with the weather. The darkness has a lot to do with it though. Now if I could just move to a warmer climate, I might not be playing Russian Roulette by the end of February each year.
Waking from the Holiday Fog 2007-01-11 06:00:00
I’m writing something just to break into the 2007 blogging year, but unfortunately I haven’t felt very inspired to write much lately. I’ve grudgingly begun a full-on job search (this was delayed until after the holidays), I’ve been playing guitar a lot and actually have a couple of my own gigs lined up, and I’ve generally been enjoying my happy little existence on earth. Somehow I always manage to keep a very full schedule despite not spending 40+ hours a week in a cube. Not sure how I’m going to find time for all of life’s day to day trifles when I start doing that, but from what I understand, others manage to do it.
Read more:Holiday
Home Field Disadvantage 2006-12-11 06:00:00
Before going to several Tennessee Titans games with Chris D. back in 2000, I had never been to an NFL game. I was really spoiled going to those games because the Titans were fairly new in Nashville (having moved from Houston a couple years before when they were temporarily called the Tennessee Oilers); the nice, open, natural grass stadium was brand-spanking new; and the fans were very enthusiastic and knew how to get behind their team – they knew when to stand up and get loud and when to quiet down and let their offense work. I even got to witness the Music City Miracle that season, when complete strangers hugged each other and high-fived at the unforgettable conclusion of that game. The Titans went to the Superbowl that year. My impression from my time living in Tennessee is that the Titans led by Jeff Fisher are a class act, regardless of their record, and so are their fans. I’ve always thought Joe Gibbs and the Redskins were a class act too, but between Daniel Snyder&r Read more:Field
As '06 Winds Down 2006-12-06 06:00:00
I started to write a blog entry about what a great year it’s been for me and all I could think about is what a difficult year it’s been for much of my family for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately life’s roller coaster brings ups and downs for all of us at different times, and there’s no way I can feel like I’ve had the best year of my life when some of the people I love may have had the worst year of theirs. I’ve found that some things are beyond my ability to comprehend or accept, and when I’m faced with those things I just try to let go a little and realize I am not in control of any of it. The best I can do is pray in my own way and be there when they need me. I think about every one of you every day.
Read more:Winds
Halloween Weekend 2006-10-31 06:00:00
This past weekend was one of our busiest in recent weeks. Lia's bff, Elizabeth, came to visit from NY, so on Friday we had a lot of cleaning to do in preparation for our guest. And of course we chose to go to dinner instead. We went to Aida Bistro, a little restaurant in one of those corporate office parks in Columbia, and as soon as we got a look at the prices on the menu, we left. I had been to this place a few years ago and remembered it being pretty decent, but I definitely didn’t remember those prices. Now I’m not a cheapskate and I do have a slightly more refined palate than your average middle-schooler, but as a general rule, if I’m going to drop $100+ on dinner for two, I’m not going to be looking out the window at a drive-thru ATM and a Mattress Giant in the middle of an office park shopping center. Besides, I wanted a friggin’ steak, so we said “thanks anyway” and went to Longhorn Steakhouse. I decided I’d rather have a belly Read more:Halloween
, Weekend
Poor Pluto 2006-08-25 06:00:00 Pluto
is Neptune's bitch
Pluto always seemed like a friendly planet to me.
St. Leonard, Maryland 2006-07-25 06:00:00 This past weekend Lia and I went to Brett's beach house to celebrate his birthday and eat some crabs. Lia and I had a great time Saturday morning going out on the boat and crabbing in a nearby marina. We caught almost a dozen crabs and Brett went and bought a couple dozen more to make it a feast on Saturday night. Brett's place is a nice little rustic house on a hill overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, just outside of St. Read more:Leonard
, Maryland
Which web browser do you use? 2007-03-02 08:36:29 My new site design may contain CSS formatting that conflicts with certain browser
s. I'm aware of some issues with Internet Explorer 6, but I'd like to get feedback from as many people as possible about how the site displays in different browsers. Please indicate the browser you use and provide comments if you are encountering display issues. Hopefully the issues aren't so bad that you can't see this page!
I'm pearly like the white-wuh-whites of your eyes 2007-04-06 22:55:55
I was all about resuming my blog posting and being more consistent about it right up until I converted the site to Drupal and found that I have all kinds of display errors. I know it's just some misplaced <div> or something, but it fucking pisses me off. So I abandoned the blog for a while again...again. I'll get around to fixing this stuff eventually, but I AM NOT designing for Internet Explorer 6! IE6 is a nightmare. If you still have IE6 then stop it already. Get a real browser so you can see what the web has to offer besides parasites and malware.
read more »
Longest Break Yet 2007-05-28 18:02:14
I was really thinking about taking this blog down since I've had so much trouble lately with anxiety. I go through a lot of ups and downs with that, but when it's bad I really start to close myself off and don't talk to people much. Having my thoughts on a website really starts to creep me out when I feel like that. Well, here it will stay for now.
read more » Read more:Longest
, Break
Paver Patio Project 2007-06-15 17:19:05
I completed my first attempt at a hardscape project this past week, which is really interesting when you consider the fact that I started and subsequently decided to bail out on my own hardscape construction business during the past month. I’m a whacko. Anyway, I think the job turned out nice and for the time being I will retain my title of Jack of All Trades, Master of None. See for yourself:
Before...
After...
read more » Read more:Patio
, Project
Summer's Sweet Spot 2007-06-26 12:29:50
Thanks to my very cool and musically astute friend, Ryan, I had the chance to see one of my favorite bands, Wilco, last Thursday at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Lia was invited by some of her friends too, but they only had one extra ticket. When Ryan emailed me about his extra ticket, I jumped at the chance to go and it worked out perfectly. I saw Wilco there in the Summer
of 2005 with my friends, Chris and Jason, which I thought was a great show, but that day was extremely hot and although we did have seats, we were literally in the last row and everyone in front of us was standing most of the time, so we couldn’t see much. We probably would have been better off sitting on the lawn. This time, however, the seats were ridiculous. They were center stage in the third row behind the pit, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never had better seats at a large venue concert like that. And Wilco sounded great. I don’t know if it’s because of where we we Read more:Sweet
Text Link Prostitution 2007-07-06 20:36:23 Since quality text links have become harder than ever to get, I would like to see if I can use the insatiable desire for links to pimp my luscious little blog, just for the fun of it. Judging by the amount of comment spam I get, I know you mongers out there need you some link lovin’, so I’m creating a simple contest where I’ll give you your links, any links you want (all night long), if you'll just give me a little something in return...
The First Annual Pimp My Blog Contest read more » Read more:Text Link
Why Are Manhole Covers Round? 2007-08-06 23:34:52
This was the first question at my second interview for the position of Search Engine Optimization Specialist with a nearby “financial processing company.” After that I was asked, “What weighs more: a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?” About fifteen minutes into the interview, which was scheduled for four hours, I looked at the clock, looked at the interviewer, looked at the clock again and then interrupted the interviewer by saying, “Excuse me, but I no longer wish to be considered for this position.” She paused for a moment and looked at me with big eyes and an open mouth. She asked what was wrong and I simply told her I felt those kinds of questions were a waste of my time and not serious interview questions. I reminded her of a few of my credentials and explained how I feel I’ve accomplished too much in my life to be reduced to answering such questions, then I assured her it was nothing personal, thanked he Read more:Covers
My Kawasaki KZ-750 LTD Twin 2007-08-10 21:20:42
Last weekend I completed the Basic Rider Safety course at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland, which allowed me to get my motorcycle license. The course is approved by the Maryland MVA and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, and I feel like it was well worth the six hours of class time and two full days on the riding course. I’m much more confident now and have a lot of stuff to keep in mind as I begin riding.
So now I’m in a huge rush to get my motorcycle running. I can’t wait! Last month I picked up this 1980 Kawasaki
KZ-750t LTD from a guy on Craigslist for $400. Check out those mag wheels:
read more »
Nick Burns: Your Company's Computer Guy 2007-08-27 20:56:40
I’ve had a pretty crazy couple of weeks in the job department. I received three offers within the same week and had a really tough decision to make. I ended up taking the job with the trendy advertising/web design agency I wrote about in the post before last because 1) the work environment seemed cool and there were lots of nice people around my age, and 2) the job was for a Senior Web Developer position that I felt would really push me to hone my programming skills. This honing of skills seemed very attractive to me because I’ve always felt like a jack of all trades, but a master of none, and I truly wanted to master this very tangible set of skills. I was very clear at every stage in the interview process that I was not an expert programmer and that it would take me a few months to get up to speed because it seemed odd that they would hire me as a Senior Web Developer when I’m not an expert programmer. They were confident in their asse Read more:Burns
, Computer
Weed Wacker Damage 2007-09-19 21:02:17
This happened a few weeks ago, but I forgot to share. It looked much worse in person because it sliced deep into the middle part:
read more » Read more:Damage
The Things I Do To Live In a Place I Hate 2007-09-18 21:30:37 Well it finally caught up with me. After two years of doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, I’m back to the daily grind. It's especially tough for me because I haven't really worked for anyone else since 1996. And for the first time ever, I’m working for a large corporation as a white collar professional, complete with morning traffic jams, gallons of coffee, a security badge, a cubicle, and uncomfortable clothing that just screams "sellout!" If you had asked me a couple years ago if I'd ever be doing this, I would have laughed at you.
Work sucks. read more » Read more:Place
Would you choose a million bucks or the ability to go back in time one week, starting one week from now? 2007-09-13 22:19:52 So imagine someone walks up to you and says, "I'll give you a million
dollars right now, or I'll come back in one week and send you back in time to this moment. You'll then know everything that's going to happen in your life one week in the future. What is your choice?"
To me this question is both about money and the philosophical implications. I think if the goal is money, a smart person could make more than $1,000,000 simply by being able to see one week into the future (think stock market). But on the philosophical side, would you even want to go back in time and alter what would then be the future? The obvious paradoxes are why I limit it to a week. By limiting it to a week, it's not very likely that any change you'd make would have any major affect on your life, unless you wanted it to. But could you stop a senseless tragedy? Do you learn enough about yourself each day that you could do something substantially different only by being able to see one week into the fu Read more:choose
, ability
Radiohead - In Rainbows: It's Up To You 2007-10-04 19:34:30
Many people who know me know I’ve been a big Radiohead
fan for a long time. Now I know what you’re thinking, and yes, it is very unusual for a mid-thirties internet geek to be a Radiohead fan, but indeed, I am the exception. Having been aware of a new album due out this fall, I was pleasantly surprised when my brother told me the new release, “In Rainbows
,” is almost upon us.
read more »
A Very Delayed New Year's Eve Follow-Up 2007-11-04 18:53:28
Back in January of this year I did a small post about our New Year
's Eve party and expressed my disappointment at the fact that I didn't take enough photos. Thanks to Todd & Jenniffer, and via Lana & Brian, I eventually got a hold of some more and burned them onto a CD, which I then left in my pocket for the past six months or so. Now that it's getting cold again, I pulled out that old jacket with the CD in the pocket and "walla," I now have more New Year's Eve photos to share. I don't think I need to go into any additional detail to describe that night, but let's just say I was hung over until February.
read more »
Band of Horses @ 930 Club in Washington, DC 2007-11-02 20:48:31
Needed to post something new to put recent events to rest. Lia and I are going to see Band of Horses
tonight at the 930 Club with Ryan, my fellow music aficionado (the one who scored the great tickets to see Wilco ), which I'm really looking forward to. They're one of the most exciting new bands I've gotten into in a couple of years and I've been totally addicted to them. Only thing is, the show doesn't start until 11:30. Good thing I napped.
read more » Read more:Washington
new blogger alert 2007-11-05 22:55:52
So...someone I know recently started her very own blog, You Keep Quiet . Next I will attempt to get her to switch from cassettes to CDs.
Let's fire up those blogrolls and show her some link love!
read more »
Gettin' Hitched! 2007-11-30 10:29:56
This is a bit delayed because I've been basking in some happy times and staying busy at work, but for those who don't already know, I asked the love of my life to marry me and she said yes! We've already started talking about plans and setting a date, so I'll be sharing that soon. Lia and I actually set up a web site to share all the planning details, so be sure to check out our wedding blog.
read more »
Omniture Sitecatalyst and The Number of the Beast 2007-12-01 10:41:59
Yesterday at work I was looking at some keyword statistics in Omniture Sitecatalyst and for a particular search term there were 666 searches for the month of September. My mind drifted as I started thinking, “ooooooh, what if every query I did started returning ‘666’?” It would be like a bad horror movie with the camera going back and forth between shots of my computer monitor showing results of “666” for every search and my increasingly horrified face. I would suddenly receive a phone call and caller ID would pop up “666” and I would wince and stand up suddenly at the sight of it, knocking my swivel chair to the floor. As I begin to panic and look across the sea of cubicles surrounding me, I see a sinister man staring at me from the corner of the room.
read more » Read more:Number
, Beast
Vote for Pedro...oh...*ahem*...Vote for Daniel 2007-12-15 17:49:52
We need to rally the troops. Please go to this page, follow the link, and vote for Daniel
:
Vote for Daniel!
Please bookmark, share, email, IM, text...whatever...just share this link!
read more » Read more:Pedro
Recommend Site To A Friend
