It's been a while since I've talked about technical stuff and I need to rant, so here goes:

I got started in web development sometime around the middle of 2001... I think... Anyhow, it was a pretty garbled mess for me, as I picked up a couple of existing products and tried to make modifications to them to suit my needs. Frustrated, I ended up starting my own projects, and I have learned a lot even though not a single one is fully complete.

Along the way, I've played with all different technologies. I've used template engines, I've used frameworks, and I've even gotten my feet wet with some Ajax (without bleach :P). I've learned a lot from these, but there's one thing that holds true in all cases: Keep it simple, stupid.

Let's start from the top with template engines. It's kind of a good idea at first, because you may have your project broken out into groups of designers, developers, and managers. The designers may not know much about the core of your application -- the PHP that does all the heavy lifting -- but they may be quite skilled with XHTML and know how to do the needful. The problem with most template engines, though, is they introduce either a new markup language specific to the template system, or they use rather awkward methods using some sort of implementation of PHP.

For a long while I was a fan of Smarty. In fact, several of my sites still use Smarty. I thought it was a good idea because it helped me keep my presentation layer separate from my processing layer, and it allowed for me to make different themes for my sites. The downfall though was that I had to learn a new language that didn't really afford me the flexibility I needed, manipulating the data to suit the needs of the layout. Other developers pushed that I needed to not use a template engine and use straight PHP to build my layout. I didn't believe them, and when I first tried it after using Smarty, it was painful. But now that I've been working without any template engine for over a year, I can honestly say that PHP is beneficial from not only that standpoint, but also from a resource usage standpoint. No longer am I passing around arrays and classes up to 1MB in size. No, I'm now passing just the data I need, and using includes to load the different sections of my layout while maintaining my presentation layer separation.


The next problem is down to frameworks. Who in their right mind would consider building a simple list management system from a framework like symfony or Code Igniter? These frameworks are big, bulky, and are much too restrictive (unless you're new to the concept of project development entirely). It's possible to build a project from a very simplistic framework (which I'll be sharing my version of sometime in the next few months), and if you're diligent enough you can maintain a clean and organized project without sacrificing your power and ability as a developer. In short, frameworks like those mentioned are a horrible idea.


Ajax. Not the stuff I (don't) clean my kitchen sink with. No, the implementation of asynchronous JavaScript and XML. What's the problem with it? It's generally overdone (see Dojo Toolkit Demo: Contributor Listing), and pointless. Probably the only reasonable implementations I've seen so far are applications like Meebo and GMail. Generally speaking though, there's no point in using Ajax. It just over-complicates things and leaves you curled up in the corner of your office, sucking your thumb, and chanting obscenities against the technology of Ajax.


I guess in summary, I just want to say that I'm old-fashioned and I despise anyone who tries to get all fancy-schmancy with their code. You have a links database; you don't need a full MVC framework with an Ajax fisheye-flipper!

I've been on a kick of easy, quick, and yummy cooking lately. Last night was almost as good as the Candied Bacon I made a while back.

The ingredients:
1/2 Pack of cocktail sausages
1 can of Bush's Bourbon and Brown Sugar beans
Crushed Red Pepper
Chili Powder
Mustard
Black Pepper

Basically, just throw it all in a saucepan, cook for however long you want (longer makes the flavor better), and enjoy. I probably used about 1tsp of each of the condiments.

I put the leftovers in the fridge last night and pulled them out this evening. I remembered that I had a bag of tortilla chips (scooping style), and I put them together with the beans. It was a match made in heaven! I suppose it's good that I live alone for now. :P

Next time, I think I'm going to get a bottle of Bourbon and plain beans, making the sauce myself. :D

For a while now, I've had this itch to coat some bacon in brown sugar and fry it. I finally got around to doing it tonight, and it's one of the most amazing things I've had in a while.

The process was pretty simple:

• Cut a pack of bacon in half length-wise
• Throw 4 of the half-strips in a gallon Ziplock bag with about 1/4 cup of sugar
• Close the Ziplock, making sure to leave some air
• Toss for about 5 minutes, making sure each strip gets a "healthy" coating
• Throw the coated strips in a frying pan on medium heat, adding about 1/4 cup of water
• Cook uncovered, making sure to flip the bacon every once in a while
• When the bacon has curled to a normal "cooked" shape, pull it out of the pan and set it on a paper plate or cooling rack to, well, cool!

How you use the candied bacon is up to you. I personally just ate it straight off the plate. Be careful with this though; it's really easy to eat too much of it, which can really give your cholesterol a kick.

I finally got all my pictures from the whole moving process uploaded. They're on the gallery right now, in an unsorted fashion.

Enjoy!

So as it turns out, my average from last season didn't carry. I am now bowling off a 132 average. WHEEE!

So far the season is looking great! As I think I mentioned before, the team is comprised of guys from the office, and we all get along great. I was looking for a team to bowl with for the summer, and after nudging a few people around the office we came up with our team.

Tonight was the first game, and we did exceptionally well. I personally threw an average of 132, and I'm quite happy with that. Unfortunately though, I think my average from last season will be in play, so my average will only be like a 112.

Oh well though; we did well, had fun, and I'm happy. :)

tl;dr version:
It was very good. Go there. Eat. Be happy.

More detail:
Scotty's Brewhouse is one of the better ones I have been to in quite a while. It has a bit of an upscale feel, while maintaining that relaxed pub-like atmosphere. The establishment I went to was in West Lafayette, Indiana, and due to city ordinances it was all non-smoking.

The food was a little high priced, but was still quite delectable. Their signature appetizer, "Dill Chips", consist of breaded, deep fried pickle slices, served on a platter with your choice of horseradish sauce or ranch dressing. When eaten without either dip, the chips have a very tangy yet satisfying flavor. If eaten with the ranch dressing, the tanginess is lessened, while eating the chips with the horseradish sauce has a flavor closely resembling that of cocktail dipping sauce. Overall, the dill chips receive a positive rating from me, and I would recommend ordering a plate of them with your meal.

I ate at Scotty's twice within the last 3 days. In doing so, I not only saw the difference in the Monday night environment versus the late Saturday night environment, but I had the opportunity to try 2 different "main course" items from the menu.

On Saturday night, I ordered the "Monte's Frisco" with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. The portions were very reasonable, and the food as equally worth my time and money. What I recall of the sandwich was that it was a little greasy, which no doubt comes from being served on a toasted sourdough bread. The garlic mashed potatoes could have been ordered "loaded", but I opted for plain. They were quite strong with garlic, but were very tasty. With all that aside, the sandwich was very tasty when dipped in the side of thousand island dressing, and the mashed potatoes added the extra filler needed to make it a meal. I would recommend that you consider this when ordering.

Tonight (Monday), I ordered the "mo'fo' buffalo chicken wrap" with mild sauce and wedge fries. Having a bit of a weak stomach when it comes to spicy food, this caught me off guard. The mild sauce was just about on track with any buffalo wings I have ordered elsewhere, in terms of overall "kick". As I had just left the gym, I didn't push myself beyond the first half of the wrap, but I took the remaining half with me for lunch tomorrow. The fries were nothing special, but were a nice addition to such a meal. As with the previous menu selection, I would recommend this be considered when ordering.

If I had to rate the food from this restaurant on a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably give it an 8.5, docking the 1.5 points simply because of the prices and the strength of the "mild" sauce I ordered.

To rate the service, it would be an easy 10, as the service staff was very polite and on hand for drink refills before they even needed to be requested.

This gives Scotty's Brewhouse an overall score of 9.25 on my high-tech 1 to 10 rating system. Go eat there!

I woke up this morning at about 5:30 local time to the feeling of my bed shaking. I thought at first that it was like that feeling you get when you're "falling" in your sleep, but then I heard my closet doors rattling. I figured at that point that it was just the train yard, so I went back to bed.

When I woke up for the day a little bit ago, I had messages on my computer that I would have never expected. These ranged from "Did you feel the earthquake?", to "Here's a news report about the earthquake you had." The point when I realized this was what I felt was a bit surreal, and I'm still not quite sure what to think of it.

The 'quake was a 5.2 down in south-eastern Illinois, and people as far away as Chicago and Cincinnati reported feeling it. The USGS has some more detail about it, including seismic graphs.

The last earthquake in this area was back in 2000, and was no stronger than a 5.0. I would have been back in Rensselaer then, so I don't remember feeling it. I'm just wondering though, if this increased seismic activity will spur further events in the coming weeks or days.

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People have always said that if I weren't meant to be single, I would already have a partner. Others have said that I just need to be patient and wait it out. I am beginning to think that I may be at fault for my singleness. How, I just don't know, but I am getting very tired of it.

I went to Wal-Mart today, and it just made me sick seeing all the happy couples. Not sick in the sense that I wanted to vomit, but sick in the sense that I just wasn't happy. I guess it could be identified as envy or jealousy.

I just don't like this "hole" in my life though. I have plenty of good friends, and I wouldn't trade them for the world. They just don't always fit where they're needed though. I'm sure they would all say that they'll gladly listen to anything I ever have to say when I vent, or that they'll be there if I needed to show my emotions. This just doesn't work 100% of the time though. What happens when they get married or start in a relationship of their own? I'm left right in the same place I am with a few of my friends.

As much as it seems otherwise, I am not a social person. I don't like talking to people I don't know, and I haven't the slightest clue on where to start a conversation. Furthermore, I'm not a fan of being in a large group setting. I would much rather just be in a small group of close friends, and take part in a conversation someone else started.

I guess I'm just stuck in a rut. BLAH.

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Words can't describe this.