.Net 4.0 and VS 2010 GA
April 12th, 2010 by jason No comments »Microsoft has released the 4.0 version of the .Net Framework and Visual Studio 2010. The release includes several framework enhancements. The Dynamic Language Runtime has been added, which will act as a useful bridge to such languages as IronPython and IronRuby. The DLR optimizes dynamic languages at runtime for better performance with .Net. Also added is the dynamic pseudo-type, which allows run-time lookup of properties and methods on dynamic and compiled types. This will assist in the usage of dynamic code from compiled code, and also fits into some polymorphism scenarios. There are also a number of Base Core Library changes.
C# will be gaining some new language functionality with the .Net 4.0 release. C# now supports option parameters, named parameters and default parameter values to assist with those situations where overloads are cumbersome. C# 4.0 also supports a type of covariance and contravariance for collections.
The .Net 4.0 framework was delayed because of performance issues. I am glad they waited to get it right.
Silverlight 4.0 is scheduled to be released later this week. ASP.Net MVC 2.0 was released a couple of weeks ago, which takes advantages of a couple of new .Net 4.0 scenarios.
SciFi Riverworld… Again
April 10th, 2010 by jason No comments »
Philip Jose Farmer wrote a serious of science fiction books that are collectively known as The Riverworld. The works are classics in the realm of science fiction literature. The first book in the series, To You Scattered Bodies Go, won The Hugo in 1972. I have read all of the books from the original series, and thoroughly enjoyed them. Farmer wrote another novel using the Riverworld characters after what was supposed to be the final novel, and also has published various short stories in The Riverworld universe.
SciFi made a failed pilot for a Riverworld Series a few years back. I remember watching it, and remember that it sucked. But the general idea behind the movie/pilot was very interesting, which eventually led me to read the books. In a way this rather bad 86 minutes of television is responsible for my discovery of a great set of novels.
On April 18th SciFi is taking another stab at telling The Riverworld story with a new, four-hour Riverworld movie/miniseries. It looks like it will be much better that their earlier effort. From the few clues I garnered from the trailer it would appear they have included much more from the books.
Opening Day
April 4th, 2010 by jason No comments »By Bill Burns
And again it is time…
and you know it.
Without looking at the calendar
you know it’s the time
because you can smell it in the air
and feel it on your neck and back.
You hear the rising voices of the young
as they begin again
to toss the ball around.
So…
you get ready one more time
for that first trip to the park
to see the boys play the game
again.
It’s baseball.
BASEBALL…
Not more than life,
but pretty damn close.
Something you can love
eat
breathe
taste
& hold onto…
a language all its own
that you can share with friends,
your wife,
your children,
strangers even.
And so you must go
once again
to feel it and hold onto it,
to savor and be hurt by it…
to jump for joy and cry in deep despair…
to make it a part of you
before it’s gone…
or you are.
My New Life as a Scientologist
April 1st, 2010 by jason No comments »
[This was an April Fools joke.]
Those that know me and my wife Rita know that we have long held some very specific, religious beliefs. We both have scientific backgrounds, and have long held that evidence and reasoning should drive one’s belief system and one’s life.
Then we found Scientology. L. Ron Hubbard was a horrible science fiction writer, so thankfully he was able to serve as our true savior by introducing us to the truth. Its incredibly empowering to finally realize where humanity came from, and what our destiny can be!
Rita and I have turned over our 401k, IRA and savings accounts to The Church of Scientology, which immediately bought us a middle-level rank in the church! In just a few years we could be at Thetan-level 45!
In hindsight I cannot believe how I have mocked the church for so long. I think I probably always believed, in my heart, that Scientology was correct. Heck, I have been on the Thetan path since college; I joined a fraternity called Theta Tau, which secretly has deep ties to the Church of Scientology (oops! not so secret now!).
In the coming days and weeks Rita and I will be reaching out to all of our friends and family to join the church and share in the knowledge that we are all aliens on this planet, and we have a destiny. And Tom Cruise isn’t nuts!
Kindle Commercials
March 31st, 2010 by jason No comments »I have been a big fan of the Kindle since my wife gave me one about a year ago. Its an incredible little device that I use on a daily basis. The electronic ink display is easy to read and easy on the eyes. The Kindle supports enough file formats that I don’t have to buy all my eBooks through Amazon. The Amazon store also has a number of cheap and free books that are quite good. All in all I am very happy with my Kindle experience.
Demand for the Kindle has been very high and at times Amazon has had trouble keeping the wonderful little device in stock. Well, apparently they don’t have those supply troubles any longer and are ramping up to battle the iPad. Here are a couple of Kindle commercials that are now airing:
