telbij's New Writeups

July 16, 2008 (person)

2008-07-16T00:50:24Z

I write and read blogs mostly in a professional capacity as a web developer. I find a lot of insight very easily through a few hundred RSS subscriptions and the occasional surfing. For the most part I'm pretty accepting of what people write, even if I disagree with the author, or they show some ignorance on certain points. Even though there's a stereotype that you have to be smart to be a programmer, I see it as more of a personality trait: attention to detail, desire to find order, tenacious problem-solving, etc. Unlike some programmers, I don't see other professions (eg. executives, marketing) as full of clueless idiots. I like to think I'm good at what I do, but not that what I do is somehow better than what others do.

When I blog, I try to stick to topics of immediate experience where I think I actually have something meaningful to contribute. For this reason, my blog is highly technical and doesn't usually attempt broad theses. As I get older I find myself able to…

Test-Driven Development (idea)

2007-04-21T06:41:33Z

Test-driven development (TDD) is a programming methodology that's gained a lot of mindshare in the last few years. Although it was first described as part of Extreme Programming (XP), it's taken on a life of its own as one of the better aspects of XP. As with all buzzwords, caution is advised to all developers and suggestible IT managers. Test-driven development is a legitimate technique, but always remember there are no silver bullets.

Process

The methodology is a simple series of steps.

Plan the mechanics of how one small bit of functionality should work.
Write a test that verifies that bit.
Write code to satisfy the test and no more.
Repeat.

Benefits

TDD encourages test completeness.
Good unit tests are the backbone of any large software project. Without automated regression tests, a project of…

April 13, 2007 (personal)

2007-04-13T05:13:26Z

I've always done my own taxes. For ten years I have done them. Usually on paper, usually a few days before the deadline. I don't have a lot of assets, I don't make a lot of money, my 1040 is pretty straightforward.

There's one little catch though, I run a little freelance business on the side. This year I finally made enough that I have claim every expense I can, and I'm getting a painful last minute introduction to the world of depreciable assets. I'm knee-deep in a sea of publications and my CPA friend is not answering his phone.

Let me be clear. There is no joy for me in accounting. I have no aspirations to grok the US tax code. So it is with a bizarre mix of horror and pride that I can honestly say the following sentence makes perfect sense to me even though this morning I didn't understand a single word of it.

To figure your

…

carving (idea)

2007-04-12T14:23:05Z

There is no shame in learning to snowboard. I know that may sound counterintuitive after a day of tumbling down a mountain on your face while hundreds of tittering pre-teens go zipping by, but I assure you, the vast majority of folks staring from the chairlift will understand. The most important thing for saving face at this stage is to not get overzealous with the lingo. A good place to start would be to understand the term carving before ever attempting to use it.

Carving is a state of snowboarding where the board is always traveling parallel to its edge. This means the edge is not sliding at all as you move. It's just like ice skating. It leaves a smooth and deep line through the snow. Alpine boards are made to carve, with a deep sidecut and long edges. Freestyle boards will be harder to carve with, but it's still possible, especially if the edges are sharp.

How to Carve on a Snowboard

Carving is not very…

Bluebird (idea)

2007-04-11T16:15:02Z

Bluebird days are the skier's holy days. When snow stops, the clouds part, and the sun shines. Not contrived upon a calendar, bluebird days are bestowed by god's divine plan. For the casual skiier bluebird is a pleasantry, a lucky fringe benefit of a good year; vacations can not be planned around bluebird. For the veteran, bluebird is an elusive but desperately sought powder fix. It is a fickle beast that can only be tamed by a private jet and the national weather service.

Ideal Conditions

Bluebird conditions are fleeting. The powder experience usually happens during a massive storm. Once the sun comes out, two things happen:

At a ski resort, the slavering hordes quickly track out the entire mountain.
The snow begins to set, losing its fluff and becoming soggy, crusty or stiff. At high elevation the sun is powerful and this can happen even at low temperatures.

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drivetrain (thing)

2007-04-10T22:08:33Z

The drivetrain on a modern bicycle includes the parts necessary to transfer power from your legs to the rear wheel. Technically this includes the chain, crank, and sprockets (or cassette). In practice it often is used to refer to other related parts such as the derailleurs (or internally-geared hub) and bottom bracket. It's the critical piece of technology that separates the bikes of the last century, from their predecessors the Penny Farthing and Boneshaker.

The chain and gears tend to be the most neglected part of a bike. Oh who am I kidding—most people neglect the entirety of their bike equally and completely. They just buy a new one when the old one stops working. However, if you take minimal care of the drivetrain, a halfway decent bike can last for decades. There are three keys to drivetrain longevity:

Most importantly oil your chain. Other parts of your bike

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