Rocky Lhotka hasn't been blogging for awhile however on return from TechEd he started writing up a storm about CSLA.NET his business object framework that is now in it's second iteration.  This post was especially interesting as it talked a lot about the thorny issue of how business objects do data access and the tradeoffs involved.

Wednesday, June 02, 2004 9:48:13 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)         Comments [0]  

Jim Blizzard my buddy out of Portland posted about the strategy that must be employed to actually score yourself one of the coveted Dove bars.

I have found that is the strategy you must employ to score any snacks!  At the PDC the snack tables were the stuff of every 12 year old (or developers) dreams.  Mountains of junk food piled high at all times.  Candy bars, cookies, chips and soda.  Pretty much the four food groups for most developers.

Admittedly it isn't the healthiest stuff but when you need some sustenance to sit through another 75 minute session it hits the spot.  Someone however got the crazy idea that TechEd should go down a healthier route.  What does that mean?  One of two things.  Either the tables are stocked with things like Granola Bars, PowerBars, Atkins Bars, Apples, Oranges, Bannanas, Popcorn, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Carrots and Celery or you got there to late and the only thing left is the fruit! It is like they decided not only are we going to get you eating healthy we are going to make sure we limit your intake.

I heard rumors of a few candy bars but they proved nearly as elusive as the dove bars Jim mentions.

Now I am sure all of this is great.  I actually am loving it since I haven't snacked almost at all since I got here (Well I did score one of those elusive dove bars). I am sure that this is probably in response to some feedback they received at PDC. The part I don't understand is why not have some variety?  I have to imagine the vast majority of developers would rather eat Twinkies and Cheetos than Celery sticks and Fruit. Once they have the variety thing out of the way make sure those tables are full at all times. Going out to get a snack after a long session and just seeing bare tables with a few pieces of fruit left is ridiculous.

</rantoff>

Thursday, May 27, 2004 7:05:18 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)         Comments [0]  

Here is Ted and Rocky at the GAPP cabana session.  I can barely be seen in the extreme right of the picture. Hard to compete with these two guys when they get going!

Monday, May 24, 2004 6:17:10 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)         Comments [0]  

Remember the post when I mentioned the extermination of the speaker room in an attempt to get the speakers to hang out with attendees?  It appears to be a failure. 

There is still a speaker room and when I checked in this morning there was probably ~70 speakers in the room instead of out attending sessions or hanging out in the cabana.  Pretty much no change from previous conferences.

One contributing factor may be that it appears that the wireless network is no better than PDC.  It was great yesterday during the precons but now that all attendees are on site it has gone to heck.  Might be a reason all the speakers are hanging out in a room with hardwired network connections!

Monday, May 24, 2004 10:07:47 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)         Comments [0]  

I am at TechEd 2004 in San Diego, CA speaking at a pre-conference session on Guidance about Patterns & Practices.  Things are going great, the weather is good, etc.

Saw a hilarious new session:

Picture is terrible but loved the session title.  Programming for the non-Programmer...

Sunday, May 23, 2004 1:25:32 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)         Comments [0]  

I guess I am not the only rider out there.  Martin coincidentally posts his CBR today.

I believe Eric Gunnerson is also a die hard rider.

Friday, May 21, 2004 8:43:50 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)         Comments [0]  

Bill Evjen posts that this is his third TechEd.  That just didn't sound right for me so I thought back and realized the first TechEd I attended was in 1993!  In fact in I believe it was 1991 or 1992 I attended the pre-cursor to TechEd called the Tools Forum at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle.  While I will freely admit to not attending every year I have spoken at I believe four of them and attended a few more. Hard to believe that time passes so fast...

Friday, May 21, 2004 7:45:30 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)         Comments [0]  

Crazy RD Scott Hanselman is at it again.  This time he is helping out with a promotion for the RD Community booth.  It is taking on an apprentice theme:

You'll want to stop by and see if you have the intellectual horsepower it takes to be the Apprentice.NET!  The Winner will receive a ticket to the EXCLUSIVE INVITE ONLY .NET Influencer's Dinner and rub elbows with various .NET Illuminati.  Truly a lifetime chance, and only possible to those with chops enough to be the Apprentice.NET. 

For those of you who are more 'Survivor'-brute-force-scavenger-hunt types src="http://www.hanselman.com/blog/smilies/wink.gif"> don't worry, we'll have RD Bingo for you to play.  You'll have a card with the faces of Bloggers and RDs that you know and love.  Get that individual to initial over their face.  Getting Bingo (or Blackout Bingo) wins prizes (plus it forces you anti-social bastards to network!)

Thursday, May 20, 2004 8:42:11 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)         Comments [0]  

No I am not leaving the .NET ecosystem.  This post is a departure from the usual focus of this blog.

I first started Motorcycling at the age of 7.  My first bike a Honda SL70 is laughable today but I thought it was the greatest back then. Since then I have owned a number of bikes the most recent being a Honda CBR1100XX.

Clearly a long way from the Honda SL70!  But about three years ago I taught my boys to ride.  I never really got to ride with them since they aren't allowed to ride on the street (they were 10 and 11) and the blackbird doesn't handle the triples very well. I decided I wanted to ride with them and bought a cheap 1971 Suzuki PE185 that a friend was selling.  My first two stroke dirt bike.  It was a blast.  I really enjoyed riding with the boys but the trail riding we were doing just wasn't suited to the PE185. Well finally I realized I really wasn't riding the Blackbird as much as I once did and I was paying $70/month in insurance just for it to sit in the garage. So I sold it and the next day went out and bought a new Honda CRF250X.

Wow!  What a difference compared to the 30 year old technology in the Suzuki.  I have been riding almost daily with my boys and been loving it.  I have also realized it is great to be able to come home and do something while hanging out with my boys who are now getting to be quite a bit older.  All in all a great time.

Now to bring things back in line just a bit.  Post TechEd on the Saturday the 29th I will be headed out to Gary LaPlantes MotoVentures near Temecula for a dirt riding refresher course. I have heard great things about the school even from fairly experienced riders. Personal goal is to be able to get the bike more than 6 feet off the ground. If you have a day to kill come check it out.

Tuesday, May 18, 2004 8:32:45 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)         Comments [2]  

I am putting together the schedule for ASPLive! Orlando this week and am looking for a few more sessions to round out the schedule.  The plan is to do a 60/40 split between 1.x and 2.0 material.  I am currently in need of mainly 1.x material.  Funny how all the speakers want to cover the latest and greatest stuff.

So what can you the intrepid reader do? 

First off I need submissions. Spread the word far and wide that I need submissions hopefully no later than Wednesday.  What should be in a submission?

• Name
• Company
• Email
• Bio
• Title
• 200 word abstract

Second, if you have any 1.x topics you would like to see covered, send those in also.  I might be able to conscript a few speakers into covering them.

Thanks!

Monday, May 17, 2004 9:55:52 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)         Comments [3]