February 26, 2008
Today for work I decided to signup for Microsoft adCenter to try out some advertising on other platforms. We’ve already had great success with Google Adwords so I figured since competition must be much less we could give MSN a shot.
After signing up and creating my first add, I was able to get into the adCenter control panel and begin actually doing things. Regardless, I will get straight to the point. Here is why this thing sucks:
- Â After creating my ad in the initial process, it never warned me I had dis-allowed content in my ad (MSN doesn’t like phone numbers!). No, it created my ad all fine and dandy, and only after I had logged into the panel and checked it out did I see my ad was not approved.
- Everytime I load the godamn site in IE7 I am asked to install some ActiveX stuff. I loaded the site in IE7 because when I tried to use it in Firefox, it seemed buggy and unresponsive. This was actually the case regardless of browser.
- Too much Loading …. What the hell is going on. I am not on a 56k modem anymore, why is it taking over 20 seconds for a simple page to load? It’s not a huge report, all it has to load is my single ad I’ve created so I can modify and look at it.
- They charged me $5 to setup an account. Sure, I got a promotional $25 of credit but why do you have to charge me $5 to get going? Sure, it’s pennies for a business but Google never asked me for money until I actually started getting clicks.
- The site, like many other Microsoft sites simply does not work in Firefox. Fuck you guys.
- The interface is not intuitive at all. Where are my stats, how do I get them? I .. don’t understand at all. I click on Keywords for my campaign and I do not even SEE them unless I click a very subtle link.
For a product that you are literally throwing money at, this sure is a piece of crap. I am glad this won’t be the main advertising platform we are using but the competition is so slim (I wonder why, because it sucks?) that putting ads up on here will benefit us in the long run.
If you’re looking to sell your product/service, Microsoft adCenter will be good for the fact that you will be paying much less per click, but you will be getting less exposure and you have to deal with a horrible interface. Advertise on Google, then put in some extra cash to here for some extra cheap clicks.
February 16, 2008
It’s the weekend. I’m sitting here at work about to get ready to finish a project I’ve been working on for a few hours each day this week and I figured I’d just put a few of my thoughts together in a post.
 How I code …
Everyone seems to have a different way of doing things when they code. Some like it in absolute peace and quiet, others need distraction, some can’t code without tons of planning, some just go at it.
For myself, I need music, a good cup of tea, and no other distractions. My biggest problem when it comes to coding is if I am not in the groove for it, for whatever reason it’s very hard for me to get into it, but it’s still possible.
Setting the mood is very important for me (and others!). I like to brew up a big pot of green tea, turn on some quality programming music (see here for a list of my favorites), set the music at the perfect pitch, relax for a bit, and then get going. Additionally, I turn off MSN and any other IM services. All they are is a distraction.
Having a plan is a must. It’s almost impossible to code just on a whim without a basic idea. I have a plan usually, and when I do not have any real documentation laid out I write pseudo code! Pseudo code is basically allowing me to do all the coding logic without the syntax. I then mess with the psuedo code until I am happy with the flow, and I can begin coding the real thing. Knowing the syntax is not even half the battle after all 
Just gotta keep going! One thing I like to do is just get into a flow and do not stop. Next thing I know, 4 hours have passed. It’s perfect because I know I am in the zone and can get things done, and I have my night set up in such a way that I do not need to worry about other obligations and distractions. Even with a girlfriend, she can understand you are busy and give you your time to yourself so it’s not a huge issue.
Python Resources this week
Once again this week saw me playing with Python, albeit not as much as I wanted to. Regardless, here’s some more great blogs I found for Python resources:
- Pythoneer is not exclusively a Python resource, but has some great posts now and then.
- Just like the above, Artful Code is not Python exclusive but a great resource for well, Artful code!
- codekite is a great blog on programming in general. Funny his latest post is also a link to various Python resources
- Eric Florenzano’s blog, posts tagged as django. I am 99% sure he is a contributor to the Django framework but I can’t be sure
Food: YUM YUM
I’ve got a hankering to make some new and unique food this week. Here are some things on the menu that I hope to post recipes for (with pics perhaps!) this week or so:
- Mussels! I have only had mussels about twice, both times at a chinese buffet so I’d like to take a shot at them on my own. With some white wine and a great onion/garlic marinate for them, they should turn out great. I will definitely document this when I make them.
- Bourbon Chicken. This is easily one of my favourite take-out foods ever. Problem is, it’s generally very bad/greasy for you from the fast food places so I am going to attempt to make a healthy alternative at home. Already got some good recipes.
- Pizza dough. Although I cannot eat pizza at all (yay gluten-free/dairy-free life!) I want to attempt to make a pizza dough I can eat. Once I achieve this, I can make a very simple cheesless pizza.
Well that’s about it. I’m going to probably redesign this blog a bit to fit more into what I’m posting about as my left menu doesn’t really correspond to much anymore. But for now, I really should start working!
February 14, 2008
This will be a quick one! On my way to work today, listening to McArthur in the morning on 103.9 The Hawk, he made a rant about how Valentines Day sucks.
His rant was the standard one: Valentines Day has become a way for retail to take your money, forcing you to buy over-priced chocolates, flowers, and other various gifts. He is perfectly right. The mall has been full of Valentines Day deals for weeks now, constantly raising prices, even on the most basic things (A standard Dark Chocolate bar normally at $1.49 was $2.29 at Zehrs .. and it’s not even a valentines type gift, it’s just regular chocolate!)
I totally agree with him and I hate what retail stores do. But there are very easy ways to show how much you love your spouse, without the need to spend a lot of money on over-priced items.
Instead of buying chocolates and going out for dinner, stay in!
This valentines I have planned a very nice dinner at my place for me and Miranda. I’m making a steak dinner (She looooves steak) with specialty baked potatoes and asparagus. For dessert, I’ve baked my own cookies and will serve them with some chocolate icecream. Sure, this costed me some money, but nowhere near what I would spend at a restaurant or even a box of chocolates. Plus, it has meaning. I’m taking the time to do all of this, making her something I know she will love, and instead of buying chocolates I made my own. Regardless of how much know-how you have in the culinary world, she will be impressed because you took the time, and you focused on what she loves.
Flowers are nice, and you aren’t getting out of it.
Perhaps unfortunately for some. Flowers are pretty much a given for Valentines. A nice bouquette of roses will run you about $30 so it’s not too hard on the cash, and it will make her feel great. Pick the correct type of flowers, depending on your relationship. If flowers are too much out of your budget, get her a great card and right a heart-felt message in it, letting her know how much you truly mean to her.
It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Last night I was at my parents and while I was there, Miranda dropped by my apartment unexpectedly (I was expecting her later, when I would already be home). I had set down some roses and a teddy bear I bought for her in my room so I could have it ready for tomorrow. She found it a tad early obviously! This of course, is no issue. Who cares if she didn’t get them on the exact date? It was an unexpected situation but she still appreciated them. Plus, the teddy was soft as hell and no woman can resist that.
Make it a fun simple night between you two.
You don’t have to go out in the town for Valentines Day. It should be a day for just you two, to celebrate your love just a bit more then usual. Find a great movie at Blockbuster either together, or one that you know she will love. After dinner, sit down with dessert and enjoy the movie. All those endorphins from the chocolate, the food, (if you picked the right one), the movie will make for a great evening before heading to bed!
That’s just a few things I wanted to say on the topic. I am no expert on Valentines Day or relationships. I am only 23 after all! Regardless, I have not stressed over this Valentines Day at all, and I know it will be, and has so far been a very relaxing, enjoyable day.
February 8, 2008
As of yesterday, I completed my first Django app. Django is a high-level Python web framework designed for rapid development and quick deployment. Did it deliver? Oh god yes.
Coming into this project, my Python skill was hurting. I had not written a real Python application in a few months and before that, I never had a solid grasp of Python to begin with.
So why did Django make me so happy? First off, in a weeks time, a few hours here and there throughout the week, I managed to: Create a fully functional website with ability to add new posts (Along with card specials, release schedules), polls, a simple member registration, and of course a fully functional admin panel that made it easy for my client to add content to their site. I did this all, with no knowledge of Django before hand!
Some highlights of the Django framework:
- Installing and configuring Django takes about 15 minutes for a newbie. Download the project from SVN (At this point in its development, this is a good idea), untar it, modify some settings and you’re golden
- Setting up a project is simple with manage.py, the core of Django’s management capabilities. Setup the project, then setup your first app, and within a minute you are ready to fly.
- For each application, Django creates a views.py, models.py and urls.py. These three files are the core of your program and it makes it super easy. Define your table and any core functions in models.py for that application (Ie: News Posts app), setup the templates you will pump out in views.py, and urls.py is if you want to get down and dirty with url structures.
- syncdb and django admin are amazing. I cannot stress this enough. Define your models in models.py, run syncdb and all your tables (including multi-relational ones!), primary keys, etc are ALL CREATED! I love it!
- Once all your tables are created, login to Django admin and you have full functionality to play with all your data. If you setup a DateTime variable in your model, the admin displays that field with a nice Javascript calendar popup.
- Python is a sexy language that you will love the more you use it. When I first began playing with Python it was ok, kind of cool, but nothing amazing. The more I learn about Python, the more I love it. I’ve used PHP for years and I honestly can’t bare to look at it after working with Python in the past few months.
There’s a reason why companies like Google and NASA have adopted some of their technologies around Python, because it is code sex. Yes, I like that term.
To try out Django, check out these resources:
- The official Django project site has a great documentation and beginners tutorial.
- The B-List has some good code example and tutorials for Python/Django.
- #django on irc.freenode.net has some great people. Magus- is a total dick, but very helpful
February 4, 2008
Last night, hordes of thousands of girls, young to mature, got to relive their childhoods. Oh, and some guys too. That’s right, Spice Girls played live in the Air Canada Centre last night making their debut in Toronto for their short, but very busy world reunion tour.
We were in the upper bowl, but the sound and view was amazing. Personally, I liked watching from their as I could see the entire crowd from above, and could really feel the energy.
And my god was there energy. Every pause in singing, there was a loud, massive screaming of girls. Every moment any of the Spice Girls did something different, or put on a new dress, or showed some signs of their old days, the girls yelled.
Miranda was singing along to every song, although she didn’t dance (Owell)! We were in the upper bowl, and in the ACC, you have good seats pretty much anywhere. Even then, the energy shown by the people sourrounding me was nuts. All the girls around me were dancing, clapping, singing along, and when they moved - I felt it. I could feel the floor vibrating. It was kind of eery, but also pretty cool.
In the end, the show was a blast, which could be made obvious by my total lack of negativity in this post. The energy was great, the Spice Girls put on an amazing show, and truly know how to get the crowd going, and the sound, as usual in the ACC was incredible.
I am obviously not a huge fan of the Spice Girls, but I grew up with them and know their stuff, and very much enjoyed it. The song “Spice up your life” was easily one of the best performances I have seen in my lifetime.
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