Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Category: General Cogitation Page 38 of 40

Ode to Joe

By

On December 16, 2010

In General Cogitation

*Click* *Flash*
Birthdays and Anniversaries

*Click* *Flash*
Graduations and Weddings

*Click* *Flash*
Parties, Holidays, and Family Gatherings

It didn’t matter what the occasion was, he was always there to capture the moment. It was rare to find him in the picture because he was usually the person behind the camera taking it.

I will never forget the man I knew for only 5 years, the worst 5 years of his tragically short life, but the most unforgettable of mine. He was diagnosed with cancer the first time I met him but he never let anyone know that it bothered him.

He and I became close quickly; we shared a similar passion for our industry. We would often chat in the background about the latest technology from gadgets to programming languages while the rest of the family spoke on other topics.

We shared similar quirks and similar affinities. If it wasn’t computers and programming that made us alike, it was the uncanny similarities in idiosyncrasies.

After having known him, even if it was a brief 5 years, I am now committing to try to be even half the father, husband, and extraordinary man that he was. I will miss him terribly, as if he were my own blood relative.

So, at the next family event, if I notice heavenly camera clicks and flashes, I know who it is, taking pictures.

Joe.

In Memory of Ron Santo

By

On December 4, 2010

In General Cogitation

Ron Santo

A great tragedy befell the Chicago Cubs and Cubs fans everywhere. Former third baseman, and WGN Radio voice of the Cubs, Ron Santo, passed away. I am stricken with great sorrow and loss. I feel like I have lost a good friend, though I did not know him personally. Today, in tribute of this great man I will tell a story of my favorite memory of Ron Santo.

It was at the Cubs Convention, an event he enjoyed so much because he got to meet the fans. Ron Santo had a booth in one of the halls for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation. A rumor began circulating that he was going to appear at his booth to sign autographs. A line began forming even though there had been no confirmation that he was going to show up. Apparently it really was a rumor, and an autograph session had not been scheduled, however, the rumor actually made it all the way to Ron Santo himself and he decided he would show up anyway. He walked through the hall to his booth with huge applause. I expressed to him how much I enjoyed This Ole Cub and he said that meant a lot to him, he was very proud of that movie. The most amusing part of the this brief encounter with a great man was when he autographed the prosthetic leg of the gentleman in the booth next to JDRF. A booth that represented prosthesis for disabled Americans and Americans dealing with diabetes.

While we will miss you greatly here on Earth, I find some comfort, and humor, of the image of you and Harry, sharing a Bud, rooting on the Cubbies from your own cloud-shapped sofa in the sky.

Yes, baseball has lost an icon and the Chicago Cubs have lost their biggest fan. It is a tragedy among tragedies that he was never inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown but he will be forever enshrined in the Hall of Fame in our hearts.

R.I.P. Ron Santo
1940-2010

Life [Updated]

By

On November 18, 2010

In General Cogitation

I am overdue for some life updates. It has been very busy the past several weeks. I have been assigned to a client with two other consultants for a few months to complete a pretty high profile project. The deadlines have been very tight and there is a lot of work to do. We are nearly complete and it has been rewarding in that it has been an opportunity for me to learn some new skills that will make me more valuable to my firm.

If you have been following along on any of my blog posts you know that the biggest news for me as of late is LASIK. I still do not regret going through it despite the intimidating surgery. I am weeks behind in sending out my usual MMO Times e-mail and my excuse is my job. The client I am working at is a bank and the project(s) I have been working on entails quite a bit of money so the pressure for perfection is fierce. As Christmas approaches I imagine things will calm down slightly and perhaps I can get in a few MMO Times e-mails as well as some more Biggs On posts.

The most exciting item on the docket, arriving in a couple weeks, is the 3rd expansion to World of Warcraft titled Cataclysm; both of us are very eager for its arrival.

I wish I had more to talk about and you would think that given how long I have been absent that there would be more to share. So, with that said, I think I will sign off for the time being but check back for a few more topics in the “Biggs On” category which may include iPhone 4, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, iPad Revisited, and JQuery.

Cheers.

MMO Times Is Not Dead

By

On September 7, 2010

In General Cogitation

Just a quick shout out to anyone that was receiving the MMO Times e-mail from me, I have not stopped doing this. Various life activities and setting up a majordomo mailing list have prolonged the next post. Please be patient, the next one will be coming soon.

The Theme Plague

By

On September 1, 2010

In General Cogitation

If you frequently visit this blog site, I’m sure you have noticed by now that the theme has changed. This change was not intentional, actually it was unwanted. When I logged into my dashboard I noticed there was an update for my theme (Suffision), so I allowed it to upgrade.

Well, apparently there was a huge error in the update and now the Suffision theme will not show up as an option. I tried to install Suffision again from the search and it tells me it already exists. Obviously a huge flaw in the script. Oh well, I will use this theme temporarily until I can spend some time doing more research to find a new theme that I like with all the flexibility and customization that Suffision had.

Life :: Update

By

On July 22, 2010

In General Cogitation

Well, I think its time for a quick Life Update. I have been working on these new MMO Times posts/emails that I don’t want it to overwhelm my blog.

I am in between clients now so during my time on the bench I have been researching all the new technology provided by Microsoft for the professional programmer these days. Specifically I have been delving into Silverlight 4 using some Visual Studio 2010. I will do a separate “Biggs On” post about Silverlight in the future but generally speaking I am really enjoying developing Silverlight applications.

I am 3 weeks into physical therapy for my right knee now. It seems that after 13 years of neglecting my knee has resulted in constant pain, but thankfully no surgery. While painful some days, I am looking forward to the time when I can go up and down the stairs or use a bicycle without any pain (or pain that requires the use of perscription pain medication).

If you have been following me on facebook you will know that my recent endeavor may soon be LASIK surgery. It would be very nice to be able to wake up in the morning and never have to put on glasses or contacts. I know the procedure is painless and the LASIK surgeon in the area is the best in the city, but I am still feeling a bit nervous about the whole concept.

Well, I think I am going to end here for now. I hope to be posting more to my blog, beyond the MMO Times posts.

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