David Brown - Rant and Rave category

Will somebody create the IDE that does not suck?

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:49:00 GMT

My nightmare with the use of so-called IDEs (Interactive Development Editor/Enviroment) has come full circle.
I started out some years ago with my first IDE which was like a lot of folks the Eclipse software development tool.
After getting sick-to-death of IBM and WAS (Websphere) and WSAD and RAD 7 and the whole EJB gamut started by Sun Microsystems I switched from Eclipse to Netbeans and Grails. Grails is somewhat bullet-proof as it is 100% command-line driven. I appreciated Netbeans by not requiring the creation of a so-called Netbeans project or even having to import existing Grails projects so the NB IDE could get-control-of-your-project! Netbeans automagically recognizes an existing Grails project in the directory and file browser supplied with Netbeans.
This morning I was presented with a Netbeans upgrade dialog. I feared not because Netbeans had been so reasonable so far in my use of the IDE on all of my Grails project. So, figured why not? The biggest mistake I have made with my development lately is relying on updates of any kind and especially those updates the directly affect my project. Yes, my Grails app is OK only because the Grails developers were smart enough to keep the Grails development machinery on the command-line and thereby not allowing a lot of crap creeping into their development works.
Now, I'm looking a Jetbrains' IDEA I paid $250.00 for a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago I acquired the Jebrains' so-called IDEA and immediately upon launch the highly touted IDE blew-up in my face and crashed.
When I navigate to the various mailing-lists, wikis, forums and chatrooms with my questions about these so-called IDEs all I get is silence or some type of response with the sole intent of aggravating you even more about your situation.
The question remains: if Grails was able to fix CRUD style web dev by removing the idiotically endless configuration of monsters like (shudder) Struts and other XML config oriented MVCs why has not somebody stepped up and developed the IDE that does not suck like Grails does not suck when it comes to tools that perfectly build CRUD web pages?

Verizon Suck's!

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:50:00 GMT

I received a postcard in the mail today from Verizon stating that I had not included the original UPC code from the box that contained my Verizon USB modem.
What a rip-off and slick come-on to customers:
- Lure them in into making purchases in the Verizon store with grandiose offers of money in terms of rebates if the potential customer just buys the target cell phone with the ever more expensive so-called Family Plan.
- Once you are a paying customer you might as well forget getting any type of rebate because Verizon will just conveniently lose your UPC and other viable information needed to attain any type of Rebate.
I have tried in vain for two days to get some type of message to Verizon but it appears my user ID and password never seen to work when trying to get contact with Verizon.
As soon has I get the chance I am cancelling my contract with Verizon and going over to the dark-side (ATT).
The part that really makes me angry is I know I sent the correct materials as requested by Verizon. This is just Verizon's way of breaking their rebate promise and saving the money by opening your letter mailed to them on the border to Mexico and conveniently putting the contents into file: 13.
The Telecoms and the Wireless companies are nothing but pure evil.

Helen in the hospital

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:56:00 GMT

I have visited Helen the past 2 nights. Though she seemed somewhat better she threw-up again tonight.
Helen has not kept any food down since Thanksgiving.
And, now when I got back home from the hospital tonight we got a letter from the insurance company that a bill will not be paid as the coverage has run out before the surgery was performed.
The scary thing was last night she showed me a brochure from the doctor describing the details of palliative care (as opposed to curative care).

Wal-mart shopping nightmare

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:22:00 GMT

Whirlpool waterheater dead

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:31:00 GMT

I called the Whirlpool India Call Center.
The call center guy got a bunch of info from me and said the electronic control module part will be in the mail tomorrow.
No technical service is covered so I will have to install this module myself.
I hope I don't have to flame Whirlpool.
In reference to the previous bullet I had some young gal waste my cell phone minutes by leaving me a voice mail message. Why don't people use my landline?
Everything remains to be seen in the pudding. If I get the plastic electronic module tomorrow and I'm able to install it without some huge negative experience (no pun intended) then I will tip my hat to Whirlpool. Otherwise they get flamed.