Review of .NET Beta Exam 71-300
I took the latest Microsoft .NET Framework Beta exam 71-300 Analyzing Requirements and Defining Microsoft .NET Solution Architectures. (A month full title, ain’t it.) I finished the exam in 3 hours of the 5 hours allowed. There was something like 97 questions for 5 case studies. Some of the questions had obvious answers while others were very subjective. People taking the test should be familiar with use cases, data modeling, functional specs, logic verses physical design considerations, and how to use selected Microsoft technologies including BizTalk, queued components, and ASP.NET session configurations. I do not feel like the test racked my brain but at the same time I am not sure I passed given that a number of the questions has subjective answers. I will know my test results in 8 weeks.
Another fine Killington Day
All this snow…so close yet so far. I think I am entering a snow-challenged depression. And with my luck my next project will be in the deep south.
Foot of fresh powder at Killington
Killington got a foot of new snow over night! I think it is time to call in sick and head up to the Vermont.
WASTED II
Invites for WASTED II went out last night. Send me an e-mail if I left you off the list and you want to go.
NYC Visit
Melanie and I decided to do something different this weekend. We decided to stay in New York City. Yep, instead of waits in airports, short jogs to transfer planes, and being violated by airport security personnel we decided to “visit” New York City.
The weekend included such fun as CD shopping, buying new clothes, walking around the Village and Chelsea, and drinks with friends. We went to a friend’s birthday party, and Melanie and I finally made it back to Kush, our favorite Lower East Side Moroccan lounge. But the highlight of the weekend was watching the St Louis Blues whoop up the NY Rangers at the Garden for a 3-2 victory. And even in hockey New York fans still boo their own team. We ended the evening with dinner, wine, and jazz at a West Village restaurant appropriately called NYC.
Let the craziness begin
I have been away for the last few days visiting my very good friend Dave who is in the hospital right now. I wanted to stay longer but I had to return to NYC, and on Halloween of all days. I can tell you this Halloween seems to be craziness since I moved to this small town. The neighborhood is jammed pack with people in costumes partying in the streets and waiting for the parade. I can tell I will not get any sleep tonight. The yelling and screaming has already started and it’s only 8:30 pm. Oh well…part of the joy of living in the West Village. Too bad I am not into the festivities this year.
Transworld Snowboarding for the XBox
I got the new Transworld Snowboarding game for the XBox last night and it’s pretty dang cool. I still have not decided which I like better, Amped or Transworld SB, but both are a must have for any rider who own an XBox.
I found Transworld SB to be easier than Amped on learning tricks, and jibs and landings are definitely easier. Transworld SB’s uses a combination of the left and right sticks to control the rider, which work better for me. The graphics are definitely better than Amped and I perfer the freedom to roam throughout the slopes without being told I am out of bounds or that I must go down hill. Probably the biggest difference in the two is that Transworld SB seems to focus more on perfecting specific tricks whereas Amped is about tricking it out with whatever to get the highest possible score.
Example, one objective in Transworld SB is to pull a perfect Indy. Originally I was doing the indy along with other tricks but this did not meet the objective. As it turns out, to meet the objective I had to pull the perfect indy and that it is. I didn’t need to do other tricks while in the air. Another example is the objective of a front-side 720. I had to learn not to over spin the trick. In Amped I always try to get the most spin each and every time.
Transworld SB is definitely cool, but I find Amped more challenging (so far). Making it through a career in Amped to be number one is dang hard, imo. Still, if you love to ride and you have an XBox get both games.
Visual Studio Magazine - Why We Don't Build Software for Users
Alan Cooper has this to say about architects: “Architects synthesize people, purpose, and technology. If you just take people and technology, you have art-entertainment. If you just take technology and purpose, it’s engineering. And people and purpose without technology is psychology. Architects have to synthesize all this, to create a vision of a solution. People must get something practical achieved.”
Read more from his recent chat withVisual Studio Magazine.
Killington Planning to Open This Friday
Today Killington posted that it plans to open its slopes to the public this Friday at 9:00 am! Start waxin’ the boards because the season is about to begin.