I'm kinda giving up on my own craftsmanship.  I'm having a contractor come to the house tomorrow to do an estimate for the remainder of the framing and all of the drywall work for the basement.  Not all of the contractors I've called do both framing and drywall, but this guy does, and I'm kind of excited to get the estimate done.  First, it's been ages since I've done any work down there and it'd be nice to pick up the pace and keep the project going.  Second, I'm really curious to see how much it might cost.

I still have to get the electrical work done though.  I'd contract that out too, but there's really no point.  All of the boxes are up and the wires have been run.  I just have to unhook all of the fixtures that I wasn't supposed to before the first inspection :)  Oh, if you work for the State of Minnesota, just ignore that last sentence.

Just a few random comments and updates...

I decided I'm going to take the plunge and write a technical book. I know that the content of the book will be the most important part, but I couldn't help but put a lot of thought into the title: "Creating an estimate without requirements: using telepathy to read users' minds and let them know when they'll get what they think they want".  One of my current projects would benefit from this subject.  I figure I can make millions when I come out with this.

Being a new parent has been fun and also an adjustment. Hearing "it's a life-changing experience" is such a cliche, but that statement has a lot of weight to it. It's been more of a change than what I was expecting. Eva needs a lot of attention, and it's difficult to stop your life on a dime and do whatever you want. For example, I can't just sit down and write code when I get a coding urge any more. That extends to other things like XBox, music, and getting out of the house. At those times when I can sit down and do something, it's inevitable that Eva will need some attention after about 20 minutes.

I'm not complaining at all. Having Eva around is also more fun than what I was expecting too. She makes Nikki and I laugh all the time and of course it's amazing to see how she changes week to week. It's just a big, big change in life's priorities and if you're like me you can't change your lifestyle in a day. So far it's been about 5.5 weeks and I'm still adjusting :)

The basement still isn't done. I've made phone calls to some contractors to help expedite the project, but either I haven't been able to talk to someone yet or the person/company doesn't do the type of work I'm looking for. Basically I want somebody to finish the last 10% of the framing and do the drywall. This project is beginning to take its toll on me and I am very, very ready for it to be done. Unfortunately getting the drywall done is just the end of one chapter. There's still inspections, trim, carpet, paint, bath fixtures, doors...

The NHL season starts a week from today, and Nikki and I will be going to the Wild home opener. The NHL is launching a new marketing campaign that includes some very unique and dramatic video spots... look for them on TV and in movie theaters. I haven't decided if I like them yet. I think they're weird and I have difficulty matching how I perceive the NHL with the image and attitude expressed in the spots. But at the same time I think the NHL is overdue for a new identity, so we'll just see how the cards fall.

VirtualPuck.com is in full swing, but it's getting a little stale. We need content writers. If you have too much time on your hands and think the idea of a fictional, simulated hockey league is the coolest thing you've ever heard of, contact me.

Last but not least, it's autumn, the best time of year.

Look to the right.  Yeah.  It's cool and you know it.  At least you wish you had something like this on your website.

I use the last.fm/Audioscrobbler plugin for WMP, and they make all kinds of XML/REST feeds available for user stats (example). I decided to throw my top 100 artists feed on the site just for fun. Now you know what I listen to all day.

So when you see Winger get into the top 5, you know there's a bug somewhere.

Who is Mike?

Kindohm.com is owned and maintained by me, Michael Hodnick. I live in Chaska, MN with my beautiful wife Nicole and daughter Eva. Originally I'm from Duluth, MN, went to Duluth East High School and attended the University of Minnesota Duluth (BS Industrial Engineering).

By day, I'm a consultant for Inetium in Chanhassen, MN and work with a variety of technologies including Microsoft .Net, ASP.Net, SQL Server, Windows SharePoint Services, HTML/DHTML, CSS, XML, and XSLT.

Outside of work, I am a rabid hockey fan, play Halo, and enjoy camping and hiking. I also writes songs and am a home recording enthusiast.

What about this website?

This site is an ASP.Net application that runs on the .Net Framework v1.1.4322. The foundation of the site is the Subtext - an ASP.Net application.

Web Host Information

This site is hosted with WebHost4Life.com. WebHost4Life offers the following services for an extremely competitive price:

• ASP.Net
• .Net Framework v1.1
• Windows SharePoint Services
• SQL Server
• Email hosting and Webmail
• FTP

I've posted a tutorial on creating 3D objects in Avalon: http://www.kindohm.com/technical/WPF3DTutorial.htm. It's complete with Mike's crash course in 3D graphics theory, code samples, and screenshots.

One of the goals of the tutorial is to help 3D graphics novices (like me) past some of the fundamentals of 3D graphics theory. I had a hard time finding out any of the basics of the topic when I was looking into 3D in Avalon, and I thought it'd be good to help people gain that understanding more quickly than I did.

The tutorial is now permanently located at http://www.kindohm.com/technical/WPF3DTutorial.htm. Please update your bookmarks and referring links.

Time

We'll be starting at 5:00 and ending around midnight. 

Directions

Food

Helpful Resources

Roster 

”behind me, painstaking barons burningly drug soldiers in huge piles of whale nets”

http://www.kindohm.com/files/reporting_weed.wmv

I'm going to watch this all day, and laugh my ass off.  And then go eat some tacos.

Thanks to IWKid for originally showing me this.

Lee and I got together on Monday night to divide up our Wild season tickets. We already have a game to go to this Saturday. Wow. The season came here fast.

Even though it's just a preseason game, it'll be nice to get into the arena, see the ice, and watch a game after such a long absence of the NHL. Plus, it's a great time to watch the Wild's prospects and other players trying out for the team before the regular season starts. I remember last season Matt Foy made his debut in a preseason game with the Wild. He looked like he had some good skill and a lot of potential, but never made it on the roster. I'm excited to see him again, and young guys like him trying to make an impact.

Penguins sign Crosby and Lemieux

The Penguins are talking like they're going to be the shit this year. Lemieux's words:

"Five or six teams have a real good chance (to win the Stanley Cup) and we feel we're one of those teams"

You have got to be kidding me. Last year, they were the worst team in the league with the worst ticket sales. And now they're suddenly in Stanley Cup form? Sorry, but I don't believe it'll work out like that. Despite the fact that the Penguins have signed a number of high-profile free agents to help boost them out of the basement of the standings, it won't turn them into cup contenders overnight.

The Pens are taking a big risk with team chemistry. Lemieux is planning on all of his new stars being able to get on the same page, get along, and win games. That worked great for the Rangers for the past seven years, didn't it?

Lemieux is overlooking the fact that defense will still win games in the NHL. I think he's taking a big risk in that the new NHL rules will significantly affect gameplay. They won't. Until legal defensive play is outlawed, teams that play an effective defensive style will lock down offensive-minded teams. Defensive teams will obliterate those offensive-minded teams who are careless with their defense. I just don't see the Penguins being interested in playing much defense.

Lemieux has a personal vendetta to eliminate the choking defensive play that has dominated the league for almost ten years now. Unfortunately for him, he's been using a glamorous offensive style with the Penguins for a few years and it has cost him badly because it just doesn't work. Now he's pushing it more than ever and is setting ridiculous expectations for his team this season and betting that his new offense will work.

I'm going to love watching Pittsburgh's #1 pick Sidney Crosby this year. I hope he breaks records. I hope he's the next Gretzky like so many say he will be. The league needs a new superstar like him. But unless his team plays solid defense this year, he won't get a chance to contend for the Cup.

It's the first Sunday of NFL football.  As a tribute, here are the top 5 best and worst things about a new football season:

Best

1. Football means autumn, the best season, is almost here.
2. New truck and beer commercials.  Nikki and I loved the Dodge Durango commercials with the young mom and dad and their son Joey. 
3. It's an exciting physical sport.  Next to hockey, football is the most physically demanding and violent professional sport out there
4. It's a soap opera for men.  Yes, it's true, and it's ok.  Why is it a soap opera?  Two reasons: 1) it's dramatic and 2) you always tune in next week to see what happens next
5. It's a reason to not do anything or be productive on Sundays.  What else needs to be said?

Worst

1. It's one of the most boring wastes of time on television.  The length of time between plays and the number of commercial breaks makes me want to vomit all over myself.  Maybe I'm too used to the pace of hockey.
2. Player egos and attitudes.  The NFL embraces the “superstar“.  Players are often more interested in breaking records than winning. 
3. Five months of neanderthal analysis and color commentary.
4. Ball spotting.
5. The most over-hyped and entertainment-saturated event on television: the Super Bowl.  Getting to the game almost means more than winning it.  The halftime show might mean more than both of those.

Should a "hurricane czar" be named to take over the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort?

Hell no. There's already enough leadership in place that should have stepped up already to lead the recovery. Appointing someone new will only stir up more controversey and media fodder. It will only solidify the fact that the existing leadership wasn't competent to get the job done.

If a "Czar" were to be appointed, it would make the USA look a little weaker. Damnit, can't somebody roll up their sleeves and take charge? Are the leaders too concerned about failing or being able to please everybody to take charge? Are they afraid of taking blame and making mistakes? The approach of staying an arm's length away from the issues and not dealing with them directly seems to be more commonplace among public officials these days.

Wings' Draper hopes 'trap' leaves NHL

I love articles like this that depict "the trap" as a defensive hockey strategy that employs illegal obstruction tactics (e.g. clutching, grabbing, and hooking). Teams that clutch and grab aren't really using "the trap". They're making up for not really understanding how to play good defense, in my opinion. The offensive players beat them and they have to compensate with illegal tactics.

The real "trap" strategy is all about cutting off passing lanes and using legal checking to impede the progress of the puck carrier. That's what it has always been about, and that's what it will still be about when the new NHL rules take place. I think it's funny that articles like the one above are trying to predict how teams like the Wild are going to suffer with the new rules and how they'll need to adapt to the new rules. Teams like the Wild who never used illegal tactics in the first place will still be able to use the trap and will be able to shut down offenses that want to take advantage of the new rules.

It'll be another season when Mario Lemeiux is disgusted with the Wild franchise for playing a defensive style. The new NHL rules will reward creative offense - not penalize a conservative defense. Until the rules actually penalize a defensive strategy (or somehow make it illegal), the trap won't go away.

Check out the gang hand symbol.

Yesterday we were watching TV and channel flopping between two channels that were showing shows that were absolute polar opposites:  What Not To Wear and Fight Club.  Talk about two total contradictory themes.  Anyway, we ended up sticking with Fight Club.  Whew.