tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69817791268028540572024-03-12T15:32:36.772-07:00Sweat of the BloodNataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-17218838133901171242010-01-05T08:45:00.000-08:002010-01-05T08:54:24.497-08:00Cemetery GatesI'm all about doing covers of bands that have inspired you at one point or another, but leave Pantera alone already. Pantera is one of those bands that transcend most other bands in the genre, and if you can't do an original cover, just leave it alone. Your cover will never be better than the original. I wasn't fond of Avenged Sevenfold's cover of Walk, and today as I was driving into work, I heard a cover of Cemetery Gates by a band called Evile. They tried to duplicate the song exactly, and failed miserably. The little ornamental notes that are present in the original were omitted (understandably - I mean not many guitarists are up to par with the talent of Dimebag), and the ending wails of the singer were pitchy and were full of effects. What a shame. If you're going to do a cover, at least make it your own. You could tell that the effects were put on the voice at the end because the singer just couldn't cut it. On the TV show American Idol, they say that there are some artists that you just shouldn't attempt, like Alicia Keys and Whitney Houston. Pantera is their equal in the metal world. If you can't do it right, or make it your own, then LEAVE IT ALONE!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-86019228265288846192009-12-21T09:38:00.000-08:002009-12-21T09:47:42.090-08:00SQL Aggregate FunctionsRecently I came across a problem where I needed to get a sum of a quantity from one table, yet also retrieve all the rows from a different table. I spent a little time on this, and here's what I came up with after wrestling with it for awhile:<br /><br />select i.*, isnull(d.SumQty, 0) as WhQty <br />FROM Item i<br />left outer join <br /> (select det.ItemKey, SUM(det.WarehouseQty) as SumQty <br /> From ItemWarehouseDetail det GROUP BY det.ItemKey) d<br />ON d.ItemKey = i.ItemKey <br /><br />What I am doing is retrieving all the rows from the Item table. I have another table, ItemWarehouseDetail that has multiple records that contain different quantities for each item. I need to return the sum of these quantities based on the ItemKey in addition to all the Item fields. This will probably come in useful in the future, so I'm posting here so I will be able to refer back to it. I hope that this helps someone!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-60133190981601438362009-08-27T08:51:00.000-07:002009-08-27T16:42:04.998-07:00List 5 Things That You Enjoy DoingThis question was posed to me while reading "The 7 Healing Chakras". It is one of the first exercises of the book, and I really had a hard time with it. So much so, that I even had to ask my husband, "What do I enjoy doing?" As I was sitting there with a blank piece of paper, I realized that I hardly knew myself, or at the very most, not nearly as much as I would like. I've always felt that I knew myself very well, so this was a surprise. We all know that I love to cook and bake, but this happens every day, so I hardly think that it counts toward this particular exercise.<br /><br />When I started to get the pencil moving on the paper, I found that I was listing things that needed to be done according to me. "Clean out closet" or "Mow the lawn" After a few of these, I decided to start over. These aren't things I enjoy doing, but things that need to eventually get done - not fun! Naturally, answers to these kinds of questions come easy to me, so I was feeling a bit flabbergasted. I had to dig deeper than I normally do in order to come up with a satisfactory answer as far as I was concerned.<br /><br />Things have changed in my life where I actually have time now to do the things I want to do, and this is proving to be much more of an adjustment than I thought it would be. My husband even commented that I am more stressed out now than I was when I had a shit ton of other stuff going on in my life. I refuse to accept the notion that I need to be stressed out in order to be happy, though it may seem that way on the surface. I think that I concentrate way too much on pleasing others, when I don't pay enough attention to my needs. <br /><br />I still don't have many things on my list of what I "enjoy doing", but I've taken the first step. For the record, here is what I've got so far:<br /><br />Camping<br />Batting Cages<br />Spa<br /><br />I've got to admit that even this small change - recognizing that I need to figure myself out - has me in much better spirits, and I'm ready to be stress free! These three things have been weighing on my mind quite a bit, and I'm anxious to make them come to fruition. It seems that this stress I've been carrying around with me is starting to slowly melt away, and it feels really, really good. Next week, for my birthday, I'm treating myself to the spa. Here's to healing!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-46118696874887624882009-02-04T13:53:00.000-08:002009-02-04T13:54:13.305-08:00My Paper Got Accepted!!!Ok. First for a little background.<br><br>Back when I was still in school, I submitted a <a href="http://www.otsegoville.com/Thesis/SMCIT09NWiser-OrozcoAbs.pdf" target="_blank">paper</a> to <a href="http://www.smc-it.org" target="_blank">www.smc-it.org</a>. The paper was a short synopsis of what I did for my thesis.<br><br>The <i>Third IEEE International Conference On Space Mission Challenges For Information Technology</i> (SMC-IT 2009) is mostly organized by <a href="http://www.nasa.jpl.gov" target="_blank">NASA Jet Propulsion Labratories</a>. The <a href="http://www.ieee.org" target="_blank">IEEE</a> is "The world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology". In addition to giving a ~25 minute presentation at the conference (July 19 - 23, 2009), the paper I will submit will be <i>published</i> in the proceedings! I'm so so surprised, happy, and slightly mortified. Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-55836165799121582882008-12-30T09:08:00.000-08:002008-12-30T09:29:04.628-08:00In Closing...Another year has gone by, and I feel compelled to write my own little synopsis of 2008 along with all the other bloggers in the blog-o-sphere. Horray for redundancy!! I do plan to keep this mostly family-related though, so hopefully mine will be as unique as the next guys'. <br /><br />The tone of 2008 was set in motion by events that started in October of 2007. In chronological order, I started with turning in my thesis proposal. This was turned in right in the nick of time, and was the beginning of the grueling year ahead for me. Shortly after that, my brother got rear-ended in a car accident, which was the beginning of his even more grueling year. This caused him, my family, my husband and I to really be pushed to our limits both physically and mentally. Nothing much else happened to us during 2008, but let me tell you, these two things were quite enough!<br /><br />We all ended the year on a better note - Erick had a successful surgery on his back which has enabled him to be free from the pain medication, and the pain of the accident altogether. I not only finished my thesis, but graduated. Life is now good for Erick and I, and our families are thankful that the drama in our lives has ceased for the time being. <br /><br />Two things that have surfaced recently that do not prove to be good omens for 2009 is the health of my father, and Angel's father. My father is scheduled to have a biopsy of the lung, and Angel's father needs to have a biopsy of the liver if I'm not mistaken. Hopefully these things will get taken care of swiftly and will have no serious repercussions. <br /><br />Aside from the accident and the thesis, 2008 was a pretty good year. Here's to 2009 being much better, with everyone in good health, happy, and carefree!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-34934821919199303212008-12-23T13:07:00.000-08:002008-12-23T13:15:53.908-08:00Freedom!Well, since the shenanigans of the cruise/graduation, things have not slowed down for me one bit. I went from working on baby to working on other things, and am keeping busy - and LOVING IT! I must say that I am enjoying myself completely. I love the fact that I don't have to say no to people anymore. I've seen some very old friends recently, that I miss so much, and am seeing more of them this evening! I've noticed though that my old friend, the computer, is getting pushed by the way-side in the after work hours, and I'm starting to miss it a teeny tiny bit. Though I miss it, I think that having a good, healthy separation for awhile is a good thing. I think it will help bring my focus back, so I can return to the interwebs with a vengeance. On the other hand, it's nice to be able to lose myself for a whole day cooking in the kitchen, and not have to work harder at anything else to compensate for the time lost. There are a whole bunch of projects around the house that need to be done too, like painting, and doing a thorough carpet cleaning, so I think I'll be busy for awhile. I'm excited for what the future holds, and that I can talk about thesis in the past tense forever and ever.Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-37367979743329733652008-11-19T14:50:00.000-08:002008-11-19T15:05:39.645-08:00Crazy DayToday is one of those days that I'll remember for the rest of my life. It will definitely be hard not to remember it! <br /><br />I woke up early to take my second thesis format review to the Graduate Studies office, so I could beat anyone that may happen to turn theirs in today. When I called them the last time, they made it a point to tell me three times that they are reviewed in the order that they're received, so I wanted to jump the gun a bit. So, I turn in second format review(sfr) at 8:00AM sharp, and go to work. <br /><br />Today is also the day that I normally meet with the professors. Last night when I printed up sfr, I also printed my six signature pages on the 100% cotton 20 lb. white paper in the event that I could persuade them to sign. I also had some books of theirs to return, so I wasn't making a wasted trip in the event that they wouldn't sign. Needless to say, they wouldn't/couldn't sign until I get final approval for the "good paper". So, I returned their books and went on my way. <br /><br />Depending on what kind of day I'm having, I'll either stay up on campus to finish my work day, or I'll go home and finish there. Today was one of those days where I was up in the air, but I had things to do that were on the way home from San Bernardino, so I figured I'd stay up here to finish work, and get to the other things after work. I am SO GLAD that I stayed up here. As I was working, I decided to check my campus mail, and I get an email from the Graduate Studies office saying that I have successfully completed all of the corrections from my first review, and that I'm ready for the "good paper"!!!<br /><br />Without wasting any time, I sent an email to my thesis committee with the attachment from the grad studies office, and start heading over to the CS department. It turns out that my entire committee was within arms reach(very rare), and I got all three of their signatures on all six copies. <br /><br />The moral of the story is to BE PREPARED! You never know what life may throw at you, and sometimes it really DOES turn out better than you expected!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-91357114895215075092008-09-29T20:41:00.001-07:002008-09-29T20:48:30.927-07:00Good Day / Bad Day Pt. 2Well, even though I'm exhausted right now, I'm feeling pretty good. The single-most important feature I had to implement is now FINISHED! When I started a week ago, it was like looking down the barrel of a loaded gun. I was scared shitless, but it seems like taking baby steps, and keeping your nose to the grindstone really does pay off. It turns out that it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. My work is far from done, but one major milestone is under my belt, and I feel great! All I have to do is keep up this pace, and I think I'll actually make the October 15th deadline. Woohooo!! Graduation here I come!<br /><br />P.S. I fucking hate it when people are disrespectful of people in the library. Fuck them all.Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-11677296973568285262008-09-24T14:46:00.000-07:002008-09-24T14:47:03.027-07:00Good Day / Bad DayToday is one of the bad ones. I'm frustrated with my work (school-work... my actual job is dandy). Normally I'm all for learning something new, but I'm in one hell of a pissfire today. I suppose it's just a combination of exhaustion, stubbornness, and frustration. I feel like I'm in a bubble that I want out of, and the only way to do it, is to do the work that I'm frustrated with and not passionate about anymore. I feel lost - there are so many things to know, that I know halfway or don't know at all, and I have to figure them out on my own. I'm not the brightest math person, or even programmer for that matter, but I DO like a challenge. I'm just sick of the challenges right now and there's one around every corner. I'm dreaming about ordinary differential equation solvers and different software architectural patterns right now, and I don't like it!!!!<br /><br />I just want to be a crazy heavy metal chick who can actually hang out when invited, and bake lovely little pastries for people. That's it. Hopefully in a few short months I'll be able to do just that. I can't wait to just have a full-time job.<br />/endRantNataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-84750799620307202622008-08-24T16:16:00.000-07:002009-10-26T12:15:10.445-07:00Babies, Drugs, and Rock -n- RollContrary to popular belief, I do not hate children. Just because I have not yet chosen to bring a life into this world myself, does not mean that I hate children, or do not ever want to have children. I do, however, have some strong views on this subject (keep in mind that these are my opinions):<br /><br />I believe that if you bring a life into this world that you ought to have a damn good reason to. Having children to bring attention to yourself, keep a marriage together, or because your biological clock is ticking are not good reasons. Not good enough for me anyway. If you bring a life into this world for those reasons, then you're short-changing that life. <br /><br />Population growth is exponential, and being the consumer world we are now, our resources will therefore decline exponentially. Yes, the Earth will most likely survive this, but we as the current life forms on this planet may not. I lived next to a family of four, and I could not believe how much garbage they produced. Quite sickening. We need to take care of our Earth, and bringing more consumers into it makes matters worse - especially when there is no regard for it in the first place.<br /><br />If you ask me, however, what would justify bringing a life into this world, I could not answer it. This is precisely why I have not yet done so. I have not found my reason yet, and I'm not sure I ever will. Some people have called me selfish, but my logical mind cannot comprehend how it could be considered so. I think it's quite the opposite actually. I feel like that for now, one reason is that this decision I've made is helping further our life on this earth by reducing carbon emissions. I'm taking my time to prepare myself if I ever do decide to have children. If I do ever have one, I'd like to have a game plan. Taking the time to be well prepared is not selfish! <br /><br />Lets not forget that I have my own proverbial baby right now - my thesis. For the past 4 years, I've been working on my masters degree and working full time. If I were to have a "miracle" during all of this, would I be able to carry on? Most likely the answer is "no". Right now I barely have enough time as it is to accomplish the things that I've previously committed to. Is it ok with everybody that I finish one feat before I start another? /endSarcasm <br /><br />I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I know what parenting a human is like. From what I've heard from real parents though, is that it is hard, and you don't get much sleep. I've also heard that it's the most beautiful thing in the world. This is a bit naive, but it sounds like my friggin thesis! (only a bit less rewarding) It's been very hard, and I don't get much sleep. I don't get to go out much because of it. (I don't have to find a babysitter though, so you got me there) I know all those mothers out there are probably rolling their eyes, but just let me just say this - You probably haven't gone through a computer science masters program and chosen the thesis option either. <insert my own eyeroll here> I'm only saying this because this has been a very hard 4 years - and you don't know it unless you've been through it. I saw some pretty dark times. After I have a real baby, if I ever do, I'll let you know which one was harder, and it'll probably be the MS.<br /><br />I think it's obvious that I've worked hard. If it isn't, then I'm telling you right now. With that said, I also like to play hard, and I'm absolutely sick of being judged for it. Yes, I like to drink. Alot. I also love going to heavy metal shows alot. This doesn't mean that I like to drink all of the time or go to concerts all of the time, and that I'm some sort of degenerate. If I was, I wouldn't get the things accomplished that I set out to do, and certainly wouldn't be just about done with my MS. <br /><br />So, before you go judging one part of my lifestyle, make sure you look at all the other facets of my life. If I haven't seen you in a long time, it's not because I don't like you, or your babies, or your pets, or your house. It's because I'm busy as well, and it's going to stay that way until my Thesis is finished. <br /><br />I love you all. Please accept me for who I am, and what I have chosen as of right now to do with my life, and I will accept you. I think having children is great - for the right reasons, it's just not for me yet. If you know me, then you should know this. With that said, I am going to be MIA for the next few months so I can finish having my own "baby". Don't take it personal, and don't worry - I won't bore you with the details.Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-76323846720555058662008-07-28T20:31:00.000-07:002008-07-28T20:34:35.854-07:00Beautiful NightTonight has got to be one of the most beautiful summer nights of the year so far. I've got all my windows open, and am enjoying the cool 74 degree breeze coming through. It makes me want to sit outside with a good book, and just soak it all in, because I know it's probably not going to last long. Instead I'm sitting here in front of the computer, but at least I'm still able to enjoy it. Off to thesis....Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-15033382127560436522008-07-15T21:49:00.000-07:002008-07-15T21:57:11.792-07:00Python and SleepMajor breakthroughs tonight! Unlike past weeks, I have been very diligent this time. I took the time Saturday and Sunday to sit down with "the baby", and I've got to say, it really paid off. It should go without saying that the more time you spend with something, the more comfortable you get. I'm getting more comfortable with Python, because I'm spending more time with it. Not only that, but it stays fresh in my memory, and I find that every time I sit down, I spend less time "recapping" what the hell I did the last time. All in all, the invested time paid off, and I'm really happy! If you want to hear all the gory (and not so gory) details of what happened this week, feel free to visit the official <a href="http://www.otsegoville.com/Thesis">Thesis</a> site. If you just wanna see what it looks like, then I'll give you a lil' teaser:<br><br /><img src="http://www.otsegoville.com/Thesis/images/ThesisScreenshot.jpg"><br>Whooo yeah now that's sexy.<br><br><br><br />Ok, so now that the good news is out on the table - because of my high productivity levels, I've lost sleep and it sucks. I hate being tired all the time, and having to prop my eyelids up with toothpicks damnit. I'm going to bed early tonight though. The sugarplums await.Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-39990895908832129652008-06-20T16:17:00.001-07:002008-06-20T16:21:21.709-07:00Over Stimulated!!Today is one of those days where I am over-stimulated, over ambitious, and can't focus on one thing long enough to really get anything done!! I'm hoping that once I get home tonight I'll be able to focus on thesis work, and then it's on to Otsegoville. That puppy needs some real work. I have half a mind to set up a dev machine just for it. I think I may just do that, so deployment will be swift as far as the user is concerned. Yippeeeee Thesis thesis thesis.... keep focused... lolNataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-48504528860448809092008-05-13T14:40:00.000-07:002008-05-13T14:52:53.189-07:00VenusOhhhh boys and girls, I am so happeh!<br /><br />Recently I've been busy with Thesis (a.k.a. "The Baby"), trying to get the next "chapter" finished. This isn't a paper I'm writing, but a program written in <a href="http://www.python.org" target="_blank">Python</a> and <a href="http://www.scilab.org" target="_blank">Scilab</a>. You can find links to everything here: <a href="http://www.otsegoville.com/Thesis" target="_blank">www.otsegoville.com/Thesis</a>. Anyway, to get back to the meat and potatoes of the story - I had a major breakthrough with my program today. Up until today, I had a version of my program that simulated the Sun, the Earth, and the Earth's Moon. All of their values were hard-coded, but it did work! I have been working on a way to specify an arbitrary number of planets, and was hitting a whole bunch of brick walls in the process. Well, finally today, I GOT IT TO WORK!! I was able to dynamically read in the values for the Sun, Earth, Earth's Moon, AND Venus! It all worked perfectly and I couldn't be happier! This was only the Scilab portion of the code, however. This is the most involved part, because it's the script that actually does the ODE calculations. Now, what I've got to do is find a way to have python read in each of the planet's coordinates, and SIMULATE!!!! More to come...Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-86611201087198445472008-05-10T16:30:00.000-07:002008-12-09T17:05:37.506-08:00Fried Chicken AlfredoToday I was hungry for lunch, and didn't want to fetch anything from any food place out there - so I made it. So, with a few things in my fridge, I whipped up this dish:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jixwDq2ISbk/SCYy9ULo9PI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/AP9ob7DR4n8/s1600-h/FriedChickenAlfredo2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:right;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jixwDq2ISbk/SCYy9ULo9PI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/AP9ob7DR4n8/s320/FriedChickenAlfredo2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198898848816755954" /></a><table><br /> <tr><br /> <td colspan="2"><b>Fried Chicken Alfredo</b></td> <br /> </tr><br /> <tr><br /> <td valign="top">1/2 C. Vegetable Oil<br /> 2 T. Butter<br /> 1 Egg<br /> 1 T. Milk<br /> 1/2 C Flour<br /> 1 C. Panko Bread Crumbs<br /> 1 t. Cajun Seasoning<br /> 2 Chicken Breasts<br /> 1 C. Whipping Cream<br /> </td> <br /> <td valign="top"> <br /> 2 C. Shredded Parmesan Cheese<br /> 1/4 C. Balsamic Vinegar<br /> 1/4 C. Red Wine<br /> 2 T. Fresh chopped Basil<br /> 2 T. Fresh chopped Parsley<br /> 2 sliced Green Onions<br /> 1 Box of pasta, any kind<br /> <br /> </td><br /> </tr><br /> </table><br />Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet under a medium to medium high heat. Combine the balsamic vinegar and wine in a small pot, and reduce on the stove until it is a third of its original volume. Prepare to bread the chicken by mixing the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Mix the flour with the cajun seasoning in another bowl, and place the panko bread crumbs in another. Dredge the chicken breasts in first the egg mixture, followed by the flour mixture, back to the eggs, and then finally the panko bread crumbs. Place the chicken breasts in the hot oil, and let each side cook for about 5 - 6 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, place the butter in a large skillet. Let it melt, and then put the cream, and bring that to a boil. After the sauce boils a bit, put in the parmesan cheese, and stir frequently until all the cheese has melted. Toss in the pasta. Plate the pasta in shallow bowls, and top with the sliced, breaded chicken. Drizzle the vinegar/wine mixture over the top, and finish it off with the parsley, basil, and green onions! <br /><br />I hope you guys enjoy this dish as much as we did! Cheers!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-52149131477458125482008-05-08T10:03:00.000-07:002008-12-09T17:05:37.689-08:00Shoe Obsession!I have a shoe obsession! I love to shop for shoes. I don't necessarily buy any, but I love to look at them, and I <span style="font-style:italic;">would</span> like to buy them, but oftentimes don't have the ends. <br /><br />I've been watching that lovely show "What Not To Wear", and I have taken some of what they say on that show to heart. I only buy black shoes. I figured it was time to break out of that shell and go for a different color. What better color than RED! I ordered them yesterday, so hopefully they'll get here by Friday. I hope they fit!! Yay!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jixwDq2ISbk/SCM2U3lpZsI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/Bif0UX6IHx8/s1600-h/Shoes.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jixwDq2ISbk/SCM2U3lpZsI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/Bif0UX6IHx8/s320/Shoes.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198058127062820546" /></a>Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-75316242077771142652008-05-07T09:52:00.001-07:002008-05-08T10:03:37.798-07:00LINQ to XMLRecently, I've been working on a project that necessitated XML editing. I've not had much experience with XML, let alone XML editing, so naturally, I started searching MSDN & Google for some help in the area. I came across LINQ, which is a new technology developed by Microsoft to allow easy querying and reading of XML files(and other data stores). I had trouble finding a good introduction to the material until today! It turns out that after a magick query on google(haha), I found an absolutely GREAT post on the subject by Scott Guthrie: <a href="http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2007/08/07/using-linq-to-xml-and-how-to-build-a-custom-rss-feed-reader-with-it.aspx" target="_blank"> Using LINQ to XML (and how to build a custom RSS Feed Reader with it)</a>.<br /><br />Another good reference from MSDN: <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb308960.aspx" target="_blank">.NET Language-Integrated Query for XML Data</a><br /><br />If you have a chance to check these out, play with them a bit! It's fun!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-68053700257546731422008-04-30T15:33:00.000-07:002008-04-30T15:48:52.325-07:00Database CreationRecently I had to take an .MDF file, and create a new database in SQL 2005 with it. So, initially, I went to the SQL Management Studio, and created a new database with the name I wanted, stopped the SQL service, navigated to where the .MDF files are stored on disk, and replaced the newly created with the one that contained all the data. This didn't work, so I took to Google. <br /><br />I lost this gem once, and I don't want to lose it again. So. To restore a database from ONLY an .MDF file, issue the following query:<br /><br />EXEC sp_attach_single_file_db @dbname = '[databasename]',<br />@physname = '[path to your .MDF file]'Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-40907458473292683032008-04-27T10:13:00.001-07:002008-04-27T10:36:25.494-07:00Skumlove @ The Roxy, April 26th, 2008Last night was pretty dang cool man! Skumlove played at The Roxy with Heroes of the F.E.D.E.R.A.T.I.O.N., Operation Downfall, Otto's Daughter, and one other band that we missed. Angel and I got there for Operation Downfall - great band! They really had their shit down. Then, Heroes went on stage, and boy - what a stage presence D has! He was one big ball of energy, and very entertaining!<br /><br />Now it was <a href="http://www.skumlove.com" target="_blank">Skumlove</a>'s turn to hit the stage, which is what I had been waiting for. It's awesome to see a band like that playing at The Roxy. The songs were great! I screamed along to the ones that I knew, participated it holding up countless crowd surfers - the very last one being Skum, the frontman himself! <br /><br />In-between Skumlove and the last band to hit the stage for the night, Otto's Daughter, Skum had invited us backstage to kick it with the band and their friends. That was really awesome of him. That was a real treat. I met D'ablo - who was the former guitarist of Skumlove, and also Skumlove's staple photographer, Devilman. There were other people there too that I didn't know, but all totally cool. It was awesome to go backstage where so many greats have been. <br /><br />After having a beer, we went back out to check out Otto's Daughter. They were awesome too, and put on a great show! We hung out for a little bit after that and headed home. All in all it was a great to see some local Hollywood bands play; a very spectacular night!! My thanks goes out to Skumlove for all of their hospitality!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-29257222706811815702008-04-24T08:45:00.000-07:002008-04-27T10:13:09.356-07:00DrivingFor the sake of everything that you hold dear in your hearts, readers, please hear my plea. <br /><br />My name is Natalie Wiser-Orozco, and I have the most awesome family in the world. It consists of my mother, father, and brother, and we are all the best of friends. Sure, we have our fights, our quirks, our shortcomings just like every other family, but the bottom line is that I love them so much, I would give my life in a nano-second to keep them from harm. <br /><br />The relationship I have with my brother is a very special one. We joke around that we were twins born five years apart, because we think the same way, like the same things (for the most part), share the same moral values, and whenever we are together, we are certainly a force to be reckoned with. We are greater than the sum of our parts. To be his sister is the biggest honor I have ever known. <br /><br />Erick is a great guy. He's very sharp witted, sensitive, athletic (played Varsity baseball all four years of high school), and just overall fun to be around. About 6 months ago, he was in a car accident. He was 24 when it happened.<br /><br />I talk to my brother every day after we get off work. This particular day in October was no different. We were both talking to each other on our bluetooths, when all of a sudden I hear a muffled bang. I could hear him talking/yelling but he seemed so far away. I have great ears, so I decided to try to listen to what he was saying/yelling, when I realized he had been in an accident. I turned into hysterics knowing this - and luckily I hadn't quite put the key in my own ignition. I was screaming for my brother through the phone, unrelenting. I screamed until my voice had gone hoarse. He was talking to witnesses; I could make out parts of conversation, but not all. The nightmare had begun.<br /><br />He, having the right-of-way, had stopped to avoid a driver trying to cross the road who was seemingly oblivious to him and all of the other oncoming traffic. He had avoided an accident. The lady who was behind Erick was not so attentive. Completely un-attentive as a matter of fact, as she hits Erick going 50 mph without even attempting to brake.<br /><br />So, big deal, you think, right? He got rear-ended. Get over it and move on. Wrong.<br /><br />At first the pain was bad. Time off work. Chiropractor. Physical Therapy. Enough pain meds to keep you flying for a good long while. Lawyers. After awhile pain is still there, but it seems to be getting better... Yet still, my now 25 year old brother, cannot even lift his grocery bags for fear of further injury.<br /><br />About 2 weeks ago, Erick wakes up screaming. The pain is worse than what he started out with. Pain in his neck <i>and</i> back. Shooting pains down his arms/legs. Absolutely cannot work. Can't turn his head. Zero range of motion. <br /><br />He gets spinal injections this friday, and it is 99% likely he will have to have 2 surgeries - once on his neck, and once on his spine. My brother's life will never be the same because one person failed to realize their surroundings while behind the wheel. What does she suffer? Nothing. Her ticket for hitting my brother got reduced to a parking ticket.<br /><br />Now, I know life is not fair, and I'm not here to get sympathy from anyone. After all, shit happens, and you just have to deal with that which you are dealt. The reason, therefore, for this post is a request for everyone (myself included) to pay more attention on the road. Before you engage the movement of your vehicle, make sure you have what you need. Make sure your phone headset or bluetooth is in your ear and ready to go, so your hand is not attached to your ear for the duration of your journey. Make sure your lipstick is on. Make sure your kids/pets are strapped in tight. Look in your mirrors frequently, and check that blind spot! Be attentive rather than passive! <br /><br />I say this because I love all of you, and to hopefully spare you and your family from the suffering that mine endures daily. I know that the situation my family is experiencing could be so much worse, and I'm thankful (believe me) that I still <i>have</i> my brother here with me. Just, please be careful out there all of you.<br /><br />On a side note - if you are able, increase your under-insured motorist coverage on your car insurance. This is something I need to look into myself. God forbid any of you get hit by the likes of the lady who hit my brother - who was under-insured. This way, more money will be available to you to better cover whatever medical bills may result from injury.Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-59333519922599052192008-04-22T09:03:00.000-07:002008-04-22T09:44:25.234-07:00Ahhh TechnologyI personally feel that I am not up to par with keeping up with what is going on in the technological world. As one can see, this is my first post in over 6 months! That first post that I wrote so long ago, I speak of "coming out of my shell" and making an honest effort to "join the blogging world". I have failed in that respect for the past few months, and am trying to make amends. <br /><br />This post is to bring to you - in case you haven't yet tapped this particular functionality of Google(seems they keep coming up with endless cool stuff) - the <a href="https://www.google.com/reader">Google Reader</a>. But first, a little background...<br /><br />In an attempt to keep myself more "in tune" with the technological world around me, I need something that makes the information extremely accessible, and forces me to read it. I made <a href="http://www.google.com/ig?en=us">iGoogle</a> my homepage, I don't know, about a year or so ago, and I find that I'm more in tune with the news, popular <a href="http://www.digg.com">Digg</a> articles, weather, email, and other things. When I faced this problem of needing a way to keep up to date with the technological world, my quest started with one of my former colleagues. <br /><br />He always seemed to be on the bleeding edge of everything, and I always envied that. He would always tell me about new and up-coming cool stuff. I wanted to be on that edge just as he was, so I started with the blogs he read. Instead of creating bookmarks everywhere (because I knew that I would <i>not</i> visit them), I decided to subscribe to their RSS feeds. I don't have an RSS reader installed on this machine, but it prompted me to use Google's reader. I thought "what the hell, it's worth a shot", and voila! Google Reader was discovered! After poking around a bit, I was really impressed! The organization is really great. <br /><br />This, however, was still not enough to <i>force</i> me to read the articles that I had subscribed to. Since I *love* my iGoogle homepage for keeping me up to date, and knowing the thoughtfulness of Google, I queried the gadgets for my iGoogle home page, searching for a Google Reader Gadget. Again, Google comes through! I now have the reader gadget on my homepage, and will be able to get updates every time I open a new browser. I'm a happy camper! So happy, in fact, that it inspired me to write this entry. <br /><br />P.S. Happy Earth Day!!! Please try to reduce your carbon footprint today, more than you would normally! Help keep Mother Earth alive and thriving!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981779126802854057.post-22292862238306868482007-10-03T19:04:00.000-07:002007-10-03T20:47:08.224-07:00My First BlogBy the prompting of a friend and colleague, I was urged to create a blog. I have always wanted to have my own blog, but have been too busy to do so. Either that, or I have been constantly making excuses to <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> do so, because I was scared. So, by this prompting, I decided to pull the trigger. So - Here I am!<br /><br />Here, you will get all that is me - whatever that is. I'll talk about a great many things (hopefully), that will run along the lines of music, programming, and baking/cooking, and projects that will inevitably creep up. So, this will really be a catch-all blog that will help with my "stage fright".<br /><br />I guess I'll start by explaining the title of this here blog. Those of you who know me <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> well will know exactly where this comes from, and those who just know me <span style="font-style: italic;">well</span>, will probably have a good idea. Yes, it's the original title of a song that belongs to a band that I hold dear to my heart. Go ahead and judge if you want, but I chose it because it describes who I am to a certain degree. At least to me. Translation of title: I consider myself to be a very hard working person, who seeks perfection in everything I do (although it happens too slowly for me sometimes), and will give up a great deal to get there. Sometimes, however, I feel that it just isn't enough, and I'm looking in from the outside.<br /><br />Time for thesis proposal work....Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01166614670092898889noreply@blogger.com0