Software, Fitness, and Gaming – Jesse Warden

Blog

  • Taxes Hurt

    Got my first direct deposit paycheck today at my new job. I was a little unnerved as it appeared lower than what I originally thought I was going to get. I repeatedly punched the numbers and hours into the Calculator again and again to confirm and re-affirm my estimates were correct. I just prayed it was a 1 week paycheck vs. a 2 week.

    Upon arriving home, I received the receipt in the mail, a hard copy of the direct deposit, merely paper documentation the direct deposit is official. It broke down what was deducted from my gross pay. I was flabbergasted at the amount uncle Sam is taking as per his cut. I am not sure if it is my tax bracket, my inputs on my W2 or what, but dear God… state was a little less harsh, but still it hurt. I additionally have 10% taken out for savings. Yearly, I end up netting about half of what I gross in total. Am I paying for the internet or something?

    I sure hope this hizz-ouse helps me out in taxes at the end of the year.

  • createLabel Part Deux

    Dude, figured out why createLabel makes your text field invisible. Check this comment in the mx.controls.SimpleButton class for the createChildren method (called by extendee’s of UIObject):

    create children objects. Components implement this method to create the subobjects in the component. Recommended way is to make text objects invisible and make them visible when the draw() method is called to avoid flicker on the screen.

    Well blow me down… is that even possible? Anyway, makes sense now. I like how ever time I learn something, all of my current components are now wrong, hehe. Maybe I should just remain ignorant, then my code would R0cK!!!

  • createLabel & HTML Text Format Bustin’

    If your component inherits from UIObject/UIComponent (one of the 2), and you utilize the createLabel command, the text field can then respond to style changes (CSS based).

    Since I use createTextField all over the place in my components, createLabel is nice. Basically, it’s the same as createTextField, but adds all the style info and power it needs to respond to setStyle changes (globally, class, or instance based). It’s kind of weird in that it immediately turns your text field’s _visible property to false, but other than that, it does all the CSS integration for you.

    One problem I just found, though, is if you stuff it full of HTML text after you create it (I believe a frame after), the HTML will overwrite the formatting since with html textfields you can format with HTML formatting (whoa…).

    Not sure the “correct” way to be formatting my HTML, I guess via getStyle, and dupe a stylesheet, and then apply it, but in the interim, I just immediately call setStyle after I set it’s htmlText property, and the formatting (font) is good again.

  • Customer Satisfaction Solutions: Car Repair & Tux Rental

    I’ve been told that a child coming from a family where they are the only offspring are all about themselves since they tend to have lavished attention upon them.

    The same reason I love sociology is the same reason I hate it. I dig the groupings to help understand where people are coming from, but I don’t dig the stereotypes.

    At any rate, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. I just spent part of my morning running errands, all of which are complicated by the slow motion of business satisfying me, their potential customer.

    I figure if these companies do x, then this will help them gain customer satisfaction, and thus improve their business. If that is not something they need to improve their margin, well fugg’em.

    Kaufman Tire & Other Car Repair Shops (non-body work)

    Take my cell# as well as my IM/ICQ/MSN screen name, and page me when my car:
    – is being serviced
    – is done being serviced
    – if you have a question
    – your closing, and where the keys are

    I understand you can’t drop everything and serve me. The last you can do, however, is give a time estimate, otherwise, keep me informed. I plan my day around you.

    After Hours Tux Rental

    Either give me the tracking # so I can utilize the existing plethora of web services from FedEx/UPS out there to track it myself, or do the above informing me:

    – when the truck has left the warehouse
    – when the tux has arrived and at what store location
    – when store hours are changing
    – when there is a problem, inform me with contact information to resolve

    *******

    Please note none of the above solutions require anything beyond a human pressing a button for each event; even a monkey could operate the solutions. If either of you companies need help implementing such technology solutions, let me know; here’s a royal coupon for free consulting. I don’t have time for this bs, I and I know your other customers don’t either.