http://blog.minstrelmike.com/ Anything Interesting or Annoying Enough for Me to Rant and/or Rave About! en http://blog.minstrelmike.com/templates/bulletproof_v1_2/img/s9y_banner_small.png http://blog.minstrelmike.com/ 100 21 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/56-How-I-got-a-FREE-iPod!.html I can't believe I haven't blogged about this already!<br /> <br /> Most "interesting" thing to happen to me lately! I scored a FREE <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod" class="bb-url">iPod</a> ! (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Touch" class="bb-url">iPod touch</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Touch#Models" class="bb-url">2G</a> 16GB)<br /> <br /> That title "How I got a FREE iPod" (and so can YOU!) sounds like one of those "advertising fulfillment schemes" (like this <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_can_you_get_a_free_XBOX_360_without_referrals" class="bb-url">article explaining the old "Free X-BOX" stuff</a>, but if you read on here, it's nothing like that, really), but maybe it'll get me a few extra hits! <img src="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> ... <br /> <br /> So, keep reading if you want the exhaustively detailed account of the twists and turns leading me to my very first iPod ...<br /> <br /> If "cleanliness is next to godliness" then what could possibly be next-door to "i-pod-li-ness" ? (I agree, this statement makes almost no sense contextually, except that this is a pretty long entry for me, so be aware!)<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/56-How-I-got-a-FREE-iPod!.html#extended">Continue reading "How I got a FREE iPod!"</a> Minstrel Mike's Blog nospam@example.com (Minstrel Mike) My Coke Rewards, 2009-05-21T19:59:06Z http://blog.minstrelmike.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=56 5 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=56 apple fedex ipod ipod touch ipod touch 16gb mcr my coke rewards mycokerewards nike nike store nike+ipod http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/53-My-Coke-Rewards-Bad-Code-Game,-Part-Five-5.html <h1><span style="font-weight:bold">My Coke Rewards</span> Bad Code Game, Part Five (5)</h1><br /> <span style="color:red"><span style="font-weight:bold">[Edit: 2009-04-05T05:25] Sorry, ALL codes gone already!<br /> Three codes lasted about 8.5 hours this time!<br /> Stay tuned for Round Six! (Next weekend, unless I happen to move quicker!) </span></span><br /> <br /> You will notice that the three (3) 12-pack (10-point) codes below are "bad", since they are "illegible", at least to me. I've tried each a few times, with no success. Hence, the "game" ...<br /> <br /> The <strong>FIRST</strong> person to figure out the "bad" part of each code, gets to use it on <a href="http://www.MyCokeRewards.com" title="My Coke Rewards">MyCokeRewards.com</a>, and gets the <strong>ten (10) points</strong>, of course!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/53-My-Coke-Rewards-Bad-Code-Game,-Part-Five-5.html#extended">Continue reading "My Coke Rewards Bad Code Game, Part Five (5)"</a> Minstrel Mike's Blog nospam@example.com (Minstrel Mike) My Coke Rewards, 2009-04-04T21:26:00Z http://blog.minstrelmike.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=53 9 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=53 bad mcr code game bad mcr codes bad mycoderewards code game bad mycoderewards codes free mcr codes free mycokerewards codes general mcr my coke rewards mycokerewards http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/52-My-Coke-Rewards-Bad-Code-Game,-Part-Four-4.html <h1><span style="font-weight:bold">My Coke Rewards</span> Bad Code Game, Part Four (4)</h1><br /> <strike><h2><strong>FINALLY!</strong> The next "Bad" Code Game!</h2></strike><br /> <span style="color:red"><span style="font-weight:bold">[Edit: 2009-03-23T12:20] Sorry, ALL codes gone already! Stay tuned for the next batch.</span></span><br /> <br /> You will notice that the three (3) 12-pack (10-point) codes below are "bad", since they are "illegible", at least to me. I've tried each a few times, with no success. Hence, the "game" ...<br /> <br /> The <strong>FIRST</strong> person to figure out the "bad" part of each code, gets to use it on <a href="http://www.MyCokeRewards.com" title="My Coke Rewards">MyCokeRewards.com</a>, and gets the <strong>ten (10) points</strong>, of course!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/52-My-Coke-Rewards-Bad-Code-Game,-Part-Four-4.html#extended">Continue reading "My Coke Rewards Bad Code Game, Part Four (4)"</a> Minstrel Mike's Blog nospam@example.com (Minstrel Mike) My Coke Rewards, 2009-03-23T08:40:00Z http://blog.minstrelmike.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=52 7 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=52 bad mcr code game bad mcr codes bad mycoderewards code game bad mycoderewards codes free mcr codes free mycokerewards codes general mcr my coke rewards mycokerewards http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/50-JP4KPG-Chapter-10.-More-Java-Building-Blocks.html And on we go: Java Programming for Kids, Parents and Grandparents, chapter 10: More Java Building Blocks (p.139, 150 in PDF). This chapter basically covers a handful of further Java "building blocks", which were not covered so far. I assume these are necessary to the completion of the book's (final) "example/exercise" goals: creating a graphical ping-pong game.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/50-JP4KPG-Chapter-10.-More-Java-Building-Blocks.html#extended">Continue reading "JP4KP&amp;G: Chapter 10. More Java Building Blocks"</a> Minstrel Mike's Blog nospam@example.com (Minstrel Mike) Code-Slinging, 2009-03-02T10:18:00Z http://blog.minstrelmike.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=50 0 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=50 access levels arraylist class arrays building blocks code-slinging date time format ebook generics java java ebook java for kids java packages java programming keyboard input method overloading programming programming ebook vector class wildcard http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/49-JP4KPG-Chapter-9.-Saving-the-Game-Score.html Finally got done with chapter nine of "Java Programming for Kids, Parents and Grandparents": Saving the Game Score (p.124/136="explicit"/PDF page number).<br /> <br /> Took me a while to "get around" to working on it, in sufficient sessions to work out the exercises. No particular reason, just didn't DO it often enough!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/49-JP4KPG-Chapter-9.-Saving-the-Game-Score.html#extended">Continue reading "JP4KP&amp;G: Chapter 9. Saving the Game Score"</a> Minstrel Mike's Blog nospam@example.com (Minstrel Mike) Code-Slinging, 2009-02-12T05:50:00Z http://blog.minstrelmike.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=49 0 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=49 code-slinging ebook file copy file reading file writing java java ebook java for kids java programming jfilechooser newline programming programming ebook swing swing template this this keyword yakov fain http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/32-Wall-of-Diet-Coke-....html I used to drink a LOT of Diet Coke ...<br /> <br /> Over the summer, I tried to sort of keep track, and I could EASILY go through a 12-pack EVERY DAY!<br /> <br /> After I took the picture of the "Wall of Coke", it strikes me ... That's TOO MUCH!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/32-Wall-of-Diet-Coke-....html#extended">Continue reading "Wall of Diet Coke ..."</a> Minstrel Mike's Blog nospam@example.com (Minstrel Mike) General, 2009-02-04T06:51:00Z http://blog.minstrelmike.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=32 4 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=32 addicted coke cut down diet coke general water http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/48-JP4KPG-Chapter-8-Program-Errors-Exceptions.html Well, finally, here's the next post about my self-inflicted Java™ tutorials: <a href="http://myflex.org/books/java4kids/java4kids.htm" title="Java™ Programming for Kids, Parents and Grandparents, by Yakov Fain, 2004">JP4KP&G</a>: Chapter 8: Program Errors - Exceptions.<br /> <br /> This seemed to be a relatively "short" chapter (11 pages), compared to the previous chapter (<a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/45-Back-to-JP4KPG-Chapter-7-Tic-Tac-Toe.html" title="Back to JP4KPG Chapter 7 - Tic-Tac-Toe.html">ch.7, Tic-Tac-Toe</a>, 19 pages), seemed LESS than half the time to read. But it took me about five and a half (5.5) hours over the past week to get the "Practice" exercises done.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/48-JP4KPG-Chapter-8-Program-Errors-Exceptions.html#extended">Continue reading "JP4KP&amp;G: Chapter 8: Program Errors - Exceptions"</a> Minstrel Mike's Blog nospam@example.com (Minstrel Mike) Code-Slinging, 2009-01-20T09:51:58Z http://blog.minstrelmike.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=48 0 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=48 code-slinging ebook instantiation java java ebook java for kids java programming programming programming ebook Swing this this keyword yakov fain http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/47-My-Coke-Rewards-Bad-Code-Game,-Part-Three-3.html <a href="#Edit200901171546"><span style="color:blue"><span style="font-weight:bold">EDIT: 2009-01-17 15:46-CDT: First Three Already GONE, More to Come!</span></span></a><br /> <br /> <a href="#Edit200901171546"><span style="color:blue"><span style="font-weight:bold">EDIT: 2009-01-30 19:06- CDT: AGAIN! These codes are ALREADY redeemed, so you don't have to click it unless you just WANT to; More on the way, when I get around to it!</span></span></a><br /> <br /> <h1><span style="font-weight:bold">My Coke Rewards</span> Bad Code Game</h1><br /> <h2>Below, you will find scans of three (3) "bad" MCR 12-pack codes.</h2><br /> You will notice that these codes are "bad", since they are "illegible", at least to me. I've tried each a few times, with no success. Hence, the "game" ...<br /> <br /> The <strong>FIRST</strong> person to figure out the "bad" part of each code, gets to use it on <a href="http://www.MyCokeRewards.com" title="My Coke Rewards">MyCokeRewards.com</a>, and gets the <strong>ten (10) points</strong>, of course!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/47-My-Coke-Rewards-Bad-Code-Game,-Part-Three-3.html#extended">Continue reading "My Coke Rewards Bad Code Game, Part Three (3)"</a> Minstrel Mike's Blog nospam@example.com (Minstrel Mike) My Coke Rewards, 2009-01-17T08:16:00Z http://blog.minstrelmike.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=47 5 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=47 bad mcr code game bad mcr codes bad mycoderewards code game bad mycoderewards codes free mcr codes free mycokerewards codes general mcr my coke rewards mycokerewards http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/45-Back-to-JP4KPG-Chapter-7-Tic-Tac-Toe.html <a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/45-Back-to-JP4KPG-Chapter-7-Tic-Tac-Toe.html#Update_2008-01-08-21:03" title="Updated on 2008-01-08 21:03"><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="color:blue">Updated 2008-01-08 21:03!</span></span></a><br /> <br /> So, FINALLY, back to "<a href="http://myflex.org/books/java4kids/java4kids.htm" title=""Java Programming for Kids, Parents and Grandparents", e-Book by Yakov Fain, 2004">Java Programming for Kids, Parents and Grandparents</a>" (subsequently, "initialized" here as "JP4KP&G").<br /> <br /> Just to recap a bit ...<br /> <br /> I recently acquired an electronic copy of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Head-First-Java-Kathy-Sierra/dp/0596009208" title="Head First Java, 2nd Ed., 2005, by Kathy Sierra &amp; Bert Bates on Amazon.com">Head First Java</a>," part of the <a href="http://oreilly.com/store/series/headfirst.csp" title="Head First Series from O'Reilly">"Head First" series from O'Reilly</a>, which seemed like an interesting way to try to teach stuff from books.<br /> <br /> The "Head First" book seemed like it might be a good way to jump-start my only "formal" New Year's Resolution: to Kick-Start My Ass Back into Code-Slinging by re-kindling my self-exploration of Java (the programming language, I hate coffee). But first, I feel as if I should finish my previous Java book, since I made at least some progress with it.<br /> <br /> So, in doing so (back to JP4KP&G), I decided to back-track just a little: "Chapter 7 The Tic-Tac-Toe Applet". As far as I can recall (and from my previous notes), earlier this year (still 2008, just barely), I'd gotten as far as Chapter 9, but since the "Tic-Tac-Toe" applet was the first "substantially non-trivial" example, I decided to start from there.<br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/45-Back-to-JP4KPG-Chapter-7-Tic-Tac-Toe.html#extended">Continue reading "Back to JP4KP&amp;G - Chapter 7: Tic-Tac-Toe"</a> Minstrel Mike's Blog nospam@example.com (Minstrel Mike) Code-Slinging, 2008-12-28T23:15:00Z http://blog.minstrelmike.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=45 0 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=45 applet code-slinging ebook general java java ebook java for kids java programming programming programming ebook tic-tac-toe yakov fain http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/39-Getting-Re-Started-with-Java.html Now I'm trying to get "re-started" in my languishing "teach-yourself" experiment in Java programming ...<br /> <br /> First, I need the latest (why not?) <acronym="Java Run-time Environment">JRE</acronym>; so far, so good: <a href="http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp" title="Java SE Downloads">version 6 Update 11</a> downloaded (MB) and installed with no notable issues.<br /> <br /> Next, the latest version of Eclipse (<a href="http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/eclipse-ide-java-developers/ganymeder" title="Eclipse IDE for Java Developers">Ganymede SR1: v3.4.1</a>) ... Again, so far, so good. Nothing to report.<br /> <br /> Now, time for a little road-test: the ubiquitous "Hello, World!". Really, just to see if it all actually works at all.<br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.minstrelmike.com/index.php?/archives/39-Getting-Re-Started-with-Java.html#extended">Continue reading "Getting Re-Started with Java"</a> Minstrel Mike's Blog nospam@example.com (Minstrel Mike) Code-Slinging, 2008-12-17T00:10:00Z http://blog.minstrelmike.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=39 0 http://blog.minstrelmike.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=39 applet code-slinging ebook exit_on_close general hello-world hide_on_close java java ebook java for kids java programming programming programming ebook yakov fain