Finding the Team with MVC

Our new MVC based stats engine was lacking some basic functionality. Pagination! Yes something so simple was missing. But not much longer.

Our app maintains over 150,000 racing stats ranging from 1955 to 2010 and covering some 5,000 races. So when it comes to finding a driver or an owner to update their bio or head-shot was, well painful. On the LAN it would take Firefox about three minutes to load. That's awful, pitiful, not unacceptable for any cutting-edge application. Why was it this way. Two reasons, short staffed and behind schedule.

That's the past, today is the now. With the help of Michael Ceranski's post on Phonebook Style Paging in ASP.NET MVC I was able to apply code necessary to make the app race. Now we're loading some 4,000 active drivers in just a split second, but now it's done via a typical 0-9 A-Z paging system.

My only changes from Michael were adding the numerical selections. It's quick, easy, and the perfect solution to my needs.

It's a team effort

I had the opportunity to coach my sons t-ball game today. Something I've done a few times in the past. The boys range in age from 4 - 6 some have older brothers who play so they have some knowledge while other are in their first season. It's an hour of fun, no stress sports. Just teaching the fundamentals of baseball, teamwork and self-confidence.

A fellow parent overheard another one of the players parents at the game and the discussion is something that has me at my boiling point. These parts have an older son, about 11 who's playing, a father who is pretty good and a 4 year old. The youngest was a walk-on. Wait, let me rephrase that. His mother walked up two weeks ago and told the coach that her son was to play on this team because no one else had room. She hasn't paid the fee for the association, wasn't put on the team and joined 4 weeks into the season.

OK so it's just t-ball, no huge deal. Except that this mother and her husband were overheard making derogatory comment about one of the other boys. This is complete and utterly unacceptable. The mother that overheard the comments did not feel comfortable repeating what was said. But she told me that she doesn't feel like keeping her child on the team.

What is one to do? The teams main coach is a good friend of this father. The mother and father are both highly competitive, they only cheer for their son, never for anyone else on the team. When I was told of this today I felt hurt, enraged and sad. Sad for this boy who's parents feel it's acceptable to talk about another child in a way that is completely absurb. And hurt that these parents feel it is fine to talk about another child who's learning not only how to play the great sport of baseball but also life skills.

Monday night practice is going to be interesting. Should I call and talk to the league president, should I call the coach or should I keep my mouth shut? I know for sure that I am going to continue to teach my children and these boys how to respect not only each other but anyone else they run into.

Just like my fraternity motto, Vir Quisque Vir, every man a man it's something that I live by day after day. And I want to make sure that I teach this to everyone I work with.

Full Force Vote

It doesn't really matter who I or anyone else voted for. But it does matter that we made the effort. To read up on the candidates, amendments and other items on the ballot. And that we took the time to stand in line. In my small precinct I stood outside in line for nearly 20 minutes. It was wet. No it was muddy, humid and late. Our small precinct a small Baptist Church can only hold about 20 people max at a time. That's 10 voting tables, three lines for check-in and one scanner. Plus we had about 30 in line outside. It was calm, everyone was patient and I know proud.

What was most interesting was the number of children who accompanied one or both parents. I myself had all three of my children there. My 3 year old asked what a vote was. We did our best to explain why we were filling in little ovals on a single sheet of paper. But he just doesn't understand. Our 6 year old however wasn't quite as talkative. We did our best to explain why we were voting, how so many people outside of the US do not get the chance to vote. Heck that most of the time some of those people don't get to eat, or don't get an education, or don't have the means to feed other members of their family.

And that is why it's so important we learn about our candidates, issues and take the time every two years to exercise our right to vote!