I have that certain problem with procrastination, the one where I do all sorts of things of little to high value instead of THE one thing (or things) that really needs to get done.

It’s sort of like, I’m too lazy to do the simple things I’m procastinating with without something more important to avoid.

Click play above to se the video review of the Hyde Park burger, read below, or do both!

Introducing The Burger Beat

Of late, I’ve noticed there’s a rash of fantastic burgers here in Austin. We’ve got all sorts of little places that serve burgers in the style of fast-food restaurants, classic-style (as the Hyde Park burger reviewed here is), and more unique variations. Whatever the style, we’ve definitely built up a culture of burgers here in Austin.

To that end, I thought I’d start reviewing Austin burgers, and call it “The Burger Beat.”

Burger #1 – Hyde Park Bar and Grill

Kim and I went to Hyde Park Bar and Grill recently. It’s pretty much my default choice when I can’t think of somewhere else to eat, but I’d never really had their burger.

They offer three burgers: a regular, a half pound ground sirloin, and a kobe burger. The kobe burger came on a focaccia bun, which seems like a bad omen. So, I chose the sirloin, medium-rare.

As I recount in the video above, it was actually an extremely well made burger, if a little salty. You could taste the tender meat and the grill. That said, nothing really stood out about it: the bun wasn’t fantastic, it was dripping with flavor, there was no special sauce…it was just made perfectly.

Hyde Park’s french fries, of course, are legendary around Austin. They’re lightly breaded and come with a nice mayonnaise-based sauce. They’re worth ordering as an appetizer no matter what you’re getting – you’ll probably want the half order.

What’s the man, exactly? Well, you won’t be displeased, for sure, but it won’t be the most memorable burger you’ve ever had. Get it if you’re there and you want a burger.

I got this whacky blog poster setup on my iPhone.

— Post From My iPhone

So, I pretty much post nothing to DrunkAndRetired.com any more except the podcasts. Yay podcasts!

I’ve gotten enamered of late of the ease of use of tumble: http://cote.tumblr.com/. And I was thinking: maybe I should splice that in to the d&r feed.

What do you guys think? Add it in, or leave it separate?

In this Stories episode, we hear about decorating in the Coté-Skotak kitchen.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to DrunkAndRetired.com Stories in iTunes or whatever else with this feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DrunkAndRetiredStories.

As mentioned this morning, I’m starting up a new, little podcast. It’s nothing in particular, and set on no schedule. Here’s the first episode.

You can subscribe to the feed in iTunes or whatever as well: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DrunkAndRetiredStories.

I upgraded to WordPress 2.0.06 this morning after seeing that Alex King‘s Share This plugin didn’t quite work right in my WP 1.5.* install (now it’s just dandy).

If you see anything wonky, please leave a comment below.

I put up another gravy podcast episode this afternoon. It’s pretty crackly, which is terrible. I need to figure out the secret to recording with the iMic without it sounding like shit.

You can get the episode by downloading it directly from the online feed, or by subscribing to the feed in a podcatcher.

Tags: drunkandretired, gravy, ideas, podcasts, politics.

Since I spent sometime a couple months ago putting together a presentation on logging in Java, I thought I’d submit a proposal to JavaOne this year. Here’s the proposal I wrote up:

Title

Logging in Java ™ with java.util.logging

Abstract

This presentation shows you how and why to use the logging API that’s
bundled in the core J2SE library. You’ll learn the basics of logging
and configuring, advanced logging and configuration, how to tailor
logging to your needs, and best practices for logging.

We’ll go beyond the standard documentation available in the J2SE and
on the web, using plenty of examples to explain pragmatic ways to
quickly and effectively use the logging API in your code.

The built in logging API has been available in the J2SE for several
years, but consistent and knowledge use of this API is sparse. This
despite both the richness and simplicity of logging, not to mention
the consistency and portability benefits of using the bundled logging
API.

Logging is vital for both quick debugging during development and once
your software has been deployed onto hosted servers or in the field to
customers. Oftentimes all that stands between you and hours of
debugging over the phone is the ability to quickly use logging to
diagnose problems remotely. Attending this session will help save you
from those tedious and costly hours, keeping you and your customers
happy.

Presentation Summary

The presentation follows the outline below:

What logging code looks like

A quick dive into what logging with the logging API actually looks like in
code and as output.

When and why to log

Why programmers should bother to thoroughly put logging in their applications:
the primary reason being that once your application is run in a non-developer
environment, in production, it becomes almost impossible to debug. As a result,
customers get frustrated as problems take “forever” to fix, and companies spend
too much time and money diagnosing problems in the field.

The Logging API

This section introduces the different concepts in the logging API: log
levels, the different log messages, handlers, formatters, etc.

It also covers best practices in logging, such as when to double check
the logging level for performance, using argument’ed messages, logging
exceptions, and how to determine where in the code to log.

Finally, this section covers how to configure logging using the
default flat files, at runtime, and with the newly available logging
MBean. Knowing how to properly configure logging, especially during
runtime is an invaluable skill.

This section contains many code examples that illustrate the points.

Customizing Logging

This section covers the customizations that can be made in the logging
API, such as custom handlers and formatters, as well as some
extensions to logging, such as context loggers that take care of
logging tedious to code, but vital to debug, information.

A brief section covers using Aspect Oriented Programming to help weave
logging in; pit-falls of an AOP approach are also covered.

Logging Grab Bag, Tip and Tricks

The last section collects together a “Top 10″ style list of tips and tricks
with the logging API.

If you’re interested in taking a look at it, there’s a draft of the presentation available.

And, of course, if you’re interested in me giving the presentation, feel free to contact me and we’ll work something out: I’m sure it’d be fun ;>

Tags: java, javaone, logging, presentations.