By Jim Clay on 8/7/2008 11:30 PM

So while I am working like crazy trying to make progress on our in house app rewrite that I am succeeding in getting further and further behind on, I need a few distraction.  A couple of people have asked me to host and design new sites for them.  So I am in the process of getting them up and running.

A buddy of mine and his family started a new part time business and had me put up www.doggonecrazyhotdogs.com for them.

There is a new local resteraunt that I have the domain up, just waiting for content from the owner.  That site is at www.jettygrill.com.

A friend of mine who does promotional products (www.shamrockad.com) got me in touch with a new car dealer in town and I am just getting started on thier site at Read More »

By Jim Clay on 7/1/2008 2:18 PM

Although under the gun and stressfull, I have decided to rewrite our in house app that I have been working on for several years.  This is actually pretty cool as I get to change a lot of things that I wish I would have done differently that were causing issues.

The original app was an Access program that I wrote for the company as a consultant in '99.  We went through several additions and changes and then I came on board as an employee in '02 and converted the data over to SQL Server, while leaving everything else in Access.  This was OK other thans some limitiations and compatibility issues as the newer versions of access came out.  Now, the system is just getting slow and Access 2007 is a dog.  SO...Its time for a rewrite.

Since I came on board as an employee, we have tried a couple of differenc CRM packages that just didn't work for us.  So I wrote our own in VB.net.  No I am getting proficient ... Read More »

By Jim Clay on 6/22/2008 8:04 PM

I am torn...Being a Christian, I am not supposed to worry as God will take care of me and my loved ones (as well as all believers), but living in todays happenings really makes me wonder. 

I truly believe our country is completely messed up.  It is nothing like what was intended by the founding fathers (yep...fathers...pretty sexist huh??)  Congress was never meant to be a career, but what do we have, career politicians that have completely lost sight of reality.  The Court was never meant to make up laws and use foreign laws as references, but they sure due now.  The President...Hmmm...What can I say about that?  Not sure.

I struggle with mandated term limits because really, voting should be the term limits in my mind.  But these congressmen get so entrenched in the system, that it is nearly impossible to get them out.  And the money they raise and spend on campaigning is beyond r ... Read More »

By Jim Clay on 6/18/2008 8:20 PM

So, I keep thinking of things I would like to blog about...Doesn't happen!

I have been very busy at work trying to build up steam on the complete rewrite of the original Access based system that we run the company off of.  I am moving it to VB.Net with DevExpress controls.  I am using the Xpress Persitent Objects (XPO) as the basis of the new programming model for our systems.  WOW!  Majorly cool stuff.  XPO is a business object model tool that allows you to create the business object that you are dealing with including associations (one to many, many to many, etc.).  You define what database you want to use and it creates and manages the schema for you.  No more creating tables, creating a datalayer, creating stored p ... Read More »

By Jim Clay on 3/27/2008 7:57 AM

If you are in busines, DON"T use these spam filter services that force the sender to click on a link in the response email, put in some info and then you email will go through.  I consider these COMPLETELY unprofessional.  I can't believe businesses are buying into them.  If you need spam filtering use something that the sender doesn't have to deal with.  At our office we have spam software that works with our Exchange server.  Catches probably 95+% of our spam.  Through my hosting business, for those who use my hosted email, there is some basic spam filtering in there, but I also offer an add-on that puts your email through a Barracuda spam filter appliance.  These things work great and the cost is worth it.

By Jim Clay on 2/15/2008 8:45 PM

Why is congress concerning themselves with steroids in baseball.  This has NOTHING to do with their constitutional duties and has nothing to do with the things that I think that most people consider important.  Things like...Hmm...maybe national security, or taxes?  They can't do anything useful so they have to look important and bring big names in to hearings to get attention.

By Jim Clay on 1/9/2008 8:39 PM

I just saw a post on LinkedIn about a new pluggin for Outlook.  They are in limited beta and I am looking to get an invite because it looks really cool.  If you are interested here is a link:

By Jim Clay on 12/20/2007 10:49 AM

Over 400 prominent scientists from more than two dozen countries recently voiced significant objections to major aspects of the so-called "consensus" on man-made global warming. Read More »

By Jim Clay on 11/21/2007 8:58 PM

Another book that I picked up recently is No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight, by Tom DeLay.  This is an easy read and it gives great insight into someone who I had some respect for and now I have a lot more respect for.  His consice explaination of his view of conservative beliefs is very good and I have to say, I really agree with them.  He readily admits many of his mistakes and what they cost him in is life.  He als ... Read More »

By Jim Clay on 11/5/2007 10:04 PM

I started using DotNetNuke (DNN) a couple of years ago.  Can't even remember how I came accross it.  I had been working on writing a framework for my own sites when I discovered it.  This was way beyond where I could go on my own.  So now, if I have a site of any consequence to do, it goes on DNN.  As an Authorized Reseller for Parcom Internet Services through my other site at www.SandpointHosting.com, I am trying to develop a bit of a niche for myself.  We'll see how it goes.

My intention is to work up a couple of screen videos of setting up a base install, uploading modules and doing an upgrade.  Hopefully I will have some time in the relatively near future.  Having an almost 1 year old and a full time day job doesn't help with time for these extra p ... Read More »