Dart & Flutter

Looking back, I’ve enjoyed working with a number of programming languages and technologies. From C/C++, DBase, Paradox, and Clarion in MS-DOS; to VB and Delphi in Windows; to Javascript with React on the web and React Native for mobile. During that journey, I was enamored with Silverlight using C#. Sadly Microsoft deprecated Silverlight. Today, I am slowly falling for Dart & Flutter–which I “hope” Google will not deprecate (but at least the code is open source). Most of my career I used Delphi (which has been an amazing solution for Windows) but I wanted to move to Silverlight for cross platform solutions. Flutter feels like Silverlight and Dart like C#; which in turn feels like Delphi’s Object Pascal (w/ Garbage Collection) and the VCL (except with Widgets vs Components). Time will tell what happens, but right now, Dart & Flutter are fun.

Give Dart a try using DartPad. And Zapp for a flutter app.

Open Live Writer

Back on September 7,  2009 (crazy that was over 10 years ago!) I posted a my third ever blog entry using Microsoft Live Writer here.

If you Google today for Microsoft Live Writer, the top result is still a link from August 18, 2009 when Microsoft release their last build of the tool:

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However, the link right below is for Open Live Writer.  I’m writing this post in Open Live Writer.  It’s as AMAZING as the original and Open Source.  The C# code can be found on GitHub.  Excellent job folks!

Stretches for England’s Coast to Coast Walk

This summer I walked across England following the coast-to-coast path by Alfred Wainwright.  Walking ten to sixteen miles, day after day, for 16 days was strenuous (especially the start in the lake district).  In order to warm up and cool down, I did the following pre/post stretching routine.  It really made a difference.

Pre-hike
Start with 3 slow sun salutations
Bent knees, toe balance
Sun bird (left/right)
Downward dog with alternating calves
Forward fold (include arms raised behind back)
Rag doll up and raise arms up
Side bend (grabbing left wrist/ grabbing right wrist)
Standing quad stretch (left/right)
Standing pigeon stretch (left/right)
Cross feet forward bend (left/right)

Post-hike
Hero’s pose (ok to recline for 45 seconds)
Childs pose, slow breathing (hold for 60 seconds)
Downward dog (hold for 60 seconds—no alternating)
Runners lunge left (lower right knee, raise arms, grab right wrist, lean left, then 1/2 bow, then elongate left leg and head to knee;  hold for 45 seconds)
Pigeon on left (60 seconds)
Sphinx pose (1 minutes with head roles)
Push-up
Runner lunge right (lower left knee, raise arms, grab left wrist, lean right, then 1/2 bow, then elongate right leg and head to knee; hold for 45 seconds)
Pigeon on left (60 seconds)
Push-up
Cobbler/butterfly pose with toes bent back (hold for 45 seconds)
Roll onto back for happy baby (45 seconds)
Right bent knee thread the needle with left foot ankle rolls (60 seconds)
Left bent knee thread the needle with right foot ankle rolls (60 seconds)
Fish pose (90 seconds)
Both knees into chest (30 seconds)
Reclining goddess (120 seconds)

Pre-sleep
Before bed, legs up the wall for five full minutes