Tom Drapeau’s Blog

As a kid I watched 80’s movies… I loved Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Vacation and Better Off Dead. In high school I watched boy movies like Scarface, Bloodsport and the Godfather. I did take one film class, but wasn’t really focused, and as a result can’t name any of the movies I saw.

Then I fell in love with a film maker in @ShayWade, had a wonderful son KidWonder, and am now a big homebody. About 9 months ago we decided we wanted to watch some good movies, and looked around for some. So there’s many Top 100 lists: the American Film Institute has a 100 years, 100 films list published in 1998, revised in 2007. Its a pretty politically correct list and some people think it sucks. There’s the Netflix Top 100. There’s the IMDB Top 250. We decided we would borrow from each of these lists, and allow ourselves to watch other movies as they came up. Here’s what we’ve seen so far:

Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Murder on the Orient Express, Cool Hand Luke, Lawrence of Arabia, North by Northwest, The Graduate, Gone With the Wind, On the Waterfront, 7 Samurai, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Dr. Strangelove, The Searchers, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Inglorious Basterds, Shaft, The Mack, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, Coffy, Foxy Brown, Apocalypse Now Redux, The Deer Hunter, Dirty Harry, Live and Let Die, Dark Knight, Guys and Dolls, Singin’ in the Rain, Witness, Heathers, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Munich, Slumdog Millionaire, Network, Taken, The Notebook, Sideways, Lost in Translation, Blade Runner, Tyson, Witness, There Will Be Blood, Iron Man, El Mariachi, Desperado, Land of the Lost, Let the Right On In, The Big Sleep, Charade, Born Yesterday, How to Marry a Millionaire, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Big Lebowski, Sunshine Cleaning, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Pulp Fiction, Jaws, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Yes, a mouthful. So, what do I think about these movies? They are awesome. Pretty much all of them. Every time I think I like one genre over another, I see a new movie and realize that I’m attracted to passionate characters and stories that answer the big questions they pose, not a particular genre. The scenes don’t have to have a chronological order (I love Memento, Pulp Fiction), but the story should fit together at the end. I like twists, and I end up talking to the screen to try to work out how the twist will unfold. I’ve enjoyed pretty much everything I’ve seen by Tarantino, Kubrick and Hitchcock.

I find that I normally side with Roger Ebert’s reviews in terms of the emotional impact films have on me, and BTW, if you aren’t following him here and here and you like movies, you should. I’m no movie buff–I’m not the guy you want to talk camera angles and equipment terminology with.

I love the stories, and love to talk movie trivia. I’m fascinated now with just how much control movie studios and agents had on movies in the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. Thanks to the the IMDB iPhone app (iTunes link), which has an easy to find “Trivia” button, I can read movie gossip 60 years later.

I’m also absolutely loving the Netflix Instant Streaming service. At our house, we use a PS3 and the Netflix instant stream disc and our existing WiFi network and can watch (normally) an uninterrupted, high quality video stream, as well as playing Blu-Ray discs sent to us by Netflix.

I guess that’s it for now. We have a few movies at home right now to choose from: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Spirit, and 300. To all movie buffs out there–what is the one movie we should see?

tdrapeau Movies classics, imdb, Movies, netflix

If you are thinking about being a programmer, pick any interview from this book and read it. If, after reading it, you aren’t excited about programming, then just stop. This is the best book I’ve ever read that gets inside the mind of a great programmer. True greats, the pioneers of computer science and industry achievement.

The interviewer, Peter Siebel, does a remarkable job hanging with these giants of programming. Siebel is able to inject himself to probe when necessary, able to ask a few stock questions without it feeling overly rehearsed, and then get out of the way to let these folks talk.

I learned things about programming that I had previously under appreciated, such as the usefulness of monads and closures. I found the interviewees to be extremely candid, with profound answers to such questions as “do you think programming is a young person’s game” (with a variety of answers) and “do you think of yourself as a craftsman, engineer, scientist or artist?”

A few attitudes shared by most if not all interviewed:

• C++ is not a good choice of language
• There is no silver bullet for debugging or reading code written by others
• Using puzzles in technical interviews is not the best way to determine who to hire
• Don Knuth’s “The Art of Computer Science” is tough to get through (even for Don himself!)
• Get something easy working first before you optimize it

I really enjoyed reading Doug Crockford (of Atari, Lucasfilm, Yahoo and JSON fame) talk about JavaScript. I enjoyed hearing Dan Ingalls (implementer of several versions of Smalltalk) talk about teaching a new programmer by tapping into their inner passions, vs. teaching programming for its own sake. I particularly enjoyed reading the Guy Steele interview. Guy, co-creator of Common Lisp and Scheme, talks about magic and programming (pp360-361):

“I think it’s not an accident that we often use the imagery of magic to describe programming. We speak of computing wizards and we think of things happening by magic or automagically. And I think that’s because being able to get a machine to do what you want is the closest thing we’ve got in technology to adolescent wish-fulfillment.”

Reading this book helped to recreate the magic of programming for me. I would recommend it to any programmer, old or new. You don’t have to read it all straight through either… feel free to pick and choose, without fear of losing context. You can read the introductions to each interview here.

tdrapeau Books Book Review, programming

First off, I’ve been a pretty loyal Apple consumer since 2001. I used the Apple IIC machines in school, Windows then Linux machines through the 90’s, then came back to the light. I’ve purchased a PowerMac, a Mac Pro, 3 iMacs (one for me), several iPods, an iPhone and now an iPhone 3GS. You could say I’ve drunk the Koolaid–I prefer cherry with lots of sugar.

However, the service I’m seeing these days in the Apple retail stores is not what I would call exemplary. I think there are some good eggs in the Genius bar (one guy did a decent job on a HD problem my wife was having), however that goodness is eventually canceled out.

Here are three things I saw today during a trip to my local Apple store that you shouldn’t do when in retail:

1. Have no discernible cash register, then flub the process once someone miraculously finds it: I ended up behind a service customer, then was offered to make my purchase of an iPhone cover while standing in line behind the person, which was then mixed up, and confusion then ensued with it being unclear whether or not I was being double charged. All magically while still being aloof about the process. Note to Apple: Some of us have worked retail before and can manage to charge someone for something without passing out. You are over thinking the problem!

2. Irrational computer advice: I happened to be standing behind someone who advised a woman with a MacBook that to protect her laptop’s HD she shouldn’t move around with the computer while it is on. O RLY? Don’t move around with your laptop on? This was definitely a case that reminded me of CompUSA (R.I.P.), where salesmen would talk about “drive heads” and “platters” of the hard disk so that customers wouldn’t ask any actual questions. Reminds me of the time that I could not get a single person at CompUSA to confirm if they had ANY Linux-compatible modems. Note to Apple: We get it, you are smart. Don’t try make us feel dumb, especially when you are just spewing BS.

3. Making fun of customers: I must have missed the part in retail training where insulting customers makes them buy more product. I saw a sales rep tell a teenage boy that the computer he was considering buying was “for girls”. “Oh yeah”, he said, “I’ve seen a bunch of girls come in and buy this model”. Brilliant.

To sum up: I like Apple products. I like Apple’s online store. I’ve even signed up to be a part of Apple’s iPhone Developer Program (and my wallet is now lighter thanks to that). However, I don’t like your Apple retail stores. Everything costs more, and your “Geniuses” aren’t hitting the bar. Or maybe they should? It might knock them down a peg, closer to earth.

tdrapeau Rant Apple Store, CompUSA, Genius Bar

I love apple picking. It was a yearly tradition growing up in central Massachusetts–picking, drinking of mulled cider, pumpkin carving and merriment. I just had the privilege of living that feeling vicariously through KidWonder last weekend, while visiting family. We went to Doe Orchards in Harvard, MA, my childhood haunt. Here are some pics, and don’t miss the video toward the bottom!

The trees:

The tools:

The catch:

Enjoying the fruits of his labor:

Here is KidWonder in action:

And finally, walking off, stage left, with his Pa:

tdrapeau KidWonder Apple Picking, Doe Orchards, KidWonder, Nostalgia

Its been a while since we attended this event, another gem suggested to us by the Lollipop Moms meetup group. The Great Children’s Read, held at Columbia University, is in its third year and brings together books and celebrities to wow an audience largely 2 to 8 years old.

We wiggled into the crowd of parents, strollers and mayhem just in time to see DJ Lance Rock, emcee of the popular kids program Yo Gabba Gabba, come on stage and lead the crowd in song and dance. KidWonder was a bit weirded out by the crowd, but was very excited to see DJ Lance and his favorite character, Brobee.

After the Gabba set, we waited in line at the signing tent and got some pictures with both, and DJ Lance signed a poster and KidWonder’s Brobee doll. Very exciting.



We stepped out for brunch and came back to hear Peter Yarrow sing Puff the Magic Dragon. His performance seemed geared more to the parents than the kids, and KW was more interested in running underneath a flap in the tarp holding up one of the signing tents than listening to Peter talk about remembering Mary. Peter did bring kids on stage to sing Puff their way, which was nice. Too bad for us, KW started singing it himself… a week afterwards.



After listening to Puff the Magic Dragon, we left for naptime, as did Brobee. Here is KW wishing him a good nap.

tdrapeau KidWonder Brobee, DJ Lance Rock, Great Children's Read, KidWonder, Puff the Magic Dragon, Yo Gabba Gabba

I wanted to share two KidWonder anecdotes before we run out for yet another great kids event (pics to come).

On our way out yesterday to the Mamaroneck Lollipop Fair (MomWonder will post the pics, I keep hogging that privilege), I had to gas up the car. On the back of the front passenger seat is an old purse strap MW uses to rig up her iPhone when KW wants to watch a movie–other times it just sits there, within his reach.

I left the radio on while gassing up the car, and come back to realize he’s holding on to the straps for dear life! I say “What are you doing?” He replies “I’m holding on Dad!” OK, well, alrighty then. I get in the car, and start driving, and he says “Dad!” “I REALLY want to stop holding on!” right as the chorus hits. And then I realize–the song on the radio is the Wilson Phillips “Hold On”. So I say “You can stop holding on”, and he says “No. Can’t”. I turned to another station, and he let go of the strap and breathed a sigh of relief.

While playing at the local playground, KW was chasing a boy twice his size and speed. The boy was running him in circles, with KW desperately trying to catch him. He stops by me, panting, and I say “Buddy, you can’t catch him on foot, he’s too fast. You’ll need to be more strategic than that.” He takes off, races around one more time, and comes back to me. He looks at me and says “OK Daddy, YOU catch him.”

Now THAT’s my son. Alright interwebs, off to the next event.

tdrapeau KidWonder

Great fun was had by KidWonder and I when we visited the local mini-golf course. The proof (be sure to watch the video at the end):

tdrapeau KidWonder KidWonder, Mini-Golf

KidWonder, MomWonder and I had a really nice outing today at the Larchmont Autumn Community Day, which included a blood drive, free food, public safety presentations, and, the pièce de résistance, Truck Day. KW was in heaven (once he got over how big and loud the trucks were), and played on a small tractor, ambulance and a few others before riding in the back of a fire truck. What fun! A few pics of the boy:

Showing off his fireman’s hat:

Driving the ambulance:

After riding the fire engine:

We had some great food (hot dogs and hamburgers), listened to a local band play some tunes (yes, KW and I danced, we like to dance), and I donated a pint of blood for the first time. Great fun was had by all. Big thanks to the Lollipop Moms meetup group for telling us about this great event.

tdrapeau KidWonder KidWonder, Truck Day

MomWonder, KidWonder and I spent a nice afternoon out at the local park. We bought dinner from a local takeout restaurant and ate on picnic benches while KW ran around and played, mostly with an older girl named Natalie. What a mack.

We normally don’t take pictures since the boy is so hard to pin down, but we were determined to get some shots of him today. This is the best of the bunch:

All in all, a nice afternoon. A nice break from the hectic work week.

tdrapeau KidWonder KidWonder, Park

MomWonder, KidWonder and I just returned from a road trip to Verona, NY, where I entered in the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour season finale at the Turning Stone hotel and casino. It was a great trip, and my first big time 9-Ball tournament since KidWonder was born, 2 years and 2 months ago. The drive wasn’t bad… MomWonder occupied herself taking scenic pictures–I really like this one:

I have been a pool enthusiast for some time now. When I was 13, during the summer I helped out at the local library re-shelving books, and came across Byrne’s New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards. I couldn’t put the book down–soon afterwards, I found myself spending hours in the rec room at my high school, practicing bank shots and navigating a table with dead banks with a warped house cue. Nothing could dampen my excitement for this game–I wanted to play all the time.

After high school, I moved to NYC, and life conspired to keep me away from the table for a while. That all changed when I walked into Amsterdam Billiard Club one day in 2003. I played, entered a team 8-Ball league, and have been a regular player ever since. In 2005, I started dabbling in tournaments, first on the local Tri-State Tour, then various open tournaments, some local, some regional. Then came KidWonder… and I’ve been mainly Dad since then.

As soon as I arrived at Turning Stone for the player meeting, it all came back. The room was set up for big time action, with 16 tables in 2 rows of 8, 2 sets of bleachers, a walkway lined with tables and chairs, and a camera focused on the feature table for live internet streaming of matches.

The tournament was played on Diamond Pro-Am tables, tight pockets and Simonis cloth. In other words, great pro equipment. The tour director, Mike Zuglan, kept the player meeting entertaining and went about finishing the draw. The draw is a big deal with these tournaments, especially when unseeded, which was the case at Turning Stone. Without seeding, the top 2 players can play each other in the first round, which can make the path for certain players to the finals a lot harder than with others. IMO, it makes the tournament more interesting, but for those counting on prize money as a primary source of income, I can understand why it causes a fair share of anxiety.

I drew a local player in the first round, and played the match at 10pm. He had a lot of difficulty getting used to the table and the spectators, and I took advantage of some good opportunities to win 9-1. A word about the format–this tournament was played with races to 9, meaning the first player to win 9 games wins the match, or the “set”. For the first game, a coin flip determines who breaks, and for all subsequent games, the winner of the previous game breaks. The loser of the coin flip, or the previous game, racks the balls.

I was very excited to win my first match. If I had lost, I would have still been in the tournament, as this was a double elimination tournament, but for those on the one-loss, or “B” side, there are many more matches to play to reach the finals. In the second round, I drew Charlie Bryant, nicknamed Hillbilly. Hillbilly is currently ranked #11 in the BCA points list, a respected US ranking authority for pro pool. In other words, he is one of the top 11 players in the country. I took advantage of a few opportunities early, and he took a break at 3-3, only to come back and wipe me out 9-3. The outcome was not too surprising given his talent level, and on I moved to the dreaded B side. Hillbilly in action:

I played a pool room owner in my first match on the B side. It was a long, grueling match in which the momentum changed several times before I ended up on top 9-7. The win afforded me the “privilege” of playing at 10am the following morning, small comfort given that the match I had just finished playing ended at 1:30am. Such is life on the B side.

Prying my eyes open at 8am to get ready for my next match, I grabbed some coffee and looked at the brackets. 3 matches were needed to finish in the top 25%, and get a share of the prize money. An intimidating 6 matches lay ahead if I wanted to still be playing on the final day of the tournament. I swallowed hard and moved on to my table… where I promptly stunk up the joint. Not sure what happened there, I guess my luck just ran out. Still, my opponent and I went back and forth, and he won 2 games from 7-7 to take the match 9-7, ending my tournament. I finished tied for 48th place, thus meeting my goal of winning 2 matches. AZBilliards has the whole story.

I love going to tournaments and being able to talk to top pros about the game they love, about the equipment they use and getting tips on improving my game. I love that the tournaments are open for all–it gives a lot of enthusiasts such as myself an opportunity to show our stuff, without raising the bar to entry too high to participate. One of these days, pro pool will get a great sponsor and the top pros will be too high and mighty to help a lowly amateur like me–I just hope that day doesn’t come too soon.

KidWonder was a bit too active to sit still and watch the matches, so the lovely MomWonder had to set a non-pool watching agenda while in Turning Stone. Here is KW, on the ride home, enjoying the view and his juice. Maybe when he’s a bit older he’ll be the one playing!

tdrapeau Pool 9-Ball, Pool, Tournament, Turning Stone