Today was a particularly stressful day because I had to fix a lot of code. I usually cope easily with stress but there are days and days and in some days my in-built stress protection fails.

Stress is a common developer "exception" and as all exceptions if it's not caught early (try-catch?), it can lead to nasty complications and demanding bug fixing. You DO NOT want to be in the near proximity of an stressed out developer (unless you want your head shouted off).

Most developers have found an effective stress handler early in their career. I wasn't one of them... I had to face stress with my natural defenses (a positive attitude and a LOT of patience) but this system fails from time to time. What do I do? Well...

I know someone who's laughing now... :D

A very good friend of mine (Fled Rebel) saved my stressed out skin a while ago by providing me with the above item: a good, efficient, delightful anti-stress ball.

How did this help you ask? Well, instead of turning my stress against objects (usually my keyboard) and people around me, I can focus it in this small black ball. You'll be surprised how effective it is. I use it all the time and my brother uses something similar (not my ball, no one touches my ball) to great effect.

So... for those of you who use pills, chewing gum or bite your nails, I suggest you get yourself one of these before you end up with your dental records carved in your fingers or paying more visits to your dentist than it's necessary.
Side effects: sometimes you can't help it and start playing with it (that's not stress, that's a relaxed mind!); attracts the attention of you dog (sometime stupid cats); you become very protective towards your ball
Cautions: NOT to be used to throw at your stress factor (colleges, wife/husband/kids, computer, but usually your boss)

To finish this small post I'd like to thank Fled for this gift (who's main stress factor is me, I think) and to ask anyone who's got alternatives to post them as comments.

Cheers!

About an year ago I found out about a new contact lens technology that inserts light emitting  diodes inside a thin plastic layer that we all know under the name of contact lens. I've been postponing this post for some time hopping to bring news of production-ready in-lens displays, but I'm sorry to say no such rumor has reached me yet...

I'll paste the article I know below and as a last word I'll say this: This is what I've been waiting for all my life and I'll be one of the first people to own a pair!

Just when we thought that the four-panel curved monitor from Alienware was the next big thing in the display industry, researchers at the University of Washington announced a new type of hybrid contact

lens that will bring to life the Terminator within you.
The engineers' breakthrough will open new possibilities to the optics industry, such as HUD overlays and immersive displays. The starting point of this new technology is the implementation of a microscopic manufacturing or self-assembly hybrid contact that has a microscopic imprinted circuit with light emitting capabilities. The result is a flexible, biologically-safe contact lens that can render information directly on the ocular surface.
This kind of bionic display has been largely promoted in miscellaneous science-fiction movies such as "Terminator" or the "Bionic Woman", where they were used to zoom in on far-off scenes, get additional information about the environment, or even to create virtual crosshairs. However, this technology can be used for more down-to-earth approaches, such as surfing the web while traveling, although this might have you killed in a car accident.
The new technology may seem brand new and shiny, yet it's hardly new. There is a similar patent filled with the United States Trading Agency back in 1997 (United States Patent 5682210), that described a similar process.
"Looking through a completed lens, you would see what the display is generating superimposed on the world outside," said Babak Parviz, a UW assistant professor of electrical engineering. "This is a very small step toward that goal, but I think it's extremely promising."
The first implementations will be a little more practical than displaying information directly on the eyeball, such as automotive use. Drivers will be presented essential information such as speed, fuel and so on directly on the windshield. The video gaming industry will be able to completely immerse gamers into the virtual environment, while specially crafted lens will allow you to read the newspaper on your way home.
"People may find all sorts of applications for it that we have not thought about. Our goal is to demonstrate the basic technology and make sure it works and that it's safe," said Parviz, who heads a multi-disciplinary UW group that is developing electronics for contact lenses.

Today, after around 18 hours of work, I made the most stupid mistake in my programming career.

Let me explain why I hate myself so much...

Consider the following code:

void UpdateSomethingTimer_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)

    {

          foreach (var i in aList){

            //code dependant on 'i' which I completely forgot to use

          }

    }

No need for further explanation...

Why did I make such huge, unforgivable mistake? Lack of sleep.

So... Dear developers... GET ENOUGH SLEEP EACH NIGHT! Red Bull and coffee do not debug!

I'll have to keep in mind to read my own post this evening..

(Fred, I hope you find it in your heart to forget this once in a lifetime mistake.. :) )