This and That

I know I haven't posted anything in a long time. It is not for lack of topics but really the things I wanted to post really didn't have much depth, so this post will have three mini posts in it.

1) lucene.net
2) My new Zune HD
3) Airline travel

So first....

I love lucene.net. In today's world of ever changing technology, it is great when a product like lucene can stand the test of time.

Lucene is a search and indexing framework. In the DotNet world Lucene is a direct port from it's Java brother. I have now used lucene.net on three different projects and it always works like a champ. It is very simple to setup and program against. There is a lot of online documentation to help you through the rough spots. Oh and it has a really cool tool called luke that actually lets you see inside the index and how lucene is parsing your documents and the tokens that come out of the parse. There is another tool I have not used but looks promising called Link To Lucene.

Next....
I recently purchased a Zune HD 64. Why a zune and not an Ipod? well honestly it was because I could not stand fighting the ITunes interface anymore. I also like the idea of the Zune Pass subscription model. I know, I know there are 1000's of more apps and things for an Ipod touch, but lets be honest. I need my mp3 player to play music (both digital and radio stations), video, and sync nicely with my Windows PC. I dont need an app for anything else on my mp3 player.

That is why a Zune HD. Now how do I like it? I love it because right now it just works. I can easily use the Zune software on my pc to find music and create playlists, and everything syncs as it should nicely to the player.

Finally Air travel
I am so tired of airlines cheeping out. I remember when I could fly non-stop get a soda and a meal, sit in comfort, check a bag, and not have to pay additional fees.

I just booked a round trip flight with an airlines I have flown with for over ten years. I am fed up with them. One of the destinations I fly to used to have 3 non stop flight offerings a day. Now it is down to one. Some might think the destination is not that popular, well I am pretty sure Las Vegas is still a popular retreat. I am also tired of having to pay fees for additional services. $20 to check a bag, $10 for a meal, $10 to pick your seat, then add on all the taxes and security fees. Sure your ticket might be advertised for $150, but once it is all said and done you are paying way more. Add to the fact that there is no room to move on a play since you are packed in tight as can be. I was one of the few who was happier paying extra for extra room in the seat and better service. You get what you pay for could not be any truer than in the airline industry.

Well there it is. My rant of the day. Apple fan boys please don't flame me I really dont want to know why ITunes and the IPod are superior to the zune. If you work for an airline please please suggest to your bosses to make things better, and if you worked on Lucene, thank you.