So I thinking of writing a new website project in Ruby (probably Rails), but I’m stuck on an actual idea. I know what I want to play with:

• Languages: Ruby on Rails, JavaScript
• DB: MySQL (as Dreamhost doesn’t have PostGres) 
• Test frameworks: rSpec, Selenium
• CI: CruiseControl.rb

At the moment I’m thinking of porting the lovely RoundCube mail project from PHP to Rails, it’s something that uses concepts that i’m fairly familiar with i.e. email protocols and I guess i’ve never been all that happy with any self-hosted web mail client, so I guess it’s time to put up or shut up and build my own. Obviously I want to refresh/update my Ruby and JavaScript skills and it’s associated agile components as well. Also as i’m using rSpec i’ll try and develop the project using BDD, but how i’m going to map business value priorities to a web email client could pose some interesting questions, although mapping behavior in tests might work better with the way I think … I think It’s not all that exciting, but if anyone has any other suggestions then just add a comment and i’ll consider it?

Dear Windows,

I’m not sure how i’m going to say this, but I think our time together is at an end. I’m not sure that we were ever that suited to each other even when we first met; around that time I’d had recently left Commodore and I think I was just looking for something different.

We’ve been together for many years now (15 years I believe) and I’ve seen you change from 3.1 to 95, 2000, XP and now finally Vista. I guess we’ve just grown apart and we simply don’t have the same interests anymore, you’re more into your business work and i’m still just a hacker at heart, which I don’t think you ever satisfied or appreciated. I should tell you that while at University I met Solaris (who knows Unix and Linux) and that’s were my doubts about you started, but even then I stuck by you as they had serious issues which meant I couldn’t imagine living with them.

Many years ago I met Apple at work and although we didn’t like each other at first (OS 7 - 9) a couple of years ago I cheated on you with Apple by buying a MacMini. Now after having fun with Apple for a couple of years I’ve decided that Apple and I are better suited than you and I ever were. You may think this is just a phase i’m going through and you may be right, but I think I need to try, so Apple is moving in next week (MacBook Pro is on it’s way!) therefore i’m sorry to say you’ll need to move out (and BT says I can’t keep you). I’m sure we’ll see each other around the office.

Take care,
Milan

I looked out of the window of my flat last night and saw this:

My mate Piotr and I were baffled on what this could be; I was tempted to turn off all my wifi kit just in case it was some sort of semi pro wifi hacker? Other options were some sort of mind control device, a not very discret surveillance car, a mobile pirate radio station or even someone who really really wants to get a good radio reception! It had gone by the time we’d finished playing squash … maybe I should have turned my wifi off!

While stumbling today I found a Microsoft Project named Milan and started to wonder what else was using my name… Obviouslly I know of the City of Milan in Italy, but I also found these other regions, cities & towns (from wikipedia):

In Canada: Milan, Quebec, a village

In Colombia: Milan, Caquet a town and municipality

In the United States of America:

• Milan, Georgia
• Milan, Illinois
• Milan, Indiana
• Milan, Kansas
• Milan, Michigan
• Milan, Minnesota
• Milan, Missouri
• Milan, New Hampshire
• Milan, New Mexico
• Milan, New York
• Milan, Ohio
• Milan, Tennessee
• Milan, Washington
• Milano, Texas

Surprizing in the 2000 US census 27,795 amercians said they lived in Milan!!!

Milan is also:

• MILAN, a European anti-tank guided missile, which is one way to get through London traffic
• A.C. Milan and Inter Milan are two football teams of the city of Milan (Italy)
• Milan, a variant of the Mirage V fighter - I wish I had one of these!
• Mercury Milan, a ugly american ford car - I don’t want one of these!
• Milan Entertainment, an internationally operating record company
• Milan Records, a record label which boasts an extensive electronic catalog which features down-tempo, chillout, and eclectic electronic releases. I approve.
• Milan (aka The Leather Boy), a New York musician and producer active in the 1960s; With a name like the leather boy it’s no wonder he changed his name
• Milan (film) -There are 4 movies with my name (all romantic, just like me)
• Milan (website) - They make network components - yawn! If i’d had a little more money when I was a student that site would have been mine.

Let me know if you find any other interesting uses of my name. At least I’m not alone!