JavaScript has always had a gorgeous object model hidden within Java-esque syntax. CoffeeScript is an attempt to expose the good parts of JavaScript through syntax that favors expressions over statements, cuts down on punctuation noise, and provides pretty function literals. This CoffeeScript:

    square: x => x * x.

Compiles into this JavaScript:

    var square = function(x) {
      return x * x;
    };

If anyone has specific ideas about aspects of JavaScript that they think could be more convenient or better-looking, I'd love to hear them. Cheers.

And people told me I was crazy for hard-coding IP addresses for s3.amazonaws.com and sdb.amazonaws.com into the Tarsnap code... :-)

Well, they say confession is good for the soul...

I've got four great kids. They're bright, curious, fun and I love 'em to bits. Thing is, I absolutely suck at being a Dad. I'm lazy, vague, inconsistent, moody and I find it all to easy to go hide in the study and respond to interruptions with "Go and play. Can't you see I'm busy".

I don't want to be like this, not one little bit, so my one goal for this year is - no excuses, work at becoming a better Dad.

Please tell us about the time you most successfully hacked some (non-computer) system to your advantage.