Spring isn't so bad; there are much, much worse ways of implementing MVC in Java enterprise apps. Or half-implementing it :-D
But I agree, there is something about 'services' and 'protocols' and suppsajfjsapijfnv....sorry, I just fell asleep on my keyboard there :-P

We use jQuery as well; I keep meaning to get really stuck into it at some point. I can just about read it, but writing it is still a copy 'n' paste job. You do get to create some fun UI effects with it, though.

I started watching the intro_to_cs video (because what I really need to study right now is yet another scripting language that I never get to use in $dayjob :-P). It reminded me really strongly of being back in uni, a baby first year. I love my job, but it made me realise that I miss being a student. Still, it can't hurt for me to brush up on my basic CS. All nice and clean and mathematical and no enteprise-y-ness in sight. ;)

Your sidebar calendar is still showing October even though this entry's in November, btw. Weirds.