markbetz.net

I have essentially four topics I enjoy writing about, and those are history, programming, games, and books; not necessarily in order of preference. Every now and then I get the urge to bang out a piece on something or other. A few times in the past I’ve been paid for these, no doubt to the editor’s later regret, but for the most part I do it for fun and because pages need stuff on them.

The stuff this page needs on it consists of links to articles contained on the site, as well as links to some previously published work.

markbetz.net

History and Old Roads:

• Millbrook and the Old Mountain Road - May 1, 2008 - A photo essay exploring the history of the mill town of Millbrook in New Jersey’s skylands, and its position on some of the ancient roads that carried commerce in the area.
• Iron Road to Chester - May 9, 2008 - Photos from a walk along the old right of way of the Central Railroad of New Jersey’s Chester Branch. It’s been nearly a century since trains ran on this road, and yet there are still many things worth seeing along the way.
• The Hillside Farms of Pahaquarry - May 13, 2008 - This past weekend I headed back into the hills of Pahaquarry Township in search of an old road, and some old farms, and whatever else I could find.

Programming and Software Development:

• Programming Life in the WPF - January 14, 2007 - A detailed look at the design and construction of AvalonLife, an implementation of Conway’s Game of Life using XAML and Windows Presentation Foundation on .Net 3.0/Visual Studio 2005.

Games and Gaming:

• A Review of Sid Meiers’ Railroads! for the PC - October 19, 2006 - A look at the long-awaited “sequel” to Sid Meiers’ famous game of railroading and robber barons. With screenshots.