BoxExpress 0.1.15→0.2.1: five patch releases fixed empty-value crashes (query/cookie/multipart), hardened proxy-IP trust for real platforms, fixed session data loss against non-memory stores, added response outcome accessors and opt-out session writes, and closed a trailing-slash bug hitting nearly every request. Then 0.2.0 replaced the JDK's HttpServer with Undertow entirely (breaking), verified at full parity and load-tested. 0.2.1 added live HTTP-layer metrics via getConnectorStatistics().
Reference guide to City of Heroes: Homecoming IO enhancement sets, organized by power type (melee/ranged/AoE damage, defense, resistance, healing, holds, pets, travel, etc.). Explains set bonus mechanics (ED, Law of Fives, attuned/Superior ATOs), highlights ⭐ best-in-slot and 🔴 rare/expensive sets, and lists universal must-have globals (LotG +Recharge, Panacea, Numina's, Steadfast +3% Def) plus per-archetype ATO procs and a quick-reference table of top bonus sources.
Robert replaced a synchronous third-party analytics service (which caused outages when rate-limited) with a custom `RequestLogger.bx` for his site. It uses a bounded in-memory queue, non-blocking middleware, and a background scheduled thread to batch-flush rows to SQL every 5s, with periodic cleanup of old records. Doubles as a boxlang-express middleware tutorial covering closures, Java interop (ConcurrentLinkedQueue, dynamic proxies), and defensive error handling.
This site runs on one 1-vCPU DigitalOcean instance with no APM vendor — just a self-built page reading JVM metrics directly, and the habit of watching it. Covers which numbers actually matter (GC time ÷ uptime, not raw seconds), a real bug caught along the way (the JVM thought it had 8 cores, not 1), load-testing to find the real throughput ceiling, and trimming the Docker image 60% by dropping CommandBox entirely.
Bots/FF Mastermind: ranged robot pets + Force Field shields for team defense. Forgiving, solid solo past lvl 22. Prioritize shields, Leadership/Fighting pools, Mace Mastery epic for soft-capped defense + high recharge via LotG uniques. Slotting favors pet survivability over damage. Incarnates lean recharge/defense; Lore/Judgement are playstyle calls.
I rebuilt this blog on boxlang-express, my own Express.js-style BoxLang framework, moving from a CommandBox droplet to a thin DigitalOcean App container, with static assets on Cloudflare R2 and a homegrown MySQL access log replacing GoatCounter. Also: DismalThreads, my BoxLang/CBWire Reddit-style forum, is getting decommissioned end of month, no real users beyond my own test accounts, though the code may go public on GitHub.
Robert Zehnder