Monday December 27, 2004 - 3:50AM EDT
I finished the client tracking software. A solid beta version to use and test out for a while. I'll keep notes of improvements to add. The client side is also complete and I will send out login information to my clients (all two of them). Monday I will add the ESG enhancement projects to the client tracking software and begin work on them on Tuesday. I figure I will go over the marketing plans for Linkzu and Anyusedwireless to fill in the specifics and get them ready to be carried out. Monday will mainly be a Linkzu day (after entering ESG projects into tracking software). I'll go over the business plan, then the marketing plan, begin trademark registration process (now that I have a logo) and begin the software distribution scripts/customization software. I am hoping to finish everything by the end of the week. Then I'll setup payment gateway and shopping cart software to link into the software distribution scripts (maybe use osCommerce). Once that is setup I'll just wait for the web designer to finish the kick-ass website and I'll be ready to launch. I estimate 1 month or less before launch. Things are just begining though and there is still a whole lot of uncertainty. I am just past the initial idea stages and into planning/execution. Farthest I have ever gotten on one of my wacky ideas yet. Finishing the client tracking and ESG software was a big step. Though they can never really be considered finished I made it past a point I never did before so that was good.
In other news it is snowing, the only part about cold that I like somewhat. Thought my rear-wheel drive mercedes doesn't like it, I almost got stuck going up the off-ramp to my house. I could have walked faster and the wheels spun the whole time, that car is terrible in the snow. Got info for a new website I am working on. Actually the layout is already done I just need to take the comps and convert them to CSS/HTML. No money but it will be another solid addition to my portfolio and another good test for the art software I am working on. Going to try some 3D modeling for another website that I am also working on. Again no money for this one but good practice with 3D models and flash. Fuck! I am screwed. I got school loans coming up in January, no job and I am living at my parents house. I need something to come out of sitting in this room all day and night becoming weirder and more withdrawn.
Saturday December 25, 2004 - 5:08AM EDT
I'm sure I have used that title before for a post but I don't remeber. It's late and I have been working all day and night on client tracking software. The UI is done and now I am just going through and applying styling to the text and working out any bugs that pop up. Creating the client side will be easy, I'll just copy over the templates from the manager side and adjust a few things. I've become obsessed with programming web-based applications. I need to work on ESG and Linkzu bad. I'll finish the client tracking for sure tomorrow then start on ESG and Linkzu and hopefully finish them by the end of the year. This is all I do.
Thursday December 23, 2004 - 2:13AM EDT
Well I have a solid UI base for the client tracking software. I didn't notice until recently but it looks like it was inspired from the macromedia website. Still it looks great. Needs more color though. I will add that with the icons I am working on. I think I will use this interface as a base for the art software that I am working on. It is kind of based on that anyway. All that is needed to finish this first version is a few icons, styling of the text and adding a few minor modules. To prepare it for packaging I would need to append copyrights to all scripts as well as header comments. Also I would need to create a setup script for the database, which is easily created with phpMyAdmin. I figure I'll use it myself a bit to work out any bugs. I just sit on it until I see how my other projects go.
I need get working on Linkzu and ESG enhancements. Its still cold.
Wednesday December 22, 2004 - 12:10AM EDT
I just noticed today that where I knocked down the flaming lamp the carpet has melted in a small place. No big deal. Again I have avoided going outside as the weather is terrible. I guess I should feel lucky it is a brisk 34 degress instead of 11. 54 on Thursday though. I should start working on a weather machine.
I am almost done complete functionality of the client tracking software for the administration side of the software. I still need to do the user interface styling and the client view side of the software. I really like the way I setup the software. The MVC model makes for very rapid development once you have a base architecture setup. It will also be very easy to upgrade and add new things. There are still a few areas in which I can consolidate and modularize. Also there is a couple area where better error reporting would help the end user. At least I have input validation covered. I became almost fanatical about that after reading an article one day about data validation. Every single pice of information input into the software is checked for validity. Hopefully this means it is fairly hardened to cross site scripting and sql injection. The only thing I have to improve is referential authenticaion and implement concurrency checking in the front-end to prevent data overwritting. I've done it before in a web-based app when I worked at MBNA (too bad they never got around to using it). It is very easy to implement and I will add it later. It is something you only really need for multi-user web-based front-ends, which it will be but is not at the moment so it can wait a bit until version 2. I figure I have a solid first version of the application. I could try to sell it but I don't know if it will sell. Maybe I will make version 1 open source and post it on sourceforge, then sell version 2 after getting feedback (if people use it). I think it could be a really useful application for freelancers like myself. Yes I will offer it for free to get initial feedback, improve upon it then try to sell it for a small fee. Hopefully it will work out. The software actually isn't that bad for about 5 days worth of programming.
Looks like movie studios are starting to crackdown on movie downloads. It was never something I did, as the quality of the files is terrible and I personally like going to a movie theater. I can't imagine that they lose that much money from downloading, I suspect they lose more from the bootleggers on the street corner. They couldn't shut them down after all these years now they are going to try and shutdown downloading, ha, good luck. I just like going to the theater too much to download and watch a low quality file on my computer screen.
Monday December 20, 2004 - 10:21PM EDT
My brain is cooked. I've been working on the client tracking software for 12hrs straight. Haven't been outside the house all day or turned on the television. Listened to music the whole time. I did get a lot done, but it just seems that I can't work fast enough. I have so many other things to work on. But I need to get this finished so that I can track clients better. ESG and Linkzu are my top priorities after finishing this. Other than that, there is nothing.
Sunday December 19, 2004 - 11:58PM EDT
It's cold. You get used to it but I still don't like it much. It is supposed to be 11 degrees tommorrow, sucks. Just about finished the client tracking software, filling in all the modules then I'll need to polish the interface. Really tired right now, trying to focus enough to finish up this software but I don't think I will tonight, tomorrow though I must finish it up. Nothing going on recently, just working on websites as usual.
Saturday December 18, 2004 - 2:12AM EDT
Getting colder and I don't like it. Have a solid Navigation base for the client tracking software as well as the DB backend. The script architecture is also set. It is really a very simple program. It will probably take me longer to design the fancy UI than it will to code all the scripts. I'll start coding the scripts tonight. I figure I will implement all the functionality before polishing the interface, which makes sense of course. But sometimes I'll have a tendency to work on the interface too much before functionality. Sometimes you need to though to get a good balance of form and functionality. There is a single controller module that loads sub modules. It probably cannot be said to take full advantage of the MVC model as coding is still mixed with HTML. It is more my own take based losely on MVC principles. The controller module simply takes arguements (usually querystring, somtimes post) and determines what modules to load based on the arguements. Its very simple nothing real complex, but it works well.
I'll meet with two people about websites this weekend. I want to finish this client tracking program this weekend so I can focus on other projects. I am thinking about finnally getting that development server from Server Beach. I want InnoDB engine for my databases. Also I'll be able to use it to host some of the software I am creating. I estimate the server will cost around $200 a month. I'll definately need to save up some cash. I should really get the test server I have sitting in my house up and running first before I go and buy something. It has Fedora on it, I just need to hook it up to my router, setup SSH, Apache, MySQL and PHP. I figure I'll setup SSH first and just setup everything else from the shell to get practice setting things up from the secure shell. Ok time for more work.
Thursday December 16, 2004 - 5:14AM EDT
Loaded with energy tonight. Finished the rest of my online portfolio save for the sections on multimedia work. Check out the link of the left (sjacdesigns.com). I have to go through my backup CDs and tape to get good clips of the multimedia work. Already have some additional new multimedia work planned. It will mainly be a project for honing my rusty multimedia skills and trying a few new things with Maya. You can download a free copy from Alias. I see a number of jobs looking for Maya skills, it will be another solid addition to my software base.
Now that I am finished my portfolio what are my next steps? The multimedia clips aren't that pressing so I'll work through doing that stuff over the next few weeks. Next I will work on the wwwprivateer software for client tracking. Want to finish that tomorrow. I think I can do it in one day. The database is built and I have all the layouts and planning done. I just need to write the scripts for it. I am much better at programming now and writting these web-base apps so I hope to bang it out all day tomorrow.
Wednesday December 15, 2004 - 11:56AM EDT
Holy fucking shit the weirdest thing happened yesterday. I just occured to me this monring how freaky this was. Last night around 4:30am I woke up and went to turn of the light in my room. It is one of those long lamps that stand on the floor. The switch is at the top of the lamp. As soon as I switched off the lamp the light went out and burst into flames!!! Not only did it burst into flames but a loud electrical noise began to scream from the bulb socket. The flames were yellow and green and began to get bigger by the millisecond. The ceiling is really low so it was about to catch the ceiling when I immediately knocked the lamp to the floor which sent the blub flying across the room shattering it and putting out the flames. The noise stopped and I stood the lamp back up and noticed that the lightbulb socket was still on fire. I ripped the plug from the socket (probably the first thing I should have done) and blew out the flame with my breath. That kind of shit doesn't happen, you just don't go to turn out a light and have it explode into flames. I took pictures,which I will stick up soon on the links to the left. Upon further inspect of the light bulb the short did indeed occur in the socket. I also noticed that the bulb says to not use in dimmer lights. The lamp wasn't exactly a dimmer but it was one of the ones that had 3 settings. That may have been what shorted it, but why now? I have had the lamp using that bulb for almost 3 years. It was certainly surprising when your half asleep and go to turn off a light that doesn't exactly want to go out.
Tuesday December 14, 2004 - 3:35AM EDT
Sometime when you sit and work on a problem for too long you lose it. You need to step back for a second think about something else then come back to it. My new website is looking good. Created a solid base to move from. Check it out The caligraphy could be better, but for now that is the best I could muster from my shaky hands. I'll finish up the site tomorrow then start on programming the client interface. I'm tired and it's cold.
Monday December 13, 2004 - 1:17PM EDT
Eagles pulled out a close victory. It is one of those games that they would have lost int he past but they won this time. A clutch pick by Dawkins sealed the victory.
I am finished the major upgrades to all sections of ESG. Now I have to organize the new enhacnements into seperate projects and start doing each of those step by step. I should be able to knock them all out by the end of the year and have a pretty good piece of software. Before I begin that I will finish setting up my new website for web design/development work. sjacdesigns.com. All the layout and planning is complete for it, I'll begin coding the HMTL and PHP today.
The logo for Linkzu is complete. Looks awesome, sorry no peeks as of yet, you will just have to wait. The artist did a nice job on it. Its sunny outside, my jaw hurts.
Sunday December 12, 2004 - 1:19AM EDT
Two more weeks left. I am in the process of setting up a website to display and track website work. This is a big step towards solid organization and getting things set for the launch of Linkzu. I estimate that in one month Linkzu will be officially launched. I have been adapting the work I do in various websites to each other. The Linkzu marketing plan structure I will use in all my other websites. Finally sent out invoices for some work. I should get the money in a few weeks which is good because I am almost broke. It is a decent amount so it will last me another few months until I send out invoices again.
EAGLES!!!! High definition broadcast tomorrow at my friends place. Never seen football in HD, I heard it is awesome. I need to tweak this bloggin engine a bit. Add reader comments and organize the archive a little better. Also now that I have a digital camera I should add image uploads.
Saturday December 11, 2004 - 12:26PM EDT
Why have I been feeling so euphoric lately. Weird, its been about a week and I still feel good. This can't last, I don't think I have felt this good for this long ever. I'm not taking any drugs. Ah well
Today I'll finish up the last conversion on a website then finish up the software I started a few month ago to track clients. Tomorrow I'll work on Linkzu associated software.
Friday December 10, 2004 - 12:45AM EDT
I had job interview on Thursday. The second one I have had in a month (which is good for me). I just don't even care anymore about trying to impress these companies with flashy bullshit. I go to the interviews in t-shirt and jeans (today cargo pants) and just lay it out for them. I know what I know and if I can do the job you'll know it. On the last job interview I essentially turned down a position that would have paid very well and demanded more money. So they didn't hire me. When I told someone this they looked at me like I was crazy for turning down that kind of money. Fuck that shit I refuse to be THE MAN's fool.
The past few days I have been feeling realy good. A solid basline punctuated by frequent euphoric moments. Weird, because I have also been sick most of the week too. Maybe it is because I have been working out regularly again. Everyday this week for at least an hour. I have also been getting these wicked headaches everyday for the past week. Some of them have been extremely painful, so much so that I can't even stand up. Finally finished the firt version of technical documentation for a website application I am working on. As it stands now it is 232 pages, took me all week to write. The second version will be much more detailed and probably over 500 pages. Feels good to finally finish the documentation. Now I just have to go back and check two installation of the software then begin working on the enhancments. I am getting really organized with the software. I am also investigating upgrading the software to .NET technologies. With the documenation I wrote it shouldn't be that hard. Also everything is pretty modular so I can port in stages.
Going to setup a website for my web development and design work soon. Will have the ability to track all my clients give them the ability to view invoices and work history online. I am thinking of creating software trying to sell it. Web-based software for freelance designers. I think I am getting closer and closer to being able to not ever go back to a regular 9-5 again. Things are still up in the air but I feel good about my recent progress. Still a whole lot of shit to fix, like redesigning rolandgifts.com. I am kind of ashamed of the site now, it badly needs and upgrade. Maybe I am being overly optimistic, I probably need to go back to work eventually but hopefully it will be doing something I like.
So I began to jot down the movie ideas that I've come up with recently. Will I ever get to make any of them? The first one I want to do takes place in Japan. That would be cool, making a movie in Japan. This weather although crappy has produced smells that give me a feeling of euphoria every now and them. Reminds me of something, don't know what though.
Lame as some people call it - comments(0)
Thursday December 9, 2004 - 2:07AM EDT
This article and its many incarnations are a doosy, I can't even find the original text of the article. Now here is something that is truly disgusting. On Wednesday December 8th early in the day I read an article about the US government giving 20 million to the Palestinians. The headline of the article was something like US gives 20 Mln to Palestinians , so I clicked and read the article which went on to say that the money came with stipulations that it was to go to paying Palestinian utility bills to Israeli companies. It also pointed out the fact that the US gives 3 billion a year to Israel in aid money. The headline was misleading but the wording of the article wasn't. It specifically said that the money came with "a stipulation". That stipulation is just more smoke and mirrors to make it seem like the US government is doing some type of goodwill gesture when all they are doing is giving more money to Israel. I immediately pointed this out to two of my online buddies and told them that this was going to be played up in the news and some type of goodwill gesture when it was essentially a sham.
The original Reuters article made it perfectly clear that this money is intended for Israeli utility companies and that the Palestinians essentially get nothing. Much to my surprise when I revisted the article things had changed. Missing was the sentence about "a stipulation" of the money going to Israeli utility companies. Instead it was replaced with "to help pay their bills" as if the Palestinians are delinquent. Also suddenly the article was filled with rhetoric about the Palestinians need the money to keep their power on so they can run an election. Further more there were quotes from US officials involved saying that this money represented some type of desperate budget support. Attached at the bottom of the article was (Additional reporting by Steve Holland), that wasn't there when I read the article earlier. Now all of a sudden this thing is framed as some sort of crisis help from the US government. Here is an excerpt
The Palestinian Authority is facing a severe financial crisis due to falling tax revenues during four years of violence which has paralyzed the Palestinian economy
What I did next was search for more stories associated with this US government generosity. All of the articles I read(all mainstream media articles) downplayed or failed to even mention the fact the money has to go to Israeli utility companies. They did mention however that the congress prevents the US from giving direct aid to the Palestinian Authority and that the magnanimous President Bush used his powers to waive that rule so this donation could be made. Below is a particularly interesting excerpt from the article.
A senior Bush administration official said it hoped the aid would encourage additional donations from other countries "at a time when the Palestinian Authority is in desperate need of budget support to pay its bills, maintain stability and allow it to focus on the larger question of governing."
Are they seriously thinking that the Palestinians have any hope of government with a 20 million phantom donation. When they have psychos running around blowing themselves up, militant groups refusing to listen to anyone and an Israel military funded by the US with tanks, fighter jets and probably better equipment than the US's own under equipped army attacking them everytime a psycho blows himself up in a nightclub. Not only is the donation phantom, but 20 million isn't going to do anything, hollywood stars get paid that for 3 months work and they expect a fucking country to run a government with it. I just wonder in a country so small if the utility companies are private industries or actually government "owned." No one asks that question.
I just wonder if the US didn't give Israel so much money if this situation would have resolved itself a long time ago with the two sides eventually destroying themselves or just running out of resources and resorting to bare fisting boxing matches in the street. The Palestinians are funded by rich sympathizers who ironically make most of their money from US oil purchases and investments. They may be blowing themselves up, but bombs just don't appear out of nowhere they cost money and who better the buy those bombs than rich middle eastern industrialites. Israel and Palestine are the pathetic pawns of the rich who have been told by them to hate each other. It will only end when they realize they are being used.
Wednesday December 8, 2004 - 10:31PM EDT
I read an article today that seemed fishy but I will get to that later. What is on my mind is the question of charity. I've thought about this before about the whole idea of giving to the needy. Do people give just to make themselves feel better or do they really want those needy to have what they have. We pump up the idea of giving to charity as if it is some great thing. Never pumping up the idea of making sure those people have the same things the more fortunate have. Do we just want certain people to always be below us and give charity forever? Does anyone really believe in the possibility of a society where everyone is pretty much on the same ground or will there always be a heiarchy where the majority is crushed under the minority on top.
Tuesday December 7, 2004 - 3:11AM EDT
Spent all day today working on a new website.click here Got is all done, just need to signup for the web hosting account. Definately one of my better website designs. Simple but professional looking. There is one minor issue of the top navbar, which seems out of place. It just doesn't look right. I will modify it when I figure out how to make it fit in better. Good progress today with that whole website getting finished. Tomorrow I finish up ESG work. I need to mail out invoices and check on my school loans. 3 more weeks, I think I'll make it.
Monday December 6, 2004 - 2:02PM EDT
3 more weeks left until the end of the year. I got a good amount done last week and this week I hope to be even more productive.
Friday December 3, 2004 - 3:47AM EDT
Got damn I work slow sometimes. Almost finished the technical documentation for a website(over 150 pages). Once I finish the documentation then I can start working on upgrades to the software in a more organized modular fashion. Finnally hammered everything out and got it to a solid modular design, from which I can upgrade in an organized fashion. I will be able to process each upgrade as a seperate project and it will make keeping track of things much easier. I really need to send out invoices for the work that I did, that is a few grand out there that I am not claiming. Money just doesn't drive me I just like doing the work and seeing something accomplished then doing more work. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to worry about money and keeping track of how much I am charging people but it is neccessary. Very late, I wish I lived in a city where I could go out and get some all night Indian Buffet, that would be freaking awesome.
Feeling good about the progress on the projects I am working on. So many projects to do, but I am getting better at organizing things and prioritizing things. Less of me sitting staring into space or pacing around trying to decide what to work on next. I just go at each project and eventually I will complete them all.
No interesting stories recently. I get contacted by recruiters regularly but nothing interesting or exciting has come through them yet. Just your basic trash. I figure I can hold out until January.
Thursday December 2, 2004 - 1:12AM EDT
I ask myself questions about THE MAN and THE MACHINE. The arguement that the comforts of life are not free seems to always come to the forefront when questioning the bent of society. That question is used a lot to put doubt in the minds of those who don't agree with THE MACHINE and THE MAN. The question is valid no doubt, the comforts of life are not free and certain things are traded for them. That question does not concern me nor does it make me waver my questioning THE MAN. There is something else that is much more important and a question that drives me more. The comforts of life are not free and we must pay for them somehow, my question is this...how long can we continue to pay for these comforts in the currency we use today? That is my question, that is the question that no one asks, that no one seems to be aware of. The whole hardwork motto is a half-truth, invented in times when people thought the earth was infinite in its abundance. For the first time in human history we know that this is not the case, that eventually this planet cannot support billions and billions of humans consuming its resources forever. Hardwork to obtain what? A piece of land for yourself and your family. Guess what, pretty soon there won't be enough land for everybody. There are those that will argue that you just didn't work as hard as I did to get that piece of land. That may hold water for a brief time, but the fact of the matter is that the amount of people who work hard keeps growing and the land available keeps shrinking. We have to change our thinking and the fundamental way we live, or eventually we may not live. We still live as if everything is infinitely abundant, we still say that "you to can fullfill your dreams" When those dreams are a based on the consumption of resources and the possesion of things then there is a problem. Such dreams are limited. It is a lie to say that everyone can have those things, because they can't. Can everyone live like Bill Gates or The Sultan of Brunei? No, there isn't even enough square footage for 6 billion people to have as much land as either one of those people posses. I think in some ways we do realize it is a lie, that is why we attach the notion of doing things right and following some type of strict path to those dreams. Those whose dreams are not fullfilled simply did not do it the right way, did not follow the correct path. It allows us to further perpetuate a lie by excluding people which reduces the strain on the precious and finite resources of this planet which allows the lie to live on another day. Human inhabitable planets are hard to come by and if we don't figure out how to live on them and not use up everything then we are in trouble. The root of the problem is so utterly simple, too many people not enough planet. People don't realize that Earth is not the whole universe, that Earth is limited and a small part of this whole universe. What does one do when everyday of their life they are locked into a system that will eventually cause their demise. Think about this. If population keeps growing as it has and we advance no more technologically than we are today how long will it take before millions or billions die because the Earth is unable to support the current level of human living? So we just wait, for what? Who knows? Stopgap solutions, a freaking messiah. Maybe people will gradually wake up and things will change, hopefully in my lifetime or at least in the liftimes of those after me.