This is the first one for the year 2007.
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Sunday, December 31, 2006
SKYPE: To pay or not to pay
I've been taking advantage of the free calls Skype allowed over the past several months. I used it often, only because I have a great headset to that sounds pretty good on the other end. But now that the dance is over, I need to decide if the service is actually worth paying for. So let me draw out some observations:
1. The sound quality wasn't too bad. There we're a few small glitches, but too many.
2. A lot of the time people wouldn't answer their phone, especially on a cell phone, when they saw the number 00123456789 as the incoming number,m I probably wouldn't either.
3. I don't have a lot of friends using Skype. A few, but not a lot, and most of the ones that do use Skype, don't have headsets readily available (which sorta defeats the purpose of being logged into Skype).
4. I like the fact I could be anywhere with a high speed connection and make outbound phone calls. But as a traveling business person, meaning, I'm not in my office all that often, it would be nice to of Skype to offer a business package (inbound, outbound, forwarding) or suite, that didn't cost a fortune. I would probably pay for that.
So, my conclusion, I probably won't pay for outbound only Skype. It's not a complete solution for me. Maybe I'll look to add the Vonage V-Phone to mobile office.
read more...
1. The sound quality wasn't too bad. There we're a few small glitches, but too many.
2. A lot of the time people wouldn't answer their phone, especially on a cell phone, when they saw the number 00123456789 as the incoming number,m I probably wouldn't either.
3. I don't have a lot of friends using Skype. A few, but not a lot, and most of the ones that do use Skype, don't have headsets readily available (which sorta defeats the purpose of being logged into Skype).
4. I like the fact I could be anywhere with a high speed connection and make outbound phone calls. But as a traveling business person, meaning, I'm not in my office all that often, it would be nice to of Skype to offer a business package (inbound, outbound, forwarding) or suite, that didn't cost a fortune. I would probably pay for that.
So, my conclusion, I probably won't pay for outbound only Skype. It's not a complete solution for me. Maybe I'll look to add the Vonage V-Phone to mobile office.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Just what mobile screen space needs, more ads
As a frequent reader of Seth Godin, I'm excited to see what his latest post will bring. His rant over Verizon considering selling ad space on an already tight mobile phone screen is simply outrageous. In my opinion, John Harrobin should be tossed. If for nothing else than an attempt to alienate his customers. If I were on the BOD of Verizon, he would be gone before the end of the day. But that's just me. I'm not a Verizon customer thank God, and if they go to ads on phones I never will be.
T-Mobile... are you hearing this? You already have the crappiest phone selection on the market, please don't make it worse by falling victim to the ad game.
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T-Mobile... are you hearing this? You already have the crappiest phone selection on the market, please don't make it worse by falling victim to the ad game.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
The Z-List Links
This is a great meme, I just couldn't resist. Lot's of link love. Saw this orginally on Seth Godins site. If you want to participate, go for it. Make sure to add my additions to the main list, add your own, visit all the links. Have fun.
Here are my additions to the Z-List
- John Windsor
- Michelle Marts
- Jennifer Rice
- Geno Church
- Being Peter Kim
- Pow! Right Between The Eyes! Andy Nulman’s Blog About Surprise
- Billions With Zero Knowledge
- Working at Home on the Internet
- Kinetic Ideas
- Unconventional Thinking
- Buzzoodle
- NewsPaperGrl
- The Copywriting Maven
- MapleLeaf 2.0
- darrenbarefoot.com
- Shotgun Marketing Blog
- BrandSizzle
- bizsolutionsplus
- Customers Rock!
- Two Hat Marketing
- The Emerging Brand
- The Branding Blog
- CrapHammer
- Drew's Marketing Minute
- Golden Practices
- Viaspire
- Tell Ten Friends
- Flooring the Consumer
- Hee-Haw Marketing
- Scott Burkett's Pothole on the Infobahn
- On Influence & Automation
- Bullshitobserver
- Servant of Chaos
- Frozen Puck
- The Sartorialist
- Small Surfaces
- Africa Unchained
- converstations
- eSoup
- Presentation Zen
- Dmitry Linkov
- aialone
- John Wagner
- Nick Rice
- CKs Blog
- Design Sojourn
- Perspective
- ¡Hola! Oi! Hi!
- Shut Up and Drink the Kool-Aid!
- Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together
- Social Media on the fly
- gDiapers
- Marketing Nirvana
- Multi-Cult Classics
- Logic + Emotion
- Branding & Marketing
- Popcorn n Roses
- Bob Sutton
- Jeremy Latham’s Blog
- SMogger Social Media Blog
- Masey.com
- MovieMarketingMadness
- UniqueEpitome
- ReBang
- uzyn
- TheQualitativeResearchBlog
- MineThatData
- Experienceology
- Freaking Marketing
- Really Small Fish
- The Orange Yeti
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Tweaking the site
Sorry for any disruptions with the site. I've switched hosting providers and there have been a few small glitches. But, hopefully everything is back up and running.
Check out the Archives, the Photos, and something About Me. Have a great day.
Monday, December 4, 2006
Windows Software not so Essential
I rarely, if ever, respond to a blog post to counter claims. But this one is just too dear to my heart to let it past. First, I think it is admirable that Trent took the time to point out all the free, or nearly free, software that you can use on a Windows computer. But there are some suggestions that just don't make sense to me:
1. Firefox: I agree 100%.
2. Thunderbird: Only if you have need to access pop3 email or loath Outlook as I do. An alternative is to use Gmail. And no installation required.
3. Sunbird: Ok, this is a pretty decent program, but I would still prefer Google Calendar. No installation required.
4. Abiword: Again, nice application, but Google Docs & Spreadsheets fits the bill nicely. No installation required.
5. OpenOffice: If you have the need for office applications, something more than Google Docs & Spreadsheets, then I think OpenOffice is a decent application. But still requires installing software.
6. ClamWin: I'll buy this recommendation. You could also use the freeware version of Grisoft's AVG AntiVirus.
7. Gaim: Well, I don't really like this application. It's clunky. Doesn't have a lot of features. There are other options. This one works though.
8. BitTorrent: Nagware. I don't mind paying for software that's really good. But we're basically talking about a program designed to share stolen software and music.
9. GIMP: I use this, so yeah I agree 100%. You could also try Paint.Net which I am using more of lately.
10. Gnucleus: Perr-to-peer is so over. To much risk and there is so much crap out there. Pay for what you need.
11. VLC Media Player: This isn't a bad application. Not sure what the reason for an alternative is. Windows Media Player will play just about every type of audio file out there. Not all mind you, but most of the main stream types. If your trying to listen to something other than a standard audio or video file, there are plenty of places that have CODECS for you to install which will allow you to listen/view these other media types.
12: Juice: iTunes... ever heard of iTunes? Ever heard of RSS? Either one of these are far superior to a podcast download program.
13. Audacity: Use religiously. I produce my podcast with it. This is my favorite.
14. RSSOwl: With so many web based RSS readers out there, why would you ever want to install an application just to read RSS feeds? Bloglines and Google Reader are superior alternatives. And nothing to install.
15. FileZilla: Again, a program that I use on a constant basis. I've tried dozens of FTP programs, and nothing comes close to the clean simple reliable features FileZilla provides.
16. Keynote: I'm sorry, but an application written in Visual Basic 3.0 just shouldn't be allowed to live. Of course I don't know what language it was written in, and I'm sure at it's most basic level, UI is the least of it's developers worries. But, I've found a cheap note pad makes for a great system. Then, when I'm back at my desk, I can review the notes, enter the important tasks or notes into me electronic system, then trash the paper. I personally think people who bring laptops to meeting ought to be asked to leave or turn it off. Unless you are going to use it for a presentation, it's just plain rude to be constantly typing as others are talking.
17. MusikCube: I had never heard of this application, and so I spent some time looking at it. Nice. I would agree this is a great alternative to iTunes.
18. Handbrake: Yes, I agree here. Get this application. It's awesome.
19. X-Chat 2: Who the hell uses IRC anymore? This is a must have application?
20. KeePass: Most people really don't have the patience to load an application to look up a password. According to most studies, people tend to use the same password everywhere. Even if you don't, you use a select few. These types of applications seem really cool at first, but trying to use them is just a waste of time.
21. TrueCrypt: I tried TrueCrypt a while back. It was ok. Again, it was a lot of hassle for what I perceive to be little value.
22. PDFCreator: This is a great addition. You should also look at pdfonline.com, where you can convert just about any type of file into a PDF, free.
23. FreeMind: As a must have application? Uh, maybe for some academics. Yes, I understand the technology and what it's uses are. The problem is most people don't want to use a computer to create mind maps. I can do it on a notepad about 100 times faster than I can with a software program. If you want, create the mindmap on paper then transfer it to FreeMind.
24. NASA Worldwind: This is an interesting application. Mostly for the "ahh" affect. There isn't any real mainstream use for mapping sites, unless you need specific driving directions. I have found Yahoo! Maps to be somewhat more reliable in my area than Google Maps.
25. Notepad2: Use it everyday. Nice application.
26. HealthMonitor: Hmm, keep it or leave it. These types of applications are typically used by hardware geeks. The average user couldn't care less about CPU performance or drivers loaded. They just don't.
27. Workrave: Again, not a must have.
28. GanttPV: This is a nice alternative to Microsoft Project. There are also many web based project management tools, no installation required.
29. GnuCash: Sorry, but if I'm going to put my personal financial records on my computer, I'm not sure this would be my choice. I admit I haven't used this application, but I'd be real concerned about encryption and security.
30. True Combat: Elite: Get some... have fun.
So, there you have it from my point of view. One thing I've tried to do recently is remove a bunch of software that needs to be installed and use web based applications when possible. You might think that using web based applications is prohibitive, and to some it may be, but most people these days have high speed access to the Internet, and if you don't, then the applications listed above will work great for you.
Please visit the original post here.
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Book Review: The Long Tail
I just finished The Long Tail. Interesting book. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. There isn't anything wrong with the book, but it didn't blow my socks off. I got the gist in the first few chapters. I'm seeing Long Tail scenarios all over the place. Funny no one has ever tagged like this before. Read it, but get it from the Library.
The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More
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The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More
Open Letter to Seth Godin
Dear Seth,
Long time reader, if this we're going to be on your blog instead of mine, I would be a first time poster. Thanks is in order for your latest book, "small is the new big".
I'm not a marketer, but I recognize the value of marketing which is why I enjoy your books and blog. As Hugh said on TheGapingVoid "Seth, besides being THE MASTER of brevity [I've referred to him in the past as "the Ernest Hemingway of marketing"]". Very well put. I'll agree. And that's the reason I've enjoyed your work so far.
But Seth, this book, it's the best thing I've ever read. I just finished The Long Tail by Chris Anderson (which I blogged about here). What could have been said in about 20 pages went on for hundreds. So, as you asked me to do in the WARNING, I'm going to read a few pages, share them with others, do something with it, then do it again.
Here's my commitment. I am going to pick 10 topics from your book. Share them, internalize them, make them part of my life. Then, after seeing how well this works, maybe I'll pick another ten. We'll see. But for now, it's ten.
If you are reading this post and haven't picked up Seth's book, click right here, or go to Borders, or B&N or somewhere. Get the book. It will be the best money you have ever spent. Trust me. Did you click on the link yet? Well, what are you waiting for.
your friend,
Thom Allen
read more...
Long time reader, if this we're going to be on your blog instead of mine, I would be a first time poster. Thanks is in order for your latest book, "small is the new big".
I'm not a marketer, but I recognize the value of marketing which is why I enjoy your books and blog. As Hugh said on TheGapingVoid "Seth, besides being THE MASTER of brevity [I've referred to him in the past as "the Ernest Hemingway of marketing"]". Very well put. I'll agree. And that's the reason I've enjoyed your work so far.
But Seth, this book, it's the best thing I've ever read. I just finished The Long Tail by Chris Anderson (which I blogged about here). What could have been said in about 20 pages went on for hundreds. So, as you asked me to do in the WARNING, I'm going to read a few pages, share them with others, do something with it, then do it again.
Here's my commitment. I am going to pick 10 topics from your book. Share them, internalize them, make them part of my life. Then, after seeing how well this works, maybe I'll pick another ten. We'll see. But for now, it's ten.
If you are reading this post and haven't picked up Seth's book, click right here, or go to Borders, or B&N or somewhere. Get the book. It will be the best money you have ever spent. Trust me. Did you click on the link yet? Well, what are you waiting for.
your friend,
Thom Allen
Friday, November 24, 2006
It’s Official: Tech Books Are Extinct
I've been watching the technology books on the shelves at my local book store dwindle over the past few years. Especially hard core books for subjects like programming and certification. I know you can buy books online for a fraction of the price and that's where most people are buying books these days.
But in the work place who actually uses tech books anymore? With the Internet at my fingertips and the all knowing Google, do books actually have relevance any more?
Programming
Used to be when I had a programming question I would grab my Professional XML book, or the Programming in C# book. But no longer. Now, I zip over to Code Project for relevant code examples that are based on current technologies. And that's not the only site. There are hundreds of portal sites, blogs, examples, forums and so on. It's a good thing Google knows how to program, because I might not look very good to my customers without it... kidding of course.
Certification
When I started studying for my MCSD, I dusted off a couple of older books I had on the core topics like SQL 2000 Administration, Analyzing Requirements, and C# Development. But even now, I can get as much from study forums and blogs than I ever could reading a book. I can get almost immediate feed back and assistance from the community when ever I need it. A book can't give you that.
Digital Books
In the fast paced world of software development, I don't have time to thumb through a book for help. Some might wonder, if I need a book, should I even be doing this? Well, not everyone has a photographic memory, nor do I have the necessity to remember every little nuance of a programming language. I know a good amount, and don't typically need help, but when I do, it's nice to know I don't have to throw down $70 to have access to a small and typically outdated piece of information.
One more indication that tech books are becoming extinct? My local library. Where they used to have almost two entire rows of tech books, it has been reduced to half of one row. Wow... that was amazing to me.
If you write tech books are you concerned that your efforts may not get the attention it once did a few years ago? Is the effort worth it?
I'd pay for an e-book maybe. They are portable. But as I said. With technology, information becomes outdated quickly. That's why maybe book blogs would be a good idea. Sell an e-book online, then sell upgrades or revisions for a fee. Users would subscribe to an e-book. Then be given periodic updates for a set amount of time. What if an Author could continue to make money on books already purchased? I'd pay for that if I knew the information was going to be updated or improved.
Now I'm just thinking on the fly but it seems to make sense. By the way, I have a shelf full of outdated books that I don't use. Probably a thousand dollars worth. If anyone would like them, let me know. I am planning on donating them to the local library very soon. I'm going digital.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Canon is most popular on Flickr
Canon seems to be the leading camera among those who post pictures to Flickr.com; by a lot. Canon has 3 of the top 5 cameras. That's good for them. It's also interesting to me, someone who doesn't own a Canon or a Nikon, the other two cameras in the top 5. What am I missing. I need to know more.
I took a few minutes to read through Darren Rowse site about Photography to see if what he had to say about these cameras. As usual there was more than enough for me to read.
Here is the link to the Flickr story and a list of cameras that are in their most popular brands section. But when it comes to Point and Shoot cameras the Canon PowerShot takes the cake. No other camera comes close. The top 5 are all PowerShots. Interesting.
In summary, the top 5 most popular cameras on Flickr are Digital SLR's. Not one Point and Shoot.
DSLR: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Kodak and Fujifilm.
The other stat Flickr shows is the use of camera phones. Sony Ericsson started way out in the lead but has basically been caught by Nokia. Camera phones are a little different than point and shoot or DSLR cameras. The quality isn't as good, usually, but you can take and post pictures to Flickr fast. I was in T-Mobile the other day looking for a replacement phone and I think every model they offered had some type of camera built in and had BlueTooth(tm) capabilities.
Point and Shoot: Canon.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Windows Live Writer; bug in future date
I have been posting articles with future dates for one of my other blogs using Windows Live Writer. I like doing this, because I set aside a block of time to write several articles at a time and then just set the date for some time in the future. Then I move on. It's a great feature in WordPress. However, Windows Live Writer doesn't play so well when it comes to future dates.
My example is I set a post this morning to be available on November 27th at 12 AM. When I looked at the post, I noticed the date was set to 1969. Ha, that won't work. So I tried it again, thinking maybe I fat figured something. But not so. Even though, in the Properties section of the editor, I set the date to something in the future, it always defaults to something in the distant past. Not good.
I look around today and couldn't find a fix or even mention of it. Oh well. Maybe I didn't look hard enough. The support forums are basically non-existent, so I'm not sure where to turn. I hope some time a developer for the product reads this and can help me out.
Friday, November 17, 2006
When you fail; admit it
There are a lot of really cool projects on the net. There are so many I can't even begin to describe them. I really like Flickr as I've mentioned here, here and here. So, when I saw this cool project a guy did taking a picture of himself for 365 straight days, I thought, "hey, I can do that." Hah! I was wrong.
It was good for a few weeks. I was very diligent. Then I had a problem. I got sick. So sick I couldn't even get out of bed for two days. So, technically, I failed exactly 18 days into the project. I tried making it up, I really did. But, it just was more than I could handle. How lame.
In the end, I failed. Miserably.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
The End by Kerry Politzer
[audio:http://www.digitalthom.com/audio/Kerry Politzer - The End-.mp3]
This is my first post using the Audio Player plugin. I was getting ready to use Ken's song in a podcast but thought I would use it as my first post as well.
Kerry's song, The End, is a great slow easy jazz tune. At first, I didn't like what I heard, and usually, when I'm previewing songs for my podcast if a song doesn't catch my ear right away I move on. But for some reason I decided to wait it out on this one. And man was I glad.
I think you'll really enjoy this track. It's one of the better tracks I've come across in some time. Thanks Kerry.
Get the MP3 here.
Buy the record here.
read more...
This is my first post using the Audio Player plugin. I was getting ready to use Ken's song in a podcast but thought I would use it as my first post as well.
Kerry's song, The End, is a great slow easy jazz tune. At first, I didn't like what I heard, and usually, when I'm previewing songs for my podcast if a song doesn't catch my ear right away I move on. But for some reason I decided to wait it out on this one. And man was I glad.
I think you'll really enjoy this track. It's one of the better tracks I've come across in some time. Thanks Kerry.
Get the MP3 here.
Buy the record here.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Flickr and Real Estate Are A Great Pair
Yes, I'm the 50 millionth person to blog about flickr. But it won't be my last. I'm upgrading to a Pro account today. The way I see it is Flickr integrates with Wordpress, if I change web hosts, I can still have all my photos; the list just goes on.
I blogged about using Flickr and real estate here. It's been my most read post; by hundreds. I think it really is a huge way to use Flickr. There are several things you can now do with YouTube as well when it comes to real estate. Check out my first attempt at integrating a Wordpress blog as my main real estate site and Flickr. It's pretty slick. I'm starting to blog over at realtyblogging.com. Not sure what that will lead to but we'll see.
Try this... Flickr Explore. They are doing some really great things like:
Giving your all as a parent
I found this link to a story about Dick Hoyt. I've seen several news and documentary stories on the guy and his son, who is physically unable to take care of himself but seems to be very intelligent. If you're a prent, this guy puts us to shame. If we did a tenth of what this guy has done for his child imagine the relationships we would have with our children. Read the story then look at your own life.
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Thursday, October 19, 2006
I’m selling my Dell Axim x51v
IDell sells this unit brand new for $499. I think it's worth about $400 with the two cards and software on it. So, tell me what you are willing to pay. I'm going to be putting it on ebay soon, so, if you would like first crack at it before then, please send an email to thom DOT axim @ gmail DOT com.
digitalthom : the music project
Ok, another project... don't tell my wife, she may just ask me to leave. But I really need to do this one. As you know, I've been trying to produce an Indie Jazz music podcast for the past several months. I really appreciate the opportunity that The Podcast Network has given me. I haven't been as consistent over the past month or so and I'm trying to get my life back on track after a major alteration.
For the first 18 years of my life I played musical instruments. Specifically, string instruments. I started playing the Violin, then the Cello, then ultimately the stand up Bass. It was the Bass that got me really excited. I got a different feeling when I played. I knew it was the one. I moved on to electric bass some time in high school, but I've had a love of the Bass ever since.
It's been about 20 years since I have actually picked up a Bass and started playing. My wife, bless her heart, bought me a new set up for Christmas last year and I've been trying to get back into it ever since. But, now I really am going to make a conscience effort to become extremely proficient at it.
The reason I mention the The Jazz Show podcast is because while finding music for the show, I have an opportunity to listen to great Jazz music. There are so many excellent musicians out there. It's what has sparked my interest to take The Music Project to the next level.
More on it as I progress.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Writing my first book
I've been tossing around a story that I think would make a great book. The idea is pretty simple, but very emotional. However, I've decided to use the truth of the story and throw in some fiction to make it relevant to what's happening in our world today.
The title of the book came pretty quick. I'm going to call it "The Last Post". The premise is based on an actual event that took place in the desert of 29 Palms California while I was serving as a United States Marine.
I'm going to start the book on my blog thomwriting.blogspot.com. Hopefully I can get through the first chapter really quick.
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The title of the book came pretty quick. I'm going to call it "The Last Post". The premise is based on an actual event that took place in the desert of 29 Palms California while I was serving as a United States Marine.
I'm going to start the book on my blog thomwriting.blogspot.com. Hopefully I can get through the first chapter really quick.
Programmers are fat
Yes, we are all geek's, at least most of you reading this. And I'm here to tell you, most programmers are big. Too big. I'm one of them. If you are a hard core programmer who has been doing it for any length of time, it's conceivable you are way too big for your own good, am I right?
Here's the deal. In an effort to please our clients/employers, we sacrifice our own lives all in the name of technology. We sacrifice our health all in the name of meeting a deadline.
I know my previous words are mostly tongue in cheek, and I'm sure there are fewer overweight programmers than I make there out to be. But, looking around some of the development teams over the past few months, and then taking a really good look at myself, yeah, we're big.
See, the problem is, to much programming will lessen your life span. Want to live to see 90, program fewer hours, drink less Rock Star, go on vacation, and for crying out loud, eat a healthy diet.
["all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"] is a great post on a similar problem.
So last night, I took the first step to reducing my overage. I got a membership at a gym. I have grandeur's of looking like my old Marine self again, along with help from these guys. I'll make a good effort (went to the gym at 6AM this morning) and hopefully, I can gain back a few years of my life.
I know this is a little off topic, but I'm genuinely concerned about my fellow geek's. Take control.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Crappy digital pictures
I'm either a moron (a word I love to use when I describe someone who has no clue), or the camera I have just simply sucks. Here's the deal. I was taking pictures at my wife's 40th birthday party (she will kill me when she reads this), and the majority came out blurry, off color, and seemed to pick up every fleck of dust floating in the air. I was hoping it's the camera. It would b e easier to blame, but it's most likely my not understanding the way the camera works.
After I saw the pictures I took (see them here), I decided to head over to Darren Rowse web site Digital Camera Reviews. I thought maybe I was missing something. Maybe I didn't understand how to use a freakin point and shoot digital camera. The camera in question (oh, I'll get back to Darren's site in a minute) is a Casio Exilim EX-Z57, 5.0 Mega Pixel, 3x Optical. Nice camera, light, small, has a SanDisk UltraII 512MB (USB) card for memory. Large screen on the back to see the photos. But it still takes what I consider to be crappy pictures.There are a number, something like 20, condition settings available; black and white, night time, portrait, kids, sports, and so on. I typically use the indoor or outdoor setting.
Back to Darren's Digital Camera site. I searched for my camera, and no luck. He hasn't done a review and it's not in the online store. Probably because it's an older camera, two years maybe.But
But, I did find a couple of real good tutorials on his Digital Photography School blog. Like, 11 Tips for Better Candid Photography, here, (similar to the party pictures I butchered). I also found this great tutorial, Photographing people from different angles.
Anyway, after looking around, reading, and trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing wrong, I quit. It must be me. I'm going to spend the afternoon using each setting of the camera and taking pictures of the same subject.
I hope this doesn't affect my 356Photos Project. Because I want you all to see my good side.
read more...
After I saw the pictures I took (see them here), I decided to head over to Darren Rowse web site Digital Camera Reviews. I thought maybe I was missing something. Maybe I didn't understand how to use a freakin point and shoot digital camera. The camera in question (oh, I'll get back to Darren's site in a minute) is a Casio Exilim EX-Z57, 5.0 Mega Pixel, 3x Optical. Nice camera, light, small, has a SanDisk UltraII 512MB (USB) card for memory. Large screen on the back to see the photos. But it still takes what I consider to be crappy pictures.There are a number, something like 20, condition settings available; black and white, night time, portrait, kids, sports, and so on. I typically use the indoor or outdoor setting.
Back to Darren's Digital Camera site. I searched for my camera, and no luck. He hasn't done a review and it's not in the online store. Probably because it's an older camera, two years maybe.But
But, I did find a couple of real good tutorials on his Digital Photography School blog. Like, 11 Tips for Better Candid Photography, here, (similar to the party pictures I butchered). I also found this great tutorial, Photographing people from different angles.
Anyway, after looking around, reading, and trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing wrong, I quit. It must be me. I'm going to spend the afternoon using each setting of the camera and taking pictures of the same subject.
I hope this doesn't affect my 356Photos Project. Because I want you all to see my good side.
365 Photos Project
Not sure why I want to try this, but it seems interesting. Taking one picture of myself every day for 365 days. Can I do it? Not sure, but I'm going t try. I hope I can vary the location of the pictures I take. You can see all the photos here.
RSS feed of 365Project
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RSS feed of 365ProjectFriday, October 13, 2006
Why does Windows Live Writer do this?
I clicked on the Get Posting Style button when setting up a new blog account in Windows Live Writer. Then I noticed this entry title on my blog page: "Temporary Post Used For Style Detection (c560c898-8ea2-xxxx-xxxx-d25b48d206ed)" What the hell? That is totally stupid. If you're going to post something to my blog and not tell me about it, the least you can do is delete it when you are done. Doh! What if I hadn't noticed it for several days, what an oaf I would look like. That's a bug. Please fix it.
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Software Security Sucks
The reason software security sucks is because as a developer/architect/user, they mean different things to each one. As a developer, it's a pain to implement it. As an Architect, it's a pain to define it. As a user, I don't really give two cents unless it prevents me from doing my job.
Now, I guess I should back down from post title. But it's true. Developing and designing applications with security in mind is a very daunting task. In my opinion, and of course, it's all mine, web applications seem to provide the biggest scare to employers and users. Desktop application for some reason gives everyone a sense of security. Could it be that it's primarily self contained?
There have been hundreds of white papers, blog posts and books written about software security. A company I worked for not long ago, which sells security software, had two security experts on staff. Guys who all they do is help define the security concerns for the architecture of the software.
[just had a thought about testing and security, next post]
I know this, in the end, when it comes right down to it, most companies will bend and forgo any security in software, especially if their current development staff doesn't understand the necessity of security. Sure they may learn some, but it will be weak at best.
OK, I admit it. I'm one of those guys. As I was looking at a project I'm working on today, I was a little stumped as to where the security holes were. Or were there even any? As the leader of an enormous one man operation, I should know this stuff. So, I set off to learn more about the security of software development.
Yes, Office 2.0 is for me
I wanted to jump in on this discussion, mainly because I am very passionate about these Web 2.0 apps.
Honestly, I don't care if they are aptly named "Web 2.0", or Web 3.0 or Webbies or what ever. What I do care about is they are accessible from pretty much anywhere I can get an Internet connection.
As I posted here, I'm really open to these applications. As stated in Chris's post (here), not everyone needs every feature of a wordprocessor like Microsoft Word. In fact, I don't even need all the features in a Google Docs. But I like the interface, the ability to use several document formats, and I'm sure as Google goes along, it will get better. And I'm willing to look past it.
I don't think any of these applications are ready for full Enterprise deployments, nor do I think they were intended as such. As an Enterprise user, I would feel very frustrated knowing that I must be connected to the Internet to use my wordprocessor or spreadsheet. But if you don't care or need to, then yeah, these Web 2.0 apps are fantastic.
October Breast Cancer Awareness
I added a cool little badge to the right that links to the National Breast Cancer Awareness site. Please take a moment and visit the site to learn more about this disease.
Over the past several years I have lost several members of my family to cancer. It's a devastating disease. It affects more than the person who's sick. Recently a good friend of mine lost a brother to cancer. When I called to convey my condolences, I asked what I could do for him and his Family. His answer... make people aware of cancer, and do all you can to help find a cure. That's all I want. I don't want another family to go though what we have.
I agree. So, I am doing my part to try and help find a cure for something that is so devastating.
I also want to recognize that several of my Family members are stricken with Multiple Sclerosis. This is an equally debilitating and deadly disease.
Please consider donating to any charity that is dedicated to fighting and finding a cure for these deadly diseases.
Image from Sarah Ballard
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Tracking my development time
I know there are probably a thousand utilities to track timed events. In the case where I need to track how much time I spend working on a clients project, I found a great little application called TimeLeft. Why do I like it? It's small. I can keep it running on the top of my windows and it doesn't get in the way. I can take a quick glance and see where I'm at. I can quickly pause, or all together stop. Again, there a probably a thousand different utilities I could have used, but this one really fits my needs. Thought I would share.
Monday, October 9, 2006
WriteToMyBlog, easy and works great
I have been using WriteToMyBlog the last couple of days. It's a great little app, web based, supports several blogging API's. Here are a couple of my quick assessments:
1. It seems to have a lot of
A theme that finally works
After dinking around with themes for the past oh, 3 months, or for ever, I have finally found one that I like and seems to work really well with Wordpress Widgets. I'll keep tweaking the interface, but as it stands, it really works well.
read more...
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Back in the “IT” world
OK, so I thought I would try something different. And I did... sort of. I was never 100% out of the IT world. I was doing contract programming. And now... that's what I'm doing again, full time.
I guess it's in my blood. It's what I really want to be doing. There are a lot of variations of things I want to do, ideas I have. The down time gave me an opportunity to look at a lot of things.
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I guess it's in my blood. It's what I really want to be doing. There are a lot of variations of things I want to do, ideas I have. The down time gave me an opportunity to look at a lot of things.
Friday, September 22, 2006
In memory of my Grandmother
M. Irene Ramey Allen Flygare Irwin 1919 ~ 2006 M. Irene Ramey Allen Flygare Irwin, age 86, passed away September 20, 2006 in Salt Lake City, Utah after a short, but valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. Irene was born November 10, 1919 in Green River, Utah to Moad Ramey and Cynthia Adams Ramey. She graduated from Brigham Young University and Price Business School. She married Floyd K. Allen on August 9, 1941 in Green River, Utah. She married Carl Flygare, later divorced. She married Harvey Irwin who passed away July 20, 1991. She was a faithful member of the LDS Church and loved the gospel. She loved to dance, crochet and read. She had many friends at the West Jordan Senior Center, and was loved and will be missed by family and friends. Irene is survived by her daughter, Kaye Krueger; stepdaughter, Judy Irwin; son, Boyd (Susan) Allen; stepsons, Tom (Diane) Irwin and Robert (JoAnn) Flygare; many nieces and nephews; brother, Don (Marjorie) Ramey; 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Harvey Irwin; brothers, Wayne and Eugene Ramey. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, September 23, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. at the Valley View Funeral Home Chapel, 4335 West 4100 South, West Valley City, Utah. The family will receive friends at a viewing from 9:30 until 10:45 a.m. prior to the service on Saturday. Interment: Valley View Memorial Park.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
The only magazine you’ll ever need
Pretty bold huh? Well, if you're into building a business, running a business, trying to get great business ideas, learn from the most successful business builders on the planet, you need Inc. 500. No, this isn't an ad for the magazine. I don't get any kick back from them. I just know, that pretty much the only magazine I put money down for any more is the yearly 500.
The Internet, for me anyway, has basically eliminated the need to purchase magazines. The information in a magazine is usually 30 or more days old and are so full of advertising it makes reading an article almost impossible. I feel like I chase an article; start on page 1, continued on page 96, continued on page 30, continued on page 55.
Almost every magazine has an online version. It's sort of counter productive don't you think? I know, magazines can go places computers can't, but I don't really care. If I need something to read, I'll just download content to my Treo and read it where ever I want.
If you stopped blogging, would anyone care?
I'm a big fan of ProBlogger.net, where Darrin starts a lot of group writing project (I participated in this one, and hopefully the next one), and it generates a lot activity. What does this have to do with my questions?
Well, what IF you turned your blog off? Would anyone really care? Do your posts move or excite people? Do you even know if you have avid readers?
Tell me about your blog and why the blogosphere is be better off because of you.
I'll start... no, I doubt anyone would really care. Why? Because for the longest time I have just posted what I would consider drivel. Stuff that is important to me but probably not to many others. Sure, I've had my share of good posts. Stories that generated some comments. But in the end, looking back over 3 years of blogging, I've seemed to miss the point. Because I never really had a point.
At one time I wanted to post about NASCAR each week. That lasted for about 3 races, then I stopped. I wanted to post about hockey, that lasted for about as many posts. Then it was music. I don't even think I posted anything on music. I really thought I could make headway posting about tech stuff, for the simple fact I'm a geektoid. But alas, there is so much noise in the space.
As I've learned from ProBlogger.net and many others, is a blog has to have a direction. It has to give the readers some value. Give them something to keep coming back.
So, again, if you stopped blogging, would anyone care?
Monday, September 11, 2006
Saturday, September 9, 2006
I hate domain squatters
It makes no sense. It just doesn't. I don't care how convincing the story. Domain squatting is stupid, careless, stupid, (should be illegal), stupid, and should I say stupid?
Why would anyone want to spend all that money on domains which probably make them little if any money.
Many a good domain name sit hi-jacked by a bunch of morons.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Google Office is a Reality
Yes, today I joined the ranks of millions and activated my Google Writely account. By doing so I now have my tri-fecta for an on line Office Suite.
1. GMail
2. Writley
3. Spreadsheets
I also use GCalendar (Google Calendar), and I hope that some time in the future there will be a direct sync to my Treo 700p.
Since I'm sure there are thousands of reviews of Writley on the net, I'll just tell you that there are three things that really jazz me over this product. One, it will read my Microsoft Word documents. Two it allows me to email my Writely account a Word document or other text to become a Writley document. Three its web based.
Go hereand sign up if you haven't already.
read more...
1. GMail
2. Writley
3. Spreadsheets
I also use GCalendar (Google Calendar), and I hope that some time in the future there will be a direct sync to my Treo 700p.
Since I'm sure there are thousands of reviews of Writley on the net, I'll just tell you that there are three things that really jazz me over this product. One, it will read my Microsoft Word documents. Two it allows me to email my Writely account a Word document or other text to become a Writley document. Three its web based.
Go hereand sign up if you haven't already.
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
Voice recording on a Treo
As I was driving around town this morning, I was fumbling trying to send myself reminder emails on my Palm Treo of things that were coming into my head. I know, trying to type on a Treo while driving, dumb; I thought the same thing. That's when it occurred to me; why don't you use the voice recorder instead as you keep telling others to do. Duh.
So I pressed the button on the side and started talking. Man, it's easier than sending email to yourself. I encourage you to stop sending email to yourself while driving. It can save a life.
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So I pressed the button on the side and started talking. Man, it's easier than sending email to yourself. I encourage you to stop sending email to yourself while driving. It can save a life.
I’m not a pro blogger, yet
I knew I was not a "real" pro blogger, but I thought I would at least see how I rated according to the REAL ProBlogger. Here is how I scored;
Want to know where you stand as a pro blogger? Try it here.
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Serious Amateur
You managed to score 16 points out of 40.
You might not be a full time blogger yet but you've got some promising Signs! Keep at it!
Want to know where you stand as a pro blogger? Try it here.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Problogger group writing project - my favorites
After reading all the blogs, commenting on most, I think I have found what I would consider my favorite posts on the topic posed on Problogger.net. Here they are in no particular order.
Discovering More Time by Steve
Brand Your Blog From Day 1 by Eric
But Don’t Look Back in Anger by Jan
Kill Fifty Birds with One Stone by Curt
12 Things I would do if I had to start my Blog again by JohnTP
Here is the link to the entire list of participators.
I really enjoyed this little exercise, and learned a lot. Unitl next time.
read more...
Discovering More Time by Steve
Brand Your Blog From Day 1 by Eric
But Don’t Look Back in Anger by Jan
Kill Fifty Birds with One Stone by Curt
12 Things I would do if I had to start my Blog again by JohnTP
Here is the link to the entire list of participators.
I really enjoyed this little exercise, and learned a lot. Unitl next time.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Great little hack for tracking time
I've been a long time reader of lifehacker.com. I download the occasional "daily download", use the todo.txt file, and have implemented several other tricks. But this one, the worklog.txt file, created and maintained by a simple script file and opened with CTL+ALT+L (for Windows OS), made this little hack my all time favorite. Why? The simplicity. I am at my PC a good amount of the day, and I am doing various tasks for various clients. This is going to be a great way for me to quickly start and stop tasks. Thanks Gina.
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Sunday, July 23, 2006
The vision for this blog… would I do it again?
Over at ProBlogger, Darren has started a great thread asking the question, would you run your blog the same way? It is an interesting question. I've enjoyed reading how many other well known bloggers answered the question. Now Darren has put the question out to all his readers. So, I thought I would take a stab at it.When I first started blogging, back in 2002, I remember the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 were still fresh on every ones mind, including mine. I'm a former United States Marine. I'd been out of the service for quite some time when the attacks happened but my sense of duty was running high. I knew I wasn't in a position to re-join my brothers, but I could be vocal about supporting them.
I was reading a copy of Java Developers Journal when I came across an article by the editor, Alan Williamson, and he mentioned a "blogging" service his company started called blog-city.com. So I did some poking around, and started my first blog. It was all about military stuff, specifically, Marines. I had a pretty good little following. It's something I discovered happens when your blog is part of a community. You tend to have a lot of readers from that community. But as time went on I expanded the blog to cover other issues, and inevitably, hosting my own blog with WordPress.
The question then, would I do it all over again, I would have to answer with a resounding yes. I've learned more over the past several years because of my association with blogs than at any other time in my life. My current blog, digitalthom.com, is going through a sort of transition. From something that was a hobby, to something that will actually make me money. I don't want to be a professional blogger like Darren, but I do think my blog can be an integral part of my business.
The things I would do differently would be to have better meta words, better content, and longer relevant posts. Something that would continue to draw people in. I've really been looking at AdSense (because there appears to be a lot of people making money), so, I'm trying to figure out the best way to implement it in my blog.
So yeah, I'd do it all over. For starters I would be a little more focused on what I know and how I can add value, but at the end of the day I'd still be doing this stuff. I'm really getting into podcasting and hope to expand my blog readership by expanding my podcasting.
Thanks Darren for giving others the opportunity to share.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Star Trek XI in 2008
I've been following the news about a new Star Trek movie, dubbed Star Trek XI for a while now on TrekWeb.com, and this morning got a tip on new swag for the next movie looking to be out in 2008.
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Thursday, July 20, 2006
Old but worth watching again
This is an old commercial from Super Bowl 2006, Honoring Our Military, but its worth watching again.
High Speed
Medium Speed
Low Speed
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High Speed
Medium Speed
Low Speed
Widgets broken with Now Reading
I was really struggling trying to figure out why all of a sudden the widget configuration stopped working. After doing some digging around, I found this post on the Wordpress Forums, and that's all I needed. It was the Now Reading plugin. Disabled it and now I can configure the widgets. Hmm, I wonder if there is an update.
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Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Removing sharpie ink from white board
I inherited a dry erase board (white board) that someone had used permanent marker on. I really didn't want to spend money on a new board and it was the right size. It has sat leaning on my office wall for the past few weeks. I keep meaning to try and figure out a way to remove the marker. But I guess I'm too lazy. But today, I quickly put "remove permanent market white board" in google.com and the first entry, Mom's Budget, gave me the answer.
I thought, there is no way putting dry marker over the permanent marker would remove the ink. But low and behold It worked. It's not perfect and there is some residual that I suppose will never come off. But when I clean it with the special white board cleaning solution, I hope it will be almost good as new. So thanks Mom's Budget for helping me out today.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
The Four Agreements
I just finished reading The Four Agreements. Very interesting book. Don Miguel Ruiz did a pretty good job with this book. It's a little too touchy feely for me, but it gets the point across.
When I tell you your web site is broken, it is
I've been involved with software development for many many years. I've done everything from writing code to testing products. I think I've learned what a really good interface is and how to make them better. So, when I stop by your web site and tell you that I think it's fantastic, has a lot of great content, plenty of reasons to come back, but clicking on the links to each menu header returns a 404 error, I'm telling you the truth. Don't come back and tell me that there couldn't be anything wrong, I was just using the web site this morning.
First, I don't take the time, every time, to let a webmaster know there is an issue with their site. But on occasion, I think its important enough that I send a quick note so the errors can be fixed and you quite looking like a bunch of morons who know nothing about web sites. Second, if someone is courteous enough to actually tell you you have a problem, don't make them feel stupid or tell them thier crazy; or ask if you can help them buy something?
Ha, I think not. You can't kick you customer in the balls then ask them to buy something from you.
Chris Prillo has a great post on Feedbacking. A process to help users and developers communicate easier. I love it. Great thought Chris.
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First, I don't take the time, every time, to let a webmaster know there is an issue with their site. But on occasion, I think its important enough that I send a quick note so the errors can be fixed and you quite looking like a bunch of morons who know nothing about web sites. Second, if someone is courteous enough to actually tell you you have a problem, don't make them feel stupid or tell them thier crazy; or ask if you can help them buy something?
Ha, I think not. You can't kick you customer in the balls then ask them to buy something from you.
Chris Prillo has a great post on Feedbacking. A process to help users and developers communicate easier. I love it. Great thought Chris.
The Treo 700p, it’s faast
About a month ago I purchased a Treo 650. I'm not a palm person, I actually like the Windows Mobile operating system much better, but my office mates use the Treo and I wanted to be able to communicate with them a little easier. I know I know, it shouldn't have made a difference, but it did.
After a few weeks with the 650 it started to act funny. Kept losing preference settings and I could never get connected to the network. I called customer support several times and they helped me enter some codes and got me running again. But the third time was it. I couldn't keep calling into customer support to get the issues resolved any more. So I asked for a new phone. Nope, can't have one. You must take it to a repair center first. So I did. The guy at the repair center said that he would have to replace something in the phone to fix my problem and that I would lose all my data. No problem I have a back up.
When I went back in to pick up the phone, I noticed that nothing had been reset. All my data was intact. So I asked the person who was helping me what was repaired, he said "I don't know. But that will be $50 please." Sprint, you have a munch of morons working for you. Great customer service. Too bad I don't have a choice of carriers because after this experience, you wouldn't be my choice any more.
In any event, I was fortunate to get a replacement phone. But instead of getting the 650, I got the 700p instead. Man, this phone rocks. It still has the same Palm OS, but the hardware is much nice. Better keyboard, and the internet connection is so much faster. I'm happy at the moment. No problems. I can my email at any time and I can listen to my favorite podcasts while on the go.
Sprint, you still suck. Palm, nice phone.
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After a few weeks with the 650 it started to act funny. Kept losing preference settings and I could never get connected to the network. I called customer support several times and they helped me enter some codes and got me running again. But the third time was it. I couldn't keep calling into customer support to get the issues resolved any more. So I asked for a new phone. Nope, can't have one. You must take it to a repair center first. So I did. The guy at the repair center said that he would have to replace something in the phone to fix my problem and that I would lose all my data. No problem I have a back up.
When I went back in to pick up the phone, I noticed that nothing had been reset. All my data was intact. So I asked the person who was helping me what was repaired, he said "I don't know. But that will be $50 please." Sprint, you have a munch of morons working for you. Great customer service. Too bad I don't have a choice of carriers because after this experience, you wouldn't be my choice any more.
In any event, I was fortunate to get a replacement phone. But instead of getting the 650, I got the 700p instead. Man, this phone rocks. It still has the same Palm OS, but the hardware is much nice. Better keyboard, and the internet connection is so much faster. I'm happy at the moment. No problems. I can my email at any time and I can listen to my favorite podcasts while on the go.
Sprint, you still suck. Palm, nice phone.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Two weeks and making progress
Ok, it's been two weeks and the fact I haven't posted for those many days should be some indication how my schedule has been. Getting up to speed in a new environment takes time. It can be very frustrating. I want things to move at a faster pace but I know it will come. I'm also noticing habits I had as a programmer are hindrances in my new job. I'm used to technology being my means of communication, email, voice mail, cell phone. Now it's just the opposite. I need to be in front of people, face to face. When the people you are working with aren't sitting in front of a PC all day it doesn't make sense their main form of communication will be email.
I would have to say over the past few weeks that's been my biggest struggle. Trying to figure out how each person communicates. On line applications like Gmail and Gcalendar used to be my best friends, but are now more of a bottle neck than its worth.
I now have a Treo 650, and I have to say it's nice having email, appointments, tasks and phone all in my hand. I never knew how mobile I could be with this really cool tool. I think I will update my post on "must have gadgets" to include a device like this.
Now that I'm starting to pick up steam, getting to know my way around, people are starting to know me and what my role is, I can start focusing on more specific projects and goals.
[Oh, I posted a new Jazz Show podcast, check it out here]
read more...
I would have to say over the past few weeks that's been my biggest struggle. Trying to figure out how each person communicates. On line applications like Gmail and Gcalendar used to be my best friends, but are now more of a bottle neck than its worth.
I now have a Treo 650, and I have to say it's nice having email, appointments, tasks and phone all in my hand. I never knew how mobile I could be with this really cool tool. I think I will update my post on "must have gadgets" to include a device like this.
Now that I'm starting to pick up steam, getting to know my way around, people are starting to know me and what my role is, I can start focusing on more specific projects and goals.
[Oh, I posted a new Jazz Show podcast, check it out here]
Monday, May 29, 2006
Career change: first 90 days
I remember when I was little, I used to walk around telling people I was going to grow up and be this, or that, but never really knew what any of those things were except maybe a Police Officer or Fireman. When I was 12 or 13 my father bought me a Commodor VIC20. It came with all the cool stuff, tape storage, a basic compiler, and other things I'm sure I'm forgetting.
I spent the better part of a summer typing every line of code I could find from the manuals, computer magazines and books. It was awesome. I knew right then I wanted to be a programmer. I didn't know how or what that meant but I was hooked.
I suppose many young men who grew up in the late 70's early 80's were hooked on computers. It opened doors, and heck, even let us create doors, which lead to long time careers in the computer field. Aside from the old iron and many of the headless computers of the 70's I've pretty much seen it all and been part of it all.
Lately, I've been involved with a company who sells a software program that has given companies the ability to control security and use of mobile computers. It's amazing the things I've seen and been a part of. The amount of intelligence required to come up with and build computer software these days is amazing. I've worked with some of the best minds to bang out code. I wish I had half their ability.
As changes are an everyday occurrence in the computer industry, it's time a made a change of my own. I'm heading down a new path that isn't directly related to anything computers. Yes, I will be able to use my skill set to help past clients and even help new clients, but that isn't what I will be doing on a daily basis any more. I've learned a lot more about business over the past 20 years than just how to write code. So that's where I am focusing my attention; building and improving business.
I'll continue to have my finger on the pulse of the computer world, stay in touch with my network, and build new relationships that will help me succeed in this new world. I have every confidence this is the right thing and is what will take me to the next level.
So I'll try and document my ramp up in this new position over the next 90 days and beyond. I was told that you have 90 days to get your stuff together in a new position or it will be an uphill battle the entire time. So I know how important it is to make an impact as quickly as possible. And that's what I intend to do.
read more...
I spent the better part of a summer typing every line of code I could find from the manuals, computer magazines and books. It was awesome. I knew right then I wanted to be a programmer. I didn't know how or what that meant but I was hooked.
I suppose many young men who grew up in the late 70's early 80's were hooked on computers. It opened doors, and heck, even let us create doors, which lead to long time careers in the computer field. Aside from the old iron and many of the headless computers of the 70's I've pretty much seen it all and been part of it all.
Lately, I've been involved with a company who sells a software program that has given companies the ability to control security and use of mobile computers. It's amazing the things I've seen and been a part of. The amount of intelligence required to come up with and build computer software these days is amazing. I've worked with some of the best minds to bang out code. I wish I had half their ability.
As changes are an everyday occurrence in the computer industry, it's time a made a change of my own. I'm heading down a new path that isn't directly related to anything computers. Yes, I will be able to use my skill set to help past clients and even help new clients, but that isn't what I will be doing on a daily basis any more. I've learned a lot more about business over the past 20 years than just how to write code. So that's where I am focusing my attention; building and improving business.
I'll continue to have my finger on the pulse of the computer world, stay in touch with my network, and build new relationships that will help me succeed in this new world. I have every confidence this is the right thing and is what will take me to the next level.
So I'll try and document my ramp up in this new position over the next 90 days and beyond. I was told that you have 90 days to get your stuff together in a new position or it will be an uphill battle the entire time. So I know how important it is to make an impact as quickly as possible. And that's what I intend to do.
Friday, May 26, 2006
St. George Triathlon - SGTRI
My wife was courages enough to train for an finish her first Triathlon. I spent several months training with her, and although I didn't participate, it was very fun and I had a blast. My effort in this whole endeavor was the support person. I helped make sure all the gear arrived, the bike was in good shape, and she had all the food and drink she needed.
Everything was going good, until the morning of the race. I figured I would get up, run across the street from our Hotel room and pick up some scrambled eggs and oatmeal from the Village Inn. Where we live, Village Inn is open 24/7, so I didn't count on walking out the front door at 4AM to see all the lights off. Crap, now what do I do? So I started walking up and down the main road to see if there was anything open. And as luck would have it, there wasn't. So I was faced with getting something from the corner gas-n-mart.
After picking up some power bars, water and gum, I run back to the room and made her eat and drink. Hydration was the key since it was going to be near 100 degrees F. during the race.
For Her, all went well. She took her time with the goal to just finish. And that she did. Time from start to finish was 2:59:56. She wanted to finish under 3 hours and she did. Awesome job honey.
Here are some pics from the race:
Just out of the water one and two.
One the run.
General race pictures during the race.
Even though everything turned out well for us, there was a problem with another athlete, who ended up dying after the swim portion of the race. You can read more about there here.
read more...
Everything was going good, until the morning of the race. I figured I would get up, run across the street from our Hotel room and pick up some scrambled eggs and oatmeal from the Village Inn. Where we live, Village Inn is open 24/7, so I didn't count on walking out the front door at 4AM to see all the lights off. Crap, now what do I do? So I started walking up and down the main road to see if there was anything open. And as luck would have it, there wasn't. So I was faced with getting something from the corner gas-n-mart.
After picking up some power bars, water and gum, I run back to the room and made her eat and drink. Hydration was the key since it was going to be near 100 degrees F. during the race.
For Her, all went well. She took her time with the goal to just finish. And that she did. Time from start to finish was 2:59:56. She wanted to finish under 3 hours and she did. Awesome job honey.
Here are some pics from the race:
Just out of the water one and two.
One the run.
General race pictures during the race.
Even though everything turned out well for us, there was a problem with another athlete, who ended up dying after the swim portion of the race. You can read more about there here.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Realtors: Do your peers trust you?
There are very few professions where you character and integrity are called into question on a daily basis. A Realtor is one of them. Its funny almost. You have this love hate relationship with the general public. Your very existence relies on people trusting you enough that you will help them get what they want. Your every action, words and decisions are scrutinized. It can be uncomfortable. Most of this stems from the average person not knowing the real estate process. That's your job, to educate customers so they know exactly what to expect and reduce your risk.
There is risk you understand. Selling real estate, negotiating contracts, puts us in a very liable position. If we screw up, it can cost us a lot of money. If the customer screws up, it can still cost us a lot of money in lost fees. But the one thing that you can always control is you. How you come across, what you say, how you treat people. All of this is under your control. In most cases, we can earn a customers trust very quickly and never have a problem, and the customer will come back over and over again.
But I am seeing a trend in the real estate business. Realtors deliberately causing problems for other Realtors. I don't know about you, but there are enough things in this business to worry about and having to watch my back isn't one I care to endure. Sure, this is a competitive business, but it's also one that occasionally calls for us to be friends and help each other out. I can't even count how many times I've helped a fellow Realtor out. As long as it doesn't put my client in a bad position, then why wouldn't we want to help each other.
Another thing to remember is reputations precede us all. Think about the agents in your area. Are there ones you enjoy working with and ones you don't? Why don't you want to work with these people? Were they verbally abusive? Did they try and undercut or undermine you? Were they incompetent? There could be many reasons, but the simple fact is you can't stand to work with them. Don't be this person. Be the one we all want to work with.
Take my advice, we all have to get along. We all need to help each other to get what we want. And karma is always in play. You will reap what you sew, and always get whats coming to you.
read more...
There is risk you understand. Selling real estate, negotiating contracts, puts us in a very liable position. If we screw up, it can cost us a lot of money. If the customer screws up, it can still cost us a lot of money in lost fees. But the one thing that you can always control is you. How you come across, what you say, how you treat people. All of this is under your control. In most cases, we can earn a customers trust very quickly and never have a problem, and the customer will come back over and over again.
But I am seeing a trend in the real estate business. Realtors deliberately causing problems for other Realtors. I don't know about you, but there are enough things in this business to worry about and having to watch my back isn't one I care to endure. Sure, this is a competitive business, but it's also one that occasionally calls for us to be friends and help each other out. I can't even count how many times I've helped a fellow Realtor out. As long as it doesn't put my client in a bad position, then why wouldn't we want to help each other.
Another thing to remember is reputations precede us all. Think about the agents in your area. Are there ones you enjoy working with and ones you don't? Why don't you want to work with these people? Were they verbally abusive? Did they try and undercut or undermine you? Were they incompetent? There could be many reasons, but the simple fact is you can't stand to work with them. Don't be this person. Be the one we all want to work with.
Take my advice, we all have to get along. We all need to help each other to get what we want. And karma is always in play. You will reap what you sew, and always get whats coming to you.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
USB thumb drives, the good and the bad
I blogged the other day about Must Have Gadgets. Reading LifeHacker today I ran across this article. The good news is that almost every PC has a USB port these days. The bad news is that not every computer has the software necessary to open your data or documents. But there is hope.
I found this great site, portableapps.com. The reason this is such a great site is you can download just about any kind of software that will run right off a USB Thumb Drive. So, here is what I have on mine:
1. PortableFirefox #1 must application (web browser, with my book marks imported)
2. PrtableOpenOffice (word processor, spread sheet)
3. PortableGaim (Instant Messaging for MSN, AOL, Yahoo!)
4. PortableFilezilla (FTP Client)
5. EssentialPIM Portable (Contact Manager)
I have PortableThunderbird loaded (email client) but since I use Gmail as my primary mail client, all I need is an Internet connection and I have email.
There are a few things to consider when using a USB drive, and the biggest is security. Don't forget, if you lose it all of your documents are vulnerable. There are a couple of products out there that will lock your drive and I would suggest investing in one if you are going to use your USB drive a lot or use it while on vacation. You can also purchase drives that have Biometric access (use your thumb print) to gain access. So, check these out, and do as the article says, go on vacation and leave the laptop at home.
Good luck.
read more...
I found this great site, portableapps.com. The reason this is such a great site is you can download just about any kind of software that will run right off a USB Thumb Drive. So, here is what I have on mine:
1. PortableFirefox #1 must application (web browser, with my book marks imported)
2. PrtableOpenOffice (word processor, spread sheet)
3. PortableGaim (Instant Messaging for MSN, AOL, Yahoo!)
4. PortableFilezilla (FTP Client)
5. EssentialPIM Portable (Contact Manager)
I have PortableThunderbird loaded (email client) but since I use Gmail as my primary mail client, all I need is an Internet connection and I have email.
There are a few things to consider when using a USB drive, and the biggest is security. Don't forget, if you lose it all of your documents are vulnerable. There are a couple of products out there that will lock your drive and I would suggest investing in one if you are going to use your USB drive a lot or use it while on vacation. You can also purchase drives that have Biometric access (use your thumb print) to gain access. So, check these out, and do as the article says, go on vacation and leave the laptop at home.
Good luck.
Realtors: 5 must have gadgets
Everyone has their favorite techno gadgets. After years of field research, here is what I think every Realtor should have.
GPS
This goes out to all those who are map illiterate. No really, I mean it. Being a Realtor frequently requires you to find a home address, an office or a vacant piece of land. Do you know every street in your city? Every office building? I doubt it. Even if you're familiar with the terrain, a good GPS system will get you there faster.
A portable device is a better value than a permanent one mounted in your car. Why, because you can use it for more than just finding an address. You can take it camping, or biking or hiking. These are real safety items.
Most of the GPS systems on the market today not only help you find locations, but can help you get to locations faster by give you driving directions, and if linked into commuter systems can help you avoid traffic jams and road construction.
Laptop
There are finally enough entries in this market to make having a laptop a must. This versatile machine will be your best friend. It will become the most valued member of your Real Estate team. Everything from Intel based small portable laptops, to large monitor desktop replacements, to Apple iBooks. And lets not forget the biggest mover, the Tablet PC.
A Tablet PC has a lot of advantages, especially for Realtors. For one, you can use it in presentations because most have swivel monitors allowing more people to look at the screen, and two, it acts as a portable writing device. This is important because there is software that I will talk about in another article that allows you to have clients sign documents right on the Tablet, bypassing the need to print, sign and fax. Do it all from your Tablet. It's some of the most exciting technology to come along in quite some time.
Smart Cellphone
The reason I didn't include a PDA as a must have gadget is because I think the Smart Phone technology has matured enough that theres no need for a phone AND a PDA. Client list, email, appointments, notes and maybe some music, your set. You have a small mobile office that will serve you well. Take the time to evaluate several models. The leaders at the moment are the Palm based phones such as Treo, the Windows Mobile based phones and the BlackBerry based devices. I prefer the Windows Mobile devices because they are the most compatible with desktop and laptop PC's.
Thumbdrive Media
This very small but powerful device can come in handy especially if you don't take my advice and use a laptop. Even if you do have a laptop, it's important to have a mobile storage device with a connection that almost every computer in the world has, USB. Putting important documents on a USB drive does a couple of things; it allows yo take documents into environments where you can't use your own laptop, like the library, title company, clients office or a printer.
You can also use the USB device as a backup. Put all your sensitive documents in it and put it away for safe keeping. Blank CD's are good for storage too, but most of the time you can't reuse a CD.
Voice Recorder
Now, you wonder why in the world a voice recorder is a must have. Tell me this. How much time do you spend on the go, in the car, meeting with clients, open houses, closings, shopping? Most of your working time I imagine is spent somewhere other than the office. You want to minimize the amount of time you spend in the office. That's not where buyers and sellers are. Anyway, back to the voice recorder.
If you're like me, my mind is going a million miles an hour and thoughts, ideas, information pass by me all the time. I don't always have the luxury of stopping and writing things down, but you can always press record and start talking. Then, when you get back to the office or during your appointed review time you can transcribe your voice notes.
Being able to capture your thoughts, ideas, actions, or tasks gives you more time to focus on what you need to be doing and less time trying to remember everything. Try it, it's cheap and easy, especially if your Smart Phone has voice recording built in.
Agree or disagree? What do you think. Let me know.
read more...
GPS
This goes out to all those who are map illiterate. No really, I mean it. Being a Realtor frequently requires you to find a home address, an office or a vacant piece of land. Do you know every street in your city? Every office building? I doubt it. Even if you're familiar with the terrain, a good GPS system will get you there faster.
A portable device is a better value than a permanent one mounted in your car. Why, because you can use it for more than just finding an address. You can take it camping, or biking or hiking. These are real safety items.
Most of the GPS systems on the market today not only help you find locations, but can help you get to locations faster by give you driving directions, and if linked into commuter systems can help you avoid traffic jams and road construction.
Laptop
There are finally enough entries in this market to make having a laptop a must. This versatile machine will be your best friend. It will become the most valued member of your Real Estate team. Everything from Intel based small portable laptops, to large monitor desktop replacements, to Apple iBooks. And lets not forget the biggest mover, the Tablet PC.
A Tablet PC has a lot of advantages, especially for Realtors. For one, you can use it in presentations because most have swivel monitors allowing more people to look at the screen, and two, it acts as a portable writing device. This is important because there is software that I will talk about in another article that allows you to have clients sign documents right on the Tablet, bypassing the need to print, sign and fax. Do it all from your Tablet. It's some of the most exciting technology to come along in quite some time.
Smart Cellphone
The reason I didn't include a PDA as a must have gadget is because I think the Smart Phone technology has matured enough that theres no need for a phone AND a PDA. Client list, email, appointments, notes and maybe some music, your set. You have a small mobile office that will serve you well. Take the time to evaluate several models. The leaders at the moment are the Palm based phones such as Treo, the Windows Mobile based phones and the BlackBerry based devices. I prefer the Windows Mobile devices because they are the most compatible with desktop and laptop PC's.
Thumbdrive Media
This very small but powerful device can come in handy especially if you don't take my advice and use a laptop. Even if you do have a laptop, it's important to have a mobile storage device with a connection that almost every computer in the world has, USB. Putting important documents on a USB drive does a couple of things; it allows yo take documents into environments where you can't use your own laptop, like the library, title company, clients office or a printer.
You can also use the USB device as a backup. Put all your sensitive documents in it and put it away for safe keeping. Blank CD's are good for storage too, but most of the time you can't reuse a CD.
Voice Recorder
Now, you wonder why in the world a voice recorder is a must have. Tell me this. How much time do you spend on the go, in the car, meeting with clients, open houses, closings, shopping? Most of your working time I imagine is spent somewhere other than the office. You want to minimize the amount of time you spend in the office. That's not where buyers and sellers are. Anyway, back to the voice recorder.
If you're like me, my mind is going a million miles an hour and thoughts, ideas, information pass by me all the time. I don't always have the luxury of stopping and writing things down, but you can always press record and start talking. Then, when you get back to the office or during your appointed review time you can transcribe your voice notes.
Being able to capture your thoughts, ideas, actions, or tasks gives you more time to focus on what you need to be doing and less time trying to remember everything. Try it, it's cheap and easy, especially if your Smart Phone has voice recording built in.
Agree or disagree? What do you think. Let me know.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Giving everything you have in life
My Brother-in-law sent this to me today, Author is unknown. But if it was you who wrote it, I'd totally give you credit.
read more...
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow, what a ride!'"
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
My Jazz Podcasts
I started hosting The Jazz Show on The Podcast Network. I'll be posting all my Jazz shows there. Come on over and take a listen, and try a few of the other podcasts, like:
The Jazz Show
The Rock Show
The PSP Show
The Digital Photography Show
The Personal Productivity Show
Many many more. See you there.
read more...
The Jazz Show
The Rock Show
The PSP Show
The Digital Photography Show
The Personal Productivity Show
Many many more. See you there.
Update on Tony Stuart long over due
Wow, it's been a long time since I updated my Tony Stewart results:
Aaron's 499 - 2nd
Crown Royal 400 - 6th
Dodge Charger 500 - 12th
Overall in the point standings - 2nd
So, not too bad going into the 12th race of the year on May 28th.
read more...
Aaron's 499 - 2nd
Crown Royal 400 - 6th
Dodge Charger 500 - 12th
Overall in the point standings - 2nd
So, not too bad going into the 12th race of the year on May 28th.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Product placement in books?
I finished read my first Steven King book, Cell. I know that King is kind of a weird guy. I know hist other books and movies have been pretty wird. You would need a twisted mind to come up with some of these stories. But what really tweaked me about this book was blatant product placement. I have a hard time believing King was responsible for it, but it was distracting. Here are some examples:
Ok, so you tell me, are we trying to tell a story or sell products. Is this a book equivalent of a subliminal message? It just really looks bad. The story was alright, but all these ads just honestly pissed me off. I paid full price for the book just to find out the cost was offset by a whole bunch of strategically placed ads.
read more...
Ok, so you tell me, are we trying to tell a story or sell products. Is this a book equivalent of a subliminal message? It just really looks bad. The story was alright, but all these ads just honestly pissed me off. I paid full price for the book just to find out the cost was offset by a whole bunch of strategically placed ads.
You know, I wonder, when editing the book, did the publisher look for opportunities to place products or was the story actually written with the product placement in mind?
Now, I could be wrong about this whole thing and it's just a "coincidence", but I doubt it.
Del.icio.us: books writing adsTuesday, April 25, 2006
Yahoo! Mail and Ads, not for me
I'm all for making money on products, but come on, do we really need huge ads all over the place? Yahoo! Mail has all these large size image ads. If they were text ads I wouldn't care so much. Look at the different between Yahoo! Mail and Gmail. I'll stick with Gmail for now.
read more...
Monday, April 24, 2006
Good Sunday for Tony Stewart
Having to start at the rear of a NASCAR race isn't an easy thing to over come, unless of course you're Tony Stewart. Although 2nd place is always the first loser, I still give Tony credit for finishing beyond 10th. He stayed at number 5 in the points. That's also not bad.
read more...
Using the new Yahoo! Mail Beta
Wow, this worked really well. I just changed the Content Preference to Yahoo! UK and I was in. Thanks for the hack.
Get in on the Yahoo! Mail beta - Lifehacker
del.icio.us hacks yahoo mail
read more...
Get in on the Yahoo! Mail beta - Lifehacker
del.icio.us hacks yahoo mail
New Orleans Jazz Festival
Even though New Orleans has been through hell over the past fwew months, it hasn't stopped the famed New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. This could really put some life back into a city on the verge of death. Take some time to learn more about this festival here: Jazz Festival in New Orleans.
read more...
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Sweet Jazz Podcast #3
Step Into It - Ryan Welton (download.com)
Is That Right - J.R. Byrd (download.com)
Wolf - Ipiman (download.com)
Orange - Futurejazz (soundclick.com)
Softly as in a Morning Sunrise - Jazz Guitar Gala at the Crow (soundclick.com)
Shine - Daryl Johnson (soundclick.com) (http://www.daryljohnson.com)
The Temple - Daryl Johnson (soundclick.com) (http://www.daryljohnson.com)
Moonlit Rain - 9th Street Jazz (soundclick.com)
Next Time Chicago - Jeff Smith and Friends (soundclick.com)
Solar - Jazzable (soundclick.com)
Please visit these sites and consider purchasing music from the artists. Thanks!
read more...
Is That Right - J.R. Byrd (download.com)
Wolf - Ipiman (download.com)
Orange - Futurejazz (soundclick.com)
Softly as in a Morning Sunrise - Jazz Guitar Gala at the Crow (soundclick.com)
Shine - Daryl Johnson (soundclick.com) (http://www.daryljohnson.com)
The Temple - Daryl Johnson (soundclick.com) (http://www.daryljohnson.com)
Moonlit Rain - 9th Street Jazz (soundclick.com)
Next Time Chicago - Jeff Smith and Friends (soundclick.com)
Solar - Jazzable (soundclick.com)
Please visit these sites and consider purchasing music from the artists. Thanks!
Friday, April 14, 2006
Sweet Jazz Podcast #2
This weeks podcast features some really great music. Here is the play list:
1. Café Arecibo - Jay Rose
2. Datz it (Live) - Joseph Patrick Moore
3. In an Instant - Joseph Patrick Moore
4. Wait - Kenn Smith
5. Blackheart Blues - Melissa Forbes
6. Sound View - Bill LeFaive
7. Latiné - Comaticos
8. Train Shuffle - George Levas Group
9. Sun in My Eyes - Elisa
10. Secret Place - Tim Watson
Please take a moment to visit these performers web sites and also consider purchasing their music. Purchasing music keeps the dream alive and the groovey jazz and blues coming.
My favorite one liner
My favorite one liner is from Yoda -
"no, try not, do or do not... there is no try..."
What is your favorite one liner?
del.icio.us: yoda
read more...
"no, try not, do or do not... there is no try..."
What is your favorite one liner?
del.icio.us: yoda
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Sweet Jazz Podcast update
After receiving feedback from the first Sweet Jazz Podcast I did, I decided to keep the number of tracks to 4 or 5, and from time to time I'll create a compilation of just music. We'll see how it goes.
Del.icio.us : podcast
read more...
Del.icio.us : podcast
Monday, April 10, 2006
Build your own DVR; I am
Now this is cool; building your own DVR. The price to get all the parts seems pretty cheap considering the cost of TiVo and the DVR box. Now going online to get all the stuff I need. Hope the wife doesn't mind.
Sunday, April 9, 2006
Tony Stewart: 3rd place is the second loser
Again Tony has the race at his fingers and some how manages to fall back. He led the most laps, but could only finish 3rd. Bright point? He moved up 3 in the points standings. I guess in the end it only matters where you are in the points. For the fan's, they want to see a win.
Saturday, April 8, 2006
Finally I can post with wbloggar
Well, it's been a couple of months, and maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, but I finally found the problem with blogging clients not connecting to my WordPress system. It was the damn xmlrpc.php file. Apparently, for reasons I still need to investigate, after reading this post I tried renaming xmprpc.php to something else, and I'll be, it worked. Now on to figure out what the problem really was.
...later, I discovered that my hosting company had removed the use of XMLRPC. So, I asked nicely and they agreed that give me access to I could again use wBloggar.
Tuesday, April 4, 2006
Today is CSS Naked Day
Today is CSS Naked Day. Basically, remove any CSS from your site and let it run wild. My site is pretty generic and so I won't be removing my CSS. But, if you are interested in learning more, check out the links below.
[1] CSS Naked Day
Monday, April 3, 2006
Tony Stewart finally get’s it right
I love the short tracks and Martinsville is one of my favorite. No matter what place you are in when entering the pits, it could change drastically. It was funny to watch Tony Stewart comes into the pit first then exits the pits just behind Jimmy Johnson. Man that had to be frustrating. It's all about positioning.
Good job Tony, hope to keep it going. Only moved up one spot in the rankings, but it's better than falling down one.
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