Never Underestimate Radical Vision

So I have been listening all over the blogosphere, TWIT and even sports talk radio about the wonderful world of Twitter. I admit that I have followed Twitter since it was released but I have never really found the utility behind it. I just didn’t “get it.” I am not totally sure I “get it” now. With that said I am going to attempt to use Twitter and try to figure out the social utility of doing so. You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/supercodepoet.

As an aside, I found out really quickly that I needed to keep updated via Twitter and would like to know also when my friends are updating their status on Facebook. They have different programs but I really wanted to find some type of social aggregator. The problem I had was that I wanted Mac integrated tools that would sit in the status bar and use Growl for notification. After trying a few different programs I have found my perfect set of social utilities. The first tool is EventBox. This tool allows you to aggregate updates from Twitter, RSS, Facebook, Flickr, etc. This is a great tool with two different UI modes. You have a regular application window but you can also setup a heads-up-display, HUD, that will sit in your status bar. EventBox will also notify you when items arrive via Growl. This is a great tool for only $15. Right now if you go visit MacHeist you can get a free copy. EventBox allows you also to update your status in Facebook and Twitter but you do it separately. I wanted the ability to update both social networks with the same message. Enter MoodBlast, a little utility that allows you to update several social networks with the same message.

If you are on a Mac and need to follow and update your many social networks I think these tools form a great team to accomplish just that. You can try them out but first following me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/supercodepoet. Note: There are a ton of tools for windows users as well: click here.

For the past month I have been working with some great developers to develop an application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This has been a great experience and I have learned a ton. After the grueling process of learning something totally different than my normal development path, BorrowMe finally is available on the iTunes Store for $1.99. The following is the application description:

“Who borrowed that DVD?” “Who loaned me this book?” “Who has my lawn mower?”

Sound familiar? We have the same problem; we like to loan things to our friends, and we like to borrow things from them, but have trouble keeping track of what went where. Our solution: BorrowMe. BorrowMe makes it easy to keep track of what you have borrowed, and what you have loaned. No due dates, no collection notices, just a casual arrangement between friends, sealed with a handshake and a smile.

Keep track of your valuables, but value your friendships with the following key features:

• Separate lists for items you have borrowed and loaned.
• Enter a new item, or select it from a list of existing items.
• Use an existing category, or create a new one.
• Friends can be selected from your contact list, or entered by hand.
• A list of frequent borrows allows for quick and easy entry.
• Take photos of your items, or pick an existing photo from your photo library.
• Easily mark items as returned, and see returned items on demand.
• Transfer loan information from device to device with an electronic “handshake”. This feature works just like a real handshake transaction. You borrow something from a buddy and want to track that item in BorrowMe. Your buddy needs to keep track of the loan in his/her BorrowMe. No need for both of you to enter the item. All it takes is one person entering the item as either a Borrow or Loan and then sending it via the “Handshake”. Your buddy just receives the “Handskake” and the item s enters his BorrowMe as the opposite of what you sent!

I think it is a great little productivity application I will use all the time. Go to the iTunes Store and try it out!

What do you think of this common sense plan to jump start the economy? After some feedback I will tell you who’s plan this is.

Common Sense Plan:

• INSURANCE
• • Insure the subprime bonds/mortgages with an underlying FHA-type insurance. Government-insured and backed loans would have an instant market all over the world, creating immediate and needed liquidity.
  • In order for a company to accept the government-backed insurance, they must do two things:
  • • Rewrite any mortgage that is more than three months delinquent to a 6% fixed-rate mortgage.
    • • Roll all back payments with no late fees or legal costs into the balance. This brings homeowners current and allows them a chance to keep their homes.
      • Cancel all prepayment penalties to encourage refinancing or the sale of the property to pay off the bad loan. In the event of foreclosure or short sale, the borrower will not be held liable for any deficit balance. FHA does this now, and that encourages mortgage companies to go the extra mile while working with the borrower—again limiting foreclosures and ruined lives.
      • Cancel ALL golden parachutes of EXISTING and FUTURE CEOs and executive team members as long as the company holds these government-insured bonds/mortgages. This keeps underperforming executives from being paid when they don’t do their jobs.
      • This backstop will cost less than $50 billion—a small fraction of the current proposal.
  • MARK TO MARKET
  • • Remove mark to market accounting rules for two years on only subprime Tier III bonds/mortgages. This keeps companies from being forced to artificially mark down bonds/mortgages below the value of the underlying mortgages and real estate.
    • This move creates patience in the market and has an immediate stabilizing effect on failing and ailing banks—and it costs the taxpayer nothing.
  • CAPITAL GAINS TAX
  • • Remove the capital gains tax completely. Investors will flood the real estate and stock market in search of tax-free profits, creating tremendous—and immediate—liquidity in the markets. Again, this costs the taxpayer nothing.
    • This move will be seen as a lightning rod politically because many will say it is helping the rich. The truth is the rich will benefit, but it will be their money that stimulates the economy. This will enable all Americans to have more stable jobs and retirement investments that go up instead of down.

  This is not a time for envy, and it’s not a time for politics. It’s time for all of us, as Americans, to
  stand up, speak out, and fix this mess.

So I am at JavaOne 2008 and had a great time listening to the Day One keynote/general session. Sun had some entertaining demos and the speakers were good. There were some very interesting messages they were trying push:

1. Java + You – This is the main focus and message at this JavaOne. Sun is extending its focus from business to consumer. The new slogan is "Java on all the screens of your life", meaning phone, computer, car and TV. These screens should bring new an innovative content and applications to our life. The message was that Java is already there and will only grow to help us as developers deliver the apps that consumers want/need. This is a really interesting pitch. It was more like business, been there done that, the consumer/social ecosystem is where the new money is. How to role Web 2.0, RIA, social networking, mobile apps play into the new business model and how to monetize that market.
2. JavaFX – this is the technology Sun is betting on for hitting the Web 2.0/RIA crowd. They introduced this tech last year but had more to show this year. I find this approach really interesting as there are already major players in this market (Flex and Silverlight). I am not sure what Sun wants to gain by inventing its own instead of integrating with Flash/Flex. We should see this play out over the next couple months. It may be just to leverage the ubiquity of the JVM instead of Flash. The really interesting bits was the ability to drag and FX app out of a web page and save it your desktop and use it like a desktop app. This was extremely cool! That seamless interaction between the Web and the Desktop is the holy grail in my opinion. When you can abstract away the idea of the connection then you can truly innovate the way we work with our apps.
3. Mobile is a viable platform – Sun and Java have existed on the mobile platform for years and this was just extending the idea with FX running on the devices. This was really just a personnel message to myself that if I want to stay relevant I need to get into the mobile space a bit.

The keynote overall was really cool, very software rockstarish. Loved that they brought Neil Young on stage and showed how he was able to fulfill a dream by meshing BluRay and Java technology to provide a true interactive music experience.

I recommend anyone hoping online and watching the archived streaming keynote. It will definitely be interesting to see how the social aspect of Web 2.0 change the way we build applications. The focus on usability by non-techs will be huge in the future. Time to get creative!

So it has been awhile since I last blogged. I got out of the habit and really didn’t have much to say anyway. Like was moving fast and furious and I just didn’t make the time. So that begs the question, "What has changed now?"

Those that know me know I have worked at a large corporate 500 hundred business for the last 5 1/2 years. I worked on a variety of software projects will different levels of fulfillment. I had resigned myself to  never being fulfilled in my work but doing so I enabled my family to stay here at "home." I was very important to me to be able to provide my family with a since of "home" without chasing every whim/dream I might have. So, what has changed?

Well I am proud to report that I have taken a position of Senior Consultant for a software company called Gestalt. This company is so opposite from what I had been living in I can hardly explain all of it. I have found a "home" for my profession and it is still located at "home." You can visit their sight to see what they are about but they are a software developers nirvana, well so far. I feel that this company wants the best, invests in their people and truly believe people are they key to their success. A lot of companies, including my last, may say this but so far they have lived it.

To prove so the first day on the job I had my laptop ready and prepared. I was up and running within an hour. I was given something to work on right after getting set up. I felt like I was already contributing to matter how small. A couple of fellow workers took the time to take me to lunch and give me a little history of our group. Every question I had for our group was answered without that "I am busy so go away" type of answer. Most import I just finished new employee orientation where I got to learn a lot about the company and the culture. I was asked the question, "What is your take away for NEO?" I answered by stating that we have been introduced to the company my various executive management and not once did I hear them refer to us as resources. The day you are referred to as a resource is the day you are a nameless, faceless, expendable, replaceable cog in a monstrous wheel. I cam from that and do not want to go back. If you truly value your people, you will treat them like people, with names, faces, families, unique abilities and quirks that you use to build an extraordinary business. People in my field truly want to work, do extraordinary things with software, have people truly use and love our stuff. This is not a job, this is a passion! I got the message loud and clear, I love it and I am pumped to give this company even more.

You will see more blogs from me for a couple of reasons:

1. It is practically demanded by our ScrumMaster and he has excellent reasons for it.
2. It is a great way to share knowledge throughout our company.
3. Believe it or not, it is actually encouraged.
4. I want to because I have gained my passion again.

I still may blog my rants from time to time but mostly I will be blogging about software and technology. I know most of my friends will not care for this too much but this is truly my passion and what I can talk about. I promise to still throw in the funny rant or link. Pay attention and I will blog some little tips and tricks I have picked up they may just help the nontech type.

I am back to this blogs motto, "Never Underestimate Radical Vision", and now I have a chance to prove it.

… this guy has the comedy down, oh, wait.

I don’t doubt this man’s conviction but I still find this a little scary. I do think that Kent should take note though.

Recently I have been listening to The Last Kiss soundtrack. This is just an amazing collection of songs. Zach Braff can really put a compilation together. The album kicks off with a great upbeat song from Snow Patrol, my new favorite band, and ends with a touching duet from Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk. It probably doesn’t count as a perfect album by one artist but it counts as a perfect soundtrack. The other soundtrack that I listen to a lot is Garden State, another Zach Braff compilation. If you have ever watched the TV show Scrubs and have liked the music you hear you can again thank Zach Braff. Although he says he doesn’t have a musical ear I think he is spot on with all of his selections for the show and the two movies.

On a side note, The Last Kiss was a good movie. It really made me think as I am the same age of the characters depicted in the movie. It is about growing up and dealing with responsibility. It reminded me a lot about the characters in Sideways. I loved how the movie ended and the song that plays is great. I really paid attention to the song choices while watching the movie and knew this was going to be a great soundtrack. My wife didn’t care for the movie but she loves the soundtrack. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Adam requested that I complete this list, so here you go (btw, you can check out Adam’s here):

1. One book that changed your life:

I know it sounds cheesy but The Bible. While I have not read the whole thing it has definitely changed my life. Second place would have to go to Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

2. One book you’ve read more than once:

Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. I think Tolkien was master of the pen and I love to dive into his works as much as possible. I would give almost anything to go back in time and hang out with him and C.S. Lewis in the pub and discuss all manner of things (while use my British accent).

3. One book you’d want on a desert island:

101 Uses for Salt Water or You, Sand and the Fun You Can Have or Ethel the Aardvark Goes Quantity Surveying

4. One book that made you laugh:

Without Feathers, by Woody Allen.  This is absolutely some of the funniest stuff I have ever read. With selections like “A Guide to Some of the Lesser Ballets” to “The Whore of Mensa” I laughed, I cried, I wet my pants. If you want to laugh give this book a read.

5. One book that made you cry:

I don’t think I have ever cried while reading a book, but I have come close a couple times. I know this sounds strange but I almost cried at the end of Revenge of the Sith. Go ahead, laugh, get it out of your system while I explain. Just a side note, the book is an order of magnitude better than the movie so I suggest you read it.

Now let me explain, the emotion came two fold: one, this is a series that I have grown up and loved since I was a little boy. I have loved this series for as long as I can remember and with the ending of the book it finally closed a chapter of my childhood. I know there is the EU (which I read) and Star Wars lives on, but this actually put a finish to the movies. Two, the way the author gets inside the head of Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, and shows you the motives behind his future actions made me really sad. The author portrayed Anakin as a tragedy better than the movie pulled it off. This is one of the few times that a surprise in a book changed the way I view the character now, in the future and more importantly, it changed the way a view the character and their motivations through all that I previously thought I knew and held dear.

6. Two books you wish had been written:

The Rise of King Aragorn and How to Lose Weight Without Life Style Change

7. One book you wish had never been written:

There may be a lot of books written that I disagree with but I believe in people’s right to express their opinions in written word, I just don’t have to buy it.

8. One book you’re currently reading:

The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book 1), by Robert Jordan. Touted as taking the reigns from Tolkien and expanding the genre, I thought I would give this a try.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:

The Everlasting Man, by G.K. Chesterton

Tag five people

Ryan Pierce

David Gandy

Mike Wilkerson

Chelsea Ware

Andrew Mitchison

(I picked these 5 because they are the most likely to have read something in the past month)

Sorry for the late post sis but the blogging system was down the last time I tried to write this.

Gavin Lee Cowger was born Friday, July 14th 2006, he was 19 1/2″ tall and came in at 6lbs 12oz.  He had a head of dark hair and looked like his father (we are still hoping this will change for the kid’s sake). I will post a picture as soon as Lesley gives me one.

Congrats Cowger family on the new addition!