27Degrees

Code on Welfare

2005-12-09T04:05:00.000-09:00

Most European country's have a fairly good weflare system (Ireland included), where you get enough to live.

The cost to develope software (by yourself) is your time & the cost of the computer (if you dont already have one).

So (theoreticaly) you could go on welfare & use your free time (your unemployed now) to develope software.

Which you could sell later or use to get you a job (impress them with your code).

So if your European (& have a good welfare system) why dont you try it?

Dam phone company!!!

2005-12-05T03:08:00.000-09:00

Why can't anything in this country be done quickly. I'm trying to get broadband, we have a telephone line into our house but it's inactive. Tried to sign up with SmartTelecome, a few weeks after I applied I called them to see what's up.

They "rejected" the application because the address I gave them was different to what Eircom had (Eircom was our previous telephone company). I went & got an old telephone bill & gave them the address, which was exactly the same as what I gave them before.

So they told me it would be 10 day's from then.

WHY 10 DAYS!!! And if I didn't call them how long would they have waited before telling me it wasn't coming?

Job worries

2005-12-01T02:52:00.000-09:00

Oh man, gotta look for a job, what if I can't find one.
What if I graduate & then become a bum?

(Anyone can get a job, the trouble is getting a job I like)

Getting in the way

2005-11-29T07:36:00.000-09:00

Hate having distractions from programming but it can'tbe helped. I have to start studying for the xmass exams & start applying for jobs.

I applied to the fas overseas graduate program, who get you placement in foreign companys (China for me) but I havent heard back from them.

Anyone fancy offering a talented, bright, motivated & soon to be desperate hacker a job (outside Ireland)?

CRUD's ready!

2005-11-29T07:33:00.000-09:00

I have been just sooo busy lately, working on my final year project I hit a major milestone today. CRUD (a web application server written in Ruby) is now usable.

It's going to make building my webappliation soo quick & simple, still need to iron out a few things but ive already started trying to get some of my classmates to use it.

I recon it's around 5-20 times faster to build with than tomcat.

Being early

2005-11-24T05:58:00.000-09:00

Two big projects were due in by today. One a distributed program & another a 2 & 1/2 thousand word essay. The funny thing is i got them both in earlier this week. I don't normaly don't do this but it really has it benefits.

For example the calm feeling as I watch 1/2 my classmates scramble to print out their projects around the same time. Only to find problem after problem (no ink, no paper, mysteriously not working).

I think I'll try this "early" thing more often.

Going deaf

2005-11-23T02:37:00.000-09:00

I appear to be losing my hearing in my right ear. Listening to my iPod the sound on the right is MUCH lower than on the left, and I'm having trouble understanding what people are saying.

If the price is right

2005-11-03T02:37:00.000-09:00

Well it didn't work, I sold a total or 4 sandwiches, 3 before the concert & 1 after. We (my wife & I) have abandoned the direct to market selling of sandwiches.

And looking over what happend I have to ask myself why didn't it work?
Was it the product?

On this one I don't think so, the sandwiches looked good & had a much higher level of quality than what's in the shops.

Was it the place?

Again no, there was a hotdog stand there selling hotdogs & burgers for 5Euro. Many of the people coming out were pretty hungry.

I think there were 2 problems, one was the fact that I was selling them from a basket, people didn't seem to like that very much (actually they did, many of them laughed). And the other thing was the price.

We were charging 2Euro for the large & 1.50 for the regular sizes, which is great value compared to 3.50 or 4Euro in the shops.

But that's the problem, Ireland is a high costs economy & everyone expects things to be exspensive. If not then they don't buy it.

Let me rephrase that, Irish people WANT things to be more expensive, which is why everything is, in a high cost economy price(lower) is not a competitive advantage.

note1) Not all Irish people, only those who are financially secure; the other kind just make they're own sandwiches.

note2) We had high margins on those sandwiches & all our stuff was bought from Tesco's, just imagine the margines on those sandwiches in the shops.

Not a shop but does it matter?

2005-11-02T05:03:00.000-09:00

What's wrong with people? I don't have a stall, I don't have a shop but people can see the product is good & at a really good price.

While standing there this morning most people stared at me as they walked by, I myself have never seen someone do what I was doing. It's the norm in countrys like China or in say NewYork (I think).

Skipped the lunch hour, and will try selling outside a concert tonight to see how that goes. Here's hoping.

My second try

2005-11-02T01:49:00.000-09:00

Ok so me and my wife are running out of money, we've got about 150 Euro left with no income.
Thats bad, so we have 2 choices.
1) We can try our best to make the money last, but it will eventually run out.
or
2) We can take a long shot & try to start up a small business that will keep us going until I finish college.

We chose 2, and for the business were making sandwiches. We make about 26 a day & I go around the city centre at luch time with them in a basket selling them.

Best case scenario is we sell them all & get 45Euro a day (before costs), but we do hope we can grow it.

Yesterday was the first day, I fell of my bike on the way into town & lost more than 1/2 the sandwiches. Then I managed to sell about 11. With that & the money some people gave me because they felt sorry for me I had enough to just cover costs.

This morning I sold 2.

I got scammed

2005-11-02T01:25:00.000-09:00

Yes, I did.
To the tune of 3000 Euro, which I didnt have.

Here's how it worked.
They send you a cheque for x amount, but worth a lot more than what your selling.
Ask you to cash it & send the rest (after deducting your amount for what your selling)
to a "shipper".

I put the cheque in my account, waited 5 working days (which is how long it's supposed to take for an Irish cheque to clear) and the money was in my account, ok I thought it's legit.

So I sent the rest on, and 3 weeks later my bank manager called me to say the cheque was a fake & he was going to charge the amount to my account (again, 3000 euros).

Well Im trying to fight this,taking it to the Financial services ombusman. My defence being that its the banks mistake & they should pay for it. That they shouldnt cash cheques until they know theyre legit.

There is a slight chance this will work, otherwise I'm getting a loan to pay back the bank.
So before you sell anything on the net google for scams & the website name to see what the scammers are up to.

It's too late for me but not for you.

What wrong with easy?

2005-10-25T05:51:00.000-08:00

Why is it that so many computer company's make such lame stuff? How long has the printer (for computers) been around, almost as long as the home computer (pc).

Yet still, after over 20 years they (the printer companys) cant build a printer thats simple to use & just works!

Is that such a hard thing? I mean I hate using printers too, they're such a pain. Even more when they run out of ink. You have 2 choices, fork over a premium for a new cartrige or get your hand dirty with a re-fill, and you really do get your hands dirty.

Here is a great idea to make money, build a nice looking printer. That just works. And doesnt cost a kidney everytime you run out of ink.

Is it an age thing?

2005-10-25T05:46:00.000-08:00

My A.I lecturer asked me yesterday to give him a hand getting iTunes to work with his iPod. This guys pretty smart, A.I's a fairly difficult field & he seems pretty good. But he just couldn't understand the whole iTunes thing, it was too easy for him to use.

He kepl asking about the song folders & file locations & things like that. He was totaly unable to grasp the concept of views, or playlists.

And I'm wondering is it an age thing or something else (nature v nurture)?

He's in his late 30's early 40's.

Sold!

2005-10-25T05:41:00.000-08:00

I sold my electric bike a couple of weeks ago, 350 big ones. But it seems the guy was just using me to help him launder money.

He paid me in full for the bike but never came to collect it, and I havent heard from him since.
So I notified him that I'm holding it until December 1st then getting rid of it.

Long story short looks like I'll be giving this electric bike away (for free) if anyone wants it.

Check it out.

Back from China

2005-10-04T05:32:00.000-08:00

Well, Im back and most things are good. It's great being with my wife & son again even if I never get more than 3 straight hours sleep.

China was hot & big, I hate traveling, I hate flying, it's so uncomfortable & bags are such a pain, my mothers bags were soo overweight, it cost her EUR400.
And there was a problem with my wifes tickets, the travel agent cheated her, we lost some of her baggage weight because of it & had to leave one bag behind.

They also lost one of our bags coming from Amsterdam but got it to us a few days later,un-harmed & un-opened. Realy have to say the KLM people (air hostess) were great, they got a better seat for my wife & son(with a basket) and were just so helpfull & nice throughout the entire flight.
I would definatly recommend them again, I just never want to travel with so many bags again.

Nerver ever will I travel with my mother again, she was like a little kid, couldnt control herself & was no help at all!

The terminal

2005-09-15T02:39:00.000-08:00

I'm at the airport boarding gate, quite early & just waiting to board, stupid eircom charging for wifi, dam them.

Well I'm tired (didn't sleep) & I have to say I have never seen my bathroom looking so clean, & it doesn't smell like bad eggs!

I'm looking foreward to the long haul flight as I'm likely to crash out, which should speed the trip up. Well I guess thats it, I dont think I can write until I get back, China's blocked off access to blogs (as far as I know).

On being ok

2005-09-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

When I read this it makes me think that I'm doing ok, & makes me feel like a selfish looser for being so self obsessed.

Too many people scare me

2005-09-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

I seem to have developed a debilitating fear of groups of people (larger than 4 or 5), I've always had this problem but thought that I had overcome it. I spent 3 years just trying to get over this and now it's starting to come back.

Tonight at that wedding, even though I ran into the groom & he asked me in I didn't want to. I started to sweat & got a headache. I did go in but after a minute I couldn't take it.

I just felt that I was somewhere that I wasn't wanted. And most of these people I've know for years some I grew up with!

What the hell is my problem? even when I'm in a group of people I feel like an outsider, even in my own family! There have been a few exceptions to this, and I can't explain why this happened.

Wedding Crasher

2005-09-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

I went to a wedding today, well actually no I didn't "go". I just turned up at the reception (I would have been there for the wedding itself if I wasn't babysitting my niece & nephew for the day), hoping to miss the food.
They were still eating when I arrived so feeling really out of place (& not being invited or a wedding crasher) I waited outside.

The person getting married was a girl I knew since I was 8, we never really talked (I have no idea about her personality, I always assumed she didn't have one, she has yet to prove to me otherwise). We were even in the same Sunday school class. She came to my wedding & reception. I see this girl every Sunday at church & have for nearly all of the last 12 years. I even knew the groom (although not as well, but he seemed like a nice enough guy). But no invitiation.

I said hello to a few & congradulations (but not to the girl, I can't speak to her, I don't know how) and left.

But here's the thing, her brother also got married a short while ago (actually a few months after I got hitched) and I didn't get an invitation to that either. Again this is a person who I have known since I was 8 and went to Sunday school with, and I actually did talk with this guy. At the time I didn't care, I was just married & far to busy with other things.

I'm wondering if it's just me (my imagination) or if it's something that I do or have done that people don't want me at their wedding. I guess it's nothing terrible but it's a bit sad (from my point of view).

Bad feeling

2005-09-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

For the last few day's I've been getting the feeling my wife might leave me. She's mentioned that she feels sometimes she's given up more than a working woman would have, and when I talk to her she sounds so very annoyed with our son (which is very understandable, since he's 10 months old & has more energy that the Duracel bunny).

For the last few nights before I fall asleep I keep thinking about this. I keep getting the thought I will wake up & she'll be gone, leaving a letter saying she just couldn't take being a mother, that she's sorry she left & to take care of our son.

I know this is just my imagination, it hasn't actually happened but I keep getting the feeling it will. Pretty terrible.

I guess just because it's so close to us being together again that I might just be acting up, getting anctious.

It's Over!.... It's Over!!!

2005-08-31T13:30:00.000-08:00

I have finally finished my work experience.
I swear never, ever to work in an office unless my family will starve if I don't. I can't believe that's how a "real" company works.

I mean how do they make any profit at all?

Scripture Study

2005-08-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

I have never been very good at studying the scriptures, when I read usually it's like reading a history book. I never notice the symbolism or anything deep. I can say I have read the book of Mormon through from front to back but I gained very little.

But last night something was different, I decided I would study the scriptures. Reading over it again & again, thinking about what it means & here's the important part. Praying.

I read about Lehi's vision (Nephi1, verse 8), with the tree of life, the iron rod & the spacious building. I have read this before many times & I've heard the story countless times (even seen the cartoon). But last night I prayed, I studied it & I read over it again & again. And in it I have found things I never saw, & to top it all off the spirit was with me as I read.

And as I read I pictured myself with my wife & son at the foot of the tree of life, eating the fruit. I find it difficult to imagine anything I want more in my life than this.

Chocolate Friday

2005-08-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

My mother has a friend in Caburys chocolate factory, the makers of the worlds nicest chocolate. Anyway with us (me & my mother)going to China she got a lot of chocolate, I mean a LOT. An entire suit case full!

That's just for China, she got extra for us as well so with my new supply of sweets I'm going to tell you about what I've been eating today.

Breakfast- Cheese sandwiches & Chocolate
Lunch- Chocolate
Snack after lunch- Chocolate & cheese sandwiches
Cycling home- mmmmmm....... Chocolate
When I get home - Chocolate

I feel sick.

What went wrong (Part4)

2005-08-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

I tried to do this on my own, sure my wife helped but only when I
asked, & I didn't value her opinion enough to listen to her. If any I
should have listened to her more.

If I had involved her from the start, as a business partner instead of
a source of free labor when needed it might have worked, if I had
done that I'm sure we would have tried something different.

It's not about what you think will work, it's about what ACTUALLY does
work, which means that sometimes (or all the time in my case) your
wrong.

What went wrong (Part3)

2005-08-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

An obvious failure was the market research & marketing, as in I did
none of one and very little, very badly of the other.

I was convinced that people would buy what I was selling, simply
because that was all I knew how to do, & they had better otherwise I
was screwed. My mind was already made up what was being done, &
nothing except having no customers (which is what happened) would stop
me.

Instead of selling people what I want to sell I should give them what
they want, easier said than done but that's a mistake I wont repeat.

And then the marketing, who was I targeting? where was I trying to
sell? I was looking for it in all the wrong places. No no traditional
marketing is for traditional businesses & business models. And even
then it's becoming less effective & more expensive. I did flayers,
giving them out on the street & putting them in peoples door's. It was
spam, physical spam & no one wanted it or read it.

The hughetrain & Cluetrain manifesto has something to say on how it
might be done in this age.