April 2003:
Bonus link: "Anyone sticking tubes up my rectum has to meet a fair number of fairly strict criteria."
20030430:
Here's a neet project: RAIDb or Redundant Array of Inexpensive Databases. It's a JDBC driver that distributes read and write access to other JDBC drivers thus allowing transparent mirroring and "striping" similar to RAID.
There is a UML plug-in for Eclipse. I haven't used it yet, but it sounds good. I've been thinking of writing some Eclipse plug-ins myself maybe related to my Perlucid ideas.
Someone finally figured out a good way to make a 3D display. The pictures on the site are really impressive, but the system is incredibly expensive (for now).
I updated my resume. I discovered that if I do a google search for "java resume toronto" I show up at number 125 and if I do a google search for "java architect resume toronto" I show up at number 10!!! My new resume should put me higher on both lists since I have finally bothered to put in meta description and keyword tags. I am making a slow but concerted effort to build an online reputation.
As of 20:25 no one has come to my fireside tonight. I don't really expect anyone to show up. I haven't checked on the other floors, but on my floor my poster was taken down the next day. Next week I will bring a big stack of posters and make sure that I go every day in the morning and the evening to keep them up.
20030429:
I remember my dreams so rarely I thought that I would write this one down. I'm camping with some of my family in a park. I look up and see many small white clouds floating quickly by. They are like bunches of bubbles and they seem like they are almost low enough to touch. As they go by, some of them disappear. After a little while, I see a tornado developing. There is a large dark cloud with a very flat bottom. A bulge grows quickly into a funnel. Two funnels join together. It is a very large tornado and it seems as if it is coming closer. We all start to run, trying to go sideways to its path. The tornado seems to follow us. We get into the city blocks. The tornado hits a building and does lots of damage, but then seems to quiet down and disappear. We are safe. There is more to the dream, but I do not remember it anymore. This dream was at least partly inspired by "Castles in the Sky" which I watched last night.
The whole notion of intellectual property is something that interests me very much. Here is an article on globally harmonizing the patent system. The article discusses several issues including the question of what should be patentable, and the philosophy behind who gets a patent if multiple inventors are involved. The World Intellectual Property Organization is involved with the harmonization effort. Personally, I wish that the WIPO was part of the UN.
20030428:
Back in Jersey City. There's been a big change at my office, but I don't think it's public knowledge yet so I can't go into details... I don't know if it will have any effect on what I am doing, but it will be interesting to see.
Today I put up posters in the laundry rooms of my apartment building (only on the 5 floors above me and my own floor). The posters are for a fireside every Wednesday night. Here is their text:
YOU ARE INVITED TO BECOME A BAHA'I
Baha'is believe that there is only one God, that all the
religions are from God and that humanity is one family."The betterment of the world can be accomplished through
pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly
conduct." - Baha'u'llahInformal gatherings are held every Wednesday evening
starting at 8pm in apartment #1507
All are welcome!
If you happen to be in Jersey City or the surrounding area (Manhattan, Newark, Hoboken, etc.) feel free to drop me an email for address and directions.
I bought "Castles in the Sky" [amazon.com] [amazon.ca] and "Spirited Away" [amazon.com] [amazon.ca] this weekend. I will also eventually get "Kiki's Delivery Service", but for now it is on my "gift registry" page.
Finally, I just created an online shop to sell stuff. It is build using a service provided by CafePress.com. Maybe I'll add CD's soon :-)
20030426:
Last night I went with Melanie and Alexei to see "Bulletproof Monk" with Chow Yun-Fat. It was a very fun movie with some real good laughs. Actually, the three of us were pretty much the only ones busting a gut, but that's just because we share an ironic sense of humor. The climax was particularly funny. That said, the movie had some serious story weaknesses, one of which was the hotdog riddle. The revelation of the answer to the riddle did not show that our main character "Kar" had changed in any way - it was not a "O!" kinda answer. Alexei (who is a filmmaker and specifically does a lot of writing), pointed out that the plot was explicitly exposed through dialog but could have much more effectively (and affectively) been exposed through action and implication. Basically, the writing was poor, the direction was iffy, but the story was fun and the stunts were cool.
20030424:
Today I discovered a bug in the testing software I have been writing lately. It's a minor one, and in a way, it is a good one because it is an opportunity to make the software more generic.
Alexei has been working on my dad's web site. An updated version will be available soon with many more paintings and a better organization. Alexei has been learning a lot about html.
Melanie is preparing lunch for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada. It is a very big deal. She is cooking up a storm for nine people who lead the Canadian Baha'i community. Tomorrow she has to wake up at 7am to finish up her work.
20030421:
My good buddy got elected to the LSA of Markham - I'm very proud of him! :-)
Christian and Jeanne visited for most of the day today. It was very enjoyable. Justice has started in on memorizing the Kitab-i-Aqdas. He is working on paragraph 187: "Burden not an animal with more than it can bear...".
20030420:
Last night, after Zaynab left, Melanie and I had a great conversation about homeschooling, Montessori and Baha'i stuff. We talked about getting focused on using the writings in teaching the kids. Justice is going to work on memorizing the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
Here's a good site about academic research on Extreme Programming.
20030419:
Zaynab is visiting. She is just finishing her AMI training to become a Montessori teacher. Her and Melanie are spending the day together so that Melanie can pick her brains :-)
Both my brother and Laura Harley, a Baha'i in Jersey City are using Reason to create their music now. I think I'll have to check it out more seriously.
20030416:
It's actually just after midnight so really I'm writing about the 15th... not that that's important.
Here's a very short interesting article about music and file sharing. The article suggests a very simple, well-tested method of compensating artists throught what is refered to as "compulsory licensing". The only problem I see is that P2P file sharing systems don't only carry music. They also carry movies, software, etexts, etc. Compulsory licensing would work for all those types of media too, but getting the industry, legal and logistical apparatus to support these varied types would be very difficult.
I'm planning on creating a new programming language called "perlucid" (web site not yet set up) which will be based on some nifty ideas I have that were inspired by the article about the future of progamming languages. Here is another article about the future of programming, but from a much more general level.
Here's an article about the Rational Unified Process and Extreme Programming. In this article there is a very poor critique of Extreme Programming - can you see why it is objectively (logically) a poor critique?
Melanie has signed up for the Montessori training and has already received her materials. She's very excited!
20030413:
Today, during a conversation with my dad about his artwork, and particularly a sculpture he is doing for a proposal for the Arctic Winter Games in Wood Buffalo, AB, I remembered a sculpture he had made out of plaster of paris or concrete in our backyard at our house on Temperance Street in Saskatoon. It was a big (for a 4 or 5 year-old) and light gray and white. I don't really remember the shape too well, but it was abstract and it was partially climbable :-) The memory of my dad getting the plaster of paris mixed is a very pleasant one. Another memory of the same back yard is of me stepping on a bumble bee at the edge of the lawn near the vegetable garden. I remember it hurting, and I remember my dad stomping on it really vigourously. That was the begining of a long-lasting phobia of bees and wasps.
Another great thing from today was the construction of a frame for my second cheep-o dance pad for StepMania. Basically I got two 1x3x8' boards, cut them each in half, used flat "L" brackets with 3/4" wood screws to fasten them together in a square, used 1/4" eye hooks mounted one the thin inside edge of the frame and 1/16" white nylon rope woven between holes in the mat and the eye screws. I also pounded 1" nails through the frame to point down and provide grip on our carpets. It works, but I need more of the grip nails 'cause it still travels a little. (Interestingly, it always drifts to the left.)
Melanie has pretty much decided to get Montessori training from an online school based in B.C. (www.montessoritraining.net). It looks pretty good, but there is not too much info out there on the web about the school. For Melanie, since she does not want to get work at someone else's school, this program is perfect (at least it seems so). It is inexpensive (less than $2000 Canadian), it provides a huge amount of materials (curriculum, workbooks etc.), and it is low-intensity. For many, the downside would be that there is no in-class training provided. For Melanie, that is actually a plus since she is homeschooling anyway (and therefore is doing the practical work!), and it would be hard to find the time to do all the in-class hours required by most programs. She basically just wants to be able to show people: "Look, I have Montessori training!" so that they will feel more comfortable putting their kids in her enriched day-care. I'm also interested in taking the training, but it might not happen for a while - I'll wait until Melanie's income is good enough to support the both of us :-)
20030412:
I had a very nice little conversation with someone online at Kuro5hin regarding religion and the Baha'i Faith.
A simple version of Oomind is back online.
I cancelled my Rogers cable internet service today after switching my home network over to my Bell ADSL internet service. I'm very happy about this - $60/month less going out the door (actually, all told, using Bell phone and internet is saving us about $250/month!!!). Next big project: taxes :-(
Melanie wrote up a draft of the contract she will use for her enriched daycare service. The contract looks very professional. She is calling her daycare "Heart Hand and Mind" and will be offering a service that includes the use of both Baha'i and Montessori educational principles and techniques. She is both excited and nervous about this endeavor. Personally, I think its great!
Here's a very interesting article about the future of programming languages. I think the best part of this article is the notion of a language that makes creating the first version of a system extremely easy, but enables future versions to be well-optimized.
20030409:
Here's a link to the website for the International Criminal Court (which is hiring by the way).
20030408:
Rob and Alexei are visiting me in Jersey City. Rob is a journalist working on a series of stories about relations between Canada and the United States on a personal level during these strange times. Alexei is participating in the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival with his documentary "The Perfect Divorce" which won "Best Foreign Documentary" at the festival. Last week I went in to Manhattan for the first time since the Baha'i World Congress in 1992.
I've been travelling back and forth as usual. SARS and the war have made my travelling more difficult in a few ways. For one thing, the morning Air Canada flight that I normally take has been cancelled, forcing me to take a much earlier one (7:20am vs. 9:25am departure). Waking up at 5:15am to catch a plane is not my idea of fun. I end up getting to Jersey City and crashing. For another thing, there is the double anxiety I feel about travelling due to the elevated risk of terrorism (Orange Alert in the USA), and the risk of contracting SARS. Finally, the increased security due to both SARS and the war slows down my processing through airports. All in all, its a bit frustrating and tiring.
The last few weeks have been really good for Melanie and I. We have had lots of good consultations about our finances, homeschooling, careers and our own personal problems. I'm not going to go into details, but suffice it to say that we have both (individually and together) made great strides.
March 2003 or Home or May 2003