thisfix

ditching Blogger

2009-01-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

I am ditching blogger. Please visit my new/migrated blog at thisfix.com/blog.

adventures of a mac mini user

2008-11-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased a mac mini with the sole pupose of developing in xCode and possibly creating an iPhone app or two. Being a Windows user since the Macintosh Plus, I have been quite amazed at the user interface of OSX, ease of application installations, and quick startup and shutdown times.

The shift was long in coming for me but when I found a refurbished Mac Mini for sale at the apple store, there weren't enough excuses _not_ to pick one up. For someone like me with spare PCs and spare PC parts lying all around my house, the footprint made a huge influence on my purchasing decision.

I am open to suggestions from all my Mac using friends and collueges on what widgets/applications to use and will try to post my findings here.

AS3 Event Calender

2008-07-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

inspired by Tom King from mobilemind.net, i have created a google calender for some of the major Flash/Flex/Air events mostly for my own use.

politics in media

2008-01-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

saw this today on the new york times site and thought i would blog on it:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/blogtalk-debates-and-elections/
i have not yet decided who i am going to vote for in the primary elections but debates often give me a sense of the candidates character as well as their stance on some issues. it would be nice to decide for myself instead of a studio limiting the information i receive.
-just a rant at the current democracy/corpratocracy i find in the united states today.

interesting read

2007-11-28T13:56:00.000-08:00

i was given the book: confessions of an economic hitman by john perkins, to read some time ago by a family member and it sat on my shelf without much thought until my wife picked it up and gave it a go. we discussed some of the issues this book brings to light and some of the feelings associated with them. i found myself questioning my own views of the united states' foreign policies and the sometimes seemingly altruistic motives yet other times just plain wrong. so consequently i am now giving this book more attention in order to shed some light in my own mind on those motives and begin the process of forming an educated opinion on them.
of course, i also don't want my wife to know more about these things than i do, i at least have to be able to discuss the book with her right?
i am just a few chapters in and will post what i find when i am finished.

Al Gore speaks to congress

2007-09-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

i found this to be an interesting listen (second video):
http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/07/20/the-top-5-global-warming-videos-on-youtube/
i am beginning to change a perception of al gore. i also found it interesting the way in which he spoke to congress. it was careful and clear (at least more than what i had previously thought al gore was capable of).

farming subsidies

2007-09-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

ever wonder where your tax dollars go?
a nice database of where farming subsidies go:
http://farm.ewg.org/farm/region.php?fips=00000
apparently corn is the most subsidized. no wonder there is high fructose corn syrup in most everything

GMO

2007-09-04T20:44:00.001-07:00

not sure if any of you have seen this but would like to post the link and some comments
link
comments:
i find it difficult to steer clear of the broad generalization that some people make regarding our government here in the U.S. as incompetent at best but certainly with some of the federal organizations i lean in that direction.
some of the incidents regarding nonGMO and GMO corn that have happened in our country are quite appalling.
the quote that might get you to read the article is

"meaning that long after we stop eating GM corn chips, for instance, our intestines might continue to manufacture the “Bt” pesticide the GM corn plants are engineered to produce! "

at my house we try to grow everything we can and the list gets longer as time goes by. my wife also insists that 'most' of our store bought goods be 'organic' which this article seems to state signifies by definition is nonGMO.

i'm sure there will be more on this blog regarding GMO and its implications as i find out more.

----------------
Listening to: Nine Inch Nails - The Wretched
via FoxyTunes

incredible image editing

2007-08-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

this youtube post has been floating around blogs for the past few days but in case you haven't seen it yet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qadw0BRKeMk
notice some of the capabilities later in the video. the pixel processing algorithm seems simple enough and creates some astonishing results.

----------------
Listening to: The Beatles - Come Together
via FoxyTunes

b.day wishlist

2007-08-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

-wishlist-

>software
o adobe coldfusion 8
o adobe flash cs3
o adobe dreamweaver cs3
o adobe aftereffects cs3
o adobe flex builder 3 upgrade (unreleased as of 8/15)

>food
o hot tamales

>household things
o wireless router
o rain barrels
o work bench
o new fences
o large office desk that has a large top and no shelves or other apperatus' (call me old fashioned but i like a simple albeit large desk with drawers. no more. no less)
o high powered pellet rifle
o insulation
o new windows
o two garden beds removed
o large area of river rock cleared and grass planted
o car fixed

>computer
o two flat lcd monitors ~~(not sure what size or model yet although > 19')~~ UPDATE 2007.08.26 - found it: Samsung 226CW

>cds
o ~~new nine inch nails cd~~
o new bjork cd
o ~~new damien rice cd~~

>dvd
o the history channel's series on 'human weapon'

i think thats all but i am sure i'll repost as things come to mind

----------------
Listening to: Autechre - Acroyear2
Listening to: Autechre - Amber - 11 - Teartear
Listening to: Autechre - Clipper3
Listening to: Live in Vancouver
Listening to: The Doors - 11 The End.MP3
Listening to: The Doors - People Are Strange
via FoxyTunes

authorware, may you rest in piece

2007-08-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

perhaps one of the brighter moments in my career:
http://www.adobe.com/products/authorware/productinfo/faq/eod/
authorware, you have done well in years past but the time comes in every program's life when they become annexed by the master control program. vr.
though arriving on the authorware scene at the end of it's lifespan, i have found it useful to the extent of it's capabilities. there are collueges of mine that have made an entire career out of this primative, yet effective idea of a flowline. this simple design made it possible for more than just programmers and developers to start 'writing' code and developing e-learning techniques and lessons.
i would be surprised to see much ranting over adobe's decision to announce this bit of news but am in many ways grateful that they did make an official decision. because of this one small announcement, adobe has made it officially possible for authorware developers and programmers to get out from 'authorware lockdown'

thank you for kindly putting authorware to rest.

beauty grows

2007-08-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

ahh, growth still occurs with beauty.

a little web work here and there

2007-07-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

i am finally getting around to doing a little web design. just some table formating and editing of thisfix.com.
the sad thing though is that the last time i touched this site was febuary of '05.
i used to use thisfix.com to put up my random blog posts (i didn't like the blogging format at the time so i designed my own), my random photos (pod), some projects, news on the life of me, and random comments about things i thought were cool, oh and links of course.
now however, i think i will ressurect the site but leave the blogging here and the twitter(ing) here. although there may be some overlap, i most certainly will attempt to put proof of concept work in flash, flex and air (possibly others) up on the proJects section.

787 rollout

2007-07-21T02:12:00.000-07:00

the new boeing 787 made its debut on of course 07/08/07.
aviation has come a long ways since the wright brothers. i thought i would post a link to randy tinseth's (vp of marketing at boeing) blog. he has some cool eyecandy regarding the rollout.

on AIR

2007-07-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

I got some feedback regarding the on AIR bus tour from my collueges and I found it to be similair to the former ApolloCamp now AIRCamp. Although, there seems to many more developers working in AIR and creating some cool plug-ins and apps.

ok twitt

2007-05-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

to twitt was the answer but i am not sure if i asked the right question. perhaps the tamaguchi will be fed throughout the day today.
my twitter account is really just random thoughts catered to those people that i think may be looking at my twitt

flash - aw mixup

2007-05-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

when publishing a swf to flash 6 for aw purposes, be sure to test it in a flash player of version 6. trust me, it will save you a headache. thanks tom.

thisfix is twitting this twitt

2007-05-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

ok ..to twitt it is:

twitt

2007-04-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

to twitt or not to twitt?

that is the question

r&d

2007-04-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

what is considered a good business model for an r&d group?
any futurists out there? this would be an excellent time to provide wisdom and knowledge on the topic.
given the pace of technology and it exponential rate of improvement in so many areas, what would be a reasonable 'year of site'? perhaps an r&d group would not be best utilized this way.
this is my suggestion:
an r&d group that emphasizes products that are needed and can be produced now. yeah novel idea right. you would think that an r&d group would have an roi that is well beyond that of current asset investments.
hmmm....
i think i'll have more on this later...

F.E.A.R.

2007-04-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

frightening

nfs

2007-03-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

nfs most wanted

the beginning

2007-03-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

this is the beginning