'2010' Archives
![[Busy computing... for you!]](https://www.bolsinga.com/comp.gif "[Busy computing... for you!]")
I had a fun Christmas back home in Chicago. I saw all my family, except for the Connors. I did see most of them over Thanksgiving at my parents, so it seems good. I got out before I was overwhelmed by the snow.
So I updated the statistics parts of the web site to be driven by JavaScript Object Notation (aka JSON). So those tables are now actually built on the client, and not by me when I create my static site. This is going to be a slow going transformation of the entire site. Slow going because I'll get to it when I can, and I don't seem to have much time for this lately. Which is both good and bad, if you know what I mean.
There's going to be new stuff in my life soon. Basically things are looking good, and I'm lucky. #
So the big news is that I own 42 acres up in Anderson Valley, Mendocino with my partners Aram & Mary. It's undeveloped land up in the hills. It's covered in trees. It's about 2000 feet elevation. It has a man-made 15 foot deep pond. It has a shack. It has an awesome view. Our intention is to have it for a long time and to eventually build a house or two up there. Here's pictures and videos I took on my iPhone. Here's the pictures Faith took. #
My 17 year old 1993 Ford Escort Wagon has died. I bought it new right out of college. The first weekend I had it, I went from Chicago to Champaign, and then up to Rockford for Jon & Kim's wedding. I slept in the back that night too, from what I remember. I drove it when I moved to Texas (and the first visit was a round trip!). I took it to Denver from Austin. It's been between Houston and Austin a few times. It's been to New Orleans. I drove it to Big Bend. I took it to San Francisco through Los Angeles. It's been back to Los Angeles several times. It's been to Yosemite. It's been to southern Oregon. It's been all over coastal northern California. It's driven between Cupertino and San Francisco more than anyone wants to know or admit. In fact it busted the timing chain on that very route on Saturday. I had to head down to work on a Saturday (first time in about months, I promise!, but thinking about it now, maybe my car was telling me something). On New Years day, it had put just over 200,000 miles on it, and got 30 miles to the gallon until the end. It could even make it up to the property in the rain! It was the little Ford Escort that could. It will probably be the only new car I'll ever own. Unbelievably, it's older than the 1974 Chevy Nova was when I had that in high school! #
Anyone who's been to my house knows about this excellent looking home at the end of the block. I call it the gingerbread house. But it has an official name, "The Nightingale House" (sorry about the all Flash link. Here's a Google Maps link).
So I learned a little more about the previous owner (who I unfortunately didn't have the pleasure to meet) since this has been up for sale. She was an eco artist who had founded the artist in residence program at the San Francisco dump, due to all the trash she'd find outside her home on the sidewalks. I can attest to the fact that there still plenty of trash blowing near her home. I guess it's the nature of the neighborhood and the geography? #
So I've had this web site for a long time: 12 years, before they were called blogs. For all intents and purposes, this is a blog. I don't like calling it that however, since I was doing this before that word came about.
So I post stuff here that I'm not afraid for the internet to digest and have forever. But I create, write, and edit it with the knowledge that it will probably be around for a long time on someone's server somewhere. Just imagine if you're a Twitter user who hasn't really edited what they say for posterity. All of Twitter is now going to be in the Library of Congress. What will historians learn from this fountain of knowledge?
I waited awhile to get onto Facebook. The turning point was when the Champaign-Urbana 1993 Revisited show was happening. Friends were on Facebook putting up old pictures of us all, that I just had to see. Facebook can be pretty fun, but I find it's also a huge time sink.
I've also found myself worrying I update Facebook with some things that I'd normally put up on my own web site. You can see that the rate I update this site has slowed down since I joined Facebook. There's lots of reasons for the slow down, but I think Facebook is a part of the reason.
I also have no idea how to archive what I've put onto Facebook. The stuff I put here on my own web site is all for me. I can do all sorts of stuff with it, since I also write the code that makes this entire site.
I've thought about future ways I can just have Facebook update with a link back to my site, so I still have my archive of what I mention on Facebook. However, at the rate I update the code for this site, I think this may happen by 2015.
So I found it interesting to find this article this morning about the closed nature of Facebook. #
My brother created an entire painting. He does that all the time, but he doesn't record a video of the entire process. And then he also edited it down to a great video sped up about 300 times. It's great to watch. #
So many little things that used to go on this site are just so much easier to post to Facebook. Sorry dear readers, someday I'll make an iPhone application of my own that will update this web site I wrote all myself. Then you'll get timely updates and quips here at good old bolsinga.com.
So I've been loving my property. Lately I like to camp up at the top, which has a broad view of Anderson Valley. All the stars are out and it's just something else. I'm pretty damn happy with the property. Two weeks ago I glazed some windows. I've also learned how to use a chain saw. We've also built some stairs, a deck, and a water tower. I've killed my first mammals. I shot a mouse and a chipmunk (both who invade our cabin) with a compressed air pellet gun. That chipmunk is the biggest thing I've ever killed. It's an odd feeling.
Today Facebook introduced a way of sharing your location. If you use their web site on iPhone, you're using code that I wrote. Same thing goes when you browse photos on Google, and flick them from side to side. I made that stuff work. So a few weeks ago I changed my role on the iOS team at Apple. I'm now working on Maps, which I think will be really fun. I like the team and the code and the concept. It's a trifecta. #
I got notice about a month ago that my pictures would not be available the way they once were. Now they are gone, so my site looks funny. I have copies of all the pictures, so they are safe. I just have to update the code to generate the site properly. The thing is that I've been busy, so I haven't had a chance.
All I've done since the last post was get up to the property, enjoy my new job, and improve my social life. So it's been good. #