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Jim's Journal

jim
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08/30/2007 18:17 #40838

New Business Cards
Category: work
I ordered new business cards last week. They are just like my old ones, except with my new number, and a new blue back with a dandelion instead of the old orange back with a daisy.

image

They should be here on Tuesday!!! I can't help but check the tracking every hour.


tinypliny - 08/31/07 17:45
The business day in ending! I think its time you took that phone off its dull hook and stirred up some excitement!
jim - 08/31/07 17:39
The cards have been on the truck for delivery since 6am - for 12 hours now! I am going to die. This is not quite as bad as when I've had to wait for delivery of a new Mac (but it's close).
jim - 08/31/07 14:26
Aww :) You can have one of mine! lol
jenks - 08/31/07 14:22
I love being excited for packages like that.

and I am super jealous. i want business cards. i know I could just make my own, but I want a job that gives me some. I am always jealous of my friends who are way younger than me when they have cards. how stupid is that.
jim - 08/31/07 11:32
Now I'm afraid to leave my house to go meet with clients this afternoon so that I won't miss the cards... I am such a dork.
jim - 08/31/07 11:20

Aug 31, 2007 6:13 AM

On FedEx vehicle for delivery

BUFFALO, NY

:)
fellyconnelly - 08/30/07 22:43
you seem more like the dandelion type than daisy... good choice!
tinypliny - 08/30/07 22:18
Don't they give you a proof-print? Like journals usually do?
jim - 08/30/07 20:56
I keep feeling panicked that I ordered them with a typo actually. But i think it's going to be ok, i've proofread it a million times
tinypliny - 08/30/07 19:01
You are the best!!!!
jim - 08/30/07 18:40
sure thing!
tinypliny - 08/30/07 18:37
OOOOOh, could I have one?? I know, I know, i would probably have no earthly use for it, but they have my favourite dandelion shot!!!!

08/29/2007 23:44 #40819

2 Year Anniversary
Category: estrip
I just noticed my start date is 9/1/05 so in two days I'll be at the two year mark. Almost 200 journals and 5 games of hangman. Good times!

08/29/2007 21:21 #40817

Cheap (but good) 11x14 Prints!
Category: deals
Adorama has 11x14 inch prints for $1.99 each until Aug 31:

(e:James) and I have ordered from them a few times and have always been happy. Of course the framing is the expensive part!
tinypliny - 08/29/07 21:24
Maybe I should take advantage of this and order some fake window scenes for my office, considering its under a ridiculous hillock.

08/28/2007 20:58 #40791

Programming Stuff
Category: programming
In Ruby 2.0, a new hash literal syntax (like javascript!)

{a: "thing"} # ruby 2.0

{:a => "thing"} # ruby 1.8

array('a' => "thing") # and PHP

Succinct.
mrdeadlier - 08/29/07 18:08
I'm totally stealing his thunder here but ask Paul about the printer extension he found on PHP.net today. :)
joshua - 08/29/07 11:56
Tiny that is funny =)
jim - 08/28/07 22:25
The second link is awesome reading!

paul - 08/28/07 22:11
I have no idea why the PHP developers will not do this.

Status: Wont fix

:::link:::

Search this page for New Array Syntax to see how crazy the debate about this got
:::link:::
tinypliny - 08/28/07 21:26
Wah wah janaab.

08/28/2007 17:29 #40787

Decisions, Decisions
Category: life
Oh Estrip, give me your advice:

Should I give up my business which is finally starting to come together after 2 long years of struggle, and go back to school and try to get a nice permanent job sometime next year at Roswell with (e:Enknot) and (e:Paul)?

Or screw security and keep working at Roswell a couple days a week for the next year or two and try to be awesome the rest of the time / the rest of my life as my own man? After all, big things could be in store!

Lifetime security versus trying for the stars? I have to choose what to do in the next month.

Edited to add: Well thank you everyone! There's really no need to make a decision this month, now that I think about it, I'll just keep trying to do it all :)
tinypliny - 08/28/07 21:47
I didn't realize that. And I agree. Getting a diploma/degree just as a bureaucratic requirement is an appalling waste of time. It seems absurd to me that Roswell would function like a federal body with rigid rules about such pre-requisites. If your vitaƩ includes prior experience, references and proof that you have the skills required for the job, couldn't they overlook the alphabet soup?

jim - 08/28/07 21:36
I know what you mean tinypliny, but for me it would be intro programming classes - stuff I already know, and I would learn nothing. It would be merely for a piece of paper so that an employer could check that box off on a form. That is the lamest reason to do something ever.
tinypliny - 08/28/07 21:30
A little late, but I think school does take a lot of your energy and time away if you want to finish it well. So multi-tasking could be a problem.

But I would take going back to school any day over not going back to school and repenting later.
jim - 08/28/07 20:15
imk2,

I am just freaking out this week about it because I'm making two pretty big pitches to big clients, and it is not possible to turn it on or off like a faucet. Doing really small jobs is not worth it in terms of money and time, and the bigger jobs require a certain amount commitment. If someone is paying thousands and thousands of dollars for something, you can't put them on hold if you have exams.

I've got to find out from Roswell just exactly what the hiring requirements are, so I'll talk with my boss about that tomorrow and what I can realistically expect as a potential career path there.
jim - 08/28/07 20:04
Yeah, I am going to do all three for at least the next year, or as long as Roswell will have me.
imk2 - 08/28/07 19:52
why not do all three? you work at roswell part time, right? so go to school part time, one or two classes a semester, work at roswell part time and do a little business on the side. you may have to cut down on the business part, but you can always pick it back up when you are done with school or if you should decide that either school or roswell are not for you after all.
paul - 08/28/07 19:14
I obviously made the choice to settle on the moderately high income in a city with a moderately low rates instead of going the self employment route. It is not like working at Roswell is deciding to work at a low income job.

Moreover, I like the feeling that no matter how inane some of my projects are they all contribute in some way to the eventual treatment and cure of cancer and not to some materially obsessed sales objective for exotic whatsits.

There is also plenty of money to be made at Roswell beyond the regular pay. As part of a fulltime employee contract you split patent proceeds from you inventions 60% Roswell, 40% inventor/inventors. Depending, what you make that could be huge. I am sure doctors probably make more money off patents and publications than they do off salary.

Also, as I said at lunch, other benefits include stability of payrates vs self employment ups and downs, and that the job lets you concentrate on what you are good at doing (programming/design) instead of having to do business - which stresses me the hell out. Not to mention the union, pension and health care benefits.

Either way I would go to school and get a degree, so that if it doesn't work out in the future with self employment you don't have to go back when you are 40 and feel really weird about it.

I also just like having you there. Its great to work with someone who is really into what they are doing.
zobar - 08/28/07 19:13
"...I tell you, my man, this is the American Dream in action! We'd be fools not to ride this strange torpedo all the way out to the end."
"Indeed," he said. "We must do it."
"Right," I said. "But first we need the car. And after that, the cocaine. And then the tape recorder, for special music, and some Acapulco shirts."

- Z
mrmike - 08/28/07 18:30
Dare to be great!
james - 08/28/07 18:29
You should have asked me first Jim.

ANd I think you should give it all up to become a stripper to the stars! Just imagine shaking your expensive booty on Star Jones' lap!
jason - 08/28/07 18:08
Anyhow, something more helpful here. If you can land one of those cushy government gigs, why not go for it? Those kinds of opportunities are highly sought after, and 10 out of 10 sane people would take it if they weren't their own boss. Plus, going back to school is something that personally I think is fantastic.

Of course, you would be sacrificing potential big bucks that may come through your business. I give you tons of credit, Jim. I read an article recently that rated Buffalo as the 8th worst place in America to run a small business. Yeah, shocker, I know, we do live in NYS. You have a brain-child, and you want to nurture it.

As long as you are young, and have few financial obligations, I don't see the harm in going for it. Later on in life you might be in circumstances where you would be far more risk averse, and unable to rationally make the choice to just go for it.

Whatever you choose, best of luck to you.
theecarey - 08/28/07 17:59
The vibe I'm getting from your post is that you feel more in your element proceeding in "being awesome the rest of (your) life as (your) own man". Hell yes! Whatever means it takes, run with it. Yes, big things are indeed in store. Explore now, reach for the stars and if it feels right, DO it. If you are comfortable doing that, then that is essentially all the security you need. It's *all* good.

I chose that path and I am not looking back.

Whatever you choose, may it bring excitement and peace to you. :)
jason - 08/28/07 17:53
"Permanent" job - that's gotta be public sector.
drew - 08/28/07 17:32
It sounds like you want to reach for the stars. Go for it! Security is an illusion, anyway.