Scott Thorpe

Working with a Startup

I just had the second visit from my client in NY. I have to say, staying up until 2am on a Wednesday night working hard on a bug isn’t serious fun. If I could go back in time and create a perfect schedule so I didn’t have to stay up so late, would I? Simple, NO. Something amazing about staying up late working on a project with someone you respect and lookup to, that just grows the inner spirit beyond words. I feel very real and alive. Like I worked for this office I rent and the simple vindication that I pushed a project forward.

There is nothing I would rather be doing right now. Meeting smart motivated Entrepreneur’s that want to change the world while pushing my limits on sleep, talent and dedication. We all can “work”, but how many of you work so hard that anything the person sitting next to you says, starts to sound funny at 1am? I don’t mean giggle funny. I mean laugh so hard you are crying funny.

I’ve never had such a rich gift as to struggle with original idea’s coupled with designs that express those idea’s and bringing them to life.

If you are bold enough to take a risk on your idea and dedicate everything you are to it. Then know, if it matters to you, I am happy you exist.

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Learning CouchDB

Just recently dug into learning CouchDB and how to use it. I started reading the text on the home page and stopped. Scratched my head and re-read it. Then thought to myself, a database that is RESTful? How does that work? My eye drifted to the right to see the image that looks like a diagram of how CouchDB works. Looking into the different components listed and the different arrows pointing towards what relationship it has and how simple it is, really helped me understand how couchDB works.

Document database’s like, Lotus Notes, CRX and MUMPS handle data storing differently with a document that has different abilities. Several different kinds of fields of any length can be added to the document. The fields are able to hold many different types of data. This is handy because there isn’t any need for a database schema or worrying about file locking.

The install was fairly easy. Just downloaded and built the source on my mac.

Really don’t know how to take advantage of the Javascript view functions yet. But, I am familiar with MapReduce and I am looking forward to learning more about these js functions.

So far its mostly a new toy to play around with.

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Fluid Simulator

Just stumbled upon a really cool fluid simulator.

http://kotsoft.googlepages.com/multiplefluid.html

Really fun to part the sea.

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Open library

Just read over at Inquiry Labs about Open library. Seems like a really cool idea. Get one web page for every book. We don’t need to have every book online, but just some information about the book and where to get it.

I will certainly spend some time on the site and try and help add some content. Have a look. Open Library

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wxRuby open source GUI

I am really impressed with the wxRuby GUI Toolkit. I’ve seen FxRuby and I have always been curious if I should buy the book. I’m glad I didn’t. Just recently I build a ruby windows GUI app for a client and after getting frustrated with fxruby I started to search Google for some enlightenment. After my first search I found wxRuby and started following the tutorials. Then in just a short time I had my problem fixed and no need to use TK or FxRuby.

For anyone who wants to build a Cross platform ruby application, here is what I did to build mine.

1. Installed the wxruby gem.

2. Installed wx_sugar gem.

3. Downloaded wxFormBuilder.

4. Downloaded RubyScript2exe.

4. Then I downloaded Inno Setup Compiler.

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Visual github

Dr. Nic on GitHub from Ilya Grigorik on Vimeo.

http://www.igvita.com/2009/01/27/ruby-swarms-visualizing-rails-git/

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How about a Revolution of the mind

“The transition from the industrial age to the information age is a huge shift. In all of human history, there have only been two other socioeconomic revolutions of this magnitude: the move from hunting and gathering to agriculture and from agriculture to industry.” — John P. Kotter

I had a great conversation with my Brother-in-law over the holiday vacation. I expressed to him that we are changing dramatically in a cognitive way. I asked him a simple question, why have we created the internet? He looked at me blank faced for a bit and said, “to improve communication?”

The United States created the Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as ARPA, in February 1958 to regain a technological lead. Which evolved into ARPANET the first stage of the internet. We wanted to be the best at science and technology. Ok fine, so that makes sense better communication means quicker decisions, which means we will have better judgment and hopefully it will make us better than the USSR. Honestly, I don’t think we had a any idea what the internet would become. But as a species why did we create it? Why do we communicate with each other in general? I mean if you try and listen to your words as just vocal sounds, it makes you rethink a cats meow. I have several different theory’s why we communicate but the one that seems to be my favorite is that we communicate to learn from each other.

Now with the American dream fading and our strongest finacial companies falling apart. Has anyone started to think that we might be in the midst of a new world order? The American dream of having a home, two cars and a family wasn’t exactly perfect. Many people believe the system doesn’t feel natural. Working a 9-5 job so you can make it home to wipe your baby’s butt doesn’t keep you happy. And the only reason why we do anything is to be happy.

So whats to come? I’m sure you have heard about the 2012 end of the world stuff. I’m not sure about that being the point when we enter a new golden age. I think we have already begun.

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Albany Bulb

Creative Observer

After taking a really great walk with my fiance in Berkeley. We both were just walking through a massive art exhibit. I mean this place we walked on was a former garbage landfill jutting out into San Francisco Bay. Some people came and created some sculptures which makes for a very entertaining walk. I really enjoyed just walking around the slippery rocks and doging puddles while making sure Sarah (My fiance) didn’t slip.

I love that this was the out come of a landfull. A place where we through all our junk and items that no longer had value to us, only to be turned into art.

Another wonderful reason why i’m so happy to live where I live.

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The things we do and do and,….

Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

– Frank Outlaw

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I voted!

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