jimako's tumblr blog

Time to take time to take leave…

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:26:08 +1100

Recently, I needed to cancel some leave to get a jump start on some requirements gathering and design work over the holiday season. It wasn’t a real problem as I had not made any real plans — in fact, I had planned specifically not to schedule any activities or tasks for myself so as to allow me to take some down time.

I haven’t taken more that a week of in a single stretch for almost three years now, so I was looking forward to a solid four weeks away from software development. I thought to…

Murphy’s Lesser-Known Laws

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:31:37 +1100

Murphy’s Lesser-Known Laws:

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
Those that live by the sword get shot by those who don’t.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there’s a 90% probability you’ll get it wrong.
The things that come to those who wait will be the things left by those who got there first.
Give a man a fish and…

The Perfectionist’s Prayer…

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:23:43 +1000

Dear God:

Help me not be a perfectionist. (Did I spell that correctly?)

Help me to relax about insignificant details, beginning tomorrow at 7:41:23 a.m. EST.

Help me to not try to run everything — but, if You need some help, please feel free to ask me.

Help me to consider people’s feelings, even if most of them are hypersensitive.

Help me to take responsibility for the consequences of my actions, even though they’re usually not my fault.

Help me to be more laid back, and help me to do it exactly right.

Help me to take things more seriously — especially laughter, parties, and dancing.

Give me patience, and I mean right now!

Help me to finish everything I sta

Help me to keep my mind on one thing — oh, look, a bird — at a time.

Help me to do only what I can, and trust for the rest. And could I get that in writing?

Keep me open to others’ ideas, misguided though they may be.

Help me follow established procedures. Hey, wait — this is wrong …

Help me slow down andnotrushthroughwhatido.

Thank you. Amen

— Author Unknown

(via Jimako’s Blog)

Peace

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 10:31:53 +1000

Peace.

It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.

It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

— Anonymous

(via Jimako’s Blog)

Sometimes I just despair at some people…

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:50:40 +1000

Just a few minutes ago, while I was out at lunch, someone left the following comment on the last post. I was about to delete it but thought better of that action. I did not approve it (as it really does not relate to the post at all) but let me copy and paste it here in all its glory:

Author : Ioustinianos (IP: 85.195.123.22 , 85.195.123.22)
E-mail : yourdeath2007@gmail.com
Comment:
You bloated GREEDY sATAN worshiping slothful PIG !
Is that all you can think about you disgusting blemish in the sight of Christ Yashua ?!

You filthy slimy sleazy scumbag , you are a member of that sATANIC jEW club for your own material gain.

Money money money ! You sick sick man , do you know what you are getting yourself into ?

OK. Extremely insightful comment, that. I assume the commenter is referring to my membership in a Masonic Lodge, something that I not only do not hide but of which I am very proud — indeed a quick look at even the front page of my web site brings up that information.

So, what exactly is this person criticising? What is he (or I guess possibly she, although I doubt it) actually complaining about?

Do me a favour, read the previous post first. You will see that I pose the question: if you want to develop some software that can be provided as a service, what would that be? So this person fires back with:

You bloated GREEDY sATAN worshiping slothful PIG !

Ummm. OK. Let’s leave the “sATAN” worshiping part out of it for the moment. Bloated? Greedy? Slothful? Pig? What is this based on? I work hard — have done so all my adult life. I have not been handed anything on a plate; my parents were poor immigrants who worked for minimum wage so that they could afford to support my sister and me through school. I am married with 3 kids, all in school, and so I of necessity need to work to support them and myself. Greedy? I live in an average suburb. I drive a 15-year-old car. Slothful? I work well over 50 hours each week (while on a salary, so no overtime) and I do at least 10 hours of community and charity work each week too.

Is that all you can think about you disgusting blemish in the sight of Christ Yashua ?!

No that is NOT all that I can think about — if it was I would be rich.

Look, anyone can be rich if that is truly the top priority in his life. I don’t want to be rich badly enough to do what it takes. There are other aspects to my life that are far more important to me than mere money or material possessions: my family’s welfare and health, their happiness and well-being, the effect I have on my community and my world. All these things are truly important to me.

I need to be able to be satisfied with an honest answer to this question each and every night before I go to bed: Is every person I came into contact with today better, or at least happier, as a result? If the answer is no, then I have failed to live up to the yardstick that I have set for myself.

Making money is not how I measure my worth or my success. Of course, I do need to make enough so that I can offer my family a reasonable level of comfort and security, but beyond that it just doesn’t matter enough. What the previous blog post was referring to was a feeling that it is time to build a recurring income stream that can free up some time to enable me to become involved in some major, long-term projects that will actually cost me money but which I think will benefit many of the most needy people in my community. I can’t tackle them without sufficient time and funds. That is what this is about, not some desire to be rich. Heck, I am rich in so many ways: I have my health, a loving family, a roof over our heads and enough to eat and stay warm. I don’t need anything more. I don’t want anything more. So this comment:

Money money money ! You sick sick man , do you know what you are getting yourself into ?

well, I’ll just leave that alone.

Now, let’s get back to Freemasonry. The writer uses these terms:

… sATAN worshiping slothful PIG !

… you disgusting blemish in the sight of Christ Yashua

… member of that sATANIC jEW club

… for your own material gain

… do you know what you are getting yourself into ?

Caps-lock-induced dyslexia aside, Satan-worshiping? Satanic Jew Club? Come on now, does anyone still buy into this claptrap? I am not going to go over all this again, not because I can’t but because it has been done so many times before. Look, check out these pages on our own Lodge web site for a starting point, and if you have any sane questions please ask them here (or better yet, phone your nearest lodge and talk to someone — this “secret society” is in the phone book, so they aren’t that secretive!).

For the record, I am a Christian. Many of my brothers are Jewish. Many others are Muslim. A few I know are Hindu. It doesn’t matter — we are all equal brothers, work together in harmony for the good of our broader community without trying to convert each other. Does this unsettle the commenter? Why? Maybe a little introspection is called for here.

As for my “own material gain”, anyone who knows anything about Freemasonry (or anyone who actually knows a Freemason) will know that being a Freemason costs a man both in terms of time and in money — just ask my wife! There is no other way to put it: if you thought you were going to gain materially from joining Freemasonry, you were very, very wrong. Many times throughout the joining process, each potential and recent member is forcibly reminded of that fact and admonished that seeking personal advantage from membership is not only frowned upon but can lead to discipline, punishment and even expulsion.

So why am I a member of a Freemasons’ Lodge?

Simple: because I was a Freemason in my soul first. Whether by nature or nurture, I fundamentally believe that there is an absolute concept of good and evil, and men know in their innermost being how to recognise it. I believe that good men are good regardless of their religious persuasion. I believe that tolerance, open communication and cooperation are a good and proper way to interact with others. I believe that I have an obligation to render myself of service to the world around me, and that in doing so I am acting in accord with the will of the Divine (whatever name each individual wants to use).

I believe — no, I know — that what I have become by being a member of a Lodge, and the continuing process of personal development and growth, makes me a better father, a better husband, a better employee, a better workmate, a better friend, a better citizen… a better man.

If I didn’t know that, if I didn’t believe it deep where I live, then I would not still be a member after nearly 25 years.

So, let me turn the last quote on the commenter. When you ask me:

do you know what you are getting yourself into ?

I can answer you with a clear, confident and categorical YES.

Do you know anything about this subject at all?

Hopefully, this post will help, although there is a Greek saying that goes like this:

On a deaf man’s door, you can knock forever!

which I suspect is appropriate here.

(via Jimako’s Blog)

Just finished reading “3 Seconds” (well, listening to it as an audiobook, actually)....

Thu, 31 May 2007 11:50:02 +1000

Just finished reading “3 Seconds” (well, listening to it as an audiobook, actually). Another “get off your @ss and just do it!” book, but it somehow resonated with me. Perhaps I am just getting fed up enough to actually do something truly inspiring?

What to develop?

Wed, 16 May 2007 12:37:03 +1000

You know, I am getting to the point where I want to do something for myself. After many, many years developing software, I want to develop something where I own the IP.

There are two ways to make money with this sort of thing. One is to try to sell software, for as high a price as you can get away with (and some of the prices paid in the enterprise space are just amazing). However, I am not keen on this. I have been involved in this type of sales process, and I have yet to remove the sour taste it left in my mouth.

I would rather look at developing an online service, and ask people to subscribe to it. Get just 1000 people world-wide to pay $10/month, and you have a reasonable salary. Make that 10,000 and you are talking serious income. In today’s global market, neither figure seems absurd.

So, what to develop? Does anyone have any good ideas? I’d love to hear from you.

What online service would you be willing to pay $10/month for? What about $20/year?

(via Jimako’s Blog)

Correction — Central District Vic web site now driven by Drupal

Wed, 16 May 2007 12:35:04 +1000

After a bit of playing around, I found that I needed a few more features than Wordpress provided, so the site was transferred to Drupal. This CMS requires a bit more work to get going, but boy does it have functionality. If you are a web master, you really should check it out.
(via Jimako’s Blog)

Cesar Salad Dressing, from scatch

Wed, 16 May 2007 11:38:15 +1000

This is the best Cesar salad dressing I’ve ever had and I had it in a french bistro. Learned the recipe from the chef.

Ingredients

3 oz Capers, drained

3 oz of minced garlic

2 oz of anchovies

4 egg yolks, organic, free range if possible

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

Olive oil, non virgin or Canola oil

Heat a small fry pan over med-high heat. Add the capers, garlic, and anchovies in a small food processor and blend. Add a tsp of canola oil to fry pan and saute the mixture until browned. The smell will be amazing.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Add to food processor, the mixture, the egg yolks, and Dijon mustard. Start the food processor and slowly add the oil until you get a consistency you like. Taste and season with salt and pepper to you liking and serve. Will keep in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks. Don’t tell your friends where you got the recipe take all the credit to yourself. Bon appetite

52 Proven Stress Reducers

Wed, 16 May 2007 11:38:06 +1000

1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning. The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.

2. Prepare for the morning the evening before. Set the breakfast table. Make lunches. Put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.

3. Don’t rely on your memory. Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc. (“The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory.”- Old Chinese Proverb)

4. Do nothing you have to lie about later.

5. Make copies of all keys. Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden. Carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.

6. Practice preventive maintenance. Your car, appliances, home and relationships will be less likely to break down “at the worst possible moment.”

7. Be prepared to wait. A paperback book can make a wait in a post office line almost pleasant.

8. Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.

9. Plan ahead. Don’t let the gas tank get below onequarter full, keep a well- stocked “emergency shelf” of home staples, don’t wait until you’re down to your last bus token or postage stamp to buy more, etc.

10. Don’t put up with something that doesn’t work right. If your alarm clock wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers-whatever-are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones.

11. Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments. Plan to arrive at an airport one hour before domestic departures.

12. Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.

13. Always set up contingency plans, “just in case.” (“If for some reason either of us is delayed, here’s what we’ll do…” Or, “If we get split up in the shopping center, here’s where we’ll meet.”)

14. Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn’t get mowed this weekend.

15. Pollyanna-Power! For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 or 50 or 100 blessings. Count ‘em!

16. Ask questions. Taking a few moments to repeat back the directions that someone expects of you, etc., can save hours. (The old “the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get” idea.)

17. Say “No!” Saying no to extra projects, social activities and invitations you know you don’t have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect and a belief that everyone, everyday, needs quiet time to relax and to be alone.

18. Unplug your phone. Want to take a long bath, meditate, sleep or read without interruption? Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect.

(The possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil.)

19. Turn “needs” into preferences. Our basic physical needs translate into food, water, and keeping warm. Everything else is a preference. Don’t get attached to preferences.

20. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

21. Make friends with nonworriers. Chronic worrywarts are contagious.

22. Take many stretch breaks when you sit a lot.
23. If you can’t find quiet at home, wear earplugs.

24. Get enough sleep. Set your alarm for bedtime.

25. Organize! A place for everything and everything in its place. Losing things is stressful.

26. Monitor your body for stress signs. If your stomach muscles are knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax your muscles and take some deep, slow breaths.

27. Write your thoughts and feelings down on paper. It can help you clarify and give you a renewed perspective.

28. Do this yoga exercise when you need to relax: Inhale through your nose to the count of eight. Pucker your lips and exhale slowly to the count of 16. Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve. Repeat 10 times.

29. Visualize success before any experience you fear. Take time to go over every part of the event in your mind. Imagine how great you will look, and how well you will present yourself.

30. If the stress of deadlines gets in the way of doing a job, use diversion. Take your mind off the task and you will focus better when you’re on task.

31. Talk out your problems with a friend. It helps to relieve confusion.

32. Avoid people and places that don’t fit your personal needs and desires. If you hate politics, don’t spend time with politically excited people.

33. Learn to live one day at a time.

34. Everyday, do something you really enjoy.

35. Add an ounce of love to everything you do.

36. Take a bath or shower to relieve tension.

37. Do a favor for someone every day.

38. Focus on understanding rather than on being under stood, on loving rather than on being loved.

39. Looking good makes you feel better.

40. Take more time between tasks to relax. Schedule a realistic day.

41. Be flexible. Some things are not worth perfection.

42. Stop negative self-talk: “I’m too fat, too old, etc…”

43. Change pace on weekends. If your week was slow, be active. If you felt nothing was accomplished during the week, do a weekend project.

44. “Worry about the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves.” Pay attention to the details in front of you.

45. Do one thing at a time. When you are working on one thing, don’t think about everything else you have to do.

46. Allow time every day for privacy, quiet and thinking.

47. Do unpleasant tasks early and enjoy the rest of the day.

48. Delegate responsibility to capable people.

49. Take lunch breaks. Get away from your work in body and in mind.

50. Count to 1,000, not 10, before you say something that could make matters worse.

51. Forgive people and events. Accept that we live in an imperfect world.

52. Have an optimistic view of the world. Most people do the best they can.

Dear Lord (via lawgeek)

Wed, 16 May 2007 11:27:12 +1000

Dear Lord (via lawgeek)

Cute!

Wed, 16 May 2007 11:23:29 +1000

Cute!

The Meaning of Life

Wed, 16 May 2007 11:20:44 +1000

The Meaning of Life

"This is like deja vu all over again."

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:49:28 +1000

“This is like deja vu all over again.”

- Yogi Berra

"If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get..."

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:48:50 +1000

“If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?”

- Scott Adams

"Reflect upon three things and you will not come to the hands of transgression. Know from where you..."

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:48:14 +1000

“

Reflect upon three things and you will not come to the hands of transgression. Know from where you came, where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give a judgment and accounting.

From where you came – from a putrid drop;
where you are going – to a place of dust, maggots and worms; and before whom you are destined to give a judgment and accounting – before the supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

”

- Akavia ben Mahalalel — Ethics of the Fathers

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake..."

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:47:34 +1000

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.”

- T. E. Lawrence — Seven Pillars of Wisdom

"If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if..."

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:46:47 +1000

“If I am not for myself, then who will be for me?
And if I am only for myself, then what am I?
And if not now, when?”

- Rabbi Hillel — Ethics of the Fathers

"Learn thoroughly what you learn;let your conduct be worthy of what is learnt;"

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:45:49 +1000

“Learn thoroughly what you learn;
let your conduct be worthy of what is learnt;”

- Verse 391 from Thirukural, Collection of 1330 noble couplets
Thiruvalluvar, poet and philosopher, 31 B.C.

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:44:54 +1000

“Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”

- John F. Kennedy