Rebooting.... Hello World!

Dear Blog,

What!? 3.5 years later! Where did the time go!? Man... I blink and I'm in what seems to be another galaxy. Too much to talk about, so I'm going to skip all of it. Well, almost all of it. Colleen and I got married April 6, 2013. It was an awesome wedding and I got a great partner!

So now... I'm still someone who wants to make games. I'm still someone who hasn't made a game. I'm still someone! So, I'm here trying to figure out what in the hell I'm going to do with my life. I'm 31 years old now..... 31! As I write this, the lyrics to Smashing Pumpkins Disarmed pops up in my head!

I used to be a little boy
So old in my shoes
And what I choose is my choice
Whats a boy supposed to do?
The killer in me is the killer in you
My love
I send this smile over to you

Hmmm, random, but meaningful. Even the killer part, as I think the killer in me is the killer in Colleen. So, do I just send that smile over to her? Maybe there's more to that song, but whatever, getting off track.

Unity and C# are hands down the tools I want to use. So, I discovered that after a long and very drawn out search. I'm also in a Game Design class right now at UNO where I'm finally learning the difference between Game Development and Game Design. Both are cool, game design seems more universal and more important than game development... ok, maybe not more important, but universal and artistic! Game development can be done by someone provided the rules and description of all the objects in almost any language.

So, here I am, lots of friends, great family, but alone.... alone to pursue my individual dream... as it should be. Should it be!? Too many questions, not enough answers.

I'm here to get answers. I'm here to make plans. I want to revive my company "Drag 'N' Dream", although it never really did go anywhere. I want to make a $#%##$ #@$@$%#% GAME!!!! I've been down tonight, and as soon as I got on the computer, I just got angry. I'm angry at myself. I'm angry at my situation. I don't have infinite time to do what I want. I have very limited time. These windows are only getting smaller. The "real" career gets in the way, "health", "wellness", all this vitally important stuff..... but it's not important to my dream.... just to the temple (aka my body) that allows me to make choices and receive the joys of life. Siiigggghhhhhh, I don't know how to proceed. I want to drop it all, move into a little cabin somewhere in the middle of no where, have a simple life where survival and money is out of the picture, and all I'm doing is making a game. I won't be allowed to leave until the game is complete. I need a year. Someone, please just give me a year of time without having to worry about anything. That's what I want now, and can't say that's all I want.... because what I want after the year is over may be totally different. I can make a game. I have the knowledge. I'm ready! I just need the time now............. aghhhhh. OK, no more anger, no more complaining. Just doing.

All I can do is all I can do. Just do it!

- ETdoFresh [^ always thinking of you buddy!]

My Proposal

Dear Blog,

Well, I'm an engaged man now. Colleen and I have dated for 7 wonderful years, and at this point, I knew it was time I needed to propose. So here's my story...

Wednesday, April 6, 2011. I was sitting at the office, and the idea formulates in my head that I want to propose to Colleen where we first met. Spring Break! But, I have no idea where we were staying. I send an IM to my friend asking where we stayed, and he hadn't a clue. Hmm, so it was time to send a mass email...

For the next few days, the group that went to 2004 Spring Break was convinced that it was Destin, FL. I could not find the hotel, but I really didn't think too much of it. Destin, FL is where I needed to find a place to propose.

I wanted a condo, but it was going to be a minimum of 3 night stays. So I kept emailing and asking around if I can only do two nights, but no one ever really gave me a simple yes/no response. It was now April 13, and time was fast approaching, and I didn't even think about any other details, like the ring?!?

The ring... OK, now I was in trouble. I have 10 days, and no ring. Immediately I asked my friend who was last engaged, what ring did he purchase? He had a MiaDonna Diamond. Yeah! That might be the way to go! But I was feeling nerves up to my spine. If I did order this, I knew I had no guarantee on actually getting this on time. I spoke with my brother, and he asked me why I never chose to use my dad's ring. My dad's ring? I never even considered it! My mom mentioned it soo many multiple times to me, but why did that thought never pop into my head!? Of course! My dad's ring! It was time to see what it was.

Later that night, my brother emailed me pictures of it! Wow, that rock was big! But, it was sooo perfect. The 14K white gold band was perfect too. But they were not together. My mom would have to get a jeweler to put the two pieces together! So the next day, my mom dropped it off at the Jeweler and they said it would be ready by Saturday (Apr 23). What? I'm leaving on the 22nd, this would not work at all! I begged my mom to go to the jeweler everyday, and she graciously did. I can not thank my mom enough for doing so. More on the ring later.

Meanwhile, I had to find a place to stay during all this. I took off a few hours one day to get to the bottom of where I stayed in Destin, FL. After looking through some old PST files (outlook email files)... I found it! I found the email where we were planning the trip, and where I was bringing a friend! Wow, did the fates align? But it was in Biloxi! Had I not found this out, I would have been celebrating my proposal in Destin, FL, where in fact Colleen and I have never been together before! I thank my luck, fate, and all that helped me find out exactly where we first kissed. But, hmm, every time I tried to book this hotel, it says that this hotel is no longer taking reservations. Why? Was this booked? I googled it, and could not find much information on it. Hmm? I googled the hotel and the word "destroyed". Immediately, pictures from Hurricane Katrina came up, and yup, this hotel was wiped out in 2005 along with much of biloxi shoreline buidlings. So was this really the place I was going to propose? An empty lot in Biloxi with new buildings and other empty lots all around? I had to think of something different.

Pensacola, FL. I knew I loved the place when I was younger, and it was just a bit further passed Biloxi on the road, and I figured, it was probably much nicer. So yes, Pensacola is what I decided on, and at this point it's April 18. I needed to have a place so I could focus on the ring. A few clicks later, I spent a little bit of change, but I got this beautiful hotel room, with a view of the gulf, and I knew it was perfect. Ahh, finally I could take a breath.

The ring! OK, the ring was ready on Tuesday, April 19. Just a matter of shipping it to me. Well my mom goes to FedEx, and they see she wants it insured for a ton of money. They ask her what she is shipping, and it's a ring of course! They said they could not send it insured without it being appraised. My mom doesn't know what to do, so she goes back to the jeweler. The owner of the store says he would ship it. My mom sends me the tracking number on Wednesday, and my heart sinks. It was shipped USPS, $100 insured, overnight, and to my work, but not to my building, (just the university campus itself). They are never going to find me here on campus! So it was up to me to go to campus mail and tell them my story. They were more helpful after my story then before my story. They called up their contacts, and found out that it would be here Thursday. Thursday... I can live with that, but man, talk about cutting it close!

Thursday, April 21, 2011 rolls right around. Nervous as all living h-e-double hockey sticks, i go and stop by the post office like 3 times in the morning and ask if USPS express mail has arrived to no avail. I go get some lunch, and on the way back from lunch, I stop by the post office once more. OMG. The ring is there! It is waiting for me in all its brilliance. This must've been the 2nd happiest I ever been in this story. The hotel, the plan, nothing except hearing yes, could top getting the ring. I show the people in the post office this ring that is reflecting all the light emanating from my being. Then my friends at work. And then it went into hiding until proposal time!

Friday, April 22, 2011, day of the proposal, finally comes. Taking one breath at a time as I pack up, trying to figure out how I'm going to ask. Everything is in motion, it's just a matter of me flowing with the motions. Colleen gets home, and we start packing up to go to the beach! I get in the car for a few seconds and tell my friend to text me a time (beyond sunset) that they will be coming (although they are not really coming!). I show Colleen the text, finish packing, and then we get on the road.

After 3-4 hours, we get to the hotel, Holiday Inn Resort, and their computer systems are down. They assign us a room, we go in, and there's already someone in there. Ha! So we go back down, get another room, and we get in! Colleen is happy! She asks me "I wonder how much this room cost?!" Cool, so she probably thinks we are in this nice room because of all the computer problems they were having. So wow, everything is going perfect, I asked her if she wanted to walk on the beach with me.... and now the proposal is very near.

I blank my mind out, and put my body in autopilot (like the movie Click, if you ever seen it). So I hear myself making conversation, having a good time, but really I'm focused on one thing.... find a good, quiet spot to ask. After about a mile of walking down the beach, we find a spot between two hotels where we can catch the sunset and more importantly, not populated. We lay some towels down, watch the sunset, and then the sun disappears on the horizon and the clouds.

Colleen gets up to start packing up. I get up too. I get in front of her, grab her by the shoulders, and tell her about what I did (how no one was coming, and that we were spending a romantic weekend together). Then I dig in my bag, get down on one knee, pull out the ring, and asked "Colleen, will you marry me?"

- ETdoFresh

Old-Me vs New-Me

Dear Blog,

At work, doing my thing, and I decided to look at myself a year ago and today. Well, I'm on my way to having long hair again (but probably chop it off way before I get close). I still get scruffly faced (beard-wise). I seem to be more outgoing last year vs today, but that's OK. I'm being a programmer this year anyway. I am planting a new batch of vegetables and herbs, like last year. I still want to do outstanding things, but still focusing on the WHAT and not the HOW. I am employed today vs unemployed at this time last year. Not worried about money, or making money now, as it streams in as long as I give my 8 hours of the day.

The rest of this entry will be about motivation. I am, at this very moment, unmotivated, to do the things I want, and in my head, NEED. But why? Is simply wanting something not motivation enough to get your goals done. I say yes! Wanting something gives you a destination, but without anyway to get there, do you really even think about it?

For example, I want to be in Hawaii right now (b/c the beach sure sounds better than being in my office all day). But since there is no feasible way for me to be there this instant, I forget about it.

Another example, I wanted to lose like 30 lbs like 5 years ago. I'm still working on it! In that time, if I lost 1/2 a pound each month, I would have been at my goal right now! No hard workouts, not even a drastic life change. Just simply one less serving of junk a week could have got me that! But without direction or schedule available, wanting it now does not always fit the bill.

So what's going to get me motivated? This delicious chocolate on my desk will definitely make me happy now, but that's a step backwards from my weightloss goals. Playing videogames 3 hours a day is soo fun, but another step backwards in making videogames. The darn push and pull of life gets in the way of what I want! I want it all! I want to eat chocolate, play games, make games, lose weight, do work, goof off, and somehow get it done before I go to sleep today! (opening chocolate now... : P )

MMmmm, soo good.... Oh well, let's just say I just decided to screw up my 1/2 lb this month.

What's important to you? Enjoying the moment? Getting goals done? Achieving greatness? If you said all this and more, you are parallel to my world. I say the same things. Why sacrifice, when you CAN have it all? Eat that chocolate now, and hurry up and get your mind on something else before you eat 5 more. Play videogames here and there, but get off before you get sucked into beating yourself. Make videogames, create a schedule, have goals, do it ALL! You can do it! I can do it! Let's forget the bad, and just focus on what we can do now to maximize our value of life.

That chocolate was damn good!

- ETdoFresh

Git on Windows (Cygwin and Git Extensions)

Dear Blog,

Setting up git (Version Control System) really did suck on Windows. It wasn't a simple install this package, and all your problems are solved. I had major issues trying to use PuTTy, plink, and copSSH, which I believe most people use if they are using git on windows. I'm doing the cygwin approach. It's soo much easier (to me at least). Setting up the server kind of sucks, but the client is easy. I'll show how to setup the client today, and put up another post very shortly on how to setup a git server on windows using these exact same files.

Step 1 - Download and install Cygwin

Download cygwin from http://www.cygwin.com/ (Even Quicker Link)

• Run setup.exe
• Click Next >
• Select Install from Internet. Click Next >
• Keep Root Directory C:\cygwin, and Select All Users (RECOMMENDED). Click Next >
• Personally, I change Local Package Directory to C:\cygwin\packages. But wherever is fine.
• Select Direct Connection, Click Next >
• Select a mirror (I use http://mirror.cs.vt.edu), Click Next >
• Should get a Setup Alert, Click OK
• Select All > Devel > git. Select All > Net > openssh. Click Next >
• Make sure Select required packages is checked, Click Next >
• Let it download and install
• Click Finish
• Run it once. You should get a unix command prompt. Type in git<enter>, and you should see a list of options. Type in ssh<enter>, and you should also get a list of options.
• If all looks alright, you are done with Cygwin (if you are just using this as a client)

Step 2 - Download and install Git Extensions

Download gitextensions MSI file from http://code.google.com/p/gitextensions/ (Even Quicker Link)

• Run msi installer
• Click Next
• Verify path is OK for you. Click Next
• Leave default options if you want, Click Next
• Select OpenSSH, Click Next
• Click Install
• Let it install
• Click Finish
• Note: If you are prompted to install msysgit and kdiff3, just install kdiff3... otherwise download and install kdiff3 (or whatever diff software you like)

Step 3 - Setup Git Extensions

• Run Git Extensions
• Select English (if you perfer) - The UK flag!
• In settings (which should pop up right away) Select the Git tab
  • Set command used to run git as C:\cygwin\bin\git.exe
  • Set Path to linux tools as C:\cygwin\bin
• Select Global settings
  • Set perferred username and user email
• Select Ssh
  • Ensure OpenSSH is selected

Step 4 - Use Git

• Click Clone repository
• For Repository to clone, type in your server or directory (ie ssh://username@my.server.com/git/test.git)
• Set Destination and subdirectory appropriately. Click Clone.
• Log into your SSH server.
• Click OK on success (I hope!)
• Click Yes to view your repository.
• You will only have to log into your SSH on every push (not for every commit)
• Now get to work!

So, I know the issues I ran into using the putty, plink, msysgit may not be normal. But it definitely was a problem for me. So, here is my how-to on Cygwin and Git Extension, and I love this setup. I'll get to that server how-to in the next couple of days. Later!

- ETdoFresh

Corona Simulator shortcut

Dear Blog,

I decided that I am going to use Ansca Corona to develop a game I'm working on vs. Airplay SDK. This LUA language is soo much easier than C++. I still would love to have my games programmed in C++, but for just me, it'll take too long to get to my final destination. So, LUA it is! Anyway, here is a quick batch file that I like to keep in my projects directory so all I have to do is drag the folder to this batch file, or type in the name of the porject I'm working on.

simulate.cmd

@echo off
echo -------------------------
echo Shortcut to LUA Simulator
echo -------------------------
echo.

SET coronaSimulator=%ProgramFiles(x86)%
IF "%coronaSimulator%" == "" SET coronaSimulator=%ProgramFiles%
SET coronaSimulator=%coronaSimulator%\Ansca\Corona Simulator\Corona 

Simulator.exe

IF NOT [%1] == [] GOTO PROCEED
SET /P simulateTarget=Enter name of your project? 

:PROCEED
IF NOT [%simulateTarget%] == [] SET simulateTarget="%simulateTarget%"
SET simulateTarget=%1%simulateTarget%\main.lua

IF NOT EXIST %simulateTarget% GOTO MESSAGE
start "Corona Simulator" "%coronaSimulator%" %simulateTarget%
GOTO END

:MESSAGE
echo Project does not exist: %simulateTarget%
pause

:END

Symbolic Link Batch File

Dear Blog,

I use Boxee, and when I download DVDs, they don't show up as episodes on my TV Guide. Someone suggested making symbolic links... Sounds good to me. Here's a batch file I use to generate these symbolic links (not catching me renaming 100's of files

@echo off
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
echo -------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo  This will make symbolic links for your ISO/IMG files
echo -------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo.

IF "%~f1" == "" (
  echo No file dragged onto this script
  pause
  EXIT
)

SET /P season=Season (ie 1)? 
SET /P episodeStart=Starting Episode (ie 1)? 
SET /P episodeEnd=Ending Episode (ie 4)?

IF NOT DEFINED season SET season=1
IF NOT DEFINED episodeStart SET episodeStart=1
IF NOT DEFINED episodeEnd SET episodeEnd=4

IF %season% LSS 10 SET season=0%season%
IF %episodeStart% LSS 10 SET episodeStartZero=0%episodeStart%

SET firstEpisode=%~n1 S%season%E%episodeStartZero%%~x1
MOVE "%~dpf1" "%~dp1%firstEpisode%"

IF %episodeStart% GEQ %episodeEnd% EXIT
SET /A episodeStart=episodeStart + 1

FOR /l %%n IN (%episodeStart%,1,%episodeEnd%) DO (
  SET currentEpisode=%%n
  IF !currentEpisode! LSS 10 SET currentEpisode=0!currentEpisode!
  mklink "%~dpn1 S%season%E!currentEpisode!%~x1" "%firstEpisode%"
)
pause

Edit: Hmm, my sickbeard renames the files, so here is my newer method... I append each dvd with their first episode, like first dvd would now end in s01e01. Do that for each dvd. Then sickbeard renames it. To show up nicely in boxee, I run the following, slighltly modified script:

@echo off
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
echo -------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo  This will make symbolic links for your ISO/IMG files
echo -------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo.

IF "%~f1" == "" (
  echo No file dragged onto this script
  pause
  EXIT
)

SET /P season=Season (ie 1)? 
SET /P episodeStart=Starting Episode (ie 2)? 
SET /P episodeEnd=Ending Episode (ie 4)?

IF NOT DEFINED season SET season=1
IF NOT DEFINED episodeStart SET episodeStart=2
IF NOT DEFINED episodeEnd SET episodeEnd=4

IF %season% LSS 10 SET season=0%season%

FOR /l %%n IN (%episodeStart%,1,%episodeEnd%) DO (
  SET currentEpisode=%%n
  IF !currentEpisode! LSS 10 SET currentEpisode=0!currentEpisode!
  mklink "%~dp1S%season%E!currentEpisode!%~x1" "%~f1"
)
pause

Enable Sound Controls (Mute) in Media Center 7 (7MC)

Dear Blog

Tonight I was having issues muting my HD content. My normal SD conent has normal, vol up/down and mute capabilities. Unfortunately, my HD conent was always like near max blast, even if I hit mute or vol down.

So what I did was turn on Auto Volume! It works now... no dolby digital sound from the TV anymore, but, I only use TV speakers anyway, so I'm not missing much.

I believe it's in:
Settings > TV > Audio > Auto Volume Checkbox

- ETdoFresh

Merge PDFs using Ghost Script (CutePDF)

Dear Blog,

Here is a batch file (.cmd or .bat) to merge PDFs

@echo off
echo -------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo  This will merge all your pdfs in the current directory to an output.pdf
echo -------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo.
Setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
%~d0
cd %~p0
set /p MERGEFILE=Output file (no need to add .pdf)? 
set PDFMERGE=
for %%f in (*.pdf) do set PDFMERGE=!PDFMERGE! "%%f"
"C:\Program Files\GPLGS\gswin32c" -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dNOPAUSE -dQUIET -dBATCH -sOutputFile="%MERGEFILE%.pdf" %PDFMERGE%
pause

Palm Pre (Plastic) Scratched Up

Dear Blog,

After playing some volleyball and using my phone, I realized sand + my thumb = deep scratches on my phone. Now when I use my phone, I could feel the scratches and it made me cringe...

Well I decided to buy some plastic repair off ebay called Novus plastic scratch repair kit. It came in 1, 2, 3 bottles, where 1 was just a polish, 2 was a shallow scractch repair, and 3 was the heavy duty scratch repair.

I picked up my phone, did number 2 like 2 - 3 times, and I finished off with a number 1. Looked much better, but the scratches are still there if you look at it in the right light. But the "feeling" is completely smooth. Soo happy I did this! If you have a scracthed pre, or anything that's plastic. Try this out. I think it was about $10 after shipping. Worth it, for me!

- ET

Setting up a torrent

Here's a quick, no frills, text-only tutorial on setting up your own torrent (and personal tracker), for family photos, family movies, etc (using uTorrent)...

1. Get your external IP address (or dyndns address)
2. Get your uTorrent listening port (by Options > Speed Guide)
3. Forward that port on router (sorry non-tech savvy peepz)
4. Enable Tracker (Options > Preferences > Advanced > bt.enable.tracker = true)
5. Create Torrent!
   1. File > Create New Torrent...
   2. Select files you want to server
   3. Trackers = http://yourExternalIP:yourForwardedPort/announce
   4. Check Start Seedings and Private Torrent
   5. Click Create and Save As... to make torrent file (then wait)
   6. If you see the torrent in your list, a green arrow, and everything is seeding, you are doing swell! If not, check your port and check it with the built-in Speed test in Options > Speed Guide
6. Give that torrent to all your friends and ensure tracker is always up (because of private torrent option).

Good luck all, and to all a good night!

- E.T.

What do you do?

Dear Blog,

What do you do!? What do you do when you have a friend that has only 6 weeks to live?

Granted, this friend and I haven't been in contact for years now... but it's his last days, and I have a way to contact him. Aww man, I just don't know!?

I really don't think about this often. I don't know how I would react to death? Personally, I want to feel like at any moment, I'd be ready... but I don't think I would be. There may be things I still need to experience. I tell you my priorities would be so much different if I knew I only had 6 or less weeks to live.

My friend has really touched my life, and molded me from someone who would have been completely dull to someone with a little personality. We have had adventures and I don't think I could forget them.

But what about now? What do I do? We can't relive those adventures, because I'm not that crazy (or young) anymore.

Hmm... oh well, the truth is, I got nothing. I will just try to be there, and maybe he'll know what I could do for him.

- ET

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Dear Blog,

I was thinking about how I was going to start this entry off. I got a few things on my mind in the middle of a Sunday night. Don't know where to start, but I try...

Saturday was such a weird day. It starts off with Colleen hitting my car as she backed out the driveway. It dented my hood a little, but really nothing noticeable compared to all the other things wrong with my car. Then we car pooled with Rebecca to see Wicked. But as we got on the interstate on Power, we tried to merge in with traffic. Rebecca and an eighteen wheeler were side-by-side by the end of the merge. What were our choices? Brake was the first thing! But there was too much momentum to stop on the dime.... so hit the eighteen wheeler or hit the side rail? We hit the side rail, sort of bounced off, and the eighteen wheeler clipped the rear view mirror. Strange thing was that we were still driving right behind the eighteen wheeler going like 60 like nothing happened. Haha. Needless to say I was a bit scared during the whole ordeal, but I'm fine now! And, of course, to top off the weird day, an incident occurred as we were watching the Broadway show, Wicked. Mid-way through the second half, the theater goes black. I wonder if it is part of a show, and an audience member yells what I am thinking.... "Is this part of the show?" and multiple audience members yell back "No!". There was a fire in a motel in the vicinity, and Entergy was required to shut off the power. We did not get to see the rest of the play, but the two main characters sang one of the final songs A cap ell a. It was a unique experience, but many people were still mad that they didn't get to see the show. We really won't know what the theatre will do until tomorrow.

Sunday rolled around, and we had a nice Easter lunch at Colleen's family's house. And now it's the middle of the night, and I think...

I think too much sometimes. I think whether I'm making a wise move by doing something I know I'm passionate about, or I wonder if I should move on and try something new. I love videogames, love developing, and love problem-solving. But is it something I will make money with? Will I be accepted trying to do this?

My family has shown me a lot of support, especially when it comes to following my dreams. And my wonderful girlfriend has also been doing extremely supportive. But I still feel judged. I'm pretty sure I'm doing it to myself. I'm working on a simple little board game, and I constantly say to myself, this has been done. But it's something that gets me excited, and I want to follow through with this (unlike so many other unfinished projects in my life). I admit, I get depressed sometimes, severely unmotivated at others. I just want to quit, mainly because I'm not making money.

But I won't! It's just how I feel sometime, but I'm strong enough to push through. I need to stop inventing excuses, and just move! I'm almost done, I see the finish line (or at least I see the next "step"). I need to get there. I will get there! The biggest things in my way are my darn thoughts!

- ET

Ranting about Software Piracy

Dear Blog,

I just read an article called Software Piracy - It's Not Right, but How Do We Fix It?

The answer is punishment against those that do it. He says that 75% of people will stop right away (stop dead). LOL! Are you serious? There have been attacks already, so it's been done! Piracy lives, punishment fails. Remember Napster? Remember KaZaa? See PirateBay? Piracy is like a weed, you clip it, it only grows back nastier and heavier than ever.

Sorry, but if I was 100% against piracy, punishment is too uncreative of a solution. Creative solutions could be the game developers themselves distributing "fake" versions of the game on Pirate Bay or something that will delete your save games at a certain date. Haha! Some hackers would be pissed! Maybe have a renaming function in the game for those implementing constant online protection. Like the main character could be renamed IHeartPinkPonies and the end boss could be PinkPony, or something ridiculous like that.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say, punishment will scatter the pirates, but pissing them off will bring them out. But not only that, it may burn them out as they get frustrated with accidently downloading "junk".

As of right now... it's too easy. Jump on a torrent site, start up the program to see if it works, and bam! You got new software! The comments on these torrent trackers help too! They have people saying, "yup, it works" or "don't download this, it's junk".

If you want to hurt piracy, think outside the box and be creative. I think it'll take a pirate to hurt the pirates. But either way, piracy will live.

Last thought: If people would spend half their energy on doing something (creative) about piracy that they use complaining about piracy, I think the whole industry would be somewhere else right now.

- ETdoFresh

New Life

Dear Blog,

Did you know that life can be bought for only a few bucks? What!? Alright, well, if you are looking for a cool activity to do with a loved one (spouse, child, girlfriend, whatever), why don't you create some new life?

Colleen and I were at the grocery store, and I decided I needed some mint. I could buy 10 - 15 leaves for 2.99 or I could buy a plant for 2.99. I went with the latter (and got two!). Well this was great! Colleen also bought a upside-down strawberry garden that starts from seeds.

Anyway, then it started getting serious. We cleaned out this huge weed pile we had by the A/C unit, and placed pine needles there and planted flowers. So cheap (like $0.89 for each plant). I also trimmed the fig tree, because it was getting a little to estate hungry (took up way too much room).

Then we bought seeds. We bought a little DIY mini green house, and seeds for all around $10 - $15. I think just growing mint and herbs pays for itself, but with patience, I'm going to try and grow many different things from seeds. I printed cool little graphics and taped it to the edge of the green house (plastic box) so I can tell what's what!

Hopefully we can make beautiful flowers, herbs, and vegetables grow in our backyard. But it's a cheap hobby (if you choose it to be) and you make life in your very own backyard (or your patio pot). I guess I gotta be prepared to take care of them once they start sprouting, until they are strong enough to survive on their own.

- ETdoFresh

D.E.A.L.

Dear Blog,

Four Hour Workweek was an interesting read. I have some friends that say it was an OK book, and other's say it was complete bologna (in nice terms). Anway, I gave it a read, and it was a good self-help book to get ya motivated.

DEAL is the acronym the majority of the chapters seem to go through. Define what you want (cost, style, quantity, etc.). Eliminate all the excess activities that don't get you results. The author mentioned Pareto's Principle where 80% of what you are doing is only giving you 20% your output, and vice versa, 20% of what you are doing is giving you 80% of your output. Automate your tasks so you don't have to be part of the machine you call your job. The author challenges everyone to hire a person in India or wherever most economical to gain experience not only automating some mundane tasks, but to gain experience "bossing" someone else around. Liberate your life! Find out what to do with the free time you have. Travel, Vagabond, etc.

Good stuff, but I don't think I'll be able to follow in his footsteps exactly. I like to work, and not really sure if I can define what I want exactly or eliminate all the things I think bring me happiness just yet. Once I get fed up with my career again, I may give this a shot.

- E.T.

How to make a Simple XML Socket Server with PHP and Windows 7 / Vista

Dear Blog,

Today we are going to discuss how make a simple XML socket server using PHP (as a command line server) and Flash as the client. I assume that PHP has been installed with the "sockets plug-in".

First let's associate a new type of file to Windows, called PHS, or PHP Script. (I borrowed the following from this site) Open up a command prompt window and...

ASSOC .phs=PHPScript
FTYPE PHPScript=[path to]\php.exe -f "%1" -- %*
set PATHEXT=.phs;%PATHEXT%

Now evertime you click on a phs file, it should open up in PHP CLI (Command Line Interface).

After that, we simply create a PHS like the following that will run as your server (borrowed from here and tweaked to work here)...

<?php 
echo "Starting XML Socket Server\n";

// Set time limit to indefinite execution 
set_time_limit (0); 

// Set the ip and port we will listen on 
$address = 'localhost'; 
$port = 9001; 
$max_clients = 10; 

// Array that will hold client information 
$client = array(); 

// Create a TCP Stream socket 
$sock = socket_create(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0); 
// Bind the socket to an address/port 
socket_bind($sock, $address, $port) or die('Could not bind to address'); 
// Start listening for connections 
socket_listen($sock); 

// Loop continuously 
while (true) { 
    // Setup clients listen socket for reading 
    $read[0] = $sock; 
    for ($i = 0; $i < $max_clients; $i++) 
    { 
        if (isset($client[$i]) && $client[$i]['sock'] != NULL) {
            $read[$i + 1] = $client[$i]['sock'] ; 
  }
    } 
    // Set up a blocking call to socket_select()
 $temp = array();
    $ready = socket_select($read,$temp,$temp,NULL); 
    /* if a new connection is being made add it to the client array */ 
    if (in_array($sock, $read)) { 
        for ($i = 0; $i < $max_clients; $i++) { 
   if (!isset($client[$i])) { 
                $client[$i]['sock'] = socket_accept($sock); 
                break; 
            } 
            elseif ($i == $max_clients - 1) {
                print ("too many clients") ;
   }
        }
        if (--$ready <= 0) {
            continue; 
  }
    } // end if in_array 
     
    // If a client is trying to write - handle it now 
    for ($i = 0; $i < $max_clients; $i++) { // for each client
  if (isset($client[$i])) {
         if (in_array($client[$i]['sock'] , $read)) { 
             $input = socket_read($client[$i]['sock'] , 1024); 
             if ($input == NULL) { 
                 // Zero length string meaning disconnected 
                 unset($client[$i]); 
             } 
             $n = trim($input); 
             if ($input == 'exit') { 
                 // requested disconnect 
                 socket_close($client[$i]['sock']); 
             } elseif ($input) { 
     echo "Client $i sends:\n$input\n\n"; 
                 // strip white spaces and write back to user 
                 $output = ereg_replace("[ \t\n\r]","",$input).chr(0); 
                 socket_write($client[$i]['sock'],$output); 
             } 
         } else { 
             // Close the socket 
             socket_close($client[$i]['sock']); 
             unset($client[$i]); 
         }
  }
    } 
} // end while 
// Close the master sockets 
socket_close($sock); 
?>

Double click that file, and you should have an XML Socket Server that repeats whatever you send it.

Now open up flash, and have it connect and send something to the server. If everything works, you should see the response in the trace portion of your flash window. Done! (I included the Flash file I made here).

Hope this helps someone in cyber-world!

- ETdoFresh

First Blog from Adobe Contribute CS4

Dear Blog,

Wow! This is a pretty cool blogging software. I was doing my entries in Adobe DreamWeaver, but little did I know, I had the software all along specifically for this kind of website. I'm going to test a picture, and see if it works well.

So this picture just shows the length of my hair during Mardi Gras season. I'm seriously considering chopping it off, but maybe I can donate it? We'll see. Well, this was just a quick entry, cause I was excited to see what this software could do! And  you know what, I'm liking it very much! If you have a blog, and you happen to have Adobe Contribute on your computer, I say.... give this software a try, it may speed up how you write in your blog!

- ETdoFresh

How Are You Going To Live Your Life?

Dear Blog,

Sorry I had to take a break! The city of New Orleans has been on a Saints Superbowl weekend starting last weekend! In New Orleans, we like to party a lot, and as for me... I've been really, really into football this season. This weekend has been great, because our friend had a hotel room down in the quarter, so all day Saturday and Sunday we chilled down there! Goodness, the party started way before we got there!

We watched the game, gave approximately 1000 high fives walking down the quarter, the occasional hugs to strangers, and of course we all got "Crunk" (Crazy A** Drunk. It could mean high and drunk also, but I'm sticking with the first).

Anyway, during all this, before all this, and reading my brother's posts, I got the thinking. We are always asking ourselves, what do we have to do, when do we have to do it, where do we have to do it, and why do we have to do it? Things from work, to errands, to basic living your life. All good questions to ask, but I think the one that most strikes me is HOW. Men from now to ages ago may have done some wonderful things, but what really makes them wonderful? Our logical minds always tell us, whatever furthers our species as a human race makes someone's achievements awesome. But thinking about it... how he achieves this marvel is of great importance.

How. How. How. Live life with compassion, with greatness, with heart, with happiness in your actions. Do what you want; but more importantly, whatever you do, do it with a positive, happy mindset. If you focus too much on WHAT, you lose sight, and the moments that are supposed to be the happiest in your life become worrisome, somewhat depressing, routine of "WHEN is this over?". I fall into this trap all the time. I'm trying to get off the "wheel", but it's hard. The wheel is easy. The wheel lets you do something, but it wastes time, and overall, wastes life.

It's my life, it's your life, live it HOW you want and you too will be a man of the ages.

- ET

My Fig Cake, Coax Cable Crimp/Compress, New Pre Case

Dear Blog,

Phew! Been a couple days, but I'm back! I don't have many pix, but I'll give a highlight reel of my past week (of nothing that important).

Before the big freeze here in New Orleans, Colleen collected the figs off our fig tree and boiled them down to a fig preserve. It was sweet, but I didn't know quite what to do with them. So I thought of Fig Newtons... I like those a lot, and figured that's what I could do with the perserves! So I baked a giant fig cake, and gave it a taste. It's nice for the first bite, but as you keep eating, it just doesn't agree! Oh well, gave it a shot. Here's how it looked like.

Then I decided to tackle a project behind my TV computer.... sorting out the coax cable back there. I bought a compressor, strpper, and F connectors set for R6 cables (or R59, i forget). So the two types of ways to put the connector on the end of a coax cable it Compression or Crimp. I chose compression because I have already done crimping with RJ-45 cable (Ethernet Cable), and I wanted to see something diffrent... It's really no too different, but as all cable connection setup, you have to clip and strip the end of the coax. Once you have a stripped coax, you simply slide the connector on and jam it as deep as you can into the coax's jacket. Then the compression type connectors have a plunger type area (black part in the picture below). When you compress the connector, you basically take the metal ring end of the connector, and bring it into the rest of the connector, and you no longer see the plunger. It stays on.... good enough for me. So I made a few short cables out of one medium cable, and now the splitter and the back of the computer look somewhat organized! Here are the tools and connectors I used (stripper, compressor, F connectors).

I was complaining about my Palm Pre's silicone case before, and low and behold, a plastic snap on cover has answered my prayers. I like the color and it's stability. Finally a case cover I don't have to sorry about losing! The feel may not be as cool as a jelly/silicone cover, but it stays on. That's really the most I can asked for, for a sliding face phone. So I'm happy with it.

All and all, a pretty good week. I had some audacious goals for the game I'm working on, but didn't meet them. Even though it's the weekend, I hope I can spend a few of these hours working on the game, cause I fell a bit behind this week. As for now, I say to you, adieu.

- E.T.

PS - Don't watch The Girlfriend Experience, bad movie! I watched it streaming on Netflix, and there was really nothing in that movie that made me feel any completeness. Just people thrown in front of a camera following a very vague story. Watch out!

Saints Win! Super Bowl Bound!

Dear Blog,