Sunday, January 29, 2012
After figuring out how to get my Macbook display to work earlier this month, abstract noise suggested the FBI is more involved in my issues than I thought-- and I am pleased. These two factors have both calmed me and allowed me to take a mini break where work is concerned.
So what have I been up to? Listening and researching music, reading, thinking about a couple of projects and hoping my ordeal is coming to an end. Tomorrow? No-- but I hope soon.
Here are a couple tunes I found last evening that I especially like:
- Gladys Knight-- Walk Softly
- Ray Charles-- If I Could-- never heard this version- fell in love with the song all over again.
I absolutely love Youtube. So much so-- the Youtube Music Search Interface on the WiredPages Arts & Entertainment page-- is one of my favorites.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Had a jam session with Aaron Neville and Van Morrison last night.. thought I would share.
Jimmy Webb's lyrics always make me stop and think.. he is the writer behind songs like Macarthur Park and By the Time I Get To Phoenix. I woke up early this morning and a talk show had a guy on with a full band [horns, keyboards, electric guitars]-- doing rap. I will understand if you think me musically out of it..
Saturday, January 21, 2012
In the summer of 1995 after leaving Rockwell, I was in a music store in Bowie-- at the time my hometown- and this song was playing softly in the background.
Amazon claims the song was released in 1997. I am pretty sure I purchased this CD in 1995. If you did not listen to the song-- it is Yolanda Adams'- More than Just a Melody.
I had to ask the clerk about the song. Some of the verses include:
- In the still of the moment; my voice can be heard
- So listen carefully; There's music inside each word
- I am the composer; Of the melody of life
- Take my yoke upon you'll learn of me; I'll be your guiding light
- I am the director; Be part of my symphony
- I speak peace into the storms; Even the winds obey me
- Let me be your soul; You'll never have to walk alone
- I'll help you; Carry on... Carry on
I am positive I purchased the CD for this song-- in the summer or fall of 1995. This was a odd time for me. Odd things were happening and I had no idea why.
But let me back up for a moment and tell you about a job interview I had in the spring of 1995 after I left Rockwell. I met the guy-- for lunch at a Rosalyn, VA restaurant but now cannot remember which one. I was a bit uncomfortable at lunch-- but we set up an interview for me to fly to Boston-- to interview with either Oracle or Digital Equipment. The details are a little unclear-- now. The things, I remember about these series of interviews--
- I flew out of BWI. There was an odd moment when a little boy of 2 or 3 was flying alone and the stewardess helping him-- wanted my attention for some reason. I was preoccupied with my interview, the long drive I had to make to New Hampshire from Boston, and the flight -- so I kind of half smiled and returned to ignoring them both. Most people today-- get my half smile. I use it to politely disengage. I think she wanted me to watch him.. I half smiled-- and did not watch him. The little boy was white/blonde and running around the waiting room. All of this took place in the waiting room. After they boarded him first because of status [child flying alone]-- I never saw him again. [Added 01-22-12].
- I was supposed to meet with the guy's daughter-- I am not sure now, how all of this came about-- but the whole thing was uncomfortable for me. After meeting with her-- I was supposed to drive back to Boston and stop by and see him. I got a little lost on the way back-- and went straight to the airport.
- During the interview the blond daughter said and I quote-- "where did they get you from?". I do not like rudeness and knew few women in my career world so I was not really interested in this position nor seeing her father on my way to the airport. I think the position was for some sort of DBA manager. During that time-- I would often ask hiring managers if that was all they wanted me to do? I did not ask her.
- In 1997 or so-- when discussing details of this trip-- I said she reminded me of Caroline Kennedy.
- On the flight home-- I sat next too an attractive blonde-- wearing something like white hip huggers with a nice top. Kind of hip. Next to her was a very attractive [white/italian looking] guy-- who seemed to ignore her to flirt with me. During those days-- I welcomed no one unless a lawyer, or hiring manager so although polite, I did not encourage his advances. I thought it odd he passed on the attractive blonde between us-- to do this. I was maybe a 6-8 with a business suit on-- ... Yes, i feel I did the right thing in ignoring all of this-- though it was natural at the time... took no effort.
When I moved to Hanover from Bowie--the CD came with me. Odd things never stopped after I left Rockwell and I often asked-- what am I looking for. In 1998-- I figured out Richard Nixon was probably my grandfather.
The song- I thought the NSA director. That said-- I had a bad fall in the basement-- and felt surveillance did nothing. This around 1998 or so. If NSA was the director-- I stopped paying attention to them around that time. I am not a fan of NSA nor the many employees I have come across in these last 16 years.
Did the guy come on to me? No. Who did he remind me of-- Robert Gates. I just learned today that a key director at the CIA was Robert Gates. The problem? He was a Bush [H. W.] appointee-- and left with his administration. Later, something about Lynn Cheney's constant appearances on Crossfire-- makes me think-- my dislike of H.W.'s handling of the first Gulf War, subsequent call to Al Gore's senate office to ask if I could do anything to help him run-- may have had a bigger voice than I knew about at the time. I made no secret of my dislike of Bush's handling of the war-- and he was not re-elected. No.. I had nothing to do with it.. I did work with a lot of Naval Academy graduates [Navy Intel?]-- who also might have thought it was too weak a voice-- where kids might lose their lives. Keep in mind the Gulf war was one year after my father's death. My father-- at the time was the only person I knew up close and personal-- to die. At the time-- I heard no explanations for why those kids were sitting in that desert at Thanksgiving-- and to me they appeared too young and too scared.
Did I know of all of my ties to Washington and England at the time of the first Gulf War? No. So my voice was a good judge of how it looked to someone who kept up with the news. I felt H. W.'s voice too weak for the leader role in that conflict.
The Gulf War and the details of that war caught my attention. I knew facts and figures that I am sure most people ignored. I was coming off a year of mourning and that war caught my attention... loudly. I could not believe we were at war. I was worried. Very. Mostly-- I could not believe those kids were sitting in that desert and I had not heard a reason from bush.
You had a mission and then abandoned- after Bush? A good director-- would have found a way to carry on.
I have been through a lot in the intervening years. Today, I am studying Robert Mueller. I think I told the story I was supposed to tell. He is the director of the FBI-- and that is the voice I need now. I do not remember Bob Gates from his days as CIA director. I see him from his more recent-- Defense Secretary position..
Did you want the American public to have a better idea of our issues? You cut me loose. What you should have done-- was let go entirely.. I need Robert Mueller to do that now. I said no. I will follow his lead.
I would have never followed the guy I met for the job interview-- his rude daughter nor bob gates if that was him.
The words to that song are powerful. Bob gates is not. I have paid too much for this.. I need a powerful voice FBI.. A voice that is letting go.. I paid way to much-- while blaming me for firing my powerful director. Even the wind obeys him? So how is it my fault he was fired? Get off me.
Right now I am a little angry. Those who know what I have been through probably get it.. Bob Gates a director for something this large? Mueller is the right exit.. let go. Copy this-- because I want this blog to be more positive than Q's Wire. I wanted to express this so those in the know- could hear me... How dare you.. Me the director? My voice... you forgot to tell bob's other "gals" in washington... Yet I fired? make up your mind.. I repeat how dare you.. Mueller I am the second seat. I was never the director. I told a story I thought I was supposed to tell. You are.. and I want this over.-- this is not an order. I read one or two laws. my rights have been violated. That's why i am asking you to help me.
You cut me loose to a bunch of people worried about their secrets. I had no idea. I paid way too much because Bob Gates lost his job. even the wind obeys me? How dare you?
I have too many powerful family members that do not understand the meaning of no. Mueller is the correct exit strategy for me... I said no.
Did you hear the words-- inner ear in the song?" Over these last years--- i have dreams. Detailed dreams. I knew W. was going to win -- before he won. i have dreamed about Sam Brownback, Gene, lester, and others. most recently-- Robert mueller. The problem-- a sustitution was made in his dream... i was supposed to believe it was Mueller but it was the wrong body type. It was the body type of gates. I am told things in this manner for a reason. I believe there is a hidden speaker in my room somewhere. I did not know who the second "mueller" was until today. The dream was innocent-- but it showed a subsitution. i am not a fan of gates. Said no.
More about the dream... Gene was the last person i dreamed about before mueller. I always ask if he wants to give me a hug. I always say-- that face should give me a hug. He did. It was so real. I remember details about my last ecounter at my place with Gene. I know where he was and what we discussed. the placement is key. I often say-- my bed is not big enough for a lover and my bags. I have a queen size bed-- and my bags-- sit on my bed covered while I sleep. So I mean literally. in the mueller dream-- I am in his presence. Then I am led to believe he gets in my bed and I touch his stomach through his shirt-- which is flabby. I never see his face-- and he is not interested in touching me. he is on the side of my bags. it is not mueller. In real life, a large blonde girl followed me around a local mall on two separate occassions. For some reason i thought she was connected to Gates. Gates-- I lost my job and started a company. i do not owe your blonde gals. said no... Look at this figuratively.. not a desire of mine to put men in my bed. Have none..
By the way-- check with my past lovers... they will tell you I do not touch unless invited to do so... they touch. in the dream it was a mistake I touched that stomach. not a mistake to suggest i did. A mistake my hand brushed by. Not sure why the mueller wannabe was in my bed.
not only my relatives and blood kin. but overweight blondes with vip daddys have a hard time with no... i need the real mueller.. lot of problems with no. I mean no.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
QiSoftware.com and hosting-q.com. are registered domains of Regina Thomas and because I maintain the whois data for both domains as public information-- easy to check.
Further, QiSoftware is a legal business entity in the State of Maryland and qisoftware.com its official website. hosting-q.com is the web hosting site for QiSoftware-- and not a separate business entity.
I take pains to ensure my software tools cannot run anywhere but where I have designed them to be used. This to ensure-- my tools and pages are not mirrored nor accessed within other pages or frames.
Under no circumstances should my sites be mirrored, duplicated, directly or indirectly promoted as belonging to any other business organization, individual, company, government or anyone other than Regina D. Thomas doing business as QiSoftware -- with business address-- 8630-M Guilford Rd #276, Columbia, MD 21046. This is also the business address on file with the State of Maryland for QiSoftware.
Mirroring, coping, or duplicating any parts of my sites [qisoftware.com/hosting-q.com] is strictly forbidden-- and should cease at once if you are in violation of this restriction. This is without regard to who, why or some sort of legal override that was not provided to me. That legal override needs to be officially provided to me. I have no knowledge of any such document nor legal rendering that overrides my rights as the owner of qisoftware and registered owner of qisoftware.com and hosting-q.com. This includes all of the sub-domains of Qisoftware.com and hosting-q.com, including but not limited to wiredpages.qisoftware.com, forums.qisoftware.com. personal.qisoftware.com, remix.qisoftware.com--and the others that have been partitoned as such under the qisoftware.com domain.
Affiliate associates and their ads-- I use on my sites should remain those I put in place with the associated account numbers and tracking information that I obtained from the business association I signed with. Replacing my interfaces and tools with duplicates using other tracking information is fraud and you are owed criminal charges.
You will find no other individuals, organizations, etc. listed on any material associated with QiSoftware, qisoftware.com nor hosting-q.com. Not on registrations or business filings. The Skype user name-- QiSoftware and associated number 443.393.6650 are also registered to me-- Regina D. Thomas. Interfering with my business communications violates a whole other set of laws and constitutes criminal activity. This interference with my business communications should also cease at once.
I conduct all of my business dealings myself and have no agent. No lawyer, partner nor any other business entity that acts or speaks for me. That includes any government entity, i.e., Local, Federal or foreign [to the United States--- where my business is listed].
In addition, I have many partnerships with organizations that offer xml, web services or some other type of data -- which allows me to provide their data on my sites. My interfaces and tools should not be replaced for any reason.
In summary, take down any mirrors or duplicates of my sites.. and remove any interfaces you may have installed to replace those, I installed. Further after removing any interfaces I did not install-- do not install them again. I replace all of my interfaces with off-line copies, on a daily basis.
I [Regina Denise Thomas] run a legal business entity [QiSoftware]- for profit.
Regina Thomas
QiSoftware-- 443.393.6650
www.linkedin.com/in/QiSoftware
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
I went out this morning, before the crack of dawn. Here is what I looked like-- after a shower, hair and makeup.
What's worse-- looks like I am gaining weight. This since my elliptical went into disrepair in mid November 2011. I think I can abate this trend-- with a little self discipline. That said-- I believe some of the weight is temporary water gain.
Went to the market without incident. This is the first time I have been out since Christmas. Go to the bank weekly-- however, I do not get out of the car. Lately, been really busy-- trying to get FBI and DOJ to engage.
I updated the Amazon Associates stats [upper right corner-- this blog and the business blog] when I returned home. Data was not available before then. This data is based on my Amazon Associates report through yesterday from the beginning of the month. I am a little disappointed with those stats. Only 66 impressions for yesterday-- and this includes every interface running-- from both WiredPages [6 pages and this blog-- only the home page]. The way the stats should look? Every time a page is requested with the Amazon Search Widget in place-- I should get an impression hit. Not based on the number of items returned from the search-- but the Amazon site link in the banner. That is where the impression hit is. No sales, orders nor clicks. The current totals for clicks account for my tests.
If you visit my pages and know the stats look incorrect-- this is a matter for the FBI. Contact them. Not for the low impression counts. If you clicked. i repeat-- those totals thus far look like my clicks.
I do not owe liars and criminals
Monday, January 16, 2012
I was planning to integrate a Patch widget on the home page of WiredPages. Here is how the page currently looks, image from the WiredPages Facebook page:
After playing around with the Patch API for most of the morning, I decided it is simply not stable enough at this time-- to put it in such a high profile location on WiredPages. The WiredPages home page is the most popular page on that site. In that it is also the showcase site for my software tools-- I do not want to have users constantly getting the "Server Busy" message-- from the Patch API. It has nothing to do with my access- but rather the developers implementation of the API. Preliminary tests also showed no problem with accessing the API from hosting-q.com-- however I think WiredPages is simply too busy for the load on their side.
That said, I now have at least three different versions of a MD5 program-- for the many interfaces I have developed-- that require this type of signature when making API calls-- to the respective services.
Yes, I know I still owe an explanation about the stats in the upper sidebar-- and I will probably get to it later this week. I am still-- trying to make sure everyone is on the same page with regard to the WiredPages home page. There are no ads running on the home page of WiredPages that I put in place. If you see ads- the site was tampered with and not authorized. See the above illustration of how I set up the page. When I do- put ads or a new interface on that page-- I can assure you, I will let you know via a blog post-- like I always do when I do something like this.
FBI/DOJ-- I believe for the amount of notice I have-- I have way too much tampering with my sites. This should cease at once.
The other issue I want to remind about-- when I attend Meetups or other events- I document in detail. What I wore, what I attended, etc. If you did not read about it here.. it was not me in attendance. I have been very busy the last six months-- and have not really been anywhere, maybe a store. I do have plans in the near future to attend an event. Just wanted to remind everyone.. I document almost everything going on in my life. I also do not employ anyone else. I work alone and no one acts as my agent. No one has my power of attorney nor can they approve anything-- as related to QiSoftware, Hosting-Q or any areas of either site. Not a relative, not my mother-- no one. I put this warning out there again-- because I am hoping a lot of folks find themselves in a lot of legal hot water in the coming months. I do not want you to think I am kidding. I said no. I am Regina Thomas, owner @QiSoftware. Hosting-Q.com is part of QiSoftware- and not a separate business entity.
You have an issue with QiSoftware or me-- you need to bring a law suit or go through the proper legal channels. I am not kidding.. I owe jail to those that do not understand this. I am not part of the crap in Washington. I never was. I repeat-- I owe jail. I have even explained this to my mother-- and told her in no uncertain terms-- do not interfere in my business. I am also explaining it to you.. and I do not care who you are. I do not owe you. Also-- do not tamper with my sites.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
I have started to integrate the new Amazon Search Interface on some of the WiredPages. Not on the home page-- see this post, however several others:
You will note- I replaced the NS&J Forums Login area in the sidebar of those pages that are now using the Amazon Search Widget, as shown in the following illustration.
I actually like the pages with the new interface, better than those with the forum login area [think it is the lighter background]-- however do not want to get tied down to one advertising vehicle for all pages.
I am going after fraud- that the FBI and DOJ cannot ignore. So until I see how things go-- some pages will have the old login area and others will have the Amazon interface.
Found another bug [Amazon Widget]-- which I corrected this morning... the pull menu was not updating after being switched. You should find this problem is no longer an issue.
Also note the interface can be set to have item[s] displayed when the page is first called. This is a simple setting in the html of the page.
I will go into more detail about the statistics in the sidebar [upper right] for my Amazon Associates account at a later date. That said-- all of the interfaces on this blog and WiredPages-- are connected to my Amazon Associates account and the stats are based on the new interface.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
I have a new project in the works that involves changing the look of the home page of WiredPages.
I have not updated this page on WiredPages-- other than a new logo several years ago-- since going with this look in 2005. WiredPages was initially, also a Microsoft Publisher site. Between 2005 through 2007 or so, I may have had Adsense ads on the home page in the upper sidebar [did not bother to check the archives], but I am not sure. I did on other WiredPages. So, other than maybe Adsense, there have been no ads, nothing.
Here is how the page currently looks, image from the WiredPages Facebook page:
Recently, I added a Yahoo! interface to the Business & Markets page that allows visitors to enter a ticker symbol and get the latest headlines.
I like the way the interface turned out, so when I recently signed up to use the Patch API, I envisioned doing something similar with local/regional news-- for the home page. That is, provide headlines for a specified City/Town, State-- and allow visitors to link to the news item.
The new interface will be placed below the page summary and above the Market data in the lower left corner of the page.
Hope to get to this in the next week or so. I have not yet run preliminary tests to insure I can access the API from hosting-q.com, and of course-- access from hosting-q.com is a prerequisite to these plans.
The reason for this post--- abstract noise suggests the WiredPages home page everyone else sees is different from what I see. There are no ads on the home page of WiredPages, nor for that matter few others.. iTunes, Indeed. That's it. I replace pages on the server for WiredPages two or three times a week-- to ensure "my pages" are my pages-- however not often enough to keep others from changing them. If I do not get to this project because of problems -- with hosting-q.com, then I will have at least addressed the issue of someone tampering with WiredPages... FBI/DOJ--- no.
Friday, January 13, 2012
I added the AmazonSearch widget to the lower sidebar on the right. Here is an illustration...
At this time, I have only installed the interface on the main page of this blog. Not sure what my future plans are.
Do you want one? Requirements:
- Amazon Associate
- Private Web Hosting
- Server Side Java/JSP support
QiSoftware offers JSP hosting under Hosting-q.com, starting at $200.00 per year.
The cost of a custom interface for your site? About $50.00-- which includes a guarantee that it will work for the life of the interface, or I will repair it-- at no additional cost.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
I had two projects yesterday that involved modifications to existing interfaces I use on WiredPages. Both interfaces, Java Servlets.
If I were posting a job on Freelancer or some other freelance work site-- the job descriptions would have been something like this:
Need someone with experience using the Federal Reserve PR API to isolate and correct a problem with a Java servlet that has suddenly gone into disrepair.
An interface that provides interactive data-- at times leaves too much white space on the page-- depending on the amount of data available at any given time. At other times the interface crowds the page. I do not want scroll bars used to correct the over crowding and I do not want JQuery nor AJAX accordion utilities in that they do not work for all of my browsers. I need an attractive graphic that is in keeping with the page's current content, that is rendered when the number of table rows is not greater than a certain number. The Java Servlet that provides the data will also have to be modified.
Around 9:00 a.m. yesterday morning-- when I found the problem with the Federal Reserve PR API interface-- I corrected it by putting a PHP interface in place to make the call. I also had to update the Java Servlet that was making the call. This also entailed making sure my service API-KEY was working. Yes. No problem there.
Around 3:00 pm yesterday afternoon-- I decided I was tired of all of the white space my interface was leaving on the page-- so I started playing around with grapchics icons. A couple of years earlier I had played with an AJax solution-- however it did not work on all browsers, so I found four sports graphics files- manipulated the color and size-- erased some of the white space and combined them all into one graphic file. I then made sure the new "png" file worked with older browsers-- [sometimes older IE browsers do not handle "png" files nicely. They have to be saved in a particular format.]-- I then updated the Java Servlet that renders the data to show the new graphic if too much white space is showing and tested it.
Here is the result for the white space problem:
If I had gone to a Web Development/Design firm to have them fix these problems, I would have needed no less than $250.00. I would have also needed someone with Java J2EE experience, graphic designers and PHP know-how.
I do things like this all the time. I keep looking for ways to explain-- you are making a mistake. I am here alone and I do all of this work.
When I used to use Microsoft Publisher to create my web sites-- this between 1998 through 2004-- I used ImageComposer and Publisher's built in graphics capabilities a lot to create my graphics. In 2003 or 2004 I got my first Mac. I stopped using ImageComposer all the time-- because I was no longer using a Windows system as often.
Recently, when I finished writing the Amazon Product Advertising API interface and wanted to submit my company to Amazon's list of solutions providers-- I decided my Company logo needed work. So I used ImageComposer to find a solution. At the same time-- I decided to start writing my personal blog-- using Thingamablog-- however not on the Macbook --where the Business blog is maintained-- but on my netbook. I am now, once again using a Windows system that has ImageComposer installed and you will probably notice more graphics being created from this tool.
Above examples of graphics I created-- Tuesday evening.
I continue to try and find ways to explain to the technology illiterate I have too many skills to be in the situation I am in -- and this looks bad [very bad] for Washington. You don't believe me? Ask a design/development firm -- with Java/Graphics and PHP how much for the work I did yesterday to existing tools? And I am not even including the technical writing capability to discuss the issues in a manner that does not waste time for all parties involved.
FBI/DOJ-- I said no. I mean no.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Recently, I have been searching for local gigs on Craigslist. Here is a screen grab of my email client [Thunderbird] showing some of the emails I sent:
I have not received any responses from those I sent emails. I provide this for two reasons-- [1] If you did respond, I did not get the message and [2] Did you get the email?
I am not crying on your shoulder about difficulties I am having getting consulting positions in the local area. Truly. I pass on a lot-- but a smart person in my shoes would do the same. I like finding my own opportunities and those I tend to pass on-- are often a bit abstract in tone- and it came looking for me-- and not the other way around.
Where business is concerned, I am not shy.
That said-- I believe a mistake a lot of people make with me is either trying to make me some sort of media professional or celebrity. Yes, I have a lot of well known blood kin.
Media professional? I am a business owner and software consultant that chose to use a news service [WiredPages], as a means to showcase the type of tools I offer.
I am not a writer-- though I have written more than my share of technical manuals and read a great deal both as a child and young adult. So I know good writing when I see it. My writing.. I do not edit me as much as I could-- but I am not here to offer prose.
Look carefully at WiredPages. There are no articles. Short intros for each page and news headlines. And believe me, I have had several ask if they could provide articles for the service.
Reminder-- I chose a news service for the following reasons:
- In 1999 when I started my first news service [Maryland Wired]-- I had talked to so many lawyers, as related to the EEOC and other issues-- I was wary of doing anything that may cause more of the rights violations I had already been subjected to. Fair use doctrine-- provided that limited amounts of news headlines with credit was legally okay. Fair use also provides educational use is also okay. I needed something to hold an audience and to also show what I could do as related to software. I chose the news service. All that to say-- legally it was the right choice.
- To showcase my skills. The first tool I built for my news service was a calculator. However it was an enhanced version of Java code I found on the Internet. I had experience with C and X-Windows. Java was new to me-- however a subset of C-- so "child's play for me". I enhanced the calculator to get my feet wet- so to speak, with Java. The second tool I built was the Calendar. This time-- all my code. Neither tool required server side Java support.
Screen grab of the MarylandWired Reference page-- in the MS Publisher file I used to build the site.
If I were a celebrity or seeking celebrity-- I would need an agent for publicity and publicity shots. I am not seeking celebrity. Though when all of this began-- I seemed to be so well known-- that I thought the EEOC issue and the large defense contractor had given me a "cause celeb" in the area. It turns out-- I now believe I am related to Presidents, Kings and Queens spanning the globe-- something I did not know.
The biggest cost I would have needed for my career choice, Software Consulting-- would have been the skills and experience. I came from C, X-Windows, Gui, Oracle as a Defense Contractor with Boeing, General Electric and Rockwell for just under 15 years. Most Internet development software and scripting languages look easy in comparison to C and X-Windows GUI. So I had very little in the way of start up costs.
I provide this -- because there is a methodology out there that seems to suggest that unless I pay an agent for head shots-- I get no where. To complicate things-- 30 year old writers with more mouth, no skills other than writing seem to think I owe their pockets. I am not a writer and did not take their jobs. I am a software consultant.
Further I was researching the Washington Post's online offering and found the Stock Market Quote Interface on the "front page" was in disrepair for Mac browsers. I did not check Windows browsers. I did check two separate Mac browsers.
Why was I researching? To find out if they had a clickable cloud that was not connected to a database.
I began to wonder why I was not on their consulting staff. That is what prompted this post.
I want to remind these smart little girls that write-- I am not trying to get a writing gig. I do not like hard headed females-- and I scream in the general direction of the FBI if it even looks like a threat.
Find the mistakes on your media sites. Worry about content-- and then advertising.. I have Verizon FiOS and even my computer hangs with the many advertising scripts. Worry about keeping visitors on your site. Worry about editing your work.
Me-- I write because I am a business owner that does not have to hire a writer. You write because it is your living.. I can get away with bad writing. I have other things to do-- rather than edit my words all day long. You don't. Media-- work on yours.. not me. FBI-- tired of telling hard headed females this.
I have no responses-- because I am being interfered with by local and federal government types. My hands are full trying to extract myself from this.. Little girls with big mouths [many without talent]-- surely you are kidding right?
I do not want your writing gig, anchor gig nor publishing gig. I run a software consultancy and have several notable tools-- that work. Never threaten me..
Monday, January 09, 2012
Last night I was looking through old ImageComposer files and found the graphics for the initial header for my first news service, Maryland Wired.
Maryland Wired was replaced with WiredPages. Back then I was into a lot of whimsical styles.
This morning, I am thinking about a new project wherein I will provide links to online style guides and blogs for use on the WiredPages Style & Events page.
I do have future plans for the area used in the above illustration, however-- at this time I am not sure when I will integrate the Events widget I developed for the space. So, for right now-- I am looking to fill the space, with links to interesting online reads- using the "cloud format".
The following is an illustration of the Events Widget I hope to install in the space at some later date.
The new interface will probably be a Java Servlet. You ask- a Java Servlet for changing font- links? My response- yes. In my world-- I have too many security issues.
When will I get to it? You would be surprised at the backlog of projects in my mind. The short answer-- not sure. Might the hold up with using the Events widget in the space-- have been cleared up by then? Waiting on DOJ/FBI.. too many abstract threats with regard to that [Events] interface -- so I am not sure.
That said-- this new interface will be so simple that it will take no time to implement. Paid links? Initially no-- just those I currently read on a regular basis. Plus- the interface may be pulled at any time.
While researching for this project, I found a link for Safe Web Fonts- MIT offering, that I wanted to share.
More thoughts. Legal issues. I do not often use the many forums [my signature links] I belong to-- because I am concerned about traffic. I believe I have a lot more traffic than is being reported and I do not want to anger my web hosts. So when I think about promoting links of bloggers or small businesses on my sites-- I worry about what happens when I remove the links. It may cause a dramatic loss to the sites I was promoting-- insofar as services like Alexa-- which a lot of organizations use to value sites. I noticed this phenomenon when I used to post to forums and use BlogExplosion. When I stopped for any period of time-- Alexa would report dramatic losses. I forgot about the reasons I do not promote other sites unless they provide retainers [like lawyers]-- thereby giving me a formal agreement with the understanding-- I [QiSoftware] would not be responsible for any loss suffered, because of removal of the links. That's why I tend to promote sites in blog posts and not as sidebar links.
Sunday, January 08, 2012
This weekend- I moved a little furniture [televisions moved around to accommodate issues I was having with Macbook display, returned to their original locations], and watched three movies via Verizon FiOS/On Demand:
Music I am listening too:
Did I tell you I love old music? It's also Sunday morning, so I am listening to WHUR's Gospel Mix-- and eating [tiny] slices of the blueberry pie I made yesterday.
All in all, last week when I resolved the problem I was having with my Macbook-- put me in such a great mood-- I have done little or no work, instead staring at my Macbook display with pure happiness-- and thinking about new projects.
That said, I did update one or two programs and later today, will be tweaking WiredPages. It was a good week and a quiet weekend.
Saturday, January 07, 2012
I have long held-- my website visitor stats are higher than what is being reported so I rarely discuss or offer reports provided by my web hosts, related to my sites.
I have three domains:
Professional-Pros is an add-on domain under qisoftware.com, however redirects to a sub-domain on hosting-q.com, pros.hosting-q.com. [For some reason my web host keeps mounting professional-pros.com onto Tomcat-- so it currently redirects to www.qisoftware.com. I will reopen the support ticket where we fixed this problem.] I plan to do more with this service sometime in the future.
The illustration below, shows web site stats for qisoftware.com [including professional-pros.com] for December 2011 and January 2012 [through January 6th]:
Q's Wire-- my retired Wordpress blog [qblog.qisoftware.com], was by far the most popular area on qisoftware.com, followed by the News, Software & Java (NS&J) forums-- [forums.qisoftware.com].
Why would I retire the most popular area on qisoftware.com? QiSoftware is actually a business web site. I started the personal blog [November 2004]-- initially to add a personal touch and because I wanted a WordPress blog. At the time my business blog was a "Blogger" blog [started June 2004]. In the spring of 2005- my personal blog began discussing more negative personal issues. I did this on purpose to show the tie between my business and personal lives. I retired it-- because someone was changing the site without my authorization.
The biggest reason for the onset of the more negative posts about the things happening in my life? Continuing car emissions problems in Maryland-- for a car I rarely drove- and which passed Virginia's stricter emissions tests with ease..
Now I document everything. FBI and DOJ owe me.
Friday, January 06, 2012
I am pretty confident I have found the solution for my Macbook's black screen issues-- that this morning, I made the kitchen flat screen television the "kitchen flat screen television" again. Since mid-October I have been using it as my external monitor.
The other thing I did? Carefully took the white cover off the expanded rechargeable Macbook battery and super-glued the rubber pedestal and another small round piece to the bottom that was also directly glued to the battery.
Here is how the cover looks without the battery.
I took the battery out of my Macbook in October when I started having the display problems and covered the compartment with electrical tape to keep it clean and to prevent damage.
I rarely used the battery-- and it was still good-- however too large for the compartment. This month my Macbook turns 4 years old-- so it has held up pretty well, given I believe I have turned it on at least once-- every day I have had it.
I will be getting a new battery-- however will not install it for every day use, instead using the new cover I just made and electrical power. Of course the battery is what enabled the cover to lock to the bottom of the Macbook-- so I will have to improvise with tape.
So why get a new battery if I never used it? In case of an emergency. At $129.00, if the first lasted 4 years and for the most part- was installed in the Macbook, I should never have to get another one.
Also note the clip on light [shown in the top photo next to the Macbook display] I found in the basement-- to use when I tent my work area.
Thursday, January 05, 2012
I started drinking brewed coffee when I began my first professional position after college. Boeing had coffee stations set up on all floors and my love of coffee started there.
The Tysons Corner Mall [right around the corner from my office and apartment] used to have an International Coffee store where you could buy whole beans by the pound. You could smell the coffee from 5 stores over. My favorites were Irish Creme, Orange and Columbian. Early on I learn to love fresh ground coffee.
I have had several expresso, brewers, grinders and coffee makers since those early days.
One year, when I still lived in Bowie -- my brother and sister-n-law got me a Krups Expresso maker for Christmas. I did not use it for years, instead using a Mr. Coffee and grinder. After I began using the expresso maker-- I loved the more robust flavor of the coffee produced by the high pressure system.
My first expresso maker died about 2 years ago.. and I used a Kreugs single cup coffee maker for about a year. We get the K-cups in bulk-- but I also get beans. There are accessories with the Kreugs wherein you can create a single cup of coffee with your own ground beans. I was simply not happy with the flavor, preferring the expresso flavor more.
I got a new electric Expresso maker this past summer-- and I like it. It is not as high pressure as the Krups-- but it makes a good strong cup of coffee.
It took so long to replace my expresso machine that when I saw Ina Garten using a non-electric Italian Expresso Maker for a chocolate dessert-- I decided the next time I was at Home Goods I would get one.
As it happens I told my mother I wanted one-- and she picked it up. It was very small-- and the box claimed it could make 4 cups. My mother and I both wondered how. Of course- I am told American coffee-- is actually a lot weaker than most European coffees. So you might be able to get four cups of Italian coffee using my first Italian Expresso maker-- but using American coffee-- I needed a larger one.
So I got a larger Italian Expresso Maker, this past Christmas-- and I am very happy with it. I can make 2-3 cups of coffee at a time-- with this one.
The package claims 9 cups. Pictured-- a small coffee cup. I normally use a larger mug. Also, I use both single k-cups [pouring the contents into the grounds holder] or freshly ground coffee beans.
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Used my Macbook display for most of the day-- yesterday and again today [only 10:00 a.m. here now-- however I have been up since 5:00 a.m.].
Wanted to provide a little more information as related to this experience.
I tent my work area a lot-- especially when I am developing software. Back in October [2011] when I first started having problems with the display, I was working day and night in a tented environment. Meaning very little light other than the display itself. I was also using a newer release of Firefox which seemed to cause my system to run hot-- and lock up often. I often rebooted or the system crashed in this tented environment.
Another issue-- as reported in the post I did at the time [October 2011], my battery had expanded and was causing problems with the track pad. Battery compartment directly under the track pad on my model.
I believe the constant rebooting of the system in the tented [darkened] environment-- caused a re-calibration of the algorithm used to adjust the display brightness based on the Ambient Light Sensor. My Macbook is older and does not allow this sensor to be disabled in the System Preferences.. though I did research extensively a solution with a plist. I believe the plist associated with this problem is the com.apple.BezelSystems.plist.
I also believe my sensor is co-located with the speakers on the back of the base of the notebook.
Given all of this, last night in an effort to re-calibrate the sensor-- I turned on every light in the area- and rebooted the system several times.. [think more than 10..] changing the System Preferences brightness levels each time. I did not set it to maximum brightness. This seems to have done the trick.
So, how will I work in a tented area in the future? With a lamp in my tent..
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
In October 2011-- I started having problems with my Macbook display. While researching on the Internet, I found I was not alone.
I did find a fix-- which I posted about here. Involved a mini dvi and external monitor.
This worked great- however I missed not being able to use my breakfast tray desk and boot up my Macbook in bed.
This fix? Believe it or not-- going into the System Preferences under Displays and playing with the Brightness levels- fixed the problem.
Didn't I try this before? Honestly, I thought so. I might add however, initially when I first opened the dialog area for the Displays System Preferences, the Brightness level was already at "the brightest" possible setting. Dimming the level, is what fixed the problem.
Other things I also did?
- Reset PRAM
- Reset SMC Firmware
- Reset pmset variables to the factory defaults
I am going to leave it to you-- to search on the keywords I have used above, in case you want to try those options. That said, what appears to be my fix-- may have been some combination of the things I tried.
I am going to hold off saying I have definitely fixed the problem. The display worked for about half an hour over the weekend-- before I found this fix. However the fact it worked over the weekend, is what caused me to do more research into the problem and when I found the article by another Macbook owner that caused me to re-investigate this option.
Also keep in mind-- I knew my backlight worked and in my case it seemed to be a software problem. Ambient Light Sensor is the problem. Auto adjusting and my system does not support "turn off" mode.
Sunday, January 01, 2012
I had a busy day, yesterday. Started early in the morning. I got up around 6:00 a.m. and went to bed after 10:00 p.m.-- working and thinking almost every minute of the day. By the time I went to bed-- I felt I had been dragged through an obstacle course.
- Developed a Zillow interface and posted about it.
- Macbook monitor came to life for about 30 minutes-- so researched more into this problem. Based on the research [InsomniaX usage], removed an application [SystemEvents] from my login process. This note-- in case this allowed external observers a means to access my system.
-
Found problems with several interfaces [either removed or looking
for a work around]:
- Trulia
- Dictionary
- iTunes Search
- iTunes Top Ten
-
Updated Sites
- QiSoftware Main-- 5 pages.
- Products Catalog-- 13 pages.
- WiredPages-- 16 pages.
- Hosting-Q-- 6 pages.
- Remix Business Blog-- all pages and posts, automated through Thingamablog custom tags.
- It's Personal Blog [this blog]-- all pages and posts, automated through Thingamablog custom tags.
- Backed up both sites [qisoftware.com, hosting-q.com]. QiSoftware.com's site about 500,000,000 bytes zipped-- and that's with the www directory [main directory] also zipped within the gz file. Hosting-q.com about- 50,000 with the main directory zipped within the gz file.
Quite frankly the problems I found yesterday, with existing interfaces caught me a little off guard-- however for whatever reason did not anger me.
I spent most of the late afternoon researching the cause of the problems. In the case of iTunes, I sent an email to the affiliate manager through LinkShare. In all cases-- access is being blocked to the hosting-q.com hosted interfaces. In most cases, moving the interface to qisoftware.com would solve the problem, however not an option I will use. I am hoping new procedures have been put in place [new year?] and the providers of the data-- think the access is through the wrong door because I signed up via WiredPages [qisoftware.com sub-domain] but use an interface hosted on hosting-q.com.
The email I sent to the iTunes manager basically explains this-- and also provides hosting-q.com is a channel under my Linkshare account-- so it should be easy to confirm what I am saying.
I wasn't demoralized. I went to bed-- knowing I had worked hard and this morning I got up and took a ride around the area. I went by Arundel Mills to check the progress of the new casino. I went by Dunkin Donuts and didn't stop. It was quiet and just the way I like it on Sunday mornings. Me, my thoughts-- the early morning road, mostly all mine.
When I used to travel the Washington area's daily gridlock, one of my favorite things to do was get up first thing Sunday mornings and ride around Washington. The Capitol, the monuments, etc. Washington is beautiful first thing Sunday morning without the people and traffic...
I am going to have a good year. None of my problems are insurmountable. I would rather have me- searching for solutions than anyone else. FBI-- I am going to need you-- to insure others hear no. I said no.
