Oidoing Linux

The hardware part of the setup was actually a breeze,  this after a colleague sabotage sometime early 2000s when i was new in the IT industry,  new to my company and just in time for the annual local computex.  I was a fish out of water and a colleague assigned me in the front lines.  Ok,  my job was about marketing, but everybody knew i was not a CS grad,  and that my only claim to fame getting in the company is because i am a user of one of the specialized hardware they have,  an editing gadget coming fresh from my stint as an editor for iWitness.   Like i had a week to learn,  understanding the parts of the computer and then memorizing the specs that we were highlighting.  (He could have just assigned me to video cards or a motherboard or just 1 or 2 components but he just had to give em all,)  components plus the laptops, plus the barebones, plus the servers on our inventory,  Anyway knowledge is knowledge and for a person who hoards useless knowledge,  this knowledge template still comes in handy anyway.  So thanks.  (On this note,  i give props to these cdrking sales people who would have to learn the inventory landscape,  stock availability and minor technical advisory most of the time undermanned with a full queue of people relying on their support.) 

The booting the the os installation was easy enough because the RPi.   I am used to installing OSes starting in doing an upgrade of the Windows 3.11 to Windows 95.  The Raspberry.org site has a lot of resources regarding starting the Pi,  but after the booting to the GUI,  they seem to throw you to the sharks.  

So now comes software,  and i was truly clueless.  truly clueless.  My experience in linux was just with the first ASUS Eeepc in the country,  I helped launched the netbook craze in the Philippines.  It was a windows wannabe so i did not do any coding at all,  it was just like the windows, android and iOS way of click and install type it wasn’t much different.  But the Raspian being focused on education and building is forcing you how to code, and is not spoon-feeding you in the process.  

It was good to discover,  to come out of your comfort zone.  On the eve of the announced  availability of Windows 10 for free for the RPi,  it had me thinking.  Do i want this?  am i just doing an technology S and M?  Windows have been babying me since my first computer,  though I am using a Mac OS X nowadays,  our home laptop is still on Windows 8.  My previous tablets and phone were Androids,  prior to that I was on Windows Mobile/ Pocket PC,  I had a few Palm pilots and also had a Davinci,  Symbian, Java, Dos, and likewise played with a commodore 64.  I was not afraid of technology then,  i should not be afraid of it now.  

Googled my way to my first installation of a software (VLC) and will setup my basics into the system : Kodi, LibreOffice,  Chromium, will add Everpad, maybe an email client, Dropbox and I am all set.  Had a few misses on installation,  i am not sure if it was standard,  or my hit rate is ok but it seem to me this will be like a Geometry quiz,  once you know the theorems and postulates,  you will be doing fine.

Today on a rainy afternoon,  i have setup videos for my little one to enjoy.  on my Raspberry Pi with Kodi.  I am happy, i have setup something useful.  Off to the next adventure.

Walang Forever

I was doing some writing and translations on my tablet,  the whole weekend and then suddenly i had black screen.  My weekend gadget of choice,  my notes,  some creatives and ideation stuff.. gone.  I was giddy but i know that i have some backup in iTunes,  good that some notes were done via cloud (I soo love, love evernote for this.)   I think the last time a gadget died on me was with my asus m2 huh,  that was depressing.  Gadget fail sometimes may change the course of your life,  not that it is so powerful,  but it affects some rhythms in your life.  

I had to restore my unit.  Googled my way out of it.  but i lost about a quarter updates since i did not religiously back some stuff up.  Anyway,  just to add to the misfortunes,  i am getting blue screens after my restore,  i do not know if the instability is just about calibration stuff or my unit is kind of being lemoned,  a little after warranty expiration.  

So,  due to stability and reliability the term "Gadget of choice" is will be on hold for a season.  I will have to revert to "ever noting” on paper.  Dahil walang forever.

Show of Hands : An independent cinema tool that make every fan a patron

It’s really awesome watching your favorite actors and actresses tug at your emotions while you escape reality in an hour or so in the cool, dark sanctuary of big screens. Many of us have fallen in love with the mainstream movies, most especially because the ones who make them up are the famous guys in the entertainment industry.

But here’s something different Filipinos must learn to embrace too.

Indie films produced in the Philippines are already garnering praises from people around the globe for bringing home international awards. No wonder, the people behind these small films possess world class talents that fellow Filipinos deserve to witness, and appreciate.

Apparently, the people who venture on this industry are motivated by passion. Indie films add richness to the art and culture of the country where it originated. It doesn’t only serve as entertainment, but can be also used as a learning tool for everyone.

 

An Innovation out of Passion

Driven by love for the art and science of filmmaking, a passionate industry volunteer externalized a brilliant idea into something that seeks more productivity. Out of this, the website Show of Hands (www.showofhandsph.com) has been born.

Show of hands is a website that can be used as a tool by independent filmmakers to promote their works by regularly updating their target audience about the necessary details of screenings such as the venue, dates, timeslots, and tickets.

This latest innovation goes beyond simple promotion. It can be a great help in establishing and increasing a filmmaker’s target audience. It can also encourage sponsors to support a film project and eventually translate the work into a money-making product for a sustainable industry.  Thus, even small productions bring home the bacon.

This passion project needs your help and support. It has been a candidate for feature in The Sparks Project a crowd funding platform that supports filipino ideas. Show of Hands Ph would need as many believers for the project as possible to "unlock" the project to get the much needed support. Having this Sparks Project backup would help the brand Show Of Hands Ph to be noticed not just in the film community but in start-ups and technology. Help launch this dream project. Please click the link and vote (launch:)

http://launch.thesparkproject.com/show-of-hands-ph/

 

Easy Access to Info

Because indie films are not that as popular as the mainstream movies, not too many people are watching them. However, there might be a large number out there, who may really want to witness the art but don’t know where, when, and how to access them. Plus, they don’t know who to ask about it.

So, if you’re a film lover who would love to watch every story that interests and excites you, Show of Hands is the right place to go if you wish for latest updates. Gone are the days when you miss out a film you wanted to watch simply because you don’t know when and where the screenings would be.  You can also request screenings outside the metro and near your city.

 

 

Register, Share, Enliven

What now? Indie film makers, register your films.  Movie lovers,  watch and enjoy the films.  Volunteers are welcome,  email film@showofhandsph.com 

This has yet to be known. Let’s build a stronger community.

 

Brownie Points

I appreciate when products and services hears people out as part of their basic service.   My kid is an avid KFC diner so the brand is inevitable.  I visit at least 2x a week (we go takeout and sneak out her treats in the resto we the adults want to eat,  J however will be happily munching her funshots).  and i notice from the receipts that the are giving out treats for survey comments.  I checked it out and tried their system.  Yes this is just your usual survey now online, i appreciate that they just need and value your comment and not your database to spam or sell like other online surveys.  The interface is easy and you can finish the set in a minute or two.  I often have good experiences at their stores (that small thing that they do writing on your paper bags are sweet i may add.) so surely i'll share the good cheers.  

***

And here comes my broadband service provider who would not have in the sim menu their cs number i had to look for my bill for the way to vent my frustration.  It is my second for this month service interruption.   Backstory is we had a change of guards in the office who does the bill processing and stuff,  so we realize we missed 2cycles and eventually paid for it completely to avoid disconnection.  Paid on the 15th in 2 separate documents as 1 is a check and another,  cash.  So 21 they disconnected,  which i didn't realize was a disconnection after 6 days paid without interruption i thought maybe i was still within the cutoff,  i called 22 and they said that they acknowledge payment,  they ask me to reset and all is well.  Yesterday 25,  again no service and why would i again have the idea of it being a disconnection after 10 days of full payment?  But it was,  based on a scripted reply of the agent, so why wasnt i informed of a possible disconnection the first time i called?  And why would they get my first half of two payments in the same bank, same day, minutes apart.  Is that my problem?  They accredited the bank to process right,  should i follow paper trails until the bank gave it to network and then connect it to my account?  

Now i have to send my bank slips to another team and they still cannot assure me of my reconnection until i send the email (my control-done.)  they get my mail (a team with no contact procedure to follow up so i just wish theyd do their jobs and process their emails) they connect this mail to my account and process to reconnect my service,  meanwhile i will be sitting and waiting.. And hoping all will be well.  It didnt with my payments so just hope.

The irony that this country is a haven for BPO outsourcing but our local setups are just bad in giving service.  Bad data, bad scripting, and bad process.  It was all i am sorry but our procedure is this and that excuses festival,  Huh.. Frustration.  Sun cellular is the great example of bad service.  

Maybe i am just a little customer but they promised services to customers like me.  

Fix this please. 

Oh well.  You win some, you lose some.  

Update : So after a day i called again.  You see the internet connection is important at home in the mornings when J wants her spotify dose of disney and nursery rhymes.  I spoke to agent Jules and his supervisor Charlie but still I am still getting the i did the follow up and just wait for the service to come line.  Oh,  consumer rights,  where art thou?

weekends are supposed to be restdays right?

Violator :  I love my life,  this is just me ranting.

For the rest of the universe,  weekend is rest.  For momwantopreneur like me,  it is a blob of time where you have to mix family and projects together because it is the only time you can.   

check out this weekend list :

laundry sort and defrost (this is not considered since its just pushing buttons and waiting.  Laundry btw, is c/o hubby)

refresh aquarium water

prepare for weekend day trip (which includes preparing my daughter’s stuff and all)

Day trip (malling as usual) merienda cena

grocery

clean A/C filters

finalize C*** contest entry backlog (check hdd for “past works”)

draft S**** contest entry and C*** contest entry requirements (personal deadline on the 28th sent via LBC)

Prepare proposals for A/P meeting (Biblio)

     - ppt update add spark!

     - rework budgets

     - letters

meet with B*** for art project (funding BSB)

Setup cables to connect tablet to screen

Prepare for Church

Church - day trip sunday brunch - arcades

laundry fold

refresh offline playlist in J’s tab, J’s phone 

prepare personal playlists and offline study references

Thank God for the likes of Spotify and YouTube that I do not need to refresh as often for music but still would need to do it for offline moments when we go out.  Again for the screen time debate,  I employ the help of technology for my sanity but would try to program the things she watches,  I prefer this than watching from cable because I can develop age and skill appropriate videos/ instructionals. 

Spark mail >> habol missed requirement/ request

J curriculum for the week

watch 1 movie for blog

Prepare for tomorrow’s ballet 

Prepare office backlog (this should be done at 12:01am Monday)

I usually do not want to work on weekends,  plus would not do a sunday work for money activity (sorry harsh description,)  house work ok.  i often try honor that commitment,  but the weekend saturday work-for-your-own-company load is becoming to be more frequent than i wish.  I am just glad i do not have work on saturdays and i can do the tasks close to my family or along with family life.  

and on a monday,  is the only time i will sort out the receipts,  the loose change that is all over my bag,  take out the ketchup and barbecue sauce packets from my personal bag (that i now mix use as J’s diaper bag because i mess up with forgetting my wallet, gadgets, house keys and other stuff i want to use out of home if i change bags so all my weekend life in a bag i remove on mondays.  Likewise reminds me i had a good and fun weekend with family.  

Coworking@CoLab

Everytime I had a meeting back in the early 2000.  People always ask me where my office is,  I always tell them in jest that we have 256 branches nationwide.  It was a home-office setup for me for almost 3 years for ASUS Ph.  I being the sole local representative would have my official address in one of our showrooms but process meetups in coffeeshops near my home.  That was telecommuting in the era of the early millennium.  Yesterday,  i was invited to a gathering of like minds who want to change the world one idea at a time.   The Spark Project, a Philippine focused crowdfunding platform had its meeting in Co.Lab, a coworking space near the CBD Ortigas.  (3 Brixton St. Kapitolyo, Pasig -- paces after ACE Water Spa)  It was such a solution I needed then,  solutions for comfortable workspaces especially for me who wants to move and walk around while thinking (this is a new discovery about myself while doing my Jawbone steps moments.)  for fast wi-fi (well internet then since most laptops i lug around needed RJ 11 connections) conducive to work environments.   

Co.Lab gave us seating options in their communal area depending on your preference.  Bar stool, executive, or comfortable sofa.  Their tables are the conference room versions where you can easily plug in for juice without the need to bend or crawl.  The walls are glass surfaces encouraging you to write your venns and project your gantts.  They also have meeting cub holes for the intimate type of meetings.  

Free coffee.

Coworking spaces,  a concept for the work telecommuters, freelancers and “manylancers”, where golden handshakes  are sealed.  

I want to go back to this lifestyle,  i am too tied up on my desk. Unshackle me.

Special thanks to the Spark Project for introducing me to this find.  

  

Entering contests

What’s with contests that require major efforts to enter the competition?  How can a dreamer like me who do not have posse working for them,  like everyone just needs a researcher,  grant writer, logo and layout design maker,  video producers on their beck and call because these contest just would ask for a whole universe of things.

Like i am just a mom who even if I have friends and network that could help me with your requirement kits I can’t meet.  I have a day job and a “take-care-of-daughter” shift so can’t a "describe your idea” thing be enough?

You tell me to USE MY IMAGINATION.  Why can’t you use yours?

Ok, I am done with my rant back to section 57.. using alibata,  explain the process on how you will gain your market computed in the exponent of pi…nyeeh.

Deadlines, deadlines.

It feels like high school again.  Deadlines and assignment left and right.

At one point the adrenaline gets me going.  Personal deadlines along with office and passion project deadlines.   Who signed me up for this? 

My old screenwriting groupie encouraged me to try to send something to one of the yearly festivals.   I initially was not into doing anything creative as my work and my current passion projects are mostly strategic,  creativity just by means of interface, visuals and titles.  I thought i would not have the energy to muster a hundred pages of script for a full length.  Remembering some pre-worked ideas set aside to good timing and inspiration,  i got my something and processed an update and finally had an entry.  I even added a weekly serial entry that was initially an app project of mine and now became a tv concept.  Call that multi platform.  Call that convergence.

To my dismay,  the deadline was a pussyfoot,  it said initially April 30 with a balikbayan load full of requirements and then at the last minute it moved the deadline to June.  I can boldly rant about it in behalf of the people who beat deadline.  Nice.

Then last i found a deadline for proposals that my web app project fits deadline May 15,  but i got hooked by the idea that they will feedback on the 17th.  How about that?  It is a crowdfunding platform and this is my first for this platform and just the second funding proposal for this project (missed the cut the first time :().  I scrambled to put up the needed information to build my entry.  I still have a hard time in developing these kinds of proposals, a newbie of 1 online miss, 1 face to face greenlight that fell flat during negotiations.. Huh..Long story..). that is why i still haven't found my funding match.

Another cinema festival deadline is coming i will unabashedly resubmit my full length concept.  This is better than my works lying around my hard disks without an eyeball with anyone but me.  That is so wrong about me.  I write but I don't share,  not that I am sure that what I write is worth anybody's while but I think this is my resolve.  So now i go ahead at least for this season,  I will submit stuff from the baul.  

At the same day of this deadline,  will be a deadline set by festival number 1 for me to complete more, more, more requirements to my balikdbayan box of an entry.  Like what?  That ream thick of an entry still had lacking items!!!

Universe hear me roar. 

Update : May 17,  i just got a mail that my proposal for the web app is ok to proceed to phase 2.   Just need to meet with them on Wednesday and submit a bunch of stuff for May 22. 

Happy sunday

The past few days peace comes to me in dreams.  That i wake up singing praise songs of my youth.. I have been reading from facebook shares some debates on how some gospel songs are void of the real gospel, some are just generic lovesongs wanting to hit the charts just so happen it is gospel.  Not even mention of Lord, Jesus or God.  some questionable words and just does not uplift His Name.  

That is why i miss singing with hymnals as most songs are derived from the Bible itself.  A practice of what we will do in Heaven singing and praising The Lord.  Another in the category is just about the Gospel : God gave His Son.  Jesus walked among us.  Jesus died for our sins.  Jesus has risen after 3 days to win over sin and death.  That we should accept him as Lord and Savior. And we will go to Heaven.  In my dream,  I was reminded of the simple and beautiful song.  "He is Lord"

He is Lord.

He is Lord.

He has risen from the dead and He is Lord.

Every knee shall bow, 

Every tongue confess.

That Jesus Christ is Lord.

This simple song is a combination of the 2.  A praise song and a gospel statement.  

My prayer for J is that she enjoy her youth and angsty stage in the community of the church.  I have been blessed with the exposure of youth camps, fellowships, choir and sunday school ministry during my tween and my full teen years that foundations are set well.   I have been swayed left and right by life,  fell and failed many times but I got J-O-Y and peace down in my heart.  

Happy Sunday.