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After much procrastination, I have finally written a flash version of the HiraKana game I made originally in JavaScript. I decided to make a flash port so it would be downloadable and to reduce the file size. It's already done. I am just in the process of looking for bug that may be hiding. I'll be posting it up along with the new layout which would be sometime this week.

The game was coded in ActionScript 2.0 on the Flash MX 2044 platform. It was relatively easy to code even though I'm a novice in ActionScript. The syntax was similar to JavaScript; so I just took some commonsense and a few trips to google and there you have it. By using ActionScript in flash I eliminated the use of JPEG images which I used in the JavaScript Version. I just made the symbols into vector graphics to save on file size and loading time. The JavaScript version was around 3.7mb including the images; while the Flash version is only about 110kb.

It was a nostalgic process since I never really made anything much in flash for years aside from small banners. This is also the first flash game I've ever written. Personally I think I found a new hobby -- coding flash games I mean -- though I would want to make games with an education value if I ever do another one so that my kid can use them sometime in the future.

It's been sometime since my last post. Well I was kinda busy conjuring up a new design for seening (currently at zen mode). It seemed fit to have a new design for the new host I'm on. Special thanks to bhex for providing me with a reliable and affordable host. Also I was planning on entering yet again in this year's Philippine Web Awards (PWA).

The design is roughly finished but I'm still keeping it a bit hush hush until most of the kinks are worked out. I tried to incorporate all the things I learned, stuff I wanted and the things that inspire me all in this new design. As the title states, the new project's name is typecast. Why typecast? Well, my work or rather sites similar to mine are often labeled as blogs which I totally disagree with on a whole lot of levels. So I saw it's fit to name the new design accordingly.

I have no no expectations of winning at the Philippine Web Awards. Based on the previous winners I have my reservations about their criteria and judges. Despite this I just wanna see how my new design appeals to them and to the general public. At the very least my new domain will have more hits. Though winning would be cool, I could greet my kid on live TV; since she is my primary driving force for this new design.

Hopefully the new design will be up and running by the end of the month, in time for the nominations of the Philippine Web Awards. Until then I'll be sticking with zen.

I rebuilt the litrato script. It's sort of a Lightbox JS by Lokesh Dhakar clone to some extent with some modifications. The former version uses AJAX to load the images. Now it runs solely on javascript. The concept of lightbox and litrato is the same but we use different method to get to a similar result. Most of you might say it's just a rip off, but I had my old script for a few years now. I just updated the code again a few days back.

I also reworked the gallery PHP script I use to accommodate page views. Since my gallery seems to be growing, I finally had the motivation to code it last night. Next thing I'll be doing is to edit some of the image dimensions in the gallery. Some of them are too damn big.

And yeah, I just installed the new Photoshop CS3 last night. I think the new interface modifications are great, but I have yet to test it thoroughly.

Yz is almost 2 months old. Soon she'll be able to support her neck and back and do things like sit upright, crawl, and eventually walk. So since her 6th week we've been putting her face down on the bed and let her try to lift her head up to exercise her neck muscles. It also serves as a training for crawling. We do it in five minute sets around 3 times a day. For the first 2-3 minutes she does her thing, while the remaining minutes she either sucks on her mittens or cries. At first I thought it was a bit extreme for an infant to be doing such things, but my grandmother and Yz' pediatrician recommended in doing so... Who am I to argue? Fortunately, now she can almost support herself sitting down provided that you support her back, which is great because I can get to play with her more, rather than just carrying her around.

Next we have to work on her eye muscles. The books that my significant other read explained that crossed/walled eyes are normal in infants until 3 months. I just hope nothing is wrong with her eyes. I wouldn't know what I'd do if there is anything wrong with them. I definitely do not want my kid to experience my handicap.

I accompanied my friend, {Odat) to the gym last Saturday to show him how some of the equipments work and to see what it feels like to work out in a gym again. The last time I was in a gym was over 2 years ago. I only attended the gym for a month and eventually quit due to financial constraints. Since then I do my workouts at home with conventional dumbbells.

The patrons I saw at the gym were significantly buffed up more so than I could ever hope for. I guess working out in a gym has a definite advantage in terms of muscle growth and definition. Personally, I was a bit discouraged at first since they seem to have better results than I had over the years. But after some thought I just had to accept the fact that there are just so many factors that contribute to one's health. Besides one can't surpass one's genes, some are just luckier than others in that department.

On a pleasant note, I think I have added a few extra pounds to the weights I use to work out with. While at the gym, I tried putting a total of 90lbs worth of weight disks onto a bar to bench press. At first I was surprised that it was like lifting the normal 110lbs I do at home with my dumbbells, only to find out that the bar I was using weighed about 40lbs. Which means I've progressed a bit with my home based workouts, which was kind of a confidence booster.

I just bought myself a new mobile phone, a Nokia 6300. I must say, of all the Nokia phones I owned or canvassed, this is the best so far. It has the 2 basic requirements I have for a phone, primarily readable text especially on text messages, and secondly a crisp and amply sized display. I have no gripes about its price either. I shelled out 10,000 PHP for it and I think it's worth it. It's simple and straight-forward. It has all the necessary features you need and stops there, unlike those phones I see which almost has everything except for the kitchen sink. The physical characteristics of the phone are quite sexy to boot. It is almost as thin as a Motorolla L6. It also has a leather case inside the standard package.

One thing I'd like to emphasize is that this phone uses a mini USB port for connectivity. FINALLY they're starting to learn... proprietary ports suck.

I was browsing the net for some part-time jobs to help me earn a little extra for my savings when I stumbled upon this ad (click the image to your left). Notice the highlighted text on the ad.

First up, I respect the bluntness of the ad, simple and concise; but I also find it a bit disturbing. From a personal perspective I find this a bit unnerving; much so that it may send the wrong message to other hopeful applicants. One can interpret it as only a university grad would have the brains for the job, or that that company discriminates against non-diploma holders e.g. certificate holders, or worse both. I had my qualms with this issue back in college, but I rested my case years back.

I guess it just brought back some unwanted memories... but if memory serves me right I know more talented and qualified I.T. personnel who are non-diploma holders, compared to those who graduated from fancy universities. My point is, it should be the attitude of a person and raw talent that should be gaged. Not everyone can afford a higher education but that does not negate the fact that there are plenty of skilled and talented people out there waiting for a chance.

To look at this in a positive point of view, these kinds of companies could serve as a source of self-esteem where proving them wrong would be such bliss.

I will start off to make a daring analogy between an artist and a web developer. In a world of conglomerates and where money plays such a bigger role than it used to be, is there still room for independent artists/developers to make a living?

I keep asking myself, is there still room for me on the internet as a developer? I mean, everything now is packaged into neat boxes readily available for the end user. There's no more need for developers such as myself to develop websites when there are Content Management Systems readily available on most servers; with a click of a mouse you virtually have things like Word Press, PHP Nuke, and PHP BB to name a few. Also, there are those outsourcing companies who offer web services that wage price wars between competitors which generally makes it bad for the developer, since most outsourced developers come from third world countries who are happy to just receive less than 50% of what the client is actually paying.

The next logically step for the lone developer would either to apply in a big company, most probably an outsourcing company or a call center. But if he/she is really good, he/she would develop a concept, make it earn money then sell it to yet another company... but that is like winning the lottery, since really good ideas are few and far between. If ever the lone developer actually gets a job to develop something, the price for his services would be unsubstantial, that he'd be hardly motivated to do a good job. This is where plagiarism comes to play. Yes, I know it is a personal choice. That lack of financial rewards for small developers contribute to the slowly dwindling new blood that is needed by the industry, which is similar to piracy, wherein the music industry is primarily taking a big blow. Artists don't get properly compensated for their hard work, hence fewer artists are motivated much less inspired to practice their craft because there is no financial future in it. And in our society today, money may not be everything, but it's probably the only thing.

Will there still be a market for independent developers? Speaking from a financial point of view, I personally think it is grim, for the simple reasons that primarily you can't argue with free software. Second, you have to deal with those outsourcing companies as a competitor. And finally, let's not forget the price wars. Almost everything now is massed produced, where convenience and the price tags are the primary considerations.

With an optimistic perspective, maybe I'd make it big on the net, but I wonder if the industry will still have room for independent developers who are next in line..

After weeks of procrastinating I finally finished making the layout for my business card. I had to do a second draft since my first design entailed a lot of printing expenses. In the end, it cost me 150 bucks for the paper which i bought myself, and for the printing and cutting services. The printing wasn't spot on but it will do for now, The design looked much better on my LCD than it did on actual paper.

I am trying to look for work outside of my day job to help me save up. I should get my name out there and build a good reputation for myself. Which means stepping up my game a couple of notches. I am trying to plant the seeds for my future so to speak; with the hopes that I'll have something to harvest in the future.

My only concern at the moment is that I am treading a thin line of reasons. What is the driving force of behind my work? I don't want to loose sight of why I do this. Yes I do it for the money, but at the end of the day, successful people succeed in what they do primarily because they love what they do... money just came in a distant second.

I don't wanna be ruled by money, we work hard for money, why not make money work for us as well.