Periodicdesign

I’ve been using, rather successfully, Ryan Duff’s contact form plug-in for some time now, but the only problem is, it works a little too well. I get email from all kinds of people. Folks saying they can enlarge my male organs, or keep me going longer in the sack, and then their was this lady from Russia who wanted me to check out her website. Weird thing is, she was the same lady, but always had a new URL. I mean, domain names aren’t expensive, but they aren’t cheap either, especially when you buy every alteration of the domain www.anitchkadoes[insert goat, xxx, Vladimir].com.

With that said, I had to come up with a solution, and instead of having to program my own, I found this little number by Douglas Karr. It inserts a simple question that even the slowest of humans can figure out. The cool thing is, you can set the question/answer to your liking.

The BBC has a fantastic article on the year ahead for the tech community and what may be on the horizon.

This list is as follows:

1. The web to go
2. Ultra mobile PCs
3. IPTV
4. Wimax
5. Mobile VoIP

The web to go

Ahhhhh, ubiquitous computing, well, maybe not that far, but with applications like Google Gears, being able to pull such things as Google Reader feeds down to my laptop before I leave work, allows me to read my feeds if I have to pitstop somewhere that doesn’t have wireless. I see this technology becoming increasingly invested in in 2008 and many more applications from Google and Microsoft (maybe Yahoo!) being available with or without internet.

Ultra mobile PCs

Apple has a patent and rumors abound about a sub notebook that will release this year. I’m not sure how you can get much smaller than a MacBook (which I own), but hey, smaller is better and Apple is all about small hardware. With size comes mass and the lighter, the better. I remember the days of Dell laptops that could be used as weapons if thrown at someone.

The use of Flash memory in place of conventional (and outdated as debated by some) hard disk memory will push these devices even smaller and consuming less power (I smell Green Technology).

IPTV

If the US can ever get their ass rolling in the utility sector (minus Verizon’s FiOS), this will increasingly take off here in the States. The merge of TV and Web will become increasingly prevalent over the next 5 years. The only blocker would be the FCC or big business lobbyist’s shooting down legislation. This where Net Neutrality becomes a huge discussion point.

WiMAX

Again, another technology that is long overdue and will hopefully open doors on more mobile technologies the likes of ones seen in Japan. The ability to use your mobile device to do more and be able to connect o high bandwidth speeds on a portable device such as a laptop or portable TV are very nice things with the expansion of technology deliverables (voice, video, audio, etc.)

Sprint is launching their Xohn network later this year and Washington, DC, Baltimore and Chicago are the test beds.

Mobile VoIP

Skype is not only an awesome chat service, but now is pushing into the VoIP realm with phones that have data plans only and allow for chatting and VoIP. There were some folks coming up with applications on the iPhone (when hacked) that would allow VoIP as well. Again, this is great technology, but I can see the Telcos trying to knock this down as it cuts into their profit margins.

Yes, I have been quiet for some time, well, more than some time, a very long time would be a better way of putting it. Besides email and the small amount of storage I use on this server, my blog was supposed to be using the rest of my bandwidth. I just realized the other day, that I really need to begin using what I pay for (outside of email and a few MP3’s that I keep on here for personal use).

With that said, I will post more and while these postings may not be all that relevant to everyone, it will at least be an outlet for my creativity and getting feedback from the few people who read my blog. Hell, maybe one day I’ll get some real traffic here. Yes, doubtful, but a nice thought none the less.

Please keep your eye on the site as I will pick one thing a day to improve. It may be a feed added or a cleaned up right rail, but I will make an attempt to start getting this blog in action with much more dynamic content.

If you have any suggestions for musings or stories you’d like me to recount, by all means, please drop a comment.

Community Software Developer

PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript exp.

Requirements for Software Developer:

Seeking a Mid Level PHP Developer to work in a fun and casual atmosphere! We are recruiting for a partner of ours- an award-winning e-Health communications company in Reston, VA. They are seeking a multi-talented, mid-level Software Developer to join their development team. Applicants should have 3+ years of related experience. They are looking for a developer to help create an online community using open-source or third-party apps.

Responsibilities for the Software Developer include coding, design, and maintenance of existing and new software; functional and unit testing; and database setup and management. We are a small, growing company, and your responsibilities at times may fall outside of typical software development tasks. You must have 3 or more years of direct, hands-on experience with PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript. Knowledge of software such as phpBB, Vbulletin, Joomla, Mambo, Drupal, MediaWiki?, MovableType, or Wordpress would be a great fit.

Pluses include experience with ASP, Flash, ActionScript, .net, Ruby, ZOPE, Python, learning management systems or Flash communications server.

Description for Software Developer:

The successful applicant will also be able to understand and participate in the business process of our product development effort. We are looking for a team player who is willing to contribute both programming production and technical leadership; therefore, excellent communication skills are necessary. A strong applicant would also have experience working in a small, fast-growing software development department and be willing to embrace the challenge of developing processes and mentoring junior level programmers. This position does not require managing employees.

Unix Administrator-Linux, BSD, (Reston, VA)

The UNIX Administrator manages the daily activities of configuration and operation of business systems that are web-based. Work includes optimizing system operation and resource utilization, updating administration manuals, updating security plans and network diagrams, adding and deleting users, upgrading software, configuring and installing new hardware, testing and debugging the system, monitoring the system for problems, placing service calls, performing system capacity analysis, and planning and monitoring the system for security problems using intrusion detection software. Assist users in accessing and using web-based systems.

Experience Needed:

• The administration of UNIX (specifically Linux and FreeBSD) and application servers and web servers.
• Must be proficient with most aspects of UNIX systems administration including; Systems installation and configuration, troubleshooting, security management.
• Planning and installation of third party software.
• The operation of a large-scale web-based system or a multi-server or local area network.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• A Bachelors Degree and 3-5 years of experience in UNIX hardware and/or software systems administration is preferred.
• Experience in the following platforms/products is also preferred: Apache, Asterisk, MySQL, PostGresql, Oracle, Zimbra, Zope
• Other core skills that are essential include: shell scripting, Python and/or C programming, and knowledge of DNS, NTP and IP network architecture/troubleshooting.
• Candidates should also have a thorough understanding of high-volume web-based environments, a strong desire and ability to tackle and master new technologies, and excellent communication skills that will allow for effective interaction and cooperation with other technical groups.
• May need to come in after hours in case of emergencies.

Siteworx is a Web design and integration company that achieves award-winning results for clients including National Geographic, AOL, The College Board, and PBS. Siteworx helps companies communicate powerfully by creating a satisfying user experience through attractive design, streamlined information architecture, and easy-to-manage technology that integrates with online and offline business applications.

Siteworx offers competitive salary and benefits including health, dental and life insurance; 401k plan with employer contribution; vacation, holiday and sick leave; and education reimbursement plan.

Siteworx is an Equal Opportunity Employer

For more information:

Gail Glassmoyer
Recruiting Manager
gail@siteworx.com
SITEWORX
11480 Commerce Park
Third Floor
Reston, VA 20191
Direct: (703) 964-1700 x245
Fax: (703) 935-0426
www.siteworx.com

From my younger brother:

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn’t just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500’s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the Bath water.”

Houses had thatched roofs (thick straw piled high), with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs, etc.) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, “It’s raining cats and dogs.”

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That’s how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, “Dirt poor.” The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying, “a thresh hold.”

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, “Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.”

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, “bring home the bacon.” They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and “chew the fat.”

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or “the upper crust.”

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of “holding a wake.”

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, “saved by the bell” or was considered a “dead ringer.”

And that’s the truth…Now, whoever said History was boring!