My brain feels like Jello.

I’ve spent all day emailing back and forth with Linux users groups in an effort to get more readers for our magazine. I’ve gotten quite a few positive responses from people, one or two questions, and (as usual), there’s one snarky person.

It’s all pretty much par for the course, really. At least I feel like I’ve made some headway =]

I do, however, want to send Tylenol a few hundred bucks in order to deal with the headache resulting from being in the zone for so long. *chuckles*

Current mood: tired
Current music: The Cure – Just Like Heaven

It was nice and warm today. In Ohio, at the end of December, this is pretty rare. It had to be at least in the 50’s, so I decided to get out of the house for a little while and go for a walk around the park before getting back to work again. (the upside/downside of working at home. You can nip off for an hour or so to take a break, but sometimes it feels like you never leave work)

Walking to the car, I noticed that it was a little dark, so I figured that there might be a shower. Not a big deal, I have the umbrella in the car.

Fast forward a bit.

Walking around the park, I feel a raindrop, so I start to pull out the umbrella.

Drip.

Drip.

DELUGE!

Queue the high winds, lightning ripping through the sky, parts of the trees around me crashing to the ground (nothing other than the rain hit me, thankfully) and the rest of the Gods Are Angry ™ stuff. I’m a good 5-10 minutes from the car thanks to the now muddy ground, the wind, and my newfound parasail (formerly known as an umbrella).

I finally get back to the car, completely soaked and a bit less than happy. Let’s put it this way – the jeans I wore were fairly baggy and I had to peel them off of me.

This has to be the first time I’ve seen a thunderstorm at the end of December for quite a while.

I got home and the cat looked at me like “what are you doing back? You just left…” But, at least I’m relatively dry now.

Oh, one more thing – Wilson’s Leather leather protector is a wonderful thing. It has saved my nice suede jacket from several storms and even a bit of blood. I highly recommend it.

Current mood: damp
Current music: Coheed and Cambrian – the suffering

Update time

Issue 2 of o3 Magazine came out one the 19th. Issue one saw over 500,000 readers in more than 140 countries. Hopefully the success continues.

If you have a company and are interested in advertising in a magazine with global distribution, please contact our sales people at sales@o3magazine.com. Advertising costs are very reasonable and advertisers in issue one saw dramatically increased traffic and sales (one company sold more product in the two weeks after the release of issue one than they did the rest of the year put together).

In other news, the holiday thing went pretty smoothly. The cat seems to like his new toys (as evidenced by his insistence that he play with them at 4am). Parental type people liked the movies and Karyl seemed to like the black pearls (I think the squeeing was a good indication).

Apparently Karyl was the center of attention at the office when she wore the necklace there for the first time. However, I have to admit to being mildly insulted when one of the people told her she might have to keep me because I have good taste. I am worth more than the presents I give, thank you very much.

I’m not sure which my mother liked more - her present or the cheesecake that I made for dessert. For some reason, everyone seems to want me to make those insanely simple no-bake cheesecakes now. Good grief, people, they take 15 minutes to whip up. Why the obsession? They’ve got to be the simplest dessert that I make, but people go nuts over them…

Now I get to concentrate on expanding our reader base and putting together a media kit in order to help sell advertising. What can I say? I like to get paid =]

Current mood: tired
Current music: Toby Keith and Willie Nelson – Whiskey for my Men, Beer for my Horses

I got a holiday card from one of my clients, and it was signed by most of the office staff there.

It feels nice to be valued. I thought that was rather cool of them. =]

Current mood: tired
Current music: Reel Big Fish - Kiss me Deadly

No, the image above this post is not an indication of my mood. It happens to be the latest thing I’ve picked up. Yes, it’s a large Rackham flag (in silver foil no less) – and I do mean *big*. The bloody thing is 27" x 40".

Why have I picked this up?

It’s decoration for the office when I move. It will be framed and hung up on the wall.

I think I made my girlfriend's head explode last night. I mentioned recursion in passing and she asked what it was. *smirks*

Quizishness stolen from Bryian's blog

Android or Hologram You scored 53 % Aggressivness, 53 % Technology, and 66 % Social Enlightenment!

Homeworld: n/a Hmmm, interesting. You have a high level of technological development, you're aggressive and yet you're still extremely socially progressive. How is this possible? It's not! At least not naturally, anyway (and not in the Star Trek universe). This suggests that you are either an android or a hologram, meaning you're are capable of just about anything. You can be aggressive, but also peaceful. By your very nature, you have a high level technology yet many androids or holograms seek to enhance their humanity. You defy categorisation and have superceded mere organic life to become a totally different breed of lifeform... OTHER CATEGORIES Ferengi Vulcan Romulan Human Klingon Cardassian Borg Android/Hologram Like this test? Then don't forget to rate it!! Want more? How about some shameless self-promotion? I've also written other tests - check them out! You know you want to... The Trekkie Test The Do *YOU* Remember The 90's Test The Capitals of the World Test The Australian Trivia Test

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 54% on Aggressivness You scored higher than 41% on Technology You scored higher than 72% on So.Enlightenmet

Link: The Which Star Trek Species R U Test written by MadameBoffin on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

I keep finding out that I’m not a big fan of the holiday season. It always seems that I have way too much to do, no real time to do it in, and never get to see the people that I really want to see anymore.

Part of it is negative associations because of things in the past, part of it is being so busy, being expected to be all happy, etc. Toss in the assorted and miscellaneous stresses of the day and you have a recipe for an unhappy, moderately irritable swordsman.

To top it off, I’m going stir crazy. The world is working on dropping a metric buttload of snow in the area and cooped up in the house is really not somewhere I need to be at the moment.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get out for a little bit tomorrow. I need the break from the stress even if I do just go for a walk around town.

In other news, it seems that one of my favorite instructors from my alma mater has retired. I wondered how long it was going to take him after his heart attack a couple of years ago. Vic, when I move back there, you and I are going to have to go out for a drink. Here’s to hoping that you don’t go crazy now that you don’t have to worry about all of us bratty undergrads =]

Current mood: blah
Current music: Genesis – tonight tonight tonight

Make that aprox 1/2 million. Just got the updated stats a few hours ago.

I've also been asked to speak at my first con :P

Something on the order of 1/4million downloads and over 600 media pickups...

All this over Thanksgiving.

I've even found our press relase on a chinese blog.

All I can say is "wow"

Issue one was released on Wednesday, November 23.

Since then we’ve been slashdotted, shown up on newsforge, and our press release has appeared on newswire, yahoo news, and who knows where else. Our servers have been hammered and I’ve seen our torrent have almost 200 seeders on it.

I’m halfway afraid to know what the download stats are now. Before the Macy’s parade, we had over 15,000 downloads of the magazine due to just newswire.

I think it can be said that we’re doing pretty well at the moment.

This feels so very surreal. It’s kind of like that feeling you used to have as a kid just when you were about to open your holiday presents.

It’s even stranger because my name is the one listed for contact on the press release. I’m just waiting to see how many phone calls I get for this…

Let’s hope things keep going this well =]

Current mood: numb…
Current music: Cruxshadows – Dragonfly

Issue 1 is out!

Issue one of O3 magazine is now out (http://www.o3magazine.com/current.html). It’s been a long, interesting trip getting this out the door, but I think it was worth it.

Here’s to hoping that it only gets better from here.

I now feel old...

Comment from hack-a-day: "That's kind of cool, never heard of a computer using audio tape before."

Some of the first computers I ever used had programs that loaded from audio tape. In fact, it was also really the only way to save information on them. I wasn't around for punchcards and paper tape, but someone saying that they've never *heard of* a computer using audio tape input makes me feel old.

Granted, most of the people who comment there seem to be kids, but still. I'm only 25. I shouldn't feel old yet lol

At least not from a tech standpoint. There are other reasons that I find acceptable for feeling old at this point, but that's not one of them...

Week in review

Just sent out what should be the final edits to issue 1 of the magazine. Unless hell freezes over, it should hit the net Monday. If hell freezes over, I’ll be unhappy.

Amusingly, I called John (the Editor in Chief) yesterday to clarify a few points that I had questions about. 15 minute phone call turned into 2 hours. Granted, it ended up covering some other important (and positive) things, but I was not geared for having a 2 hour conversation at the time (it was cold and I was outside while shopping)

The really funny part of the conversation was in the background. John has a little girl and his wife is off holiday shopping in Penn so he’s stuck babysitting until she gets back.

kid: I hurt my foot
John: What did you do?
kid: Stepped on a block…
John: Maybe you should stop walking on your blocks
kid: Oh yeah….

Kids are so cute =]

Apparently, this is normal for her. She’ll do something that hurts. One of them will suggest that, if it hurts, she shouldn’t do X again. She goes “oh yeah…” and doesn’t do it again heh

My two Ruby books came in today, so I can stop killing my eyes by reading them online. I like being able to pack my books around on the laptop, but paper is easier on my eyes, and I like being able to rapidly flip pages.

Current mood: good
Current music: Peter Gabriel – Burn you down

This aim snippet offers a look into the way my sick mind works.

Me: I’m a horrible man. It’s like Karyl looking at her package of imitation crab meat.
"It contains 'lobster extract'? I’m afraid to ask how you get 'lobster extract'..."
with a jack lalane power juicer?
"It also contains rice wine??"
Okay, so they sauce the lobster before they juice it...
Tom: heh
Me: and then I went into a bit of play acting on getting a lobster drunk and talking him into walking the plank into the juicer
Tom: lol
Me: I told you I was a sick bastard


But, according to a lot of the people who know me, I'm an entertaining one.

I admit it. I am a sick, strange man.

Thankfully this amuses my friends and my girlfriend because my sense of humor tends to be a little *unique*.

Having gotten some actual spendable cash (that wasn’t earmarked for bills and necessities), I picked up a few movies (among other things).

Several of these were cheesy horror and zombie flicks. I love cheesy horror movies and zombie flicks. They make me giggle. I’m probably one of the only people who can roll on the floor laughing while watching horror movies.

This has inspired me to put something on the “when I have the time” list (read – after the magazine starts to take off)

I want to make a couple of music videos using cuts from horror/zombie movies. There are several songs that I am pondering:

Chariots of Fire (for those chase scenes)
Puffy Ami-Yumi – K2G (because it’s so bizarrely happy)
Styx – Not dead Yet (can you think of anything more appropriate?)
Backstreet Boys – Larger than Life (zombie smashing to boy-band music *wicked giggle*)
Bowling for Soup’s cover of “I Ran” (just because it could be fun)
Edwin Collins – Like you before (female zombies and vampires killing and having fun) =]
Everclear – When it all goes wrong again (appropriate zombie music)
Harvey Danger – Flagpole Sitta
Goldfinger – Jackie Chan (I do have at least one kung fu zombie movie)
Reel Big Fish – Somebody Hates Me
Janes Addiction – Just because

I told you I was a sick man…

Current mood: amused
Current music: Reel Big Fish – somebody hates me

It's turning into an interesting day

Current Mood: =]
Current Music: none

Markerboard – check
Programming books that I’ve wanted/needed – on the way
Several new movies – check
New shoes – need to take care of that today
Girlfriend’s holiday present - *smirks*

Hoping that this magazine works out – priceless.

Some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s consulting =]

Quizishness.

I can actually agree with the tie for the top three.

You scored as Neo, the "One". Neo is the computer hacker-turned-Messiah of the Matrix. He leads a small group of human rebels against the technology that controls them. Neo doubts his ability to lead but doesn't want to disappoint his friends. His goal is for a world where all men know the Truth and are free from the bonds of the Matrix. James Bond, Agent 007 71% Neo, the "One" 71% Captain Jack Sparrow 71% Lara Croft 67% Batman, the Dark Knight 67% El Zorro 63% Maximus 58% Indiana Jones 58% William Wallace 58% The Amazing Spider-Man 46% The Terminator 38% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

Small pieces of news today –

Issue one of o3 should be released later today provided nothing bad happens on John’s end. I really do have to thank him for being understanding about my dropping the ball on the FreeRADIUS article because I was sick.

I’ve been feeling quite a bit better today. Still a little cruddy sinus-wise, but I can live with that. Since I wasn’t attached to my bed (or the bathroom), I decided to go out for a while.

For those of you who don’t know me (or don’t know me well), I’m something of a clothes whore and I also like finding nice housewares type stuff. Yes, I admit it. I’m a strange man. I’ve also developed this knack for finding nice stuff on the cheap while I’m out wandering around.

Why bring this up? While I was out, I found a nice set of coasters. I know, I know, you’re thinking “coasters? Who cares?” The fact that these are a set of 6 solid marble coasters with a matching case is what makes it noteworthy. It cost me a whopping $8.

I admit it. I’m pretty easy to please and sometimes I just have to make little sanity purchases. Hopefully, in a few months I’ll be able to make insanity purchases (furniture, kitchen stuff, etc) if the magazine really takes off.

One final thing: happy anniversary.

Current mood: calm
Current music: Delirium - Silence