Skeletonz: Site in a Can
I tested the Skeletonz CMS. I liked it. Lots more details, of course, following the link.
I tested the Skeletonz CMS. I liked it. Lots more details, of course, following the link.
... let's turn to a completely different subject.
In my professional life (that is, not counting odd jobs) I have had only three employers.
I worked for many years for the nice guys at UNL and for about a year for the not so nice guys at Conectiva (now Mandriva) Ok, I take that back, they were nice guys, they just were not a good place to work at. Or rather to stop working at.
And the third one has been me.
I must say I am pretty happy with me as a boss. I have managed to go through some very difficult moments in my country's economy, and never failed to cover payroll. Then again, I was very willing to take some paycuts, so I am a model employee, at least about that.
But... I have decided, a few months ago, that there are clear limits on how far being one's boss and sole employee can take you, so with a couple of friends we have decided to start a company, sortof.
It's pretty tentative right now, but we are all three quite knowledgeable in many things, and our areas of expertise overlap enough so that we can cover each other, and are different enough that we have a varied service offer.
Our main focus is system/network/DB management, and a little coding. So from now on, you will see every now and then, updates about this new project.
Where are we now:
We have a few customers.
Each of us is keeping most of their old ones, too.
We are using Trac to manage issues like ticketing and documentation.
What we need to do:
We need to start marketing.
Anyone can recommend a good nerdy hosting? Unmanaged, cheap, Linux? We are going right now with Tektonic, which has some very cheap unmanaged plans.
Anyone can recommend good literature on how to manage a service company?
Anyone thinks this is a very bad idea? Or a very good idea? Why?
I am pretty psyched about this, these are the two persons I would trust most in this subject, and we have been friends for a very long time. It's going to be fun :-)
So, we're out.
The match was pretty even, not badly played, but both teams played excellent defense, so ...
Penalty kicks can go either way, and we are out.
What I have learned:
Enalapril does work.
Tevez is a monster.
Germany will not win the cup... unless they get some more luck. Like Ukrayne in semis and France in the final. Anyone else and they are toast (ok, maybe Italy sucks enough).
We have a very good shot in 2010.
I am obviously not feeling ok right now, but ... I said quarters or semis, and I said it would be with suffering. So there. I was right. Not that I actually enjoy being right. It's more like I hate being right.
I am not an artistic person. I am not able to appreciate whole arts (poetry doesn't move me, Lyric Singing annoys me). But I do have a taste, which is my own, although I understand it is not exactly good taste.
Now, what do I like?, or rather, why do I like it? Does it say something about me?
I find that I don't like any form of art without intrinsic difficulty. Or rather, that I enjoy more if it is somewhat difficult technically.
For example, I know all the theory behind why this is supposed to be a great painting:
Hermann Nitsch's work draws parallels between religion and the ritualistic spiritualism of creativity. Heavily entrenched in ancient philosophy and a dissident, questioning Christian theology, he actively seeks catharsis through pain and compassion, a rigorously disciplined quest for ethereal release and enlightenment through an embracing of primal instinct and ancient sacrament.
Ermmm... I see mostly a red blotch, which I suppose makes me a philistine.
On the other hand, I see this, and I actually see a lot more that fits that description:
I like Ingres more than Rothko, I like Rubens more than Picasso... maybe I am just old fashioned?
I think not. I think I despise those who decide to master a game with no rules, where you can declare yourself winner without contrasting yourself to other players. That's why we watch the football world cup and not other games, because it's damn hard and you have to do it with your feet. I think modern painting is taking the ball in your hands and declaring yourself revolutionary.
This outlook, that having a good technique, a domain of a difficult craft before bothering with art has some strange effects in my life. I don't like the low hanging fruit. But then again, I am not really tall enough or strong enough for the one that's on the hard to reach branches.
That leads to a life of almost unending frustration and yearning, yet gives me lots of energy, and I think I have come to do some things I wouldn't have done had I settled for easier pickings.
I have been working for years on how to harness that thrust for my own benefit, and I am not too good at it yet. Maybe that's the toughest craft I need to master, and I am working on it.
Thanks to a post Rich Burridge I found out about Talkr which provides a cute RSS-to-voice service.
It works pretty well, and it was a piece of cake to add to the blog.
So, you can click on the "Listen to this post" links and ... listen to this post.
In any case, this confirms I am a blog-fidgeter. And if anyone knows of any other cute toys for it, please let me know :-)