Entries this day: Late_via_iPhone Met_with_Tariq OS_X_10.5.6_installation Snailmail_received_by_Genki_Man_Dan!! Very_first_iPhone_app

Late via iPhone

11:44am JST Wednesday 4 February 2009 (day 14196)

I blame my iPhone for my lateness today. I was distracted, misdirected and confused... poor me!

Basically, though I got some of my music (NIN Ghosts, and 5 songs I had listed as favorites (*)) downloaded (not just copied from PC to iPhone, but downloaded from my Amazon S3 storage space, I got conflubulated when trying to use the iPhone for getting directions. Couldn't sort out how to make it show me different options for traveling, and once it had decided its start point, I couldn't reset it to 'current location' as I had been able to the first time I searched.

Though I won't make it to the iWeb seminar on time, I will make it to Apple Store Ginza to meet with Tariq at 1pm.

(*) songs I had listed as favorites as of 3 Feb 2009:

"The Wretched (Keith Hillebrand)" _Things Falling Apart_ - Nine Inch Nails
"Alice's Restaurant" - Arlo Guthrie
"Motorcycle (Significance Of The Pickle)" - Arlo Guthrie
"Bling Bling" _Chopper City In The Ghetto_ - B.G.
"Murphy Bed" _You Think It's Like This But Really It's Like This_ - Mirah
"Fish Happens" _out is in_ - S.O.L.O.
"Peek-A-Boo" _Peepshow_ - Siouxsie & The Banshees
"Yes Yes Y'All" _Big Willie Style_ - Will Smith

Met with Tariq

4:05pm JST Wednesday 4 February 2009 (day 14196)

Tariq and I met after the iWeb seminar, which we both agreed would be a pretty decent way to practice Japanese listening. The dude was talking about topics I pretty much know, just don't know in Japanese.

Met at the nearby Quiznos and he bought me lunch over which we chatted about iPhone games and our flash game. We're pretty close to having a *something* finished with the flash game, and I think we just need to think of a simple little game for the iPhone to get started. We saw a really really dope pinball game, that took a lot lot lot of work (it appears), but even it didn't make a lot of money for the developers, if any at all.

Saw a pretty neat little game that could be way more popular if it had better game play.. there's no levels nor point to the game. Good time can be had by touching, but there's no break in play or anything of the sort.

Tariq was asking how he can get "up to speed" with C# programming for the iPhone, and I'm like, "ummmmmmmmm," knowing the number of years I've spent in that department, but then I realize there's an important aspect that I normally overlook: the design of the game/project/whatsit.

I guess my job right about now is to install 10.5.6 so I can start iPhone development. I don't really have a good way to backup all my data, so I'm hesita.....

Ah-ha!! I can backup my entire drive to a directory on my silver computer (with big HD) and be done with it. Sweet! Thanks, brain!

OS X 10.5.6 installation

6:52pm JST Wednesday 4 February 2009 (day 14196)

Installing OS X 10.5.6 on 元気 now. Genki is the name of my white MacBook.

9:45pm JST

Smooth as silk cream pie.

I took a nap, woke up and it was installed.

Snailmail received by Genki Man Dan!!

Rob!!!!

I saw your comment about mail... I was very confused. Went to the mailroom and it was sitting
there. I was like "Dude that's mine", the cat was like "Yeah, take it". Very strange.

Not sure how long it had been sitting there, anyway THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's caused quite
a stir in my office and people can't believe how amazingly pretty train cards are in Japan.

Thanks also for the book- will read it on my long train journey home.

We now require your snail mail to show you exactly how boring British train cards are, but will be a
great asset to your collection.

I'll be in touch shortly with the cards I liked, the ones I already have and the ones that blew me away.

My reply:

Yahoooo!!

Yo mate I'm so glad I could send the cards to the only person in the whole world who appreciates
them as much as you!!!!

I tried to do a careful job of sorting out the duplicates within the stacks I sent you, and even
putting them in some sort of order. I look forward to hearing which ones brought tears of joy to
your eyes.

I laughed when recalling sitting on some steps with you in Jiyugaoka to give you the ultimate train
card EVER. If I could think of a way to top *that* card, I would.

> I saw your comment about mail... I was very confused. Went to the mailroom and it was sitting there.

Did you go to the mailroom as a result of my confusing message?

I realize I made an error during the exchange. It should have gone like this:

DAN> SNOW!
ROB> Mail?
DAN> Snowmail?
ROB> Snailmail?

etc. So sorry!!

> I was like "Dude that's mine", the cat was like "Yeah, take it". Very strange.
Didn't that cat know that mail is supposed to be _delivered_ ????

> people can't believe how amazingly pretty train cards are in Japan.
kaWAAIiiiii

> Thanks also for the book- will read it on my long train journey home.
HahaAHaa.. You are the only person I know who could begin to appreciate that book. I got it and
immediately thought you would get a kick out of going through it and saying, "oh hey get this: did
you know that Marion Studebaker was the 25th ranked kicker for the prime number years between 1958
and 1963? Wow!" And then people would go, "Who's Marion Studebaker?" and you go, "I have no idea!!"


> We now require your snail mail to show you exactly how boring British train cards are,
> but will be a great asset to your collection.
My "collection" is limited to the single bus card that's still in my pocket after the PASMO system
made it possible to use a rechargeable card on all trains, buses, and many convenience stores.

But I'd love to get mail from you.
Feel free to use English or Japanese:
http://robnugen.com/images/home/tokyo/2007/address/

> I'll be in touch shortly with the cards I liked, the ones I already have and the ones that blew me away.
I can't wait!

Very first iPhone app

4:08am JST Thursday 5 February 2009 (day 14197)

Not even an actual app yet; it just runs on the iPhone simulator, I've compiled a little diddy that's basically just one of the sample code things, but with an icon I snagged (and rotated) from a different sample code thing, and changed one single text string from "flippy" (it's a Utility Action template (*)) to "flippy chick" in honor of the song "Hippy Chick" though I don't remember who sings it.

(*) "This template provides a starting point for a utility application that has a main view and a flipside view. It sets up an Info button to flip the main view to the flipside, and a navigation bar with a Done item to flip back to the main view."

Next step: go to bed!