A Day in Paradise

In the footsteps of a couple good friends I’ve decided to make the first blog entry of the new year yet another year in review round-up for the year 2006.

It’s hard to believe that we’re already done with 2006, this one went by fast. A lot happened, and due to the overflow of work, I missed a lot of what I did last year (specifically LinuxWorld Expo and LinuxTag).

One of the big work-related events is a new venture that I’ve been working on this year. <project-pimping>HedgeCo Hedge Fund Website Creation was officially launched on December 1st, however about 18 months worth of work had gone into the product and building a client list before the site launch. The sprang out of my work with HedgeCo Networks which involved a the development of a high-end statistics/graphing package which generated quantitative statistics for Hedge Funds. After deploying the product on their flagship product, they started receiving request to license the package on various other website platforms, so the package was reworked into a slimmed down edition which can be deployed in smaller sites.

As we started deploying the product we realized the potential, and reallocated some of the design talent that we had been working on other project into creating entire websites and Hedge Fund start-up consulting/compliance packages. Since our Dec. 1 launch we have had a fantastically profitable month (to keep up-to-date with what we’re doing check out the Hedge Fund Websites blog)</project-pimping>

All of the above required me to reallocate my own time away from other projects, until the point that for the last year I have done little else. So as of Jan 1, 2007 I am officially working full time for HedgeCo Hedge Fund Websites… Freelancer no longer! This year I’m also moving my family up to West Palm Beach, Florida and will be working in the brand new HedgeCo offices (will post pics of when we move in later this month).

OK, so now that I’ve spent all my time pimping my current project I’ll skim through the news.

January: Slow month, Sid officially joined our family as “brother”. I weighed in on the PHP Security debate du jour wondering when good security verges on paranoia and the side effects.

February: Traveled to UK for PHPLondon conference. This was a fantastic event (looking forward to next year), as far as I remembered there were about 250 geeks attending the 1-day event. Got a cool new LCD. In defense of PHPNuke (and other applications of low repute whose name starts with PHP*) I responded to Marco’s post reminiscing about how great PHPNuke was back in the day.

March: Slow month… google releases finance portal, barra stops reporting S&P numbers and screws up my webservice. Tom Fox is Executed.

April: Gearing up for the world cup 32Cards PHP-based card game is released. I start using backpackit to organize my life (note to reader, I stop using it in a couple months, when it stops scaling with my needs). I spent 10 days in Florida, unfortunately missing PHPTek by 10 days.

May: I question open-source for highly specific niche applications (more specifically my statistic package). I enjoy Scott Sigler’s “Infection” which is in full swing. I start watching theshow with ze frank.

June: DSL CRASH!!! I try to “upgrade” my connection by switching providers which turns into 3 weeks on dial-up. During this time I camp at friends houses during all night product launches, and drive everyone around me insane. I finally return. World cup is in full swing, and Germany is World Cup CRAZY! I take pictures.
I travel to Norway for the eZpublish conference & PHPVikinger. Ammar Ibrahim comes to Frankfurt, we watch some football!

July: A slow month… I try Fedora Core, only to get frustrated when I can’t mount my ntfs external drive with the correct permissions (worked fine in root, was able to find no usable explanation). Infection ends. Put out a notice for css code monkeys get more response than I can handle. Macs Rock? During one of the hottest months on record the kids have chickenpox and we are confined indoors.

August: I subscribe to Gail Orenstein’s Flickr feed during her trip to Israel. cool pictures (quite possibly NSFW) with political commentary. Two talks are accepted for ZendCon. I manage to squeeze into the PHPConference schedule at the last minute. We take the kids on a mini-vacation to Legoland and then visit some friends in Switzerland.

September: Catch Mark Nemcoff on in a 5-minute-review. I deploy a site using eZpublish, blog about lessons learned. RIP Lilo. Do some myspace defending.

October: The Pear book is out!. I speculate about google world domination, and yahoo opens up the login api. Spend a week in WPB Florida, then fly to LA and drive down to San Jose for Zendcon.

November: Conference season. Meet Scott Sigler!!! Give talks at Zendcon, fly back home and give tutorial at IPC2k6. After seeing that the Zend Framework is more than hype I take a look at it and start my Zend Framework Hidden Gems article series. I dump backpackit for google docs (which I am still happily using). When is it a good time to rewrite your platform?

December: HedgeCo Hedge Fund Website launch. Fantastic month on the work front, however not a whole lot of time for anything else. David (CPUNerd) on the other hand has way too much time on his hands, and immortalizes me in kilt.

And that’s about it… probably the longest blog entry ever! I’m looking forward to this year as being the craziest yet. I’ll be flying to WPB next week, and for this first quarter will probably spend more time on that side of the pond.

A big THANK YOU to my readers (let’s make that anyone who made it this far into the blog entry). And most of all thanks to Stella, Annie and Mia for putting up with me during this hectic time.

Scott Sigler has brought his third Podcast novel “Infection” to a close. In the final episode of the podcast gorefest Scott announced his next Podcast novel ‘The Rookie’ which starts next October. He will also be working on “Nocturnal” which may follow.

In other news, Sirius satilite radio listeners will now be getting a fix of Scott’s podcast novels as part of the daily podshow lineup. Being the first of Scott Siglers novels, EarthCore is by far my favorite of Scott Siglers novels. So if you’re on Sirius make sure you get this in your ears! If not, you can subscribe to it at Podiobooks.com

There’s a new ultra-creepy serialized podcast drama from writer/podcaster Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff.

The first episode of Shadow Falls is out, fantastic production value, good premise and very, very creepy. The production style obviously borrows a lot from the 50’s style radio drama, a major difference being the quality of the effects, and the brilliant music by everyone’s favorite mad sumo.

This release is on the heels of the release of podshow plus, I’m not exactly sure how that whole thing works, I just subscribed to the show the old fashioned way using the rss feed and juice reciever. We’ll see where it goes.

When I first started listening to podcast novels, I had a hard time getting used to the fact that unlike dead tree books, unless the author decides to tell you how much of the book is left, you have no idea how many chapters are left. When Matthew Wayne Selznick’s performed the final chapters of his first book and brought the podcast novel “Brave Men Run” to a close, I along with several thousand listeners were left at the edges of our seats waiting for more.

Brave Men Run – A Novel of the Sovereign Era, is hard to describe. As a sci-fi story, set in an alternative version of the early 80s, BMR introduces us to the “Sovereign Era” and the politics surrounding the revelation that amongst humans live “Sovereigns” each of whom weilds extraordinary abilities. As a character study, BMR looks at this monumental event through the eyes of Nate Charters, a teenage Sovereign who fights to deal with the sudden realities of who he is and the past which has been hidden from him.

At it’s core, Brave Men Run is not about spaceships, action sequences or any other elements which are commonly associated with science fiction. BMR is about it’s characters, and the character development and dialog which takes place between the characters is masterfully done.

While Brave Men Run is a complete book and satisfying read, the author has left many questions open in regard to the “Sovereign Era” as well as Nate’s character and the history of “Sovereign” people. The premise could very easily support several more “Sovereign Era” books.

Matthew Wayne Selznick has released the audio versions of BMR for free on Podiobooks.com and has made the electronic versions of the book available for the cheap price of $5. As an independant, self published author, Matthew has placed the future of the series in the hands of the readers.

I throughly enjoyed the book, and would recommend it not only to sci-fi fans, but to all bookworms who are interested in a good read and the growth of independent authors. In support, I’ve set up a page through which you can subscribe to the podcast or buy the ebook or paperback version.

So visit my Brave Men Run page, subscribe to the feed, buy the ebook, blog about it, and tell your friends to do the same. You won’t be disappointed.

Scott Sigler, the sci-fi/horror novelist who first revolutionized both podcasting and the publishing worlds with the release of his first free podcast novel has done it again and has put Earthcore back in the spotlight as the first paid-download podcast in the iTunes music store.

The unabridged 15 hour audiobook, published by Conquer the World Records, will be available on the iTunes music store for $9.99. The free serialized version will continue to be available in its original podcast format from Podiobooks.com.

Scott Sigler annouced to the members of his online mailing list that the model which he plans for the release of his upcoming books will begin with an audio podcast of the book, followed by the print release followed by a paid audio book download.

Since releasing EarthCore, Scott Sigler wrote and published his second novel Ancestor, which was delivered free of charge to an audience of over 11,000 internet listeners. His third podcast novel, Infection, is slated for it’s podcast only serialized release starting the 11th of March.

Ancestor: The Next PodCast Novel by Scott Sigler

Just listened to Scott’s teaser for his upcomming podcast novel Ancestor, and figured that I would give a little pre-review of what you should expect to hear.

In an attempt to find out how to genetically engineer an animal to create organs suitible for human implants, the German scientist “Klaus Rumpkoff” creates the “ancestor of all mammals”.

A cow is impregnated with the “ancestor” and is transported to another research facility. The research is funded by a big biotech firm, who employs, our magnum-toting hero Sara Pernam, to secure the transport of the animals.

During the flight one the fetus escapes it’s “host body” and after mangling a scientist is killed by Sara and brought back to Klaus to study.

I’m guessing that a second “ancestor” was either in a cow or was secretly developed by one of the scientists. This “ancestor” escapes and it’s up to Sara to stop it.

Sound’s like a cross between The Relic, Jurassic Park and Anaconda. After listening to Earth Core, I’m guessing that this is going to be more sophisticated. I’m also not going to count on any survivors.

EarthCore: A Podcast Novel

EarthCore was initially published as an ebook in 2001, in 2002 it was slated for a Nationwide paperback release, but the imprint was closed four months before the book was published. Riding the Podcasting wave Scott Sigler decided to pull “a cheap publicity stunt second only to a nude, ball-flapping, Secret Service ducking, 50-yard dash through the White House” and release the book as a podcast novel.

“You can’t buy EarthCore anywhere, so if you get hooked that’s your own problem. I’m trying to pimp you out here. I want you addicted to this novel.”

Now twenty-six chapters into the riveting story, over 5500 self-proclaimed “EarthCrack junkies” wait for their weekly fix.

There is no point giving you a rundown of the story, so far it is better far better than I expected. Scott’s clear performance is quite a bit better than the other author-performed audiobooks I’ve listened to. A comment in a recent review (which does have details of the plot) suggest that Scott should use a female to do the feminine voices, I disagree, this is an audio book, not a radio drama. Keep it to one voice.

The one thing that is different with this particular audio book is that you have no idea how much is left of the book. I enjoy holding a paperback in my hand and knowing that I still have two-thirds of the book left. Scott, how many chapters are there?

So get over to scottsigler.net and download the past episodes. I would suggest that for your own sanity that you listen to no more than a couple a week. Get all caught up in a couple sessions and you’ll end up one of the sorry EarthCrack junkies without their fix.

Note: Scott seems to be having distribution problems, so if you want to get up-to-date on the story but can’t download the story so far, just pop me an email and I’ll send you the files (please don’t ask for my email, this offer is limited to people who know me or are smart enough to figure out my email address).