Month: January 2005

“You can’t always get higher just because you aspire…” – The Who

I’d like to start an aircraft company, making replica classic aircraft. Especially flying boats like the Grumman Widgeon, Goose, and Albatross, PBY, and the Sikorsky S-38. These planes were designed and flew with technology from 50 years ago, so with a little computer analysis and new materials…

Uyuh. These are the sort of thoughts I get after a day flying. I went down to San Diego today, my longest and best flight so far, or at least recently. Yep, Sidney Nebraska was 3.7 hours Sidney is apparently where the new round-the-world nonstop flight is based, though I can’t find information about it at the moment. I did several other long cross-country flights while I was in Denver, though I barely remember them. Pueblo and Lamar. Goodland, KS. At least it was a way to build up time. I did a few nght flights – or, at least one. I should probably practice some more of that; I came down the other night in almost-night conditions. I’d really like to get some seaplane time, but I don’t know where to get it other than Sausalito. I may run out next weekend, to Boulder City, to watch and take pictures of an Albatross fly-in.

I was looking up info on cameras, and came across this site, offering prices that were just too good to be true! And it turns out, they are too good to be true.

Did a web search for the company name along with “retailer reviews” (or “better business bureau”) and was then entertained by consumer horror stories about the company (this is a good one). In this case, their M.O. is to send an email saying you need to call to confirm your order; they then try to upsell you warranty, battery, charger that aren’t included with the camera because they’re “international versions” – and if you don’t order the upsell, surprise surprise, your camera is backordered, possibly indefinately. Not sure how they get away with this obviously criminal behavior.

I’m at a lot to explain to non-programmers what it is I’m working on. And I’d also like to make some form of public announcement, since there seem to be web searches pointed at this blog. So here you go.

I’ve been doing all the documentation of what I’m doing as html (actually php) documents.

App Framework This is the application framework for the other projects I’m working on. I’m having a very slow time with this, because I’m not really sure if I should be doing it the way I am. But so be it. I’m creating a generic application framework that will allow me to build new web-based applications with a lot less work than creating them from scratch in php. It uses a database of fields and forms, and so dynamically creates data-based web pages. I think it’s cool, but I may be reimplementing the wheel. In any case, it’s good php practice.

Oscar Open Source Call Accounting And Reports. This is an open-source implementation of the call detail reporting system I know so well.

Flytrack Flight Tracking system. This is an example application for the application framework, but it might be a worthwhile application of its own.

I’ll go on to explain these more, but for the moment you’ll have to read the documentation (what there is of it – I’ll also be expanding on that). If you have any interest in these, please email me. And wish me luck.

…and in this morning’s dream I was in Denver (as I seem to be in occasional dreams) and had to be back in LA by the evening. But instead of driving, I decided to take my bike, since I heard there was a bike path that went part of the way. Kip’s house was a few miles out.

No particular reason I’m documenting my dreams here, aside from having remembered them the last few days.

Last night I had a long, elaborate dream about an amusement park that was an adventure game. You could go there just for fun, and there were games for all ages, but there was a larger game where you could earn points and move your way up through the game by winning events and riding rides. There were even “easter eggs” where you could for example go to a certain kid’s game and win, and get some sort of free up on another level. There was a medical station, where you could go to have your health restored.

There were also strange children’s games involving shooting water guns at live cats, and the bathroom doors were so small you had to squeeze in and out of them. And one of the exit doors from a ride led through one of the business offices (“we really need to talk to someone about fixing that”)