I’ve been bothered by my latest project. Without going into detail, it’s a web-based programming project that leverages MySQL and PHP. I know how to design and code, but I’ve hit a wall of… I don’t want to say creativity, more like, philosophy. There’s a problem, and it may not be a problem at all, that I simply don’t have a solution to. Hopefully, it’s just a matter of time.

I wish I could discuss the project here more, but I’m well aware it breaks a lot of license agreements. The goal is to make something cool to show off to people and impress them with my ability to make a finished product. It is not intended for a wide release, but I won’t rule it out entirely. I also want to use and rely on it myself, and making it web-accessible is a major plus.

Usually, when a programmer makes an app, it works great, but looks like shit. Don’t ask an artist to make an app. Just don’t. I must not be an artist, but I know I’m not a programmer. Ame tells me I’m a designer at heart, but nobody wants just an “idea man.” Sometimes I advertise myself as a “jack of all trades,” and keep to myself the rest of the phrase: “master of none.”  I fully expect the more intelligent people to whom I give that line to breathe in what I say and internally mumble my own omission in unison.

Perhaps I need a new slogan that still says, “hey this guy can do an awful lot of things pretty damn well. He can put out fires, and even build water towers.” A horrible analogy, but hey, I’m flying by the seat of my pants here.

So that’s me talking about the app, and around the app, but like I said, I wish I could go into more detail about what the app actually is. More on the snag though: it’s like I don’t know how to think about the problem at hand. The least bad solution I can come up with is to put the problem aside and keep working on the things I do know how to solve. That thought keeps me less discouraged, and that may just be the pick-me-up I need to continue. Something else encouraging is I have a couple friends that know how to think like I need to think, and they’re quite approachable, even if they have to dumb things down to my level.

When I fret about the fact I can’t solve a problem, especially an important one (not just struggling with a particularly difficult Sudoku), I question my whole ability as a human to function in society. In some ways I need to chill out and relax, but I take so few things seriously, that I fear my entire motivation to do anything would collapse. I get so caught up in the problem though, that I get cranky and depressed, worst of all distracted and inattentive – and that’s never a good thing, especially when it negatively effects into other areas of life.

By the time this post goes live, hopefully I’ll be back in the swing of things, and banging away on the project.

I’ve made a convert out of Jason. Ever since he learned of my own public journal here, he devoured just about every post I’ve got, commented on a few, and felt hungry for more blog. I pointed him over to wordpress.com, and now he’s got his own corner on the Internet.

Jason’s a co-worker here and we regularly chat about this and that, many times worth discussing with the wide world. So go check it out, already! It’s also over on the list of links on the side for your consumption later.

Ame and I are hosting a Dungeons & Dragons game at our place with a bunch of people that I’ve known through the years – all from my alma mater. I’ve mentioned Chad and Bobby before, but Dave and Matt and their wives have joined in as well.

I haven’t played or DM’d in awhile, so it’s a lot of fun. I’m running a 4th edition home-brew campaign and so far, the players are really liking it. Ame started off as the Dungeon Master, but I have since taken over duties and made the campaign my own.

The first week, Ame and I thought Snickers would be a big butthole and get in the way. In reality, he caused the least amount of trouble and people spilled their drinks on the floor at least three times. Eris wanted nothing to do with the whole group and sulked in the furthest corner she could find.

Since then, it’s been hard to get people together due to real life getting in the way, even when we try to hold it on Saturday. So far Ame, Chad, and Dave and his wife Traci are the core members. Matt and his wife have since dropped, not because they don’t do D&D, but they’ve moved quite far away to be practical.

This last session though was a blast: Under cover of darkness, my players infiltrated (ala Rambo: First Blood Part 2) and torched the bandit camp west of town and discovered the trapped, secret vault of treasure. Chad’s character, a druid named Elgar, brazenly walked into the main building and threw a Molotov cocktail at the guards and caught them all on fire. As that fire quickly spread, Traci’s cleric, Sam, blocked the door and wailed on them as they vainly attempted to escape.  Ame (Orianna) and Dave (Lyfe) have just discovered the vault of treasure that I’ve yet to roll up. They should hope I roll well!

These characters and players (except Chad) are all still new, so this whole bit of adventure should push them over the top to level 2. I hope they don’t find the treasure disappointing though – they are level 1 still after all. It shouldn’t too bad though, they’re all gamers (except Traci), so they should understand a level 1 treasure might not be the best, but should only get better.

I saw the Dallas Mavericks play the Chicago Bulls this past Saturday, and it was amazing! Dallas started a little weak in the first half, but still kept within a couple points. The last period was a real nail-biter – it was so very close a match-up. The Mavs tied it up in the last few seconds with a three-pointer and snatched victory in overtime!

At work on Friday, my supervisor gave me two tickets to the game for apparently being awesome at my job. The company I work for regularly gives out tickets to sporting events and other comps to those they deem worthy. I was originally going to go with Ame, but she suggested that I go on a man-date with one of my friends. I ended up going with Chad, a friend of mine with college that I still see occasionally. Neither of us are huge sports or basketball fans, but the spectacle was worth the (free) price of admission!

The other awesome part of the night is The Dallas Mavericks is one of my two favorite teams, and my other favored team is The Chicago Bulls, so it made the game that much more special than if the Dallas were playing someone I didn’t care about like Memphis. Bleh. It’s funny though – the reason I like the Bulls is not directly because Michael Jordan is the best player on this goddamn Earth (I know he doesn’t play anymore, pedants), but because when NBA Jam was popular, the Bulls were the best team and were summarily banned from being chosen unless both players chose them.

It’s my goal in life to see at least one game of top-tier professional athleticism from each sport. I can cross the NBA off my list, but I want to go back for more! I’ve got the NFL and NHL to see yet; I imagine they’ll be quite exciting because I like watching even high school football, and Professional Hockey League is a blast too. I’m… unimpressed with Major League Baseball, and I’ve seen that a few times, so I can say I’ve tried it a bit; it’s just so boring.

I look forward to my next major sports event though, it should be a ridiculous amount of fun.

Pitiful ballplayers of Earth, I am Ethan “Bubblegum” Tate, commander of the Harlem Globetrotters. [The crowd gasps.] For generations, your puny planet has lived in peace with the Globetrotter Homeworld. But now, for no reason, we challenge you to defend your honour on the basketball court. [The crowd murmurs.] Will no one meet our challenge? Have none of you pathetic Earthlings game?

Yes, you read that right. It’s a sitcom idea I’ve had for years. It’s all about Charles Lindbergh and his adventures with his pet pig. The title capitalizes on the success of Mork and Mindy. Of course it’s a joke! It makes me laugh every time though, and the only person I make suffer through it is Bobby. That poor guy.

This “that’d be a great name for a sitcom” personal joke of mine isn’t nearly as prolific as “that’d be a great name for a band,” but it’s still fun. I don’t have many other ideas and sometimes I work a little too hard at it. Case in point:

The Pilgrims founded Plymouth Colony in the 1600s. Sure they were God-fearing, but all folk have a dark side. Sometimes murders take place, and the crimes have to be solved. One of the Pilgrims that made the famous crossing on the Mayflower was a converted Jew, and he also has a knack for detective work. This is a dark drama, and shot in black & white to really show the grit of the grim situations. Also, this detective is played by Bruce Campell, B-actor extraordinaire. I call it Bristol County Jew Noir.