After about three months of work, I’ve finally obtained two 27″ iMacs running Lion for my “iDev” team to use. If you’re not familiar with iDev, (considering our size and progress to this point, you haven’t), I will educate you! Near the end of fall semester, Computer Club decided to form development teams. I knew I wanted to learn to develop for iOS, but for some reason, Apple is hated by the majority of Computer Science majors. Since nobody else was going to form a team, silly me, the unknowledgeable freshman, rose my hand and opted to form a team for iOS development. To my surprise, people opted to join my team!

So here I am, a freshman with little to no programming experience to speak of, leading a team of juniors into the complex language of Objective-C and the sophisticated iPhone SDK, Xcode. While I didn’t (and still don’t) have any idea what I was doing, I was able to pester our department head, Rob Robertson, enough to conjure up some iMacs for our cause. Today we finally got set up with Lion granting us access to Xcode 4. It’s been a long road and development hasn’t even begun, but I can assure you, there is a lot to come from this point. Set your expectations high, cause I’m determined to be the most ambitious freshman SUU CSIS has ever seen.

My internship got approved and finalized today… So I’m back up to 18 credits again. But I’m confident I can handle it. Internships seem easier than graded courses, but still yield free, upper division credits, which makes for a happy nerd.

Just for a quick breakdown of my Internship, I’ll be heading search engine optimization for vlobby.com. If you haven’t checked it out yet, do so, and follow me: teekaykern. I’m not a big fan of politics, but vlobby makes it unnaturally enjoyable. It allows you to post politic related links, tag politicians in those links, then the community will up vote or down vote your post, as well as enabling comments. In addition to the posting of links, you may also vote politicians up or down once per day. If you’re a liberal, you should really join, we need to even the sides of this network!

We’re still working on getting traffic to the site, and if I do my job right, this will be come a thriving network for politics, so be one of the first to create an account and throw down some posts! Let us know what you think, we crave good feedback.

Before I start, here’s my course line up:

• MATH 1010: Intermediate Algebra
• UNV 1010:  Experiential Education (Complete Joke)
• CSIS 1010: E-Commerce
• CSIS 1400: Fundamentals of Programming
• CSIS 2600: Networking
• EET 2750: PC Hardware (Dropped)

Here’s my extra-curriculars:

• Computer Club – Vice President
• iDev – Team Leader
• Phi Beta Lambda – Web Development Competitor
• Vlobby Internship – Web Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (Still awaiting approval)
• Cybercorps Internship – Web Development Tutoring
• Acoustic Instruments Club

And then of course, my job as Student Web Developer.

I decided to drop PC Hardware for two reasons, one, WTF was I thinking taking 18 credits? Two, the engineering building is creepy. Three, I was unaware that you can gain the A+ Certification in the course, as well as the Network+ in networking. I’d like to obtain these certifications, and in order for me to preserve my remaining sanity, I will need to take them in separate semesters.

So now I’m taking five courses, and only one of which is not in the ELC (Electronic Learning Center). Considering I work in the ELC, I basically live there now, I even brought a fridge and put it in my office. As of this last week, I’ve been spending twelve hours on campus each day. It’s a long time, but I find it enjoyable.

I’m shooting even harder for a 4.0 this semester, I know from my first semester what mistakes not to make and I’m genuinely interested in my courses this time, yes, even math, maybe not Experiential Education, but it’s online, so It should be a cakewalk. Anyways, I gotta get going! I’m working on a website for PBL’s Teddy Bear Den, you can track my progress here.

Later Days,
TeeKay

What I wrote here, is not I’m making myself hero, when I said I was responsible for this or that. But your are military man. You know very well there are language for any war. So, there are, we are when I admitting these things I’m not saying I’m not did it. I did it but this the language of any war. If America they want to invade Iraq they will not send for Saddam roses or kisses they send for a bombardment. This is the best way if I want. If I’m fighting for anybody admin to them I’m American enemies. For sure, I’m American enemies.

…

I consider myself, for what you are doing, a religious thing as you consider us fundamentalist. So, we derive from religious leading that we consider we and George Washington doing same thing. As consider George Washington as hero. Muslims many of them are considering Usama bin Laden. He is doing same thing. He is just fighting. He needs his independence. Even we think that, or not me only. Many Muslims, that al Qaeda or Taliban they are doing. They have been oppressed by America. This is the feeling of the prophet. So when we say we are enemy combatant, that right. We are.

…

But I’m asking you again to be fair with many Detainees which are not enemy combatant. Because many of them have been unjustly arrested. Many, not one or two or three. Cause the definition you which wrote even from my view it is not fair. Because if I was in the first Jihad times Russia. So I have to be Russian enemy. But America supported me in this because I’m their alliances when I was fighting Russia. Same job I’m doing. I’m fighting. I was fighting there Russia now I’m fighting America. So, many people who been in Afghanistan never live [leave]. Afghanistan stay in but they not share Taliban or al Qaeda. They been Russian time and they cannot go back to their home with their corrupted government. They stayed there and when America invaded Afghanistan parliament. They had been arrest. They never have been with Taliban or the others. So many people consider them as enemy but they are not. Because definitions are very wide definition so people they came after October 2002, 2001. When America invaded Afghanistan, they just arrive in Afghanistan cause the [they]  hear there enemy. They don’t know what it means al Qaeda or Usama bin Laden or Taliban. They don’t care about these things. They heard they were enemy in Afghanistan they just arrived. As they heard first time Russian invade Afghanistan. They arrive they fought when back than they came. They don’t know what’s going on and Taliban they been head of government. You consider me even Taliban even the president of whole government. Many people they join Taliban because they are the government. When Karzai they came they join Karzai when come they join whatever public they don’t know what is going on. So, many Taliban fight even the be fighters because they just because public. The government is Taliban then until now CIA don’t have exactly definition well who is Taliban, who is al Qaeda. Your Tribunal now are discussing he is enemy or not and that is one of your jobs. So this is why you find many Afghanis people, Pakistanis people even, they don’t know what going on they just hear they are fighting and they help Muslim in Afghanistan. Then what. There are some infidels which they came here and they have to help them. Bu then there weren’t any intend to do anything against America. Taliban themselves between Taliban they said Afghanistan which they never again against 9/11 operation. The rejection between senior of Taliban of what al Qaeda are doing. Many of Taliban rejected what they are doing. Even many Taliban, they not agree about why we are in Afghanistan. Some of them they have been with us. Taliban never in their life at all before America invade them the intend to do anything against America. They never been with al Qaeda.

…

They way of the war, you know, very well, any country waging war against their enemy the language of the war are killing. If man and woman they be together as a marriage that is up to the kids, children. But if you and me, two nations, will be together in war the others are victims. This is the way of the language. You know 40 million people were killed in World War One. Ten million kill in World War. You know that two million four hundred thousand be killed in the Korean War. So this language of the war. Any people who, when Usama bin Laden say I’m waging war because such such reason, now he declared it. But when you said I’m terrorist, I think it is deceiving peoples.

…

It would be widely definite that many people are oppressed. Because war, for sure, there will be victims. When I said I’m not happy that three thousand been killed in America. I feel sorry even. I don’t like to kill children and the kids. Never Islam are, give me green light to kill peoples. Killing, as in the Christianity, Jews, and Islam, are prohibited. But there are exception of rule when you are killing people in Iraq. You said we have to do it. We don’t like Saddam. But this is the way to deal with Saddam. Same thing you are saying. Same language you use, I use. When you are invading two-thirds of Mexican, you call your war manifest destiny. It up to you to call it what you want. But other side are calling you oppressors. If now George Washington. If now we were living in the Revolutionary War and George Washington he being arrested through Britain. For sure he, they would consider him enemy combatant. But American they consider him hero. This right the any Revolutionary War will be as George Washington or Britain. So we are considered American Army bases which we have from seventies in Iraq. Also, in the Saudi Arabian, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. This is kind of invasion, but I’m not here to convince you. Is not or not but mostly speech is ask you to be fair with people. I’m don’t have anything to say that I’m not enemy. This is why the language of any war in the world is killing. I mean the language of the war is victims. I don’t like to kill people. I feel very sorry they been killed kids in 9/11. What I will do? This is the language. Sometime I want to make great awakening between American to stop foreign policy in our land. I know American people are torturing us from seventies. [REDACTED] I know they talking about human rights. And I know it is against American Constitution, against American laws. But they said every law, they have exceptions, this is your bad luck you been part of the exception of our laws. They got have something to convince me but we are doing same language.

…

Killing is prohibited in all what you call the people of the book, Jews, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. You know the Ten Commandments very well. The Ten Commandments are shared between all of us. We all are serving one God. Then now [Thou not] kill you know it very well. But war language also we have language for the war. You have to kill. But you have to care if unintentionally or intentionally target if I have if I’m not at the Pentagon, I consider it okay. If I target now when we target in USA we choose them military target, economical, and political. So, war central victims mostly means economical target. So if now American they know UBL. He is in this house they don’t care about his kids and his. They will just bombard it. They will kill all of them and they did it. They kill wife of Dr. Ayman Zawahiri and his two daughters and his son in one bombardment. They receive a report that is his house be. He had not been there. They killed them. They arrested my kids intentionally. They are kids. They been arrested for four months they had been abused. So, for me I have patience. I know I’m not talk about what’s come to me. The American have human right. So, enemy combatant itself, it flexible word. So I think God knows that many who been arrested, they been unjustly arrested.

This was a very eye opening passage for me. We often don’t get to hear the other side, I wonder if it was the same way for the citizens of Britain during the revolutionary war. I imagine so. I agree with Mohammed, we should get out of their country, for, it is theirs. Of course, it’s hard to believe that America does what he says we do, because we hear nothing of it, we hear that it is not happening, but why are we there? It’s not our place. We’ve got enough problems in our own country on our own land, what is our business in all of these other countries? Oil? It’s not ours! That’s stealing. It seems like America is just a big bully. If Germany tried doing what we’re doing the whole world would shut them down, but everyone is afraid to stand up to America, and that’s a problem. I don’t want to be the bully, because, eventually, every bully falls, and that’s not something I look forward to…

He brings up some really good points. The government want’s us to believe that they are animals over there, but he admits to feeling remorse for killing innocent people too, specifically children. “But America would never kill innocent women and children.” This is a scratch in comparison to what we did to Hiroshima. Oh yeah? Remember that now? BOOM. An entire city flattened. 9/11 was sad  but get over it, really. “Never Forget,” huh? Well I hope Japan “forgets” because if not, we should expect a stab in the back. Treat others how you want to be treated. Don’t invade their land, don’t cry when they retaliate and people get hurt, you don’t belong there, and “forget,” because if you don’t, surely your actions won’t be forgotten either.

Objective

To research two careers you might consider. Compare employment requirements, duties on the job, and future potential.

Goals

The two careers I am most interested in are web development and software development. I plan to weigh the pro’s and con’s of each. I chose these careers because they are of great interest to me. I’m currently a Computer Science major in college and am interested in where my opportunities may take me. Currently i’m focused more on the web development trek and am interested to see how my field holds up against software development in terms of skill requirements. job responsibilities, and compensation. This will provide insight into where I need to focus my learning and personal development. allowing me to accelerate my career track.

Hypothesis

Knowing very little about software development, it is a field of interest to me, I feel as though a lot of my skills in “web dev” would be transferrable into the “soft dev” environment. I’m interested to see if that accusation is so, and if a slight career shift would be in my best interest, as I know I could deeply enjoy either field as I feel they are similar, deciding factors will be that there are potential responsibilities I am unaware of that I may find more, or less desirable, as well as the compensation. My personal estimation is that software developers will be on a higher pay-scale than web developers, but I won’t have to speculate much longer now will I?

Two websites, one designer. One of these I designed while I was in high school, in 2009, the other I designed this week. Can you determine which is which? If not, consider myself concerned in your personal tastes and perception!

Building the website for Cedar High my senior year was undoubtedly a large contributing factor in where I am today. I learned so much, and you can view the source to prove it. It’s a mess, but I learned solely by self study and trial and error, and had a blast doing it.

My skills aren’t the only quality to evolve. My tastes have changed significantly as well. I much prefer a “minimal” design to any other classification. I believe a web page should be pleasing to look at, and not distract you from your purpose for visiting that page. I feel like many sites overwhelm their visitors with colors, images, and options galore, I feel a more simple, user-friendly approach is a better way to develop. Does this limit the user experience? Yes. My design style significantly limits the options of the user and attempts to weed out unnecessary information. Point to point information, everything you need to know, none of what you don’t.

I’m very excited to continue development on the website for Cedar High, I’m implementing PHP Includes to keep the site more manageable, and easier to modify for the students that will be maintaining it in my absence. My code is littered with comments for them, and I hope they follow the instructions! My OCD will take hold if proper formatting is neglected!

Please note: cedarhighschool is still a works in progress, some content may be regarded as “fillers.” You may track my progress on my storage location at: http://teekaykern.com/storage/chs

artwork by teekaykern

I’ve got a lot of things to be thankful for. More so than anyone else on earth, I’m the luckiest. I’ve decided to write about the three things I am most grateful for, so here goes.

1. My Girl
My best friend, my boo. I can’t imagine where I’d be today without her, she’s always there for me. She turns off the TV to talk to me, she’ll set her homework aside, she’ll stay up all night with me and she’ll troll trade till you rage quit. I’d like to be cliche and say it’s “the little things,” but she covers all the bases, “big things” and all. She really is perfect in my eyes, I was asked yesterday how I knew I love her, my reply was simply, “I wouldn’t change a thing about her. Even thing’s socially labeled as undesirable.” I love that she get’s jealous, it shows me she cares. I love that she demands attention at times inconvenient, it’s let me show I care back. I love that she is insecure, because it lets me constantly reassure and compliment… I’ve only got one life to lead, and I want to spend the rest of it with her.

2. My Family
“Dysfunctional” to say the least, from my biological family, to my adopted family, it has been one crazy journey. Gaining eight new siblings in a day was a scary thing at first, but I never could’ve seen how close my new family would become to me. I’ve got the greatest bunch of brothers and sisters in the world, I never refer to them as “step” siblings, because they are my family, not a legal attachment. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the experienced I had growing up, these experiences have helped mold me into a better, more accepting person.

3. My Friends
I get by with a little help from my friends. My friends have been there for me through the ups, and more importantly, the downs. I couldn’t ask for better friendship than I have found in my life. The late night game-offs, the failed business start-ups, the hours spent watching Netflix, the computer hardware experiments, the concerts, the bands, the mall trips, the all night talks, the freezing cold walks. I wouldn’t change a thing.

To my Girl, my Family, and Friends:
Thanks for the laughs, thanks for the tears, and most of all, thank you for the love you’ve shown.

Love,
TeeKay

Today I created an iPhone app that can read my mind. No matter how many time’s I press the “What am I thinking about” button, it always gets the right answer. My Shoes! … It’s an inside reference, trust me, my shoes are the best in the universe.

It’s a silly little app, but it is the first app I’ve made from scratch that has a functional user interface. This seemingly simple application has a lot to it, as is true with most applications. Moreover, this is one a screenshot of one of the four files I had to construct/edit to get a simple button to display text… er… I mean mind read. 

Up until now, all of my application ran throughout the command line. I’m very excited about learning more about the user interface and implementing it into my future projects. Be on the look out for more advanced applications I plan to develop here in the near future, and hopefully, one being merit worthy!

Needless to say this will not be going up on the app store, as it seems it only reads my mind, I’m working on a universal mind reader, but it seem’s the minds of others are not as one-track as mine. Perhaps I will need to find a psychology major to look deeper into this phenomenon, more on that on another day!

So why am I doing this? One of my goals for this year is to be fluent in Objective-C, the programming language used for Mac, and iOS development, and this brings me one step closer to my goal, which is one step in a higher goal, to work at Apple. It’s a foolish goal, but I’m plenty hungry, and plenty foolish.

“Stay hungry, stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs

artwork by teekaykern

I never thought I’d be the guy her friend’s would tell her not to go back to. I never thought I’d be the one to break her heart. I never thought I’d break her trust. I never thought I’d have to ask for a second chance. I never thought I could be so grateful. I never thought I could be so ashamed. I never thought I could be so sorry.

I can’t apologize enough. I was a scoundrel and a liar. I did horrible, horrible things and covered them up in a slew of lies for over a year. I have no one to blame but myself, and I’ve got no defense for what I did, other than I thought my lies would protect you. I realize now that that was wrong. I wouldn’t blame anyone from the outside looking in to say I’m not deserving, a waste of time, unworthy of a second chance, but you know it’s different than that.

You know that I love you, with all my heart. You know that I will do anything for you. You know that you’re all I think about, all I dream about. You know I can’t breathe without you. I’ll be here for you through it all, through the ups and downs, the on and offs, I’m always here, and I’m always yours, no matter our official status. My heart will always belong to you. I promise that will never change. I promise that I’ll never leave.

I’ve learned, I’ve learned that being transparently honest is always the answer. I understand, and respect, that it will take time for you to believe me again. I’ll be putting all my effort into regaining your trust. I’ll keep my promises, I’ll tell you the details, and most of all, I won’t make mistakes worth covering…

Starting at 6pm on November 10th, Code Camp began. Code Camp is an open, yearly competition held at Dixie State College where programmers compete over a 24 hour period to see who can develop the best mobile or web application. Simply put, it was a blast. There was lots of people to interact with, and endless food and caffeinated beverages to aid us in our 24-hour journey, also, feee swag is always a win! I got myself a new t-shirt and lanyard! (It’s a nerd thing.)

My team, “The Companion Cubes,” formed on the ride to St. George and quickly threw together ideas. Our team comprised of Jay Kansarga, Faye Phillips, Issac Gifford, and myself, all of us being either Computer Science or Information Systems majors. We decided that we would create a web application based in HTML5 and JavaScript, thus allowing us to work across not only desktop platforms, but also branch out to mobile environments.

Issac quickly jumped into programming our battle engine, while Jay setup character movement and interaction. Faye was our artists, she created all the artwork in our game. My primary responsibility was creating the game environment. You can see the maps I made above. I created the tiles form an open source document and used primarily Adobe Fireworks to compile them together into a landscape. As you can tell, I went for a “classic” RPG look, keeping things simple so that we can meet our short deadline.

After a painstaking 24 hours, we finally competed our project, which you can play here: http://geekingreen.ifox.com/html5/CCRPG/

Application complete, we presented our project. Our hopes high, but confidence a bit low, we were very proud of our game, but in the shadow of the seasoned professionals in the room creating intracute  mobile applications, we had doubts on our outcome. Long story short, we didn’t place, but not only did we enjoy ourselves, we were exposed to a great learning environment and we got a glimpse of what we need are going to need to top next year.

Watch out Code Camp 2012, Team Companion Cube is comin’ for you!