On the Status of Politics
29/11/11 17:06 Filed in: Politics
This afternoon the telephone rang at about 2 PM. After taking a look at Caller ID I answered the call and identified myself in my typical manner: "Hello, this is Byron."
The perky-sounding voice at the other end said: "Mr. Songer, this is Betty with the Republican Call Center. How are you this afternoon?"
After exchanging pleasantries she got right to the point and asked me that all-important question. You know, the one in which I'm asked if I'd accept a donation of $75,000 to vote for Mitch McConnell. (Or something equally interesting. I was really hoping she was calling with an offer to help me become financially comfortable as I approach the time of signing on for Medicare).
Was I ever disappointed! Instead, she asked me if I was pleased or disappointed with President Obama’s performance. I wasn't asked to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being really great and 1 being really awful. I wasn't even given the option of saying I was neutral or would rather not comment. Above all, I wasn't asked to rate the performance of Congress. After all, every Senator and Representative knows we have a low opinion.
I decided to give a serious answer because, for goodness sake, this was a representative of the Republican Party inquiring of me, a registered Republican, to rate the performance of the object of Republican disdain. So, I said: "Basically, I'm not greatly disappointed."
Quicker than a speeding bullet I heard "click" as the caller quickly and rudely brought the conversation to an end. I didn't even get a chance to say anything about why I felt that way or anything else. Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed but not surprised.
I'm not surprised because the current state of politics calls for our elected officials to be more concerned about reelection than in working together for the benefit of their constituency. In that process, the Republicans, under the leadership of Mitch McConnell, are out to see that Obama isn't returned to office. Of course the Republican Party doesn't want me participating in any survey because they only care about one thing. In other words, it's just single-issue politics. It isn't what concerns that I may have that's important to them but what I think of a Democrat. It isn't my opinion that really counts; I'm just a voter that fed up with what's been going on with some people I helped elect at one point in time.
Isn't it pathetic that we no longer have "statesman" representing our interests. Instead we have a bunch of well-paid and highly-lobbied people doing our work. Well, I, for one, am tired of the situation and am ready to do my part too see that 2012 isn't a repeat of the last four. I'm ready to elect people that will actually work for us. I know, that's a radical idea and one that'll be difficult to pull off. However, I figure that if I don't set a high goal that neither I nor anyone else will even come close.
Actually, I'm sick of partisan politics. It has gotten us nothing in the past four years. Shucks, we couldn't get the change we voted for because there really was no chance of it every happening. You see, it doesn't seem to matter what a Presidential candidate says, he still has the Members of Congress and a host of lobbyists to deal with. Until that system is changed we'll never see the change we really need.
The perky-sounding voice at the other end said: "Mr. Songer, this is Betty with the Republican Call Center. How are you this afternoon?"
After exchanging pleasantries she got right to the point and asked me that all-important question. You know, the one in which I'm asked if I'd accept a donation of $75,000 to vote for Mitch McConnell. (Or something equally interesting. I was really hoping she was calling with an offer to help me become financially comfortable as I approach the time of signing on for Medicare).
Was I ever disappointed! Instead, she asked me if I was pleased or disappointed with President Obama’s performance. I wasn't asked to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being really great and 1 being really awful. I wasn't even given the option of saying I was neutral or would rather not comment. Above all, I wasn't asked to rate the performance of Congress. After all, every Senator and Representative knows we have a low opinion.
I decided to give a serious answer because, for goodness sake, this was a representative of the Republican Party inquiring of me, a registered Republican, to rate the performance of the object of Republican disdain. So, I said: "Basically, I'm not greatly disappointed."
Quicker than a speeding bullet I heard "click" as the caller quickly and rudely brought the conversation to an end. I didn't even get a chance to say anything about why I felt that way or anything else. Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed but not surprised.
I'm not surprised because the current state of politics calls for our elected officials to be more concerned about reelection than in working together for the benefit of their constituency. In that process, the Republicans, under the leadership of Mitch McConnell, are out to see that Obama isn't returned to office. Of course the Republican Party doesn't want me participating in any survey because they only care about one thing. In other words, it's just single-issue politics. It isn't what concerns that I may have that's important to them but what I think of a Democrat. It isn't my opinion that really counts; I'm just a voter that fed up with what's been going on with some people I helped elect at one point in time.
Isn't it pathetic that we no longer have "statesman" representing our interests. Instead we have a bunch of well-paid and highly-lobbied people doing our work. Well, I, for one, am tired of the situation and am ready to do my part too see that 2012 isn't a repeat of the last four. I'm ready to elect people that will actually work for us. I know, that's a radical idea and one that'll be difficult to pull off. However, I figure that if I don't set a high goal that neither I nor anyone else will even come close.
Actually, I'm sick of partisan politics. It has gotten us nothing in the past four years. Shucks, we couldn't get the change we voted for because there really was no chance of it every happening. You see, it doesn't seem to matter what a Presidential candidate says, he still has the Members of Congress and a host of lobbyists to deal with. Until that system is changed we'll never see the change we really need.
FileMaker Go - Real Mobility
02/09/10 23:19 Filed in: FileMaker
Several weeks ago FileMaker released their newest product, Go, and really rocked the FileMaker world. FM Go is for iPad, iPhone or iPod touch and is available at the App Store. Since I’m a FileMaker developer and own an iPhone (version 4) I immediately downloaded it and began exploring the capabilities.
To say the least, I was simply blown away. FMTouch had its limitations and I learned to work around them which included know the restrictions in layouts and the lack of a scripting support. After all, this was a third-party product and not something developed and marketed by FileMaker the company. I knew to expect more but I wasn’t quite prepared for all that it would/could do. In fact, the better question to ask is: “What can it not do?” because there are some logical restrictions; and very few at that.
With FileMaker Go I can take any database with me and use it about like I would if running a solution on my MacBook Pro or iMac. Since it doesn’t support syncing in the current iteration, I just connect my iPhone with iTunes and use the Application area to move the updated file back to my laptop.
Yes, I can add, modify or delete information. I can also find, sort and navigate through records. All the familiar user views are present: Form, List and Table. Portals, tabs and Web Viewer work well. Shucks, I can even connect to a remote file being hosted by FileMaker Server or FileMaker Pro (therein lies a lot of power and flexibility for an enterprise environment).
What does one need to do to make it useful for iPhone or iPad? Since the iPad screen is much larger, the normal database application probably doesn’t need any special design. However, its wise to design some basic screens for use within the smaller iPhone screen environment. At least, its better if you create some iPhone layouts. Since zooming is supported, all the other views can work.
One of the first things I did in experimenting with FM Go was to design some layouts for my personal contact and billing database. As a guide I used some resources available for FM Go. The main thing to keep in mind is making the area vertically scrollable and allowing for things to shift when the display is tilted.
After redesigning my personal database, I put together a presentation for the Kentuckiana FileMaker Users Group for our August meeting.
Now, about what doesn’t work – just the things that shouldn’t since you’re not running from a full-blown FileMaker setup on a laptop or desktop. The biggest issue is printing but Apple’s is rumored to be addressing this in future releases of iOS 4. Also, since memory is limited on the iPhone and iPad, indexing of many fields isn’t supported. Otherwise, it just works.
FileMaker Go is the most exciting thing to happen in the FileMaker universe in many years. Congratulations, FileMaker, for giving us a great tool for true mobile use of such a robust data management environment.
With FileMaker Go I can take any database with me and use it about like I would if running a solution on my MacBook Pro or iMac. Since it doesn’t support syncing in the current iteration, I just connect my iPhone with iTunes and use the Application area to move the updated file back to my laptop.
Yes, I can add, modify or delete information. I can also find, sort and navigate through records. All the familiar user views are present: Form, List and Table. Portals, tabs and Web Viewer work well. Shucks, I can even connect to a remote file being hosted by FileMaker Server or FileMaker Pro (therein lies a lot of power and flexibility for an enterprise environment).
What does one need to do to make it useful for iPhone or iPad? Since the iPad screen is much larger, the normal database application probably doesn’t need any special design. However, its wise to design some basic screens for use within the smaller iPhone screen environment. At least, its better if you create some iPhone layouts. Since zooming is supported, all the other views can work.
One of the first things I did in experimenting with FM Go was to design some layouts for my personal contact and billing database. As a guide I used some resources available for FM Go. The main thing to keep in mind is making the area vertically scrollable and allowing for things to shift when the display is tilted.
After redesigning my personal database, I put together a presentation for the Kentuckiana FileMaker Users Group for our August meeting.
Now, about what doesn’t work – just the things that shouldn’t since you’re not running from a full-blown FileMaker setup on a laptop or desktop. The biggest issue is printing but Apple’s is rumored to be addressing this in future releases of iOS 4. Also, since memory is limited on the iPhone and iPad, indexing of many fields isn’t supported. Otherwise, it just works.
FileMaker Go is the most exciting thing to happen in the FileMaker universe in many years. Congratulations, FileMaker, for giving us a great tool for true mobile use of such a robust data management environment.
Wireless for the Wondering Wandering
12/03/10 22:52 Filed in: Wireless
There are two ways of using a personal computer to access the Internet while traveling in a GMC MotorHome. One is by accessing a Wi-Fi connection at a campground or other hotspot. The other involves subscribing to a mobile broadband service from a cellular carrier. There are advantages and drawbacks to each type of infrastructure. Having a knowledge of these can help the GMC owner decide which is better for personal use. Read More...
Some Caught Thoughts about BaseElements, Development and Billing
11/04/09 15:05 Filed in: FileMaker
Hang with me. All of the thoughts mentioned in the subject line do come together. So, follow along as I connect the dots.
…
I purchased BaseElements from Goya Party Ltd (http://www.goya.com.au/) last summer while at DevCon in Phoenix. Goya likes to refer to this tool as “a database for your database”.
…
One very handy feature I found was finding scripts that aren’t being used in addition to finding other errors.
…
Along the way to a final product, stop at certain points and do an analysis on what you’ve completed. Put this information into a worksheet and note the information. Then, compare these reference points and see how the solution has grown “in value” numerically and financially. Read More...
…
I purchased BaseElements from Goya Party Ltd (http://www.goya.com.au/) last summer while at DevCon in Phoenix. Goya likes to refer to this tool as “a database for your database”.
…
One very handy feature I found was finding scripts that aren’t being used in addition to finding other errors.
…
Along the way to a final product, stop at certain points and do an analysis on what you’ve completed. Put this information into a worksheet and note the information. Then, compare these reference points and see how the solution has grown “in value” numerically and financially. Read More...
FMTouch - FileMaker Mobilized
16/10/08 21:00 Filed in: FileMaker
It’s amazing how much a new device can change your methods of getting things done; I’m talking about the iPhone.
…
Immediately after acquiring my iPhone I began the search for a special application that would work from the desktop of my computer as well as from the desktop of the device in my palm.
…
FMTouch allows me to run my FileMaker database solution, Activity & Expense Tracker, independently from the desktop version and sync when I need to. Read More...
…
Immediately after acquiring my iPhone I began the search for a special application that would work from the desktop of my computer as well as from the desktop of the device in my palm.
…
FMTouch allows me to run my FileMaker database solution, Activity & Expense Tracker, independently from the desktop version and sync when I need to. Read More...