Sean Gilligan's Blog

New Blog: Code -- Sean Gilligan on Software Development

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:11:00 -0800

I've started a new blog about some of the software development topics I've been involved in lately. Development of iPhone applications using both the native (App Store) and webapp approaches is my current focus. I decided to call the blog code.msgilligan.com because the intended audience is my peers in the open source community and in industry. If you're interested in those topics, please give it a visit. I will continue to post here from time to time...

GMail and Google Groups not playing nicely

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:51:00 -0700

I've been annoyed for months that when I send email to a Google Group, I don't see my own post in the thread I receive via IMAP. I finally did some research and it seems there is nothing I can do, so long as I am using the combination of GMail and Google Groups. I found this discussion of the issue in Gmail Help Discussion and I also reported the issue to Google.

If I understand correctly, GMail filters the message because it is a duplicate of a 'Sent' message. But even with duplicate suppression the message should be still be able to be tagged or filtered and/or make it back into the IMAP inbox.

The issue does not occur with other mailing lists that I am a member of. If anyone has any answers, I'd love to hear them.

Night Owls: Now they tell me...

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:33:00 -0700

I've been working hard for years to move to an earlier schedule (kids have helped a lot with that) and now they say "Night Owls Stay Alert Longer Than Early Birds!"

So now, I'll switch back to a later schedule and, after 10 years, they'll publish a study that generates the headline "Night Owl Cancer Risk!"

Damn you behavioral researches, health researchers, all of you...

iPhone App Store Billion App Countdown

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:56:00 -0700

Apple will soon reach the milestone of 1 billion iPhone applications downloaded. Apple has a countdown page and a promotion. What I find especially amazing is the conclusion that the average user has downloaded about 30 applications! (Given that Apple has sold about 30 million iPhones and iPod touches)

I've got 91 Apps in my iTunes so I've downloaded about 3 times as many as the average user (I may have deleted a few), but I'm an iPhone developer and I download apps for competitive analysis or just to see what's going on in the market.

30 applications per user is simply amazing and bodes well for the future of Apple, their competitors, and for mobile developers.

Sabotage Cuts Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Phone and Internet

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Thu, 9 Apr 2009 15:11:00 -0700

MercuryNews.com reports Sabotage suspected in widespread phone outage in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. I can't believe that after 9/11 we are still so vulnerable. 911 emergency service was disrupted in some cities. Greater physical security and redundancy are both needed.

I woke up this morning without DSL Internet and with neither voice or data working on my iPhone. I went to Lulu's Octagon downtown to try to get a connection and a barista out front said "Happy Stone Age Day!" and I new I was out of luck. Fortunately two friends with offices at NextSpace took in this dazed refugee and let me use their working Comcast Internet.

Amazing!

Sensibility in River City: Iowa Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Fri, 3 Apr 2009 09:14:00 -0700

Today's New York Times (Iowa Court Says Gay Marriage Ban Is Unconstitutional) reports that the Iowa Supreme Court has overturned a 1998 law banning gay marriage.

“The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution,” the justices said in a summary of their decision. And later in the ruling, they said: “Equal protection under the Iowa Constitution is essentially a direction that all persons similarly situated should be treated alike. Since territorial times, Iowa has given meaning to this constitutional provision, striking blows to slavery and segregation, and recognizing women’s rights. The court found the issue of same-sex marriage comes to it with the same importance as the landmark cases of the past.”

The Founding Fathers of the United States wisely preferred a constitutional republic to ("pure") democracy. The Bear Flag proclaims that California is a republic.

The California Supreme Court will soon decide whether 41% of eligible voters* can deny a minority group a fundamental right. Three cases challenging Proposition 8 were heard together on March 5th and a decision will be announced soon. The decision will likely hinge on legal technicalities like the difference between an "amendment" to the California Constitution and a "revision" or the definition of "inalienable". Whatever one's position on the issue of "gay marriage", I hope we all can agree that it is fundamentally wrong to allow less than 41% of the population to dictate which rights a minority group may have.

* Proposition 8 passed with 52% of the vote and 79% turnout.

iPhone in Action

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Mon, 9 Feb 2009 15:34:00 -0800

Yesterday, I purchased iPhone in Action by Cristopher Allen and Shannon Appelcline. Although I've been programming with the iPhone SDK for almost a year and iPhone WebApps for even longer, it is my first purchase of a book on iPhone SDK development.

It's too soon for me to write a book review, but so far it presents an easy to read, broad overview of iPhone development for both WebApps and SDK Apps. If you're interested in iPhone development you should look at this book. (Disclosure: I reviewed the iUI chapter and a few others for Christopher and Shannon and have worked with Christopher on the iUI project.)

I haven't blogged or videoblogged for ages. I've been busy developing iPhone Software, among other things. I did want to share a link to this book, however...

Freddy Krueger as a Street Musician

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 22:27:00 -0700

On the corner of Pacific and Cooper in downtown Santa Cruz...
Update: His name is Michael Masley.

Boy and a Steam-Powered Robot

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 15:51:00 -0700

I went to RoboGames 2006 back in June. My son loves robots and had a great time watching everyone's creations. In this clip he is checking out a steam-powered robot from Crabfu Steamworks.

Vlog Central

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Thu, 8 Jun 2006 17:06:00 -0700

vBlog Central is in the final stages of becoming Vlog Central...

Get Katie's Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Thu, 11 May 2006 06:53:00 -0700

A short clip from last weekend's kid birthday party... I was trying to get a still picture of the kids and instead of telling them "say cheese", I told 'em to say, "Get Katie's Dad!". It immediately turned into a rhythmic chant, so I switched to video and got this clip. When one of the other dads charges with his squirt gun, the kids retreat, except for the man's son, who, when he realizes his comrades have abandoned him, runs away too.

Umbrella Man Slow-walks Pacific Avenue

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 13:15:00 -0800

Here's a short clip of a Santa Cruz institution, Umbrella Man, doing his famous "slow walk" down Pacific Avenue.
Sarah Phelan did an interview for Metro Santa Cruz (make sure to scroll down...)

Patrick, Hans, and Mary

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Fri, 3 Feb 2006 10:43:00 -0800

... will be starting a videoblog project shortly.

Swinging...

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:24:00 -0800

... then "All Done, Dad, all done..."

Boy, Bus and Piano. Girl, Horns and Harness.

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:13:00 -0800

Kids at play on Christmas...

Mike Rubin on NYC Video

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 09:45:00 -0800

He's going to put video on his blog using vblogcentral, soon!

Enzo on Maranello Track

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 13:51:00 -0800

A video from an auto race in Italy, via my friend Nizam.

Portrait of an Artist Holding a Rabbit

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Sun, 9 Oct 2005 14:30:00 -0700

My cousin, Luna Gilligan, made this self-portrait using a photograph taken by her friend, Chris. Luna is a brilliant designer and talented artist with a wicked sense of humor. I wish there was more of her work on the web that I could show you. 2009 Update: She has a site now at lilbuddydesign.wordpress.com. (Click image to enlarge)

Charcoal Squirrel

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 04:45:00 -0700

I've never seen a squirrel colored like this before.

Moral Clarity

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 18:20:00 -0700

"Bad guys are bad. Good guys are good." My daughter sets a few things straight. Update: Make sure to see Josh Leo's remix Bad and Good Guys.

Kids on Merry-Go-Round

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 18:29:00 -0700

Taken at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Hooligans at the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 21:21:00 -0700

This cell-phone clip was taken earlier this summer. My kids and two friends were swinging from low-hanging tree branches. Katie was the ring-leader (of course) and I got lectured by a neighbor-lady for causing her taxes to go up...

Eric n Josh

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 20:31:00 -0700

At Buck's

Rene

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Sat, 6 Aug 2005 19:25:00 -0700

Renegade plugs Webzine

Baghdad Bound: The Devil Dog Diaries (National Geographic)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sean Gilligan) — Sun, 24 Jul 2005 21:43:00 -0700

Over the weekend I watched National Geographic's Baghdad Bound: The Devil Dog Diaries as a video-on-demand selection on my Akimbo. Producer Gary Scurka created an outstanding documentary that is a must-see, especially for videobloggers. Why is it relevant for videobloggers?

It shows the "dirty face of reality". Scurka pointed the camera at what he saw and explained what was happening. He didn't have "an angle".
Gary Scurka shot the video himself and frequently uses the videoblogger arm's length shot.
Scurka was an "embedded journalist", who eventually bonded with the Marines he accompanied and was dependent upon for his survival. This bond was a challenge to his concept of objectivity. How did he deal with it? He talked about the issue on camera, of course!

National Geographic has on on-line interview with Gary Scurka.