Updates: New Year, iPhone, projects
With the beginning of the week, the New Year has arrived. 2009 is the Year of the Earth Ox, and just about every extrapolation I can come up with from either side of the astrological world says this year is pretty self-explanatory:
Bust your ass, and you'll get there. Hard work, enduring changes.
I've known this was coming for a while, and I'm already starting to see where things are going - although most of the rewards are months out yet. I can see it, and that's important.
I'm feeling a lot of "coming into my own" again, which is a neat feeling. It's a little like it was several years ago, when I could finally see how far I'd climbed after such a devastating fall. Now I approach the mountain once more, and climb the rock one step at a time.
To that end, a few miscellaneous notes:
* For those not connected to Facebook, I've recut and redyed my hair. It's temporary, for now, because my hair really is that short. And blue. Very, very blue. I'd forgotten how "natural," (ie, how comfortable and "me") I look in this color. Also, new piercing - this time, my left nipple. Still healing, but doing well. That makes two large tattoos and a total of 12 holes, with more to come. The piercings have goals attached to them, and the ink is a very organic process. I think the next tattoo is a half sleeve (intended to cover my old SI scars).
* My relationship with Michael continues to be awesome. I mean that word as connotative - as in I'm awe-struck by how good relationships can actually be. It's effort, yes, but we both agree that while we may have done things to keep it that way, we were put together for a reason. It wasn't chance. He's met some of the folk now, and we're getting stronger every day. It's unorthodox as hell, but so are we.
* The business, KV Designs, is going through a significant overhaul. This is intended to be one of two sources of income for me from here on out, instead of a self-supporting hobby. There's a ton of new inventory, a complete reformat of the business model/plan, a full re-design, and other good stuff coming. (Yes, I'll still be doing the pixel stuff!) It's a lot of work, but I'll be damned if I don't pull this off.
* I'm in the planning stages of what feels like a metric fuck-ton of changes. So much prep work - at home, in thought, in action, and even at game. It's not a brand new me, but it's a me without so many self-imposed limitations and unawareness. It's a matter of becoming the Sam I'm meant to be, instead of the Sam I've been settling for.
*****
In other random shiny news, I've happily jailbroken my iPhone, and it's allowed me to do so very many things I couldn't do otherwise. It's also forcing me to re-learn/remember Unix coding, and it makes feel good about myself. So does helping others find ways to integrate their particular Mac-based technology bits into their lives. I'm working on some custom theme bits, and have already made a few minor adjustments - like my SMS messaging problem. (Multiple people in the group have an iPhone, and we all use the least annoying sound Apple packaged with the phone. It meant that when one of us got a text, we all checked our phones.)
Now? Mine is a quote from Serenity:
"Can I make a suggestion that doesn't involve violence, or is this the wrong crowd?" (Wash)
Pretty appropriate for my friends.
Current list of jailbroken updates:
* Picture messaging/MMS messaging.
* Custom SMS tone.
* Multiple jailbreak apps: Cydia, OpenSSH, Categories, Winterboard, MobileTerminal, NES emulator, SwirlyMMS.
* Changed root/mobile passwords. (I've been a hacker too long to not do this immediately)
* Custom boot/recovery logos (tribal blue roses, my design)
* Custom charging logo screen (Zelda hearts recovery, acquired design)
It's my phone, damn it. I paid hard earned cash for it, and while I do pay AT&T for the ability to use their network (although I could just unlock the thing - I happen to be with the right company) and their data plans, I don't pay Apple to tell me what I can and cannot do with my phone. Period.
And yes, all those out there who have something to say about hackers in general - I do support my community in either cash, knowledge, or trade, and I do pay for things "above board" when I can and it is warranted. (For example, I paid recently for my CandyBar upgrade, because Panic is a solid company with a great product)
*****
One of the other major "projects" actually involves this journal - and several others - in an attempt to sort of categorize things in a better, more efficient, and helpful way. I'm using tags now, which helps with the sorting and such, and there will be likely a lot of changes to the format/style/entries lock, etc. as well.
This will probably also carry official notices from the KV Designs blog, once that is back up and running. (Those who want to be on the mailing list - you know, updates and coupons? - should let me know as well)
*****
There's some heady family stuff floating about, and once again, I've been tasked to be diplomat when other people screw it up. I do so on my terms, and as long as we're clear on that, I generally don't mind. Quote: "I won't do your bidding, but I will check on [the situation]." (SML)
I'm amazed at how much better I felt after talking with Michael about all of it. I cried, he held me, and then it was better. Note to self: keep. talking.
*****
And that, for now, is that. Time for dinner with the girls and coffee with the gamers.
~Samantha
Bust your ass, and you'll get there. Hard work, enduring changes.
I've known this was coming for a while, and I'm already starting to see where things are going - although most of the rewards are months out yet. I can see it, and that's important.
I'm feeling a lot of "coming into my own" again, which is a neat feeling. It's a little like it was several years ago, when I could finally see how far I'd climbed after such a devastating fall. Now I approach the mountain once more, and climb the rock one step at a time.
To that end, a few miscellaneous notes:
* For those not connected to Facebook, I've recut and redyed my hair. It's temporary, for now, because my hair really is that short. And blue. Very, very blue. I'd forgotten how "natural," (ie, how comfortable and "me") I look in this color. Also, new piercing - this time, my left nipple. Still healing, but doing well. That makes two large tattoos and a total of 12 holes, with more to come. The piercings have goals attached to them, and the ink is a very organic process. I think the next tattoo is a half sleeve (intended to cover my old SI scars).
* My relationship with Michael continues to be awesome. I mean that word as connotative - as in I'm awe-struck by how good relationships can actually be. It's effort, yes, but we both agree that while we may have done things to keep it that way, we were put together for a reason. It wasn't chance. He's met some of the folk now, and we're getting stronger every day. It's unorthodox as hell, but so are we.
* The business, KV Designs, is going through a significant overhaul. This is intended to be one of two sources of income for me from here on out, instead of a self-supporting hobby. There's a ton of new inventory, a complete reformat of the business model/plan, a full re-design, and other good stuff coming. (Yes, I'll still be doing the pixel stuff!) It's a lot of work, but I'll be damned if I don't pull this off.
* I'm in the planning stages of what feels like a metric fuck-ton of changes. So much prep work - at home, in thought, in action, and even at game. It's not a brand new me, but it's a me without so many self-imposed limitations and unawareness. It's a matter of becoming the Sam I'm meant to be, instead of the Sam I've been settling for.
*****
In other random shiny news, I've happily jailbroken my iPhone, and it's allowed me to do so very many things I couldn't do otherwise. It's also forcing me to re-learn/remember Unix coding, and it makes feel good about myself. So does helping others find ways to integrate their particular Mac-based technology bits into their lives. I'm working on some custom theme bits, and have already made a few minor adjustments - like my SMS messaging problem. (Multiple people in the group have an iPhone, and we all use the least annoying sound Apple packaged with the phone. It meant that when one of us got a text, we all checked our phones.)
Now? Mine is a quote from Serenity:
"Can I make a suggestion that doesn't involve violence, or is this the wrong crowd?" (Wash)
Pretty appropriate for my friends.
Current list of jailbroken updates:
* Picture messaging/MMS messaging.
* Custom SMS tone.
* Multiple jailbreak apps: Cydia, OpenSSH, Categories, Winterboard, MobileTerminal, NES emulator, SwirlyMMS.
* Changed root/mobile passwords. (I've been a hacker too long to not do this immediately)
* Custom boot/recovery logos (tribal blue roses, my design)
* Custom charging logo screen (Zelda hearts recovery, acquired design)
It's my phone, damn it. I paid hard earned cash for it, and while I do pay AT&T for the ability to use their network (although I could just unlock the thing - I happen to be with the right company) and their data plans, I don't pay Apple to tell me what I can and cannot do with my phone. Period.
And yes, all those out there who have something to say about hackers in general - I do support my community in either cash, knowledge, or trade, and I do pay for things "above board" when I can and it is warranted. (For example, I paid recently for my CandyBar upgrade, because Panic is a solid company with a great product)
*****
One of the other major "projects" actually involves this journal - and several others - in an attempt to sort of categorize things in a better, more efficient, and helpful way. I'm using tags now, which helps with the sorting and such, and there will be likely a lot of changes to the format/style/entries lock, etc. as well.
This will probably also carry official notices from the KV Designs blog, once that is back up and running. (Those who want to be on the mailing list - you know, updates and coupons? - should let me know as well)
*****
There's some heady family stuff floating about, and once again, I've been tasked to be diplomat when other people screw it up. I do so on my terms, and as long as we're clear on that, I generally don't mind. Quote: "I won't do your bidding, but I will check on [the situation]." (SML)
I'm amazed at how much better I felt after talking with Michael about all of it. I cried, he held me, and then it was better. Note to self: keep. talking.
*****
And that, for now, is that. Time for dinner with the girls and coffee with the gamers.
~Samantha