Life At Coppertree House

My New Cell Phone

Kevin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:32:40 +0000

When I accidentally dropped my phone into a storm drain last spring, I had a decision to make. I had been carrying insurance on the phone so I thought it would be simple to just get a free replacement – Hah! The phone was a Verizon Pre Plus running webOS ‘Meta-Doctor’ version 2.1. I’d had the phone a little over a year but had only just begun to discover the magic of webOS HomeBrew via webOS-Internals and I was finally excited about webOS.

First of all, to replace the phone using the insurance required an $89.00 co-pay. I had not realized it would cost that much – I should probably pay more attention to what I sign, huh? I suppose that it might have been a good deal if I had just gotten the phone and had no upgrade available. But it wasn’t a good deal for me at all, since I could get an upgrade to a Pre 2 (faster cpu, same webOS) for just $69 with a 2 year commitment. I hadn’t really paid much attention to the insurance policy before that event, but I realized at that point that paying $7.99 a month for insurance (almost $100 a year!) is not such a good deal when you can get a used phone on e-bay to at least temporarily (until your contract expires) replace a lost or stolen phone for about the same cost. Now I know.

Anyway, I opted for the Pre 2 upgrade and I have continued my exploration of the magic of webOS and Homebrew.

My first Palm device was a Palm Pilot III, that I got sometime in the 90′s. When the Treo 600p came to Verizon – in 2003, I think – I got my first smartphone. What was particularly exciting to me was how the programs that I had available on my Palm Pilot could be upgraded to work on my new phone with the advantage of wireless internet connectivity. I could check e-mail, browse the web, sync contacts and Schedules with my desktop (I used Lotus SmartCenter & Organizer) as well as make quick edits to documents.

I continued to upgrade my Palm: Treo 600p > Treo 650p > Treo 755p and add/upgrade more and more software as time went on. That software had actually turned into a significant investment over the years. But I was increasingly frustrated that Palm wasn’t including wireless home network support is these phones, even though the Treo 755w (the Microsoft mobile OS version) had that support. So when it came time to upgrade from the 755p, I started looking around – particularly at the new Motorola “Droid”. The first Palm Pre was only available on Sprint and there didn’t seem to be an upgrade path that suited me so I was prepared to give up all of my Palm software and move to “Droid Land”. That was back in 2009.

But around the time that the Droid was released, the Palm Pre Plus came to Verizon so I also had a look at that, as well as the Droid that Verizon was pushing so hard. I was frustrated because no matter which phone I chose, I wouldn’t be able to keep any of my old palm ‘apps.’ Android apps were not all that impressive at that point, but webOS was even less impressive. Upon searching around a bit, though, I discovered that there was an add on (an app, actually) for webOS called ‘Classic’ that was basically a PalmOS emulator so that I would be able to install all of the Palm apps that I had invested in over the years as well as move forward with the new mobile OS. Before I got the Pre and had the chance to use it for a while, I admit that I didn’t really ‘get’ webOS.

But I stuck with Palm and used ‘Classic’ to continue to use my older apps. I was alright with my new smartphone – not thrilled, but satisfied. It was a significant improvement over the Treo: home network support, better web browsing, something called ‘Synergy’ that combined all my e-mail into a single inbox, and automatically updated my contacts and schedule info wirelessly with my exchange accounts. One thing that I did immediately notice about my new phone was that I didn’t have to close one program to open another – something that always frustrated me about all smartphones (and continues to be a frustration of mine with Android and iOS). What continues to be unique about webOS is the ability to ‘card’ programs, and switch between those open cards, effectively bringing true multitasking to the mobile platform.

Right before I lost my Pre Plus, I had discovered that there was a ‘HomeBrew’ method to upgrade webOS even though Verizon hadn’t released an over the air (OTA) update. I had held off on exploring Homebrew, not really clear on what it offered and somewhat concered about voiding my warranty. But once my warranty was up, I figured out how to use something called ‘webOS Quick Install’ (WOSQI) to add a piece of software to my phone called ‘Preware’ which offers an alternative app store of free apps and patches that increase the functionality of webOS. Then I discovered that the Homebrew Community had created a way to create ‘Meta-Doctors”, essentially custom versions of webOS that could be created and used to flash the phone without violating the copyright on the OS. That process allowed me to upgrade my phone beyond the carrier’s official version.

Shortly before I got my Pre 2, HP bought out Palm and just last summer released the HP TouchPad running an updated version of webOS. I bought a TouchPad on release day, July 1st, 2011. Since then, all hell has broken loose with webOS. HP’s former CEO ditched the TP and started selling them at firesale prices. I got a price match refund from Best Buy and promptly bought a second TP. Then HP ditched the CEO who ditched the TP and brought in Meg Whitman, former EBAY CEO who, just last month, announced the HP would ‘open-source’ webOS, making the source code available under a public licensing agreement.

With the release of the source code, the Homebrew Community seems to be poised to expand their influence on the future of webOS and, in my opinon, the excitement is just beginning. It has really been quite a ride since I got my first Pre. But I’m more and more impressed by the functionality and usability of webOS as a mobile operating system platform.

And, BTW, I’m still using the Classic Emulator to run my old PalmOS software, although there are more and more options for native programs to replace my older software. But there’s still one or two ancient apps that I use regularly. Without the great Homebrew Community, and the support through the unofficial webOS forums at webOSNation, none of that would be possible.

The ups and downs of webOS last year, and it’s uncertain, yet exciting potential for future development has an odd, synchronous resonance to some of my personal experiences last year, as well as to my personal uncertainty going forward. I very much like how webOS continues to allow me blend the old with the new, and how it is moving forward into the open-source arena of innovation. There are incredible developments in the areas of cloud computing and mobile technology that I think we have only begun to see and utilize. Through webOS, I’ve gained new appreciation for cloud based services like Dropbox and BOX.net, as well as Twitter and Facebook. But I’ve also got my old, PalmOS versions of Docs-To-Go and Smartlist DB – just in case.

Starting Over

Kevin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:06:29 +0000

Okay, so more than a year has passed and I still have no clue how to answer the simple question “Now What?” After 10 years of eldercare and daily interaction with my parents through the veil of dementia and the infirmity of old age, I’ve lost all connection with the person that I was before I began the journey, now more than 11 years ago.

The last time I was this unsure of who I was, I was 15 years old – hanging out in cemeteries, watching Harold & Maude over and over again, and going to midnight showings of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

So after spending a great deal of time and energy revisiting many of the familiar pursuits from my past and finding them unsatisfying and, in fact, utterly unfamiliar, I am finally resigned to starting over from scratch. Certainly, the experience of my past pursuits still informs my future choices. But I guess what is still not clear to me is how the time spent attending to the inevitable mortality of my parents is informing my current perspective.

With the passing of my parents, my own mortality is now clearly visible. I was 25 when I first had the thought “I’m going to die someday.” It was remarkable at the time. To be sure, I had my doubts about making it to 30. Now, at 53, mortality is not a surprise, but rather, an inevitable direction that simply requires choosing a course. That is, it is not about when, but about how. Will I ‘rage against the dying of the light’? Or will I be be taken by surprise, in the midst of some all consuming pursuit.

It isn’t about morbidity. I’m not really that concerned about dying. But I’d like a roadmap that makes sense.

Taking A Walk

Kevin — Fri, 27 May 2011 11:13:16 +0000

I decided to take a walk this morning, even though the weather was threatening. I was thinking about dad. One of the last things that he could really take pleasure in was taking a walk through the neighborhood. I was remembering him as I walked our familiar route.

On the walk, with the cold spring wind blowing all around, I was thinking about the difference between feeling grief and feeling loss. I didn’t feel grief when my Dad passed away and I think that’s because he was in so much pain and confusion when he died that his passing was, frankly, a relief. But I did and do feel loss.

For whatever reason, the feeling of loss has been strong recently, six months after his death. I’ve also been recalling my mother and a couple of close, dear friends who also passed away while I was focused on taking care of my father. Maybe it’s because the weather has been gray and cold, even this far into spring.

There was a stark and sudden change in routine that came with his death. One day, I was completely and utterly focused on his care and the next day, he was just gone – forever. Since the day he died, I have been slowly but surely finding my way to a new routine or, at least, seeking to make some decisions about what I want my new routine to become. The sense of loss is slow to build, like the buildup of cigarette smoke on a windshield.

I haven’t been taking walks much since he died but it felt like a way to remember some of our best later moments. On the way back, I went to kick a cigarette butt into the storm drain and missed it. I bent over to flick it with my hand and my phone slipped out of my shirt pocket and dropped into gutter.

I use my phone as an mp3 player and I had Don McLean’s “American Pie” playing through the ear bud. Just as the phone slipped under the grate and into the water, I heard “This’ll be the day that I die. . .” and then silence – nothing. That phone, I thought, is gone forever.

But there’s a new one coming in the mail.

Dropping Names

Kevin — Thu, 19 May 2011 00:45:29 +0000

I sometimes wonder what things might have been like for me had I resisted my instinct to personally care for my parents and stayed in Portland or headed to Seattle or LA to further pursue a career in performing.

Where I went to College, Lewis & Clark in Portland, Oregon, they offered a term-long internship program in New York City. Housing and tickets to shows and museums were all part of a regular term of tuition, as well as a stipend for (Subway) transportation. In my final term of college, 25 years ago, I went on the New York trip after securing an internship at The West Bank “Downstairs Theatre Bar”. I love saying that I did my college internship in a bar. The college set up accommodations for all of the students at The Wellington on 54th at 7th, right in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

The daytime doorman at the Hotel was a fellow, about the same age as all of us ‘interns’, named Ned Vaughn who told us he, too, was interested in performing. I remember that he showed us his head shot. He had red-blond hair, a nice smile and pretty good looks. He was a very friendly guy although I didn’t think much about it at the time. But the first time I saw “The Hunt for Red October” I immediately recognized Ned Vaughn as the second radar operator – not bad, I thought.

Well, up until the short lived Jimmy Smits vehicle, “Cane”, I didn’t really notice much of him but he landed a recurring role in that show and was on every week. And lately, I’ve been seeing him everywhere, most recently as the doctor to POTUS on NBC’s “The Event”. It turns out, he landed his first big break just about a year after I was there. He’s actually done pretty well for himself, it seems. Not a household name, by any stretch, but a working actor, which is actually saying a lot. I say, “Well done, Ned!”

As it happens, Ned isn’t the only success story from my trip. The West Bank, at the time I was there was being co-managed by a guy name Lewis Black. I ran lights for one of his one-act plays “Crossing The Crab Nebula” while I was working there. I remember, he arrived a little late for a rehearsal or a meeting or something because he’d had an audition for a toothpaste commercial that he was appalled to admit he’d tried out for. His comedy routine was featured on a Friday Night free show that he hosted with Rusty Magee.

Eventually, I guess Lewis gave up on play writing. But roughly the same comedy routine that he was doing then, eventually landed him on Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” and has carried him to extraordinary success as a touring comedy act and featured TV and Movie performer. I also remember Lewis as a very nice fellow.

The West Bank, on 42nd Street, in 1986 was in amongst strip clubs and crackheads but the West Bank has had a long history for encouraging developing talent. I believe Bruce Willis bar-tended there for a stretch in his early days.

Anyway, I don’t think there’s a moral to this story. I think about folks like these from time to time. There’s a TV show filming in Portland these days, TNT’s “Leverage”, and I often see folks I used to work with such as Joe Ivy, Janet Penner and Galen Schrick, making guest appearances.

It’s one more thing to look at and think about as I’m continue working on re-establishing a life post-primary-caregiver. I am intending on taking a class on Meisner Technique this summer and eventually looking around, at least locally, for some artistic performance outlet.

I was impressed recently by how David Seidler, screenwriter for “The King’s Speech” lived in relative obscurity until finally writing a masterpiece and achieving astounding recognition. And I’ve also recently learned that Ulysses S. Grant was a failing store clerk before the Civil War, and eventually, of course, he ended up being President of the United States!

Ultimately it reminds me how things can change suddenly. “In a New York Minute”, one might say.

Virtually Complete

Kevin — Sat, 14 May 2011 19:38:37 +0000

As I said in my last post, my next step in my Web Server transformation process would be to use Oracle’s Virtualbox software to install a trial run of Ubuntu Server so I could better familiarize myself with the in’s and out’s of both Ubuntu and Apache 2 Webserver. My only previous experience with serving a website was with a Windows Server (NT 4, Win-2000 & Win-2003) running IIS 4 through 6. There is now a new version of IIS (7) that requires Windows Server 2008 to run (only another $200-$400 or so to upgrade!).

But I was ready to make the switch to open source software, dammit. Ubuntu and Apache webserver are well supported through online resources and they are free!

Also free is Oracle’s Virtualbox, by the way! So even if it hadn’t worked out, all it would have cost me to see how far I could get was – time. And since I’m not pre-occupied with my Dad anymore, I have quite a bit of that.

There are a multitude of ‘google-able’ resources available to download and install Virtualbox and Ubuntu so I won’t go into any ‘how-to’ here. I just want to say that the overall process was made much easier, quicker and less stressful because I was able to fully setup and test the system that I wanted to put into place before I ever had to change any ‘real’ computer. Rather than installing the operating system on the hardware that I would eventually use to serve my website, I was able to install, build and update the system in a ‘virtual box’ that I could then transfer straight to a hard drive to install on the system that was previously running Windows 2003 Server.

And I could do it all on my Windows 7 laptop which, by the way dual boots to Ubuntu Desktop (but that’s another story/post)

It’s practically impossible to do the same thing with a Windows Server. But Ubuntu is very adaptable. And, as it turns out, there’s this free tool call Remastersys that allows you to backup the Ubuntu System to a DVD so that after everything is just how you want it, you can create the DVD, run it on your old (new) system and now you’re all set up.

There were, of course, still some configurations to complete. I still had to bind the network adapters to the correct internet addresses. And I had to make sure that I’d updated the WordPress config file and the CMS setup that we use for one of the web sites.

(One of our sites uses Concrete5 which was a bit problematic to switch over from a Windows environment to a Linux environment. The mySQL database tables on a windows system are all named with lower case names, but in Linux, which is case-sensitive, it doesn’t work until you rename all of your (120) table names with the correct capitalizations, such as renaming ‘mytablename’ to ‘myTableName’ – mind you, ‘MyTableName’ won’t work – but you get the idea, it can be cumbersome – very cumbersome.)

Anyway, the process is complete now and our website went live under Ubuntu yesterday (a very auspicious Friday the 13th, thank you very much.) I’ll go back over some more of the ups and downs of the overall processs in a later post. (Mainly, the problems involved upgrading to PHP 5.3 from PHP 5.2 but that will be next time!)