mikeyGEE

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2011 / a career change in less than a year

December 31, 2011

2011 will go down in my personal history as a turning point. I’ll remember it as the year I found clarity and conviction. I started the year off with a big change, leaving my IT job of 4+ years not knowing exactly where I would go next. By the end of it, I had a completely new skill set and a new job as a web programmer. In between were a lot of ups and downs. I learned a lot and gained some valuable skills, but not without some self doubt and struggle along the way. In the end, my biggest takeaway is that with the tools and resources we have today, you can learn and accomplish a whole lot on your own without any formal education or credentials.

The most significant step to getting where I am today was leaving my job and taking a sabbatical. No school, no new job, just some time off. It’s not exactly the popular thing to do. Quitting is usually seen as a negative thing, and there’s still this belief out there that you must always be associated with some institution to validate yourself. If you’re not employed or in school at any given time, then you’re not officially doing anything, and that’s… bad. I used to believe this myth, and it may have been true to some degree back in the day, but I reached a point where I was so unhappy and stressed at work, that I just had to get out of there. It didn’t make sense to spend the prime years of my life at a miserable job. It turned out to be a blessing that things got that bad. If it were mediocre enough, I probably would have stayed and gotten stuck in corporate purgatory.

I took... read more

what i've been reading

October 21, 2011

These are the last few books I’ve read.

The Revolution by Ron Paul - My favorite libertarian discusses how we need to revisit the principles of our Founding Fathers to get our country back in order. The biggest problem is with our over-zealous military. We spend about as much on military as the rest of the world combined, and we have troops in 130 countries. This is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind. Being the world police does not make us safer, and it’s terribly expensive. We would be safer and spend less money if those troops were in our own country protecting our borders.

The Big Short by Michael Lewis - A nice look at the financial crisis through the eyes of the people that saw it coming. Obviously this disaster was a huge failure on the part of many people - policy makers, banks, ratings agencies. But ultimately, the investment bankers come across as the most unethical. There were a lot of stupid people involved that had no idea what they were doing, which is more of a policy failure. But many of the bankers knowingly sold off bad products (labeled good by ratings agencies) for personal gain, and they have not been held accountable at all. They get to keep their fortunes, and the rest of us pay the price.

The Unincorporated Man by Dani and Eytan Kollin - The only fiction book I’ve read for a while, it’s a sci-fi story that takes place in a 24th century society, where every individual is “incorporated” and traded like stock in an open market. The idea is if you need money, you have to put your stock up for sale. Whoever buys your stock is now a shareholder and has a say in... read more

ron paul for president

October 18, 2011

I just happened to catch the Republican debate on CNN, and it inspired me to jot down some thoughts on politics.

I’ve always hated politics. I understand it is a necessary part of society, but for a country the size of the United States, it turns into this complex and corrupt game that bears little resemblance to the idea of democracy. Whenever I see politicians campaigning, I have a hard time taking any of them seriously. Everything about them seems fake to me. They are in a difficult position though. They need to win votes, but there are far more dumb voters in this country than intelligent ones. So in putting on a show for the dumb voters, they often appear dumb themselves. This kind of thing totally turns me off to the political process.

Ron Paul is the only politician I’ve personally seen that doesn’t seem fake, which is why he stands out so much from everyone else whether you like him or not. He’s just a smart, honest guy that speaks his mind without worrying about how it will be perceived. This is shocking to people who are used to all the political rhetoric, but to me, it makes him the only candidate with any credibility. Almost every other politician plays to the audience and eventually gets caught flipping on an issue, but this never happens with RP. You can tell he’s put a lot of thought into his ideals, and he’s remarkably consistent. He doesn’t play political games and won’t compromise on his beliefs just to win. Sadly, that is the reason he will probably never be president, not to mention the blatant media bias. It’s a damn shame because he is by far the most intelligent person in this debate.

thank you steve jobs

October 06, 2011

Steve Jobs passed away yesterday after a long fight with cancer. I knew in the back of my mind that this was coming, but the news still hit me really hard. It’s sad and upsetting to lose such a brilliant mind that created immeasurable wealth for the world, but his spirit will live on in the amazing products we use every day.

Steve, you’ve been an inspiration and role model to me and countless others. Thank you for working so hard to bring us technology that makes our lives better. You will be sorely missed.

steve jobs apple icon

let's talk iphone

October 04, 2011

Apple held their annual fall event today, and the general reaction seems to be disappointment. Since we didn’t get the normal summer iPhone refresh, many people thought there was a big redesign or other home run in the cards. Instead we got mostly software updates, many of which were already announced at WWDC in June. I have to admit I was a bit underwhelmed at first. I’m long overdue for a phone update (iPhone 2g ftw!) and was hoping for something major. New hardware design is what captures the headlines and gets all the oohs and ahs. But when I think about it, the software is equally if not more important, despite getting less attention.

I’m pretty sure that the iPhone 4S has been ready to go for quite a while, and they were just waiting on the software. We got a hint of this at WWDC when iOS 5 was announced as a fall release. Why release new hardware if the software isn’t ready yet? And why mess with the hardware design of the best-selling smartphone? Remember the 3rd generation iPod shuffle? That’s an example of messing with something that’s already working. I feel like there are limited improvements to be made on the iPhone 4 hardware design. People were talking bigger screen, thinner, lighter. I could see the screen going slightly bigger, but I can’t see a reason for trying to make the thing any thinner. There is however still a lot of potential for software improvement, so Apple did the logical thing - stick with the same design and focus on improving the software, much like the 3g → 3gs which turned out just fine. Even if the software improvements are not necessarily groundbreaking, if they add some value, however small, it’s the smart thing... read more

apple is the best company in the world

October 01, 2011

I am the poster child for an Apple convert. Growing up, I was a Windows power user, strongly opposed to the dumbed down Macs. Then starting with the iPod, I was slowly reeled in to the Apple ecosystem, and now I’m a full on Apple fanboy. This was all orchestrated masterfully by Mr. Steve Jobs. By focusing on great design, and maintaining control over both hardware and software, Apple creates an integrated, reliable, and consistent experience across all products.

From a business perspective, Apple is quite simply the best company in the world. They make best in class products and sell them by the millions for high prices at high margins. And there is still plenty of room to grow. We are still relatively early in this shift away from the traditional PC. AAPL was the first stock I ever bought (in 2007), and I remain a shareholder today. I typically allocate 50% of my portfolio to AAPL, though I’ve cut it to about 20% in light of recent market volatility (for the technicians out there, I see 360 as a big support level). In my opinion, there is no better company to invest in. You’ve got plenty of growth, high margins, and a ridiculous cash pile. Even with Steve Jobs leaving, he established a culture, and he got out to a huge lead that I don’t see anyone catching.

an essay on alfred hitchcock's vertigo

September 27, 2011

I was going through some old college stuff and came across this essay I wrote for a film class. It’s a brief analysis of one of my favorite movies - Vertigo. This is full of spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the movie, go watch it first, I highly recommend it.

The word vertigo comes from the Latin word vertere, meaning “to turn”. Dictionaries contain various definitions for vertigo, including:

Dizziness; a reeling sensation; feeling about to fall
An imbalance of equilibrium that usually causes a spinning sensation
A confused, disoriented state of mind

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 film Vertigo tells the story of a man who experiences vertigo not only physically as a result of acrophobia, but also figuratively when he falls in love with a fabricated woman. Throughout the film, Hitchcock accentuates the cyclical and disorienting nature of vertigo explicitly with powerful visual images and a mystifying soundtrack, and also abstractly with recurrences and symbolism.

The opening shot of Vertigo features a close up of a human eye. A spinning, hypnotic shape emerges from the eye and is accompanied by equally hypnotic music. This opening sequence hints that visual images will dominate the film for both the characters and the audience, taking them into another world. “We are thus immediately introduced to the world of the eye, gaze and seeing, the world where the film takes place and about which it narrates” (1).

From the opening credits to the climactic conclusion, the audience is bombarded with various circular, spiral, and spinning images. The opening animations, the bouquet, Madeleine/Carlotta’s hair, the chandelier in the McKittrick Hotel which Scottie keeps staring at, the cross section of the sequoia tree, Scottie’s nightmare, the bell tower staircase – all of these concrete images along with the spiraling soundtrack convey the physical... read more

why you should hire me

September 07, 2011

I am currently interested in joining a startup or small team, as a software engineer focused on agile web development. To any potential employers that have found their way here, these are the top reasons you should hire me.

Programming is my passion

There is something magical about programming that inspires and brings out the best in me. I’ve never had a pure programming job, but I have a highly technical background, and I truly love the craft. I know this because I do it for fun in my free time, and I don’t go a day without reading some Hacker News.

I’m resourceful and learn quickly

Nowadays I believe it’s more important to be able to find and absorb information quickly, than to know it all offhand. Since finishing school, my primary method of learning has been google searches and online documentation, and I’ve become very efficient at learning this way. I was never great at taking tests in school or those job interviews that practically ask you to recite a computer science book. But if you give me a few days and an Internet connection, I’m confident I can figure out almost anything.

I work hard, really hard

I strongly believe that the biggest key to success for programmers or anyone in general is sheer will and perseverance. Ultimately, nothing good comes easy, and you just have to fight your way to the finish line. I take pride in my work ethic and consider it my biggest strength. Once I’m focused and locked on to a task, I go all out until the job is done.

So if you’re looking for a dedicated, resourceful programmer who does it for the love of the game, I’m your man!

UPDATE: I am employed now, but always open to new opportunities.

why i quit my corporate IT job

September 03, 2011

“The thing is, Bob, it’s not that I’m lazy, it’s that I just don’t care. It’s a problem of motivation. If I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don’t see another dime, so where’s the motivation?” - Office Space

Earlier this year, I left my corporate IT job of 4+ years to take a sabbatical and reassess what I want to do. The problem with corporate jobs has been well analyzed by startup guru Paul Graham. His essays, particularly How to Make Wealth and You Weren’t Meant to Have a Boss, were a big inspiration to leave the corporate life. From my personal Office Space experience, these were the biggest pain points for me.

Lack of meaningful work

There is very little creative brain power required for coporate IT. Big companies buy most of their software off the shelf, so there is little to do except install it, configure it, and the worst part maintain it. And we are talking about some pretty awful enterprise software. How corporations pay so much for that crap is beyond me. In addition, there are usually several teams involved in every project, so your tiny contribution doesn’t feel like anything special. I can’t think of a single accomplishment from my job that I am really proud of and would want to tell someone about.

The standard procedure

Procedures are a necessary evil in corporate IT to keep things organized, but they often get more attention than the actual task at hand. You end up focusing more on clawing your way through the procedure than building what the client needs. Another problem is that they try to use one common procedure for too many things, and they err on the... read more

number one

August 31, 2011

In honor of finally launching my personal web site, I am writing my first ever blog post. I bought the mikeygee domain name in 2005 with the intent of building a personal site and proceeded to procrastinate for the next 6 years. So why now? Well for one, this github pages feature with Jekyll looked pretty cool, and I had to try it. But mostly because I’m in a transitional phase in my career and trying a lot of new things as I figure out what to do next. So let’s start with some goals for this blog.

Learn

Writing things down and publishing forces you to think in more depth than you normally would. It helps you understand yourself and the topic you are writing about more clearly and fully. I hope that blogging will help refine my knowledge and opinions.

Document

I have a terrible memory, and the Internet has only made this worse, as the answer to any question is a Google search away. I hope that blogging will help me better remember the thoughts and insights I discover.

Contribute

I’ve been an enormous consumer of the Internet for the last decade or so, but have so far failed to make any significant contributions to it. I’ve gained so much from online material, and it seems wrong to not give back. Some of the most interesting and insightful things I’ve read have come from personal blogs and user comments, and there’s no reason why my writing couldn’t have a positive impact on someone out there.

Speak

I am naturally introverted, and it has always been a challenge for me to break out of my shell. I hope that blogging will improve my confidence and allow people to get to know me through my writing.