litdark News

Resume for Mark Barber

Mark Barber

I have finally updated my resume. I can’t believe how much time it takes to compile eight years of work.

Who are you?

Mark Barber

What separates you from others? What unique aspect do you hold that is unknown to anyone else? What power do you have in this world that is yours alone?

Are you granted the gift to understand yourself? Can you face yourself and not wither? Can you be honest with yourself? Who are you?

Your place in existence is unique and can only be occupied by you. What will you do with such a miraculous gift?

Increasing love in our marriages

Mark Barber

I am excited today. I’m excited because I think I found a way to explain love and marriages. This will be done by comparing it to something everyone understands. Programming and Software Life-cycles.
Programming or software development has a series of steps you must take if you want to be successful. These steps are, Specification, Design, Coding or Implementation, Quality Assurance, Tracking, and working towards a better version. But of-course your are thinking the same thing.
I would like to compare these steps to family relationships and how we may increase love in our marriages.

Let’s discuss the first step, Specification. When setting out to write a program you need to know what it will do when it is finished. This list of requirements is called Specification. This lets us know how the program will function and also how it should appear to the user. This specification is usually not created by the programmer, but by a manager or director. Please understand that is not our job as programmers decide how it should work, but it is our job to make it work.
This is the same for us as families and spouses. Instead of a single specification, we have been given much scripture, both ancient and current, to let us know the pattern we should follow in our families, and in our marriages. If we wish to have true love and joy in our marriage, we must follow the plan set forth for us in the scriptures. The proclamation to the world states:
-“The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
I know that the plan which has been set forth will work and is possible. I am overjoyed knowing that my family is forever.

The second step is design. As a programmer more time should be spent in design than coding or implementation. A good design always consists of modules. Modules are sections of the program that have different rolls or duties. Each module though independent, must be able to properly talk and communicate with every other module.
Heavenly father has set up our families into a module pattern. Such as Father, Mother and child. Each of us have individual rolls and responsibilities in the family. For example: Husbands, are we doing our part to encourage family prayer, family home evening and temple attendance. I can think of no other way to express love and impress your wife, than to lead the family in such positive activities. The proclamation to the world also states: “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”
Communication between the modules or people is key. We must know how to talk to each other, and our communication needs to be positive and uplifting. There are the exceptions where a parent must chasten a child, but as husband and wife, we are peers and the communication needs to be as such. Come to all communication settings with love, patience and humility. Additionally it is most important to bring prayer and our manager into our communication, and relationships. As developers, we must constantly refer back to the specification and clarify with the manager to make sure we understand how things should work.

The third step is to write the code, or the implementation. This is where we try to structure our software to follow the design which has been set forth. Go to the temple. Have family prayer and family home evening. Attend church as a family and read the scriptures together.
Every time we introduce a small change into our program we must make sure that it is tested, and we have not caused problems with any of our modules. As husband and wife we must decide together and pray about changes. Even though our intentions may be perfect, the results will not. Feelings will be hurt, communication may be cut, and disagreements will in-sue. When such problems occur in our software we may need to review our implementation and make sure we are following the design set forth.
We must communicate with our manager and ask him to help us make the changes we don’t understand. He has been writing software much longer than we have, and knows what we will face. As communication with our Heavenly Father improves, we will learn better how to communicate with each other. The results will be beautiful to witness, as positive family habits and traditions develop.
One of my families favorite activities included the art of communication directly. We have been going to class as a family to learn American Sign Language. We have been sharing positive activities together, all the while learning how to better communicate. My wife and I have discussed how we do not get offended or frustrated when we sign. This is because we are forced to be thoughtful in what we say and how we talk. As it is sometimes hard to know all the words, we select choice words that will convey our message. If only we could perfect this with our vocal communication.

Forth is Quality Assurance. This is the process of handing your software over to other users and testers for them to determine if we have fulfilled the design, and met all the requirements. In a software company testers write down problems they find and as developers we can correct our mistakes and give them updated versions of the software to test. They then re-test the same sections, to make sure we have fixed the issues, and not introduced any new bugs.
There is quality assurance for our relationships, in this world which our Heavenly Father has given us. Our relationships are tested and stressed by others and eternal forces. If we have followed the design of our Heavenly father, we will be able to withstand the tests of the world. Some will deliberately attempt to cause problems or hack our system. Satin and his supporters will try to introduce improper habits, routines and influences into our relationships.
We have been given a perfect pattern, by a perfect designer. Satin will attempt to corrupt and damage our marital relationships. It is imperative that as couples, married or dating, that we seek the blessings of the New and Everlasting temple covenants. It must be our first priority above all others. Once we have been sealed to our spouse for all eternity, we then must seek the blessings that come by keeping the covenants we have made.
We must seek after activities that will allow us to communicate and understand each other better. Weekly dating and time together. Seek out time just for each other that will allow you to speak freely and openly. The 13th article of faith states: “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
Every husband and wife have differences in learning style, and opinions. These differences allow us to join together and become closer because of our differences. Ignore the judgments of the world. In marriage, always dance like no one is looking.

Fifth is the Tracking process. This means tracking our goals. Setting timelines, and making sure your goals are measurable. Vague or open ended goals are not as powerful as those that help us focus on immediate change. It is also important to record our accomplishments. This can be done through journalling and keeping a family history. Set worthiness goals. If needed, set goals as a couple to reach the Temple together, with a date specified. Plan for regular temple attendance when worthy. Plan family home evenings, scripture study and prayer, and plan and carryout prayer as husband and wife.
If I want to be uplifted and reminded of how blessed I am to be married to my wife, I only need to attend the temple with her. There is no other setting that lets me see her for who she truly is, and what I may become if I treat her with the love and kindness she deserves. Disney teaches of Princes, Princesses and happily ever after. How right they are. I hope I can live unto the covenants I have made, and treat my wife as she deserves, that I may stand with my Queen.

This process is never-ending. We are given the gift to work toward a better version of our marriages. Each relationship can improve. There will also be new external forces. New requirements may come in the form of job loss, health trials or blessings such as new children or grand-children.
We will find joy if we review Heavenly fathers perfect specification. Redesign or makes changes that bring us more inline with the teachings of the gospel. Seek after uplifting activities you can do together. As married couples we should have continual courting and dating. The world is going to throw new things at us, but because of the goals we have set, and our trust in Heavenly Father, we will succeed. Satin and all his forces to not have the power to break covenants we have made, if we live up to our covenants.

Second Nephi 2:25 states: “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” I know this to be true. I know that with patience and love every marriage relationship can have an abundance of joy. We will always have struggles and burdens, but carrying the proper burdens together will bind our families in ways we will not fully understand in this life. This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Board Game Timer

Mark Barber

Well my test run with a basic app on the iTunes store is finished. I created “Board Game Timer” for the iPad. This is an app for Chess and Go with some basic Count Up/Down capabilities for most American board games.

It has made about $50.00 in it’s life. I have determined that the app store requires true word of mouth and advertising to be successful. For someone like me, not worth the time. For now I’m putting it free and will just let people enjoy it.

Overall it was a fun learning experience of the iPhone framework. It has some real strengths and some polishing that still needs to happen. I’m hoping with XCode 4.1 these will be resolved.

Board Game Timer

Hope

Mark Barber

What is hope and where is hope found?

We tend to trust even expect future events that are similar to past events. The more proof we have that we have that things will not change, the more we expect in a familiar future. We are creatures of statistics. The more samples, the more we believe the trend will continue. I expect there to be another spring.
What about hope of something that we have not personally witnessed. We have records and other individual’s witness that certain actions yield certain results. Here we come into trust of the individual or the record. We still almost fully rely on our personal experiences. We find it difficult to trust another’s witness when it varies in the least degree from our interpretation. Trust can overcome. Is there anyone you trust more than yourself?
The final form of hope comes into play when we attempt to trigger a result from an action that we have never taken, and has limited or no comparisons in-which can judge an outcome. True pioneers of the unknown take bravery and skill to be successful. In most situations one of the previous forms apply, but there are those wonderful moments when we can truly step out into hope and reap the rewards.

Why do we need hope and when is hope needed?

Every choice has a result. Every action has an opposite reaction. We must have hope that the reaction we are seeking will result from our action. If we do not have hope we do not, do. We are passive when in doubt. We do not tempt reactions. This means that all actions stem from hope. We are processors of what we have seen, what we are experiencing, and what we expect.
In matters of force the reaction is equal. In matters of choice, a divergence of path may be subtle, but its results long lasting. A baseball thrown in deep space will continue on its path until acted upon by a new force. We naturally do not tempt reactions, and thus maintain the same path.
We are sentient, sensitive, agents unto ourselves, only acting for a reaction. If we hope to have reaction, we must have action. Weather automatic and trusted or new and risky, we must always act.

Those who have the shortest distance to go, are in the biggest hurry.

Mark Barber

Those who have the shortest distance to go, are in the biggest hurry.

Why is that? You would think as we the individual has less distance to travel that we would know that we are not far off and not hurry to and fro. We do hurry though. We isolate ourselves from all others except to the extent to put ourself in an advantage to be in the best lane, or be ahead during a elimination of lanes.

I must assume that we schedule ourselves and put ourselves in a mind-set where traveling is a burden and must pass as quickly as possible. Sometimes, only when we travel large distances do we accept the fact that a journey is unavoidable and take the pace at a more leisurely rate.

It seems even fewer and further between that we ever truly enjoy the trip itself. Do we notice the land on which we are traveling on or above? Do we truly notice those that are traveling in a parallel path? Do we ever ignore our time-table or are we always on a restricted schedule.It is very rare that we as a people travel not for the destination but for the mere journey itself. I think this is very sad indeed.

Think of the pleasure you have had arriving at a destination after a long car-ride or flight. You may be sore from sitting to long. You may be hungry, thirsty or sleep deprived. There is joy in knowing that you have reached your destination.

Now let’s think of this not in distance but time itself. Think of the joy you have had when Christmas morning has arrived. It was a long wait which has left you mentally sore. Hungry and thirsty for other concerns of the mind as you have been overly focused on this one event. And I know for myself mentally and physically sleep deprived.

Both these examples lead to a emotional and physical letdown. For the distance traveler time is required to get over the drive or flight and it takes time to become active again. For the time-traveler there is a letdown that the event has occurred, and we were so focused on the one event, we did not nourish our minds with a well-balanced diet of concerns, hopes and expectations.

Knowing that we have similar concerns with time and distance travel, let’s consider this moment in time and space. You have an opportunity to notice your surroundings. You may see that others are on a similar path. You have made choices that have placed you in a situation where you have a restrictive schedule or personal freedom. This moment and this place are for you. No one else shares it exactly the same as you do. You have your personal insight and a point-of-view unique to any other. I hope this makes us all realize how precious our position is. We have a power no one else has. To chose this moment. To alter our path to the next. To enjoy or stress or ignore and become desensitized.

Let us now return and place ourselves back into the position of the distance traveler and consider the joy we have when our goal is reached an the journey is over. Think of that pleasure. Why must that enjoyment be reserved for the end of the journey. Why can it not be part of every mile of our path? Why can we not plan and take pleasure in every part of our path? What must we do personally to allow ourselves to wake up from the stupor and desensitization we find ourselves in from mile to mile, moment to moment. How do we take a journey and turn it into a experience?

Just as each of us have a unique perspective, the answers are unique for each of us. I believe a good exercise would be to take a journey for the pure pleasure of taking the journey. You do not even need a definitive destination. Let us also do so within our time. Allow ourselves open blocks of constructive time without a goal or destination that will have us clamoring for the end, but allow us to enjoy the here and now. Be creative and useful, but allow the activity to have an open end to avoid any deadlines or pressures. Remember this is your time. Here and now in your unique perspective.

Remember that time and space are simply your perception of external matter and energy. As we each perceive these external forces we have the choice on how to act and react. It is within each of us to awake from our stupor and empower ourselves within the moment. Act, don’t react. And the next mile on your path will also bring you an edifying experience.

litdark

Mark Barber

Why: Why is always a good place to start. For some time I have known that I need a repository for things I have learned which have been of value for me personally. If you want something done, it must first be started. And so it begins. litdark is the incarnation of my desire to record positive information. I am inherently selfish and foremost litdark is for myself and for those close to me. I would like to think that it will become worthwhile to others, but only time will tell.

What: litdark will contain technical information. It will also contain ideas as singletons or as collections or as trains of thought. litdark will contain journal type entries. litdark will have posts which are only for reference. My goal is that litdark will have only uplifting or positive entries. litdark will be full of improper grammar and spelling. (live with it, I won’t know or care)

I love symbols. I learn visually. I love and am fascinated by light in all its forms.

lit (verb) : A past tense and a past participle of light.
verb: Implies action.
past participle: Has happened.

litdark:

Light in darkness.
Understanding.
Freedom and escape from doubt or ignorance.
Wisdom from knowledge and knowledge from exercising wisdom.
Inspiration and revelation.
Worth within paradigm.
Truth in every perspective.
Light and truth with multiple parts as a pure whole.
Visible light, and hope in the unseen.
Being a reflector, not a void.

“Prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness. "
Ether 3:4

Updating from Leopard 10.5 to Snow Leopard, 10.6 in regards to Ruby on Rails.

Mark Barber

Updating from Leopard 10.5 to Snow Leopard, 10.6 in regards to Ruby on Rails.

What I had to do to make it work.

I had to reinstall the following technologies:

Rails
Mongrel
ImageMagick
rmagick

Misc Issues:

“truncate” function stopped working, and I was able to remove it from my source.

Major Issues:

ImageMagick and rmagick stopped working all together.

I updated ImageMagick and the rmagick ruby gem multiple times. After each attempt to update there was still the outstanding problem of “no decode delegate for this image format”.

The explanation of this error can be found here http://rmagick.rubyforge.org/install-faq.html#delegate. I ran the command “convert -list configure” and it stated that I did have the delegate’s for the images that were failing.

After hours of work I found this article which did indeed fix my problem. http://www.gregbenedict.com/2009/08/29/fixing-ruby-gems-mysql-and-passenger-phusion-on-snow-leopard-10-6/

This is the pertinent portion of the article, which shows the steps that corrected my issue.

{{{
Update 2: ImageMagick and RMagick
So the upgrade toasts Mac Ports and ImageMagick.
Yep, blow it all away. It’s too much of a pain.

rm -rf /opt/local

Now download Mac Ports for Snow Leopard and install.
You might want to go eat or get a beer for this next step. Then again, maybe not. You have a faster OS now! Nope, you still need that beer.

sudo port install libxml2 
sudo port install ImageMagick 
sudo gem install rmagick
}}}

I installed port via the dmg install found here

I also had an additional issue of a second install of ImageMacick in my path. I had installed this second copy while attempting to fix the “no decode delegate for this image format” error. I had to also remove this second copy so the /opt/local version would be the active/used version in my path.

Birth

Mark

Today is the birth of LitDark. May it grow into something of value.

I’ll just have to keep it off the stimulants.