My second iPhone app is available on the App Store. “Triglotta – The Book of Concord” is a version of The Book of Concord that is designed for the iPhone and is also optimized to work with the iPad. The idea was suggested by Frank Gillespie on Twitter and I picked it up and built the app. There were a couple of delays due to naming issues and iPad approval delays but if you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad (as of tomorrow) go download it, it’s free!

So here’s the game I’ve been working on since the start of the year. It’s a little rough, and I’m no Ed McMahon, but I hope someone finds it enjoyable.

If you want to embed it in your site, copy and paste:
<embed src=”http://joyfulgames.com/LutheranInquisition.swf” width=”600″ height=”400″ />

Update: I moved the game to my other blog. http://joyfulgames.com/2009/04/07/lutheran-inquisition-episode-1

Escape from Cubicle Nation is a blog I read because it focuses on helping employees become entrepreneurs (my goal). It often becomes “new age” self-helpish. I guess that’s to be expected because when you start to from the perspective that you’re going to do it all yourself, positive thinking and things like “The Secret” are natural progressions.

Today I read a post entitled, Sick of feeling stuck? Focus on the greater good. It was fascinating to read that Dr. Srikumar Rao believes that “Your me-centered universe creates the stress in your life.” His antidote is for you to focus on the “greater good” in areas of struggle. For example if you struggle with loneliness, go out and find someone’s life to be a part of like a drug addicted baby or senior or at-risk youth. You can do it. You can get over the struggles in your life.

This is so close to the Doctrine of Vocation and yet so far. What happens if you keep struggling in the same area or if you don’t do what is prescribed? You either try to do even “greater good” or you beat yourself for not doing enough. Either way, you’re thrown back into the same despair you had before. What we learn from the Doctrine of Vocation is that first and foremost we are sinners that have been given salvation through the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then, we are free to focus on the “great good” which may be as simple as changing a diaper or holding open a door. We don’t have to go looking for “greater good”, God presents it to us everyday, just by those we are surrounded by. Making dinner for the family, reading to the kids, kissing your wife good night, these are the “greater good.” Sure we’re still going to have our stresses and are struggles, but working for the greater good isn’t going to save us from them.

I found a fine article on picking a software project that could eventually become the basis for a business. The author, Philipp Schumann, suggests picking a project that you would enjoy working on for the rest of your life. Why? Well, it will get you through the ups and downs that you will inevitably go through. You’ll be more willing to go the extra mile. And you’ll be more aligned with the interests of your customers. This is similar to those espousing only working on projects you are passionate about, but takes it a step further by getting past the emotion and makes you think about the bigger picture. The author was probably passionate about creating a sudoku game but didn’t want to be in the games business in the long term.

I made some progress at Joyful Games. Here’s the post.

I started following Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger blog because I’m trying to figure out how to incorporate blogging into our various business ideas. Darren has a series entitled Strategic Blogging which shows how a blog is like a business (even non-business blogs) in that the ingredients to a successful blog are similar to those of a successful business. I’ve only gotten through the Mission, Values, and Vision and Goals posts, but I already feel like I have a better grasp on how I want to approach my blogs.

I’ve been getting settled after my vacation which was nice. The time away from work was good, but it was too long away from home. I’ve got a backlog from my del.icio.us blog_this tag that I’d like to catch up on so they’ll be the subjects of my upcoming posts.

Erin’s away at a scrapbooking convention and Emi is with Baachan and Jiichan. I’m home alone blogging and rearranging furniture. I’m also working on some 3D programming, so all is not lost.

Robert X. Cringely is involved in a new TV show called NerdTV. Cringely will be interviewing various tech. personalities. I hope it gives the same kind of insights as Triumph of the Nerds! The interesting thing is that the shows will be available free for download and sharing, free and legally. What makes this possible is that the internet in general and broadband specifically have lowered the cost of distribution for video content. PBS is involved so it must be a least partially subsidized, but if this experiment is successful, maybe we’ll see more stuff that bypasses traditional broadcast television.

A friend of my told me he just got his new title at Big Software Company. I was happy for him because he’s been want the new title for a while. He started talking about how he was at the point where he needed to decide if he wanted go up the technical career path or the engineering management path. My company recently rolled out the engineering career ladders which, while different in titles, was essential the same thing with a technical path and a more people/project management oriented path.
In my younger years, I would have said I’d take the technical path without a doubt. In the last couple years, I’ve considered the more management oriented path, but have still leaned toward the technical path. However, as I’ve looked at it closer, I really don’t care about a career ladder or even a career in the traditional sense.
I like building software. I like the challenges, learning, and problem-solving involved in all aspects of this endeavor. Sometimes it involves writing a specification. Sometimes it involves coordinating with other teams. What in the world does any of this have to do with a career ladder?
I guess career ladders might matter if I want raises and promotions. I like raises, who doesn’t, although I’m not sure how much raises and the career ladder are really tied. If a company wants to keep me and it’s only a matter of money, if they can’t get around the career ladder I’d bail anyway. Promotions don’t really concern me because titles don’t define my level of expertise or ability to get a development job. They would concern me if I had aspirations of being a Director or V.P. but I have no interest.
While I’m working in the world of big companies, I’ll think I’ll play outside the career ladder. When I finally get my microISV up and running, I won’t need a ladder.