All those time I was off...

Not like I purposely left o...

The Imagine cup, hmmnn. After a lot of gra gra, we sha go. As before now, noting happen + the debt I incurred from phone calls + the boredom that accompanied my stay in Cairo. Ok, I won't keep quiet o! I sent Microsoft a personal note on how the event did not go well. I expected a reply, for where... all I got was an automated response from the PR department, "Out of Office:....". Ok, that's their business.

My life goes on... In between, series of rejections from different sources. Alphie's always my escape. Talking of Alphie, he was 1 year old on the 9th of August and he's still kicking... well just one fault - the speaker on the right-hand-side is bad. Aside that, every other thing's fine. Besides, I can always use some external speakers or some ear phones, yada, yada, yada...

It's like these competitions drain the psyche out of you... After putting in a lot, they are just not worth it in the end. Clung to Jesus lately and he's helping me get back to my normal self. I miss Tinuade, she just keeps promising me she'll come to school every weekend and she keeps failing... Except when I'm at home, she'll call and ask if I'm in school that she's on her way! Sorry O.

I've decided not to take-up any paid employment (...like I just made that decision). Been really, really, broke lately, (...as in, really, really, really broke). After writing up this beautiful composition on Nairaland, I got the hottest bashing I've ever gotten online. The result was the chilliest mellow. Men, I mellow! Ok, personally, I went through the profile of some members then I convinced myself that I'm still just beginning! Then I decided that I won't take up any contract to create a bespoke software for anyone again... Well, except IT projects (...bring it on!!!). So how the hell am I going to eat?!!

Less than a week after I returned from Cairo, I stumbled on Scala programming language. I've been coding with it ever since. I love it! The fact that it runs on Java makes me love it even more! Twitter uses it at their back end, and LinkedIn too. Then came Lift, a web framework created to run with Scala. I always want to put something up on Scala at my programming blog but I just kept postponing it.

Now I'm busy. I'm creating a Status Blog/Social Networking Site (SB/SNS) for halls of residence in institutions. Not like I'm good at web applications, in fact I think I sulk at web apps. Almost all web based contract I get, I kinda mess them up! I'm better at back-end logic implementation, hard-core programming. But I've decided to take my chances once again. Lift is looking very interesting so I'm getting back to web apps. Plus I'm working with David. He's getting hotter at web interface design. I think it (that is, the SB/SNS) would be the bomb! It's just computerizing what a lot of people already do manually.

Since I won't work for anyone (...surely, by God's Grace!) and I won't take up contracts (...hopefully, by God's Grace!), I have to rely on my creativity/imaginations to feed myself. God helping me, people will buy my ideas. Then maybe, I'll just achieve Mark Zukerberg's feat in Naija and Seun Osewa may just have a compatriot!

Howdy !!! (...sorry, See ya!!!)

"My Mentor"

Gush!!!

I log-in to my Yahoo! mail and I see a message from someone I don't know requesting that I be their mentor. This is beginning to get scary!

Ok all the appreciation, I appreciate but the mentor part... nna men!

Like this is not the first time. Was walkin along the street of Unilag when two guys accosted me, both taller than I am.

"Team X abi. We were @ the Imagine cup... Please we want to know how to write programs..."

All those kin things sha. Christ! I was humbled. First scared, then humbled.
Now someone is saying I shud be their mentor, small me.

Ok, I know the basic problem of the average Nigerian youth is getting a real role model and I'm in position to be one. God help me to do the right things. This is such an herculean task.

Reminds me of Damilola, everytime she comes to me with one programming task or the other and I complain, she would just shut me up with the famous line made popular by spiderman's uncle - "With great powers come great responsibilities".

I guess I'll just live up to the responsibility. I pray for God's help.

PS: Somehow, my iTunes library got corrupted and I had to delete it. Now all my cherished play count is gone... sobs.. sobs.

The Block.

Between us is a block,

A block that’s all but good,

For years I’ve nurtured this block,

I’ve built it into a brick wall,

Despite its status I enjoyed building it,

But I’ve decided to pull down the wall,

Yes, I’m pulling it down, down to vestiges.

It was the same block, yes this same block

That took the great Napoleon to Waterloo,

This same block saw King Phillip’s Armada,

Fall to Queen Elizabeth’s Navy.

This block saw the most loved angel,

Become the most hated creature.

I’m going through the process of bulldozing,

The very hurtful process of destroying,

Destroying this block that I raised into a wall.

Heart piercing rumbles would be heard,

But of great importance is this,

That the wall is brought down and the block is history

Today might be thorny,

But tomorrow would be grateful,

That this block, this very creepy block

Never extended quarter the size of the great wall

‘Cos some things, no matter their appeal,

Need to be crushed,

Crushed to ashes.

©Celestine Ezeokoye, 2009.

Can you figure out the subject of this poem?

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Now playing: The Fray - Never Say Never
via FoxyTunes

He may not come when you want Him, but He's always on time

The Fray - You found Me

I found God
On the corner of First and Amistad
Where the west
Was all but won
All alone
Smoking his last cigarette
I said, "Where you been?"
He said, "Ask anything".

Where were you
When everything was falling apart?
All my days
Were spent by the telephone
It never rang
And all I needed was a call
It never came
To the corner of First and Amistad

Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me

In the end
Everyone ends up alone
Losing her
The only one who's ever known
Who I am
Who I'm not, who I wanna be
No way to know
How long she will be next to me

Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me

Early morning
The city breaks
I've been callin'
For years and years and years and years
And you never left me no messages
Ya never send me no letters
You got some kinda nerve
Taking all my world

Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Where were you? Where were you?
Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me
Why'd you have to wait?
To find me, to find me

[Thanks to songlyrics.com]

***************************

What does this song lyrics mean to you? I've been playin it since the morning of yesterday!

Anada poem again?

Character

Of what use are the shades of the cloud if it cannot regulate its downpour?
Of what marvel is the rainbow if it fills the sky and blurs true colours?
Of what pleasure is the sea if it overflows its bank and erodes its beaches?
Of what need is drinking water if it finds its way down the trachea instead of the oesophagus?
Of what use is solar energy if leaves get charred before their chlorophylls are activated?
Of what sense is music if it plays at decibels that perforate the eardrums?
…
Of what use is intellect if it’s not adorned with great characters?

©Celestine Ezeokoye, 2009.
Inspired by the ordeals of a bright final year student of the Department of Computer Sciences, University of Lagos. He took the law into his hands and landed himself in police custody only few weeks to his graduation. He is at risk of being rusticated from the school.
_______________________________________________________________

The Last Air Bender. A movie based on the animation "The Avatar" will be in the Theaters by July next year. I'm guessing they are working on releasing a movie based on Naruto, Bleach, etc... Francis won't like this, lol. I think I won't either. I think it's better it remains in its original animation form. Look at Dragon Ballz... The movie is fkd up.

Vuze gave me a trailer.


To download the full version visit vuze.com

New technology blog

I've created a new wordpress blog for all those programming stuffs that pop into my little (or big) head.

For all the programming ppl out there (or if u jst want to check'ir out) visit:

http://technicalculus.wordpress.com/

Some random stuvs

You are in trouble!!!
Can't remember aw many times Ade mentioned that line at the interactive session we had today, ok yesterday. Calls after calls and Ade, an architect with Microsoft (ok, software architect), finally fixed a meeting with team X. The session was one of the most elevating I've ever had. First it wasn't just about the session. We were treated like some kind of star at the office... "This is the team that won this year's Imagine cup... that would be representing Nigeria in Cairo" N'Dee introduces us to the Country Manager, Emmanuel. We took some photographs with him and then we had a meeting with Ade and Shina at their conference room. Interacting with industry professionals opened up our eyes to a lot of things. The real world challenges, tasks and all. We are really in trouble for taking part and wining this year's national challenge, 'cos we have to win in Cairo and push this solution into the industry. After the session, I told John and Francis "Hope u guyz had a nice sleep last night, cos dat wud be the last full night sleep u'll enjoy until we return from Cairo." John felt the fever. Thanks to him we have a mosquito infested room (at his home) to code at!!! Can't count aw many times av had to beat myself these few hours, awsh!!!

Amaka's B'day
It's my girl's bday 2day... Happy birthday dear.

More Coldplay tracks
Got Lost!, Life in technicolor and 47. I'm feeling Lost! like mad!!! Men Chris Martin's so inspirational... listen to this "Just because I'm losing doesn't mean I'm lost... You might be a big fish in a little pond, doesn't mean you've won". Challenges you to bring out the best in yourself!!! Feel me?

Solange, Beyonce's lil sis did Viva la vida really well. See her performance:




The "Wining the imagine cup national challenge" series is still coming up.

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Now playing: Coldplay - Lost!
via FoxyTunes