It has been bothering me for a while that Laravel's default logging sort of tossed everything together into one file. I use Info and Debugging messages quite frequently in my work just to keep track of what is happening on the backend, specifically whenever a queue is used. For example, when you hit a Third Party API to retrieve more data for an entity, it is nice to know what the data payload was and if it was successful. Another important use case is throttling. If you have some script kiddie from England hitting your login routine on a regular basis (actually happened), that is a piece of information that it would be nice to know.

Further, error messages are pretty darn critical. If a piece of code is failing on your API or an incorrect validation rule is being sent, it is rare that users will actually send you an email about it. Most just close the browser and move on. Logging is très important.

Since I am getting close to finishing v3 of Bookbranch and there is quite a bit more functionality being added, I thought it was time to sit down and resolve this particular grievance. Below is the code I added to the top of app.php to separate out my three logs into separate files and now on production if an error happens, an email is sent to me so I can quickly address it.

I remember reading this "Fuck Yes or No" for dating a couple years ago and generally agreeing with the approach. Not just for dating but pretty much all serious relationships in one's life. Love and work, being the big ones, naturally. It does seem incredibly odd that people would spent hours of their day, months of their year, and years of their life on relationships or jobs that are merely OK.

I mention this only because I am Once Again (TM, patent pending) trying to decide what to do with my life. It waxes and wanes, as you can imagine. For five months here I have had steady work as a Lead Developer for two startups on a contract basis. Caught up on all the PHP/Laravel skills and have become a fair hand at using Vue.js for building interactive pages and single page applications. Figured out how to use Homestead locally and even more experience with Forge for provisioning and deploying too. Learning is good. My Full Stack Developer skills remain strong.

All the while I have been hunting for that next opportunity. The job that will make me want to become invested in a company and stay around for a couple years. People like me thrive on intensive projects that we believe in. My Reed degree, EllisLab, Pre-Medicine, the Pacific Crest Trail. I remember these times as the most positive and transformative because I was completely invested in the experience of working towards those goals.

For a short time I thought ImpactFlow might become that but it rather quickly showed its hiccups and once the experience started souring I bailed. No reason to stay around working 50-60 hours a week when you have lost faith, no matter how much money they try throwing at you. My time and energy are way too valuable for that.

So far, no job has really seized me strongly. NY Times, Amazon, a couple startups, a few agencies. Nothing has really pulled me in and said "Go there." Two jobs that I was genuinely interested in did not choose me. Not that I really thought Columbia was going to choose a 36 year old, non-photographer/writer for one of their Director of Toughness positions, but man doing adventures and testing gear seemed like an exceptional way to spend 6 months.

I keep on looking though. Hoping. Daydreaming. Thinking. Eventually something will come along, right? I have the money to do another thru-hike and if something does not come along by June, I am about 50% sure that I will head off for the summer again. Adventure, excitement, a Paul craves these things.

::pause::

Suppose there is always going back to school...

It is a bit mind-blowing how skewed the coverage for Sanders has been compared to Clinton on the NY Times. Even when he wins multiple states like he did yesterday, they often put him in as an afterthought or present him negatively. And then they post additional articles with titles like "Clinton’s Growing Delegate Lead Is Nearly Unbeatable" just underneath. Finally, the Times editors have been caught making substantive changes to already published articles on Sanders to change the tone and perspective.

I hope they realize that only half of the states have voted so far in the primaries and this race for the Democratic nomination is FAR from over. If anything, the media's coverage of Sanders makes me support him that much more while liking Clinton and her ties to big money that much less.

Link.

"While it’s a lot of fun to be a dirtbag, sleep in the back of your truck, shower at public restrooms, and eat ramen for dinner six nights a week, that lifestyle may not be super appealing to potential mates."

While part of me wants to adamantly shout "Lies! Lies!" with a sanguine disposition, I have found this to be more rule than exception. You start mentioning how you are thinking about quitting your job again for the summer while describing the possible adventures you are eyeing, and I swear you can see a little marker attached to your name: unstable.

I kid you not, two women have actually used that word verbally to describe me. Just this past Saturday I was finishing up a trail run with a group and was talking to a very attractive young lady. Perhaps it was the post-run energy but I explained my thoughts for this coming summer and I swear I sensed an entire shift in her approach to me after that. It is frustrating to experience. I sort of wanted to shout: I'm not so bad! I can make SCONES!

The same day I opened up a document and titled it "Resupply Strategy" I also received an email asking me to do a phone interview for a job in London. I lead a special life.

"But, Paul, have you asked yourself what you really want to do with your life?"

Oh, I have internet. I have. Let's look at how that goes.
"That."
That's impossible.
"That."
That is also impossible.
"That?"
That is unlikely to end well for either you or her and would probably leave a mess for years.
"That!"
Ok, that is a bit more reasonable. Though you would end up with life crushing debt for two decades and you swore to yourself you would never go through that again.
"That..."
That's a bag of cookies. OK, knock yourself out.

Update (Jan 25, 2019): RedBubble sent me a notification today that they have removed my work because of a DMCA request from LucasFilms/Disney. Given it's Disney, I cannot really fault RedBubble for doing absolutely nothing to protect my work. So, instead, here is the PSD for anyone to download and use. I will be deleting my RedBubble account shortly.

My first product on Redbubble. The phrase has been a bit of a rallying cry around the friend group whenever anyone makes a silly claim about how the world works. When I shared a similar image with Amelia, she wanted it as a sticker, so I made my own version in Photoshop and uploaded it for all. Enjoy.

Google Search: How to run for President.

"Wow, that's it? Hmmmmm..."

"Every single shot in cinema uses composition. Those images that haunt us, astound us, they evoke such emotions not just because they are beautiful but because they carry meaning."

The more I learn about the character and techniques of visual storytelling in cinema, the more impressed I am by the people who create it.

Mind-blowing how nearly perfectly integrated special effects are into the movie creation process. It did not even occur to me while watching The Martian that their helmets might be digitally rendered.