But as a person who is always trying to seek answers to my problems I felt the need to do some investigative research. How are websites like Google able to have billions and trillions of records, and still have fast and responsive queries? It took me a while, but I discovered Apache Solr as the answers to my prayers. Based on the Lucene Search Engine, Solr is able to handle databases into the billions of records. The only catch to using Solr is that you must be on a server that has java. The only servers that allow java are dedicated servers, which can cost up to $200 a month. So obviously this search application is not for your average run of the mill website, but what kind of run of the mill website needs millions or records anyways?

As most of my clients are small time operations, or just start up companies, I haven’t had the opportunity to implement Apache Solr. For anyone who is looking into developing enterprise level web applications you can find more information about Solr here. As for me, I’m just going to have to land a big client in order to play around with Apache Solr.

Does anyone have any great tutorials for Solr? If you have any, place it in the comments section.

Right around New Years we received a call from Sarah Min at around 8 in the morning. Still feeling groggy from just waking up, we decided to let the call go to the machine. To our surprise, she was our very first referral that actually wanted to pay us to take her family portrait. Her family was in town but they were leaving the next day, so it was imperative that we do the portrait at that moment. I was in a weird dilemma because everything was such short notice, and there was no time for preparation. So I told her that we would be available in the afternoon to take some studio shots for her. That gave us about 4 hours to get ready, so I cleaned my equipment, pre visualized the type of pictures I would take, then headed off to meet with her family.

All the photos were in studio using a white background and constant studio lighting. I had avoided using strobe lights because I needed to see what I would get in camera. That was important because I had no time to really set up and test lighting. The session lasted around 2 hours, but with all the different set ups we went through, it felt much much shorter. One of the most difficult aspects of this session was taking pictures of their newborn baby. Considering he was their first child they were very protective of him, and so the pictures came out a bit rushed. Lesson learned is to let the parents know that they must be willing to do whatever it takes to get great images of their newborns. It takes a lot of patience to take baby pictures, because you have to make sure they are comfortable and well fed. Plus great newborn photos requires a sleepy baby, because it’s at that moment where they are easiest to pose. And for anyone who has experience, it takes time to get your baby to sleep.

So overall I’m pleased with the group shots, but not so pleased with the newborn pictures. Being a perfectionist by nature, I’m my worst critic. And with people photography, there are many variables that are just out of ones control. Experience and education will teach us how to make the best out of a bad situation. But as long as the client is pleased with the results, then we have done our job.

You can view Sarah’s Family Portrait.

It was around 6pm when Curiosity Media arrived at “On The Rocks” at Redondo Beach. It was a chilly night, and a very important night for a girl named Amy Fougy, one of the co-organizers for the Bishop Montgomery High school Reunion. The patio area of the bar was reserved for the reunion, which provided the perfect mix of atmosphere and booze. As guests started rolling in, it was our responsibility to snap a mugshot, aka portrait, of everyone. Overall Amy did a great job planning the event.

With my own ten year reunion just around the corner I wonder if I am where I expected myself to be. Did I see myself as a software engineer? No, with me being a geek, I Actually thought I would be a computer animator working in the gaming industry. Fortunately for me, I never went that direction, because I’m not made for long hours sitting in front of a computer. I love sleep, which is why I’m thinking about sleep right now.

Besides being an animator, I did wish I was 170 lbs of pure muscle. It would be sweet to walk back to my high school reunion looking like a monster. Instead the only thing that got bigger was my head, thanks to my Korean Blood. Looks like it’s time to hit the gym or get myself a copy of p90x.

Anyways here are the images from the Bishop Montgomery Class of 99 Reunion.

So what did you guys wish you would be after highschool?

Well none of that matters now because a court has ordered Alan Brent Carruth to pay a fine up to $100,000, and possible jail time for this crooked old man. This is why you must always do your research when picking a photographer. Referals are probably the best means of finding someone because the person you know has had experience, and can recommend them.

Here is some more information on the Alan Brent Story.

I also found some great customer reviews on this bastard

Does anyone else have a photographer horror story? You can share your story by filling out a comment.

view Wedding Flowers and Cakes video.

Programming is an exercise in mental stamina, and a developer may have to hold intense concentration for hours at a time. This can cause unnecessary stress for the programmer, and also physical pains, such as a sore wrist, back aches, and eye strain. Unless you are the type that eats, and breathes programming, you will probably feel the wear and tear of this career over time. But there are a few programming stress management tips I could give that can make your days go by smoothly.

If you are just starting a degree in Computer Science or you are a graduate that is about to get his/her feet wet, then remember to always pace yourself. Don’t let your job take a hold of your quality of life, because the only way to create great code is to have a clear mind. I usually plan the type of work I will do for the next day, and not try to do more or less than the task at hand. You have to develop a tunnel vision when it comes to coding, and I usually tackle a small problem first which helps build momentum. If I still feel good by the time I solved the problem, I will keep going and do more work until I feel drained. When I do get to that point I usually stop my coding work for the day. I will spend the rest of my time doing research, catching up on small non programming tasks, or even take a small walk to get some fresh air. But what’s important is for me to clear my mind so I will be ready for the next day of programming.

Another key to coping with a programming job is to get a good nights rest and stay healthy. There is nothing worse than sleeping only 4 hours then go to work and create a complex algorithm. Not having enough sleep will hinder your productivity and cause you to make careless mistakes that you will have to debug in the future. You will also find that if you don’t exercise or eat right then the sedentary life style will cause your body to become tired and less focused. As for me, I usually work out a few times a week, I take a scooter to work, and I try to get my daily dosage of fruits and veggies. A combination of bad health, sleep deprivation, and a stressful job will guarantee you an early grave. The Japanese likes to call this Karoshi, which means working to death.

Although this next advice is dictated by your company policy, you have to remember to take at least 2 to 3 weeks of vacation a year, and never try to do overtime. When you take your vacation, don’t take them in small chunks, but take them in one long chunk. Your mind needs to recharge its batteries, and studies show that you will come back to work more productive. You also give your coworkers a chance to realize what kind of contributions you make to the company. Also doing more than 8 hours of work in a day will cause you to produce code that is riddled with bugs because your mind is cluttered. Always keep your mind clear when tackling complex problems. You must make sure you voice your opinions and make your case to your employer, or it might be time to find another job that will allow you to have that much needed work/life balance.

I have no idea how stressful other careers are, but I do know how stressful my job can be. 75% of the work I do is not considered to be very stressful, but there is still that 25% where I wish I could just disappear from civilization and start a new life as a Korean Mountain Man. Early on, when I was just starting to study Computer Science, I realized that I needed to pace myself if I was going to graduate. In school it was easy to pace myself because I was my own boss, and managed my own time. I graduated with a decent GPA, which is not easy to do in engineering. I had a better GPA than my friend who was a graphic artist, and accomplished this while working up to 2 part-time jobs, which almost equaled one full-time job.

Once I entered the workforce I was very overwhelmed, because I’ve always coded at my own pace, never doing more than a few hours a day. But how was I suppose to fill up an 8 hour day packed with back to back programming? I almost lost my mind trying to sit in front of a monitor for 8 straight hours, coding myself to death. I learned from that experience, and promised myself that my own health is more important than any job. So now I don’t do more programming than I can handle, and if there is a deadline I definitely let my employer know what I can and can’t do. I plan on being a programmer for many more years, and I don’t want to go Karoshi. I’m not a coding samurai, I’m a Korean Mountain Man, I work to live not live to work.

I hope you find these tips helpfule, and if you are a programmer, what does your work week look like?

Today Curiosity Media had just finished their first newborn baby photography session for the Sarah Min Family and instead of taking down our Black Muslin we decided to have some fun. I had just bought myself a nice new Domo T-Shirt and Jen went on a clothing shopping spree (Early Valentines Day, courtesy of John) with her new “Red Streak”, we turned our little studio into a fashion photography shoot. I’ve posted our favorite images for everyone’s viewing pleasure. As you can see we just got a bonus from work, and we’re celebrating by throwing it in the air and taking pictures of it. Jealous? You wish that those were your one dollar bills huh? LOL…..j/k

Pizza and Chicken Love Letter
12238 Artesia Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 402-8000
Hours:
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 1:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Website:  None
Get Direction

RATE: 3.5 out of 5
TYPE: Korean Pizza
PRICE: $$ (under $30)
PORTION SIZE OF MEALS: Good portion for its price
PARKING: Private Parking Lot
SERVICE: The service is not that great but it’s not that bad either, It’s just okay.  It is a sit down restaurant and you can order take-out.  We went there at 6pm on a Saturday and it wasn’t crowded (Which is great!).  After we are done with your food we sat there for an hour and people are beginning to show up.  I’m surprise the waitress didn’t kick us out because we were there for a long time.
POPULAR: While driving there, people can’t tell if it is a restaurant or a Karaoke place.  I seriously thought it was a Karaoke Place because the window was tinted.  Also, their sign says “Love Letter” with “Pizza and Chicken” in Korean words, so if you can’t read Korean and you only see “Love Letter” you wouldn’t think it’s a restaurant.    When we got there it was empty but it started picking up later at night.  This place is popular for Koreans and Asians.
RECOMMENDED: When we were there we ordered the Sweet Potato Pizza and Popcorn Chicken.  Sweet Potato is a 4 rating and Popcorn Chicken is a 3 rating.  We had higher expectation on the Pizza because we loved the pizza from Mr. Pizza Factory and expected the same quality.  It still tastes good compared to other pizza places but not compared to Mr. Pizza Factory.  The Popcorn Chicken has a strong garlic (I think it’s garlic)  taste, it could have been better.  Definitely, would go to this place rather than Pizza Hut, Domino, Little Caesar, and other pizza  places.
WHAT NOT to ORDER: Don’t get their water.  The water taste worse than tap water.  It was like water from the toilet.  GROSS!

It may come as a shocker, but Toshiba and Asus are considered the most reliable laptops based on data collected by SquareTrade, a third party warranty provider. Three years of data was used to compare the failure rate of some of the top laptop brands, the following graph shows the results.

If you can take anything away from this data you should learn to never buy an American brand. Seriously, we all know these laptops are manufactured in China, so why does American brand laptops fail so much more. It’s because they intentionally want their crappy laptops to break so consumers can foolishly buy another one.

I was actually surprised to know that Toshiba topped the list of being the most reliable. When I first saw this computer at Walmart, and noticed their extremely low price tag, I automatically assumed they were of low quality. I have now come to realize that my next laptop purchase will be a Toshiba, and I will never doubt Japanese ingenuity again. As a web developer, having a reliable computer is one of my top priorities. I thought that Curiosity Media was the only company that offered quality at an affordable price, but it’s good to know that Toshiba can now be part of my exclusive club. Also I will not apologize for that shameless plug, so just forget about it and buy yourself a Toshiba, you will not regret it.

RATE: 5 out of 5
TYPE: American (Traditional)
PRICE: $$
PORTION SIZE OF MEALS: Good portion for its price
PARKING: Private Parking Lot
SERVICE: Friendly waiter. Our waiter name is Mike and he made sure everything is okay with us. He is very professional and always smiling.
POPULAR: We went there at 1pm during lunch time. It’s pretty popular considering we had to wait 5-10 minutes to get seated.
RECOMMENDED: We definitely recommend this place. Although its small but the environment is absolutely splendid! Great place for fine dining and dates.  Peppercorn Grille is located at Big Bear Lake and it has one of the best food and service I’ve every had there.
WHAT TO ORDER: We order the Maui Crab Cakes for Appetizer, Grill Chicken and Hickory Sauce 10″ Pizza, Sauteed Filet of Salmon, Turkey Sandwich, and Cheese Tortellini with Chicken Breast. The food was nicely decorated and all of them are delicious and worth the price and the atmosphere. The Maui Crab Cakes was probably one of the best crab I’ve ever had, wish it was an entree rather than a appetizer.

WHAT NOT TO ORDER: We haven’t tried any other food beside what we order above. Since they are all great we recommend you go for the above. But you can try other food I’m sure they are great. All the customer there at that time seem very happy and satisfied.