FilmoreHa.com

It’s been almost a year since I opened a hosting account at Dreamhost and made an attempt at creating a personal website/blog.  Obviously that didn’t work out too well.  Hopefully this year will be different, I do feel really bad about paying for this space and not making use of it after all.

So on to new directions we go!  I learned from lots of reading that to make a successful blog or site one should choose a theme or central topic to write about/develop around.  I had always struggled with that, so maybe thats why things never took off.  With that in mind, I decided from here on that I would write about:

• Japan, because I’ve made it my home (for now)
• Photography, because its my new hobby
• Web/Graphic design, because I had always wanted to be a designer (obviously didn’t happen)
• Foreign affairs (maybe), because I have to make use of my $60k+ diploma some how, right?!

Of course this isn’t the only new direction I am taking.  Thinking back on these past few years, I’ve come to the realization that I truly have been avoiding networking.  Why?  I don’t rightly know.  Probably because I suck at it.  But just because you suck at something isn’t a good reason to avoid it, right?  Therefore, I’ve resolved to step things up and build my network because I:

• need new friends (in addition to the very few I already have of course)
• need help finding leads on jobs and opportunities
• want to meet successful ex-pats (and locals)  that I can learn from

Finally, the most important change I’m taking on this year being a better daddy.  Don’t get me wrong, I (and my wife and others) don’t think I’m a bad daddy.  I just know that I (still) have a short fuse that needs work.  I actually took the initiative on this and bought a book my cousin and mother of three recommended, “Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood“.  Let’s hope it’s really useful.

F.

I accidentally created a dark comic-like image of Tokyo Tower from a photo that I took from the top of Mori Tower in Roppongi.

Pier 21 at Yokohama.  Taken during on lunch break at an exhibition at the Yokohama Pacifico.

Recently, I moved my web hosting from Innohosting to Dreamhost.  Before doing so, I did a lot of research—that is I read a lot of reviews about them.  I have to admit that there are a lot of negative posts out there, so much so that I almost stuck with Innohosting.  So why did I make the switch in the end?  In no particular order:

1. Space Requirements: The whole reason  for me to switch hosts, was so that  I could host my own videos for another blog.  Dreamhost gives you “unlimited” space and databases.  Thats a plus in my book.  However, some people may argue that “unlimited” is just a gimmick and that hosts with “unlimited” plans are overselling out the ass.  I tend to think that HDD space is cheap, and if you don’t know how much space you really need then “unlimited” become very appealing (even with strings attached).
2. Control Panel: Dreamhost uses a proprietary control panel that may come off as goofy and limiting to many people, but I felt it was rather charming.  It took some getting used to, but after you get used to it, it works rather well.
3. Personal Recommendation: My friend hosts his portfolio with Dreamhost and recommended them to me.  A friendly recommendation can be powerful indeed, especially when the person recommending it is someone you know and who has first hand experience.

The glue that sorta pulled everything together came with I realized that all the arguments people had against Dreamhost could be applied to any shared hosting platform, and indeed if you google for info about any host you’re bound to find some negative comments.  Some of them may be legitimate, but I think often times they are fanboy rants trying to steer away legitimate traffic.

At the end of the day, I felt that I was getting a great deal for my needs.  I think that when choosing a webhost, one should really consider what their requirements are and whether or not a particular host can meet those needs.  I hope that this post helps put things into a different perspective for people who are searching for a good webhost.

I’ll close with mentioning that I have nothing bad to say about Innohosting.  They are a superb host that is perfect for anyone whether they are just getting started or know exactly what their requirements are.  Support is also top-notch.  If you are searching for good hosting, I can highly recommend both Innohosting and Dreamhost from first hand experience.  Happy hunting!

I bought a new toy this past weekend.  I thought about it for a week.  Then, I went out and bought a Wacom Intuos3.  Originally, I had scoured the internet for ideas and opinions and had settled on the more basic Wacom Bamboo Fun.  However, a buddy from New York mentioned he had had his Intuos for a number of years already and highly recommended it, even though it costs substantially more than the Bamboo.  Simply for the fact that it was well worth the investment.

I think the word “investment” is what really got me thinking.  I could have saved money with the Bamboo. Many people on the interweb used it recreationally and professionally, and it would have been a sound investment.  However, when I really thought about “investment,” it hit me that I should go out and spend the extra money on the extra features of the Intuos3, just in case I ever actually use them.

“Go big or go home,” as my buddy always says.