Life as Jeffbob

My New Car

2011-04-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

On my Mother's computer so I don't have my Flickr password saved and I can't remember it to save my life. Just figured I would post some pics here until I can get home to my pc! My new car is a 2011 Honda Fit Sport. It is a blast to drive and has some pretty good gas milleage. Its also orange which is my favorite color so its a winning combination!

Write Or Die: A Love Story

2010-11-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

November is a time for writing. A lot of writing. Everybody and their brother is scrambling to reach their word count goals and there are some useful online applications that shine this time of year. Write or Die is my favorite of these applications. It's a tool to help writers to reach word count goals by providing negative stimuli if the user stops writing for an extended period of time. The stimuli range from a pop-up box reminding you to keep writing all the way to the program actually deleting your writing if you don't continue to write throughout the entire allotted time. You choose your word count goal and time limit as well as the mode and grace period. I highly recommend this app for NaNoWriMo participants because it forces you to stay on point and crank out those beautiful prose in record time.

Check it out here:

http://writeordie.drwicked.com/

I recommend normal mode because the pop-up for gentle mode is too easy to ignore and kamikaze mode deletes your words at an alarming rate!

Kamikaze mode!

Happy Writing!

Links and screen shots provided by http://writeordie.drwicked.com/
"Write or Die" and content in screen shots are
© Copyright 2010-2011
Dr Wicked

I'm Tired So Here's Some Photos Of My Cat...

2010-11-10T22:18:00.000-08:00

I'm really tired, it's 11:20 PM and for some reason I feel compelled to continue posting for NaBloPoMo even though I already failed. So...

This is Spike..

He either really likes or really doesn't like the printer..

Hanging out..

We fight over who gets to be a lazy slob in my office chair...
(Note: I just realized I'm wearing that shirt..)

I know this post has changed your life forever.. You're welcome..

101 Things in 1001 Days: 470 Day Update

2010-11-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Almost half way through the alloted 1001 days and I'm not nearly half way done with the list but I'm still pretty confident that I will be able to finish everything before time runs out!

1. Finish all Xbox games currently owned/downloaded (as of the date this list was posted)
- Fallout 3
- ~~Bioshock~~

- Orange Box
- Gears of War 2
- Duals of the Plainswalkers
- Beautiful Katamari
- F.E.A.R.
- ~~Halo 3~~
- Need for Speed: Carbon

- C & C III

- Lost Planet

3. Read all the Hitchhiker’s Guide books

-~~The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy~~
-The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
-Life, the Universe and Everything
-So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
-Mostly Harmless
~~10. Visit Hawaii~~
~~21. Finally figure out why couch cushion doesn’t fit right and fix it!~~
24. Go diving at least 2 times ( 1 / 2 )
36. Participate in at least one NaNoWriMo (see http://www.nanowrimo.org/)
~~45. Go camping~~
~~46. Go to a Comic Con~~
~~62. Go sailing~~
~~78. Buy a new cell phone~~
~~93. Take the bus to school instead of driving at least 50 times ( 50 / 50 )~~
~~96. Finally buy the huge whiteboard I want for pre-writing and storyboarding~~

Highlights:

I haven't been on my xbox much but I finished Bioshock which was a freaking awesome game and I plan on playing through it again once I'm done with the rest of my games.

I finally read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy so that I can understand what the rest of the geek world is saying most of the time. I knew we got a lot of quotes from those books but I didn't realize just how many awesome things Douglas Adams contributed to geek society.

I also went on a trip to Hawaii for my cousin's wedding and we ended up diving while we were there so I got a 2 for 1 on crossing things off the list. The diving on Oahu was amazing! We ended up doing a wreck dive which was the highlight of the entire trip. See pics of my trip here!

Comic-Con was an amazing weekend and I can't wait to go back next year (grad school schedule permitting). I'm planning on writing a post about the comic-con experience sometime later this month.

I went camping and sailing up at Roosevelt Lake here in AZ. My dad and I decided we were going to take the sailboat out before the water got too cold. The only problem was that we forgot the owner's manual for the boat and because it had been so long since we had used the boat (~7-8 years), it took us 3 hours to get the boat on the water when it should have probably taken less than 30 minutes. We also managed to forget to pack coffee so you can imagine how fun it was to try and remember how a 16 foot sailboat goes together.. The boat ended up sail-able even though we put it together wrong and it turned out to be a pretty fun day of sailing.

My dad sailing the Hobie Cat:

Podiobooks

2010-11-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

I have a long commute to work at least 3 times a week and my initial solution solution to the mind-numbing boringness of the commute was to pass the time listening to various audiobooks. The problem is that I would have to either make the trek to the library to try and find something in their limited selection or buy one for as much, or more, as the hardcover version. My brother in-law steered me in the direction of podiobooks.com and I've been using it for over 2 years and not once have I found myself without something good to listen to during my commute.

The podiobook is podcasting and the modern novel combined to form free, serialized audio fiction. The site contains hundreds of free audiobooks that people have written and then either narrated themselves or gathered voice actors together to perform the book in an audio-drama style. The episodes are usually released weekly but some authors release the entire novel up front. I was pleasantly surprised by how well written the stories are as well as how good the voice acting is. Some of the voice acting is better than those I've heard on professionally produced audiobooks! I have taken the liberty of listing a few of my favorites from the site below.

NY Times Bestselling Author Scott Sigler's Nocturnal

Something lives deep beneath the streets of San Francisco. Something that has been there for centuries, something which comes out at night to feed on the dregs of society. A sub-culture with its own myths and its own legends.

Stories of a leader named The King, who will lead them out of bondage, and their own demon, a hunting shadow known only as Savior. But the legends of Savior's brutality have faded, the fear used only within fables told to the young ones about their hunter.

When The King finally appears,just as foretold, the Nocturnals know their time has come -- the time to emerge from under the streets and hunt humanity in the open.

Parsec Award Winning Author Nathan Lowell's Quarter Share

A Trader's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper : Book 1

When Ishmael Wang is orphaned by a flitter crash, he must make some hard decisions about how to survive in a Company-owned universe. With limited time and fewer options, he lands a job as the newest hand on the Solar Clipper Lois McKendrick and learns there's more to life than making coffee. Join Ish, Pip, Big Bad Bev, and the rest of the Lois McKendrick's crew as they sail the galaxy in search of profitable trade.

Parsec Award Winning Author Mur Lafferty's Heaven

What if Heaven wasn't all it's cracked up to be? Friends Kate and Daniel find that after their untimely deaths, Heaven leaves them dissatisfied and itching for something... else. So they're off, with a passport to discover more afterlifes, heroes and gods. During their adventures, they find out that their travel isn't a journey taken on a whim, but may be orchestrated, or even prophesied.

Phil Rossi's Eden

The tree is beautiful and they call her Eden. Her branches reach for the stars. She is like all other trees on planet Earth save for her enormous size. Still, she has leaves and she has bark. She turns sunlight into life. But this tree does not sprout from the dirt. Eden fills the sky, high in orbit above the blue expanse of Uranus. There she changes humanity's very concept of extraterrestrial life. Dr. Malcolm Green is sent to Eden to audit a science team studying this extraordinary tree from the dark confines of space station Lola. But with unexplainable accidents plaguing the team, tensions are mounting between scientists and custodial staff. Is there a future for this project and Lola? Only Malcolm Green can make that call. From the second he sets foot on Lola, Malcolm’s own future becomes at stake. He soon finds that love, friendship, and his own mortality tremble like a leaf at the sound of Eden's call.

Listen Well!

Book Descriptions & Links Provided by www.podiobooks.com

Failures and Terriers

2010-11-06T23:53:00.000-07:00

So I managed to make it through the first day of NaBloPoMo only to get sick and forget to write a post on the second day.. Yeah, can I commit to something or what? Oh well, I'm still going to post 30 times in 30 days just not necessarily at a rate of exactly 1 post per day.

One of my favorite new shows this season is FX's "Terriers". I could spend a couple paragraphs explaining the premise but clips are easier and more fun. So here is a short overview clip with the cast explaining the premise and then the show trailer:

I really love the flawed, raw characters on this show with their Malcolm Reynolds-esque moral compasses that I can relate to but can't completely figure out ( If you don't know the reference, please go watch Firefly..). It airs on Wednesdays @ 10 and I know you have nothing better to do so why not check it out? Any other new TV shows I should be watching this season?

Photos: Hawaii Trip

2010-11-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

I figured I would kick of NaBloPoMo with an underwater photography post chronicling the awesome diving during my recent trip to Hawaii! All of these were shot with a Nikon E3200 camera with an underwater housing.

Enjoy! (Click photo for higher resolution image)

Anemone

Spotted Eel

The bow of the Mahi shipwreck

The Smokestacks of the Mahi Shipwreck

Turtle!

Check out my Flickr Photostream for high resolution versions of these and the rest of the pictures from my trip. Disclamer: I haven't had a chance to edit and fix all of the pictures from the trip. Many are still works in progress!

Pale Blue Dot

2010-10-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

Whenever I get overwhelmed, it always makes me feel better to can think of my life as a small piece of the vastness that is the universe. That isn't to say that my problems are irrelevant or unimportant but just that there is a broader perspective to consider. My favorite way to get into this mindset is to watch a video that combines Carl Sagan's reflections on Earth from his book " Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space" and pop culture video clips that represent the topics discussed by Sagan. The video is humbling, comforting and eye-opening all at once and never ceases to help get through whatever rough patch I find myself in. Plus it is just really well done!

What helps you get through rough patches in your life? Please feel free to share in the comments section.

P.S. For a higher quality version of this video check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pfwY2TNehw.

NaNo Trouble

2009-11-24T07:13:00.000-08:00

So this whole NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org/) thing kinda blew up in my face this month. I think November is the worst month for me to take on something this lofty because of all the midterms, papers, holidays, work and other chaos that seems in ensue this close to the end of the year. To make a long story short I found myself with roughly 7 days left and I only had a little over 5000 words. You may think that I'm going to give up because it would be crazy to try and finish 45000 words in 7 days especially if you know how much I love to slack off. However, I really want my first NaNo to be a win so I'm going to press on! I wrote a little over 2000 words yesterday but today my goal is 10000 since I have little else to do besides go to class and practice. So instead of doing an easy ~1700 words a day I have decided that I love torture and will be writing ~6000+ words a day instead. Good luck to anybody else out there who is behind on their novel and I will keep you posted on my progress here and on twitter (http://twitter.com/Homebrew_Magic)

Living Home Free!

2009-10-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Video Source

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to not have a place to hang your hat at the end of the day? With all of the recent foreclosures in the news I started thinking about what it would be like if I found myself without a place to live. Then I started thinking about how much money I could save each month if I didn't have to pay rent and the various other bills that go hand-in-hand with living in a dwelling.

I currently share a two bedroom apartment with a buddy of mine and we each pay rent, cable, and electricity (our complex covers water). All together it only equals out to about $500 a month. Then I add roughly $150-$200 for food that I prepare on the cheap at home. That isn't much if you are making a decent living but if you are making a decent living you are probably living in a domicile that costs a lot more. To get a more accurate picture of how much I could possibly save by ditching my digs for the wide open sky I will also look at my estimating living expenses in a couple years when I'm out of college and gainfully employed (hopefully!). I'm guessing that my living expenses will increase to around $1,100 to $1,200 per month. This is using $927 for rent because that is the *census bureau median housing cost from 2008. The three main issues with living "home free" are: Where do I sleep? Where/What do I eat? How/Where do I spend my free time?

*Source: http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf

Sleeping

Photo Source

Because I have a car I would be doing all of my sleeping there rather than actually sleeping on the street. There are many places that a car can be parked for 7-8 hours at a time so you can get in your beauty sleep in. If I were going to actually try this lifestyle out I would probably try to adopt an alternative sleeping schedule that includes sleeping for several smaller amounts of time rather than one large one. I would likely attempt the Uberman sleep schedule which includes taking six twenty-minute naps throughout the 24 hour cycle. This way you only have to sleep in your car for 2 hours a day and you avoid having to sleep in a parking lot for 7-8 hours a night. Either way you want to do it you can get your required sleep in a somewhat safe manor. Trucks that are equiped with camper shells seem to be the most ideal place to sleep because you can actually stick an entire matriss in the back so you wouldn't have to sleep in the back seat of your car. Any way you slice it, it's going to be much easier to sleep in your car than on a park bench!

Cost = Free ( the gas you use to get to work and back is most likely the same as if you drove from an apartment or house)

Food

Photo Source

Here is where you are very limited in that you cannot store or prepare food in bulk because you have no means to do so. You can still save a little money by buying things that are ready to eat from a grocery store rather than from your favorite fast food joint. If you work in an office-type environment you could feasibly buy some food in bulk and try to hide it from your coworkers. I don't know how viable that is though because in my humble experience coworkers are vicious and deceitful when it comes to the office fridge and may God have mercy on your soul if you try to store anything there. On the other hand both breakfast and lunch could be largely non-perishable foodstuffs that don't require refrigeration (canned fruits and veggies, various kinds of soup, and dry cereals/granola). This could cut down on the price per meal and you would use less gas as well. I would have to say that there is going to be an overall increase in spending here over a dwelling because of the various limitations on your food storage space.

Cost = $250 (~$8.30 a day)

Internet/TV/Recreation

Photo Source

Now, where the heck am I going to go before and after work to take care of my most important and basic need: Internet Access? Places like bookstores, coffee shops and fast food restaurants offer free WiFi to their customers but the downside is that you still have to buy something to actually justify your presence in their establishment. Places like college campuses and libraries have free WiFi and also serve as places to hang out where you don't have to buy anything to gain access to their facilities. You can also add mobile broadband access to your existing cellphone plan for roughly the same price as you are probably paying for your cable internet. As for TV, almost all shows that are on cable are posted to their individual station websites or a collector site like hulu.com and you can watch them the next day on your portable computer for free. This is actually the only way I watch TV nowadays and if the cable wasn't built into my rent I would already have canceled it! If physical recreation (no, not that kind!) is what you are seeking then you wouldn't be doing that at home anyway so this isn't a big change. I pay $25 a month for my gym and it offers shower facilities as well which kills two birds with one stone. You could grab a morning workout and shower before you went into work.

Internet Cost = $25 ( Coffee shop and library access costs ) or $60 (unlimited 3g/4g mobile broadband)

Gym Cost = $25

Now For The ~~Math~~ Fun Part:

Cost of Living (currently)

Rent (everything included) = $500

Food = $200

Total = $700

Cost of Living (Future)

Rent (U.S. Average) = $927

Food = $200

Total = $1127

Cost of Living (Home Free!)

Rent = $0

Food = $250

Internet/TV/Rec = $50

Total = $300

So as you can see that if I tried this particular style of living I could save roughly $400 compared to my current lifestyle and around $800 compared to what I will probably be paying when I get out of school. I knew the numbers would be pretty favorable but I didn't realize how much could actually be saved by having a simple little thing like a place I can hang my hat. How much would you save if you went homeless? Any ideas on how to cut down the cost even more? Let me know!

101 in 1001 Days List: 50 Day Update

2009-09-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

This list has been a little tougher to begin working on than I thought though I did make some progress on a few of my goals. I feel like the fact that I made any progress at all is something to be celebrated considering my vast experience in the realm of procrastination. Hopefully the next 50 days will be as good or better than these have been! Check out the original post here!

The Story So Far:

11. Play in at least 2 Pro Tour Qualifier Magic tournaments ( 1 / 2 )
28. Make a conscious choice to cook at home over going out at least 600 times ( 10 / 600 )
47. Read something by 10 new-to-me authors ( 2 / 10 )
58. Attempt to bake / make / cook 25 new recipes ( 2 / 25 )
66. Be more social by going to at least 20 parties / social events that I would usually shy away from ( 2/ 20 )
69. ~~Make a new friend!~~
70. Engage at least 15 complete strangers in conversation. 5 of them must be of the opposite sex! ( 5 / 15 )
80. Go to someplace verifiability breathtaking at least 15 times ( 1 / 15 )
81. Throw at least 5 parties! ( 1 / 5 )
84. Subscribe to 10 more blogs that interest me ( 3 / 10 )
94. ~~Replace office chair that hurts my back!~~
98. Support aspiring artists / authors by buying 10 books or other media from a self publishing site ( i.e. Lulu.com) ( 1 / 10 )

Highlights:

- I threw a party at my house because two of my friends from out of town were staying with me and we had a few people from the old gang over to catch up which was really nice to see everybody before school started up again.

- I made fast friends with a guy who is in most of my classes this semester through a "get to know you" exercise that one of our professors forced us to participate in

- My sister gave me her old office chair which is still in awesome condition and was a great (and free!) improvement over my old chair. I also figured out that the part of my chair that's broken is the bottom part with the wheels and if I just take it off I can still use it for a gaming chair that I can just stick in my closet until I need it!

- I went 4-4 at a Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Qualifier tournament.

- I bought a book on polyphasic sleep from Lulu.com which was a very rewarding purchase both because it had great information and because it was self-published.

101 Things To Do In 1001 Days

2009-07-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

After reading my sister's post about her 101 in 1001 list I decided to write my own. It took me forever to finish it and it is going to be a challenge to complete all of my goals but it will also be a lot of fun! I feel like I haven't done as much as I want to so far in my life and if making a list is what it is going to take to get me off my butt then so be it! I will provide weekly/bi-weekly updates on my progress as well as put it in my sidebar as a widget so we can keep track of my progress! Wish me luck!

Jeff's 101 in 1001

1. Finish all Xbox games currently owned/downloaded (as of the date this list was posted)
- Fallout 3

- Bioshock

- Orange Box
- Gears of War 2
- Duals of the Plainswalkers
- Beautiful Katamari
- F.E.A.R.
- ~~Halo 3~~
- Need for Speed: Carbon

- C & C III

- Lost Planet
2. Read all Stephanie Plum Novels
-~~One for the Money~~
-~~Two for the Dough~~
-~~Three to Get Deadly~~

-~~Four to Score~~
-High Five
-Hot Six
-Seven Up
-Hard Eight
-Visions of Sugar Plums
-To the Nines
-Ten Big Ones

-Eleven on Top

-Twelve Sharp

-Plum Lovin'

-Lean Mean Thirteen
-Plum Lucky

-Fearless Fourteen
-Plum Spooky
-Finger Lickin' Fifteen
3. Read all the Hitchhiker’s Guide books

-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
-The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
-Life, the Universe and Everything
-So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
-Mostly Harmless
4. Re-read Harry Potter Books
5. Get a max-level character on “World of Warcraft”
6. Write 3 full-fledged short stories ( edited, revised, first readers, submitted to markets )
7. Obtain my bachelors degree
8. Write a screenplay for a pilot episode of a T.V. show (just for fun.. unless it’s good :P)
9. Play in at least 12 Friday Night Magic tournaments ( 0 / 12 )
10. Visit Hawaii
11. Play in at least 2 Pro Tour Qualifier Magic tournaments ( 1 / 2 )
12. Buy a new camera
13. Go on at least 15 photography-inspired outings ( 0 / 15 )
14. Visit a foreign country (excluding Mexico because we go pretty frequently)
15. Go to at least 5 professional jazz performances ( 0 / 5 )
16. Write a song (with lyrics and instrumentation), record it, and put it up online for scrutiny!
17. Write a jazz tune ( trombone and rhythm ), record it, and put it up online for scrutiny!

18. Create a techno song out of random sounds around the city and put it up online for scrutiny!

19. Actually decorate my apartment (posters, photosetc) so it doesn’t look like a hotel room!
20. Take 3 golf lessons ( 0 / 3 )
21. Finally figure out why couch cushion doesn’t fit right and fix it!
22. Organize Magic collection into binders by set / color / name
23. Organize bookshelves
24. Go diving at least 2 times ( 0 / 2 )
25. Watch/Re-watch all films on AFI’s top 100 movie list
26. Go golfing at least 5 times (if I cant find anybody to go with then 2 driving range sessions counts as 1 round of 18 holes) ( 0 / 5 )
27. Create and execute an apartment cleaning schedule and stick to it for 12 weeks ( 0 / 12 )
28. Make a conscious choice to cook at home over going out at least 600 times ( 0 / 600 ) I’m really serious about this one :).
29. Make a weekly goal list and finish all goals on it for at least 8 consecutive weeks (0/8)
30. Do at least 1 entire apartment clean-out and get rid of things that I can live without
31. Take at least one creative writing course ( online or at a CC )
32. Start a weekly podcast (15 minute minimum) and post an episode every week for at least 8 weeks (even if the audio sucks at first :P)
33. Finish the restoration of my 1954 Ford Pickup (At least have it ready for final paint)
- Chassis Finished
- Engine Ready to Fire
- Bodywork Complete (includes replacing wood in bed)
- Interior Complete
- Exterior Trim/Lighting Complete
34. Follow a “Fad Diet” for 2 weeks just to see if I can do it and to see if it actually works
35. Pull out the hard drive from my broken laptop and put it in an external enclosure so I can get all my files off of it.
36. Participate in at least one NaNoWriMo (see http://www.nanowrimo.org/)
37. Upload all my good photos to Flikr and continue to do so for the rest of the 1001 day period
38. Take a road trip up the California and Oregon coast
39. Visit 5 states I’ve never been to ( 0 / 5 )
40. Build another set of shelves for shot glass collection
41. Build something cool out of wood (excludes #40)
42. Go to a Broadway Show
43. Go to the Village Vanguard and listen to someone (anyone) play!
44. Replace all incandescent bulbs in apartment with new florescent ones
45. Go camping
46. Go to a Comic Con
47. Read something by 10 new-to-me authors ( 2 / 10 )
48. Buy at least two plants for balcony ( 0 / 2 )
49.Go to New Orleans
50. Ditch class less than 10 times in a single semester ( does not include sickness related absences)
51. Create an exercise routine and stick to it for 6 consecutive weeks ( 0 / 6 )
52. Go to a Shakespeare festival
53. Go to a Jazz festival
54. Go to the Opera
55. Go to the Ballet
56. Quit caffeine for a week just to see if I can do it!
57. Do at least 5 volunteer activities ( 0 / 5 )
58. Attempt to bake / make / cook 25 new recipes ( 2 / 25 )
59. Pay off my credit card balance
60. Do a weekly total-car cleanout for at least 12 weeks (0 / 12 )
61. Go fishing
62. Go sailing
63. Pay off all debt associated with my truck (see #33)
64. Create a journal and do at least 15 minutes of writing (by hand) in it each day for 12 consecutive weeks ( 0 / 12 )
65. Write a piece of short fiction every day for 30 consecutive days ( 0 / 30 )
66. Be more social by going to at least 20 parties / social events that I would usually shy away from ( 2 / 20 )
67. Buy a new 4 line kite and fly it at least 20 times ( 0 / 20 )
68. Get all 150 stars in Mario 64 for DS ( 0 / 150 )
69. ~~Make a new friend!~~
70. Engage at least 15 complete strangers in conversation. 5 of them must be of the opposite sex! ( 0 / 15 )
71. Ask one of the 5 women from #70 for their phone number :P (I’m really bad at this!!)
72. Read a book of poetry
73. Read at least 5 books on writing ( 0 / 5 )
74. Create a practice schedule for trombone and try to cement it into my head by sticking to it for 6 weeks ( 0 / 6 )
75. Shop at a farmer’s market at least 10 times ( 0 / 10 )
76. Read a book on song-writing
77. Walk from Tucson to Phoenix just for fun!
78. Buy a new cell phone
79. Try out an uberman polyphasic sleep schedule for at least 2 weeks! ( 0 / 2 )
80. Go to someplace verifiably breathtaking at least 15 times ( 1 / 15 )
81. Throw at least 5 parties! ( 1 / 5 )
82. Create a reasonable monthly budget and stick to it for at least 3 months ( 0 / 3 )
83. Write a novel ( other than #36 ) –revised and edited / first readers / first submissions
84. Subscribe to 10 more blogs that interest me ( 3 / 10 )
85. Co-write a non-fiction book about poker ( already have an idea in mind :) ) and publish it using a print-on-demand publisher
86. Take 5 voice lessons ( 0 / 5 )
87. Take 5 guitar lessons ( 0 / 5 )
88. Write a politician regarding a topic I feel strongly about
89. Buy a new suit ( bringing my professional outfits to a grand total of two! )
90. Sing karaoke!
91. Buy a skimboard and take it with me when I go to Hawaii
92. Trade out my current cleaning products for more environmentally friendly ones as they get used up
93. Take the bus to school instead of driving at least 50 times ( 0 / 50 )
94. ~~Replace office chair that hurts my back!~~
95. Spend an hour a week writing down memories each week for 20 weeks ( 0 / 20 )
96. Finally buy the huge whiteboard I want for pre-writing and storyboarding
97. Seek out at least one person I’ve inadvertently lost touch with and rekindle that friendship
98. Support aspiring artists / authors by buying 10 books or other media from a self publishing site ( i.e. Lulu.com) ( 1 / 10 )
99. Set up at least 2 jam sessions with musician friends
100. Give myself a guilt-free out on one of these items.
101. Create a new list when all other goals are completed!

K9's and Revelations

2009-07-26T13:58:00.001-07:00

So here I sit on what equates to my Friday night musing about an event that occurred last night that profoundly changed my attitude towards the crossroads I'm currently at in my life. This all happened while I was enjoying an evening swim to get some relief from the heat of the Arizona summer. After throwing the frisbee for my dad's dog, Nani, for a few minutes I ended upfloating on my back contemplating what the next few years in my life could possibly hold for me. I kept thinking how scary it was to truly be facing adulthood and a life on my own. I am graduating college next spring, if everything goes according to plan, and I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself after college.

Working full time seems to be a long road of long boring hours of sitting in front of a computer and very few vacation days. Or at least that's what I've experienced the past two summers working full time as a GIS intern. It also scares me to actually pick a profession because I feel like no matter what I do it won't live up to my expectations. The other path in front of me is a small business venture that I won't go into detail about but it deals with something I'm very passionate about but it also seems precarious at best. This is scary because instead of financial security and boredom I'm risking unemployment and copious amounts of debt. It feels like I'm stepping up to the diving board of life and behind me is my carefree childhood along with my teenage/college years and below me is the deep end of the pool of adulthood and on top of it all I've forgotten my floaties!

I've been thinking about this for a few minutes when I look up from my brooding and see Nani sitting patiently for me with her frisbee at her feet. That's when it hit me: this dog has it all figured out! I mean, sure she doesn't have the same cognitive reasoning skills that humans have but by God she has it figured out! She isn't pacing back and forth wondering whether the next frisbee toss will be better or worse compared to the previous one or what she is missing out on by chasing frisbees instead of using her time to pursue other paths. I swim over to where she's sitting and grab the frisbee preparing to throw it. Nani immediately stiffens with the anticipation of my next action and I quickly toss it to the middle of the pool. Without skipping a beat she runs and jumps with all her might and grabs the frisbee off the surface of the pool in one smooth motion. Never waiting, never second guessing, just going for it. As I dried off before heading to the shower I felt a renewed sense of confidence. It doesn't matter what I do as long as I dive into it with all the enthusiasm I can muster. I never thought I would learn one of the most important lessons of life from a dog and her frisbee.

Netbooks Becoming Big Cell Phones

2009-05-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Pictured is a new netbook by Always Innovating coming out in the next month or so that is very different from the current models on the market. Rather than using the ever popular 1.6 GHZ Atom processor (or 1.66 Ghz depending on the netbook), a regular hardrive and a Windows OS this little gem uses an ARM processor, Flash memory (no, not solid state, an 8 gig SD card), and a unique Linux based OS. The unique feature of this mini computer include its detachable keyboard ( all of the internals are behind the panel). You can use the touchscreen panel portion of the PC without having to "lug" around the keyboard. It uses a dual battery set up: one in the panel and one in the keyboard. The panel battery has a 10-15 hour battery life while the keyboard battery averages between 4-5 hours. This means you can pretty much run the batter for an entire day without having to plug in. The back of the panel is also magnetic so you can stick it on your fridge..I'm not entirely sure why..

After looking at this computer for a while I realized that it resembles an over sized cellphone. It uses a CPU that is very similar to the ones used in current smartphones, it has similar touchscreen functionality, it uses flash memory and many popular smartphone style OS's can be installed. I'm not entirely sure whether this makes this computer more or less appealing but it is definitely an interesting product that stands out in the current netbook market.

(Pictures Courtesy of CNET and Always Innovating)

Is it really time wasted??

2009-04-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that when you are down to the very last day before a deadline you become much more productive when it comes to things you dont need to be doing. I'm sitting here at 9 PM "writing a paper" for my globalization class. The topic is very interesting: Shade-grown coffee (http://www.shadecoffee.org/shadecoffee/) and I like the class and the teacher that I'm writing it for. I still can't focus on it! This is the second blog post I've written and I've been more active on Twitter, caught up on reading my emails, caught up on my facebook correspondance and written most of an email to one of my missionary friends. I'm like a machine of productivity when it comes to everything but what I need to do! What is wrong with me?!?!?!

Green Goals

2009-03-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Green Goals for 2009:
-Buy cloth napkins and use them
-Eat less fast food
-Take shorter showers
-Switch to more efficient light bulbs
-Buy and brew shade grown/fair trade coffee at home
-Buy and use microfiber towels instead of paper towels
-Eat less red meat
-Ride the bus to school every day
-Put all electronics on surge protectors and turn them off when not in use
-Seek out farmer's markets and shop there as much as possible
-Carpool more often

Just a few things I want to start/continue to do this year to reduce my impact!

Castle

2009-03-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been watching Nathan Fillion's latest role in ABC's "Castle" go to abc.com and catch up asap!! It is a Cop show fused with a mystery novel where Nathan plays the witty, though at times cocky and overbearing, novelist and Stana Katic plays his tough and straight-laced female-detective muse. Mondays at 9 on ABC! Go watch!!

Serenity 2 Please!

2009-02-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

I was trolling the Serenity/Firefly fan groups on facebook and I came accross some semi-exciting news about a possible second serenity movie. If you are not a fan of either Buffy or Angel I would skip to the end of the clip where he is asked about doing another movie.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Whedon-Buffy-Angel-1003015.aspx

Now we just need Universal or any other film company (besides FOX) to get off their asses and do something about it!

Yurtification

2009-02-04T13:38:00.001-08:00

Yeah so its been a while since I've posted...I suck at this whole blogging thing... Anyway the inspiration for this post came from my sister's posts on eco-friendly housing. Yurts have intrigued me for a long time and I thought I'd share this variation of eco friendly housing! They are Mongolian tent-like structures that can be a great alternative to cabins and trailers.

They can be used for camping, cabins, offices, yoga studios, or even instrumental practice studios ( No the yurt companies are not paying me for this post..) They come in a variety of diameters: from 10 to 30 ft which equates to an area of roughly 79 to 706 sqft. You can buy special wind and snow kits which have extra insulation to help keep you warm and your yurt from blowing away which is always nice. They are a little more utilitarian because they lack running water and electricity but if you have a semi-permanent place to set up your yurt you can easily add those in after the fact.

Yurt Info:

http://www.yurtinfo.org/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yurt

Yurt Manufacturers:

http://www.coloradoyurt.com/

http://www.rainieryurts.com/
http://www.spiritmountainyurts.com/

http://www.yurts.com/

Purty sweet eh? You guys might be visiting me in Washington in one of these some day!

Widescreen-er

2009-01-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

Phillips announced that they are going to start production this spring of a 21:9 aspect ration television. Put simply, the aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the length of its longer side to its shorter side: 1:1 being a perfect square, 4:3 being a standard definition TV and 16:9 being a high definition TV. You may have thought all your black bar problems were over when you bought your HDTV but were disappointed to find that they were still there, just smaller. This is because 16:9 is still not as wide as the aspect ratio of movie theatre screens which are all 2.39:1. Phillips' new 21:9 TV will bring the screen much closer to having the same aspect ratio as movie theatre screens: roughly 2.33:1. This will make those pesky black bars as good as invisible! The screen size for this monster is a massive 56 inches diagonally! More information is supposed to be available at the end of next month. We'll see if its as impressive as they claim. It seems like a good idea but I'm not sure if there will be issues with DVDs and blue ray movies that are scaled for different aspect ratios. I'm guessing it has a built in scaler chip but nothing is certain until they release more information. Its definitely an interesting prospect!

(Image Courtesy of Phillips Global)

Virtual Firefly

2009-01-14T09:20:00.001-08:00

Virtual Firefly is an awesome fan project that I stumbled on a couple years ago and just found it again. They are a group of Firefly fans that have decided that they need to keep it going by any means necessary. Some talented fans wrote scripts for the "missing" episodes that would have finished out the first season and have recently completed a 22-episode second season. All of the scripts are in PDF and are free to view and save for later viewing. The writing is pretty good so far (Ive only read 3 episodes) and they try to stay as close to Joss's writing style as possible.

Link: http://www.stillflying.net/

Enjoy!

"You can't stop the signal!"

Life Resolutions

2009-01-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

So as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of 2008 I found myself altering my New Years Resolutions, which I hardly ever take seriously, and turning them into "Life Resolutions" (better name to come..). We as a society have become very short term about our goals and I realized that thinking that way will only cause us to circle back around to the same problems in the future. I've learned a lot from my mistakes up until this point but I certainly don't want to re-live any of them. I started coming up with a mental list as we passed the night away playing "Seen It" and "Rock Band" (Alcohol +Rock Band=Pensive Mental State) Some of them are places I want to visit, some are things I want to do but the most important ones deal with what kind of person I want to be. The advantage of short term goals are the satisfaction of checking them off after they are completed. I guess I will just have to take comfort in the fact that I can cross them off mentally as I shuffle off this mortal coil. I will start posting them in a gadget here on my blog and I encourage all of you to do the same because the best way to accomplish goals is to actually make them.

Blog Overload!

2008-12-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

After starting my other two blogs I realized that I don't really have one where I can just talk about whatever random topic I feel like! So here I am talking about the fact that I can talk about anything..Isn't the Internet great?