Day 31 - January 31, 2010

Two products I'm curious about, and looking forward to this year.

Sezmi TV

Lenovo's IdeaPad U1 (both PC and Tablet)

Day 30 - January 30, 2010

Carrot Chasing. Sometimes the ever elusive carrot is the only motivation needed. What's my carrot? What is it that keeps me going?

Day 29 - January 29, 2010

Footprints. "Wherever you go, you always leave a footprint." I came across this quote today posted on a wall. I tend to think that I don't have an effect on anyone else, I tend to think that I am fairly forgettable and commonplace, but it is inevitable. We leave a mark wherever we go. I took a minute to let that fact sink in, and then I began to think about whether the footprints I've left behind have left a positive impact or a negative one, and for the most part, I have to admit, they've been negative. I build walls instead of bridges. And I think, how can I change that? How can I change for the better?

Day 28 - January 28, 2010

Marathon. One of my goals this year is to train for and run in a marathon. It's something I've been wanting to do now for a few years, and instead of coming up with excuses as to why I can't, I figure I may as well just go for it. I'm trying to build up to running three miles. If I can make it three miles, I can make it twenty-six. Three miles, here I come!

Day 27 - January 27, 2010

The buzz in the air today has been about Apple's new tablet/ereader- the iPad.

I was intrigued and slightly disappointed all at once. This product had been built up so much over the past month, and Steve Jobs touted it as the most important contribution he's ever made, that the disappointment of the masses is a given, but it seems like nothing more than a glorified iPod. I felt the pricing excessive, $500 for the base model. I'm not crazy about the name- iPad. I personally preferred something like iSlate. You can't write on the screen with a stylus, which has been basic on Tablet PCs for years. I would not spend  $500 plus an additional $30/month for wi-fi on this device. I'd have to test it out myself to be sure, but I'd rather get a TabletPC for the money that has more storage and more capability. As a mobile device, this product is excellent, but instead of enlarging the iPod, I would of translated the technology of Macbook Air into a tablet and added the stylus/handwriting recognition.

Day 26 - January 26, 2010

Issuu.com. New favorite site. A vast array of magazines and self-published material (lots of portfolios) can be viewed, bookmarked, and downloaded. Excellent site!

Issuu - Publish Yourself

Day 25 - January 25, 2010

Infographics. One of the best series of books I came across in grad school were the visualization series by Edward Tufte. As I was browsing the internet, I came across infographics- presenting data and information in a visual way. Some of the examples I've come across have been pretty interesting. Below are some examples of visual resumes. Could this be the future? It's definitely a way to stand out.

Day 24 - January 24, 2010

I first learned about Mind Mapping in a graduate course I was enrolled in a year ago. They serve as an idea generation device, an organizational tool, and a memory tool. I've used them on several occasions, but never to a great extent. I'm re-sampling this software program called VUE, that works much like a mind map, so I'd figure I'd post it as today's entry.

VUE Open Software

Day 23 - January 23, 2010

 I watched this TED video today, after not having seen it for a while, and aside from being struck by the content of the video itself, I glanced at his bio and was fascinated that his job description is that of a 'creativity expert'. How awesome a job would that be? I'm fascinated by the way people think, and by the intuitive process of creativity in general.

Day 22 - January 22, 2010

Smaller chunks. I often take on projects that tend to be more than I can chew, and end up feeling overwhelmed and never finish them. In the spirit of accomplishing more, I've decided to stop dreading getting projects done in one shot, and begin focusing on doing a little bit of the project each day. We'll see how this new strategy works over time.

I'm also hoping to get into reading a book, The Power of Full Engagement, that talks about energy, not time, being our most vital resource. Harnessing life's energy seems to be a topic that keeps popping up in my life so I figured I should look into it in a little more depth.

Day 21 - January 21, 2010

It's still early in the day. I'm experimenting with keeping up this via email, so we'll see how this goes. For some reason I've been thinking a lot about the silly diets fast food chains try to push on people on order to sell more of their product (thank you, Jared from Subway). Lately, Taco Bell has been advertising how a woman lost 50 pounds eatig their fresh fit meals, but all I'm thinking as I watch the commercial is Taco Bell? Really? Taco Bell? I can at least buy into the fact that Subway might have some heathy menu choices, but Taco Bell?

In the spirit of crazy fast food diets, and crazy diets in general, I've decided to try and come up with some crazy diet plans/workout plans of my own. I had some in mind earlier, let's see if I remember what they were:

• The I Acutally Clean My House On A Daily Basis Workout Plan (or it could be, The I Haven't Cleaned

My House In A Month So Now I'm Cleaning It All In One Shot Workout Plan)

• The I Have a Toddler I Run After All Day Workout Plan

• The I Super-Size my Value Meal, But Get it with a DietCoke Diet

Day 20 - January 20, 2010

Stuff. I was preoccupied with objects and belongings, the storage and organization of them, the sorting and removal of them, and I began to realize how attached we can become to the 'objects' in our lives. The people in our lives can even start to become objects in a way when we no longer see them as individuals, and we can take them for granted. I feel like I accomplished a lot as far as de-cluttering my home, and it's good to see immediate results for all the effort I put into something. Maybe I just need to find an occupation where there's immediate results, where the effort put into a project can clearly be measured rather than subjectively torn apart. Maybe something that deals with stuff.

Day 19 - January 19, 2010

Little Things. One of the most satisfying positions I've held lately has been a freelance writing position in which I don't make a cent, but get to see my name in print once a month that I get to show to friends and family on occasion and that thousands(?) of people I've never met get the pleasure of reading. As I continue to work on the article this week, I kept thinking of a verse in the Bible that spoke of being faithful in the little things so that you may be entrusted with greater responsibilities and rewards. I've had a hard time being faithful with the small things in my life, but I'd like to turn that around, and become more diligent in all the little things that I don't give a second thought to, just by being more present and engaged in my life.

Another thought, perhaps my new mantra should be Communication is Key. I've come to realize how important communication is in life. Most of the time, we think we are communicating, but most of the time, we aren't.

On a side note, I <3 the internet.

Day 18 - January 18, 2010

For some reason I keep coming back to this, I'm not sure what it is that draws me to Steampunk- I think it's the craftsmanship. One day I'd like to work on a project like this.


Steampunk Keyboard

Day 17 - January 17, 2010

This is just a thought. I've recently decided to quit drinking soda, being that soda is one of the worst beverages to drink. It's a little late for New Year's resolutions, but I began to think what other wasteful things could be cut from my lifestyle, like TV watching. I don't think of myself as much of a TV watcher, but I do have certain shows I watch regularly, and I watch at least 10 hours of television a week, possibly more if you include movies. I grew up in a household where the TV was always on, and I am used to watching my fair share of TV. My hope is to quit soda cold turkey. Two weeks into it-- so far, so good. What if I were to abstain from watching television for a year? Could I do it? I don't know. I look back and think about all the hours of my life I've wasted vegging in front of the television. I used to think it that was the norm, and maybe it is, but then again, maybe it isn't. It gives me something to think about.


This poem from grade school comes to mind...

Jimmy Jet And His TV Set

by Shel Silverstein

I'll tell you the story of Jimmy Jet --
And you know what I tell you is true.
He loved to watch his TV set
Almost as much as you.

He watched all day, he watched all night
Till he grew pale and lean,
From "The Early Show" to "The Late Late Show"
And all the shows between.

He watched till his eyes were frozen wide,
And his bottom grew into his chair.
And his chin turned into a tuning dial,
And antennae grew out of his hair.

And his brains turned into TV tubes,
And his face to a TV screen.
And two knobs saying "VERT." and "HORIZ."
Grew where his ears had been.

And he grew a plug that looked like a tail
So we plugged in little Jim.
And now instead of him watching TV
We all sit around and watch him.

Day 16 - January 16, 2010

One Day. Can one day have such a profound effect on someone that it redirects the entire course of their lives? That it completely changes their perspective on life, and all they thought it could be? Over one year ago, I had a day that had a profound effect on me regarding someone else, and I can't help but think that it had just as profound an effect on him, but there's no way to know for sure. We have a hundred miles between us, and although our paths intersected for a while, it seems we have pursued separate courses in our lives. There's no way for me to find out aside from coming out and asking him, but I'm afraid of finding out that it was just another day for him, that it didn't matter to him, that I don't matter to him because it's happened before. I don't want to let the past dictate my present, but the events of the past have caused me to question my own judgment when it comes to men. I hate that, after I feel I've truly found someone I connect with, I'm hesitant to let him know how I feel because of being hurt by someone who wasn't the right person for me. Those wounds are still tender. Why would I want to create new ones?

One day affected my life more than so many others that have come and gone in a blur. I can only hope it touched him as well. Perhaps, one day is all we'll have. That's more than some. I'm comforted by the thought that it's not the quantity of time you may spend together, but the quality of time you spend together.

Day 15 - January 15, 2010

I've come across a great program called Evernote for use with the iPhone and your computer that helps you store and organize what inspires or grabs your attention as you come across it, and it keeps that information synced between the two devices. I've already begun using it, and so far it's been excellent. I look forward to seeing how it progress as I add more and more info to it.

Check out Evernote. Basic membership is free.

Day 14 - January 14, 2010

I'm feeling sluggish. I need to find a good way to re-energize. I definitely need to start working out again because staying in good shape just helps me find that energy throughout my day, but it's so hard to take that first step back into the routine of working out every day.

On a different note, I did come across an awesome new musical duo that I saw perform on Conan once, but never gave it much thought, and now that I've heard them again, I don't know how I overlooked them. They are a guitar duo named Rodrigo y Gabriela, from Mexico City that's toured all over Europe. Their style is flamenco with a heavy metal background- I know it's an unusual combination, but when they give flamenco that acoustic metal flair, it's incredible!

I also stopped by the library today, and picked up some home decor books hoping to find some ideas as far as what I could design for the apartment out front. I need to get the scanner out.

Day 13 - January 13, 2010

What's my motivation?

Day 12 - January 12, 2010

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding,  subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. 

Here are the winners: 

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you  realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a  hillbilly.

5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future. 

6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about  yourself for the purpose of getting laid. 

7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high 

8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer. 

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido : All talk and no action. 

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly. 

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

Day 11 - January 11, 2010

I've come to realize that not all inspiration is grandiose or ethereal. Sometimes it could be that something simply catches my eye, or makes me step back for a moment and think, or that something makes me chuckle. With all the other demands on my day, it seems there's little time for inspiration and insight. I definitely need to make more of a concerted effort to find a time to simply be still in my day, but I also need to stop looking so hard and just let things come as they may.

On a complete separate note, I'd like to pat myself on the back for having stuck with this blog for ten days! I hope to make it the entire year!

Day 10 - January 10, 2010

The thought that's crossed my mind the most lately has been that of making dreams a reality. There are so many things I feel I want to accomplish. There are so many paths I can follow that it's difficult for me to choose one. All I know for sure is that I've been living too safely, afraid to take a risk, paralized by thoughts of failure and humiliation. I can continue to live my life half-asleep, merely going through the motions, or I can wake up and take charge of my actions and take responsibility for my life.


Dare to dream, but also dare to put your dreams in action. Perhaps I'll find my dream, if I dare to live it.

Day 9 - January 9, 2010

Saw the movie Invictus. Aside from the uplifting and inspiring message of the movie, I found myself moved by the trials Nelson Mandela suffered and by the fact that as horrible as his circumstances were, he surpassed them. After spending 27 years in prison, having been wrongly convicted, he emerged a better person and forgave those that oppressed him. I looked up the poem by William Ernest Henley, and decided to post it here as a reminder that we are more than our circumstances.

William Ernest Henley. 1849–1903

Invictus

OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance	5
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,	10
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:	15
I am the captain of my soul.

Day 8 - January 8, 2010

Being present. That's the thought of the day. How can I be more present in my life? The present is all we have. Yesterday has passed. Tomorrow may never come. The present moment is all we have, and I take it for granted. "Life is in the experiencing of experience." Being in the moment, even the lowly, seemingly inconsequential ones that don't seem to matter, but that truly are the very essence of who we are. In many ways prayer is a form of being in the moment, of slowing down and being still, of getting out of your own head and looking at the larger picture and seeing how we are all connected to one another. So, whether it be sitting down for a meal, getting through another day at work, spending time with friends and loved ones, or cleaning the bathroom, I will strive to be present in every moment, and be fully engaged in life.

Day 7 - January 7, 2010

In listening to the Not So Big Life audiobook in the car today, a phrase in the book struck a chord with me- Follow the Synchronicity. I tend to have a preset picture in my mind of how things will turn out in my life, but rarely do things work out the way I imagine them. Instead of stubbornly sticking to the mental picture I have in mind, I've decided to be more open-minded about things and follow the synchronicity. Rather than expend all my energy going against the currents of my life in order to try and force it to line up with a preset image I had in mind, I will work on being more receptive to the opportunities that present themselves and take life as it comes. Who knows? Life may surprise me, and things might turn out better than I had imagined.

Being the word-nerd that I am, I looked it up online:

syn·chro·nic·i·ty 

n.   pl. syn·chro·nic·i·ties The state or fact of being synchronous or simultaneous; synchronism. Coincidence of events that seem to be meaningfully related, conceived in Jungian theory as an explanatory principle on the same order as causality.   An image that comes to mind when I think of synchronicity is that of the labyrinth.

Day 6 - January 6, 2010

Today I've spent a large part of the day thinking about money. Our lives are spent obsessed with money, obtaining it to live comfortable lives, obtaining it so that we can spend it on ourselves. I have a weird relationship with money in that I know its value and importance, but I hate money. I hate that we need money. I hate that we give our lives over to the pursuit of money. I've found that the more I focus on money, the more miserable I am and the less I have of it. What if instead of living our lives chasing after money and material gains, we focused on what truly fills our lives and brings us joy? It seems like such a simple concept, but it's a difficult one to put into action. What if this year I focused on what truly brings me joy, on what I'm actually good at and passionate about, what fills my soul rather and serves others than on simply earning a paycheck? I might not gain much of monetary or material value, but I think my life would feel blessed because I wouldn't feel burdened by those concerns. I feel extremely burdened by the poor financial decisions I have made in the past, and my lack of financial means in the present, but maybe that can turn around this year. Maybe I can start by volunteering somewhere.

Day 5 - January 5, 2010

Today was not a productive day, but the day isn't over yet. On the docket tonight, I'll be looking through a book entitled Compact Houses to get some ideas on some house plans I'm working on for my father. Small houses get me thinking about Susan Susanka's Not so Big House series, and that reminded me that I should finish reading her book, which I've been listening to in my car. If anything, The Not So Big Life has gotten me thinking about the patterns in my life I may need to change, and that the only way to change those patterns is to find their source. I'm not sure whether I should pick up where I was, or whether I should start it fresh. I think I'll pick up where I left off in the audiobook, and start from scratch with the book.

An interesting quote I came across from a friend on Facebook-

"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." ~Toni Morrison

The question that follows from that is what book do I really want to read, and has it been written already?

Day 4 - January 4, 2010

I began to work on the updated version of the building poster. Downloaded some images, and began thinking about the layout. Not sure how it will turn out, but I've got about 20 images to work with so far. Still deciding whether to work in Photoshop or Illustrator.

I also picked out some new backgrounds for my phone, and it got me to thinking that I could probably come up with some clever designs for a background.

Day 3 - January 3, 2010

It amazes me how little time I spend being aware or receptive of my environment. An expressed effort has to be made to find time in my day to just sit and absorb life.  What do I find inspiring? I am inspired by ideas, by the beauty of nature, and by the elegant expression of others' creativity. My own creativity is stiffled. It has been for a while. I'm hoping this blog will change that.

Day 2 - January 2, 2010

Fiddling on my Guitar

Today didn't feel very inspiring. I spent most of the day cleaning house, but I managed to find some time to play around on the guitar for a while this evening, and in the process, a tune popped into my head. I'm not sure if anything will come of it. Who knows? It could unexpectedly lead somewhere. I'm working on learning various scales on the guitar, and that has rekindled my desire to write songs, even if only for myself.

I've spent a couple of hours trying to upload the sound clip. I'm about to reach my breaking point. There has got to be an easier way to upload this stuff! Some days involve more perspiration than inspiration!

I managed to upload the sound clip. I can now embed sound into this blog, which provides me with another tool in my creative arsenal.

Day 1 - January 1, 2010

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

I came across this video, and it struck me, not simply because of the product, but because of the thought process that went into envisioning this device. It translates the visual language of the magazine from static paper into a digital, dynamic medium, and rethinks the interaction that takes place between the reader and the words and images on the page and how that interaction looks and feels.