Life and Tech

2010-05-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

Moved my Personal Blog here. Please subscribe to the RSS feed if you would like to receive updates!

James

Another post, seriously!

2009-08-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

So I am sure some of you are going to read this and think, "Oh my God, another blogpost, it's been so long." I assure the absence is for good reason.

There has been a lot happening in my life, and I always promised myself that I would prioritize appropriately. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, this blog has suffered.

One of the things I have been working on is getting a business off the ground. I can't share too much about it, because it's still in the works, but I can tell you this: I am extremely excited and frightened at the things to come.

I have been working full-time for At&t for almost a year now, and have enjoyed the job overall. There are the daily frustrations and trials, but all in all, I have been blessed. There are things that I haven't been able to do, and I hate the fact that my schedule is put out a month ahead, but the regular 9-5 never worked for me anyway.

I apologize for the absence, and I hope you enjoyed the short update. Soon, I will be pointing you to my website, which will have a real url, if that means anything. Until then, Shalom!

Your and His,

James

Who will watch the Watchmen?

2009-03-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

So I promised a friend of mine that I would write about my thoughts on the movie The Watchmen, but I am afraid I am going to have to go see it again to form any type of opinion at this point. There are quite a few things I want to talk about, but to find the time to update this blog is beyond my abilities at this point, so, until I figure out how to juggle trying to work on a start up and juggle my current family and work life. I tend to drop things.

Over all, I will say this about the movie: I was happy with it, but I think it is because I went in without any preconceived notions about what it was going to be like. I was a huge fan or the director for what he did with 300, but Watchmen is a whole different ball game.

Anyways, there is a lot I am going to blog about soon, but again finding the time is....

Yours and His,

James

Keeping my end of the bargain.

2009-01-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

So I promised after the New Year that I would start to write again, rather just say I was going to start to write, in this blog. I was a little discouraged by the thought of starting a blog again, and then abandoning it shortly thereafter because life was getting to be too busy. What I realized was that if I am going to dedicate myself to something of this nature, then I would have to be intentional about maintaining it.

So now that it is a New Year, I thought I would start out by listing a few of my resolutions/goals for this year, as well as list out my favorite things of 2008.

Resolutions:
1. Get Fit. So this has been on my mind lately, and I think that with the recent diagnosis of my father's diabetes that my unhealthy weight is a stark reality. That compounded with the thoughts of not being able to keep up with my kids has put a sense of seriousness concerning this particular resolution. I am hoping to lose 150 pounds in 15 months. For those of you who are mathematically challenged, that's 10 pounds a month, which is a viable goal. No real plan yet on how to accomplish the weight loss, but I know one thing that I am definitely going to do: cut all soda out of my diet and exercise more.

2. Get Back into Photography. It is amazing that something once so important to me got tossed to the wayside. I hope to be able to afford a new camera sometime this year, but even if I don't, i hope to take more pics with my current PAS. It is actually a fabulous little piece of equipment, and since my wife has a kick butt printer now (thanks to a certain wonderful husband) I have the satisfaction of instant prints.

3. Become an Apple Certified Technician. I have been batting around the idea of becoming an Apple tech for sometime, and with a few things falling in place as of late, it seems like the right time to pursue it. I hope to be Apple Certified by the end of summer because there is quite a bit of studying needed to pass the required exams. Also, I am looking for someone to partner with to open a Apple Certified Repair Center. The only one in the NW Indiana area is in South Bend, so everyone from LP to Merriville has no options if they want a Mac or need one repaired. That's quite a market.

4. Live each day to the fullest. It seems that U.S. Cinema has been focusing on how important maximizing each day to its fullest. Countless movies, TV shows and books are about seeking those things that are most important in life daily, and if other things fall take a back seat, so be it. I hope to maximize each day to it's fullest potential, seeking things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, etc. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

5. Spend more time with the Family. I don't want to wake up one day and realize that my kids don't know me or my wife doesn't love me.

6. Sell my House in Lansing. 'nuff said.

Best things of 2008.
1. Seeing God move through so many people this year, it is truly overwhelming.
2. Becoming a member of a community of believers who get "it," whatever "it" is.
3. Getting a new job in which I can be awarded for performance and work in a field that interests and challenges me.
4. Receiving more Grace than I thought was possible.
5. Reconnecting with friends who I have not been able to because of distance or my own shortcomings.
6. Joining a lifegroup which is focused on fellowship and growth, and that can even be crazy fun at times. We laugh all the time, and I am thankful for non-judgemental extremely encouraging brothers and sisters in Christ.

Well, that is it for now, I will be updating more often. I plan on starting a routine for my days, as I have found that they are just too chaotic and are begging for some structure. Not to mention, without that structure, reaching the goals above or maintaining the relationships of which I am so thankful for would be impossible.

Yours and HIS,

James

Thought for this morning.

2008-12-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

David says in Psalms 73:21-22 "When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you."

Crazy Busy Lifestyle

2008-12-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

Since I have started officially at the new job, and since things are crazy busy around the holidays, I am going to put this blog off until after the New Year. IF there are very important things I need to update I will, but I have realized that my time is better spent with the family rather than trying to maintain a blog right now. So until things settle down a little, posts will be scarce. Sorry.

Crazy Busy

2008-11-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much time to post lately, but I promise, posts are coming. Life has been kind of crazy having started a new job (which I think I am going to enjoy) and trying to sort things out.

Things coming (so keep posted!):
1. More Mac Applications
2. Thoughts on the Lifechurch.tv series "Practical Atheist"
3. Some really cool technology things happening in medicine that is going to change the world.
4. Comments on the current issue of Wired magazine.
5. Life Updates.

I apologize that this post is lame, but I have to grab dinner. If you all are lucky, there'll be a post up tonight!

Yours and His,

James

Apple Opposes California's Proposition 8

2008-10-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Article can be found here.

It's pretty obvious that Apple is a company that I admire pretty intensively. In the Internet world, I would be considered a fanboy. But truth be told, I am not really a fanboy per se, because I don't unabashedly defend everything Apple happens to do as a Corporation. There are some things they don't do so well, but there are other things they nail.

Proposition 8 is a proposal to, as I understand it, limit or eliminate benefits for same-sex couples, and to eliminate California's legal recognition of same sex marriages. I could be off base, but from the "skimming" I did of the article, that's what the vote is about.

Anyways, as of late, same-sex marriage has been kind of a hot button issue in politics, especially among candidates riding a faith based campaign. It seems to me that there are a lot of ignorant people when it comes to the issue, as harsh as that sounds, and many (not all) of the faith based candidates are riding that train for votes.

I know that I may catch some flack for this, but here is my stance on the issue: I think that same- sex couples in America, deserve the same legal recognition as Heterosexual couples, if they are willing to abide by similar laws governing them. This is America, and as Apple states, I think this is a Civil Rights issue and not a political one. As our economy becomes more difficult, I find it even more important for people to have equal access to basic necessities like Health Care. Just my stance.

Public Service Announcement

2008-10-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

Just so everyone is aware, I am still polishing the layout and design of the blog, so if you come and see that it's different that what you saw before, don't be alarmed, you did type the url correctly, this blog is just a constantly evolving beast.

Also, previously comments were not open to the public (I didn't realize it wasn't on by default) so it is now enabled. You do not need a blogger or google account to comment on my blog, and know that comments are welcome and appreciated!

Thanks!

The Hardest Day of Work Ever!

2008-10-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

I would have to say today was the hardest single day of work I have had, ever. It wasn't anything different than I am used to, but it was just a constant flow of strenuous labor for about twelve hours. Digging in a basement, and then subsequently taking what you just dug out of said basement with five gallon buckets is by no definition fun. (Approximately 15,000 pounds of dirt and concrete.) And just when you think you made some progress, you turn around and shovel approximately 10 yards of pea gravel (literally 7.5 tons or 15,000 pounds) through a hole 16 inches by 16 inches wide. Finally, after laying drainage tile around the perimeter of the basement (40ft by 26ft), we had the lovely chore of mixing 65 bags of cement (which we also took down to the basement, 45@60 pounds, 20@80 pounds for a total of 4300 pounds) and finishing approximately 130 square feet of concrete. Not that I am complaining about it, but I sure am glad that I start at At&t on Monday! To break that down for you in hard numbers:

Total Weight Moved Today By 5 guys=34,300 pounds.

Total Weight Moved by Me (Figuring that we moved equal amounts, which really isn't the case, because not everyone pulled their own weight, so to speak.): 6,860 pounds (probably more!)

I am sore. Not about having to do the labor, but because of doing it.

Then I look at the results of all of that hard labor and am reminded of why I push through the pain and discomfort. Someone now has one less worry on their mind. It started to rain in Miller Beach as we were loading the trailer to leave at about 7:30 and I knew that what I did would keep this person's basement from flooding if the water got too high again. And that kind of security and peace of mind for someone makes it all worth it. My father always says, "If it's a job worth doing, it's worth doing right." That's something that I'll never forget, and even though work ethic is something that can be taught, it's best learned by following the example of someone who knows the meaning of integrity and hard work.

It was a rough day, and after popping a couple of Tylenol, I'm going to bed. G'night Ya'll

Yours and His,

James

Best Free Software For Macs-A Truncated List

2008-10-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

As more of my friends become Mac users, I thought it would be helpful to turn them onto some free software that power users use on a regular basis. I just thought I would post this up as a guide for some programs that you may not be aware of. If you know me well you know that I am a militant Apple user.

For those of you who are new to Apple computers in general and are just getting into using your computer more, there are often Windows alternatives to the programs I list (even some of them are available on both platforms) so if you are interested, Google them or just shoot me an email and I'll give you the info.

Not all of this software is completely free. Some might be shareware, freeware, or cheapware. Not everyone is going to find value in this list, but hopefully you might find something useful. I am an avid believer in all things free, especially when it comes to software, but some of these developers do deserve donations or the small fee they request for their respective software.

1. Quicksilver
Quicksilver is a program that I use on a daily basis, in fact I use it more than any other program on my Mac. Available for both Intel and PPC Macs, it is a great replacement for Apple's Spotlight. I use it primarily to call up files and launch programs, but it is more powerful and useful than just that. If you are up for the challenge, Quicksilver can be customized do work in exactly the way you want it to, without having the program be bloated or overcomplicated. With a keystroke you can call up a program or file and immediately launch it or alter the file in any way you might need. Extremely useful if you don't want to actually open a file in a program to edit it in some way. Also, there is a tutorial for Quicksilver on Youtube.com, you can find it here.

2. Firefox
Even though Safari is a great web browser, Firefox is leaps and bounds better for the avid web surfer. There are thousands of ad-ons that streamline your browsing experience. Firefox's bookmark management is great, and the over-all user interface can be customized to your specific browsing habits. A couple ad-ons I can't live without are Ad-Blocker Plus, and Google Toolbar.

3. App Cleaner
If you ever want to fully remove a program from your Mac, this program is essential. Even though you can simply delete a program by dropping it into your trash bin, there are occasionally file extensions that don't get deleted with the program. App Cleaner searches for these files and makes sure they get deleted correctly. In addition to programs, you can also delete Dashboard widgets with ease, also eliminating any rogue files.

4. Adium
If you are like me, you use multiple chat clients including iChat, MSN Messenger, AOL Instant messenger, Yahoo, and others. Adium allows you to log into a wide variety of chat clients within one program, eliminating the need to log into more than one chat client. Like the other programs on this list, you can customize it extensively, and of course, being on a Mac it's gotta look and Adium's interface is quite aesthetically appealing.

5. Sticky Windows
Sticky Windows is a nifty little program that helps you clean up your workspace by letting you "tab" the windows, much like a web browser. It's really useful if you frequently have lots of windows open like I often do.

6. Freedom
Sometimes we all need a little motivation, Freedom does just that. It blocks your Internet connection for a specified time, allowing you to get things done. I easily get distracted by the Internet, and Freedom is a simple way to eliminate that distraction. One note though, if you set it, make sure you don't want the Internet to be on, in order to cancel Freedom, you must reboot your Mac.

7. Ecto
If you maintain a blog you need Ecto. It allows you to write your blog without being online, and also has additional features to streamline writing your blog. If you write daily in a blog, Ecto is a lifesaver.

8. Skype
Skype allows you to make phone calls to other Skype users for free, and to land and mobile lines very cheaply. You can also get many of the same amenities you can get with regular phone service, including voice mail and your own phone number which can be called from regular phone lines.

That's it for now. I have many others, and many suggestions for programs if you are looking for a free or low cost alternative for mainstream software.

Inaugural Post

2008-10-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

It has been a while (about 5 years) since I have kept a weblog, and a lot of things have changed since then. I have witnessed the birth of my three children, celebrated five years of marriage (now in it's sixth year), and have changed jobs three times.

I have been back in LaPorte for approximately 9 months now, and I have to say it's the happiest I have been in a long time. That's a peculiar statement because I am living with my folks, trying to sell or rent my house in Michigan, and have been struggling to keep the financial front steady. But yet, I am happy. I have spent the last 8 or more years trying to chase things that have no real value, no eternal reward, and I have grown weary. I feel like now, when I have been stripped to my core, relying on others to carry me through, and in turn growing in the process, I have been brought to a place of real peace. In my most desperate time, when it required me to swallow my pride, admit some mistakes, and receive grace I have been given an immense amount of clarity about my future.

So that's partly why I am beginning to blog again. I have written in a journal for a while privately, but haven't really opened myself up to others in a blog for a long time, and I have kind of missed that response I used to get when I would make a new post.

This blog is going to be a chronicle of my life, but it's going to be so much more than that too. I am going to talk about one of my greatest interests, technology and computers, as well as other day to day things like news, life, and the Internet. I will also share insight and inquisition about Spirituality and Jesus. One thing I won't do is limit what can be discussed on this blog, and I won't edit or limit comments. I hope to foster growth among the people who know me or read this blog as well as sharpen myself in the process. I hope that you will commit to reading, as well as commenting, and be open to the learning and growing that we can experience together.

Yours and His,

James