Slow Week

I haven't put up a blog entry in almost a week.  I think this is mostly due to lack of things to say.  The only topic worthy of noting is the weather... man is it hot.  I'm so happy that I work inside on days like this.  At my prior job I would be out visiting construction sites all over Atlanta on a day like this... 108 degree heat index, noise, dirt, sweat... only to sit in traffic for 90 minutes after each day was finally over.  Wake up at 6:30am, get home at 7:30pm...ugh!

 

Now I get up close to 7am and get home at about 4:40pm.  My commute is 6 minutes (5 if I don't catch the light at Dean Rd).  And as luck would have it, my office is on the "cold" wing of the building.  The HVAC system in this building is on its last leg, and the temperatures are inconsistent throughout the building.  The south end stays very warm and the north end stays cold all day.  We proposed a new HVAC system for this building, but I hear it got put on the budget for 2014.... oh well.

 

We received our new Flip Video camera.  Its very tiny and fun to use so far.  I'm still learning how to dump the video and get it archived.  Soon I should be able to post little video clips.  I opened a YouTube account and that may be the most practical way to share video for now.  As for archiving the video... I need to figure out how to get them on to DVD's in a format that most DVD players can understand.  It takes video natively in am MPEG-4 format.  I don't know if current model DVD players come equipped to decode mpeg-4 video.  I'll get it figured out soon enough.

 

 

 

 

How to communicate with Dan

I went to a little seminar on Tuesday on "Dynamic Communication".  It turned out to be a little different than what I expected.  I had hoped to learn better ways to communicate effectively in general since I am not necessarily known to be the best communicator; and I definitely see the merits of fine-tuning such a skill.

 

It turns out that we primarily focused on an intricate system for profiling people's behaviors and personalities.  We started off by answering a series of questions.  The questions were somewhat vague and a little bit repetitive.  They would be things like, "Which of the following best describes you, and which of the following least describes you:  a) You prefer to lead the group  b) You prefer to work alone c) You value other peoples opinions on issues d) Your emotions affect your decisions, etc... "

 

When you are done you get a profile that ranks you in four categories by assigning you a number between 1 and 100 for each category.  It actually gives you two profiles.  One is your 'natural' profile and the other is your 'adapted' profile.  Apparently when you are around other people (like at work) you put on your adapted profile, but when you are home relaxed, you put on your natural profile.  The further apart these two profiles are, then more energy you expend while wearing your adapted profile.  Kind of like taking someone who naturally loves doing accounting work all day, and putting them into an HR job.  They would be a disaster and would probably quit or go postal.

 

Apparently a lot of big companies will use this system to determine what type of person they need to best fill a specific job opening.  They will have potential candidates take this brief quiz to help determine if they would be a good fit.  If you choose someone who has the opposite behavior/personality then both the employee and the employer will end up in a bad situation.  Apparently this happens often.

 

So anyway, what you are really dying to know is:  How can I best communicate with Dan?  Lucky for you, I now have a list of Do's and Don't when attempting to communicate with me.

 

When speaking to Dan DO the following:

• Keep at least 3 feet away from him.
• Listen to him.
• Give him time to be thorough, when appropriate.
• Respect his quiet demeanor.
• Provide details in writing.
• Make an organized presentation of your position, if you disagree.
• Use expert testimonials.
• Minimize risk by providing guarantees over a period of time.
• Use the proper buzz words that are appropriate to his expertise.
• Follow through, if you agree.
• Be prepared with facts and figures.
• Approach him in a straightforward, direct way; stick to business.

When speaking to Dan do NOT do the following:

• Use testimonies of unreliable resources; don't be haphazard.
• Threaten, cajole, wheedle, coax or whimper.
• Leave things to chance or luck.
• Pretend to be an expert if you are not.
• Make statements you can not prove.
• Be redundant.
• Dillydally or waste time.
• Be superficial.
• Use gimmicks or clever, quick manipulations.
• Make conflicting statements.
• Be disorganized or messy.

 

There you have it.  I spent 10 minutes answering a series of questions on their laptop and I now have instructions for how to communicate with myself.  I will not comment on whether or not I feel these lists are accurate.  Feel free to experiment.

Cameras at Traffic Signals

This is an FYI to the thousands of people who read my blog...

If you are driving through Auburn, AL and you see little cameras mounted on or near the traffic signals, those are not speed detection cameras. Those cameras are there to replace the "old style" loops that use to be inserted into the pavement for purposes of vehicle presence detection (to trip the signal when a vehicle is detected). The cameras simply detect the presence of a vehicle and actuate the signals accordingly. The cameras are setup to be pointed at specific locations so that it can tell when vehicles are cued up, as well as detection of approaching vehicles. In theory, it can see your vehicle coming so that it can change the signal at the most efficient time.

There is a good explanation of these cameras here. That link is for the St. Louis area, but the information is relative for Auburn.

Another "myth" that people seem confused about is that the old style detectors in the pavement are simply a wire that forms a loop and a magnetic field. When a vehicle is on top of the loop, it affects the magnetic field and sends a signal to the traffic controller. Many people think that the signals are tripped by weight; This is not the case.

You can usually see where the loop detectors have been installed because there is a thin groove cut into the pavement that forms a rectangular loop in the lane. Sometimes these are paved over when the intersection is resurfaced, but they are usually reinstalled after resurfacing. Also, the sensitivity can be adjusted on the loop systems. Sometimes it is too sensitive and vehicles turning left from the other street will pass by and trip it.

In summary: Old intersections use wire loop detection in the pavement. New intersections use camera detection. Not all intersection have detection.

New Laptop... for $398

Ok, I know we just bought a little video camera earlier in the week, but this laptop was totally budgeted for. Being the patriotic American that I am, I decided I would use my stimulus "rebate" to, in fact, help stimulate the economy (how convenient:).

We originally set aside about $1000 for a cheap Dell laptop (plus the full warranty that covers destruction of the laptop by our kids). Well, being the frugal (cheap) people that we are, the laptop purchase was put off for a couple of months. In fact, a lot of other odd expenses have been popping up lately and the stimulation money was beginning to fade.

As luck would have it this morning Trina showed me a Wal Mart ad where they were offering a $398 Toshiba laptop. I did some quick research and realized it would suit our purposes. We need the laptop primarily as a second Internet machine and a glorified word processor. That being said, it has specs comparable to the $600 Dells. The only thing it was lacking, in my opinion, was a decent processor. It utilizes and older model Celeron mobil processor. Knowing a bit about computers, I am familiar with the limitations of this processor. However, I also know that those limitations will barely come into play for what we plan on doing with it. The main thing is that it has 2 GB of RAM, which will work out just fine.

The other issue was that the sale was today, and each store only had about 10 units. My expectations were low at this point since it was already nearly 9am. Since I needed some additional ingredients for the Moroccan pepper sauce I wanted to make, I decided to make a trip to Wal Mart. It turns out they still had 3 units remaining. A quick browse of the side of the box to confirm the specs, a quick swipe of the infamous debit card, and the laptop was mine.

Now I just need to setup a wireless network. My buddy Ryan has an extra 802.11g router that he will let me use. So until I get it from him, we either won't have Internet access for the laptop... or we will 'borrow' the neighbors wireless connection (I'm still pondering the ethics of doing this).

Do-it-yourself closet

Despite my growing list of various completed home improvement and home maintenance projects, I don't actually consider myself a true do-it-yourself person.  I admit that if I had more cash laying around (or any for that matter), I would gladly pay someone to do these projects for me.  But alas, this is not the case and I am forced to become more and more handy as father time creeps along at a blistering pace.

 

My latest project is squaring off a corner of the "den" and making it into a new closet.  This is a portion of the room that is sort-of stuck off to the side and a closet logically, and aesthetically should fit.  The previous owners had a hideous indoor wood-burning stove perched in this corner atop a platform of bricks.  The bricks were obnoxiously mortared to the concrete slab and proved to be a battle to remove.  Fortunately, after about 3 hours of sweat, dust, and some blood, my new sledge hammer and I won the battle.  This is where I am today.

 

Busting out bricks was mentally easy as very little logic or skill came into play.  The next step, however, requires skills that I certainly do not yet possess.  In the past I have been able to triumph over various skillset shortcoming by taking advantage of Google and proceeding at a very slow pace (measure four times, cut once).  This time I am a bit concerned that true, acquired skill could be a prerequisite for success. 

 

I will be screwing into concrete, toenailing 2x4's, and hanging drywall to name a few of the forthcoming obstacles.  Not to mention framing and hanging a new door, patching the existing flooring, and potentially some wiring work.

 

Whether or not I win or lose, it should prove to be an interesting project.  I plan to post some pictures as I go along so that anyone choosing to read about this can criticize my work.

Politics & Complex Issues

I really don't understand how the average American (you and I) has such strong opinions on overly complicated political issues.  Things that come to mind are the economy, international wars, immigration, and healthcare.  These types of issues inherently involve many variables and factors that are all interconnected and work together to affect the outcome of any action influencing any component of a particular issue.

 

Lets take the economy, for example.  How is it possible that the average person (read, not a super genius) feels like he/she has all the answers?  In fact they don't; Still I hear things like, "The government needs to lift the ban on off shore drilling!".  A statement such as this is usually followed by the usual rhetoric about how environmentalists are so naive and don't have a clue about how things work, etc.  In reality, the person making this comment is no more educated on the economic or environmental effects on lifting such a ban as the generic stereotyped group they are opposing. 

 

What effects does drilling have on the environment?  Personally, I can not quantify these effects, because I have little education in that area.  I have no formal or informal education in environmental science or marine biology or any other field of study that would be required to assess the issue with some level of accuracy.  Does crude oil get into the ocean and kill marine life?  Do harmful gasses get into the atmosphere and hurt the environment?  Does it affect things beneath the surface that will have detrimental effects for years to come?  I have no idea.  Have the drilling techniques changed over the past 20 years?  Perhaps some of the original concerns that were present when the ban was implemented are now obsolete.

 

How will the local economy be affected if we lift the offshore drilling ban?  Will it lower fuel costs in the US and help throttle inflation?  If so, by how much and how long will it take?  Will it be permanent?  If you listen to the media you get extremely vague information like, "Drilling off shore won't significantly affect gas prices".  What is 'significant' and how did you come to this conclusion?

 

Then, of course, there is the cynical component of it all.  Who will get to build these off shore rigs?  Can you imagine the profits on drilling right off the coast of your home country where your refineries are located.  Not that I'm against a businesses making profits, but I hope this isn't the driving force with all other issues being neglected.  I mean, what better time to tap into previously sanctioned oil reserves than when fuel is selling at an all time high.  After all, the production costs have not increase (relative to inflation), only the demand.  But I shouldn't be so cynical right?  After all, I'm sure no oil investors have any ties to the political decision makers.  Even if there were a few ties, we are only talking about billions of dollars of potential revenue; I'm sure this isn't enough influence any of the key decision makers...

 

So how do you take a stance on issues like this?  Even if you assume that good intentions are abound, you still don't know how to work out the equation that includes all other variables.  I would be thrilled if, for once, I heard someone say, "I have researched the potential environmental effects of this and I have researched the potential economic effects of this, and although I don't know if my assumptions were correct or if things would work out as proposed, overall I feel like the potential environmental impacts are small as compared to the total potential economic impacts.  Additionally, an improved economy has a better chance of funding future environmental programs that could potentially 'offset' the impacts that are created during off shore drilling.  That being said, I am also aware of the possibility of substantial profits being made by big oil companies resulting in perpetuated off shore drilling as they indulge in high-dollar lobbyists and propagandized scare tactics;  Which is why I would like to see the duration of the ban lift perhaps tied to a date or economic indicator." 

 

There's nothing wrong with admitting that the issue is complex.  Sometimes it's best just to state your preferred outcome rather than state your strong, unfounded, opinions on what immediate actions should take place.  Personally, I want energy costs to be as cheap as possible without adversely affecting the environment that we have to live in for the rest of our lives.  My preference is that energy costs decrease as a result of long term changes in the way we (the world) uses energy and as a result of new sources of energy.  If we need to temporarily increase the supply at some expense to the environment in order to achieve a successful long-term energy-environmental equilibrium, then that seems reasonable to me.

 

 

Flip Mino

I've decided to trade off one gadget for another.  I ordered a Flip Mino by Pure Digital yesterday.  I will be selling my Canon 430EX flash that I never seem to use. It's Funny how I always buy first, sell later.  I do, however, confine my hypocrisy to a level that is mostly hidden from the public eye.

 

Being the frugal (read cheap) people that we are (I am referring to Me and Trina), we are a bit behind on the video camera technology.  I'm not even sure exactly what type of camera we currently have, but it is not digital.  Eventually I will have to buy a capture card for my PC and convert hours of analog video.  I'm not looking forward to this.

 

Every now and then I take a quick look at the various digital video camera options out there.  The problem is that no matter how long I wait, the technology keeps changing so fast I don't feel comfortable spending money on a new camera.  When digital cameras first came our they were expensive and recorded to a tape media.  Prices on those have come down, but then they release versions that record on mini dvd's.  As the mini dvd versions seem to fall out of favor, I begin to see versions that record on full size dvd's, hard drives, and solid state media.  Now that memory prices have plummeted, there are even more options for media types.  Of course the latest new thing seems to be "affordable" consumer HD digital video cameras. 

 

In the past, anytime I made an "electronic device" purchase I would do hours and hours of research and I probably ended up paying a lot more for features that other people deemed important, but that I would have never know the difference without them.  For example, paying more for a piece of RAM that has faster timings and higher frequency ratings - when in reality all I needed was more capacity, if that.

 

This time I decided to take a different approach.  I read about the new Flip Mino and how popular the flip video cameras had become.  People loved them because they were small and easy to use.  My first thoughts were that the video quality was probably horrible and the sound, and all the other little nuances that I would normally critique.  However, the more I thought about and read about it, the more I realized how all those things don't really matter in most situations.  The fact is that the video quality doesn't have to be impeccable to enjoy.  I'd much rather have the footage of my kids captured in VHS quality, then not have it at all because I was holding out for a "better camera".  The fact that this thing fits easily in a pocket, can be easily unloaded via USB, can charge in a USB port, and hold an hour of video means that I will use it all the time.  The coolest thing is that it only costs about $140 right now.  To me this means that if technology changes such that in 2 years I want to replace it with another "pocket style" video camera, then I didn't really waste my money ($140 for 2 yrs of video-on-the-go seems like a relative bargain).

 

And if I decide that we really need a fancy high-definition digital video camera, then we can make that purchase separately from this one.  After all, the Mino is a completely different animal than the full-size HD digital video cameras.  I think eventually we will end up with both, sort of like digital still shot cameras (one for carrying around every day use and a DSLR version for more significant events).

 

When the camera arrives, and I figure out how to use it... and I figure out how to compress the video... and figure out how to post on YouTube... I will put a couple of sample clips on this blog.

The Chinese Buffet

Once again I have been pursuaded to join my fellow co-workers at the local cheap chinese buffet. The act of pursuasion took approximately 4 seconds and went something like this:

Co-worker: Dan... chinaman food?
Dan: What time?

I don't know what it is about cheap american chinese food that gets my attention so easily. I don't really enjoy the sweet dishes, but rather the spicy ones. And once I start eating, I really don't stop until I feel so sick that I actually contemplate taking the rest of the day off of work. I am guessing my caloric intake during a Chinese buffet session exceeds 3000 calories. However, I have specifically avoided researching those numbers so that I can continue to eat in ignorant bliss. I always start off with hot and sour soup and I make sure to throw in some of those Chinese snap beans for a small dose of fiber. Other than those two items, I feel like I'm eating heart-attack-on-a-plate... but it's oooh so tasty.

I have noticed lately that my passion for the cheap Chinese buffet has flickered a bit. I don't know if I will ever be able to fully extinguish it, but for now my goal is to at least keep it under control. I haven't been running hardly at all the past 4 or 5 weeks, so I really can't even justify the meal in that regard either. Now that football/tailgating season is nearly here, I seriously need to consider my exercise and eating plan for the upcoming 6 months. So far, 32 years into my life, I have yet to figure out how to eat whatever I want and stay healthy and thin. I was fooled by my metabolism up until about 7 years ago. It's been an internal (and external) battle ever since.

Home Grown Peppers!

My cayenne pepper plant is producing a ton of peppers and im frantically trying to figure out what to do with them. I figured I would start with the most basic form of pepper sauce and work up from there. If course I can't ever leave well enough alone, so I decided that a little garlic salt in the recipe wouldn't hurt. It may still turn out to be ok, but so far the garlic salt made the appearance pretty bad. It didnt not dissolve into the the vinegar solution. Instead it collected at the bottom of the bottle like a bed of coarse sand. When the bottle is agitated it floats around making the entire bottle of sauce look pretty nasty. I will try to add a picture soon.

If it turns out to taste like an experiment, then I may try again using only vinegar and a very small amount of regular salt. After I get that down, I just found a recipe for some morrocan pepper sauce that I will attempt. It uses cloves of garlic, cumin, and olive oil... I am very much looking forward to this. Of course, I will post with some details on how it turns out.

Non Conformity

In my search to find more enriched sources of "biased" information, I stumbled upon the world of blogs. Most people, I think, have a tendancy towards unbiased news and information - and I generally agree with this concpet. However, lately I have discovered merit reading about other people's opinions on issues... and life in general. There are obviously many people much smarter than myself and many people that see the world from a different perspective than I do. I have been finding it very insightful and entertaining to read various blogs as they experience life in a manner completely different than me or other people I know.

One blog I have been reading through lately is The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau

Weather or not you agree with the way he chooses to live his life does not diminish how interesting his posting are. In addition to his regular blog entries, he wrote a short book (around 30 pages) that is downloadable in pdf format. Though the title may be a bit misleading, I highly recomment reading his brief pdf Guide to World Domination.

In addition to interesting concepts on how to live a successful life (as defined by Chris), he also posts a ton of extremely practical information that is likely applicable to most people that read his blog. I recommend giving it a browse next time you have 20-30 minutes to spare.

Good Weekend

The stay at the Cobb Lane Bed and Breakfast turned out very nice. I am really looking forward to planning another bed and breakfast trip in the future. We may even venture back here around Christmas time to stay while the house is decorated for the season.

It was very interesting eating breakfast in a very formal environment with 10 other complete strangers. It turned out that everyone was very nice and the conversation during breakfast was "light" and mostly centered around weddings and college football. It actually ended up feeling very casual, despite the initial intimidation of the formal setting.

After I woke up and had a shower, I drug myself into the living and dining area of the house to find one of the owners putting out some coffee. I gladly took a cup and made my way outside to the wrap-around porch where I sat in a wicker chair and enjoyed the solitude. The atmosphere was very relaxing during the morning hours. I hope that next time we visit we can arrange to stay for more than one day so that we can linger about in the morning for a longer duration.

As for the wedding on Saturday night: It was a nice wedding, held at the Rucker Place in Birmingham, AL. My friend from college, Sam Eskildsen, got married. Only days ago he quit his job in preparation for the wedding/honeymoon and then off to graduate school at Wharton. I know nothing really about the school other than it being very highly regarded. That being said, I am a bit jealous of Sam. I would absolutely love to quit work and go back to school. I still have yet to formulate a realistic plan for that.

Wired

This is what happens to little Henry when he doesn't get his regular naps.

Bed and Breakfast Booked

Trina and I are headed to Birmingham tomorrow to attend an evening wedding. As you may have guessed from my last blog entry I procrastinated booking a hotel room. Our original plan was to book a room at the same hotel that our friends Kevin and Heather were staying at. Of course by the time I got around to book it (yesterday), they were full.

Sometimes things have a way of working themselves out (for the better even). As I entered panic mode, I made my way to Travelocity.com. I typed in the address where the wedding and reception would be held. Travelocity spit out a list of hotels, distances from our destination, availability, travelocity ratings, customer ratings, and pricing information. I was impressed (assuming all of the information turned out to be accurate). The first thing I noticed was that there was a quaint looking bed and breakfast listed very very close to the wedding site. Even more interesting is that it appeared to have a vacancy. Somewhat skeptical I continued to scan. There appeared to me many options nearby; however, the nice hotels that were affordable were all booked. Ther nice hotels that were unaffordable had some vacancies but were too expensive. And then of course there were the 1-star hotels with vacancies and affordable prices, but required bearing of arms if you chose to stay there. So I decided to make a phone call to the bed and breakast to find out more.

No one answered so I left a message. I got a return call within 10 minutes and was greeted by what sounded to be a very nice elderly, yet spunky, lady. She described the bed and breakfast just as one would imagine. It is decked out in victorian decor and it located in the "trendy" part of downtown Birmingham and is only one block from the location of the wedding and reception that we will be attending. She also noted that there is a lot of vibrant activity in the area including nice restaurants, hotels, and other night scenes. And that most people visiting this part of Brimingham just walk around since everything is in close proximity. She compared it to the atmosphere of Buckhead in Atlanta. And yes, there was one room still available. The price for the room was even less expensive than the original Hotel that our friends had booked, which was about 3 miles out. And being within walking distance will work out great since we are sure to enjoy a cocktail or four. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the full home-cooked breakfast at 9 o'clock AM included in the price!

Having never been to a bed and breakfast, I am very much looking forward to it. Admittedly, it will be a little different and we likely won't have enough time to fully enjoy it, but I think overall it will be a good taste of what a B&B has to offer. I may even write a review on Travelocity when we get home.

Procrastination

"Procrastination is a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time." - Wikipedia

If ever I do manage to put aside my normal pastimes, and begin to direct my attention towards an item on my "to do" list... it never fails that I end up creating an entire new pastime to intercept my good intentions. This time it appears to be this blog that no one will ever read. Yet here I am.

Procrastination is a sickness, and an art. For me, my brain can simultaneously justify my current actions, while at the same time begin formulation a hyper, panic-mode strategy for bailing me out of the very action I am putting off. I suspect this is not helping me grow as a person. Sure, I have become increasingly clever at coming up with ridiculous off-the-wall justifications for most of the things I do (or want to do). In fact, this training has even helped me when I need to come up with quick excuses not to do something. That being said, I am fully aware that most actions/tasks can not be put off forever. The day of reckoning will come. Then I am forced to perform said action in a rushed, tired, weakened state. The results are generally sub par and I know it (although my brain does not allow me to acknowledge this for days after completing the task).

Of course, the conscious justification for procrastinating (at least for me), is that if I accomplish too much in too short of a time span, then I will simply move onto the next task on my todo list. As you know, there is no end to the list. This leaves me fearful of leading a life of never-ending task doing with no time left for leisure. My first inclination was to assume that my logic here was faulty. But my subsequent realization was that my conscious logic is correct because I have seen living proof: My dad and my brother! They are doers. They get stuff done all day long, every day. Now and then they pretend to settle down and read or watch TV, but it is only a front. Secretly they are planning their next 15 tasks in their head. I don't think I could handle a life where I feel like I should be getting something useful done all of the time. I truly enjoy the parts of my life where I blissfully pass the time on leisure activities while my "To Do" list ripens.

To be blunt, I think I will be a moderate to severe procrastinator forever. I have tried to quit, but I always revert. And the whole conscious fear of becoming a doer terribly overwhelming. I may potentially try a new plan one day for breaking my procrastination habit. However, for me to be willing to give it a shot, it has to be a really special plan. Simply planning to stop procrastinating will not work. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to share.

My first blog post!

I have about 15 minutes to spare due to my earlier-than-normal awake time. I slept well last night and I am beginning to formulate a theory on this. I noticed that the dog was not sleeping on my half of the bed. There is a definite pattern. Dog sleeps on my side of bed = poor sleep for me. It is still only a theory at this point, but I intend on controlling some variables and turning this into a full blown experiment.

I'm not real sure what I will write about regularly in a blog, but I'll see how it goes. This may be short-lived. I'm kind of curious how this concept works... initially I just assumed a blog was nothing more than walls of text entries made on a regular basis. However, it seems that most people have much more "sophisticated" blogs than simply journal-style text entries. We shall see I guess.