Looking Back: 2010 Resolutions
In no particular order: Looking back I feel like I failed at nearly everything I wanted to achieve. I really didn’t do anything to push myself at all this year. I could choose to feel guilty about this, however, I am choosing not to. This year was a great year of rest for me. I chose to scale back on a lot of things. All in all, I feel good about my choices, spending more time with my family and worrying less about work and other pursuits. I’m happy about how 2010 turned out.Take out my camera for the love of it, and less about the money behind it.Wasn’t very often, but I did shoot some photographs, and quite a bit of video.
Didn’t shoot a single roll of film.
Didn’t get past the initial concepting stages.
I managed to keep this up for about 6 months, and then petered off.
My solemn vow
5 years later, I would say it exactly the same.
Today marks the beginning of a new journey. One I wish to not walk alone. One that I am both excited and terrified of. Not because I know what is to come, but that which I cannot know, see or fathom.
Though I cannot perceive the future, through courage I promise not to give up. Though there may be many trials, I will not turn back. Though I may fall down, I promise to get back up. Though I may run ahead, I will no leave you behind.
Understand that in my humanity, I am prone to falter and become weak. I understand that I am also capable of hurting you. I pray in these times I will not give into the powers of pride, bitterness, or contempt, but that I will look to love, respect, honor and humility.
Today as I stand here before the accountability of our friends, and our families I make to you a covenant. A pledge, a promise, a vow. One that is to last a lifetime. Locked in the symbolism of these two rings, I choose to continually learn to love you, and respect you for who you are. I will do my best to listen, when you need to be heard. I choose to progressively walk with you, through all seasons of life, through every color and every shade, in every hour of every day. This is the covenant I make to you.
iPhone4 & Me
I’ve been asked a few times now why I’ve chosen the iPhone, what kind of protection do I use on my iPhone, and what are some cool apps to download. I’ll try to briefly answer those questions here without boring the rest of you who are unfortunate not to own one.
OTHER OPTIONS
Honestly when it comes down to it, I don’t like the other options out there. When I heard the iPhone4 was coming out and all the specs and features were confirmed, I looked into every other option that could compete (Nexus One by Google, any number of Android phones, Palm Pre). For various reasons (namely 2 of those options don’t really even exist anymore) including poor usability I just wasn’t inspired to switch from an experience I was already more than happy to be a part of. Does that make me a fanboy? I don’t know, I don’t care. I’m just happy with my product and I’m sticking with it until I’m not.
PROTECTION
When I originally bought my iPhone 3G I bought a case for it along with a screen protector. After using the case for a month, I ditiched it. It made the phone chunky and awkward. The iPhone got dirtier than without the case on. And in the end the ultimate reason was because the case broke and I was no longer interested in dealing with any case at all. I never did put the screen protector on. After seeing other people with similar options and noticing all the little bubbles on their screen and lack of color, I was just willing to deal with the consequences of not having one.
My phone rarely leaves my hands or my pants pocket. I was very careful to place my phone in one pocket, and keep my keys and loose change in the other. That’s all I keep in my pockets anyways so that worked for me.
2 years later is my 3G in mint condition? No. Would anyone buy it if it was? No. Did I ever drop my phone? Yes. The backing of the phone is worn down, the seams are starting to come loose, there are a few scratches on the screen and there are a couple of scars from drops to the ground. The phone has been loved. It took a beating and kept on ticking.
APPS OF CHOICE
To begin with, there is a lot of good stuff in the app store, but there is even more junk in the app store. You will at some point buy an app and regret it after using it the first time. Deal with your loss and move on.
- Docked Apps - Phone, iPod, Mail and Calendar
These are my go to apps. These are the apps that I use more often than anything else. - Social Apps
Twitter - My favorite twitter client
Facebook - Who doesn’t have facebook?
Gowalla - A great and fun location based service. - Entertainment
Flixter - Theatre listings, Movie trailers, reviews, and upcoming stuff.
360Live - See which xbox friends are online without turning on your console.
Rdio - Best online music service of all time.
Shazam - Turn this on when you want to find the name of that tune.
Remote - Control your iTunes library from your iPhone.
iTV - See what’s on TV. - Productivity
TeuxDeux - A great to-do list. My favorite of many tried.
Simplenote - Great little note taking application
Reeder - The BEST RSS reader out there by far.
Converbot - Let this guy do the math for you.
Dropbox - No more need for that pesky flash drive. Sign up here. - Photography
Hipstamatic - fun little camera
Mill Colour - great free editing application
PS Express - another great editing application
Flickr - Flickr on your iPhone - Games
Bejeweled 2 - my facvorite 5 minute game
Scrabble - what else can be said?
Canabalt - a great way to pass the time. - Informative
Weather Eye - weather application
Yellow Pages - Look up some numbers
Dictionary - look up a word
Goofball Jones: iPhone 4 vs. All Those Android Phones
I was looking at getting the iPhone 4. I currently don’t have any phone, but I do have the iPad and I love it….so naturally I would think that going with an iPhone would be a logical choice as I can use many of the apps I have on the iPad with the iPhone.
But I also listen to people like Leo Laporte. He LOVES Android phones and talks about them all the time. So I looked into possibly getting an Android and this is what I found:
1. There is no “Android Phone”. With the iPhone you don’t really have to make any choices, it’s the iPhone. You get it, you use it. The only real choice is to either get the 16gig or the 32gig. You get the iPhone, you run the latest iOS on it.
Not so with Android. There is no one Android phone. So…do you go with the Nexus One? The Incredible? The Droid X? The Evo? The Eris? They are all different…some have different cameras, some have bigger displays. Some even have different UI’s….which brings us to #2.
2. Several different UI’s on Android. With the iPhone you have iOS…that’s it. Now some may say that it lacks customization and it doesn’t give users a choice, but on the Android you see where this becomes a quagmire. Some of the Android phones run Android 2.2, some run Android 2.1. Some don’t even run those versions. So when you get an Android you may or may not be running the latest software. You may or may not be able to run certain apps because you don’t have that certain OS version that it may need. And we’re not talking about older phones that may not be able to run certain applications like older iPhones do. Where’s Android 2.2 on the Evo? That’s a brand new phone, isn’t it? Why is it up to the phone company and manufacturer to insure the OS is upgraded?
Why do some phones have a different UI than other Android phones? Get an Evo and you get this pretty Sense UI on it. Have a buddy that has a Droid X? Sorry pal, your Android phone doesn’t run this. But wait, I thought it was all Android? Why do some Android phones run some things but others can’t? I want a Droid X with Android 2.2 and the Sense UI on it…do I have to jailbreak the damn thing just to do this? I thought this was all an open free-for-all system.
To be fair though, there may be some confusion with the new iPhone 4 and the older iPhones. Some new games may need the gyroscope only found in the iPhone 4 for instance…but I think the API is that you can still run those games on the older iPhones, just not with the same level of control. In my opinion it’s still not as confusing as the myriad of different options that you get with Android…which is both a blessing to some and a curse to others. To me it’s a curse. I’ve always found that less options breed more creativity in me. I know that sounds paradoxical, but it works for me.
Source: goofballjones
tnypxl: On Facebook Privacy
People constantly have their panties in a bundle about Facebook privacy. I get it, people don’t want their transparent lives (as presented on facebook) to be accessible all over the web or even a family member. Fair enough.
But one solution is to use discretion. Facebook was originally intended for walled gardens like universities, colleges and the work place. Now it’s a general purpose social network for not just students but family members, friends, co-workers, enemies, allies. So when you post those awesome photos of that kegger you attended, think twice. Your audience is larger and not as forgiving or forgetful.
But it’s not just the user’s lack of discretion. It’s the idea that walled gardens promote indiscretion. So when facebook finally opened up to everyone, the “like-minded” status quo began to wane. Your loud-mouth, crass antics are no longer welcome and are intensely observed by everybody and your mother.
To me the solution is simple. Use discretion. Turn down the transparency a couple notches. Then proceed to stop complaining about the privacy you so willingly give up to begin with.
Source: tnypxl
Foregone Conclusions
You were too busy steering conversation toward the Lord /
To hear the voice of the Spirit /
Begging you to shut the f*** up /
You thought it must be the devil /
Trying to make you go astray /
Besides it could not have been the Lord /
Because you don’t believe He talks that way.
- David Bazan
Just Got This Email…
My Uncle wrote this to me this morning:
Have a happy St. Patricks Day and remember to raise your glass of Guiness and give a toast to your 4th Great Grandfather, Richard Guinn, born in Monaghan Ireland in 1794, passed away Dec 1874 in Walkerton Ontario
PS - FYI you are related to the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D Eisenhower, your 4th cousin, four times removed.Who knew?
We Are More
BY: Shane Koyczan
When defining Canada
you might list some statistics
you might mention our tallest building
or biggest lake
you might shake a tree in the fall
and call a red leaf Canada
you might rattle off some celebrities
might mention Buffy Sainte-Marie
might even mention the fact that we’ve got a few
Barenaked Ladies
or that we made these crazy things
like zippers
electric cars
and washing machines
when defining Canada
it seems the world’s anthem has been
” been there done that”
and maybe that’s where we used to be at
it’s true
we’ve done and we’ve been
we’ve seen
all the great themes get swallowed up by the machine
and turned into theme parks
but when defining Canada
don’t forget to mention that we have set sparks
we are not just fishing stories
about the one that got away
we do more than sit around and say “eh?”
and yes
we are the home of the Rocket and the Great One
who inspired little number nines
and little number ninety-nines
but we’re more than just hockey and fishing lines
off of the rocky coast of the Maritimes
and some say what defines us
is something as simple as please and thank you
and as for you’re welcome
well we say that too
but we are more
than genteel or civilized
we are an idea in the process
of being realized
we are young
we are cultures strung together
then woven into a tapestry
and the design
is what makes us more
than the sum total of our history
we are an experiment going right for a change
with influences that range from a to zed
and yes we say zed instead of zee
we are the colours of Chinatown and the coffee of Little Italy
we dream so big that there are those
who would call our ambition an industry
because we are more than sticky maple syrup and clean snow
we do more than grow wheat and brew beer
we are vineyards of good year after good year
we reforest what we clear
because we believe in generations beyond our own
knowing now that so many of us
have grown past what used to be
we can stand here today
filled with all the hope people have
when they say things like “someday”
someday we’ll be great
someday we’ll be this
or that
someday we’ll be at a point
when someday was yesterday
and all of our aspirations will pay the way
for those who on that day
look towards tomorrow
and still they say someday
we will reach the goals we set
and we will get interest on our inspiration
because we are more than a nation of whale watchers and lumberjacks
more than backpacks and hiking trails
we are hammers and nails building bridges
towards those who are willing to walk across
we are the lost-and-found for all those who might find themselves at a loss
we are not the see-through gloss or glamour
of those who clamour for the failings of others
we are fathers brothers sisters and mothers
uncles and nephews aunts and nieces
we are cousins
we are found missing puzzle pieces
we are families with room at the table for newcomers
we are more than summers and winters
more than on and off seasons
we are the reasons people have for wanting to stay
because we are more than what we say or do
we live to get past what we go through
and learn who we are
we are students
students who study the studiousness of studying
so we know what as well as why
we don’t have all the answers
but we try
and the effort is what makes us more
we don’t all know what it is in life we’re looking for
so keep exploring
go far and wide
or go inside but go deep
go deep
as if James Cameron was filming a sequel to The Abyss
and suddenly there was this location scout
trying to figure some way out
to get inside you
because you’ve been through hell and high water
and you went deep
keep exploring
because we are more
than a laundry list of things to do and places to see
we are more than hills to ski
or countryside ponds to skate
we are the abandoned hesitation of all those who can’t wait
we are first-rate greasy-spoon diners and healthy-living cafes
a country that is all the ways you choose to live
a land that can give you variety
because we are choices
we are millions upon millions of voices shouting
” keep exploring… we are more”
we are the surprise the world has in store for you
it’s true
Canada is the “what” in “what’s new?”
so don’t say “been there done that”
unless you’ve sat on the sidewalk
while chalk artists draw still lifes
on the concrete of a kid in the street
beatboxing to Neil Young for fun
don’t say you’ve been there done that
unless you’ve been here doing it
let this country be your first-aid kit
for all the times you get sick of the same old same old
let us be the story told to your friends
and when that story ends
leave chapters for the next time you’ll come back
next time pack for all the things
you didn’t pack for the first time
but don’t let your luggage define your travels
each life unravels differently
and experiences are what make up
the colours of our tapestry
we are the true north
strong and free
and what’s more
is that we didn’t just say it
we made it be.
