tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39120943500388670722024-02-19T04:26:12.490-05:00Bishop UniverseWhat's going on in the Bishop Universe.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-82504570096327210132017-06-20T07:00:00.000-04:002017-06-20T07:00:26.913-04:00A Change In Direction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes life keeps you <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/moving-forward-when-you-cant-see-the-road/">moving forward</a>. Sometimes you need to take a turn.<br />
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<b>An End To Reviews</b><br />
For the better part of the first half of this year, I have been doing book reviews. Over the years I have had several people ask me what books I enjoy and which I would recommend. I’ve written about <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/my-top-5-books-of-2016-and-my-top-4-of-all-time/">my favorite books as a end of year recap</a>, and still plan to continue.<br />
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At the time, it made sense to me to start creating full book reviews for people to have more information on the books I read. It’s something I’ve considered doing for a long time, so I began releasing one every other week.<br />
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<b>A Review of Reviews</b><br />
Sometimes it’s important to review the tasks we focus on to make sure they are the best use of our time. I can’t recall seeing any feedback on the reviews on the posts themselves or in social media that show that they are worth the time it takes to create them. It’s something I’ve been paying particular attention to in the last couple months.<br />
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It’s something I have to consider as I think about the other areas in which I want to focus my time. With several daily things on my plate, I think it’s time to redirect my energy elsewhere. I may at some point do this again, but for now I have a new area to share my experiences - in a new direction.<br />
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<b>A Visual Change</b><br />
And so instead of working on book reviews here, I will be posting about my experiences with my video work in the near future. The posts will be about new and upcoming projects, techniques I’ve learned, my discoveries and experiences, and more.<br />
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Of course I will still be posting to <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/blog">wowfulliving.com</a> and <a href="http://altaredview.com/">altaredview.com</a>. This will simply be another avenue for me to share my life experiences and learnings to help others and provide a common love of something fun.<br />
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I hope you will take a few minutes to head over to the new blog when it is available, to see what’s going on. And I hope you find some new and exciting directions of your own.David Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956333663601936534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-37926221932742814752017-06-06T07:00:00.000-04:002017-06-06T07:00:23.766-04:00Making the Most of Yourself<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This may be my shortest <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/my-top-5-books-of-2016-and-my-top-4-of-all-time/">book</a> review. So why aren’t you jumping in? It’s short.<br />
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<b>The Overview</b><br />
This book is quite simple. It’s written by a Silicon Valley insider who helped start PayPal and it’s about making your <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/is-your-job-worth-you/">career</a> all you want it to be.<br />
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The premise is about treating your career as if you were your own start up. Instead of just focusing on what your employer requires of you to <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/three-simple-steps-to-a-better-life/">improve your life</a>, you are the captain of your ship, and you decide how to make the most of it.<br />
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<b>The Recommendation</b><br />
Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. It’s an inspiring and motivational <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2010/02/when-money-is-curse.html">book</a> with a lot of good tips and ideas. It’s a book that will, on one hand, encourage you to make the most of your career and your life, and, on the other hand, inspire you to be more and do more.<br />
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Whether you are just filled with entrepreneurial drive or want to make the most out of your day job, this book is well worth the price of admission. Go ahead and give it a try.David Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956333663601936534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-71875491418112719562017-05-23T07:00:00.000-04:002017-05-23T07:00:03.464-04:00The Book about the F Word<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here’s a book that I think will freak a lot of people out. Is it about genocide? No. About violence and war? No. About sex, drugs, and rock and roll? No. It’s about equality.<br />
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<b>A Grave Misunderstanding</b><br />
I am surprised at how many people misunderstand what feminism means. In fact, I worry it’s one of those words where the word itself has such a stigma that the reaction to just the sound of it is strong and immediate even if the concept is something people agree with.<br />
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Recently a woman who was highly successful and the first woman in her field to accomplish the goals she accomplished was asked about feminism. Her response was typical of what people think: “It’s difficult for me to call myself a feminist in a classic sense because it seems to be very anti-male, and it certainly is very pro-abortion, and I’m neither anti-male or pro-abortion.”<br />
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Sadly, that’s not what feminism means. A feminist is simply someone who believes that women and men are equal. That’s it. End of definition. That’s the position of the book <a href="http://amzn.to/2pama6Z"><i>Jesus Feminist</i></a> by Sarah Bessey.<br />
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<b>This Book Angers Me</b><br />
Truthfully, this book <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/putting-angry-people-in-their-place/">angers</a> me. It’s not that I disagree with feminism. In fact, I’m sure there will be some that disagree, and I’m not one of them.<br />
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If you disagree because you feel the word “feminism” means something different than “equality”, go ahead. Just please understand this: the people that I know that express feminism simply want to see men and women treated equally. We don’t care what you call it. If the word throws up a lot of red flags for you, I can understand why that would bother you. So ignore the word. Just realize this author and I mean “equality” when we say feminism.<br />
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Honestly, that’s kind of why why this book angers me. It’s not that the book exists, but that it has to exist. Someone saw that people didn’t treat women as equals. Someone saw that people thought of women as less than. Someone saw that <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2017/04/soda-bottles-playing-cards-and-chewing.html">the rules and teachings that are unscriptural and don’t fit were wrong</a>. And they decided to write a book to convince others.<br />
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Why do we need a book like this in 2017? Why are we still holding on to the mistaken ideas that women have lesser roles? Why can’t we accept that women belong equally, can contribute equally, and deserve to be treated equally? The fact that this is not a given angers me. Despite that, I found the book to be a great read and reaffirming of what I know of God.<br />
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<b>Probably not the Demographic</b><br />
Although I agreed with the book, the one thing that didn’t quite work for me was the tone. It seemed very geared to women, which I can understand, although I still felt left out. Perhaps it was the fact it was an audiobook and the reader spoke in a soft, soothing voice, and I’m drawn more to the motivational/determined style of audiobooks like Sheryl Sandberg’s <a href="http://amzn.to/2oC5kd7"><i>Lean In</i></a>.<br />
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The tone was fine, but it made me feel like I was almost an outsider looking in, which, in retrospect, seems like an appropriate position to be in to understand the content.<br />
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At the same time the book talked to a lot of what I know to be true. The book for me wasn’t so much eye-opening as it was affirming of my own understanding of the way things should be, such as in this passage:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I have practiced being defensive – about my choices and my mothering, my theology and my politics – until I was on the offense. I performed, with repetition, outrage and anger, the victim of someone else’s god, I jumped, Pavlovian, to right every wrong and defend every truth, refute every blog post, pontificate to every question. I called it critical thinking to hide my bitter and critical heart, and I wondered why I had no real joy.</blockquote>
In this passage, I can relate to the feeling of knowing and understanding a gospel that left me on the outside looking in and becoming bitter, defensive, and frustrated. This only left me feeling empty. Over time I realized it wasn’t my views, by my reaction to others that caused the <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/the-fallout-from-the-atom-bomb-i-dropped/">chasm in my soul</a>. Finding more positive and encouraging ways to enlighten others helped me to gain joy and fulfillment, something I believe the women in the <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2009/06/christian-or-bibalist.html">Bible</a> found.<br />
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<b>The Woman at the Well</b><br />
At one point the author talks about many of these women in the Bible, showing the impact that they had on Christianity. One particular piece that stood out to me was when she discussed <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2017/04/the-jesus-i-see.html?q=well">the woman at the well</a>.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When the Samaritan woman at the well met Jesus, he treated her like any other thirsty soul needing the living water. She was leading a life that likely generated the hiss of shame and eyes of judgment. She was among the least valued and most dishonored of her day. Yet Jesus engaged her in serious theological discussion; in fact, hers is the longest personal conversation with Jesus ever recorded in Scripture. It was also the first time that the words “I am the Messiah” were spoken from his lips, and she became an evangelist. She told her story. She told of Jesus, and many were saved. When the disciples expressed their surprise at this turn, Jesus was matter-of-fact: this is simply the way of things.</blockquote>
Think about this. This woman was married five times. Five. And she was living with someone else. It’s not that this is shocking, but I wonder how many people, if they came across a woman who was beyond her fifth husband would not completely dismiss her. I have been in many churches where one divorce was way too many. I cannot fathom the judgement this woman would receive.<br />
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<b>The Man at the Well?</b><br />
But what if she were a man? What if a man in today’s church was married five times. Would it be looked down on? Probably. Would he be shunned? Probably not. Would he be treated like the woman in the same situation?<br />
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I think if you are being honest with yourself you are starting to see why feminism strikes a chord with people - because it means equality; it means that the man and the woman in this circumstance would not be looked at differently because of their gender. It means they would be treated the same.<br />
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And that’s what Jesus did. He never <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2010/01/forgiveness-and-judgement.html">judged</a> this woman. He never condemned her. He treated her equal to anyone, man or woman, rich or poor, righteous or sinner. And that’s what strikes me about the idea of feminism. It simply means that we treat everyone the same. That’s it - treating everyone the same. Just like Jesus.<br />
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<b>Our Tainted Views</b><br />
At one point there is a passage in which Sarah highlights where the persistent inequality really comes from:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Whether we admit it or not, as people of faith, we sift our theology through Scripture, Church history and tradition, our reason, and our own experience. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Most Christians, even the most committed of the sola scriptura crowd, use these four pillars—at varying degrees of importance and strength—to figure out the ways of God in our world and what it means here and now for our walking-around lives. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And taking this a bit further into postmodern territory, we can also admit that we are relying on our own imperfect and subjective interpretations of those pillars, too.</blockquote>
The fact is that a significant portion of our beliefs come from our environment. I find it fascinating how different, linchpin parts of Christianity differ depending on where you go in the world. What’s crucial to one group doesn’t matter to the next.<br />
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And unfortunately, these social norms somehow become Christian principles, even to the point of <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2017/04/soda-bottles-playing-cards-and-chewing.html">believing soda bottles, playing cards, and chewing gum are of the devil</a>. It’s time to realize that men and women are equal. It’s time to realize both are both capable of doing amazing things for God and for our fellow man. Limiting one or the other simply limits us all. And that is not at all Christian, no matter what we were told.<br />
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If you would like to challenge your traditions vs. what the Biblical position of men and women really is, or if you would like to reaffirm your understanding of what God’s view of men and women is, give <a href="http://amzn.to/2pama6Z"><i>Jesus Feminist</i></a> a try. You may find you see God’s world in a whole new way.David Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956333663601936534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-63530728325179099642017-05-09T07:00:00.000-04:002017-05-14T09:47:23.317-04:00Want to Be a Writer? You Must Read this Book<br />
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Have you ever heard of <a href="http://amzn.to/2oyYcQi" style="font-style: italic;">Save the Cat</a>? How about <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2oyJtoL">Save the Cat Strikes Back</a></i>? If your answer to both is “no” and you want to write any type of fiction, do not leave this post without reading this review!<br />
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<b>Some Background</b><br />
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2oyYcQi">Save the Cat</a></i> is a book by Blake Snyder, a very successful screenwriter. It is currently in it’s 33rd printing! In short, it is the roadmap to build out a successful script.<br />
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Note: Although I will talk about <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2oyYcQi">Save the Cat</a></i> and highly recommend it, the majority of this review is about <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2oyJtoL">Save the Cat Strikes Back</a></i>.<br />
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Before his passing, Blake Snyder was the guru of screenwriting, with his blog, books, and in-person workshops. He had a <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/the-stages-of-successful-thinking/">successful</a> career in Hollywood and really knew how to build a strong and compelling script. But because of the way his books break down the structure of a good story, they’re great for other types of fiction as well.<br />
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<b>Why “Save the Cat”?</b><br />
So the whole idea of Save the Cat came from one of the tools Blake talked about in Save the Cat. It’s simply a way of giving an early and instant impression of a hero or villain, like when a character takes a risk to save a cat from a burning building. In an instant you feel a strong admiration for that hero or strong disgust toward that villain in a different scenario. Based on what occurs in a particular “Save the Cat” moment, you instantly love or hate that character.<br />
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An example Blake gives is in the movie <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2oDNSbI">Sea of Love</a></i>.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the thriller, “Sea of Love”, Al Pacino is a cop. Scene one finds him in the middle of a sting operation. Parole violators have been lured by the promise of meeting the N.Y. Yankees, but when they arrive it’s Al and his cop buddies waiting to bust them. So Al’s “cool”. (He’s got a cool idea for a sting anyway.) But on his way out he does something nice. Al spots another lawbreaker, who’s brought his son, coming late to the sting. Seeing the dad with his kid, Al flashes his badge at the man who nods in understanding and exits quick. Al lets this guy off the hook because he has his young son with him. And just so you know Al hasn’t gone totally soft, he also gets to say a cool line to the crook: “Catch you later.” Well, I don’t know about you, but I like Al. I’ll go anywhere he takes me now and you know what else? I’ll be rooting to see him win. All based on a two second interaction between Al and a dad with his baseball-fan kid.</blockquote>
And that’s brilliant! In two seconds you are hooked. That’s amazing character development. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many important tools that the <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2oyYcQi">Save the Cat</a></i> series brings to the table.<br />
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<b>A Different View of Trouble</b><br />
For instance, Blake talks about falling into trouble in a script. We often look at struggles and problems as negatives. He has a different take.<br />
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Instead of looking at trouble as a problem, he sheds some light and encouragement:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Trouble is good. If you breeze through your script or through your career without trouble, you are doing something wrong. If you are looking at trouble as a dead end instead of a learning opportunity, like some horrible curse you have to remove — instead of the gift that it is — you will never know the joys of real victory.</blockquote>
So it’s not just a book about great screenwriting, but also a book from a perspective of <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2017/01/lets-focus-on-what-we-do.html">encouragement</a>, <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/when-passion-is-misunderstood/">motivation</a>, and excitement. That in itself would be enough, but there are some extremely important items in here as well.<br />
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<b>Forced Conflict</b><br />
For instance, he talks about forced <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/some-people-are-built-different/">conflict</a>. This is such an important thing to have in your scenes. It makes the scene come alive with drama and intrigue. What exactly is it and how does it work? Blake explains.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Forced conflict” like this appears in lots of movies. My favorite example is in the Tom Cruise race car epic, Days of Thunder. It’s a simple scene: NASCAR driver Tom phones doctor Nicole Kidman, whom he just met, to ask her out on a date. Very dull. Aside from the conflict of "Will Nicole say yes?” what other conflict is there? So the writers have placed this scene in the break room at Tom’s workplace, where Tom’s co-workers get their coffee. Since everyone is curious about Tom, they keep busting in for another cup of java — and embarrassed Tom keeps pushing them out, wanting privacy. The scene now demands attention.</blockquote>
<b>The Beats</b><br />
But above and beyond the tools mentioned here are the most important for a good story: the beats. Blake breaks down the key points that pretty much any successful movie can be broken down into. He shows what a movie (or other story) looks like, even breaking it down to the page numbers you should be on for each. You can find <a href="https://timstout.wordpress.com/story-structure/blake-snyders-beat-sheet/">an overview on Tim Stout’s blog</a>, but I highly recommend going to the source for the real thing.<br />
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Blake begins with how to get your logline: Your one to two sentence hook to pull an audience in. From there, you fill out the beats ending up with three acts in four parts (Act 1, Act 2 - part 1, Act 2 - part 2, then Act 3). Then you can take the beats and come up with your 40 scenes, 10 for each of the four parts.<br />
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<b>Should You Read This?</b><br />
In short, he shows you all the key parts to make a good story and make it compelling. So should you read this? It depends. Do you have any desire to be a fiction writer of any type? If not, you may not care about this book. It’s a fun read though. You may end up reading it and become inspired to become a writer. It’s up to you.<br />
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However if you do want to be a fiction writer, <b>this book is not optional</b>! It’s too valuable to pass up. So if this is you, stop reading this and starting reading <a href="http://amzn.to/2oyYcQi">that</a>! And be sure to send me links to your published books and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIrPAQdKQCfTnYsS-fOx6DQ">movies</a>. I’m excited to see what wonderful works you come up with.David Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956333663601936534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-28515013410519967142017-04-25T07:00:00.000-04:002017-04-25T07:00:17.986-04:00Raising Kids to Have Financial Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As parents, we often worry about raising our kids to face challenges, including financial ones. But often our goal isn’t for them to face them, but to be completely on top of anything that comes their way. <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/my-top-5-books-of-2016-and-my-top-4-of-all-time/">One of the books</a> I’ve most recently read deals with just that. Is it worth it? Read on to find out.<br />
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<b>Spoiled Kids</b><br />
The book <a href="http://amzn.to/2oMZJ58"><i>The Opposite of Spoiled</i></a> is all about raising kids to be financially on the ball, and it delves into some of the mistakes <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/why-i-want-to-imagine-a-world-without-my-parents/">parents</a> make getting to that point. For instance, a lot of parents work to give their kids everything they never had. It seems like a great tactic, but is it? Some parents give their kids a standard allowance for doing chores. That’s the right way to go, right?<br />
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The book tackles these ideas and gives practical ways to change the way we do things as parents to make our kids prepared for the future. For instance, if we give our kids everything we never had, how will they learn to go out and get things for themselves? Is it better to give them everything or lead them on a path to self reliance - a much bigger gift that will keep on giving.<br />
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<b>A Different Way to Look at Allowance</b><br />
And what about allowance? Sure, it’s nice for kids to earn money for doing chores, but if it’s just a fixed amount for a fixed amount of work, are we training them to do the bare minimum? Will this lead them toward a future where they expect to just punch a time clock at an unfulfilling job?<br />
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Another approach highlighted in the book might be instead to minimize the “base allowance”. A parent might provide little allowance or no allowance at all for basic chores. Then they might encourage their kids to make up chores and bargain. “There’s a bunch of leaves out there, dad. I’ll rake them up for $10”. Or, “I know you needed something at the store. I can walk down there and get it for a few dollars.” They learn to make their own way, and you help them learn how to value their work.<br />
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<b>Training Kids</b><br />
Instead of following a lot of the standard ways of thinking about money, the author shows how children, when given the opportunity, come up with creative ways to spend, save, and give their money. Instead of avoiding a discussion about family finances, the author shows how money can start a conversation to help enlighten children.<br />
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The book is as much about good relationships with our children as it is about teaching them sound financial principles. It’s about using <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/blessing-those-with-little/">money as a tool</a> to help kids better understand life and relationships.<br />
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I really liked this book. I liked the way it focused on strong parent/children interaction. I liked the way it showed how to <a href="http://bit.ly/betterrelz">strengthen those relationships</a>. And I liked the way it came up with new and creative ways to talk about money.<br />
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Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! What a valuable treasure. If you want to learn more about the book, you can find <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2oRAWge">The Opposite of Spoiled</a> </i>on Amazon.<br />
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David Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956333663601936534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-34284182863733811692017-04-11T21:12:00.000-04:002017-04-23T20:07:56.400-04:00The Book That Might Have Saved Me From Catastrophe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPJnETuw-Ko8CW4NfoVmcEGwVDPcxMDzOxi8Zq1tHiNDE_CraDf63fJsSHxzql5Ar0yI8RRzAEZ-QUMkqQ_lee_Lsnd68_C98s6yKRIPK94jqAPswsJ2hGvwo5AFp7c9ip1CmabjVMUuj/s1600/610P9NdpThL._SL300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPJnETuw-Ko8CW4NfoVmcEGwVDPcxMDzOxi8Zq1tHiNDE_CraDf63fJsSHxzql5Ar0yI8RRzAEZ-QUMkqQ_lee_Lsnd68_C98s6yKRIPK94jqAPswsJ2hGvwo5AFp7c9ip1CmabjVMUuj/s400/610P9NdpThL._SL300_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2nKsMsO">A pit</a>. <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/the-fallout-from-the-atom-bomb-i-dropped/">An atom bomb</a>. <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/this-may-be-the-most-embarrassing-thing-ive-written/">The most embarrassing thing ever</a>. These are some of the ways I have described my life. And if I had read <a href="http://amzn.to/2noTE0s">this book</a> earlier in life, it might have been a different story.</div>
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<b>A Perfect Kid</b></div>
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I grew up as the most amazing kid ever. Mothers fawned over me, casting their sons aside and asking if they could adopt me. Guys wanted to be me. All the girls wanted to be with me, but since I was so perfect and angelically chaste they immediately repented, convicted merely by being in my presence.</div>
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Okay, that wasn’t me. I was a good kid though. I rarely got into trouble, probably more to do with the aura of being a pastor’s kid than my own actions. It’s not that I wasn’t trying to be good, it’s just that I was incredibly human.</div>
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I grew up in church and did what I could to be a good Christian, a good person, and a good example.</div>
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<b>The Rift</b></div>
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But at the same time there were a lot of questions building up inside me. It probably started when I was quite young - maybe about six years old. We grew up in a denomination where we weren’t allowed to play with playing cards because it was sinful. At the time we were told that it had the “<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+5:22&version=KJV">appearance of evil</a>” because people used these types of cards to gamble. We weren’t allowed to drink out of soda bottles, only out of glasses, because beer came in bottles (apparently no one made the case that people can bet on anything and beer can be poured into glasses).</div>
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When I was a teenager the church cast aside a lot of these things as ridiculous. I realized that some <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2017/01/obey-rules-so-god-loves-you.html">rules</a> were man-made, even bending scripture to fit an agenda. But then some things stayed the same. And this bugged me.</div>
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Why was dancing wrong? Why can’t women have a more prominent role in church? If we’ve got it right, why are there other Christian groups that believe it differently? There were a lot of questions that piled up in my mind that started to eat away at this perfect picture of what God is.</div>
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<b>The Catastrophe</b></div>
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I felt like an outsider. I felt like someone who didn’t believe the same as everyone else. Yes, I was a <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2009/06/christian-or-bibalist.html">Christian</a>, and yes, I believed what God said. Only I seemed to see it much differently. It seemed to me many of the things people held dear were contrary to the God I know.</div>
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And so I felt like I could not talk to people because the advice they gave didn’t seem to fit with what I knew of God. I didn’t know who to turn to, so I didn’t turn to anyone.</div>
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And so, I made my own path. I stumbled and fell and crashed myself into a horrible situation. I was torn by bad relationships, broken marriages, and all the pain that followed. It was lonely and soul crushing. I finally found my way home, and I’m happy that my beliefs are stronger now than ever, yet I still hold onto the <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/">Altared View</a> (Hey! That’s my blog!) that I had taken so many years before.</div>
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<b>A Better Way</b></div>
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The thing is that Christianity seems to be so cookie cutter for so many people. Everyone believes the same thing the same way. But there are so many questions, and they don’t fit in a cookie cutter answer. They become so malformed from trying to morph to a changing world, they just don’t cut it.</div>
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So many questions are answered with prepared responses. It’s like calling into customer service. You talk to someone who you realize doesn’t know the answer, so they look it up and read it to you, knowing it doesn’t answer your question at all. Unfortunately, when it comes to life, that response brings up more questions than answers.</div>
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So I struggled with getting real truth, not just someone reading a script, but answers to tough questions. I know many other people struggled as I did. So did Rachel Held Evans, author of <a href="http://amzn.to/2noTE0s">Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions</a>.</div>
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<b>Blessed Pavement</b></div>
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It wasn’t until I was in my forties that I realized that there were other people like me. I felt like I was all alone. But over the last few years, I’ve discovered more and more people who are full of questions that have never been answered before.</div>
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For instance, at one point in the book, the author returns to her church after spending time in India. Not long before, an eight-year-old boy named Kanakaraju was pleading with her to pray for his ailing mother so he and his sisters would not be orphaned. Now halfway across the world she was in church where the pastor was asking for prayers for a parking lot.</div>
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It was just a few weeks after leaving India she found out that Kanakaraju’s mother had passed away. Not long after that, her pastor announced that the funds had come through for the parking lot. He announced, “Isn’t it amazing how God blesses his children?”</div>
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<div>
<b>Similar Questions</b></div>
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I’ve struggled with a lot of the same questions. I’ve heard people pray for sporting events (a - does God care, and b - what’s the point of finding out who’s the best if a supernatural God will just intervene).</div>
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I’ve heard of people praying for weather, not realizing, of course, that weather isn’t isolated to a single house; rain and sun fall in an area. Even local weather affects thousands if not tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands or more. When you ask God for special favors, any favors he provides might be a huge problem to the other people affected by it. I often wonder if people really think through how their requests would affect other people.</div>
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<b>Best Christian Attitude</b></div>
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I found her experiences so relatable. In her Christian school, she always strived to win the Best Christian Attitude award each year. She became obsessed. In her sixth grade year that obsession turned into a memory that still sticks in her mind.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
…just minutes after the ballots were collect for the Best Christian Attitude Award… I was worrying about whether the teacher could deduce from my handwriting that I had voted for myself, when Evan, the chubby sandy-haired boy who sat to my right, accidentally dropped his pencil. It rolled across the aisle and stopped under my desk. Evan silently signaled for me to please pick it up for him, and I hesitated because he was a troublemaker, and I didn’t want the teacher to catch me passing things back and forth with a troublemaker. It crossed my mind that helping him would earn me some Best Christian Attitude Award points, but then I remembered that we had already taken the vote, so I just smiled back at him, shrugged my shoulders, and hoped he wouldn’t end up in my class next year. Poor Evan lumbered away from his desk to pick up his pencil, which resulted in a severe scolding from the teacher (who for some reason really hated it when kids left their desks), earning him double demerits. I’ll never forget the look of dismay and betrayal on his face and the way my heart sank like a stone when I saw it.</blockquote>
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I could entirely relate. I’m sure we have all been in that boat where it seemed doing the “Christian” thing and doing the right thing were at odds. How often have we chosen to do the thing that kept our “Christianity” in tact while sacrificing others, sadly <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2010/03/different-perspective-on-greatest.html">missing the whole point of scripture</a>.</div>
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<b>Relatable Moments</b></div>
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There were so many other relatable moments. Like how she came to the painful realization that circumstance - where you were born and to whom - had a lot bigger impact on your chances of salvation than people are willing to admit.</div>
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Or her soldier friend who wrestled with the same issues so he joined a group that knits blankets for homeless people so he feels like he can make a difference.</div>
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Or how she also struggles with the sections in the Bible that seem to advocate genocide and misogyny.</div>
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Or how she realized that people read the Bible differently based on their views. This reminds me of something recently where someone said the passage of the <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2017/02/ive-been-thinking-lot-about-livestock.html">Sheep and the Goats</a> is about helping other Christians. I don’t quite know how to respond to that. There are so many reasons that is contrary to everything I know about scripture. And logic. And humanity. It makes me weep.</div>
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<b>Differing Views</b></div>
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I sometimes don’t understand how people miss the theme of Jesus’ life on earth, but there are many views that each person seems to feel is supported by scripture, from those that feel it’s okay to kill other people for various reasons to those that believe that anything we do is okay. Finding the right position can be difficult and challenging. </div>
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And we have to know that there are different views. No two people believe everything the same way. We differ. That’s okay. It’s something the author discusses:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It seems that a whole lot of people, both Christians and non-Christians, are under the impression that you can’t be a Christian and vote for a Democrat. You can’t be a Christian and believe in evolution. You can’t be a Christian and be <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2017/03/i-dont-care-if-youre-gay.html">gay</a>. You can’t be a Christian and have questions about the Bible. You can’t be a Christian and be tolerant of other religions. You can’t be a Christian and be a feminist. You can’t be a Christian and drink or smoke. You can’t be a Christian and read the <i>New York Times</i>. You can’t be a Christian and support gay rights. You can’t be a Christian and get <a href="http://amzn.to/2nhH7Kd">depressed</a>. You can’t be a Christian and doubt. In fact, I am convinced that what drives most people away from Christianity is not the cost of discipleship but rather the cost of false fundamentals. False fundamentals make it impossible for <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/faith-is-living-life-supercharged/">faith</a> to adapt to change.</blockquote>
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<b>Being Honest With Ourselves</b></div>
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Not only can we differ; we don’t know everything. That’s okay too. Someone who believes they know it all is sending out alarm bells to the world that they know a lot less than they should. Knowing that we don’t know is more important than knowing it all.</div>
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<div>
After all, our views are tainted by so many factors. For instance, a lot of people believe that evangelicals voted for Trump and from that believe that Christians believe a certain way. Yet not only do many Christian groups feel differently, many evangelicals feel differently. What’s the difference amongst Christians? Race! By a <b>huge</b> margin! Some <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2016/july/pew-most-evangelicals-will-vote-trump-against-clinton.html">early polls by Christianity Today</a> showed black protestant votes for Trump in the single digits.</div>
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Are black people wrong, misguided, or focused on non-Christian ideals? Or is it possible that maybe a hardline, one-size fits all, you have to believe exactly like me position doesn’t take into account our diversity? The author also covered our own biases:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I don’t like it when people tell me that I “pick and choose,” especially when I feel that I’ve spent a lot of time studying and contemplating an issue. On the other hand, I’m also convinced that our interpretations of the Bible are far from inerrant. The Bible doesn’t exist in a vacuum but must always be interpreted by a predisposed reader. Our interpretations are colored by our culture, our community, our presuppositions, our experience, our language, our education, our emotions, our intellect, our desires, and our biases. My worldview affects how I read the Bible as much as the Bible affects my worldview.</blockquote>
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<b>We Will Be Wrong</b></div>
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The thing we have to remember is we will be wrong. All of us will get quite a bit of it wrong. Often. Which is all the more reason to follow the key principles of the Bible: <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2009/05/joy-jesus-then-others-then-yourself.html">love God, and love others like we love ourselves</a> (which means <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2017/02/the-hidden-commandment.html">we have to love ourselves</a>). <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/do-we-really-have-to-love-everyone/">Love is always right</a>. </div>
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And we need to focus on helping others more than <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2010/01/forgiveness-and-judgement.html">judgment</a>. We need to <a href="http://www.altaredview.com/2017/01/lets-focus-on-what-we-do.html">focus on doing the right thing</a> over where we mess up. We need to focus on <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/make-people-love-you-for-disagreeing/">love</a>.</div>
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<b>My Recommendation</b></div>
<div>
So would I recommend this book? Absolutely. But even more so, I would recommend jumping into someone else’s experience, <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/the-wisdom-of-americas-funniest-home-videos/">broadening your understanding</a>, seeing what it’s like from someone else’s position. You may be surprised at how your views change based on your experiences. And that’s how we evolve - not physically, but as people - whether or not we live in monkey town.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(A little side note: “Monkey Town” is actually Dayton, Tennessee, a small town that was famous for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_Trial">Scopes Monkey Trial</a> held in 1925 to determine if evolution could be taught in schools. It’s located just a few miles north of Cleveland, Tennessee where I lived for a few years.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">And now you know)</span></i></div>
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David Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956333663601936534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-20237353562867821792017-03-28T07:00:00.000-04:002017-03-28T07:00:11.696-04:00Might as Well Not Jump<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYszRX82m5WQwmvVujQ-hSrufC3zZyhg9FLflYqgiDRp1MN6W1IpmqwbpA0iMZu3AdI6XNNLTsBNSuhNof2kJNav7B3TdqXBFbot6jAB1nzCnIwUUYUqHFRe5NKfou8tIQbYEolay9GszV/s1600/Jump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYszRX82m5WQwmvVujQ-hSrufC3zZyhg9FLflYqgiDRp1MN6W1IpmqwbpA0iMZu3AdI6XNNLTsBNSuhNof2kJNav7B3TdqXBFbot6jAB1nzCnIwUUYUqHFRe5NKfou8tIQbYEolay9GszV/s1600/Jump.jpg" /></a></div>
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I read the book <a href="http://amzn.to/2lYbnwa">Jump</a> by Steve Harvey. Although I wouldn’t recommend the book, there is a related piece by him that is a must! What is it? Read on.<br />
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<b>A Compelling Reason to Jump</b><br />
The reason I bought the <a href="http://amzn.to/2mpHSzH">audiobook</a> was because of the Steve Harvey Jump video. In the video Steve Harvey gives an extremely motivational speech to encourage people to <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/three-simple-steps-to-a-better-life/">follow their dreams</a>. Take a look for yourself:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kILVFRlUtT8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kILVFRlUtT8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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I definitely believe in <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/what-mike-rowe-got-right-and-wrong-about-passion/">doing what you’re passionate about</a>, so I was intrigued by the book. Unfortunately, the video was much more compelling than the book. Although the book was good, there were two major problems with it: 1) the reader, although good, was not Steve Harvey and 2) it just didn’t have the same motivational strength as the video.<br />
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<b>The Downside</b><br />
There were a couple downsides to the book as well. Although I found Steve to be an amazing person, paying his dues and then some to make his dreams real, there were two things that didn’t sit well with me.<br />
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First of all, his family was not a priority. His dreams were first and foremost. I can definitely understand that. I can most definitely empathize. I struggle to squeeze the time in to see my dreams become real too. But I have kids. They are my priority. I will continue to fight for time to make my dreams come true, but not at the expense of my <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/how-no-opened-up-my-kids-creativity/">kids</a>.<br />
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Secondly, he focused quite a bit on money. I get it. We need money. <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/blessing-those-with-little/">Money is a great tool</a> to help us <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/simple-step-2-make-your-brain-make-you-rich/">accomplish</a> things. It also can give us a lot of things we desire. But it’s just money. It shouldn’t be so overwhelmingly important. We should focus more on sharing than accumulation, whether that’s in sharing our talents or making sure everyone has a chance to meet their dreams. As <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/simple-step-1-how-to-get-anything-you-want-in-life/">Zig Ziglar</a> said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you'll just help enough other people get what they want.”<br />
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<b>The Upside</b><br />
At the same time, I found his ability to laugh even in difficult situations to be inspiring. So often I find myself rigid about schedules and deadlines that I can’t find the humor in things I can’t change. Even when he nearly sunk his car, he found a way to laugh about it.<br />
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The book is interesting. It has value. I’m just not sure that it has much value beyond the video. If you feel differently, feel free to check out the <a href="http://amzn.to/2lYbnwa">book</a> or <a href="http://amzn.to/2mpHSzH">audiobook</a>.David Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956333663601936534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-40503826398690595052017-03-14T11:00:00.000-04:002017-03-14T11:00:05.708-04:00Get Smart - It's Not Just an Old TV Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYIK-40HvG1B20A7bVUlndLbqA4cS8_sgCbO79uzONbc-CPEnLDnurXkXUUycQTKoT8yd_C-6WowTZ7eoOntH9WH1_MVMMtLPHnx1CK6Nx51giHnKwoaRUV0CbimzQRp_PLOGyCWcx2gb/s1600/51n-FVT8y1L._SL300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYIK-40HvG1B20A7bVUlndLbqA4cS8_sgCbO79uzONbc-CPEnLDnurXkXUUycQTKoT8yd_C-6WowTZ7eoOntH9WH1_MVMMtLPHnx1CK6Nx51giHnKwoaRUV0CbimzQRp_PLOGyCWcx2gb/s400/51n-FVT8y1L._SL300_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2ma5NpI">Get Smart</a></i> was created to help you excel in your life and in your career. Should you buy it? You’ll have to wait to find out.<br />
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But not that long: you should buy it. Read on to find out why.<br />
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<b>It’s Brian Money Funding Tracy!</b><br />
So, first off, it’s a book by Brian Tracy. He’s dedicated so much of his life to helping other’s <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/the-stages-of-successful-thinking/">succeed</a> that you could pretty much pick up any of his books and be inspired, motivated, and moved to action. I can’t think of a single “miss” I’ve had with any of the books of his I’ve read and I’ve read several.<br />
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His books are focused around personal responsibility, moving in the direction of success, and knowing you have the potential to <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/simple-step-1-how-to-get-anything-you-want-in-life/">accomplish your goals</a>. Success is the name of the game with Brian Tracy.<br />
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<b>A Focus on Focus</b><br />
This book is about focusing your time, thought, and energy on improving who you are. It’s goal is to get you focused on a better life. He does this through motivation, personal examples, and by asking questions that get you focused on what you want to achieve.<br />
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This follows the feel of a lot of his books including Goals! which helped me become a goal setter then realize my goals, <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/my-top-5-books-of-2016-and-my-top-4-of-all-time/">reading over 350 books in 10 years</a>, <a href="http://amazon.com/author/bishopdavid">writing 3 books</a>, writing over 800 <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/blog/">blog</a> posts on multiple sites, learning scores of songs on the <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/taming-a-two-headed-ogre/">guitar</a>, giving hundreds of speeches, and more. As you can see, there is power in what he’s saying.<br />
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<b>Some Drawbacks Too</b><br />
At the same time, he comes to a lot of conclusions about the availability of success that I disagree with. He paints a picture that seems to show everyone has the same opportunities. Yes, we can all climb the hill, but it’s much harder for the person who's at the bottom of the hill carrying two infants than the one who was dropped off toward the top. We all have similar potential. For some, however, there are many more challenges than others. Thinking themselves rich isn’t that simple.<br />
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For example, he cites a study about how short-term decision making matches socio-economic status. In other words, those people who make decisions that help them immediately, despite future costs are also in worse financial shape. Although this makes some sense, he’s jumping to conclusions.<br />
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After all, we don’t know which was the cause - the short term thinking or the lack of finances - and which was the effect. Studies show correlations, not cause and effect. What if it’s the lack of resources that causes the short term thinking. Who is more focused on the immediate? The full or the starving? We know hunger has an impact on clear thinking. Perhaps this is the other way around.<br />
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<b>My Own Experience</b><br />
In that same vein, I can use <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/the-fallout-from-the-atom-bomb-i-dropped/">my own personal experience</a>. Even though I’m thrilled that I’ve accomplished so much, and I do a lot of short-term sacrifices for long-term payoffs, I’m still very far from rich or from the multi-millionaire setup he seems to think we are all able to achieve in a relatively short time span if we just put our minds to it.<br />
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I definitely agree in the value of the book, yet at the same time I think the message of “everyone has equal ability to excel” has done a lot of damage in the world. I think we need to be more careful with it. My message would be that we all have potential to succeed and accomplish great things. Our level of accomplishment will vary. But there are so many fun things to learn, be, and do. Get off the couch and become the person you were meant to be!!<br />
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<b>So Yay or Nay?</b><br />
So would I recommend this book? Absolutely! Brian Tracy may be a bit overzealous in his approach to being successful, but I think we could all stand to take it up a notch. I don’t look at this as the book to make you rich; I look at it as the book to help you become who you want to be in life. I want to be someone who lives it to the full and helps others do the same.<br />
<br />
Who do you want to be?<br />
<br />
If you want to pick up the book, you can find it on <a href="http://amzn.to/2ma5NpI">Amazon</a> or find the audiobook on <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Business/Get-Smart-Audiobook/B01ACARLMM/">Audible</a>. I chose the audiobook which was read by the author.David Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956333663601936534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-7302244450616238462017-02-28T07:00:00.000-05:002017-02-28T07:00:12.671-05:00Love Warrior - A Wild RideHere’s a book that had me all over the place. I was on the outside, then I was outraged, and finally my thoughts were outdated. So is the book outstanding? Let’s see.<br />
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Spoiler alert: I’m about to talk about a book. This includes some of the events in it. If you don’t like that, stop reading. If you do like that, stop reading this spoiler alert. If you’re still reading this spoiler alert, you are just a rebel, aren’t you? Way to let you be you.<br />
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Disclaimer: If you don't like hearing about people who make big mistakes, you won't like this book. If you don't like hearing about someone who had an abortion, you won't like this book.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39Vq2wV9Az2SMnUADXlkhlTG7Lcae7KNuE94qXMY5oXRNGYbN0txdwUkKkPjxLP3Hcpq9REsNUMUcl_glLERWVNGAUFHI7By0ba9X9xOUrVsz_4ZWg_E0nJNZ1IojsrnLFbVlRk1vXYpy/s1600/Love+Warrior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39Vq2wV9Az2SMnUADXlkhlTG7Lcae7KNuE94qXMY5oXRNGYbN0txdwUkKkPjxLP3Hcpq9REsNUMUcl_glLERWVNGAUFHI7By0ba9X9xOUrVsz_4ZWg_E0nJNZ1IojsrnLFbVlRk1vXYpy/s400/Love+Warrior.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Not the Demographic</b><br />
I had stumbled across <a href="http://amzn.to/2jxqdEr"><i>Love Warrior</i></a> before. The author, Glennon Doyle Melton intrigued me. I follow her on Twitter. I appreciate the positive view she has of so many things. It makes me want to hear more from her.<br />
<br />
At the same time her book looked geared toward women. It seemed like that was her target audience. It’s not that I didn’t think I could learn something from it. It was more that it might be speaking to that group specifically and I would be sitting in the corner twiddling my thumbs.<br />
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<b>Not My Experience</b><br />
Instead, after a recommendation and perusing a sample, I picked up the audiobook and gave it a whirl. And it turned out to be exactly what I thought. Until it wasn’t.<br />
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It was autobiographical and at every twist and turn it seemed to be far removed from my experience. From bulimia to drugs to frat parties to abortions, I just couldn’t relate. I’ve never participated in any of this. It all seemed so foreign to me. I was trudging through the book, trying to find some grounding - some part I could latch onto - and I found it. Only it wasn’t in the way I expected.<br />
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<b>Not Too Thrilled</b><br />
Since the beginning, the book followed the author though a maze of <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/people-in-pain-make-bad-choices/">pain and bad choices</a>. Body issues caused her to turn to bulimia. Loneliness issues caused her to turn to unfulfilling and empty sex. Her failure to live up to her potential led to drugs and other issues. All the while her <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/why-i-want-to-imagine-a-world-without-my-parents/">parents</a> are freaking out, trying desperately to help, and she causes them <a href="http://wowfulliving.com/its-not-the-pain-that-hurts/">pain</a> and heartache.<br />
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Then she gets things straightened out. She goes straight. She gives up her vices. She starts a family. But it doesn’t fix everything as she expects. She marries a man named Craig who shows her respect and supports her decisions. He tries to connect as best he knows how.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately neither are good at communication. He doesn’t know how to tell her what he wants from her physically, so he turns to porn. She doesn’t know how to talk with him so she writes her feelings in a blog.<br />
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<b>The Words She Can’t Say</b><br />
In fact there was a time when she was saying everything in her blog. She was unable to share them in person so she shared them in text. One particular day she opened up and shared her deepest emotions and Craig read them, as he often did.<br />
<br />
When he gets home from work he sits down to talk with her to understand her better and hear what she’s truly feeling. As they sit together the words just don’t come. Instead of digging deep and finding them, she tells him to read the blog. She doesn’t know how to communicate with spoken words, only with written ones.<br />
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<b>The Admission</b><br />
At one point, they go to a marriage counselor. They open up and Craig tells her he’s been cheating on her. It’s random and not with anyone in particular. It’s also been going on almost since the beginning.<br />
<br />
But her reaction, although understandable, seems hypocritical. She talks about how awful and mean and horrible he is. She wonders how anyone could be so thoughtless and cruel.<br />
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<b>Then the Outrage - Not Hers, Mine</b><br />
And I’m floored. Sure, I get this was a horrendous action. And I understand that it may have brought irreparable damage to the relationship. She may want to leave and never turn back. That’s understandable.<br />
<br />
But to say that he’s evil when everything she’s said about him is that he's kind and loving. When she’s angry with him though it’s been obvious he’s trying to connect with her and she shuts him out. When she callously sees him as less than her though she spent years breaking her parents’ heart. How can she not see the irony?<br />
<br />
<b>A Moment Of Insight - Not Mine, Hers</b><br />
As I sit there listening (an audiobook) to chapter after chapter, she starts to see things differently. She starts to understand that things are not as easy and neatly packaged as she would like to think. Craig shows real character in doing everything he can to try to show her how much he cares about her.<br />
<br />
And it was her counselor that told her something that brought me back into the book. "Craig is a deeply flawed, but good man…” It was at this point that I realized she may have felt, experienced, and been overpowered by a huge sense of betrayal, amongst other things, but she still had room to grow as a person and realize that, despite any decisions she may make about the marriage, Craig was not evil, but human just like her.<br />
<br />
<b>A Positive Conclusion</b><br />
Finally she comes to a point where she realizes she is not what she has done. Craig is not what he has done. They are bigger than that. She even begins to see the women he slept with in more human terms, realizing she must have grace for them too.<br />
<br />
Overall the book was an interesting ride starting me out as a general observer to someone outraged and finally being the person that felt like we were all on the same page. It was a great book. It took awhile to feel like I really understood the author’s position without feeling outraged but in the end, we’re all the same.<br />
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I like that. It follows a truth I’ve discovered during my own huge life mistakes: life is messy. We’re at our best when we find our way through the mess together.<br />
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David Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956333663601936534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-73801196828125325632012-01-19T22:17:00.019-05:002012-01-19T23:20:47.739-05:002011 Was a Wonderful Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvh2GSHQ2P0oBEouLe4NRs8WagE2ekyviogwMX51xC-qm4Pw0_7JwtX2VtSeKwMTF3WhZdOnDJqFPpT23V_jiaA_IuDVMYkJT3JxjWtwmgBN4YEAaZoKAr2C3aRQvDiNEkqEsQAerh6c/s1600/Me.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvh2GSHQ2P0oBEouLe4NRs8WagE2ekyviogwMX51xC-qm4Pw0_7JwtX2VtSeKwMTF3WhZdOnDJqFPpT23V_jiaA_IuDVMYkJT3JxjWtwmgBN4YEAaZoKAr2C3aRQvDiNEkqEsQAerh6c/s400/Me.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699552253697343202" /></a><br />Hello! If you’re reading this, I hope you find it encouraging to see all that one person can accomplish in a year. I wrote this for me: it’s important for goal-oriented people to take time during important intervals to see how they measured up to their goals. However, if you are reading this and don’t really have any plans for yourself next year, I hope that you would find this inspiring as anyone can just as easily accomplish what I did in just 12-month's time.<br /><br />2011 was great year. There were a lot of great things I was able to do and a lot of things I did. In fact, looking back and quantifying it, I can’t believe how much I did in areas of relationships, health, personal development, business, and finances.<br /><br />First of all, it’s important to know that this year was an uphill climb, but a great one. I hit 40 this year, and that was not a great milestone for me. I did not end where I wanted to be at 40, and I definitely did not want my kids to be separated by 1000 miles. But you take life as it is, not as you want it to be. I have made some severe wrong turns in my life, but have been working harder each year to become the best that I can be and to make a difference in the life of my kids and in the world at large.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size: 12pt;">Time with My Wonderful Boys</span><br />Despite the distance, my priority in life is my kids, so last year I did everything I knew to make life as wonderful as I could for them and be a big part of their life. In fact, despite the fact that Joseph, my 12-year old lives near Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Tristan, 9, and Evan, 6, live near Albany, New York, I made sure I saw all of them at least 3 days a month. Additionally, I brought all of them together 3 times this year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nfHaOFUL24j7yh20B-V881Lj1Tij2rD4UakBkpp7v-SAGH3uynHMo1tGQeLbZdVhR844lT99RAricUeaidBJqVSQG0If7UoNBF9ZzmKIOKkkXwDbURocTKDalktZLnA80GG3Ad4Kd_Y/s1600/Boys+Christmas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nfHaOFUL24j7yh20B-V881Lj1Tij2rD4UakBkpp7v-SAGH3uynHMo1tGQeLbZdVhR844lT99RAricUeaidBJqVSQG0If7UoNBF9ZzmKIOKkkXwDbURocTKDalktZLnA80GG3Ad4Kd_Y/s400/Boys+Christmas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699548355050532306" /></a><br />I spent almost all my time off traveling to them or spending time with them. Over the course of the year, I spent 100 days with my boys, which is something for which I am immensely thankful.<br /><br />And since I moved from the Chattanooga area to New York in July, I was able to spend time with each of my boys one on one. Until then, my traveling to New York was all based on time that I would be with 2 or all 3 of them at a time. Even still, it requires a lot of travel to see all of them: over 20,000 miles this year alone!<br /><br />And I sent them all letters every week (except for weeks I was with them the entire week and such). Additionally, we all went to Disney together with Tristan and Evan’s mother at the end of June.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqGAydd1tBc7I8E4B3x6s3eVM9tlpPBnCWX25zCx9GUe5abm0_q_074puuQngANyYuxSZ6KLn7Jy_DxTOsQZaVHpNbfAjpFvFWOpBpodhH36ed1IyqZM4xYvEbCUCZkKFiOzIFXmirAE/s1600/Disney.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqGAydd1tBc7I8E4B3x6s3eVM9tlpPBnCWX25zCx9GUe5abm0_q_074puuQngANyYuxSZ6KLn7Jy_DxTOsQZaVHpNbfAjpFvFWOpBpodhH36ed1IyqZM4xYvEbCUCZkKFiOzIFXmirAE/s400/Disney.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699548635359314706" /></a><br />Tristan and Evan and I went on the Polar Express with their mother.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTncJrSFBZPtXEZTHV-h7xj_i2ertTxslr4LT_csHN-VcNfgu3Ybyvul3ilSmW8U-UlNUz8N3CT-Ir5M0ztIKK4nl2CVCmVo2HgefqBZQTkhvsKY90LU0W-nnAYwhHMmWYzE0YyGO7Lv8/s1600/Polar+Express.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTncJrSFBZPtXEZTHV-h7xj_i2ertTxslr4LT_csHN-VcNfgu3Ybyvul3ilSmW8U-UlNUz8N3CT-Ir5M0ztIKK4nl2CVCmVo2HgefqBZQTkhvsKY90LU0W-nnAYwhHMmWYzE0YyGO7Lv8/s400/Polar+Express.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699548907427396178" /></a><br />What’s more, I taught them all several firsts: Joseph wrote his first program and made his first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino">Arduino</a> project, played his first racquetball game, and flied solo on a commercial flight for the first time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttp9fETXlI_uDUwyuiFBHmKawx-4_IIbgqH9kzDdTXKofIPqvVU5wiJ5tyCtdYYcYJx9k1Fb86gMy1nXex82ZP0IvqPJP7wzmWvTkQMUZ5EyRJTvNWkUkwYLpyfqTMO6OH9riPF8m1SY/s1600/Joseph+Programming.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttp9fETXlI_uDUwyuiFBHmKawx-4_IIbgqH9kzDdTXKofIPqvVU5wiJ5tyCtdYYcYJx9k1Fb86gMy1nXex82ZP0IvqPJP7wzmWvTkQMUZ5EyRJTvNWkUkwYLpyfqTMO6OH9riPF8m1SY/s400/Joseph+Programming.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699549696348094482" /></a><br />Tristan also played racquetball and wrote a program, as well as roller skated and skied for the first time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbgNL_HLX1Ufa0Obj3R1YaJb_OtZVk8vHLrUwn0U1CJxcffypH5shzy2FyjuDVZgXgdt9CNzbMDkSdHn12JaldlXAkVHnwULe7LLwEqf4ddIxHx9Rw_82BTLC22mNAN06GXT87goo4QU/s1600/Tristan+Skiing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbgNL_HLX1Ufa0Obj3R1YaJb_OtZVk8vHLrUwn0U1CJxcffypH5shzy2FyjuDVZgXgdt9CNzbMDkSdHn12JaldlXAkVHnwULe7LLwEqf4ddIxHx9Rw_82BTLC22mNAN06GXT87goo4QU/s400/Tristan+Skiing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699549554326484834" /></a><br />Evan too learned roller skating for the first time was well as racquetball, and he <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder">soldered</a> his first connection.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJnO213_nOSUbN3EbE5B0VgBnpuLUTaliocwRW9z4H5F0KZJFgTciKB-SHgdorBG9C3pUMD9f0R2DU0WKCLF9iJJ1S-dSCcL5oXtS7NOPryW1PzQon98tiMgoLYfgVUNnxUMTsXqI7b8/s1600/Evan+Skating.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJnO213_nOSUbN3EbE5B0VgBnpuLUTaliocwRW9z4H5F0KZJFgTciKB-SHgdorBG9C3pUMD9f0R2DU0WKCLF9iJJ1S-dSCcL5oXtS7NOPryW1PzQon98tiMgoLYfgVUNnxUMTsXqI7b8/s400/Evan+Skating.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699549061652844354" /></a><br />But the best part of all of it is just the countless hours we sat down and played with LEGOs and laughed and played.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6wq1eo7zP0HvbCAoYuDB9iy0FYvhuZx2bE3fBXRxBlGYSU-97I2ZJGOz34qIOLGUrdSzoINdOe_JXR3C8rZaH_mAiIti2H7CQYYzmY9Dqi6CkN_hvbGdjJDA_A4zxil7fKYX6Qu11vY/s1600/Evan%2527s+Fort.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6wq1eo7zP0HvbCAoYuDB9iy0FYvhuZx2bE3fBXRxBlGYSU-97I2ZJGOz34qIOLGUrdSzoINdOe_JXR3C8rZaH_mAiIti2H7CQYYzmY9Dqi6CkN_hvbGdjJDA_A4zxil7fKYX6Qu11vY/s400/Evan%2527s+Fort.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699549972498388994" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size: 12pt;">My Health</span><br />But getting to that point was quite tumultuous. I found through all the turmoil in my life many places where my thinking was wrong. Back then even when I was with my boys, I wasn’t giving them the priority and focus they deserved. Being able to put so much time and effort toward the boys helped me better align my priorities. Besides doing that, I also realized I wasn’t putting my health as a key priority. That has changed.<br /><br />I joined the local Y and have been able to have many wonderful bike rides and runs in the beautiful city of Glens Falls on my lunch break. In fact, I surpassed my goals for both biking and running. I biked over 500 miles this year and ran over 350 miles, a goal I had to increase because I had already surpassed it earlier in the year.<br /><br />Additionally, the last quarter of the year I was lifting weights twice a week. As much as I realize this number is ridiculous as it means nothing, I still like saying it: I lifted over 600,000 pounds this year!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbsMOWjxmuNl3G6QsdzFDHLwMWp2qlLfdJXWCf3kwYCjXFd44vyBqOOKOqCYTO6kK9dfUpDkSAiSPcjcYO-UOhLwoW9jIhJRwsqtMXjFYIbsUNOZuBCn8smMYKRlECf0fCQwYxZfZEUg/s1600/Weight+Lifting.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbsMOWjxmuNl3G6QsdzFDHLwMWp2qlLfdJXWCf3kwYCjXFd44vyBqOOKOqCYTO6kK9dfUpDkSAiSPcjcYO-UOhLwoW9jIhJRwsqtMXjFYIbsUNOZuBCn8smMYKRlECf0fCQwYxZfZEUg/s400/Weight+Lifting.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699552115514833330" /></a><br />Unfortunately, I did not meet my weight goal. I was striving to make 180 this year, but I am a stress eater, sweets in particular, and this year was stressful. I ended the year at 193. I have plans already in place to get to my ideal weight at an appropriate pace this year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size: 12pt;">Other Activities</span><br />But I also had a lot of fun this year. I tried a lot of things I hadn’t done before and dove deeper into things I had.<br /><br />I joined the company bowling team and received recognition for bowling both a 150 game and a 400 series. I know that is not that impressive, but it was great for my skill level. Additionally, our team won the entire season! I know I wasn’t the best bowler, but I believe I improved a great deal, so it was nice that I at least was a steady force that helped while our strong bowlers brought us to victory.<br /><br />I also tried indoor rock climbing and ballroom dancing, which I enjoyed but could not continue as I moved. I especially enjoyed the dancing and can’t wait to tango more!<br /><br />I also was able to get back into racquetball in the last 2 months of the year and played 20 games.<br /><br />Additionally, I did some swimming with the boys, a rafting trip on the Ocoee, roller blading, skiing, miniature golf, continuing in Toastmasters, and learning the guitar.<br /><br />Finally I was able to participate in Rotary and contribute to the community. I applied for membership and was inducted January of this year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size: 12pt;">Personal Development</span><br />I think where I did the most and had some great fun was in personal development. Last year I read <a href="http://www.davidsbishop.com/personal.html">74 books</a>, over 300 articles and blog posts, watched scores of training videos, and delivered 32 public addresses. In all, I had over 780 learning hours last year.<br /><br />In that time I spent time learning and building projects with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino">Arduino</a>, electronics, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XBee">XBee</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zigbee">ZigBee</a>, and Final Cut Pro. I learned various technologies by writing over 35 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Processing_%28programming_language%29">Processing</a> sketches including several for the XBox <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect">Kinect</a>, over 45 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino">Arduino</a> sketches, and over 60 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS"></a>iOS apps including <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mone-tarry/id419481015?mt=8">one that I put in the App Store</a> and 2 built as prototypes for a fortune 250 company.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mone-tarry/id419481015?mt=8"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9hpUg9A5EZJHpxiivJEgob9q8FSwemP_HkOomnyBfrhnNo528HuLbV1nLFDbMBWtQOW9mGn0No5yMewkyIqP0bKZLufVMGGvGzsBTcbygCmx8IUed9jtGJwAIFMv6bpfYWLTZpNHF8U/s400/Meeting+App.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699551104555897010" /></a><br />I also learned <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jquery">jQuery</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQLite">SQLite</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size: 12pt;">Work</span><br />This year was also an incredible year from a work perspective. I was asked to join the Innovation Center at <a href="http://www.unum.com">Unum</a> in a exclusive role at 50% allocation to provide consulting on mobile technology. In fact, my presentations on the current state of mobile have been presented to groups in several states, to hundreds of people, to various levels of management.<br /><br />For my work in the Innovation Center, I was able to work events and visit two states, bringing the total number of states to which I have traveled to 43.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCDZUPdHESrOsnoEK8Fl3VSobxmVfupCFVluNzfIPfHb99i5WNbEyx4ht19fh0VvLR33cs0yWf60SB_W4EQLg2x0dcGey5EdSnLwV6OqkXF0_Mt2enzXfTWJSuXbzkshANV5Q84H0LEg/s1600/Portland+Event.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCDZUPdHESrOsnoEK8Fl3VSobxmVfupCFVluNzfIPfHb99i5WNbEyx4ht19fh0VvLR33cs0yWf60SB_W4EQLg2x0dcGey5EdSnLwV6OqkXF0_Mt2enzXfTWJSuXbzkshANV5Q84H0LEg/s400/Portland+Event.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699551765705610466" /></a><br />I also created 2 key <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS">iOS</a> prototypes and was instrumental in securing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS">iOS</a> Enterprise development setup for the company.<br /><br />Finally, I finished my work assisting my father’s online business, <a href="http://www.bishopartworks.com/">Bishop Art Works</a>, for his world-renowned artwork. Few artists can say that their art hangs in houses in countries the world over, and I am proud to be able to help him with his marketing and online sales efforts.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size: 12pt;">Everything Else</span><br />Additionally I was able to get a photo shoot together and update my image and <a href="http://www.davidsbishop.com/">my website</a>, <a href="http://www.cedowin.com/">corporate website</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=36973773&locale=en_US&trk=tab_pro">Linked In profile</a>, personal and corporate <a href="http://www.twitter.com/bishopuniverse">Twitter</a> accounts, and <a href="http://blog.bishopuniverse.com/">blog</a>.<br /><br />I was able to attend a Salesforce training event in New York City (my first real visit to the city), provide a keynote for Unum, and enjoy several fun and exciting events in downtown Glens Falls. Additionally, I was able to make it back to my hometown in Yakima, Washington for the first time in 20 years.<br /><br />And I won a few awards of which I’m quite proud. In addition to the first place bowling award, I received the “Exceptional New Member” award in Toastmasters and received an OPTIM award at Unum for my work on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS">iOS</a> prototypes in my spare time.<br /><br />But I also did other things of which I was proud. I started sending out birthday cards to all my close friends and family, something I always relied on my spouse for, but finally needed to do myself. I also reached my 10 year anniversary at Unum, and, as stated previously, visited two other states that I hadn’t visited yet, both for work: Maine and Massachusetts.<br /><br />One other huge thing: I paid of all my non-mortgage debt below 5 digits, down under $10,000 with a mini emergency fund in place. It’s a wonderful milestone that is so close to my 2013 goal of having no non-mortgage debt.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold; font-size: 12pt;">2012</span><br />This year, I want to make the most of the time that I am given. I want to better myself and my community. I want to make a difference. I want to provide a stronger, more encouraging presence to my boys. I want to be closer to all that I should be.<br /><br />I want to read a ton and learn a lot. I want to spend loads of time with my boys and grow my relationships. I always leave my plans flexible and solidify them as the year goes on, but there are things I want to do this year and have already done.<br /><br />And it’s already been a great year. In just 20 days, I have already skied in <a href="http://www.killington.com/">Killington, Vermont</a> as well as in my home of Glens Falls and have plans to go to Okemo or Sunappe at the end of the month (for the record, the run I took in the pic was Cascade. It was a blast). In fact, I’ve already done over 55 runs this year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf65Iku6hTWMriPzhmU08MmaSeVTPniLJS04e3kQQ4aWTqQv4JRcnLyTO7xuWM_wxPcgqRiWnMZQ9cA6LUIlISuK92tCb3YvNydvdjLLJ6m-6pHY5HplUkY0LGMs7PsgV-ke-QEJe_5Hs/s1600/Me+Skiing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf65Iku6hTWMriPzhmU08MmaSeVTPniLJS04e3kQQ4aWTqQv4JRcnLyTO7xuWM_wxPcgqRiWnMZQ9cA6LUIlISuK92tCb3YvNydvdjLLJ6m-6pHY5HplUkY0LGMs7PsgV-ke-QEJe_5Hs/s400/Me+Skiing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699550235411286002" /></a><br />And I was inducted into <a href="http://www.rotary.org/">Rotary</a>. I’ve also been invited to two 5K runs and hope to also do the Tour de Cure this year.<br /><br />I made it to Times Square for the first time ever and attended an exclusive Apple developer event there held in only 9 cities the world over. In fact, my learning hours over all including the 10 for that event have already topped 40 for the year; I'm just 3 chapters away from finishing my 5th book this year.<br /><br />I’m wanting to dig deeper into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS">iOS</a>, but also look into programming for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29">Android</a> as well as programming for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth">Bluetooth</a>. I’ve dug deeply into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_Data">Core Data</a> and plan to look into other similar feature sets.<br /><br />I hope to visit Connecticut and Rhode Island to bring my state count to 45, and visit Ontario and Quebec to have visited all the lower Canadian provinces. I hope to also make it back to Yakima this year.<br /><br />Lastly, I want to focus on guitar and meditation and get myself down to 180 pounds.<br /><br />But most importantly, I want to make a difference in this world, and do all I can to help my boys feel fulfilled and do the same. In the end, that is my true life goal.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-89592720619125483232011-11-02T07:00:00.002-04:002011-11-02T07:16:22.679-04:00O'Reilly's 2011 best technical books from someone who reads a book a weekI've enjoyed a large collection of <a href="http://oreilly.com/">O'Reilly</a> books. In fact I've been reading on average one book a week from O'Reilly and others and have gone through many fantastic books, covering topics like <a href="http://arduino.cc/">Arduino</a>, iOS, TCP-IP/HTTP, and the goings on at Apple and Google<br /><br />So, what are the best ones? Well, that is such a subjective question. What is of interest to one may not be of interest to others; the learning style of one may differ from others.<br /><br />But I will go over my personal 3 favorite that I have read so far this year and why. For some it may be the writing, for some perhaps the material or topic, and for some it may simply be the presentation.<br /><br />Here they are starting with <span style="font-weight:bold;">#3</span>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449316247/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449316247"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://akamaicovers.oreilly.com/images/9780596007195/lrg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449316247/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449316247"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Revolution In the Valley</span></a><br />A fantastic book on what it was like to build the Mac by one of the main developers of the Mac, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Hertzfeld">Andy HertzFeld</a>. The book is a collection of stories in chronological order dealing with all the aspects of making the Macintosh from the point of view of the development team.<br /><br />The prose is enjoyable, the pace is perfect, and the subject matter engaging. If you like Apple, computers, history, or just want a deeper understanding of one of the major technological shifts in our lifetime, this is the book for you.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight:bold;">#2</span> book...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449308481/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449308481"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 525px;" src="http://akamaicovers.oreilly.com/images/0636920021179/lrg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449308481/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449308481"><span style="font-weight:bold;">iOS Sensor Apps with Arduino</span></a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/aallan">Alasdair Allan</a> has several books out on iOS and also some videos. All have been high quality books, such as <a href="http://blog.bishopuniverse.com/2011/01/rejection-therapy-iphone-programming.html">Learning iPhone Programming</a>. His pacing is superb, the content detailed, and his examples spot on.<br /><br />But this new book brought me into the world of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_Things">Internet of Things</a> and into the playland of <a href="http://arduino.cc/">Arduino</a>. It's amazing to write an iOS program that interfaces with a small computer on a chip that can sense distance and that can be caused to activate LED's. This of course is simply a jumping off point as Arduino is unlimited in its application.<br /><br />Additionally, Al's new book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449382657/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449382657">iOS 5 Sensor Programming</a> will be coming out next year <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/aallan/status/127348401544241152">encompassing his four sensor books</a> (including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449308465/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449308465">Basic iOS Sensors</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449308503/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449308503">Augmented Reality in iOS</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449308449/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449308449">Geolocation in iOS</a>) with additional material.<br /><br />And the <span style="font-weight:bold;">#1</span> O'Reilly book this year:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449397670/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449397670"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 525px;" src="http://akamaicovers.oreilly.com/images/0636920014614/lrg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449397670/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449397670"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Gamification by Design</span></a><br /><br />This book took me completely by surprise. I had seen it a few times and thought it was about writing games. Instead the book delves into the psychology of games and why people are geared for games in most everything they do. It details how to write programs and processes in a way that is engaging and motivates people in the same way that games engage people and get them excited about continuing.<br /><br />The biggest reason this book is #1 because of the content. This book brought me to a new, important understanding that is critical for the success of my personal vision. Reading this book was one of those "Aha!" moments were I learned something I didn't know was there and realized it was important to have in my continued success.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Everything Else</span><br />Honestly all three of these books were great and it was really hard to rank them all separately. They pretty much all tied in their own way for first place.<br /><br />In addition, all these books were great and some were phenomenal. Here is a list of the books I have been reading or have read in the past 12 months from O'Reilly. They are all high-quality books.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596807783/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0596807783">Programming the Mobile Web</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1565928628/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1565928628">HTTP Pocket Reference</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596809778/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0596809778http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596809778/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0596809778">iPhone App Development: The Missing Manual</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596806434/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0596806434">Learning iPhone Programming</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596802811/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0596802811">The Twitter Book</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593271840/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1593271840">The Google Way</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449388485/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1449388485">The Facebook Marketing Guide</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449305679/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449305679">Graphics and Animation in iOS</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449308465/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449308465">Basic Sensors in iOS</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449381650/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1449381650">Tapworthy</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596155514/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0596155514">Getting Started with Arduino</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596521189/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0596521189">Using SQLite</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596153287/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0596153287">Mac OS-X Snow Leopard: The Missing Manual</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449397670/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449397670">Gamification by Design</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449316247/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449316247">Revolution in the Valley</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449308481/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449308481">iOS Sensor Apps with Arduino</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596802471/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0596802471">Arduino Cookbook</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449306535/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1449306535">Core Network Protocols</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596153740/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0596153740">Make: Electronics</a>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-21399443296190895642011-10-31T07:00:00.000-04:002011-10-31T07:00:10.750-04:00NKC Electronics Arduino Motor Shield<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4E3cYxhclnxdep_HaqV_i6e25_Fq5NQcLfWrCnlODLmPVN4mAYOld-klXTAfW0K4l0h8Rmp4qoqpPlWSeHHqSiRQ5-XcrPVjrzWe2pS4rgHKZ2dPKLWjaWpBFsWVNq_BCvHddn6U0as/s1600/AcKyYD3CEAArWZl.jpg-large.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4E3cYxhclnxdep_HaqV_i6e25_Fq5NQcLfWrCnlODLmPVN4mAYOld-klXTAfW0K4l0h8Rmp4qoqpPlWSeHHqSiRQ5-XcrPVjrzWe2pS4rgHKZ2dPKLWjaWpBFsWVNq_BCvHddn6U0as/s400/AcKyYD3CEAArWZl.jpg-large.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668731974930928946" /></a><br /><br />Last week I was lucky enough to get the NKC Electronics Arduino Motor Shield <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/BishopUniverse/status/126859865934139393">put together</a> correctly on my first shot. This is a big feat for me as most of my experience with a soldering iron has been in my younger years and has had more to do with melting plastic than making electronics.<br /><br />However, I want to throw out a couple links here in the hopes this blog post will make it a little easier for people who come after me and have a hard time, as I did, to know exactly how to put this thing together and know what pins to use in their sketches.<br /><br />The <a href="http://mcukits.com/2009/03/12/assembling-the-freeduino-arduino-motor-shield/">NKC Electronics Arduino Motor Shield instructions</a> include pictures and schematics and detail everything you need to know including a basic sketch, except for one key piece: the location of the second set of pins. Instead, the <a href="http://shieldlist.org/nkc/motor">NKC Electronics Arduino Motor Shield page</a> on Shieldlist.org has this information.<br /><br />I hope this saves someone time and a little frustration. Feel free to post comments to ask for help or send me a note at blog at davidsbishop dot com.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-90848790241865464512011-02-02T11:21:00.000-05:002011-02-02T11:22:04.666-05:00Is Object Oriented Programming Too Complicated?Recently a co-worker passed on <a href="http://www.codeproject.com/Lounge.aspx?msg=3747414#xx3747414xx">a link</a> to me where someone was "ranting" about OOP.<br /><blockquote>"OK, so here's the deal: I've been programming for many years now. In the beginning was sequential code execution. Then, with the introduction of Windows we got event driven code execution. So far so good. Then some day some jackass thought to himself: "This is too simple, let's complicate it further and invent Object Orientation. And just as a bonus, let's get everybody to divide their code in a huge amount of layers so that noone will be able to get the full view of everything."</blockquote><br />I had to respond, wishing it could have been to the original author of the post. The rest is my response sprinkled with slides from an old PowerPoint presentation I used to demonstrate my points. Many of these slides were demonstrating the code behind the <a href="http://www.villainousmind.com/locura-media-server/">Locura Media Server</a>: the best-selling media server for the PSP and other platforms before the iPhone was ever heard of.<br /><blockquote>That is so not the concept here. The concept is so that you are system/interface/technology agnostic as best as you can be. It keeps you from having to gut out a system as technology changes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5jFUOK6V3OtNFbSciAa75vKDSPyKz81Az1_W9JCmJZ937Is0s55G639Re8RO_8HLYyDKs3E8GciZVN_5wyCjr0vHboP6qoDkWorf-3xpjFHVjTsSaRz1ya6KONzAQ1LEtOAbsT6fhFk/s1600/Object-Oriented-Technology-Agnostic.PNG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5jFUOK6V3OtNFbSciAa75vKDSPyKz81Az1_W9JCmJZ937Is0s55G639Re8RO_8HLYyDKs3E8GciZVN_5wyCjr0vHboP6qoDkWorf-3xpjFHVjTsSaRz1ya6KONzAQ1LEtOAbsT6fhFk/s400/Object-Oriented-Technology-Agnostic.PNG" border="0" alt="Object Oriented - Technology Agnostic" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568375450812598290" /></a><br />For instance, you can write a dll to write exceptions to a file. Then more programs use that dll calling the FileExceptionWriter. Then someone wants to write to a database. Uh-oh. This was “object-oriented” but not technology agnostic as it should have been. Plumbing will have to be changed to use the new DatabaseExceptionWriter.<br /><br />Instead, the code should have either an IExceptionWriter or ExceptionWriterBase (abstract) that are what are declared. Then the system can have a FileExceptionWriter, DatabaseExceptionWriter, CloudExceptionWriter, etc. More can be added as time goes on and choosing which one is used can be easily changed without changing existing plumbing as the code should all be referencing an IExceptionWriter or ExceptionWriterBase.<br /><br />If you look at [in-house system] you will see the exception handling is setup to be completely defined in the config. It logs exceptions to e-mail, files, the database, etc. all depending on what the config says (which, of course, must correspond with pre-defined objects), some defined as fallbacks to the others. The config even defines the format (HTML/Plain Text) with the correct formatting object created appropriately.<br /><blockquote>“I have a task for you: Can anyone give me ONE example where layered code has proved to be a major advantage?”</blockquote><br />The first easy answer is that with Object-Oriented programming you can many times define a lot of shared functionality in a base class that would otherwise be duplicated in inherited classes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITJ0NBQptywktczhmxbGG1_e_RO66nRTTI2mjhlOkmqQjHSB4cCKoMMIqtLd6RCDj2IoVUTst73ItQUwaSHo5DBfysdRjGp9NOfV-MsH4JZBE78FEPwQ4zXxrWW423tRGNLPIHtrOlnQ/s1600/Object-Oriented-Base.PNG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITJ0NBQptywktczhmxbGG1_e_RO66nRTTI2mjhlOkmqQjHSB4cCKoMMIqtLd6RCDj2IoVUTst73ItQUwaSHo5DBfysdRjGp9NOfV-MsH4JZBE78FEPwQ4zXxrWW423tRGNLPIHtrOlnQ/s400/Object-Oriented-Base.PNG" border="0" alt="Object Oriented Base" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568375734329150706" /></a><br />And secondly, when I wrote my media server with custom extensions for building ISAPI filters “on the fly”, I made an extensible base object. When you wanted to create a custom extension, you created a new Dll, inherited off the base object and put the reflection data in the config file. No original plumbing needed to change.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pjrmOiJOlZpK9Fdfju555Byp-wfywafUobogs2oXExv6JqkY88QoGHGUcPozC8HDj7evGrEsjJCsBOXRYEtr8lvaUBB9xKp2rbIX2nfJ2SAiXEw0z3Wg5U9ymNQhM2D90Oyc7vZ4XrU/s1600/Object-Oriented-Dynamic-Invocation.PNG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pjrmOiJOlZpK9Fdfju555Byp-wfywafUobogs2oXExv6JqkY88QoGHGUcPozC8HDj7evGrEsjJCsBOXRYEtr8lvaUBB9xKp2rbIX2nfJ2SAiXEw0z3Wg5U9ymNQhM2D90Oyc7vZ4XrU/s400/Object-Oriented-Dynamic-Invocation.PNG" border="0" alt="Object Oriented Dynamic Invocation" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568375927438747794" /></a><br />So when a client machine requested an RSS feed or a M3U playlist dynamically, a media extension dll took care of that. Later on, someone requested that zip files could be created on the fly to zip folders and send them. I found a freeware zipfile dll and 15 lines of code later <span style="font-weight:bold;">without changing any existing plumbing</span> new dynamic zip file creation was in the media server.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrsns-7idfnTi8I7N00gjb4sm2gUzsoOP21MCQCKxx-k5leFRhHVqBZQRVXfjMRgk-4_I_NYk0Z7ufCfXa1yyFsIQxeq96dMnx8DcbOyeyIAXy_AVvgK4KXQAoEVLH9bHWeCLPSvIGoQ/s1600/Object-Oriented-Dynamic-Invocation-2.PNG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrsns-7idfnTi8I7N00gjb4sm2gUzsoOP21MCQCKxx-k5leFRhHVqBZQRVXfjMRgk-4_I_NYk0Z7ufCfXa1yyFsIQxeq96dMnx8DcbOyeyIAXy_AVvgK4KXQAoEVLH9bHWeCLPSvIGoQ/s400/Object-Oriented-Dynamic-Invocation-2.PNG" border="0" alt="Object Oriented Dynamic Invocation" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568376173973365650" /></a><br />I think that is the biggest thing people miss: technically, when you change the existing plumbing you have to regression test as you could be introducing new bugs. Unfortunately that doesn't always happen. But if you write code that doesn't change the existing system, you simply test the additions.</blockquote><br />As to the rant, in the end I have to agree with the commenter Oakman: "The OP wasn't a rant, it was a confession."Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-71031326092690000832011-01-28T05:00:00.000-05:002012-11-29T08:45:31.180-05:00It's Windows Vista, Stupid<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9hx156wSCFguT5FEqt7_mCfNACJGOVCPvXZBRAHxUF25CMLz2bkGKi_x4TJRHUOay_ftLTbv8ZWeL8RNI-wOsWPKdQ2KZRusgYhDAybLO1L0Zb_Tdf562sO7I1ToBlrIvOheX5YS5IZt/s1600/Windows-Vista.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 363px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9hx156wSCFguT5FEqt7_mCfNACJGOVCPvXZBRAHxUF25CMLz2bkGKi_x4TJRHUOay_ftLTbv8ZWeL8RNI-wOsWPKdQ2KZRusgYhDAybLO1L0Zb_Tdf562sO7I1ToBlrIvOheX5YS5IZt/s400/Windows-Vista.jpg" border="0" alt="Windows Vista" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569558679409655378" /></a><br />Microsoft was touting just a few months ago how much money they were making with Windows 7. It was <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/175-million-windows-7-sales-shoot-microsoft-to-record-revenues/">record breaking revenue</a>. Everyone was happy.<br /><br />But now, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/27/microsoft-announces-q2-earnings-8-17b-profit-xbox-revenue-up/">Windows sales are down 29%</a>. What gives?<br /><br />It's Windows Vista, Stupid. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_xp">Windows XP</a> came out 9 and a half years ago. Many large corporations and businesses were still on it. There were only two choices for those that didn't like Windows Vista: stay on a nine year-old operating system, or upgrade to Windows 7. I'm not saying anything disparaging about Windows 7 here. I'm simply saying you are going to have record sales, when 90% of the world runs your OS and no one wanted your last iteration. In the world of computers, running a 9-year old OS is like driving a Model-T.<br /><br />And, unfortunately, people aren't going to see the truth until it's too late: Microsoft is not heading in the greatest direction. They have amazing tools for developers and killer back-end software, but they are slow on innovation*. They've <a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2011/01/mobile-future-taking-market-share-from.html">dropped to 3% global market share on smartphones</a> and are "bragging" about selling 2 million licenses to their new phone OS. The problem is this doesn't say how many phones end users have purchased or activated. Even if it was sold to end users, both <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/01/jobs-suggests-that-competitors-device-activation-tallies-may-be/">Apple</a> and <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/09/andy-rubin-over-300-000-android-phones-activated-daily/">Android</a> activate 2 million a week.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/37assets/svn/406-tumblr_l39pzqmqbc1qz4gevo1_500.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/37assets/svn/406-tumblr_l39pzqmqbc1qz4gevo1_500.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />It wasn't that long ago that <a href="http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2380-you-couldnt-pay-me-to-work-for-ballmer">Jason Fried did a piece on Steve Ballmer</a> pointing to the lack of vision at Microsoft.<br /><br /><blockquote>Microsoft is undoubtedly full of very smart people, but as long as they are being run by Steve Ballmer, they’re going to be shackled by his ineptitude.</blockquote><br /><br />I think if you look at the lack of innovation at Microsoft, the major misses such as with Tablets and smartphones, it's hard to argue Jason's point. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">* I seriously have to put a <a href="http://blog.villainousmind.com/2009/06/is-microsoft-actually-innovating.html">Kinect</a> disclaimer here. Microsoft really kicked ass on this one. Fantastic job, Microsoft.</span>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-15241718411988013452011-01-26T09:46:00.005-05:002011-01-26T10:01:16.416-05:00Rejection Therapy, iPhone Programming, and Irrationality<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlv-4KassdIPS_rJ3ym98BYtIWa3JbYTQdiDBK7j1i7kknsxGfa6DlQV2xVOfJ_dzMH3OAsmrSfDg7NnUU8kc0TB7D5Dgm0DNWdmg9RcBx4bP9tQTP9dpAUN661BCI8lfGoQbIVqHEVE/s1600/Learn-iPhone-Programming-Upside-Of-Irrationality.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlv-4KassdIPS_rJ3ym98BYtIWa3JbYTQdiDBK7j1i7kknsxGfa6DlQV2xVOfJ_dzMH3OAsmrSfDg7NnUU8kc0TB7D5Dgm0DNWdmg9RcBx4bP9tQTP9dpAUN661BCI8lfGoQbIVqHEVE/s400/Learn-iPhone-Programming-Upside-Of-Irrationality.png" border="0" alt="Learn iPhone Programming Upside of Irrationality" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566508422703738482" /></a><br /><br />I have to say, I am quite pleased with the results so far of a recent "experiment". After reading about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/take-the-rejection-therapy-challenge-2010-10">Rejection Therapy</a>* and having similar inspiration from books such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307465357?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307465357">The 4-Hour Work Week</a> I decided to start contacting people that I normally wouldn't.<br /><br />The first was for Alasdair Allan (evidently he likes to be called "Al"), the author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596806434?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0596806434">Learn iPhone Programming</a>, a thorough book that tells you everything from setting up a store, to programming, to marketing. And the programming isn't just instructional: it's hands on, a-to-z coding, clearly explained, and diving into everything including sensors, etc.<br /><br />I asked Al if there was anything I should remember to do before I submitted my app. He responded within a day and told me marketing was the thing most people forget.<br /><br />The second was Dan Ariely, Author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061353248?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061353248">Predictably Irrational</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061995037?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061995037">The Upside of Irrationality</a>. His books provide extensive insights on human behavior with experiments he conducts himself or has others conduct on his behalf. He came to a conclusion on one experiment about people's rationale for their actions. I had another theory, which I e-mailed to Dan last night. He responded this morning with a rationale for his position.<br /><br />All in all, I would say 100% return on time investment is quite good. The response has been quite empowering. I may have a harder time being rejected than I thought, not that I'm complaining.<br /><br /><br />* The concept with Rejection Therapy is to try to push yourself out of your comfort zone to the point you get rejected at least once a day. The person who came up with the idea actually says it's harder than you think; most of the time, it is only our fear of rejection that holds us back.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-87559356362967558702011-01-25T05:00:00.001-05:002011-01-25T05:00:04.046-05:00Books and Books and Books and Books<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvLIob8xPlVX6ZCdTEFTjKyJqX8soSjVE0ruE6jqxVWZlL3RI62O5ZVg0jctI1c_qkqG1Lai_ODOfM5Hfbu6TBjD5r1MbyhqI7EkxvmW9r_lMJlVqutKfzVE6oKd8FjI2UWP1c7jW4ek/s1600/Book-List.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 382px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvLIob8xPlVX6ZCdTEFTjKyJqX8soSjVE0ruE6jqxVWZlL3RI62O5ZVg0jctI1c_qkqG1Lai_ODOfM5Hfbu6TBjD5r1MbyhqI7EkxvmW9r_lMJlVqutKfzVE6oKd8FjI2UWP1c7jW4ek/s400/Book-List.png" border="0" alt="Book List" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565427456442466754" /></a><br /><br />Well, I've had a major change of focus lately. Originally I had big plans to change the look and feel of about 5 blogs, several properties, and <a href="http://blog.bishopuniverse.com/2009/10/order-of-magnitude-site-live.html">various other ventures</a>. But my voracious appetite for reading on personal development and business acumen lead me down a path of focus and cleansing. In fact in my most recent read, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307465357?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307465357">The 4-Hour Work Week</a> by <a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2011/01/what-tim-ferriss-got-wrong-on-travel.html">Tim Ferriss</a>, really showed the value of focus and minimalism.<br /><br />So now I have <a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2010/12/change-of-focus.html">changed focus</a> and am now honed in on <a href="http://www.cedowin.com/">my business</a> and providing direction and marketing advice to <a href="http://www.bishopartworks.com/">my parent's art business</a>. The end of 2010 really helped me clean up the projects I have and even narrow down some <a href="http://blog.bishopuniverse.com/2009/11/david-bishop-dynamic-project-content.html">big plans I had for my personal site</a>.<br /><br />But one of the nice things I have wanted to do as a fun "take a break" project is add my book list to <a href="http://www.davidsbishop.com/">my personal site</a>. So, here it is, on <a href="http://www.davidsbishop.com/personal/">my personal page</a> with links to books, e-books, and audio books. This includes books from the greats like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zig_Ziglar">Zig Ziglar</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Welch">Jack Welch</a>. It includes technical books on C# and iPhone development. It includes books on personal development and business saavy.<br /><br />If you want to take a look at some of the best books on making yourself more productive, you should check out this list. I hope you will find these books as useful as I have.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-81917188123133357882011-01-24T05:00:00.000-05:002012-11-29T08:46:09.933-05:00The MacBook Air: Will It Code?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvtxf8vDnicbDEcm85LI7elV4Otit1iHdG14lq0ZpdYCzdcYuui54Dcn3bd7PtxHgN9cIg7_JrWM9SgLhL1wI5OSknJLahn6kPzP8o3H90Eb456LoN9t0okToALtUPFXhzsnVtL8-IGFK/s1600/MacBook-Airs.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvtxf8vDnicbDEcm85LI7elV4Otit1iHdG14lq0ZpdYCzdcYuui54Dcn3bd7PtxHgN9cIg7_JrWM9SgLhL1wI5OSknJLahn6kPzP8o3H90Eb456LoN9t0okToALtUPFXhzsnVtL8-IGFK/s400/MacBook-Airs.png" border="0" alt="MacBook Airs" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565482911580012402" /></a><br />I said I'd deliver it in <a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2010/01/being-productive-amidst-cataclysm.html">my post on productivity</a>. I promised it on <a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2011/01/what-tim-ferriss-got-wrong-on-travel.html">my post on travel</a>. It's finally here: detail on using the <a href="http://www.apple.com/macbookair/">MacBook Air</a> as a development machine. Here I will provide more information than you can inhale on steroids. There is detail on battery life, <a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2010/01/being-productive-amidst-cataclysm.html">WarCraft on the Air</a>, information on some serious syncing tools, and more.<br /><br />So, let's jump in:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Why the MacBook Air?</span><br />The MacBook Air is a great device for travel and on the road computing. It doesn't get lighter and smaller and yet still have such high resolution and power. In fact, the MacBook Air has a higher native resolution screen than the 13" MacBook Pro and the same resolution as the 15" <a href="http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/">MacBook Pro</a>. Additionally, it can power the way-beyond-high-def 2560 by 1440 screen of the 27" <a href="http://www.apple.com/imac/">iMac</a> or <a href="http://www.apple.com/displays/">Cinema Screen</a>. <br /><br />I use the MacBook Air quite often. It runs Keynote, Numbers, and Pages flawlessly, as it should. Other standard programs from Safari to iCal to iTunes to iPhoto run smoothly as they should.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What about battery?</span><br />But how is the battery impacted by normal work? How much work can I do? Well, if my tests are any indication, you can do almost a full 8-hour day on a 13" MacBook Air on normal usage. This includes compiling code, browsing over wifi, graphic searches, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Specific Detail from One Day's Use</span><br /><ul><li>90 minutes - Compiling, testing, looking up things over wifi internet</li><br /><li>10 scattered minutes</li><br /><li>15 minutes standby</li><br /><li>60 minutes - Composing blog post, looking up links, looking for picture - 69% battery left</li><br /><li>8 hours of standby</li><br /><li>10 minutes - normal - start of using bluetooth mouse</li><br /><li><span style="color: red">30 minutes - Starcraft 2 (fans were loud!) - 38% battery left (StarCraft 2 is a battery hog; see callout below)</span></li><br /><li>60 minutes - Coding, looking up images, doing internet searches - 23% battery left</li></ul><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Don't install Flash</span><br />So, the MacBook Air comes without Flash. Why? Well, apparently, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/04/macbook-air-battery-shown-to-last-two-hours-longer-when-browsing/">with Flash the battery lasts 33% less</a>. What's more, you don't need it. This should be a work computer; you should be using this for work. Why take away 1/3 of your battery life for something that doesn't need to be on your computer anyway (if you are a Flash developer, ignore this; obviously you need Flash).</blockquote><br /><br />How good is the battery? Excellent. I am creating this post on a MacBook Air, unplugged. I hardly ever plug it in. I never turn it off except for the rare reboot. It's always on. It takes about 7-8+ hours to drain and will charge in about two. You work 3 to 4 times as long unplugged as it needs to be plugged in. You simply can't beat that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Why not just get a MacBook Pro?</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvSVWAec1jS22X2JAKaadxipeQzza50QmKRMKF9G80p2eWb2KVsW0mW5uzYdi6D6Dh1GpwqoLzy5tjRLrr0iFObuy67wqjtbokp5RG8r2VG81RE4T3hc6-Pf_xda-jnSayJy8mwlIiryJ/s1600/MacBook-Pro.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvSVWAec1jS22X2JAKaadxipeQzza50QmKRMKF9G80p2eWb2KVsW0mW5uzYdi6D6Dh1GpwqoLzy5tjRLrr0iFObuy67wqjtbokp5RG8r2VG81RE4T3hc6-Pf_xda-jnSayJy8mwlIiryJ/s400/MacBook-Pro.png" border="0" alt="MacBook Pro" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565490108228576306" /></a><br />Some people would ask, "If you're going to have something portable yet something powerful, why should I not get a MacBook Pro?" Okay, first let me say, maybe you should. It really depends on what you want to do. If you need to do intensive video editing, processor-crunching activity, or power-packed computing on the go, this may be your best option.<br /><br />However if your goal is simply to save money and buy one device instead of two, you may not be saving money. Let me demonstrate:<br />The 27" iMac is $1699. The 13" MacBook Air is $1299. Total $2998.<br />The 15" MacBook Pro is $1799. The 27" monitor is $999. Total $2798.<br /><br />These are barebones. This doesn't include the bluetooth keyboard or mouse for the MacBook Pro that come with the iMac. And it doesn't account for the comfort of having your portable device ready to go instead of having to unhook monitors, network and USB cables, etc. every time you go. And don't forget either wrapping up and packing that power cord every time or buying a second one. And thinking of saving money by getting another HD monitor instead of a Cinema Display? Then the iMac 27" will have almost 80% more pixels than your MacBook Pro + HD monitor!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lfHLG_calHsDSr_4mI2bUAPLKipteHdlwjOq4b72nwIq_H9oDBRSz7geYS4lFtiagwbQx71XggHgCRnLN5PCFA_5BnJsVR7ILMZsNP8C-NZ-loNidS9nJdsv7APEDXHkoYSrCI9k2FsZ/s1600/iMac-MacBook-Air.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lfHLG_calHsDSr_4mI2bUAPLKipteHdlwjOq4b72nwIq_H9oDBRSz7geYS4lFtiagwbQx71XggHgCRnLN5PCFA_5BnJsVR7ILMZsNP8C-NZ-loNidS9nJdsv7APEDXHkoYSrCI9k2FsZ/s400/iMac-MacBook-Air.png" border="0" alt="iMac MacBook Air" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565767757867997890" /></a><br /><br />In my opinion, the iMac is the powerhouse that does your work at home. When you are on the go, you want something light, portable, and ready to go. (And don't forget, if you really want to take a keyboard or mouse with you, you can use the ones that came with your iMac.) This is not a powerhouse for sitting and getting work done all day long; this is what you use to get things done on the go. This is the duo that maximizes your productivity. Any additional cost is saved in avoiding extras (additional chargers, keyboards, etc.) and in productivity.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Windows Live Mesh - Brilliant</span><br />There is just not much to say here. Microsoft did something very, very right with <a href="https://www.mesh.com/">Windows Live Mesh</a>. Microsoft has a tendency to make things too complex (Vista) or too overblown (Bob) or simply too late (Phone 7). But they've had some home runs, like <a href="http://blog.villainousmind.com/2009/06/is-microsoft-actually-innovating.html">Kinect</a>.<br /><br />But Windows Live Mesh is simply brilliant. When I'm at home, I work on my iMac. When I'm on the go, I work on my MacBook Air. And the changes I make on one are automatically on the other. I don't have to babysit it, do special transfers, etc. I just tell it which folders to sync and the cloud and both computers are always in sync.<br /><br />This is one of my favorite things about owning my MacBook Air that make it trouble-free. This is an essential piece of software for the two-computer traveler.</blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Gestures</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33j-pPhrlMcH-WTWg1yt0A18xDDT8wRse1hY2KgbjzJM9LzMZBjWUsogqIrhpmexUgygW6Z7VLgFfC9tFS607vCm9rydA3Z-f_0DXHj3sOrGJIAigVQZttLZaU7L-QXdZHwjAaPgendFh/s1600/Gestures.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33j-pPhrlMcH-WTWg1yt0A18xDDT8wRse1hY2KgbjzJM9LzMZBjWUsogqIrhpmexUgygW6Z7VLgFfC9tFS607vCm9rydA3Z-f_0DXHj3sOrGJIAigVQZttLZaU7L-QXdZHwjAaPgendFh/s400/Gestures.png" border="0" alt="MacBook Air Gestures" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565534659843959218" /></a><br />So what else does the MacBook Air bring to the table? Gestures. I use these all the time. The two finger scroll is something I use constantly in coding and elsewhere. In fact, there are some gestures that work a specific way in X-Code, such as the three figure switch between header and implementation file. And the two finger right-click (secondary-click in Apple speak): Awesome. And Exposé is just a 4 finger drag away.<br /><br />In fact, it's times like these you realize how "next gen" this stuff is. I hop on a Windows laptop for another client and try to scroll or right-click and I realize "oh... yeah... this is Windows."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Spaces</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zDWSAvdPVuovzO7Xr1nA2EBoq2N24MHcEot_qDMwJkXU44DiTucGJnW9jSpkQJvEnCuHxDDjNIqjvJJohwU4JYrjeoV_C7ZFCzc9zZ-aYFxI51CNSs_fNFtQDcD2kMg62Axoh7JuEUdu/s1600/Spaces.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zDWSAvdPVuovzO7Xr1nA2EBoq2N24MHcEot_qDMwJkXU44DiTucGJnW9jSpkQJvEnCuHxDDjNIqjvJJohwU4JYrjeoV_C7ZFCzc9zZ-aYFxI51CNSs_fNFtQDcD2kMg62Axoh7JuEUdu/s400/Spaces.jpg" border="0" alt="Spaces" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565536023765900658" /></a><br />So what about the screen? How do you get everything done on that screen? Well, first of all, there is a lot you can do on this screen. 1440 by 900 is big enough to do any single app task I've tried, and the changes to the screen to combat glare make for a crisp, clear picture. But to run X-Code, Interface Builder, a browser for reference, and Pages for notes or whatever, how do you do it?<br /><br />Simple: Spaces. If you haven't used Spaces, you should. It's a phenomenal advancement in technology. Simply put, you can have between 4 to 16 virtual monitors and use control-[arrow key] to switch between them. If you have 4 screens like I do, just use control+[number] to switch to a specific screen. You can even set it up to have a specific application start on a specific screen. Add a second external monitor and now you have up to 32 virtual screens. How can you not have enough space to get everything done, even if it's playtime?<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">WOW and SC2 on the MacBook Air</span><br />I've long been a fan of <a href="http://www.blizzard.com/">Blizzard</a> games, and, although I've greatly <a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2010/01/being-productive-amidst-cataclysm.html">decreased my playtime</a> and increased my productive time, I still catch up with friends online.<br /><br />So, how does World of WarCraft play on the MacBook Air? Beautifully! It's not running on Ultra or anything, but is looks smooth and clean, and, although the framerate runs around 25 fps, it is more then sufficient for immersive gameplay on the go. It even looks great on an external monitor. Here are the settings I use.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YGNVKZud_m4aJYupEwqHECG16EiJKBwuv6zBaoQF_zZ27y3Pqr0eRLXdQnWPNobAs765xjs61A57tjdX9URonvsmOCA6kym9Vx-BwoNP5PS-6jKdd8ZpF9noKK6wlMQCLMt6nUeTjpZp/s1600/World-of-WarCraft-Video-Settings-MacBook-Air.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YGNVKZud_m4aJYupEwqHECG16EiJKBwuv6zBaoQF_zZ27y3Pqr0eRLXdQnWPNobAs765xjs61A57tjdX9URonvsmOCA6kym9Vx-BwoNP5PS-6jKdd8ZpF9noKK6wlMQCLMt6nUeTjpZp/s400/World-of-WarCraft-Video-Settings-MacBook-Air.png" border="0" alt="World of WarCraft Video Settings on MacBook Air" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565479758366101826" /></a><br />Now, there are two things to note here. First of all, the fan starts up on WOW, but it runs quiet most of the time with peaks of moderate use. Note that the fan hardly ever runs in my daily use. In fact, the MacBook Air is almost always cool to the touch - literally - very cool, as it's an aluminum frame. But when I try StarCraft 2, it sounds like a Jet is preparing for landing.<br /><br />Additionally, the battery life is phenomenal on the MacBook Air allowing almost a full day of work on a charge. But when WOW is in play, it decreases by about 1/2 to 2/3. In SC2, the battery will only last about 90 minutes! (The scary thing is this horrendous performance for this program on the Air is normal battery life for many laptop and netbooks.)</blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Conclusion</span><br />So, how does development work on the MacBoor Air? Wonderfully. It's a beautiful secondary device for business, development, research, and various other things. Between all the extra's that are in Mac OS X such as Gestures, Spaces, and super-high resolution the MacBook Air is a winner and it will code. And it's not just the obvious things, but the extras. For instance, when I received my MacBook Air, I knew I was going to get a restore drive that was simply a super-thin USB drive. I thought it would have Just the OS on it, even though I had ordered iWork too. I had no idea how i would install this if I had to.<br /><br />Not to worry. OS X, iLife, and iWork were all on the flash drive. Apple had preplanned for pre-installations of its office suite and created separate drives for those orders.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxgF687TQ3TIwmRaLgjagtHB0obZ0VNPaqFTG77gf25mwd37xKleNNN3Cbb-xPTBj3KnFfJ-cVHCL62ECwOi5K4_3t4JxvHIklYksHBFUbe-ajlpFiBhGp73Bros9nN3ZErBpP8sY-XWZ/s1600/MacBook-Air-Restore-Drive.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxgF687TQ3TIwmRaLgjagtHB0obZ0VNPaqFTG77gf25mwd37xKleNNN3Cbb-xPTBj3KnFfJ-cVHCL62ECwOi5K4_3t4JxvHIklYksHBFUbe-ajlpFiBhGp73Bros9nN3ZErBpP8sY-XWZ/s400/MacBook-Air-Restore-Drive.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565537768370006898" /></a><br /><br />So, would I recommend this computer? Well... do you travel a lot? Do you do a lot of presentations? Do you work away from your desk a lot? Do you have a primary computer and are looking for a secondary computer in these instances? If your answers are yes, this is your computer. If so, don't waste time wondering; go to an Apple Store and check one out.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-941530849843705222011-01-21T05:00:00.000-05:002012-11-29T08:43:27.340-05:00What Tim Ferriss got wrong on TravelI've been enjoying Tim Ferriss' book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307465357?ie=UTF8&tag=villinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307465357" target="_blank">The 4-hour work week</a>. He has a lot of great tips and tricks for making life more simple and making work more about getting things done than wasting hours at the office.<br /><br />I personally have realized how powerful focus is in everyday life and work and have employed it by c<a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2010/12/change-of-focus.html">hanging the focus of Cedowin</a> and limiting what the company does instead of looking to several things in hope of finding something that will be "the next big thing". But I've also narrowed focus at home, ridding myself of many worthless possessions. It's amazing how much money we can spend on worthless things trying to find "deals" instead of focusing our financial resources on spending the right amount of money for quality products, but that's another post.<br /><br />When I came to the chapter on travel in Tim's book, I couldn't have agreed more with his premise: don't pack for all contingencies; bring the bare essentials. I also used to pack for all contingencies, but now that I travel at least once a month, I have learned to keep it lean with one suitcase and one light "tool" bag: these are things to help me get things done. However, as Tim and I have different goals in life, our interpretations of "Bare Essentials" differ.<br /><br />For instance, Tim doesn't pack a computer. I have noticed, though, that Tim has softened on his stance of no laptop as his <a href="http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/07/11/how-to-travel-the-world-with-10-pounds-or-less-plus-how-to-negotiate-convertibles-and-luxury-treehouses/">blog post about packing</a> now offers a Sony laptop even though no computer is in the listing. Here are the items I think are essential, at least to me, to be able to be productive during layovers, downtime, and while waiting for your flight.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;display:block; margin:0px auto 0px; text-align:center;">Essential Tools: MacBook Air, iPad, Notepad<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3zwlUlaZyH6EudKpPkSTVCD4Z0ZHxNWK232XWLap-nRD7dGi4uY32HamLS6tm19TFUOMmfIBY5fFFw24NzLgQ8rKCQfEiWqLsp5SVp6MXLYqeVdEpfPdqZHG0NjtisTdM3GBI3qXzCoQ/s1600/Tools-For-Travel.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3zwlUlaZyH6EudKpPkSTVCD4Z0ZHxNWK232XWLap-nRD7dGi4uY32HamLS6tm19TFUOMmfIBY5fFFw24NzLgQ8rKCQfEiWqLsp5SVp6MXLYqeVdEpfPdqZHG0NjtisTdM3GBI3qXzCoQ/s400/Tools-For-Travel.JPG" border="0" alt="Tools for Travel" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564458942160483826" /></a><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight:bold;">MacBook Air.</span> A deliciously portable Mac. (How does it do? Keep a watch on my blog to find out; <a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2010/01/being-productive-amidst-cataclysm.html">as promised</a>, I will be detailing my experience soon.) Tim says he does all his work through Internet cafés when he has to and that laptops are bulky. On the latter, they can be and I wouldn't carry one, but the Air is less than 3 pounds and you hardly notice you have it. Additionally, as it runs between 6-8 hours on normal use, you barely have to plug it in. As to the Internet cafés, there is a security issue there. You do not know what type of spyware, keystroke loggers, etc. are on those machines. For the simple sake of security, I prefer to do my business on my machine. What's more, I prefer to do my work on my time, not when I can find an Internet café. Yes, on vacation you shouldn't be working, but when you are not traveling for pleasure, or you are not in pleasure mode (i.e. in the airport, waiting for your flight, etc.) these are great times to get things done.</li><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjMJxi_I2GBQc6UtPy5KyOKCgyMu5a_E0RlQw07P_SYTqZBti6c0OTUsOiETCJ9U46396lwXAf5ngXIgXLjjkF-hHr-9axuYrCVJrtjPUoTDALt_zale6uPQ1yJppibKQHYa287ar-kZA/s1600/iPad-In-Dodo-Case.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjMJxi_I2GBQc6UtPy5KyOKCgyMu5a_E0RlQw07P_SYTqZBti6c0OTUsOiETCJ9U46396lwXAf5ngXIgXLjjkF-hHr-9axuYrCVJrtjPUoTDALt_zale6uPQ1yJppibKQHYa287ar-kZA/s400/iPad-In-Dodo-Case.JPG" border="0" alt="iPad in Dodocase" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564459089055587346" /></a><br /><br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;">iPad.</span> Forget packing books, videos, manuals, etc. In a small little form factor I can even check my e-mail, do light correspondence, browse, etc. In short, if I don't want to pull out my MacBook to do it, the iPad does it. In addition, it keeps me from having to lug around several books. Size and weight savings are on the first book! Additionally, when I was snowed in this week and couldn't fly home, I could rent a movie without leaving my room. Note: for a great case, I personally prefer the handmade <a href="http://www.dodocase.com/">Dodocase</a>; it has no equal.</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;"> iPhone.</span> Having a phone is a given, but it also falls into that, if-I-don't-want-to-turn-on-my-iPad-or-have-no-wifi-I-can-use-my-iPhone category. Plus, with a few games, it can keep the kids busy at key times.</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chargers. </span> One for MacBook Air and one for the iPad/iPhone.</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;">A/V cable.</span> This is great for putting the SpongeBob I have for the kids on the iPad or iPhone on the hotel TV. It was also great for watching the rental on the big TV.</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sunglasses.</span> Always nice while driving.</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bluetooth headset and charger.</span> Many states, including New York which I frequent, don't allow you to talk and drive unless it's handsfree. I don't really use the phone for business when I'm traveling. I simply use it to contact friends and family or to make plans for the day.</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;">A headphone jack to headphone jack cable.</span> Every rental car I've purchased in the last two years has had bluetooth or a headphone jack auxiliary input. This is great for listening to audiobooks on the iPhone in the car.</li><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXoIyJlgvi6xun2gK0ncj77-2NOTmu9DDnzp7IXbORF2QtClNulw-nnuKUHXRT6rldhx-8K8TAd5Li9fYYpNn_9P9ZWhU_AYedjNNt9iMNYmGh8HAfA26wQPbnP5zpqM-13x1KN6Jc8iO/s1600/Notepad-With-Pen.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXoIyJlgvi6xun2gK0ncj77-2NOTmu9DDnzp7IXbORF2QtClNulw-nnuKUHXRT6rldhx-8K8TAd5Li9fYYpNn_9P9ZWhU_AYedjNNt9iMNYmGh8HAfA26wQPbnP5zpqM-13x1KN6Jc8iO/s400/Notepad-With-Pen.JPG" border="0" alt="Notepad with Pen" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564459010588699954" /></a><br /><br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;">A notebook.</span> a simple notebook with writing pad and a pocket for papers such as boarding passes, itineraries, etc.</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;">A good pen and highlighter.</span></li></ul><br /><br />I consider these essential. I use the downtime to be productive so I am not wasting the time. But when I am with family or on vacation, I use that time to spend with them. In any case, business or pleasure, all these tools get used quite often in my travels. I agree with Tim that we should pack the essentials only. However, I think these are essentials. They help me make the most out of my downtime and enjoy the rest of the time to its fullest.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-8641451810571430052011-01-18T05:00:00.000-05:002012-11-29T08:43:44.625-05:00Being Productive Amidst a Cataclysm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjojH0NWLqBzKCQRTTNAjgx5Oq_1x-hB8lhZIs9amPXiXoU-mIAwoMj2skyuNF8wxQfD1xXUf3eiBsj7hJugHMUb5MlDHxqA9VlzHfzK-VanrxXB1yuYVx1Z3JVhjO6ejuXHxYEuelnSm/s1600/WOW-on-MacBook-Air.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjojH0NWLqBzKCQRTTNAjgx5Oq_1x-hB8lhZIs9amPXiXoU-mIAwoMj2skyuNF8wxQfD1xXUf3eiBsj7hJugHMUb5MlDHxqA9VlzHfzK-VanrxXB1yuYVx1Z3JVhjO6ejuXHxYEuelnSm/s400/WOW-on-MacBook-Air.JPG" border="0" alt="Paladin Tombstone" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549999351501285250" /></a><br /><br />There are a lot of people out there who want to be rich or thin or muscular. If you have any doubt, take a look at <a href="http://www.data360.org/graph_group.aspx?Graph_Group_Id=549">lottery sales</a> or data on weight loss pills or even machines that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_muscle_stimulation">shock your muscles</a> to make them grow while you watch TV. So many people expect that all it takes to become an overnight success is some magical idea and WHAMO!<br /><br />But overwhelmingly the overnight success idea is a myth. When people see an "overnight success" it is undoubtedly following years of hard work, putting everything in place, and making progress even when the results cannot be seen.<br /><br />So for those that are entrepreneurs, the hardest part is settling down and doing the work. Persistence is the most important trait for an entrepreneur. Never giving up and always putting in more effort until your dreams come alive - that is the true grit that leads to success.<br /><br />But you don't get something for nothing. Recently my son did a speech for his 5th grade class. He had charts and a well-crafted presentation. He practiced every night. After giving his speech he was chosen to go to a regional contest for 4H. He practiced every night for weeks. The competition was solid: these kids really worked hard. And when the time came to award first place, I'm proud to say my son won. More accurately, he earned it. Everyone worked hard. That was obvious. But he worked the hardest, I believe, and it paid off.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">WOW on the MacBook Air</span><br />So, there it is: a picture of <a href="http://www.order-of-magnitude.com/roster/?name=Debless&alliance=true&horde=true">World of WarCraft</a> on the MacBook Air. So, the questions come, I'm sure: Do you have WOW on the MacBook Air? What are the settings? How does it play? Is it usable? What are the drawbacks? Tune in for my review of the MacBook Air for development for a callout (like this one) on WOW/SC2 performance.</blockquote><br />If you want something of value, such as a successful business, you have to give something of value. You can't expect to watch TV for 2-3 hours a day or 2 hours of guild raiding a night and still succeed at starting your own business, especially if you do it on the side. Sometimes you have to put the mouse down, put the <a href="http://www.wowwiki.com/Worgen_(playable)">Worgen</a> Hunter in the inn, and get the job done. It won't get done magically, and you won't become that "overnight success" just by being the best mage on your server (if you truly are the best mage on your server, unless you are making money on something WarCraft related, don't expect to quit your day job).<br /><br />So, how do you be productive when there are so many distractions? Try these few key things:<br /><ul><li>Focus. Make sure you focus on your core business and don't waste time on business pursuits that will distract you from that</li><br /><li>Budget. "Ugh. No! Say it isn't so." It is. If you want to run a successful business, you need to budget your money and budget it well, knowing where every dollar is going. Period. But just as important: budget your time. Know where your time is going. Find out how you can be as productive as possible.</li><br /><li>Grow. Give up the wasted time on TV and games. If you are with family, <span style="font-weight:bold;">don't waste that precious time glued to a big plastic rectangle</span>. And when you're not with family, be productive. Even just a little more each day helps you to grow toward who you want to be. "Just this time I'll work instead of play." Then the next time it becomes easier. Become that much more attuned to working, and that much less attuned to playing. There is still time to play, but it should be a constant fight to work instead.</li></ul><br />It's your life. They are your dreams. Don't waste them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KjHJ_kNwr6VK3T6Nu6WNo9Q6Pm38HJVtxz_-YrnPOz5gT5lpZBalOC7Rzcu4D1C7WqyJWjrHE-LvQyUo8QKYh9Qan0tZnyZ80U7zXFoHrBeqGM4b51cnHBUwOPQLfKNYRSGq5TGeC4TH/s1600/Tombstone-Paladin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KjHJ_kNwr6VK3T6Nu6WNo9Q6Pm38HJVtxz_-YrnPOz5gT5lpZBalOC7Rzcu4D1C7WqyJWjrHE-LvQyUo8QKYh9Qan0tZnyZ80U7zXFoHrBeqGM4b51cnHBUwOPQLfKNYRSGq5TGeC4TH/s400/Tombstone-Paladin.jpg" border="0" alt="WOW on a MacBook Air" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549999419430159074" /></a>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-64601506449341868352011-01-13T05:00:00.000-05:002012-11-29T08:43:58.511-05:00Verizon iPhone: What 1/3 of iPhone Users and The Daily Show WantWho want's an iPhone on the Verizon network? It appears millions of AT&T customers and the folks at the <a href="http://www.dailyshow.com/" target="_blank">Daily Show</a>. According to a survey last fall <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/13/att-iphone-switch-verizon/" target="_blank">over one third of current iPhone users are waiting to switch to Verizon</a> and nearly half would consider it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkbJGESc5v0a6Kkj1219DVEsoAg0pbdJPVK_rgObeCrYTIb8qYdyMSNYDsUMKbiSIW1oCDf7_yBTqLhBLylACZmVUv7NZUU01kuO2M0XE2W2QEopcRIeYkiLPeNvcdU6L0tnStGksYQcE/s1600/iPhone-Users-Want-Verizon.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkbJGESc5v0a6Kkj1219DVEsoAg0pbdJPVK_rgObeCrYTIb8qYdyMSNYDsUMKbiSIW1oCDf7_yBTqLhBLylACZmVUv7NZUU01kuO2M0XE2W2QEopcRIeYkiLPeNvcdU6L0tnStGksYQcE/s400/iPhone-Users-Want-Verizon.png" border="0" alt="iPhone Users Want Verizon" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561455378301139122" /></a><br /><br />Two of the largest areas of complaints for the AT&T iPhone are in the cities of <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110111/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_verizon_iphone_winners_and_losers" target="_blank">San Francisco and New York City</a>. Anyone who frequents <a href="http://www.engadget.com/" target="_blank">Engadget</a> will know that San Francisco is a major sore spot for AT&T. Steve Jobs even mentioned San Francisco specifically in his <a href="http://d8.allthingsd.com/20100607/steve-jobs-at-d8-the-full-uncut-interview/" target="_blank">interview with All Things Digital last year</a> as he stated red tape there causes large delays for new towers. It's probably a good thing for Verizon they had <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/12/verizon-wireless-turns-on-16-new-cell-sites-in-nyc-we-cant-ima/" target="_blank">16 new cell sites ready to go in New York City</a> this week.<br /><br />But it seems the most thrilled recipients of Verizon's new acquisition might be on the other coast. <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/12/the-daily-show-reacts-to-verizon-iphone-jon-stewart-gets-a-litt/" target="_blank">The Daily Show used up an entire segment</a> trumpeting their thrill over the "freedom" of the new network choice and sharing the disdain of the average New Yorker for the current carrier. It's a great bit as always.<br /><br /><table style="display:block;text-align:center;margin-left: auto; margin-right:auto;font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="360" height="353"><tbody><tr style="background-color:#e5e5e5" valign="middle"><td style="padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;"><a target="_blank" style="color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;" href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/">The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a></td><td style="padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;">Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c</td></tr><tr style="height:14px;" valign="middle"><td style="padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;" colspan="2"><a target="_blank" style="color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;" href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-11-2011/verizon-iphone-announcement">Verizon iPhone Announcement</a></td></tr><tr style="height:14px; background-color:#353535" valign="middle"><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; width:360px; overflow:hidden; text-align:right"><a target="_blank" style="color:#96deff; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;" href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/">www.thedailyshow.com</a></td></tr><tr valign="middle"><td style="padding:0px;" colspan="2"><embed style="display:block" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:370708" width="360" height="301" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="window" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="autoPlay=false" allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="all" bgcolor="#000000"></embed></td></tr><tr style="height:18px;" valign="middle"><td style="padding:0px;" colspan="2"><table style="margin:0px; text-align:center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" height="100%"><tbody><tr valign="middle"><td style="padding:3px; width:33%;"><a target="_blank" style="font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/">Daily Show Full Episodes</a></td><td style="padding:3px; width:33%;"><a target="_blank" style="font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.indecisionforever.com/">Political Humor & Satire Blog</a></td><td style="padding:3px; width:33%;"><a target="_blank" style="font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.facebook.com/thedailyshow">The Daily Show on Facebook</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />The winner here: Apple. As<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110111/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_verizon_iphone_winners_and_losers" target="_blank"> Ben Patterson points out</a> this only serves to sell more iPhones. More importantly, it will break the "winner by default" victory of Android on Verizon. To be sure, Android will still be a formidable opponent as seen in <a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2011/01/mobile-future-taking-market-share-from.html" target="_blank">the Global and US smartphone market share</a> numbers, but it will have to fight for its place in the US and not have that position handed to it by those who refuse to switch to AT&T. Now we have a chance to see a real head-to-head competition between two solid competitors.<br /><br />On an additional note: <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2011/01/12/confirmed-personal-hotspot-feature-coming-to-all-iphones-in-ios-4-3/" target="_blank">BGR has confirmed the new hotspot functionality</a> is not just for Verizon.<br /><br />And I also think this note <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20110112/tc_yblog_technews/verizon-iphone-announcement-gets-daily-show-treatment" target="_blank">about John Oliver's performance from Ben Patterson</a> is worth repeating:<br /><br /><blockquote>(P.S. John Oliver didn't really interrupt Verizon's Lowell McAdam in the middle of his opening remarks; Oliver's cheeky, R-rated outburst came several minutes before the event had started.)</blockquote>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-55811552967374539772011-01-10T05:00:00.000-05:002012-11-29T08:44:13.519-05:00The Mobile Future - Taking Market Share from the Desktop<object style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;" width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pS45FeWQtSE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pS45FeWQtSE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><br /><br />As I've stated before, <a href="http://blog.cedowin.com/2010/12/change-of-focus.html">a lot has changed in a few years' time</a>. Not only are the smartphone and mobile market changing, but in 18 months the sales of smartphones and tablets are predicted to surpass the PC. 4 years ago, smartphones had a stylus and the Pocket PC ruled the roost. Who would have suspected that in 2010, Microsoft's share would drop to 3% globally?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfBKQAkq1aV996AZSuvYVLyg-4YXRAZ9cUwARhEeohBG-AHomb5tfKNwFVTeHGRnGXLpdLLo2uQ_txwqbgRv7jjmEQntgdT7WqE8UFJc9S74sUD5zFqWRcddHBywX11yXsbrituX8uvU9/s1600/The-Mobile-Future-Global-Marketshare-2010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfBKQAkq1aV996AZSuvYVLyg-4YXRAZ9cUwARhEeohBG-AHomb5tfKNwFVTeHGRnGXLpdLLo2uQ_txwqbgRv7jjmEQntgdT7WqE8UFJc9S74sUD5zFqWRcddHBywX11yXsbrituX8uvU9/s400/The-Mobile-Future-Global-Marketshare-2010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560431136064299218" /></a><br /><br />Additionally, who would have suspected that RIM, a company who's stock price grew at over 200% in the last 10 years would fall in the US market to second place? And more importantly, who would have suspected that more than 50% of the people who own a RIM device are planning to defect to Android or an iPhone?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirHuAeq3Kf1bOVjz7falKgn_mKEtKD2ij6ZqFo_Qq-JCihx0TYrN4jYZIRrcY5tQRHcpTCN2wXEPrYfbhZTG4C3hjefCSmu3edJJ1ynj5N1M-a076q3K8OhalQX3JDafpkhJi0vL3ApjU/s1600/The-Mobile-Future-Android-iPhone-Blackberry-Desire.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirHuAeq3Kf1bOVjz7falKgn_mKEtKD2ij6ZqFo_Qq-JCihx0TYrN4jYZIRrcY5tQRHcpTCN2wXEPrYfbhZTG4C3hjefCSmu3edJJ1ynj5N1M-a076q3K8OhalQX3JDafpkhJi0vL3ApjU/s400/The-Mobile-Future-Android-iPhone-Blackberry-Desire.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560431313873574898" /></a><br /><br />The detail in this 9-minute video highlights the smartphone market share globally and in the US as well as how each of the players are doing and how tablets are impacting this market.<br /><br />In just a few minutes you can be more well-versed in the mobile space than most of your colleagues. Take just a few minutes to find out what is going on and give yourself a good view of where the market is heading.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-55218144094858011022009-11-02T19:00:00.000-05:002009-11-02T19:56:52.411-05:00David bishop - dynamic project content<a href="http://www.davidsbishop.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIS7xuM2PK0SfHzBFc4guRgT-mU1qWTUd2s10sg7iP2efVHfIetCsrNo3Os8jRdaIOUomaHheABu8qjTNPojaufaBmdSBmpawjOV9LUkYjku9d0rg0wrO_H0b0ZgoQNgjRkgIPlYLAXA/s400/david-bishop-site.png" border="0" alt="david bishop site" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396953012903521474" /></a><br />It wasn't long ago I asked my <a href="http://www.travisoakes.com/">graphic artist Travis Oakes</a> to design a persona site for me, <a href="http://www.davidsbishop.com/">David Bishop</a>, which I then created from his graphics and design. This site functions as an online resume detailing my work history and contains links to everything I do: <a href="http://blog.villainousmind.com/">blogs</a>, my Company: <a href="http://www.villainousmind.com/">VillainousMind</a> including the <a href="http://www.villainousmind.com/locura-media-server/">Locura Media Server</a> its flagship product, my <a href="http://www.bufferurinal.com/2009/04/what-world-of-warcraft-name-rocks.html">World of WarCraft</a> <a href="http://www.order-of-magnitude.com/">guild</a> which I <a href="http://blog.bishopuniverse.com/2009/10/order-of-magnitude-site-live.html">recently updated</a>, my kid's sites and more.<br /><br />But as time progressed, I realized the static nature of the site was no good for a few reasons:<br /><ul><li>There wasn't an automatic way to show project completion.</li><br /><li>There wasn't a way to reference projects that had completed.</li></ul><br /><br />For this reason I wanted to create a data-driven list of projects to show the information on the projects, show the completion within a time frame after the project completed, then drop them off the main pages and into the archive section. And, in keeping with <a href="http://www.codeonce.org/">Code Once</a> philosophy, the site will auto-update by the data without code changes. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Technology</span><br />Since personal projects are always opportunities to learn and have fun, we get to play with some fun tech. In a nutshell the data will be normalized in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_SQL_Server">SQL Server</a> database, referenced through a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_access_layer">data layer</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_Sharp_(programming_language)">C#.NET</a>, and pulled using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOAP">SOAP</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_service">Web Services</a>. Woot! And to kick it up a notch I'm going to try my hand at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Communication_Foundation">Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Data</span><br />The data will focus on projects and run out from there to pictures, links to <a href="http://blog.villainousmind.com/">blog posts</a>, and information about the technologies used.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0hgc5tWbGzgdkt5d8TJJU6KnawQV0H4qklwAGb4ZF4tRpm46sHIKQk7M2qRO9S76NgzyH1f4fxOgjH69TouIcApKwePG9IzIAMOo9fJVLz5gs669u52eAp57BxK0gGwy5IV7y5SopoE/s1600-h/david-bishop-project-database.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0hgc5tWbGzgdkt5d8TJJU6KnawQV0H4qklwAGb4ZF4tRpm46sHIKQk7M2qRO9S76NgzyH1f4fxOgjH69TouIcApKwePG9IzIAMOo9fJVLz5gs669u52eAp57BxK0gGwy5IV7y5SopoE/s400/david-bishop-project-database.png" border="0" alt="Bishop Universe database design" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397098445581928050" /></a><br /><br />The technologies will also show dependencies which link back recursively to the technologies table. Those dependencies in turn could have dependencies. For instance, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_service">Web Services</a> are dependent on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOAP">SOAP</a>, which is in turn dependent on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRHhDvtjpbrjniLAbxuBg-MF6Ft08Go-Pn7CGAMPRq-DGqYTmWoJByLyYJkhUd-MSmMXFjgRxOSsw0DYR1u3UzpWQ0QUFXLhgFhhttcop4MjRW-PppLhwChqpsniWuGag-yet0HrXvSY/s1600-h/david-bishop-project-technologies.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 325px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRHhDvtjpbrjniLAbxuBg-MF6Ft08Go-Pn7CGAMPRq-DGqYTmWoJByLyYJkhUd-MSmMXFjgRxOSsw0DYR1u3UzpWQ0QUFXLhgFhhttcop4MjRW-PppLhwChqpsniWuGag-yet0HrXvSY/s400/david-bishop-project-technologies.png" border="0" alt="Bishop Universe technologies table" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397104678517332850" /></a><br /><br />The fun part is finding the best way to find out how to grab all related technologies. For instance, if I say a project uses <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Communication_Foundation">WCF</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xhtml">XHTML</a>, the technology list needs to pull <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_service">Web Services</a>, which pulls <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOAP">SOAP</a>, which pulls <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a>. In addition, it needs to pull <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Html">HTML</a> because of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xhtml">XHTML</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Celko">Joe Celko</a> has some <a href="http://www.ibase.ru/devinfo/DBMSTrees/sqltrees.html">interesting SQL on trees</a> (who better to turn to for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sql">SQL</a> but Celko himself?) but I don't like the way he's set up the data structure in order to be able to pull the data (for a better visual explanation see this <a href="http://dev.mysql.com/tech-resources/articles/hierarchical-data.html">article</a>).<br /><br />I also thought about finding a way to pull the data recursively with solid <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sql">SQL</a>, meaning no cursors (spit) and no iterative and future-killing, pre-defined, numbered tables (Technologies AS Tech1 LEFT JOIN Technologies AS Tech2 LEFT JOIN Technologies AS Tech 3 LEFT JOIN Technologies AS Tech4 etc.)<br /><br />In the end, however, this is a job for code. I think like most developers I had the "that would be cool" or "wow, finding a way to do 'x' would be a challenge. Let's do it!" hat on. Instead common sense took hold and I realized I should pull the data and link it all up in the code.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Code</span><br />I'm new to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Communication_Foundation">Windows Communication Foundation</a>. I have read a fair amount about it. I have yet to understand why I need it, but I would like to a) find out and b) continue learning.<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/kaevans/archive/2008/04/09/calling-web-services-via-ajax-part-2.aspx"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1R3twqbMjKMhTWwn72GkOFvOzOy2wheP7uBd3qpik_c4TRZKfxh2RjOe90LyQgBPoTTmK9jppkkovKm8jTwFS_q-Km5UteO0g4-oE_z1Zlka6wFXGN7p2pG51se9unTeo7cPgqggT4fA/s400/Windows-communication-foundation.gif" border="0" alt="windows communication foundation" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397705468174309122" /></a><br /><br />There is nothing crazy here on tech. It will be simple <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stored_procedure">stored procs</a> (and for those out there that don't make <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stored_procedure">stored procs</a> simple: shame on you!), a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_access_layer">data access layer</a> written in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_Sharp_(programming_language)">C#.NET</a> and a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_service">web service</a> layer utilizing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Communication_Foundation">WCF</a>. Of course this will all be consumed with a web front end and <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.ui.webcontrols.webcontrol.aspx">Web Controls</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAb1h9Ct-0gMHcA9KsPmAoh0XIyq_LknI1iqvo1lSOY8-s4J3aOozzAwPzrePQvWtnp2B8rwn6zF4Ofyil-VNEwGmg0xJzc-Jcz12iBWcL0EKagBNZU7eFfZreWzlQ_RPClXbWFPlotZ0/s1600-h/data-layer-model.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAb1h9Ct-0gMHcA9KsPmAoh0XIyq_LknI1iqvo1lSOY8-s4J3aOozzAwPzrePQvWtnp2B8rwn6zF4Ofyil-VNEwGmg0xJzc-Jcz12iBWcL0EKagBNZU7eFfZreWzlQ_RPClXbWFPlotZ0/s400/data-layer-model.png" border="0" alt="data access layer model" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397715298536526338" /></a><br /><br />The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_service">web service</a> will be consumed by a <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.ui.webcontrols.webcontrol.aspx">Web Control</a> on the page and an new archive section will be added.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">That's It</span><br />There's really nothing more to say: New database, data driven projects with recursive technology links, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_access_layer">data access layer</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Communication_Foundation">WCF</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_service">web service</a> consumed by custom <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.ui.webcontrols.webcontrol.aspx">Web Control</a> on a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_Sharp_(programming_language)">C#.NET</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASP.NET">ASP.NET</a> page.<br /><br />Now to get cracking!Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-25439927536789607692009-10-26T19:00:00.003-04:002009-11-11T09:29:22.551-05:00Order of magnitude site live<a href="http://www.deadlyb.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 376px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCa6mE_ZqYxQoaFybQSYPXLl5TF0ZKqt2Y4Y4HpfkdX5N32qHavXrY4T4R0vpbPHUuxSCPkWvCRKs3t8hLhsIs-7DVDlfrF0qA-d9_o5WSK9Jixg4Pr4vZGYBGW4iTF7iObmh_ntE_Ek/s400/order-of-magnitude-debless.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396951986255082834" /></a><br />The <a href="http://www.order-of-magnitude.com/">Order of Magnitude</a> guild site is now live. The <a href="http://blog.bishopuniverse.com/2009/09/order-of-magnitude-web-site.html">project</a> was a filler project for me in-between <a href="http://www.villainousmind.com/">company</a> projects, but was fun nonetheless with the <a href="http://www.order-of-magnitude.com/roster.aspx">roster</a> web clients, XML pulls and mashups, XSD compliance, XSLT transformations, and some really cool graphics provided by <a href="http://www.travisoakes.com/">Travis Oakes</a>. <br /><br />My next project to put an archive section on my <a href="http://www.davidsbishop.com/">David Bishop</a> site will include this project in it's listing.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912094350038867072.post-47068523439616807402009-09-09T19:00:00.006-04:002009-09-10T10:44:09.673-04:00Order of magnitude web site<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGtn1btrOmOLRKyUCVgQKPSLDSUVOgsYLJWikC1Chr24izwNfG5cRfK_tladZ-YARmg97UNgPSzHS5Kjm58XM6lMd7bpDYh8jvu8mehIt-XJ6c0bicOPcFC9GcFuS6jimVj3BVPjYHIo/s1600-h/Guild-Home-Page.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGtn1btrOmOLRKyUCVgQKPSLDSUVOgsYLJWikC1Chr24izwNfG5cRfK_tladZ-YARmg97UNgPSzHS5Kjm58XM6lMd7bpDYh8jvu8mehIt-XJ6c0bicOPcFC9GcFuS6jimVj3BVPjYHIo/s400/Guild-Home-Page.jpg" border="0" alt="order of magnitude home page" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348390583364376450" /></a><br />I'm in a <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/">World of Warcraft</a> guild named <a href="http://www.order-of-magnitude.com/">Order of Magnitude</a> with several friends including the <a href="http://www.travisoakes.com/">artist</a> who has done a lot of work for me (<a href="http://www.davidsbishop.com/">David Bishop</a>) and my <a href="http://www.villainousmind.com/">company</a>.<br /><br />For our guild we use the <a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/">WOW Armory</a> to see different guild stats, but unfortunately it doesn't show whose characters are whose. I wanted to create a guild roster that married the person to their characters.<br /><br />For this purpose, I commissioned my artist to create a look for a small site centered around two things: a piece of art I had commissioned with the founding 5 members in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime">anime</a>, and a roster of the guild. I employed several technologies to read the data from the <a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/">armory</a> and compile it into a form that could be presented. The task I have before me is to marry the code and proof of concept with the final art and complete the guild site for <a href="http://wow.order-of-magnitude.com/">Order of Magnitude</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Code</span><br /><br />The new site is mostly about looks but there is one piece that is functional and that's the roster. The roster uses several interesting technologies to build and mesh data from our server with data from the <a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/">WOW Armory</a>.<br /><br />First, the roster uses the <a href="System.Net.WebClient">System.Net.WebClient</a> to connect to the <a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/">armory</a>. Because the <a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/">armory</a> detects automated requests in an attempt to thwart malicious acts, it will sometimes throw a bogus call out. For this reason, there needs to be a retry for the calls. Also, after the guild call is made, the character calls should only be made for characters needing PvP stats. Calling all extended character information will result in a temporary blacklist. Trust <a href="http://www.davidsbishop.com/">me</a>. I know.<br /><br />This is the main method that gets the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a> from the <a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/">armory</a>:<br /><blockquote>/// <summary>Gets the xml from the text of the http response.</summary><br />/// <param name="path">The path for the request.</param><br />/// <param name="realm">The realm to request.</param><br />/// <param name="name">The name to request.</param><br />/// <returns>The xml.</returns><br />public static string GetXml(string path, string realm, string name)<br />{<br /> // Set up.<br /> WebClient client = new WebClient();<br /> client.QueryString.Add("r", realm);<br /> client.QueryString.Add("n", name);<br /><br /> // Run and clean up.<br /> TextReader reader = null;<br /> int tries = 0; bool good = false;<br /> while ((tries < 2) && (!good))<br /> {<br /> try<br /> {<br /> client.Headers.Add("user-agent", "MSIE 7.0");<br /> reader = new StreamReader(client.OpenRead(path));<br /> good = true;<br /> }<br /> catch<br /> {<br /> tries++;<br /> System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(100);<br /> }<br /> }<br /><br /> // If it was blacklisted, say, otherwise complete.<br /> if (!good)<br /> {<br /> throw new Exception("The query was blacklisted.");<br /> }<br /> else<br /> {<br /> string response = reader.ReadToEnd();<br /> client.Dispose();<br /> reader.Dispose();<br /><br /> // Return.<br /> return response;<br /> }<br />}</blockquote><br />The rest of the code simply takes the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a> that was received and mashes it up with the guild file linking all character data to the specific player. The resulting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a> is saved to a file that resides in an accessible folder.<br /><br />The trigger for this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(web_application_hybrid)">mashup</a> is a hit to the page. When the page is requested, a check for one of three things occurs:<br /><ul><li>No <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(web_application_hybrid)">mashup</a> file exists, or it is more than 24 hours old.</li><br /><li>The guild file was changed since the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(web_application_hybrid)">mashup</a> file was created.</li><br /><li>A refresh was forced through a query string request.</li></ul><br />When the page is requested it performs this check to decide whether to update the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(web_application_hybrid)">mashup</a> data, then it transforms the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a> against the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xslt">XSLT</a> to spit out the resulting web page.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Data</span><br /><br />The data is completely <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a>. It starts with the guild definition file which describes the players and the characters they play:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfsAPUCxcIPAZyEbPq60xoltKPlpAXqIW0hayXLfjdcnVL9s474lHuFVpLxO5Yx6U6zy_c-8fruX79Qn7iyuu2CCUlw9u_nuRuPNVuH6BgtS03q0cC-P9aswgFf2-tYoKmy8jfgXcFFY/s1600-h/Guild-Template-Xml.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfsAPUCxcIPAZyEbPq60xoltKPlpAXqIW0hayXLfjdcnVL9s474lHuFVpLxO5Yx6U6zy_c-8fruX79Qn7iyuu2CCUlw9u_nuRuPNVuH6BgtS03q0cC-P9aswgFf2-tYoKmy8jfgXcFFY/s400/Guild-Template-Xml.png" border="0" alt="guild template xml" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348386902794886418" /></a><br />This guild file is vetted against the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xsd">schema</a> file which makes sure the guild file strictly adheres to the definition for this type of file:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2jrkK6H04esp48UF1qEHT57eV3aoEJ3CsXMo7WyVH8Ht4AvXTJoz3xGke_f9Ww1SeRw__zQz1WJkX3biWbAXUl0-X8AprLCkM_3L-fceBtIaiGlMR3ivFM71hiVTnXq-Gp7hB_59APU/s1600-h/Guild-Template-Xsd.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2jrkK6H04esp48UF1qEHT57eV3aoEJ3CsXMo7WyVH8Ht4AvXTJoz3xGke_f9Ww1SeRw__zQz1WJkX3biWbAXUl0-X8AprLCkM_3L-fceBtIaiGlMR3ivFM71hiVTnXq-Gp7hB_59APU/s400/Guild-Template-Xsd.png" border="0" alt="guild template xsd" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348386943612868450" /></a><br />The <a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/">armory</a> data comes directly from the <a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/">WOW Armory</a> and contains the guild information which includes basic information for all the characters in the guild:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtg-yzH6w0NVk2nvV77DXVCeSpDxzeEURTczGDzsJuwle9IAUPgAgVG2taXLJQCCNGJ4vyJLXWR5qRjoyeOeMNtIYhORbzF19rSyZDZMc-gtgzkjE_JOrlpPff3wkK3MRekda6uJS2k8/s1600-h/Guild-Wow-Armory-Xml.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtg-yzH6w0NVk2nvV77DXVCeSpDxzeEURTczGDzsJuwle9IAUPgAgVG2taXLJQCCNGJ4vyJLXWR5qRjoyeOeMNtIYhORbzF19rSyZDZMc-gtgzkjE_JOrlpPff3wkK3MRekda6uJS2k8/s400/Guild-Wow-Armory-Xml.png" border="0" alt="guild wow armory xml" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348386988797059826" /></a><br />Once that data is read into guild and character class objects, the <a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/">armory</a> data for specific characters which are flagged to gain extended information is pulled from the <a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/">armory</a> and then this data is merged with the guild file to create the resultant roster <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a>:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5UrOUJH0VsuYFAHLwWio6Sush3mevrOMX4mWfo6_yNcJyk8_rz6z0bouvfFg3y_XlyeYUxJKoysuEceFqFS8nLc3PCQl8m8jRqfgeiTjU6SRqvOQIckyOJ26dhej4wSHboXcRRM9q50/s1600-h/Guild-Roster-Xml.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5UrOUJH0VsuYFAHLwWio6Sush3mevrOMX4mWfo6_yNcJyk8_rz6z0bouvfFg3y_XlyeYUxJKoysuEceFqFS8nLc3PCQl8m8jRqfgeiTjU6SRqvOQIckyOJ26dhej4wSHboXcRRM9q50/s400/Guild-Roster-Xml.png" border="0" alt="guild roster xml" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348387027027293122" /></a><br />Finally, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a> is transformed with the following <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xslt">XSLT</a> file to create <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Html">HTML</a> that is output to the browser. This <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xslt">XSLT</a> is determined by whether the request is guild wide or for a particular character:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0zljbKmxNeyI-PkQGrlo6W9SagN_UwPTE6lU8Wx10hmxWkTtcizJZHceCMq4tNOWk3yQ2V8Cya8j4VUXcuXo6ymc186mIkljdIdItbM4RZWibHGRrlXyyVszC6aSebWqDPOvSvfan0c/s1600-h/Guild-Roster-Xslt.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0zljbKmxNeyI-PkQGrlo6W9SagN_UwPTE6lU8Wx10hmxWkTtcizJZHceCMq4tNOWk3yQ2V8Cya8j4VUXcuXo6ymc186mIkljdIdItbM4RZWibHGRrlXyyVszC6aSebWqDPOvSvfan0c/s400/Guild-Roster-Xslt.png" border="0" alt="guild roster xslt" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348387057403886994" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Presentation</span><br /><br />The final page is presented showing the player roster. The current page shows the proof-of-concept for the roster, allowing selection of the player and which factions to show for the player.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuNdhx-OlMHulprP6_s3ZoSAXl7w2l4wwOqfs46WpJEhRu2AqyG8EaaXon9GSHAqWvBuOOGlEKd-JN_0rTcOWW0U-TSFc-aLLZauXT_HkYe37skL4cqOhbMcTqAk3KVw9TJyawEzv5RM/s1600-h/Guild-Roster-Player.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuNdhx-OlMHulprP6_s3ZoSAXl7w2l4wwOqfs46WpJEhRu2AqyG8EaaXon9GSHAqWvBuOOGlEKd-JN_0rTcOWW0U-TSFc-aLLZauXT_HkYe37skL4cqOhbMcTqAk3KVw9TJyawEzv5RM/s400/Guild-Roster-Player.png" border="0" alt="roster player" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348390495972044562" /></a><br />The selector also has an option to show the entire guild of characters.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7ggVCA1Uyof3wPCn5TmPvUeb1mZA_yxbs_vkfjZPxazOkDTAMw7ATSxl5ICNvoXW746uPo9XX4xfOpDDtO17xuCX50MEwh_mcToMyupl-j_NETWGMIGuPn9_mScrkSmCzVdFOlauB1Q/s1600-h/Guild-Roster-Faction.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7ggVCA1Uyof3wPCn5TmPvUeb1mZA_yxbs_vkfjZPxazOkDTAMw7ATSxl5ICNvoXW746uPo9XX4xfOpDDtO17xuCX50MEwh_mcToMyupl-j_NETWGMIGuPn9_mScrkSmCzVdFOlauB1Q/s400/Guild-Roster-Faction.png" border="0" alt="roster faction" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348390544208686658" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.travisoakes.com/">Travis Oakes</a> has already completed the final design, updating the home page to brighten the anime-themed illustration done by <a href="http://zacholl-lostronin.blogspot.com/">J Zacholl</a> and provide an updated logo and navigation.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGtn1btrOmOLRKyUCVgQKPSLDSUVOgsYLJWikC1Chr24izwNfG5cRfK_tladZ-YARmg97UNgPSzHS5Kjm58XM6lMd7bpDYh8jvu8mehIt-XJ6c0bicOPcFC9GcFuS6jimVj3BVPjYHIo/s1600-h/Guild-Home-Page.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGtn1btrOmOLRKyUCVgQKPSLDSUVOgsYLJWikC1Chr24izwNfG5cRfK_tladZ-YARmg97UNgPSzHS5Kjm58XM6lMd7bpDYh8jvu8mehIt-XJ6c0bicOPcFC9GcFuS6jimVj3BVPjYHIo/s400/Guild-Home-Page.jpg" border="0" alt="order of magnitude home page" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348390583364376450" /></a><br />Finally, Travis created the roster preview (and separate images components), to complete the site.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnQCD589cHSin0hgFUF3j08r9SH6llj-fv8bzqr61u0I4uhaK1D-uD0gAUfHV4FRjuLNoV9_gyalX-4BPKHpGQEbakxSKETnNSViulUBF3rp4XsBBADml5NngViT8KNFMTTr_3vDkw-8/s1600-h/Order-Of-Magnitude-Roster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnQCD589cHSin0hgFUF3j08r9SH6llj-fv8bzqr61u0I4uhaK1D-uD0gAUfHV4FRjuLNoV9_gyalX-4BPKHpGQEbakxSKETnNSViulUBF3rp4XsBBADml5NngViT8KNFMTTr_3vDkw-8/s400/Order-Of-Magnitude-Roster.jpg" border="0" alt="Order of Magnitude Roster" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373962298062542482" /></a><br />All in all the site looks good. It's simple, clean, and provides an easy way to see a breakdown of characters by player - a feature seemingly unique to our guild. The graphics work done by Travis is crisp and clean as usual, and the background processes that pull, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(web_application_hybrid)">mashup</a>, and present the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml">XML</a> are seamless to the user. The new site is 60% complete and is slated to be fully live fall of this year.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251200942086503394noreply@blogger.com0