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Joey’s Blog Thoughts on Life, Work, Technology, and Society
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This SHORT video presents some interesting concepts in making technology more “real” or “physical”. I wouldn’t have bought in on the value of this a year ago, but since purchasing an iPhone, where EVERYTHING is touch, and a wii, where motion is a big part of the game I find these devices more enjoyable than their traditional counterparts.
I watched this TED talk today, it’s AWESOME! The speaker shows the importance of putting things in relative terms. It is extremely insightful and visually interesting.
I watch TED talks from time to time, and today, I watched one that has the most amazing video EVER of an animal… It’s at the very end… But it’s worth the wait.
Last night, I attened our local BSA Venture Forum meeting. Thee was a guest speaker, talking about what we can do to help our young men achieve their goals. His presentation was educational, thought provoking, and filled with good principles.
One skill he taught, is how to discover the real reasons people make choices. Everyone has two reasons for doing something. The one they tell their friends, and the real one.
When you are trying to help someone, and you ask them why they did or didn’t do something. The first answer will not be the real answer it will be their “social answer”. The next time you are trying to understand someones choice, after you ask why and they respond DO NOT try to solve the problem yet instead ignore their first answer and say “Besides that?”; prepare yourself for a long pause and wait until they respond.
If they don’t respond, prepare for the next time they need help by building your relationship of trust with them.
It isn’t very often that I see a new technology that I get really really excited about. There are LOTS of things that are cool! Like the iPhone, iPad, etc…
But THIS, is the most useful, innovative, simple, awesome thing I’ve seen in a long time. I want one, not because it’s “cool” or the newest flashiest thing, but because it IS the future of recording thoughts during meetings, and studying.
It’s awesome.
Get one!
Aaron Allston is one of my two favorite Author’s. Orson Scott Card is my other.
I always laugh when I read Allston’s books. He is really good at doing un-expected things. I’ve read a LOT of Star Wars books, and a lot of them are boring. They just blend together, it’s the classic good vs evil, Han and Leia are in a tough spot, and get out, or substitute Han and Chewie, or Luke and Mara, etc… But Aaron’s books always break out of the mold and give you something fresh.
My absolute favorites are the Enemy Lines series including Rebel Dream in the New Jedi Order Series. I also LOVED Wraith Squadron… Especially the part where Piggy in-advertantly blasts the captain of a ship into crispy crunchies while blwoing his way into the bridge…
After reading the Enemy Lines series, I enjoyed it SO much that I found Aaron’s email address and sent him a note. Here’s what he sent back.
At 02:07 PM 9/30/2007, Joey Novak wrote:
> I just finished reading the second Enemy Lines book. It was fantastic! I laughed when Artoo altered the food database so that the Security droid would pass Han’s blaster and Lia’s Light Saber as food and then rescued Han and Lia, and when wedge flew under the legs of the Vaugh ground based weapons platform. (A Rankat?) It was awesome!
> Thanks for the entertainment,
I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know.
== Aaron Allston
== allston@AaronAllston.com
== http://www.AaronAllston.com/
My wife and I have this palm tree that houses at least 2 dozen pigeons… (Seriously, it’s like a cheap hotel… I’ll post a pic). At first when we moved in, we were ok with them, because they didn’t seem to poop anywhere in our yard. Well… Something changed and now they do. A lot. And it’s gross.
So! Guess what’s for dinner!
See, I bagged at least 3 pigeons today, and just threw them away (Actually over the fence into an empty lot… shhhh….). I feel a little bad about just killing them, so I researched some alternative ways to dispel pigeons. Like hanging cd’s from strings around your yard, stringing up fishing line, fake snakes, etc… But shooting them is just so dang fun I decided I’ll just keep eradicating them but cook whatever I shoot. I never thought I’d be a hunter; killing things just isn’t in me, but shooting annoying birds that make a mess and taste good… I can do that!
When I think of it though, it seems pretty funny. I can just go into our backyard, point my bb-gun up in the palm tree, shoot a pigeon and eat it… A complete hunting trip with no hassle! I can even wear my slippers! Boy, do I feel like a red neck now… I almost can’t wait for Monday night!
This has got to be one of the most beautiful seat belt videos I’ve ever seen. It’s awesome.
Check it out: http://putnik.blog.rs/blog/putnik/reklame/2010/03/09/reklama
The author of this blog maintains a project on Source Forge that I use and am becoming intimately familiar with: htmlcleaner
After over 3 years (2 of which were in storage), the SHO Truck is finally ready for testing!!!
I finished up the basic electrical today, so that you can start and stop the engine using the truck’s ignition. I also finished the throttle linkage, and adjusted the stop block on the gas pedal so there wasn’t any stress on the cable when you are at WOT.
My buddy Austin was over and he filmed the first voyage…
And here it is!!!
The truck has bad gas in it at the moment, so the engine doesn’t respond very well, but it will! It wasn’t really terrible though, it drove great, but the engine performance is terrible with the bad gas. Stay tuned… Wheelie’s here I come!