4/30/2009

Signs



Another great video online. If you find 10 minutes to spare, absolutely watch it. Very cool music, and a really interesting take on communication. Thanks to Lee for sending it to me!

4/22/2009

Suuupeeer slooow moootionnn...


I-Movix SprintCam v3 NAB 2009 showreel from David Coiffier on Vimeo.

Very cool video of a variety of things in super slow motion. Interesting to see all these simple things in a slower perspective.

4/21/2009

It shouldn't be this hard


Picture provided by Flickr


We walked into the restaurant with quite a grim tone about us. Venting and trying to work through a recent frustration the day brought us, eventually covering the table in an air of defeat once the food came. Silence.

One of my coworkers, who I highly respect (much as I do all the people I currently work with) broke the silence while staring down at his plate. "It shouldn't be this hard." Taken a bit by surprise, we all looked up and didn't have a chance to respond before he continued, "I mean, I take that attitude in my life in general, but have noticed it much more when it comes to work. It shouldn't be this hard."

It was an interesting moment for me, both because I realized how little I knew about him outside of the workplace, and also because it certainly boiled down my feelings on the situation (and many other situations, both in and out of work) so well. It's such an troublesome concept also: to understand that trials of challenge also provide the most fulfilling rewards, but also to accept the fact that the most difficult path is not always the best to follow. I know it's a mistake I've made myself plenty of times.

It's been an interesting few weeks, to say the least. Aside from trudging forward with work, my family has had a rough time in the last few months. Having just recently lost my Grandmother on my mother's side at the end of last year, the notion of our own mortality and how to spend one's time has been rich each time I speak with my family. How difficult then, to have another loss in the family: news that a very close family friend (family in every sense but blood), in India, a woman who had a huge part in raising my mother as a child, past away.

I got the news on a late-Sunday night drive home a few days ago after an otherwise flawless weekend of fun. My mother and father got the news of her passing while in the airport, planning to catch a flight to India to be with her while she wasn't well. Speaking with my mother about it, for the first time in as far as I can remember did I really hear the struggle in her voice with it. I knew it was there when my Grandmother passed, and I saw it again here, but she would never show it to us. Listening to her advice (as parents always give), the one line that stood out in her conclusion, "Don't do anyone wrong." A very simple statement, but combined with the behaviors in which I was raised, it spoke volumes. About how to treat others, to respect your fellow people, to openly love those you care about, and to simply not do others wrong. It's something I've strove for, but I am certainly far from perfect.

So what's the point?

Nothing really - just to think about, to try and appreciate the times that we have. I've spoken, quite literally in the past, about not taking things for granted. I suppose the only point that really comes out of this is to not take difficult situations or the good people we run across for granted. It's not easy, and gets harder as we compile more pieces into our lives, but its something that also becomes more necessary. After all, the time we have is limited - I want to be doing things that I'm proud of now, and will be proud of years from now.

4/16/2009

Laughing at my drive in

Here's the playlist I had on the drive on (from hopping radio stations):

Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
Incubus - Nice to Know You
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours

I think my musical taste has a multiple personality disorder.

Also, I need a new helmet for my bike (suggested by Lee):



I've always wanted to make a Samus one, but this Ironman one is pretty crazy awesome too. lol

4/13/2009

I'm not sure if...

it's because I caught up with one of many friends I haven't kept up with over lunch, or because I finally got a chance to do some tech work instead of sit in meetings at work, or because I got to witness one of my friends proposing to another friend over the weekend, or because I cleaned my house on Easter, or because I stared at the ring on my finger and remembered why I wore it, or because I watched as my cat fell asleep and dreamed instead of working last night, or because I randomly heard from a friend who I haven't talked to in years on IM today, or because I decided to put the top down on my car halfway through my drive home today, or because I started to actually remember what it was like to really be passionate about work again, or because of a million other mini-moments in the last few days...

but things seemed different today. The world revealed itself in a new way, that left me wanting more - not worrying about the little nuances life provided, but instead appreciating the little experiences that came up day to day. Doing whatever I can for the people I love, and enjoying every minute of it. Just being grateful and happy about the moments I have :)

I'm not sure why.

Science!



Hahaha - just beautiful :)

4/12/2009

On human nature



I challenge you to look at this video and not smile :)
Very cool idea, and certainly leaves me more optimistic about human nature :)

4/10/2009

I am without words



I simply can't describe how sad this makes me.

4/07/2009

Taking it for granted



Taking a five minute break between a million meetings, writing documents, looking at technology and writing code, I stumbled through the stacks of articles on cnn, falling onto this one about parenting. As grim and specific as the tone is, it's an interesting reminder about how easy it is to follow the status quo, all the while not realizing the great things you come across in life. It's not always something as specific as a marriage or a friendship, I think. Those are just the easiest to see. An excerpt:

But it's too little, too fleeting. We spend so much of our lives passing each other on the way somewhere. ... What's gone is the pure selfishness that brought us together. Something that belonged only to us, that was unique to us and part of us, has gotten lost.

But isn't this what happens in life -- that what I remember was a time, not a thing, and we can no more recapture those versions of ourselves than we can travel to ancient Rome? That a normal part of becoming an adult, of raising a family together, is leaving behind treasured swaths of the love affair that got us here -- the mindless lust, the inside jokes, the laughter? Perhaps. But even so, selfish though it may be, I miss my wife.

Maybe it's the optimist in me that pokes his head out at just the right time, but I think he's wrong. It's not just the normal course of life and being an adult, appreciating the people / beauty around you that brings you joy (in this case his wife). I just think as more and more things come up that try and distract us, it forces us to work harder to focus on those things that bring you happiness. Difficult is not the same as inevitable.

4/06/2009

Gorgeous

Having a crazy busy or stressful day? Take a minute and thirty four seconds and check out this video - very cool.

4/02/2009

To directly contradict my last post

As I often do sadly, but I found myself at a nice wine bar last night, chatting with the bartender (who recently moved to Dallas for the mountain biking - go figure), talking about how much he enjoys it there, finding myself wanting to fill out an application to work part time in the evenings there. How interesting it would be to learn about wines, and be able to people watch all the kinds of people coming through day to day. The friends coming for a relaxing glass of wine, the people on a first date, the lone person who just needed a drink. I imagine it would be fascinating everyday.

But of course, even considering signing up for yet another responsibility when I'm already struggling to take care of the responsibilities I have now would be preposterous. That certainly doesn't keep me from thinking about it, though. Hmm...

4/01/2009

Well, one thing's for sure:

No matter how hard you try, you can't do it all. So what's the best way to decide how to spend your time? Looking at the next couple years and all the things I want to do, I wish I knew how to pick out what bubbles to the top.