Apr 15th 10
Posted by David in geocache
Tagged:geocache, twitter
You may have noticed the area to the right on the homepage labeled “Updates from the Interwebs”. This pulls in all sorts of stuff from all over. It has my updates from goodreads, my Pandora and Last.fm updates and my Twitter feed. The biggest reason for my twitter account is geocaching. I use it for getting free software and charity “retweets” too. But really – it is for geocaching.
The geocaching site will let you tie your geocaching updates to a twitter account. This allows them to pop up right away when I find (or do not find one!). Pretty cool little function if you ask me. It is not a big deal but I dig it.
We have been ripping up the caches lately, hitting number 70 today.
I also had my first First Time Find. Basically comes down to being the first person to find a cache and sign the log.
Very tricky to do, geocachers are a slightly competitive bunch!
I also found my first nano cache. These are teeny tiny. Check out that photo!
Really well hidden.
We also have had our first geocache “casualty”; Lyric is rocking some poison ivy right now.
Apr 12th 10
Posted by David in Beer
Tagged:
I took my lovely wife out for a special lunch to Theresa’s Next Door in Wayne on Sunday. The beer choices are outstanding and today I indulged in one of my favorites, a bitter!!
The Sly Fox Chester County Bitter pours a rich copper with a thinner but rich head. The taste is the smooth malty flavor of a bitter with the low-alc % that is so desirable in a session ale.
The official Sly Fox description:
A cask only beer brewed to be poured exclusively from firkins, either via gravity from the bar top or through a beer engine. This traditional British ale is authentic cask conditioned beer with a smooth malt profile balanced by a subtle hop presence. Dry -hopping in the cask produces an enticing hop aroma in this quaffable session ale.
12.0 OG | 38 IBUs | 4.5% ABV
Really could have sat there all day and drank this. Man was it good. Not too often I get to have a bitter or mild. I like Session Ales.
Apr 6th 10
Posted by David in Books
Tagged:awesome, comics, dark, I should read this again
I have wanted to read this for some time and read it after the film came out, but before I had watched it. It is amazing.
There is not a lot to say that has not or cannot be said by others. That seems like a cop out of an answer, but this is a healthily reviewed piece. Some quick observations.
- For its release, the book turned comics on its ear. It was released in 1986 to a comic world completely taken by storm.
- The narrative is non-linear and all (except the last issue/chapter) contain a second or supplemental narrative.
- The layout is fixed with nine panels on every page except for the title pages and the center spread of the entire work. This was a conscious decision made to create an authoritative layout.
- There is a second comic within it, Tales of the Black Freighter , a pirate tale.
In the end, the book is as much about comics and the medium as it is about the characters. I think this lends itself to Alan Moore claiming it was unfilmable since he saw the medium and the story as one.
The art is stunning and the amount of detail in each frame is dizzying. I feel like I could read and look at this over and over. It has a depth that I am not sure I have touch in a while, and at the same time a level of dark comedy.
Mar 19th 10
Posted by David in Geek, ZTD
Tagged:productivity, Zen, ZTD
Some time ago I read and reviewed The Power of Less by Leo Babauta and really connected with the approach and goal oriented but organized methods. I have taken the dive and started into his productivity system, Zen to Done (ZTD for short).
The system is a modification of the Getting things Done by David Allen combined with some of the Stephen Covey ideas, all run through Leo’s setup.
I have read through the book. That is the easiest part. Implimenting them is the trick. I am currently trying to make a habit of the Capture step. Basically using a few dedicated “inboxes” to capture thoughts, to-do’s, ideas, nearly anything along with the real inbox items of mail, papers, memos, etc. I have also started into the beginning of Processing (step 2). Would be difficult to just capture in solitary. You would have one helluva backlog!
So – this is a many months type of thing. I hope to make it stick. I am taking a positive stance that it will.
You can check out more of Leo and his productivity and lifestyle habits at his site, zenhabits.net
Mar 16th 10
Posted by David in Books
Tagged:book review
Something Missing by Matthew Dicks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 Stars
A fun book that is enjoyable but could be tightened up.
I had been looking at this book for a little while and decided to jump in and read it. Martin is a professional burglar. He has been meticulously inventorying and robbing people for years. Some homes he has been visiting for years and years. He takes small items, a roll of toilet paper, some mustard, 3 cans of soda. He has his favorite brands and products and knows where to get them.
The book as a whole has some very good parts and some parts I feel like are tacked on. The best part is Martin himself. The idea of an OCD burglar who is also a meticulous genius is a clever character. He constantly is amusing.
The plot could have been stronger. I think the book finishes well but does not really find its pace until about half way through. I feel like the book could have been shorter and really sizzled.
I also feel like there were some plot holes from the first half that were left open. What happen to the parrot?! I almost put it down in the first 100 pages. The writing was fine and care given to details were nice. I liked the break down of the methods that Martin used. They just became boorish after awhile.
Matthew Dicks
I still liked it. It was enjoyable. It could have been more refined in my opinion. Would be a really good book for a book club since there are all sorts of stuff to talk about and cling to. It actually read more like a movie than a book if that makes any sense.
View all my reviews >>
