Mike and Ploy

Look outside, turn on the TV, open a book or look at magazines.   Unless you’re a hermit and were raised by wolves, you probably know that this world is made up of people.   They’re everywhere – your mom and dad, sister, brother, coworker, bus driver, and even the dude at 7-11.

And people are cool:  The smile, they talk, and they have feelings.   If someone falls down, someone else will ask if they’re ok.  If someone gets hurt, we all grimace with empathy.  We can come together to celebrate an occasion, and we can bond during a disaster – people are amazing.

So when did this world stop being about people? (continue reading…)

Note: I started writing this back in January, but now just published it.

This last weekend we embarked on a interesting journey: 50 miles south to Santa Clara Paintball (which, interesting is located in San Jose).  There were supposed to be 20 of us, but we only ended up with 16.   Over the next few hours, we engaged in a simple activity.  Shooting small, Whopper-sized (the candy, not the burger), balls of paint at each other through a marker (or gun).  Why is this so much fun? (continue reading…)

It’s been a long time since a blog has been posted.  Over 2 months to be exact.

Things have come and gone – Christmas, Advent – pictures!  Family events.

However, just marking this link right now so I don’t forget.  http://www.stuckincustoms.com

Those are the types of picture I would like to take someday.  Our Canon S90 has the capabilities…i need a tripod though.

One of the first lessons I learned when moving away from home was how much food actually costs.  Gone was the unlimited supply of frozen burritos and chimichangas that were always stocked in my parent’s fridge.  No more stacked sandwiches with lunch meat and cheese.  Piles of fruit were no more.  Canned soups stayed canned on the shelves.  Those things cost money!  In came ramen, mac and cheese, and whatever was on sale.  10 for 10 deals were jumped on and chips were rationed.  And going out to eat was a no-no.

Imagine my surprise with our go-to meal these days.  Quick, what’s a word with two z’s in it?  It’s a food…  tomato sauce… cheese… and whatever toppings you want.  Get it yet?  …MMmmmmm… Pizza!

(continue reading…)

I took the trip to the post office today to mail back some bad ram (from the Mac story earlier).  I was dreading the long line, but thankfully, not too many people were there at 9:45AM downtown during my lunch hour.  Put my labels on and got ready to mail it, but then I noticed a curious machine in the corner.  I had bought stamps before, but this one was different – it was a complete Self-Service machine: pay by credit card, check zip code, print and affix label.  Woohoo!   (continue reading…)

Probably no other good reason to do this.  Wait, I got one.  I’m both testing out the camera, and testing out the video capabilities of this blog.  Yes – that’s it – definitely.

“You can’t change what happens to you, so change your perspective”

Think about it for a second – everything that happens to you is interpreted.  True, you can state facts: “I ate a McDonald’s lunch at 12″, “I took a trip to the grocery store to buy eggs”,  ”I worked for 8 hours on a project” – but no one talks like that.  There’s always commentary thrown in:  ”Nuggets are good!”, “The grocery store was crowded”, “I’m glad the project’s done”.  Without commentary, facts would be boring.  We have radio shows devoted to commentary and public opinion.  Reality shows have that announcer that tries to add suspense to the situation.  Even this blog has a comments section.  Why is it so important? (continue reading…)

Been away for awhile, but it’s not due to a lack of things to say.  Regarding this post though, I only have one piece of advice:  Do not drive to Las Vegas from San Francisco.  It’s a freaking 10 hour drive.  And you’re going to drive from San Francisco to Las Vegas, don’t stay there for just one day. (continue reading…)

Depending on when you were born, the title phrase will probably mean one of two things to you – or both.  One is a classic movie that helped launch Al Pachino’s career.  The other is a nod to something that’s beyond the age limit of this blog.  Fortunately for me, Robin Williams already has both covered. (Warning: Language is typical Robin Williams)

However, I’m not talking about either. I’m talking about the newest member of the computer family: the Mac Mini. (continue reading…)

There’s that old saying,  ”You don’t know what you’re missing until you don’t have it”.  The idea is that we often take things for granted, whether it’s a person, some material item, or even just something.  No matter how small it may be perceived to be, as soon as its gone, it’s impact is immediately noticed.  Example:  what would you do if you flipped your light switch, and the room remained dark? (continue reading…)