Personal

Coming Up for Air

It's been almost 10 months since my last post! I've immersed myself in my new job, house hunting, purchasing our first house, moving in, and preparing the home for winter. Mix in some business trips, a major vacation, a few novels read and limited internet access at home. Is it any wonder 10 months have flown by without a word?

Well, things are returning to normal. Winter is setting in. The heater is working. I've hit my stride at work. And the urge to get back to posting is really strong! I have a lot to tell you about.

Prayers of the Heart

I now work for the Brigham Young University - Idaho Office of University Communications, as the Web Services Coordinator!

It's a wonderful opportunity. Part of my responsibilities include: watching over the BYUI.edu web site (which, unlike most universities, is most of the web content), deploying a new web publishing platform (already in its final stages), and coordinating the online communications activities of all BYU-I entities (this last part is the most exciting). This position is all about improving online communication at BYU-Idaho!

Changes and New Opportunities

The past five months have been a feverish blur. I have passed through some of the hardest working conditions that I've ever experienced and I've made a life-changing decision that will impact all of my family and friends. I have experienced another of those, what I call, "mountain peak moments" when you can see the path you took to this spot and all the paths before you. At such moments, you can only stop for a time, to observe and to ponder the majesty of life, before plunging forward into further challenging travels and adventures.

Moving Beyond Personal Computing

Here are some notes and thoughts concerning computer technology and life satisfaction (which is really suffering right now).

http://ozzie.net/docs/dawn-of-a-new-day/

concerning the past 25 years of personal computing, Ozzie says,

Creativity, Teamwork and the Social Parasites

I stumbled upon an interesting e-book titled "How To Be Creative" (Warning, it contains some foul language). It is inspiring on several levels. It's a 20 minute read, at a calm, pondering pace. If you have a creative streak in you, you should probably read it.

One quote that made me laugh out loud reads, "They may not have mentioned this in business school, but...people like watching dinosaurs die." (page 16)

Am I a Writer Yet?

This last weekend, I wrote the first chapter of a novel. I enjoyed it immensely, far more than I expected. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that it has tainted my day job. And it has both calmed and increased my frustration in various ways. My mind is drawn to the the plot, the world, the characters (whom I need to name), and how to infuse the messages that I want to tell the world.

It's like learning to ride a bike, or drive a car; once you experience the control, you want to see more and more, go, do, be someone new.

Persuasion, Correction, and Righteous Influence; a How To

The following is an excerpt from a post to the MormonVeg email list that I helped moderate several years ago. After a major upheaval over post topics, conflicting opinions, and accusations of apostasy (in both directions), I wrote a studied response which really summed up my feelings about righteous influence and persuasion, while respecting an individual's agency.

Originally posted Mon Apr 22, 2002 12:22 am, I have added some links and edited a little here and there to apply the message generally.

Managers, Meet the Maker's Schedule

How do you manage your day-to-day schedule?

A friend just pointed me to this recent post by Paul Graham, about a schedule's impact on the productivity of creative types, "makers" as he calls them.

Frugal Families Are Happy Families

One of the best outcomes of this adoption was a unified monetary policy in my family. We saved every penny before spending it. This was extremely challenging, but more rewarding than I expected. I discovered quickly that most of my stress in life relates to money (particularly with someone else spending it). But with a plan in place, stress is reduced, fear is gone, and life is simplified and happier.

Little Fingers, Big Problems; Kids and Computers

Each of my children relates to computers differently. While age plays a part, most of the differences are psychological. Some of my children are puzzlers, thinkers, explorers. Others are quickly frustrated and want others to make tech work for them. But all of them love keyboards, mice, and mischief.