Category Archives: Miscellaneous

11 Things Denver Comic Con Should Improve (But Probably Won’t)

Who am I to criticize Denver Comic Con? The organization has changed a lot in the 4 years from inception, including removing founders, hiring and firing executive directors, and so much more. More importantly, I’ve played many roles inside and out of the convention since it’s inception. I started with a press pass in year 1, then I was media as one of the official photographers in year 2. By year 3 I was on staff in charge of the official media team (photographers/videographers) and also part of the overall communications team. Due to various reasons, I chose not to continue as a volunteer for DCC in year 4 and purchased a 3-day pass and was an attendee like any other, without any special privileges.

Hopefully that’s enough to convince you that I have some credibility in regards to the following critique. Now, I think there are some things that DCC is doing right (e.g. kid’s corral and educator day), but after this year the excuse of “still learning” is no longer viable and lessons should be learned before the general public loses faith in the event.

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Regular Expression Crossword – Fun Practice with RegEx

RegEx CrosswordAfter seeing the post on Slashdot about the Regular Expressions crossword, I was inspired. I also wanted a puzzle that was easier and more approachable for the beginners or intermittent RegEx users.

So, I found a great base puzzle generator (javascript) and after a few hours, some graph paper, and some tweaks to the code, I created a RegEx crossword puzzle for others to check out. If people enjoy it, let me know in the comments. I’m thinking of putting out a physical workbook of these for fun.

Quick RSS Feed Access with Browser Bar Icon

Back in early versions of Firefox, a small icon was visible on the browser bar if the webpage you visited listed available RSS feeds in the source HTML:
firefox-rss-icon

Some time in the last few years, this has disappeared. Luckily, with the assistance of extension and add-on developers, this option is available for both Firefox and Chrome!

After installing either browser plugin, an icon will appear if the webpage includes HTML like the following:

You can test it out by visiting this website after installing the extension/add-on.

Faking a SmartPhone: iPod Touch, MiFi, and Virgin Mobile

apple-virgin_mobile-truconnectMaybe I’m cheap or maybe I’m frugal, but either way, I’ve found unique ways to keep my world connected for a lot less than most people pay for a monthly smartphone data plan. Granted, it usually involves me carrying more than one device and thus I lose convenience for monetary savings, but the numbers add up enough that it’s worth it. So, without further adieu, I give you the magical formula I use to save money and still stay connected on the go.

Let me be clear: this isn’t for everyone. There are a ton of valid arguments for why having an iPhone or Android smartphone and $60+/month plan is the right fit for you. However, judging by the popularity of Pay-As-You-Go plans, this may fit the bill for those sometimes techies.

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Priorities Change: Embrace Them

Balancing Life's Priorities Sometimes life is a balancing act with your priorities and your schedule. It’s funny, people are always saying, “I don’t have enough time to do…” A blogger keyed me in on the idea that it wasn’t about time, but rather about priorities.

What we’re really saying is, I don’t think that is important enough to make part of my day. Imagine it as a list of priorities, and when a friend asks you to go vote for their nonprofit to win a contest (in just a few clicks!), you want to help, but maybe you find it more valuable to finish reading that article on female tropes in video games. For the record, I did both. Maybe you never get to helping your friend, because something else comes up as a good option and inserts itself above the task in your priorities list. The problem that occurs is guilt.

When you want to do something, say ironing, and you have it staring you in the face for a month, taking up space in your bedroom so that you can’t avoid the shame of not doing it, I’m you’re placing unnecessary stress and blame on yourself. It’s not your fault, you just have other priorities that are more important to your overall well-being. You’ll get to it when it’s a more important or pressing issue. Don’t stress about it; you are simply finding the best way to live your life at that exact moment. I should be writing my book rather than writing this blog post right now, but to be able to focus on a book I needed to focus on getting this idea out of my head and into the written word; it was just a higher priority.

Right now, my priorities are my health (exercise, eating well), making my home not feel like a storage room, connecting and helping other entrepreneurs, writing my Kickstarter book, and then dating. There are a ton of other things on my priorities list, but they are all in a clump below these items, and as I remember that it helps me focus and enjoy the time I’m spending each day on the things that not only bring me the most joy, but also hold the largest value for me right now. Maybe it’s short-sighted, but I like to think of it as an opportunity I’m seizing every day.

What are your priorities?

South by Southwest 2012 Part 3: Personal

This article is part of a 3-part series recapping my experience at South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive 2012. It is split into the following sections: Panels, Parties, and Personal. As a reminder, everyone has a different goal and thus a different experience with SXSW. This is one extrovert’s take on 2012’s conference.

Quick Note: This is going to be personal. Unlike parts 1 and 2, this is a more intimate look into me and my experience. For some background, I attended as a single, 32 year old male extrovert without anything to pitch and no goals other than to have a good time and try and learn something new.

Thank You
South by Southwest 2012 would not have been what it was (in a good way) without some fantastic people who added to my experience in one way or another:

  • Rose Mary – My host; It’s her world, I just visited for a while and tried and keep up.
  • Shelby – My party buddy. Another local Austin resident, I simply pointed her in the right direction at her first SXSW and she rocked all on her own.
  • Jacqueline & Dana – Hosts at the SapientNitro party, consummate people watchers, and seekers of 2am street food. Oh, and an incredibly smart and talented Art Director and Copywriter, respectively.
  • SouthByFreeNOMS – Never met him/her in person, but without them, I would have been very very hungry (or actually had to pay money for food).

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South by Southwest 2012 Part 2: Parties

This article is part of a 3-part series recapping my experience at South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive 2012. It is split into the following sections: Panels, Parties, and Personal. As a reminder, everyone has a different goal and thus a different experience with SXSW. This is one extrovert’s take on 2012’s conference.

“I’m hungry.”

“I need a drink.”

“How’s the line?”

These are just some of the questions you’ll hear at SXSW 2012, and in all of the cases, you probably are going to get an answer that involves a party or a lounge (micro parties). Before I tackle the larger party scene, I’m going to talk a bit about lounges.
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