I once thought about picking up a MS Zune mp3 player on woot, thankfully I talked myself out of it: http://gizmodo.com/5121311/reports-30gb-zunes-failing-everywhere-all-at-once

To summarize: If you have a 30GB Zune this morning, it doesn’t work anymore.

Tomorrow will begin a mad dash over the next couple of days to get caught up for lost time with projects and client work. Though I have only missed about three normal work days it feels like much more.

I hope to also mix in some 2009 goal setting/planning, cleaning of the house, ridding ourselves of some non-needed items through Craigslist/ebay/Goodwill, and fighting the crowds a time or two more to spend some of the very appreciated gifts we were blessed with.

The new year will surely bring challenges with a slower economy but we plan to press on and find new and exciting ways to accommodate our lifestyle that we have become accustomed too. Or, we’ll adjust.

I start the new year with hopes of good health for all those in my life, opportunities to be presented to make a difference in others’ lives, a renewed passion and desire to provide quality work/service to current or potential clients, a hope for business growth and possible expansion, and a daily reminder to be thankful for the most important things in life.

From a monetary standpoint, I pledge to have less debt at the end of the year than I do at the beginning. More than likely, there will still be red on my balance sheet but I plan to watch that number shrink each day.

I’d like to write more in 2009. Maybe here, maybe elsewhere. It would be nice to get to a point where I don’t feel bad for taking the time to write. Sometimes I don’t write because I feel there are more important things I should be doing. If that means getting paid for writing to alleviate some of those feelings then I should look into how one goes about that.

In 2009, I think I will attempt to read more. Smart people read. I will have to be judicious with my time so I don’t end up feeling like I should be doing other things, but it couldn’t hurt for me to pick up a book every once in a while. I might even read something that I could put to use one day.

I plan on getting ideas out of my head this year and into action. Whether it means building a bookshelf for my office, a self-sustaining website, a compost pile for fertilizing my non-existent garden or even putting up a studio office to free up space in our house; my mind needs space for new ideas so the old ones need to be accomplished or demolished.

2009 should be a good year. We’ve been promised change by those soon to be in charge and though I may not agree with their decisions on - what to or how to - change, I believe some change will take place. If not from them, maybe a little closer to home.

I hope you see opportunity in the new year. Your opportunity could be anything from strengthening your ability for service to seeing your own bank account grow. Whatever will benefit you so that you can benefit others, I hope for your cup to overflow.

Happy New Year to you and thank you for being a part of me.

Was 2008 the year man-made global warming theorists were proved wrong?

No idea what the background or education is of the author on the issues but he does make some interesting points. Those opposed to the theory often point to the political gains used by propping it up.

For some reason, as a kid (and as an adult, I suppose) one of the things that seemed to always choke me up a little was when I saw a young person whose glasses got broken or were “mended” somehow. Not exactly sure why, but I assume it had to do something with knowing how much glasses cost and the fact that I didn’t grow up in the most affluent of areas.

Seeing clearly is one of the things we take completely for granted and one of the reasons I stretch the life of my contacts far longer than the doctor/box recommend. I am fortunate enough to be in the position to afford to see things as they are but know worldwide there are many who cannot claim the same. Which is why the following article caught my attention this afternoon:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/dec/22/diy-adjustable-glasses-josh-silver

British inventor and former professor Josh Silver has created adjustable lens glasses so that a wearer can change their prescription without the need to visit an optometrist or in many circumstances, have the optometrist visit them.

His goal of fitting 1 million people in India with them in the next year is grand, his goal of fitting 1 billion people around the world by 2020 is fantastic. Think of the cost involved even if he never made a dollar. Even if the cost was in the tens-of-billions, I’d say it is worth it. And I’d give to the cause.

This is the kind of innovation I’d like to see more of: devices that benefit others. Solar cooking, water purifiers, hearing devices and walking/mobility devices are just some of the things that get me excited.

On top of it all they look cool enough that I’d even wear a pair if they were available to the public.

Now, back to my heated house outfitted with high-speed internet access, microwave ovens, refrigerated cooling systems and enough food provisions to last a while. Just a small reminder to remember where you’re at this time of year…

What is new is that for the first time this year our local Christian school, Grapevine Faith, played the kids from up north (armed guards, as always) and served them up a little of what I call God’s grace.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373

Nice work, Lions. And LCS Warriors/LCHS Eagles/any other school that takes the time to host this team yearly. I guarantee even if the Gainesville players go 0-8 every year, they wouldn’t trade it for anything other than forgiveness and/or freedom.

from AKQA (via Blankenship)

It was a little weird sitting down with her today to converse about what she currently knows, what she wants to learn and what she wants to do post-baccalaureate. She will graduate from a major university in 3 year’s time with a 4.0 GPA. She really doesn’t know much about my industry but I hope to at least get her a glimpse over the next couple of weeks. We’ll see.

Since I don’t regularly drink coffee that option is off the table for things to provide her to do. Other than that I’m not really sure.

After explaining to me that she’d like to explore the creative end of what I do I sent her out with a mission. Armed with my camera her goal is to take pictures. I don’t care what she takes pictures of - rocks, people, rain or cars - it doesn’t matter to me. All that matters to me is that she takes pictures. Lots of them. In the hundreds. I am hoping this will help us both to see where her creativity lies. I want to see what she sees when she looks at something.

Her other assignment is to find me websites that look good. I gave her some categories to focus on hoping to get her to understand subtle differences in how websites can be built/displayed. I want to find out what she thinks looks good.

In my 3.5 years of client work, one of the few absolutes I have come to figure out is that everyone is a designer. The problem lies in the fact that just because everyone is a designer doesn’t mean that everyone is a good designer or even has good taste. I want to find out what my intern’s tastes are like.

In my 3.5 years of client work, one of the few absolutes I have come to figure out is that everyone is a designer.

So as I sit her reviewing our conversation in my head, I wonder if I started her on the right foot? Where would you start your intern if you had one? Would you have given your intern assignments? Would you be more structured with yours than I am with mine?

My hope is to impart some knowledge of this business - in two weeks - and start her off on the right foot. Before too long she is going to need to know what direction she wants to head with her career. Big firm? Small firm? Independent consultant? Web related? Print? Video? Lots of directions to go and decisions to make.

I’d also like to impart on her the importance of controlling your presence both online and off. Stored-data makes it far too easy to bring unfortunate events, actions, personalities and situations to light. Those random party pics on your MySpace or negative swipe on a random blog’s comment system can come back to haunt you at the most inopportune time. Creating a positive presence for yourself and others to see can help you make the right first impression even before you get the first opportunity.

The Secret of Efficient Meetings

If you have a couple of minutes I’d appreciate you take the time to head over to Freelance Switch and read the article: http://freelanceswitch.com/freelancing-essentials/what-ive-learned-about-freelancing-from-my-13-month-old-son/

One thing I would ask, I love feedback and comments but to ever have a chance of writing again I would prefer any responses left there be kept professional. Singling me out as your neighbor, cousin or son followed by “whoo hoo, I knew you could do it” or “you got ‘er dun” would seriously restrict my chances of ever writing for someone else again. Similarly, if you’ve ever acted in a similar fashion in front of your kids and their friends in any situation, you should be reprimanded.