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Once a week I would like to write about what went on.  Once a week isn't so much.  and a lot of live happens in a week.  How hard could it be right?  Since I haven't done it in years my guess would be very hard.

This next week is Halloween.  And I have some fun projects at work.  Should be able to have some good stories.

I started this late on Sunday so this is it for the first post in ages.

How did you find this?!

 If you are reading this... how did you find it? I haven't touched this blog in two years. Soo.... Sorry for the lack of updates?  In that time though I have had over 2000 hits.

I wonder what would happen if I started posting?

Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

I just finished Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card.  I have read over 20 books by Card, my first one being Ender's Game, and every one has been a treat to read.  If you are looking for a great Sci-Fi read pick up a book by this award winning writer.

The main story of Pathfinder follows a young boy named Rigg who has the ability to see in 4 dimentions, time being the fourth dimension.  He sees the paths that people have taken in the past.  His ability along with those of his traveling companions allow them to manipulate time and change the past.

The book was a pretty long read, 660 pages but, it was so easy to follow the complex storyline and it was such a pleasure to read that I was able to consume it in 8 days.  The time travel can make it a challenge to follow what exactlly is happening and when but if you push though the confusion it works itself out.
Visit your library.  Pick up a book. And if you have a suggestion for my next read please let me know.

A Useful Chrome App

When you have been home all day due to a blizzard cutting across the Midwest you get a little tired of looking at Facebook status updates about snow.  In my search for productive information I started looking at Chrome apps and came across a nice weather application, Full Screen Weather.  It's not super fancy.  It doesn't do anything special. It just gives you access to a clean weather map full screen with layers you can add or subtract as needed.  I hope to get some good use out of this come spring when the thunderstorms and tornadoes start rolling through.

Pin Tabs

Google has always been about making their browser all about what is in the frame and less about the frame itself.  Today, I found out about a really cool new feature in Chrome today, Pin Tabs!

To enable this feature, if you right click a tab the option for "pin tab" is available.

When you select it, the tab reduces the tab to the favicon only. 

If you don't use multiple tab's this feature isn't really all that handy but if you have three or four tabs that you keep open all the time like Gmail, Facebook, and Pandora reducing them to an icon is really handy.  I haven't opened Firefox in a while but I believe they also have a similar feature that can be enabled.

A Case for the Satchel (Murse, Go Bag, whatever you call it)

Before I get into the case for the Satchel let me define what it is not: sissy looking. 

My least favorite commercial on TV at the moment is that insurance commercial where there is a guy carrying a "European carryall".  That dude has a strait up womens purse. The defining factors that make this one a purse..  1) It is uselessly small 2) The way he is carrying it.  3) His wife bought it for him.  If you are a man and going to carry a bag around it can be none of these things.

Now that that is out of the way lets look at some men who are doing this correctly.

We all know the famous individuals Jack Bauer and Indiana Jones. Rugged and carrying all kinds of fun toys and treasures in those bags.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

 There are also groups of men who use them for their jobs or hobbies, GeoCachers, Writers, Postal Workers, Students, Single Fathers, and many more.  The bags themselves may go by different names, go-bags, laptop bags, diaper bags, or messenger bags but the common factor in all theses professions/hobbies is that we have more gear than what we can carry in our pockets.  

This pocket overload issue is a problem that has moved from specialty professions and hobbies to the daily life of many men.  Thirty years ago a wallet with some cash, your keys, maybe a pocket knife was all you carried around.  Now add to that a phone (sometimes two or three), a small laptop or tablet, Credit Cards, Store membership cards, portable digital storage, chargers for all these gadgets... all of this stuff is way more than one pocket can handle.  That is why rule number one is "The bag must be functional".   It doesn't have to carry a laptop or a every book from you library but it should be larger than a woman's pocketbook.

The bag also cannot have a short thin strap. If you have a bag loaded a wide canvas or leather strap is absolutely necessary to distribute the weight well. The second defining factor that makes a man's bag acceptable is how they carry it.  Always, Always, Always slung across the body.  If you wear a bag on the same side of the shoulder that it is hanging from...  I'm sorry.. It's just wrong.  

There are several places to find a good bag.  I got my current day bag from a  Aldo Shoes.  Great prices and quality products much similar to something like a Tumi messenger bag. 

 If you want to go with a more rugged and utilitarian style try looking at military and police gear. For my next bag I'm leaning towards this one in particular... the battle bag. It's a medium size bag with a canvas look and feel. I also like the fact that it is modular and would be great for caring a variety of tech gear and a few tools.

A Case for the Satchel (Murse, Go Bag, whatever you call it)

Before I get into the case for the Satchel let me define what it is not: sissy looking. 

My least favorite commercial on TV at the moment is that insurance commercial where there is a guy carrying a "European carryall".  That dude has a strait up womens purse. The defining factors that make this one a purse..  1) It is uselessly small 2) The way he is carrying it.  3) His wife bought it for him.  If you are a man and going to carry a bag around it can be none of these things.

Now that that is out of the way lets look at some men who are doing this correctly.

We all know the famous individuals Jack Bauer and Indiana Jones. Rugged and carrying all kinds of fun toys and treasures in those bags.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

 There are also groups of men who use them for their jobs or hobbies, GeoCachers, Writers, Postal Workers, Students, Single Fathers, and many more.  The bags themselves may go by different names, go-bags, laptop bags, diaper bags, or messenger bags but the common factor in all theses professions/hobbies is that we have more gear than what we can carry in our pockets.  

This pocket overload issue is a problem that has moved from specialty professions and hobbies to the daily life of many men.  Thirty years ago a wallet with some cash, your keys, maybe a pocket knife was all you carried around.  Now add to that a phone (sometimes two or three), a small laptop or tablet, Credit Cards, Store membership cards, portable digital storage, chargers for all these gadgets... all of this stuff is way more than one pocket can handle.  That is why rule number one is "The bag must be functional".   It doesn't have to carry a laptop or a every book from you library but it should be larger than a woman's pocketbook.

The bag also cannot have a short thin strap. If you have a bag loaded a wide canvas or leather strap is absolutely necessary to distribute the weight well. The second defining factor that makes a man's bag acceptable is how they carry it.  Always, Always, Always slung across the body.  If you wear a bag on the same side of the shoulder that it is hanging from...  I'm sorry.. It's just wrong.  

There are several places to find a good bag.  I got my current day bag from a  Aldo Shoes.  Great prices and quality products much similar to something like a Tumi messenger bag. 

 If you want to go with a more rugged and utilitarian style try looking at military and police gear. For my next bag I'm leaning towards this one in particular... the battle bag. It's a medium size bag with a canvas look and feel. I also like the fact that it is modular and would be great for caring a variety of tech gear and a few tools.