Computer Whisperer
This morning this tweet dropped into my feed:
I grew up with Mr. Diamond’s music. My mother had many of his albums. I was saddened when he retired. So this video filled me with joy. It’s a bit sad, too, as I can see some of the impacts of Parkinsons. But, man, such grace and courage.
Oh, and here’s a link to the video on YouTube for those not engaged with Twitter, or in case the Twitter dumpster fire finally takes that site down.
I’ve enjoyed MrWhoseTheBoss (otherwise known as Arun Maini) for a couple of years now. I like his take on tech. As I’m an OS Agnostic (whether we’re talked PCs or mobile), I find his takes balanced and insightful.
As someone who also likes to see people find their passions, and see how they came to that realization, I find his recent video wonderful. Seeing his unconscious progress towards a certain career end with him getting the dream job, then realizing that, no, that wasn’t the dream, struck home. I’ve seen that many times in my own life. It felt good to see him have that realization, see clearly what he needed to do, feel the fear that the non-conventional paths take, and take the plunge anyway.
Give him a few minutes of your time my friends. You’ll be glad you did.
Several years ago Google’s Creative Lab came up with this video to showcase Google. So often I see people get caught up in the technological minutia of video production (or any other creative initiative), of any aspect of storytelling. Insecurity about their camera, their editing software, lighting…on and on. And here’s a video, needing none of this, just a bunch of text typed into a browser, and a few other shots of Google pages. I’m pretty sure all that was needed was a browser, OBS, and an editor (iMovie might’ve been powerful enough to create it).
The tools don’t matter. Only the story has value. You can tell a story with the most minimal gear. And, to be blunt, if you can tell a compelling story with the most basic tools, you’ll be more likely to be entrusted with bigger and better tools.
So, go, create! Tell your story with whatever you have. Your audience, your tribe awaits.
I discovered Xavier Rudd years ago, but during the quarantine, I’ve started binging his music. I find his music fills me with joy and with hope. Check out one of my current favorites.
With covid-19 disrupting so very much of life, I thought I’d take a moment to rehash what I’m working on to keep busy. My family has been home due to school closures. I have been unemployed since the February 28th.
First, I’m signed up to study web application and cloud development at Edmonds Community College starting next quarter. There are still pieces to pull together, but I’m moving forward. Classes start on April 13, so it’s coming quickly. I also need to get my math skills back up to snuff. I struggled mightily on an assessment test and was pretty made at myself. Then it hit me: the last math class I took may have been calculus, but it’s been several decades since. One of the folks at the school connected me with a website to help that along, so I’ve been working on getting those skills back up to snuff.
Also, I’ve spent time refreshing some skills. I had purchased a CompTIA training bundle last summer that I haven’t had a chance to start with yet. And I have a Adobe Creative Suite bundle as well. I’ve been carving time for each of those as I can. I also discovered IronCAD, which apparently has a free download, so I might try and squeeze some more CAD work in as well. That’s one big thing I miss from my Eagle Country Construction days.
As for entertainment, I’ve been binging on “Traveling Robert“, a YouTuber traveling the US with his trailer. I really have enjoyed the show. There’s a genuineness that’s delightful. I discovered him via YouTube’s algorithm. It dished up his trip to Seattle this past summer, which I found nice.
There’s plenty of other things that I’ve been working on, too. Keeping several websites up to date, as well as a couple of email communication campaigns (about the covid-19 closures and such). And I’ve helped a few folks with their WordPress sites, and with setting up Facebook business pages and trying to pull together some kind of marketing plan in the midst of the pandemic. I mean, how do you market in such a way that you’re being, well, a decent human being.
A friend of mine shared this video with me today. Just. Wow! First the artistry of the film shines brilliantly. The story, though, carries it to great heights.
So, clearly, I recommend it. Check it out, then let me know what you think. I hope you love it as much as I.
So, do you remember?
Watch “Earth, Wind & Fire – September (Official Music Video)” on YouTube
Did a video shoot today with the owner of the company I now work for. It was his first video with a videographer, so he had to work though nervousness and his desire for perfection. I was quite pleased with how things went. And that he came away with a ton of ideas of how we can make the next one better.
Preparing got today reminded me of the one below, where I am on camera. I’ve been behind the scenes many, many times. I do like being in front of the camera, I should do more of that. Maybe, once I have my real estate license back, I’ll go full on into being a YouTube agent. One of many possibilities to explore.
So, the video below is one I made with the C & K Real Estate Team. I really enjoyed making it and have thought, many times, it would be a blast to do more.
What do you think? So many options, do little time.
Star Wars holds a dear place in my heart. So does anime. Combine them? My heart sings.
I really enjoyed this greatly. I hope you do, too.
I just discovered Bryan Elliot’s YouTube series “Behind the Brand” with this video of Seth Godin. As I greatly admire Seth’s work, I went ahead and watched. I found it well worth my time, and feel it’s well worth yours. Overcome disappointment, and move forward.