Category: Blogging

I’m Still Around!

It’s been a while since I published anything of substance on the blog so I thought it would be a good time to post a brief update.

I started journaling using DayOne a few years ago but didn’t do it consistently.  I came up with a new system over the winter holidays that allows me to use If Then Then That to capture my activities and automatically add them to a DayOne entry.  This allows me to capture Foursquare checkins, Facebook Posts, Twitter posts, etc and expand on them in the journal.  I’m happy to say I haven’t missed a day yet in 2015 & it’s now part of my daily routine.  Its fun to look back on past events and see how things have changed (or haven’t).

Now the trick is to try to make updating the blog a habit (through the use of automation and a little technology of course).  The mobile blogging tools have gotten better and easier to use so there’s really no excuse not to be posting more things.  So its time to see if I can get this site active again.

 That’s just about covers it for now.  Look for more updates in the near future and some changes around the site to spruce it up a bit.  I’ve got some work to do!

Catch Up Post, Yeah I’m Still Alive!

It’s been far too long since my last blog post so I thought I’d do a summary post detailing what’s been going on with my life…

Decided to try the iPad out again. Picked up a 32GB Wi-Fi unit and I’ll have to admit it’s far superior to the Gen 1 device I had years ago. Better screen, faster performance, and great battery life. I also purchased a Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover and the combination is great!  I find myself using the pair in meetings and when I’m out and about wanting to get online.

To go along with the iPad I added a Verizon “Jetpack” 4g Mi-Fi device to the tool kit.  After finding out my internal aircard in the trusty Lenovo X200 was not capable of being upgraded to a 4g data unit I took the plunge.  This is the device to have for mobile data.  Initially the battery life was pretty sub-par but the addition of the extended battery gives me all the time I need and the speeds are nothing short of amazing.

My son & I attended Dig IN A Taste of Indiana and I was VERY impressed with the event. GREAT food and a lot of variety. We’re going to make this an annual event and I encourage you to check it out next year (August 25, 2013).

International Geocaching Day was on August 18 and we made sure to log a cache that day to get a special badge on our online account.  The 2 caches we manage also got a lot of activity that day from the event.

Devour Downtown has come and gone. I was only able to make it to one place this year but Smokehouse on Shelby was a real treat.

If you’re looking for a location based app for your reminders the Checkmark app for the iPhone is one to check out (no pun intended). It reminds you of things when you are at a specific location vs date and time.  Very handy when you want to be reminded to do something when you get home or arrive at the office.

I’m working downtown with a new client and spending a few days during the week down ther  . It’s been a while sine I’ve spent this much downtown and I’m really happy to be doing it again.  Speaking of Downtown I’ve been going to King David Hot Dogs on a semi-regular basis. Not only is it a quick eat it’s delicious!  This is not your ordinary wiener.  This thing is a 1/4 pound beef dog that will fill you up.

I’m sure I’m missing a few things but as you can see the summer has been a busy one.  I was talking to Eddie V the other day & we want to start the Man fights Back Podcast up again.  Been far too long since we recorded an episode and I’m sure we have plenty of content to fill a few shows.  I’ve also thought about doing a weekly Podcast that summarizes the events on IndyScan.com. It’s still in the developmental phases but you might see it soon on the Blog.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

-Andrew-

Keep Calm & Blog On

I’ve had several people contact me asking what’s going on with the blog. It’s still here but I’ve just had a case of “life getting in the way”. I have too many draft posts to admit & a lot of them just need some editing and pictures.

By the time my day slows down I’m just not in the mood to “blog”. So much for the 1-post-a-day challenge I was trying to complete. It’s harder than you might think!

I’ve played with some mobile solutions and I’m thinking about starting to post shorter items in an attempt to increase site activity. I see a lot of things throughout my day & I can share most of them online.

Stay tuned, I hope to have some neat things on here soon…

The Bloggess

Every once in a while you find a website that really stands out.  I’m not sure how I came across TheBloggess.com but I’m glad I did.  Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess) is about as crackpot as they come, and this is a designation I believe she would appreciate.  Borderline bipolar and definitely a little manic her writing style ranges from casual to hilariously quirky, usually within the same paragraph.

My appreciation for her humor started out with a post on her blog titled “And that’s why you should learn to pick your battles.” [NSFW]  Go ahead & click the link and have a read for yourself (be sure to come back though!).

Beyoncé the metal chicken is just one of many “characters” dreamt up by Jenny.  She also has a fascination with taxidermied animals that died of natural causes (thanks to her father) and dresses them up in clothing that, I assume, she makes herself.  One blog post explained how she traveled with “Hamlet Von Schitzel”, a stuffed mouse dressed like Hamlet who graces the cover of her book.

Recently Jenny published a book (10 years in the making) called “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” which chronicles her childhood, how she met her husband Victor, and explains how she became who she is today.  The book is already #1 on the NY Times List a week after its release.  I per-ordered the Kindle Edition of the book back in January and when it arrived I couldn’t put it down.  It had me laughing uncontrollably starting with the introduction.

If you’re looking for some offbeat humor from a great story-teller check out TheBloggess.com.

On Vacation – Physical & Blogging

Just got back from Washington DC where I visited my brother for Easter. Took a lot of photos and really did not have much time to blog. That place will wear you out with all the walking.

Visited some neat museums, went to a soccer game and ate some great food. I’ll be sure to share some tips for those of you heading out there in the future.

I’ll be back in the swing of things soon & I have a few ideas for future blog posts.

Blogging = Journalism?

From CNET News:

Oregon judge rules bloggers aren’t journalists – A U.S. District Court judge in Portland, Ore., ruled that a blogger who wrote about an investment firm that subsequently accused her of defamation must pay the company $2.5 million because she’s a blogger who doesn’t legally qualify as a journalist.[MORE]

Lots of issues with this case, especially with her acting as her own attorney.  This is not the first time Blogging has been linked to Journalism.  There are some correlations but most serious (i.e. professional) journalists probably don’t blog.  Why would they?  They get paid to write for a living so why do it for free?

So does getting paid to write make you a journalist and afford you the protections that come with professional journalism?  It could but I think it has a lot to do with WHO is paying you.  I can put ads on this Blog and technically “get paid” but I’m not specifically being paid to Blog…

I can even make up a fake “Press Pass” online.  This does not make me a photo-journalist.  Although… It might be useful though to gain (lawful) access to restricted areas and events (kidding)…

 

My Philosophy on Reviews

I’ve been posting a lot of reviews on IndyScan.com and I realized I had never taken the time to explain why I’m doing it.  First of all, I only review things I like.  I don’t waste my time complaining about things I don’t like (there are lots those too)

If you see a review on IndyScan.com it’s going to be about something I like and I want to share it with others.  It might be a product, restaurant, video, etc.  It’s on this site because I want you to know about it.

Now I do have a Rant category and I use it for just that.  I guess you could call it a negative review but hey, it’s my site and I get to choose (ha).