5 VHS for $5

Lesley and I went to Hollywood Video to rent a movie and Hollywood Video was selling a lot of previously viewed movies for cheap - video tapes cost $5 for 5. Lesley and I were hesitant to buy any video tapes, even though the price was so low, since most of the available movies weren't very appealing, video tapes can often get damaged, and VHS is a dying medium. However, since it would cost less to buy five movies than to rent three of them, we found a few films we had been wanting to rent (as well as a few that we had seen) and bought them. I got Fargo, Casablanca, and Psycho and she got Risky Business and West Side Story.

I might not get my camera repaired

The zoom button on my camera is broken but I can't find my warranty card so even after talking to someone at the service center, I'm not sure if I can get my camera fixed for free - if I'll have to pay for camera repairs, it might cost more than $50. So, right now I'm not sure if I'll send my camera for repairs since the camera still operates fine without zoom capability, I've been considering looking for a better camera that takes better pictures in low light, and most significantly, sending my camera off for repairs would leave me without a camera for several weeks. Right now I'm leaning towards just keeping my camera and dealing with the problem until I decide to get a higher-quality replacement.

Montgomery Plaza gets sign

I've been casually following the remodeling of the Montgomery Ward Building and I was excited to see today that the former "Montgomery Ward" sign, which was removed several months ago, has been replaced with a "Montgomery Plaza" sign in familar red lettering:

Review of my college decision

I like to review decisions I've made at various points in the past to determine whether I made the best decision. While I don't make many poor decisions, the decisions that I've made that are most questionable can often be attributed to me limiting my options or overemphasizing some criteria.

For example, when I was deciding on a university, I strictly limited my options by refusing to consider very large schools (such as the University of Texas) and I refused to consider anywhere very far away from home. While I still know I would prefer to attend a smaller school close to home and I don't think that I made a bad decision when I chose to attend Southern Methodist University, I wish that I would have given myself more options and prioritized my preferences differently.

For my first couple years of college I was completely convinced that I had chosen the right school. But, now I'm not entirely sure, I feel that maybe I could have made a better choice, though I don't know what that choice would've been, or whether it would actually be better. While I wouldn't say that I regret having chosen to go to SMU, there are a few things I don't like about SMU:

• The student body - there are a disproportionate number of fraternity/sorority members, image-obsessed people, and partiers.
• The expense - SMU is a nice place, but it's certainly overpriced. If I didn't have as much scholarship money, I'd be foolish to go here.
• The location - My attitude toward SMU's location is actually pretty ambivalent. Dallas is a really cool place, I like how I can step out of my room and walk to a bunch of different places, but I don’t like how Dallas is so pedestrian un-friendly and it’s too busy to invite me to drive around much.

While I briefly considered transferring, I’ll stay at SMU; I still think made a pretty good decision. However, in the future, I'll ultimately make better decisions if I keep my options open and not overemphasize any criteria.

What book should Lesley buy?

Lesley has a gift card at a book store, but she's not sure what to buy. She's not much of a reader, so the book she gets should be pretty easy to read and something she'll want to finish. She could get a novel or some kind of information book. I suggested The Stranger, but now I think the plot and theme of the book might be too subtle for her taste. So, what books can you suggest that might be worthwhile for her?

I started a Roth IRA

Last month I was planning to open a Roth IRA and so I did. I opened it with Scottrade, which has no fees, aside from normal $7 buying/selling fees.

I wanted to invest very agressively within my Roth IRA account since 1) I won't be touching the money for a while and 2) there are no tax consequences. I looked for a stock index that has been performing outstandingly so that I could put some money in an exchange traded fund (ETF) that follows the corresponding index. I chose Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU), which follows the utilities sector. Natural resources has been performing better this year, but I couldn't offer my support to companies who make their money from damaging (or facilitating the damage) of the environment, such as oil and logging companies. I also invested some of my money in Hurray! Holding Co. (HRAY), which is a Chinese company that seems to be undervalued and have good growth potential. I invested a little bit in Career Education Corp., (CECO), which also seemed undervalued, with good growth potential, and good operating margins.

I'll put in a stop so that if any of these drop more than 7-10%, I'll sell my shares and find something else to invest in. Investing is fun.

Biblical Perspective on Self -Pleasure

I found this interesting, and might be affecting for people who are conflicted about the subject.

It is customary for those who write books for teens and youth to caution them against masturbation. Beyond this, many will even find a way to say it is a sin. So, what does the Bible say on masturbation.

THE BIBLE ON MASTURBATION:

There is virtually nothing said in the Bible about masturbation.

The author continues to explain why masturbation shouldn't be considered sinful, except for circumstances involving lust.

Writing and blog changes since last year

I want to continually improve my writing skills, so I looked back at how far my skills have progressed from last year and the year before by reading old blog entries. I also read part of an essay that I wrote my first year of college.

There have been subtle changes in my writing, but I didn't notice any major faults that would let me say with certainty that I've become a better writer. I suppose I've improved, but not considerably. I think I can write pretty well when I try hard or am inspired, but the majority of the time I write acceptably but not remarkably.

Anyway, reading my old blog entries made me aware that my attitude as a person and my blog itself has changed more than my writing has. It seems that I was more irritable and petty back then and I made a lot more short, unimportant posts. Not that my blog now is great, but it seems to me that the substance of my posts has improved more than the style.

Summer past half-way point

My summer is now more than half-way over, but surprisingly, I don't feel that it has passed too quickly. I think the summer up to this point has gone pretty well; I've had some good times, enjoyed some fun activities, and accomplished some things as well. I'm looking forward to the remainder of the summer, which might feature some fun events such as:

• a cook-out and swimming
• going to the circus
• going to a Fort Worth Cats minor-league baseball game
• going to a comedy club again
• playing baseball or football outside if anyone else wants to endure the heat
• trying different teas every week
• going on a road trip to Arkansas

Best summer ever? I dunno, but it has been going very well and should continue to be very good.

How I edit a photo

By request, here is an example of how I edit my photos. The basic picture comes from my camera in imperfect form. Sometimes the picture isn't level and the colors often don't contrast enough, sometimes because of haze or because the picture is taken through a window, as in this case:

For pictures I post on my site, I take the following steps:

1. I adjust the boundaries of the photo, i.e. I rotate it, if necessary, and crop it.
2. I perform various color adjustments, tinkering with the color levels, contrast, saturation, lightness, and sometimes hue adjusting, such as if a picture looks too cyan when taken through a car window.
3. I resize the photo. I don't have a standard size for photos I post on my blog, I try to keep file sizes small while trying to make pictures big enough to look good and have enough detail.
4. One of the most important steps is sharpening the image, it makes a big difference. I try to sharpen the image enough so it looks sharp and detailed without being oversharpened.

So, here's what the picture would look like at the end:

I over-edit some pictures sometimes, especially by over-saturating or over-sharpening, so if you see a picture that I've overdone somehow, please let me know. Or, contrarily, if there's a photo that you think could use some kind of change, please let me know. My photo editing skills (and my eye for a good photo) aren't very refined, so any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated. By the way, I don't use Photoshop, I use the GIMP, which is free.

Brother's AP scores

Today's a slow blogging day. My brother got his Advanced Placement scores back:

I got 5s in Calc AB, Macro Econ, Eng Lang, Bio, Phys C Mech. I got 4s in Micro Econ, U.S. Pol. I got a 3 in Comparative Politics.

Good for him, someday those scores will impress his cell mates.

Which sense do you trust the most?

Which sense do you trust the most?

Sight
Hearing
Touch
Smell
Taste




Current Results

Create a FREE Alxnet Web Poll

Previous poll results (#51)

I had asked you all whether it's okay for me to edit my photos before posting them and the results indicate that my readers are okay with me editing my pictures, with nobody saying that I shouldn't edit my pictures, and 5 people saying that at least certain kinds of alterations are okay (if not all kinds).

Tips for dealing with management in business

I was sent this today. First, an introduction from the Boston Herald:

SWANSON'S SAVORY TIPS: RAYTHEON CEO'S SECRETS OF SUCCESS: Warren Buffett liked it so much he recommended it to friends. Jack Welch enjoyed its pearls of wisdom. The "it'' is Raytheon chief executive Bill Swanson's unpublished, no-longer-obscure management handbook. The book has become something of a cult hit among CEOs - even though it's not available on store shelves or online.

But it's available here:

Bill Swanson’s “Unwritten Rules of Management”

1. Learn to say, “I don’t know.” If used when appropriate, it will be often.
2. It is easier to get into something than it is to get out of it.
3. If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.
4. Look for what is missing. Many know how to improve what’s there, but few can see what isn’t there.
5. Viewgraph rule: When something appears on a viewgraph (an overhead transparency), assume the world knows about it, and deal with it accordingly.
6. Work for a boss with whom you are comfortable telling it like it is. Remember that you can’t pick your relatives, but you can pick your boss.
7. Constantly review developments to make sure that the actual benefits are what they are supposed to be. Avoid Newton’s Law.
8. However menial and trivial your early assignments may appear, give them your best efforts.
9. Persistence or tenacity is the disposition to persevere in spite of difficulties, discouragement, or indifference. Don’t be known as a good starter but a poor finisher.
10. In completing a project, don’t wait for others; go after them, and make sure it gets done.
11. Confirm your instructions and the commitments of others in writing. Don’t assume it will get done!
12. Don’t be timid; speak up. Express yourself, and promote your ideas.
13. Practice shows that those who speak the most knowingly and confidently often end up with the assignment to get it done.
14. Strive for brevity and clarity in oral and written reports.
15. Be extremely careful of the accuracy of your statements.
16. Don’t overlook the fact that you are working for a boss.
    * Keep him or her informed. Avoid surprises!
    * Whatever the boss wants takes top priority.
17. Promises, schedules, and estimates are important instruments in a well-ordered business.
    * You must make promises. Don’t lean on the often-used phrase, “I can’t estimate it because it depends upon many uncertain factors.”
18. Never direct a complaint to the top. A serious offense is to “cc” a person’s boss.
19. When dealing with outsiders, remember that you represent the company. Be careful of your commitments.
20. Cultivate the habit of “boiling matters down” to the simplest terms. An elevator speech is the best way.
21. Don’t get excited in engineering emergencies. Keep your feet on the ground.
22. Cultivate the habit of making quick, clean-cut decisions.
23. When making decisions, the pros are much easier to deal with than the cons. Your boss wants to see the cons also.
24. Don’t ever lose your sense of humor.
25. Have fun at what you do. It will reflect in your work. No one likes a grump except another grump.

I can't find my camera's warranty card

The zoom button on my camera is broken, but fortunately it's under warranty. However, I can't find my camera's warranty card! I've looked everywhere that I might expect the warranty card to be and I can't find it. This is irritating because I don't think that I can get my camera repaired for free without the warranty card and the receipt or packing slip that came with the camera that I also can't find. I usually put all of this kind of information in a specific place, so I don't know why I can't find it, but it's really irritating, partially because it means I might have to pay to have my camera fixed (or replaced), but also because it means I might not be able to trust myself not to lose important pieces of paper.

Cool satellite images found on Google Maps

Google Maps provides satellite images, which I find very interesting to look at, but I didn't realize that the interest in Google's satellite pictures is so widespread: there are websites devoted to interesting satellite images, such as Google GlobeTrotting and the Google Sightseeing blog. This should keep me occupied at work for a while.

Streets repaved too frequently

The asphalt streets in my neighborhood get repaved like every five years even though they don't have potholes or other problems and they don't need to be repaved. I don't know why the city wastes so much money repaving them. There are plenty of other streets that could benefit more from being repaved, and there are plenty of other ways that the city could better spend the money, so I don't know why they waste it on repaving perfectly fine streets. If I actually paid property taxes or anything, I'd be pretty irritated at having my money wasted so frivolously.

I'd like to find more cool things to do outside at night

I like outside, especially when it's comfortable, like at night. I'd like to find more things to do outside at night, like go for a walk or something, but I don't live anywhere cool to walk. I guess I like to walk downtown sometimes, or walk in the cultural district, and some parks are open late. I guess there's not much else that I could do outside at night, other than walk.