There and Back Again
Yes, it’s a great title for any adventure, Thank you Mr. Tolkein. My wife, kiddos and I embarked on the 4th of July from Austin up through Santa Fe, New Mexico on to South Central Colorado for a twelve day journey. We enjoyed Family Camp with Sky Ranch at Ute Trail where we made new […]
KOA in Abilene, TX is OK
Finding it a challenge to get good honest reviews of decent destinations on the web for overnight stays, I want to give a thumbs-up to the KOA in Abilene. Too many KOA campgrounds I’ve seen have been little more than a wide spot in the road. This one, though immediately off I-20, is proving to […]
Is it the GWW instead of the WWW?
Maybe Tim Berners-Lee the man credited with the invention of the World Wide Web (not our buddy Al Gore) was actually not thinking big enough. Will the web shortly be renamed Galaxy-Wide Web? It seems that Google has their sites set on taking the web into our galaxy. From the Google Lunar X […]
This Parrothead is Happy
Being a Jimmy Buffett fan for the last 20+ years, I’ve enjoyed more than a few albums and caught a couple of live shows. He was one of the main inspirations in picking-up the guitar when I was a spry 16 years-old. Jimmy always puts on a great show. Today I landed upon the Jimmy […]
Power of Delayed Gratification
Good things do come to those who wait. It’s a very unpopular concept, especially in our commercial driven culture that screams-out for us to constantly spend now and pay later. As a culture we have grown so accustomed to living in debt that it seems normal. In fact, prior to World War II, only 2 […]
Quite a Daydream Huh Jason?
Finally American Idol caught up to me this year. I’ve never been an avid watcher but I think having pre-teens in the house is what got me hooked. Jason Castro was by far my favorite singer. I like his laid-back style. Well, it was nice while it lasted. Hope to see and hear more from […]
12 More to Lose by 40
Another update in keeping accountable with the world in my quest to lose weight. So far I’ve dropped ten lbs. from my tubbiest 202. But officially I set my starting weight at 200, so I’ve really lost eight pounds. With four months left it’s a good start, but just the beginning. My pants certainly fit […]
Refurb Madness
Decision to fix-up the house rather than move, some cash in-hand and a new Lowe’s opens within a mile of my house all makes for a very dangerous combination. We’ve developed a long list of projects and purchases for the house and it seems that I’m singlehandedly knocking stuff off the list everyday. Somewhere along […]
Google Gets Goofy on April Fools Day
If you haven’t looked at your calendar today, it’s April Fools Day. Last year Google posted some really funny April Fools jokes; one being Gmail Paper where you can have your archive snail mailed and the other being Google TiSP which was free in-home wireless broadband that was routed through your toilet.
I am usually […]
Thought Sparking for a Year Now
Actually this blog started in February of 2007 but I figured it’s worth noting all the same. It’s been an interesting ride. The blog started slowly premiering on blogspot before metriculating over to its own domain shortly thereafter. Spring, summer and early fall were quite an active season for the site. The winter has been […]
Making the Most of a Small House
With our oldest nearing official teen-hood, we debated whether to do some remodeling in our current location or relocate. Living in a house that is only a little over 1,200 square feet for five people, it’s tempting to think bigger would be better. After researching other options for residence in the area we’ve come back […]
Just Do It: Vote Today
As I walked into the voting location today I asked the folks there, "where are all the people?" While I know a good number voted early, the turn-out still seemed a bit appauling to me. Living in Texas, we are getting a goodly amount of press today as the day could possibly be a defining […]
Lose 20 by 40
I stepped on the scale yesterday morning and to my dismay, it read 199 lbs. Geeze, even for someone 6′ 2" that’s a little more tubby than I would like. So this morning I stepped onto our new nifty Gazelle Edge that I bought my wife for Christmas (for a cool $20 from Goodwill). My […]
When the Music Fades
This evening as we wheeled my mother-in-law into the living room, I was reflecting about life and how one measures it. She is in the last days of battling Parkinsons and a very aggressive cancer. We turned on the Gipsy Kings, her favorite group and listened as she enjoyed the vibrant songs that characterized her […]
Keeping Sane While Running at Full Gallop
If the first days of 2008 are any indicator of what this year holds I’m going to have one busy year ahead. After having some good downtime during the holidays I resumed life with hardly a minute to spare. How does one maintain a rhythm in the middle of such hectic days?
When I was a […]
A Special Christmas Message
This past Sunday, December 23rd, I had the privilege of being the guest speaker at our church CedarRidge. The message was from Isaiah 9:6 "For Unto Us a Child is Born." Wondering what Christmas is all about? Listen to the message online and hear about the most amazing gift ever known to man. Much more […]
Happy Birthday Dad
Yesterday, December 23rd would have been my father’s 78th birthday. He passed-on eight years ago now, having lost a battle with lung cancer. Growing-up I learned many things from my Dad and in so many waysh aside from basic reading and arithmetic skills, my education took place in spite of the time I spent at […]
Fast Cash and Fifteen Minutes
In a quirky chain of events I’ve been awarded some cash from three different sources in the last couple of days. I suppose you could call it dumb luck, but in two of the sources it’s due to taking just a little time to give some professional input.
The first was from the magazine Fast Company. […]
Gotta Tell You About My Tele
Today, while wondering in a guitar shop to pick-up a 4th string for my acoustic guitar, a beautiful red metallic telecaster look-alike flew into my hands. OK, so it didn’t happen exactly that way. But once I got my hands on this beauty I knew my long desired dream for a red metallic Tele had […]
Thanksgiving, We Have Much to Give Thanks
I enjoy holidays. The break from work is always welcomed time with family and friends and of course great food. But holidays remind us of our history and the blessings of our present life. Thanksgiving is perhaps my favorite holiday as it seems to have stayed true to it’s roots.
There is certainly many folk […]
Old Friends, New Friends
It’s amazing how an inanimate object can become such a familiar friend. Yesterday I had the realization that coffee and I need to part ways for good. In the last couple of weeks I have had a few cups. It was part an experiment and part just enjoyment of the drink. The addiction, if it’s […]
Design Tastes Good
I love eating waffles. They are by far my favorite breakfast food. After going through several waffle makers, we took the plunge a few years back and purchased this little model and could not be happier. It’s a Villaware we picked-up at Williams-Sonoma and we’ve been in breakfast heaven since. Constructed of heavy medal parts, […]
Appeasing the Meme Gods
The universe is off-balance again. I’ve by-passed too many memes and the narcissistic deities hovering over my computer have finally caught-up with me. I shall bring the yin and yang back in harmony by taking part in one of these gratuitous self-indulgent trips down music lane. My deep apologies for the numerous memes I’ve let […]
Castles in the Sand
This past weekend, my family and I scurried off to Port Aransas on the Texas Gulf coast. It is by no means the sweeping vistas of Big Sur, California or the placid white sands and blue waters of Florida. But Port Aransas was a nice sleepy little oceanside town to retreat from life for a […]
I am 80% Addicted to Blogging
80%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?
Wring a bell anyone? Interesting and revealing little test . So how did you rate?
I Don’t Work for a Living
Do you work for a living? You know it can kill you don’t you? Maybe quitting is a good idea. Stress is a major killer in its many forms and a job is a sure fire way to end your life early.
As for me, yeah I have a long-term arrangement with a company to […]
Sparking Thoughts in New Places
Recently, I was accepted to author articles on rustylime.com. Rustylime is an online magazine of editorials, reviews and news briefs. For regular thoughtsparks.net readers, most articles will be reposts from this site. It will come as no surprise to you that I will most often be writing topics in the technology and communication categories. […]
Andy Mckee Redefines the Guitar
As one who has played the guitar from a spry 16 year-old, I have a deep appreciation for very accomplished musicians. When I think of amazing guitarists, few come close to the young Andy Mckee. The closest match in my mind is the late Michael Hedges who died in a car accident in 1997. Andy’s […]
New Face on ThoughtSparks
If you are a regular reader, you’ll notice much has changed here at ThoughtSparks.net. The most obvious and encompassing aspect is the new template. There are several reasons that led me to apply a new design.
I’m a perfectionist and just wasn’t happy with the last one.
The old design had too many plug-ins and was becoming […]
Two Blogs for the Price of One
A month ago I posed the question “One Blog Becomes Two?” in which I spoke of dividing Thoughtsparks.net into two blogs, one for reflections and thoughts, and one for straight tech-oriented information. The resounding response I got back was “leave thoughtsparks.net alone”. I heard you and continue to publish thoughtsparks.net as I have with a […]
The Roots of Persistence Run Deep
The small bur oak you see pictured to the right has taught me much about persistence. Several years ago, in an impetuous move, I chopped-down the young tree to the ground to make way for a trampoline. The tree grew-up under it and once again I cut it to the ground. A third time […]
Enhancing a Message Through Video
I have the privilege of giving a sermon at CedarRidge Church, our home fellowship, on the 30th of September. The message is simply titled "Shine" and focuses on letting God’s light shine through us. To enhance the message I developed this short music video and posted it to GodTube which is a Christian version of […]
Night Out for Dad, Austin Style
There are two things I really enjoy, good food and live music. Living in the Austin area affords me access to both in abundance. Last night, I stopped-off at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q (Their sauce really is the boss) for some lip smacking good grub and a tasty Shiner Bock before heading on down […]
The Day the World Changed
No one asks, "Do you remember" that fateful day. I bet you remember the moment, the instant it happened. I was driving down Interstate 35 in my dad’s old pick-up truck. The morning sun was shining in casting a glare on my view. I had the windows down and enjoying the morning sun, enjoying my […]
Delayed Purchases Pay Huge Dividends
So, what does this odd picture have to do with saving money you may ask? The photo is of my dog Sheba relaxing in the middle of our living room floor now stripped of its carpeting. The significance lies in the fact that there is no flooring covering the cement and there won’t be until […]
Thoughtsparks Awarded Outstanding New Blog
Recognition for your blog is a quirky sort of situation. Being that it’s personal, it can feel like bragging or self-indulgence in flattery. Perhaps that’s what strikes me often about the memes. But when some folks endeavor to take a more objective approach to recognizing blogs for their quality of content, somehow that process seems […]
Doctor Who, The Quintessential Campy Classic Sci-Fi
Last night to my delight, my wife and I caught a current episode of the BBC television show "Doctor Who" on PBS. I remember fondly as a lad back in the late 70’s and early 80’s watching the quintessential Doctor Who #4 played by Tom Baker (pictured above). The show still in production is as […]
Coffee on the Brain
Ending day four of my 35 day no caffeine experiment. Surprisingly the headaches have been tolerable, especially with a dose of Advil. I’ve been groggy in the morning and that has returned in the afternoon at times as well. Some of my physical maladies have cleared-up already and to some degree I generally feel better.
But […]
New Google Phone is Slick
This just may be my next phone. I’ve never really been a huge fan of the iPhone myself. This has all the makings for a salivating web guru. Just out today Crunchgear has the scoop on the soon-to-be-released Google Phone. Hearsay is that it will pack the punch of Googles features including GPS, Gmail, Calendar, […]
The No Caffeine 35 Day Experiment
To keep life interesting and to do some physical cleansing, I am fasting coffee (and other caffeinated drinks) from now through the end of September. And no, decaffeinated coffee is not allowed. Yes, I know for all of you coffee lovers like me, you may ask in complete disbelief, why would anyone deprive themselves of […]
What I’ve Learned from Blogging in 100 Posts
This post is number 100 for thoughtsparks.net and to celebrate, I thought I’d write a reflective look on what I’ve learned from blogging to date. In its five short months in existence, this blog has gone through some evolution and yet has remained true to its original intent, "Igniting Ideas for the Common Good." I […]
Happy Unbalanced Life Club
It’s 12:30 a.m. and I’m up blogging. I’ve seen a good number of midnights in the last few weeks. My life is unbalanced. I should be in bed snoozing away and resting for tomorrow, but alas here I am pounding out my thoughts to you dear friends.
There are countless self-help books and blogs on […]
The Mindscape in Early Morning Contemplation
Contemplating the spark of first morning thought. Perhaps you relate to that glimmer when the world is a bit surreal. Dreams allow our worries to escape from the day before. I believe that is a gift to make way for new ideas to be born.
The Early Morning Mindscape
The synapses in my brain fire in disordered […]
One Blog Becomes Two?
OK, this post is asking one question that I would like to garner as much response as possible back from you. Does thoughtsparks.net branch into two blogs?
Thoughtsparks.net has two main streams running through it. One is tech posts and the other is a more personal poetic-pros and life ruminations on ideas and experiences. Both topics […]
Vanity of Vanities, Saith the Blogger
Tis a quandry I confess, to post new photo of me nonetheless. Is it more humble to deny the refresh of my mug on this fair blog? Or better to betray the reader with an image of one writer years before? Yes, Now you see me in my glory or is it more humility as […]
Change the World One Family at a Time
The needs of people in poverty seem overwhelming, the challenges too great. It’s easy to fold ones hands and say, "Wouldn’t it be nice to help but maybe another day." Our little start-up church, CedarRidge, thought "yes, but perhaps today is that day." With small amount of money sent ahead for the project to begin, […]
Bargain Priced Blog for Sale at 50% Off
This blog is officially for sale. Yep, you heard it right. I’ll sell you the site for half the valued price. A cool $9,597 and this sweet puppy is yours to have, to hold, to maintenance and to publish. Heck, I’ll even be your guest writer weekly for a year at no additional cost. What, […]
San Antonio Girl
"San Antonio girl, she makes me crazy. San Antonio girl, she’s the one for me…"
My young bride and I stole away for the weekend and ventured off to the enchanted land of San Antonio. We go away for our anniversary in December and once every summer. In the 14 and a half years of marriage […]
What’s Your File Extension?
I got a kick out of this one. Discovered it through my good friend Josh’s site over at mobilehippie.com. Some of the other personality extension types are quite humorous.
Which File Extension are You?
This Blog Powered By You
It hits you unexpectedly. That thought you race to scribble on paper or pound-out for a post. Inspiration, the breathing-in of fresh ideas, comes at almost any moment through many pathways. Creativity is a fascinating human trait that is really hard to dissect. In fact, the moment one tries to do so, it evaporates.
It […]
Our Rhythmic Lives in Concert
The tide is high in my mind this night as I stop to ponder the rhythms of life. Why does there exist such struggle between people? Do language, culture, beliefs or values create clashes or is it something more natural, more organic that generates friction? When you talk am I listening? Are we on the […]
Wall of Adversity
Have you ever travelled along a path in life, come around the bend and were faced with something that looked like this canyon wall? Maybe it was a physical ailment, an emotional pain, a financial hardship or loss of a friend. Or perhaps it was a combination of elements that together created the perfect storm […]
Vacation Tips in the Great Southwest
To save you dear reader from a droning soliloquy of ponderings and journal entries from my vacation, I present to you some practical tips and recommendations for visiting Colorado and New Mexico.
1. The Colorado Renaissance Faire was a wonderful experience, especially for my older girls. We did indeed meet all the interesting creatures mentioned in […]
I Take My Leave Dear Friends
The day, long in coming has arrived, departing to a land that is a drive but will be a flight from the drone of life. With mirth, marvel, mystery and myth, we venture off to a place much missed. What we will do is yet to be, what we will miss is small misery of […]
A Different Spin on Life
If you had the power to change the destiny of people’s lives, would you want it?
Cultivating Your Garden
I’ve discovered the secret to gardening: continous cultivation. Gardening is a rewarding, delightful experience to plant and watch the vegetation grow. Through the seasons it changes and evolves into a habitat that is pleasant, provides shelter for birds and butterflies and is a blessing to my family, friends and neighbors.
I find many parrallels to parenting […]
Like Fine Wine
A life well lived, which I hope mine continues to be, is like a bottle of fine wine. It really does get better with age.
Yesterday, I sat down and updated my resume and posted it to Portfolio. It’s something I try to do every year or so as I figure it’s just a good idea. […]
Nine Random Facts
Maybe it’s to be different or maybe because I was tagged twice, once back on April 30th by Cherann and on June 2 for 10 Random facts and by Lord Matt for 8 Random facts, I’m listing nine random facts about myself.
Here are the rules as quoted from Lord Matt:
Players start […]
That Place
That place I go to when life throws a curve ball that I don’t catch. Sometimes it just smacks. That place is a song I play on the guitar, strumming "Jamaica Farewell". It’s a cold mountain morning, it’s the summer sun on an island beach. That place is a shade covered road in the hills […]
Bloggers Getting Younger
My 12 year-old daughter has started a book review blog. She’s using Tumblr and posts reviews of the books she reads as part of her homeschool experience. She’s an avid reader and blogging is a great outlet for her to hone her writing skills. I won’t be surprised if she is a writer or editor […]
An Unfinished Portrait
A while back I started this drawing in Illustrator from a photo of our family before we added our third off-spring to the fold. I never got around to drawing my lovely wife (sorry about that honey), but then again I could not do her justice as she really is a beauty. This was obviously […]
Get Out and Live a Little
We took-off for a three-day camping trip with another family this past weekend at Inks Lake State Park. A little under an hour away, the wildflowers were absolutely breathtaking as they blanketed the ground like a spring snow of color. There is something almost surrealistic about traipsing through the follage of the landscape of the […]
A Techie Looks at 40
Still a little over a year away, but it’s starting to hit me, I’m heading towards the big 4-0. There are meme’s about getting goals, unusual facts about oneself and so on. I guess in usual fashion I’m taking a different spin and concatenating those concepts into one post. I figure, hey a little narcissistic, […]
RU Twitterpatted?
I just started Twittering yesterday. Notice the twitter update on my blog. It’s too early to tell what I think, but it is kind of a hoot. Twittering is talking lightly of trivial matters. Yes, that may be, but aren’t many of our thoughts quite trivial? If in the end life is made of trivial […]
What do these four things have in common?
Remember the game from when you were a kid? You look at four pictures and identify what’s similar about them. Have you guessed yet? If you said they are all broken, you won. A lights out, a screen door doesn’t work, a towel rack has come loose from the wall and the lawn mower is […]
Arena Football, a Very Quirky Idea
This past Saturday evening my daughter danced in the half-time show of a new professional football league here in Austin, Texas. Arena football is a bazarre pseudo-American football game with a fifty-yard field, fireworks, hooters girls and cheap footballs bouncing off the walls. (Not to mention the players). It’s kind of a cross between football […]
A Rose by Any Other Name
I like Monday mornings. It may be strange to you, but I enjoy the start of new weeks, the challenges and opportunities. I enjoy starting new things, I enjoy the beginning of each new season and all that it brings. As an avid gardner, Springtime is my favorite time of the year. I’m kind of […]
Laughter, The Best Medicine
I found this video at Nelson Tan’s site 10 Benefits of Laughing and wanted to share the joy. I’ve gone back to it so many times that I thought it worth sharing.
My challenge to you: See if you can actually watch this video without laughing. I can hardly get through the first 5 seconds before […]
April Fools from Google
Google premiered two "services" that caught wind on the blogosphere today: Gmail paper and Gmail TiSP.
Gmail paper is a service to send your email that you select via snail mail. Great service for the neophites of the world. See: http://mail.google.com/mail/help/paper/more.html
Google TiSP is in-home wireless broadband service. It requires feeding a cable down your toilet. […]
Through the Eyes of a Child
My four and a half year old grabbed her digital camera yesterday afternoon and took some shots of what she saw. It’s refreshing, I think, to literally see through the eye of child.
What would the world be like if we saw new ideas like a four year old?
Would we be more delighted?
Would life seem more […]
CedarRidgeChurch.net Goes Live
After working probably too many late nights, CedarRidgeChurch.net is live. The site was built using WordPress which made it technically easy to install. It just took a while to get the right direction and think through the future development of the site. Eventually the site will be extended-out as the church grows. It’s been fun […]
Thought Sparks Logo Number 1 & 2
OK, so I’m still doing some design on the Thoughtsparks Logo. Number two and three are another Option. Any thoughts? I appreciate your feedback. Still working through look and feel for thoughtsparks.net. Which color scheme? is the question mark with "sparks" the way to go? Do I use a different mark for the icon?
New Logo for Thought Sparks?
New logo idea for ThoughSparks. Once I settle on the logo, I’ll develop out the look and feel of the site. If I go with this concept, it will be fairly easy to find a Word Template that I want to use and develop out the graphics. I like the energy and pseudo retro feel […]
Binary Conversion for Children
This evening for fun, I taught my nine and 11 year-old girls how to convert binary numbers to decimal and back to binary. They got the concept in about 20 minutes which shows what a little attention from a parent and enthusiasm of a youngster can do. It was fun to watch my oldest going […]
Face of Chicago
This is one of the two cool LED screens in Chicago’s Millennium Park. I took this photo in December 2006 during a chilly week with lows in the single digits. I enjoy the diversity of God’s wonderful creation. Chicago was really cool that way. I spoke w/ a waitress from Romania, a hostess from western […]
Trip to Chicago
It was a blustery first week of December in Chicago. I attended the Search Engine Strategies Conference. This thin-skinned Texan weathered the single digit temps to get out and take a few photos. Chicago has some amazing artwork. I took this picture of the Kapoor Sculpture in early December in Chicago. It is located […]
