Chris Marsden @ chrismarsden.com

Redesign and Migration

Chris Marsden — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:12:28 +0000

So last night was the night. I redesigned and reset up my whole site. Next comes the migration and the redesign of this domain. In order to make that smooth, I have turned off all comments on all posts at ChrisMarsden.com. It is not that I don’t want your input. In fact, it is because I want your input that I am holding you off for a week. I want your input to count and not get lost in the migration.

I am hoping to launch the new blog (with all current content and comments in tack) this week, but I am wanting to get the redesigned ChrisMarsden.com up at the same time, so rather than pulling the trigger ealry, I am going to give it another day or two. Hope you don’t mind.

[The good thing about having a baby that doesn't let you sleep is that my all-nighter to get the design done doesn't feel all that exhausting.]

Baby Day

Chris Marsden — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:25:22 +0000

So it’s been crazy busy the last few weeks getting ready for little baby Marsden #3. And today is finally the day. I’ll have updates later, but you can check out pictures over at Flickr as I get a chance to upload them.

http://flickr.com/photos/cruciformity

Intermittent Connections

Chris Marsden — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:42:29 +0000

So I wrote about the windows day I had last week over at The After Mac. It wasn’t really Windows fault. I was mostly venting. But the outrageous number of options for Window’s Operating Systems is kind of ridiculous, especially when you can’t get all of them in any local retail stores.

Anyways… the actual problem that triggered the crappy day (which turned into a crappy weekend) was a failing hard drive. The creepy part of the whole scenario was that this exact hard drive had the same problem 3-6 months ago. I stuck it on a shelf (I have pack rat issues) and ruled it out. But when my other POS (that’s point of sale, not what you were thinking (although its that too)) started having problems, I tried this computer again on a last ditch attempt.

And it worked. It has worked for the last month.

Until it didn’t.

So after a long weekend of debating my options (rebuild data from paper and accept missing data vs. sending off for recovery ($900-3900), I was pretty much worn out. So why not plug the hard drive in for one more try. What do I have to lose, right?

And it worked. Sort of. But it at least worked well enough to get my data back.

And that’s why I quit my potential IT career. I couldn’t deal with intermittent problems. How can you feel confident that you have fixed something if you didn’t actually do anything and the problem just goes away (and comes back).

But this has got me thinking about relationships and human interaction issues. Do we have solid consistent connections with reality and others? Or… Do people see as intermittent problems? We are inconsistent, so avoiding us for fear of the uncertainty of how we’ll react.

I try hard (especially over the last year or two) to be consistently me. Good or bad, I’m me. You see the beauty of a consistent problem is that it is recognizable and addressable. Often, it is recognizable before it becomes a critical problem. So while I want to consistently me and have that me be a problem free experience, I want my problems and issues to be consistent as well.

So for future computer experiences and for my own life, I pray for problem free experiences. But when there are problems, lets hope for some consistency so we can identify the problem, troubleshoot it, and move on with life.

Firefox Download Day

Chris Marsden — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:25:37 +0000

Don’t Forget.

June 17th is Firefox Download Day.

Help Set a World Record and get your hands on one of the greatest browsers ever. It doesn’t matter what OS you are running (within reason), Firefox has a version for you.

Check it out.

Tags: firefox, download day, world record

Contest Announced at The After Mac

Chris Marsden — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:51:23 +0000

With WWDC around the corner I have just announced a contest at The After Mac. It runs through next Sunday Night. All you have to do is comment on any of the WWDC related posts over the next week. Each comment is an entry into the contest.

Get Your Book Published For Free

Chris Marsden — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:16:28 +0000

Do you have a book idea floating around your head?

Are you a photographer with a ton of pictures you are just dying to sell?

Do you just want something free?

Lia, over at Gadgenista, is giving away two free books from Blurb. Not her book… your book.

You can enter until June 8th. Use it for yourself or for a gift. One of the best things about blurb is you can actually leave your book online in their store and sell copies to others if you really want.

(jon and bryan, I have you in mind here. both of you should have something to publish, I am sure).

Justice

Chris Marsden — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:44:36 +0000

Yesterday morning I had to go to court. It is a long story, but the short version is some kids spray-painted my fence and I was subpoenaed to appear in court in regards to the case. [of course I didn't actually get the subpoena, but the lady on the phone was pretty particular about me coming.]

So yesterday morning, my wife and I rearranged our schedules and I drove to the other side of town for this court case involving one of the boys who spray-painted my fence.

Let me tell you a bit more of the story…

Hours after my fence was tagged, a police officer knocked on my door to inform me that the boys had been caught and had me sign a paper stating that I did not, in fact, give them permission to spray paint my fence and that I would be willing to press charges. He felt confident that the repainting of my fence would be paid for and would let me know if anything developed.

A few weeks later, a guy called me from a program called Restorative Justice. He told me that two of the boys involved had opted to enter his program. This program kept the kids out of the court system (no record) and gave them an opportunity to restore the damages they inflicted. My wife and I picked out a paint color, and over the course of three weekends, these boys repainted my fence (all 285 feet of it). It actually looks better than before they spray-painted it.

In the mean time, the third boy pleaded not guilty. He chose not to enter the program that kept him out of the system. He chose not to take the opportunity to restore the damages he inflicted. He chose to "take his chances in court."

And that brings us to yesterday.

While I was there I got to watch a couple different trials take place. Some of them more serious than the one I was involved in and some about the same. The "take your chance in court" catch in the system, apparently, is this: If the victim doesn’t show up, you walk.

So because I showed up, he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.

Did you catch that? Not because of my testimony on the stand. Not because of my eye-witness account (I didn’t even see this happen and don’t know this kid from any other kid). Simply because I showed up. I signed in, it was confirmed I was in the courtroom (prior to court), and that was it. Nobody talked to me. I wasn’t questioned. I didn’t sign anything. I wasn’t sworn in. Nobody even checked my ID to make sure it was me.

Anyways…

I feel like I was victimized twice. Once by this kid (and friends) when they spray-painted my fence. And once by the court system when they wasted my morning.

But all this has me thinking about justice and our justice system. I have been thinking about it for a while, but this is my first encounter with it first hand. I still don’t have my head wrapped around this thing.

It seems unfair to me that this kid’s friends spent three weekends painting my fence and if I hadn’t shown up in court he would have walked away completely free and clear. I don’t feel vindictive, in any way. I don’t feel like he deserves to pay for the crimes he committed.

If my fence was still a mess and the other boys hadn’t already painted it, maybe I would feel stronger about getting justice for myself, for getting what I deserve. I actually felt like I was getting justice for the boys who had already righted the wrong.

So if by some chance you are out there (you know who you are), I hope that you will overcome the obstacles you have created for yourself. I wish that you had made better choices (like not painting my fence or pursuing the chance to right the wrong through hard work rather than chancing the court system). I hope that in the future you will make better choices for yourself and for those around you.

As for Justice… I am still thinking about what that means. I don’t know if what happened yesterday was justice, or just our court system following the rules and the procedures. But maybe that is all "justice" is. (kind of sad if that is the case).

Tags: justice, crime

Chris Marsden joins b5media.com as co-blogger for TheAfterMac.com

Chris Marsden — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:25:19 +0000

So… BIG NEWS!!!

I am now a professional blogger!

Seriously.

I have been kicking the idea around for quite a while. Debating about whether I should try and set up my own niche site or join a network or what. I want to write and I want to help people. Blogging seems such a natural easy way to do that.

So anyways… I was surfing on problogger’s job board, not expecting to find anything (at least anything that fits me) and sure enough, they were looking for a Mac blogger who could cover GTD apps as well.

Ding!

So as of last night, it is official. I am a b5media.com blogger on TheAfterMac.com. Stop by and check it out. I will see you at TheAfterMac.com soon.

BTW… I do not forsee this in lessening the posts here at ChrisMarsden.com. In fact, the constant research and writing has given me more to write about, so stay tuned here, as well.

Re-Working My Workflow

Chris Marsden — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:41:26 +0000

A year and a half ago I was firmly on the GTD wagon and had a great workflow for how to process information and actually turn it into something useful to myself and to others. Today, I just kind of try my best to get things done and hope it comes out ok.

I have spent the last couple days and will be spending the next couple days evaluating how I work. I am looking at what is the most efficient way to get things done, how to manage myself, and which programs to use for what.

At the start of this process, I am using Qumana to write blog posts, NewsFire to read my RSS and Firefox to surf. I am also using Apple Mail, gmail, twitter (via phone and twhirl), Addressbook and ical. There are other programs I am using here and there, but the part of the problem is that I am not using them. OmniFocus is being neglected. Quiken and Quickbooks are being updated only as often as I have to. My text editors are sitting in my dock collecting dust.

Also, I don’t like all of the programs on the list. And while I have Quicksilver installed, I am not using it to its full extent. So I am re-working it all. I am going to try alternatives. I am going to play with quicksilver to get more seamless integration. I am going to schedule things through my week. I am going to follow my junk mail rule on Internet sites. I am going to close firefox everyday (as opposed to leaving 10 or 15 tabs for tomorrow which becomes 43 that I closed yesterday). I am going to practice inbox zero. I am going to have an inbox.

I could go on, of course, but you get the idea. There needs to be organization and order in my life. My mind needs to "flow like water".

—-

Stay tuned for a big-ish announcement later today (or tomorrow).

BTW… I know I didn’t link to any of those apps. Rest assured I will be writing about what each of them does and how I use them and their alternatives in the near future. If you are impatient and must know now… try google.

Random Links

Chris Marsden — Tue, 20 May 2008 00:39:07 +0000

Quote: “If everybody believes something, it’s probably wrong. We call that Conventional Wisdom” (ht-think:believe:move )

Quote: "I want two things that are mutually opposed - I want to live a nice little life, and I want to play an important role in God’s kingdom." - John Eldredge, Walking with God (ht-tony sheng)

75 Things Men Should Be Able to Do - From Esquire (ht-Jordan cooper)

A couple of my favorites:
21. Argue with a European without getting xenophobic or insulting soccer.
32. Describe a glass of wine in one sentence without using the terms nutty, fruity, oaky, finish, or kick.
68. Find his way out of the woods if lost.

Thinker Labs - Free stuff for church.

12 Films in 12 Months - An interesting idea. I’ve only watched one so far.

Microsoft Home Use - I need to look more into this.

Sidewalk Psychiatry - This could be a good template for urban, spontaneous, non-destructive, temporary artistry.

Teaching the Little Things

Chris Marsden — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:13:10 +0000

One of the most rewarding things I get to do as a dad is teach my girls some of the simple little things in life. Oh sure, they need to learn to read and write. And math is critical. But who is gonna teach them how to put their socks on right side out if I don’t.

When My oldest was a bit younger, she used to struggle getting her shirt off. So I taught her my "trick" and now she can dress and undress herself with ease. Sometimes she still needs help, but mostly she does ok.

Now her little sister is at that stage and so the other day I taught her my trick. And sure enough, after a tentative start and only a little help, she got her shirt off all by herself.

So yesterday, My oldest is trying to turn her socks right side out. So she is taking the toe and trying to shove it back into the sock. So I showed her my "trick." She was impressed, of course, at having such a brilliant daddy, but what impressed me was that she did it this morning, all by herself. (of course the little one went to school with inside out socks. she doesn’t know the trick yet.)

I don’t know about you, but I get excited when I can teach someone something. And it is always the little things that get me most excited. The ability to take off your shirt and put your socks on the right way are pretty basic, but so much more satisfying than teaching 2 + 2 = 4.

And it is true in other areas too. Teaching complex thoughts, while deep and profound, are far less satisfying to me than seeing someone get a basic concept that changes their life.

So my little can take her shirt off now (which explains why she came to the dinner table naked) and my oldest can get her socks turn right side out. I am a proud daddy and can’t wait to teach them something new.

A New Adventure

Chris Marsden — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:09:38 +0000

Coming soon to a city near you (Ok, not near you, unless you live near the little city of Ocoee, FL)…

A New Adventure Begins

This summer is going to bring with it some huge changes. Huge changes for this site. Huge changes for my company, No More Box. Huge changes for my life (did I mention we are having another baby and it’s a girl). Things are going to be different and it is going to be an adventure.

Except…

That word adventure keeps getting stuck in my brain. When I write it like that… Adventure… it feels ok. But when I think about putting it on my business card (presently designing a new one), or on my about page (did I mention I was redesigning the site), it comes out as Chris Marsden… Adventurer.

And that, I guess, is an accurate description. I am Chris Marsden and I am engaging in the adventures of life.

Except…

I keep picturing myself climbing to the Summit of Denali (Mt. McKinley to most people), or more likely dying/giving up trying to climb to the summit of Denali. Maybe it’s just the PBS special I watch the other night, but that’s adventure.

Except…

I think I had it right the first time. Adventure is life. Or at least it should be. Too often we get stuck in the rut of getting through life instead of embracing the twist and turns, whatever they may be, and embarking on adventure. If necessary, that adventure will lead me all the way to the backyard, or the grocery store, or perhaps Disney World. Of course it could lead me further. It could lead me to actually climb Denali (unlikely since I heard it is kinda cold up there).

The key, I think, is to embrace whatever adventure is thrown your way.

As a famous man in a yellow suit once said to a curious monkey, "you brought adventure to my life." Now I don’t plan to wear yellow anytime soon, and it is not to a monkey but to the three (about to be four) wonderful women in my life, but "You brought adventure to my life."

So…

New adventures begin. Life gets a little messier (literally with a new baby), and we keep going. My new business card, about page, and email signature will include adventurer in the job description, and someday maybe I’ll go on the kind of adventures that get you into National Geographic or on PBS. And if not, at least I’ll know that my life was filled with adventure.

Thanks girls (and little one yet to be).

[btw... anyone else in the mood to hear Jack Johnson Now?]

VOXTROPOLIS/Beamo Show

Chris Marsden — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:18:12 +0000

What a Night! Beamo, Sammy Witness, and Jeremy West. The music was mostly original and was incredible. Afterwards, the guys from Beamo, one of their friends from work, and I headed next door to Ale House to hang out a bit more before heading home. Next time I’ll let you guys know sooner about upcoming shows. You should have been there.

RSS Awareness Day

Chris Marsden — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:46:05 +0000

If you aren’t using RSS to read your favorite websites, you should be. Everything else is just a waste of time. So save time, be more productive, and check on the updates of your favorite sites via RSS.

On a related note…

RSS Feed publishers…

PLEASE publish your whole feed. I hate having to click through to read something. I know you are only doing it to get the ad revenue traffic. I hope it is working for you. Quite often I do click through to leave comments, bookmark your article, etc… but if I find that your site is too much trouble to read, chances are I won’t be reading it for long.

Picture(s) of the day

Chris Marsden — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:10:40 +0000

Photo by Altus on Flickr (found on WeHeartIt.com)

Photo By Bryan Villarin

My obsession with photography has been growing lately. I still don’t have a "real" camera and the one I have I don’t carry (I know, lame), but I have been looking at and tracking more photographers lately. Good writing comes from reading good writers. Good photography (and design for that matter) comes from checking out good photography.

I have been following Bryan for a while. His photography has taken some intentional steps towards more artistic. He has a great eye and mixes some of everyday life in with his more artistic shots.

Recently I started subscribing to the feed of WeHeartIt.com. (Also FFFFound.com, but I can’t get an invite (if you have one, send me one please)). It has been great to be exposed to so many diverse photographers and designers. It is definitely broadening how I think about photography and what I see as possible subjects to photograph.

Now… to convince myself to carry my camera with me even though it is not the amazing camera I wish I had.

Introductions

Chris Marsden — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:17:41 +0000

Over the past couple of years, I have had the great "privilege" of introducing people on stage. I have never quite been sure what to say. In February, I got to do a string of introductions MC-ing the Ocoee leg of the Vox World Music Jam. As always, I felt like I was rambling, but I was assured that I didn’t do too bad a job, even though I introduced Berkana as Berkana, Ansus Berkana, and Erica.

However…

Here is a great introduction. I am going to have to up my game before next years World Music Jam.

Random Wrapup 041808

Chris Marsden — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:20:23 +0000

I have been a bit lax in posting lately (quite possibly the understatement of the decade), but I have noticed that many people post a list of links (some with context and some without) once or twice a week. Since the primary purpose of my blog is a brain dump for me, I am going to pick up this habit. As often as possible, I will post the links with comments regarding why I’ve linked to it, but it will be my way of wrapping up Friday and moving into the next week.

These links are basically things I stopped to read, things I meant to write about, but didn’t, or just things I wanted to share. As I write more, I’ll link less.

TODAY’S RANDOM WRAPUP

110 Best Books

1930’s-40’s in Color - I have been thinking a lot about history lately and these fit along a line of thought I need to post about soon.

The Slash/Slash Generation - I instantly thought of my business card. (Reminder - get more business cards printed before monday).

Q Sessions via Scott Hodge

Multigroup youth ministry - I need to wrestle through some of this and how it pertains to other aspects of life.

The Future of Social Networking - I still need to read this.

Where Pigs Come From - CAUTION - Not suitable for all audiences (aka vegetarians)

I Am Not Much For Politics

Chris Marsden — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:09:37 +0000

I am not much for politics. I avoid television during the elections and skim over articles referring to political news.

But…

This coming election seems to me to be huge. It seems to me that where we are at, as a country, is not where we should be at. There needs to be a significant change.

Unfortunately…

I don’t see that any of the candidates are much of a hope.

Until…

Today I stumbled across this article about John McCain.

It was one man saying to another, party political differences cut only so deep. Having made that step, they found much to agree upon and many useful ways to work together. This is the reason McCain keeps coming to see Udall even after Udall has lost his last shred of political influence. The politics were never all that important.

I am not much for politics, but I am huge on heart and motives, especially when there is no net positive for you. It seems to me that Hillary and Barak are all about themselves. They want to be president.

There is still a long way to go before the election. There are issues to look into and prayer to be had and things to decide. I still don’t see that any of the possible candidates are much hope, but without hope, I would rather vote for heart.

[BTW... I am leaving comments open but probably won't respond. I really am not interested in politics or their debate. I will censor inappropriate comments so be adult]

Looking For Photographers

Chris Marsden — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:17:47 +0000

A re-occurring passion/obsession in my life has been photography. I still lack the free time and a decent camera, but I have been looking more and more into photography the last several months. What I am looking for today is a list of good, artistic photographers to follow on Flickr.

Right now I am following Bryan Villarin and Jonny Baker.

Any suggestions?!?

Back in the Saddle

Chris Marsden — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:19:21 +0000

So the last 6 weeks have been… well… crazy.

First of March, my boss, and good friend, decided that he needed to close his business, Garden Music Center. After some debate, prayer, discussions, and some interesting turns, the building owner decided to open a new business, maintaining all the lessons and teachers. We are now, Garden Music School.

So anyways… that was about 6 weeks ago. Since then, we have created new lesson policies, completely remodeled the store, lost a few students, gained a few students, had some piano adventures, and this past weekend was our "grand opening".

I am still sad for Gregg and what was Garden Music Center, but I am excited for the possibilities that the future holds.

Other things that have happened while all this was going on…

Robyn’s birthday
Taxes
My brakes broke on the old van
Easter
New Van
More steps with vox
Camp team meeting
Flat tire in my new van

Needless to say, I have been swamped.

It is now April 15th. My taxes are done. My bills are paid (mostly). The store is remodeled and opened. The holidays are past. Tonight I sleep. Tomorrow, coffee with Mark, getting my tire fixed, and the next steps at work.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY!!!!

I have GOT to get back on the GTD wagon. And I have got to get back to writing. I need to write mindless nonsense. I need to write deep thoughts. I need to just simply write.

See you soon.