Videos

Liam – Newborn

What else is there to say other than when your baby gets born your life changes. I’m not sure I knew what to expect when Liam came in our lives, but he did with no apologies. The first year of having Liam was challenging yet rewarding. I learned firsthand what it was like to take my complete focus off of me and put it on someone else.

When I look back now with a clear head I could see that I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. That’s how life is isn’t it? You’re never going to know the full details until you actually do it. I was scared.

Liam being introduced into our lives was nothing short of a miracle. A blessing to be more exact. With every day I try to become a better father than the day before and I don’t know if I actually do that. But I know that I’m going to continue trying. That first year shaped a lot of who I am now a taught me how to not worry about myself anymore had to put my complete focus and energy into other people. My family.

Lot of diapers, lot of sleepless night (for Lindsey) but a lot more great memories and inspiring beginnings.

 

See ya for age 1 video net week!

 

Life

Incoming Liam Videos

The next few Tuesdays leading up to my son’s 4th birthday (10/21.10/28, 11/4 and 11/11) I will be posting his videos that I have made documenting his life yearly. I understand that many of you have been wanting me to return writing “opinionated” viewpoints and such. I am indeed working on some of those, but between getting Liam’s age 3 video ready, the bi-weekly movie reviews for the Georgia Tribune and my book on making my film, time has really been tight.

Also and more importantly this blog was an idea to document happenings and feelings. Documenting Liam and my families growth is paramount to me personally.

Thank you for all the positive feedback on me and Lindey’s 5th year anniversary video. Although it was intended for us, it was really cool to hear encourage words form you all :)

Life

Pageantry of Vanity + Digital Insanity

The average attention span of an adult today is 1 second lower than a goldfish.

Including me, What more do we need to know in order to stop connecting with our devices and start connecting with others? I’m not suggesting throwing your device into an ocean, but a healthy balance would be a desirable achievement at this point. Kind of scary, mostly sad.

Movies

Film Review: Gone Girl

From the mind of Novelist Gillian Flynn and directed for the screen by acclaimed Filmmaker David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club) Gone Girl doesn’t simply offer you one type of movie. Marketing certainly will tell you this is a simple “whodunit” mystery film and in my estimation, that is a very flawed expectation to put on audiences. Gone Girl is not only an exceptional film by an exceptional story teller, but it also strives as an in depth look into the psychology and dynamics of relationships.

On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike) , has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?

THE GOOD
Like I mentioned earlier, Gone Girl is much less about a missing person story than it is about the human condition. Expectations, self-importance and pride play a big role into understanding Gone Girl. The Film is hugely fueled by two characters who simply grow out of love for each other and grow into love with themselves. At heart Gone Girl is a marriage fable. But this isn’t the fantasy of an idealized romance. It’s the tale of the relationship as a prison. A jail that locks two people in a dungeon desiring to break free. The dialogue attempts to present both sides of their failed union. Simply put, Gone Girl is a he said/she said account and done very effectively. As the viewer, you’re not quite sure who to trust or which narration to invest your energy into. This makes for an extremely slippery, emotional ride.

Another great aspect is how the film draws parallels seamlessly with the modern day media and the main character’s trust issues. What initially appears to be important is made irrelevant. What seems insignificant is made crucial. The reality is always deeper than what is readily apparent. Gone Girl highlights this fact. And by doing so, not only entertains, but also educates us in how truth is merely a moldable concept of the modern media age or in Gone Girl’s case, the main character who is narrating at the moment.

A bit on the acting, Rosamund Pike is doing some really heavy lifting here. She is fantastic throughout the movie and really elevates this film to a new level. Ben Affleck is no slouch either, actually the whole cast is very, very strong. The acting all comes together very natural and like a completed puzzle, all fit into their roles accordingly.

The music also is thoughtfully textured and tailored just right to instill appropriates moods. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross deserve much praise for making the score fit seamlessly into such an emotional movie. The music in Gone Girl really complements the visual themes well and does just what a great score should do by aiding the film in mood and energy.

THE BAD
Unfortunately Gone Girl suffers from what much of Hollywood mainstream media suffers from nowadays, unnecessary vulgarity. I personally didn’t appreciate how vulgar and graphics some scenes were. It’s an unfortunate thing considering “Gone Girl” didn’t need this level of explicitly to elevate it anymore than it would have been lacking it. The film is rated R but sometimes feels like it exceeds it rating in content.

THE VERDICT
Gone Girl is not an easy movie to sit through, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great movie. The best definition I can give it is a slippery slide of a suspense thriller that will tug your sympathies, while springing twists and traps with stomach-lurching suddenness.

Gone Girl’s echoing dialogue between main characters states “What are you thinking? How are you feeling? What have we done to each other?” By the end of the movie, the characters were no longer uttering this to each other, but the movie was asking this to me, in which I still cant form a definitive answer.

Gone Girl is a moody, meticulously crafted thriller that will shock and engage you from it’s opening moment to its final powerful shot.

9/10

Life

September 2014

September was an interesting month. The Apple stuff pretty much consumed my time. Doing research on what they finally announced was really rewarding. Although I believe Apple is changing from the company I once really enjoyed and admired, their future is exciting. I ended up purchasing a iPhone 6, which is really fantastic. I’m still working on my review for the blog.

The world of firefighting also got vamped up. We had 3 fires and I played a pretty significant role in all of them. It’s really great to be in a totally new world where I can set my own expectations within the my boundaries. I feel as if this career has been waiting on me, and I feel very welcome and comfortable in it. I am eager to learn more and I know as time flies on I will undoubtedly be reaching untraveled territory. In my own studies, I have started researching EMS and Paramedic practices. Not for a degree of any means, but just a good reference for my job and the well being of people around me.

As of September 25, linds and I have been married 5 years. While some of what marriage brings has been challenging to me, I feel eternally blessed to have someone like lindsey to spend the rest of my life with. She is continually generous and loving in an genuine way.

Another thing worth noting is Lindsey is continually doing well in school. I have no idea how she balances her life and gives so much attention to so many things. It takes a special person to do that. I believe she is genuinely excited about her future and the next step (after school) of her life. She deserves whatever God has for her.

I also started incorporating long walks to my days. This was something I did at a young age and kind of lost track of how much I enjoy them. Now that I have (some) free time, I have ramped that up and honestly it has been great. I am able to think clearly about things and quiet down my life in a controlled manner. Which is nice and a change from my previous couple years of living.

October brings Autumn and while in Georgia, that will not be relevant. It does my heart good to know somewhere in CT someone someone is admiring a crisp breeze and foliage while sipping a warm apple cider.

Family

5 years

5 years went by fast. We have both grown into better people than we were 5 years ago. Better for each other. But most importantly, we have grown together. We we’re there for the ups and even stronger for the downs. You impress me daily and consistently, you make me feel out matched and unfulfilling in comparison to the love you show me.

I know wherever this life takes us, we have each other’s back. There isn’t a day goes by that I thank God for a wonderful wife and a compassionate mother to our son. Our life isn’t always flashy and most of the time, constrained by finances and time. But it’s “ours.” And together we make the best of it.

Here’s to another 5 years of growing together. I couldn’t think of anyone else I would want to spend it with.

Love you

Memories of Nonni

This morning I felt a breeze of wind. It smelled exactly like a memory of Nonni. It was exhilarating then almost immediately heartbreaking.

I still miss her greatly.

Technology

Apple Watch thoughts and impressions

IPOD INTRODUCTION

The iPod was introduced on October 23, 2001; after discussing iLife and Apple digital hub strategy, the iPod section begins at 11:30. However, the iPod itself does not actually appear on a slide until 20:48, and Jobs pulls it out of his pocket at 21:07, nearly 10 minutes after he begins his introduction. The intervening 10 minutes were spent explaining the music market, why Apple thought they could succeed in that market, and what was special about the iPod.

IPHONE INTRODUCTION

The iPhone was introduced on January 9, 2007. However, the iPhone itself does not actually appear on a slide until 7:03, and only then to introduce multitouch. The rest of the device wasn’t seen until 12:20. Jobs spent all of that time explaining the smartphone market, why Apple thought they could succeed in that market, and what was special about the iPhone.

IPAD INTRODUCTION

The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010. After a few updates, the iPad section begins at 5:15. However, the iPad itself does not actually appear on a slide until 8:55. Jobs spent the intervening time explaining that Apple saw a market between the iPhone and the Mac, but that any device that played there needed to be better than either device at a few specific use cases.

 WATCH INTRODUCTION

The Apple Watch section began with the iconic “One more thing…” at 55:44,1 and these were the extent of Tim Cook’s words before we got our first glimpse of the Apple Watch:

“We love to make great products that really enrich people’s lives. We love to integrate hardware, software, and services seamlessly. We love to make technology more personal and allow our users to do things that they could have never imagined. We’ve been working incredibly hard for a long time on an entirely new product. And we believe this product will redefine what people expect from its category. I am so excited and I am so proud to share it with you this morning. It is the next chapter in Apple’s story. And here it is.”

Then came the introductory video, and we never got an explanation of why the Apple Watch existed, or what need it is supposed to fill. What is the market? Why does Apple believe it can succeed there? What makes the Apple Watch unique?

Now it’s very fair to note that the biggest difference between the introduction of the iPod, iPhone and iPad as compared to the Apple Watch is that Steve Jobs is no longer with us. Perhaps the long introduction was simply his personal style. But the problem is that the Smart Watch needs that explanation: what exactly is the point?

To be clear, the hardware looks amazing, and I love the idea of the Digital Crown. It’s one of those innovations that seems so blindingly obvious in retrospect, and Cook was spot on when he noted that you can’t just shrink a smartphone UI to the wrist. **But that was exactly the problem with too much of the software demo: there were multiple examples of activities that simply make no sense on the wrist. For example:

There were sixty-four applications (I counted) on the demo watch, and the tap targets are quite small. I can definitely see some compelling Siri use cases for the Watch, but scrolling through movie times is not one of them. If you’re looking for a movie you’re almost certainly in a state of movement and mind that makes it possible to pull out your phone and use a screen much more suited to the task.

“We also looked at how you can carry your photos with you.” Here’s an idea: on your phone!

The Maps demo was the most frustrating: it included panning around, searching for a Whole Foods – including the phone number! – all activities that by definition mean you are stationary and can use your phone.

But that’s when the demo got really good:

While you’re actually traveling, the watch will not only show directions, but will actually use the Taptic Engine to indicate turns by feel. That is awesome, and an amazing use case for the watch. Who hasn’t been dashing somewhere, running into things while looking at their phone? A watch is far more suited, particularly one that doesn’t even require you to look at the screen.

I also like that you can use the iWatch to control your iPhone or any other AirPlay device. This would be incredibly useful around the house, etc.

The “Taptic Engine” makes sure only you know about a notification that you have previously agreed to receive. There are smart options for replying, as well as Siri and emoticons, but you can always use “Handoff” to compose a more extensive reply on a more suitable device.

There is a clear pattern to these examples:

**The bad demos are all activities that are better done on your phone. They are also the activities that make the Watch seem the most like a real computer.

**The good demos are all activities that extend your phone in a way that simply wasn’t possible before. They are also activities that make the Watch seem less capable as a self-contained unit.

This is why I’m worried that the lack of explanation about the Watch’s purpose wasn’t just a keynote oversight, but something that reflects a fundamental question about the product itself that Apple itself has yet to answer: is Watch an iPhone accessory, or is it valuable in its own right?

The question is likely more fraught then it seems: the entry price for Apple Watch is $350, nearly half the price of an iPhone (and $150 more than the up-front cost for a subsidized consumer). Moreover, I suspect Edition models will go for ten times that, if not more. Surely such a price demands a device that is capable of doing more, not less.

In fact, I would argue the contrary. Swiss watches are less accurate, but the benefit they confer on the user are so much greater. Those benefits are about intangible things like status and fashion, but that doesn’t mean they are worth less than more technical capabilities like telling time accurately. Indeed, they are exponentially more valuable.

Moreover, it seems clear to me that Apple wants to play in this space: Jony Ive wasn’t joking when he allegedly said that Switzerland was in trouble. I believe Apple’s long-term plan for Apple Watch is to own the wrist and to confer prestige and status with options like premium bands and 18-karat gold. To do that, though, they must compete not on technical merit but on the sort of intangible benefits that they always win with; chief among these is the user experience. A premium smart watch will win by yes, being fashionable, and yes, conferring status, but above all by doing a few things better than any other product on the market, and – this is critical – dispensing with everything else in the pursuit of simplicity.

To me the instructive Apple product is the iPod. What made the iPod so revolutionary was not just its size and industrial design; it was that Apple’s MP3 player did less than its competitors, thanks to its symbiotic relationship with iTunes. Sure, you couldn’t really make playlists or buy music, but that’s what your computer was for. What remained was the very essence of a music player, and it was because of that simplicity that the iPod became such a success.

It’s worth noting, of course, that the iPhone is in many ways the evolutionary iPod – Steve Jobs even introduced it as such. Similarly, I’m pretty convinced that one day our primary computing device will be something that we wear on our body. But that is many iterations and technical (and battery) advances down the road. Why is Apple in such a rush to get there by 2015?

Ultimately, I’m positive on the Apple Watch, if not for me for Apple. I think the Digital Crown is a big deal, and it’s a perfect companion for the 5.5″ iPhone especially (the device that many fear will cannibalize the iPad itself necessitates another iOS device). I also think the customization and segmentation is really smart and will enable Apple to sell at multiple price points. Moreover, some of the demos were quite compelling, including the very personal messaging; it was telling that Apple gave that functionality a dedicated button.

To ensure the Watch’s success broadly Apple needs to really articulate “Why”, not only externally in their advertising but internally to their product managers who ought to remember that Apple’s greatness is built on saying “No.”