Everyone has two sides. Or do they?

"Everyone has two sides," she enlightened me with her wisdom. Her beautiful blue eyes wide open and focused intently. Dozens of icy stalactites radiated outward from her pupils, piercing me to the core and engraving those words into my brain.

Two parts influence and one part axiom, I agreed. Weeks later those words etched with a blue flame began to weigh on my mind. Do people really have two sides? Do we always put on a face to match our various activities (work, home, social)?

She was referring to two members of management for our client who had previously engaged in epic warfare in the conference room. Two major superpowers, one above the other in chain of command, having an all out discussion concerning an issue of repeated controversy which directly affects our operation. This will be winner take all in the end. This time the higher-up won the battle, but the war is far from over. They strive for the same cause, but in different ways.

“Everyone has two sides.”

My counter-point is that we only have one side -- the one which shows who we really are. Maybe most people are never stressed to their boiling point, the point in which one shows what they're really made of. Maybe we are sometimes bitter or cruel, but some people refuse to show that face to others on a daily basis. Maybe it's an act of courtesy, to not take it out on those around us who have not wronged us. Maybe it really is a two-faced society. So if we have two faces...

“Is this the real me? A better question would be ‘Is this the real you?’ Or are we shallow to the core?”

Exhibiting Ourselves - No, I'm Not Naked

So many things in our lives are left subject to interpretation. How we perceive one another, how our family perceives us, and how our co-workers perceive us are all good examples of our multi-faceted existence. Though we inhibit one being, we constantly exhibit ourselves to others. First impressions are extremely important, but not forsaking who we are as individuals is far more important in my book.

I remember this as I picture a young couple in a retail discount store last weekend. There was a guy and a girl in the greeting cards section as I was picking out a Mother's Day card. The girl was wearing dark clothes, jeans, and a studded, metal belt with matching bracelets. She wore her jeans, and belt, literally on the thighs just above where I imagined her knees were. I had to look twice, despite the hair and makeup, to determine that it was indeed a female.

Of course, she probably has a great personality. Maybe even plays online games like the rest of us. After all, she was in the greeting cards section. Still, that's no excuse for poor style, or am I wrong? -@

Feeling Prolific? What's Your Profile Say About You?

Do you have a social networking page or perhaps a blog? Most websites today have some form of a profile or biography page in which the user is given the task of describing him- or herself in a few brief sentences. Twitter has become one of my favorite social networking sites by forcing users to make a statement (or pose a question) in 140 characters or less. How many things can you describe with a character limit?

For decades television shows have catered to the drama of suspense and mystery. Everything from finding the culprit in a Scooby Doo episode or reliving the stories through enactment on Unsolved Mysteries or Rescue 911, there's a common trend involved-- people like filling the gaps.

I find myself always trying to flesh out entire profiles, even for the most mundane websites. Websites you may only ever visit once. It got so bad that I just took a Notepad file and copy-pasted my profile for each site. Of course, now I need change. Now I feel different and can't believe I wrote what I did about myself. Now I have to go and write some kind of a masterpiece which, hopefully, doesn't turn people off to how wonderful a person I really am. 

"Wow! He's arrogant," or "Man, he's got issues."

"Well, he sounds boring," or "Look--another wanna-be!

Can I just be me? How do I put that into words so everyone can understand?

The Secret Art of Palm-Pressing

Wishing you had a way to get more keys in games? I had a tough time managing key binds over the years. Eventually I developed a method I like to call palm-pressing. Through this technique, I am able to multiply the amount of buttons my fingers push. Interested?

A Word on Keyboard Etiquette

I recommend using a keyboard rest or an ergonomic keyboard wherever possible. Of course, when playing games for any length of time the bottom of my wrist begins to fall onto the keyboard rest. This is against etiquette, but with proper moderation and a good ergonomic keyboard little harm ensues.

Onto the Palm Press!

As the name implies, it involves using a part of the hand most people probably don't use on a regular basis, at least not for typing. As a conventional typist, I often have my fingers on the asdf keys, the home row for the left hand. This also means I keep my wrists off of the table or keyboard when typing.

The most efficient use of the palm press which I have found is the Windows "Control" key, located on the lower-left hand side of a standard US keyboard. This key is pushable by the side of one's hand as shown above. Majority of pressure on the key comes from the pinkie finger's knuckle, see image above. When not in use, the hand can use the wrist as a pivot back onto the keyboard rest.

Doubling the Available Keys

We have just doubled our available keys by holding down the CTRL button with our palm. For me, I can hold down the CTRL key while I push 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, q, w, e, r, t, a, s, d, f, c, v, b. And, if I try I'm able to also push 6, z, g, and x. That's pretty darn good in my book.

Even More Keys!

Remember the SHIFT key? Using the palm and pinkie approach, I can hold down CTRL+SHIFT and push all of the same above keys, effectively tripling the amount of keys available to me. But wait, that's not all! I can also use CTRL+ALT and gain even more keys. Combine that with SHIFT and ALT separately and that's one heck of a combination of keys.

So there you have it, the secret palm press jutsu. Ninja--VANISH!

*poof*

Do We Define Happiness with Things We Own?

It has been said time and time again that "money makes the world go round," but does the world truly revolve around our currency? We require the exchange of monies for services which enable or inhibit us to live a functional, productive (or in some cases unproductive) lifestyle. We use money to provide shelter for ourselves and loved ones, our clothes, and our vehicles. We pay others to provide services in which we have little expertise or out of convenience. So when is enough actually enough?

I consider my finances to be deeply personal, but here's a look into this bachelor's budget:

• Monthly medical bills
• Monthly rent
• Monthly savings deduction*
• Weekly gasoline purchase
• Monthly automobile insurance
• Monthly groceries
• Weekly church offering

A little dining out here or there, but otherwise that's a pretty conclusive list. Notice there's an asterisk on one of the items. Each month I make a deduction from that month's income (ten percent per month is a good goal). This money goes into a separate savings account which I absolutely will not touch for any reason other than it's intended purpose. The saved up money also doubles as an emergency backup. If I lost my job or my vehicle broke down, I have several months' income stockpiled in a savings account which accrues interest on a monthly basis.

“There's something about making a purchase which provides instant gratification.”

Despite this, I must confess that I love to spend money--it's in my nature. I see something cool which could help me out in even the slightest way and I instantly start researching it, trying to find good deals on it. There's something about making a purchase which provides instant gratification. Sometimes upon receipt of an item I end up wishing I had waited a little longer. It is, however, in most cases a subtle feeling as I am fairly frugal. Growing up I received a lot of gifts at Christmas and my birthday, so I think I am very fortunate for that. However, at home and in my house we often went without, especially when I very young. Could it be there is a void in which I have placed everything I always wanted or couldn't afford? Even though I probably never wanted a tool set as a kid I have the means to purchase one, and so I have.

I recall my older cousin next door having an 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System when we were growing up. I own that very system now, but what I really wanted growing up was this full-size Alf doll he had on his bed. I begged and pleaded for that Alf doll or one of my own, neither of which I ever received. To this day I have vivid memories of that doll. I still don't have it, but I did find a hand puppet stuffed animal Alf at a thrift store once (which I purchased). I also recently found a rock and roll hippie hand puppet Alf. I'll probably sell that one on eBay, though he's pretty cute.

So are these things false symbols of happiness or am I just that easy to amuse? Perhaps we're all searching for something to fill that void, be it with material possessions, significant others, or power tools and lumber. Who knows, maybe we'll find what we're really looking for someday. I think we will. In the mean time, I suppose I'll try to find a cheap deal on a genuine Alf doll. What is your personal void to fill?

Branching Out

In high school I took an agricultural class which also entailed woodworking. In March the little house used for processing paperwork and greeting visitors at my workplace was up for remodeling. One of the main concerns for this remodel (it had been remodeled before and now has a U-shape counter bolted in the center of the floor) was to make it more spacious. So against all reason, the manager pulled out both large office desks the clerks work at 24-7 and threw them out. Well, technically he did it one side at a time so productivity could continue.

In my last hour at work he began and needed a hand with a large sheet of substrate on the portable table saw he brought from his home. A couple of us helped him out, but later after work I stayed and took off my uniform shirt. I did simple things as it was his project, and he was a lot more experienced than my little box or footstool I created a decade ago.


Well, turns out he pulled out the shelving underneath the glass windows and created what is now, essentially, a full-scale "Z" shaped counter top for use with tall swivel bar stools. It looks and works great and we can now run around the office without feeling cramped up. Later on, over the weekend, I came back and we finished up all the details. Over time he has added drop down shelving and a rail underneath to pull or push against when in the bar stools.

So I have ventured back into woodworking and one thing the ladies need is something sturdy, more sturdy than the little wheel around the bar stool base, and I think I can create something simple to do the job. It's essentially a 5-sided box with an open bottom. The idea came from the fact they were using an empty copy paper box to prop their feet on (which is trash and clutters the place). Then, they started using our First-Aid toolbox (um, no). So hopefully after a month of working off and on, I can get my first real project finished.

The problem is, I have been spending a ton of cash to get started. I'm having to clean up the old barn and finding a lot tools such as a Makita reciprocating saw (bought a new blade) and a 15 amp Craftsman 10" circular saw. So what was my first power tool purchase? A Porter-Cable 18 volt 1/2" keyless chuck drill/driver. It came with two batteries, charger, carrying bag and for only $10 USD more I got a combo so it came with a portable circular saw. The saw I am not impressed with, though it does cut, but the drill is like the most useful thing ever. I fixed the door frame which warped outward and just yesterday I changed the entire side-view mirror on my truck after I broke it. That was pretty awesome.

Tip: Use super glue or something instead of JB Weld on partial plastic surfaces.

So what am I doing today?

I'm going to finish up on my truck hopefully. I hit some deer last year on the way home from work and it tore up my radiator, headlight, and grill. I got a friend of the family to fix and replace everything for less than $200, but he doesn't do bodywork. I'm going to attempt to remove the entire front fender from the truck in an attempt to repair it after I visit Google for a while. This is so cool.

Note: I'm also going to do a few reviews on interesting things I have tried lately. One of them is the Gillette Fusion which has, despite all efforts, won me over. Bookmark my RSS feed and stay tuned for updates!

Let's Build Something Awesome

So it's probably fairly obvious where I've been spending a lot of my time lately...


I drew this with my new tablet this morning. I'm learning and experimenting with stuff. I'm also pretty excited and want to work with my new stuff, but don't know what to do with myself when I have time off from work. Woe is me!

It's human nature to create.

To grow or nurture something and give it a sense of life. It can be very fulfilling and since I quit World of Warcraft last January I have really learned to appreciate some of the finer things in life. I'm rediscovering small projects and planning to take on bigger ones later (this summer I plan on restoring an old cabinet my great grandfather owned). I honestly don't know a whole lot, but that's why I'm taking these projects head on—so I can learn and become better at whatever I choose to do. In this case, I'm going to have a lot of learning to do on building practices and proper craftsmanship. I admit, I don't quite have the easiest time drawing straight lines, but that's why I'm buying a large metal square, hehe.

I already feel the pain budget wise...too many tools *eyes bug out and a big grin forms* not enough funds. Small steps, I suppose, :-P Next on my list--finding out where the old router in the barn "disappeared" to...

Spring in the Air

It is now officially spring and despite the torrential downpour and sporadic, unpredictable weather we're having on the eastern seaboard I have begun working on some new projects. One of which involves my new Wacom tablet (thanks Sarah) which I got brand new for half-price on eBay and the other involves half-inch drills and circular saws. Roh-oh-oh! *grunting* Oh, yeah!

So I need to build a couple sawhorses and get some lumber to build some crates which I am hoping to build for use at work (for dispatchers to place their feet on). This idea comes after they started using our First-Aid toolbox as a footrest on their new tall office chairs. Yeeeah. . . :-P

The plan is for a very simple box, but I am not sure how to join the sides yet. In essence, the box will have five sides--the sixth face will not exist, an open bottom since it sits on the floor. The front, back, and top can be joined with the left & right sides by miter, but that would require bracing inside the box. Not a problem, but I need it to last. I don't want the edges to crack or split since they'll be pushed on and kicked around by feet for a very long time and on a daily basis. The simplest solution is to have the top overlap the front and back boards so it can be nailed directly together. That would also cut back on a lot of work, but would it look as nice as edge-less corners?

I drew this with my new tablet, :-0

Titan's Grip Penalty: +10% Whining

Blizzard is most likely adding a 10% damage reduction to Titan's Grip since the hit penalty they removed was too powerful. This is actually a good idea since it won't adversely affect the gearing and itemization of warriors the way the decreased hit chance did.

Surprising to some, hunters have an ability which let them DPS longer and harder over the course of a fight. It returns mana to them, but reduces 50% of their damage. Wow! Even still, they are able to dole out great amounts of DPS since they have less downtime. This is pretty neat.

I'm not sure how things are going to pan out right now and I don't have the PTR to experiment on things, but I threw together a small chart that should exemplify the DPS skimming thanks to this new penalty, if and when it goes into effect. It's basically a short ten off the top and the yellow line shows that consistency. As one dishes out more damage, the penalty scales to skim more off the top. Of course, one can view this as a bad thing (and most are), but it's actually good since that means lower DPS players (those without the gear or skill to throw out big numbers) won't be hurt quite as much. It will even out, hopefully, some of the previous imbalance with geared characters.

Here's the chart, pretty simple:

Revisiting the Three Core Principles

In September 2008 I wrote a short outline on three constants which would carry over into the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. View its entirety here. It's time to revisit that entry and see if it has really held up over time.

Three Core Principles of Tanking

1. Gearing is important.
   We're as gear-dependent as ever. Lots of choices for the non-raid, non-heroic players and it really helps.
2. Tanking is tanking.
   Yep, we're still tankin' bosses and holding trash. In fact, we now excel at tanking multiple creatures.
3. Damage is threat. Threat isn't always damage.
   This is and always will remain true. However, significant portions of our threat come directly from damage (even though it is not a 1:1 ratio anymore).