Crazy Weekend

2020-11-01 11:01:30

Halloween, full moon, Daylight savings time, Dia de los muertos, Nanawrimo, No-shave November and the last installment of my monthly journeys.

What a crazy weekend and looking forward to a great November.

It's Time To Write

2020-11-01 14:47:28

Every November for the past few years there comes inspiration from an organization called NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write 50,000 words that month in hopes of cranking out a novel. I’m good for about two days out of the month. Last year I switched gears and penned an article a day for this website instead.

A few of the reasons why I haven’t progressed past a second day is because there was a lack of a plan or focus to build this writing habit that I want to see changed this year.

Place- This year I have a dedicated writing space. Since adapting to a quarantined work from home environment I now have two desks, one for work and one dedicated to personal production. For work, my environment is organized, streamlined and ready to do the work for maximum productivity. For personal use, I tend to be more relaxed and dis-organized. But not this year. This year is set up for the potential of maximum creativity. This dedicated desk is both my photo studio and writing space.

Time- In the past, I would decide to get around to doing whenever I had the time or energy. This year I plan on getting back to a consistent schedule, which has been lacking, again, due to quarantine. The 30-step commute makes it easier to roll out of bed later than I would if I had to travel to the office.

Dedicating a minimum of 15 minutes to writing in the morning before I start my 7am work day will be beneficial I think. Also, a minimum of one hour a night to crank out some words will help too. I don’t use the dedicated calendar journal or apps to block out these times, but I will.

Plan- At work, I am a planner. For creativity, I seem to rely on being a pantser, meaning, “fly by the seat of my pants.” Not this time around. Plot developments, character development, story arcs etc are all scheduled for dedicated focus, research and yes, eventually writing.

In addition, a dedicated morning routine such as clean up, exercise, good food and some hot green tea with the same ambient music playing in the background will tell my unfocused brain that hey, this is your current focus, do the work.

I don’t like the concept of accountability but it may help, I don’t know. My personality has a difficult time with this concept. If I can’t hold myself accountable, why should I report or check-in with someone else? How many people would I disappoint including myself? I struggle with this but do plan on updating this site with progress notes.

All of this is to say that by doing one or more of these things is going to help me progress in ways I have not been able to do in the past- to help achieve my writing goals and deliver a better writing habit.

iPhone 12 Pro

2020-11-02 06:35:35

This is the first year I purchased the newest iPhone on launch day since I converted to iPhone over Android six years ago. It was a thrill to open that box and see the premium stainless steel, glass back, the ceramic shield screen and that third camera lens I have been drilling over for the past year ( I skipped the previous first release.) As first impressions go, this was love at first sight.

No, I have not raced out to test the latest HDR video, nor the Dolby Vision but it is clear to anyone that has one in their hand that this is the most premium iPhone ever and it is built to be used. My only cause for frowning is that the edges pick up and enhance my fingerprints. Well that is easily solved with the slim Otterbox shell I encased it with. I don’t want a case on it because it hides the design but concurrently, I want this device to last for more than a few years. It is going to get protected. And yes, for the first time in forever, I am content.. This is what I have waited years for, a device that is gorgeous, and future-proof.

I won’t go into all the technical details and design specifications, I’ll leave that for others to write about, but they are impressive. The processing chip and memory are faster, more than most laptops, including the Mac I am using to type this.

The three camera system in the iPhone 12 Pro deserve their own article here, and I am positive that will happen once I make the time to do a proper photo shoot with them. The 12 Pro has the ultra-wide lens, wide and telephotos lenses for various uses and sometimes, you can shoot with all three. Add on the Lidar scanner to offer true depth for my photographic subjects and compares with your basic DSLR camera and lenses. Truth be told, these cameras make up the number one reason why I have upgraded.

The second reason is the high speed 5G capability and those data speeds. My carrier lit up their network here a few weeks ago in anticipation for this release and I couldn’t be more pleased. Downloads are fast, streaming is uninterrupted and thanks to unlimited tethering to the hotspot, I am second-guessing the need for home internet service. The home service speed is maxed out at 50MBs whereas the iPhone 12’s 5G capabilities here are double, sometimes triple. If I lived in a larger city, make that 10 times the speed.

I can’t wait to discover more of this iPhone as the weeks go by, especially that camera system. More later on that, of course.

Apple Watch Series 6

2020-11-03 06:42:19

I’ve been wearing an Apple Watch for the past three years starting with the series three and recently upgraded to the series 6.

I’ve been holding off on purchasing a new Apple Watch and making the most of my Series 3 the last couple of years. As this things usually go, the 3 started to run out of storage space quickly and there are new features being released with each iteration. So a week after it was released, I upgraded to the Series 6 Space Grey Aluminum 44mm with cellular capabilities.

I’ve been wearing it for almost a month and there is a lot to like about it.

The first difference is the upgraded dual-core S6 chip on the A13 Bionic processor used in the iPhone 11. So it is absolutely faster than my series 3. With the always-on display, I’m averaging about 16 hours of battery life. Less than the previous watch, sure, but there is a lot more going on under the hood too.
Also new is the always-on altimeter to track elevation changes and compass- great for hiking.

A new sensor in the 6 that can measure blood oxygen levels is pretty neat. It works by shining infrared LEDs onto the blood vessels in your wrist and measuring the amount of light reflected back. The Apple Watch then calculates the color of the blood, which indicates how much oxygen is present (bright red blood is well oxygenated). It does this in the background, and can also be trigged using the new Blood Oxygen app.

New watch faces allows me to customize and personalize. I prefer a classic chronometer as a standard and for special occasions I can switch to something more whimsical.

The Watch is designed specifically for your health and has even saved lives with the built in EKG meter. It will prompt you to breathe, stand up after periods of sitting, and remind you that yes you can walk a specific amount of steps per day. Two new exercises include a sleep tracking app and hand washing apps (timely feature during the pandemic.)

Is the Apple Watch Series 6 Worth the Upgrade?

If you have the Series 3 and lower, then yes, absolutely. If you have the 4 and up, not so much.

As with my recent iPhone 12 Pro upgrade, this new series 6 Watch is future-proof. There is not too much more that Apple can do to upgrade more than the current device so I will enjoy this one for quite a long time. And did I mention the design is gorgeous?

No-Shave November

2020-11-03 18:45:27

“No-Shave November is a month-long journey during which male participants forgo shaving and grooming in order to evoke conversation and raise men’s cancer awareness.”

Now I am not one to publicly support causes or movements, preferring to support or donate privately, but I do enjoy the thought of bypassing shaving for thirty days to grow my beard out for the upcoming winter months.

Apple One

2020-11-04 07:55:12

Another new product was just released that combines all of Apple’s services in one, cost-saving bundle for me. I opted for the $30 a month, everything package which includes the soon-to-be released, Apple Fitness service. Paired with an Apple Watch it will automagically track your workouts and display stats on screen.

All six services work out to $5 each and includes Apple Music, TV, Arcade, News, Fitness and 2 TB of iCloud storage.

Siddartha

2020-11-05 07:03:36

One of the best books that I have read recently is Siddartha by Hermann Hesse of how the title character pursues a spiritual quest and search for understanding.

Siddartha was young, wise and loved by everyone in his village, but he and his friend leave the village searching for answers by living a spiritual life. However, the time spent with a group of fellow truth seekers, he realizes that he will not find what he is looking for.

Not long after leaving both his village and these seekers, they come to meet the Buddha and has a brief conversation with him. But after a time, realizes that the Buddha himself offers a message of truth, but only the truth as he sees it. As long as others accept it, that is enough for Buddha, but not so for Siddartha. His companion decides to stay and learn from the Buddha, and so he travels alone.

After a time, he discovers a rich woman named Kamala who shows him the ways of love and pleasure for the first time because that was her role in her life. Siddartha learned more than he expected and wanted to offer her gifts but had no money. He then went into the city and found a shop owner who was kind enough to give him a job. He prospered at this job and made even more money than all the other shop owners.

Having tasted the benefits of spiritual wisdom, love and money he wondered what else was left? Soon, he began to gamble and drink for the first time. He would win at every game he tried and gambled even larger amounts and could soon buy the whole village. After betting, drinking and whoring he began to lose and lose big. He lost so much that he was tired of his wealth and possessions and gave them all away only to go back to Kamala and say goodbye.

The book ends when his long-lost friend returns and asks for wisdom. Siddartha replies that for every true statement there is an opposite one that is also true. That language and time lead people to stick with me belief that does not account for the full extent of truth.

To summarize the lessons learned in Siddartha;

Follow Your Path

Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment

Riches Will Not Make You Happy

Every true statement we accept, we must accept an opposite statement that can also be true.

This book offers more lessons that we can apply and I rate this as highly as I did the Alchemist or the retelling of King Solomon of Israel.

DAM It

2020-11-06 17:00:00

The photo organization goals (Digital Asset Management) just took a setback as I rediscovered zipped files from Google Photos’ Takeout service. When I closed my Google accounts I had the option of retrieving all of my photos from the past 10 years that have been backed up there.

Well, thanks for nothing, Google because this treasure trove of photos is bundled in 2 GB files and there are over 150 to sort through and organize.

iPad vs MacBook

2020-11-07 18:14:26

Having been a computer power user for decades, I am giving serious consideration to selling my MacBook for an iPad Pro. Over this period of time, originally with Windows, then Linux and now Mac, I am growing tired of managing these operating systems and want to keep it simple.

Nowadays, I’d rather focus my knowledge and abilities into something productive instead of wasting time administering my computer. I don’t want or need to tinker anymore, and now I don’t have to.

With iPadOS, I can get my work done and play all on the same device. I can write up this article, post-process images from my last shoot, listen to music, stream shows, play games, etc all in an intuitive, fun and stress-free environment.

As a minimalist, I no longer have a need for desktop towers, huge monitors or peripheral devices taking up this space. The iPad goes with me wherever I want to work and it adapts to whatever workspace I set it in.

There is simplicity in the iPad which makes it powerful, unique and refreshing computing experience I’ve ever enjoyed. As Apple is fond of saying, “the future of computing isn’t with a computer.”

The Roaring 20s

2020-11-08 14:00:00

After World War I and the Spanish Flu one hundred years ago, this country enjoyed a time of both cultural and economic prosperity. After those trying times of war and disease people were ready to live again, and we can look back and see this as we called it “the roaring 20s.”

After this current pandemic is over, I am optimistic that we too will enjoy a more positive time. I imagine we’ll sing, dance, play and enjoy life more after having endured decades-long wars and disease.

I cannot wait to see how we bounce back and enjoy life again.

Photography Slump

2020-11-09 13:28:33

This pandemic is killing my desire to create, especially with my photography. There is still a desire and capability but the people and subjects I want to work with just aren’t available at the moment. Portraits require people and people right now are hesitant out of caution. Landscape photography requires access and access is scarce thanks to shut-downs.

No, I won’t be finding inspiration in the same old formulaic suggestions that people like to write about “what to do when in a creative slump.”

Examples:

Look for inspiration in art! Go on a photowalk! Shoot a day in the life or still life! Read your manual, clean your gear, photograph loved one and pets! Enough We’ve been reading that since the early age of the internet.

I especially miss the social aspect of meeting up with other photographers to talk, share, learn and grow from. There is nothing like having a beer with friends while talking shop and then headed out to capture images together.

In the meantime, I suppose capturing images of flowers from twenty different angles will have to suffice.

The Anti-Library

2020-11-10 07:43:16

The writer Umberto Eco belongs to that small class of scholars who are encyclopedic, insightful, and nondull. He is the owner of a large personal library (containing thirty thousand books), and separates visitors into two categories: those who react with “Wow! Signore professore dottore Eco, what a library you have! How many of these books have you read?” and the others — a very small minority — who get the point that a private library is not an ego-boosting appendage but a research tool. Read books are far less valuable than unread ones. The library should contain as much of what you do not know as your financial means, mortgage rates, and the currently tight real-estate market allows you to put there. You will accumulate more knowledge and more books as you grow older, and the growing number of unread books on the shelves will look at you menacingly. Indeed, the more you know, the larger the rows of unread books. Let us call this collection of unread books an antilibrary.

As a reader, I can tell you that I have been back and forth between paper and digital books. I’ve been kicking myself lately for selling or donating 85% of my library in the past.

It gives me joy to see physical books on the shelf again knowing that I have read a few or have something to look forward to.

Taking the idea of an anti-library further, it dawned on me that I am also curating a digital library of knowledge with links to web articles, books using PDF or everything I have saved as “read-it-later.”

As if I didn’t have enough to read, I recently subscribed to Apple News that includes newspaper and magazines.

The idea that the knowledge that comes from this anti-library is always available and readily accessible in both digital and analog form is beneficial and comforting. The fact that this library is an extension of my research tools is an added bonus.

Curate To Create

2020-11-11 07:00:00

If you are like me, hoarding content for future use, it can give off a false sense of knowledge. In my experience, the best way to understand something is to create or produce my content in my style and then share it with the world. I’ve accomplished this throughout the years here and through my photography. I'm still working up the nerve to share my creative writing, however.

To close the loop from curator to creator I go from collecting my notes, snippets from the web and personal thoughts to connecting ideas and application of these ideas. Only then do I find I am ready to create and share.

Down & Out

2020-11-12 22:38:14

Started to feel a scratchy throat this morning and I have been resting. No desire to publish a new journal post here today.

Social Web vs Social Media

2020-11-13 21:25:30

I’ve been online since 1996, and have seen so many websites come and go.

Remember Geocities and chat rooms? Those were the places to be, until they weren’t. A few years later and they were shut down. Your online friends were deleted.

After those there was MySpace. People flocked to this new platform where you could decorate and share “your space” as you saw fit. Everyone posted their photos and music but a short time after that MySpace became stagnant. No one was using it anymore favoring Facebook. There was no way to communicate with your “friends” because no one had each other’s contact information, just the Myspace inbox.

Just like the platforms before it, users have been flocking towards FB, supplying all their information both directly and indirectly. People are still uploading all of their photos, videos and more there and there will come a time when this platform will be obsolete for the next big thing.

My point is do not depend on any one social media company or web service. They will come and go and you won’t have a thing to show for it because they now own your content and will delete it when their servers go cold. It’s time again to think about the long-term use of the web. Have a dedicated home for yourself so you can create, share and contact those who you choose and not an algorithm.

Build your website instead. Rather than inviting your friends and fans to a social media platform, invite them to your personal site. Encourage them to comment on your work, encourage them to provide their contact information so you don’t have to go through a social media inbox to reach them.

Your website should be the place to showcase everything you create. If you do insist on utilizing social media instead of the social web, have those free account be your backup. Have those social media accounts point back to your home on the web. You may choose to use them but you will not be depending on them.

I strongly suggest using the reliable open standards that are not owned by any company such as the internet, email and text messaging.

When using your email, make sure your default mail has a signature, one you can customize to give out your name, contact info and your website address. People want to know how to get a hold of you. Help them out.

Example:

Chris Denbow

Tulsa, OK.

hello@chrisdenbow.website

ChrisDenbow.com + PhotoDenbow.com

I know this is basic, and maybe it isn’t basic. If you’ve been spending your time on social media instead of the social web, it is possible this is something new. You’d be surprised how many people do not know these skills. It is time to retake the internet away from Big Tech and make it for personal use instead.

MacOS Big Sur

2020-11-14 17:28:19

After a few downloading issues, Apple finally got it together, so I could install the new operating system. The user interface is slick and responsive.

11/11 Check-In and Journey's End

2020-11-11 19:00:00

On 2/2 I began my year-long journey to create lifelong habits for myself and throw in some fun intentions as well. The plan is to check in every month to monitor my progress. How did I do since my last check-in on 10/10?

Nutrition & Training

When we decided to do the Keto diet back in June it lasted until September. I made unconscious decisions to put this on hold because…well, pick an excuse. Quarantine has raised meat prices and I live in a food desert. Those keto-friendly places that are nearby charge a premium and fewer portions. Frustrating. Now that I am at the end of this year’s journey and headed into the holiday season, I will enjoy anything I want to eat. But honestly, I can’t wait to hop back on to this diet. I saw and felt the weight loss and believe in it.

Since the gym is closed, I have been doing a few home workouts sporadically and aimlessly. Again with the excuses. Again, I felt the fat loss and want to regain the muscles that have atrophied while sitting on my ass here in the home office. We have no idea when to expect the Apple Fitness software to be released but it can’t come soon enough. I hope it is inspiring.

Yoga & Meditation

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t get a good workout while practicing yoga. My body tells me every time afterward that this is right. It feels amazing to stretch your muscles and breathe. Meditating comes and goes when I think about it. My Apple Watch prompts me to focus on breathing at least twice an hour and I obey. These are the times when I focus on nothing else but that during the day.

Photography & Writing

Photography- Taking advantage of doing a few portraits has been slowly kindling that desire to go out and shoot this past month. I also traveled out of state to capture some fall foliage before it was too late but had to turn back. Missed opportunities are frustrating. Still, I am planning on traveling to the Texas/Mexico border in March 2021 and pray that the national parks quarantine will be lifted. New Mexico landscapes are planned for this trip too. Stay tuned.

Writing- On November 1, I committed to writing an article here every day as a part of the NANOWRIMO initiative. So far so good, although I did miss a day thanks to an annoying cold/cough. Novel research and development are coming along nicely, as is the character and plot development. I may even throw some micro-fiction out there too.

Journey’s End 11/11

As always, I saw some progress, saw some room for improvement, and had some frustrating setbacks. I have not completed my photo archive project and this is perhaps one of my most frustrating failures. Like everyone else in the world, this pandemic has thrown everyone off. I am grateful for my health, grateful for my career, and grateful for my family.

Happy Holidays and see you next year on 2/2/2021 for another journey.

Me Time

2020-11-15 20:02:15

• Read
• Practice Mindfulness
• Journal daily
• Exercise
• Reflect
• Love yourself
• love others
• Laugh
• Keep a small circle of friends
• Keep learning
• Gratitude
• Make peace often
  

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Quarantine Month #8

2020-11-17 19:50:14

Eight months ago today I started work from home due to the quarantine. I want and need the separation. WFH has blurred my work/life/creativity balance and it shows.

Keto Diet Update

2020-11-16 20:48:00

LOL

Cold + Cough

2020-11-18 23:32:00

Is really starting to affect energy levels. Creativity levels down to zero.

Autumn Nights

2020-11-19 23:35:44

An excellent evening to sit, smoke, shoot and enjoy a medicinal beverage.

Apple HomePod Mini

2020-11-22 10:55:07

**Update** Picking up from the Apple store today!

The Benefits Of Writing

2020-11-20 19:00:00

Write to connect with the similar people

Write to create opportunities

Write to define your goals

Write to meditate

Write to think better

Write to teach and clarify

Write to deepen your focus

Write to understand yourself

Passionate Photography

2020-11-21 18:34:00

“Many photographers want to express emotion in their photographs, but how many could say they were moved emotionally when making them?”

Maybe this is one of the reasons why I feel like my photography has been stagnating lately? Does this explain my slump? Now I have something new to consider.

The Mini

2020-11-23 22:58:38

“Hey Siri, shuffle play my Late + Loud jazz playlist...”

Now Reading- To Hold Up The Sky

2020-11-24 22:27:57

Having recently finished Liu’s mind-bending Three-Body Problem, I was pleased to discover his short story anthology.

I don’t read a lot of science fiction unless it ties in with modern or near future technologies but Chinese science fiction takes it to the next level.

Now Reading: The Peripheral

2020-11-24 22:36:53

Gibson’s science fiction is so prophetic that it seems as if he is creating the future instead of imagining it.

I just found out this is book one of a three part series. Even better.

Care to peruse my Library? These are books I’ve read in the past or will read soon.

The Stoic Day Planner

2020-11-25 18:40:43

After studying the Stoic philosophies these past few months, there are a few recurring themes, or practices that we can apply today.

Early to rise

Thankfulness

Meditation

Control of self

Walking

Reading

Purpose

Reflection

I’ll go into more detail in the next post.

Happy Thanksgiving

2020-11-26 16:28:30

“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.”
—Henry David Thoreau

The Apple Platform Pt. 1

2020-11-27 12:48:38

The moment you buy an iDevice, you become part of the Apple ecosystem, and more products and services are waiting for you. Some benefits that have solidified my decision to switch from Android to Apple a few years ago are better now than it used to be.

iCloud

The glue that holds the entire Apple eco-system together is the iCloud service. Apps, files, photos, videos, accounts, settings synchronized across all your devices dependably. Example; I am typing this on the laptop but if I need to go out and come up with something I want to add, I can do so from my mobile device. Neat. Buy a new device? Sign in to your one account and everything transfers over automagically. Within a few minutes you can pick up where you left off.

AirDrop

This feature allows you to transfer files in between all your Apple devices. You can even transfer files to a friend’s nearby Apple device. No Bluetooth connection, no need to be on the same wireless network, it just works.

iMessage

I now can send text messages over the internet using either the phone, laptop or tablet.

FaceTime

Want to make a video call instead of the traditional voice call? Exclusive to Apple device users, video calls are no hassle and a great way to see your friends.

Find My

Wonder where your phone or AirPods are? Using this handy feature will help locate with a map or pinging your device. If you are so trusting and so inclined, you can share your location to keep tabs on where your friends are.

Privacy

One of the reasons I switched from the Google Android platform was a lack of privacy. I do not trust Google, however, based on several initiatives, I do place my trust with Apple. Apple will not sell your information, they do not need to thanks to the hardware and software sales. They’re doing just fine thank you. When the FBI asked for Apple’s help in unlocking a suspect’s iPhone, the request was refused out of the owner’s privacy rights.

Data used for facial recognition is encrypted and protected.

Apple Maps is not married to your Apple ID so your location data and tracking info is not shared or used by anyone else.

Thanks to the new iOS operating systems, your device will alert you when either the microphone or camera is in use with light indicators on screen.

There is a web safety option called “Sign-in with Apple” which generates unique, encrypted email addresses to apps so you get to keep your authentic email id private.

Text messages sent with iMessage are end to end encrypted, and any data stored in the server is inaccessible to any third party.

Apps have no permission to access user data outside its directory and you can choose which apps have access to location data, camera, microphone etc.

The search history in Safari is end to end encrypted.

Two-Factor authentication options are beneficial.

No bloatware. Apple does supply their apps but you now have the option to remove them from your devices. Not so in the past, so I am glad to see that change.

Apple Pay

One of the most surprising features that I enjoy is the contactless, encrypted Apple Pay system. Using your device you can wave it over a pay terminal and confirm transaction. Great for avoiding payment card swipes that can gather your personal information, fast and secure.

Finally

Concluding for now, Apple’s brilliant hardware and software ecosystem is designed for compatibility, privacy and security in a system that just works. Now that I am connected I do not believe there is a turning back, captured by the system and finally content with that.

Winter Is Here

2020-11-29 20:48:12

Now that Thanksgiving has passed and it is almost December, the cold weather arrives on cue.

Talimena

2020-11-28 21:42:00

Thirty Days

2020-11-30 23:08:41

On November 1st, I declared that it is time to write. In addition to writing about Angkor, I have updated this website every day this month.

The Angkor effort came in at 10,121 words this month, more than ever but still lacking. I have not edited anything and it probably shows.

I think I will focus on my photography this next month as well as catching up on my reading.

We’re Going Streaking

2020-11-30 23:10:27