Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Category: General Cogitation Page 13 of 40

Biggs Declares 2017 Intentions (Not Resolutions)

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On January 6, 2017

In General Cogitation

2017 IntentionsI never make New Years Resolutions, I believe I’ve covered that before. As odd as it sounds, I have more motivation to complete a set of goals (instead of the proverbial “resolution”). So what are my 2017 intentions? I know this year will be a year of change but I’m not at liberty to say, yet, what will be changing. You will know when it happens because it will warrant a blog post (or two). I do not want to write another long-winded post so, for brevity sake, I’m going to get started.

Biggs Labs – Smart Home

I have all the components I need now to complete my Siri integration with SmartThings using a Raspberry Pi. I just need to make myself sit down to install and configure. My Christmas lights were the perfect test subject for programming automation using SmartThings Apps. While we were away for Christmas, SmartThings was programmed to turn on my outdoor Christmas lights and my indoor lights, thus making it appear that someone is home.

We have smart dimmer switches which we plan to install to control the LED ceiling lights. This will give us the capability to adjust the lighting, as necessary, using SmartThings/Z-Wave capable devices (i.e. our phones). Once the switches are installed and the Raspberry Pi is configured, I should be able to ask Siri to dim the lights (ex: for a movie, perhaps).

 2017 Goodreads Reading Challenge

In a previous post I took you through my year in books. I have already committed to the same reading challenge this year, however, I did not go crazy and set the goal to 25 books. I did set it to 15 books again because I know I came close last year. It’s going to come down to choosing the books carefully. Obviously the longer the book the longer it will take me to read it. I guess its good that George R. R. Martin doesn’t plan to release his next book this decade year. Here are a couple of books I am committing to this year:

  •   Summoner of Storms – I am currently about half way through book 3 of the Catalysts of Chaos series.
  •  War of the Ancients: The Sundering – Finish the final book in the War of the Ancients trilogy by Richard A. Knaak.
  •   Clash of Catalysts – Volume 4 of C. Greenwood’s Catalysts of Chaos series. The final chapter in Earth Realms battle against Rathnakar and his evil forces.
  •  Wrigleyville – A magical history tour of the Chicago Cubs. This is a book I’ve been wanting to read for years, however it is quite long.
  •  Heartless – The latest re-imagining of classic storybook characters by Marissa Meyer. I have high hopes for this book as Marissa Meyer tells a story about the Queen of Hearts, long before she was shouting “off with their heads”

 Fitness and Health

Flying Pig MarathonOf course I am doing the Walk to Mordor challenge again, in fact I will also complete the extra 1,625 miles for the “and Back Again” leg. This year I am determined more than ever as I need to drop 30 pounds (again). Around March I will start the Couch-2-5K training program again. I will complete it this time and I will then run my first 5K. If I miss all my other goals this year, running my first 5K will not be one of them. This is something I really want to accomplish. I haven’t chosen which 5K to run yet. It might be the Flying Pig or it might be the Red Legs.

If you are interested in trying the Walk to Mordor challenge yourself, I have a place where you can track your progress. Head over and sign up!

Professional Skills Development

One of my goals, every year, for my job is to learn a new technology that might be useful on a current project or on future projects. This will be important this year more than any other year. Therefore I am making it a personal 2017 goal to either learn something brand new and/or become proficient in something that has been recently updated. I don’t have anything specific in mind yet, but my preliminary thoughts are Angular 2 or Swift (iOS development language). I will be using my favorite online video learning sight, Pluralsight. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living, there is always an opportunity somewhere to improve on a skill or learn a new skill. It’s great for your career and its great for your mind.

All right, I’m starting to get too verbose. Stopping with this small list.

Good luck with your 2017 Intentions!

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

2016 Reading Challenge – More Cowbell!

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On January 4, 2017

In General Cogitation

2016 Reading ChallengeAs a member of Goodreads I participate in their annual reading challenge, therefore I did not discuss books in my “Year in Review” post. Considering it was already quite lengthy I decided the books I read warrants a separate post. My initial goal for the 2016 Reading Challenge was a lofty 25 books, however around June or July I realized there was no way I was going to succeed. I reduced my challenge to 15 books but I ended the year having only read 12.

I am not a fast reader, nor am I a slow reader by any means. My “literary ineptitude”, as it were, is primarily the result of time and prioritization. I need to allocate more time to reading if I am to achieve my reading challenge goals. Be that as it may, I am going to take a look back at the books I read in 2016.

My 2016 Reading Challenge Read List

Below are the 12 books I read for the 2016 Reading Challenge. If I wrote a “Book Review” blog post, you will be able to click on the title of the book to read the review. If the author’s name is a link, it will take you to their website (in case you are interested in learning more).

My Choice for 2016 Best Read

As you can see I read several great books last year. Picking the best read for the year really comes down to two books: Armada and Kubrick’s Game. Ernest Cline is also the author of Ready Player One, a book that is now at the top of my list as one of my all time favorite books. As much as I enjoyed Armada I don’t think it invoked those nostalgic feelings like Ready Player One, and Kubrick’s Game.

Therefore Kubrick’s Game is my pick for the best book of the year for 2016! It is the perfect combination of movie nostalgia and puzzle mystery.

Folks that know the tale as to how I found out about Kubrick’s Game may be rolling their eyes. They might assume I picked that book because I was contacted by the author personally to read it and provide a review. I assure you that my feelings for the book are 100% genuine. My loyalties are not so easily bought and my endorsement is not so easily influenced. It is my honest-to-God feeling about the book.

What books did you read in 2016? Which one was your favorite?

diablo3-readingThe more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
– Dr. Seuss

 

Biggs Zone – 2016 Year in Review

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On January 3, 2017

In General Cogitation

2016 Year in ReviewAnother year is over and we now look forward to a fresh start in 2017. As we prepare our resolutions or intentions or what have you, let’s reflect back with a 2016 year in review. By the way, there will be NO politics or political hot topics/agendas in this post.

I hate to start on a somber note but I would rather get the depressing stuff out of the way first. We lost some amazing celebrity icons this year. One of our favorite TV dads, Alan Thicke (“Growing Pains”), and our favorite TV mom, Florence Henderson (“The Brady Bunch”) both passed away this year. We lost our faithful Shepard on the Serenity, Ron Glass (“Firefly”). Some of the biggest icons in sports history, American history, and geek canon also passed away. These people include John Glenn, Nancy Reagan, Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman (“Snape”), and David Bowie. Star Wars and Star Trek both suffered tragic losses when our beloved Kenny Baker, known eternally as “R2-D2”, and Anton Yelchin, our modern day “Chekov” passed away.

2016 Year in Review

RIP Princess Leia

The hardest loss the Star Wars community suffered happened while writing this post. Our most beloved Princess and General, Carrie Fisher, passed away at 60 after suffering a major heart attack. I am beside myself after losing yet another one of my favorite actors. I send my thoughts and prayers to her family. MTFBWY, Princess Leia!

Thank you for enriching our lives with your gifts and Rest In Peace.

Ok, enough sad talk. Let’s move on to the brighter things of 2016.

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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On December 21, 2016

In General Cogitation

Merry Christmas and Happy New YearBefore things get really crazy, with Christmas only a few days away, I wanted to take the time to bid everyone a safe and very Merry Christmas. I hope the conclusion of your year is peaceful and bright! Please have a safe, and responsible, Happy New Year!

This year was another election year, and it was probably one of the most tumultuous years we have had in a long time. Over the past several months we have all been awfully cruel to one another because we all believe different things. We are all entitled to those beliefs and I applaud everyone with the conviction to stick to what they believe despite how ugly people can be. Christmas is a time to let go of those ugly feelings and focus on family, friends and how lucky we are. We should look to our fellow man for comfort and support. Sing Christmas carols (even if you don’t like Christmas music); it will make you feel better about yourself.

Sit beside a warm fire and watch a “feel-good” movie with your family and friends; something like “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Miracle on 34th Street”. If you want something with a little more humor but with a feel-good ending, then perhaps “Scrooged” or “Four Christmases” will be more your speed. Whatever you watch or whatever you do to enjoy the season, just don’t spend it berating people on Facebook or Twitter. We all need to chill out (no pun intended) and focus on the things that are more important.

I hope 2017 will be a friendlier year.

Merry Christmas and God Bless!

apple_logo-263x300The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do
– Steve Jobs

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

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On November 3, 2016

In General Cogitation

cubs-marquee-ws

I cannot believe this day has arrived. My heart has been beating out of my chest since they beat the Dodgers. It’s still beating out of my chest. I cannot imagine what its like in Chicago right now, outside Wrigley Field. It’s surreal to finally say:

The Chicago Cubs are World Series Champions!

ErnieBanksCartoon_iru49ivi_rfrqjfgjI wish Harry, Ronnie, Ernie, my grandfather and all the other players and fans that have gone before me were here to see this. I know they were watching down from above (after they beat the shit out of that billy goat).

They won it in true dramatic fashion. They came back from a 3-1 series deficit, in extra innings, after a 15 minute rain delay. It was as if God was preparing the Cubs and the fans for what was about to happen. God bless the players, the coaches and the fans. God bless the Indians and their coaches and their fans. I know they are heartbroken right now and they have my full sympathy. I hope their drought is the next one to break.

Now that I have finally given my mind some time to wind down and my heart rate to return to normal, I should try to get some sleep.

#LetsGo #FlyTheW

2016 World Series: I Don’t Believe in Curses

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On November 2, 2016

In Biggs On, General Cogitation

I Don't Believe in Curses“This one’s for the whole Magilla!For the whole kitten caboodle! For the whole bowl of wax! THIS is for ALLLL the marbles!!!” – John Candy from Rookie of the Year. This quote was never more appropriate. I’m going to start by saying, very simply, I don’t believe in curses.

I am writing this post prior to the outcome of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. I have not been very shy on social media and my blog about the baseball season this year. My apologies for that, I cannot help being just a little excited for the Cubs. You will not be regaled with anymore childhood tales as to why I root for the “lovable losers”; by now I’m sure you all know the reasons. Actually I’m going to talk about the historical significance of this game.

Curses! Foiled Again!

I swear every team that has a long drought of World Series wins and/or appearances seems to have some “alleged curse”. It’s a billy goat, the Bambino, Rocky Colavito or Black Sox; someone associated a string of bad performances to some bizarre or unpopular decision. It’s human nature to try to explain what cannot be explained. Granted superstition in sports is not that uncommon. There are literally thousands of stories out there of players and fans that perform certain pre-game rituals. It doesn’t matter if it’s a superstition, voodoo or luck, the purpose is to prepare mentally for the task that lies ahead.

Just as its human nature to explain the unexplained, we also try to control what cannot be controlled. Even as I sit here talking about the futility of curses and superstition, I am still guilty of practicing it (it’s no hypocritical, its cognitive dissonance). It’s a very powerful force within our nature to try to will something to happen when we have no influence on the outcome. A botched play or fan interference is not inflicted by a curse because it’s also human nature to make mistakes, but our psyche is very fragile.

For the Indians, it’s Pride

The historical significance of this game is the fact that the two teams with the longest period of time since a World Series Championship, are playing each other. One of these teams will finally end the drought. One of these teams will “end the curse”. 1948 was the last time the Cleveland Indians won the World Series. They are second only to the Cubs (at 108 – which I’m sure you all know by now). So, for the Indians, losing this game means they become the team that has gone the longest without winning a World Series. If I were an Indians fan, that is what would be weighing on my mind.

The Indians are a very tough team. They have very skilled pitchers. If you have been watching any of the games, Corey Kluber is a phenomenal pitcher to watch. I had no idea the Indians had that kind of power in their pitching staff. Andrew Miller is no slouch either. These guys are in it to win it and I’m very proud to be playing against such a fantastic team.

For the Cubs, it’s Principal

lgo_mlb_chicago_cubsSo 1908, as you probably heard a thousand times, is the last year the Cubs won a World Series. 1945 is the last time the Cubs were even in the World Series. It is also the fateful year when Billy Sianis inflicted his famous curse. So the 71 year drought has ended. The Cubs made it to the World Series. Unfortunately they now have the HUGE responsibility of 100 years of “cursed” history to overcome (not to mention all the Cubs fans watching and judging their every move). We have to be ready to accept the fact that we can lose tonight. “New Girl” actor, and long time Cubs fan, Jake Johnson once wrote “We can not be little children scared of a curse. We can not gasp when a player makes an error.“(that’s a great article by the way). 

This is going to be an epic end to an epic World Series. Whatever the outcome, it’s going to be hard on the losing team and the fans. We all have so much emotion riding on this game. We all need to be good sports to each other whether you’re the winner or the loser. The winning team should sympathize for the other team and fans and the losing team, and fans, should reciprocate with congratulatory remarks. A sore winner can be just as awful as a sore loser. So forget about the past and look toward the future because, as we Cubs fans always say, “there’s always next year”.

#LetsGo

minions_iconI could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

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