Kelly says I have a bit of a keyboard problem. You see, I have four keyboards in this office, counting the one I’m currently typing on.
But the point of this post isn’t to talk about how I’m going to get this addiction under control, it’s more about showing you the new toy. I bought the Keychron K2, which is my first tenkeyless keyboard. I’ve been clinging to that number pad for some reason, but no longer!
The Keychron K2 comes with a USB‑A to USB‑C cable, a keycap puller, and alternate keycaps.
I’ve been using the keyboard for about a day and I’m pretty pleased so far. I bought the version with brown switches, which is also a first for me since blue switches are what I usually pick. The brown switches are nice, but the blue ones are my favorite. If you work close to people, brown switches are much softer and quieter, but I work at home all by myself, so noise isn’t really an issue for me.
The Keychron K2 comes with a USB‑A to USB‑C cable, a keycap puller, and alternate keycaps.
They moved the button to control the RGB backlights, which is a welcome change. I own the Keychron K1 and constantly hit that button accidentally.
The Keychron K2 comes with a USB‑A to USB‑C cable, a keycap puller, and alternate keycaps.
The only issue I have with this keyboard (after a day of use, so take it with a grain of salt) is the missing ⌥ option key on the right side. While their custom screenshot button is pretty cool, I’d rather have the ⌥ option key, and move the fn key to the top.
This was by far the best year in a long time. Kelly and I were married on May 9. It was the best day of my life.
We were surrounded by all of our friends and family who smothered us in so much love and happiness. If I could, I would live that day over and over. It sounds so sappy, but I just can’t help it.
Working Full-time Again
ACL took us on a team excursion in May. Our team name was: The Totems
Having a “regular” day job has its pros and cons. After running my own business for so long, having a more rigid schedule where I work 5 days a week has been difficult to get used to.
But, there’s something to be said about having a regular paycheck, paid vacation, and other benefits. Most importantly, I really wanted to work on a team, and I’m so fortunate to have landed on a team of incredibly smart, talented, and humble people.
Stepping Down From Goodstuff
As you may recall, Goodstuff was a podcast network I started with Adam Clark and Chris Enns in 2014. Running it was so much fun, but with me getting married, I couldn’t make it a priority.
Soon after, I started a podcast again, which has two really great episodes published. For The Record is the best show I’ve ever done. I have about 6 interviews recorded that I’ll be working on in the next few months. I hope to bring the show back in the spring.
Podcasts have taken on a whole new life for me this year. Sure, they’ve been around for a while, but my goodness! The level of quality has gone up like crazy, and I’ve discovered someamazingshows this year. Maybe I’ll post a list of my favorites at a later date.
Summer Trip to Europe
Kelly and I went to Europe for the first time this summer. It was the first time both as a couple and individually. Europe was wonderful. Visiting places you’ve only ever seen in pictures is quite the experience.
The Europe group on the tour bus
We saw the Eiffel Tower at night with all the lights on, walked many unknown streets, took the subway, had espresso and pastries in a French cafe, missed our train, felt frustrated because we couldn’t speak French, ate amazing food, made great new friends, and saw people nude on the beach like it was no big deal. I hope we get the chance to go back.
The last highlight of the year? Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I’ve watched it in theaters four times. Each time better than the last.
What’s in Store for 2016
My co-worker Phil told me that his family agrees on a motto for the year. I loved the idea so much, that I’m stealing it. As always, I’ve got some goals for this year, but I also want to share the motto Kelly and I plan to live by.
Motto: Live Healthy.
Build a Piece of Furniture I’m keeping this one from last year. I really want to dabble in some carpentry this year. It’ll get me away from my computer, and the chance to spend some quality time with my Dad.
Lose Weight Not much I can say here that I haven’t said. Part of living a healthier life.
Travel Taking breaks is part of being and staying healthy. I have paid vacation now, why the hell not use it?
I think it’s difficult to portray young life well in film, but Eighth Grade takes on the challenge. It’s an authentic portrayal of teenage life in so many ways: the anxiety, awkwardness, and uncertainty you feel about yourself are all there, but so are the moments where you learn things about yourself and decide to accept and love them.
A few daydream scenes are backed by great songs, then cut fast and abruptly to bring both the character and audience back to reality. Some scenes are perfectly uncomfortable and just the right bit of long, and it’s those type of bold choices in editing that help tell this beautiful story so well.
Eighth Grade reminds you how mean kids can be, but also how adults don’t really get less mean per se, we just get better about being polite about it. And of course, none of this would be possible without Elsie Fisher’s performance which brings Kayla to life in a genuine way.
I mean, even the fact that Kayla has acne in the movie speaks to how important it was for Bo Burnham to tell this story authentically—not in a perfect, airbrushed, everyone gets along Hollywood way. Eighth graders (and all of us, really) can watch this and see themselves and hopefully learn that it’s ok to be awkward, it’s ok if you haven’t found “your people” yet, and if things didn’t turn out the way you wanted, tomorrow is a whole new day to try again.
Let’s face it, the corporate duopoly gave people the choice between a blue racist rapist asshole, and a red racist rapist asshole in 2020. I’m incredibly happy to have voted for neither, and instead voted Green.
If we are to have better choices in leadership, we need to build political power away from institutions that are bought and owned by corporations. As Margaret Kimberley’s column that I linked to yesterday put it:
The government does the bidding of the billionaire donor class
I know electoral politics aren’t the end-all solution to all the issues we have, but I’m optimistic of what a political party without corporate links and a progressive agenda can do.
Ultimately, I dream of a day when we aren’t slaves to capitalism, our planet isn’t on fire, and where all people can live a life of dignity and happiness. My hope is that building a third party of the people is a step in that direction.
Update on 02/06/2021: The People’s Party posted a tweet that disturbs me greatly. I’ll be monitoring this closely to see if I need to change my party preference yet again.
I was so excited to see Ty Dolla $ign come out with a new album. I’m a new fan of Ty honestly. He’s featured on some of my favorite tracks recently and I’ve fallen in love with his delivery and versatility. His voice is like butter, and I feel like he has such a good feel for what a track needs from him.
This album shows that Ty is more than just a feature. While many of these songs have an impressive list of artists accompanying him, the album shows off Ty’s ability to switch from buttery melodies to raps and back. In the end, it’s an impressive showcase of both Ty’s skill and his contact list.
My favorites:
Your Turn (feat. Musiq Soulchild, Tish Hyman & 6LACK)
Ego Death (feat. Kanye West, FKA twigs & Skrillex)
I originally discovered Lexii Alijai on SoundCloud back in 2015 with her remix of “How Bout Now”. I loved her flow and lyrics, and it didn’t hurt that she’s was a Saint Paul native. Naturally, I had no choice but to stan and support her.
Lexii is working through some shit on Come Back Soon. She talks about the pressure to succeed for her family, depression, drug use, and her unapologetic sexual escapades. The EP feels like an artist coming into their own. Lexii sounds self-aware and confident.
It’s sad to see Lexii’s life end at the incredibly young age of 21, but she remains alive through her art that we will continue to enjoy for many years to come. And I think there’s something beautiful about that.
As soon as we saw news of AMC doing a subscription, Kelly and I were convinced to sign up. Here are the things I like, and don’t like about it.
Pros
Three movies a week is amazing. We love movies, but don’t usually see more than three a week. That being said, since we’ve had the subscription, we’ve hit that limit a few times already.
The buying experience is really simple and easy.
Canceling a reservation is simple and easy.
No restrictions on watching movies on opening night, which we love to do.
Feels like we’re just another moviegoer except we don’t pay at the end.
$19.95/month feels expensive, but when you think about it, you wouldn’t even get two movies at $10/ticket. With AMC A-List, you get 12 movies a month.
You collect rewards points for your concession purchases and the price of the subscription. That’s awesome.
Cons
No family account. I don’t necessarily want a discount, just a way to connect accounts as part of the same family.
This means I can’t buy our tickets together. Instead we both need to reserve separately and make sure we have seats together.
If you want more info, I recommend reading through the FAQ.
As you can see, the pros far outweigh the cons. If you live near an AMC theater, and you love going to the movies, this subscription is for you.
For the past two years, I’ve run my own business, Anythin’ Goes. I’ve been so incredibly happy to work on some awesome projects with great people. On Monday, I begin a new chapter.
As some of you know, I’m getting married to my best friend in May. Since December, I’d been looking for a great company to join. Looking for a job is a difficult process. You end up reading a lot of job descriptions; some are written well, others are really not.
Two weeks ago, I interviewed with Matt Crest. The first interview went really well. On the second interview, I was convinced. I really wanted this job. I was excited about the work, and I felt I fit with the team.
Monday, March 30th, is my first day at Artletic. I’m so excited about this opportunity. I’ll be able to use my skills to help the team, but I know there will be much for me to learn from this great group of people.
I’ve interviewed with a lot of companies in the past four months, and I thank them all for chatting with me. I also want to thank all of you who made intros for me, hired me in the last two years, and who sent me job listings you thought I’d be great for. That type of generosity can never be fully repaid, but I promise to try my best.
I want to give a special shoutout to Matthew Kammerer, Jory Raphael, Nicole Dominguez, Chris Kennedy, Jonathan Cutrell, John Locke, Myke Hurley, and Bermon Painter. If it weren’t for you, there would’ve been months that I wouldn’t have been able to pay my rent. You didn’t know it, but your help was monumental, and I thank you.
