Getting Rid of Stuff and More Updates for 2022

2022

Hi. It’s me again. I hope you all had a merry holidays and a festive new year. We didn’t do much to celebrate or put up decorations or whatever you’re supposed to do.

In fact, we hardly decorated at all. We did put up a tree, which was nice. But we didn’t do much to the outside of the house.

I’m not that disappointed about it. Nobody else was either. It was just something we didn’t do this time.

The kid was happy anyway. Santa still dropped by and he got a lot of stuff he desperately needed (sarcasm, in case you can’t tell) and his mom got a couple things too. So did his grandparents. I got one or two things as well.

But really, I didn’t need much of anything. Sure, I made an Amazon wishlist or whatever, but that was just because H insisted. I didn’t really want anything for Christmas.

I’ve got more “stuff” than I really need.

One of my “problems” is this: If I’m interested in something, a hobby or something work-related, I’ll go deep into it and get the required tools or whatever, to perform the task or function I need to perform. Basically, I want the right tool for the job.

This tends to mean I end up with a lot of stuff. Sure, I use most of it (some of it every day) but it also means other stuff just sits there unused, or is only used sporadically.

Or, let’s face it, not at all after the first day, week, month, etc. That happens too. I burn out on hobbies sometimes, but the stuff is still there. And I’ve been doing this for years. So yeah, I end up with a lot of stuff.

I should really get rid of some of it.

I’m sure to some of you this “problem' doesn’t sound too bad. And I know I’m very fortunate to have this problem at all and to afford to enjoy hobbies and acquire tools as I need/want them. I get that.

But that’s not really the point of this exercise. The point is I have too much stuff and will need to take appropriate steps one of these days before there’s no room left for the rest of us.

I’m joking, mostly. It won’t get that bad. I’m not a hoarder. You’re a hoarder. Anyway . . .

There’s other business.

• The Flickcast podcast is going great. We’ve got over 400 episodes so far! How about that? If you don’t know, I co-host and produce a podcast called The Flickcast.

It’s all about stuff nerds love. It’s fun and you should definitely check it out.

We’re also working on new guests and some changes for the podcast, which I’m excited about. 2022 should be a great year for the show. Fingers crossed.

• I’m still on Twitch Sunday nights playing D&D with the Whiskey & Waffles gang. It’s also fun and you should check it out too. Although, I won’t be on this weekend due to, well, keep reading.

• I’ve also updated my business website and have been offering prints of my photography for sale. A couple people have even purchased prints. I greatly appreciate that.

• And now, to bury the lead (my High School journalism teacher would not be happy with me). Our kid went back to school in-person a little over a week ago and, of course, that means I got something. Not sure if it’s COVID or a cold or what it is, but it’s definately something.

Good luck finding a COVID testing center appointment anywhere in the next few weeks, though. I sometimes forget Austin is in Texas where the GOP and our “governor” are real pieces of shit and seemingly do whatever they can to make this pandemic worse for people. I just want a test. Why are many of the testing centers closed now?

COVID isn’t over, FFS. Maybe we should let testing centers stay open and allow for virtual school options? Probably a good idea.

I did order home test kits. Let’s see if they arrive . . . ever. Maybe I should just wait for the Biden Admin to send out test kits? I’m sure that’s going to happen real soon now. I won’t hold my breath.

How many years has this pandemic been going on and we still don’t have home tests or adequate supplies of masks, etc.? Greatest country in the world? Maybe. But right now, I gotta say, I’m not impressed.

Fortunately, my symptoms of whatever this is are relatively mild. So if it is COVID, it seems my triple dose of Pfizer vaccine is doing its job. Hopefully this trend continues. I think it will.

Everyone in my house is vaccinated to the fullest extent, too. So whatever I have hopefully won’t be a problem for them. Meantime, I’m mostly staying in my office and sleeping in the guest room until I feel better.

And, if I do need to venture outdoors I’m masking with my dwindling supply of N95s and keeping my distance, just like I have been for the last 20 months plus. I do try to minimize my exposure to others as much as I can. But really, I did that before the pandemic too so . . . yeah.

If you’re worried about me, first off, I appreciate it. Thanks very much. I’m sure I’ll be fine. I have the benefit of modern science on my side. Which is nice.

If only everyone (or enough of you) thought so too. This all might have been over sooner. Alas . . .

Okay. Rant over. Thanks for reading. See you on the other side.

Meetings Are Fun

That title may be a touch sarcastic. In truth, I often find meetings to be mind-numbingly boring. People who think they’re informative, funny or somehow interesting tend to ramble on about this or that and after a few minutes, I’m pretty much done.

You all know what I mean so don’t send angry letters telling me I’m the jerk who doesn’t like people. I do like people, just not boring, know-it-all people.

However, over the last week or so I’ve had meetings with people I did find very pleasant and were a pleasure to talk with. It was extremely refreshing and I highly recommend it.

These great meetings where we found common ground, had stimulating and productive discussions and made advances toward our mutual goals almost made up for the others I had to sit through where I seriously considered jabbing a pen into my eye so I could be taken to the hospital and not have to listen anymore.

Okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme (and probably an exaggeration), but you get the idea. Still, progress is often difficult and as I intend to make progress towards my goals, I guess I’m going to have to kiss a few frogs along the way, figuratively speaking of course . . . There’s no actual frogs involved.

Now I’m going to get letters from animal rights groups chastising me about my treatment of frogs. Awesome.

I Don't Like Change

If you know me, or have read this site for very long, you probably know I’m not a fan of change. I know it happens, and needs to in many cases, but I really don’t like it. It’s not good.

I’m not sure anyone really does. If they do (or say they do), I think there’s probably something wrong with them.

Why do I bring this up today? Glad you asked. We are making some changes over at The Flickcast and it’s bothering me quite a bit.

Specifically, we are migrating to new, fancier servers and during that process we can’t make any changes to the site or they may not make the trip over. So, a couple days (maybe) without any new content.

That’s kinda a bummer. I realize it’s necessary and better for the site in the long run, but see above for my feelings on change – especially change that could potentially cost us readers/visitors. I don’t like it. No, not at all.

But really, what are you gonna do? It has to be done so it has to be done. Can’t change it or delay it any longer, so there we are.

Such are the vagaries of online life and business. But I don’t have to like it.

Inside Where the iPhone and iPad are Made

As I’m the owner and user of many an Apple iDevice, I found this particular video quite interesting. ABC News got to go inside Foxconn, the company in China that makes the iPhone and iPad.

Conditions and such are pretty much what you would expect from a factory in China. In fact, compared to conditions outside the factory, the workers seem to have it pretty good.

Although, the nets around many of the buildings are a bit disturbing.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLuPtMvvwA0?rel=0&w=500&h=281]

Big Is the New Big

Over the weekend I had the fortune (misfortune?) to be in the Inland Empire. We went out there to go to a furniture store and also stopped for a bite of lunch at what passes for a Sushi restaurant in the IE.

I also had a chance to go to the Bass Pro Shops “Outdoor World” store. If you’ve never been and are a fan of any of the following: hunting, fishing, guns, knives, fishing boats, ATVs, camping (or any combination of the these) you owe it to yourself to go there as soon as possible.

I’ve been to a lot of stores in my time, and big ones too, but this one is the most massive devoted to the “outdoorsman” I’ve ever been in. I’ve been told by those in the know that they have an even bigger store near Las Vegas, but I can’t confirm that info at the moment.

And no, I didn’t buy anything. I don’t hunt, I don’t fish and I haven’t camped since I was forced to when I was Boy Scout. I prefer to get my food the civilized way, by ordering it in a restaurant.

I didn’t find any furniture I wanted either. I did, however, manage to overpay for some mediocre sushi and teriyaki chicken, so I don’t consider the trip a total loss.

Ass, Cash or Grass

Today was one of those long days where I spent the majority of my time doing that stuff I mentioned in a previous post instead of anything particularly creative. In other words, the creative side of my brain had to take a back seat to the practical side.

I don’t mind too much when that happens, even though I bitch about it. I just don’t it when it seems like that’s all I’m doing.

The truth is I do like to help people and at the risk of sounding a touch immodest, I’m pretty good at it. I guess it must fill some need of mine to solve puzzles or something.

It’s probably the same reason I like doing Sudoku. I need to get to the end and I need to know the answers. So, I keep looking for them.

Of course, it isn’t all about helping people and finding answers. I also like paying bills, buying cool toys and generally making a living. So, it’s off to the proverbial salt mines I go.

Don’t feel bad for me though. Even if I have experienced a lot of unpleasant things in the past few years, my life is still pretty good. Plus, there’s a whole bunch of people in the world with far bigger problems than I have so when I feel like bitching, I’m often compelled to keep my pie hole shut and just move on.

Obviously, that didn’t happen this week. These were extraordinary circumstances and I needed to get some stuff out. I don’t know if it will happen again but I don’t want this site to have that kind of focus too often.

I want it to be a happy place. Not the happiest place on Earth (I think that’s already taken anyway), but at least a place where people feel it’s okay to stop over for a bit and not get too bummed out. I don’t think that’s too much to ask and I will do my best to achieve it.

I realize at this juncture it’s tempting to thank me. But please, there’s no need. I do it because I care.

On a somewhat related note, keep an eye out for a new project from me and one of my favorite collaborators. It will be announced this week. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but suffice it to say it’s going to be pretty cool and I’m very proud of how it’s going so far.

Watch this space (and a few other places) for all the details. Until then, I leave you in suspense.

–

As sometimes happens, the title of this post has almost nothing to do with the content. My apologies. I will try to do better next time.

By Way of An Apology: Some Notes About This Site

Happy second day of 2012. No, I don’t know how long people are allowed to say “Happy New Year” or what I just said. I’m just going with it, okay?

That kind of statement brings me, in a not so direct way, to this website, blog or whatever you want to call it. I will call it a blog or, more precisely, “The Personal Blog of Chris Ullrich.” See, it even says that up there at the top.

In other words, this is my blog and these are my thoughts, such as they are. They are not to be confused with anyone else’s or with those of anyone or anyplace I have worked, am working now, or will work in the future. These concepts are not that hard to understand so I will rely on you, good readers, to figure these things out. I feel confident you can.

Now that the disclaimer part is over, let’s talk about some other facts. I started this blog in 2004 (here’s a link to the first post ever) and it has been continuously published since that time. It used to have a decent amount of daily readers, but for various reasons, that readership has dwindled.

This is probably mostly due to the neglect it has suffered at my hands. That’s changed and this blog will now be updated regularly again.

Another reason readership has dwindled is due to this blog being moved around and hosted at various places using various hosting software. That is also done. This blog, along with the rest of my sites (including The Flickcast) is now housed permanently on it’s very own virtual server provided by the folks at Media Temple.

This blog is also now permanently run on Wordpress. It had previously been on other platforms, including TypePad, but now it’s Wordpress all the way.

It’s also been tough to find this blogs RSS feed because I’ve tried several ways to help that out too, including FeedBurner. Now that it is permanently on Wordpress, being served off of my own server and is not going to be moved ever again (if I can help it) the RSS feed is not going to change again either.

In case you’re wondering, the RSS feed for this blog is right up there in the top right corner. It’s also right here. Click on either link to subscribe and I will love you forever.

Why am I taking valuable time out of your day to tell you all of this? The answer is simple: I owe you an apology.

I owe you this apology because if you’re reading this blog, and have read this far, I should not have taken you for granted. I say that because people who regularly read a blog are often frustrated when it isn’t there when they go to find it. They are also often frustrated when they go to read a blog and find it hasn’t been updated in a long time.

I’m guilty on both counts, but I can change. In fact, I already have.

If you take a closer look you’ll see I’ve updated this blog more times in the last month than over the last several months. I realize that’s not a foolproof way to tell I’ve changed, but I just wanted you to notice.

I intend to keep writing here. Even though some have pointed out blogging is dying, I actually feel it has helped me immensely. I also feel there’s still an audience for quality (or in my case at least prolific) blogging.

So, I’ll keep doing it and doing it here (as well as various other places like The Flickcast) and if I’m lucky, people will start coming back to this blog and enjoying it. I think it’s possible.

Thanks for reading and feel free to check back here often. I’ll be around.

 

Convergence and Balance

Man looking out window

I’ve often mentioned here that I seem to have my feet in two different worlds. There’s the world where I go forth and make money to buy the things I think I need, to pay my bills and to save for the child I don’t have yet’s college education.

There’s also the world where I fulfill my creative needs by writing or expressing myself in other ways. I also call this the “real work” world. If you’re a writer, you know what I’m talking about.

Most of the time those two worlds do not converge.

With 2011 winding down and with me being another year older (and presumably wiser), it’s occurred to me that I need to make those two worlds converge more frequently. In other words, how can I make more money doing that which creatively satisfies me?

I realize this is quite the dilemma for so early in the morning (I’m writing this at around 6AM Pacific time) but these are precisely the times when you tend to think about these types of weighty issues. I can’t help it, the thoughts just come to me and they need to be addressed – sleep or other considerations be dammed.

Returning to my point, I need to figure out a way (or ways) to make money doing what I love. I’m sure people out there must have faced a similar situation, so if you’re reading this and feeling inclined to help, chime on in.

Until help comes from unexpected but welcome corners of the Internets, I’ve gone ahead and formulated a plan on my own. Or, at least I’ve got an interim plan until something better comes to mind.

In truth, my plan is relatively simple as it involves doing pretty much what I already do and how I do it. The main difference is in how I will allocate my time during the day and what I will focus on.

For example, under this new plan I will now spend as much time writing something (a short story, script, blog post, etc.) as I do on the Internet. I include time spent on Facebook, Twitter, etc. in that as well. I also do this in hopes of reducing the time I spend reading Twitter, on Facebook or reading mindless blog posts.

Going along with that will be an attempt to “reduce the clutter” of my online information stream. In other words, I will visit fewer sites less frequently and try only to read those sites that feature what I consider to be “good” writing and not attention grabbing link bait disguised as writing.

I will also schedule my day better. I will allocate blocks of time to tasks and only do those tasks during that specific time. Of course, this will have to be somewhat flexible to allow for creative bursts of energy and inspiration so if I’m “on a roll” I don’t have to cut it off to fit a particular schedule.

Going along with that I will also have a definitive cutoff to the day when I won’t, for example, answer emails from clients or deal with other matters that don’t have anything to do with the creative world.

I think the term I’m looking for here is balance. Although, that may not be exactly applicable in this case. I’m not looking for balance, per se, I’m actually looking for a way to spend the vast majority of my time in that second, creative, world.

The best case is that those two worlds converge completely and I spend all of my work time doing those things which make me the happiest. If I could make a few bucks in the process, all the better.

Obviously, I’m still working on the full plan, but I feel pretty good about it so far. At least I’ve mostly identified the problem and are taking some steps to remedy it.

I know I can do better and I know this plan will evolve over time like any good one should. Stay tuned to see how the goes.

But until then, this is what I’ve got. And really, what did you expect at 6AM?

–

Note - I’m not sure what the pic above has to do with this particular topic. I just like it, okay?

Looking For Inspiration

No matter what I’ve achieved in my life, occasionally I find myself in need of some inspiration or motivation (or both). Usually, whatever I need comes from inside me and I end up making it work somehow.

						Other times, I need to look elsewhere for what I need. Today is one of those days. So, to help me move forward and do what I need to do, here's a little inspiration from my man Steve Jobs.

						[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc?rel=0&w=480&h=390]

						Whatever you may think of him or Apple, he certainly knows his way around public speaking. We could all hope to be this good at something someday.

						Money quote:

						"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition."

						Yep. I needed that.

The New 'The Flickcast' Site is Alive!

I’m pretty darn excited about my latest venture The Flickcast. I’ve been working on it for a couple months now doing a weekly podcast about movies, tv, comics and other geek stuff and its been great fun and pretty successful so far.

						In addition to the podcast, I've also started a news site as a companion to the weekly show that's also been doing pretty well. One thing that had always bothered me about the site, though, was that it looked too much like a blog and not enough like a professional news site should look.

						Fortunately, that's no longer the case because my new favorite web designer, <a href="http://www.rp-network.com">Robert Palmer</a>, has done a kick-ass job and totally redesigned the site to make it look awesome <em>and</em> professional.

						This site and podcast are just the start of what I hope will someday be a giant media empire. Meanwhile, if you get a minute, head on over to <a href="http://www.theflickcast.com"><em>The Flickcast</em></a> and check out the new look, read a review or two and listen to some great podcasts.

						I feel very privileged to be able to start this new venture and it wouldn't be possible without some other great people like my podcast co-hosts Matt Raub and Christina Warren, my "web guy" Robert Palmer, site contributors like David Press, John Carle, all the Mahoneys (Sean, Tom, Adele and Heath), some great tools like Wordpress and last, but not least, the inspiration, encouragement and help I've received from various friends, colleagues and mentors. 

						Thank you all. I sincerely appreciate it.

						Also, if you've got any feedback, feel free to drop it in the comments here or at <em><a href="http://www.theflickcast.com">The Flickcast</a></em> site.

Portland - The New Hollywood?

200708031925.jpg

						I recently did a <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=11255">piece</a> for CBR about Portland, its creativity and its thriving comic book scene. I found Portland to be inspirational for many reasons, chief of which is the fact that it just feels like a great place to "get things done." It has many of the big city virtues but still manages to maintain some of the small-town feel and, dare I say it, innocence, so often lacking in other places -- like Los Angeles.

						When I was there talking to a great many of the people responsible for putting Portland on the map as a creative town and a town where there are lots of talented people producing some great stuff, I also got a sense that something else was just around the corner. That we hadn't seen everything that was going to happen in Portland and that comics were just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

						Well, if you take a look at <a href="http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117969711.html?categoryid=13&amp;cs=1&amp;nid=2562">this article</a> in <em>Variety</em>, I guess we now have an idea what that something else might be: Hollywood. Hollywood, it seems, is in love with comic books and wants to make as many comic books into movies as possible. In many ways that's a good thing. It gives people who work in comics a chance to see their work on the big screen and potentially puts a lot more money in their pockets. It also opens up these stories to a much greater potential audience who may, after discovering the movie they just enjoyed was based on a graphic novel or comic book, go to their local comic book store to check out a few more. They might even end up purchasing some too.

						But I wonder if, in the end, this attention will really be good for comics and Portland. My first clue that all may not be perfect in this new relationship is the title of the <em>Variety</em> article. It's pretty openly condescending to comic book creators, calling them "wannabes." Of course, that may not be an insult to Hollywood people. After all, doesn't everyone want to work in the movies?

						From experience I know that Hollywood often has a tendency to find that "next big thing," use it until there's no more left and then move on to the next thing. Unfortunately, that often leaves quite a bit of destruction in its wake. As someone who likes comics, comic book creators, publishers <em>and</em> Portland, I just hope Hollywood doesn't do the same to them when its finished squeezing every penny it can.

						I hope Hollywood, in its desperation to save a dying business model, bring people into the theaters and sell lots of DVDs, doesn't end up ruining comics for the rest of us and crushing that last bit of innocence in Portland and comics we could all use a little more of now and again. That would be a shame indeed.