http://chrisfullman.com Love him. Make him yours. posterous.com 26.22876-80.158162fullmanhttp://feedburner.google.com Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:39:55 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/uNl6VmWLqoY/ok-ill-keep-this-blog http://chrisfullman.com/ok-ill-keep-this-blog <p> After getting some feedback from friends and family, I've decided to keep this blog going. But this time, I will make it more personal and less about what I do for work... those posts will be saved for another blog I'm going to launch shortly (news on that soon!), but now, ChrisFullman.com is 99% personal! </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/ok-ill-keep-this-blog">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/ok-ill-keep-this-blog#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qYTQZf2ahBm_MWN7oBqTMZfT1kA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qYTQZf2ahBm_MWN7oBqTMZfT1kA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qYTQZf2ahBm_MWN7oBqTMZfT1kA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qYTQZf2ahBm_MWN7oBqTMZfT1kA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/uNl6VmWLqoY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/ok-ill-keep-this-blog Sat, 09 May 2009 05:30:15 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/ZHNo3Td-96w/star-trek-gets-a-new-beginning http://chrisfullman.com/star-trek-gets-a-new-beginning <p> After years of waiting, Star Trek fans and new viewers get to see how Paramount relaunched one of its flagship franchises. Star Trek began on shaky ground: </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/star-trek-gets-a-new-beginning">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/star-trek-gets-a-new-beginning#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VgUK2qKSQZpbIQQqdz9hP1Df7SE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VgUK2qKSQZpbIQQqdz9hP1Df7SE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VgUK2qKSQZpbIQQqdz9hP1Df7SE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VgUK2qKSQZpbIQQqdz9hP1Df7SE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/ZHNo3Td-96w" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/star-trek-gets-a-new-beginning Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:46:52 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/Vv4PSQseeY0/retiring-this-blog-soon http://chrisfullman.com/retiring-this-blog-soon <p> It's time to part ways with this site-as-a-blog format I've been running for about 8 years (from fullmanator.com till now). I have some plans to splinter my professional blog off to another domain and make this site more personal, more social than I'm used to. Hopefully this move will spark some more ideas on where I can go from here! When will all this take place? Look for the change, and the farewell-but-not-quite post within the next few months. All sites change, but people do not. </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/retiring-this-blog-soon">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/retiring-this-blog-soon#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SouxT8fWJ9GKh6UrRd-9wv8NnRE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SouxT8fWJ9GKh6UrRd-9wv8NnRE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SouxT8fWJ9GKh6UrRd-9wv8NnRE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SouxT8fWJ9GKh6UrRd-9wv8NnRE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/Vv4PSQseeY0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/retiring-this-blog-soon Sun, 05 Apr 2009 05:13:44 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/IWTDfXVxrTw/catching-a-breath http://chrisfullman.com/catching-a-breath <p> No, this won't be a full post, but I had to update my blog since SXSW 2009 is long gone. I had planned on posting a summary of my experience at SXSW 2009, but between work kicking into a busier-than-normal schedule, me behind in personal projects and chores around my home, I haven't really been in a blogging mood as of late. I'll have some news in the upcoming weeks about a few things I'm launching and what I'll be working on last. As always, the best way to keep track of what I'm up to or what I'm thinking is on Twitter (<a href="http://twitter.com/chrisfullman" target="_blank">@chrisfullman</a>). And no, I don't say what I'm doing all the time, rather brief thoughts, links that I thought were worth sharing and other things. Until the next update... </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/catching-a-breath">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/catching-a-breath#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u2YeoP2QqrLGPROqt3xgQ-5KIkI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u2YeoP2QqrLGPROqt3xgQ-5KIkI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u2YeoP2QqrLGPROqt3xgQ-5KIkI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u2YeoP2QqrLGPROqt3xgQ-5KIkI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/IWTDfXVxrTw" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/catching-a-breath Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:10:34 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/Vs9csvBr7bo/hello-south-by-southwest-2009 http://chrisfullman.com/hello-south-by-southwest-2009 <p> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/aeznfhDxxizdwpIrItgEJlaIECCvgIdFwneGBFiGhrztnsqzCzzdEJluhABI/media_httpsxswcomfilesu10iameetwebtilegif_tpqFDByCiIEjHbp.gif.scaled500.gif" width="140" height="100"/> This afternoon, I'll be heading to Austin, TX for a little conference called <a href="http://sxsw.com/interactive" target="_blank">South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive</a>. When I say little, I should probably mention that there will be at least 6,000 people there, with a few thousand more for the other portions (film and music) for good measure. The first (and previous) time I went to SXSW was in March 2007 where I and a few other team members picked up <a href="http://www.agencynet.com" target="_blank">AgencyNet</a>'s awards for our work on <a href="http://www.ownyourc.com" target="_blank">ownyourC.com</a>, attended a collective hundred-plus panels, attended a few sponsored parties and enjoyed the local live music and food. Austin quickly proved itself to become one of my favorite cities, a city I likened to a "much bigger Downtown Fort Lauderdale." To read about my experience at SXSW 2007, <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/2007/03/south-by-southwest-2007-in-review-panels-part-1/">read my 4-part recap</a>. Should you be attending, feel free to meet some of us from AgencyNet: Joining me will be <a href="http://www.elsanchez.com" target="_blank">Augi</a> (who's also my best friend), <a href="http://www.askomar.com" target="_blank">Omar</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Nini6485" target="_blank">Lindsay</a>, <em>some</em> woman named <a href="http://www.larissameek.com" target="_blank">Larissa</a>... and if our CEO feels better from last weekend's pneumonia, <a href="http://twitter.com/agencynet" target="_blank">Richard Lent</a>. For those of you who'd like to experience SXSW vicariously, I'll be posting daily updates on AgencyNet's blog <a href="http://anidea.com" target="_blank">ANidea.com</a>, in addition to tweeting, pictures and video from the rest of the team. You can contact/locate me while I'm in Austin through the following: <ul> <li><a href="http://my.sxsw.com/user/profile/chrisfullman" target="_blank">my.SXSW.com</a></li> <li>Google Shared Calendar: <a href="http://www.google.com/calendar/ical/6juibh26ld99c6mkrf3m6q44kprfqm53%40import.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics">iCal</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/calendar/feeds/6juibh26ld99c6mkrf3m6q44kprfqm53%40import.calendar.google.com/public/basic">XML</a></li> <li>Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/chrisfullman" target="_blank">@chrisfullman</a></li> </ul> I'll be returning back home next Tuesday (St. Patty's day for the drinkers out there), and will post a recap on here shortly after. </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/hello-south-by-southwest-2009">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/hello-south-by-southwest-2009#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YiMugl_Ze8Q5s-GXpFqofbnw8Iw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YiMugl_Ze8Q5s-GXpFqofbnw8Iw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YiMugl_Ze8Q5s-GXpFqofbnw8Iw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YiMugl_Ze8Q5s-GXpFqofbnw8Iw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/Vs9csvBr7bo" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/hello-south-by-southwest-2009 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:01:44 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/GwBEavrVz6s/leaving-media-temple-for-slicehost http://chrisfullman.com/leaving-media-temple-for-slicehost <p> I'll be moving my server over to <a href="http://www.slicehost.com">Slicehost</a> after <a href="http://www.mediatemple.net" target="_blank">Media Temple</a>'s <a href="http://twitter.com/mt_monitor" target="_blank">series of unfortunate events</a> (or <a href="http://weblog.mediatemple.net/weblog/category/system-incidents/" target="_blank">epic failures</a>). Since I rarely have time to myself outside of exercising and friends, this may take a while. Why Slicehost? Well, after asking for recommendations on Twitter, I've received multiple IMs, SMS, @replies and DMs on Twitter praising their support, prices and hardware. If you're looking to leave Media Temple and are interested in checking Slicehost out, <a href="https://manage.slicehost.com/customers/new?referrer=315c91b9e5d2b9a19f73cb3f9eca0f07" target="_blank">use this link</a>. :) </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/leaving-media-temple-for-slicehost">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/leaving-media-temple-for-slicehost#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wsViuMZbcuUGuTYrSKVUUVgwdX4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wsViuMZbcuUGuTYrSKVUUVgwdX4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wsViuMZbcuUGuTYrSKVUUVgwdX4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wsViuMZbcuUGuTYrSKVUUVgwdX4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/GwBEavrVz6s" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/leaving-media-temple-for-slicehost Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:13:21 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/01DGMqmi5Mk/barcampmiami-2009 http://chrisfullman.com/barcampmiami-2009 <p> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/gipjysjIxkehealHActtossFCEGouslcllIfalJoIDimGpyuawqhHmusGtbA/media_httpchrisfullmancomwpcontentuploads200902barcampmiamijpg_ImlhgktaGqjnhfb.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="240" height="80"/> Today I attended <a href="http://barcampmiami.org/" target="_blank">BarCampMiami</a>, a free "un-conference" organized by local industry contributors and sponsoring companies, which was also the first BarCamp I've attended. This post will be a review ofamy my first impression and some feedback for the organizers, two of whom I personally know, <a href="http://brianbreslin.com/">Brian Breslin</a> and <a href="http://alexdc.org/">Alex de Carvalho</a>. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a BarCamp is, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BarCamp" target="_blank">the blurb on Wikipedia</a> explains it best: <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>An international network of user generated conferences — open, participatory workshop-events, whose content is provided by participants. The first BarCamps focused on early-stage web applications, and related open source technologies, social protocols, and open data formats. The format has also been used for a variety of other topics, including public transit, health care, and political organizing.</em></p> </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/barcampmiami-2009">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/barcampmiami-2009#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ziEk9hW5aQDVsD41VEPb38A4jgU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ziEk9hW5aQDVsD41VEPb38A4jgU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ziEk9hW5aQDVsD41VEPb38A4jgU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ziEk9hW5aQDVsD41VEPb38A4jgU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/01DGMqmi5Mk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/barcampmiami-2009 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:50:31 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/Mxah0MXytoY/six-degrees-of-happiness http://chrisfullman.com/six-degrees-of-happiness <p> My BFF's wife Meli tagged me in a post on her new blog <a href="http://melificent.com/" target="_blank">Melificent.com</a>, and so I figured it'd give me a good reason to update my blog as well. For some reason, I thought I'd get away from memes forever since leaving LiveJournal years ago, but they've oddly come back with a vengaence on Facebook and Twitter. I don't think I'll make this a regular thing on my blog, but if the meme is sound enough to make a post about it, then I'll go ahead with the thing. So here we go, six things that make me happy, in no particular order whatsoever... <h2><strong>AgencyNet</strong></h2> <strong></strong><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/gHElIAzwnrthCrDAyhgegzJzGztzkIDACysbAbCfijJpGetggInjnkaJnDdr/media_httpchrisfullmancomwpcontentuploads2009026happyanetjpg_lomlwAefcnCvhoq.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="150"/> The <a href="http://www.agencynet.com" target="_blank">AgencyNet</a> office has become a home away from home for me, and my co-workers have become my family... albeit an extended family. Sure, there are some cousins in there I might not always get along with, and like family, we're entitled to fight from time to time... when you spend enough time with them, they're bound to get on your nerves. But, for the most part, I genuinely enjoy my job, and being able to work with my sister and my best friend, Augi. <h2><strong>Augi</strong></h2> <strong></strong><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/cAgJnxGFwozrzcyAhfEsFjFFclxfsBwGBffzkozvJDGEAcuiAgiBlEvcCusj/media_httpchrisfullmancomwpcontentuploads2009026happyaugijpg_tdzjCcCycEzfroA.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="150"/> It'd seem odd that I'd single out my best friend <a href="http://www.elsanchez.com" target="_blank">Augi</a> when I only have six items to choose from, but truth be told, I love that I get the chance to work with and see him 5 out of 7 days of the week, at the minimum. We've known eachother since September of 2001 when we met at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale for photography class, and through my group of friends, we've gotten closer through the years. When he got married to Meli, we all grew into a bigger family, and I couldn't be happier with the family I have now! <h2><strong>My Family</strong></h2> <strong></strong><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/ofEtpyAEswlBsnBJhGsDHCztspDymagyzjuHztCforbFGvCAiruJcwHoJpFp/media_httpchrisfullmancomwpcontentuploads2009026happyfamilyjpg_sdFfyhviHcIaksD.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="150"/> My family makes me happy, and while I only really see my sister (rather, also my coworker and current roommate) for the most part, my parents are always there when I need them. They're always 5 miles from home, work around the corner from my office, and remind me they're there even though they know they don't have to. My grandpa, aunt and uncle and cousins are also pretty close, and while I don't get the chance to see my dad's family out in California, the time we spend together is always cherished. My grandma is even a frequent reader of this blog! <h2><strong>My Friends</strong></h2> <strong></strong><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/iHnApdopbsIxtopkqHhjpkgBAmfBFqBDoyqtgstxknCbqvJBuvxyaJfmfHrx/media_httpchrisfullmancomwpcontentuploads2009026happyfriendsjpg_bJFjrnmcFsJyhEn.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="150"/> I've been blessed to have such a tight, small group of great friends instead of a larger group of "see them every once and a while" friends others have, and we spend as much time together at parties, BBQs, game nights, after-work hangouts and other events as possible. They've even become instrumental in supporting my new diet/workout plan, even if it means I can't make it to a spontaneous evening outing, and are a great help when I may be tempted by the now-unwelcome food choices I encounter.  <h2><strong>Ripley</strong></h2> <strong></strong><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/EkslecnqwIfhehCDlocCxGzCyBGGaoJqGjfppjesCFwsyltxlwocfcouhDIG/media_httpchrisfullmancomwpcontentuploads200902ripleyjpg_HiBxCqzrpatnyJG.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="150"/> I got my puppy Ripley when she was 13 weeks and before my first anniversary in my condo. She's grown from a terribly high-maintenance training chore to a loyal friend. She has a few quirks that we still have to work through, but she's never happy being in a separate room from me when I'm around. When I get up, she gets up, unconditionally. True story: Ripley was named after Sigourney Weaver's character in the <em>Alien</em> series after seeing the stitches on her belly from being spayed. <h2><strong>Science Fiction</strong></h2> <strong></strong><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/xpmmedjGwnaotqFtBBguxqgAtdFFEFDumaeeJjIsszifxwjbBxtGDntcCDmp/media_httpchrisfullmancomwpcontentuploads2009026happyscifijpg_jbbEmbbschnIdlb.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="150"/> Whether it's <em>Star Trek</em>, <em>Star Wars</em>, <em>Smallville</em>, <em>Supernatural</em>, <em>Lost</em>, <em>The X-Files</em> or the re-imagined <em>Battlestar Galactica</em> - which is arguably considered the best science fiction series by many critics and myself - I can always count on a quick distraction into a world that could-be. It doesn't take a nerd to look to the future (even if the future isn't as polished and utopian as we'd like), all it takes is one with an imagination and time to get away. It's certainly something I can share with some of my closest friends and family... for those who like sci-fi. In fact, I'm in the process of writing my own science fiction trilogy... I just need to find the time to focus on it. Since that's one of my 2009 New Year's Resolutions, I'm already on my way.   But that's where the tagging ends. Chances are everyone I would tag, should I actually want to tag, has already been tagged about 20 times already just for this meme, so I'll spare everyone the tagging. </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/six-degrees-of-happiness">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/six-degrees-of-happiness#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/utvpPKrFmiDMZxYGtQzu9BNVB9I/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/utvpPKrFmiDMZxYGtQzu9BNVB9I/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/utvpPKrFmiDMZxYGtQzu9BNVB9I/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/utvpPKrFmiDMZxYGtQzu9BNVB9I/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/Mxah0MXytoY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/six-degrees-of-happiness Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:57:07 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/3rcQGqLXCQA/so-long-pc-ive-gone-mac http://chrisfullman.com/so-long-pc-ive-gone-mac <p> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/BolFbqJsJErnDJurguitalCAqgpChfcxInCrkIeezyvzauhjulruAhvtlcsh/media_httpchrisfullmancomwpcontentuploads200902applevsmicrosoft300x247jpg_IHlhbxjgDFDFHdG.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="300" height="247"/> Since I was 10, I remember building PCs with my dad, collecting miscellaneous parts like motherboards, video cards, hard drives to CD-ROMs, RAM and CPU (either Intel or AMD) and putting them together. Often times, we'd cut our fingers on the computer's chassis, battle scars for the computer we'd enjoy when it was complete. We built these computers for friends, trying out new configurations and vendors, happy with the knowledge of building something that would help us work, learn and play. Then we stopped building and started buying; HP, Compaq, Sony and Dell, they were welcomed along with the lack of injuries and the backing of warranty support. I've been a PC kid for almost 17 years now, an Amiga kid before that, and I know the ins and outs of PCs. I can troubleshoot, replace and fix just about anything. But now it was time to move on from all that, and with my tax refund, I purchased my first Mac this weekend, the new MacBook. I'd been waiting for my chance for a few years but they were always out of reach, both financially and logistically in migrating over to a vastly-different platform. </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/so-long-pc-ive-gone-mac">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/so-long-pc-ive-gone-mac#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xBpeUB6K7DBuD4A9Hgci7DByYf4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xBpeUB6K7DBuD4A9Hgci7DByYf4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xBpeUB6K7DBuD4A9Hgci7DByYf4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xBpeUB6K7DBuD4A9Hgci7DByYf4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/3rcQGqLXCQA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/so-long-pc-ive-gone-mac Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:54:58 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/BAZM-9wKeak/improvements-in-gaming-consoles-came-from-pcs http://chrisfullman.com/improvements-in-gaming-consoles-came-from-pcs <p> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/fqGmojrkGmIIHJAnICyDJsnBxsBuowzIEDzEzJmJyljIrorfApabrpmvhumj/media_httpchrisfullmancomwpcontentuploads2009015948threeconsoles300x195jpg_jchvxvIJmCyiCvD.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="300" height="195"/> Growing up through the 90s, my console of choice was my PC. I didn't get a Nintendo, a PlayStation or Sega <em>whatever </em>to enable my procrastination in homework or chores. In fact the first console I owned was the XBOX as part of a <a href="http://www.speakeasy.net/" target="_blank">Speakeasy</a> promotion for getting DSL service back in 2002. I've owned every <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_Raider_(series)" target="_blank">Tomb Raider</a> game in the series for PC with the exception of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_Raider_Legend" target="_blank"><em>Tomb Raider: Legend</em></a> (which, in my opinion, is easily the best in the series), I've owned <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII" target="_blank"><em>Final Fantasy VII</em></a> and <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VIII" target="_blank">VIII</a> </em>(when they made the short-lived leap to PC). Countless Star Trek titles from games to interactive technical manuals and a handful of hella-advanced-for-their-time <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64" target="_blank">Commodore 64</a> titles. But where did the shift in improvements originate? </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/improvements-in-gaming-consoles-came-from-pcs">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/improvements-in-gaming-consoles-came-from-pcs#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7GxAVydfq96TmaA-XqRw39wEASI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7GxAVydfq96TmaA-XqRw39wEASI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7GxAVydfq96TmaA-XqRw39wEASI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7GxAVydfq96TmaA-XqRw39wEASI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/BAZM-9wKeak" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/improvements-in-gaming-consoles-came-from-pcs Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:29:12 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/gy9KyimhHmI/why-i-switched-to-wordpress http://chrisfullman.com/why-i-switched-to-wordpress <p> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/bspCjlskEmdDsIjCzqdmpyHlarupvIzftDkzfzrmwHeHsFICDDzGqryHnjhf/media_httpchrisfullmancomwpcontentuploads200901wordpresslogo150x150png_JfgouaFjyuEksyi.png.scaled500.png" width="150" height="150"/> <em>I had originally written a (really, really) long post to explain why I've switched, but decided that I should just make this post really short instead -- and promptly deleted the remainder of this post to start over.</em> Many of you who know me know I've been an avid user of <a href="http://movabletype.com/" target="_blank">Movable Type</a> since I started blogging on my own site (and away from <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">LiveJournal</a>) since 2001. I've upgraded every time they announced a new version, participated in beta testing and even tried my hand at writing a plugin for a client project we launched almost two years ago. I was so comfortable with the platform that I resisted switching to anything else for years. So why did I switch to <a href="http://wordpress.org/" target="_blank">WordPress</a>? Here's a quick list... </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/why-i-switched-to-wordpress">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/why-i-switched-to-wordpress#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/od71bldGehgHIGs-r8ZKeCAaAzE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/od71bldGehgHIGs-r8ZKeCAaAzE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/od71bldGehgHIGs-r8ZKeCAaAzE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/od71bldGehgHIGs-r8ZKeCAaAzE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/gy9KyimhHmI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/why-i-switched-to-wordpress Sat, 24 Jan 2009 09:24:25 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/uE9eoLtiI9c/chrisfullmancom-now-with-wordpress-27 http://chrisfullman.com/chrisfullmancom-now-with-wordpress-27 <p> I've switched to <a href="http://wordpress.org/" target="_blank">Wordpress 2.7</a> from <a href="http://movabletype.com/" target="_blank">Movable Type 4.2</a>. I'll be posting my thoughts on why (since a lot of you will be asking) a little later. <em>RSS/Email subscribers: Sorry if you see a bunch of older posts. I wish it didn't happen that way, but that's how it goes with changes like this.</em> </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/chrisfullmancom-now-with-wordpress-27">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/chrisfullmancom-now-with-wordpress-27#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FLG5SXDJCJTjhZxTbIpCl8CgdvM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FLG5SXDJCJTjhZxTbIpCl8CgdvM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FLG5SXDJCJTjhZxTbIpCl8CgdvM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FLG5SXDJCJTjhZxTbIpCl8CgdvM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/uE9eoLtiI9c" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/chrisfullmancom-now-with-wordpress-27 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:21:27 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/g5v1gjx0MNo/im-going-to-beat-this http://chrisfullman.com/im-going-to-beat-this <p> This year as <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/2008/12/2009-a-year-of-new-resolutions">one of many resolutions</a> I made the decision to snap back in shape. I know it sounds cliched, and in most cases, it does. There are so many people who say the same thing only to give it up a few weeks later. This time it'll be different, and let me explain why. I grew up in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Lauderdale,_Florida" target="_blank">Fort Lauderdale, FL</a> and I'm still here after 26 years. I'm one of the few natives you'll ever meet, should you ever meet me. I was a natural-born swimmer. I loved the water, and pretty much stayed in the pool for many, many hours between the age of 6-15. I had a dark tan, many people mistook me for being of Indian decent (no, really), and of course, had the swimmer's body. We'll ignore the <a href="http://redstaterenegade.com/wp-content/speedo.jpg" target="_blank">standard Speedo uniform</a> (go on, <em>I dare you</em>), before <a href="http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070531/070531_speedo_hsmall_4p.hmedium.jpg" target="_blank">Speedos looked cool</a> (no, really, it's a legit link, I <em>swear</em>) with polyurethane skin-style suits. Anyways, I loved swimming. Then for some reason that changed. I suppose it was the full-time high school student thing, or the fact that I also got my first full-time job at 15. Or that I perhaps wanted something else than swimming. </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/im-going-to-beat-this">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/im-going-to-beat-this#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/5SLTbXzIzM5KwG9CjgkR9_SlYv0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/5SLTbXzIzM5KwG9CjgkR9_SlYv0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/5SLTbXzIzM5KwG9CjgkR9_SlYv0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/5SLTbXzIzM5KwG9CjgkR9_SlYv0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/g5v1gjx0MNo" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/im-going-to-beat-this Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:07:53 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/BPuRLSBn2SQ/one-half-of-a-resolution-almost-accomplished http://chrisfullman.com/one-half-of-a-resolution-almost-accomplished <p> This past Friday I put in my application to get my first U.S. Passport. Soon I will be able to say I'm an international traveler! In about a month's time I should be able to roam freely between countries and collect my stamps to mark the adventures!<p />This summer I'll be making plans to take a cruise for a vacation to either the Eastern Carribbean or the Bahamas. I'm not sure if I'll be going alone or bringing a friend along. Perhaps if people were interested in a group cruise, we could arrange that too! </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/one-half-of-a-resolution-almost-accomplished">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/one-half-of-a-resolution-almost-accomplished#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Bsawl-hS8XOtox_EuhbAObDwLzU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Bsawl-hS8XOtox_EuhbAObDwLzU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Bsawl-hS8XOtox_EuhbAObDwLzU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Bsawl-hS8XOtox_EuhbAObDwLzU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/BPuRLSBn2SQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/one-half-of-a-resolution-almost-accomplished Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:59:47 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/fmpRmETdUkE/techie-on-the-go-try-these-mobile-travel-tips-0 http://chrisfullman.com/techie-on-the-go-try-these-mobile-travel-tips-0 <p> My travels have picked up over the past year, and this year looks to have me traveling even more, not just for work but for visiting friends and family (at least, as many friends and family as my tight budget will allow).<p />Sure, you may or may not have heard of <a href="http://www.dopplr.com/" target="_blank">Dopplr</a>, a trip management service that lets you create your itineraries by manually entering them or (automagically!) by e-mailing your ticket confirmation e-mail to them, connecting with friends and meeting new people along the way, and more. But there are a few things you can do just with your phone.<p /><b>For the examples that follow, I'm going to be showing screencaps of my iPhone. However, most current phones support the same features I'll be explaining, so just look at your phone's options and see how you can use them to your benefit!</b><p /><i>Before you do any of these, understand the risks of entering detailed travel/confirmation data in your mobile device. Make sure you have the appropriate security features enabled on your phone, such as pin locks and automatic erasing if passwords have been entered incorrectly 5 or so times in succession. If your phone supports Remote Wipe as part of Exchange, that's great!</i><p />But there are a few simple things you can do right now that I've found to be the biggest help in traveling...<br /><b><br /></b><ul><li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fullman/3168430371/" title="Travel Tip: Put Travel Destinations and Services as Favorite Contacts in Your Phone by chrisfullman, on Flickr" target="_blank"><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/loGfqtJpFDAwzECnaulJoEBGwFdpHEGkrfsrtCwpgjwygzHApaHsrrmyuAlA/media_httpfarm4staticflickrcom30953168430371459cb3b125mjpg_DGeHCDqGmuclyhp.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="160" height="240"/> </a><b>Add Trip Destinations and Locations to Your Phone's Favorite/Speed Dial List</b><br />People are used to opening e-mails or text messages on their phone, selecting the confirmation's phone number, looking it up on Google Maps or dialing it as they see them on a paper printout. Keep it simple, add it before the trip as "Hotel," "Car Service," "Convention Center," "Restaurant - Night 1," etc. You can also keep handy notes about the person's name<p />Don't bother with typing the actual location's name, because let's face it, if you're not a regular there, you're not going to keep it in your phone, nor should you be hunting for the hotel's name in your large contact list if you can't remember which one it is.<p /><i>It really helps if you can add these contacts through your computer, either through Outlook, Entourage or another e-mail/contact client that syncs with your phone instead of tapping them in with your fingers.</i><p /></li><li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fullman/3168430429/" title="Travel Tip: Place Travel Confirmation Details in a Calendar Note by chrisfullman, on Flickr" target="_blank"><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/GspJsujmEqfhgBAbqszJFtpxsmfHcpkfkEIsFjzbBfakffElqFIdelgdHjqr/media_httpfarm4staticflickrcom30853168430429efca071a80mjpg_mAFbcwclqAcjmDH.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="160" height="240"/> </a><b>Add Travel Destinations and Flight Information to Your Phone's Calendar</b><br />If you arrive on Friday the 13th, although I can't imagine why you'd pick that date to start a trip, then Friday's appointment in your calendar should include the outgoing flight confirmation and departure times, hotel reservation confirmation and check-in time, car service confirmation and any other significant numbers you need that travel day. <p />Now whenever you're prompted for a confirmation number at the airport, don't hunt for it in an e-mail or paper somewhere, just go to your calendar, go to today's date, click on today's travel appointment and there you go!<p /><i>It really helps if you can add these appointments through your computer, either through Outlook, Entourage, Google Calendar, iCal or another e-mail/contact client that syncs with your phone instead of tapping them in with your fingers.</i><br /><b><br /></b></li><li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fullman/3168430493/" title="Travel Tip: Follow @JetBlue on Twitter (Seen via Twinkle) by chrisfullman, on Flickr" target="_blank"><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/wIqAqJbkdbzxhEnhpHiIDHDCnimggznzvoxtqgsfzGhlDmIBhhDctFkfbdbm/media_httpfarm2staticflickrcom13303168430493e10a87d90fmjpg_DAvigftoxAmqCpn.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="160" height="240"/> </a><b>Find Your Airlines' Online Touchpoints for Information and Unconventional Help<br /></b>My favorite airline is <a href="http://www.jetblue.com/" target="_blank">JetBlue</a>, so I follow <a href="http://twitter.com/jetblue" target="_blank">@JetBlue</a> (hi Morgan!) on <a href="http://twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and they follow me back. If there are any scheduling issues, they'll announce it. If I have a problem and tell them, they'll take care of it.<p />Think of it as customer service without the hold times, inexperienced call center trainees and having to explain your issue over and over again to 4 people up the call center ladder.<p /></li></ul><br />Some other helpful tips that have made my travels easier are...<b><p /></b><ul><li><b>Look to Blogs for Travel Tips</b><br /><a href="http://lifehacker.com/tag/travel/" target="_blank">Lifehacker</a>, <a href="http://consumerist.com/tag/travel/" target="_blank">Consumerist</a> and other blogs all have travel tips, but Lifehacker in particular has a wide array of travel tips, from software and online services to help you plan your trip, to packing techniques and methods. Consumerist has tips on what to watch out for while traveling, from scams and fishy business practices to money-saving deals.<p /></li><li><b>Keep Your Pockets Clear at All Times</b><br />When I travel, the only things that stay in my pockets are my cell phone, my digi camera and my wallet. (Generally when I travel, someone's staying at my home and drops me off and picks me up, so my keys don't need to come with me.) I know, it's tempting to shove everything in your pockets. Subway tickets, receipts, loose change and bills, a schedule to a show you're attending, handwritten notes and business cards. But you're not impressing anyone if you have to empty your pockets to find that one item you actually need on the spot, especially if there are people lining up behind you. Pay via credit/debit if you can to knock out the change factor.<p /></li><li><b>Keep a Phone Charger On You at All Times</b><br />Put this in your jacket pocket, messenger bag or backpack (or if you must, though you lose respect and hip points, a hip pack). If you use your phone as much as I do (which is all the time), you're going to need to plug in at the convention center, coffee shop or restaurant sooner or later.</li></ul><br />What tips do you have when you travel? </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/techie-on-the-go-try-these-mobile-travel-tips-0">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/techie-on-the-go-try-these-mobile-travel-tips-0#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KHXFbpYHS05axtWvCFPN88GiZSA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KHXFbpYHS05axtWvCFPN88GiZSA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KHXFbpYHS05axtWvCFPN88GiZSA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KHXFbpYHS05axtWvCFPN88GiZSA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/fmpRmETdUkE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/techie-on-the-go-try-these-mobile-travel-tips-0 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:38:41 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/bmg8PMWZfgQ/2009-a-year-of-new-resolutions http://chrisfullman.com/2009-a-year-of-new-resolutions <p> With every new year comes new resolutions. Last year's resolutions for 2008 didn't go over quite as planned, even though some things got checked off my list. For 2009, I'm going to take things a little more seriously, and I hope I can share with everyone at the end of 2009 how I accomplished these goals (with a few updates as I go along).<p />So here they are, in no particular order:<p /><ul><li><b>Get &amp; Stay Healthy</b><br />Lose the extra pounds I gained since I stopped swimming 12 years ago and get the body I never had. I've jump started this by ordering the <a href="http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/weight_loss/power90.do" target="_blank">90-day Beachbody 'Power 90' Boot Camp</a>.<p /></li><li><b>Get Published</b><br />Get my first book published and help others in my professional position succeed in places they may feel stranded in.<p /></li><li><b>Become (Immediate) Debt Free</b><br />I'm not counting the school loans or the mortgage... come on, that stuff hangs around like <i>a dead goose</i>. I'm talking about the credit cards and lines of credit that I have that continually haunt my bank accounts. In this economy, I've neither helped others or myself, and it's time to fix that.<p /></li><li><b>Start a Trilogy</b><br />I have a great idea stuck in my head, now I just have to get it out in a format that makes the most sense. I just have to figure out what format that is, but it won't be limited to just one.<p /></li><li><b>Go to Another Country</b><br />It's hard to believe I've never actually left the US. Well, it's time to start exploring, especially if I want to fulfill my goal of traveling to Japan with my <a href="http://elsanchez.com/" target="_blank">best friend Augi</a> and <a href="http://itsmelificent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">his wonderful wife Meli</a> in a few years' time. Even if it's in the Caribbean or Mexico, it still counts as going outside the borders.<p /></li><li><b>Develop a Life-Changing Tool</b><br />Sometimes we let our health slip away from us, either because we're too busy (I'm certainly guilty of this) or because we can't remember how healthy (or unhealthy) we've been to add or create some motivation to improve. I'm planning on hopefully changing this for a few thousand people, at the very least.<p /></li><li><b>Find Another</b><br />I think it's time I finally started looking for my other half, and even if I don't find that specific person, at least I can get the journey started instead of staying single. I think I can leave it at that.</li></ul><br />What are some of your resolutions for 2009?<p /><i>Wishing everyone a safe, healthy, prosperous and blessed New Year!</i> </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/2009-a-year-of-new-resolutions">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/2009-a-year-of-new-resolutions#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9YZwh1klA9LiYNJHRluFBrWudKw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9YZwh1klA9LiYNJHRluFBrWudKw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9YZwh1klA9LiYNJHRluFBrWudKw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9YZwh1klA9LiYNJHRluFBrWudKw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/bmg8PMWZfgQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/2009-a-year-of-new-resolutions Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:20:56 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/_4xtSjeGJvI/reflecting-and-thinking-about-the-future http://chrisfullman.com/reflecting-and-thinking-about-the-future <p> This holiday season, I spent the week with my family in North Carolina. It's been little over 2 years since I moved out and got a condo all to myself, so it's vacations like these that have made me realize how much I miss them when we're not together for more than 4-6 hours on a weekend here or there.<p />Where do we go from here? Where will 2009 take us?<p />For me, I have a few goals: One, I aim to get at least my trilogy started and made available to the public. Whether that means I have some Hollywood plans or something else, only time will tell. Two, I want to get at least one of my pet project web applications fully realized and launched in some fashion. There's something I can give back to the community, give people like my dad to use (as <a href="http://www.rememberthemilk.com/">Remember the Milk</a> or <a href="http://evernote.com/">Evernote</a> is to so many users) and give to myself.<p />In an economy like ours, it's important that we realize that we're in it for more than ourselves: each decision we make affects so many others, and many of them are people who are near and dear to us.<p />Keep your friends, family and coworkers in mind as we move into the new year.<p />Here's my new year's wish to you, as a sign in my Mom's North Carolina kitchen will say: Live well. Love much. Laugh often. </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/reflecting-and-thinking-about-the-future">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/reflecting-and-thinking-about-the-future#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KXp4MgI7h4DxRPHatJh1WC2bVUk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KXp4MgI7h4DxRPHatJh1WC2bVUk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KXp4MgI7h4DxRPHatJh1WC2bVUk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KXp4MgI7h4DxRPHatJh1WC2bVUk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/_4xtSjeGJvI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/reflecting-and-thinking-about-the-future Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:52:06 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/2jB28DP6if0/so-say-we-all-yes-we-will http://chrisfullman.com/so-say-we-all-yes-we-will <p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/3005709427/"><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/jqriczCbbHCHhpfzBflDIdpBpDadpfncdyrFocgDmHecrjFqgpazmxDfftnz/media_httpfarm4staticflickrcom30213005709427e363016e64jpg_oooGDBenikyffdD.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="267" height="500"/> </a>Yesterday marked a turning point in our country's great history. We elected <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama">Barack Obama</a> as not only the first African American president, but the 44th president in a long history of free, unrestricted elections. His familiar campaign phrase "Yes, we can" should now be looked at as our country's new motto: "Yes, we <em>will</em>." I've seen many comments today which have saddened me about our recent history and how our own citizens had perceived the country's standing. Many have said "I'm proud of my country again." I couldn't imagine what could have possibly taken place where our own citizens were in any point in the past 8 years not proud of the country their families and ancestors fought for with their blood and tears. It's inconceivable to me to think that there was absolutely no good to be seen from the past administration, despite the flaws and shortcomings that were apparent. If your parents or spouse ever made mistakes, you didn't write them off as people to lose faith in or not be proud of anymore. You know that they still loved you, and that their mistakes probably hurt them more than it hurt you. We're all human, and it's in our nature to make mistakes. Only hindsight is 20/20, and unfortunately it has affected some of us as the single judging factor in every decision that's made. Back in 2000, the divisive election left half the country embittered and emboldened to resist accepting and supporting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush">President George W. Bush</a> as <em>their</em> president. They went into the election with a strong hatred towards "The Bush Legacy" as it were with every preconceived opinion and belief. And as a result, it only took a tragic event like 9/11 to rally the people together, put partisanship aside and unite as one country with a single goal: to continue to be the beacon of light across the world, to give hope and inspiration to countless other countries, and to continue to support humanitarian efforts and give people in other countries the same opportunities we Americans here enjoy at home: a free, democratic government that is <em>for</em> the people, not <em>against</em> the people. I didn't vote in that election, because as most people under the age of 21, I decided that I didn't have a mature opinion on the political agenda, and could not support my decision based on what I've seen and experienced. I don't think it's in any young American's interest to vote simply because they're pressured to do so by their friends, family members or coworkers. I don't agree that voting for the American Idol candidate in the hopes that they will <em>automagically</em> solve all our problems and take care of us. Unfortunately that has taken place this election, on both sides of the lines: young adults are so easily manipulated and pressured by those around them to not make their own decisions, but to "fit in" with their peers. When President George W. Bush was re-elected in 2004, he gave a humbled acceptance speech, and said <em>"We have one country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."</em> Today still holds true to that one statement: Our Constitution, which gives equal rights to any citizen, regardless of gender, race or religion, provides to be the strong basis of American ideals. As Americans are called to do, I voted not along my party lines, rather I voted with the candidates and issues that were most important to me. I didn't vote across the board in a one-sided attempt to go with a single doctrine or goal, I voted for those who can inspire others and move our great country forward. </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/so-say-we-all-yes-we-will">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/so-say-we-all-yes-we-will#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1byvjL9stWsIJBpF028W3WUZxH4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1byvjL9stWsIJBpF028W3WUZxH4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1byvjL9stWsIJBpF028W3WUZxH4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1byvjL9stWsIJBpF028W3WUZxH4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/2jB28DP6if0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/so-say-we-all-yes-we-will Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:55:04 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/6a1ZiL2Lu2A/a-composers-dilemma-write-or-recycle http://chrisfullman.com/a-composers-dilemma-write-or-recycle <p> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/import-strs/FchomIjhEfAIjuphaEppAiBAekxDsGrFvBnryhFGHjJbIekyqcuycravrhjJ/media_httpchrisfullmancomassetsSpiderwickChroniclesSoundtrackjpg_dHllswzbgjucmfd.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="240" height="240"/> As I was watching <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spiderwick_Chronicles_%28film%29"><i>The Spiderwick Chronicles</i></a> with my sister last night, a movie I'd happily recommend to anyone who loves movies in the fantasy/sci-fi genre, we recognized something rather familiar. It wasn't the fact that child-actor Freddie Highmore played both twin brothers in the movie (an amazing feat for someone of his age and experience), it was rather the score weaving in and out of the background throughout the film.<p />My sister and I, being avid fans of the '95 film <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casper_%28film%29"><i>Casper</i></a>, even seeing it as recently as last week, thought the main melody in Spiderwick was extremely similar to the main theme in Casper. As The first third of Spiderwick completed, I turned to Elissa and asked her "do you -- do you hear the music?" She looked over at me and said "I think... Casper?" Both shaking our heads and dismissing it with "nah, they wouldn't have done that..." we were still oddly preoccupied with what we heard throughout the rest of the film.<p />Then it hit us: During the end credits (another visual masterpiece to compliment Nickelodeon's previous film <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemony_Snicket%27s_A_Series_of_Unfortunate_Events"><i>Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events</i></a>), the composer's name appeared: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Horner">James Horner</a>. If you're a fan of movie soundtracks and composers, you may recognize James Horner also composed Casper.<p />We were shocked: James Horner recycled and reused his theme from Casper in Spiderwick! Of course, it wasn't a verbatim recycling, it had been updated and masked edited a bit.<p />Doing some quick researching last night, I found that many avid listeners also picked up on this fact. What would drive a composer to recycle old themes for a new soundtrack? (We'll omit John Williams' constant recycling of his Star Wars' themes for his portfolio of scores for the franchise.)<p />There are a few reasons that come to mind, but any composer who frowns upon recycling would consider these reasons mere cop-outs: not enough time/too many projects in production, writer's block, lapse in memory, subconcious writing based off an "idea" that's actually a previous work, etc.<p />According to Wikipedia, James Horner had composed 35 complete soundtracks prior to scoring Spiderwick, so it's entirely possible that he either subconsciously recycled the music thinking it was new or thought that with enough masking and editing, nobody would notice the recycled theme.<p />Whatever the reason, it got me thinking how many other successful films had recycled music in their soundtracks there were in the past few years.<p />Can you recall any similar soundtracks out there that go above and beyond the inclusion of a "familiar" or "similar" riff or motif? </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/a-composers-dilemma-write-or-recycle">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/a-composers-dilemma-write-or-recycle#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u41tXbLVHIcrwvWq3lL-oMafvMI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u41tXbLVHIcrwvWq3lL-oMafvMI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u41tXbLVHIcrwvWq3lL-oMafvMI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u41tXbLVHIcrwvWq3lL-oMafvMI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/6a1ZiL2Lu2A" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/a-composers-dilemma-write-or-recycle Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:31:39 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fullman/~3/oL-pqTAPSsg/my-favorite-snl-kristen-wiig-sketches http://chrisfullman.com/my-favorite-snl-kristen-wiig-sketches <p> I haven't really been paying much attention to SNL in the past few seasons, mainly since Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch left, which I considered two of SNL's strongest players of late.<p />Kristen Wiig has quickly caught my attention with her high-energy and often frenetic performances in any sketch she performs in.<p />Here's a list of my Top 5 Kristen Wiig moments (embedded videos as made available on Hulu) after the jump. </p> <p><a href="http://chrisfullman.com/my-favorite-snl-kristen-wiig-sketches">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://chrisfullman.com/my-favorite-snl-kristen-wiig-sketches#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/R4YwpD0DghD1WsvF-EVynRXdI04/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/R4YwpD0DghD1WsvF-EVynRXdI04/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/R4YwpD0DghD1WsvF-EVynRXdI04/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/R4YwpD0DghD1WsvF-EVynRXdI04/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/fullman/~4/oL-pqTAPSsg" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/270945/Fullman-500-Square.jpg http://posterous.com/people/36zuEcY4Hw53 Chris Fullman Fullman Chris Fullman http://chrisfullman.com/my-favorite-snl-kristen-wiig-sketches