The Land of Skin

Making birds fly.

2011-02-11T13:56:00.000-08:00

Had my girls yesterday and they said let's do something weird.. Well.. weird is my middle name.. I said let's make birds fly..

Mountain biking GPS Units - Garmin Edge 500 review

2010-03-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

It's a known fact that I'm not one to stick with hobbies long term. If you scroll down to the right you can actually see a widget I've created that shows just that, hobbies I don't do anymore. One hobby that I started last year was mountain biking. Now I do fully realize that I have obsessive compulsive disorder. Mine is what is generally referred to as "compulsive hoarding". Now I only say this half tongue in cheek because I generally am one that buys things for quantity not quality. I have way too much "stuff". Anyway, that small fact does have relevance to my mountain biking blog because I bought my first bike in July of last year. I now have 4 bikes. This is one hobby that I've actually kept up for the past 8 or 9 months. The weather here in California allows me to ride most of the year but the past 60 days have been unusually rainy. However, now that the rain has stopped and day light savings has kicked in, there really is no excuse for not riding one of my mountain bikes. I thought to help me with my quest of becoming the least chubby man on my block, I would need to tackle this exercise thing from a different angle. I'm a data guy. I like to analyse information and track progress. Well I found the perfect cure that will push me to using my mountain bike. Garmin makes several models of gps units specifically designed for physical fitness activities.

After speaking with a few of my friends that actually ride every day, I broke down and purchased a Garmin Edge 500. Click here for the technical specs if your interested but in a nutshell, it does a few things that are really cool. When you go on rides it tracks your average mph, elevation, outside temperature, distance and whole bunch of other cool stuff. You can even get an added heart monitor and check your average heart beats per minute. The technology is simply amazing. Even better is the website that you upload your rides to. http://www.garminconnect.com allows users to upload their activities so you can keep track of your progress. You can reports that show how many miles you've biked for the month or how many feet of elevation you've climbed for the year. Plenty of filter options to keep any OCD mountain biker busy. Another great feature actually allows you to view a google map of your route. You can actually play back your ride and it will show a small icon of you and display all of the data mentioned above on the map as you progress. You obviously can change the time feature so you can fast forward. Even better, you can download your previous ride to your device so you can try and improve your time from the last ride. Ah.. I could go on and on, but instead of doing that, click here for a link to my first ride so you can see what the site looks like. Don't laugh, I'm slow, fat and old so it won't be exciting. Hope you enjoy.. Anyone for a cheeseburger? Nom.. Nom.. Nom..

Professional Blogger? What?

2010-02-25T10:56:00.001-08:00

So the other day I was watching CNN in my motel room. I'm not much of a TV watcher, but it's nice to hear about world affairs in the morning other than The Count counting bats on Sesame Street. I can't really remember what the segment was about but I do recall the guest's title. Professional Blogger. This struck me as odd because I have never heard of this title before. As I looked from the CNN footer that displayed this unknown career to the person being interviewed, I become even more confused. Here sat a 40's something gentlemen, in a beautiful suit looking very… well very professional. CNN apparently brought in this "professional" to express his views on some news-worthy topic. Where the hell did they find this guy? Just browsing blogger.com and said, "Hey, this guys has an interesting point of view. Let's fly him in for an interview." Now I'm sure it's much more than this however it brings up a few questions that I can't get my arms around. The largest one is around today's media. Are we as a society really ready to throw out magazines and newspapers? I know, I know several large newspapers are online only and I can't even begin to think about how many magazines have gone out of business. Writing a column in a newspaper is kinda sexy to me. Being a columnist for GQ has a little girth around it you know what I mean? Will these individuals be stripped of their titles of Journalist, Writer and Reporter? Will we now see more and more of these people on TV being called "Professional Blogger" or "Social Media Writer?" Man it just sounds so cheap to me. Because I have this blog (which only I read), have I been propelled to a Professional now? I have even heard stories of people that get paid to blog about products. Obviously paid for by the manufacturer who is looking for some good "Public PR". Obviously as you have witnessed with my writing skills, I shouldn't quit my day job. There is something about this that I can't put my finger on. I believe it is a larger issue regarding how we receive our media, from whom and in what format. I need to noodle on that for a bit, but not too long, I'm way to ADD. Until then I will be silently waiting by my phone for the phone call from Fox asking me to come in and discuss Canned Meat on National Television.

Canned Meat

2010-01-03T14:03:00.002-08:00

I have this strange fascination with things that shouldn't be. Zombies, aliens and monkeys flinging poo.. I guess that is why, to some extent, canned meat intrigues me. Now, I know that meat in a can cannot be good for you, however that is why I believe I am drawn to it's air tight sealed power. There are so many different varieties of canned meat I don't know where to begin. The most popular canned meat, is of course SPAM. I mean how many cans of meat do you know that have made their way into the Smithsonian? I digress. Sticking to the overarching topic of canned meat is very challenging for me. I get excited when I think of the possibilities that can be captures here in my electronic pantry. Vienna Sausages, Spam, those huge ass tins of ham. I've even seen canned hamburgers. Delicious, not so much, interesting absolutely. Eating canned meat is like a looking at a train wreck. You know you shouldn't do it, but there is a part of you that cannot resist the temptation. I am so enthralled in this area that I could create posts on the top 10 canned meat products. Not necessarily by popularity.. maybe more by shock factor. Yes, I will have some of the standard, very well known cans of goodness, but I'm sure my research could turn up some very interesting semi-edible parishables.

Time to start setting some goals for 2010

2009-12-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

I do this every year and most of the time I really don't follow through too much. So, I'd thought I'd take a different approach. I'm going to set some realistic goals that I can actually accomplish. I still have a couple of weeks to think about what I want to do, but I'm looking forward to it. As you can see by my blog, I LOVE to read. So I will be setting some reading goals for '10. So many books a month etc.. That is something that I can accomplish. Also, need to re-look at saving for retirement. I do save quite a bit, but would like to augment it a little bit. Not quite sure what else.. Oh ya.. cooking. I do want to cook more. Maybe once a week at least. Well at least I can go back to this post and get some ideas. Excercise never hurt either. I love to mountain bike, but that definitely takes some serious committment. I have invested in my bike, so I need to use it. And photography. I've been kind of floating with that one and I need to improve my skills and be a little more creative.. and take more pictures.. well well.. after reading through this I actualy do have a few goals to start out with.. Yeehaw.

Google voice rocks

2009-07-18T19:33:00.001-07:00

Wow.. where to begin. A free number that will forward to your home phone.. Free long distance in the US from any phone.. I'm in love.

Kindle DX vs the standard old paperback.

2009-07-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

I read. A lot. Probably at least one book a week. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't able to read everyday. I thank my Mother for taking me to the library every week when I was a child. It is one of few hobbies I have that never goes away. Lately I have been on a classic gig and I love reading the old books. The recent books I have written are listed to the right of this post if your interested. But, I digress. The reason for this post is to discuss reading a paperback book (Paper in hand) or reading that same book on a Kindle. The Kindle looks awesome and I can't imagine having such a large assortment of books at your finger tips. The battery life can last weeks without charging and it is so small. I typically take a few paperback books with me when I travel and they can be heavy carting them around an airport. The books are significantly cheaper in electronic format which is another plus. But there is something about having a new book in your hand that no one else has read. The smell of the pages, the feeling in your hand is something that you just can't get with a kindle. There is also the re-gifting. One thing I really enjoy about books is giving them to someone after I'm finished. I look forward to sharing my experience with someone else. Can't do that on a kindle. Uggghh.. tough decision. Couple of things to consider.. The KindleDX costs 500 bucks. I spend about 2080.00 per year on books. Sounds like an easy descision.. but its not. Any thoughts?

Skinner Family Original Movie "The Hunter"

2009-02-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

The kids and I decided to make a little movie called The Hunter. They were so cute. We drew a story board out and everything. This is what life is all about and why I look forward to my weekends so much. They are so funny.. they crack me up.

Book Review - The Electric Church by Jeff Somers

2009-01-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed this book. I haven't come up with a rating system yet so for now, if you like fast-paced action techno thrillers, read this book. This is set in the not so distant future with a corrupt government, one bad ass gunner and a mad scientist. Sounds like a cheesy hollywood movie but it's actually very well written. The Electric Church is an organization that was created to give people eternal life. This is done by removing your brain and placing it in a cyborg body. Sounds blah but these cyborgs are also monks and try to convert people into the electric church. As you can imagine, they get over zealous with their conversion tactics and someone has to stop them.. in steps Avery Cates, gunner dude. This book is an easy read and very enjoyable. I've kind of been on a scifi / action kick lately and this book definitely hit the sweet spot.

Love you long time

2008-12-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

A friend asked if I would come with them while they were getting their nails done Now the obvious answer that any man would say is no, however I am working on being a more "liberal" friend so I agreed to go with her. I thought I would at least have an opportunity to be a people watcher, sit back and take in the various elements of Orange County women discussing their lives. Well I got a little more involved that I thought. I understand that many of my male readers my believe that my manhood has been knocked down a few notches and I'm ok with that... but I did get a pedicure, foot and hand massage and my eyebrows waxed. Did I just say that? Funniest thing you've ever seen. The greatest aspect was looking at all of the vietnamese workers laughing at me when they pulled the wax off my eyebrows. It actually was a very fun experience. My friend sat next to me and we laughed and laughed. I had a great time and it actually felt kind of nice to be pampered. Although I didn't get a Christmas tree painted on my big toe, I did enjoy the foot spa. (I can't believe I just said that). It was worth the hour (and 50 bucks) that I was there simply for the comic relief. He,he!!!

Holidays - Bliss or Blues?

2008-12-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas is an interesting time of year for me. Interesting because of the fact that I play both sides of the field. On one hand I love to give. Not getting a big head, but I put a lot of thought into buying presents for my family and spend a considerable amount of money each year. Enough that I save money each month starting in January so I can have a pleasant holiday. I also have some great traditions that I have started with my family.. Each year I rent a limo and we get dressed up and go to a fancy restauraunt. The kids look forward to it every year and I'm sure that they will have fond memories of this when they are older. Now the grinch side.. Sometimes I consider myself a perfectionist in many ways. I'm far from perfect but sometimes get frustrated when things don't turn out exactly the way I plan. There is so much planning and preperation that goes into a holiday.. Weeks of shopping, planning, spending, cooking etc.. all for one day. I hold a lot on my head to ensure that day is great for me and my kids. Instead of getting excited about xmas day, occasionally I find myself worrying because this year, there are already things that don't fit in with my perfect Christmas. Uggh. I'm such a whiner. Many people get the holiday blues but I'm unsure if they have the same feelings as I have. I am being a negative nelly right now and I'm sure this will change based on my mood tomorrow.. but I thought I would throw this out there to capture my immediate thoughts so I can look back later and determine what a jackass I am. I will definitely plan for a positive time but will need help from family, God and Jack Daniels. Maybe that will help so even I can enjoy the holiday season.

Book Review - The Shack by William P Young

2008-12-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

I picked this book up about 6 months ago while Ally and I were browsing at Barnes and Noble. It was in the top 10 books and it had an interesting cover so I thought I would pick it up and at least read the back to find out what it was about. The back briefly mentions a story about a man dealing with "A Great Sadness". This man lost his daughter to a sexual predator in the past and obviously has had a very difficult time dealing with this unfortunate event. He receives a letter in the mail inviting him to come back to the shack. The shack is where the authorities found the last pieces of evidence regarding his daughters kidnapping. Ok, let's stop there for just a minute. This captured my interest because I do enjoy a good murder mystery novel. I thought if it was in the top 10 it had to be decent. I picked it up and started reading it that night.

Wow is all I can say. I had no idea that this was a book about the relationship between the trinity, God's relationship with men and one man's view about life after death. This book was so well written that I have recommonded it to two of my close friends. One of these individuals hasn't finished a book since high school. Not a big reader but he called me a week later to talk about this book that he just had finished.
This book really does give a very unique perspective on God, Jesus and the holy ghost. Regardless of whether or not you are a spiritual individual, this book is a fantastic read and has you at the edge of your seat the entire read. The ending.. Oh man.. worth the entire read. Very surprising and makes you really think about the book, your life and how you behave. I could go on and on, but I think you have a pretty good understanding on how I feel about this book. Pick it up and read it.

Embedded test of youtube video

2008-12-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

The kids have a blog

2008-12-05T23:32:00.000-08:00

Hey family and friends. I thought I would write to you all and introduce to new blogs that we have in our family. Now that soccer is over, Francis and Maggie have both decided to create their own webpage to occupy a little of their time. While Dad helped a little bit with the layout, both kids know how to post messages, video and pictures. I'm excited to see if they stick with it. (It always helps with a little reminder from Dad.) You can access their sites by clicking here for Francis and here for Maggie. I know they would appreciate any positive comments you have for them.!

sladen singing and dancing

2008-12-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a performance from Sladen. The most impressive aspect of this river dance is the diaper and sneaker combo. It just adds something a little special to this entertainment piece.

Singers Company Christmas Performance

2008-12-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

Last night the Skinner girls had their first performance with singers company. They do a show for the parents first as kind of a warm up. The kids have been in this group for quite a while and its fun to see them grow up and mature with their singing. I have posted both of their "solos" for everyone to enjoy.

LeChupacabre

2008-12-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

Here is a little video of Max playing with his friend Coby at the dog park. They love to wrestle and play with each other. The nice thing is the dog park at Ladera also has a puppy shower. Max gets filthy rolling around in the mud so it's nice to wash him off.

The Skinner's have a new dog

2008-11-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

I found a dog a little more than a week ago. He is a great dog. Part of the agreement I had with my kids was in order to keep him, Max, needed to be neutered.

Funny story 1.

Maggie (8 year old) was petting Max’s stomach a couple days after we got him and asked what was hanging down between his legs. I told her those were part of a male dogs body.. (What do you say to questions like that?). She then asked, what’s in there? I told her that was something that she needed to learn about when she was older. She then said, “Oh I Know.”.. with a know-it-all inflection in her voice.. I asked her, “Really? .. you know?. Tell Daddy what is inside those..”. She was a little shy and I reiterated that she could share anything with her Daddy. She then said, “You know those are his poo packets”. How do you not laugh at something like that.. ?

Funny story 2

Francis (6 year old.. a.k.a. mini-hacker) came along with me on Wednesday to drop off Max to get neutered. Maggie and Francis have been talking about what this means. Right before we go inside “Affordable Spay and Neuter”.. Francis looks at me and says, “Dad, I’ve got an idea… Let’s put a Band-Aid on Max’s nuggets that says, keep away..” Regardless of Francie’s recommendation Max’s manhood has been knocked down 2 notches.

Kids first day of school

2008-09-02T23:23:00.001-07:00

Well today was the first day of school for my 2 girls. Maggie started 3rd grade and Francis started 1st grade. Maggie was pretty pumped up to go and can't wait to get her a new laptop setup for her class. Pretty crazy that they have 8 year old kids with laptops.. I personally think its great, I wonder how many hard drive crashes we'll have this year? At least I'm in the right business. Anyway Francis was a little nervous at first but really enjoyed her teacher and her new classmates. I'm pretty fired up because they can now eat lunch together, have recess and walk home with each other. Pretty fun stuff. It has been a great summer and the kids are looking forward to a fresh new school year.

Playing guitar on your mac!

2007-06-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I really enjoy playing guitar. Playing music is one of those habits that comes and goes but never permanently leaves. I go through periods where I play a lot, then don't play much at all. I'm starting to play more and that makes me extremely happy. In fact as I am typing up this blog I am listening to Eric Johnson who is an incredible guitar player. If your interested in a sample hit me up and I'll hook you up. Very technical but very soothing. I just got a firebox for my mac so I am able to plug my guitar directly into my computer. Technology is amazing. I have some applications that let me choose what type of amplifier, cabinet and affect pedals I have. It's a totally virtual guitar rack and it sounds incredible. If I want to sound like Jimi Hendrix, I dial it in.. boom no amplifier, microphone or foot pedals required.

It Really allows you to be creative or learn because you don't have to set everything up like you do in the studio. You simply plug and play. I'm loving it. I also have been using some software driven synthesizers that I will get into later. Let me explain a little bit about how the guitar technology works for those of you that are interested.

The first thing you need is an audio input so you can plug a quarter inch guitar cord into your mac. That is where the firebox comes in. This device allows you to plug in two devices into a box that then plugs into your firewire port. If you are considering getting into this make sure you get an audio interface that is firewire. USB interfaces are much cheaper but they lag when you play, meaning there is a delay when you are playing. I picked mine up at guitar center but you can get them from most music shops. You can try zzounds and as well. I couldn't find it cheaper anywhere else. 299.95 at all 3 retailers which is a great price considering you get 2 inputs that accept quarter inch cords (like guitar) and xlr (like a microphone). This device also acts as a midi controller. I'll discuss midi controllers in a different blog.