Time enough

I am a sucker for watches.

Part of it stems from being a gadget freak. Another part of it is the fact that all my professional life has been under deadlines. The last part is that time seems to keep me tethered to reality.

Small back history: during the work week, I will typically wear a watch every minute of the day. I wear one at work, at home, while I sleep, while I eat, in the shower … everywhere. I constantly keep myself focused by the current time, how long until I have my next “to-do” item, etc. On the weekends (sometimes) and usually on vacations I will take off my watch and lose all track of time – I will get lost surfing the Internet or reading a book or being with my family or playing a game or my guitar/drums.

I’ve also noticed when I need to think very conceptually (and creatively) I take off my watch. It’s become a symbol to me of reality – the here and now.

I have a collection of 19 watches. Most of them are Citizen watches: very stylish, very functional, and very reasonable for the price. The Citizen watches I consider to be time pieces that will last my whole lifetime, and something I can pass down to my son. All my Citizen watches are solar powered. Four of them have flight computers. One is a dive watch that will survive depths down to 300M. I also have one Timex, one Bulova, two Pulsars (made by Seiko), one ESQ (made by Movado). The remaining five are Casio watches.

Normally, among watch collectors you hear the names Tag, Omega, Luminox, Rolex, etc. I personally don’t care for the Rolex watch. Too many fakes out there, and I can think of better ways to kill off 12 grand. One day I will own an Omega – call it the James Bond fanatic in me. But you never hear the brand Casio mixed in with high-dollar watch collections.

That’s ok. For one, I’ve never followed the typical stream. Further, I feel that form follows function. I bought my first Casio, a typical G-Shock, over seven years ago. It just does your standard time, date, day counter, stopwatch, alarm and dual time functions. But, it’s proven itself bulletproof. It’s very comfortable to me. I don’t give myself concussions when I sleep and hit my head with it, like I do with my Citizen gas-diving watch. And, miraculously, it is still running on the original battery (yes, I just jinxed the watch and it will fade out within a day or two).

Over a year ago I bought another Casio G-Shock – this one with an analog face with digital windows. It’s also solar powered and updates from the atomic clock signals from Norad. Another comfortable, durable, light weight and functional watch.

So when the watch collecting bug sunk its teeth into me again last week, I looked through a few Citizen models, a few Seiko, even a Suunto. I kept coming back to the Casio lines. They don’t scream “prestige” or “high rolla” but they work, they work well, and they work perfectly for me.

Yesterday I bought a Casio Sea Pathfinder at Bass Pro Shops. Today, my Amazon order came in with my altitude Pathfinder and my Amazon-exclusive reverse LCD solar Atomic Pathfinder.

Eclectic, to be sure. But, I make them look very good worn next to my Tiffany’s wedding band.

Super Bowl ads 2010

So I watched the Super Bowl again this year. I watched it for the same reason I do most every year – the ads.

Sure, some team was playing some other team. Lots of people got excited. One team won, which made a lot of people happy and a lot of other people sad.

I’m in it for the advertisements. There were several things I noted for this year:

First, originality seems to be lacking across the board. It’s still banking on celebrity endorsements and humor. E-trade continued their talking babies themes, car companies boast awards, and I’m not really sure what the hell Pop Secret was doing.

Second, of the vast majority of yawners there were a few really low points. Bud Lite and Taco Bell: fire your agencies. Now. Don’t wait until tomorrow morning, because you need to start doing damage control over social media right now. If you’re a decision maker for either company, email me tonight: chris [at] obskyurity [dot] com. I’m a marketing professional, and I can help you. And, you need help right now.

Third, I have a new respect for Denny’s. Their ads played on simple humor, sure. But they still target their core audience with a healthy dose of good humor, and the ads fall very much in line with what Denny’s is as a company. Plus, they scored major extra points for the quiet screaming chicken in space. Kudos to you, Denny’s (and your agency).

Finally, Google shows “hell has frozen over” as some professionals stated and ran a Super Bowl ad. As benkunz on Twitter noted to Chris Brogan, it was $3M for the ad. And, he noted, $3M to Google is really nothing more than a rounding error. But their ad exemplified (and epitomized) Google to a T. Simple, direct, no-nonsense. It told a story, through the searches. It was endearing, it was clever, and it was Google.

There’s a reason Google is the king.

OK is good

“How are you?”

We hear that, and probably say that, several times every day. Sometimes it’s meant more as a token of conversation rather than an honest inquiry into the person’s (or your) progress of the day. I find myself usually answering “I’m okay.” That usually garners responses of “just okay?” from those that know me well enough to know I have significant responsibilities on my shoulders and desk at all times.

“Yep. There’s nothing wrong with okay.”

There’s nothing smarmy about my answer. There really is nothing wrong with okay. Okay usually connotes more things are going well than going poorly. And, that’s a good thing.

You see, I think it’s all about two main factors: realism and perspective. Realistically I know every day can’t be all sunshine and rainbows. And, I’d rather each day not be doom and gloom. Comparatively, most days are just average. That’s why they call it an average. Perspective shows me that the absence of those doom and gloom days are a good thing simply by comparison.

My own personal perspective shows me that if things aren’t bad, or if more things are going right than wrong, I’m operating on the positive side of the scale.

Sure, there are some days I could chew barbed wire and spit fire. There are others I feel like a rock star and I’m on top of the world. I know those are the extremes and most days fall safely in the middle. I’m the kind of guy that doesn’t like an ape-ton of drama and likes to be on an even keel. I like to have my days flavored “okay.”

So, the next time you hear someone’s doing okay, or if you catch yourself telling others you’re doing okay, smile and know that okay means you’re flying above the clouds. And, the view from here is pretty good.

Wishing or wanting?

I hear it all the time.

“How can you build a really nice web site like you do in such a short time?” and “How did you learn to build sites/shoot photography/write posts so quickly?” or (my most dreaded) “How is it you get all those followers on Twitter?”

First and foremost, none of it really matters. I don’t mean that to say it’s none of anyone’s business. Rather, I am implying all the knowledge in the world does nothing for you (nor the world) if you don’t put it into practice. And, practice is really what it’s all about.

I have been doing a lot of these things for years, granted. I’ve been building web sites since I jumped off the AOL bandwagon back in the mid 90s. I burned through hundreds of dollars of Velvia slide film in the late 90s. I’ve been publishing blogs for 3 years (for primarily my own amusement, not for any real financial gain). And, I’ve been tweeting for a year and a half. A blind pig is bound to find an acorn with those odds…

But what people are really asking me in those questions is “How do I circumvent the learning curve?” and “How can I have instant gratification and success?” I’m digging my heels in to tell you that you can’t and you shouldn’t.

The phrase “paying your dues” is a common phrase for a reason – that reason being you have to do it. There are no true shortcuts in life. All the get-rich-quick schemes and get-thousands-of-followers schemes are exactly that: schemes. You just need to put in your time and practice.

Practice is hard work. It’s often boring. It’s not glamorous. If you want an ape-ton of followers on Twitter, then spend some time there and converse with people. Interact. If you want to be a great photographer then read a few books, take a few classes, talk to professionals and shoot, shoot, shoot some pictures.

Don’t feel like you have to go it alone. Ask professionals in your chosen area for help. But therein lies the dichotomy, and where you need to spend some quality time in front of a mirror. For you see, when people ask me how I have become good at XYZ I ask myself “are they really wanting to become good, or are they just wishing they were good?” The latter usually get brushed aside.

It’s the ones that want it (and want to practice and honestly learn) that I usually take under my wing. So, are you wishing or are you wanting?

Goals for 2010

Okay, so I’m rolling out my blogging goals for 2010 a little late in the year. Work and family come first, so my several blogs certainly have to take a back seat to them. My blogs, unfortunately, also have to fit within the constraints of what little free time I have at the end of any given week. And are you kidding me? I sit in front of a computer 65 hours or more a week – let me get some fresh air or play my drums or something other than soak up more radiation from another laptop.

Goals, right. I’ve already started one of them: organizing all my blogs, restructuring some content, and getting more into a routine with them (posting schedules and content). This also includes my Twitter (which I consider a micro-blog). Blogging is both a relief of stress for me, an outlet of creativity (where I get to be the boss for a change), and a place to finally get several thoughts or ideas out of my head to make room for new ones.

It’s important, in my less-than-humble opinion, to have one area of your life where you control all the shots. You dictate; no democracy, no meetings, no committees. If I want to run a 3-month series on the comparison of ping pong balls and peanut butter on one of my blogs, then damn the torpedoes I will do just that. Won’t get many readers and even less comments, but that’s not the point. The point is, I do precisely what I want and nothing I don’t.

Goals, right. Another goal for me in 2010 is to take my percussion to the next level. Some readers here may not know I’m a musician, though not by trade (by choice). I love music a little to much to make it a job (and potentially something I hate). I was reading sheet music at age 3, been playing instruments since I was 7, went to the Governor’s School East of North Carolina for Instrumental Music. I’ve been playing the guitar for over 24 years. I’m not shy to admit I am good on the guitar. Really good. My drumming needs to get to that same level (I’ve only been playing the drum kit seriously for the past 1.5 years). I plan to study seriously the styles of Art Blakey, Morgan Rose, a bit of Max Roach, Vinnie Colaiuta and Stewart Copeland.

I also plan to let the chaos take the reigns a little more. Now, I’m not talking about religion. I’m a Christian, and years ago I made the very focused decision to get my life right with God. As a result I know He gave me my son in 2006 and my wife in 2009. I’m talking about my mentality. Without going into all the details, my brain operates a little differently than most. Some of that is due to a high IQ. The rest is just how I’m built. My brain is very chaotic at times. Random is not the correct term – I see the order in my thought patterns after years of wrestling with it.

I used to try to fight the mental patterns. Then I tried to control them – to be only logical. After far more than 30 years, I’ve finally come to peace with it. I’ve learned when to control it and when to let go and let my brain do it’s own thing without my conscious input. Sometimes it’s magical, sometimes it’s a mess, and sometimes it’s just what’s needed. But that ‘loss of control’ is a little scary for me, and for those close to me. It’s not a psychotic-out-of-control kind of thing; it’s more of just what people confuse for being unpredictable. People naturally don’t like what they cannot control. I often get a lot of “how did you do that,” or “I didn’t know you knew how to XYZ.” Well neither did I, if you want the real truth of the matter.

Finally, I plan to read more – especially my Bible. I plan to be a bit more obvious I don’t give a damn about people’s opinion of me (there are several that mistakenly think otherwise). I plan to be a lot more obvious I do give a damn what my immediate family thinks of me (sometimes they mistakenly think otherwise). I plan to continue being there every step of the way for my family. And, I plan on taking better care of my mental health through serious stress relief (family then work, not the wrong-way ’round).

What are your goals, and how are you progressing with them?

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You want my opinion?

Before I start rolling with the real meat and potatoes of this blog (i.e. the “fan fiction” of IL-2 and Wings of Prey), I need to address a query from a friend of mine.

“What’s your opinion of Wings of Prey?”

This friend is a very dear friend, for starters. So, I take his questions seriously. Further background illuminates that we are both very tech-savvy (I work in marketing, managing and editing a 350+ page corporate web site and all its email blasts single-handedly; he’s an I.T. director). We both love our PC gaming time. We generally have the same taste in music, movies and gaming genres. We play EvE Online together (plug for my blog about Eve Online here!) We also happen to work for the same company.

So when he asks me “what’s your opinion of Wings of Prey,” I’m not going to knee-jerk respond with “It’s great. Go buy it.” He trusts my judgement, and he trusts me to relay the good, bad and ugly. He knows I used to be a newspaper editor, so he knows I have the skillset to be unbiased (as much as any carbon-based life form with emotions can be).

He also knows $50 is a lot of knuckle-busting at work for disposable income. We both appreciate the value of a dollar in any circumstance, not just when the economy is on the down-side of a cycle. When he mentions he’s considering cancelling his preorder of Star Trek Online to purchase Wings of Prey, if it’s any good, I know he’s looking for a straight answer.

So, what is my opinion?

My first response was that he needed to buy IL-2 Sturmovik 1946. “Need,” not “should.” He and I own every Microsoft Flight Simulator to date, and I know he would get lost for hours (or is that months?) on end in IL-2. And, at a paltry $10 on Steam it’s a very easy recommendation. That, and it’s the greatest combat flight sim evah. But more to the point of WoP…

The graphics are beautiful. I was blown away by the graphics. Still am, in fact. It’s not just the best-looking flight sim I’ve seen in a while, it’s one of the best-looking games I’ve seen in a while.

Gaijin Entertainment uses a good bit of code from Oleg and IL-2 to power WoP, so my expectation of the physics obviously leans to sim versus arcade styles. The devs are very active in their community and forums (the recent patch to allow swastikas in legal countries for free is one example). The campaign is non-dynamic, and while we already have our first DLC in the form of one plane I have concerns about only a promise of a mission editor from the devs currently.

So my opinion, or rather verdict, is still outstanding. I’ve not had enough flight time, nor gotten a chance to prowl multiplayer, to make a determination of its value versus $50. Community support (which can only really happen with a mission editor) will really define the longevity of this game to me.

Upgrade

Tomorrow, my requisition for an upgrade finally comes through.

I’ve been fighting on my current rig for two years, and I’ll grant you the kit has served me very well. My Dell XPS 1530 has seen me through waves of the Locust Horde, armies from the Liandri Corporation, and seemingly all the Nazis of the entire Thrid Reich. My kit is decent enough even by today’s standards: Intel Duo Core 2 running at 2.4GHz, 3 Gb of RAM and an Nvidia 8600M GT gpu. Sure, I could put a bigger hard drive in it (160 Gb sure doesn’t seem as big as it did two years ago), or more RAM. The display’s native resolution of 1650 x 1050 still looks fantastic. Even more impressive is the fact that it’s a laptop (albeit attached to a 22″ Dell LCD widescreen external monitor).

But, we all know that games ramp up the standards with every release, and video cards seem to be out of date within six months. New operating systems come out. Intel figures out a way to make chips more powerful and smaller. Prices of SSD fall each month.

So, I put in a requisition for a new gaming rig – an Alienware. Yes, another laptop (I will never again be tied to the huge desktops, and LAN gaming rigs still require you to lug around a monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc.).

The boss (i.e., the wife) finally approved the request. wOOt.