Summer Improv Workshop Show

Not going to say much about this other than, last week I had my show for my Level 2 Workshop at ComedySportz San Jose. We did 2 types of longform, a modified Harold and a montage. We had a lot of fun. Watch and enjoy.

Ultimate Men's Summit - June 10-19

Just a quick Wednesday Warrior post to describe an amazing free teleconference running from June 10-19, 2011. This event is called the Ultimate Men's Summit and it features over 75 presenters, many of which I have mentioned in my blog. Including:

• Tripp Lanier - Host of The New Man Podcast and co-creator of Mens Group 101
• Matthew Fox - Author of "The Hidden Spirituality of Men"
• Jayson Gaddis - Co Creator of Mens Group 101
• Sam Keen - Author of "Fire In The Belly" (The book that started my men's studies journey)
• Robert Bly - Author of "Iron John" one of the foremost studied books in Men's studies.

There are lots of speakers and lots of presentations to get out of this teleconference. According to the website they are planning on putting up the recordings of the calls within 24 hours and will try to keep them up indefinitely. So join us in creating the new vision for masculinity.

Sunday Funnies - Improv anybody?

This past week my Level 2 Workshop at ComedySportz San Jose did our performance. Luckily someone in the audience took some video and I have created a playlist of the videos she has posted on youtube. Check it out below. I do believe this is the first time I have posted anything specifically about me on this blog. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Obstacles vs Accessories

It is not what happens to you that matters but rather how you respond to what happens to you. I could easily get metaphorical about this with the many things that have happened to me (especially in the recent past) but I've got two very specific things to bring up regarding this concept.

Parkour, Freerunning and overcoming obstacles

Almost 4 years ago when I first found out about parkour, I was drawn to the concept of training to overcome obstacles physically and using this training to help you overcome all obstacles - mental and physical. Well this year, in my new home of San Jose, I've decided to train parkour at a facility called Guardian Art. At Guardian Art they don't relate the same way to obstacles. In fact, they don't relate to obstacles at all. Everything is an accessory.

When I look up the word accessory, this is what I get:

1. a subordinate or supplementary part, object, or the like, used mainly for convenience, attractiveness, safety, etc.

2. an article or set of articles of dress, as gloves, earrings, or a scarf, that adds completeness, convenience, attractiveness,etc., to one's basic outfit.

For the sake of movement, obstacles can be treated instead like accessories. You can choose to use it or not to help you move through space. Knowing how to use an accessory in your movements makes your arsenal of motion more complete, adds convenience for you in getting from place to place and with practice your movements may even be pretty.

Yes, and...

One other thing I've begun training recently is improvisational comedy. I started taking classes out at DSI Comedy Theater in Carrboro, NC and am now training at ComedySportz San Jose. First off, I highly recommend everyone take an improv comedy class. There is something for everyone. Second, improv has given me practice in relating to whatever life throws at you as accessories.

When I'm on stage with my teammates doing improv, I have very little idea what is going to happen. However, we have been taught to take whatever each other does or says as a gift to help the scene move along. You'll often hear improvisers use the term "yes, and..." to describe what they do. This is because you always say yes to the reality someone is bringing into the mix and you add onto it. In other words, they bring something onto the stage and you use it as an accessory to help out the scene.

In conclusion

If you find yourself trying to overcome some sort of obstacle perhaps you could instead try to adjust your point of view. Can that obstacle be an accessory? Have you accepted the reality of your obstacle accessory yet? Can you add to that reality to create something even more amazing? I'd love to hear where these concepts have worked for you in some way. Please comment below to let me know how you can see this in your own life.

Flash Friday - Version Control

When I first started my Flash Friday posts I wanted to write about the whole flash ecosystem. At the time I thought about Flash, Actionscript, Flex, Flex/FlashBuilder and a few other tools. Recently, I have realized that the ecosystem is much larger than just flash. For people to truly be well rounded flash and actionscript developers who make every other flash and actionscript developer look good its important to know about these non-flash things. One of the most important things to any developer is version control. On the surface, version control seems simple enough. Save files in a way that allows me to go back in time if I make a mistake or forgot what I did in the past. Many people, a past version of myself included, think that's all there is to version control and thus us backup folders or file naming conventions to achieve this goal. I am writing this article because version control is way more than just this and definitely more important. For those who really master it you can actually save yourself quite a bit of time.

Why learn version control

If version control is more than backing up files what is it? I'm glad you asked. Version control is a way to safely and elegantly work with multiple people on a project. The multiple people include people in the same office or people on the other side of the world. It also includes the multiple yous that you wish you could create so that you could finish that cool new feature but you just can't take the time to hunker down and get it done all at once.

Version control is and/or allows:

• Saving a history of your work as it evolves
• Keeping track of who did what
• Trying things out that you might throw away
  • Without breaking working code
  • Keeping a history of that as well
• Working on a file without worrying if somebody else is
• Taking someone else's work in a different direction ( forking )

What should you learn

• SVN - The most popular centralized version control system
  • Lots of great tools makes it easier to include artists in the version control system
• GIT - A very popular up and coming distrubuted version control system
• Branching and Merging
  • Become a master at this for whichever version control systems you learn and it will make your professional life much simpler.

Tools

• Subclipse - a great eclipse SVN plugin you can use with Flashbuilder or FDT
• EGit - a similar eclipse plugin for Git
• TortoiseSVN/TortoiseGit  - two great sell extensions for version control in Windows explorer.
• GitHub - If you are working with Git this is a great place to start putting your code. Lots of straightforward how-tos
• Books - I've found the following two books to be extremely helpful in learning SVN and Git
  • Pragmatic Version Control: Using Subversion
  • Pragmatic Version Control: Using Git

Final Notes

I mentioned SVN and GIT because they are currently in such wide use. However, version control concepts can be learned from any version control system. If your company or project is using something else, such as CVS or Mercurial, learn it and master as much of it as you can. I can't stress enough how important it is to master branching and merging. Get good at this and task switching will be much easier so you'll be able to working on many projects at once.

What are your thoughts on version control? What problems have you had? What successes have you had?

Constructive Competition

One of my sons seems to have a strong urge to win at everything. He finds it extremely important.  To better perform my duties as his father I have had to look at my own beliefs about competition and the importance of winning.

Winning Isn't Everything ( Loser Talk )

I've heard this statement so many times and at times I've believed it. Of course, that's just loser talk or so I've heard. So what, if any truth are in each of these statements? If the statement "winning isn't everything" is wrong then winning is everything. On the other hand, some people who say, "winning isn't everything" really mean "winning means nothing." I'm not a big fan of absolutes so by that simple analysis alone I'm already leaning toward winning not being everything and against either extreme.

Destructive Competition

A big part of the reason why people don't like the focus on winning is the way it has been perverted in modern society. Professional sports and business are filled with people whose identities are wrapped up in whether or not they are a winner. Recently #winning became a meme on twitter for this very reason. What happens when these people lose? This is when those people get destructive. Sometimes the destruction goes internal but other times they begin to wreak havoc on those around them. It even goes as far as destroying the very thing you are competing in - most often through cheating.

Think about what steroids have done to professional sports. Sure, some people don't really care but other people think everyone is doing steroids and thus have  less respect for all the athletes. In the world of business we've seen major cheating over the past few years that has people mistrust all businesses and business leaders. Politics, an area that started out as people trying to make a difference for their communities, has had so much lying and and other deceits that politicians try to label themselves as anything but.

Constructive Competition - is it possible?

I seem to have made a case against competition as positive while also making the case that winning is everything. Now, if winning isn't everything, let's see what else is there? The most simple answer is that there is losing. Winning IS NOT everything because there is losing and there is something to be gained from losing. Of course there is only something to be gained from losing if you actually try to win.

If you are playing a sport and you always win, you aren't challenging yourself. You aren't likely to improve. In fact, in the grand scheme of things you are losing. I've written before that failure is the best option. People with the biggest wins have a history filled with losses. Losses they learned from so that they could win, cleanly, in sports, games, business and beyond.

Competition is always with yourself

The fact that sports, business and other things are set up so that you appear to be competing with others is just an illusion. In competition you are always just competing with yourself. If you are always winning because you are playing people who aren't better than you then, by not improving, you have actually lost the real competition with yourself. If, on the other hand, you are losing because you are playing opponents who are better than you but you do your best to try to win you will improve yourself and thus win in the long run.

What does winning look like?

So if you can lose and still win, how do you know if you are actually trying to win? Simple really and winners already have a good idea.

• Research - You might be losing because you don't understand what game you are playing. We live in a world full of information. Free videos on youtube, wikipedia and blogs with much more specific information than mine. Look into better ways to play the game you are playing, you might be surprised at how quickly you improve.
• Reflection - Do you record your game? Video, audio and good old remembering your mistakes are great tools for self improvement. Your reflections after you compete can give you very specific information about your own habits and how you can improve.
• Preparation - Out of shape? Are you running, swimming or hitting the gym? Do you know your opponent? Knowing your opponent is clearly an opportunity to gain the upper hand in competition.
• Anything else? - Do you see anything else that means you are trying to win? Do you have more specifics about my previous examples.

Thank your opponent

GG, good game, thank you. Your opponent, by trying to win themselves, is helping you to improve. Make sure you appreciate that. You might have to be a badass on the field but once the game is over ( or whenever else you have the chance ) make sure you show your appreciation for how hard they made you work. They might be more of a destructive competitor but that doesn't matter. Their hard work has given you the best opportunity to improve. By the way, your hard work does the same for them whether you realize it or not.

So competition can be constructive if you turn it inward and don't wrap your identity around winning. Appreciate your opponents and yourself. You both work hard in an attempt to win. I'm still doing my best to get this concept through to my son. He's just giving me the best opportunity to improve my skills as a father.

Sunday Funnies - Improv-A-Ganza

I love improvisational comedy. I loved watching "Whose Line Is It Anyway." My wife could always tell when I was watching it because I would be truly laughing out loud and that laughter went to 11. I have also recently taken up studying improvisational comedy, first at DSI Comedy in Carrboro, North Carolina and now at ComedySportz in San Jose, CA.[ad#Google Adsense] Earlier this year when I found out Drew Carey was getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, the promo reel they played talked about his new show "Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza". It started this week on GSN and I'm looking forward to seeing more comedy gold from many of the same faces that I saw on "Whose Line Is It Anyway." Barring an unfortunate cameo by Mr. #winning#15minutesAreUp himself Charlie Sheen, it has been as good as expected. The following is a clip from the show that once again had me LOLing.

Warrior Training - The New Man Podcast

The journey of my spiritual warrior started and still lives in men's studies. Along the way I have found many articles, blogs and people who have helped me find my way. One person I've found is Tripp Lanier and more importantly his New Man Podcast. I have an on again off again relationship with the New Man Podcast. The reason I've listened to it on and off is not because it is mediocre. It is because the podcast is so very confronting. With the subtitle of "Beyond the Macho Jerk and the New Age Jerk" the podcast gets to the real heart of what it takes for a man to live a powerful life. If you've never looked into mens studies and don't think you need to take a listen. I promise, you'll be surprised.

Each podcast usually has Tripp interviewing a guest who has something to offer men on their own personal journeys or women trying to understand them. Actually, much of this could probably help women in their own lives as well.

The most recent episode had Tripp Lanier interviewing author Steven Pressfield about resistance and self sabatoge.

[ad#Google Adsense] Tripp Lanier not only has this podcast but he also has his consulting business for those willing to really take their lives to the next level. I have been tempted many times to look into it but I've still found myself unwilling to play that big of a game. Don't be surprised if that changes in the near future. However you might want to first check out "The New Manual." [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izTI5qKFJIo&fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0] Have any of you listened to Tripp Lanier? What are your thoughts? Are there other leaders in the mens movement you like listening to? I'd love to hear your comments and stories below. Thanks.

Digital vs. Analog Magic

One of the joys of watching magic is trying to figure out how it is done. Sometimes people have a good idea and sometimes they are way off. In this world of CGI and Photoshop people often think all video magic is done with digital trickery. I recently shared a Jason Latimer Buick ad that had to tell people up front there was no digital trickery due to the fact that people would most likely think that is the case. The truth is, some magic is done through digital means and others use the old fashioned "analog" methods. Can you tell which ones are which? [ad#Ellusionist]

Join Scam School's Brian Brushwood through a series of 8 pieces of magic. Some digital and some not. See if you can tell which are "analog" and which are digital.

Which ones are which? Tell me in the comments below. Flabbergasted? Share it in the comments below. Either way, let us know what you are thinking with regards to magic, both analog and digital.

Flash Friday - A Simple List

A few people who've worked with me in a programming job may have heard me talk about how a custom list should be done. For performance reasons you don't want to recreate the visual "cell" n-times. That could lead to all sorts of unforeseen problems. Instead you want only enough cells to be visual during scrolling and as you scroll through the list just bring the "cells" round to the other side. One of the people I work with, Alec McEachran, wrote a blog post  on just this topic. It is entitled "A Simple List" and I'll let you read his article and code on the subject. What is interesting about his code  for a list is he does a great job keeping the list class very simple. It keeps to a pretty narrow responsibility. He's quite good at solutions with well defined class responsibilities.

In our current project, Monster Galaxy, we have used this code in a few places. It has been modified for our purposes but at the base level described in his article the code makes custom list designs easy to implement.

Alec is a very intelligent programmer and has some other great articles on his blog. If you like what you read there you might also like to follow him on twitter (@alecmce). Of course, his twitter feed carries a lot more of his opinions and personality. It's quite fun though, I promise ;)

Of course, I have a blog as well which you are reading now and thank you for that. If you haven't done so already, follow me on twitter( @diacre ) to find out about new blog posts as well as my opinions and personality ( which you may or may not find as colorful as Alec's ). Please let me know in the comments what you think of Alec's list class. If you have a different solution that you like I'd love to hear that as well. Until next time...au revoir.