Just about stepped on an enormous desert scorpion last night. This mofo was like 4lbs. OMG. - It was such a badass that when the shovel smashed it (and I took a full overhead swing) - this thing did a spinning tail jump and ran off. 

Which left me with a funny thought... 

What if that band 'Scorpions' were German/Canadian? That would be a funny accent. "We're the scorpions eh."

What cheesy assholes. Sure, name yourselves after a nasty predator you will never have to face. I can hear it now... "Rudolf: I'm naming the band Scorpions eh. Some Guy: What's that? Rudolf: My favorite mythical creature, it hunts dragons mostly. Guy: oh."

Hi Apple. Here's a question... have you used a Macbook Pro for real work? Who at Apple thinks razor sharp edges is a good idea for wrist support?

Are you kidding?

I love my Mac but I have sliced my wrist for the fucking last time. I cannot believe my only option is taking a file to the edges of a $3000+ Macbook Pro.

Anyway... I was going to make a video but John made all the same points in 2010. TEN YEARS AGO!

If Jimmy's a genius then I'm U Thant.

My Jim Brockmire jacket. 😳😂

I haven't played this beauty in a while. This is my 'Barracuda' Strat. The tone is warm and deep. Crank up the Marshall, add an analog flanger, compress the output and then drive those tubes and you have that iconic Heart tone. 

So, about 30 days ago I asked the question... what would happen if I rearranged what I believed about myself and then meditated on it for 30 days?

It's been interesting. 

Around day five, I had a significant item from my Will column start to manifest. Life became super busy accommodating the new changes and truth be told, I was a little floored by the events. 

It's been said, be careful what you wish for... you might just get it. lol

I learned quickly that it's important to be ready to receive the changes that come with the realignment of your beliefs. 

Sometimes, real change requires a catalyst and for me, that wick was lit about the time I created the belief chart. 

30 days later, I'm still processing much of what I've learned about myself.

Here's a few of the highlights:

Have a daily purpose. - I am a purpose driven person and not having a daily purpose can derail me emotionally. 

Know when you are low - This was a big one for me. Sleep & energy deprivation can quietly drain you physically, mentally and consciously. Being an introvert and a purpose driven person, I need to become more sensitive to the times I am low and where possible, reschedule critical interactions until I can renew those energies. 

Reduce the amount of hope required - Hope is essential to life and for the most part, must come by way of faith in something you believe to be greater than yourself. This keeps us dependent on people, things or organizations that may not have our best interest at heart, leaving us vulnerable. Interestingly enough, the amount of hope needed seems to be in direct balance with our fear center. (which we can control)

Once we realize that fear is a self-made reaction to a stimulant that may or may not be reality, we can make adjustments to directly deal with the trigger and control our reliance on the amount of hope needed to survive it. 

By reducing our hope dependencies, we reduce our vulnerability to outside sources with ulterior motives and nefarious intentions. 

Be ready for change - Rearranging my belief chart and meditating on the changes allowed me to learn some new things about myself. It created hope and quieted my fear center. Every religion on the planet understands that when you manage fear and hope, you can instigate change in human behavior.

The possibility of miracles happening because we believe might be a stretch but isn't it possible that by realigning our beliefs to support an intended outcome allows changes that might not have been possible with an opposing belief system?

Bottom line: get your life ready to support the changes you seek. You might have been standing in your own way. 

Day four and I have to say there was absolutely no magic waking me this morning. Truth be told, yesterday afternoon was extremely challenging and I really struggled to get through it. This quarantine has really impacted my market and I feel so helpless as many of my dear customers suffer punishing losses. These are hard working small business owners that are watching their life's work crumble right in front of them. 

I know that feeling well.

Yesterday's morning session had me feeling connected, energized and hopeful. By noon, I couldn't think of one thing to feel positive about. The day had gone to shit. 

I know this feeling well and I loath it. It's that realization you might be living Groundhog Day. I have customers that need help, the Internet is going up and down, T-mobile is having outages, no work can get done, I live in the middle of nowhere, no one can hang out, you can't go to Starbucks for coffee and a hotspot... you get the picture. This has been going on for months and yesterday it took my legs out from under me.

I gave up. I turned off my phone and devices and went to bed. I awoke this morning feeling super lost. 

I had a few errands to run and got in the car, opened the windows and turned up the music. The morning breeze was fantastic and gave me a little time to adjust my attitude.

This afternoon's outages allowed me a break to do a few things around the house and then enjoy a two hour drum session. Then it hit me....

I felt so lost because I had failed to find my purpose for the day.

As I discovered yesterday, PURPOSE is one of the two most important beliefs in my Will column. Not only life's purpose but I must find a daily purpose. Without it, I can't grow as a person.

Day four.

Day three and my logical brain woke me at 4am like a six year old on Christmas morning. You know, the one with all the ego yesterday? lol 

I awoke feeling pretty wrecked again. My pain level was a solid six in my joints but something was very different today. It was much easier to get to that place of gratitude. I realized that of the items on my new beliefs chart, nine could be accomplished in a moment and two were ongoing, all vital to my existence.

Then out of nowhere, a thought hit me like a nine pound hammer. What would it mean if the answer to those nine items was YES? Like in... it's done. Completed. I got you. Presto! Tadaaaaaa! ;-)

With these items right in my life, what would be important to me then?

The answer floored me. I felt the weight of the world lift from my shoulders. I had this new freedom to focus on the things that really matter. Gratitude and thankfulness poured out.

I became aware of the two most important areas of my life. In the spirit of transparency, the two items remaining were: continue to grow as a person and continue to fulfill my life's purpose.

What if everything that you are, that you were and will be is available to you right now? Think about that for a moment.

Wouldn't you choose to be the best version of you? 

Day three.

Day two of our Probability experiment. I created a chart yesterday to display a visual rendering of my beliefs about myself and my life. It was enlightening. I then created a copy of the chart and moved many of the Won't beliefs into the Should and Will columns. I then moved a few of the negative beliefs from Will to the Won't column. 

I can't say I was surprised when I saw the first chart. These were an honest representation of what I believed about myself and where I was going.

Just as I have done before, I placed the new chart everywhere I typically look. It's my Mac desktop wallpaper and I printed versions for around the house. It's everywhere. :-) 

This morning's meditation took on a new direction. I woke up wrecked, in a lot of pain. The last thing I wanted to do was meditate on this stuff. Slowly, I made my way around the house, opening windows and trying to talk my brain into this new way of thinking. I started mouthing how grateful I was for the items in the "Will" column. It felt fake and my ego wasn't having it. But I continued as I got coffee and returned to my bedroom.

Then all of the sudden I became aware of something. That 'Will' column became truth to me and I couldn't help myself as I returned real gratitude for this new gift. I felt a real separation between my logical brain and whatever I was doing at that moment. I can only describe it as a connection to the flow of something. I was being introduced to the best version of me. I could feel joy overwhelm me as the words 'thank you' poured out. 

Day two.

Tosin Abasi... what can't this guy do? He's created a whole new approach to melodic guitar. Virtuoso doesn't even describe the level this guy is playing at. AND... he has his own guitar company where he makes extended range guitars like no one else on the planet. This kid is what real success looks like. 

Wow... what a view. Watching a couple NASA dudes float around space this morning. They need to have Crystal Method's 'High Roller' playing in the background. lol

That reminds me, I always wanted to remix that tune with every ridiculous request a guy has when he finds a genie lamp .... "I want a big bag of money and cheeseburgers" ... "You got it". 💰🍔 

Possibilities vs. Probabilities - here's a thought that just fell on me. What if we had the ability to really design our life? What would yours be based on?

Possibilities - Things that could happen. No real control. It might happen it might not. 

Probabilities - Won't. Can't. Should. Will. - A belief system.

The first thing that occurred to me, we already have a version of the probabilities belief system. Things that can't, won't, should and will happen in our lives. I wonder just how many things we miss out on because we believe it can't or won't happen.

Looking at my life, it's interesting how many things wound up in the Won't and Can't columns. What if we just move a couple over into the Will column and meditate on it for 30 days? What would happen? 

I will let you know.

Hey Youtube... you need a 'Tip Jar' feature so people can tip the content creator. (it can go right next to the 'like' button)

That way I could tip the shit out of awesome content like this!

Shot a few new headshots for the book jacket. lol 

Yes... hello Amazon? It's time to allow us customers to filter by COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. You know, new normal...

Something just came out of his frontal cortex sir... 

Yep... no more super villain beard.

I cannot believe I have to point this out... All Lives Matter.

Yours and mine.

Now is the time to be focused on unifying humanity instead of this continuous cycle of social programming built to divide us. Everyone has a painful story. Everyone has grievances. Without forgiveness of past hurts and injustices there is no future for any of us. 

The new Amazon Music app with Ultra HD content is insanely good. Way to go Amazon! Tidal was the only real contender in this space but their lack of respect for my individual music taste was a huge deal breaker. 

This new Amazon Music app really looks and sounds fantastic. Cya Tidal!

Evgeny Pobozhiy is one of my favorite Jazz virtuoso players on Youtube. This kid never makes a mistake and feels every note. His technique is reminiscent of Vinnie Moore on 'To The Core'. Unreal talent.

What a gorgeous morning for coffee with the windows open. The desert breeze was rushing through the upstairs long enough to finish my first cup and it was a fantastic way to start my day. I'm grateful for it. 

I have Chary Life by Anika Nilles playing in my Saturday morning playlist and that song immediately brings me to my happiest place! She is one of my favorite drummers and a brilliant composer.  

Happy Saturday!

There's some seriously good music coming from the Czech Republic. My Youtube feed continues to grow with new favorites all the time. It's funny how each of these fantastic players take me to my "happy place" for vastly different reasons. 

It all started for me when I stumbled into the epic record "Celkem Jiná" by Gabriela Gunčíková. This quickly became a loop worthy staple in my playlist. A few years later, I still only understand bits and pieces but my soul can sing along phonetically. It's insane how music can connect us like that. She has a voice that stands on it's own but has always reminded me of Sandra Nasić. There's a ton of great Youtube content by Gabriela and I truly hope there are more records coming from this talented performer.

The drums on Celkem Jiná are legendary and that's where I stumbled into Veronika Mraz. OMG can this girl play the drums. She has a unique feel to her playing that is truly recognizable and live, she is a true rockstar behind the kit. There's hair flying everywhere. 

I love her approach to fills and placement. She is a groove player that always seems to add a memorable feel to the song. Nothing is rushed. One of my very favorite drummers ever.

From Veronika, I stumbled into another legend. Drummer, composer and husband, Dali Mraz. At just 28, this guy has been composing music at a genius level most of his life. One of the best drummers on the planet, you 'feel' the ADHD energy pouring out of his playing. I remember a favorite Drumeo appearance where he explains creating as a composer. His brain moves at an astounding pace. (his cymbal work is insane)

From Dali, I made another favorite discovery... his sister Elis Mraz. She is a natural performer, creative song writer and phenomenal vocalist. These kids make it look easy on Coriander and I definitely wanna play at their house. That video takes me right to my happy place. lol

Elis has a superstar personality on camera that you just know she was born with. I love her creative approach to writing and her delivery is always entertaining.

What's super interesting is how these two favorite singers have matured as performers. Gabriela and Elis have two very different approaches to english enunciation and it's awesome to be able to watch them improve over a few years of videos. Czech is a beautiful language and tongue placement is obviously much different than english. One thing I love about Youtube is the ability to see how these singers are forming vowels and consonants. It's an insane amount of work to perfect I'm sure.

Well... my little post has become more of a blog entry. lol - gonna stop here. Do yourself a favor and check out the talent coming from the Czech Republic. There's a ton of it. :-) 

Quarantined on a Saturday night. Opened the windows, cranked up the amps and played a while. The desert breeze was awesome. (another benefit of living in the middle of nowhere) lol

Very little gravel left to rake... so today's workout is small, isolated movements on the rings and lots of cable work.

Today's workout. Who needs the gym when you have 2 tons of gravel to rake? ☀️💪#jackedAt50

Building some fantastic new open source tooling and talking about it over on my GX website. GXUI2 is just about completed and I am so ready for a vacation... oh yeah, I forgot. Quarantine. Sigh.

Here's a few of my latest open source components for GXUI2! Check out the daily GX updates on my Dev Channel.

I gave up on finding the right girl and just married this piece of PVC pipe. We're very happy. 😳

Absolute brilliance from Bruce Dickinson in 1983. It's been said the phrase "Die With Your Boots On" is a saying from the American Old West, meaning to die with honor after putting up a fight.

"Another prophet of disaster taunting us with visions. Afflicting us with fear. Predicting war for millions, in the hope that one appears.

In thirteen the beast is rising, the Frenchman did surmise. Through earthquakes and starvation, the warlord will arise. Terror, death, destruction pour from the eastern sands.

But the truth of all predictions is always in your hands.

No point asking when it is. No point asking who's to go. No point asking who's to blame. If you're gonna die then die with your boots on."

The ship is not lost. Hang on tight and stay the course. Be brave and see it through.

It's been a grueling two weeks of development on the new FirmPOS website. Our former hosting provider decided to jack up the renewal rate to almost $700 per year for the domains we agree to host. (from about $300) and then shut off our service 5 days early as an added kick to the face. I about shit when I saw the "new" yearly price.

Truth be told, I have been really unhappy with them for some time but moving the websites wasn't something I had time to tackle. I have been working around the clock to get this completed so I can get back to some real work. I'm beat.

I am loving the new design. It's running on my new blogging platform and the performance gains are fantastic. Our mobile presence is much improved as well. 

Sometimes your brain is so tired from the struggle that it will believe anything you put in front of it. Choose wisely. #todaysDesktop

What a gorgeous Phoenix morning. 64 degrees and the breeze is fantastic. I have been coding since 3am and let me tell you, this brisk morning air is like a second cup of coffee.

Which reminds me... I need another cup of coffee. ☕️ 

Whoa. Costco was a circus. I had a mask, gloves and plenty of this stuff. You know, it really says a lot about us as a society when you can't buy disinfectant, gloves, masks, paper towels or water because the stores have been ransacked. Animals do that. I weep for this world.

And back by popular demand... my 'Just for Men' Ragnar Edition. 😎

Yes. I know the scruff is silver. I know it's always dark. (I even created the 'Just for Men' Ragnar Edition) - Trying something new. I'm 50 in a month. I'm thinking... super villain. Ripped and tan with a short silver beard.

Tune in next week for more exciting details. 😁

Raise your hand if you feel a bit stressed right now... my hand is way up. 👋 😷 

Let me share my current immersive coding environment. I have the windows open for a great breeze. I have a playlist by Kevin MacLeod  playing on my main surround system using Tidal.

Behind me, I have a little Bose Soundlink that I am streaming two youtube videos by The Relaxed Guy that mix heavy rain and ocean waves together.

To my right-front, I have a large fan that provides white-noise and air movement.

Believe me, this helps. Crank it up and get a balance of sound that works for you. The stress disappears and deep focus returns. If done right, you will eventually forget it's there and your mind will start reacting to the new environment naturally. 

Brand new article on my GX website! I am loving this new blogging platform. :-) Check out Five reasons you must have an open source club management platform in 2020

Yes I do. #currentDesktop #wallpaper

Worry takes the moment you have.

So I'm building content for the new website and was checking out a few of our illustration libraries. Pic #1: They give you elements that you can manipulate in the illustration to tell your story. Ok... 

Pic #2 : This is what they want you to see. Pic #3 : This is what I see...

It's like I'm doing surgery in the back yard... lol

The new GX blog is live! I am so excited about this new blogging platform. It literately brought that site to life again. I have added three new articles and the fresh content makes all the difference.

I am cleaning up the code today and should have something to share on my Github page soon :-)  

In a garden where the seeds were spilled, I favored the few that stood strong in the sun. As I reached for the profit of my prize, I found I had trampled the forgotten ones.

I use a lot of acronyms in my naming conventions. I just found an old site that has an interesting acronym lookup. I love these type of finds! 

https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/

Happy Monday! Integrating the new blogging platform into our GX website today. This thing is looking great with the GX styles and a perfect example of why you should keep the app design flexible. You never know how it will evolve in new environments. Little surprises like this make design fun!

Good morning! Still trying to come up with a good name for my new open source blogging platform. It's key functions are good support for static design, super easy blogging and facebook/twitter style status updates. Built for people that understand how to build a website and don't want Wordpress.

But is it gluten free?

I'm excited to announce the launch of my new website running on my new blogging platform! Since dumping facebook a couple years ago, I have searched everywhere for a similar micro-blogging experience that didn't involve another social media giant.

The goal was to create an optimized website-first platform with strong support for static design but with the dynamic content element I was missing. Built around a creative friendly, mobile first editor that allows me to share content to my websites in the same way you might a facebook status update. Quick. Easy. Without losing the creative focus.

And... it's open source. I will be posting the code to Github soon.