Steve Holden's Blog

My Favorite Swimming Tech

I have two favorite swimming tech items that I personally use while I swim (in my own personal pool as above or at the YCMA before COVID):

• MP3 Player: Sewobye Waterproof MP3 Player 
• Headphones: HydroActive Short-Cord Waterproof Headphones 

I use to use Apple iPod devices that were water proofed, but those are not available any more.  I have tried a several different headphones, and by far the HydroActive are my favorite. 

Thoughts & Tips For May 2020

Photo by Steve Holden. MORE LIKE THIS!

COVID-19

Basically all is well with us since the last update. Everyone is healthy. Maximum telework. Virtual school. Social distancing. Major home bodies with home projects in full swing. And a good amount of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) as an escape vice binge watching shows.

WORKING OUT

I am enjoying my two mornings a week (Tue & Thu) riding this bike trainer while watching YouTube cycling videos using this iPad stand, and listening to audio books. I am almost done re-listening to all the Mark Greaney's Gray Man Series books.

One thing I really miss is swimming at the YMCA.  I have been tempted to put on my tri-wetsuit to swim mini-laps in our pool, but I haven't pulled the trigger. They just opened up the beaches and ocean in San Diego this weekend so maybe a swim in the ocean is going to happen sooner than later.

TECHNOLOGY AND TIPS

• I really like the Rocketbook re-usable notebook for my daily journaling. It is working out well.
• A while back I bought this external A/V to USB converter box from Hauppauge (no longer for sale).  I recently found it and it turns out the Hauppauge WinTV Version 10 software still supports it, so I have been digitizing old VHS tapes that last couple of weeks.  So far it has been working out pretty well.  Once recorded via WinTV I have been converting them to MP4 using Handbrake.  This more current device seems to offer the same capabilities as the one I have.
• Related to the A/V digitizing, I also have some DV (Digital Video) content that I need to get off of tape to the computer, and backed up to the Cloud.  I installed this FireWire Card into my Windows 10 system, and it worked after a single reboot.  It is a nice upgrade for fast storage, and for connecting to older digital devices.

SOME MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS

I have been listening to a lot more music recently.  Here are some suggestions from YouTube:

• CHVRCHES: Forever (The Tonight Show: At Home Edition)
• lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
• Oceans Between - Lies (CHVRCHES Cover)
• CHVRCHES - Forever (Separate But Together Version)
• Jeff McCall - Ain't No Sunshine Being Boiled [The Human League / Bill Withers Mashup Cover]
• Mad World performed by Curt Smith of Tears For Fears
• Spandau Ballet – The Reformation Tour 2009 (Live At The O2) [Full Concert]
• Spandau Ballet - Soul Boys of the Western World (2014), 1080p , Full Movie
• TOP OF THE POPS (THE STORY OF 1980)
• Fiat Lux - Blue Emotion
• Leon Theremin playing his own instrument
• Andrea Bocelli: Music For Hope - Live From Duomo di Milano
• Jeff McCall - Bad Connection [Yazoo Cover Version]
• QuaranTunes with Travis Cloer #9 w/ Erich Bergen, Deven May, & Jeff Leibow - "SHERRY" (Four Seasons)

OTHER TOPICS

• I have had to postponed by May David Allen Getting Things Done (GTD) class at work until July.  The next class is scheduled for the middle of June, however if we still have strict social distancing rules in place at work then I am probably going to have to postpone that one also.  I am still working on getting permission to teach virtually but that has been slow going.
• Playing Dungeons & Dragons has been super fun and one of the best things that I hopes continues after COVID-19.  The main books that I bought were the: DM Guide, Player Guide, Monster Manual, and DM Screen.

QUOTE I'M THINKING ABOUT

"There's more than one way to look at a problem, and they may all be right." - Norman Schwarzkopf

Gray Man Series - Major Book Recommendation

I am a big fan of Mark Greaney's Gray Man Series.

I have consumed all of them using Audible.

These are the books in order (I do recommend listening or reading in order if you can. However, they do stand alone if want to listen or read them out of order).:

1. The Gray Man
2. On Target
3. Ballistic
4. Dead Eye
5. Back Blast
6. Gunmetal Gray
7. Agent In Place
8. Mission Critical
9. One Minute Out

Here are several reasons why I enjoy them:

• Court has a moral compass.
• The moral compass gets him in all sorts of unintended consequences.
• It is action packed.
• It is fast moving.
• The story telling is exceptional.
• The locations are well researched.
• I like action spy/espionage/intelligence/special operations/covert/clandestine/etc. stories.