Random

Don’t Stop Focus

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This is number two in the focus series. The original inspiration was here.

It is too easy to get caught up in what other people want, or what you think other people want.  As a wife and teacher, I am used to putting other people first. I have good ideas that will remain simply that if I do not focus on making them a reality.  That does not make me selfish.  Focusing on my ideas will benefit others. (Repeat to self.)

I was feeding this raft of ducks and although they were individually focused, they remained a team.

Focus-Don't-Stop

Checkout my first in the focus series here.

Jessica-of-SheekGeek

 

 

My Word for 2014: Focus

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I feel like my life can take a million different directions and I want to be open to every single one.  Realistically, I want the journeys I take to be purposeful and the best ones possible.  With that, I have my word for 2014.

Focus.

I loved this quote, so I used it to create my own word art.  This is the first in a series of 5.

I spent the day with my dad and Adam at a local lake and took this picture.  For me, it is the epitome of focusing on what makes me happy.Focus-On-Happy

Jessica-of-SheekGeek

The World’s Smallest Game System

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My_tiny_atari1 In about 2006, Atari sold some key chain games that connected to your TV via RCA jacks.  I am a huge lover of retro games due to the hardware challenges of the time and what clever people were able to build.  For a while now, I’ve wanted to get a tiny CRT screen from an old video camera viewfinder and pair it with these super tiny games.  Finally, I decided to do it (check out the video below!!!).

I went on ebay and grabbed a VF-129 display module board.  This is the Black and white display from an old Sony Handicam.   I looked up the repair manual for that camcorder to see what info I could find out about the module.  They have everything described from adjusting the alignment of the screen to the full-on schematic and PCB art.

The B&W displays connect with 4 wires: Power (4.7 volts)  Ground, Composite video input (Y) and there’s a line to turn on an LED to show that the board is turned on.  I got mine for $20-ish on ebay, but you can find them other places likely cheaper.  The color viewfinder screens actually take composite video input (RGB inputs) from what I’ve read so those might be cool for other projects.

I opened up the battery pack and soldered half of a USE cable to the outputs.  I used a USB cable because it had 4 wires.  I am using 3 (power, ground and composite video) for the screen and one more for the audio.  The battery pack looks funny because I had previously added a vacuum-formed topper and added screws and a switch to make it look like a real Atari game console years ago.  It was on an old blahrg of mine somewhere, but I’ll never remember which one, even if I can it is likely down.  Here are a few pics of the build of that if you are interested.

I ripped a tiny speaker from a greeting card and attached it to the CRT with foam tape and wired it to share the ground of the PCB. I put it on the bottom because those tiny speakers are meant to vibrate some object to help the noise be louder.  In a greeting card, the paper works, but I like just sitting it on the table (especially those cheap $7 Ikea tables which are basically hollow paper mache’). Being on the bottom allows for full contact with the surface.  Not to mention, this is the best place I could find to put it such that the tiny magnet doesn’t interfere with the CRT image much.

Enough talk, Just watch the video.

Adam-Atom

Easily get Public Link for Dropbox Files in Linux

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I got tired of going to the dropbox website to find the public link for files I put in the Public folder.  On Windows you can simply right click–>get Public link, but I’m running LinuxMint with Dropbox version 2.0.22 which doesn’t support this (among many other things like Pausing a sync…)

Anyway I wrote a script that you can just drag your files onto and it’ll pop up a box showing you the public link.  In Linux, a script alone can’t do this, but a script and a .desktop file can call a script to do it.  Here’s what I got:

Save the following in a text file called “getPublicLink.sh” inside your Dropbox/Public folder.  Make sure it has permission to run (right-click the file–> properties –>permission and check the box to allow it to run)

#!/bin/bash
publicLink=$(dropbox puburl $1)
zenity --info --text $publicLink

Now create a new text file named “Get Public Dropbox Link”.  Paste the following there, be sure to change your username, mine says “adam” yours does not and this will make it not work. Save it in the Dropbox/Public folder and give it permission to execute as well. Here’s the file:

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Exec=/home/adam/Dropbox/Public/getPublicLink.sh
Name=My Application
Icon=/usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/status/aptdaemon-update-cache.png
#Required for double-click running and Drag-andDrop files into this icon.
#reference: http://linuxcritic.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/anatomy-of-a-desktop-file/
Name[en_US]=Get Public Dropbox Link

 

Now you can  simply drag files from your public folder on top of the “Get Public Dropbox Link” file and a window will pop up showing you the public link. from here, simply copy and paste that link to where ever you need.

Information_903

 

Adam-Atom

Making Work + Life = Happy

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work life happy

I have implemented many “Git r done” routines in my life.  Whether online at todoist, or in real life on a post-it note, to do lists are my bread and butter.  (I actually really love bread and butter. )  When I get to the root of it, to do lists are my attempt to feel better about my work/life balance.

There are only so many minutes in a day, and I find it easy to beat myself up about how much I get accomplished.  The best realization that I ever came to is for short time to do lists.  I only put down what I can reasonably accomplish in the given time frame.  That way I feel good about marking everything off instead of depressed about only finishing two of my 900 things to do.  I feel even better when I have “extra” time to get things finished that I didn’t expect to.

A little bit about me: I started two new jobs this past year!  One is my full time gig.  The other is a part time thing, but requires Monday-Friday attention. I embrace change.  I heart change.  I yearn for change.  Still, these two changes put me for a loop.  New = learning curve = more time needed.  I’m still adjusting to these changes, but proud of my successes with all this newness going on.

It is easy for me to compare myself to other people, which usually results in negative feelings about my self image.  Most of this arises when I compare myself to people who are not like me.  Young House Love is a great example.  They post 7-8 posts a week.  Gah!  It is easy to feel jealous, but then I remind myself that two awesome people are working more than 40 hours a week to accomplish that feat.  Comparing yourself to others does not help the work+life=happy equation.  Compare yourself to your previous self.  How has your life changed and how have you adjusted (for the good and/or the bad)?  Be your own yardstick for growth.

I was inspired to write this post from another post, “Work Smarter, Not Harder” from Young House Love.  I love that it offers advice from a myriad of different people, so you can soak in what sings to you.  I found myself nodding along to some advice, thinking “Hey, I do that!”:

  • Cutting Back on Personal Hygiene – This sounds funny, but it isn’t as gross as it sounds.  Doing things like not washing your hair everyday (Cue Hot Tips for the Everyday Gangster from Neon Fresh) can save a lot of time!
  • Multitask in the Shower – I don’t know how hygiene became a theme, but brushing your teeth in the shower is one example I like to do.  I also like to plan what to wear the next day and have lunch ready to give me more time during my morning routine to focus on getting more things done.
  • Being satisfied – I am not super human (as fun as it is to pretend I am).  I admit this is a struggle for me at times, but I do aim to be okay with what I finish in the time I have.  I bust booty at work and wherever I am at 4:30, I stop and go home.  This helps in two ways. One, I have an hour long commute, and beating some of the traffic saves me about 15 minutes a day (aka I don’t want an hour and 15 minute commute!).  Two, I love my job.  I have a million ideas I would love to implement and I’d work myself to death otherwise.  I often do work at home as well, but at least I’m leaving at 4:30.

Some of my fav “new” ideas to try include:

  • Live by your calendar – I already fairly actively use Google Calendar.  The spin here is to schedule FUN things too!  Put in a lunch date with a friend.  Schedule a weekend trip to the mountain.  Make your fun time a priority too!
  • Gmail has a “canned” responses feature.  What?  I don’t think I super need this, but it is useful to know it exists for future anticipated business.  (A girl can dream!)
  • Never, NEVER work on a Saturday – I feel like knowing Saturday will be a NO work day will motivate me to do more during other days.  I LOVE this idea.  Super love!

What idea is your fav?

∞ Jessica