The elusive balance

This is a little bit off of the beaten path for me, but something brought it to the fore last week. I was playing an online game when I got into a bit of a "contest" with a rival player. The rival wrote a very eloquently virulent multi-post letter about how evil my actions were and consequently this player needed to resort to extreme actions in the game. Neither of us was entirely right in our in-game stances and actions, and I did bristle on the first reading. After rereading it, though, I became convinced of something much more important than in-game behavior, and that is that I was spending too much time with this game. Make no mistake- this game is right up my e-alley and is well-designed. The problem is that it is a 24/7 RTS (real time strategy game), and therein lies the rub- it CAN be a major time suck. And I do have an offline life.

So, I made an announcement in-game that I had languishing projects, and have drastically cut back my involvement. I don't know how much time I've reclaimed, but I do know I've resumed work on my database.

The thing I find interesting about balance is that while it is ultimately a positive in one's life creating and maintaining it is certainly work- and not the fun sort of work. I'm certain most everyone experiences some sort of work which they really enjoy... for me, that might be blogging or photography. For Jennifer, it's creating delicious meals in the kitchen. For Mr. T., it's digital modelling... I could go on, but you could probably give an example or two from your own life.

Balance, I think, requires planning, steadfastness and a certain dash of practicality. As I was wrapping up my last job of the day, I had a few options for what to do when I got home. I don't usually go right to bed, but wind down a bit on a PC. I thought about a bit of weight training, which I desperately need to get back in to, but our training area outside of the Secret Underground Lair (SUL) is still not ready for prime time. So, Plan B was implemented: catch up on the aforementioned game, and get a blog entry at least started. I'm also trying to do a bit every day with my database in the SUL- this had been a goal when I first started working on it, but as many things go... well, the plan sounded good on paper!

Today, though, I have a very concrete data entry goal: enter or update twenty-three records in the Media_Title table. Twenty-three? Yes- it's a strange number, but it's the number of slots I have open in a small CD rack, so that is my goal for the day. They are stacked up behind me on a folding table, gently whispering just below the whizzing of three computer fans, calling out with their data entry siren song....

Right. Data entry was, is, and will always be... WORK!

As always, I am hochspeyer, blogging data analysis and management so you don't have to.

Data in the blogosphere

I had to take a look at my blog dashboard tools to make sure I had introduced my photography blog. It seems like forever, but it was only last week in my Training, Interrupted blog that the new blog was introduced. I've been fairly busy in the intervening week, mounting photographic adventures and then recapping them at hochspeyer.wordpress.com.

While visiting Wordpress this morning, I ran across a featured blog that spoke to me-
http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/stats-to-check/

That blog is all about stats. Specifically, stats that Wordpress provides to members of its blogging community. The piece was short and to the point but it brought me back here, because here is where I talk data, and there is where I talk photography.

What I find most interesting about Wordpress analytics is while they are fairly deep, they are free. Now, despite the fact that their analytics rock, I'm not suggesting anyone abandon Google Blogger. If you're reading this, its possible that you, also, have a Google blog. I've got some regular readers all over the globe- I can't see myself moving away from Blogger for that reason alone.

Another interesting concept of the blogosphere is that YOU (or, more specifically, your digital output) is YOUR brand. A long time ago (in internet time), I chose "hochspeyer" to be my internet persona, or brand. Apart from the Steam community, online I am hochspeyer wherever I go. I have created a brand and a presence that far outreaches the village where Jennifer and I lived in Germany. Its been so good to me I have established it as both my Google+ and Wordpress identity.

The picture above is what got me back into photography. The water droplets on top of the grass are actually being secreted by the grass. I took the shot with a cell phone, and remember after taking it thinking, "I can take pictures- I just need a real camera."

That's all for now. As always, I am hochspeyer, blogging data analysis and management so you don't have to.

*...and for those who like a good photo or two, please visit my Wordpress boog, hochspeyer.wordpress.com ,,, one f-stop short of a six-pack.