March 7, 2014 · 2:39 am

“App-y” Days are Coming

This may sound conceited, but a lot of things come easy for me.   I challenge myself and am generally pleased with the results, review, and see what I can do better next time.  Mud runs, wine and beer making, I’m never perfect the first time, but I get better.

Coding is a whole other ball of brain-burning, eye-gouging, face-melting-like-someone-just-opened-the-ARK, wax.

I can read it, I can follow it and see what’s going on.  Don’t ask me to write my own.  I struggle getting past 10 PRINT “Sean”  20 GOTO 10.

Not a big deal, as long as your brain doesn’t see cool app-ortunities (groan) at least once a week.   I have 3 right now that are screaming from within my head to get out.  It’s nice that they overpower the other voices, but they’re still annoying.  So, I have to learn IOS development (I’m an Apple dude…no hating on Android or Windows…one thing at a time.)

For 2 years I’ve struggled through numerous books (I like the Head First and Big Nerd Ranch books) and tutorials on Lynda.com.  Then, 2 weeks ago I found a tremendous deal on a Udemy course.  What’s better is a friend started taking it too.  (best text message ever:  “(expletive deleted) coding!  Live and die, mostly die, by the semicolon.”)

The classes on Udemy are really solid, and I love the way concepts are introduced.  Some stuff throws you right into coding and says “we’ll explain later.”  Others give you all the syntax but little context.   Udemy, for me, is finding the right mix; build something, write some simple code.   Make one screen, add a text box, add a button, add a field.  Hook up the button to change the field to whatever you put in the text box.   Basic feature I’m sure I’ll use 1000 times.

So, I’m excited.  Watch a couple of short videos each day (there’s over 300) and take notes on what’s going into my first app.   Not going to say a lot about it just yet; saving that for a launch page and introductory blog post.   Since I want to launch by late summer at the LATEST, the wait shouldn’t be too terribly long.

Smart I am, but I am not a developer yet.   You can bet I’m going get there, this year.

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January 20, 2014 · 2:06 am

How I Train: New Ground

A few weeks ago, in this post, I discussed the hows and whys I work out at home.  I’m going to say right now:  I’ve never had George Lucas call me and say ‘Sean, come hang at the ranch for a week or two.”, nor has Tim Cook emailed me to say “Sean, I’d like to match your current salary +50% for 5 years, so you can focus on being an IOS developer.”  Bruce Springsteen has DEFINITELY never showed up at my house saying “heard you were a fan, mind if I crash on the couch for a few days?   Let’s throw a huge block party this weekend; I’ll play, and buy the beer.”  I doubt those things will ever happen.  (wink wink)

IT TOTALLY WORTH A SHOT!!!!!!!!

At the end of a chain of events I never saw coming, my lovely wife and I checked out a new Crossfit gym near our house.  We loved it.   That’s important…WE loved it.   With sandbags, I’ve been doing modified Crossfit for a few years.  I’ve read the pros and cons, winced at the meatheads on YouTube and the ones who can’t be EXTREME!!!! enough.  I’ve seen the average people make amazing changes.   I’ve always been open to it, but needed that push.  She gave me that push.

What did I see?    I saw a coach who walked us through each exercise and stressed form.   The workout was ‘Fran’, 21 reps of thrusters then ring rows (or pullups if you can do them), then 15 reps, then 9 reps….all for time.   I saw it modified in such a way that we both nailed the workout and we NEVER encouraged to take on more than we could.  In fact, it was suggested we do them with PVC pipe and not the barbells.   We decided to do the barbells.

I also saw a subtle psychological trick.  I do sandbag thrusters with an 80lb bag.  I had the 45 lb bar and looked for some 10 and 5 lb weights to put on it.   All I saw were ‘plates’, which I assumed were the standard 45lbs.   They weren’t!!  They were rubber, and some we 10 lbs.   They also had 15 lb bars that looks like 45 lb ones.   Once could grab 10’s and put them on the light bar and look like they’re lifting 135 lbs to an average gym goer.   It’s the illusion of putting up a lot of weight.   That’s powerful!!!!!   You walk into a gym, haven’t done the workouts; you’re nervous.   You don’t want to look like a newb.    If you’re putting up 35 or 55 lbs next to someone doing 135….and your bars look similar, you’re going to feel less self-conscious.

What didn’t I see?   The jacked up, over caffeinated, super shredded, ‘brah’s’.   I also didn’t see any 3/4 naked women with 2% bodyfat, parading and flexing.   I saw people that looked like us; hopeful, encouraged AND encouraging.  I didn’t see ANYONE push anyone to do more than they could do.  I didn’t see form sacrificed.   I didn’t see ANY unsafe activities.

Hey, I’ll be honest, I’ve been injured because of bad form.   I’m not going to encourage my wife to do ANYTHING that could hurt her.   If I see someone encouraging time or reps over good form, that’s it…done.

This is new territory for me.   I’m excited.   I’m doing this with my best friend; someone who’s going to inspire and motivate me.   We’re going to have something new in common, something new to talk about;  Changes we’re making together.

My training has taken a turn for the better.   There’s something new and exciting on the horizon.    I’m going to be tracking progress here.   If you’re curious about Crossfit, I promise to do my best to be an objective source.

And, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Cook and Mr. Springsteen, feel free to message me right here.

 

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January 15, 2014 · 3:26 am

Do We Hate our Heroes?

“I’ll give them heroics. I’ll give them the most spectacular heroics the world has ever seen! And when I’m old and I’ve had my fun, I’ll sell my inventions so that *everyone* can have powers. *Everyone* can be super! And when everyone’s super… (chuckle) no one will be.”

~Syndrome.  The Incredibles

Among my circle of friends, Man of Steel has created a LOT of discussion.  The common thread was a lack of ‘heart’.  All the parts were there, but it committed the sin of taking itself too seriously.  Make no mistake, the plot, characters and motivations were spot on.  The direction was solid.   It was just so serious.   Not a giggle, not a laugh, just bleakness.

This is a story about our ideal; a man with god-like powers who is completely uncorrupted by it.

We hate that and we have to bring it down.   Have we stopped looking up at what we can be and instead look up to see what we can pull down to our level?

Don’t believe me?   Read the news.   Who are our heroes?   Do we have any left?  While I don’t condone making sports figures heroes based on their actions on the field, do we have any left?    We’ve got a few hundred thousand (maybe more) military heroes, and we don’t cover their heroics.  We cover PTSD, the ones who crack, the ones who failed in their homecoming.   Go watch TV; the big shows, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, A Game of Thrones.   The heroes aren’t always good guys, the bad guys aren’t always bad, and message is just so muddied.  Writing this, I can’t think of any ‘common’ literary heroes.

Even listen to a DC fan and a Marvel fan argue?  “DC heroes are too powerful, they’re boring, Marvel heroes are flawed, like the rest of us.”   “Marvel heroes forget about the joy of being a hero…I worry about paying the rent, I don’t want to read about Spiderman not making ends meet.”   Let’s not forget that it too FOUR X-men films before you saw characters showing off their powers to one another for fun.  Make Batman suffer, make him the villain in Gotham City!  Strip ’em of all but the pain…that’s what we want to see.

Is it the economic conditions of the past few years?   Is it a 24 hour news cycle that requires something newsworthy every 20 minutes?  Is it the peanut gallery dynamic of the internet? Is it the reality of “everyone gets a medal’?  Everyone gets to be ‘super’, so that no one really is.  When someone truly is a hero, it makes us uncomfortable, makes us question ourself…and we hate feeling like someone’s better than us.

Screw that.   Someone’s always better.  We need them to be!   If there’s any hope for our society, we need to have role models…we need to have people who do the things that make them better than the average folk.  We need to have someone who us what we can be!  Will they have human failings, absolutely!   Will they be a shining beacon of purity in all facets of their being?  No way.  Will they show us how strength, courage and hope can guide you out of the darkness?  You bet.

Do we hate our heroes?   I want to think we don’t.   I want to think that we hate the parts of us that don’t measure up, and choose to close that gap by finding common ground, or some flaw we can exploit  Sour grapes, nothing more.  “Nobody can be THAT successful in athletics without steroids.”  “All those stories were written when he was high as a kite.”   “Clark Kent is how Superman sees humanity.”

Heroes are our goals.   For anyone that’s EVER achieved ANYTHING, was it possible without a goal?

“Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way.”

~Jor-El, Superman

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December 30, 2013 · 5:05 pm

How I Train Part 1: Sandbags

I joined my first ‘gym’, my HS boiler room, when I was 16.   I belonged to a gym in one form or another (college gym, YMCA, Fitness Center, etc) up till 3 years ago.   I was a tough break; I really liked the gym I belonged to, but I had a newborn at home and my wife and I were balancing work, family, etc…and working out became difficult.  Mind you, the TIME to workout wasn’t tough.  ANYONE can find 30 minutes most days to be active.  GETTING to the gym was the hard part.

So I started looking at home gym options.  I had to be able to do everything I did at the gym.   I had to have enough weight/resistance to build and maintain muscle.   It had to have a small footprint (not a lot of room in the house at the time.) It had to be ‘real’ equipment, no fads or gimmicks.  Finally, it had to be affordable; no $5000 supersystems with tons of specializations.

That’s when I found BruteForceSandbags.

It actually started with bodyrock.tv (kinda’ not safe for work…but solid fitness material.)   Their trainer was throwing around a sandbag and my interest was sparked.   Could this be the solution I was looking for?    I did some searches and ended up at Brute Force’s site.

Could I do everything I did in the gym, with a sandbag?   Almost.   Olympic lifts, squats, shoulder presses, rows, and most all other power moves could be done with a sandbag.   How much weight?   I went with the Strongman which goes up to 120 lbs.  Not the 300 I was looking for, but it was a start.   I soon learned that 120 lbs in a sandbag is significantly harder to lift than 120 lbs of barbell.   How was the footprint?   The size of a duffel bag, so, smaller beyond my expectations!   Is it ‘real’ equipment?   3 years later the bag is in great shape and is the cornerstone of my resistance training.  What about price?   They’re not inexpensive, but more so than 120 lbs of weight plus a barbell.  When you put it in perspective, it’s about 3-4 months membership at a gym.

It was love at first workout.   I replicated my standard workouts and found that I felt better after the sandbag workouts.    4×5 of cleans then 4×12 squats, romanian deadlifts, bent over rows, shoulder presses and then pushups and pullups.

It was then that I found Sandbag Fitness.   Matt, the guy who runs it, is pretty passionate about sandbag training and has provided, FOR FREE, some truly killer workouts.    He’s also written THE BOOK on sandbag training.

Before you think this is just a plug for Brute Force’s and Matt’s sites, let me assure you I’m merely assigning credit to those who’ve inspired me.    In these 3 years, I’ve seen gains in endurance and fitness that I never had in the gym.   With a sandbag, you have to train in a different way.   You use your core and stabilizer muscles much more.   You find things like lugging some mulch around back, carrying groceries, and, if you’re a Spartan Racer, the Sandbag Carry, so much easier.   They’re ridiculously versatile: do a traditional 3×10 or 4×12 or 5×5 workout.   Do Crossfit-style workouts.   Do just about any exercise you do with a bar, and then some.

I’ve since added 3 more sandbags, the Athlete and Heavy Hitter.    The Athlete is awesome for taking out on runs, doing sandbag burpees and high rep cardio workouts.   The Heavy Hitter currently has about 150 lbs in it and goes up to 300.   It gets a TON of use for bear hug squats and, my favorite: Pick it up and get it over your head.

So, did it change me into a muscular, ripped, Adonis?   Heck no….I eat too much.  No equipment is going to do that unless you eat right.   Do I miss the gym?  Never.   Would I give up my sandbags for a lifetime membership to whatever mega-gym?   Nope.

Sandbags did for me what I’d hoped for:  Gave me versatility, functionality and ease of use for (now) under $500.   I’ve never been so pleased with a fitness product.

So, there’s what you need to know if you’re interested in using sandbags in your workouts.   Any questions, feel free to ask, or ask the experts in the links above.

Sean

 

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Image

Testing out the WordPress app

20131123-090717.jpg

I gotta post something more than tech and how this site is being built. Here I am kicking the tires on the WordPress mobile app for iOS.

Pic, check

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November 23, 2013 · 2:08 pm
November 23, 2013 · 12:58 am

Site Updates

I hate my toolbar.  Just going to put that out there now.   I want you to click Family Fun, and get everything I post about Family Fun.  But out of the box WordPress doesn’t let you.  You can make a menu, set up categories, put posts into categories and have them accessible from the menu.  Go hover on Tech Stuff and see what I mean.  A second Tech Stuff appears.   I don’t want you to have to hover.  I’m that kinda’ guy…you know?

Anyway, got some books, some online tutorials and I’ll crack this nut.  Part of this learning how to customize the templates and make the site I want.

2 updates tonight.  About and Tech Stuff now have landing pages.   More to come!

~ Sean

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November 20, 2013 · 1:55 am

The Tech behind Seannanagins

This site has been stirring around in my head for a while.   I’ve launched a few blogs in the past and got bored really quickly.  I can’t talk about just one thing;  I’ve always got 10 things running around in my head.

So in the past few weeks I started building this.   I had 2 real choices, Squarespace and WordPress.

Squarespace

Slick and gorgeous!  I mean, seriously.   I had a site that looked so much better than this does (so far) in about 2o minutes.   Triva:  The Hawaiian shirt header was meant for the Squarespace site.   The downside is that it’s pricey: about $200 a year.  Granted, you get more than what you pay for.

WordPress

Some stats say that WordPress runs 1/6th of the sites on the web.   It’s a mature, popular, well documented and supported application.  It’s also free, but you gotta have a server to put it on.  It also doesn’t have the beautiful templates that Squarespace has.

The decision:

1: It’s November.  Christmas is coming.  Do I really feel like racking up a $200 bill for a year of who knows what on the internet?

2:  I’m so intrigued with learning something new.  I catch onto tech pretty well.  As cool as Squarespace is, WordPress skills are marketable.

3: I like the story:  Geek buys 2 domains and build a really cool website, while documenting how he built that site.

4: Lifehacker.  They ran this deal.

5: This is an experiment.  With the Lifehacker deal, one extra domain and WordPress, I’d be in the hole about $30.

WordPress was the only choice.

 

 

 

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November 17, 2013 · 3:05 am

Friends

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