Last weekend I got a chance to go out to Quartz Mountain Oklahoma and participate in the fall gathering. It’s a weekend of camping for climbers and outdoorsmen and a great place to fellowship with some pretty rad people. Needless to say, I had loads of fun and climbed up some pretty crazy slab.
La Sportiva Miura VS
I’ve been rock climbing pretty regularly since April (I was gifted a membership at a rock gym on my birthday). I’ve really enjoyed the sport to say the least and have been very fortunate to have more experienced climbers as friends. I have learned a lot.
My first pair of shoes were the Evolv Defy(s). A great entry-level shoe. Very comfortable. I got the clearance model for a steal (about $40) and decided to go with the cheaper shoe before I knew whether or not I would enjoy the sport. Less durable rubber, sloppy footwork and five months later and my shoes had two decent sized holes in the toes.
After shopping around a bit, I decided to go with the La Sportiva Miura VS for my next shoe. I had heard pretty great things about them and they came highly recommended. After my first day climbing in them, I am really satisfied with the mixture of comfort and performance this shoe has. I sized them down one half-size from my street shoe size and they’re plenty snug, with lots of toe power.
If you’re ever in the market for climbing/adventure gear, I recommend Backcountry. Their customer service is out of this world and they have really knowledgeable staff willing to give you advice if you get in touch with them.
Long Live Play
Saw a really cool post on Reddit today. I think Sony did a great job at making an emotional connection with each game reference. Also, it’s just really cool to see live-action versions of characters from some of the greatest games ever!
A Storm on the Front
I recently started reading book one of the Dresden Files. Although I am really not all that into Sci-Fi, I am enjoying the book pretty well. I want to get in a couple of good fictions this summer and this one came recommended. I have a fairly long list of books to read after this so I am not sure how much of the series I’ll get through – but so far, so good. A full review after I am done.
Want to read it with me? Pick up a copy at Amazon.
Javis Story: Chapter III
As an artist I try and draw inspiration from wherever I can find it. Lately, I have been watching a lot of YouTube videos. There are a few of mention, but today I wanted to highlight a video that I really enjoyed, by a good friend of mine, John Daniels. He has an ongoing three part series video collect he names “Javis Story”.
The story is an abstract social commentary on his life that he leaves open for interpretation. I find them rather enjoyable. He uses pretty basic technology as far as equipment and editing are concerned but he manages to produce a fairly high quality YouTube attempt. Be sure to check out John’s latest “Javis Story: Chapter III“.
Bonsai Tree Plant or Friend?
I recently went to Texas (Denton, to be exact) to visit my sister for the weekend. For those who do not know, my sister is notorious for getting clever little gifts for me. She is actually probably the best ‘gift person’ I have ever met, as she usually knows what people would like, regardless of how well she knows them.
This time, she gave me a Bonsai tree. This three year old shrub sits perfectly in a little pot and is going to be basking in my office window very soon. I have to say – there is something peculiar about the little plant, as it brings me great joy just to sit and look at it.
I once had a similar Bonsai tree, also from my sister. Unfortunately, it ddn’t survive my first winter in college. These little trees require that you prune them fairly regularly and have specific water and sunlight needs. On the plus side, it isn’t too much to handle and the ending product is well worth the effort.
Bonsai trees make great plants and even better friends. Thanks, sis.
Firefox 3 Download Day
Mozilla has launched an initiative to set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded within a 24 hour period. How do they aim to do that? Firefox 3.
Although the release date for Firefox 3 has not been set, Mozilla has set up website dedicated to the cause. You can pledge to download on the release date and also browse an interacive map to see how many pledges have been made around the world!
The website is actually pretty nice and there are lots of different options for those who want to get involved.
Since the beta release of Firefox 3, I have been testing it out on both Windows and OS X. Aside from the slick new UI, Firefox 3 is said to out perform most all of the other browsers, including my last browser of choice, Safari.
In short, Firefox 3 is going to be an amazing browser, so I will see you on the release date! Let’s start a fire.