Elegant Machines

Movie Theaters: Has Their Time Passed?

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:24:32 -0500

I’ve seen many films in theaters. Two of the earliest (and best) I remember from my youth are Star Wars and Jaws. Those films were huge (in more ways than simply box office receipts) and they, along with numerous others made me a big fan of film on the big screen.

However, that has changed as time has passed (or as I’ve gotten older). Now, I can sum up what I like about theaters in one formula: Big Screen + Big Sound = A More Immersive Experience

That’s it. I’m sure back in the olden days going to the picture show in Hollywood was a glamorous experience of grandeur, but nowadays it’s kids running around, babies crying, cell phones ringing or lighting up the theater. It’s people kicking your seat from behind, people talking, popcorn crunching, bags crinkling, drinks slurping, dirty sticky floors, on an on. And I’m paying $10 for a ticket? No thanks. We all know these reasons, at least those of us that see a movie in a theater from time to time.

Also, frankly, if I don’t know you, I don’t like you sitting in the very next seat. That’s my introverted personal space requirement at work.

Over the weekend, the Angelika Film Center closed here in Houston. Perhaps finally. While I went to see a few films there and I’m disappointed, I can understand. For the reasons I stated above as well as (I’m sure) more than a few business related ones, I think the time of movie theaters is slowly passing and the smaller independent theaters just happen to be the first to go as they don’t enjoy the deep pockets of the larger chain theaters.

Then of course there is the digitization of not only film, but the industry. It’s changing. Evolving. New ways of distribution like Netflix and Apple’s iTunes are hurting physical video rental stores. Like the record stores of the past (sure, there are a few left) many video stores are closing. Even Blockbuster sees the writing on the wall and is trying to make a go of online movie rentals.

Personally, I’m okay with this evolution. I love technology. I love movies. I embrace change. I also love sitting at home in a comfortable environment with one finger on the pause button where I have control.

So Many Jobs

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:17:12 -0500

I’ll be 42 on September 12th and I’ve had a lot of jobs in my lifetime (20 to be exact). I was listing them the other day for a co-worker so I thought I’d share them here as well. I started working when I was 16 and I’ve never been “fired” (laid off from the Houston Chronicle when contract expired, but I don’t consider “laid off” and “fired” the same thing). The list:

Grocery Sacker at Albertson’s - Beaumont, TX
Shipping/Receiving Clerk at Butch Hoffer’s (a clothing store) - Beaumont, TX
Pool Cleaner - Beaumont, TX
Soldier - US Army Ft. Jackson, SC, Ft. Gordon, GA, Çakmakli, Turkey, Ft. Lewis, WA
Ticket Taker - General Cinemas - Tacoma, WA
Men’s Suit Sales - Dillards - Beaumont, TX
Front Desk - The Workout Studio (later Personal Trainer too) - Beaumont, TX
Police Officer - Beaumont PD - Beaumont, TX
Manager - World Gym - Beaumont, TX
Truck Driver - Eastex Waste - Beaumont, TX
Store Manager - Smoothie King - Beaumont, TX
Computer Sales - Best Buy - Beaumont, TX
Computer Operator - Ameripol Synpol - Port Neches, TX
Computer Operator - IXC (later Browdwing now Level3) - Austin, TX
Network Systems Engineer - Technica Corporation - Dulles, VA
Security Analyst - NetSec (bought by Verizon) - Herndon, VA
Owner/Partner - The UPS Store #5119 - Beaumont, TX
Web Designer - The Houston Chronicle - Houston, TX
Freelance Web Designer - Elegant Machines - Houston, TX
Digital Media Manager - Zadok Jewelers - Houston, TX

The first video shot with my iPhone 4. My cats Sadie &...

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:45:46 -0500

The first video shot with my iPhone 4. My cats Sadie & Sophie getting a bite to eat.

My Official Stance on Butter

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:29:00 -0500

I don’t like butter.

There. I said it. Hate if you want. Haters gon’ hate! Speaking of hate, I *HATE* the smell of melted butter (along with the smells of coffee and cigarette smoke - apparently I have a sensitive olfactory system). It’s a blessing and a curse.

Anyway, I’ve not cared for butter my entire life. My Mom doesn’t like it, so that probably explains part of my dislike. However, I really came into my own as a butter hater way back in ‘90. Seems like a lifetime ago. I was but a young lad. Not too far out of high school (3 years to be exact) in my last year of a 4 year Army enlistment.

I had a part time job working at a movie theater. Yep, I had a part time job while in the Army. I was driving a HMMWV (or Hummer to you civilian folk) for a full bird Colonel at the time and stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington state, just South of Tacoma. I was bored and already on my way out of the Army. Ready to meet new people and make new friends. Also, I would get to see movies for FREE. And I love movies.

One of the many duties I had while working at the movie theater was making the popcorn. I actually enjoyed making the popcorn until it came time to add the melted butter. I don’t know what it is about it. I just about gag upon smelling it. During the year I worked at the theater, I made a lot of popcorn and therefore put a lot of butter on popcorn. Needless to say I didn’t enjoy this. At all.

But FREE movies!!

So now, here I am, 20 years later (don’t worry about how old I am) and I still don’t like butter.

There is one exception to this rule.

Texas Toast. I love me some Texas Toast. With a very light coating of butter and grilled to caramelize (correct term?) the bread. I’m a born and raised Texan, so I guess it stands to reason that I would like Texas Toast. I guess I can tolerate the butter on it because the smell isn’t very strong and I do like the flavor of Texas Toast. But then I just really love bread.

I will elaborate a bit on my butter dislike by saying that if the word “slathered” is used in describing the amount of butter on anything, you can count me out for sure. Olive Garden breadsticks? Too often slathered in butter. That’s a no go. Nor can I have it on my pancakes or French toast. Syrup only please. And not too much as I don’t like my pancakes or French toast soggy. Ick. I like my syrup on the side so I can dip. But that’s a whole other and far less interesting blog post. Not that this one is particularly interesting.

So, now you know. I hope this clears things up once and for all. If you have any questions, feel free to ask via Twitter @elegantmachines and have a great day!

Some of my pics from the 2010 Houston Art Car Parade. To see all...

Sat, 08 May 2010 16:54:00 -0500

Some of my pics from the 2010 Houston Art Car Parade. To see all of them, you can go to my Facebook account or my Flickr account.

My Personal Struggle With Depression

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:12:00 -0500

This blog post was originally posted over at the Roadshow Blondes web site where they are raising awareness about suicide prevention. Please visit their site and support them in any way you can.

Hi, my name is Jason Armstrong and in the past, I suffered from clinical depression. I’m writing about it here on The Roadshow Blondes blog because they’re trying to raise awareness about suicide prevention. Depression, if left untreated can lead to suicide. So the two are closely related. I’m also writing because of the negative stigma that depression and the treatment for depression have. The stigma has lessened over the years for sure, but it still exists. I’m just hoping that if any of you reading this suffers from depression that I can in some way help you realize that getting proper treatment is what you should be concerned about and not what people will think.

My personal struggle with depression began back in 1993. At the time, I was a rookie police officer in my hometown of Beaumont, TX. I was so excited about my new career! Until this point, I had thought for a good portion of my life that being a police officer was what I was meant to do. Why did I think this? How did I get to this point?

Years before, when I was just a kid in middle school, I was on my way home one day after school and while riding my bike was pushed by an older kid into a ditch where a large thorn punctured my right hand which was extremely painful. Years later, while I was in high school, I was repeatedly bullied by an older guy in gym class. There were a few other instances like these during my youth.

To counteract these types of situations, I compensated (and I understand now that I actually overcompensated somewhat) by taking martial arts lessons, joining the U.S. Army after high school and finally becoming a police officer. Not only did I hate being bullied or taken advantage of I also hated seeing others suffer these indignities, so I made it my goal to make sure I could protect myself and others in the future.

So, I had only just graduated the police academy a few months before when I began to realize being a police officer was not for me. I found that I just wasn’t cut out for it. Sure, I easily passed the physical and mental tests. I could shoot well and had been trained in hand-to-hand combat, but I just didn’t like the work. It wasn’t what I had thought it would be.

As I began struggling with these feelings of doubt about my chosen career, I was working one night and received a call over the radio from a fellow rookie who had gone through and graduated from the academy with me. He and his training partner were requesting my partners and my presence at their location and they wouldn’t say why. We were definitely curious as we arrived on the scene.

My friend met me in the street and the first words out of his mouth were “I think you know this guy.”

I had no idea who or what he was talking about. He proceeded to tell me that he thought I used to work with this guy… this guy that had comitted suicide. My mind began racing thinking who it could be and when he told me his name, it was like a punch in the gut. Yes, I had indeed worked with the guy at a previous employer. We had become good friends. Wow. Just wow. I didn’t know what to think or do.

So now, not only was doubt beginning to creep in about my job as a police officer, but a friend had just killed himself while I was on duty. Needless to say, the next few weeks were really tough.

Finally, I did decide to quit my job as a police officer. It was literally the hardest thing I had ever done in my life to that point. By far. It really hurt me deeply. This is when the depression took hold. I had never dealt with anything like this before. I had always been so independent and self-reliant. I was just completely lost.

I think it was my Mom that recommended that I go see a therapist. It took me awhile, but I finally did. I cried most of the first session just letting it all out. It’s amazing just how much I had kept bottled up inside of me. It was the most liberating feeling to let it all out. I had also dealt with anger issues all during my youth (I’m sure partially, if not mostly as a result of the bullying I had endured when younger). The only way I knew of to deal with stress and anger was through acting out and hitting something. I’ve never hit anyone in anger, even to this day, but the walls of my childhood home had to spackled more than a few times! Also, I was always taught that men don’t cry, which I now understand is completely stupid.

The therapy turned out to be incredible for me. The doctor helped me see things from a different perspective. Different from the very narrow view I had of things on my own.

I also took medication, which really helped me quickly and in the short term until the therapy really began to take hold.

This, in addition to helping abate the negative stigma of depression, is the real crux of why I’m writing. If you get nothing else out of this blog post, please understand the importance of the therapy over the medication. The medication is nice and helpful in the short term, but the therapy is absolutely necessary for long term health. The therapy is what actually heals.

So, after a few months of therapy, I started to get back to normal and live life with the same zeal I had before. I realized that being a police officer was just a job and there would be others. Little did I know at the time, numerous others. Looking back, I am so very glad that I’m not a police officer now. I have a tremendous amount of respect and love for those that do the job on a daily basis, but it was just not for me.

I really learned some valuable life lessons by dealing with depression. Lessons that have served me well and will continue to for the rest of my life. The biggest is just how lucky we all really are. We’re here for such a relatively short period of time and we really must make the most of it. It sounds cliche to say it, but it’s so very true.

So, in closing I’ll leave you with a few final points.

1.) Do not be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. We all need help sometimes and it takes the most courage to admit we need it. The rest (to me anyway) is relatively easy after that.

2.) I always imagined that my friend that committed suicide probably thought that he was at the end of his proverbial rope and that no one could help him with his situation. That he had gone too far down a road and couldn’t turn back. This thinking couldn’t be further from the truth. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE. It’s never to late to say stop. I quit. No more. And seek help.

3.) Talk to someone. Talk to your best friend. Talk to your parents. Talk to your brother or sister. Talk to your priest or pastor. Your teacher. Anyone. They may not have the answers you need, but they can help you find the person who does. Trust me. They can help and they want to more than you can possibly imagine.

4.) Go to therapy. Go until the doctor or therapist tells you that you’re well. Don’t try to make this decision on your own. They are the professionals. Let them help you.

5.) Don’t rely on medication alone. The therapy is what really heals you in the long run and teaches you the coping skills to allow you to deal with things in the future.

Part 2 - Matthew Wettergreen is hilarious in this one! While in...

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:15:06 -0600

Part 2 - Matthew Wettergreen is hilarious in this one! While in downtown Houston, TX at the Mom 2.0 Summit we (Grace Rodriguez, Matthew Wettergreen, Kelsey Ruger and I) got to ride in the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. Take that off the bucket list!

While in downtown Houston, TX at the Mom 2.0 Summit we (Grace...

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:44:28 -0600

While in downtown Houston, TX at the Mom 2.0 Summit we (Grace Rodriguez, Matthew Wettergreen, Kelsey Ruger and I) got to ride in the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. Take that off the bucket list!

Various images of the Apple iPad.

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:13:31 -0600

Various images of the Apple iPad.

Thoughts on the Apple iPad

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:58:00 -0600

I am really excited about the iPad. I was excited about it before Steve Jobs showed it to the world last week (see my blog post about it here) and I’m even more excited about it now. I’d buy one today if they were available.

I’ve been reading about it since last week in various blogs (I’m a fan of John Gruber at DaringFireball.net) and newspaper websites. I’ve also listened to more than a few podcasts that focused on it (some faves are This Week in Tech with Leo Laporte as well as Laporte’s MacBreak Weekly and the gdgt podcast with Ryan Block and Peter Rojas.) So if you don’t have the time or want to put the effort into taking in all of the above, I’ve got my version of a digest for you below. Doing all the hard work for you :-)

So having taken all of this in and thought a good deal about the iPad and what it means for computing, there are a few things that have made particular sense to me. Remember, these are not my ideas, just my personal affirmations of them. You can read/listen to the above sources and you’ll be exposed to the same material I’ve been.

One of the worst analogies I’ve heard about the iPad is that “it’s just like a big iPod Touch” or iPhone. Just because they share qualities, doesn’t make them the same at all. The iPad also looks a lot like the screen from my 13” MacBook. Do they share the same qualities or characteristics? A few, sure. They look similar (at a glance). They’re both made of aluminum and have a glass display surface, but that’s where the comparison ends. This is just a red herring.

People have also been pointing out numerous “faults” with the iPad. A few include “It doesn’t have a camera.”, “It can’t multitask.”, “I can’t run whatever software I want on it.” and there were many others.

I’m not going to address each of the above individually, but rather collectively by simply saying - so what? It’s Apple’s product, not yours. You don’t make it, you don’t get to decide what goes into it. Harsh? Sure, but so is life. Sometimes. Apple is trying to give customers (who want to buy the device) the best experience possible. One of the most impressive things I’ve heard from Leo Laporte, John Gruber and others is about the incredible speed. In addition to the speed is the stability. Speed and stability would probably rank in the top 5 of desired traits of a computing device, if not right at 1 and 2.

From what I’ve read/heard, Apple’s new A4 processor is likely responsible for the blazing speed and as for the stability? I’d say platform (iPhone OS) maturity and the fact that Apple controls all of the hardware used and can write the software to work with it perfectly. People harp on Apple and their control issues, but this is what it gets you. Incredible stability.

Media Consumption Device

I believe it was Andy Ihnatko who stated on TWiT that the iPad is a “Media Consumption Device” and I couldn’t agree more. The iPad is for browsing the web, reading books, periodicals and newspapers, watching video and listening to music and podcasts. It’s all about consuming content and being the best device for that on the market. It’s not about creating content. For that, use a laptop.

They Want the Thing in the Movies

One blog post I will link directly to, because it’s one of the most poignant I’ve read about the iPad is this one - The Failure of Empathy. Two quotes that really sum it up for me and speak volumes are “It’s the subtraction of 20lbs of textbooks in my son’s backpack, and the device I finally feel comfortable buying my parents.” and “They want the thing in the movies.”

Yep. I want to buy the iPad for my 70+ year old parents and yep, I want the thing in the movies too. Until I get my flying car and jet pack, it’ll suffice very nicely.

Proposed mock-ups of the Apple tablet

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:08:59 -0600

Proposed mock-ups of the Apple tablet

The Apple Tablet

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:06:00 -0600

If you know me at all you know that I am an Apple fan. I have a 24” iMac at home (I have a new 27” iMac at work), a 13” MacBook and an iPhone 3G (I’m waiting for the next gen version hopefully to come out this Summer before I upgrade). Before being a “Mac” I was a “PC” running Linux. I loved its power, stability and flexibility. Now I believe the Mac has all that and the prettiest, best designed interface ever and that’s important to me also. Plus the hardware is just incredibly designed. So, now I’m a Mac through and through. (By the way, I was a PC running Windows back in the darker days of my computing experience from Windows ‘95 through XP.)

So, with that introduction out of the way, on to my thoughts on the proposed Apple tablet that will supposedly (hopefully) be released at the end of this month (January 2010) and the main reason I’m writing this blog post. I’m going to stick my neck out just a little by saying I think the tablet has huge potential and will be a big success. Beyond that though is why I think it’ll be successful.

I’m also a big fan of John Gruber of Daring Fireball and you only need read his post about “The Tablet” to know my thoughts on it. I think John is spot on with his analysis.

Additionally, I don’t think (as some have surmised) that it will be called iSlate or iTablet. I also don’t think the $1000 price is true. (If it does in fact cost $1000, I believe it will in some way be better and more than anyone has predicted in ways we can’t imagine right now.) I’m guessing that the price tag will be in the more reasonable $500-600 range.

I think Grubers best points are the following: “I say they’re swinging big — redefining the experience of personal computing.” this “The Tablet will do less than we expect but the things it does do, it will do insanely well. It will offer a fraction of the functionality of a MacBook — but that fraction will be way more fun. The same myopic feature-checklist-obsessed critics who dismissed the iPhone will focus on all that The Tablet doesn’t do and declare that this time, Apple really has fucked up but good. The rest of us will get in line to buy one.” and lastly “The Tablet, I say, is going to be Apple’s new answer to what you use for personal portable general computing.”

To sum up this post and put the finest point on it I can, I’ll say this: what Gruber says above about those who dismissed the iPhone rings so very true to me. I think the iPhone is the best portable device ever created. Ever. But that’s me. There are millions and millions of people that have yet to buy an iPhone. I understand why and I’m okay with that. My Mom has always said “that’s what sells soap”. I just see a lot of potential in the tablet platform and I think the real wealth of the platform is what we can’t imagine yet. What new paradigms will it bring about in mobile computing? Maybe none. But just maybe…

Photos from my visit to Stella Sola here in the Heights...

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:00:46 -0600

Photos from my visit to Stella Sola here in the Heights (Houston, TX).

A Great Time and Meal at Stella Sola

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:58:16 -0600

I went to a new restaurant in the Heights with some friends last week and had a wonderful time. The restaurant, called Stella Sola (on Twitter @StellaSola). The friends in attendance included JR Cohen and his lovely wife Paola, Gus Tello and his lovely wife Melanie and lastly but certainly not least the awesome Far Wyde.

We had an amazing time with great conversation and we even had the fortune of Bill Shirley joining us!

As for my fantastic meal, I started with a Martinez from the bar which consisted of Gin, Chambourd, bitters and Maraschino and it was lovely. I then proceeded to our table where I ordered an appetizer of Bucatini and Crab meat. My main entré was their ribeye with this very nice sauce that consisted of pear and onion with a touch of what Far thought was cumin. Both plates were wonderful! I also had a glass of shiraz with my meal that was a very nice compliment. To finish things off I had a scrumptious chocolate torte and scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with the most amazing spiced pecans. This dessert was the perfect way to top off the meal. What a wonderful experience overall and what great friends to share it with!

It was such a great way to get to know everyone a little better and we remarked how we (the larger social media community in Houston) really need to get together more often, especially with those we’ve not met yet or see rarely. It’s great to catch up!

I’m going to see @clickwindrepeat and @dryvetyme tonight at The Mink as the @PrairieCadets -...

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:49:54 -0600

I’m going to see @clickwindrepeat and @dryvetyme tonight at The Mink as the @PrairieCadets - you should too!

HOLY!!! RT @GunsandTacos: I JUST FOUND TACOS DE TROMPO. http://twitpic.com/wjw0a

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:49:44 -0600

HOLY!!! RT @GunsandTacos: I JUST FOUND TACOS DE TROMPO. http://twitpic.com/wjw0a

Hell yeah for reals! Kick-ass is gonna be awesome!! : ) RT @ThursdayGirl: For reals?????...

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:40:27 -0600

Hell yeah for reals! Kick-ass is gonna be awesome!! : ) RT @ThursdayGirl: For reals????? http://bit.ly/6eRqoU

great job by @waysidedrive at Rudz tonight!

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:08:43 -0600

great job by @waysidedrive at Rudz tonight!

I’m at Jenni’s Noodle House in Houston, TX http://gowal.la/s/QZi

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:06:41 -0600

I’m at Jenni’s Noodle House in Houston, TX http://gowal.la/s/QZi

I’m at Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston, TX http://gowal.la/s/cAc

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:06:39 -0600

I’m at Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston, TX http://gowal.la/s/cAc