Mike Jeff of the Web

Vibe Check №3

Vibe Check

December always seems to start off slow, then take off like a rocket once I find that I’m running out of shipping days to get my Christmas shopping done. Now Christmas is in the rearview, and just like that, it’s almost a new year. I haven’t been much of a “New Year’s Resolution” guy for most of my life, and as life goes on, I’ve realized that it’s damn near impossible to flip a switch on January first and change your life forever. It’s good to have a goals though (you don’t even have to wait for the new year to start working towards them.) These past months, I’ve tried to read more, and watch a little less TV. Be more active in my learning and entertainment. Thus far, it’s going well, and I’ll try my best to sustain it until it’s part of who I am and what I do.

I found that taking a break from work to play music made me more productive, and more creative. It must be some of that left brain/right brain stuff. I won’t pretend to understand it, I know that it gives me a boost when I need it.

Listened

We’re starting a record collection! It’s right on trend, but I’m not ashamed. I haven't amassed a large number of records yet, but I’m sure I will soon. For now, I am looking forward to growing my back catalog of music I loved as a kid. In fact, as a Christmas gift, I received a copy of Nirvana’s “In Utero” packaged with a couple of flannel shirts. My life has come full circle! Also, I picked up the mp3 album of “Some Girls” by The Rolling Stones. It’s full of classic ‘Stones bangers, and it’s moody as hell. I’ll admit that I’m late coming around to these guys. It’s embarrassing.

Read

I read “The Last Ronin” — it’s a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic by Kevin Eastman. Eastman is one of the original co-creators of the Turtles, back before the original cartoon got huge. I was a fan as a kid, and when I saw this new book, I had to get it. It tells the story of the end of the feud between Splinter’s family and the family of The Shredder. It's post-apocalyptic, gritty, and violent. Nothing like the pizza loving Turtles of the late 80’s and 90’s, it’s a return to the grit exuded by the original comic. It's exceptional.

For work, I’m reading “Don’t Make Me Think.” It’s about usability on websites and how to remove as much friction as possible from a user’s experience. It’s pretty common sense stuff, but it’s full of good examples and some pretty dated imagery. It’s an important subject to me, so I’m cruising right through it. I’ll probably re-read it when I’m done to get a more detailed understanding.

Watched

This month was all Christmas-themed viewing. We watched lots of Christmas themed cartoons and a couple of classic movies; Nothing earth shattering, but I enjoyed lots of time spent with my family.