Last month I had bad luck with computers. My power chord on my main computer died, so I bought a new one which also burned out. No power chord basically meant that my computer was virtually useless. I decided to switch to an iMac. The reason for this was actually convenience. My dad had an iMac I bought him a couple of years ago that he was no longer using since I got him an iphone.

Losing the ability to use your computer or having a computer die makes you think about your files. I keep all of my important files backed up on an external hard drive, but that can also die. I finally decided what I needed was  a place online to store my files. That way I would have the ability to access them regardless of what computer I was using or where I was.

I wasn’t actually looking for a place to keep all of my files, but just a few select ones that I didn’t want to loose.

I looked at a few different sites, and finally decided on Dropbox for two reasons. One, it had applications on available on many platforms. Two, you start out with 2GB of space, but get an additional 250mb of space (up to 10Gb) for every person that you refer. Not a bad deal.

The user interface is also good. Dropbox shows up as a folder and whatever you put into it gets uploaded to your Dropbox file.

So here is my referral link to Dropbox. If you use this link we both get an additional 250mb of space.

Click here to Sign up for Drop Box

Once you sign up, please feel free to comment on how you like it or don’t. Also, feel free to comment if you have found a better service.

Computer Desk Materials

Two of the panels are basically used as is. Though I did remove some of the bottom panels for a little more leg room. I dismantled the third panel for parts, which became the legs.

Bottom Panel

Then I just took longer boards I removed from the other pallet and connected the two.

Pallet Computer Desk with Legs

Lastly, I added a couple of cross braces to add stability, and painted the entire thing white. Depending on your location, you may be able to get away without staining or painting, but in the high humidity we have here it would probably have already rotted away.

Completed and painted

And since my new computer arrived yesterday: here is the final result!

Desk with iMac

The only thing left is to build a slide out trey for the keyboard and mouse. I am still thinking about the best way to go about it. Let me know if you have any ideas.

Lately, I am finally starting to learn how to do both. I am really excited with the content I have planned for this blog, and I think you will enjoy it.

Lately, I am really getting into video and editing and I have been wanting to do more with this on the blog. My camera was flooded on a snorkeling trip, but I have a new HD camera on the way and figured what better way to tell you about the new plans for the website than make a video. The camera hasn’t arrived yet and neither has my new computer (I am typing this on a 6 year old laptop). But, I figured rather than wait, I would get started and use what I have.

This was shot on my iphone and edited using a free program on my 6 year old laptop. Let me know what you think, and please leave comments and subscribe (you can find a subscribe button on the sidebar) to my YouTube account. I will have many more vids on the way.

It doesn’t really matter what it is, whether it’s photography, sports, business negotiations, etc. Somebody who puts in the amount of hours it takes to get really good, and goes through all the frustrating perseverance it takes to get there, has an extreme amount of dedication. When I say anyone, maybe I should be a little more clear. I am usually more impressed when the skill is a useful one. Someone who gets really good at some kind of drinking game could have probably spent their time better elsewhere.

Japan is definitely one of the places where you can find people who are very dedicated to their crafts. One instance that comes to mind is the first time I visited Japan. I was in Kyoto and was walking down the street looking into the windows of the shops. There was a sweets store that had a very large window so you could actually watch the chef make the sweets. What I was so impressed with the the focus and precision in which he went about it. It was obvious that he had spent years perfecting his methods and had a system which seemed to be very efficient.

While here in Japan, I have also had the chance to meet a master sword maker, Kawachi Kunihira, whose level of work is so high that it has moved beyond the level of being able to be judged.  When he was young, his father told him no to pursue sword making because it was a dead art and he would never make any money. He ignored his father and pursued his dream. He is now one of the top sword makers in Japan. His swords sell in the tens of thousands of dollars. For those interested in Japanese sword making, Kawachi Kunihira actually wrote a book several years ago titled “The Art of the Japanese Sword“.

The other day I came across this video and was very impressed. I don’t know if this guy does other jobs in this motorcycle factory, but he is an amazing pin striper. Watching him do this was almost mesmerizing for me. I feel that only a machine should be able to do it that perfect. Check out the video and let me know what you think.

A couple of years ago, my wife started doing hula, which meant that she also became interested in Hawaii and Hawaiian flowers. Last year she received on Plumeria as a gift and ended up getting several others as well. After a lot of water and making sure to keep them inside during typhoons, they are finally blooming.

Actually only one of the several that we have is blooming, but even I have to admit that the flowers are beautiful. They also smell really good at night.

The ability to have two or three tabs open at one time is great. You can compare products, use it to copy and paste, find out information from one site while using it for another, etc. It is much easier than having to switch between pages and requires less work by your computer. However, if you are like me, and commonly have 5+ pages open on a regular basis, then you are probably wasting more time than you are gaining.

The reason is that it takes more time to find what you want. Each time you switch tabs, you will have to search for the one you want. Not to mention that as you open more tabs, they get smaller, making it more difficult to tell what each one is. It also makes it easier to get side-tracked. You may accidentally open a tab you forgot about and start reading it, loosing track of what you were doing in the first place.

While the solution is simple (don’t open so many tabs), actually applying it is more difficult. I think you have to create a rule/habit. Make a rule that you won’t open more than 2-4 tabs at any one time. If you need to save something, then bookmark it and close the page. You will be able to work much more efficiently if you don’t have a bunch of pages to distract you.

I have closed all but two of my pages, and will try to keep it that way. Can you break the addition?

I am curious to everyone’s experience with browser tabs. How many do you keep open on average?

A while back I came up with a challenge to get in shape. I made a couple of updates, but then stopped updating altogether. So what happened?

A couple of things, but the biggest one was illness. This year has been especially cold here where I am at and I think it led to me getting sick. I ended up catching a couple of colds as well as some kind of throat infection that gave me a high temperature. Hard to exercise and take pictures when I can’t get out of bed. I also had to reformat my computer and may have lost the pictures I had taken for the first couple of weeks. I’ll have to check.

The weather has finally warmed up here, but now we are in rainy season. So instead of swimming at the beach, I have been working on my car, a 1999 Miata. My most recent thing was to install a Sparco racing seat for more support. You can check it out here if you are interested.

At this point I will be updating this site much more often. I am also planning to make some videos of the island once this weather clears up.

So are there option for those who don’t live in a remote area? What about those of us who live in the city and the suburbs with limited resources and limited land? It seems there just isn’t much we can do. At least that is what I thought until I watched the below video and learned how one family turned their 1/5 acre in the suburbs into a farm that grows 99% of their food and even makes a living for them.

Over the last year I have started a small garden for myself. With tomatoes, bell peppers, egg-plant, mint, parsley, onions, lettuce, etc; but this takes it to a completely different level. Imagine what the world could be like if we all did this even a little. Imagine watering a lawn full of vegetables instead of green grass. It definitely makes me rethink my garden.

Time to plan a better one. Let me know what you think and what kind of garden you might already have. Oh, and also be sure to check out their website: Path to freedom.

Well, I am going to try and change this and start posting a lot more often. Below are some of the topics that I will be posting about and some of the other ideas for the site.

Broader Topics

In the past, the main focus of this site has been self development, life hacks, and  a few adventures and tips on the side. Moving forward I plan to cover more day to day topics and adventures that I participate in. Since I currently live on a tropical island in Japan, that will range from snorkeling in the ocean, local festivals, spear fishing, and maybe even trips to the store when entertaining.

I will try to keep the posts helpful, and at least entertaining, but they will not be limited to any particular topic.

Getting Back in Shape..again

Last year I did a 30 day challenge using a popular abs program to get in shape. Without changing my diet, I actually got it pretty good shape within 30 days. Unfortunately, once the challenge was over, I cut back on my workout routine. In order to get back in shape, and stay there, I will doing more posting on exercising. I am also planning to make some videos of some of my favorite workouts.

More Videos

About a year ago I bought a new camera which among other things can go under water and also shoot hd video. I have been practicing with video editing software and will try and get more videos on the site. Everything from the places I go to various instructional videos.

More Cultural Topics

Having lived in Japan for a few years now I don’t tend to think about all the cool/weird stuff. When I think about it though, there are actually a lot of items, activities, and sometimes just weird happenings that would make good blog posts. Of course, I will also be posting tips on language learning.

More Adventures

Last year I did a lot of snorkeling, spear fishing, hiking, scuba diving, entering caves, and fishing. I also went to a lot of live performances (from hula to folk dancing to native Okinawan music). I plan to write more about these topics, and when possible, take videos and pictures.

Your Feedback

I would love to hear your thoughts on what you would like to read about more. If you really enjoy a certain topic let me know and I will try write more on it.

I look forward to sharing my adventures with you and thank you for reading.

The idea of a solar space heater or “soda can heater” is to use the sun to heat up metals tubes and the air that passes through. They can be built for cheap, using a few supplies for a frame or even some spare materials. The metal tubes can easily be built out of aluminum soda cans.

You can find more info on solar heaters at solar panels for sale.