What cannot be overcome is, whatever you ask Siri, will be heard by someone else. Even an innocent question to get the sports score can be something to fear asking in public. Someone will hear, and then you will have to converse with that person about your team.

Ben Brooks does an awesome job summing up something I am working on trying to get myself used to. I am a massive Bluetooth lover, and while using BT earbuds/a headset/headphones helps this somewhat, there is still an element of "where am I?" when you are thinking of using Siri, and that is a real limitation. 

This is further exacerbated by my lovely fiancée converting to the Apple world, so we now have 2 devices that listen for "Hey, Siri" 100% of the time, and a third that joins the fracas when it is plugged in (my iPad Air 2). It can be fun to pit them against each other, but it would be cooler if they could figure out which is closest to me...

Wrote this for the work blog, but it gets me excited enough that I also wanted to touch on this here. Google Analytics has rolled out support for calculated metrics, which means we can now define custom metrics (such as Revenue per User) inside of Google Analytics, rather than needing to pull this data and process it with a spreadsheet before reporting. 

This is the kind of move that makes me happy to still be firmly hitched to the Google Analytics wagon. I still have yet to find a better analytics suite, and it has hit the point where I have very little fear of Google Analytics going the way of Google Reader. This is the perfect example of that - little by little, Google has managed to fix or enhance pretty much every deficiency within the suite, and has rolled out some great features in the process. Demographic data, Social data, Multi-Channel Conversion information, and Real Time are features and reports I rely on daily, and they are all features added within the last several years (primarily, with the rollout of Universal)

Note: This is the unplanned first post in what has become a series of posts laying out how I approach "doing things". I've realized there are a couple tenents I follow pretty closely, and I want to figure out why. This post was a spark of inspiration after a sub-second power outage, so there may be a delay before the future posts.

There is one thing that I give myself permission to #humblebrag about: I am an Eagle Scout. I spent the majority of my childhood as a Boy Scout, starting as a Tiger and following it through until I was achieved the rank of Eagle. It remains one of the biggest and most difficult things I have achieved in my life. I can distinctly remember the moment I realized I needed to buckle down and get-shit-done or I would fail at it: I was in my bedroom, sat bolt upright in bed, turned my lights on, and wrote out the list I needed to accomplish, and the timeline. 

I tend to take the core tenent of anything, and try to fall back to it at all costs. I may let my GTD system slip, but I always remember the core tenet of getting things out of my head and into a system. I did the same thing with my Scouting career. "Always Be Prepared" is so ingrained into my life that I rarely actually think it anymore. My default state is to think "What is the most likely thing that could screw me next?", and then try to hedge against it. This has lead to what I see as a healthy focus on the stuff I use everyday (others call it the same thing, but roll their eyes a lot more), and trying to build redundancies in my life. I'm not a Prepper in any sense of the word. Rather, I just want to head off the stuff with the highest (Likeliness/Input)*Screwing ratio. This ratio weighs how:

• Likely something is to happen: Prepper-level event probably won't happen. Internet being out for 2 weeks? Thought it was low, until it happened to me, and changed my view of Internet Access. 

• much Input is required for something to happen. This is a rather vague metric - since this is a mental model more than anything - referring to the resources and timing required for something to happen. It balances out the "likely" part of the equation, weighing things that are likely on paper, but require some alignment to happen. It should also help raise the value of things that are random, but you have to make sure to think of them. 

• much I will be Screwed if the thing happens. This is also kind of vague, since the screwing can take many forms. I try to overvalue hits to the "foundation" and undervalue hits to things I should be caring less about. 

This mental model has been ingrained into me, through years of packing for trips thinking "What is going to end it early?" and "What will cause it to just Suck", and trying to plan against them. This automatic way of approaching it has led to it only really coming up when something in my system FAILS. 

When this Failure happens, it is immediately obvious. It stops me in my tracks, grabs my focus, and my mind immediately begins to work on it. Normally, the fix/hedge/redundancy is obvious, and it was the situation I missed. This happened tonight, and it finally connected a few dots that really upped the ratio for one particular scenario: short power outages. 

It's currently that very-nearly-storming kind of weather outside, not raining but the wind is starting to whip. I was working with The Office in the background, and then it happen: the power blipped for less than a second. However, in that sub-second outage, my entire aparement went down hard. I heard that slightly horrifying sound of everything shutting down, that split second of eerie silence of technology, and then everything spinning up at once. The outage was sub-second, but the total downtime and annoyance was at least 8 minutes, and then it got my mind working. The worst thing is that the fix is super simple: I need a UPS for the office and a UPS for the living room. An extra few hundred dollars during my last trip to MicroCenter would have prevented this, bridging the gap and keeping everything up. 

The UPSs also would prevent me from the thing currently scaring the shit out of me: hardware death due to lightening (and really terrible luck). This isn't referring to a surge down the power line - that is all surge protected as best as possible, although having a UPS in there would make it all the better. No, the thing scaring the shit out of me is the memory of a father and son duo I stood behind during a MicroCenter trip a few years ago (Yes, you are seeing a theme: I like immediate satification, and I like double-checking my plans with their employees to catch any oversights). They had 2 PC builds in their cart, identically arranged in the corners of the cart. They had 2 different sets of keyboards and mice. It was a decently long line, and I mentioned that it looked like they had a fun day ahead of them. They then told me how they got there: Lightening struck something near them, it got into the cable, and fried their PCs through the network. It was at this point I noticed the suber beefy surge protectors and UPSs on the bottom of the cart. 

I just moved, and am getting everything setup to a totally new power system. Combine this with the fact that I try to run everything on Ethernet leads to several thousand in damage, and untold hours of lost productivity, all due to something 100% out of my control, and could happen at random. Until tonight, the story had mostly slipped my mind. Now? Figuring out when this week I can get up to MicroCenter. This is the exact type of thing that I should ALWAYS BE PREPARED for.

I've been playing with this app for a few weeks, and have found myself really liking it. It's a great way to create some space for your brain to catch up, and figure out what to tackle next. While it seems really simple, it also works really well.  

I tend to switch pens too much. I don't know why I do it, but I will regularly find myself swapping pens mid-page for no real reason. I don't have an official "system" to what I use for any given task . I figure doing a post whenever I change my main pen load out would be a great way to keep me honest, and track my usage over time. 

The Pens

• Retro 51 Tornado "Liftoff" Special Edition: Found this one at Paradise Pens well after I assumed they would all be sold out. They had 2 left in their system, and this one came from Chicago. I spent a few years living within walking distance of their store, and at that point I was known as a "regular". I tend to always have a Retro 51 around - they are the perfect rollerball to grab and go. 
• Pentel Kerry Sharp: A more recent addition, due to my rediscovered love of mechanical pencils. While fountain pens are my main love, I have been a mechanical pencil fan since I was first in school. This one was a recent addition, as a sort-of direct contrast to the Rotring. Currently using .5mm 2B lead. 
• Rotring 600: The pencil that re-ignited my love of mechanical pencils. I heard the Pen Addict guys talking about them on a recent podcast, and figured I would try one for myself. This is, in my mind, the perfect pencil. Also using the same .5mm 2B lead - I threw some into a recent lead order, and fell in love. 
• Lamy 2000, F nib: This was a Massdrop purchase, after years and years of lusting over one. I fell in love with this pen back in high school, and it wasn't until I saw it in a Massdrop email that I pulled the trigger. It has since become one of my two go-to workhorse pens. Currently loaded with Private Reserve Blue Suede. 
• Pilot Vanishing Point, M nib: The first >$100 pen I ever purchased myself (back in 2011), there has rarely been a day that I haven't had it with me. It even made the cut for a recent business trip to Boston, my first time ever flying with pens. This is the other workhorse pen. I can't think of the last day I didn't use either this or the Lamy. Currently filled with a Pilot Blue/Black cartridge, which is a Top 5 Ink for me. Come to think of it, it is the only ink that I have ever had in this pen. 
• Retro 51 Tornado Fountain Massdrop Special Edition, B nib: The newest addition to the bunch, this is the first time I've had it inked up. I tend to carry the two workhorses and one "fun" pen, and this finally came up in the rotation. Up until today, a Faber-Castel e-motion Pure Black previously held this spot. This was a pen "designed" by the Massdrop community, and it looks absolutely beautiful. I decided on Mont Blanc Toffee Brown for it's first inking
• Kaweco Al-Star Sport (Stonewashed), EF Nib: This is my out-and-about pen, for those times I just grab a Field Notes and head out the door. It serves that role beautifully, able to tuck away regardless of my outfit choices that day. This is also the pen I tend to fiddle with most at my desk. 

This is one of those setups that sort-of happened naturally. I realized that my load out had been static for a few weeks, and that I was really satisfied with it. A good mix of new blood and Tier 1 gear means I haven't gotten bored with any of it. 

The Supporting Cast

I'm just as indecisive about what I carry my gear in, and what I use with it, as I am the gear itself. I like everything to have a place, and nothing to have any unnecessary stress placed on it in my bag. To carry my daily setup, I have recently landed on 2 Nock Co cases that combine to cover my needs:

The Nock Co Hightower is my main "Pouch Office". Seen here in the limited Kickstarter-only "Myke in the USA" Green and Yellow color way, this holds:

• The Lamy 2000 (Or Pilot VP, depending on which one is tempting me more)
• The Rotring and Kerry
• The Retro 51 Liftoff
• My active Field Notes Notebook
• 5-7 Nock Co Notecards
• 2-3 Business Cards

This case is setup to be the one thing I need to grab to have most of my needs covered. I can take notes, leave notes, or share contact info. I keep whichever workhorse is currently in my top spot in it, which also gives me a handy bit of redundancy - unless I lose my entire backpack, I won't lose both my favorite pens. 

The Nock Co Lookout holds the rest of the pens. In this case, it tends to have the VP, Retro 51 FP, and Kaweco Al-Star tucked away inside. This case has been in near-constant use since my Kickstarter order shipped - it just does such an amazing job of keeping 3 pens safe. It's slim, easy to open/close, and exactly as simple as it needs to be. 

Notebooks

There is a more full post on notebooks in my future, but I would be remiss not to at least include them in this post. I tend to hand-write the vast majority of my notes and plans, and have developed a taste for nice paper. On a daily basis, I'll end up using the following main notebooks:

• Levenger Circa Junior: Levenger is another one of those brands that I have loved for years, and only recently become a customer of. This Circa is the main home for meeting notes and prep, capturing thoughts, and really anything else I'll want to hang onto. I'm a full-on convert to the Levenger world, with my punch seeing a ton of use (my fiancee has also joined the train, so I keep having to steal it back)
• Nock Co Steno Pad: I first bought these because they seemed interesting - I'd never used steno pads, and I love supporting Nock Co whenever I can. I discovered they are perfect for my day-to-day todo list making. Despite being a huge Todoist fan, I end up falling back to a paper todo list most days. These steno pads, with their fantastic paper, handle the task beautifully. I always felt a twinge of guilt using the Levenger for these lists, knowing they were going to get tossed. I just received 6 more of these in the mail, so I should be stocked for a while.
• Field Notes: I just love these little notebooks. They are great for tasks, capturing thoughts on the go, and being the always-on notebook choice. Recently, I have been carrying books from the Workshop Companion edition - they have a really fantastic fountain pen-friendly paper, and the design is top notch. I ended up buying a few extra boxes to stock up. 
• Nock Co Notecards: Rounding out my Nock addiction are their notecards. These are super high quality, FP friendly notecards with their awesome dot-dash grid. I try to always have a few of these near me as well, for taking or leaving notes. 

I've decide that, after all these years of resistance, this blog may begin to see more and more gear-related posts. I have accepted that this (and EDC, and Bags, and Wallets, and Watches...) is a hobby, and I've ended up with a ton of opinions on things. While I'm not sure I'll be doing reviews, and I'm not sure how broad I will go (E-cig gear?), this is the first attempt at this kind of post. 

I have been absolutely in love with this ink since it first shipped. While it is in no way an every day ink, I've taken to using it for my weekend todo lists - makes me all that much more likely to look at it.  

It seems like it is way more well behaved than my bottle of Stormy Grey is - it took a lot less shaking/rolling to get the gold flecks flowing. They really knocked it out of the park with this version. It's a dark-horse candidate to sign my wedding certificate with. 

As someone who owns multiple Chromecasts, including one for his bag "just in case", this is huge news for me. I had figured they were just not going to support it, and was planning on just using Bluetooth speakers everywhere. Kudos to Spotify for finally listening to its users, and to Google for (it seems) integrating Spotify Connect to make them happy.  

I realized that a big reason I never wrote here is that it didn't feel like "home". And it wasn't. It was a line item on a much bigger list regard my entire online lifestyle. Do I want a personal cloud? Should I host it myself? What should run locally? Should I use a hyper-techy Markdown-powered static site? But then I can't easily post from my phone - like I am right now. 

Well, this is one decision I was ready to make. I'm tired of constantly switching to the new popular self-hosted platform. I don't need something as huge as WordPress just to run my own site. Now that I am no longer a developer by day, I want to spend less time working on my site and more time witting on it.  

So, as off today, this site now runs on Squarespace. They offer a great writing experience, solid mobile apps, and I don't have to worry about the site. Their templates are great for a non-designer like me, and when I go to build my wedding website soon, it is super easy to add on a site. It took less than two hours to migrate over here as well, which is pretty much the fastest I have ever been able to pull that off. It is kinda odd to not have this domain pointing to my own server, but now it feels like home.