Here are some selected photos for 21-27 January 2017. Click any image for a larger gallery view which also includes information about the camera and settings used. Hover over any image for captions if available.
Here are some selected photos for 14-20 January 2017. Click any image for a larger gallery view which also includes information about the camera and settings used. Hover over any image for captions if available.
Personal Update 201701 | 17 January 2017 | Tuesday
Greetings,
I hope you’re doing well. Thanks for taking a moment to read my latest update.
For many years I was a year-round cyclist. Then after spending two years living and working downtown in Iowa City, I stopped riding as much. After that, since the summer of 2011, living on a bus route made it tempting to just let someone else do the driving on rainy days or during cold icy snowstorms. So, I transitioned to becoming a recreational fair-weather cyclist.
Heading into this winter, I decided to return to bicycling year-round. This required outfitting my bicycle with some special modifications. [Read More]
As a teenager, I became aware of leaders and role models who were influencers for social good: Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon, Nelson Mandela, Ralph Nader, and others before them like Gandhi.
It seems that the more successful activists chose peaceful and creative ways to get their message across and build public support for their message.
Today there’s a troubling rise of confrontational and violent activism among right wing and left wing activists. I’m concerned that civility and some important social values may get lost in the noise.
With that in mind, I wrote Counterproductive Activism: How Direct Action Protests Could Harm the Progressive Movement in America. It’s an essay about how peaceful and respectful freedom of expression is more effective for anyone trying to get a message across. [Read More]
We we’re moving into a new year, I’m reflecting on last year and planning ahead for how I can be more effective at everything I’m doing. My main focus this coming year will be to continue to refine and improve my technology consulting business, as well as staying focused on health and wellness.
Many thanks to all of you who keep in touch and provide support for the work I do.
~ Greg
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Want More News? For additional news and updates you can subscribe to the Resources For Life Newsletter by sending an email to resourcesforlifenews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Origins. For those of you who are new to these monthly personal updates, they began about 17 years ago out of a desire to share from my personal life about topics of lifeways (faith), health, career, finances, relationships, effective living, and activism. This is based on the life map presented on the Resources For Life website.
For many years I was a year-round cyclist. Then after spending two years living and working downtown in Iowa City, I stopped riding as much. After that, since the summer of 2011, living on a bus route made it tempting to just let someone else do the driving on rainy days or during cold icy snowstorms. So, I transitioned to becoming a recreational fair-weather cyclist.
Heading into this winter, I decided to return to bicycling year-round. This required outfitting my bicycle with some special modifications.
One of the first things I noticed when bicycling in sub-zero temperatures was that the shifting mechanism for my bike would freeze up. I was able to get a special double-sleve shifting cable. This means the shifting cable goes through a sealed cable that is inside another cable. So, the shifting is smooth and responsive in extreme conditions.
Very low windchill temperatures are especially severe on a bicycle. If you’re riding into the wind, frostbite conditions happen much faster. Dermatologists use liquid nitrogen to burn and remove skin. The procedure is painful. That’s how unprotected skin feels in high winds and sub-zero temperatures. So, it’s important to be well covered and insulated.
In the winter, I tend to carry more things with me. On my bike ride to the gym, I need to pack my exercise shoes separately, and wear winter boots for my ride. So, I purchased some oversized side-bags for my rear bike rack. These are also helpful at any time of the year when needing to carry extra items.
With icy roads, normal bike tires may not have the necessary traction, so I had some winter tires put on my bike. They have silica embedded in the rubber. The gritty sand in the tires, along with softer than normal rubber, helps ensure better control on slick roads.
With all of these upgrades, I’m now able to venture out in just about any weather. As a result, I’m enjoying the outdoors more, and taking some photos I might not otherwise have taken. Bike riding is also great for promoting health and wellness.
Here are some selected photos for 7-13 January 2017. Click any image for a larger gallery view which also includes information about the camera and settings used. Hover over any image for captions if available.
Here are some selected photos for 31 December 2016 – 6 January 2017. Click any image for a larger gallery view which also includes information about the camera and settings used. Hover over any image for captions if available.
Here are some selected photos for December 24-30. Click any image for a larger gallery view which also includes information about the camera and settings used. The Prisma App for iPhone was used for some of these photos. Hover over any image for captions if available.
Here are some selected photos for December 17-23. Click any image for a larger gallery view which also includes information about the camera and settings used. Hover over any image for captions if available.
Below are 49 selected photos from 2016. Click on any photo for a larger gallery view.
On December 11, I wrote about MOO business card printing, and explained how each set of cards can have as many as 50 different designs, photos, or text on the back. So, I decided to print up a set of 50 with these 49 photos plus one that says ‘tech support’ – to make a total of 50. I went back over my photos from this year, and the ones selected here seemed like a good batch to use for printing. The wider panoramic images were cropped on the cards, but shown here you can see the full-size images. These were all taken using my iPhone 6 Plus or iPhone 7 Plus.
The cards arrived yesterday and the color quality of the print is amazing. They are about as thick as three regular business cards (like a credit card). I’m looking forward to sharing these, and then printing some more. It will be fun to see which photo people choose when selecting a card. You can learn more about MOO on their website.
Use this link to order business cards from MOO and you’ll get a $15 discount.
I’ve been admiring cards from MOO for a long time whenever I saw them. They are very thick and have a smooth soft velvety texture. There’s an option to have rounded corners, and unusual size cards. So today I finally placed my first order and got a referral link to share with others.
To place my order, I used a $15 discount referral code that I got from a friend so the order was about $25 for 50 cards which included the standard shipping. They should arrive in a couple of weeks.
They have an expedited ordering service that costs about $50 extra and several options in between depending on how soon someone wants their cards.
One thing I like about their online card design options is that you can have 50 different designs or photos on the back of your cards for a single order. So that’s great for designers, photographers, creativists, and entrepreneurs who may have several businesses or services available.