Halloween Date Policy

Henceforth, to avoid the annual confusion, Halloween will be on the last non-rainy, non-cold, non-Sunday day in October, or the first such day in November, unless that be Election Day in an even-numbered year, in which case Halloween will be celebrated on the first such day after Election Day, unless that day falls after the end of Daylight Saving Time. In that case it will be pushed back to the first Saturday with good weather so that trick-or-treating can begin an hour before sunset. 

In the event that no appropriate Saturdays occur before Thanksgiving, children will be expected to dress as turkeys and roam their neighborhoods after lunch on Thursday handing out leftovers in exchange for candy. Alternatively, at their discretion, families may opt to leave bags full of 2-month-old candy out on Christmas Eve for Santa to scatter randomly onto the floors of houses he visits.

So long for now, Andrew

Today I said goodbye to someone who was one of my best friends. I can say that with confidence because I don't think Andrew had any other kind of friend. He was blessed with the gift of meeting people, finding connections with them, and forming deep, lasting bonds almost immediately. And once he befriended someone, that friendship was deep and lifelong.

We worked together for ten years at SOAPware, and we remained close and in contact since I left there in 2010. If he could make good friends in minutes, everyone who knew him longer can attest to how deeply he'd befriend people over a matter of years.

Like me, he was a proud Eagle Scout -- just one of many things we learned that we had in common -- and I always appreciated his Boy Scout attitude toward life. Not just the way he approached it with honesty and integrity, but the way he seemed to treat it like the ultimate merit badge course. He had a greater ability to apply himself and learn new skills than anyone I've ever known, and once something piqued his interest, he would immerse himself in it until he'd practically mastered it. At that point, I think he often felt like he'd "earned the merit badge," so to speak, and he'd move on to the next challenge. Sometimes, though, he'd stick with it and make it a real part of himself, like with photography or woodworking, and keep improving and growing.

I was always really impressed and inspired by his ability to do that. I'm glad that's something I told him when I had the chance.

Programming is a great example. Sometime before I met him, he taught himself Visual Basic from scratch so he could track his books, CDs, and DVDs. While he was at SOAPware he learned everything that got thrown at him, from database administration to Wordpress to web design, usually without anything but some books and the internet to help him. As soon as the iOS App Store opened, he jumped in and taught himself iOS development, which was a pretty daunting task, especially back then. I don't know for sure, but there's a good chance he was the first developer in Arkansas to publish an iOS app. Later on, he and I worked together to make iHog, the UA's first mobile app. It was a challenge to be sure, but working with Andrew was one of the best collaborative experiences I've ever had, and those are memories I've always treasured.

Andrew and I also co-founded the NWA CocoaHeads, the local Apple developers group. I wasn't entirely sure I was up to starting a user group, but in classic Andrew style, he encouraged me to just jump in and figure it out as we went alone.

It's no exaggeration to say that the skills I learned and connections I made through those projects and groups -- thanks in large part to Andrew -- have shaped, and will continue to shape, the course of my life ever since.

He was also one of the most giving people I've ever known. I don't know if there was anything he enjoyed more than sharing his knowledge and skills with friends. And his knowledge spanned a truly surprising range of topics! They say you can tell when food was prepared with love, and so it was with a gift from Andrew. Each and every one was selected, prepared, and given with love, whether it was a photo, a bottle of homemade beer, custom cut cabinetry, or a cheesy Gandalf action figure. Or instructions. Or advice. Or comfort. Not too long ago I was talking with him about a personal struggle, and I said, "I know you're not big into praying, but I can sure use some positive thoughts." He replied, "There's some stuff I'll pray for." And I'm sure he did.

He probably embodied the good parts of the Barney Stinson approach to life better than anyone I know:  When you're uncertain or scared or sick or hurting or anything else negative, just stop and be awesome instead.

For all of us who knew him, I think that's the best way to honor his life and memory:  Be awesome.

Try new things. Have confidence in yourself. Work hard. Stick to it. Think big. Go all in. Love each other. Give.

That's the recipe for Awesome Sauce.

Andrew, we're all going to miss you, but every time you inspire us to do more and be better than we thought we could, we'll know you're still with us.

Catch you later, duder. May the Force be with you...always.

Passing of a Legend

There has been much talk lately about entering the post-PC era, and that seems even more prescient with the loss of Steve Jobs.

To paraphrase Churchill, though, this is not the end or even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Nearly everything we have called personal computers so far would be more accurately termed "computers usable by a normal person," but they have hardly been personal.

Desktops were shared communal devices -- in most households there was one for the family. Laptops are more personal -- still somewhat shared, but more likely than desktops to be owned and used by an individual. iPods, smart phones, and tablets are distinctly and undeniably personal and individual devices -- but so far they've lacked the full power of their predecessors.

Now, though, thanks to years of work from a generation of visionaries like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Jef Raskin, Alan Kay, and tens of thousands of others whose names and faces we may never know, we're standing at the dawn of the era of truly personal computers.

The next part of the revolution could be portable devices that combine communication, media, work, and play -- along with interfaces and displays -- portable personal computing systems that are fully capable of not only replacing, but surpassing, everything that has gone before.

The first generation is fading into the past, but the personal computer era has barely started. Whatever the next stage is, it will be up to the new generation to make sure it's incredible, beautiful, and magical. We're standing on the shoulders of giants; let's change the world.

Is this thing still on?

Man, I really need to start blogging again! Twitter alone just doesn't suffice if you've got more than 120 characters worth of ideas to expr

Important Life Lesson

Today was the day I mowed the yard for the first time this year.

To all appearances, it didn't seem necessary: the grass is still dormant, the weather has just started warming up, and the lawn still looks neat and tidy from last year. Really, all I accomplished was breaking up and knocking off the thatch from last season.

In fact, the yard looked worse when I finished -- a lot worse! Where before I had thick, even tan sod, I now have thin, patchy-looking, scraggly grass.

But I know that because I did this seemingly unnecessary, apparently destructive thing today, a month from now my lawn is going to look awesome! The new growth will be lush, dense, and healthy.

Now go and meditate upon this...

...while I go to the gas station, because the second important life lesson is to make sure you have enough fuel to finish!

One More Year

Yes, it's been almost exactly one year since my last post.

Tomorrow is my birthday, though, which seems like a good time to start regularly blogging again. We'll see how it goes....

Well done, and congratulations!

I didn't vote for him, and I didn't support him, but Obama won, fair and square. There will be plenty of time for analysis and commentary later, but for tonight Obama and his supporters deserve all the spotlights and celebrations.

And, in the months ahead, Obama will deserve the support of all the American people. Not our placid submission, which I will not give him or any politician, but our respect, which I will give. Our loyalty, after all, is to the Constitution and the people of the United States, not to any particular leader.