Office: Productivity

Pictured: my docked laptop and telephone headset.


First of all, I appreciate the irony of posting about productivity while I myself am being incredibly non-productive. I can't help it. I'm waiting for an important call and I don't want to get sidelined by another project. I mean, why else would I chose to blow up my Twitter and send an absurd amount of personal email in the middle of the afternoon? So, I've decided to channel that energy into magnanimity and share with you my three favorite office tools:

1. Docking Station: This gives you the best of having a laptop and a desktop. I ordered one for my office and one for my residence. I think they were $125/ea from Dell, and it has been money well spent. Now I have the mobility of the laptop for travel, remote work, etc., but the ability to quickly plug into/out of a system of peripherals. Being a large dude, I have large hands. Thus, I love being able to use a full size keyboard and mouse (wireless are best) when working at home or in the office. If you are a laptop user, I highly recommend getting a dockable laptop and a docking station if you don't have this capability already.

2. Wide Screen Monitor: Having easy access to wide screen monitors is a side benefit of using the docking station, but the large monitor has enough benefits to merit a separate mention. I have a 23" Samsung SyncMaster in my office, and some sort of 23" LG at home. The additional screen real estate is great for working with two application windows open to full size and placed side by side. Obviously, a dual monitor system would be preferable; however, a wide 23" and up can handle the job of two applications on screen with ease. E.g., comparing documents side by side is a breeze, as is cutting and pasting blocks of text as you assemble a new document from source documents. Also, it's a great size for using MS Outlook and working with large spreadsheet on Excel. Bottom line is: the $250 or so for the monitor is quite worthwhile.

3. Telephone Headset: These are not just for telemarketers. As a lawyer and as a business owner, I frequently have long phone conversations which involve some sort of computer use and/or note taking. The speaker on my Cisco IP phone is fine, but it is not very private on my end and people have trouble understanding me on the other end unless I am very loud. I don't always feel like broadcasting my conversations to the entire office, thus a headset seemed a better option. The Plantronics headset (pictured) above was about $80 at Office Depot. I bought it as a trial before splurging on a wireless Bluetooth system. The headset has been very useful, as I find that it has made collaboration while on the phone much, much easier. Now I just need a Bluetooth set up so I can pace around my office while talking to people.

Events: Screening of The Big Bends

photo (by me): Jason William Marlow answers questions about his film; seated next to him are Jimmy Lee Jr., Rocio Garza, and Giovanni Antonello.

One of my favorite things about being a Catalyst 8 member is getting to see some of the shows our Boost program assists. Tonight's screening of The Big Bends was exceptionally cool. Not only did this short film win a special jury award at this year's SXSW, but on top of that honor it was selected to appear at Cannes. The Rollins Theater at the Long Center had the privilege of showing this film in its first post Cannes appearance in Austin, and Catalyst 8 helped make the screening possible via the Boost Rental Subsidy Fund.

I'm not going to go into much detail about the film, as I don't want to spoil it. I will say, however, that it is a powerful look at the end of one life and the start of another, set in the desert of Texas' Big Bend region. It was well balanced, well paced, and over all and excellent piece of art.

After the screening, the director (see photo above) and the cast answered questions about the film. The story behind the impetus for the film and the details of shooting with 16mm film in the harsh desert light were especially interesting.

The Catalyst 8 BASH 2010 is our main fundraiser for the year, and proceeds from it will go toward supporting the arts right here in Austin. And, of course, not only is it supporting a good cause, but its an awesome and fun event at the same time. Come, have fun, and help make great art possible.

Events: Summer of Catalyst 8

photos (by me): Summer of Catalyst 8 Kickoff Happy Hour @ Star Bar


June has been a good month. Last week we kicked off the Summer of Catalyst 8 @ Star Bar. Freshly arrived from Chicago, I was quite happy to punctuate my return to Austin with a massive Catalyst 8 happy hour which featured bonus catering from Stubb's and a special appearance from this year's Catalyst 8 Bash featured band, Speak. Furthermore, it was great to have Habitat Young Professionals as Catalyst 8's guest.

If you aren't familiar with Catalyst 8, it is the organization which supports the Boost Rental Subsidy Fund, a program which awards rental subsidies to selected qualifying arts groups which want to use the Long Center's Rollins Theater. Catalyst 8 has been on a roll this year, and a recent acceleration for the organization has been the receipt of a generous matching grant program from 3M. That's right, this summer 3M is matching the annual membership pledge of $300 for every new member who signs up for Catalyst 8.

If you were at the June happy hour but still want to enjoy the rest of the Summer of Catalyst 8, there are two events to put on the calendar:

-7/22 Digital Revolution DJ party on the terrace of the Long Center
-8/28 Catalyst 8 Bash 2010 @ the Long Center. Theme: Let's Get Digital!

Good times are guaranteed.

Boating: Switching Lakes

video: my boat's final forklift ride at Riviera Marina

Like the Knight Rider TV series, all good things must come to an end. But, as with Baywatch, you can often find elements of said defunct good thing reappear in better, long running, and more attractive packages (warning: if you are going to watch the Baywatch opening, it is much better to do so with the sound off).

First of all, don't hassle the Hoff. And second, although my boat left Riviera Marina (located on lovely Lake Travis) yesterday, it's moving to the more fun and more convenient Lake Austin. Considering that I don't like Devil's Cove, I prefer Hula Hut to Carlos 'n Charlies, and I appreciate any marina that is a ten minute drive from my residence, I think the Lake Austin move is going to work out quite well.

There is the question of night boating, which was my favorite passtime of the summer of 2008. Night boating (see photo above, of my boat waiting to go out)is exactly what it sounds like, and is a great way to spend a summer evening on Lake Travis. I'm not sure how and if night boating works on Lake Austin. I'm not saying that day boating is bad, but rather that night boating is just plain awesome. We all have our fingers crossed that it will work under the new arrangement, if for no other reason than no one wants to feel pressured to leave Hula Hut before sunset.

[note: although I was ready to move off of Lake Travis, this had nothing to do with Riviera Marina. They were always very cool and they took good care of the boat. Also, the boat mechanic at Riviera was reasonably priced and provided good service. If you want to be on Travis, check out Riviera Marina]