My Favorite New Podcast of 2018

November 30, 2018 by Joe Gray in Reccomendations, Podcast Reviews

Sean Carroll's Mindscape podcast was launched in July of 2018 and it is my favorite new podcast of this year. I tend to enjoy two types of podcasts; educational, focusing on philosophy, science and culture and comedic. I have been listening to a variety of podcasts including The Joe Rogan Experience, Doug Loves Movies and Waking Up with Sam Harris and I am always looking out for the next great podcast. There are a lot out there but finding one that matches my interests, has an engaging host and is not overproduced can be difficult but Sean Carroll's podcast ticks off all the boxes.

Photo Journal 11/19/2018

November 19, 2018 by Joe Gray in Photo Journal

Powell Butte

Portland, Oregon

Canon 80D

30 Days of Fiction: Day 27

November 16, 2018 by Joe Gray in 30 Days of Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories

The room was filled with the soft light of the morning sun as the alarm clock's wrenching beeps pierced through the silence of Adam Nusbaum's room. It was a plain room meant for only the most basic of human activities. Reading, sleeping and the bathroom for cleaning. Everything from the alphabetized bookshelf to the color-coded clothes in the closet was organized for pragmatic purpose and ease of use. No extras. No frills. On the walls, a single painting hung above the reading chair with the inspirational phrase "Just do it!" in bold yellow letters on top of a runner with nice shoes sweating through a finish line.

Re-Post: Basic Computing Information

November 16, 2018 by Joe Gray in tech, computers

For about a year and a half, I have been working for a large retail corporation in their tech department. For the first 6 months, I worked with someone that knew a lot about computers and he helped me learn a lot but other than his informal training I have learned on my own. Here are a few things I have learned and these are just my opinions so don't get mad if you try something and your computer gets fucked up.

Re-Post: Building Film

November 14, 2018 by Joe Gray in Memoirs

Sometimes I forget the 7 years I spent building film.

When I was 19 I got my first management position working for a three screen movie theater. The man that hired me was a great example of how to be a good manager. He was knowledgeable, authoritative, balanced and had a great sense of humor. His honesty and strong work ethic was admirable and I learned a lot from him. I remember one time I decided to get entirely too high on a lunch break and when I was back on shift he noticed immediately. Instead of reacting with moral outrage or firing me, he made a few jokes and then after I had time to come down and realize how I had put my position in jeopardy, he took me aside and had a conversation about what he expected of me and how once he was done expressing his disappointment he made it a point to not keep a grudge. That's when I learned that you can be a leader by being honest about your expectations and not let the tension create a long lasting problem.

Re-Post: Some Notes on Conference Calls

November 12, 2018 by Joe Gray in Retail Perspective, Management, Business

We have conference calls once a week. They are a good time to check Twitter, Facebook, tinder, back to Twitter, back to Facebook, play solitaire, text people, watch a Youtube video with no sound... You get it. Every once in a while there is a piece of important information that I write down but if I don't a thorough set of notes will show up in my e-mail an hour or so later making any notes unnecessary.