Life As It Comes

2008 Ford Focus

Kevin Driver — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:53:39 +0000

I haven’t posted about this here yet, but I traded in my 2005 Chevy Equinox for a 2008 Ford Focus. It gets 35 mpg as opposed to 20 mpg in the Equinox. With gas prices soaring ever-higher and my commute from Georgetown to North Austin, it definitely is making a huge difference for me on my gas bill.

Plus, it’s a pretty sweet ride. The Focus has a new body-style for 2008, and my particular model has Microsoft Sync and ambient lighting, among other features.

All the Runners Run

Kevin Driver — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:18:02 +0000

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Are you (am I) taking spiritual training seriously? 1 Cor 9:24-27.

Eclipse Visualization

Kevin Driver — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:38:54 +0000

A relatively widely-used IDE for Java is called Eclipse. There’s a project at UC Davis, called code_swarm, which has an interesting visualization of the development of the Eclipse IDE over the years. You can check it out here.

There are also visualizations for Python, PostgreSQL, and Apache.

Simplicity

Kevin Driver — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:56:01 +0000

I was perusing my normal collection of feeds this morning, and I came across a link to David Michael Bruno’s 100 Thing Challenge. The premise of the challenge is to simplify life and fight consumerism (with a few exceptions, such as books). There’s an interesting write-up about him in Time Magazine.

I have to say that, despite my penchant for electronics, this sort of thing appeals to me. I miss the days when I was in college and moving to a different city each summer - bringing only what I could fit in a couple suitcases along. With simplicity comes mobility, and I love that feeling that you can really only get traveling with the bare essentials. Finding power/electricity when you need it, buying healthy snacks to sustain you on exploratory hikes or while you cover ground through a new city, and making-do with the little you are carrying makes everything seem more like an adventure. If I could afford it, I’d travel my whole life with my 100 things (or less!) in tow.

Speaking of travel, check out these photos from my friends’ recent travels. I still need to get up there and visit them.

Quite the Tuesday

Kevin Driver — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:50:30 +0000

It will be Tuesday in a few minutes, and it will be an exciting day! Coldplay’s new album comes out, and Firefox 3 will be released!

Happy downloading!

Update: Wine 1.0 will also be released!