Carl Setzer

I value knowing what’s going on in the tech world. Yet, there is so much change, coming so fast, that sometimes I miss the obvious. I subscribed to YouTube Red some time ago. My focus: ad elimination. So much of my family’s video time is spent on YouTube, so it was a prudent investment. I didn’t realize that the subscription includes Google Music. I discovered this today, so used it as my music delivery mechanism. Music is such a core part of my being, that the way I access it has value. I like the interface. So far, the selection has been solid. Spotify, of late, has been quite a resource hog. Accessing via a web browser seems to use resources better, or at least more gently. Anyway, I’m exploring shifting over fully, and cancelling my Spotify account. I’ll be diving deeper into Google Music and share what I learn.

​My love of things geek manifests in strange ways at time. A huge fan of Ghost in the Shell, I wonder about Wi-Fi protocols and data throughput when people "think" at each other. Or how many servers are on the Death Star? RAID drives? How much email gets sent daily? What kind of data connection is needed for holographic communications? What about the Rebel Alliance's security chief? I'd be wondering, loudly, why you'd throw someone with as much critical detail regarding the Alliance as Leia into operations with a high likelihood of capture and exposure to, um, enhanced techniques. Imagining Rebel IT. I'm picturing Hoth. When we see Vader enter the base, all the equipment looks rather operational. I would've, at least run some kind of worm that destroys everything. I'd rather pull the hard drives, at bring them with us on the evacuation craft. Or manually destroy them. So, that's how my brain works...at night, when I'm weary.

A few weeks ago, one of my local grocery stores rebranded.  After Safeway and Albertsons merged a few years back, the writing was on the proverbial wall. The Safeway branded store across the street was shuttered. A few months back, I noticed the start of a remodel. While talking with friends there, I was told the store would become a Safeway soon. That's now done.  A few days ago I noticed I felt somewhat sad looking at the sign. Well, the store has been an Albertsons as long as I can remember. Went there with my mom, watched the changes of the area, yet it was there. No longer, though.  Lynnwood, this little suburb north of Seattle, hasn't been as radically transforming as Seattle or the Eastside. Well, until recently. Stalwarts of my childhood have closed, buildings getting torn down, land redeveloped, vacant lots becoming neighborhoods. Housing prices sprinting upwards.  Change. Pretty rapid change, too.  Communities consist of these institutions, and their interactions

Inbox announced Porn-bots sing their siren song Empty of beauty

Pre dawn Light's still new Rooster's cry Calling to me

My most recent blog posts are over at Not Just Seattle . This Weekend: Camping at Camano Island State Park and an Edmonds Area Podcast: AquaCast Thanks for reading!

Seeking the outdoors Connect to the tree's wisdom Under summer's sky

One of my goals: become a better writer. Of course, that really doesn't mean that much all by itself. So, another goal: define better. Some things are easy with that. Focus on solidifying the basics. It's do easy to wrap myself up in getting a post out fast, losing sight of quality. Thus, I'm slowing down, watching more closely for spelling errors, weird grammar, etc. Correcting the bad habits created from blogging. I'm working on refining my style. Trying to achieve a clarity through brevity. Find what's crisp and clear, ensuring every word earns its keep, so to say. Another idea: join a writing group. We have many around Edmonds and Lynnwood. Such an easy thing, meet with people. Of course, that means opening myself up, letting others know my dreams, and risking their ridicule. That's the fear, at least. Silly, I know. But very real, and uncomfortable. So, I know it's what I need to do.

I was reading an email newsletter sent by my friend and life coach Wendy Kranz , which talked about confidence. Got me thinking: what would I do with more self-confidence? Now, I've long struggled with low levels of self-confidence, manifesting as over-thinking, over-analyzing and over-planning. And I'm now thinking that it's manifested as a sense of dissatisfaction with my career. I've long been an executive/administrative assistant, and the similar roles that flow out of that. And with that a deep-seated "you can be so much more" mentality. Really, though, I've never been dissatisfied with my work, with the things I do, with my contributions. There's something deeper. Once I thought it might be a displaced sense of gender-roles. Being a guy in a typically female dominated role felt awkward at times. Never externally, no one ever said anything untoward about that to me. No, it's internal. Anyway, that doesn't seem so real any more. Esp