At 4:38pm PDT on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011, a flood of Twitter updates moaned that Steve Jobs has died. I didn’t know him personally, but I was stunned. Looking around the huge room, I was unsure if any other students realized the tragic news. (If they were on Facebook or Twitter, I assume they did.)

I found it difficult to focus the rest of the evening.

Fact: I didn’t own an Apple product until the iPod Classic (3rd generation), and the MacBook Air (late 2010) I bought in March 2011.

As a sixth grader, I was part of a group with fascinating computer chops. (Or, something like that.) While I honestly don’t remember much, we demonstrated a slick presentation made for our parents and faculty.

Along with my still functioning iPod Classic, those are my only personal experiences with Apple products. Steve dangled all this stuff in front of me for years. Now that I can finally see myself going completely Apple, he’s gone.

My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all the lives he’s touched (directly and indirectly).

Thank you, Steve.

School

I’ve endured two quarters at Cal Poly Pomona. The highlight was the miracle of pulling off a C in my first Java class[1. CIS 234: Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming with Java].

I took a math placement test (MDPT) for Math Analysis, which was supposedly required. Then, I was told by a faculty member in the math department that I’m an exception since I have over a certain number of units. Even though my MDPT score wasn’t great I’ll be allowed to take MAT 125[2. Intro Calculus for Business] immediately.

In other words, I don’t have to take an extra math class. Fantastic!

Band

We’ve changed our band name to Marshburn, denoting a new era of our music. We’re currently recording new music for our next CD.

Photography

I photographed two July weddings, and I’m about to start processing photos from the second wedding. I still have a backlog of photos from my Philadelphia and New York City trip last October, and I need to look through photos I’ve taken since then.

I also need to reevaluate where I’ll be posting photos online. I’ve let my Flickr pro account expire, and I’ll likely hone my focus on my blog.

I understand that I can get more eyeballs by using social websites. On the other hand, I thought I’d stay on Flickr forever. Many links on my blog point to Flickr photosets, which currently aren’t accessible since I let my pro account expire.

If I configure my own site or maintain a photoblog to display my best work, I might miss out on the social aspect.

I’d rather post consistently rather than spread myself thin. Ultimately, hosting photos directly from my own site means I’m not bound to the Terms of Service agreements across photo sharing services.

I’m determined to resume my habit of posting photos again, especially when my awesome girlfriend, Amy, continues to rave about my photos. She always gives me a confidence boost, which means so much to me.

On April 2nd, 2011, I went to the Food Truck Festival at the Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia.

The weather cooperated nicely. The skies were cloudy and there was a mild breeze. We arrived a little after 1:00pm, unsure of what to expect.

Our gaze was greeted by a massive number of people. Walking around the food trucks, the length of lines varied between 20 to 75 people. The Grilled Cheese food truck had a line of probably 100 people, so that’s an exception. To make matters worse, the map only displayed the names and locations of the food trucks. That left the name of each food truck as the sole description to help us choose.

Combined with the line length (popularity) and lack of description on the map, we walked around until we saw a food truck with an moderate line of people waiting. The Tapa Boy truck had a short line, mainly of Filipinos, so I went with that[1. 4/25/2011 -- My girlfriend pointed out that this line makes it sound like I have a bias for Filipino food. I simply went with Tapa Boy because of the short line.]. The tapas bowl I ate was pretty delicious. I think there were a couple food trucks with Indian food, and those didn’t appear to be that popular. Amy got something with tofu, and it was tasty.

Sadly, parking and admission wasn’t worth the trek. Perhaps we should’ve went there right before it opened, but we couldn’t do anything about that.

I’d rather go to Twitter to search for food trucks with a large following, search for food truck reviews, or get recommendations from a friend before visiting a food truck.

At checkout, the nice lady at the register says, “Wow, it looks like you’re throwing a party.”

Is there any way to buy a large amount of alcohol without looking like a bunch of college guys with generic alcoholic tastes, or is it inevitable with a low budget?

James muses that the small selection of alcohol he bought makes that look obvious.

The one-week break before the next quarter, I’m really tempted to be like Peter from Office Space and do nothing. I have a backlog of TV episodes from the past several months which I’d love to watch. I’d also get plenty of sleep.

That would be too easy.

I’ve neglected the cleanliness of my desk, which has a physical inbox stuffed four inches high. (Funny enough, I keep my digital inbox processed to zero most of the time.)

I need to purge. I have so many unused things items.

I would love to learn HTML and CSS beyond simple tinkering, then use the Headway theme for WordPress[1. Thanks to Matt Mullenweg for generously buying it for me.] here at All Narfed Up.

My good friend, Javier, has dove into learning HTML and CSS this past week or so. Next, he wants to learn MySQL and Ruby on Rails. His excitement is inspiring, and another driving force for me desire to jump back in again.

How about my backlog of photos to process?

I’m also spending some time with my girlfriend since she’s on vacation for a few days. Fortunately, she planned some of her vacation days to coincide with my week break between quarters.

It’s easy to write all of this. Unfortunately, I need to “ship” if I truly want a sense of accomplishment. I wrote several months ago that I wanted to get my desk cleaned up.

I’ll have time to process neglected photos.

I won’t have an excuse this time.

P.S. I realize it sounds weird that I’m looking forward to doing stuff during my break.

I loved The 4-Hour Workweek, so when I saw Tim’s next book soon to be published, I got excited.

While I recommend the book to get a broader image and background, here are the rules:

1. Avoid “white” carbohydrates.
2. Eat the same few meals over and over again.
3. Don’t drink calories.
4. Don’t eat fruit.
5. Take one day off per week.

I guess you can read the main part of this chapter at Gizmodo. You can also read a sample chapter at FourHourBody.com (a well-written introduction, in my opinion).

I’m also taking suggested supplements (500mg of calcium twice a day and 500mg of magnesium every other day[2. I talked to Paul Stamatiou and he suggested this since the IU intake from Tim's magnesium suggestion might be too high for a daily dose.], respectively). I was trying to eat guacamole for potassium once a day, but I sometimes don’t get around to it, so I’ll pickup a bottle of potassium the next time I buy groceries.

1. Even though I love rice, bread, and potatoes (fries), I’ve dealt with it.
2. Since I’m on a routine during the week regarding school, this is fairly easy.
   • Breakfast: 1 cup of Fresh and Easy liquid egg whites (26g protein)[3. I believe this is cheaper than Eggology, so I'll stick with it.]
   • Lunch:
     • At school: 3-item plate at Panda Express[4. It's on campus. Too easy. It has to be more conducive over Carl's Jr or Taco Bell.], consisting of mixed veggies and three chicken selections
     • Home: 26-30g protein by way of prepackaged burger patties from F&E, a plateful of pre-washed spinach, and 1 cup of black/pinto beans (14g protein)
   • Dinner: 26-30g protein by way of prepackaged burger patties from F&E, a plateful of pre-washed spinach, and 1 cup of black/pinto beans (14g protein)
3. I rarely opt for soft drinks, so this wasn’t a big deal.
4. Aside from smoothies from Jamba Juice or Robeks, and an occasional banana, I didn’t eat too much fruit.
5. Yay for cheat day! If I remember, I keep a text file I edit throughout the week with food I’d like to devour on cheat days.

I realize that this sounds fairly bland, but I don’t need to emphasize epic meals during the week. I’m simply trying to maintain the habit, and my epic meals will occur on cheat days. I’ll try to add some variation to the kinds of meat I buy in the future. After all, I really don’t cook too well.

Since I started (52 days ago), I’ve lost 10 pounds and dropped one pant size. Tim notes that while losing fat, you’re gaining muscle, so the scale won’t reflect that.

My problems

• I haven’t measured myself regularly. When I made initial measurements, I used a slightly pliable metal tape measure, but it’s so annoying, I haven’t done it in awhile. I’ll order the Orbitape Body Mass Tape Measure right away. (Nick Momrik loves his Withings WiFi Body Scale, but it’s pricey.)
• I don’t drink enough water when I’m at school. I need to buy a sturdy, reusable water bottle.
• I don’t think I’m eating enough protein. Tim says it’s safe to snack on 5-10 almonds, but I shouldn’t be hungry between meals.

To be continued

While my schedule has helped keep me on a routine, these past several weeks have flown by very quickly. I’ll continue to stick with the slow-carb diet in hopes to get back to my figure in high school.

P.S. I know I didn’t include my actual numbers. I’m keeping them relative because I’m slightly ashamed of how bad I’ve gotten.

Related

• How to Lose 20+ lbs in January 2011 by Julien Smith
• How to Lose 20 lbs of fat in 30 days without doing any exercise by Tim Ferriss (April 2007)
• Housecleaning and Clarifications: Blog Content, 4HB Corrections, Competition Winners, Slow-Carb Mistakes, and More by Tim Ferriss (January 21, 2011)

Earlier for lunch, I got a fortune cookie that said: “An unexpected windfall will be yours.” Well, I’d be putting some money into a couple pots for the Super Bowl ($1/square) pool and questionnaire ($5).

While I didn’t win anything for the pool, I got the most questions correct and won $30! (Minus the ten squares I bought for the pool, so I really won $20.)

Here’s the transcribed list of questions:

• What team will win the coin toss? Packers
• Which team will score first? Packers
• What will the first score be? (TD, FG, or Safety) TD
• What player will score the first points? Jennings
• How many TD will be scored in the game? 7
• How many FG will be scored in the game? 4
• How many interceptions will there be? 3
• Will Jerry Jones be flashed in his suite (from kickoff to the end of the game) more times than turnovers in the game? Yes
• Will Kobe (game from Saturday 2011-02-05) outscore both teams? No
• What defense will get the most sacks? Steelers
• What team will score last? Steelers
• How will the last points be scored? (TD, FG, or Safety) TD
• Will the Packers cover the point spread of -2.5? Yes
• Will the game go over or under 45 points? Over
• Who will win the game? Packers
• Who will be the MVP? Aaron Rodgers
• What will the final score be? 34-27 (So close! Actual final score: 31-25)

One point per question. Ties go to the closest final score.

P.S. Congrats to the Green Bay Packers! I’m definitely a fan (second to the Indianapolis Colts).

That’s 2,397 miles out of the way.

The direct route, which I’d like to expect, is 528 miles.

Can you explain this nonsense?

Update 2010-12-30 8:15am PDT – Thanks to Shaun in the comments for the explanation.

It arrives today. Here’s the updated tracking information (note how the earlier tracking is removed):

Update 8:45am PDT – Ontrac left the box on my door step fifteen minutes ago. They didn’t knock and I’m slightly angry. Anyway, the tinkering begins after it’s fully charged.

The 3D wasn’t overwhelming, but subtle additions enhanced the experience. If you can’t clearly remember the original version, you’ll be okay. (I’m talking about myself. I didn’t get a chance to re-watch the original TRON.)

While the plot line could have been improved, I loved the film. I recommend it.

Thanks to Donna from WOMWorld/Nokia for the invite!

I don’t stretch (exercise) enough.

• Thursday night, I decided to stretch my legs before going to bed. I think I stretched gently. I didn’t try to force it.
• Friday morning, my left ankle felt “odd.”[1. My right ankle is my bad one, which I broke in high school. I still have one pin in my ankle.]
• By that night, I’d give the pain 4 out of 10. I had a slight limp.
• It’s finally getting cold here in Los Angeles, too, so that might be another factor.

I knew where this is going. It would take 4-7 days to recover.

If I didn’t have upcoming events, this wouldn’t be a big deal. Unfortunately, I’m photographing a wedding today.[2. By that, I mean it's wonderful that I'm photographing someone else's wedding, but unfortunate that I'm having ankle problems.]

All I could do is pray. I prayed for bearable pain so I can capture Judith and Rob’s wedding day.

This morning, I’d consider my prayer answered. (Thank you.)

I have a few more hours before I head out, but I have faith I’ll endure through the subtle chaos. As for the rain, everything is indoors and the couple hasn’t brought up concerns, so I won’t dwell on it.

P.S. Yes, I realize I need to see a specialist about my ankles. When I get health insurance, that’s at the top on my list. For the record, I photowalked the streets of Philadelphia, New York City, and Brooklyn for about five days. It had to be 4-5 miles/day. I’m glad my ankles didn’t go out.