Performed Well

My journey into software development happened about 10 years ago and somewhat by accident.  I got my [useless] degree in Musical Theater and traveled the country with my wife directing musical productions for children.  While we were on the road, we got pregnant with our first child and determined it was time to come home and settle down in Kansas City. I got a job as a director of marketing for my father's internet company and eventually discovered that I just didn't have what it took to make such a position profitable.  In my desire to be useful, I asked the tech team if there was anything with which I could help them.  They told me I would need to learn HTML and directed me to a website where I could engage in some self-study. For me, that was the beginning of a continual journey of learning and growing in my tech skills.  From HTML, I learned CSS, then PHP, then JavaScript, MySQL, and jQuery.  I put an ad on Craigslist and started selling my services as a web developer

Over the last month, my daughter and I created for her a new YouTube channel: www.DeerAngel.org She has made 5 videos so far, and we're creating another one today.  Our plan for this channel is that Angel will deliver a series of weekly 2-minute videos answering questions on various topics of economics, history, apologetics, and politics. I found an artist on Fiverr.com who made this great logo for her: This has been a neat adventure for us.  I film Angel (using her computer), then the two of us use iMovie to edit the films together to turn 10 minutes of footage into 2 minutes.  I used to do the editing all myself, but she now does the majority of it. I think this is an empowering thing for her to be a part of.  Her friends really think of her as an expert at these subjects, and it has opened up a lot of opportunities for her and me to discuss the sort of topics that kids are not usually interested in at such a young age.  Things like minimum wage, American exceptiona

I enjoy taking on new projects.  But when I do, I try hard to maintain balance in my life with my existing priorities.  Sometimes I feel I'm doing a good job, and other times, I feel out of balance.  Often when I feel most balanced, it's because I've taken a little extra care to write down most of the stuff I should be expected to remember. For instance, I've gone through periods where I'll write down everything I intend to do in a given day or I'll make notes of when I've spent time with my wife or how much I weighed each week or what my goals are for the month. Most recently, I've been writing down when I've taken each of my kids out on a private one-on-one date.  I keep a note entitled "Daddy Dates" in a useful program called Evernote that syncs my notes among all of my electronic devices.  I have 5 children (ages 11 - 3), and I can usually fit in about 2 daddy dates per week, so each of the kids can look forward to some alone time w

Talk show host Dennis Prager coined the term SIXHIRB to describe a common American liberal argument.  To quote Dennis himself: ...[N]early all Democratic and leftist reactions to conservatives and Republicans are to avoid argument ...and smear them as SIXHIRB, my acronym for “Sexist, Intolerant, Xenophobic, Homophobic, Islamophobic, Racist, Bigoted.” It is almost impossible to come up with the name of a leading conservative whom the dominant media have not dismissed as one or more of SIXHIRB — and usually as a buffoon as well. This obviously serves the left and the Democratic Party in many ways. But the most important is to keep non-leftists in fear of anyone who opposes the left. In effect, the left says, and has been saying for a hundred years, “You may not agree with us, but our opponents are evil.” As a conservative myself, I am called these things on a regular basis when I post online.  I like having an online presence, but admittedly, it is a hostile environment for conserva

For many years, Dennis Prager of Prager University has encouraged parents to ask their kids (of any age) this question: "Which of these do you think we, your parents, most want for you to be: successful, smart, good, or happy?" As a parent, looking at that list, the one that immediately jumps out at me is "good".  Of course I want the other things for my kids, but far above the those things is my desire that my children grow up to be good people.  Moral people.  People who seek after God and desire to live righteously more than riches, intelligence, success, happiness, etc. So I asked my four oldest children this question.  There responses were as follows: Angel (10yo): Successful Tony (9yo): Successful Harmony (6yo): Happy, then Good Charity (5yo): Good, then Happy This was a good eye opener for me.  I realized through this that I tend to emphasize successful thinking and behavior because I know that so many people find these things elusive and I want

So... my first blog.  It sounds so simple when people recommend creating a blog.  But something they always seem to neglect to mention is "Plan on spending way too much time obsessing over the name!" I want a blog that is open enough to put anything I feel to be of value in it.  I have a career that I love as a software developer, and there are lots of thoughts I'd like to jot down about Javascript, CSS, and web development practices.  But I'm also a devoted husband and father, and I like to think I've learned a few valuable things in that arena too.  And oddly, I'm also very involved in the world of musical theater as a producer, director, choreographer, performer, and playwright. So what ties these together?  What can I say about my perspective and aspirations in life as they pertain to each of these things. Performed Well. I write this title with as much poise and confidence as I would have if I hadn't spent two hours deliberating over it.  I