2012 Resolutions.

I'm doing this more for me than for you.

My New Years resolutions are to do the following things.

1. Run a marathon. I hope to do a half marathon (21km) in the spring and a full marathon (42km) in the fall. Probably will be the Scotiabank Marathon. I have started from square one this year, because I'm relearning how to run, using minimalist shoes, the Vibram FiveFingers I posted about last week.

2. Increase my income by 30-50%, by blogging and freelance community managment. I've started this process by taking on a few freelance clients, listed here. I have also taken up a few unpaid (for now) gigs to help increase experience and to network with people. I have many other projects in mind, to help work towards this goal.

3. Learn to "live in the moment". Meaning to focus on the task at hand and enjoy it for what it is. Cycling to work isn't a means to an end. It is an experience in itself and should be recognized as such. Doing the dishes, walking the dog, taking a shower. All beautiful things, if you stop your mind for a moment and appreciate them.

Thank you.

Pro Bono Publico

"(English: for the public good; usually shortened to pro bono) is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service."  - Wikipedia

Last week I started working with a non-profit group, the Jack Russell Terrier Rescue of Ontario (JRTRO), to help spruce up their Facebook Page and help manage their community. A very passionate community as it turns out. But more on that in a minute.

We adopted Cora, our Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix, two months ago. I was dead set against getting a dog, but my better half had other ideas. Being the good man that I am, I broke down and we got a dog. Cora has turned out to be such a joy in our home. She's adorable, loving, playful and protective. All the things that you would want in a dog.

When we started looking for a dog, in early September, we visited the Toronto Humane Society. We were not impressed. The dogs were sick, dirty and locked up in cages for 23 hours a day. Mind you, they did have some crappy Top 40 station playing on a nearby radio, so it wasn't all bad. We then started looking on petfinder.com, which is like an aggregate site for hundreds of rescues, shelters and individuals, trying to find homes for pets. This led us to JRTRO.

Cathy and her team spent some time getting to know us and suggested Cora, based on our living situation and lifestyle. We met her and the rest is history. The story so far isn't what's special though, it was the next 2 months that separates JRTRO from the others. This group of ladies has been available day and night for questions and follow up. Emails, phone calls and Facebook messages have flown back and forth. "Cora's having trouble pooping! What should we do?" "Cora chased, caught and killed a squirrel in the park! Is she going to die?" (both true stories) and lots more. We're new pet owners and needed help! Cora's BMs have since improved and apparently eating a street rodent isn't usual fatal and we have the best little family we could ever imagine, thanks to Cora and JRTRO.

This brings me back to Pro Bono. As a "Thank You" to JRTRO, I've been helping them get a handle on Facebook, to help promote their group, support their new pet owners and find some homes for these Jack Russells. Besides it being a rewarding endeavour for me on a personal level, it's also taught me a thing or two about what true passion can do for a community.

I manage several Facebook pages and I think I do a pretty good job of it. Yet this small group of dog lovers have something really special going on here. They aren't social media mavens or Facebook fanatics, but yet their engagement and enjoyment is beyond anything I see on my other pages. Everything we post seems to get comments and likes within minutes of posting. Conversations are starting under every picture and every single one is postive and encouraging. I guess the lesson is that love is more important than fancy splash pages and perfectly timed posts. Key words, SEO and professional design can't compete with passion.

Base every decision you make on this lesson and I think we'll all be more successful. Cute animals can't hurt either.

PS. Help me out and spread the word about JRTRO. Like their page and if you know someone considering a pet, don't let them buy from a store. Adopt and rescue. It'll make you smile.

Thank The 99% (whether you agree with them or not)

Mayor Ford said today that he's proud of the professionalism shown by the police during the Occupy TO eviction. I am too. My question is this; Why isn't he proud of his citizens for trying to change the world a little bit? Or proud that they were peaceful and respectful the entire time (minus a few exceptions, as with any large crowd)?

Shouldn't the Mayor of our city be proud that it didn't turn into the LA Riots or a UC Davis pepper spray shower? I think the Occupiers did a fabulous job of representing us on the world stage. No, their message wasn't a finely tuned Apple-esque marketing campaign. Yes, they might not shower as often as one would hope and the park did smell like it was 4:20 all day long. But I'm damn proud of Occupy TO.

I joined in the initial march to St. James Park and I visited the park a few times over the past two weeks. I may not support or even understand half of what they're fighting for, but God bless them for trying. I think we could all use a little more crazy in our lives. The status quo needs to be challenged sometimes even if means a man dressed as Jesus yelling into a megaphone about First Nations rights on the corner. If no one ever strayed from the safety of normalcy or pushed back a bit against the grain, where would we be as a society? Even if you disagree with what they're yelling, thank them for yelling it.

Leave it to me to rant on policitics and and relate it to Apple (twice), but Steve Jobs said it best:

iPhone Camera App: Instant110

I am an Instagram addict and diehard user. Both the community of Instagram as well as the app itself is really brilliant and keeps bringing me back for more. It's even earned itself a spot on my first homescreen on my iPhone. That could be a whole blog post on it's own. Moving right along.

In the pursuit of funkier filters, flashier frames and crazier controls, I downloaded Instant110. It's $1.99 in the App Store. It's very much a mashup of Camera+ and Instagram in that it offers lots of pre-set filters and frames, but it also offers some more advanced features such as a "Lightroom" where you can try different settings and export the photo to all of your other photography, editing and storage apps. After a few days of use I've found myself drawn to Instant110 to take, edit and frame my picture, before exporting it to Instagram to be posted (and then published, via ifttt.com, to Facebook and Twitter. More on ifttt.com in a future post.)

I've heard these filter apps described as "the auto-tune of photography" by the hosts of Full Frame, but I stand by the saying "the best camera is the one you have with you". Apps like Instant110 definitely make the iPhone a lot more fun, if not also more powerful of a camera. There are about 9 lens (1 costs extra), 5 films and 4 developement options (1 costs extra), which gives you 180 possible combinations. For $1.99, that's some good value. Peek the screenshots below and let me know what you think of the app in the comments. I'd love to see some of your photos too! Email them to me@alexf.ca and I'll post them in a follow up post.

Screenshots

Choose Your Weapon

Pop quiz: You're waiting in line and have 25 seconds to check-in, post a picture or update a status. Which app do you choose? Another app entirely? Sound off in the comments.