Category Misc.

Cancer Sucks

This month is Breast Cancer awareness month and the reason for this post being in the color pink. For all my women readers, please make sure to get regularly checked for this preventable and treatable cancer.

Every Month should be cancer awareness month. I have lost friends to cancer from brain cancer, testicular cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic, colon, and skin cancer or had several go through tough treatments. I bet there isn't one person who has not had a family member or someone they have known affected by cancer in some way. Hopefully the day comes wheen there are preventitive cures for all cancers. Be a part of the solution and donate to legitimate cancer research. I even shaved my head to raise funds in 2009 for the Susan G Komen Cure for Cancer Fund.

-Shaan

Busy Week and Another Shoulder Surgery

The week started out in San Francisco with some meetings then accompanying Dr. Louise Leakey of the Turkana Basin Institute speaking at Singularity University at the NASA Ames facility. I met many of the brightest young minds looking to change the lives of a billion people, as well as Ray Kurzweil and many other Silicon Valley icons including Autodesk’s own Jonathan Knowles.

Early today I head for the airport to Salt Lake City and another shoulder surgery in the morning, this time my left shoulder after having the right shoulder worked on in June.

Then I am taking some well needed personal time off.

Cheers,
Shaan

My Doppelgänger Found

A doppelgänger is a copy or twin of you in other words a person that looks like you. Well my friend and colleague at Autodesk Guillermo Melantoni Cortabarria apparently found mine. So is this a photo of me? No it…

Its Raining! Hopefully the Fires Get Extinguished

Rain in Utah and the Southwest US is so needed, and luckily it is just now staring to sprinkle from the monsoon rains coming in from the Southwest. It has been in the high 90’s and in the 100’s for days and combined with all the long grass from last years 300% rain and snow pack has combined to a dangerous situation. We need rain due to all the fires in which I have had two friends almost lose their homes, one lost a barn. Even one of my Autodesk colleagues has a fire now behind her brand new home she just moved into. Amy Fietkau lives up to a beautiful mountain range near me in the Greater Salt Lake valley.

Books – Electronic and Paper

recently had the opportunity to think about books and the forms they come in especially after going to Africa. The fact is that much of the world does not have access to an electronic book (e-book) reader or smartphone or the Internet, but can get access to a book even offline or without power, and can have a book donated to them easily. Personally I love reading books on my iPad but in much of the world they use the traditional paperback books as that is all there is and may be the only access they may have to the knowledge and enjoyment of reading. I do have to confess when I am offline or in some locations I prefer a paperback for a few reason, but still my main choice on my iPad or mobile device whenever possible.

Shoulder Work Ahead

I am not sure how it really happened but perhaps one of my falls while rock and slot canyon climbing were the reason or one of the various travel mishaps on a plane with luggage, but in any case both of my shoulders are requiring surgery. It started last year when I noticed I could not raise my arms above my shoulders or throw thing (I love to throw things.) It got worse over time to the point the pain was really bad and I would almost pass out if I moved my arm wrong. My doctors said it was most likely inflation from all my hiking with overstuffed packs or lugging all my computers from airport to airport, and that it would go away taking 2400mg of ibuprofen a day.

Never Sleep Near a Hyrax

Recently while in Kenya I found out what a Hyrax is, and why they are evil and not to be slept near. A Hyrax is a small rodent looking thing that is actually related to the elephant with little small tusks.

Now here is why I call these cute unique animals evil, they have a tendency to scream at about 160 decibels from 10pm to 5am sounding like someone is being murdered.

Happy New Year 2012

I have been spending my annual holiday week off with the family, cleaning my office and computers as well as dipping deeper into the Maker movement with 3D printing. I finally received a MakerBot 3D printer yesterday and got to printing right away learning the tips and tricks to this open source hardware.

What do I have planned for 2012?
I will continue to cover Autodesk technologies and products from A to Z like AutoCAD, Autodesk Labs projects, 3ds Max, Revit, Inventor, 123D, 123D Catch, to general technology topics and of course my wandering off topic fun, warped humor, and photography related posts. My focus is to have a broad spectrum view on all industries and nooks and crannies where technology is used by students, Makers and DIY’ers, to the professionals.

I am planning for a year better than any previous and hope you have an amazing new year as well. Forget about those crazy end of the world prophecies 2012 as it will be what you make of it, so make it great!