HubPages

Well, apparently, this blog doesn't fulfill all of my online writing needs (as evidenced by the fact that I haven't posted in quite a while).

Thus, I have started posting on HubPages.  You can find my articles (a.k.a. "hubs") here:

http://hubpages.com/search/lou+lohman

Or just head to hubpages.com and search for Lou Lohman.

Cheers!

Someday, Monthunary 0

I suppose I've been neglecting my blog.  Who'da guessed?

I told myself I wasn't going to use this as a journal-type blog, but I find this leaves me with far fewer things to post about, and thus far fewer posts.  I may have to compromise, which means there may be more of my random thoughts and stances on things.  I think I've taken to requiring myself to include a new picture with every new post, though, so... we'll see if that means more pictures (saying nothing of the quality of those pictures...) or less posts.

In other news, I play pool.  I'm in a 9-ball team on Monday and an 8-ball team on Tuesday in the APA leagues.  I'm ranked fairly low, even though I know I'm capable of far more - I used to play much better.  I just need to get more practice.  To that effect, I think I'll spend a good portion of tomorrow playing pool.  This also affords me the chance to visit a friend of mine who tends bar at my normal practice spot.  It'd be nice to be able to practice at home, but my current living situation needs to change for that to be possible.

Two months isn't a very long time, and in two months, I will be 30 years old.  Just less than two, actually - my 30th birthday happens to fall on Mother's Day this year.  That doesn't bother me, though.  What bothers me is my current situation at the upcoming marker.  I consider 30 to be a fairly significant checkpoint, not because of how much I have aged, but because of how little aging I have left to do.  Ideally I have many years ahead, of course, but the reality of inevitablity seems to make itself more apparent with every day that passes.

My birthdays tend to be accompanied by "resolutions", similar to the kind people would normally make on New Year's.  However, I think my "resolutions" would be more accurately described as short-term tactical maneuvers, because they must be completed by the date, not started on it.  They're also different in that I am usually successful in whatever it is I set out to accomplish.

So, we'll see how this goes.

P.S. About the picture... I set up my tripod, got all set up in the freezing cold and managed to snap two pictures before my battery died, with no backups charged.  Derp.  This is the better of the two pictures, but it didn't take much to be better than the first.

Nine in the side.. or not

I really need to start practing more.  Pool, that is.  I used to be pretty good.  As a teenager, my friends and up would head up to Fox Valley (20 minute drive) just to shoot at a busy pool hall.  We became something close to regulars.  As I got to bar age, I found a new venue for my pool playing.  Then, inexplicably, I fell out of it.  I just stopped playing, pretty much.  As a result, I don't play as well as I used to.

It's frustrating, particularly when I miss an easy shot or someone tells me what I did wrong.  It's frustrating because I usually am well aware of what I did wrong.  I've lost some of my ability to see the shot, and my execution is off.  It's simply a matter of practicing more, but everyone seems to have their two cents.

It's even more frustrating when I've got it down and I'm in a groove, and then someone interrupts me.  It's like, while you're at it, why don't ya just pick up the cue ball and drop it in the hole for me?  Like last night; I'm on a streak, feeling my shots and taking them quickly, got maybe three in a row and I'm on number four.  I go to take my next shot and one of my teammates calls out, "Slow down!"  I pause a moment, line up my shot again, and miss.  I subsequently lost my match-up.  I wanted to club her with my cue.  If I miss or you see I'm obviously doing something wrong (like shooting at the wrong ball), then you can tell me to slow down or whatever.  If I'm on a roll, shut the fuck up!

Skuwl dhaeez

Apparently, I have to start actually making an effort to do well in school.  I've used up my cache of easy classes.

I kid, sort of.  Getting good grades hasn't been easy, per se, but it hasn't exactly been challenging, either.  Any challenge I've seen has been getting things done on time (which isn't much), and that's only because I tend to leave things until they're close to being due to actually do them.  I might stop doing this with papers (as I always want to go back and change things), but generally, I work better under pressure.

Now, however, I'm starting to get into more difficult classes.  I have to "know stuff".  It's fun, but I have a feeling it's going to start taking a lot of my time.  This is both good and bad.  Regardless, though, if I want to keep my GPA where it's at, it's something I'll have to do.  Unless I want to work in restaurants for there rest of my life.  Not that there's anything wrong with that... but it's not for me.

Speaking of which...

Money, it's a hit...

I need to find a way to supplement my income for the next few months - this particular Rosati's location isn't currently cutting it (I deliver pizza when I need extra cash). Perhaps moonlighting as a male escort service... no?  Bad idea?  Ok.  :-\

I can't tell you how many times I've looked for a way to make money online, and I've determined that you pretty much either a) need to be exceedingly good at something (writing, graphic design, affiliate marketing, etc.), or you need a "real" job which you can telecommute to.  I'm not interested in doing the kinds of things I would have to do to "get rich quick" online (which basically boils down to scamming money out of other people) - I just want to make a few hundred bucks a month.  That would be enough.

However, I've pretty much dismissed it as a real possiblity, at least for now.  I suppose I'll have to expand my IT support services, or perhaps start actually using the IT outsourcing company I'm a member of.  Hmm...

Photography

It's definitely something I'm interested in.  I can't tell you how many times I've been walking or driving along when something catches my eye and I'll say to myself, "Man, I really wish I had a good camera."  Well, now I have a good camera, and of course, these opportunities now don't seem to present themselves as often as they used to.

It does happen, though.  On occasion, I'll happen to have my camera with me and see something that makes me want to capture it.  This is a good example (although, I didn't actually get the picture I wanted; I was too slow taking the picture):

One of the things I really like about my camera is the ability to perform some basic post-processing effects in-camera, such as the "grainy black & white" this picture uses.  In case you wonder, I use a Canon Rebel T3i - it's quite a nice piece of equipment.

Checking in

It's almost 3am, and I'm getting ready for bed.  I decided I'd better start making better use of my blog, be it posting more photos or whatever (I suppose that would require taking more photos...).  Not because I feel some sort of obligation to a fanbase (lol) or a community, but because I finally got my Google Adsense straightened out, only 1.5 years after I initially signed up for it.

Long story short, I'm named after my father.  Since there is no e-mail given for Adsense support, no form which covers this issue or allows a note to be attached, and the Adsense reps rarely check the help forums, I was unable to properly communicate my problem to those who could help me with it (one account per person).  I finally got through when they sent me an e-mail from a non-"no-reply" address as a reply to a form, and I replied to it (for the second time).

So, I suppose I'll be posting more... or at least that's the plan.  We'll see how long that lasts.

In other news, I think I could teach classes for online courses.  It doesn't appear to be too difficult, as long as you know the material and know how to navigate a web interface.  Learning this way has definitely been beneficial for me.  I'll have to look into it.