Repost for a friend . . .

Here is a video that I posted a while back. A friend was asking about it the other day so I decided to repost it for him to see.

Upside Down from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.

Not exactly sure how I feel about this . . .

I bet these flight safety briefings have the full attention of people on the plane . . . just wondering if they can tell you anything they have heard at the end.

The big announcement . . .

Drum roll please . . . today was my last day as IT Manager for Empire. I started at Empire almost six years ago. It has been an awesome ride too. While I am surprised by this in many ways . . . I'm not really at my core very surprised at all. Working for Empire has been anything but boring - the company is fearless when it comes to implementing change. I had the first inklings that this may be in the works back in early May but by the first of June it was clear a change was being made. Empire has restructured and the IT manager position is one of the jobs that no longer exist. For that matter – there is no IT department. All of that is being out-sourced now.

So, from here where do I go? Well, I'm excited. I'm really looking forward to what is next in my life (even though some of it remains unclear). I have confidence that the road ahead will be full of great opportunities and am very much looking forward. The job I am moving into is a lot like the one at Empire. I’ll be overseeing a small staff, leading software development projects, and doing a lot of what I am already doing. There are some things I’m going to have to learn (or relearn): data center operations, Linux, Compellent storage products, hosted Exchange, multi-customer support, and standards based project management. I start my new job tomorrow. I love my new staff – I’ve spent a good deal of time with them already. We all clicked immediately – it will be like working with old friends. They really are going to be blessed to have a leader like me. ;-)

As far as blogging goes - expect less. I really have a lot of things on the cooker right now and probably won't have much time to be here posting updates. I'll probably step away from blogging completely starting next week for the foreseeable future. I've still got a couple of post I have planned to do this week then I'll be done for a while.

So, as promised be sure to get your cookies and lemonade before you leave. Also be sure to great those around you and shake some hands.

Big announcement coming soon . . .

Be sure to come back on June 30th for the BIG announcement being made here. There will be free cookies & lemonade as usual and a social event afterwards.

Great quote . . .

"Consider your critics a compliment . . . proof that your life is important enough to consume all your time . . . and theirs too." ~Steven Furtick

Found at Deadly Viper Blog . . .

Netbook vs. Notebook . . .

Here is a decent video talking about the differences. You decide what is best for you.

Rehash of old post . . .

The Working vs. Volunteering vs. Serving thing has been on my mind again. I really wish I could refine it better than this, but alas the gift of writing is something I struggle to do well (or at all). I originally posted this information back in January. I think what has brought it back to my mind is the video I am working on for church - it is really taking some time to do it well and a couple of times I have just wanted to walk away from it. God has reminded me that I am doing it for Him and to stick it out - this is not volunteer service. The original post was worded a little different and had a couple more things but this is the essence.

WORKING: This is what I do to get paid. This one is done for another persons pleasure and at their direction . . . I have to stick around because I need/want the paycheck. I may enjoy it or I may not but at the end of the day I am there for the check.

VOLUNTEERING: This is what I do to get that warm fuzzy feeling. This one is done mostly for my own pleasure and I get to walk away whenever I want.

SERVING: This is what I do because God has called me to do it and is often rewarding but also often hard. This one is done because I am serving my Father and while it is deeply gratifying it can also be very hard and I stick it out because I am working for my Dad.

My work at Empire has always been a combination of working and serving. I love this place and it is clear that God has put me here to help expand the kingdom.

So cool . . .

This had to be a lot of fun to shoot and mix down.

Some street music for you . . .

Street Music from Dean Cooper on Vimeo.

I saw these guys at Market Square in downtown Knoxville today while shooting video for another project. Their name is Sorry for Nuthin'. They allowed me to video them playing this song. Good stuff.

Video was shot in HDV on a Sony camera, edited with Sony Vegas Pro 8, and video EFX are Magic Bullet Looks. I applied light compression and did some EQ work to the sound track.

I'd love to have had my AKG 414 mics to close mic those instruments but the camera mounted Sennheiser ME66 did a pretty good job.

Towards the end of the song another guy with a guitar walks up, sits down on the ground (off camera) and starts playing with them. You can hear him but I never bring him in frame.

Full Sail . . .

I'm trying to work out a trip to Full Sail in Orlando for a campus visit. Josh is wanting to go there after he graduates next year. He plans to major in recording arts. The trip part is easy - figuring out where the boy is gonna live while there and how to pay for every thing is going to be the biggest hurdles. He is excited about the school and I want to do all I can to help him go.

The last mile . . .

In two weeks we will have a finished product with the software we have been developing for internal use. We named the program EPIC. Little did I know how descriptive the name would be of the 2+ year journey we would take in getting a finished/working product. I can't recall any blood but we have definitely had lots of sweat and some tears.

The need for EPIC started when we out grew an Access database that ran with an Excel front-end. We have hundreds (likely thousands) of man hours in getting to this point. I'm very pleased with the way the software looks, feels, and functions. We are using a team of programmers in Romania that have been great to work with.

They started in late January and have been working diligently ever since to get this thing done. The big kick in the pants for me is that everything we had programmed up to that point had to be dumped and the entire program was coded again from the ground up. That is unfortunately the price paid for learning to develop software. At least it is working this time. I really have enjoyed working with the Tremend programming team and highly recommend them.

Should be a funny TV show . . .

And now just something silly . . .

Twitter . . .

This is only an experiment. I may kill it tomorrow. Blogging has been very hard for me the last few weeks because my work load has increased significantly and I've been working a lot of over-time. So, I'm going to give Twitter a shot to at least try to keep up some small task about what is going on. My major concern is that it will be so easy that I stop blogging all together.

You happy Jason?